RageOverdrive

Testing, testing.

2010-08-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

I've been somewhat busy, preparing for my first self-funded shoot. Mia and I have decided on the location, the photographer and we've looked over the collection and I'm currently picking and choosing pieces for the shoot. Needless to say I'm bat-shit crazy AND bat-shit excited about this. Only thing is, we're not exactly too happy with the other model we want to use. I'm very happy with Adriane and have worked with her on multiple occasions and I think her look is perfect and her personal style very much reflects the collection.

Did a test shoot at Ina's house, Adriane looks amazing in the clothes and I'm happy that I'll get the chance to photograph her properly. Anyway, here are a few of my favourite pictures from the test shoot. I've also been doing most of the editing and I really like the filters that I used for this.

Daddy likey

2010-07-20T06:18:00.001-07:00

Anything with a skull or a serpent, I'm pretty much there. I love skulls and snakes on everything, bracelets, necklaces, clothing, absolutely everything. I have quite a few skull and snake rings and I can't get enough, I'm always on the lookout for more. Lately I've been getting into spiders and spider webs too, there's something so beautiful about a web. But fuck if I saw a spider in real life, without hesitation I would kill it. I don't like the gothy spider accessories, it's not really my style. Cavalli did a few pieces that incorporated spiders and serpents from last season that I really liked so hopefully some watered down copies of those pieces spring up soon.

Oh also, the YSL Arty ring is pretty, but it's one of those things that have become a fad where all the wannabes and trying-too-hard-to-bes own one. It doesn't strike me as a ring I would buy to begin with. Too many people already own it. I'd rather get one of those insanely cool Steampunk rings from eBay. The rings are composed of the internal moving parts of antique watches and the detail is just insane. There was this bad ass one but I completely forgot about it and missed the auction :(. I guess it's the rebel in me that automatically detests fads. I also love heavy, thick, metal shit. I love big statement pewter chains and necklaces. I'm not really a fan of delicate, feminine accessories. I don't wear gold, I think it looks tacky on me and I'm far too much of a tom boy. I'm a weirdo aren't I?

Anyway It's been a long time since I've done an accessory post and I figure it's about time to do one. All these are from Talulah Tu and range between £10- £40. I'm Asian and all but I don't feel like converting pounds into different currencies right now so do it yourself. I adore that pyramid chain necklace and the McQueen-esque skull ring, no surprises there.

Images from Talulah Tu.

Evolution

2010-07-20T05:59:00.001-07:00

I'm not 100% sure how I found Karla Deras, but out of all the popular fashion bloggers, I love her style the most. It's not that cookie cutter indie wannabe shit that everyone is doing, it's not over the top, it's not anal retentive "omg everything I wear has to be from the catwalk", it's what she's comfortable in and what she's inspired to wear. It's interesting to see how much her style has evolved, from really simple outfits to the crazy ones she currently sports. I think blazers were the main thing that kindled my affinity with her. I love my blazers. My friend Ina commented that I look weird without a blazer because she's so used to me wearing them.

Karla's a gorgeous girl and I love her body shape. She's received some criticism from readers of her blog, they made comments about her "thunder thighs" which is complete bullshit in my opinion. I like the fact she's not an anorexic size 0 blogger like Ms. Fashion Toast. She's a real person, with a rockin' body and an eclectic take on on fashion and let's face it, most of us would kill to look like her anyway. I adore both her feminine and androgynous side. She pulls off both looks and everything in between quite well. Enough about me, here are some of my favourite outfits concocted by Ms. Deras.

Images from Karla's closet.

Suspended

2010-07-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of things sitting in my photobucket waiting to be uploaded, but I promised myself that I wouldn't post things for the sake of posting. I want to be inspired when I blog, I want to be able to express myself succinctly and honestly every time I write something on here. This blog, after all, is a reflection of myself and the goings on in my head.

It's hard to get into blogging when you haven't done it in so long. I've been somewhat housebound and when I'm not out and about, nothing inspires me. Fair enough I can easily go to different websites but to me, nothing online compares to the high of going to a thrift store, finding something unique and taking it home with you.

Once again these street style photos are from previous seasons, but who cares? I think they're still incredibly creative, well thought out and fresh.

I'm pretty sure I've posted the same picture of the two on the left before, but holy hell I'll do it again. They remind me of an episode of Daria, where a modeling agency sends 2 scouts to recruit students from Lawndale High. Together they're just so chic and effortless. I love the off the shoulder thing and the cigarettes. Dear Lord, just looking at them, I want one now.

The gentleman on the left is just adorable. I would definitely wear exactly what he's wearing. I love suspenders. I confess to owning a pair but I have never had the balls to wear them out. Fuck it, new mission: Wear suspenders.

I know that the girl on the left is a French fashion blogger but for the life of me I can't remember her name or her website. Bah. Doesn't matter, because here she is giving us an example of why she's a fashion blogger. I love the delicate little details that break up the outfit and make it pop. The feathered clutch is dainty and the most perfect beige-y-pale rose to go with her outfit. The white stockings give it that little bit extra, if they were plain it would have been too bland for me.

Here's another one of those; "I should know her name and everything about her but I don't" scenarios. I've seen sequins absolutely massacred. I've seen them in every way you shouldn't wear them. The amount of sequin carnage I have seen would scare you. This however, is different. It's ballsy to take a garment covered in sequins and not make it look like a costume that was rejected from "To Wong foo, thanks for everything. Julie Newmar". Everything else is simple, which is how it should be. I also love the fur coat, I don't know how politically correct liking fur is nowadays, but fuck it, I'm sticking by my opinion.

Oh Ms. Lanphear. How can you not love her? Platinum hair, spiked leather wrist bands and vintage Jim beam. No matter what she wears, she sticks to what she likes. She's gained such a following by being an unconventionally stylish fashion editor and it works. She's proof that if you love a certain style and you can rock the fuck out of it, by all means please do. There's nothing worse than being uncomfortable in your own clothing.

To the gentleman on the right: Sir I have no idea who you are but you are sexy. Don't lie, you'd date him in a heart beat too, just to run off with that leather jacket. The way he's standing, the different textures, the whole one pant leg over the boots thing, it's subdued but rough around the edges at the same time. I love effortless outfits. Some people just get it absolutely right. You don't need 12 layering pieces to have something unique and fresh, his outfit consists of 4 black elements and it works beautifully.

Images from Vanessa Jackman

Sunrises and downfalls

2010-06-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

This post is a testament to Ms. Moran. My beautiful and beloved friend, who inspires me with her intellect, camera handiwork and luminous personality.

It started out as a walk during a beautiful winter day. The sun was shining and Ms. 'Thang' Moran brought out the camera. I wasn't dressed for it but IDGAF. She turned an awkward nature hater and a muddy field into these beautifully composed and vivid shots. I managed to turn the camera on her and take some shots of her too. Not quite as good but I think I captured her free spirit and love for flannel pretty well.

I hope this post is bribe enough for her not to post the footage of me, whimpering like a drowning kitten, trying to navigate my way through squelching mud.

Anatomy of the perfect outfit

2010-06-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

There are very few times when I stop and simply admire an outfit.

This to me, is the perfect outfit. It flirts with androgyny, it's chic, it's simple, it's uncomplicated, it's timeless. The colours, the textures, the print, just ERRRRTHANG.

It's as if the proportions were calculated by a Quantum physics major I played Warcraft with. This shit needs to be bottled and distributed internationally. It needs to be given to all the Mischa Barton's and Peaches Fuckhead's all over the world. We could all learn a thing or two from this woman and her impeccable outfit.

She probably just threw on. It makes me want to die a little bit but gives me incalculable inspiration. It renews my faith in humanity. Because of this outfit, I am at peace with the existence of personalities such as Ke$ha and Tila Tequila.

Images from Jak&Jil.com

Rage-catch-up-overdrive

2010-06-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Winter ensembles shouldn't be restricted to one colour. Yes black is slimming, universally flattering and perfect for us clumsy few who manage to stain our clothing. BUT I do appreciate a colourful winter wardrobe. I say this, but I know I'm going to be in a loooot of black this winter. I'll try and mix it up though.

I haven't really seen anyone rocking monochrome outfits. When I think of a monochrome outfit, I think of either all black, nude/tan or all white. There's so many things that could go wrong with colourful monochrome outfits, if one piece is a slightly different shade, it could potentially ruin your entire look. I think you need to be sorta gutsy to pull it off to begin with. Ms. Duma over there, has not only chosen the most impeccable red, but huzzah! all the pieces are the same shade! I adore blazers so of course I love her outfit, but seriously just look at it. It's crisp, it's simple and it's so glaringly dramatic at the same time. I love that she kept the other accessories black and really let the outfit sing for itself.

