Boulder and the Beautiful

Christina Aguilera finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles today.

Let’s take a moment of silence to shimmy and send her our love. Because C-Ag (no? doesn’t work?) is easily the Marilyn of the modern age.

A fashion trend-setter who snags the spotlight because she knows how to rock retro without looking costume-y. And she doesn’t even have to wear giant glittering bugs on her noggin to get the attention.

Here’s to the one of America’s (generally) (at least 65 percent of the time) classy and sophisticated stars.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

I found the recent Victoria’s Secret fashion show highly educational. It answered several important questions for me.

Question 1: Why don’t they make adult footie pajamas, or PJs like in the olden days with the bum flap?
See photo 1: That’s why. That’s horrible.

Question 2: What would happen if a corset had sex with a T-shirt?
See photo 2: It would give birth to pure fashion brilliance.

Question 3: Why are the hottest outfits always the most uncomfortable?
See photo 3: That’s a rhetorical question. I mean, these leather panties have sharp spikes on them.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Here is the perfect example of how adding a pair of interesting tights can completely make the outfit. Yes, please.

A model presents a creation by Macedonian designer Rosica Mrsic, at a fashion show in Skopje, Macedonia, on Sunday.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Adding turquoise jewelry accents to your outfit is the easiest way to update your look for fall 2010. But what if you have an 8-month-old baby who rips off all of your jewelry and corresponding lobes?

Ahh. Turquoise handbags. Some big enough to be a co-diaper bag, although I’m sure designer John Treux would find that suggestion blasphemous.

This Sept. 23, 2010 photo shows bags from the recently launched Tiffany Leather Collection, designed by John Truex and Richard Lambertson, displayed at the flagship Fifth Avenue Tiffany & Co. store in New York. Their new collection of leather goods has women lining up for the mirror to model which bag looks best on them and some men carrying purple wallets. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff)

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

This shoe is wearing a teeny, tiny little bright pink mouse-sized corset. Presented at the Miu Miu spring-summer 2011 fashion show in Paris today.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

What is right with this outfit?
Pair blue and black together for a nontraditional color combo that looks dressy, but unique.
The cropped black vest cinches at the waist, above the flowing ruffles at the hips, creating an elegant and feminine form (on a model who probably seriously lacks “feminine form”).

What is wrong with this outfit?
Is she wearing a helmet?
Yes, I think she is wearing a helmet.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Once upon a time, I got a $50 gift certificate to Payless ShoeSource. I tried for months to spend it, but could not find a single item in the store that I even wanted for free.

Then one day, I was at the prestigious Twin Peaks Mall with my sister-in-law, Lindsey. As usual, I couldn’t find anything worth for-free in Payless, when suddenly we saw them: Black patent leather tap shoes. Sure, they were for children, but the largest kid’s size fit both my feet and Lindsey’s.

We immediately purchased the tap shoes with my gift card. We went next door to a cheap teenie-bopper store and bought matching pink formal gowns off the sales rack. Then we put out a hat in the middle of the mall and tapped out a show. We called ourselves “The Flapping Pink Flamingos.”

We left that day with $3, which was astounding, considering the fact that neither of us have taken even one tap-dance class in our lives.

Oh yeah, the point of this story was to say, yay, wow, Payless finally came out with a shoe that is not repulsive. The line is called Lela Rose for Payless. And I’m pretty sure those wooden soles would make a splendid sound on the tile hallways of the Twin Peaks Mall.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Designer Park Sul-nyeo recently showed off his line during an Underwater Hanbok fashion show in South Korea.

In case you were wondering how your traditional Korean dress would look if you were to drown in it.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

The ’70s were bell bottoms and flowy skirts. The ’80s were fluorescent jelly bracelets and Hammer pants. The ’90s were plaid and Doc boots. The 2000s were peasant-style tops, boys wearing pink, super-low-rise jeans and briefly (albeit still too long) popped collars.

But what will the 2010s be remembered for?

It’s hard to separate yourself from the “now” far enough to make fun of it.

But my best guess is the ’10s will be remembered for their contradictions. Like this photo of a model wearing a Fashion’s Night Out Collection tank top with a formal ballroom skirt. The easiest way to make an outfit hip is to pair together two seeming conflicting genres: Frilly and punk. Skirts with combat boots. Stripes with flowers.

Look through ultra trendy stores, like Forever 21. It’s almost like the more you can clash, the more you are in. One of the pre-paired outfits on the Web site is a black blazer, white lace top, short denim shorts, platform shoes, black geek glasses and red pattern tights. It makes no sense. And I love it.

Which makes me wonder: In 30 years, will I be hiding all of the photos of me today, like I do of the pics of my wall o’ hairspray from eighth grade?

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite

Back-to-school shopping can be an emotional and exhilarating time for young whippersnappers.

I remember spending hours picking out just the right folders. How was I going to define my identity as a second-grader? Puppies playing in a field or kitties hanging from tree branches? Then there were pencil-top erasers, the design on the Kleenix box and that required pencil container that no one ever uses. Not to mention the lunchbox design — oh, the pressure — even though within a week, all insides ended up stinking the same (of moist PBJs and Swiss Cake Roll residue).

Boulder Valley’s school starts next week, which means anyone without children should avoid Target altogether for the next seven days.

According to the National Retail Federation:
* Back-to-school and back-to-college is estimated to bring in $67 billion in 2010.
* More than 60 percent of parents say their children influence at least half of their back-to-school buys, such as school supplies, computers and clothes.
* Moms spend about 25 percent less on supplies than dads.
* Parents who shop online spend $266 more than parents who only shop in stores.
* College freshmen are spending less this year, dropping 19 percent.

Actress Jennie Garth, center, hosts the back-to-school Style 'N Smile fashion show sponsored by the American Association of Orthodontists, Thursday, Aug. 5, in New York.

Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite