The Torn Identity

Street Style photos from Garance Dore and Style Sightings. Runway photos from Style.com. All other sources are linked to below.

Torn jeans are hardly unusual. In fact, I'm wearing a pair with rips at the knees right now. I know that in the past, hole-y clothing was considered a sign of poverty, but these days it's much more of a norm. I don't feel comfortable wearing ripped jeans to a nice restaraunt or party, but for every day I even like the look.

Quick semi-related joke: Why did the rabbi get wet? Because his umbrella was hole-y! Har, har.

Back to the point - I'm used to jeans with the knees worn out, with frayed hems and threadbare bums (well, to a point). I wear 'em til they're no longer serviceable, and then out they go. But one thing I'm not used to is the kind of jeans that we saw on a recent Maison Martin Margiela runway (See above on the top right, second from left on the bottom). With decisively tattered legs, these creations barely cover more than a pair of shorts. They look like someone ran them through the paper shredder, and while they intrigue me, I'm not such a fan. For now.

But a toned down version of the look? That's something I could really get to like. The Urban Collection jeans (worn by the red-haired model above) are slightly less ripped up, and as usual, the styling is impeccable. I find the torn black jeans worn almost as leggings to be quite appealing. The Rick Owens leggings (top left) are also pretty sweet.

Mr. Margiela may have had the idea, but I'm sure you could come up with something a lot nicer and way cheaper on your own by taking a pair of scissors to some old skinny jeans. From the examples above, I've decided I prefer black jeans (which I don't actually own) for the project, but I think any color would do very nicely. Also, tighter jeans look pretty good, and the jeans work just fine when cropped, even if I prefer them long. Also, should I get my act together and actually find some jeans to work with, I plan to wear them under dresses and tunics. I will carry a fake squirt gun and call the look "The Torn Identity." Tee hee. Oh, puns. You know you love it.

Thoughts? Ideas? Puns to share? Bring 'em on!

J'adore Paris

I'm so glad that I received a comment about the new blog Once Upon a Honeymoon, because it has some incredible street style pics from the shows in Paris! There's a definite focus on shoes, which is a fun Jak & Jil - esque twist on street style photos. Yum! Check out some of my favorite pictures:

I like that these pictures are not just of models and fashion editors - it makes for some unique styling.

Oh shoes, you pretty things! I would wear all of these, although walking might be difficult in most of them. . .

I really must go to Paris one of these days. Promise to self: Paris is in the cards.

Yawn

I had something in mind to write about tonight, but I'm too tired.

Please accept this apology in the form of delectably stylish boy photos.

Yum! I wish more guys would dress this way. . . and more girls, come to think of it. . .

Photos courtesy of Street Peeper, the Sartorialist, Savvy London, Chictopia, and Lookbook.nu.

Fabulous Street Style

Stylesightings just did a post of fashion week style that took my breath away. Such amazingly fashionable people! Such creativity! Such genius clothing combinations!

See for yourself:

It shouldn't work, but it does. Those shoes are fabulous, and I love the bag. The fantastically patterned dress looks so great with the leather jacket, and I adore the scarf headband.

Those tights! Where did she get them? Can I have a pair, please? Also, that draping on the dress - pretty, right? I'm thinking I might be able to recreate that...

What can I say, I'm a fan of torn stockings and lace-up boots, especially when mixed with lace.

Life's Deeper Questions

The most recent photos from Facehunter have me pondering life's deepest questions.


How come blond girls can wear head-to-toe black without looking goth? Why does this girl look so infinitely cool?



How does this woman, despite wearing head-to-toe gold and a dress that exposes most of her thighs and the center of her chest down to her waist, manage to look classy?

Will we ever know the answer?

Stylish Boy Candy

Boys, take note. This is the kind of guy that makes girls weak at the knees. His style is simple, really - fedora, t-shirt, cardi, skinny jeans, boots - but wonderful. The fedora and boots give it a subtle, charming twist. Another thing that I like about this photo is that in the accompanying interview, Kevin (I believe that's the stylish boy candy's name) said, "I wear a lot of different colors. I try not to discriminate." and, "I kind of enjoy when people wear unnecessary amounts of radical jewelry." Amen, Kevin, amen.

Leopard Print & Plaid: Do-able?

I love this girl for mixing plaid and leopard print. I had just been wondering whether this was do-able, having recently finalized a swap for a leopard print skirt (yay!), and I guess that it is. This girl was able to make it work by keeping the plaid and leopard print from physically meeting by wearing a cropped jacket. I'll have to keep this in mind. I don't love her entire outfit (I think that I'd keep the rest of the outfit fairly low key and avoid using a printed bag), but you have to admit she looks smashingly edgy.

Style is in the Eye of the Beholder

Sorry to start another post off with a mention of TLC, but...

