crocodilian

Detour

2009-08-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, the exciting splurge post is forthcoming, but I had to post some pictures from this editorial first:

I'm tempted to adopt this Indiana-Jones-In-His-Professorial-Disguise look (minus the mom jeans in the third image) as soon as the weather allows me. Everything about this speaks to me! And in the voice of Harrison Ford, no less.

I have some passable equivalent of everything in these pictures, except 1] Anna Jagodzinska's hot face (damn), 2] those ugly bags (mine are better), and 3] the glasses. . . and hey! Guess what? I totally lost my old ones and have been restricted to a rigorous contacts only program for months! Damn, dirty, attractive eyeball-revealing contacts. I am therefore in dire need of some specs to ugly things up. And by ugly, I mean awesome.

Resistance Is Futile

2009-08-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

I’m not going to apologize for my absence. I’ve been sailing uncharted seas, escaping from cannibals, saving hot dudes from horrible monsters, and poking Cyclopes in the eye. Are you reading this, hot dudes? You’re welcome!

Oh… and I’ve also put myself on a shopping ban. You can see how such a thing might dampen my enthusiasm for lovely material desires. But a combination of factors beyond my control (having a weak willpower muscle, discovering an exciting new brand, general greed) are now threatening to stomp all over my shopping ban, leaving behind only a pile of dust and a sensation of deep and sudden poverty behind. More about these specific desires in my next post.

For now, feast on this sampling of excellent black and whites that have been shaking up my inspiration folder, inspiring the heck out of me.

July Five: Things That I Must Have

2009-07-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Somehow, you will all be mine!

1. Men's polo, J.Crew
2. Necklace (planning to DIY)
3. Gratian blazer, Theory
4. Egoiste platnium, Chanel
5. Lace slipdress

July Five: Men in Suits

2009-07-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

You just can't beat 'em.

July Five: Cruelty Free Beauty Recommendations

2009-07-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in the world, there is a withered old gypsy who has cursed me to forever run out of all my beauty products at the same exact time. A scrub here, a soap there - restocking it doesn’t hurt you unless you are dropping Big Bucks on overpriced designer hoo-hah, in which case you deserve the pain. But when everything you ever use is suddenly empty, it causes major damage to the deep recesses of my wallet. I’m talking all makeup, all skincare, all bath products, even mouthwash! Deodorant! Things you cannot go days and weeks and months without, telling yourself you’ll restock in more lucrative times. This is stuff you needed yesterday.

The only possible ray of sunshine in this cloud of helpless moneyspending is that you can justify trying out new exciting products . . . which is exactly what I've been doing this past month, and now I am here to share my recommendations with you, dear readers. And all of these brands are cruelty free!

In no particular order:

Brand: Juice Beauty
Product: Antioxidant Serum
Bonus: 100% Certified Organic
If I had a nickel for anytime a face cream claimed to work "like magic", then I would have enough money to buy lots and lots of face creams or even a whole face cream conglomerate. But I don't, I'm guessing you don't either. So just buy this one. I got a free sample from Sephora, tried it out, and my skin was suddenly clear and glowing and moisturized - like magic. Then I used up my sample, and it went back to normal. But to be sure I wasn't fluking myself out, I went back a few months later, and tried again. AGAIN. MAGICAL PERFECTION. I don't know what spells they cast on this witch's brew, but it works, goddamnit. Also, it's 100% certified organic. Technically this is a "serum" which means you use it under your regular day or night cream. I use it at night, since I like to have as little on my face as possible during the day to minimize oiliness, etc.

Brand: The Body Shop
Product: Nature's Minerals Foundation (Shade 01)
Bonus: SPF 15
For some reason, my Swedish-Dutch-Native-American skin refuses to match 99.9% percent of all makeup products. When you take into account that I would only purchase cruelty-free stuff, the search becomes even more fruitless. UNTIL LAST YEAR. A great year in human history. A year in which the Body Shop came out with their mineral foundation, which goes on "like buttah" except obviously not literally like butter because that would be disgusting. Also, I can only speak for myself with regard to shade matching, since everyone's skin is obviously different by degrees of impossible minuteness. But I would encourage you to go to a store and check it out.