Giovanna Battaglia on the other side has decided to use very minimal and to me, industrial colours. It's sort of a concrete and sandstone colour palette and I love it. I make my SIM houses in those colours! LOL. There's very few women who could pull off dark grey stockings and make it look effortlessly chic. She just looks so cute. I want to run up and hug her then maybe run off with her shoes.

Images from Vanessajackman.blogspot.com

The silver lining is within reach, sorta.

2010-06-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

After a somewhat enlightening and far too optimistic conversation with one of the best friends a girl could have, I think the dark cloud that's been hanging over my head has finally lifted as Winter begins.

From my blogs I see that I've been getting more and more into street style than runway couture. Don't get me wrong, I have before and will continue to drool over dresses I could never afford (Balmain & Temperley I'm looking at you), but I find the outfits around us can be just as inspiring. I like to observe people and it's interesting to see how people twist and bend their clothes into submission. I love the interpretation from runway to every day wear.

Sydney winters are funny. The past few days it's been warm enough to be out in a t-shirt and jeans during the day but wow, you freeze your proverbial nuts off during the night.

I digress.

I like leggings. They sort of fit with our climate. I don't like when they're worn as pants without an oversized top. As a person, you should know when things aren't flattering. There must be some alarm that goes off in your head that makes you question your choices. Like, "Hey! My vagina looks like it's chewing up my psuedo-pants! Maybe I should choose a different pair of pants?" Don't wear leggings as pants. Just don't. When those girls are giving you some side-eye, it's not because yo' booty looks FYNE; it's because you look like a twat wrapped in a fashion faux pas.

With that said, there's no shifting leggings and opaque stockings from this winter's must have list. I'm still trying to find the holy grail of black leggings. I know that a lot of places stock leggings, but I don't want the crappy 95% cotton kind. They're far too thin to be useful, they stretch out of shape too easily and fade so fast. I'm looking for a thick-ish pair that's matte but with the tiniest bit of sheen to them, similar to opaque black stockings.

Oh by the way, these photos are almost a year old but I think they're still very up to date and look fucking fantastic. I am digging the knee high/over the knee opaque socks/stockings (I have no idea wtf that is but I want a pair) in the last picture. I think it's a really sexy look, plus it let's you not shave your legs for a few days. :).

Images from: Jak&Jil, Fashiontoast, Karlascloset and the Lindsay one IDK :(

'Bout time

2010-06-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Mia Moran for her unending support and creativity. Apparently I don't play a good Barbie but she managed to get some really nice shots. Most of the pictures are candid, the ones when I'm trying to pose look shit. And yes I do adjust and play with my blazers that much. All the clothing is mine, aside from that bad ass black leather jacket which belongs to my friend Sindu.

Caving in.

2010-06-02T03:07:00.001-07:00

I've voiced my aversion towards all things Erin Wasson previously. This was based on the line she did for RCVA that I really wasn't digging. The pieces were overpriced and run of the mill. They reflected none of her personal style, which is disappointing, because I think she's one of those models that really does enjoy fashion. I'm 98.2% sure that I got these from Knight Cat and hell, I love it.

I think she's a beautiful woman and a worthy inspiration. I'm almost 100% sure she's not wearing makeup and that sort of just makes me want to die. Just a little bit. Again, I wouldn't necessarily wear what she wears, but she carries herself so well and the clothes just become a living, breathing part of her, a visual display of her eccentricity. I don't know who shot these but I love the composition and the simplicity. It's laid back, she's at home in her element. The photographer really let Wasson wallow in all her indie hippie glory.

And of course, she's topless. She's always flashing the nips.

Images from from Knight Cat

So it begins.

2010-06-02T02:26:00.001-07:00

I've always wondered why people dress the way they do. Why does one pick this shirt and not the other? Why these shoes? Why that colour? What is it in the human psyche that controls this? There are some people who are just naturally gifted with a wicked sense of style. They know their proportions, they understand what flatters and what flaunts. I hate and admire them at the same time.

On the other hand, I think dressing well can be learned. I don't think it can be taught. Stylists can advise and guide to whatever extent, but at the end of the day it's up to the individual. Lately I've found I have this habit of staring at people's outfits. It's not a bad thing, I go about it in an almost clinical way, dissecting and analyzing colours, shapes, textures, proportion and the outcome of these combinations.

I try not to negatively judge people based on their clothing. Style is so subjective. Honestly, who am I to judge someone's outfit? What isn't stylish to me may be stylish to them and vice versa.My friends can tell you how differently I dress nowadays and how much I've evolved style-wise. One thing though, I won't put anything on that I'm not comfortable with. I won't wear something I don't absolutely adore. I think that if you have any doubts with what you're wearing, it affects the way you carry yourself and when it does; what's the point? If you're not convinced of your own style, how are you going to convince others?

I want to just reiterate, for myself really, that this blog is about what inspires me, what fuels that fire; that innate and profound passion for clothing. It's what I love and it's what I live for.

Images from JakandJill

Winterization

2010-06-01T22:19:00.001-07:00

Winter is knock-knock-knocking on the door and I'm welcoming it with open arms. Out of all the seasons, I enjoy winter the most. The layering, the textures, the contrasts, the fact you can hide your fat under a bad ass leather jacket, oh and most of all - THE LEATHER JACKETS. For me, it's the season where you can get really creative with mixing and matching pieces from different seasons. I haven't blogged in a while but that doesn't mean I haven't been stalking looks and trends that I find inspirational.

Mmm. Monochrome. Black is my absolute, hands down, favourite colour. This is a look I'd love to emulate, unfortunately I don't have her legs or those boots. It's always interesting how people address monochromatic outfits. All black has a tendency to be boring but to me this is simple, understated and chic.

The gentleman on the left has a jacket I would crawl over a barbed wire fence for. The colour, the cut, the edginess without the tackiness, it's a beautiful jacket. I also can't help but admire the general bad-assery he's oozing.

Big big big over sized knits. The kind of knits you want to crawl into and just sleep for days. Angora, mohair, wool, cashmere, even acrylic; bring it all on baby. If you deconstruct her outfit, it's pretty simple the white shirt and black bottoms make for a very versatile foundation. I think this winter I'll be cutting down on the necklaces and opting for subtle statement-but-not-really pendants on simple chains.

Not only am I jealous of this girl's ability to rock the red lipstick and so-chic-it's-painful style, but look at her hair. Damnit. I really wish I hadn't cut mine. Oh well, hair grows back right? I never thought one could successfully pull off leather on leather, but there's something so right and very rockabilly about it. It's not something I'd try personally - HELLO THIGHS - but I think she really pulls it off.

Once again. COMBAT BOOTS. GRRR. I've been looking for an affordable pair of either combat boots or flat motorcycle boots to live in this season. I've seen a few that I do like but nothing I'm in love with. I don't like boots that aren't structured, not a fan of that slouchy crap. I love both the twins' outfits and their crazy untamed manes. There's something so inherently bohemian about the hair. I'm digging it.

I adore this man's outfit. Being the cross dresser that I am, I do find myself being inspired by men's fashion and this is something I would definitely wear, except maybe black jeans. I'd also exchange his scarf for something silk and much bolder in colour. The black hooded bomber jacket and military inspired coat are definitely the staples for men this season. Not really complaining, I love the look. I've always been a fan of blazers. Blazers have definitely made it onto my list of necessities. I've acquired quite a lot of blazers over the past year, from leather all the way to silk and linen. I'm not really a cardigan person and I find the blazer instantly adds a structured feel to any ensemble.

All images from Vanessa Jackman

Long overdue.

2010-06-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

I want to start off nice and easy before I get into hardcore pouring my creative heart and soul back on the internets. I've been drawn into photography and I'm enjoying the time I spend admiring my beautiful friends and their style.

These are a few shots I took of my friend Mia. As you can see she's gorgeous and very much an intellectual. These were taken with a really shitty 8MP Olympus Digital cam, I'll go to town once I acquire my own DSLR.

2 girls 1 amateur photog

2010-03-25T01:55:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten around to cleaning out my closet and taking pictures of everything I don't wear, don't use, don't like or don't have the figure to wear (that's more like it).

All the vintage clothes, bags and accessories I've posted are in immaculate vintage condition. Some of the clothes are brand new with tags. It's all stated on their respective pages.

Also I'll be posting more items as soon as I get them back from the dry cleaners. I have these bouts of determination and then I just fizzle out and CBF anymore.

