The ‘Jersey Shore’ Girls Learn About Fashion…and Manners!

Jersey Shore’s Snooki, J-Woww and Sammi brought cheesy boardwalk fashion into into our living rooms — so it was just a matter of time before some brave magazine editor staged an intervention. For the May issue of Harper’s Bazaar, our favorite “Guidettes” ditched the bikini tops and Bump-Its in favor of a classier look. So how do they clean up? Here’s our scorecard:

Sammi : A-
Who knew that Sammi “Sweetheart” could make a $4,000 dress look like a million bucks? Her toned figure is well-suited to structured black gowns by J. Mendel and Marchesa, and she’s the only girl who manages to exude high-fashion hautiness. Tyra would approve.J-Woww: B-
Wearing a bride-worthy white Marchesa gown in a group photo, J-Woww can’t help looking elegant. But her solo shoot in a Pamela Dennis party dress is downright awkward — we’re never seen anybody look so uncomfortable in a poufy skirt. You can just see her wishing she could take scissors to the thing and make it into a midriff top.

Snooki: D
It’s not that Snooki looks bad. It’s just that she doesn’t look like Snooki. With her contoured make-up and high necklines, she seems downright depressed. We have to place some of the blame on the photographer for putting her in those modest-schoolgirl poses; at least let her dance while you’re clicking!

Harper’s Bazaar also invested in “etiquette lessons” for the cast, taught by manners guru Lizzie Post and High Society star Tinsley Mortimer. This resulted in the much more entertaining half of the photo spread — because nobody can balance a book on her head with more attitude than Snooki. “I used to take etiquette school,” says the Princess of Poughkeepsie in this behind-the-scenes video. “I know a couple things already. I just haven’t been using them!”  Donna Kaufman