September is one of the most exciting months for television. Every year the Emmy awards are given to the best actors, writers, and directors. Unlike other award shows, the Emmys are organized by the Television Academy. It’s the best in the biz giving award’s to who they believe did the best throughout the year. Although surprisingly, this year changes were made in the voting process. The Television Academy usually uses a small committee to determine final votes, but this year they opened up the final vote for certain categories to the entire pool of academy members. This allowed the show to feel less predictable, more diverse and over all more exciting. This years Emmys were full of firsts and hopefully not lasts.

Viola Davis of “How to Get Away With Murder” became the first African-American to win an Emmy for best lead actress in a drama series. In her acceptance speech, she quoted Harriet Tubman and acknowledge other African-American female actors that helped pave the way. She also left the audience and viewers with this:

“Let me tell you something, the only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

After seven previous nominations and his last chance to win for his role as Don Draper on “Mad Men”, Jon Hamm finally won his first Emmy. As luck would have it, he was sitting in the front row. Jon decided instead of using the stairs to the stage like everyone else, he would climb onto it. He literally lifted one leg up and sort of rolled onto stage. You could tell it was a moment Jon had waited a long time for.

HBO dominated the 67th Emmys and walked away with a total of 43 wins over all, including 29 creative Emmys last week. It was the first time HBO has ever won in the best drama category. They took home Emmys for “Mad Men”, “Game of Thrones” (the most-watched show in network history), “Veep” and “ Olive Kitteridge”. Its safe to say someone at HBO is getting a raise.

There were so many other memorable moments from the show, too many to list really. The good news is you will forever know who Emmy winners are. After an individual wins, they are forever referred to as “Emmy Award Winning” which technically means “now you have to pay me more”. My congratulations go out to all the winners of the evening, as well as the losers who held it together long enough for the cameras to leave.

He may be young, but Hollywood child star Evan Brinkman sure knows how to steal a scene and he proved that in the recent hit Judd Apatow comedy Trainwreck. In the film, Evan played the dorky, sweet, and sensitive stepson Allister who annoys Amy Schumer’s character throughout. In real-life he is anything but annoying.

It’s A Glam Thing had a chance to chat with Evan and find out a bit more about his style away from his character in the film and how he puts together his incredible fashion choices for red carpets and interviews…

How would you describe your own personal day-to-day style?

I would say that I dress nice casual day-to-day. I usually wear a minimum of two different outfits a day. The first outfit is for school and it is usually cargo shorts with a polo shirt or v-neck shirt. Once I’m home from school I change into a t-shirt and shorts. On the days that I go golfing I wear Under Armor golf apparel.

What trends/brands do you like currently?

I prefer The Gap and Old Navy for my school clothing. Nike for my after school clothing and Under Armour for golf. For my shoes I prefer Converse, Vans and Under Armour. For dressier clothes I always go to J. Crew.

Being so young, do you even like dressing up for red carpets and such?

Yes, I really liked the clothing I wore for the red carpet and multiple interviews for Trainwreck. I had several business casual suits and shoes from J Crew. My mom used the Very Personal Stylist from J Crew and she would send multiple outfit choices for me and my mom to choose from on-line. For the red carpet I went to Nordstrom’s and found the suit, shirt, bow-tie and shoes. The suit was altered by Nordstrom’s and it was very convenient for us to find everything there.

What was it like getting styled each day on the set of Trainwreck? Did you have a whole team dressing you? Did you have any say?

The wardrobe department had requested all my sizes before my first fitting. When I arrived on set there were so many choices for my outfits that were unique, quirky and fun. There were 3 stylists that helped me throughout the filming and I remember wearing a lot of J Crew clothing. I did wear my own Converse, Chuck Taylor’s, the very first day for my fitting and the stylists loved my shoes. I ended up getting 3 pairs in different colors for my wardrobe changes on the set.

What is your definition of “Glam”?

