19
March

Oscar Fashion: Finding the Right Beard Style for the Red Carpet

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , , /

I was clean-shaven when I left for Palm Springs for Christmas. A few days later, I arrived back at home in Los Angeles with a beard.

I didn’t plan on my new hirsute look. I just don’t like shaving. I avoid it when I can. But as my beard grew in, my friends started telling me they liked it. They remarked at how “distinguished” it looked with its mix of ginger and white. I was worried I might appear older than I am, but my cousin insisted that she thought it actually made me look younger.

I decided to go for a trial run by keeping the beard for the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s opening night gala red carpet. I needed to see how it looked on camera. The beard was a hit. Austin Butler told me he liked it and so did Colin Farrell. A few days later at the Golden Globes, Andrew Garfield said, “The beard looks nice. The ginger and white is like a Prince Harry thing you’ve got going on.”

I decided the beard was here to stay. Yup, I’m that easy. Star-studded compliments meant new year, new beard.

But then some worry set in. How long should it be? How do I trim it? Should I be using beard oil? Is there anything as too much white in my beard? I had questions.

“I’ve tried to do it in the mirror myself and it’s like a little boy trying to be an adult,” says bearded recent Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser tells me about his upkeep. “I feel like I’m cutting up a bonsai tree.”

With that in mind and the Oscars just around the corner, I sought out Hollywood’s top male groomers for their advice on how to make sure a beard is red carpet ready.

“Grow a beard if you have never experienced it,” says David Cox, who works with Chris Pine, John Mayer, Pierce Brosnan, Jeff Goldblum and Matt Bomer. “Start with a small beard and see how it looks.”

Length Matters

“I feel like a groomed, scruffy beard is in right now, more grown out that a 5 o’clock shadow,” says Kim Verbeck, whose clients include Javier Bardem, Adam Scott, Kumail Nanjiani, Charlie Hunnam and Josh Brolin. “I love that look with a nice haircut. After two to three weeks of growth, make sure to start maintaining by using clippers. Clean up your neck and cheek lines and the top lip.”

Healthy Hair

“To keep your beard soft and healthy, I recommend using beard oils and conditioners. They also leave a nice scent to the face” says Marissa Machado, whose roster includes Jack Champion, the Jonas Brothers and Zachary Levi. “Some of my favorites are by House 99 and Baxter of California.”

Verbeck and Cox recommend Tom Ford conditioning oil. “The smell is incredible and you only have to use a small amount,” Verback says. “Keeping your beard clean and hydrated is so important. It will

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17
March

Pedro Pascal: The ‘Last of Us’ Star Is A Menswear Style Icon

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , /

Photography by Getty Images

Step aside, dad fashion. There’s a new menswear trend in town.

In 2023, the very best outfits seem to fall somewhere between looking vaguely paternal and experimentally maximalist. As it turns out, this stylistic niche is a gift that keeps on giving from Pedro Pascal, whose funky viral red-carpet wares are reliably reminiscent of a beloved older hip relative.

RELATED: Prepare to See Rosettes Everywhere — Just Ask Harry Styles

The Chilean-American actor, who stars in HBO’s The Last of Us and Disney’s The Mandalorians, has emerged as a bespectacled menswear star in recent weeks. His tendency to play father figure characters coupled with his penchant for playful knitwear, his recognizable thick retro glasses, and his comfort-first mentality have propelled him to the latest frontier of father-like dressing: the fun uncle.

Take, for instance, The Mandalorians press tour. At the show’s premiere in London on February 22, the 47-year-old sported a cropped fishnet knit cardigan partly buttoned to reveal a gray tank. He paired his top half with red voluminous waist-hugging trousers by Acne Studios and a pair of black boots. Be it the laissez-fair vibe of his scruffy hair, the added edge of his semi-sheer chemise, or the fact that his vibrant pants were just a few inches too long, the jaunty ensemble perfectly captured Pascal’s internet-catnip charm.

Though he’s been a bona fide menswear star for years since starring in Netflix’s Narcosthe actor’s recent looks emit a renewed personalized aesthetic, Vogue notesthanks to his work with stylists Julie Ragolia. Case in point: while still in London promoting the Disney+ show, he sported a sparkly silver cardigan by Italian brand 4S Designs atop a sheer shirt from Commission. He experiments, but first and foremost, he prioritizes coziness. Obviously, this styling formula is really working for him (and the rest of the world).