Brand: 100% Pure
Product: Pomegranate Antioxidant Hydration (SPF 20)
Bonus: SPF 20
Really, this is all I'll ever use on my face during daytime ever again, unless they stop making it or change it somehow. And even then I will buy up all the remaining bottles on ebay or through private auctions, until I have enough to sustain me for a hundred years.

Brand: 100% Pure
Product: Seaweed Facial Mask
Bonus: Vegan
Okay, this is actually a repeat buy and therefore not a beauty discovery per-say, but whatever. This is not rocket science! It's regular science! The kind where you mix a powdered seaweed concoction with water and apply it all over your face until it dries and then you rinse it off with a washcloth and BEHOLD - your skin, it gloweth! God, I love science so much. Please note: this does, in fact, contain real seaweed and therefore smells like REAL SEAWEED. If you read some of the reviews on beauty.com, you will see occasional complaints about this from people who were surprised to find that a product comprised mostly of seaweed did not smell like perfumed flower petals. Do you really trust these people to advise your purchases? If you hate the smell of seaweed, don't buy this. If you don't, DO BUY THIS.

Brand: C.O. Bigelow
Product: Rose Salve
Bonus: $5.50!
Weirdly, this was the most exciting discovery for me. Many moons ago, my mom bought a tin of that horribly omnipresent "Rosebud Salve" (you know, the one that comes similar tin to the one above) and I tried some. I can safely say that it was supergrosstastic, and moisturized my lips for about thirty seconds before evaporating, leaving my lips coated in a Vaseline-like glaze and somehow drier than ever. But this... this is a horse of a different color. It stays on for ages and ages. It comes in a huge tin. It costs next-to-nothing. Apparently, you can also use it on your elbows? But best of all, I haven't had dry lips since I started using it. Purchase this, and you will know the specific but immense and undeniable pleasure that I know whenever I see rosebud salve for sale or being used by some no-nothing who knows nothing. Sucker! If I were a nice person, I might feel badly for keeping such a delicious secret to myself.

But hey - I never claimed to be a nice person. Just a person with really, really great skin and lips and makeup and no money.

Endless Summer

2009-06-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not too bothered by resort collections. I hate resorts. I hate summer. I hate being sweaty and hot and not being able to wear my fantastic fall clothes. But this time, Burberry has won me over:

Trench coats, trousers, blazers!
The whole collection is a brilliant palate cleanser, and true to my vision of what summer should be.... fall.

Glass-Bottom Boat

2009-06-30T15:07:00.001-07:00

Streaming through time, they see
out approach, we are plotted
in space, our light outlives our lives
and sends a signal far into
the future: the past is alive!
Dead and dark for a long time,
we are as starts to them,
stars wishing to be wished on.

___________________

From "Glass-Bottom Boat"
by Elizabeth Spires
(read the full text here)

Photo © Guido Mocafico

Inspiring Me Now: The Shark Edition

2009-06-20T02:53:00.000-07:00

I like the idea of weekly/monthly/seasonal fashion concepts. For lo these many years, I’ve gone around believing I was the only person to ever do something as ridiculous spend a week intentionally dressing to a “sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away” theme, a-la Otis Redding.

But then I discovered that I am not alone, and it truly warms my glacial heart to know that others are inspired by more interesting material than Kate Moss or Erin Wasson. Laura Jane as John Lennon in Rishikesh is just so much better. Better by a margin too infinite to express. My own most recent fashion inspiration, as you might remember, was Perou. But love is fickle. The tides are a-changing.

For July, my concept is a simple one: shark.

The backbone of the shark concept is a shark dress. What is a shark dress? It is simple. It is grayscale. It does not nip in at the waist because sharks do not have waists. Patterns and embellishments are not allowed. A shark is a torpedo with teeth... and in a shark dress, so are you.

