Style & Beauty

Think you can't compete with all the Sexy Olafs and Sexy Lobsters out there this Halloween now that you're a mother? Well, think again. Halloween isn't what it used to be when you were a kid, so get out there and sizzle at the neighborhood trick or treat with these HOT Halloween costumes for moms. Best of all? You're probably already dressed.

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Drive You Crazy Carpool Mom, modeled by Toulouse & Tonic
Every dad in the neighborhood will be lining up behind you in our sexy "Drive You Crazy" Carpool Mom costume. Its racy features include the PJs you've been wearing for two days, rat's nest hair and a cup of cold coffee. Press that gas pedal with a pair of Isotoner slippers and for our sexiest version yet, leave the bra at home! Lunch boxes your own.

Sold out in L and XL.

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Blazing Hot Bakesale Babe, modeled by Frugalista Blog
You better have a fire extinguisher on hand when you're dressed as our Blazing Hot Bakesale Mom. You'll make their mouths water in our broiling tan and white polka dot apron with sugar-sweet bows on the pockets, a lickable batter-covered T-shirt -- and yoga pants that hide all your naughty proclivities! Add your own purple Uggs and muffin tin, then bend over that oven and make them drool for your goodies!

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Dirty Delouser, modeled by In The Powder Room
Set your washing machine to sanitize with our Dirty Delouser costume! If none of the other moms want their kids to play with yours, you'll know the real reason. You're just too damn hot in our fishnet stocking-inspired hairnet, specially patterned "lice-hider" apron and red hot rubber gloves that'll protect your hands from all their dirty deeds. Nit comb and half empty bottle of RID your own from the last time.

Also available in Plus Size for our Curvy Delousers.

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50 Shades of Laundry, modeled by Baby Sideburns
She can't answer the door right now, Mr. Postman. She's all tied up with the laundry! Fifty Shades of Grey will have nothing on you when you spend a sizzling Halloween in your laundry room in our "50 Shades of Laundry" costume. The dinginess of the sweatshirt and the holes in your college sweatpants make this outfit the ONLY things clean in your entire house -- including YOU! There's an inner goddess in there somewhere!

Be sure to complete the look with your own bored housewife bondage fantasies and our life-sized cut out of Christian Grey.

One size fits the lowest common denominator.

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In the Line of Doody, modeled by Hollow Tree Ventures

You'll be #1 (and #2!) when you out-pout your toddler this Halloween in our "In the Line of Doody" Potty Trainer costume! Slipping seductively into this costume is easy, but getting out of it can take forever. But no one (else) will mind as long as you keep that captivating come-hither look on your face and a can of Lysol in your hand!

Accessorize with the potty chair of your choice and a look of utter exasperation!

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Sleeping Seductress, modeled by MotherhoodWTF
Tease your man with the idea of getting a little on Halloween and every other night when you stretch out in our Sleeping Seductress costume. Will it happen? Maybe, but probably not. Because you nodded off again under the sultry Goodnight Moon, you little minx.

Costume imported from your husband's closet.

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Dirty Dishwashing Damsel, modeled by Funny Is Family
What's sexier than a clean kitchen? Watching you load and unload in your Dirty Dishwashing Damsel Halloween costume! And best of all, you don't even need to trick or treat because your pants are already full of all the candy anyone could want. We provide the candy pants and the dingy apron -- single rubber glove your own.

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Tired Temptress, modeled by Suburban Snapshots
Don't touch that snooze button! You're sure to be too exhausted to do anything about it but you'll have your husband all worked up anyway when you usher in the morning in our tantalizing Tired Temptress costume this Halloween. Our fuzzy robe and your clinging child will provide all the stumbling blocks you need to keep that man wanting more. Or just some.

Don't stop here! Keep laughing with more Sexy Halloween Costumes for Moms. Then share this post on Facebook and tag @Toulouse and Tonic.

Originally published by Suzanne Fleet on Toulouse and Tonic.

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Fall starts out mild and easy when it comes to the weather but everybody knows that colder temperatures are just around the corner. Not to forget the sleet, slush, freezing rain, ice and snow. If you haven't pulled out your winter coats, shoes and accessories like hats and gloves, you probably will be soon. If you're in the market for an update or need a new coat for the job, a few trends and styling ideas:

1. Boyfriend Coat: Boxy and cozy is the name of the game with this piece and it's not a surprise to find that it's a fashion enthusiast favorite. With loose, long lines updating the classic cut and styling, it's a fresh spin for weather. Colors range from camel to light gray, and of course icy pastels which are blues, pinks and mint tones that have less of a richness more of a pale element. This coat is workable with anything you want to wear though it tends to be more of a daytime/casual piece. If you want/need something you can dress up go with a neutral like ivory or camel.

2. Plaid: Plaid's been hanging around for a while on the style scene so its only natural that it's turning up on coats. The look ranges from toggle closures to boyfriend cuts, and all kinds of other styles so really it's all about your personal preference and taste here. Most options available are either red and black, black and white, or green and navy, but look around as you'll find pink and gray, yellow and gray and all kinds of other combinations to the plaid print with a little work. Treat this piece like a basic -- it goes with everything, regardless of cut, style, etc. You can pull the plaid coat off for evening if the rest of the outfit has some glam elements.

3. Capes: The cape might seem a little off-putting or challenging to work with as it tends to be a bit billowed and boxy, along with carrying a specific look. But, it can be worn well and often even through the colder months. Length and cut are key to prevent it from overpowering the frame. If the classic structure and conservative look of the cape isn't your vibe, look around for a print, interesting trim or detail, etc. This item is far more workable and versatile than it might seem -- it works with everything, night or day, work or play. Stick to a solid tone or pared done palette if you want to keep it work/evening appropriate. For colder months layer over something warm, including a jacket or thick knit.

4. Fringe: Fringe hasn't quite exploded on the trend scene but it's without question arrived. This look can be a little western or boho, so if that's not your style pay close attention to the cut and shape of the coat. Anything that's long and loose will lean toward a western/boho look and feel, similar to anything that may be short. No less whatever you choose you can offset the item by wearing it with outfits that draw away from it, like cute jeans and a tee with boots or polished and tailored classics, etc.

5. Parka. The parka isn't new to the winter style scene but it's back again. With good reason -- this piece is both warm, functional and stylish, particularly for those who endure winter's coldest months. This season, army green is the update, though you'll still see plenty of navy and black in play as well. Length can go high or low depending on what your personal taste is. A parka that hits around the hip or slightly lower can be an ideal length for students, moms, etc. while longer is especially ideal if you walk to and from work in a city that has cold weather during the fall and winter months. When styling this item, it tends to lean casual so go with a dark tone like black or navy to add a dress element, or wear with contrasting pieces that feel a little more glam, polished or what not.

For more coat picks and ideas, or to see all of Condiment's October edition, visit Getcondiment.com

Credit: Vogue

I first met Oscar de la Renta in 1998 while flipping through the December issue of Vogue.

On its cover, Hilary Rodham Clinton sat gracefully on a great manicured chair wrapped head to toe in the most exquisite wine colored velvet gown I had ever seen.

I was 14 years old and from that moment on, I knew that whatever I chose to do in life, it would involve beautiful clothing.

Looking back now, I find that it was quite the big dream for a young girl whose parents had just uprooted her from Nairobi, hoping to forge a new life in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. For most of the year, I was subjected to baggy khakis, flannel shirts and puffy coats -- hardly the stylish one in the room.

Over the years, I would meet Oscar de la Renta again and again.

A few more gorgeous gowns in Vogue, snippets of his collection via CNN during NYFW and of course, that delightful scene in The September Issue where Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour happily remarks "fabulous color," as a bright orange ball gown comes waltzing down the room during a preview with the designer.

Then there's that iconic moment in season six of Sex and The City that changed the life of every fan girl. The brooding Russian Alexander Pretrovsky begins reading a poem to his beloved on a lazy afternoon, to which Carrie responds by then reading an excerpt from Vogue about a dress designed by de la Renta, blissfully concluding "now that is poetry."

This act ultimately leads to what can only be described as a fairytale: to be presented with a gorgeous hot pink Oscar de la Renta gown moments before being whisked off to the Met to see an opera.

