An Open Letter to the Olsen Twins: I’m not Paying $35K for a Backpack

Dear Mary Kate and Ashley,

I was browsing through your latest line, “The Row,” and couldn’t help but notice your $300 black t-shirts, your $900 LBD, or your absolutely ridiculous $35K leather backpack. I don’t know if anyone told you this, but the only designer in the world who’s allowed to charge more than $10K for a bag is Hermes. And I’m sorry, but your “unique” line of straight-leg leather pants and over-sized dress shirts simply do not hold a candle to any other iconic designers that have the nerve to charge that much.

That being said, I was a huge fan of your first fashion line- you know, the one you had at Walmart? I remember being 9 years old and begging my mom to buy one of your “princess” t-shirts or a pair of sparkly jelly kitten heels. The best part about your old line? The prices were always on a Walmart “rollback” and they were more accessible to average, middle-class tween’s mom’s pocketbooks everywhere. Read More »


Hot or Hot Mess: Ashley Olsen in The Row Red Suit in New York

[Like it or not, we all judge people every day. Especially when it comes to their fashion choices. From the girl with the too-short skirt for class to the old guy who insists on wearing short shorts and doing butterfly stretches at the gym (yeah, try to get that visual out of your head), it's impossible not to form an opinion. And now we're gonna share those opinions with the world. Every week, I'll be highlighting a celebrity look that I may love/hate/not understand and see what you, my college fashionistas, think about it. So put on your Joan Rivers fashion cap (which is undoubtedly made out of all the skin she's had nipped and tucked over the years) and let it all out.]

Let’s face is, style-wise, the Olsens often make some… er….unusual fashion choices, but usually end up looking incredibly chic in something that really, really shouldn’t work. But does this outfit just cross over the line of odd?

Ashley Olsen stepped out of her New York apartment this week in a red suit from her and Mary Kate’s line, The Row, and black and gold Chanel sandals. The outfit was perfectly on-trend with this season’s brights, and I love the striped shirt under the jacket, but I’m not sure how I feel about the sandals. Perhaps this would have looked better (or less school-teacher-trying-to-look-”hip”) with more fitted-style trousers and oxfords instead? Or maybe the whole suit is the problem. The ill fit makes it look like something Ms. Olsen picked up at the local Salvation Army….

What do you think, is this outfit a hit or a miss?


Olsenboye: Mary Kate and Ashley’s Failed Attempt at Budget Fashion

If I could raid any two celebrity closets, it would have to be Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s. (Actually, they probably share a closet so I guess I would only need to sneak into one, right?) Oversized sweaters (on top of more oversized sweaters), heavy rings that weigh down their fingers (all ten of them), the highest Louboutin heels and the brightest red lipstick.

Sigh. I think I’m drooling.

How many times have I tried their look but always walked out the door looking like a clown? (Actually, on second thought, let’s not talk about the amount of times I’ve done that.) The truth is, no matter how hard I try, I never look like Mary-Kate or Ashley. It’s such a letdown. And while some people think their style is beyond bizarre-o, I happen to think they know more about fashion than half the “fashion designers” out there (are you reading, Lauren Conrad?). Read More »


Ashley Olsen is…Cool?

ashley olsen nudeI think I’ve found myself a new celeb girl-crush.

I’ve been a fan of the Olsen twins since Full House, and a closeted fan ever since their enrollment to my school, New York University, was met with open hostility and disdain. I couldn’t get enough of it—their grandma-chic outfits that look like they were put together by a casual stroll through a high-end Salvation Army, their oversized sunglasses that look like they weigh more than the both of the them combined, even their movies that I watched like I watched Lifetime movies, with secret delight.

But after reading Ashley Olsen’s interview in the September issue of Marie Claire, I think I may finally be ready to come out of the closet with my Olsen love. Because, well, it turns out Ashley is kind of…cool. Quirky, a bit strange, and maybe not exactly “the coolest girl in the world,” as Marie Claire dubs her in the title of the article, but surprisingly self-aware and likable.

My only brush with Ashley took place in an NYU bathroom, after which I promptly texted my friend, “Oh my god, I just peed next to Ashley Olsen.” But save for that, and scattered incidents of getting peeks of her crazy outfits on campus, she has remained an enigma to me. Until now. Some juicy facts that I learned about my favorite Hollywood waif: Read More »