Fairy Tales and Fashion: Waving the Magic Wand

Cinderella (1950) is a classic example of Disney animation: blissfully charming, maddeningly superficial and profoundly satisfying by turns. Walt, of course, did his best to tidy up the dark corners of old European tales (in one version, collected by the Brothers Grimm, the wicked stepsisters' eyes were pecked out by doves) but despite his best efforts, Cinderella still resonates deeply because it's no mere cartoon–this fairy story is a childhood revenge fantasy to end all revenge fantasies, and as such taps into ancient, primal and very powerful magical thinking.

Baby, It's Cold Outside–Time to Buy a Swimsuit

It's February, which means fashion's topsy-turvy retailing machine is delivering swimwear to stores. Women usually learn, at an early age, how to shop ahead of season; but for some mysterious reason, most guys do not. This wasn't always the case: in the early 20th century, stylish men (including college-aged boys) visited their tailors punctually and relied on local haberdashers or popular mail-order catalogs for sportswear and accessories. These days, however, the average male is likely to wait until last-minute house party invitations drive him into a department store in late July–at which point the best swimsuits will be gone, replaced by row after row of cashmere topcoats.

Part of learning to speak fashion fluently is becoming aware of this cycle, and exploiting it to advantage. If you're a true fashion junkie who has to have the latest model, hit stores early in the season (and develop relationships with salespeople who will call when coveted items are in their hands). If you care more about price than design, you can get along nicely with brands that specialize in basics. And online shopping offers the full gamut, from pre-ordering just-off-the-runway must-haves to great end-of-season sales.

Of course, buying swimwear is tricky, for obvious reasons: it leaves us mostly unclothed. Finding flattering options drives some guys to despair, especially when confronted with buff models like Ellis, above. FA2L's advice? Extra pounds are less noticeable in something hip-slung: wearing elastic at your natural waist only draws attention to the flabbiness of a spare tire. And while American men typically avoid tight bikinis (usually with good reason), a certain type of square-cut trunk, the Brazilian sunga, shouldn't be ruled out. Kyle King's versions (the first three, above) have full seats and enough fabric to drape, rather than bind, across the hips. (King's online shop will be up and running in March.) If you prefer something less daring, please avoid baggy jams (ubiquitous on American beaches for years) and remember that even out-of-shape men often have surprisingly good legs. Channel your inner lifeguard in Miguel Antoinne's slightly retro shorts, above, which are polite but still sexy. Then watch the mercury rise.

1: Swimsuit by Kyle King. Leather & gold necklace (as bracelet) by H. Stern. 2: Swimsuit by Kyle King. Sandals by Hermès. 3: Swimsuit by Kyle King. Sandals by DSquared. Beach towel by Hermès. 4: Shorts by Miguel Antoinne. Sunglasses by Ray-Ban. Sandals by DSquared. Leather & gold necklace by H. Stern.

Photographs by Michael Stratton. Grooming by Lorenzo Martone/Link NYLA. Ellis McCreadie/Major Models. Styled by Mark Grischke. © Fashion As a 2nd Language.

SATC2 & Sarah Jessica Parker Go For the Gold

Sarah Jessica Parker's image has been looking down on the Bryant Park tents during New York Fashion Week (from billboards promoting Sex and the City 2, coming in May), but you can't see her eyes because she's wearing enormous, mirrored gold frames, above, by Bernhard Willhelm for MYKITA. Parker's a tiny woman, but she's got a big personality (not to mention loads of style) so she carries these off; however, even on her they suggest, by turns, campy Vegas day-trippers, bug-eyed alien fauna or robotic Blade Runner replicants (which aren't necessarily bad things, just a lot to live up to). Some people will pop these on and look stunning; others will be overwhelmed. Know for sure which group you're in before leaving the store.

Balmain Homme: Shop Now For...Autumn 2010?

Skinny, fashion-obsessed men the world over are chasing a new status brand: Balmain. After rapidly resuscitating the moribund label's women's business (and landing W's prime December '09 cover with Demi Moore in bronze warrior-princess regalia straight off Balmain's Spring '10 runway), house designer Christophe Decarnin is giving it to the guys. His subversive, almost twisted take on high-end fashion ignores standard notions of luxury and goes for the jugular, combining Hedi Slimane's slim cuts with grungier sensibilities akin to early Marc Jacobs. And it's working: after just three seasons (in a down economy, no less), he's built a rabid following for astronomically-priced motocross jeans and stealthily chic outerwear.

