Bye-Bye!

Well folks, it's time. Tommorrow I'll be leaving bright and early to do some gallery-hopping and family-mingling in Ottawa for a few days and then I'm off to Gay Paree!
Though the shopping is obviously going to be unpredictable, I've got and idea of what I'd like to buy but not a solid picture.

-Light-pink ballet flats. Or just ballet flats of any kind. Isn't it sad I don't own a pair yet?
-Platform stilettoes in a bright candy colour.
-A fun dress, vintage or otherwise.
-Souvenir t-shirts. e.g. the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Pere-Lachaise Cemetary etc.
-Fun vintage costume jewelery from Clignancourt flea market.

Who knows what else is in store for me, fashion wise in the City of Light? Either way, it''s bound to be fabulous!

Final Fashion Frontier

Remember that hoopla over finding a vintage Burberry trench in my Grandmother's closet while perusing for vintage finds. I doubt she'd worn it in years. How glad I am that I've rescued it from a life of fashionable oblivion! Well, here is a picture. Wondrous banana yellow glory!

A picture of the tag, just in case you didn't believe me.
Talk about fashionable oblivion. I transformed these nice, but plain black pointy kitten heels into Dorothy's wet dream footwear. Perfect for walking down the yellow brick road, dancing like a crazy lady, dreaming of things to be.

Personality Reigns

Despite what other may belive, I've never perceived fashion as an individualized sport. Every season has it's trends, no buts about it. No room for rule-bending. What's in was in and that was that. But as my relationship with magazine culture, glossy advertising and the business of looking chic reaches a more intimate level, I realize that I have never been more wrong. Marc by Marc Jacobs parades his grungy layers around with moxie. Yves Saint Laurent prostitutes his hardass trouser/tunic sets with panache. Chloe pushes their flowing neutral sheaths with befitting nonchalance. While trends may not display a great adaptability, runways collections are as protean as people themselves. From the ripped-tee riot grrl to the neat and tidy Aunt Jemima, each element of their outfit is a unique trait suited to their inner beings. A woman can look just as good in a business skirt as she can in a miniskirt, because there are different parts to the same person and fashion must cater to every segment. Such is the beauty of rationality, fashionality and individuality. Let's dedicate a moment of silence (or awe) to the fashion Gods on Mount Olympus for the gift of clothing each and every aspect of our forms, however different those forms may be.

Sweet Simplicity

I hope this picture (stolen from Face Hunter) is a kick in the pants to Rachel Zoe Rosenweig and all of her consumptive minions. In nothing but a jumper, a tee and flats this girl conveys every aspect of chic that La Lohan and Skinny Richie strive for but never attain with their hoardes of jewelery and Birkin bags. Long live simplicity, one chignon at a time.

Replies!

Just in case you all don't read my comments, I'll reply personally to everyone's suggestions right here. Thank you for them all, I really appreciate your concern.
Miss Couture: Regrettably I'm not bringing my red spakly kitten heels, but the red long sleeve shirt I have should do well for a colour-burst.

Euro Brat: Thank you, and I sure hope you are right!

Viva Las Divas: Okay, I'll revise the star leggings for black tights, good idea! I hate hats though. I only wear toques in the winter to keep my ears warm, and that's purely out of necessity.

The Tiniest Spark: Yes, I was afraid the hooded sweatshirt would be an unwelcome visitor in the City of Light. I'll bring a gray vintage cable-knit sweater instead and a bright blue waist belt to jazz it up!

Polish-Pierogies: Hmm, I don't own a beret but it's something to consider!

Money Miss: No can do with the sunglasses, my regular spectacles prevent anything of the sort. As with the summer dress, I think the wrap-dress I'm already bringing should be just fine but I'll think about taking another dress just in case.

My next question to you guys should be...what are good souvenirs to bring home for friends? I don't want to break the bank here but the pit of my stomach tells me that a keychain just isn't enough. I'm sure finding something suitable shouldn't be a problem but guidance would be much appreciated!

Help Me!