Stylish, confident & attractive.

When it comes to ideal summer weather there’s no city better than LA. The weather in LA  can be thought of “pool weather” almost all year long.  What better way to spend a warm LA summer day or night than by the pool. The good news is you don’t have to make the 4 hour trek to Vegas to experience an amazing pool party. LA is home to some of the hottest pool parties scenes you never knew about.

THE STANDARD LA

This modern and sleek hotel is located in the heart of down town Los Angeles. Every Saturday and Sunday during the summer months The Standard Hotel hosts a pool party on their rooftop called “BASK”. Aside from the great food and DJ spinning the latest hits, it’s all about the 360 degree view of one of the most popular skylines in the world.

HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT HOTEL

Talk about an iconic Hollywood hotel! The Roosevelt Hotel opened in the mid 1900’s and has remained the place to be scene ever since. In it’s early years, the Hollywood Roosevelt played host to countless icons: Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable among others. In 1988 David Hockney completed a multi-million dollar mural painted at the bottom of the tropicana pool. The Tropicana sets the standard when it comes to pool parties. During summer evenings you can join in on the fun and experience their “ NIGHT SWIM”. When everyone else is going home, the Roosevelt’s pool party is just getting started.

W HOTEL- HOLLYWOOD

The W hotel is a brand that people come to expect greatest from. The hotel chain represents luxury with just the right amount of sexy. The pool at the W Hotel Hollywood is located on the rooftop and is surrounded by cabanas, day-beds, and plush lounge chairs. The W calls their summer pool party the “WET DECK”. The name alone should tell you that if you’re not ready to jump in, then it’s probably best to stay home.

W HOTEL- WESTWOOD

Why compete when you can add on? The W Hotel Westwood knows that sometimes the weekend is just too far away. That’s why every Wednesday during summer they host a pool party called the “MID-WEEK HOOKUP”. It’s the perfect way to spend your hump day. This pool party caters to the Angelenos that embrace the “firefighter schedule”: 3 days work and 4 days off.

LOEWS HOLLYWOOD HOTEL

When attending this pool party please remember not to bring sand to the beach. The pool party takes place Saturdays at Loews Hollywood and is charmingly titled “ FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS”. They’re not saying it’s a singles only party, but they are saying don’t bring your baggage.

MONDARIAN / SKYBAR

The best keep secret is none other than the pool party hosted at the Mondrian/Skybar on Sat. & Sun. called “PLAYA ESCONDIDA”. Considered one of the more relaxed pool parties around town. This pool party is great for couples or groups of people that want to lounge by the pool, occasionally take a dip to cool off, and of course listen to good music.

The pool party scene in LA is nothing short of amazing. Next time you here an Angeleno talk about traveling all the way to vegas for a great summer time pool party, kindly remind them that LA is the place to be.

Last week was a fabulous week! I was invited to attend so many exclusive Hollywood events. Every event was perfectly put together and glamorous. My favorite party by far was the Television Critics Association Annual Summer Party. This exclusive party was held at the beautiful Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. The party was thrown for the cast and crew members of CBS, The CW and Showtime. The list of A-list celebrities I spotted and rubbed elbows with made my head turn. The best part of the night was hanging out by the red carpet. The carpet was the best view in the house to see who was attending and more importantly what they were wearing.

As expected everyone looked amazing. Not a hair out of place or unwanted wrinkle to be found. Some of the most memorable looks came from the men of evening. James Van Der Beek and Charley Koontz from CBS’ CSI:CYBER walked the carpet together and although I don’t think they planned their outfits to match, they were totally twining.

Both gentleman, along with countless other celebrities embraced the latest summer trend of white and cream colors. James wore an all cream deconstructed cotton suit. He paired it with a crisp white button down that had a beautifully detailed navy collar. Charley choose a cream colored sports coat and paired with stylish dark navy denim. He completed his look with a slim navy tie and striped pocket square. You could totally see their chemistry as they walked the carpet smiling, laughing, and cracking jokes.