I recount these moments to say that Oscar de la Renta created beautiful clothing for women of purpose. With each design, he instilled a sense of strength, resilience and romance. Whether you were falling in love with a Russian on TV, accompanying your husband to an inaugural ball on his first day as President or sitting for the cover of Vogue, de la Renta was always by your side.

Dinner for two

I was seated across from a handsome gentleman on Monday night discussing the current state of political affairs over a few glasses of wine when his iPhone buzzed.

Interrupting him mid sentence I said, "I think you have a message from the New York Times."

He looked over at the screen and quickly replied, "Oscar de la Renta has died at the age of 82."

"No! It can't be true," I gasped almost knocking over my wine.

I quickly started rambling on about how de la Renta was an icon, an artist, clearly a talented man who inspired so many people. There was absolutely no way he could be taken so suddenly!

The expression on his face was one of confusion and empathy. He admitted that fashion was not his thing, but he was happy to oblige my moment of disbelief patiently -- the mark of a true gentleman.

For the remainder of the dinner, he asked me many questions about Oscar de la Renta. Where was he from? What were the highlights of his career? Why did women fall so in love with his wedding gowns? Touched by his curiosity, I pulled out my phone and started Googling images of de la Renta's work, proudly showing them off as if I had been part of the journey.

And in a way, I had.

A Legacy Remembered

My father believes that the most important thing a man or woman can do in life is to leave a legacy.

Whether it is your work or your family, leaving a legacy is less about being remembered for your accomplishments, and more about being remembered for how you influenced others to make changes in their lives.

My father tells me daily that in order to leave a legacy, one must first live a life of purpose.

Oscar de la Renta lived a life of great purpose creating clothing that worked for women.

He has since left a legacy of passion, hard work and tenacity.

He was proud to be a Dominican American designer and a member of the 'garment district crew' as I like to call them, dressing household names like Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Obama, Jackie Kennedy, Diane Vreeland and yes, those Clintons.

Oscar de la Renta's legacy will be to encourage his fellow American designers like Nanette Lepore, Zac Posen, Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford and Carolina Herrera to raise the torch and continue creating clothes that work for women. To continue to enhance their strength, support their resilience and always, allow them a little romance.

At least for that 14-year-old flipping through Vogue, this is the legacy of Oscar de la Renta.

Credit: Joan Erakit

Rest in peace, dear sir.

Fashionistas everywhere are still drooling over last week's Pharrell Williams' Swarovski crystal cardigan.

It may be only October but Bling is in the air! Right now, fashion magazines everywhere -- on newsstands and online -- are featuring shine, shimmer, and sparkle.

And with holiday coming, bling will be lighting up wardrobes throughout the season and most definitely to ring in 2015. Happily, this top hot trend is embellishing clothing, accessories, and jewelry. Many women (myself included) love the idea of sparkle but are confused about adding it to everyday wardrobes so I suggest starting with special occasion and holiday

Personally, I really can't wait to get my sparkle on this holiday season because I have so many events, both professionally and personally. But like most, I have a budget and I don't want to invest too much in a trend.

So I channeled Pharrell Williams and happily (pun intended!) discovered that we can all bring his sparkle to our wardrobes. And not just any sparkle, Swarovski sparkle! YES! Just like that cardigan! Right now, I'm certain that all Pharrell Williams' cardigan coveting fashionistas love me for unearthing this brand: Touchstone Crystal, a member of the Swarovski Group.

Stylists and personal shoppers know that a great accessory can elevate your outfit, your mood, your day.

My Top 5 Ways To Add Sparkle to your Fall Or Holiday Wardrobe --

1. Try A Bib Necklace

Necklace: Touchstone Crystal

Necklace: DylanLex

2. Add A Pop of Color

Necklace: Gemma Redux

Necklace: Touchstone Crystal

3. Go For Mixed Metallics

Necklace: Gemma Redux (shop similar styles)

Necklace: Touchstone Crystal

4. Think Pink!
(It is October -- Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- and you can shop for your sparkle and donate to a great cause.)

Bracelet: Touchstone Crystal

Bracelet: Alex and Ani

5. Let Your Fingers Do The Talking

Ring: Touchstone Crystal

Ring: Alex and Ani

Remember the best fashion statement is a blend of on-trend makeup, modern hair, and channeling your own inner-sparkle. Happy Sparkling!

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(credit for Keep Calm : keepcalmand.tumblr.com)

As a recently converted New Yorker, I have learned that the only thing worse than wearing white after Labor Day is wearing stilettos to a club in the meatpacking district. Naturally, the cosmos came together and decided to situate 80 percent of the nightclubs in New York in an area with primarily cobblestone streets. You're basically asking to face-plant if you wear 3-inch heels in that kind of environment.

Luckily, mannish flats and booties are ubiquitous, so it looks like all of womankind is safe! Whether it's impractical to wear potentially life-threatening footwear, or you simply aren't in the mood, here are 10 alternative shoes that a bouncer will not turn you away for wearing.

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First the proposal, next the ring, the wedding date, the dress and then the shoes or is it the shoes and then the dress? So what do women look for when they are buying their wedding shoes? Regardless of which comes first, is it designer driven or comfort driven? Although it is only one night out of the rest of your life, walking down the aisle in your dream pair of shoes in comfort from designers such as Prada, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy, Kate Spade, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Steve Madden or your favorite designer would be a win, win for you and for your feet.

Whether you're looking for a specific style such as sandals, peep toes, pumps or the perfect heel height, you want to look good and feel good from head to toe without being in shoe or feet hell.

According to Lauren Rudy an associate buyer at David's Bridal she notes that "there definitely seems to be an attachment to a certain brand, wanting something to work back to their dress, something that complements it without taking away from it, and being on trend."

Wedding shoes like any other pair of fashion footwear should fit properly and not be too tight, too small or too big. Even if it is the only night you wear those shoes, walking down the aisle, standing in a reception line and dancing the entire night away should be as painless as possible.

Feet come in different sizes, widths and shapes with lumps and bumps in all the wrong places when it comes to buying your wedding shoes. Shoes only come in sizes and widths. If you are purchasing your shoes online, in a bridal shop or at a department store, always buy your true shoe size not ones that almost fit.

The land mines to avoid when purchasing your shoes is making sure they do not pinch in the toe box or rub the top, tip and sides of your toes. That could lead to the formation of blisters and corns. So make sure you have enough wiggle room in the toe box of the shoe. If the shoes are too narrow or wide, by the end of your night your feet will probably be screaming at you to take them off. Feet can swell after being on them all day. Blisters and corns can form on the toes due to constant rubbing, friction and the toes trying to grab the floor of the shoe for stability.

If you have developed bunions or hammer toes over the years you now have to accommodate those bony issues when buying your shoes. Having a narrow heel can also cause problems when buying shoes because of heel slippage. Bunions can trigger the big toe joint to get red, swollen and painful by the end of the night. Hammer toes can increase the chance of developing blisters. Shoes that are too wide can cause the balls of your feet to slide and burn because of excess movement within the toe box area of the shoe. Wedding shoes that have too steep of a pitch such as 4-5 inch heel can initiate muscle spasms in the arch, pain in the ball of the foot pain and toe cramping. That is because of the muscles in the arch of your foot are getting tired and begin to fatigue from the stress of being on your feet that day.

Most women will throw caution to the wind and think, who cares it's my wedding day and I can endure any minor foot pain. However, it is always better to wear wedding shoes that are comfortable, supportive and will last the entire night.

This Is How You Do It!
Always look for shoes with soft leather because the last thing you want to do is break in your wedding shoes. Placing over the counter arch supports in your shoes is the best way to solve muscle spasms and arch fatigue during the wedding day. They will also reduce the burning or ball of the foot pain from wearing 4-5 inch heels. An additional benefit is that there should be less jamming, redness and swelling of the great toe joint due to the acute pitch of the shoe. An added bonus is that they can also take leg and low back fatigue away too after a long night of partying!

