Thursday, February 26, 2009

Flashback

Welcome to the first edition of family album fashion flashback. This week we have a few snaps from the 80s.

My brother Chris rocks Wayfarers on the beach. What jams are on his Caveman?

These are not hipster midgets in Maccaren Park on a Sunday afternoon, they are my brothers circa 1985:

Relaxing poolside with Mom. Wish I could get my hands on either of those swimmies. And yes, I am actually wearing an adult swimsuit, filling it out with pure baby chub:

Mom sporting a fringe, suntan, and a funky sweater:

Have a good weekend everyone!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Wishlist....

Funky animal print leggings from Diane Von Furstenburg's fall 2009 collection.





Alejandro Ingelmo shoes (US $815!!).

Or same shape, more subdued Michael Kors.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

F*** you penguin


If you passionately love or hate cute animals then this blog might be for you! Hilarious.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Marc Jacobs: the good, the bad, and the 80s


I've always been a big Marc Jacobs fan, but I am having trouble processing his fall 2009 collection- though not necessarily in a bad way. It struck me as sort of Boy George meets Don't Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead with a few contemporary pieces thrown in. The models were styled to resemble trannies (or maybe mannequins?), and each had different hairstyles ranging from mohawks to Flock of Seagulls. Confused yet? The show started off simple with grey knits (I like the sweater with cutouts on the shoulder), silk neck scarves, metallic leathers, and some dark burgundy and silver hues. Then it entered some sort of nostalgic zone full of bright pinks, greens, and yellows, overstated shoulders, and a-line hems that channeled vintage Christina Applegate, only with more high-end fabrics. Throw in a few 80s prom dresses and you may be starting to get the picture of this energetic collection. While some of it seemed like a total joke, at least the show had elements of surprise, and there were definitely a few looks that could strengthen any fall/winter wardrobe.
Totally wearable:
Revisiting the 80s, but in a good way?
The cute print saves this 80s prom dress:

Latest from Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang delivered a predominantly black (nothing wrong with that) fall 2009 collection full of body-conscious rock-chic dresses and staple leggings/skinny pants of varying lengths, including the infamous "biker short" above the knee cut. Now, I know some cool kids have been rocking the "biker shorts" cut for the last few months, but I take my lead from Wang and am only now considering taking the plunge. Back in middle school they were a staple of wardrobe, though usually worn in colors like purple and blue and almost certainly paired with an oversized tee or stripped dress-shirt (think Hannah Anderson catalogue!). Wang gives the style different textures and pairs them with tailored jackets and hardcore boots, creating an edgy but polished look. He continued to play with the skinny black pants, bringing some just below the knee. When leggings first became trendy again a few years ago this was the favored length, and then they got longer and below the knee looked like more of a gym look. Wang gives them a high waist and and adds a belt and simple blouse, and the look works. I also loved the cut-out leggings- I think we can expect to see a lot of cut outs this year. Of course the asymmetrical LBDs were winners too. With everyone from Balmain to Lanvin including a take on them throughout the past few seasons, this look seems to be no fail. I could seriously rock the style every weekend switching it up with ankle boots, statement heels, and cropped jackets. All in all the collection delivered the stylish grunge and glam that I expected from Wang. There was definitely an emphasis on minimalism, and the the economy (hate to bring it up but cant help it) almost certainly has something to do with that. Next up I'm really looking forward to seeing what Balmain puts down the runways...

Australia's Hottest Tradie


Until I moved to Sydney I had never heard the term “tradie.” Australians affectionately use it to refer to guys in trade/blue collar professions, such as carpenters, electricians, and plumbers. Apparently these men are a hot commodity when it comes to boyfriend material, as women in Sydney overwhelmingly prefer them to their white-collar counterparts. In fact, 94% of local, single women surveyed said that they were extremely interested in dating a tradie. These women are tired of high maintenance investment bankers and lawyers (etc), and instead want to love of a down-to-earth man’s man. Tradies are considered more loyal, more traditional, and more family oriented, not to mention they can fix things around the house and look smokin’ without a shirt. I think this phenomenon could partly be attributed to the whole “tall poppy” notion, as Australians pride themselves on turning their nose up at elitism. While in the States I think there is more separation between blue and white-collar, here everybody looks at each other the same when work is over and the pubs are bumping. Anyway, this craze has gotten so extreme that Australia’s RSVP.com (a networking site for finding love) has a section devoted just to finding single tradies to date. The website recently went the extra mile and ran a competition to find Australia’s Hottest Tradie, and the results are apparently in. I would call the whole thing pretty exploitative, but those dudes look really into the photo shoots! Anyway, in this economic climate these are the guys with the stable jobs, so they have more of a reason to smile than most bankers...

Delayed reaction: 2threads Awards

Click here to check out me presenting at the 2threads fashion awards from about two months ago.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Reverse psychology?

Some of you thought yesterday's video post was a bit insensitive, so here is a more light-hearted web video for those needing some uplifting. Click here to watch.

Amazing hissyfit


This camera-phone video of a woman losing the plot after missing her flight in Hong Kong is hilarious! Click here to watch!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Girl crushes

Just taking a moment to highlight some girls who have been getting it right lately. Whether this can be attributed to their great taste or great genetics, they are just plain enviable.

In my mind Diane Kruger can do no wrong. I think her taste is impeccable (she dates Pacey!!), and I have literally never seen her make a fashion mistake. She loves classic looks with slight twists, a la this floral Nina Rocci look and this sophisticated yet youthful Chanel suit. Also, Diane is in her mid-thirties (same age as Kate Moss) and her skin and body look flawless. Girl crush.


Speaking of girl crushes, I think Bar Rafaeli might be the one. I sat next to her on the subway once, and I remember being struck by the combination of her exotic her Israeli accent and gorgeous face (without a stick of makeup). Girl has been everywhere promoting her Sports Illustrated cover, and while she doesn't dress super interesting, she doesn't need to cause her perfect tan, aqua eyes, subtle freckles, and sick curves speak volumes.

Not only have the Sports Illustrated crew been promoting tirelessly this week, but the Victoria's Secret Angels have been hosting a bunch of events too. Adriana Lima and Doutzen Krous hosted an event at the Bowery Hotel last night and I thought Isabeli Fontana looked amazing. This is an outfit that I would love to wear out to dinner and drinks on a Saturday night, although her legs are part of what makes the look so hot. The icing on the cake is fringed Balmain boots- I need a pair!

If we are going to talk about flawless girls I have to mention my thing for Lily Donaldson. I think her face might actually fit the exact scientific characteristics that define beauty. Usually we see her styled to the max in magazine and on runways, but here she is at a AmFar/Fashion Week party last night looking so gorgeous in an evening gown, and two others of her perfectly thrown together M.O.D looks (Model Off Duty).



Ok secretly, I want to give some credit to Whitney...yes, Whitney Port from The Hills and now from The City. Obviously both shows are worse than bad, with hardly anything more than preplanned conversations, head tilts, and blinking happening in each episode. I think we can all agree though that Whitney always looks super cute, and ever since she moved to New York she has only gotten cuter! I'll confess that I have been downloading and watching each new epp weekly, and am finding that it is Whitney's outfits that keep me coming back for more. Here are two wintery street snaps of her walking around Manhattan. Not sure what is going on with those leggings (sparkles?), but I like. And the leopard print coat reminds me both of Kate Moss and of my cousin Hilary (who has been rocking a similar one for a decade).


That's all for now!