I must confess, it's been a number of years since I've been to a sweet sixteen, and in my day there was no MTV show to document such an occasion. So when I received an...
Upon arrival at the party--once I made my way through the velvet ropes, down the red carpet, and onto the "Billie Jean" dance floor--it became clear that dress to impress had been interpreted as undress to impress. There were so many girls in itty-bitty dresses, I half wondered if fabric rationing had been imposed. I was tempted to run and cover up some of the exposed parties but restrained myself. One hour in, the birthday boy arrived--or rather, red drapes lifted to reveal him sitting on a throne in a dapper Dolce & Gabbana tux with Adidas shelltoes. After a photo op in his "entrance outfit," Justin disappeared to change into look two: jeans and a Michael Jackson-inspired red leather jacket. "I like the regal, confident feel," he said. "I thought red went with the royal theme while still showing my young swag." I had to agree--and I was pleased to see I wasn't the only one. Pharrell prodigy Teyana Taylor, one of the few girls who didn't go the hiked-up dress and heels route, sported a similar jacket and shiny new Air Jordans--a classic, even back when I was sixteen. Yes, girls can play that game too. "Cool and comfortable," she said of her look. I had to hand it to her. Halfway into the party, after performances by Lil' Kim, Fabolous, and others, nearly all the heel-teeterers were barefoot. Turns out, it's hard to do chicken noodle soup dance-offs in stilettos.