To further drive home his love for cardigans, Pascal later emerged in a creamy Gucci getup at an event in Los Angeles. Wearing slightly oversized trousers and a gauzy yellow button-up, he completed the look with a mustard sweater tied over his shoulders — to keep the chill off, presumably. A most practical choice for sipping lemonade on the sidelines of a croquet match. And as it so happens, a red carpet winner, too.

This pragmatic-yet-playful fashion sense has prompted social media to order him a sexy “daddy” (see below). Which is, in The Year of Our Lord 2023, incredibly in vogue. Once-maligned fatherly styles like cargo bottoms and sensible sneakers are all the way back. Adam Sandler — despite all his efforts — remains an inexplicable fashion icon. The Cut proclaimed that the “dad-ification of fashion” would continue well into 2023.

But Pedro Pascal’s style is decidedly more refined. Sure, there’s a focus on functionality baked into his rotation of pullovers, but there’s also crafty color coordination, shape-accentuating silhouettes, and an ongoing flirtation with sheer textiles that offer more range

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15
March

The Style Evolution Of Florence Pugh: Her Best Fashion Looks

By avi maxwel / in , , , , /

Florence Pugh may have only become a household name in the past few years thanks to stellar performances in films like Little Women and Don’t Worry Darlingbut the actress has been walking Hollywood red carpets for almost ten years.

Naturally, her style evolution has developed as she’s grown up in the spotlight – Pugh is now a bona fide fashion star, constantly landing on best dressed lists for avant-garde designs she chooses to wear to premieres and award shows.

Below, see Pugh’s journey from the beginning of her acting career to a high-profile trend setter.

2015

Photo by Dave M. Benett/WireImage)

A then 19-year-old Florence Pugh attended the premiere for The Falling with pal Maisie Williams – a mystery thriller and her acting debut in which Williams and Pugh play best friends at an all-girls school.

2017

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TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images

2016 was the year Florence Pugh made waves, thanks to a scene-stealing role in the independent drama Lady Macbeth. In 2017, she attended the European Film Awards in Berlin, wearing this timeless jeweled gown and platform heels. This was also her red hair era, and we kind of want it back?

2017

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Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage

2017 was when we started to see Pugh finding her style, starting with this iridescent gown by Miu Miu, which she wore to the British Independent Film Awards. Pugh said she felt like a “funky fairy” on Twitter.

2018

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Karwai Tang/WireImage

For the London Film Critics Circle Awards, Pugh wore a Sandra Mansour Oberon embroidered dress, and was transitioning from red hair back to blonde.

2018

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Karwai Tang/WireImage

Florence Pugh loves to wear color, and has a preference for red carpet fashion with an edge. This Staud dress, worn to a Royal Academy of Arts party, offered a hint of the star’s penchant for ruffles and striking detail.

2019

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Steve Granitz/WireImage

Now very much hitting the big time in her acting career, Florence Pugh wore this showstopping Valentino mini dress to the Governor’s Awards in Hollywood. 2019 was Pugh’s international breakthrough year following standout performances in both midsommar and Little Womenso naturally her style ramped up accordingly.

2020

RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Snapped on her way to Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2020, Pugh chose a Galvan sequinned midi dress, reflecting her current love of disco-inspired party pieces.

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Amy Sussman/Getty Images

For her first appearance at the Oscars, Pugh wore Louis Vuitton, once again embracing ruffles and volume – two silhouettes the actor adores to this day.

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Karwai Tang/Getty Images

For the after party Florence Pugh chose Louis Vuitton again, this time exuding old Hollywood glamor in a 1920s-inspired floor length gown of (you guessed it) sequins.

2021

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Mike Marsland/WireImage

Florence Pugh’s red carpet confidence developed over the late 2010s and solidified through 2020 and 2021. Here, at the Black Widow premiere, the actor proves why she’s a paparazzi favorite red carpet – her dip-dyed ends to match her eye makeup and this Miu Miu midi stand out – Pugh never shies away

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14
March

Online Shopping Cart Software Vulnerable: German BSI Report

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , , , /

Security Operations

BSI Study Finds Outdated Software, Vulnerable JavaScript Libraries

Mihir Bagwe (MihirBagwe) •
February 27, 2023

Image: Shutterstock

An assessment of online shopping cart software used by e-commerce sites performed by the German cybersecurity agency found a slew of vulnerabilities, including code so old it’s no longer supported as well as vulnerable JavaScript libraries.