Bring your wedding shoes with you if you buy them at a local store to insure proper fit making sure there is enough room for both your foot and the arch support, some products can be too bulky. Buying arch supports online is another option and there are arch products that can just fit in the arch of the wedding shoe regardless of heel height or style. Just peel the adhesive backing off and stick them in. When online type in key words such as, arch supports for fashion footwear, instant arch support or arch support for high heels or wedding shoes. Another way to provide your feet with instant comfort is to place a soft thin inner sole in your shoes they will reduce friction and burning as well as provide extra padding.

And she walked happily down the aisle with her feet feeling great and said "I Do!"

Let's imagine for a moment that you've been invited to join a zombie group costume for a big Halloween party. Lots of cool people are in the group... including a really cute guy you like. This presents a dilemma.

Of course, you want to join the group. They're meeting for a happy-hour planning session Friday. But, "no way" do you want go as a grave-rotten zombie to a party where you want move on a hot guy.

There's a way to be both dead and beautiful. I think it gets down to this: Make your hair and your eyes gorgeous and you can have blood and grave dirt smeared all over your sexy shovel-torn dress. That's where the up-close focus will be, on your eyes, your hair and lips. So go with great lipstick, too, and think creatively. If you can still get a hair appointment before Halloween, that's a great way to nail a fantastically macabre look and get instructions on how to execute the final touches. Here are some suggestions to get started:

• The just dug-up look is a lot about pale-gray makeup with dark contrast to highlight cheekbones. Add a hint of green or blue. If you've just been exhumed for the forensic investigation, your hair can look terrific but use a sliver spray color to 'age' your locks. Add a hair piece and matching bouquet of dead flowers. Forego the maggots. Go with deep, dark smoky eyes, big lashes and dark, but perfect, lipstick.

• How about a Day of the Dead costume. Again, your hair can be fabulous, big, exuberant. Go with makeup inspired by the sugar skulls created for the Nov. 1-2 celebrations, making for a very ghoulish weekend ... Halloween in on Friday. Any of this makeup could take a while and it needs to be done with precision so leave time and avoid coffee for a steady hand. You can go with almost anything romantic for the hair. I suggest a chignon or high bun with soft wisps around the face.

• Vampires are almost too easy: slick-back wet look for the traditional Dracula and 'simply beautiful' for the "Twilight" version but, frankly, I think both of these are getting a bit tired. This genre is due for a long dirt-nap.

• Let's take a look at something a bit more challenging. If your group is going as the walking dead then your hair is a mess ... but wait just a minute! Think of all the trendy messy looks we've seen lately. This is perfect for walking dead and you will be standout sexy-gorgeous. Mainly, you're going to tease, tease and tease your hair for lots of volume and random, messy-looking, electrocuted locks. Add some nice touches with a crimping iron. Start with a temporary, wash-out color like fuchsia or blue for the base then highlight with spray-on silver. Go with beautiful big eye lashes. The makeup would be similar to the "just dug up" look. Oh, man, you're bound to get bitten looking this good! Granted, we see a lot of half-eaten, rotten people on Walking Dead but we'll forego most of this gore. If you MUST have something gory about your costume, go with an 'accessory,' like a bloody limb, that you can ditch while flirting.

Have fun and be open to change ... "Boo!"

Legendary fashion designer Oscar De La Renta who spent half a century putting high society in his modern yet effortlessly feminine haute couture designs, died Monday evening in his home in Connecticut of complications from cancer. He was 82.

While the fashion industry will forever mourn the loss of one of its greatest talents, the world is undoubtedly mourning Oscar, the man.

Malcolm Forbes once wrote that " to measure the man, measure his heart," and those who knew Mr. De La Renta, knew he was nothing if not a man of heart.

It was his heart after all that made him the ultimate success story, as an immigrant from the Dominican Republic born into a patrician local family, he became a trailblazer for immigrants chasing the American dream through his journey from the Dominican Republic at 18 years old to the top of the fashion industry.

While De La Renta may have started his journey with only heart and determination, he rose by pure talent.

With his background in art and uncanny ability to move among the worlds of fashion and finance, De La Renta effortlessly navigated an industry that too often seems dominated by fleeting trends. Never one to follow the crowd, De La Renta stuck to what he believed in and created collection after collection of timeless gowns that women wanted to wear by lending romantic touches to elegant designs.

While De la Renta achieved fame by being a couturier to socialites and ladies who lunch he was without a shadow of a doubt the red carpet king capable of making a woman look like the best version of herself.

I will never forget when my love affair with Oscar de La Rentas designs began. I was working in Manhattan for Bergdorf Goodman when I had the privileged opportunity of seeing his latest collection. I was in awe that day of his revolutionary designs and the way in which they exuded an intense passion for femininity and elegance. Each were, above all else, an ode to women.

Each billowing tier, each ruffle, was a concoction of renaissance grandeur with a fairy-tale quality that were nothing short of ethereal.

Needless to say, I was without a shadow of a doubt in awe of Mr. De La Rentas work that day, but more than that I was in awe of him. The way he effortlessly captivated the room and exuded a confidence that could never be mistaken as arrogance. There was a kindness in his eyes, and a warmth to his smile that was a rarity in an industry that often had a "members only" mentality.

So to the artist, the visionary, to the legacy of passion, grace, and tenacity, but most of all to the man...to Mr. Oscar De La Renta, may you rest in peace. You will be dearly missed.

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Does a limited budget or closet space have you looking for a fall-to-frost outerwear purchase that will look just as fabulous with your cozy autumnal tops as it will with the thickest of wintery sweaters? The search stops right here with Rank & Style's science-based and objective list that's comprised of the 10 smartest parkas under $500 that matter. There's plenty of faux fur, warmth and a whole lot of style within this list, so take a peek and parka up for this season and beyond.

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10. FRENCH CONNECTION FAUX FUR & LEATHER TRIM ANORAK PARKA

Hate to dry clean? So do we, and this faux fur and leather-trimmed parka for under $500 is the 100 percent cotton version you can throw in the machine instead.

Price: $160, Buy at Nordstrom

#9. GAP FUR-TRIM SNORKEL PARKA

Been looking for a classic parka that won't break the bank? Mick Jagger was wrong, you can always get what you want, and this fuzzy hooded number from Gap is the proof.

Price: $168, Buy at The Gap

#8. LAUNDRY BY SHELLI SEGAL COATED PARKA WITH FAUX FUR TRIM

Add a little polish to your parka with this coated, steel grey, stunner from Laundry by Shelli Segal that's totally water resistant, leaving you covered no matter the forecast.

Price: $158, Buy at Nordstrom

#7. CHEAP MONDAY WANTED PARKA

This 100% cotton parka for under $500 is the ideal transitional piece for cool fall days that turn into colder fall nights with a little layering action.

Price: $260, Buy at Shopbop

#6: DKNY FAUX FUR TRIM ANORAK

Functionality is key in this parka for under $500 that boasts nap-down gunflaps, a storm placket, dual-entry cargo pockets and rib-knit cuff inserts, while a waist cinching drawstrings keeps the silhouette feminine.

Price: $132, Buy at Nordstrom

What made #1? Visit Rank & Style now to find out. And while we're on the topic, check out our list of the ten best Fall Fleeces, Faux Fur Vests and Faux Leather Jackets to get you fall ready... in style!

Jesse Breeden for Rank & Style

I like to paint my nails weird colors.

I've always loved to do that. When I was a little girl and my mom would treat me to a manicure, she'd "o0oo0h" and "ahhhh" me toward the more modest colors. Essie's Ballet Slipper or Marshmallow would be the most ideal choice.

But then she'd walk away and I found myself flirting with a rainbow of colors to choose from. I'd reach for the brightest. The boldest. The one that was the most full because other people were scared to wear it. And if I couldn't decide which color to select (and over 15 minutes had past), I'd select a few and ask the manicurist to paint three fingers one color and the other two another.

Everything eventually becomes a trend.

So when painting an "Accent Nail" became a thing last year, my manicurist finally stopped asking me, "Are you sure you want to do that?" when I'd hand her two bottles of very different colored nail polish and designate which fingers to paint which color.

Snapping a picture of your freshly manicured nails and posting the photo on Instagram is truly an art. It's harder than taking a selfie. There should be a name for this kind of thing.

I'm going to call it a nailfie.