But that's not the only news. Such is the demand for these clothes, and so high are the price tags, Balmain is letting men pre-order items from its Fall '10 collection (even as New York designers are still in the throes of showing next autumn's offerings) through an arrangement with Italy's Luisa Via Roma. Click on the store's name in the foregoing sentence: this entire look, above–quilted bomber with leather shoulders, checked shirt, jeans and boots–can be reserved now, for delivery in late September. Which leaves plenty of time to pay off the $5,000-plus charge you'll encounter on your credit card statement.

When You Care Enough to Send the Most Unusual

Not everyone wants roses on Valentine's Day: typical fashionistas get more thrills from red-soled shoes than red flowers. For the non-traditional luxury-lover, FA2L suggests this distinctive little zippered coin purse by Lucien Pellat-Finet (who has yet to meet a skull he can't replicate in leather, cashmere or diamonds). Just think of it as a symbol of 'til death do us part.

Carolyn Murphy and Tom Ford: When Stars Align

There are models, there are supermodels (a term now rendered meaningless, thanks to so much bad television) and then, shining brighter than anything else in the fashion firmament, there are modeling's supernovas, the Goddesses, each one a manifestation of Beauty Incarnate. These are the ravishing creatures whose eyes, lips, curves and charisma incite women to envy, straight men to lust, gay men to rapture and anyone caught in their sights to irrational cravings for all the glittering products they deign (and are paid) to promote.

FA2L isn't coy about this: we love Beauty, ergo we love models. We've also been lucky, over the years, to work and play with many of these remarkable "girls" (an industry term that may be apt for 15-year-old beginners but hardly applies to 28-year-old veterans). Most of them, especially those in the first-name-only club, are tireless professionals who show up on time, exude enthusiasm and are gracious to everyone. A short list of favorites? Gisele Bündchen (Mrs. Tom Brady). Michelle Alves. Heidi Klum. Daria Werbowy (whose card we spotted on an agency wall, years ago, leading to one of her earliest editorial sittings). But perhaps our favorite of favorites is the tawny blond, Carolyn Murphy. And we're thrilled to see her new pitch for Tom Ford Eyewear (with A Single Man's Nicholas Hoult), photographed by Ford himself.

Murphy's remarkable career took her from Florida childhood to glossy editorials and prestigious campaigns for Harry Winston, Tiffany & Co. and Estée Lauder. Her rise wasn't meteoric, but it was inevitable: she's blessed with Grace Kelly's bone structure and built like an elegant bird. Making the leap from modeling's midrange to its upper stratosphere simply required buffing up some natural assets–she got a better haircut (warmed to butter-and-honey blond), honed a stronger body (surfing helped) and polished all that golden skin. Suddenly, she was fashion's It Girl, walking every runway, posing for Steven Meisel and co-starring with Adrien Brody in Barry Levinson's Liberty Heights. Along the way, she married and divorced a surfer, dated a rock star (Incubus frontman, Brandon Boyd) and gave birth to an adorable daughter; she also surprised everyone by gracing a Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover without tarnishing her reputation at oh-so-haute French Vogue. Carolyn, please consider this an early Valentine and know you'll always be our one-and-only. Here at FA2L, we ♥ the Murph!

Dior Men: Head Over Heels For Leather & Laces

Sometimes fashion sparks love at first sight, but for every coup de foudre there's another suitor you're not quite sure about. Such was the case with FA2L and Kris Van Assche's high-topped, lace-wrapped sneakers (with zippers down the back) for Dior Homme. Men's fashion has a long lead time–this collection went down the runway in Paris last summer–and at first we thought these shoes looked bulky. But six months have passed, which is plenty of time for a change of heart. Now, as the sneakers arrive in stores, light dawns and we find ourselves in the throes of a serious crush. If you feel it too, visit Riccardi or Saks Fifth Avenue: with luck, your next affair will arrive by Valentine's Day.