say what's good to...ARISE x CIARA

who: Arise magazine after party

what: Live performance by Ciara

when: 2/13/10

where: The Plaza hotel, New York

why you should care: Let me let you guys in on a little secret. Arise magazine, an African glossy with a European feel, consistently has one of the best after parties during Fashion Week. Launched two seasons ago, the show is always at The Tents in Bryant Park and the party follows at the Plaza Hotel (you know, where Eloise and the Hilton sisters grew up). The first year, Solange performed. This year - it was Ciara. Check it out below. [excuse my shaky hands]

say what's good to...CUPCAKES

who: Butch Bakery

what: cupcakes for the manly men in your life

where: Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn

when: Available for delivery after February 23

why you should care:

Cupcakes. Who would’ve thought that with one transient shot on a Sex and the City episode, these delectable delights would still be trendy four years later. Before, there was only Magnolia. But now, there’s Billy’s, Crumbs, Georgetown, Buttercup Bake Shop, Cupcake Stop and Sprinkles. Even still, something’s been missing. When it comes to the slightly tougher, slightly rougher cupcakes, where could one turn? Butch Bakery.

As the site says: These ain’t your grandmas cupcakes. Butch Bakery sells manly treats in patterns such as Woodland Camo, Houndstooth and Wood Grain. To boot, there’s a flavor for every type of guy in your life. Frat boy turned banker? Beer Run (chocolate and beer-infused cake with beer butter cream frosting), Dreamy Don Draper? Try the Sidecar (Brandy-soaked lemon cake with orange-infused white chocolate ganache). Finally, for my D.R. born and raised valentine (Hi Leo!) there’s the Big Papi (Cinnamon spice cake with a dulce de leche filling).

The tiny treats are currently available for delivery in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn, but email or call to inquire about shipping nationwide.

(reposted from PatternPulp.com)

say what's good to...PI PHI x CORNELL

[bane of my existence]

who: Pi Beta Phi

what: Panhelenic Sorority

where: Cornell University

when: 2/4/10

why you should care:

Recently, the rush chair for the Cornell chapter of Pi Phi issued a seven-page memo regulating what sisters can and can’t wear during recruitment. While it’s not new for distinct groups to align themselves with certain brands, what's really interesting are which labels the rush chair uses to signify just how “casually chic” Pi Phi is in hopes of gaining campus-wide acceptance. [disclaimer: I am P-I-B-E-T-A-P-H-I of the University of Virginia Epsilon chapter and am well aware of rush dress codes. Ours just wasn't as desperate.]

Anyway, Anthropologist, Grant McCracken theorizes that distinct groups of people, or flocks, adopt trends based on a risk-safety ratio. Trends trickle down from small chaotic pockets and grow based on their commercial appeal for the masses.

Now, the Pi Phi sisters, with their choice of Tory Burch flats, solely dark or black skinny jeans and mid-height chunky Kate Spade shoes, would fit into the "Flock 3" group of people. While this portion of the consumer market enjoys nice things, risky (read: fashion forward) items (ripped boyfriend jeans! khakis!) aren’t part of the repertoire.

And while it might seem like I'm looking down on these girls because they endorse shoes I can't stand, the real issue I have is the lack of creativity that a dress code like this stifles. Yes, the tome gives great advice( NO CAMEL TOES) but really, no satin unless it's D&G? That just seems a little bit forced, wouldn't you agree?

Check out the full memo at Pattern Pulp (where I'm a new contributor!)

say what's good to...CRYSTAL RENN

who: Crystal Renn, author of "Hungry"

what: "Plus sized" [read size 12] model

where: New York Times

when: Jan 13, 2009

why you should care: In a recent article published by the New York Times, we were introduced to a model named Crystal Renn, who has taken the industry by storm. For a second time. You see, when Renn first came on the scene [age 16, 98lbs] she looked like the image on the right. Fast forward seven years [age 23, size 12], and Renn is the image on the left, one of the highest paid "plus sized" models in the biz.

She's shot editorials for everyone from Glamour, to Elle, to the controversial spread "One Size Fit's All" for V Magazine. In this spread, Renn sports the same designer fashion as another model who is a size 2. It's supposed to show that big girls can wear the same clothes as well as, if not better than, the rail thin models that fill glossies every month.