13 days before I take off to Paris and these lines from La Femme struck fear into my trashionista heart. "The last time I flew direct to Paris, I nearly passed out from suddenly being in an atmosphere full of people who looked like they had just emerged from the pages of Vogue. Women were actually wearing stilletos, while men actually wore handbags." Dear Jesus. I cannot go looking like hell on wheels, but I can't go being uncomfortable on my feet for 8 hours a day.

Here is the list of clothing I planned to bring for the week - please help me revise accordingly!

-Black sweatpants (for airplane purposes only!)
-Black pants
-Ripped Jeans
-Gray star patterned leggings (and I'll burn in hell for it too.)
-Army jacket with band patches on one sleeve and spikes on the collar. (Fuck yeah, I'm hardcore.)
-Light gray "Queens University" hooded sweatshirt
-Dark gray wrap dress
-CBGB purple tee
-White tee with "E=mc2" in blue writing
-Red long sleeve shirt
-Black converse
-Black mary-janes
-Pink silk scarf (to keep my hair back)
-"Disco ball" beaded necklace.
-Zebra-print LeSportsac bag

As you can see, pretty much the entire list is gray or black for easy matching purposes. Do I need to change anything up?
Disclaimer: The leggings were thrown in for low maintenance puposes. I do not want to shave my legs while wearing anything ripped or short.

Sunglasses

I love sunglasses. Incidentally, so does everyone in Hollywood and anyone with an account on Myspace.

Look, it's me in heart shaped sunglasses! Look, it's a Myspace hipster looking cool in her ridiculous shades!

Unfortunately, I am bespectacled and cannot wear sunglasses over regular ones. Sunglasses also tend to look stupid on me, but that minor setback never stopped me from searching for a pair of Lolita-esque heart-shaped ones. It took at least 6 months of "searching" but the Dollar Store presented me with this near perfect option. Never mind the fact that they leave the bridge of my nose bright pink after wearing them. A dilemma like that isn't going to ruin my enjoyment of these gems. I'm just glad I don't have to worry about keeping my eyes open in pictures. No wonder my middle name is Squinty.

Moon Apparel

I have a friend who is very socially concious and wants to adopt kids from Africa, summon world peace, end world hunger etc. But for now she's settling for shopping at American Apparel, some anti-sweatshop brand. I surfed on over to the website to see what all of the buzz was about. After viewing some boring t-shirts and a rather nice but simple dress, I stumbled upon these. A horror to end all horrors!

As if regular leggings weren't bad enough, the Jetsons came down to Earth to breathe new life into an old Frankenstein. Do you think anyone is going to pay $40 for them? Can you believe that people in the 1960's thought we would be dressing like this in the year 2000? Maybe if I was Barbarella, but I'm not. I'm Isabel, and Isabel is not in need of any intergalactic fashion statements right now.

Music-Fashion Game!

It's game time, and Hipster Musings is going to play Pat Sajak. My idea doesn't involve any prizes, simply the pursuit of fun. Consider this my invitation for all to unite music and fashion into one. Basically, you choose one designer and then match a band/artist whose music and persona you feel represents their clothing best. Post it on your blog and provide a description on why the designer and band/artist have so much in common. The only rule is; you can't match Marc Jacobs with Nirvana or Vivienne Westwood with the Sex Pistols. Those pairings are brainless and take no creativity whatsoever.

Here is mine. Betsey Johnson and Cyndi Lauper!

Girls just wanna have fun, and so does Betsey. Her dresses are all ridiculously flirty and fun, much like Lauper's 1980's incarnation. Both are zany hot chicks whose adventurous career was, and still is filled with great outfits. They should join forces and create an ultimate girl-power squad, maybe recruiting a Spice Girl or two. With Betsey's wacky dreads and Cyndi's neon bouffant, their superhair-o powers are undeniable.

Bonanza! But not like the tv show...

The September issue of Teen Vogue is billed as the "biggest issue ever". Well, not only is it big but it's probably the best issue ever published, and I'll give you a rundown of why.

