Atypical Muse Awards

It's the 1st annual 'Atypical Muse Awards' 2006. I've picked a model and an Icon to commemorate. They both personify the spirit of fashion in 2006 without becoming overexposed. 2006's greatest model award does not go to Gemma Ward and her revolution of alien lookalikes (*cough*SashaPivarova&SnejanaOnopka*cough*) or Kate Moss' drug addled comeback. It goes to Jessica Stam. Her face is adorable and I admire her seamless transition from quirky redhead to ravishing blonde. With a Marc Jacobs' it-bag to her name, Stam is on the rise to becoming an uber-model. She lead the forefront of the holy Canadian trinity of modeling, Jessica Stam/Heather Marks/ Julia Dunstall, and make me proud that Tim Hortons could produce such a talented beauty.

Screw Edie Sedgwick and her contrived horizontal stripes. Fashionistas with street cred look up to Patti Smith for inspiration. Not only is she the Poet Laureate of punk, she personified the messy-androgynous look that was so revered for F/W 06. I hero-worship this woman's style, history and music. Chances are, you won't - but that doesn't stop you from being subconsciously influenced by her mannish rock 'n' roll sensibilities.

It's my birthday!

Damn right I'll cry if I want to. I went out to breakfast at Cora's with my parents this morning to celebrate and then bought my much desired pair of comfy moccasins as a present. Yesterday I went on a shopping trip to Toronto with my best friend and ended up striking a few things of my perma-wishlist of essentials.
1. A black croc bag. Everywhere I turn, there's brown croc bags, white croc bags, vomit-green croc bags but never any classic black ones. Where there is a black one to be found, it often resembles a particularly plastic-looking trash bag. I found the perfect black croc bag at one of those knockoff stands in the mall, and just happens to be a fake Kelly bag - the epitome of class, no?

2. Skinny black pants. I was looking for black pants in general, but these skinnies from H+M were quite flattering and beatnik-reminiscent.

3. A winter coat. Ta-dah! Miss Couture had suggested Zara as a place to find cute winter coats, and she was totally right. I found an emerald green pea coat with a stand-up collar for $80, and it looks incredibly luxe when paired with my new "Kelly" bag.

My $100 Chapters giftcard was spent so quickly! In just 2 trips to the store, I ended up blowing it all on:
2 books chronicling the history of punk
A book on Yves St. Laurent
A book on Existentialism and
An Edward Gorey Calendar

Art

Every fashionista feels the intrinsic desire to stand out and be unique, and it's not always so easy in a world of clones. One way to stand out is to find handmade pieces, which can be especially difficult. But luckily, the websites such as Etsy make it easier to connect designers to customers. Handmade Heart is one of my random friends on Myspace who makes amazing things. The girl behind it screenprints her own t-shirts and sells them at local concerts somewhere in California. Look at how amazing these Handmade Heart tote bags are. They are so creative and cute, it just about kills me.
Dogbone Art is a seller on Etsy whose cute designs caught me eye. The emphasis on cupcakes and panda bears just makes me coo. I understand that em0 and sceneeee kids will probably freak out over the twisted cute factor of Dogbone art, but even I am not able to withstand it's appeal. Bow down to cute, one can't be glamourous allllll the time.

A cupcake pirate? I'm infatuated.

Adventures with Santa Claus

Even without snow, it's still a lovely Christmas morning 2006. I'll post a list of what I received for Christmas, and I hope to see other bloggers doing the same! This Christmas was special because no one went beyond their means. I didn't get a couchful of present, but didn't want one either. I received exactly what I wanted, and though it wasn't a whole lot, it was good enough for me. That's my new L.L. Bean fair-isle sweater to the left. I've been quietly desiring a fair isle sweater for a long time, because they seem like the perfect item you can hunker down or dress up. There is the chance of looking like a matronly festive mistake while wearing fair isle, but I'm young and creative enough to pull something of that is generationally appropriate. It's a bit too big now, but can be easily altered. Here we go.