I'm also going to admit that I've tried to do this (many times) before and I've failed. I've failed so badly and I didn't even bother to give up -- when I probably should have. Instead, I took 35 pictures of my sea foam green nails, trying out 11 different angles, clutching on to all different spontaneous props.

Exhibit A:

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My boss said I won't pick up guys wearing this color nail polish. Luckily, I'm only trying to pick up pizza with these nails.

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It's harder than it seems.

At first you're so excited to send a picture to your best friend or your mom or your boyfriend -- who probably won't notice you changed a thing ("Oh, your fingers weren't always that Thanksgiving cranberry color?"). So you'll quickly toss your hand in front of the camera and ::snap.::

That first photo will make you feel self-conscious. You'll suddenly, for the first time, notice that your fingers are too skinny or too long or too far apart or too stubby and you'll try to take the photo again. This time, you'll get creative. You'll flatten your hand out or wrap your nails around something so no one can see your full finger flaws.

You'll eat up the spare room on your iPhone camera roll with 15 different angles and 100 different takes. Until you have a decent enough picture to show off to your best friend or your mom or your boyfriend (who will won't understand why you're sending him this nailfie).

After scrolling through almost 600 nail pictures I've taken over the past three years (only 10 of which I've shared with other humans), I noticed a pattern in the type of nail pictures that work the best and the ones that make our fingers look like string cheese.

The Claw

Let's start with "The Claw." To do this, you'll want to flex your fingers so that they fold in half, showing off just your nails and the palm of your hand. This tends to be the most popular pose because there's not a lot involved, except a simple flex of your less dominant hand while the other one takes the photo. Be careful of clawing too hard, or your fingers will look like the photo above. Instead, just do a casual flex, as if you were going to blow the nail polish dry on your hand.

The Bottle Grab

Enhance The Claw pose with a Bottle Grab. It'll make it look more natural. Like your examining the bottle, but really you're just using it as a prop so that your nails have something to lie flat on and "smile" for the camera.

The Hand Over Hand

This one is very lady like. It's as if you're pulling a Marilyn Monroe, pushing down your skirt as it blows in the wind. This one, however, requires another person to take your photo or some self-timer skills.

Give it Props

Get creative and grab on to something. Grab your purse, grab your wallet, grab a bag of Cheetos.

The High Five

This is the original, "I'm so excited to snap a photo of my freshly manicured nails" photo. This is when you don't care about grabbing on tightly to a bottle of used nail polish at the salon or asking someone else to snap a photo of your hands. You have to watch out for this angle though. If you have long dangling fingers (like I do), the right combination of Instagram filters can make them look like octopus arms or pieces of spaghetti.

See below.

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Networking event View on Instagram

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Spaghetti fingers

View on Instagram

Let's bring in three incendiary words we've been bombarded with, and see if we can string them together -- so that they compliment each other: Feminism, Renée Zellweger and Annie Lennox (one ages, the other doesn't).

Let's start with poor Renée Zellweger (45). http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/23/where-has-real-renee-zellweger-gone It's terrible for anybody to be watched like a hawk for crow's feet, every less than pouty lip, every sagging particle of one's body. But if you are an actress over 40 you are ridiculed and hounded by Hollywood, which has always acted as the self-assigned beauty police with a ready whip and a magnifying glass.

Getting older is already in itself a daring female crime and few actresses escape the vicious circle of punishment. You can't win. If you, as a movie star, leave your aging face like it is (what an audacious act) you can be sure that a spiteful, derogatory and sexist shit-storm will ensue that is so emotional and so full of hatred (sadly, the high majority are men) that it is very unsettling.

And if a female movie star, driven crazy by all demands and expectations, does go ahead and under the knife or other assorted tortures to pump up and fill all there is to fill, the same vicious attack by the cruel Hollywood hounds is launched like a weapon. So, damned if you do, damned if you don't, this being the blue print for women's lives worldwide.

What to do? Let's bring in the popular f-word: Feminism. Just about every woman is riding on its colorful coat tails these days because it's hip to be either for or against "it". All the while it isn't clear to many what feminism really means, or whether there's a fool-proof recipe for it. (There is. If men hate your endeavors, it's probably the right stuff.)

Applauding Annie

Well, singer, philanthropist and feminist Annie Lennox (59) certainly knows feminism, and she of the masterful lyrics in her incomparable songs can express herself beautifully, of course. As if it isn't admirably enough that she sticks to her opinions and dares to label Beyoncé (rightfully) a "lite" feminist, and "twerking" as a teenage disease, she has done something more valuable and important by teaching a great lesson in humanity just by being herself. http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=68228
Herewith I am applauding Annie for allowing us -- and especially her contemporaries -- to see an intelligent, kind and generous beauty like herself, age gracefully right in front of our eyes, thus mirroring ourselves.

Now that's feminism, ladies, girls, sexism-fighters, amazons and wannabe ball-busters. For me, this is a gift from a great artist, this is what we need to witness daily, this is allowing incorruptible Mother Nature (why do you think she isn't called Father Nature?) calling the shots. It is about the real you, the human you, the fearless you. The one who doesn't have to dye her graying hair, who doesn't need Botox, fillers and fake.

So who is the real beauty here? The older woman who shows her unaltered but lovely face or the much younger woman who is crippled by fear of being looked at, being imperfect and being judged by the misogynist beauty-court?

Smash it to pieces, this hostile idea of beauty that dims down to nothing when you age. Altered faces are sad and frightened faces. What is the fear about? Loss of love, of lust, of friends, of choices -- of movie roles? Here are the sad old news: Life is nothing but a collection of losses; but also of a few gains to soften the blow.

But instead of embracing these gifts that come with age, this is society's anti-female command: Don't let "them" see your wrinkles, your gray hair or the slowly sagging skin and breasts.
But why not? And who is "they"? Who exactly is our, your, audience? Here's another piece of slightly better news: we can choose our own spotlight and with it our own audience. And it would be very wise -- and most of all feminist -- to choose people and friends who are not only in the same boat with you, but also know how to row and to reach the right shore where justice, peace and sisterhood reigns.

But above all: Be a real feminist, don't talk about it, act like one. Be radical, change the rules and live by them. Be wise, be just, be young or old, be strong, sharpen your edges, say farewell to fear.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:

The new Women in Clothes (Blue Rider Press), edited by Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits and Leanne Shapton, is a wonderful collection of essays, diary entries, surveys and conversations about women's relationship to clothes. I'm thrilled to be one of the contributors, and it's gotten me thinking more about the role of fashion in my life.

I don't consider myself a woman who's especially interested in fashion, but a look around my study as I write this makes me reconsider. There are photos of Frida Kahlo in a long Mexican dress, with rings on every finger; Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, wearing the little black dress, gloves and pearl necklace, hair caught up in a sparkly clasp; Siena Miller in a black-and-white feathered gown, surrounded by white marble sculptures; Ameesha Patel in a jeweled lehenga skirt on the cover of Verve magazine, a French chateau in the background.

Though for the most part, I don't have the chance -- unfortunately -- to dress in styles like these, the photos inspire me. Not only beautiful in and of themselves, they lead to thoughts of much more. Looking at them, I'm reminded of something Jean Cocteau said: "Style is a simple way of saying complicated things." The photo of Frida Kahlo in the native costume of women from Mexico's Tehuantepec region, for example, says complicated things about physical suffering: Kahlo wore long dresses and skirts to hide her body, which was disfigured from childhood polio and a near-fatal tram accident. The photo speaks as well of her love-hate relationship with painter Diego Rivera, who encouraged her to wear traditional Mexican clothing (and whom she married -- twice). It also talks about cultural identity and creativity: of European and indigenous Mexican ancestry, Kahlo explored the tension between these identities in her painting. This aspect especially intrigues me because so much of what I write is related to my Tibetan American heritage.

Fashion often takes me back to childhood. A flowered dress, a fuzzy pompon, can trigger a Proustian reverie. Though I don't feel the "all-powerful joy" the narrator in Proust's Remembrance of Things Past experiences when he tastes the madeleine that returns him to his boyhood days, I'm flooded by memories of a more innocent time, when my parents were still together and life felt simple and wholesome. As a young girl, I had a white cotton dress splashed with yellow flowers; being reminded of it transports me to the trim, two-story suburban house where we last lived together as a family, to lazy afternoons lying in the grass watching vapor trails in the deep blue sky or playing with my dolls under the forsythia bushes while my father did yard work. The pompon reminds me of winter mornings walking to school deep in conversation with my best friend, the two of us wearing matching furry hats with pompons, sun glittering on the ice-encrusted trees; it takes me back to racing on the town skating pond, to huddling frozen but happy in an igloo my mother built for us after a big snow.

