It's not easy being the most fashionable girl in the room, but City star Olivia Palermo makes it look almost effortless. Her secret? Style, sophistication and, of course, invites to all the hottest parties in town. This week, Liv popped by five (count 'em, FIVE) different VIP venues, showing off a whirlwind of fall essentials (think: flashy fishnets, leather leggings and faux-fur vests) and makin' the rounds with everyone from her sweetie, Johannes Huebl, to her fashion bestie, Marc Jacobs.

Check out these pix of Liv working it on the red carpet (watch out for Huebl's razor-sharp cheekbones up top!), plus take a look at three of her most envy-inspiring looks.

Oh, Livvy Palerms ... Of course you love hip-hop! You thought Cobra Starship and Elle's music editor would be shocked to hear it, but we've always been privy to your street side. In fact, whenever we hear Public Enemy's "Fight the Power," we can't help but picture you wearing an Adidas tracksuit, and krumping. And because no hip-hop enthusiast can call themselves such without ever hearing of, er, iconic rappers A Tribe Called Quest, we're currently in the midst of making you a mix tape filled with some of their greatest hits, as well as other rhymes from rap innovators that we think might tickle your grill. Take a peek at our growing playlist:

OLIVIA'S 'SHOP HARD' MIX

1. "Buggin' Out" by A Tribe Called Quest
Key Lyric: Yo when you bug out, you usually have a reason for the action
Sometimes you don’t it’s just for mere satisfaction

2. "It's Tricky" by Run-D.M.C.
Key Lyric: And in the city it's a pity cuz we just can't hide
Tinted windows don't mean nothin,' they know who's inside

3. "She's Crafty" by the Beastie Boys
Key Lyric: D. pulled me over said, "Hide your gold,
The girl is crafty like ice is cold!"

4. "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest
Key Lyric: Feel free, drop your pants, check your ha-ir
Do you like the garments that we wear?
Read more...

A picture's worth a thousand words, and this week on The City, it was all about the body language. From Whitney eyeballing her blind date (like, did he seriously just say "LV!?) to Erin squirming at the dinner table, there were plenty of screencap-worthy moments tonight! Come join us as we recall a few of our favorite ones...

1. Whitney breaks bread (then breaks out her wallet!) with Bergdorf's Boy.
Fun fact: Her jaw's been permanently dropped ever since Patrick name-dropped "5F" and asked her to "join forces" on the bill. Talk about making a big first impression!

2. Erin looks on fondly as Olivia nails the photo shoot.
If tightly crossed arms, a clenched jaw and an intense stare-into-nowhere don't say "understated pride," then we don't know what does! Sheez, Erin, why don't ya just stamp "I Heart Olivia" on your forehead next time?!

3. Roxy tells Zac exactly how she feels about him!
Guys love it when you're straight-up with them -- but they hate talking about their feelings. So if you're looking to let someone down easy, we'd recommend the "double finger." It's a great way of saying "I'm just not that into you" without all the talky talk. (Trust us, he'll thank you later!)

4. Erin enjoys a delicious meal with her teammate, Olivia!
If you really wanna impress your bosses, remember: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all! Instead, just look crazy stressed, stuff your face and try not to wince every time someone says "Olivia." Works every time!

5. Olivia slightly over-exaggerates her hip-hop expertise.
Note to Liv: Real hip-hop aficionados don't twist their hands into pretzels and say things like, "A Tribe Called Quest? Never heard of 'em!" Next time, nod confidently, stroke your chin and say "Yeah, I really liked them -- til they blew up and went all mainstream."

+ Got anything to add? Tell us what we missed in the comments!

When you're a leggy blonde working in fashion, meeting guys generally isn't a problem. 'Course, that doesn't mean Whitney Port can just snap her fingers and make Mr. Right appear. With Whit's crazy busy sched, it could be a couple years before she bumps into her future hubby (at a bookstore! or a Starbucks! or a party thrown by mutual friends!). Til then, she's gotta do like the rest of us and keep putting herself out there! Even if that means going out on blind dates and (occasionally) getting played by guys like Fred Facks.

Anyhow, watch as Whit courageously(!) goes out with a complete and total stranger while Roxy discovers that her new man crush is already seeing other people -- right in front of her face. Plus, head over to Elle country to hear Erin 'splain why she's officially over holding Olivia's hand.

Joe Zee may be Mr. Important at Elle, but as far as bossing people around goes, he's kind of a softie. Not only has the giggly admin given Olivia Palermo at least a zillion redos, but he's also politely ignored Erin Kaplan's smirking habit -- and taken next-to-no notice of the ladies' constant sniping. So we were thrown for a little bit of a loop tonight when Joe (finally) emerged from his non-confrontational cocoon -- and scolded Team Erivia with all the fury (but none of the f-bombs) of a cray cray Kelly Cutrone.

So what'd you think of Joe's unexpected outburst? Well, after we got over the initial shock of seeing the stylish supervisor explode, we silently applauded him for taking charge -- and for holding BOTH Liv and Erin responsible for dropping the ball. Much as we love watching the man giggle, we'd rather see him put an end to all the pettiness by giving his girls a stern ultimatum: either find a way to work together, or find somewhere else to work!

+ Think Joe Zee's tongue lashing was too little too late? Or were you floored by the creative director's moxie? Take the poll and tell us what you thought of Joe's bitchy blowup on The City!

In a juicy, no-holds-barred interview with the UK's Daily Mail, City girl Whitney Port explains what it's like to be a shy, "non-attention seeking person" starring on an MTV reality show. Among the topics du jour? Whit opens up about having "fat days," feeling out of place on The Hills and having a lingering obsession with Jay Lyon's music.

We've laid out our five favorite quotes below (including the part where Whit describes costar Olivia Palermo as "difficult, cold and aloof"), so read on to hear Whitney dish the dirt about being in the spotlight.

On getting overshadowed by her Hills costars:
"[W]hen I was on The Hills, there wasn’t a focus on me, I just got on with my day job. But I became genuine friends with Lauren [Conrad] and I got to know the gang – Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, etc – who were already well-known. But in terms of attention, I just wasn’t in their league."

On how she ended up with her own spinoff:
"I think [MTV] recognized that I am a neutral person, that they could base The City on me and I’d be the solid one, the one that people could relate to. And I gave them a disclaimer; I said, 'If you guys are looking for me to start the dramas, then I’m not that person.'"

Read more...

Olivia Palermo was looking very Blair Waldorfish at last week's You Know You Want It: Style-Inspiration-Confidence book launch, so it's only fitting she ran into real-life Gossip Girls Leighton Meester and Nicole Fiscella on her way there! So how'd the City star's style compare to that of her Upper East Side counterparts'? Well, obvs we're a smidge biased, but from where we're sitting, she totally held her own! Nothing against Leighton's electric-print dress and Nicole's sleek LBD/blazer combo, but we adored Liv's giant gem-adorned chain necklace -- and her playful pairing of soft (ruffled peasant blouse) with hard (shiny leather miniskirt).

+ Think Olivia hit it out of the park with her girly/rocker glam? Or are you more into Leighton's I-swear-I'm-not-wrapping-paper print? Sound off in the comments and tell us which fashionista had the best style/inspiration/confidence on the carpet!

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!