brills

chloe you're so cool
this reminds me of many a couple's outfit in korea
where entire stores were dedicated
to the cause
only way way way way cheesier
my boyfriends never wanted to wear couple's outfits
(actually one did)
maybe now they'll think it's cool
probably not

wait!

they don't love u like i love u

serious guy style: yigal azrouel

i would be really happy if my non-existent boyfriend dressed like this

apologies

haven't been crediting images. a pox on my house, i know. gargantuan apologies and i promise to right this wrong...or i'll sing you a song. or you can sue me. no, no. don't. that's the opposite of the point i was trying to make (the office, anyone?)

guess it doesn't really matter when you have no readers, right?

Guy Style: Zac Posen

Yes, Posen's style can be a little sketchy, a bit femmy, sometimes too Hugh Hefner-esque, flamboyant to a fault and I'm sorry to have to say it but a tuxedo man-cape doesn't really fly in my books. But lately there have been a few occasions where the American designer, who does wonders where women are concerned, has really caught my eye.

The opulence of the green, jacquard jacket juxtaposed with simple jeans and a tee, plus the roughness of the black boots, is really appealing. I quite like it!! And the military jacket works (though, in the past, a velvet version he wore didn't quite hit the nail on the head), again because of the contrast with the jeans and boots, the red shirt popping beneath and the petite bow tie. More androgynous than femme.

coveting

these boots. i think i have a sickness. but isn't it hard to find boots that are so nicely worked in!? it's actually really hard to find a good pair that fits right at thrift stores. trust me, my number one choice would be old painters boots or a very small man's work boots. but, alas, hard to find


in other news, JPG x Dr. Martens
sexual

just picked up this bad boy

limited edition Jeff Koons beach towel
an artistic place to lay my bum ... and dry it
so sweet

did u know

mark twain named his cats long, odd names like Beelzebub Blatherskite, Appollinaris, and Zoroaster so his kids would be better accustomed to pronouncing multi-syllabic words (unlike huck finn and tom sawyer)

i heart him

p.s. my current literary obsession is really tom robbins

p.p.s. this is my other current obsession:

i die die die die die a million times

it's just too much



sensual overload



beauty full



single tear



head spinning





........these shoes make me horny

(the first pair are the hottest thing i've ever seen)

Top notes

My new obsession may not be all that new at all but it's taken my world by storm. A few months ago I fell in love with the high side bun, or top knot, if you will. It's funky, fresh, offbeat and, sadly, not easy to pull off. It's also not easy to execute -- I can't get mine to stay put! But I tried it out at my office party and, despite numerous perplexed looks from passers-by, I felt pretty great. I intend to make a second attempt outside the safety net of office life...and with a little help from about 400 bobby pins.


This image from WhoWhatWearDaily.com, my morning style saviour. If you don't subscribe, get on it!

Quelle Surprise

Chloe Sevigny a.k.a my style icon extraordinaire hit the nail on the head yet again. The nude, pleated dress; the long-hanging LBP (little black purse); her gorgeous opening ceremony sandals; and tousled hair with red lips ... flawless.



Here are Chloe and Lissy Trullie wearing the boots in the look book. Check out Lissy's cover of Hot Chip's Ready for the Floor. Love it.

what the what?

I just watched Milk for the first time yesterday -- what a phenomenal movie. I thought the acting was outstanding, the story is, of course, extremely inspirational and the aura and feel of the film were perfect.

A funny thing happened on the way to the credits...actually, while I was watching the credits. Jeff Koons' name was there. What? I'm a big Koons fan and I figured I would have recognized the American icon. I went on google and tried to figure out who he played (Art Agnos, as it turns out) and when his cameo was. He actually had a speaking role and was on screen for a good 5 minutes. What?

One site likened it to the phenomenon of seeing things out of context and not being able to place them. Sadly, this happens all too often in my life, what with the fact that my memory is the size of a pea (probably weak to begin with and further stunted by a former affinity for a certain green substance...chicken or egg? Who knows?). Anyways, it all came together and, disappointed as I am for not recognizing the father of Balloon Dog myself, at least I know I wasn't the only one.

Anyways, watch the movie...with the added bonus of knowing you won't miss the Koons.

He's a poet...and he don't know it

A masterpiece composed of some of Dubya's finest quotes. They were allegedly compiled by Washington Post writer Richard Thompson. ENJOY!



I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen
And uncertainty
And potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the internet
Become more few?
How many hands have I shaked?

They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being and the fish
Can coexist.

Families is where our nation finds hope
Where our wings take dream.
Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher!
Make the pie higher!