Here are some examples. The first, I think, is the best:

Boring, you say? Bite your tongue! It's like being wrapped in a silk bedsheet, except with sharp lines and no volume.

This particular concept is also appealingly minimalist, because it removes the element of choice. Black ankle boots. Hair pulled back. A stroke or two of smoky grey eye makeup added to an otherwise bare face. Done.

No accessories allowed, with one appropriate exception:

This is actually made from whale teeth and not shark teeth, but whatever - mine won't be made from real teeth anyway. I'm on the lookout for tooth-like beads... and if that fails, I'll make my own damn teeth out of oven-bake sculpey. I'm ridiculously excited about making this necklace. Is my excitement palpable? It's totally palpable!

I hope you are getting a mind picture of the shark look I'm going for.

And I also hope that when you get dressed tomorrow, you are inspired by something brilliant, unusual and magnificent. Mostly because you are magnificent. But also because dressing like a shark is a thousand times better than dressing like stupid Kate Moss.

Naked is Best

2009-06-19T23:40:00.000-07:00

So there’s been a bit of a draught here, and not because I haven’t been thinking about clothes. I have. Frequently. Fondly.

But there is a problem. When I think about clothes, it is in the privacy of my own tiny brain, and no one around me needs to know. When I write about them, I am proclaiming a superficial interest from the proverbial rooftops.

There really is no excuse to put such a great deal of time and thought and effort into clothing. The justification is always along the line of “Clothes tell the world who you are! They help you form an identity! They give you confidence and make people take you seriously! OMG, clothes are like totally so important!”

Well, no. Clothes don’t tell anyone who you are - they tell people what you prefer, aesthetically. Actions tell people who you are. No one idolizes mother Teresa because of her blue and ivory shawls. Your confidence and identity are reflected in your clothing choice - not the other way around. And really - if you turn up anywhere in camo pants, crocs, and a too-small tank top, then of course no one is going to take you seriously. But assuming that you have any taste at all and the ability to know if clothes fit you, no one who matters will ever disrespect you because your sartorial standards aren’t cool, creative, or expensive enough.

Clothes and shoes and style - it’s all fun. It’s entertainment. And there’s nothing wrong with indulging such superficial impulses, as long as one remembers not to take it seriously. When clothing becomes the basis for your identity, a way to one-up others, or the only thing that you can intelligently talk about for more than ten minutes… things have gone too far. I like to think of this as “The Emperor’s New Clothes” principle. Clothes are great fun to talk about and experiment with, so long we don’t forget that we’re all naked monkeys underneath.

So the point I’ve been coming to is this one, and I guess it can be expressed best as a disclaimer: no post on any style blog, including this one, is important in any way. I like reading posts written by others, and writing my own for you. But for the love of god, go out your friends! Spend time with your family. Eat something that makes your mouth water. Volunteer for a cause that you care about. Have sex with someone fantastic. And think about how happy you are to be doing exactly what you are doing, and how lucky you are to have such a fantastic moment of pleasure in your short life!

And I promise - if you do it right, you’ll totally forget what you’re wearing.

The Waste Land

2009-05-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.

___________________

From "The Waste Land"
by T. S. Eliot
(read the full poem here)

Model - Masha Novoselova
Images © Dutch Vogue

Look Closer

2009-05-11T12:22:00.001-07:00

Gaspard Yurkievich Lace Top in Nero Argento

Alexander Wang Oxford Top in Light Blue

Future Classics Maxi Dress in Dipped Butterfly

SteveJ & YoniP Front Belted Dress in Pink

Vena Cava Netherworld Dress in Grey

All Images (c) Forward.com

Girls on Top

2009-05-09T00:41:00.000-07:00

Memo to anyone who sees me on Monday: I hope you are prepared for my sexy armpits, because I'm re-intrepreting this look with a black suit, black pinstripe vest, metal man's watch and my trusty aviators.

Inspiring Me Now: The Perou Edition

2009-05-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching this season of Make Me A Supermodel? Damn right, you have! And have you found yourself screaming "JONATHAN FOR THE WIN!" at every judging, particularly when he is shirtless?