#1. I always thought Juicy Couture was a Hollywood trash label. Their fashion spread with prim old ladies, candy-floss gowns and a heavily-tattooed guy prove me ignorant.

#2. Page 148. Kaitlyn Gilland is pretty.

#3. My horoscope (Capricorn) claims that I'll get creative with my style on September 3rd. I'll be looking forward to that date. I'll be spending it in Paris!

#4. They dedicated a page to street style (wishfully) in remembrance of my dearest ELLEgirl. Let's hope Teen Vogue trades in more of their traditional red-carpet fodder for style with substance.

#5. As seen in the pictures above, they feature lots of quilted bags and sky-high platforms throughout the issue. Hooray!

#6. The Fashion A-Z was pretty darn wicked.
-C for Collaborations boasts pictures of Vivienne Westwood for Nine West items. The line is much more affordable than usual, but $495 for a leather bag is still a little steep for me. Here's to the day when I befriend Vivi and she gives me one for free.
-D is for DIY has Behnaz Sarafpour sewing lace onto jeans. Did it already! Check it out...
-F is for Fashion Blogs!!! Bow down to the blog...We're finally getting recognized!
-K is for Kurt Cobain, as seen in the picture. Unlikely fashion icon, stellar musician. My only question is; why pay big bucks for grunge couture when you can find the same things in thrift bins?
-R is for Reading List. Julia Dunstall reccommends you read The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I do too.
-V is for Verailles. In approximately 3 weeks, I will be there.
-Z is for Zines. I half completed one, but I asked for a lot of submissions from my friends that never came through. Plus, I have no money for photocopying. R.I.P. (adventures in) Bitch Club Literati.

#7. Pg 336-9. Lily Cohen is pretty.

#8. The very last page features a pretty, well-dressed girl and her...fashion blog! www.pearlsandpants.blogspot.com. It's more pictures than writing, but check it out regardless.

My concluding comment is this. I bought a pair of all-purple converse yesterday. Aside from the canvas, the rubber is purple too except for a strip of rainbow where the strip of black usually is on the sole. Even though I'm not a lesbian, I'm glad to support the cause by wearing awesome gay shoes. Long live pride!

Kate Is Great

Check out the whopping 23 covers Kate the Great Moss has done for UK Vogue. This picture was her first ever cover from March 1993. She looks so fresh and perfect. I swear there's nary a better model in the world. Here's the link, and enjoy.

Leopold Leopard

So leopard flats are "big" for this fall? *Yawns* Bought a pair last year, as seen above. Cute, aren't they? It's a shame everyone caught on so slowly...

Brown University

I keep repeating my new mantra over and over again: "Brown is not the enemy". It's pretty hard for me to believe after years of being a black devotee. I never thought that the colour of human excrement, dirt and most Ugg boots deserved a place in my wardrobe until recently. It wasn't an epiphany, just a gradual shift in beliefs. Perhaps it had something to do with this Marc Jacobs bag. It might have been these C Label pumps. Or it could have something to do with Fall's grunge insurgence. Either way, brown's classic appeal is becoming clearer to me one awesome designer piece at a time...

Stripper Shoes and Four-Leaf Clovers

Flip to page 94 of the new Vogue. On it will be a picture of Eleanor Ylvisaker (some socialite chick) wearing a four-leaf clover print dress by Carolina Herrera. Take very good note of it. The fun print and short hemline exude youthful exuberance and pure summery joy. But however youthful it may be, teenagers and ingenues alike might make the exclusive mistake of pairing the dress with flip-flops or flats. No, never. As Eleanor Ylvisaker demonstrates, the cute factor needs to be toned down and gussied up with a pair of bitchin' shoes: preferrably platform heels or peep-toe pumps. (Appreciate my affinity for awesome alliterations?) This girl knows what looks good and flaunts it to the extreme. Three cheers for Eleanor, the random socialite chick!

Vintage Heart Attack!