See Also: JavaScript and Blockchain: Technologies You Can’t Ignore

The Federal Office for Information Security – better known by its German acronym, BSI – said that it examined third-party web shop systems out of concern about the large amount of sensitive consumer data processed by online shops.

Germany has one of the largest e-commerce markets in Europe. About 8 in 10 residents spend money in online shops, creating a market that was worth $127.5 billion during 2021.

That number has only grown since, given that Germans used online shopping even more during the novel coronavirus epidemic. BSI estimates that 90% of individuals with internet access at least occasionally shop online, typically from a smartphone.

for a study published Monday, BSI officials examined 10 e-commerce checkout platforms including Magento, Zen Cart and PrestaShop.

German officials say all 10 platforms share the low-level vulnerability of potentially transmitting sensitive information from form fields to third parties through the use of autocomplete. Nine in 10 didn’t require users to use strong passwords – a BSI vulnerability classified as medium risk.

An unidentified number of platforms used software that has passed its end-of-life date, meaning that new bugs don’t receive official patches. Researchers found one site that was vulnerable to cross-site request forgery and three that were at risk of cross-site scripting.

In a BSI survey conducted, about one-quarter of respondents reported “negative experiences with regard to data security” while shopping online.

BSI assesses that Germany’s cyberspace is experiencing mounting levels of cybercrime. The agency’s temporary head, Gerhard Schabhüser, used the study results to urge e-commerce platforms to improve their security. “Software manufacturers must carry out regular vulnerability analysis during the product development phase itself,” he said.

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13
March

Maternity Clothes That Don’t Sacrifice Personal Style

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , /

When you’re pregnant, like I am, and your body begins to grow, one of the first challenges you face in a day—besides having to roll instead of step out of bed—is getting dressed. The go-to items in your closet stare back at you unworn and neglected while leggings and oversized sweaters bag to be plucked out for the fourth time in a week. Even though those comfy pieces have a time and place, does being pregnant and wearing maternity clothes have to mean sacrificing all sense of your fashionable self? I think not. With a few wardrobe additions and adjustments, I have found that dressing the bumps can be fun, freeing and full of style. Even when I attended New York Fashion Week last month.

As you can imagine, the pressure to look and dress well for NYFW is immense—add a bump into the equation and it can feel impossible. At seven months pregnant, concealing the bump wasn’t an option for me; all I could do was embrace it and curate the looks that highlight my changing figure. I knew I would be on my feet a lot, traveling to and from shows and heading to meetings, so I had to plan accordingly. Comfort was key to every look but so was style; I heavily leaned into color, pattern and fit to add a bit of fashion week excitement to my outfits.

Here’s how I navigated NYFW and the bump simultaneously, and what to keep in mind when you’re putting your own maternity wardrobe together.

Julianne Costigan attends the Tory Burch show at NYFW. Photo: Adrienne Dick

Embrace your pregnant shape and show it off

Billowing pieces that flow over the bump in an attempt to conceal it will only add bulk. For the Tory Burch show in New York I opted for the brand’s body-con T Garden Mockneck dress in a bold pattern and online color palette to highlight my figure. What I loved most about the dress was the long vertical line built into the pattern that helped to elongate my body. Look for details like this to help you feel confident. When it comes to body con, make sure the piece is stretchy and go with a midi or maxi length so you don’t have to worry about the hem riding up.

julianne costigan stylist
Stripes and a pop of color. Photo: Adrienne Dick

Go big on color and pattern

Don’t hide behind dark colors; use bright hues and great prints to your advantage. While heading to meetings between shows, one of my favorite looks was a striped knit dress from Zara layered with a brightly colored coat and coordinated with a lime green bag (this is a trending color for cpring) both from Tory Burch and my go-to loafers from Poppy Barley. Adding color to a look can be an immediate mood booster for yourself and the people around you and helps you walk into any room with a commanding presence. I loved seeing pregnant digital creator Jenny Cipoletti

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