Ah, but I am easily distracted. This post is not about Jonathan!
It is about another man.
Another British man.
A man often described as “the scary judge”.

A man named Perou.

Image © www.perou.co.uk

I knew I liked him as soon as I saw those damn sunglasses.

In case you are not familiar, Perou is a talented photographer with shaved head and a deep Sussex growl that makes my toes curl (you know... in a good way). He has yet to be seen without sunglasses and approximately three pounds of finger jewelry, and cuts a fine silhouette in tailored suits and aggressive marching band jackets. His ensembles are, without exception, more interesting and inspiring than anything sent down the MMAS runway.

How can I not be fascinated by someone who wears (in public) a black jumpsuit with a front pocket that says “I Like To Watch”? How can I not envy a man who sometimes appears to have stolen a jacket off the back of a reggae marching band’s drum major?

(I am also deeply gratified by the fact that he seems to hate everyone on the show that I hate... I'm looking at you, Gabriel Von Fishface. His two-week absence left the remaining judges flailing in the deep waters of their own incompetence and sending home random, undeserving models while horrible Amanda somehow remained unscathed. But since his gratifying return last night, all wrongs have been righted. RIGHTED!!!)

Perou, you are Inspiring Me Now™. Despite several of my significant material differences from you (being female instead of male, having long blond hair and not a shaved head, the notable absence of many aforementioned items of awesome clothing in my wardrobe, etc), I believe that our tastes do, indeed, overlap. I have attempted to find some awesome girl attire that gives a nod to your aesthetic while complementing my own. The results, below:

Martin Margiela L’incognito Sunglasses
$410 at Oki-Ni.com

Wide Mixed Chain Bracelets (one for each wrist)
$34 each at Urban Outfitters

Rag & Bone Boyfriend Jacket
$632 at Browns Fashion.com

3.1 Philip Lim Frogged Waistcoat
$580 at Colette.fr

Rick Owens Mesh Jacket with Hood
$436 at Browns Fashion.com

The best part is that I suspect many of his own choices (particularly the band jackets) are vintage, and so I feel no obligation to pine for a specific item of designer clothing when there are similar gems floating around the vintage universe, waiting to be discovered.

So bien joué, Perou, for experimenting and having fun with clothing, and for achieving that inimitable subset of personal style where the "look" you have works better on you than anyone else.

Impossible Desires: Net-a-Porter.com

2009-05-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my latest Impossible Desires. Imagine that these clothes and I are pictured together, locked in embrace, on the cover of a hideously written romance novel about my insatiable lust for sartorial conquest.

For some reason, seeing the sequins and stripes and bright red silk together reminds me of a circus, which is strange, because I hate the circus. Frightening face painting, inferior starchy popcorn, terrible terrible oompa music that haunts my every nightmare...

Question one: is my unconscious mind trying to tell me that the time has come for me to join the circus, perhaps as an exceptionally well-dressed fire eater/bowling-pin juggler?

And (more important) question two: who has $4,085 dollars to give me?

1. Diane Von Furstenberg Sequined Blazer, $795 - details
2. La Perla Venus Allure Bra, $240 - details
3. Miu Miu Stripe Drape Dress, $1,270 - details
4. Miu Miu Satin V-Neck Top, $580 - details
5. La Perla Venus Allure Lace Shorts, $205 - details
6. Stella McCartney Mesh Basket Sandals, $995 - details

Farewell, Favorite Season

2009-04-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

Considering that the thermostat hit 90 degrees today... I think the time has finally come for me to admit that winter is over. My wool scarves and I just can't fake it anymore.

So, l'hiver, my frosty lover - I big you adieu with two of my favorite models, looking all fiiiiine in their cold-weather clothes:

If I were Anja, I'd call this look: nun-with-hot-legs-in-a-man's-overcoat-chic. Hey summer - do you think that Anja or myself can pull off this kind of sexiness when it's ninety damn degrees outside? Not a chance. Think of the nuns, summer! Think of me and Anja and the nuns!

