PSYCHDELIC CONTORTIONIST

So I've been totally in love with Beck's recent look. I think it's inspired by another one of my favorite mavericks: Oscar Wilde.


Uncanny, right? My costume history course tells me that this is "aesthetic dress" and that Oscar Wilde is credited with having proclaimed that it is the most artistic form of dress possible. Wilde might have been gay, but Beck is just hot and I don't normally go for blondes.

Check out his new video because it's pretty cool if you like 60s psychedelic vaudevillian acid trips. or fringe. If you like fringe, you need to see this.
Beck - Gamma Ray


This video reminds me of how I always wanted to grow up and be in the circus. I thought I could be the contortionist. I know, f'ing weird. But if cirque-du-soleil called me, I would totally run away with the circus carnies. I also want to befriend the elephants. They've got soul.


If you look closely that really hot girl is Chloe Sevigny.

VOTING

Election season is here, and it's time to take sides on the important issues. This time we're tackling the leggings debate. If you've got the legs, then leggings are pants. If you don't, then they ain't. It's a double standard, I know, but some of us need to learn that you can't look good in everything. Not even supermodels can put on whatever is lying around and look fabulous-- that's why there are hours upon hours of fittings for a 20 minute fashion show. Yep, clothes are kind of a big deal.

American Apparel has perfected the art for $30-40:
You can't talk about leggings without mentioning their queen bee, everyone's favorite drug-addict/problem child/summer lesbian/singer/actress:I mean the girl has her own line of leggings, which, by the way, is super tacky. Love Lindsay, hate red + leopard print. Ew.


Another Queen B weighed in on the issue last week. Miss Blair bitch slapped a freshie for her tights-as-pants faux pas. And if by tights we mean pantyhose, then I whole-heartedly agree. Sheer nylons certainly aren't appropriate on their own. But if we're talking about a cotton blend then like, they totally are. Sorry B, we're just gonna have to agree to disagree. Oh and sorry about Chuck. That was some bullshit.

XOXO

PEACHES AND CREAM

Blame it on the strawberry-blonde-bordering-on-brown hair I've been rocking since the summer, but I just can't get enough clothing made of sugary sweet ice cream colors like mint and peach. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like for oh i don't know --the past decade-- it's been hard for me to come across fashion in the appropriate hues for my hair/skin. Besides the fact that "modern" color palettes get worn out before they were ever even cool (thanks charlotte russe), lack of fresh color selection always brings me down. How is that the l-a-m-e-s-t colors (think baby pink, baby blue, white) have persisted in mainstream fashion for so long? It's like here I am trying to spend my hard-earned money at your store in an effort to bump up my ever-evolving wardrobe (I can't help it, I get so inspired by new ideas), but I can't find one item that's going to meet my palette needs. I'm really not trying to be a downer, but somehow I always end up with the black, navy, or brown version of everthing. I suppose I could go to higher end fashion, but who's got a money tree in their backyard? All I've got in mine are dog turds.

Anyway, enough rant. I'm all about the positive here -- I just needed you guys to know where I'm coming from. I've taken a small peek at Spring 2009 ready to wear, and I've got some good news to report. Colors are like, soooo FRESH. praise jesus!DKNY's runways were dotted with the fuzzy fruit's hue, including peach converse-style sneaks for men.Marc Jacobs rounded out his collection with creamy, lickable frocks.



And Patrick Robinson's first spring line for Gap fully embraced the dreamsicle. I must admit, I wasn't too excited about his Go International collection for Target last year (his was probably the only installation I don't own a piece from), but I'll gladly eat my words as long as their atop these deliciously soft drawsting pants that come in a wide array of frothy colors.

Take a tip from the above and pair your ice cream pastels with the lightest neutrals you can find -khakis, grays, and nudes. Now that's something to scream about.

check out all the shows at style.com.

THE LOOK: OVERSIZE BLAZERS

So the menswear for women trends--ties, vests, plaids, and the like--have been going on strong for a while now, but it's these oversize blazers with the sleeves scrunched up that I can't get enough of. Scrunching the sleeves is very important for the look. Avoid shoulder pads. That's also very important.

The Sartorialist reported that they were all over fashion week. Thanks for the photo: www.thesartorialist.com


I like 'em on boys too. Girls share with your boys, and boys you do the same. Beautiful.










(photo: trovata 2006, style.com)

Normally menswear inpsired trends can be attributed to the influence of powerful women or women's movements in general -- think Bloomers of the mid 1800s, suffragists of the early 20th century, women's lib of the 70s, and the extreme power suits of the 1980s working woman. Since Hilary has dropped out, to whom do we owe the current trend? Mizz Sarah Palin is right. Congratulations, hun.












fashion icon and would-be VP



I'm about as serious as a cheap pair of red sandals worn with a somber black skirt-suit. Real classy.

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS

This past Saturday I took a trip down to Texas to celebrate my birthday at Austin City Limits. I listened to some good live tunes, drank bud light tallboys, and people-watched like a statue. Here's your ACL fashion report:

- guys and gals sporting headbands/bandannas around the forehead were ubiquitous (so much so that they now make Ashley C want to vomit)

- scarves were lacking (it was hot), but old school bandannas tied as neckerchiefs with the 2 ends in the front or pulled up over the nose and/or mouth bandit style were prevalent

- aviators and wayfarers still ruled the scene

- little rayon dresses (which I abhor) were the outfit of choice for too many girls

- cowboy boots and boots in general completed the look

- not as many cut-off jorts for boys as I would have liked

- a few hipsters rockin tight ass jeans in the boiling sun

- sling bags and messenger bags RULED

- girls wore bras
- some wore swimsuit tops or just swimsuits
- belly-baring tops in general seemed to have been revived

- american apparel
- some alternative apparel (official ACL tshirt I bought was printed on one)

- fedoras for both sexes

- and a lot of fashion disasters

MGMT was completely flooded, J Fogerty somehow got to sing all the CCR classics, I heard Conor Oberst was brilliant, Black Keys rocked out, Iron & Wine was just beautiful during the sunset, and Beck is a god. One guy said the crowd for Beck stretched all the way back to "the map" which was about half of the entire park. He opened with this one.



The hat, hair, and jacket are genius. Good times, good times.

SURREALITY

I pretty much had two favorite movies as a child: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. Apparently I wished my life were a surreal fantasy, and I'm still working on that goal. I'm also a long-time fan of Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands is ridiculously good), so when I found out he was redoing Willy Wonka I got more than a little excited. Turns out his rendition kind of failed, at least when it kept trying to make appeals to the younger audience (you know, like 5 year olds), but the aesthetic was still exactly what I was looking for. Remember how insane the makeup on the kids was? Strange indeed.
Anyway, a little birdie just told me that Tim Burton is also remaking Alice in Wonderland-- this time in 3D-- that means real people rather than animation. WORD. to your mother. I'm super excited, and I've got high expectations. Do not let me down TB!
Plus, I think I heard through the grapevine that Johnny D is playing the mad hatter. That man is the hottest ironically wealthy hobo that ever lived. Not to mention he's got amazing (acting) skills and some kids with some (super hot) French girl, but whatever. I'm a middle child so I know how to share my candy.

lollipop.