When bad things happen to good people

Blake, Blake, Blake. I understand you were attending the Met's costume gala but did that really mean you had to go as Serena Van der Boobsen for the night? Since when did you start taking fashion advice from your younger, hoochier alter ego?

A former fan of S, I am (these days) appalled at her get-up. Cleavage, cleavage, and more cleavage does not a sassy girl make. The unbearably tight leather jackets zipped to just below her ample bosom, the plunging necklines that render her boobs and nothing else, and the nasty shrugs and knitted waistcoats are quite frankly, appalling. Eric Daman, what have you done? What happened to the Serena we know and love?

Perhaps we have Blake to blame for this outrageous crime against fashion - ever since series two started I've noticed a definite change in her wardrobe. Formerly demure and daring, Lively is now a little too lively. Boobs, legs, and teeth? Didn't anyone ever tell you that less is more Lively?

The Versace monstrosity she wore to the 'Model as Muse' themed bash wasn't a patch on the lovely Ralph Lauren she wore last year. As for that ill-fitting (supposedly custom made) Nina Ricci gown she wore to the Oscars this year, well, don't even get me started on that...

Marie Antoinette's Barnet

When Drew Barrymore turned up at the Golden Globes looking like she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, her doo sparked mass hysteria amongst celebrity circles.

While her hair may have looked more like a bird’s nest than the Barrymore bonce we’re used to, Drew is actually quick off the mark with her BIG barnet. Marie Antoinette’s hair-raising heights are being emulated by fashion’s most forward of faces.

Blake Lively was seen on the set of GG with a back-combed bob to rival M.A. herself. Meanwhile at Chanel, Lagerfeld has become obsessed with creating height and drama with head-dresses of feathers, flowers and other flights of fancy. Copy Karl and keep your hair high with 17th century props, just leave the chinoise at home.

Having a fashion moment: Gossip Girl

While we wait with baited breath for the return of Sex and the City to our (silver) screens this summer, may I direct your attention to another New York-set drama sure to induce serious wardrobe-envy: Gossip Girl.

With a Sex and the City costume luminary at its helm, Gossip Girl is O.C. creator Josh Schwartz's new teen drama, focussing on the students of an Upper East Side elite private school whose every move is documented by an online blogger, 'Gossip Girl.' While the series lacks the charm of predecessor O.C., it more than makes up for it in the style stakes.

Gossip Girl's 3 leading ladies - Serena, Blair, and Jenny - each have their own unique style.

Serena alternates between boho and punky looks. She dresses up her school uniform with leather and animal print and favours suede boots and flowery dresses at weekends.

Serena

Blair is classic Upper East Side. Prim and proper she wears her uniform with pretty flats and smart tailored coats, choosing pringle knits, blazers and fur-trimmed collars when off-duty.

Blair (right)

Jenny is the only girl who doesn't have an endless cash flow, Upper East Side penthouse and spoilt-brat parents. Cue an emo/vintage mix of polka dot pumps and tube socks in the classroom, with 80s prom dresses and home-sewn catwalk creations making an appearance at night.

Jenny

With its own online store where you can buy the looks seen on screen and countless websites and blogs dedicated to Gossip Girl fashion alone ( try www.gossipgirlfashion.com ) its easy to feed your wardrobe-envy cravings. Yum.