Doesn't Maryna look snugly? But also like she's going to kick your ass? This reminds me of a tough little alley cat. You want to pick her up and schnoogle her face off... except you don't, because she'd go all scratchtastic on your eyeballs. Also, props on the layering.

Oh, layering!
As the heat rolls in, I'll miss you most of all.

Denim Demon

2009-04-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

The list of gray-haired gentlemen I take my fashion cues from is pretty short:
-Stephano Dolce (because he is a genius, and yes... I do believe he has gray hair now)
-Tim Gunn (because how do you say no to that face?)
-Karl Lagerfeld (if he is in fact still a man and has not yet completed his transformation to robot)
-Anderson Cooper (because, really, what wouldn't I do if he told me to do it?)

But this guy?

In case you don't recognize him without his signature bow tie, this is conservative op-ed columnist George F. Will. Last week, he published an article called "Denim Demon" about how American's favorite bottom-half attire is a symptom of our developmentally subnormal national psyche. The full article can be found here.

I love a good wardrobe analysis, and so I'd like to thank George for handing me this opportunity to defend one of my personal favorite clothing items by dissecting and making fun of his article on a variety of points. Let's begin here, where it becomes apparent that George doesn't know very much about the current luxury denim market:

"Denim is the clerical vestment for the priesthood of all believers in democracy's catechism of leveling -- thou shalt not dress better than society's most slovenly. To do so would be to commit the sin of lookism -- of believing that appearance matters. That heresy leads to denying the universal appropriateness of everything, and then to the elitist assertion that there is good and bad taste."

It's almost as though this sentence has just climbed out of a sixties time capsule, when it might have been appropriate. But in the 21st century? Alas, no. Anyone who thinks that the current denim market involves an allegiance to "leveling" should be directed to this $699 Nudie Jeans nonsense (aptly condemned here). Things are not as they were when Levi Strauss & Co. churned out the first pair of blues in 1873! You better believe that every single woman walking around in True Religion with ugly-as-sin white stitching up and down the legs wants you to know that she paid $319 for these jeans, damn it, and don't you forget how special she is!

(But in the interest of full disclosure, here is a $253 pair by Proportion of Blu that I have recently been tempted by - hey, this is a style blog):

"Denim is the carefully calculated costume of people eager to communicate indifference to appearances. But the appearances that people choose to present in public are cues from which we make inferences about their maturity and respect for those to whom they are presenting themselves."

The first sentence: I hate this idea of "calculated casual". Sometimes, if a person is not going to an office or a formal gathering, that person wants to wear comfortable clothing which is nevertheless more presentable than 1) pajamas or 2) sweatpants. That person puts on some jeans. It is not a costume, nor is it carefully calculated. Pants, minus formal, minus sleepwear = jeans. Does George Will need a calculator to determine that 2 + 2 =4? Hopefully not. My point is that sometimes, you just know the answer, and no calculation necessary.

The second sentence: Of course people judge one another by appearance, and interact in a way that is partially based on those judgments. Our clothing choices act as a window into our self image, confidence, aesthetic judgments, influences, and the manner in which we want others to perceive us. But wearing a certain outfit, particularly in a casual context, does not represent our personal levels of "maturity or respect".

Do you know what really does represent "maturity and respect"?

Speaking and acting with...
wait for it...
maturity and respect!

When I put on jeans and walk out the door, I am no more or less of a jerk than I in a dress or a skirt. There is no causal relationship between fabric and behavior, and while mindset does influence how one gets dressed in the morning, SOME PEOPLE JUST LIKE JEANS. Here are some reasons why I am one of those people - reasons that have nothing to do with being the image-cultivating communist that George Will imagines:

They are comfortable
They go with everything
They can be worn more than once without washing, and are machine washable when the time comes
I enjoy being able to run, bend over, squat, and separate my knees without the possibility of an "I see London, I see France" scenario. Sorry skirts and dresses.