Getting invited to an event of this magnitude was nothing short of extraordinary. Each celebrity was nicer than the next. I left that evening knowing that the glamour of Hollywood that I usually admire from a far is even more glamorous up close and personal.

Shopping for clothes brings me pure joy, and until last week I was under the impression that most people felt the same way. Then some friends told me shopping is anything but fun for them. It made me wonder if others felt the same way, so I began asking almost everyone I met if they enjoyed shopping. To my surprise, about half of the people I asked said that shopping made them anxious and they only did out of necessity. To help the shopping-challenged, I’m sharing my shopping tips in hopes that people will use them to make their shopping experiences more enjoyable.

FIGURE OUT YOUR STYLE 

Embrace what you feel comfortable in. Not everyone feels good in the same style clothing. Decide if you like loose fitting clothes or clothes that are more tailored. If categorizing yourself helps, then figure out your style category. Are you classic, simple, bold, hipster, bohemian, rock and roll, trendy? Once you decide what your favorite styles are you’ll know what to be on the look out for while shopping.

FIND YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS & SHOP THEM EVERY SEASON 

This is probably the best piece of advice I have to give. Every brand represents a certain style and they all cut their clothing different. Some brands run small while others run big. If you stick to your favorite brands you’re less likely to be disappointed once you get in the fitting room. Shopping the same few brands every season means you can keep adding pieces to build a cohesive wardrobe.

CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET

If you haven’t worn something in over a year it’s time to toss it. I personally don’t get rid of anything until I try wearing it for a whole day. If I wear something for the entire day and it doesn’t make me feel good, like maybe the shirt rides up or the fabric makes me itch, it goes in the Goodwill pile.

GET INSPIRED

Find “looks” online or in magazines that you like. If a sales associate    (hopefully at one of your favorite brands) asks if they can help you, show them the picture and let them pull pieces that resemble what you’re looking for. It obviously won’t be identical, but remember your going for similar. One of my favorite ways to find cool looks is to pick a celebrity style icon and mimic their outfits.

HAVE A BUDGET

Knowing how much you can spend will eliminate most buyers remorse. When it comes to shopping, it’s good to remind yourself that it’s ok that you can’t have it all. If you can’t afford something, tell yourself that next season they’ll be something better.  There’s nothing worse than having to return something because you went over your budget.

Shopping is an art form. You’re not required to love it, but knowing how to do it efficiently can definitely help you hate it less.

This week the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) launched its very own menswear dedicated New York fashion week. The men’s fashion week highlights the growing relevance of menswear in the fashion industry.

Officially named the New York Fashion Week: Men’s, the CFDA initiative will showcase Spring/Summer 2016 fashion trends. The shows run the second week of July and will be held at the Skylight Clarkson Square in Manhattan. The CFDA men’s fashion week answers the call for a men’s only dedicated fashion week in New York. As many designers will tell you, fashion week in New York is usually dedicated to women, and men’s designers are forced to either show their collections during  women’s shows or take their collections oversees.

“[New York Fashion Week: Men’s] gives the designers a business platform to show during their market dates and is an opportunity to demonstrate the collective talent of an important segment of our industry,” CFDA CEO Steven Kolb said in a statement.

Amazon’s portfolio of fashion sites, which include Amazon Fashion, East Dane and MyHabit, will serve as primary sponsors, with additional support from Detroit-based leather goods company Shinola as well as Cadillac. Confirmed designers include Michael Bastian, Tommy Hilfiger, Rag & Bone, Todd Snyder and many more.

It is truly an exciting time for both men’s fashion designers and the people who love to wear their fashion.

