The tightly pulled-back hair. The sparkly (but not-at-all-dangly) stud earrings. The barely-there makeup (light foundation + a smidge of peachy-pink lip gloss/mascara). Yep, it's official: Whitney Port is turning into Olivia Palermo as we speak!

Okay, fine, so her personality's still completely intact (at least, from what we've seen so far on The City). But Monday night, at the Jimmy Choo for H&M event in West Hollywood, Whitney's look was a little (too!) reminiscent of her former DVF rival's.

+ Think we're seeing things? Or does Whitney's hair and makeup remind you of Olivia's trademark red carpet look? Check out some more pix of Whitney in action, then let us know whether you like her better with loose, tumbling locks -- or pinned-up Palermo hair!

It's easy to be jealous of the new girl (especially when she's smart, stylish and extremely well-connected), but Erin Kaplan told the L.A. Times blog she's not threatened by her coworker/City costar Olivia Palermo -- she's just not that impressed by her, either.

"I think that when you start anywhere you kind of want to embrace the people around you," Erin said. "When I was new, I wanted to get to know everyone in every department. [But] I felt like [Olivia] was focused on accessories and that was it. That’s not really how it is at a magazine or anywhere."

So what are some of Olivia's strengths? Well, clearly there's her ability to work a cocktail party (note: it helps when you're already "friends" with everyone in the room), plus Erin admitted Liv has "great personal style" and said Joe Zee hired her because "he thought she was talented and had a good eye." Don't get any ideas about the two girls being friends, though. "Obviously, Olivia and I don't get along," Erin went on.

Fortunately, Erin seems to have clicked better with the rest of her City costars. "I really like Roxy [Olin]," she said. "I think she’s very funny. She’s very self-deprecating ... She’s fun to be around. Yeah, I’m a fan of Roxy’s. And as for Whitney Port? "She's very level-headed," Erin praised. "I adore [her]."

Joe Zee's puttin' Olivia Palermo's reporting skills to the test on next week's City, but how good is Elle's Creative Director at getting his own answers? Since we've only witnessed one of his interviews on the show (you know, the time he introduced 'Liv to Erin Kaplan?), we dug up this Elle.com clip of the Zee-man showing off his special -- and somewhat giggly -- brand of interrogation. Watch the lovable style star crash an open casting call for Carrie/Samantha wannabes while channeling his inner David Beckham. Hey, who says fashionistas can't play ball?!

+ Bonus: Wanna see how the City girls' A to Zee guide finally turned out? Read it here, plus take another look at our (mock-serious) Olivia-inspired follow-up!

We're used to seeing Olivia Palermo in pretty pastels and ruffled blouses on The City, but lately, she's ditched the tailored-chic look -- and started hovering on the edge of punk rock. Wednesday night, she took another step towards Audrina Patridge territory with this striped jacket/shiny pants combo she wore to the GQ Gentlemen's Ball. Think Liv looks hot in hip-hugging leather? Or do you like her better in Blair Waldorf-y business wear? Take the poll and tell us whether you're down with Olivia's dark side!

Whitney Port's got a few surprises coming her way on next week's City. The good news? She's heading out to the Hamptons for some fun in the sun with her hunky new boyfriend (and her roomie/pal, Roxy Olin)! The bad news? Whit's already hearing whispers that Freddie Fackelmayer's not as single as he seems. Watch as Whit's protective gal pal confronts Fred Facks about his so-called "shady" rep while Olivia Palermo and Erin Kaplan put on a two-woman revival of "Bring On Da Noise." Drama! Yelling! Leopard print bikinis! All that and more, on an all-new City.

When Whitney Port agreed to meet Jay Lyon for dinner, she knew it was gonna be slightly awk. 'Course, it didn't help that he was less interested in catching up -- and more interested in lecturing Whit about that random dude she brought to his apartment. Look, we get it, bro! Nobody likes hearing about their ex's new relationship. But dissing the tan man -- you know, Olivia's BFF? -- isn't exactly the best way to save face. Even if you were just trying to watch Whitney's back (and not, say, discourage her dating from Anyone Else But You).

+ Think Jay should've kept his opinions about Freddie to himself? Or is all fair in love, war and dinner with your ex? Take the poll and tell us whether Whitney's former flame crossed the line by weighing in on her new dude.

When Whitney first met Jay, back before she officially moved to The City, drinks were flowing, sparks were flying and the flirting, giggling and hand-holding carried over well past midnight -- when Whit and Jay left the club (and the City cameras) to go who-knows-where. So what about Whit's new pseudo-beau/yachting partner, Freddie Fackelmayer? Well, despite Freddie's dashing good looks and bright, Nantucket tan, we're not really feeling the heat between Whitney and her socialite-y fella. In fact, we're feeling something else instead: awkwardness. And a whole lot of it.