Also, if George Will is suffering from the delusion that those unfortunate pleated "baby-making-hips" trousers I always see him in are doing him any favors, he is sadly misshapen and mistaken. And if he thinks that wearing them will elevate him to a higher echelon of praise-worthy, credible, respectable human beings...

Well, I believe it was wise old Epicurus who once said:
"A turd in a suit and bow tie is still a turd."

"Today it is silly for Americans whose closest approximation of physical labor consists of loading their bags of clubs into golf carts to go around in public dressed for driving steers up the Chisholm Trail to the railhead in Abilene."

Just because the most laborious activity George Will engages in is golfing (other than his frequent exercises in ignorance - ba-bam!) does not mean that the same standards pertain to much of - or, indeed, most of - America. As noted in the list above, part of the reason I enjoy wearing jeans is because they allow me to be spontaneously grungy if the desire or need arises - and it often does!

"This is not complicated. For men, sartorial good taste can be reduced to one rule: If Fred Astaire would not have worn it, don't wear it. For women, substitute Grace Kelly."

I have a variety of responses to this outstandingly stupid and repressive mandate, but the most appropriate one comes in picture form:

Three thoughts immediately come to mind:

1.) Now this is "calculated casual".
2.) Why no one has yet invented Man Spanx?
3.) I sincerely doubt that Mr. Astaire would approve.

Intermix This

2009-04-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

What have I been doing on this lazy Sunday afternoon? Why, casually filling my Intermix Online shopping cart with thousands of dollars of merchandise, and then editing it all down to the three or four things I would actually buy... you know, if I could hypothetically afford to do so without going hypothetically broke and being forced to wear my fabulous new duds in my less-than-fabulous new home, i.e. a dumpster or under a bridge somewhere.

The finalists include:

I have grand plans for this dress (which is appropriate, since I'd need a grand to buy it... har har). Oh dress, you are speaking to me! You are begging me to layer you over some sheer shirts and underneath a long jacket, making you cold-weather-appropriate. However, due to your cut and color, I think you'd be equally comfortable in the warmth of the summer sun. What a winner.

Also, this shirt was designed for me:

Yes. Oh yes. Oversized men's shirts are some of very favorite items of clothing, but tend to run either a bit short for the width or a bit wide for the length. But lo, behold - this sucker is divinely proportioned. I'm currently picturing it with opaque black tights and ass-kicking ankle boots... either my own from Urban Outfitters, or perhaps a nice expensive pair donated generously to me by net-a-porter, or shopbop, or Carine Roitfeld. Are you reading this, Carine? One woman can only wear so many ankle boots in her lifetime, and you have exceeded your quota... the time has come for you to send your cast-offs my way.

As for this sequin t-shirt:

Yeah, practicality isn't really in play here. I'll admit that. But I want the damn thing, okay? I want to look like a big walking emerald!

Besides... I can't be practical 24 hours a day.
All work and no play makes Jack go crazy and chop his family up with an axe, remember?

All images © Intermix Online

Ah, Love

2009-04-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently, the upcoming issue of US Vogue will feature a six page spread of models and their boyfriends/lovers/men of honor. All the photos can be found here.

Apart from the Cheese Factor™, is it wrong for me to say that these men are nothing to write home about? I mean, it's not as though any one of them is a grotesque swamp monster, but let's be serious... these girls are the business. THE BUSINESS. You cannot tell me this is the best they can do.

I know that I'm being nasty.
And relationships aren't all about looks.

And you can't judge a book by it's cover.

But please look at Chanel Iman, and then look at here boyfriend. THEN, imagine that YOU look like Chanel Iman, and honestly tell me that you wouldn't be trolling for bigger fish (literally and figuratively - dude is short).

There is one exception:

Anna Jagodzinska and Duncan Winecoff. Well done, Anna. I'd hit that.

Then, there's Doutzen. Her boyfriend has undeniably great hair and a very charming smile... sadly, I hardly noticed because I was too busy yakking over her mini interview:

More than a year after a first date at Nobu, they're still a pair. He recently surprised her with a long, flowing Diane von Furstenberg dress. But she's just as comfortable in his sweaters. "Especially Ralph Lauren. The other day, I bought him one - for me!"

