Archive: December 8th, 2006

Continuing the fun from Rome, Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony have been hanging out with Tom & Katie, Jada & Will and the visiting Victoria Beckham in L.A. Something about being with this particular crew really brings out the fashionista in J. Lo — who can forget her dramatic yellow Marchesa dress for the rehearshal dinner? — and this week has been no exception. For a group dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in Beverly Hills, Jennifer looked sleek in swingy scarlet, slingback platform pumps, and an oversize Balenciaga bag. But the next night at the premiere of Will Smith’s The Pursuit of Happyness, she switched it up to total romance: loose tendrils, a sweeping John Rocha skirt and a high-necked Tuleh satin blouse. We are partial to J. Lo as the lady in red (love the pulled-back bun), but just seeing what she’ll wear next is the most fun! Tell us: Whick look do you like better for Jennifer? Sleek in red or romantic in white?

Click here to read even more about Jennifer Lopez in Off the Rack.

Photo: Cousart-Ramirez-Rayne-Respicio//JFX Images; Patrick Rideaux/Rex USA

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While promoting their new film Blood Diamond (opening today), the members of the cast, including Jennifer Connelly, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Djimon Hounsou, have been wearing rubber bracelets that say either “Blood Diamond” or “Clean Diamond.” After filming a movie about how so-called “conflict diamonds” financed the brutal civil war in Sierre Leone during the nineties, DiCaprio has sworn off buying diamonds, and Connelly tells PEOPLE that she recently wore Bulgari diamonds recently only “because they are certified not to be conflict diamonds. You can always ask your jeweler if a diamond is certified conflict free or ‘clean’.” The rubber bracelets help raise awareness of the human rights issue connected with diamond mining and are available for only $2 on Amnesty International’s website.

Photo:Michael Germana/star max

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I’ll admit it, I covet Jessica Biel’s physique, which is why I was surprised to see her ditch her usual figure-clinging dresses and go for a voluminous baby doll dress by Giambattista Valli at the premiere of her new movie recently. I was even more surprised at how great she looks — not her usual style, but sweet and sexy none the less. Now, for those of us who don’t log the hours at the gym that Jessica does to have her perfectly defined shoulders and legs, this look is more challenging. I would definitely wear this dress (if I could afford it and actually had a fabulous red carpet occasion), but I can see how it wouldn’t be for everyone. Tell us: Would you wear a dress like Jessica’s? What do you think of it on her? -- Melissa Liebling-Goldberg

Photo: Craig Barritt/Pacific coast news

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Want to make your dog stand out in a crowd? For those of us who take our pups to dog runs, it’s not just a style statement, it’s the best way to track them in the pack! These bright, colorful Sailors Knot collars, $38 (and matching leashes, $42) from Mascot fit the bill — and could the bone-shaped buckle be cuter? And if you aren’t just gifting your own pooch, consider adding in one of their Varsity sweaters, $60, for a complete and coordinated gift for the dog-lover in your life.

For more great gift ideas, click here for PEOPLE’s Ultimate Gift Guide, and click here for more perfect presents in Off the Rack.

Photo: mymascot.com

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Imagine spending $8,500 on a beaded Oscar de la Renta gown to wear to an exclusive White House holiday reception and then arriving to find three other women wearing the same dress. Now, imagine that you’re the First Lady who has found herself in the middle of a real-life, four-way fashion faceoff! That’s what happened to Laura Bush at a Dec. 3 event at the White House. Luckily, she able to sneak off upstairs mid-party to change into a new dress. Susan Whitson, Press Secretary to Mrs. Bush, tells PEOPLE: “Though Mrs. Bush has seen guests at the White House wearing dresses she herself owns, this was the first identical dress-to-dress encounter she has had.  She and the President found it quite amusing that Mrs. Bush and three other ladies had on the same gown at the same event.” If only all Fashion Faceoffs could be solved with a quick run upstairs!

Photo: Eric Draper/The White House/AP

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