Thank you to the lovely Ina and Adriane for being modelly and letting me dress them. Although at one point I had to separate them because Ina kept making Adriane laugh and vice versa. Some of the fucking photos turned out blurry :( So I was very very annoyed.

Everything is here. I'll keep you posted.

For Manfriend.

2010-03-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Everytime I look at a male fashion model, I think 2 things:

1. DE-REK-ZOO-LAN-DER
2. Manfriend is hot, I wonder how he would look in that outfit?

With that said, I had a quick squiz at the look books from Zara Man. These outfits are right up Manfriend's alley, a lot of the pieces are similar to the ones in my initial Manfriend fashion post. We haven't gone shopping yet so I'm glad I saw these. The nude and earthy toned palette for both casual & Zara Man is timeless. Once again these pieces can squeeze into your wardrobe and be worn for countless seasons. The casual line is pretty damn hot if I do say so myself. It's bold, rugged and just a little bit undone. Sort of like Manfriend's facial hair when he doesn't shave it for a few days. Mmm. Sexy.

Zara Man is a lot more polished. It's still as masculine if not more so than their casual line, but they've stripped most of the trendiness and kept clean lines and classic pieces. I love the styling, there's structure and clever layering. None of the looks present as "overdone" and they've kept it pretty minimal. Again I find myself not liking the jeans. The dress pants yes, the jeans, no. They're a bit too skinny for me. How do men stand being in skinny jeans? How do their nether regions survive down there?

I think it's the tomboy in me, but I wish there were female versions of some of these pieces. Or I could just buy dude clothes like I always do.

Images from Zara Man 2010 Look books

Zara '10 casssual

2010-03-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

Browsing through many online stores, I stumbled upon Zara, I don't know if they have many Zara stockists in Australia but it was pretty rampant in Manila when I was there. All these photos are from the 2010 Casual look book on their website, there was quite a few but I felt them a little bit repetitive so I picked out the ones I particularly liked.

I am seriously digging the preppy feel. Props to whoever styled these looks, they're quirky and show a lot of range. All the outfits have a specific direction, not just a mish-mash of whatever they're selling.

For me; there are subtle hints of all the haute couture trends; namely the metal buttons, military chic, romantic flouncy pieces and just a twist of not-so-grunge grunge. All the individual pieces aren't TOO trendy, they can be incorporated into almost anyone's wardrobe. The look book itself is cute. I saw the army-ish boots and floral socks and instantly thought of Mia. Lol.

Images from Zara.com > Casual Lookbook

Too many posts!

2010-03-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

Lies and slander. One can never blog enough.

Especially when I have some spectacular and inspiring images to post! I sincerely believe I'm not meant for this generation. I think I would have fit in well in the fifties or possibly the twenties, fashion-wise anyway. Fashion from back then isn't exactly all that wearable now. Day-to-day ensembles don't require glamour, unless you're Anna Dello Russo or Carine Roitfeld. As much as I want to go outside in an adorable full skirted day dress complete with gloves, I can't. I am not that brave.

I love the familiarity and comfort of my jeans, the feel of a worn in vintage t-shirt, I love androgynous dressing, but some days I wish we could go back to the days when women wore dresses and wore them well. I want to be able to wear a silk dress during the day and not feel overdressed.

Gah! How long have I been feeling obligated to dress to society's standards? It's ridiculous. I should be able to wear what I want, when I want and not be judged for it. I admit I do it to other people. There was this girl in University the other day wearing BRIGHT RED patent hooker heels and I sneered at her. I really shouldn't have. Now would be a great time for a revival of day-to-day glamour. Anyone want to start a fashion attitude revolution? Call me when you do, I egg people on, I rarely have the balls to do it myself.

Images from Vogue Italia March 2010

The Wang Gang

2010-03-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

I know, it sounds like a dirty 70's bargain basement porno doesn't it? Well get your mind out of the gutter, it's the furthest thing from that! Hmm on second thought .. well you decide.

I sniped these pictures of Alexander Wang and his gang from the March issue of Interview Mag, hence "Wang Gang". I don't really like it. Maybe I have a subconscious aversion to anything Erin Wasson after her horrendous collection? I do like Wang as a designer, his pieces are original and out there.

However, these look like they were screen caps taken from the Zoolander sequel, where Hansel makes his own collection and all the models wonder what leather is made of. I don't know, maybe it's deep seated hatred for flawless and naturally beautiful people (HI MANFRIEND) but this looks so goddamn pretentious. I guess for those "I don't care about fashion I'm going to wear whatever I want eventhough it parallels every mainstream trend at the moment because it's totally awesome" psuedo-avant garde people this is appealing.

The entire concept of the shoot is actually pretty fun. It's always nice to see a designer so involved with the people who wear and model their clothing. The youtube video I found (google wang gang and it'll bring it up) shows them having a hell of a time, it also had a banging track playing. Do I agree with the styling? Not really. Do I like boobs out and about for no reason? Not really. Do I like the fact they all look like rejects from a Kesha video? Not at all. But whatever, it works and they managed to take some great shots which represents Wang and his gang in their truest form.

Images from Interview Magazine March 2010

Overkill

2010-03-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been a while. Sometimes I say a while as if it's been 4 hours, but it's been a week and a half so I think I can validate saying a while this time. I've been busy doing real life shit so I've been neglecting my little brain child slash creative outlet.

I'm currently organizing and streamlining my wardrobe, a mission in itself. I think I should do this more often because my room sort of looked like Kesha's face when I was done. I didn't realize I had so many ghastly and dated clothes until I started extracting all the shirts and blouses, you know the ones that sort of live on the sides of your wardrobe because you just don't use them at all? I found at least a dozen tops with the tags still on, brand new. OH AND HOLY CRAP I have like 13 different coloured Ralph Lauren polo shirts, brings me back to my collared shirt + pearls + flats phase during my first year in University. I lived out of my Juicy Couture bags and lived on Marlboro lights. So preppy I could puke.

I have so many clothes that I've taken up the closet in our guest bedroom as well. My wardrobe is pretty damn big, it's about 9 feet wide and 3 feet deep so my clothing situation WAS, I repeat WAS getting out of hand. My recent hardcore thrifting didn't help either.

ANYWAY. Moving right along, I completed these about 9 months ago and only got the bright idea of photographing them now. I've worn them in and I adore them, I always get compliments and people usually don't believe me when 1. I say I designed and hand painted them 2. I say all I used were paintbrushes, acrylic paint, textile medium and the occasional tooth pick.

This is the pair I'm currently working on for Manfriend. Aren't his feet HUGE? I think that I have a lot more direction and the individual sides are much more cohesive than my pair. I fly to LA in less than a month so I better get a move on. I'll post pictures of the shirt I did for him but never really got around to sending. I'm lazy ok? Leave me alone.

You know it ain't easy.

2010-03-08T03:35:00.001-08:00

I take one look at this collection and think; "Yep, the lower half of my body and my savings will suffer; but Dior makes leather pants look good."

Is it just me or is there something so wonderfully innovative about earthy brown leather riding pants and a sheer patterned blouse? How the hell did he manage to make leather pants and thigh high leather boots incredibly feminine and romantic? Isn't this supposed to be dominatrix 101 attire?

A lot of this, as over the top as it may seem, is wearable. Okay maybe not the saloon-esque leather dress, but whoever wears that is a fierce bitch, Johnny Weir fierce.

I love the muted palette, like the dresses come from a faded photograph. Also the variety of brown leathers used in this collection are amazing. They compliment the soft muted colours of the other pieces. It all looks so pulled together. I don't think I'll be selling an organ for this collection, but I adore the way it looks, the way it flounces and falls. It's so girly I'm going to puke.

Images from Style.com

Nice and simple.

2010-03-08T03:12:00.000-08:00

A lot of people think over the top and unrealistic fashion is cutting edge or incredibly fashion forward. In some cases yes, but in most, no.

Take Anna Dello Russo for example; a fabulously stylish woman who wears sequins, fur and everything in between. She has an enormous fan base, people who adore her style and commend her for being so out there. Completely opposite to Dello Russo is Kate Lanphear; she has an equally huge fan base with her edgy and androgynous look complete with Lee Supatubes and spiked wrist bands. Neither is wrong or right, but both are appreciated.

Fashion; at the end of the day is all about expression. Lots of people choose to express themselves with bold colours, intricate cuts and embellished pieces. Other people choose simple colours, timeless cuts, dressing true to understated elegance. There is no right or wrong. It's a matter of personal taste. This blog is from my perspective so of course I'm going to post things that align with my aesthetics.