Until I went to college, I spent a lot of time sewing. My mother, an expert seamstress, taught me, and one of my favorite things to do was go with her to the fabric store and pore over the big pattern books (Simplicity, Butterick, Vogue), envisioning the different styles and the materials I could use, settling on a pattern -- or three -- after much delicious deliberation, then buying everything I needed and rushing home to get started. I loved pinning the tissue paper to the fabric, cutting, stitching and ironing; figuring out the difficult parts and experimenting with fixes when I made mistakes; altering the pattern if I preferred a more fitted waist, a lower neckline. Often I stayed up all night, the quiet hours slipping past and my thoughts roaming free as a new dress or skirt or jacket took shape, as I grappled with -- and ultimately accepted -- the imperfections and idiosyncrasies, in the same way we work to make a life.

I realize that, in fact, fashion is deeply interesting to me. It's about who we are, who we were, who we might become. Coco Chanel said, "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." It is, indeed, about how we think and how we live, about the world around us and the worlds within us.

Women in Clothes was published September 4.

I started online dating a few days ago. I posted on Facebook to ask my friends which dating sites they did, do or would use. There were a bunch, including Craigslist which could possibly be my last resort, but the overall consensus was Match.com, so I signed up for a three month subscription. A few of my friends have gotten married from online dating, so I saw good in it and felt safe. I spent about a day working on my profile, figuring out what I would say, how I would say it and which photos I would include. My particular profile was rejected about ten times before I had to call their customer service, reassuring them that I'm a unique individual. It's likely I'll change my profile a few times before I start getting the response I'm looking for. That doesn't mean I'm going to write what I think they want me to say, but to dig into the real me, in hopes of finding as many things as I can with what I want in a woman.

I've never been a "dating" type of guy. It's not me. I go on one date and bam, I'm all up in a relationship. My friends hate it because we'll be hanging as usual and then all of a sudden some sexy Amelia Earhart does a loop-the-loop, steals me and takes me to the Bermuda Triangle. It happens so fast that I can't even say goodbye to my friends. I disappear and since they're so used to it, no one files a missing persons report.

Then, on some dark and cold night, months after my disappearance, I'm found curled up in a ball, lying naked in a gutter with my guitar and a wet cigarette hanging out of my mouth. My heart is broken, and it's my fault. The ejection button was pushed and I didn't have a parachute. What happened was that I chose to be with a woman who is famous for flying solo, picking up passengers but not knowing it was for one-way trips. The realization that I have been looking for the wrong Amelia hits me. I should have been spending my time searching for Amelia Bedelia, not Amelia Earhart.

There is beauty in Amelia Bedelia, even though she screwed up all of the time. Her mistakes were caused by taking figures of speech and acting on them literally. There was mess, destruction, confusion and chaos. When she was asked to dust the furniture, she'd put dust on the furniture. When told to steal home plate, she took it. And she did a hell of a job at drawing the drapes. The best part of Ms. Bedelia was her good intentions. You couldn't be mad at her. She could always make you laugh, even when she wasn't trying. And her form of asking for forgiveness was usually by baking a pie or a cake. It showed humility in her, and an admittance of weakness and a reassurance that no matter what happens or has happened, she's trying her best the best way she knew how.

I'm not looking for a maid or a servant, and I'm certainly not looking for a dumb ass either. She doesn't have to have a degree, she doesn't have to have a nice car and I'm completely okay if she is still living with her parents. She can have children, or she can be unable to bear them physically. She doesn't need to have big boobs or a perfect body. I do need to see her face without makeup at some point because some girls are false advertisers and I hate being bamboozled. She'd be encouraged to wear that maid outfit sometimes, but she doesn't have to. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite looks of a woman is sweats with a hoodie with little to no makeup on, especially on a weekend morning. She can have tattoos or she can have none. She can have as many piercings as she likes, but if she has those giant plugs in her ears, stretching out her lobes like she's making spaghetti, that's a deal-breaker. She can have a bald head, or hair down to her feet. She can have a lot of money, or very little. She has to be trying in the areas that are most important to her.

What I truly want in a woman is a connection with her so unique that we're the only two people that can share it. A type of relationship that is stronger than the ones we have with our best friends, where maybe she'd consider farting in front of me if she thought it was going to make me laugh. By the way, it would. I want a woman with a creative heart, who is inspired by life and happiness, with or without me. I want a woman who isn't so concerned about having everything in order always, and knows how to relax in the time, wherever we are, and just be. I want a woman that knows how to make me laugh, and can lay on sarcasm so strong it'll force me to up my game. I want a woman that is confident and strong, but knows when to be weak and lets me be strong for her. I want a woman who lives a life full of perfectly good mistakes, so long as her intent is to pursue happiness. I want a woman that tries to see the good in all things, especially when it's difficult for me to do so. When it comes down to it, I want a woman; a real one.

In closing, and out of the love and respect I have for my daughters, this woman I speak of does not have to be a mother to my daughters. If she wants to be motherly, great, but they have mothers and they are perfect for them. The only thing I would ever ask of any woman is to encourage the relationships they have with their moms, and promote the good in all of us. If you win my heart, you're going to win the heart of the two best smelling turds in the whole wide world, who happen to fart in front of me all of the time. They learned that from their moms.

Originally posted at Full-Time Daddy

photo credit: Magnus Hastings

Marco Marco's "Collection Three" show proved to be an even more perfectly outrageous spectacle than his last showing. That alone was no small feat, but with 37 looks adorned on the bodies of the most celebrated queens, no mission proved impossible.

The show titled, "Collection 3, Slut Goes to the Moon," took place at the stunning Cathedral of St. Vibiana. The event was sponsored by The Abbey Food and Bar, Skynny Kitchen, and produced by the fabulous Chanel Perrillo. Seated in the front row of the immaculate long white runway were Adam Lambert, Carmen Electra, Lilly Ghalichi, Samuel Larson and of course the "Who's Who" of West Hollywood. Everyone was there to celebrate Marco Morante, the mysterious man behind Marco Marco. The highly anticipated runway video of the full show will (as rumored) be released this Tuesday. In the meantime, I was lucky enough to track Marco down for this rare question and answer session.

1. How did this season's line and show differ from last years?

This show was an attempt to up the ante from last year. I wasn't necessarily ready to change the formula, but I wanted the opportunity to grow the concept and flesh it out. Last year was a mash up of sacred geometry and an old school walk off.

This year blended patterns of crystal formations and refracted light with some of my favorite iconic gay movements: vogueing, pageants, club queens, and of course giving it all a sci-fi twist. I'm a comic book nerd at the end of the day.

2. How did you come about featuring queens in your fashion shows?

There is a queen named Vicky Vox, who performs a number called the laughing track. I die every time I see it because it is just so good. All I wanted was for her to open the first show, and when she said yes, that was the first seed.

photo credit: diytheme.com

Having the show include all the different types of boys, that I'm surrounded with, just made sense. It felt real and visceral because it was! Those are my friends and watching them shut the house down one by one was the most exciting 15 minutes of my year. It's also nice to give credence to a social group that doesn't get the appropriate type of attention they deserve. I wanted a legitimate opportunity for my friends to show the world what being a 'bad ass bitch' is really about.

3. There are so many fierce queens and hot gay boys. How do you choose whom to feature in your show?

I don't choose to feature anyone. I feel like it all kind of falls into place as the pieces develop and as I meet with them and begin to decide which girl fits each design. This is a process I go through with my team. Everyone has input on who the models will be, and we come up with an order from there.