Christmas 2006:
-L.L. Bean red Fair Isle sweater
-L.L. Bean red & white striped slipper/socks
-Glen plaid trousers (custom-made)
-Gray pinstripe trousers (custom-made)
-$100 cash
-$100 Chapters gift card
-Oprah 20 seasons DVD
-Electric tuner
-2 prs. socks
-Red fleece gloves
-Chunky red yarn + 6 mm knitting needles
-Snowman slipper/socks
-Toblerone chocolate

I'm planning on putting the $100 towards a classy winter coat. Can anyone give me ideas on where to find one?

P.S.: Tell me about your Christmas 'receive' list!

Holiday Happiness

Certain things really put me in the holiday spirit. Here's what is keeping me happy for Christmas 2006.

Literature: Othello, Conspicuous Consumption by Thorstein Veblen

Music: Hawksley Workman tunes, The 12 Days of Christmas by Bob & Doug McKenzie

Movie: Who Killed the Electric Car?

Food: Green tea and gingerbread

Items: Printed pajama pants, headbands, diamond studs and my home-made elf hat.

People: Shelby and 'Mr. Potato Head'

This is my gratuitous "school-is-over-for-2006-forever!!!" post. So with the Christmas break well underway and lots of gifts to look forward to, there is clearly lots to celebrate.
What is the 'Jesus Walk', anyways? This picture entrances with me, though I don't completely understand it. Damn Adbusters and their catchy anti-consumerism advertising, damn them!

So ever since I read Awesome In A Useless Way's post on her six pairs of shoes, I've been craving a pair of moccasins. They're adorable in a "crunchy granola hipster" kind of way, and are a way of experiencing winter wamth and comfort without committing the blasphemy of Uggs. If the way to winter warmth, comfort and fashionability can be found through one lovely moc, then call me a convert. "Happy Holidays" until I post again, which will likely be soon due to my much needed break from school. Hooray!

Nobody Cares About Your T-Shirt

If anyone has set foot into a Bluenotes lately, they would have noticed a particularly horrendous tan graphic tee on the 2/$10 rack reading "Nobody Cares About Your Blog". All I can say is that it's a genuinely ugly shirt, why else would it be on the 2/$10 rack - at Bluenotes no less. The unfortunate part is that I actually saw a girl at school wearing the bloody thing. I'm not sure whether to be offended by her lack of fashion sense or the slogan on her shirt. I suppose neither really matter, but I can't help but mock her in bitter irony. "Of course you don't care about my fashion blog. You would have to possess at least an inkling of good taste in order to check it out." So there, blog-hater. That's my rebuttal to your t-shirt... It's a crying shame you'll never get to read it.

Mixed Bag

Guess what? I am Time Magazine's person of the year- and so are you. Yes, Time has named 'You' as person of the year because of internet culture's effect on 2006. By using Myspace and YouTube, by file sharing music and reading/writing blogs - the user friendly aspect of the internet has been immortalized. Congratulations to myself and other wonderful bloggers for contributing to the global phenomena.

Another thing, how do I get invited the cult of Coutorture? I've been noticing little black boxes reading "Member of Coutorture" more and more often. Come on, I think I deserve to be a member. I've been blogging for 9 months, which counts as approximately a decade in blog years. My dues have been paid. I'm worth my salt. It's time for my coming-of-age ceremony.

And finally, this is a personal apology to Danielle of Final Fashion. I have removed the "Anonymous" commenting option on this blog due to ridiculous spammers selling appetite suppressants and viagra. I know that means you can't conveniently comment anymore, but we are together in the spirit of blogging. I just can't think of anything I need less that appetite suppressants or viagra, short of more spam.

School gets out on December 22nd, so expect the posting frequency to be much higher after that date. Happy Holidays!

In favour of materialism.