With that said, I love really simple clothing, it's so versatile. It's mixed and matched to create something fresh. It's never what you wear, it's how you wear it. A basic but well fitting t-shirt can look as good, if not more so, than an outrageous blouse.

Images from StockholmStreetStyle.Feber.Se

So wrong.

2010-03-08T02:52:00.000-08:00

Diesel is usually pretty cool. It's normally a very wearable label. I do like the feel of some of their Fall Ready to Wear 2010 line. There's that fantastic burgundy leather jacket, the unusually cut denim skirt, the leather shorts, the black leather skirt with the really unusual waist and of course the semi-sheer almost tattoo looking tops. There's a lot of great looks and closet staples. It's laid back with a carefree rock star flavour. Even the jeans I agree with and I normally hate that shit.(I added some flannel-y plaid for Mia.)

On the other hand; they have what looks to be a mouldy faded black sweat shirt straight off the Derelicte racks, a knit skivvy that was viciously attacked by a lawn mower, a dress that had a brief fling with Levis in the 90's and ended up in Erin Wasson's closet, a confused hippie who was on his way to Woodstock but hired as a lumberjack, let's not even talk about the riddle that is this model's gender/outfit and the most unflattering full length overalls some Grandmother from Iowa donated to the Salvation army, even Karlie Kloss can't make it look good. I don't know, maybe try Snejana Onopka next time? I don't know, it's just all sorts of wrong to me.

Images from Style.com

Tapestry

2010-03-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

BLAZERSSSS. Another collection from Balmain that makes me want to sell my organs. I guess the exaggerated shoulder trend isn't going away soon, so I'll be spending today sewing shoulder pads back into my blazers. I love the tapestry-esque fabric and the muted, soft, warm and rustic colours. It sort of reminds me of this painting we have at home in the living room with a gorgeous gilded frame. I'll go take a pic real quick and post it later. It's sort of, bohemian meets rock and roll; wrapped up in the love child of brocade and lamé. I think the perfect pair of jeans for me is somewhere between a cigarette cut and a bootleg, so I'm very happy to see some flared pant action, I think it's about time people start considering different jean cuts. Skinnies are great but I want to be able to do a ninja kick in my jeans at any place, any time. Every time I see ridiculously tight skinny jeans, on men especially, I feel physical pain, their crotch must be suffering tremendously.

I was planning on making these images smaller like I'm about to with the A. F. Vandevorst ones but you really have to check out the details on these pieces. I love the tuxedo style blazer with the silk collar and metal buttons. Mmm. Magically delicious. Now how does one get their kidney on the black market?

Images from Style.com

Los Angelesssssssssss (Part 2)

2010-03-04T04:52:00.000-08:00

I like to plan ahead. I think it's in my genes. My mother (Hi Mommy) is such a meticulously organized person. Everything she needs to do is planned months ahead.

My awareness of clothing styles, cuts, fabrics and textures has really heightened the past few months. It's been gradual and slow, I've observing what people all over the world are wearing and I've been finding pieces that suit my shape. I used to buy such trash. I can't believe I wasted so much money on "trendy" clothing; that was wearable for max, maybe a year. Manfriend made my day, claiming I've changed the way he looks at clothing. A pretty strong statement coming from a guy who spends some of his time as model (gimme some of that blue steel).

It's become more than a hobby for me, it's an expression, an extension of who I am, what my tastes are and how I see myself. I've always been a very basic t-shirt and jeans girl, but I'm slowly weaning myself off. There is so much out there that's wearable. After going through countless fashion and street style blogs, I found looks that I really liked and I guess that's how this all started. I don't think I'm even a quarter of the way to finding my personal style. With some of the really popular bloggers, I was comparing their initial blogs to their most recent ones, their style has evolved and they've grown.

LA is going to be my first trip to the US of A so I'm not nervous or anxious, more excited. If I were to divide those 3 into percentages, it would be: 62% excited, 34% anxious and 4% nervous. One of my favourite fashion bloggers, Karla Deras is from LA, well LA-ish, so I'm hyped to see what people wear over there.

I've made a little collageeeeeee as usual, all from one of my favourite street style photographers, Vanessa Jackman. Summary? Graphic prints, stripes, blazers, great fitting jeans and contrasting proportions.

Images from VanessaJackman.Blogspot.com

Redefine

2010-03-03T19:07:00.001-08:00

I appreciate all forms of art. I appreciate all forms of beauty. Don't get me wrong, this is a fashion blog but I draw inspiration from everywhere, I don't want my blog to be confined to the realm of fashion.

Where I live isn't the best in Sydney, but I love it and it's been home for almost 15 years. It's such a melting pot and it's full of culture. I had gone to my local GP and noticed that the graffiti in an alley way had changed. I wished I had photographed it before they painted over it, because the images sprayed up on the walls were amazing. I personally love graffiti. I think the colours, composition and nature of graffiti is beautiful. Unfortunately I only had my crappy phone camera available. GAH MOTHER COME BACK ALREADY. I was compelled to take photos because you never know when they're going to be painted over again. I don't know who did this work but I'm pretty sure they're locals. There's a skate park near these alley ways so I'll check that out and hopefully find more.

A few people were sort of watching me thinking WTF, I was wearing a vintage Sportscraft blazer, a hugggeeee royal blue/gold/red silk scarf, plain white t-shirt, blue skinny jeans and leopard print flats so I'm sure it was amusing for them to watch me squat and work my way through 2 feet of grass to get a decent shot. It was a gloomy day and I wasn't that happy with how the colours photograped so when the sun comes back out to play, I'll take better pictures.

Thunder

2010-03-03T02:58:00.000-08:00

I love me some leopard print. I don't know what it is but when used right, it can really pull an outfit together. I'm not a fan of animal print overkill though. I love the way Dolce and Gabanna incorporated leopard print into their Fall RTW, it's done a little bit more tastefully than the folks at Just Cavalli (Not hating, they're just different). I think it's just a really sensual, feminine and utterly romantic collection. It's very Simone Micheline Bodin Graziani (go google her right now) with some Brigitte Bardot thrown in for sexy. They're the kind of outfits you'd want to be wearing on a date with Johnny Depp or Clive Owen.

Side note: I watched a few scenes of Public Enemies because this collection really reminded me of Marion Cotillard and I think that's where I got the on a date Johnny Depp idea.

I don't really find Karlie Kloss all that attractive but hot dang I love her dress. The models these days, I don't know, there are only a few of them I find exceptionally beautiful. I think that's why I enjoy the Victoria's Secret show so much, the girls they book are very very pretty with rockin bods. My favourite models would have to be Adriana Lima, Snejana Onopka, Darla Baker, Bruna Tenorio, Constance Jablonski, Daria Werbowy, Freja Beha Erichsen, Coco Rocha, Lily Donaldson, Jac, Miranda Kerr and Edita Vilkeviciute. These girls are stunning to me. Oh and wtf did Freja Beha Erichsen walk for every label? Every RTW I've clicked on she's right there.

Images from Style.com

He's the best one of the best ones.

2010-03-03T02:37:00.000-08:00

I have no idea how I found this pom accessory website but I spent about an hour looking through everything and I WANT ALL OF ITTTTTTT BLARGHHHHHH.

I was going to list and link everything but there was just far too much that I wanted. I love accessories that are quirky and adorable and Galibardy.com definitely ticks those two boxes for me. The items range from £10-£30 which isn't too bad, very affordable. (I guess "affordable" is subjective, I went to another website, black lily or something and their accessories; described as "affordable" were AUD$100) Go on take a gander. Some of the necklaces aren't innovative and exciting, but I adore the rings, particularly the apple, the circus tent and the black heart with wings. I like rings that fit, I don't like rings that are adjustable, they remind me too much of those really cheap novelty rings you would get out of a cereal box and I'm immature enough as it is.

YES there's a transformers ring in there! It's not as hardcore nerdy as I want it to be, but it'll do. I like wearing symbols of things that I love. Up until about a week ago, I listened to nothing but wall-vibrating-heartbeat-altering dubstep and DNB but I've been in an acoustic-y mood lately, indulging in lots of Dashboard Confessional. Their lyrics are so out there and metaphysical, I find them to have more quality in one line from one song than the Secondhand Serenade shit that's all I MISS YOU AND YOU BROKE MY HEART SO I WRITE EMO SONGS ON MY GUITAR THAT ARE ALL THE SAME IN TUNE AND THEME AND A GENERATION OF KIDS WHO AREN'T REALLY EMOTIONAL OR AWARE OF ANYTHING THAT WILL HAPPILY SWALLOW WHATEVER TREND IS SHOVED DOWN THEIR THROATS WILL LIKE THEM AND THEY WILL POST THEIR LIFE STORIES ON ALL OUR YOUTUBE SONGS AND WE WILL GET ACCOLADES WE DON'T DESERVE.

