American Men's Style from a Non-American

Hot Brit import Ed Westwick, of Gossip Girl fame, is the latest to grace the cover of GQ Magazine for it's Fall Fashion Preview issue. He looks smashing if I do say so myself. All of his jerseys, trousers, mufflers (see? I'm up on my British slang) and more can be seen in the fantastic photo spread. He also dishes about being a "villain" (as character Chuck Bass), dating co-star Jessica Szhor, and living with another co-star, Chase Crawford. Ed's not one to be shy, it seems.

View more photos and Ed's interview at GQ.com:
http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_9579

Fabulous Fall Shoes from...Payless???

The economic downturn seems to have it's benefits. First, major design labels like Thakoon and Proenza Schouler create cheaper designer duds for Target. Now, we are getting fabulous "designer" shoes at (gasp!) Payless! Project Runway Star Christian Siriano has designed a line of shoes for Fall 2009 that will range in price from $25-$45. They are super-high-heeled platform booties and pumps with dominatrix details that are reminiscent of Fall 2008 shoes from YSL and Rodarte. They don't appear to be of the highest quality, but I doubt the target market for these shoes (read: Recessionistas!) will allow that to dampen their excitement for a trendy shoe they can afford.

And if Christian's style still doesn't tickle your fancy, Payless also offers designs from Abaete for the Fall 2009 season as well. Similarly, the collection is mostly platform booties with sculpted heels but Abaete also uses a lot of suede (synthetic suede-like material?) to give the shoes a more luxurious feel. Remember: Cheap is only "cheap" if it looks "cheap"!!

Style Crush - Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester has undeniable poise and style. This is, no doubt, why she is the muse of so many designers right now. She's been seen being wooed by the likes of Diane von Furstenberg, Jason Wu, and Proenza Schouler, among others. I actually love her personal style even more than her character's (Blair) on Gossip Girl. Her style is always classy, yet maintains a distinct sexiness as well. This can be seen in any of her appearances like the above photos of her during Spring 2009 and Fall 2009 Fashion Weeks, respectively.