4. Were you always a fan of Britney and what is it like to design for her?

I was out of high school and into art school before Britney came on to the scene, so I definitely missed the boat there. However, my assistant (Michael) made it VERY clear to me that she is a legend. He calls her "Godney." When we booked the Vegas show, I learned her songbook very quickly and feel like an expert now! She is an inspiring person who has overcome adversity time and time again and that is a hard thing to do over and over. (Especially on such a global scale).

photo credit: Marco Morante

5. Why do you cover your cute face in pictures and videos?

That's MY face! You wanna see it, come talk to me :) 15 yrs selfie free!

photo credit: Marco Morante

6. I sat next to your family at your show. They seem very proud and supportive. Have they always been that way?

Yes, my folks have always been very supportive. They always expected the most from me, but also never let me beat myself up when I failed. They were consummate parents and I owe them the world.

7. What is your favorite color and why?

I don't have one, but I do love neon. I read somewhere that certain animals can't see neon and that's why hunters wear them. The idea of wearing a color that is at least semi specific to our species is pretty awesome.

photo credit: Magnus Hastings

8. Where are you from? What does your hometown think of your success?

I grew up half in Anaheim and half in Laguna. I don't go back to either often, so I can't say I know much about what they think, but I hope it's good though!!

9. Do you wear your own brand of underwear? What pair is your favorite?

Yes, I'm almost always in Marco Marco undies and socks. My favorites are the black boxer briefs and the black and white socks! I LOVE them, so much that I get sad when I'm out of laundry and have to revert to my old ones. If I have to, I'll sneak into the back (when Chris isn't looking) and snag an extra pair.

10. Who are your favorite designers of all time and your favorite up and coming designers?

My favorite designers of all time: William Travilla, Edith Head, Eiko, Paco Rabanne, Issey Miyake, Iris Van Herpen.

My favorite up and coming designers: August Getty, Nika Danielska, Takashi Nishiyama.

Designers Marco Morante and August Getty. photo credit: Jason King Photography

11. What can we expect from your online web series?

I have no idea! LOL I haven't seen it either, so I'm watching it at the same time everyone else is, but I imagine you're going get to see a little of what it is we go through to create one effortless evening for our guests and for the models. Our goal is to make this an experience and we want it to be all encompassing.

12. You wrote an open letter to Anna Wintour. Has she replied?

Hahaha! No she hasn't. That's okay though. I imagine she is a busy lady!

13. What are some of your favorite costumes you designed?

Iggy-EMAs
Fergie-Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Britney Spears-Angel costume for Vegas show (see above)
Katy Perry- Cupcake Bra

photo credit: Marco Marco

14. What advice do you have for people who look up to you and want to be a fashion designer?

Run! LOL It is not an easy gig! The machine could swallow you. However, if you're patient (and willing to go broke over and over again) and can't live with out it... then go for it! It has to be all in or nothing because there are a million kids who are the shit and make amazing things. So give it everything!

15. Do you have any hidden talents?

I'm a good whistler and I can fry an egg like a mother fucker.

Six-inch stilettos, over-sized heavy handbags, toothpick-tight jeans -- the average woman is no stranger to suffering for fashion.

In the "Look At Me" culture we live in, it is no wonder who you wear is just as important as what you wear. However, instead of designer labels, there are some trends today that should come with warning labels.

Women may pay a high price for fashion, and I'm not talking about the amount of money those designer bags and shoes cost -- I'm talking about the price of your health. Certain fashion trends can take their toll if you don't take steps to correct them (or at the very least recognize them).

Bigger Isn't Always Better: Is Your Over-Sized Handbag Causing Back Pain?

Heavy handbags, computer bags -- even dog carriers with a 10-pound pooch inside can cause back pain. Inside a typical handbag, you may find a phone, iPad, wallet, makeup bag, a bottle of water, book or magazine -- maybe an extra pair of shoes. They seem like little things, but they add weight -- up to 10 pounds -- and carrying all that weight can cause shoulder and neck pain.

When it comes to fashion, putting extra weight on one side of your body is one of the biggest neck and back pain causes. Any time you carry weight on one side of your body for an extended period of time, it causes your spine to curve, and that leads to back pain symptoms.

So what can you do? Try to aim for symmetry. Choose a bag that you can wear diagonally across your body rather than a single-strap bag that rests on one shoulder. When you can't avoid using a single-strap bag, be conscious of changing the sides you use to carry it.

That Stylish Backpack You Bought Your Child Can Be A Pain In Their Neck (And Shoulders)

Let's face it, kids want to be fashionable and trendy too. In these days of iPads and laptops, online learning and e-books, it seems like a backpack would be unnecessary. But kids are still loaded down with traditional books, as well as notebooks, binders, folders and calculators. It all adds up and tips the scale in an unhealthy direction.

Unfortunately, most kids are wearing backpacks that are too heavy for them. As a father of two, I'm all too familiar with the problem. A child's backpack should weigh no more than about 15 percent to 20 percent of his or her body weight. If a child starts complaining about neck, back or shoulder pain, parents should look at the backpack first.

Less Is More: Wallets Are Causing Men Pain And It Has Nothing To Do With A Lack Of Cash

Millions of men drive with their wallet in their back pocket and sit on them at their desk at work. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst things you can do for your back. Back pain and sciatica is often caused by sitting on a thick and heavy wallet that throws your pelvic balance off triggering chronic pain in your back, hips and shoulders.

Eventually, you may compress the sciatic nerve -- it runs from each side of the spine down through the back of each thigh to the foot -- and cause sciatica, searing leg pain and numbness. The piriformis muscle near your glutes may also become aggravated, which can irritate the nerve and trigger lower back and sciatic pain. You're better off placing your wallet or money clip in your front pocket while sitting for a prolonged period.

Sole Searching: Your "Killer" Heels May Be Killing Much More Than You Think

High-end fashion designers are synonymous with today's most sought after styles including sky high pumps and heels.

However, the pain you feel while walking in your 6-inch heels is a symptom of the potential damage stylish footwear may be doing to your body; including your back and neck. The structure of the foot is not meant to be crammed in the shoe that way. It puts the body in a very unnatural position.

When you wear high heels -- shoes with a heel two inches or higher -- your foot slides forward in your shoe, forcing the toes into the unnatural shape of the shoe and redistributing your weight incorrectly. The increased weight on your toes causes your body to tilt forward, and to compensate you lean backwards and overarch your back, creating a posture that can strain your knees, hips, and lower back.

I'm not advising giving up your heels! But try giving your feet a break with flats or running shoes in between -- especially if walking to work.

The Skinny On Skinny Jeans

Skinny jeans have become the quintessential fashion staple for many women and men especially in the fall. Unfortunately, trying to squeeze into them is more than an inconvenience. An overly tight fit could actually cause nerve damage.

A disorder called meralgia paresthetica can occur when one of the nerves on the outer part of the thigh compresses and pressure on it causes symptoms of tingling and numbness and pain. Pair those skinny jeans with a pair of ultra high-heels, and your risk for upsetting this particular nerve increases.

Bottom line: If you love your body more than the clothing it's dressed in, keeping up with these fashion trends doesn't have to take a toll on your health.

For more information about your this and other practical health tips:

http://www.facebook.com/GleiberSpineMD
http://www.twitter.com/GleiberMD
http://www.MichaelGleiberMD.com

Despite the ghoulish decorations for sale since August, some of us are still unexpectedly accosted by putting together a Halloween costume -- because we're a tad behind on the trends or a bit reluctant in our busy day-to-day lives to get the job done. But when you need a swift idea that's quick and clever at a moment's notice, I've got some unique ideas that can take you as little as 10 minutes and no longer than one hour. Plus, the best thing about DIY costumes: You will save money if you are able to utilize resources from home to make it happen.

POP CULTURE COSTUMES

1. CANDY CRUSH: This costume is inspired by the ever-popular and addictive app. Get a trove of hard candies or a jumbo bag of assorted Halloween candy containing namely hard candies on sale, which is what I did.

Unwrap candies and place in a sealed Ziploc bag. Using a hammer, lightly break candies into roughly half their size or large chunks; then transfer to a large bowl.

Use any T-shirt you have in your closet for the task, but a colorful one will pick up and enhance the colors of the sweets even better. Wrap a slim cutting board with foil (even a sturdy shirt box top will do) and slip this inside the T-shirt and center. Using a fast-drying glue like hot glue, place a small dollop on each candy and secure to shirt, pressing firmly to fabric to assure adhesion. Repeat. To fill gaps, consider using a small candy like Smarties. Keep in mind that the candy adds weight to the shirt, and you don't want to completely fill it or it will become very heavy.