- Breathe Christine -
Anyhoo, some of their songs aren't terrible, BUT COME ON FUCKING SMILE ALREADY YOU EMO PIECES OF SHIT. Are you in poverty? Do you have some sort of terminal disease? Did your penis get amputated? Do you have 4 walls and a roof as shelter? Do you eat more than once in a week? Do you have access to clean water? Is your country war torn? Are you forced by rebels to kill innocent people? Yeah I didn't so, GET OVER IT. BREAKING UP WITH YOUR GF/BF WHEN YOU'RE 14 IS NOT THAT BAD COMPARED TO THE TROUBLES OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD HAVE. MAKING TINY LITTLE SCRATCHES IN YOUR ARM BECAUSE YOU'RE IN "PAIN" DOESN'T DO SHIT KID. LOOK AROUND AND FIND FULFILLMENT IN HELPING OTHERS IN NEED. YOU'RE A KID IN SUBURBIA WEARING CONVERSE SNEAKERS AND TIGHT JEANS THINKING YOU'RE SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL AND YOU'RE SO MISUNDERSTOOD. STOP TAKING WHAT YOU HAVE FOR GRANTED. GO AND SEE HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVE, HOW HARD THEY HAVE TO WORK FOR EVERY INCH. WHY DO YOU THROW THE WORD "LOVE" AROUND SO EASILY? HOW WOULD YOU EVEN HAVE A DEFINITION OF LOVE AT SUCH AN EARLY AGE? YOU'RE A BABY. PUT THE RAZOR BLADE DOWN AND HELP YOUR MOTHER IN THE KITCHEN. DON'T USE THE "WALK IN MY SHOES" LINE BECAUSE YES I HAVE BEEN THERE. WANTING TO KILL YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU "RLY RLY LOVED THEM <33333333" IS JUST STUPID DUDE. GROW UP, FIND A REASON TO LIVE, DON'T DEPEND ON SOMEONE ELSE'S EXISTENCE TO GIVE YOURS MEANING. BE YOUR OWN SAVIOUR.

- Breathe Christine (ROUND 2) -
Okay I think I'm all ranted out. The caps lock is gone so you know I'm done. Anyway. I can't function without music, so the turntable/headphone charms and the 4 sided cassette-boombox-turntable-union jack ring are going on my TO BUY list once I'm no longer broke (HAH, I wouldn't hold my breath). Oh and I HAD to add the bitten chocolate bar necklace for Manfriend, since he thinks all I eat are chocolate and souls.

Images from Galibardy.com

Oh la la Miss Jac.

2010-03-02T22:47:00.000-08:00

Right after my rant about embracing femininity, here comes Pucci's Fall RTW collection. Bring on the silk and the tassles! The chick in the blue, Jac is so rockin that she doesn't need a last name and gets her own damn picture, no sharing for you! I feel like searching for vintage scarves, adding some lamp shade adornments and just going to town.

I'm going to start collecting some vintage scarves I think. I have a few but nothing spectacular. Scarves are a versatile accessory and I bought this massive silk scarf off ebay a few years ago and it doubles as a top for me. I'll post pics. All the colour in this collection is a breath of fresh air and a welcome break from the black on black on black (although I love my black) and I expected nothing less than vivid and striking colours from Pucci.

Pucci Fall RTW 2010

Images from Style.com

Vintage haul.

2010-03-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

Went hardcore thrifting today and I bought 14 different pieces.

The highlight of my 30 minute adventure:
- Lightweight tuxedo style vintage blazer with a silk collar.
- Silk lined navy blue vintage men's blazer complete with brass buttons.
- 3 men's button up shirts (1 polyester, 1 linen/cotton and 1 silk/cotton)
- Caramel with white spots vintage dress that looks like I nicked it from the set of Pretty Woman (not from her hookering phase)
- THIS FANTASTICALLY SUPERFICIALLY OVER THE TOP HOT PINK vintage wiggle dress
- A vest that looks Alexander Wangesque
- An artsy fartsy art deco black leather bag. It's outrageous, just wait until I take pictures, you'll see what I mean.

As much as I love androgynous and structured clothing in black and white, for me it's just so liberating to put on a vintage dress and embrace my femininity. I admire designers who push towards the future and make futuristic/almost bionic designs, but I adore designers who look back to the fashion of yesteryear and find inspiration.

I can't wait for my mother to get home from California because she ninja'd the good digital camera. Until then I'll have to live with taking extremely grainy pictures with the camera on my phone :(.

Sydney > Melb.

2010-02-28T06:15:00.001-08:00

What is it with Sydney and Melbourne? Why are we always competing with one another? Whatever. I've never been to Melbourne so I can't really judge. Through word of mouth, I'm told that Melbourne is just that little bit more fashionable than Sydney. I personally don't care, I think there are some fantastic Sydney street styles and both cities have completely different vibes anyway.

I was inspired to find some chic Sydney-siders after Manfriend ranted about our backwards internet plans, going as far as calling us SAVAGES :(. (I realize there's no direct connection between fashion and crappy internet but my brain is weird and my thought patterns are chaotic). I think Sydney has this great eclectic style but I haven't found a blog that chronicles this! I saw a few pictures of Sydney style on theSartorialist.com but even those were somewhat boring. Someone else please do it because I'm too lazy to right now. Oh by eclectic I don't mean every single psuedo-avant garde "citizen of the world" who hangs out at Newtown.

ANYWAY. I digress.

LEFT: Woman on the left, what are you doing?! I think she's an attractive girl, her outfit choice is safe and it works. The whole thing reeks of trying too hard. To me, the pose, the psuedo-sexy-it's-naturally-like-this hair that she probably spent 90 minutes doing, it's too contrived and over the top.

RIGHT: You are too cool for school. She rolled out of bed, chucked on some clothes she feels comfortable in and it looks natural and put together. It's very simple, nonchalant and sexy. Heck she's SO COOL that she decided to wear a beanie.

LEFT: She's obviously a naturally pretty girl, I love her complexion and her hair. Everything from her neck down however, just doesn't work for me. For one, the shoulder pad thing looks as if she is wearing that dress inside out. I just don't get it. Maybe if it was more structured and boxy it could work but it looks like she safety pinned them onto her dress to make it more "edgy". The YSL boots are cool but I don't think they work with this outfit. The patent chloe bag (Is it Chloe? I haven't paid attention to bags since 2006) clashes with the ensemble. Also, okay, I think I'm being anal but whatever it's my blog, screw you, what's going on with her underwear? You can see that right? That does NOT look comfortable. What is that? I think if she wore a better bra and less visible underwear it MIGHT work?.. Yeah no it won't.

RIGHT: Wow check out her legs lol. This woman obviously knows her shape and what her best features are. The skirt looks fantastic on her, I think her look is pretty much perfect. The jacket, the metallic singlet and simple palette makes this outfit very wearable for daytime without looking overdone. Honestly it's hard to wear heels out and about in Sydney with a casual outfit but this lady shows us how it's done.

LEFT: I'm torn about leotards. I just don't like them. Those full body one piece things that look like a scuba suit? No thank you. I don't really know whether I like this look or not but it's interesting. I like some of the individual pieces she's wearing. The tuxedo-style jacket is cute, the pants are trendy but fit her well and the shoes are pretty rockin. Altogether though? I don't know I'm torn. (I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel, I'm cold and I am shamed, lying naked on the floor... HAH I'm so funny)

RIGHT: This is the classic; "great looking girl with a great figure, really crappy dress selection" problem. I really like the graphic print of the dress, the colours look great with her complexion. I don't know if it's just the pose or this particular photo but the dress just doesn't hang well on her. Is it too big? Also I don't know about the hair. The dress pretty much makes enough of a statement, so why not show it off by having a slick pony tail or a chignon? I don't think this look is balanced at all. Anal time again but check out her left arm, is it me or is the sleeve a tad too short? Idk it's just all sorts of wrong to me.

Images from Streetpeeper.com

1920-1930

2010-02-28T05:29:00.000-08:00

I've always loved fashion from this period. Everything screamed elegance and glamour. It was all very luxe, very sexy and slinky but in an empowering way. Think Marlene Dietrich and Jean Harlow. I want 79% of Etro's Fall RTW. I'd sell my left lung for that caramel full length dress. MY LUNG. Okay maybe not, selling vital organs for fashion is not a good idea.