Unfortunately, I think this spread fails on a couple different fronts. Number 1: As Renn said herself: editors are essentially fetishizing "fat". “When designers and editors choose one fat girl to salivate over, and revel in her avoirdupois, I’m not sure how much it advances the cause of using girls of all sizes in a magazine.” she wrote. Just as editors patted themselves on the back when the All Black Models issue of Vogue Italia came out, now they can move ahead with their preferred skinny models because they'll always be able to look back to the ONE issue where they featured big girls and yell "SEE! We include everyone on our pages!" Pure bullshit, if you ask me. Number 2: Did you know that many of these "plus size" models are size 10 and 12 [which in my head is actually NORMAL], and have ADMITTED to using padding on set to make themselves a size 20? I mean, what the hell sort of twisted logic is that? Either way, the images we see every month are false. And finally: What happens to the size 6 or size 8 girl? Where are they supposed to fit into this? Unfortunately, the whole situation seems like an all or nothing equation which essentially hurts everyone in the end. Big, skinny, small or little, all the images are altered. The sooner we can not only admit but truly understand that, the sooner we can move past these blip in the pan, glorification issues, and finally get on with the show.

say what's good to...BOOTY POP

who: flat bootied women everywhere

what: butt pads?

where: tv's near you

when: yesterday

why you should care: Ya'll, this shit is BANANA'S! Yes, I understand wanting to add a little oomph to your chest or butt, but seriously - Booty Pop panties? The entire time I watched this commercial I honestly questioned if this was a real product. Similar to when I first heard about the Snuggie or Bump Its (especially Bump Its), I laughed (loudly!), and waited for Kirstin Wig or Kenan Thompson to show up. They never did, but here's an idea for an amazing SNL skit. Think about it...

say what's good to...EMPIRE STATE OF MIND

who: Alicia Keys and Stephen Colbert

what: Empire State of Mind remix

where: The Colbert Report

when: 12/15/09

why you should care:

In keeping with my current New York obsession - check out the Alicia Keys x Colbert version of Empire State of Mind. What the hell is on his head?

say what's good to...WHY I LOVE NEW YORK

who: Gawker Media

what: 123 Reasons Why to Love New York

where: Gawker.com

when: 2005

why you should care:

Every once in a while, when all the forces are perfectly aligned, I’ll find myself having one of those SATC Carrie Bradshaw moments. As I stroll down the streets of NY in my YSL pumps, jazz saxophone playing in the background, I can’t help but wonder…[insert Bradshaw babble]

It’s hard to explain my New York love affair to anyone who doesn't live here. When friends or family come to visit, they can’t quite understand why I’d want to live in a glorified box (aka my apartment) with two other (wonderful) people, work in an industry where you’re never skinny enough, or be forced to ride the subway with homeless men who have made said subway cars their bed for the evening.

To these people I present my favorites from Gawker’s 123 Reasons Why to Love New York Right Now. While the original list came out in 2005 not much has changed…only solidifying my Empire State of Mind (hahaha – everybody say YEAH!)

1. Because we scorn the fat.

2. Because we can drink until 4 AM.

3. Because we have our drugs delivered to our doors.

4. Because all we have to do is walk down the street in order to be propositioned for sex.

5. Because we get to push tourists if we're late for work.

28. Because i-bankers and hipsters can peacefully coexist. ²

29. Because there's always a free drink available somewhere.

30. Because we know Sex and the City is a crock of shit. ²

31. Because we know Friends is a crock of shit.

43. Because we eat McDonald's ironically.

54. Because our pigeons have rabies.

60. Because it's easy to stalk famous people.

68. Because anybody can be a DJ.

75. Because your parents don't love to come visit.

76. Because you can walk down the street and fart and nobody will notice. ²

80. Because fifth floor walk-up apartments are great for the glutes.

86. Because you can be a gay man and reasonably keep both a wife and a boyfriend.

89. Because we worship high fashion in collapsible tents.

94. Because your cab driver is probably more interesting than you are.

100. Because gift bags. ¹

102. Because "summer" really does make sense as a verb.

113. Because city kids have been there and done that before you even got here. ²

120. Because doing your own laundry is for rich suckers.