From the "Surprise! You're on a date with my dad!" snafu to the seriously worrisome he's-friends-with-Olivia development, Fred Fack's already given Whit plenty of opportunities to practice her "I'm Smiling On The Inside" face. And while he did apologize for ambushing Whitney with his fam, we're wondering why Freddie and his fair lady are having so much trouble gettin' their romance on in the first place.

Shouldn't it be easy in the beginning? Or does insta-attraction have more to do with lust (and booty calls) than sweet emotion? Take the poll and tell us whether Whitney and Freddie need to stop with the nervous laughter -- and start turning up the heat!

After an (admittedly) bumpy start at Elle, Olivia Palermo's really turned it around these last few weeks, proving that she can shmooze designers, spot a fake Fendi a mile away and -- for the most part -- really get the job done. So what's the prob?

Well, despite her fashion expertise (c'mon, the girl could pass for a Vogue model!), Roxy Olin called 'Liv a total "nightmare" to work with, and we all know Erin Kaplan's not exactly recommending her for Employee of the Month. Plus, while Liv clearly knows how to network, we haven't seen her use that same charm to win over her colleagues -- either here at Elle, or back in her DVF days.

All of this makes us wonder: Does Olivia need a refresher course in office politics? Or are Roxy and Erin equally to blame for that on-the-job friction? Forget putting yourself in Erin's shoes -- we wanna hear what YOU guys would do. Take the poll and let us know!

Listen up, boys and ghouls. Halloween's almost here, which means it's time to figure out your last-minute costumes before all the good (read: flimsy, offensive) ones are sold out. And since we can't all afford to shop at Ricky's (plus some of us are already over the whole crotch-length dress thing), we thought we'd show you how to pull off your own DIY costumes, inspired by your friends -- and frenemies -- on The City! Starting with:

WHITNEY PORT
How to do it: Buy a long blonde wig and medium-length stilts. Paint your fingernails turquoise. Nod enthusiastically when others speak, even if it's terrible advice. Bring a date who is Australian, orange or emotionally unavailable. Avoid looking directly into Kelly Cutrone's eyes. Wear florals, little black dresses and always, always three-inch heels.
Props: Sketchpad, lipstick from Whit's personal line.

OLIVIA PALERMO
How to do it: Get thee to a Frederic Fekkai salon, then avoid any/all activities that might threaten to disturb your gorgeous, "Who, me? I just woke up looking like this" waves. Smell expensive. Read Elle. Laugh like Tinkerbell. Remind everyone you're sort of a big deal by using words like "social," "deb," "champy" and "toodles." Say outrageous things (like "f-- this, I'm out of here") then beam angelically til all is forgiven. Smile! You're Olivia. You're dazzling.
Props: Recession-proof bling, dog named after menial laborer.

KELLY CUTRONE
How to do it: Step 1) Throw on your fave all-black ensemble and dye your hair to match. Step 2) Borrow a friend's Ford. Step 3) Perfect the art of tough love! Start off with inappropriately loud critiques (i.e. "I've been doing this 22 years and you've been doing this, like, FIVE minutes!"), then temper them down with impossible-to-resist phrases like "I'm your loyal bitch." Step 4) Stop blinking. (It's a sign of weakness.)
Props: Pale makeup, a cowering/suckup-y assistant, Optional: a hands-free, don't-mess-with-me headset.

+ Got any ideas for pulling off the ultimate Erin Kaplan or Roxy Olin Halloween getup? Tell us in the comments! Plus, let us know if you have any tips (serious or otherwise) for going as Kelly, Whitney or Olivia this year.

So far this fall, we've seen wild house parties, half-naked fashion models and the inside of Jay Lyon's love nest on The City. But nothing's shocked us more than watching Olivia Palermo morph from above-it-all social to hardworking career gal, thanks in large part to her perma-disapproving Elle manager Erin Kaplan. So how does Erin (known for her constant smirks, frequent put-downs and awkwardness at parties) feel about coming across as a high fashion bully? In a word, misunderstood.

"If I’m portrayed as hard or a bitch on camera, that’s one thing," Erin said in an interview with OK! magazine, "but to portray me as somebody that doesn’t care about what’s best for the magazine is totally different, and that’s been the most frustrating thing."

And as for rooting for Olivia to fail? "The bottom line is I want what’s best for [Elle]," Erin said. "[A]nd if Olivia comes back and she does an amazing job, I’m going to tell her that."

Meanwhile, Erin took the opportunity to let City fans know she's not as super-serious as she comes across on TV. "I definitely think I smile more. I’m generally a happy person, and I don’t smirk as often as I do on the show!"