I love the ethnic/worldly prints, the fabulous colours, the shapely yet flowing silhouettes, the bold accessories, just everything. The classic tailored pant with the updated print of the cheongsam hit the spot. Blazers once again were present in this collection, but hey I'm not complaining. With blazers included it felt like I was looking at the lovechild of the 20's and 80's. Funnily enough there were more buttoned-all-the-way up looks here too.

Okay I'll stop here are my favourite pieces.

Images from Style.com

Catching up

2010-02-28T05:02:00.000-08:00

It feels like I haven't blogged in forever, yet again. I've been scratching my arm for a good 15 minutes, if I don't get lotion for it now I'll make myself bleed so brb.

I haven't done a full throttle couture post in a while and after seeing Etro and Burberry Prorsum's Fall RTW, yeah I'm pretty much compelled to.

A lot of people were talking about the Christopher Bailey aviator jackets but what caught my eye were the hint-of-military blazers. Big surprise. I love blazers so this collection made me want to sell a kidney. Only a few posts ago I was looking at military inspired clothing for Manfriend and myself so I'm absolutely delighted that this trend will inevitably trickle down to more affordable brands. I love the metallic buttons and simple structured shirts buttoned all the way up, it's fucking sexy; especially when paired with thigh high leather boots. Almost everything is wearable and yes I do like the aviator jackets but blah not really my thing. The only thing I'm not loving is the mustard yellow. You need pretty specific skin tones to rock this and it's just not a pretty colour to me. Gross.

Images from Style.com

Infamous

2010-02-27T01:52:00.000-08:00

After probably the happiest 12 hours of my life on the internet with Mr. Manfriend, I decided to collage some of the images he sent me. I asked him to find outfits HE thought I would wear and I was pretty impressed. I mean come on, the man found a picture of Anna Dello Russo not wearing a couture dress. I know I know, he's a keeper. I think he pretty much has my personal style down to a T. Slick blazers, classic colours and understated chic. Oh and the ring selection - all his. Both of us swooned over the intricate steam punk ring. It's so unusual and charming. The small parts and gears give it a surreal old world feel that I adore.

Oh he also ranted for about 90 minutes about how terrible Australian internet is and gave a Martin Luther King-esque speech about how he's going to revolutionize it.

I HAVE A DREAM, Martin Luther King ONCE SAID;
AND IT'S ABOUT AUSTRLIA AND THEIR INTERNET
IT SHALL AND I REPEAT IT SHALL BE FREEEE FROM CAPPS!!!!
NO MORE SEGREGATION FROM OTHER LIMITLESS INTERNET FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
WE SHALL BE EQUAL, WE HAVE THE HUMANITARIAN RIGHT
NOW LISTEN FOLKS WE WILL BOYCOTT ALL THE INTERNET COMPANIES
EVERYONE DON'T BROWSE THE INTERNET
BECAUSE WE WILL NOT SIT BEHIND THE BUS OF THE INTERNET
WHILE OTHERS BROWSE FREELY UP FRONT
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
AFTER THIS SUCCESSFUL BOYCOTT
INTERNET COMPANIES WILL HAVE TO NOTICE THAT THEY NEED US
WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS ABUSE NO MO NO SIR..NO MAM HALEEELOOUIIAAA
WE WILL RIIIISE AND COME FORTH AS A FORCE - A STRONG PEOPLE
I HAVE A DREAM AND THAT DREAM WILL COME TRUE
AND THAT IS FOR US AUSTRALIANS TO BE EQUAL WITH THE OTHER NATIONS THE NATIONS THAT LAUGH AT US AND MAKE US FEEL SMALL
WE SHALL ONE DAY BE FREE

- MDS

What a goofball.

Los Angelesssssssssss

2010-02-25T03:44:00.001-08:00

It's one of those days where I've looked at so many websites and want to post a lot of content but don't know where to start.

So I'm procrastinating.

Instead I cleaned my wardrobe, started segregating my "LA" clothes and listing what I need to buy. What the hell is the weather going to be like in April?

You beat my drum hard.

2010-02-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

I've always loved accessories. Derr. I realized I haven't really posted things I already own so I found as many of my rings I could and started snapping away. There's a few more roaming around my room somewhere so I'll try and get those when I take photos of necklaces/bracelets. I like to pair really simple pieces with some of my more interesting ones when I pack on the finger armor. For me accessories can really define the direction of an outfit.

My absolute favourite ring which I don't leave the house without is the crystal studded skull ring, bought at the Rose Seidler House 50's fair last year. I've gotten a lot of "Omg where did you get that?" comments from emo teenagers, I don't think that's a good thing. Manfriend thinks I'm a creeper because I adore skull/skeleton/snake rings. W/E YOU WATCH NARUTO. Oh also, digital camera has decided to shit itself so these were taken with my mobile phone (cell phone to the yanks). They turned out decently none the less, not bad for an amateur photographer with a 3.2MP mobile phone camera eh?

By the way, okay I've done less than 30 posts and I'm already out of ideas for blog titles. How do people keep coming up with titles? I want to smash my hand on the keyboard and just name it that. I feel compelled to be creative but I really can't be fucked, I'm hungry so I'm going to go find food. Like every second asshole on the interwebz I've named this post after the song I was listening to at the time: I Like that - Richard Vission & Static Revenger feat. Luciana.

I'll eat your children.

2010-02-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

Swide: Do you believe in timeless pieces or do you think fashion should be seen as disposable?
Anna: I'm a collector but I collect incredible pieces only, no daywear! I really love garments with lots of imagination, lost of history; I try to imagine that if I died my clothing could go on to be shown in a museum, who wants to see a plain white shirt? So I think.. "Is that something people would want to see in the future?"... Something with a bit of flair.

Excerpt from Swide Magazine.
Too fucking right. This woman is a machine. Anna Dello Russo is the fashion editor at large of Vogue Nippon and whenever I see her outfits, it strangely reminds me of Hansel and Gretel, I don't even know why. She's ferocious and has an "I'm going to each your children.. just kidding have a cookie!" vibe that I adore. She's just so incredibly glamorous and chic. Obviously from her long career, fashion is in her blood. She has such a passion for it and her clothes reflect that. I would never get up and put on a Lanvin dress at 9am in the morning but the fact she rocks couture and makes it every day wear, it's just so different from my reality that it's not ridiculous, it;s intriguing. I also found it hilarious that in many of her photos, there's so many people just staring at her outfit. She certainly makes a statement. Her understanding that her clothing is her legacy garners my respect. I hate her posture though.

P.S. MDS I miss you.

Images from thesartorialist & tFs

Mmmmm.

2010-02-18T01:22:00.000-08:00

So I bought Requiem for a dream about a year ago, I heard so many different things about this movie and at the time I really wanted to sit down and watch it for myself. After manfriend played me a song from the movie (and scolded me for not knowing what movie the song was from) I decided to watch it. Holy fuck. I'm not squeamish, I've rented in excess of 6,000 movies from my local Blockbuster, I can detach myself from films and not get too immersed, but fuck, this movie was insane. At points I just sat there completely blank thinking, "Wow, did that just fucking happen?". It's one of those movies that if you let it, it is just one severe mind fuck.

I had a friend who was a heroin junkie and at his lowest point he would steal baby formula to pay for his next hit. The film hit home. The desperation shown by the characters is so real, there was no stinting in the level of emotion that hit your screen. It was honestly painful to watch. The editing didn't seem forced. The moments that were sped up, slowed down, chopped and distorted were a reflection of the characters and paralleled what they were going through. The acting was superb, I was thoroughly engrossed throughout the movie and couldn't tear myself away. I will definitely be thinking about this movie for a few days, especially after the tragic yet inevitable ending. When a film affects me or makes me feel an emotion so strongly, I have to watch it over and over again to desensitize myself. Weird right? But I will definitely have to do that with Requiem.

Anyway I've had these on my PC for a while but I never got around to arranging the pictures so after an uneventful night I finally got a chance to post it. If I had a million dollars... Actually you know what if I had a million dollars I wouldn't buy a $16,000.00 necklace anyway so fuck that.

1. Pyramid Stud Pendant - $4,998.00
2. Black Diamond Pyramid Stud Pendant - $16,000.00
3. Double Talon Knuckle Buster - $196.00
4. Pave Pendulum Ring - $66.00
5. Deco Shield Ring - $138.00
6. Ball N Chains Bracelet - $322.00
7. Exhaust Pipe Ring - $92.00
8. Skyling Ring - $92.00

Images from MadeHerThink.com

Black is the new black.