Once fully dried, carefully separate shirt from foiled insert, wear and carry a plastic hammer to complete your totally sweet candy crush costume.

2. ZIP CARS: This is another great and easy T-shirt costume for anyone who likes to drive, loves cars and likes to trump friends with a play on words.

Get a bunch of colorful zippers and in the party aisle, toy car favors; I found a pack of six. (Hint: You're looking for plastic cars that are lighter than metal toy cars). Use hot glue to attach both in random patterns onto a shirt from your closet (place a foil covered cutting board inside of the shirt to keep the top and bottom fabrics from sticking together.)

Viola! This costume is called Zip Cars! I've created this twice, and once I began the gluing process it only took 20 minutes to complete each time.

3. ANGELINA JOLIE WEDDING GOWN: This was a year for big celebrity weddings and Angelina Jolie's dress, where she incorporated her children's drawings, caught our attention at zulily for its unique style.

Grab a white sheet from your linen closet (fold approximately in half) and some sharpie markers and start drawing to make the train, channeling some kid-inspired art.

I replicated the art of the Jolie-Pitt children and let me tell you, they are extremely talented! I also took a semi-transparent, plastic garbage bag and drew on this as well for the veil.

Wear any all white dress. Put hair back in bun, pin the bag veil using bobby pins to hair, while securing sheet to waist with a tie as a train or around shoulders in a simple knot. Carry fresh flowers and wear light pink lipstick and purple smoky eye makeup. Then channel some Jolie-Pitt wedded bliss!

4. INSTAPRINT BOARD: One of the best features of the social media site Instagram is the ability to use filters to achieve color variance in your photos. So here is my version, called "Instaprint" made from a 20" x 30" white foam board I bought for a few dollars at the art supply store. Next, I made my own "Instaprint" homepage using Illustrator, printing this out on a standard piece of paper at home and making a color enlargement to a 11" x 14" page. I cut out the top and bottom banners of my Instaprint home page and glued them to my white foam board. Using an X-acto knife, I cut out the square where the photo should be; this takes a bit of wrestling as foam board is thick, and it takes about three passes. The final touch? Attaching iridescent wrapping paper in a light hue like light peach, pink or blue with tape to the back of the square opening to replicate the "filters" of Instagram.

Here is my daughter in "Hudson."

And in "Kelvin."

HISTORICAL-THEMED COUPLE COSTUME

5. AMERICAN GOTHIC: I love a toss back costume and this one inspired by Grant Wood's iconic painting is easy to put together as a couple before heading out for a party.

For the gentleman farmer you need a white shirt, black blazer, jean overalls or jeans and workman boots. For the wife, use any black dress with a fairly high neckline and a shirt that has a white collar that can peek out. Grab a pitchfork from your garage or yard and "frame" yourself with a 2' x 3' frame that you grab off your wall, just for the night.

GROUP COSTUMES

6. SHAKE IT OFF! What's more fun than a girls' night out on Halloween? And this group costume, inspired by Taylor Swift's hit song "Shake It Off" is a way to get a group of best friends rallied to go out. Each takes one of Taylor's dance looks from the music video that is the most readily available in her closet -- with the idea that you help supplement each other's look if you have something that another friend needs.

And what you don't have in some cases you can make. Above, a kitty cat image made out of black felt and secured with a hot glue gun onto a sweatshirt.

And there are many distinct costumes from the video to choose from:

1. Relaxed ballerina: pink leotard, kitty sweater, black leggings, ballet flats
2. Cheetah girl: animal print jacket, jean shorts, lots of gold jewelry
3. Mod metallic: any metallic or shiny clothing, gold lipstick, metallic sunglasses
4. Minimalist black: all black slim-fit clothing, black flats
5. Beat box girl: black, red & white clothing, faux leather pants, hat. Carry around a portable stereo
6. Modern grey dancer: all grey workout clothes and flip flops
7. Geek chic: black glasses and black leather jacket (do lots of finger movements)
8. Cheerleader: perhaps one of you saved a cheerleading uniform from days gone by. Add some pompoms
9. Tutu ballerina: this is the full-fledged Swan Lake ballerina. It's unlikely anyone would just have this, unless she was previously a professional dancer.

Above: beat box girl, cheerleader, modern grey dancer and cheetah girl.

Above: mod metallic, relaxed ballerina and minimalist black.

Then, of course, be ready to shake it!

Click here to see these costumes in action on the TODAY Show.

Diriye Osman (photo by Bahareh Hosseini)

Dear 13-year-old self,

It is night, and you're probably sitting in silence in your room in Kilimani, Nairobi, listening to Aaliyah and creating fashion illustrations. You have run out of paper, so you draw on the beechwood frame of your bed, and these drawings quickly mushroom into full-blown graffiti on your bedroom wall. Mom and Dad won't be as mad as you think they will be. Instead they will forgive this and many other infractions until one day they won't know how to forgive you. For a while you will detest each other, and then, driven apart by your differences, you will become indifferent and stop speaking altogether. But for now you are cocooned by the comforts of childhood.

As you draw, you imagine yourself in places like London and Lisbon, listening to your beloved Aaliyah and drinking exotic cocktails like caipirinhas, a fake ID card in your pocket and the world in your palm.

I want you to know that life will try to crack you like an egg, and your silence will eventually break. Someday you will spill some of those painful secrets and taste a modicum of much-needed freedom. You will lose a great deal as a result, but the gains will outweigh every loss. You will love and be loved by a beautiful man in a place where your mutual passion will be a marker not of shame but of pride. You will be awkward and alone and alien for a long time, but you will transform these qualities, which is to say yourself, into a work of art. You will wear your awkwardness, your aloneness and your alienness in your hair like gold thread. You will adorn your wonkiness on your wrist like a charm bracelet studded with stars.

Someday you will no longer be as scared as you are now. Someday you will understand that it's OK to not be cool, that it's fine to wear your heart on your sleeve, that it doesn't matter if you belt out the theme tune to Space Jam while you wait for the bus. Someday you will stop crying in your sleep, and the anxiety that rips your heart open whenever you see the police will cease. Someday you will have your own home, and you will draw fashion illustrations on the walls and the kitchen cupboards to remind you of your 13-year-old self. Someday you will walk down the street with a sense of achievement and self-contained confidence. Someday you will create your own family. Someday you will measure your life not in terms of modest gains but by major wins. Someday you will grow up and become the man you have always wanted to be.

All of these amazing things await you. Keep dreaming, keep drawing, keep listening to Aaliyah. You will be fine.

Diriye Osman is the Polari Prize-winning author of Fairytales for Lost Children (Team Angelica), a collection of acclaimed short stories about the LGBT Somali experience. You can purchase Fairytales for Lost Children here. You can connect with Diriye Osman via Tumblr.

As far as gambles go, this property was a big one. The cavernous, multi-story warehouse in New York City's Meatpacking district would have been a hot commodity in any decade. But this was 1996 and gentrification had yet to start. If the buyers saw a space for quick profits, the agent -- Mazdack Rassi, saw something else: space for a creative revolution. To that end Rassi convinced his clients to build a photo studio in the warehouse and hire him as manager. Christened MILK, it quickly became just that: a land of milk and honey overflowing with luxurious amenities ensconced in crisp white spaces which fashion's elite soon found irresistible. From Calvin Klein to Chanel, Vogue to Vanity Fair, Patrick Demarchelier to Terry Richardson, fashion's finest flocked to MILK. In a relatively short time, one thing was clear: so far as gambles go, they had all won big.