Veteran agents Linda Robirds and Marlyn Klaarmond have made a break from OC-based Brand Model & Talent Agency to launch “It Model Management.” The new partners spent a combined three decades at Brand, where they built the agency into a Southern California powerhouse, pulling big business away from nearby Hollywood agencies. It comes as no surprise that a caravan of loyal clients including Adidas, Audi, Coca-Cola, Disney, Harley-Davidson, Mercedes, and Nike have followed the agents to their new digs in Irvine (CA).

Most of the duos’ top models have also leapt to the It Model Management roster. Jack Cain, an actor and one of the industry’s leading commercial print models tells ItsAGlamThing, “I owe Linda and Marlyn so much. For over twenty years they’ve taken care of my family and me. They are truly special people and amazing agents.”

Looks like this remodeling job turned out picture perfect. Check them out at: ItModelManagement.com

Carolyn Hennesy stormed into the final season of ABC’s “Revenge” like a nor’easter. Playing mommie dearest to Louise (Elena Satine). She seemed born for the role. In fact, we’re hard-pressed to fathom anyone else playing the deliciously devilish Southern matron Penelope Ellis.
 
Hennesy is no upstart.  She’s been paying her dues for years in memorable parts (HBO’s True Blood, ABC’s Cougar Town, ABC’S General Hospital) and a few forgettable ones. (Boob Jobs & Jesus).  But hey, a girl’s gotta eat.
 
Hennesy is also, by all accounts, an actor’s actor. A gal’s gal and the truest of pals.  She’s a champion of animal rights (hosting “Animal Magnetism” on UBN Radio) and a giver of gifts. With little fanfare, she’s visited LA area colleges and offered encouragement, inspiration, and even scholarships to promising drama students.
 
There are a lot of unsung actors deserving of an Emmy this year.  Walton Goggins (FX’s Justified) and Reid Scott (HBO’s Veep) come to mind.  But Hennesy gets our Glam Thing vote for years of outstanding work both on-screen and off.

Some woman are born with style. They have ability to dress themselves in a fashionable manor at the drop of a dime. Then there are those women who seem to care less about what they wear. For the ones who are not blessed with the natural ability to pull together a fashionable outfit, I believe there is still hope. For the record, kids and teenagers get a pass if they don’t dress well (I blame the people who raise them), but once women hit their 20’s there are very few excuses for not presenting yourself to the world in the best way possible.

A Blazer

Blazers can take you from day to night. They can be worn to an interview or paired with jeans for a night out with friends. The good news is there are so many different style blazers to choose from. Structured blazers usually have some light padding in the shoulder and offer a more business look. Deconstructed blazers are the ones without padding, and usually made of cotton or linen. My favorite are blazers that have a patterned lining, so when you roll up the sleeves you have a fun detail.

A Genuine Leather Bag

Unless you are anti-leather, it’s an absolute must to have a real leather hand bag. That doesn’t mean you have to spend $500+ on a bag, but it does mean a small investment is required.  A woman’s bag says a lot about who she is. Your bag either tells the world “I have it together” or “the struggle is real”. Trust me when I say, even if you don’t have it all together, if your bag is nice people will assume you’re doing ok. Stick to neutral colors and you’ll get the most use out of it.

The Perfect Black Dress

A black dress is a must have in any woman’s wardrobe. Whether your heading to a fancy dinner, special occasion, or girls night out the black dress will have all your bases covered. The length and style can vary depending on your personality, but just make sure it fits you perfectly.

A Wrist Watch

Even if you still look at your phone for the time, a watch is a very smart look. A stylish watch says that you care about time and is an added accessory to your outfit. You can choose a vintage look with a smaller face, a classic look with a leather strap, or the latest gold and silver trends. There are two rules for wrist watches: remember to wear them and make sure they work.

Quality Denim

These days a great pair of jeans is everything! Just like a best friend, they lift you up and hold all your junk in place. Jeans are the most socially acceptable piece of clothing and can be worn almost everywhere. For most women, they are the essential piece of their outfit. When you do find your favorite pair of jeans, life is all of a sudden better.