Flawless

That's all there is to say about that...

POLYVOOOOOOOORE

Yael introduced me to polyvore.com last night and my life is officially complete. Well, a paying job would help. But near completion, sartorially speaking. This site allows you to create "sets" comprised of pieces you love. Sources range from Delia's and ASOS to Balmain and Balenciaga; you search based on the name of the designer or the type of item you want. You then compile items into an outfit. It's like playing Vogue fashion editor and creating layouts, only without Ms. Wintour there to kick your ass if you do a bad job. You can also create interior design sets.

Here is my first set:
A simple, Acne tunic dress is the perfect canvas for a mix of tough and feminine accessories. Thomas Wylde studded sandals and the most-versatile Proenza PS1 contrast with gilted bangles and a festive, feathered headband. My favorite watch, classic and timeless (not literally, I hope), the Hermes double tour Cape Cod. Think summer, lunch at Frank and a stroll through the AGO.


Wish Canadian winters were warm enough to wear this by jesspollack

Who got game?

I got game
she's got game
we got game
they got game
he got game
it might feel good
or sound a little somethin
but fuck the game if it ain't saying nothin

A little Public Enemy there for you. But, seriously, I just finished reading The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists. I know it's been out for a while but I saw it on my boyfriend's shelf a few months ago and my interest was immediately piqued; my boyfriend definitely does't seem the type who would read a manual on seducing and picking up women. He told me it was actually an interesting story so I would read a chapter here and there when I was at his place until it got to a point when I had to abduct the book and take it home.

As a woman, there were obviously times when I was enraged by the objectification and manipulation of women so rampant amongst the pickup artists (PUAs). However, my rage was joined by a feeling that this could never happen to me, that I am not like those other women. I'm sure this is a common sentiment amongst women reading this type of book (although I can't honestly say how true it is). As a journalist, I was so intrigued by Neil Strauss's years-long dedication to understanding and dominating this underground society and the witty yet poignant way in which he chronicles his experiences. He vividly paints the "peacocked" characters within the community while exploring the internal elements that make each PUA and, accordingly, each PUA's theory, so different.

It's shocking how intelligent and even brilliant so many of these master pickup artists are - I can only imagine what they could have achieved in other fields. But a central idea in the book is that, at it's prime, studying with the PUAs not only improved your chances with women but also opened you up socially in all areas of life. When it went well, these otherwise socially awkward, introverted men ended up more confident, more gregarious and more comfortable standing out in a crowd. When it went poorly, they became social robots unable to discuss or think about anything other than the game. In the end, this became so rampant that Strauss had to fuck the game.

Strauss alternates between a narrative of his experiences as a student and a master PUA, traveling around the world and living at Project Hollywood (PUA central in LA) and actual posts taken from the dominant medium of communication for PUAs - web forums. Having an interest in psychology and anthropology, this was definitely up my alley as a cultural exploration and a study in human nature. Overall, I give it a thumbs up.

A welcome to you sir, and a welcome back madam

Two new blogs I'm excited about (with no bias WHATSOEVER)...

a) rantingsofashopaholic.blogspot.com - the lovely Ms. Yael Latner, self-proclaimed shopaholic and Toronto fashionista, will be gracing us with her every heart's desire...and then some

b) blogligated.blogspot.com - pensive, fictional tidbits from insomniac P.T. Beckett (an alias, of course)

If I had any semblance of a following they might actually thank me!

woot woot

Robert Polidori

I think Robert Polidori's photography is exceptional. I don't fancy myself a photography buff, so my opinion comes devoid of any expertise on the subject, but sometimes isn't raw, uneducated perception as meaningful? It's certainly as true.

Polidori has extensively photographed Versailles under restoration, New Orleans after the hurricane, Chernobyl and Havana. The juxtaposition he creates in his photography really hit me - for example, the pristine paintings in Versailles set against the worn, tarnished walls of the palace. (At times, the paintings in the photographs are so clear and vibrant it's hard to tell if the entire picture is, in fact, painted.)
I have always been fascinated by the contrast of old and new and, like many a naive traveler, returned from India with visions of a photography show centered around this very contradiction (so pervasive in India).

Here are a few of my favorite photographs. The opulent bed and stairwell against the almost generic, checkered, tile floor really speaks to me.

MAZEL TOV

Congratulations Alexander Wang!! I do very much enjoy Obedient Sons and Daughters; for what they are trying to do they really nail it on the head. They're also an adorable family and always look effortlessly great. But Alexander Wang is a wunderkind designer with talent seeping out of every pore. He's come so far in four years and I look forward to his every future collection!