Last night I was flipping channels, and I stopped to catch a minute of What Not to Wear. I watched, mouth agape in horror, as Stacy and Clinton ridiculed some poor woman in front of all of her friends. The ridiculing was standard for WNTW, but I was aghast at the reason for the ridicule. Apparently Stacy/Clinton found the woman's dress - one of those Mexican tent dresses we've been seeing all over the place - to be appallingly ugly and unstylish. And you know what? I thought the dress was great. I would've worn it in a second. In fact, I've seen numerous stylish women pull it off. So why was a room full of people pointing and laughing at it as the dress's owner timidly admitted it was her favorite dress?

Clearly, style is in the eye of the beholder. I realize this isn't a new concept, but it's something a true fashionista always needs to keep in mind. I think the WNTW crew was being awfully close-minded, which I find unforgivable. The only problem with the woman's dress was her attitude and styling. She could have used a hair cut and some makeup tips. Possibly the dress needed to be taken in a bit, or cinched with a belt, and paired with some bright shoes. And a little attitude wouldn't have hurt either; it seemed like the dress was "wearing her." But to dismiss the dress as unwearable? How boring and uncreative is that?

I think it's important to remember to see the potential in clothing, especially if you're trying to build a unique look on a small budget. I wouldn't buy a designer dress if I thought it was hideous, but I see no problem in scooping up some not-so-great thrift store or Forever 21 dresses and trying to doctor them up. The best, most exciting outfits can come from something boring or unremarkable.

For example:


The girl on the left made her skirt from her father's shirt! And she looks like a million bucks, no? I bet that a ton of women would pay to have a skirt like that. And the girl on the right made her scarf from what looks like a piece of fabric, and it's now the statement piece in her outfit. They both are unapologetically confident in their looks, which helps them pull it off.

Stacy and Clinton wouldn't approve. But I do.

Work Those PVC Leggings!

How amazing do these girls look in those PVC leggings? I'm suddenly regretting that I returned mine. Okay, not really, because mine were too big. But I wish I was able to get a pair in my size.

Here is definite proof that PVC can be worn by anyone, as long as they have enough attitude. I love how the first girl paired hers with a dress and cardi for a great girly-tough contrast, while the second girl (Agathe from Style Bytes) paired hers with a black T and killer heels for a sort of rocker look. Of course, the girls' great legs don't hurt either. Jealous.

A Sartorial Thought

The two street style blogs that I read on a daily basis are Facehunter and The Sartorialist, although I make a point of stopping in at Oslostil every so often. I always find it interesting how the personal styles of the different photographers come through in their photos. Case in point - these pictures from the Sartorialist:





In each photo, the featured person is wearing a classically chic outfit with a quirky twist, which is something I appreciate. However, in each picture I notice a person in the background whose outfit I would rather see up close, like the woman in the purple stilleto mary janes in the first one, and the woman with the seafoam pants and little hats in the second. Maybe the Facehunter, who tends to shoot "louder" styles, would have snapped photos of them if he were present. I think it would be totally fascinating for the Facehunter and the Sartorialist to spend a few days taking pictures together, just to see what they both come up with.

Maybe we can unite and convince them. All in favor of this idea say aye! (And possibly post about this thought on your blog to spread the word...Maybe if it gets circulated for a bit, it will actually happen...)

A Revelation on Accessories

Sooo...guess what? I took the night off from working on my novel, and now my fashion blog inspiration is back! I think I'll be alternating from now on to keep both projects going.

Speaking of inspiration, I always take a lot of inspiration from street style blogs - in particular, Facehunter and the Sartorialist. This morning I was browsing through the photos that the street style fairy miraculously posts every night while I'm asleep, and I noticed a common thread between most of the outfits. Most people probably noticed this long ago, but I gasped in shock at the sudden realization that the accessories made the outfit. My favorite photos would have been slightly quirky, but not particularly notable, had it not been for a main, eye-catching accessory. For example:


The parasol is key to this look...it catches the eye, provides contrast against the yellow, and adds a certain "fullness" to the woman's appearance. (photo courtesy of The Sartorialist)


This woman would look amazing even if she had to give up an accessory, but I think that the little veil across her face takes the outfit to an entirely different level of fabulousness. On a side note, I love how she took all these pieces with a sort of "old glamour" and updated them with her edgy hair and things. (Photo courtesy of Facehunter)


The shoes and the shades are both vital components of this look, but I think losing either one of them would detract greatly from the outfit. (Photo courtesy of Facehunter)

It seems I should take a cue from these fashionable ladies and stock up on eye-catching, slightly out-of-the-ordinary accessories to make my outfits really pop.

And there you have it...my revelation for the day. On a somewhat related digression, does any one else wonder about the outrageous outfits that sometimes appear on Facehunter? Like, do these people see a Native American headdress in a store, think "Wow, that'll look amazing," and wear it to their next party, or are they just trying to get attention by wearing something outrageous? Is it a joke? Is it a statement? I can never tell. It makes me want to march off to one of those parties and demand to know the meaning/reason behind peoples' clothing choices. If you are ever at a party like that, please think of me and ask them! And then shoot me an email. My curiosity is at an extremely high level.