2010-02-17T16:10:00.000-08:00

Cushnie Et Ochs and Alexander Wang have been really pushing the black on black theme and I honestly don't know which one I adore more. They both used similar makeup on their girls too - I didn't even notice until I finished this blog lol.

I love Wang's take on the traditionally corporate uniform, adding some lace, some sheer, some fucking sexy and some rock star to a particularly dull and one sided genre of clothing. The different textures and fabrics he uses lifts and breaks apart the one-colour palette ending up with some very inspired pieces. I love how he's kept the pockets, the buttons, the cuffs so you can identify what he started off with but has completely reworked the structure of blazers, waistcoats and button up shirts. Fucking amazing.

Alexander Wang Fall/Winter 2010

Cushnie Et Och's is a little bit more about and the textures in the fabric to me. There are relatively common trends in this collection we've all seen on the runway and everything is very wearable. The intensity of shine and separating pieces through texture sets this RTW line apart. I mean yeah there has been black in practically everyone's collection but the different shades of black (I'm not going emo stfu) coming through from this collection is fresh and unique.

Cushnie Et Och's Ready To Wear Fall/Winter 2010

Images from Style.com

No words.

2010-02-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

Images from fashiongonerogue.com & J+J

Artsy fartsy.

2010-02-13T16:48:00.000-08:00

I'm 100% sure these are old, circa August 2008. But I'm also 100% sure that I don't care. Alithia Spuri-Zampetti's collection gives off the Alice in Wonderland vibe for me, probably because of the colour scheme and massive headwear. I wouldn't exactly wear these exact pieces, maybe a watered down version, but the geometrical shapes and bold colours are refreshing after so much black on black on black. It's so beautiful and sharp, oh I do love me some sharp.

Images from IQONS.com.

On point.

2010-02-13T16:23:00.001-08:00

Long time no post! Been doing the "real life" thing. After a birthday dinner filled with nachos, butter and pancakey goodness, Mia was kind enough to spend about an hour trying on half of my closet, which she describes as a vintage wonderland wardrobe of love. She's so gorgeous :) and looked adorable in everything she put on. I can't wait to get into her wardrobe and spend some time with her mother, yes Mia I want to see her hahaha. Maybe she can teach me how to sew finally!

Anyway, was trolling fashiongonerogue.com and stumbled upon this editorial from Brazilian Vogue. The black-white-with splashes of colour caught my eye (derrrr) but the styling is just immaculate. It's so chic and timeless with an infusion of trendy pieces to modernize essential pieces all women should have. I have no idea who styled this, but it's brilliant. Everything is so simple, wearable and it captures the polished rocker vibe I adore. I love the teaming of vintagey t-shirts with structured pants. The poses are a little tiny bit contrived, but fuck it, the clothes are rockin. Isabeli Fontana is beautiful and she's already had a child, mind boggling isn't it? I'm now forced to save up for that Hermes belt.

Images from fashiongonerogue.com

Ebay watch list x 1

2010-02-10T01:50:00.000-08:00

Oh Ebay, I have such a love hate relationship with this website. 2 years ago I used to troll it and find the most gorgeous vintage dresses at bargain prices. Dresses that were unique, one of a kind, you know the dress that someone has rifled through an entire thrift store for? Yeah, those sort of dresses. Now it's filled with amateur vintage resellers, who think plastering a $40 price tag on a leopard print faux fur vest is fashion. People are finding complete trash and trying to pass it off as something fashion forward and avant garde. Yeah bullshit. After a long time off of Ebay, I've started using it again and the clothes aren't as exciting as before but there is hope!

I found this adorable bag and it's pretty cheap at the moment AU$10.65 with 23h 34min left to go. I've been searching for a decent-sized black every day bag that has interesting elements to it. Lately I've been lugging everything around in my pockets or in my small black vintage clutch, I'm surprised I haven't lost it somewhere considering how daft I can be.

Images taken from here.

Tranny style.

2010-02-09T00:51:00.000-08:00

Cross dressing: The practice of dressing in clothes traditionally assigned to the opposite gender; also called transvestitism or drag. [x]

Sign me up for some To Wong Foo Thanks for everything, Julie Newmar shit (not the whole Wesley Snipes in something resembling a pink tutu thing). I've never been ultra feminine, I've always been tomboyish and androgynous, ala Alessandra Colombo. I mean yeah I wear dresses and skirts but they have to be a particular cut or altered to fit. I don't like the way most chick clothes are cut. My waist is a tad too tiny for my hips so some clothes just look awkward. My boobs are too big to fit in those baby doll t-shirt things. I've never liked baby doll t-shirts. There's absolutely no room to personalize them. I like having enough material to pull/tie/rip/shred my t-shirts into submission, hence I buy dude clothes! I'm not a big fan of spending $40 at Sportsgirl for an "oversized" t-shirt and realizing a large men's t-shirt (at 3 for $15) is exactly the same. I'm broke, don't judge me. I get a lot of my basic white/black/grey shirts from Jay Jays and Cotton on, both shops are always on sale and carry basics with slight trendy infusions to them.

In the mean time this is the direction my clothes will be going this season, not that it's a really big difference, just visualizing more structure, more texture and an overall slickness in the future. We're going into the colder months so I get to play with layers. That gorgeous burgundy woven turtle neck is going on my DIY list, shit looks sick. I know Garrett Neff (dude in white shirt looking like a Greek God but vapid) has nothing to do with this, but it's a good excuse to post him and try to make the manfriend jealous ♥ MDS.

Images from StockholmSS, streethearts and J&J

Are you fucking high?

2010-02-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

I was browsing General Pants which has always been the trendy upmarket store since I was in high school. I was floored when I saw plain cotton t-shirts with nothing too special about them going for almost $100. What exactly is that $100 of yours paying for? The psuedo-avant garde slogan? The worn fabric? The holes? No. You're paying for the brand.

I'm all for championing Australian fashion and home grown designers, but geez this is getting a tiny little bit out of hand and I think it's across the board. Have you seen Erin Wasson's RCVA line? Talk about a rip off. $230 for trashed denim cut offs? DO NOT WANT. I'm 22 and I'm a lot more aware of what I'm buying. In any piece of clothing, I look at the cut, the quality, the material, it's overall timelessness and how it would work with the rest of my wardrobe. I would think at least 3 or 4 times about spending more than $40 on a non designer cotton t-shirt. I took one look at the price tags, was amused for about 5 seconds then rolled my eyes and walked away. The very last dress thing is made of rayon for crying out loud, price your clothing a little bit more sensibly please I'm a broke University student, fuck you and your overpriced shit.

From General Pants.com

THAT'S ONLY $80?

2010-02-07T00:58:00.000-08:00

I had a mission. A military inspired, street yet polished look on a moderate budget for my man friend guy thing. I really love this look, it's your usual street style but a little sharper and lifted by structured outer wear. I'll post the inspiration collage later when I actually make a decent one. Notice I didn't bother adding jeans, man friend guy thing has good jeans (and genes) and most of the websites I went to had nothing but emo bitch jeans. Fuck that. Anyway, my idea of a perfect outfit? 1 + 8 + 13 + 19 = $141.89

1. Navy Wool Mix Military Peacoat $80
2. Denim jersey zip thru hoody - $30
3. White Oxford Double Breasted Blazer $90.00

4. Black Stitch Skinny Jacket $40.00
5. PM Grey Pintuck Jacket $80.00
6. Grey High Break Waistcoat $40.00
7. Grey Shirt Cuff Detail Shirt $20.00

8. Dressy Men's Hoodie $27.90
9. Epaulet Twill Blazer $34.90
10. Slub Knit Hoodie $30.90
11. Canvas Utility Coat $38.90

12. F*ck My Life $17.99
13. The End Tee $14.99
14. Black Apple By Public School Golden Jacket $39.99
15. BDG Tropical Blazer $49.99
16. I can't find it :(.
17. Standard Coated Bomber $29.99

18. Nike Dynasty high $78.00
19. Nike Blazer High $74.99
20. Asics Onitsuka Tiger Fabre $74.99
21. Nike Blazer High Premium Futura $84.99
22. DC Life Collection Admiral Sport $119.99
23. Radii Straight Jacket (black / silver) $119.99

MDS

2010-02-06T04:22:00.000-08:00

He inspires me. He drives me. He's the muse. How can there be anything else when he is everything? (MDS)

____________________________

Finally - Kings of Tomorrow

Time marches on never ending,
time keeps its own time,
Here we stand at beginning,
and then goes passing us by,
And I, I, I can dream for us all,
I hope I'm in a better state,
When here and now crumbles and falls
and you, you , you who make worlds collide
I knew you'd come knocking one day,
unannounced like a thief in the night.

