Mr. Blackwell: 1922-2008

He was our favorite be-atch. We’ve been covering his Worst Dressed Fashion List with glee for years. While we may not have always agreed with Mr. Blackwell, we certainly enjoyed the chuckle.

Mr. Blackwell was the forerunner of the celebrity fashion zingers and without him paving the way, who knows, maybe Joan Rivers would be as sweet as a pageant girl in front of the judges.

Here are some Blackwell bites from his Worst Dressed List over the years:

• Donatella Versace: “Time to toss the peroxide once and for all . . . She resembles a flash-fried Venus, stuck in a Miami Strip Mall!”
• Camilla Parker-Bowles: “In feathered hats that were once the rage, she resembles a petrified parakeet from the Jurassic age.”
• Jessica Simpson: “It’s time to sack the stylist and divorce the “designer” … she resembles a cut-rate Rapunzel slingin’ hash in a Vegas diner!”
• Ann-Margret: “Marlon Brando in a g-string.”
• Anna Nicole Smith: “Anna’s fashion follies are the worst of the year . . . don’t bother with a new designer Anna, just hire a structural engineer!”

May there be plenty of hideous gowns in heaven for you to diss. We will miss you, Mr. Blackwell.

Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay Image via Wikipedia Mr. Blackwell designed clothing for actress Jayne Mansfield, back in the day.

About Mr. Blackwell:
MR. BLACKWELL had his own clothing line for 35 years.
Beginning a career in fashion in the 1950’s, by the early
1960’s he had become one of the top designers in Los Angeles,
creating fashions for such stars as Jayne Mansfield, Dorothy
Lamour, Jane Russell, Peggy Lee, as well as political wives
like Corretta Scott King and Nancy Reagan.

Through the years he has appeared on numerous talk shows and
radio programs with his “Worst-Dressed List,” naming the
biggest fashion fiascoes of the year. For 48 years, The List
was a source of controversy, amusement and
conversation among the fashion elite and the personalities who
adorned it. Lynn Redgrave expressed it best, when she stated
“You haven’t made it until you’ve made ‘the list!’

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I get it but not so sure, I want to “get it” in my wardrobe.

Baggy jeans are this season’s It Jean, now that skinny jeans are so old closet. Katie Holmes has come a very long way in her style metamorphosis and  the media won’t let us forget that. In comes Tim Gunn, as quoted in People, with a dash of common sense, “We realize how much style she’s capable of. I don’t get it,” when noting Mrs. Cruise is out of control in her new frump look. But, we are talking about it and lot’s of pr is way better than being left for reruns of Dawson’s Creek.

Katie is said to have grabbed Tom’s old pair of guy jeans, could it be possible that she didn’t get her hands on the hard to get Current Elliott - Boyfriend Jeans?

We’ve been pushing these fab styled number in our Top Trends for awhile, “Gosh, these jean is sooo hot! Forget another pair of skinny jeans and grab yourself the new baggy boyfriend jean, with the Current Elliott designer brand at the head of the boyfriend jean league!” Even we waxed poetic about the imperfectly perfect twist on denim.

So, if Rachel Bilson, Reese Witherspoon, and a cast of other skinny girls love that baggy boyfriend jeans look from a decade and then some ago, what will stop you from being the subject of this little thought, “Irma Lynn, aren’t those the old pants that you bought at the Pick & Save to roll up and wear during wet season? Well, I think some young girl in Hollywood snatched them out of your double-wide.”

The answer is a whole lot of style!

When you wear something that is sort of destructive chic bordering on utility ugly, every other element of your outfit needs to be pristinely perfect to balance the look. Great shoes, good watch, chic sunglasses, and a to-die-for bag. Mess up, and you’ll looking like you are hauling water out of the basement.

Photo via People.com

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Home Town Style Contributors- make your city a trendsetter .

Do you have the eye to spot fashion and style trends in your local community? From Pocatello to Paris you can have style. But what’s hot in one town hasn’t made it on the radar in another and its totally dead some place else.

FOS is seeking global guest bloggers, videographers, and photographers to contribute the top looks from their town large or small. All posts must be original and accompanied by a visual(s) that you took yourself (no “borrowed” photos or videos please). Detail shots are great!

Show us: hometownstyleATgmailDOTcom

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