By 2009, the Iran born, Chicago raised, New York based entrepreneur was ready to gamble again. This time, with MADE. Essentially functioning as an incubator for designers, MADE affords the opportunity to leverage MILK's extensive resources for projects and shows -- not least of which is the venue itself. The event was founded by Rassi, along with partners Jenne Lombardo and Keith Baptista, below, and brand partner -- M.A.C Cosmetics. MADE rapidly attracted an audience intrigued by the top-notch talent it showcased. "To us," remembers Rassi, "our designers were beyond fashion. They were filmmakers, architects, artists." They are now also hugely successful. Today, many MADE's alumn including Public School, Alexander Wang, Billy Reid and Joseph Altuzarra are veritable stars in the fashion orbit; while the event itself now rivals the iconic Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Such success in less than five-year time is enough to earn some rest. But not for Rassi. Once again, the entrepreneur and his partners are ready to gamble. This time, with MADE Music. The new initiative is poised to do for musicians what MADE did for designers. "There hadn't been a revolution in that industry," says Rassi. "We decided to bring our foresight to it by going in and saying -- this could be done better." For Rassi, Lombardo and Baptista -- doing so meant engineering an alternative system centered less on driving process and more on driving creativity. "We had the feeling that labels weren't investing [properly] in their artists. Everything came down to the single. Everything had to be quick. Contracts were tough and punishing."

Rassi, left, with partners Jenne Lombardo and Keith Baptista.

Step one towards a solution was seeking out innovative pioneers in the space. Enter Lyor Cohen -- music industry icon -- who along with notables like music attorney, Michael Guido, guided the blueprint for MADE. "There's no doubt that we would have had a tremendous amount of mistakes if they hadn't been on board," says Rassi. Step two was creating an in-house A&R team -- field agents who are charged with discovering artists not just locally -- but globally. What happens after musicians are selected though is the stuff that MILK is MADE of: free-flowing, creative collaboration.

The lack of structure is intentional. "Our goal is not to interfere with their music or their process," explains Rassi. "We look at it as more of a collaboration where we treat every artist in the program as an individual and provide ala cart opportunities for them." From studio space for photo shoots to creative direction for album covers, the aim of the program is to take care of as much as possible so artists can focus on what matters most: the music.

For emerging artists, it's a priceless opportunity, which none-the-less translates into a hefty price tag. But as with MADE Fashion -- costs are not passed to the talent. American Express -- MADE Fashion Week's founding partner -- has returned as founding partner for MADE Music. They'll lead the pack of companies who will support artists, while leveraging the platform to promote their brands. "They want to learn new ways of speaking to this new generation of creators," says Rassi, "and we've learned how to help them do that without having to tax the artist. Not everything has to be about profit and losses."

Rassi's signature refrain bodes well for musicians and ultimately for MADE Music itself. Prioritizing the creative above commerce is a risky gamble for any venture. But as history shows, when Rassi plays -- he plays to win.

__________
Learn more about MADE Music Here.

They say you can tell if a woman is single or attached based on how sexy her Halloween costume is. It's a different case for men though -- most guys' Halloween costumes are super dorky and do little in service of sex appeal.

(I'm talking to you, guy-in-Dog-the-Bounty-Hunter costume who tried chatting me up last year.)

But I say why not even the playing field? There's no need to subject yourself to such ridiculousness, and you can in fact look kinda dashing on Halloween, especially if you take it as an opportunity to show off well-fitting wardrobe items. Trust me, the ladies would much rather see a guy in a suit that fits like a glove than some plastic-y costume you picked up at a Halloween superstore or a DIY-job covered in marker scrawl.

With that in mind, here are three Halloween ideas that will have you standing out from the sea of unattractive and unflattering costumes most guys are wearing.

1) American Psycho - Take one pinstripe suit, mix in one contrast collar shirt, a pair of braces + a red "power tie," add a clear plastic raincoat, and what do you have? Serial killer and Manhattan businessman Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho." Then all you have to do is slick back your hair and walk around humming Huey Lewis tunes (fake axe optional), and you'll be in business.

2) James Dean - Feel like a boss on those tight jeans? Get after it and channel your inner James Dean. Other than the jeans, the main things you'll need are a slim-fitting t-shirt (here's my primer on how this should fit) and a dark well-fitting bomber jacket or black leather jacket (here's an oldie-but-goodie that explains how to find the latter). Final touches: unzip that jacket just enough to look mysterious, and of course you'll also want to do your 'do.

This one's not exactly family-friendly, so use your discretion if kids are around.

3) Chippendale - If your tuxedo fits you well, it's actually one of the most flattering things a guy can wear. Why not bust it out (or at least parts of it) in a tongue-in-cheek way and dress like a Chippendale à la Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze above. Wear the pants, the bowtie, and grab yourself a collar and cuffs set.

What are you wearing this Halloween? Leave me a comment below, or post a picture on my Facebook page.

We can pretend that we pity Renee Zellweger for falling prey to society's expectations about women and aging, and condemn her for being so vain, but studies show that more, not fewer, people are undergoing plastic surgery. Botox is up. Fillers are up. And women and men are starting younger, too, not even willing to wait and see how well or not they age, but encouraged by doctors who promise better results if such work is done "preventatively." In the best cases, the argument often goes, no one will even know you've done anything at all.

And that, of course, is key to the discussion about plastic surgery, Zellweger's or anyone else's. More than ever, as a culture we accept it. We just don't want to know about it.

Consider that the most obvious examples of plastic surgery are also the ones that land on the lists of the most egregious. Bruce Jenner. Melanie Griffith. Lara Flynn Boyle. Such examples often signify the end of a career. Dirty Dancing actress Jennifer Grey has been called out for years as the poster child for bad plastic surgery after undergoing a nose job that altered her appearance so drastically that it removed any sense of her character. (Indeed, nearly 30 years after the film that made her famous, she is still best known as "Dirty Dancing actress Jennifer Grey.") Every time a new example (or a new face) pops up, we lament society's expectations regarding aging and beauty, before condemning the celebrity in question for falling prey to those expectations.

But countless celebrities undergo plastic surgery and cosmetic enhancements every year. Certain who are praised for their good looks have likely had work done, if very good work -- Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively, Gwen Stefani, Kim Kardashian -- while others, like Jennifer Aniston and Seth Rogen, have altered their appearance through significant weight loss. They all look great, and are celebrated as such on magazine covers, fashion spreads, red carpet photos. When it's good -- that is, when we can't tell: Has she? Or hasn't she? -- we prefer to say that a celebrity "looks good for her age," "looks fit at 50," or some other half-truth that shades the real one.

Which, of course, is that it's the majority undergoing some sort of procedure. Not the minority. But because we're reluctant to talk about our own vanity-driven alterations, we tend to want to dismiss and condemn those of others. The real objection to Zellweger's new face isn't that she has one. The objection is that we can't pretend it didn't happen. Indeed, in a review of Diehard 4, praise of Bruce Willis included the fact that he had "no obviously discernible plastic surgery to mess up his face like Sly Stallone or Michael Douglas." It's hard to tell what author Nikki Finke found worse: the "messed up faces" or that such procedures were so obvious.

Here's the truth: Celebrities are vain. So are millions of the rest of us. This isn't even a particularly difficult truth, because there is nothing wrong with vanity. Vanity is healthy. It is natural. It doesn't signify a culture being overrun by superficiality. In fact, vanity is part of developing good self-esteem and, as we know, self-esteem is important.

And yet every time a celebrity, or perhaps even a friend, displays an overt sense of vanity, we lash out. Why did you do that to yourself? You looked great as you were. We pretend we're appalled. But if we're honest, it's more that we're judgmental, picking and choosing which sort of superficiality is acceptable to us on any given day. And we're scared of, well, looking vanity in the face. For example: Bruce Jenner is very definitely not celebrated, and I can't help but wonder: If the work he's plainly had done had made him better-looking, would someone like Jimmy Fallon comment on Jenner's "100 percent recyclable" goods?

Therein lies the hypocrisy of all the backlash directed at Zellweger -- or Jenner or Meg Ryan or Pamela Anderson -- and the real trouble with all the talk surrounding anyone's new or different appearance. We make it about them, when it's all about us. When we react to a celebrity's new face, we're reacting to its obviousness, its unavoidability. Changes that are "too obvious" make us uncomfortable in their display of vanity, because it's the exact sort of vanity we try to keep to ourselves. When someone like, say, Sandra Bullock turns up looking, at 50, remarkably refreshed, though, it's easier to turn the other cheek. But why? "Good" plastic surgery doesn't eliminate the vanity. It does, however, make it easier to ignore our own.

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