Where do we go from here,
time ain't nothing but time,
I now have no fear of my fears
And no more tears to cry,
tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow means nothing at all
If we don't hear the line,
when today places its call, and morning, morning, morning
Won't ever be the same,
now I won't make the same mistakes, time and time again

So tell me how do you do
Finally I meet you
You don't know what I've been through,
waiting and wondering about you
I had a dream my trip would end at you,
and now I know paradise.
____________________________

Image origin unknown.

Keep your eyes open.

2010-02-06T02:48:00.001-08:00

Androgynous. Raw. Carefree. True.

Fashion Canvas / tFS / KnighttCat / Rackk + Ruin / Misc.

Utopia

2010-02-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

My friend Pru and I were SUPPOSED to go to Glebe Saturday morning markets today and after trudging through the rain and trying very very very hard not to slip and fall on my ass ("OH SHIT I almost stacked it moments" = 5) - THERE WERE NO MARKETS. RAGEEEEEEEEEE. All was not lost though, we browsed through a few quality thrift stores and took a trip inside Utopia on Broadway. I managed to snag this baby despite Pru's head shaking. It's over the top, a little too heavy metal and far too sharp. Of course I fell in love with it and wore it for the rest of the day. It's only about 3 inches long but definitely a statement piece. I had a few "whoa watch out" comments from people.

My denim motorcycle jacket smells like a wet dog, my back is hurting like a mofo and the rain practically washed my makeup off an hour into our day, but all in all it was worth it.

Jak + Jil went up the hill

2010-02-05T00:20:00.000-08:00

The shoe porn does not get any better than Jak + Jil. Tommy Ton always snaps amazing angles of accessories, outfits and SHOES. Beautiful, insane, statement shoes. Ahhh they are magnificent. I mean yeah I do want all these bad boys, but where the hell would I wear them? What would I wear with them? Would I be able to stand, let alone walk in them? More importantly, where the hell would I get the cash to buy them? I suppose food doesn't have to be a necessity for the next 12 years. They can also be multi-purpose and adorn my room! BARGAIN (I'm on crack aren't I?).

I ended up watching The September Issue tonight, firstly the music was crazy good, secondly I've discovered my love for both Raquel Zimmerman and Andre Leon Talley; and thirdly Grace Coddington is TOP GINGE at Vogue. Zimmerman looks completely razor sharp on print, but goddamnit she is adorable on the screen. Also, any man who has a Louis Vuitton tennis racquet cover and walks around in a kimono is epic.

Chanel - Fucking pistol heels. Seriously.

Alexander Wang

Rodarte - Spikes big enough to impale small animals. Fuck yes.

Chloe

Dior

Nicholas Kirkwood

No idea lol. (*They're Doc Marten's douche - Mia)

Prada

Giles Deacon

Gianfranco Ferré - Potential murder weapons.

Nicholas Kirkwood

Images from Jak + Jil.

Are you serious?

2010-02-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

Trolling acne.com, I wasn't really impressed with any of their lookbooks, in my opinion, I've seen it all before and frankly done better. There are a few noteworthy pics, but yes still very blah. I'm liking the male looks more than the female looks, but hey I'm always cross-dressing and buying men's clothes anyway.

However I was intrigued by these puppies. It's not exactly shoe porn, to be honest I don't know what it is, but it looks painful. I have a love-hate relationship with the heel. I adore that it looks like dripping paint and it's quite ingenious, but I'm brought back to hate them because FUCK, your entire weight has to balance on those. Are you serious? For some reason, I can just imagine my lovely friend Mia (yeah you bitch) teetering in these and getting stuck in a hole on the sidewalk, ensuing in much laughter from our posse.

Images from acne.com

If I ...

2010-02-03T05:03:00.001-08:00

Had my own place, it would most likely look like this. An untamed explosion of art and everything would have a story, I'd personalize every inch of my living space. I'd want things I find inspiring to surround me and my personality on 4 walls and possibly even a ceiling; but toned down because I'm a weirdo. Of course there would be clothes and shoes lying around instead of tattoo ink but I'd definitely keep the bullets-floating-in-plastic toilet seat (if the man friend guy thing allowed me to).

This is tattoo artist Scott Campbell's Saved Tattoo studio in Brooklyn.

Images from TheSelby.com

Gray is so dull

2010-02-03T02:06:00.000-08:00

BULLSHIT. My wardrobe has been slowly moving towards being white, grey and black. Why? Kate Lanphear, senior style editor @ Elle. Editors have become increasingly influential, garnering more and more attention from the hardcore fash pack to fashion enthusiasts. From Carine Roitfeld to Christine Centenera, Kate is definitely my favourite (although Centenera comes a close second).

She has a style completely her own, it's raw and unabashed. I searched for an hour, scouring the internet for anything Kate Lanphear related and was impressed at how effortlessly she teams basics to create something fresh.

Just sit there and deconstruct any outfit she's wearing, the equation is simple. Great fitting pants, sky-scraper heels, lots of metal and a monochrome palette. Hers is probably the easiest style to emulate, with retail stores having an abundance of vintagey distressed shirts and jeans, although I doubt many of us have that rock star aura. ENOUGH WORDS.

Images from tFS - this thread

My friend was also lovely enough to send me this, as a reminder that I am a huge World of Warcraft playing nerd.

Image from Warcraftccg.com

A little bit too blog happy...

2010-02-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

W/E, IDC, 3 blogs in 1 day? Why the hell not. Trolling fashion blogs and super-mega-trolling Style.com, I've collected some colour inspirations for this season. Not that I'm sick of black or anything. Black is black and will always be my colour of choice, but it's interesting to experiment and see how my every day pieces can be elevated and contemporized by the adding or subtracting of colour. Does beige/nude/tan/grey/charcoal strike you as experimenty colours? They can be such BLAH colours but I'm intrigued by their classic, understated and versatile natures.

I fell inlove with this collection as soon as I saw it. Sexy, expressive and structured at the same time. I love the lingerie-esque/nonchalant vibe, it's all very romantic .. Oh la la!

A.F. Vandevorst Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear

Images from Style.com, photographed by Marcio Madeira

COVET II

2010-02-02T15:53:00.001-08:00

Oh I'm pretty sure my man friend guy thing thinks I'm a weirdo for loving skeleton, skull and snake accessories (not the emo kind.. Fuck Twilight), but check this baby out.

It's art, it's fashion, it's in your face, it's stunning, it's intriguing, it's unusual oh and it's AUD$22451.00. If I received $1 from every nerd who has ever said "I like your accent" I may just be able to afford it.

Delfina Delettrez Skeleton Hand Bracelet.

Images courtesy of LuisaViaRoma.com

COVET.

2010-02-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

I love my accessories, as I said in my previous post. There's so many different styles out there that it can be challenging to come across inspired and unique pieces. Basically the pieces that say, "HEY SCREW YOU, I'M AMAZING." Here are some of my favourites from LuisaViaRoma.com, I'm 99% sure they're from Spring/Summer '10 > Fashion Jewellery.

Finger Armour.

2010-02-02T02:41:00.000-08:00

Gah. Ok I went a little bit crazy with my new digital camera today and was playing with the macro feature lol. I was trying to find an ingenious way to store/display all my rings and stumbled across this.

I immediately marched my brother outside, armed with a rake and a giant branch cutter thing (wow I'm so succinct today) and proceeded to find the perfect structure for my jewelry tree. After finding it, I thought it wasn't strong enough so my Elementary school Papier Mache skills kicked in and I was able to make it really sturdy and painted it white with some left over acrylic paint.

Rings + DIY tree.

The procrastination ends.

2010-02-02T01:44:00.000-08:00

For a long time I've been following various fashion bloggers and drawing inspiration from them. I decided to start this blog to chronicle my thrift store acquisitions and as a place to map out all the chaos in my head.

A little bit about me, I'm a student based in Sydney and I'm broke. Seriously, who isn't? I've recently, (recently meaning over the past 2 years) been obsessed with vintage/thrifted clothing. I got very sick of seeing the same old cookie cutter outfits and decided that my clothing needed to be a little bit more me. Anywayyyy ... I start it off with some of my thrifted clutches!

Black large flap leather clutch / Price: $2

Mini briefcase embossed leather clutch / Price: $2

Structured Bamboo clutch / Price: $2

OMG.

2010-02-02T00:24:00.001-08:00

Bloggety blog blog.