2007: my top 20

26Dec07

1. The amazing actor Johnny Depp, who keeps a low profile, was in the spotlight just enough to make me appreciate his incredibly juicy roles and, of course, his looks. The guy has it all and I enjoyed every minute of watching him this year.

2. Red lipstick was seen everywhere this year. From Gwen Stefani’s and Christina Aguilera’s permanently scarlet pouts to the red carpet, the classic hue adds a pop of color and a classic, Old Hollywood feel to any outfit.

3. Vera Wang’s new Simply Vera line at Kohl’s might not be as luxe as her RTW or Lavender labels, but it gives women at lower price points to appreciate the femininity and details of the designer’s beautiful work. Of all the lower priced celebrity clothing lines, this one takes top prize.

4. Of course, this was a banner year for Harry Potter fans. The final book came out, the Order of the Phoenix movie debuted and the three stars of the movie franchise signed on ’til the end. J.K. Rowling was a bit of a chicken in the ending of the series, and the epilogue was kind of silly. But the whole series was amazing and will go down as some of the most influential literature of all times.

5. Katie Holmes‘ haircut (which I will be replicating as soon as I say “I do” this upcoming May) and her amazing style makeover are inspirations to all “girls next door.”

6. Leg wear is bigger than ever in 2007. It started with the legging trend in spring/summer and culminated with the opaque tight craze this season. Worn with a cute silk dress, a tunic or oversized blouse/sweater, these are the must have accessory.

7. The color gray hit a high note this year. It showed up in tons of fashion shows (like Nina Ricci, below) for spring, fall and, as indicated by the most recent shows in NYC, Paris and Milan, will be huge in spring 2008 as well.

8. The 1940s, as seen through the eyes of Gucci and Valentino

9. Cate Blanchett‘s style was impeccable this year, as were her performances.

10. Sex and the City and Sarah Jessica Parker both had huge years. Yes, the show has been off the air for six years, but interest was quickly renewed when the movie version was announced. And SJP hit a home run with girls and women everywhere (and of all sizes) with her new affordable sportswear line, Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker.

11. Out of all my new favorite shows, perhaps Pushing Daisies is the one that tugs on my heartstrings the most. I love little Kristin Chenoweth as Olive and Lee Pace as the endearing Ned. While Chuck’s character is annoyingly saccharine, I envy her costumes during each episode.

12. Team Sugar‘s Web sites have kept me from poking my eyes out during work. I check out Fabsugar, Buzzsugar, Popsugar and Fitsugar almost religiously.

13. My love for The Hills was rekindled this fall. The drama between Lauren and Heidi/Spencer was juicy. The outfits were rockin’ and I envy their seemingly carefree and fashionable lives. Hello!? I would die to work for Marc Jacobs and Teen Vogue — not to mention go to NYC and Paris for work.

14. That Gal from Benefit has become a quick way to brighten up my face on a dull winter’s day. The pinkish primer evens your skin tone and helps hide bags under the eye.

15. One of my favorite places to dilly dally is Target. Not only do they have great makeup and housewares, but their clothes are fun and affordable. With names like Isaac Mizrahi and the Go International teams (Libertine, Alice Temperley, Erin Featherston, Patrick Robinson), they make fashion available to the masses.

16. The hottest trend this fall, especially in dresses, was sequins. They were everywhere. They are uber-fun make perfect holiday and New Year attire. I invested in a sequin tunic and a black sequined skirt. What a way to glam up a night out.

17. Gossip Girl made the blasee seasons of America’s Next Top Model this fall worth it. The fashion is to die for and these young Upper East Siders know how to throw one mean party. Pun intended.

18. Urban Outfitters has one of the best online shopping sites ever. They went through a redesign this year, and now you can sort pieces by price. It’s fabulous, and makes buying their super great stuff that much easier. The store also started carrying Betsey Johnson, which makes it even cooler in my eyes.

19. The reincarnation of the iPod made me fall in love with Apple all over again. Okay, so they treated me pretty poorly when my computer broke, but their products are amazing. My iBook, my iPod (even though it’s 4th generation) both rock. And this year, my sister got me the new iPod shuffle for my birthday. My next investment will be the iPod nano so I can play videos. I will have an Apple life: computer for home use; iPod for listening to music at work and around; my iPod shuffle for the gym; and my iPod nano for watching videos during car trips and when I’m bored. The only thing I don’t care to invest in is the iPhone. I don’t need my phone to do all that stuff. I like having many gadgets that do different things. And besides, my UpStage works just fine as an extra mp3 player.

20. Prada is one of my favorite designer brands of all time. While I had a love/hate relationship with Miuccia’s clothes for both fall 2007 and spring 2008, I loved, loved, loved her accessories and resort collections. They were so feminine yet fresh. We’re not talking those awful looking black bags that every tween carries around just because it says, “Prada.” We’re talking pieces only true, full-grown fashionistas can pull off.

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