Though the origins stretch far beyond the 1980's, it was that decade in which the "me-generation" made materialism it's most popular. Despite the '90s economic down fall etc., the material needs and wants of human beings are steadily increasing. The desire for stuff grows even stronger at Christmas time, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Christmas is especially difficult for those who aren't Christian (or Pagan, depending on where you believe Christmas originates from). People seem to forget that Chanukah and Kwanzaa are also year-end religious holidays that are widely celebrated. For these people, it really sucks when you try to go shopping and cheery clerks shout "Merry Christmas!" at every turn. By taking the Christ out of Christmas it allows more people to partake in the special holiday, because materialism is one habit that transcends religion. So it doesn't matter where you come from or what you believe, spoil yourself this holiday season. If everyone does the same, then "no child gets left behind".

Hmm. I hope this post made sense. Perhaps it's one of those ideas that cannot be properly translated into words outside of one's mind. What I'm trying to say is simply; By taking religion out of Christmas and injecting materialism into it, Christmas can be enjoyed by all people.

The Death of the Blog

No, not this blog! But I really must address the rapind disappearance of good fashion blogs. First their was Guise. Then there was the venerated You Know You Love It, from teen fashion goddess Leith. Most lately, The Bubble Gum Cynic is nowhere to be found. What happened, and why? There is a subsequent void in the blogosphere...

Knockoff Nation

Instead of doing work in English Literature class yesterday, I spent the period engaging in an excellent conversation about fashion with my friend Caileigh and two fabulous ballet dancers. We talked of Paris, Rock & Republic and most notably, knockoffs. Apparently there's a kiosk in the local mall that is hawking knockoffs. I thought they just sold bad perfume and pyramid belts but apparently I was wrong. When inquired if he sold any Burberry scarves the small Indian man opened up a secret drawer and revealed "I have a black one and a brown one. And if you come back in a week, I will go on Ebay and get more" . He's also been glimpsed selling faux Chanel purses among other brands. I'm not a fan of knockoffs at all, but this mall man is intriguing me and perhaps I will go to investigate his wares sometime this week.

Merry McChristmas

True tales from an insider, my friend. I went to the McDonald's Christmas Party last sunday and am now capable of verifying what McSlaves choose to wear when not in uniform. The verdict? Polyester. Lots of polyester and frizzy, frizzy hair. Lots of obese females in short skirts. It was actually painful to watch. When you're surrounded by polyester, frizz and fat, having fun becomes a chore. Thank Pookong (Brave New World literary reference) I was dressed appropriately in a simple gray wrap dress, a pearl chain necklace and black platforms. It's a shame the picture obscures my shoes, because they were really quite integral to the outfit. Despite my bleeding eyes, it wasn't a terrible night - and a special mention to my wonderful friends and colleagues Lauren in the swingin' sixties shift dress and Cassie in the silk kimono top.

P.S.: A very interesting fact. In most pictures of me, I am placed at the far left. Coincidentally, this is also where my political beliefs lie.

Killer Kevin <3

Let me introduce you to a "character" who attends Centennial Secondary School. I'll call him "Kevin" and he is flamboyantly gay. I love gay men, but Kevin is not the loveable type. He walks around with a stick of pretension shoved right up his ass and a camera around his neck so he can take oh-so-important photos for the yearbook that showcase his artistic talent. He's an emo type whose myspace name is something like "Killer Kevin <3" and has white blond hair with skunky black patches in it. He'll wear skinny jeans so tight that his calves bulge out with flourescent green Vans and pink polka-dotted socks, you get the picture. But not today. It is spirit week and on "Dress Down Day" he decides to wear gray sweatpants with blue booty shorts overtop. It was heinous. It was impossible to distinguish whether they were cheerleaders shorts or womens underwear. I did a double-take it was so bad. My school needs a revolution, a fashion crusade. Maybe even an inquisition. Whatever you want to call it, those kind of outfits just need to stop.