I personally love when people buy me presents that are actually for themselves. Seriously, who does that?

Ugh!

All photos (hot and otherwise) © Vogue Magazine

Thinking of Darwin

2009-04-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

nothing but darkness to advance on,

night on the routes that enter strangeness

more dangerously, in the evening,

than we can bring ourselves to say,

darkness and an interior for which,

of course, there is no name

___________________

From "Thinking of Darwin"

by Herbert Morris

(read the full poem here)

It's My Blog, And I'll Faux If I Want To

2009-04-12T23:24:00.001-07:00

This issue is going to come up eventually, so I'm bringing the hammer down now to keep things simple:

This will be a cruelty-free blog. There is no fur and no leather in my closet. It's an individual decision - I'm not trying to thrust my opinion on any readers. But this is my blog, right? So I suppose it's like saying, "Don't smoke in my bedroom," or "Don't bring clowns to any of my parties, because I am a coulrophobiac."

And you know what? I really am a coulrophobiac. So this will be a clown-free blog, as well.

But why, you might ask? (about the fur, not the clowns)

I do not think it is inherently morally worn to kill or eat animals - I think it is wrong to do so when doing so is unnecessary. For me, it is unnecessary. It seems simple, n'cest pas? It is not difficult to eat wonderful food and wear beautiful clothes without causing pain, doing damage, taking away life - it is a small choice that can be made every day, by anyone.

If I'm posting an item of clothing or accessory that is currently for sale, it will be cruelty free. As for editorials, runway shots, and street style - those images are for purposes of inspiration, and can be reinterpreted using faux fur and faux leather products. By posting them, I am not financially supporting fur or leather production.

So that’s that!

Please take advantage of my email if you have questions or responses of any kind - I'd love to read them.

The Ringmaster

2009-04-08T04:38:00.000-07:00

Admit it: you are attracted to this crazy, sexy beast of a man.

Okay, or maybe it's just me.

Except for the hated plastic wayfarers, I love everything about these clothes and this picture. I covet his motorcycle gloves. I adore his top hat. I'm tickled by the fact that he has eschewed an ipod in favor of a boombox.

But most appealing of all - and what really sells it for me - is his "that's right, suckers, I am fabulous enough to wear a velvet cape on the street" body language.

Damn right.

La Garconne

2009-04-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

Starting your own blog after reading a thousand other blogs for (what feels like) a thousand years... it's kind of tricky. I've gotten used to internalizing my reactions to street styles, outfit posts, fashion editorials, people's opinion pieces, etc. It's a hard habit to break!

I've been noodling around the La Garconne website recently, a thin strand of drool escaping from my lips as I stare at outfits that would make up my wardrobe of basics... if only I could afford them.

Is it weird that I get so excited about jeans and tee shirts? It's the James Dean lover in me. I can't help it. Here's a slambang (albeit still basic) jacket to break up the monotony:

I'm sure I will write again about my love of the La Garconne la staple, because something deep in my bones cries out lovingly whenever I see pictures like those above. The appeal of a well-fitting t-shirt and pair of jeans is that you never appear to be too far up your own ass when your wearing it. I'm not saying I don't love drama, flash and glamour and the rest of it - it has its place, and fashion wouldn't be fashion without it. But when I see a girl draped in logos and dollar signs, swinging a monster handbag over her shoulder and strutting along, I think:

You would be more beautiful, more interesting, more evocative - in something that acts as a frame for your beauty, rather than simply showing off itself.

Crème de Crocodilian

2009-04-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

I've been resisting the gravitational pull of planet blog for a long time now.
There are many reasons for me not to blog:

- I suck at perpetual projects, and will depress myself when I inevitably abandon blogspot.
- It takes up valuable time. . . time I could spend fantasizing about handsome gentlemen.
- Innocent people do not need to witness my suppressed (but formidable) bad attitude.

And more. But for some reason, the urge has become overpowering and I can no longer contain myself!

Image - Paris Vogue

October 2008