The latest "age" issue of Vogue with Linda Evangelista on the cover helped me realize that old people are really freakin' cool. Easily inspired, I trekked across the road to my grandparents' house to try and uncover some neat vintage finds. Neat? Maybe. I came across the '50's style poodle-skirt Hallowe'en costume made for my mom a long long time ago. Unparalelled? Certainly. I was quite shocked to find a bright yellow vintage Burberry trench between rows upon rows of heavily shoulder-padded blouses. It's gorgeous and in pretty darn good condition for vintage, the only imperfection being an unfortunate paint stain on the bottom hem. I'm not in posession of a functioning digital camera right now, so posting pictures isn't an option but this is a picture of someone else's vintage Burberry trench for sale on Ebay. Just imagine it in a bright canary yellow.

Drop It Like It's Haute

I've gone absolutely bonkers with desire for a croc bag. Mock-croc, if we're discussing my price range that is. Perhaps I've read one too many Vogue or fantasized about vintage a little more than is healthy but there's nothing I wouldn't do to get ahold of a classic mock-crock, short of naming my firstborn Jesus. I've been really into finding a quilted bag an a croc bag to complete my middle-aged purse collection with. It's high time for me to scour some thrift stores, I'm only afraid of going and then spending money on things I don't need. After all, I tend to buy too many magazines and then covet the entire contents, when I really should have saved the $5 price tag for something worthwhile. Like a croc bag.

Bad Fashion In Da House

The worst fashion sighting I have encountered in a long time came, shockingly, right in my own home. As I came down the stairs, walking in my midst was a veritable fashion Frankenstein. It was my poor misguided father, decked out in a misguided outfit involving a hawa'ain-style button down, red swim trunks and camoflauge sandals. We do not live in the O.C.. We live in Canada, where beach attire labels you as a fat man or a frat boy unless actually worn at the beach. I told dad, as calmly as I could that if he were to try and leave the house while wearing that, I would make him change. He did. And that's respect for you.

Fashion Philosophy

What is my fashion philosophy? I'm pretty sure I don't even have one. Some people claim that their philosophies entail asking "Do I love it?", "Can I afford it?", or "Does it go with anything I own already?" before buying an object. I suppose I try to stick with the former, but money is never an object because the clothes I like are always dirt cheap and I never even consider what matches in my wardrobe until I take the piece home. This results in a wearable collection of memorabilia pieces and loud patterns that beg to be worn. Even though not everything begs to be worn with loud patterns, I really couldn't love my clothes more.

Alright, I suppose you want to label me it could be said that I mix classicism with quirks and try to slap my name on it. But it sems to me that too many people try to do that and it just results in a "tired" style effect. That idea of teaching an old tricks in fashion is painfully universal. It's the reason why Diane Von Furstenburg's wrap dress pattern is updateable and innovation-friendly but the principles never actually change. So the next time anyone asks me about a fashion philosophy, I'll be proud to say that all fashion philosophies are more or less the same and I'm taking the road less travelled by ceasing to have one.

Heatwave

After spending August's premiere day shopping and getting my drivers permit (G1), I realized that I hadn't updated this place on all of my summer purchases so far. Today I bought a zebra print LeSportsac bag, along with a simple gray knit wrap dress and an ingenius book titled "Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt". The bag is lighweight canvas, perfect for travelling and so is the wrap dress. The book is witty and adorable and I plan to make the iPod cover idea tommorrow for my friend's 17th b-day. So anywhoo, on my trip to Ottawa to see Metric in concert, I bought the tee featured below at the merch table. Plus I thrifted a pair of black woven leather oxford shoes. Then, there was this guy in the mall selling wicked 3 for $10 necklaces! Out of that deal came a hematite peace sign necklace (Green Party forever!), a "what-looks-like-gigantic-animal-teeth-but-is-really-black-plastic" necklace and an amber pendant. What was even sweeter than the price was, perhaps, that my aunt paid for it. What a sweetheart.




P.S.: Here I include the funniest quote from right-wing America I have ever heard.

"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." -Pat Robertson, televangelist and former US presidential candidate. Thank God he didn't win.