Hello Boys

Woo! Go unflattering shorts! Super ironic that the shorts shown below have been deemed "Boyfriend Shorts" when boys couldn't be less interested in them. There's a total difference between the girl who takes style advice from Seventeen ("shorts that will get you the 2nd date!") and girls that take inspiration from Teen Vogue ("how to wear multiple floral patterns"). The difference is girls who dress for themselves because they love fashion and expressing themselves creatively through fashion versus girls who dress to impress. It's funny how boyfriend shorts are "so hot" right now, whereas when it comes to boys, they're basically a man repellant. I'd like to introduce you to a new item of vocabulary:

MAN·RE·PELL·ER¹ [MAHN-REE-PELLER]

NOUN: outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex. This includes but is not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls (see: human repelling), shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.

VERB: (used without object),-pell·ing, -pell·ed.

to commit the act of repelling men: 
Girl 1: What are you wearing tonight?
Girl 2: My sweet lime green drop crotch utility pants
Girl 1: Oh, so we're man repelling tonight?

[Ashley, Jessica, Ashley:  Learn how to make your boyfriend shorts non-repelling in one simple step... or not.]

Read my new fave blog The Man Repeller to hear the latest, greatest trends that you love and follow that are simultaneously repelling men left and right. Slouchy pants, high waisted clothing, onesies, and granny floral prints: yes, yes and YES! The author of the site is a self-proclaimed man repeller herself and has a great sense of humor on the subject. I admit it, I'm a man repeller, SO WHAT? It feels good to embrace it. If a man repeller means dressing for yourself and wearing what you personally think is awesome, then I'm not changing a thing.

Sunshine Been Keeping Me Up

In the spirit of hardtoexplain

Elliott Smith- Pretty (Ugly Before)

[Vintage Miu Miu | My photo of daisies | "Last Days" by Gus Van Sant a.k.a. the K. Cobain biopic]

 

Punk Rock Means Freedom

My 1st actual d.i.y. post! My sister was internet window shopping when she discovered a pair of converse that are a collaboration with Kurt Cobain (re-issue I guess..). Ordering online in Canada is a huge ordeal- everything costs at least 50 bucks more than an American would pay- it's just not usually worth it. When she was all bummed out, I suggested that I re-create them on her prized black low-tops...and that's the beautiful tale of how these shoes came to be. It took a while to replicate Kurt's printing, but luckily he's not the most meticulous penman evar. I think they turned out pretty swell, don't you?

Cartoon from Alex's blog Stuff No One Told Me: It's highly hilarious. ||  Kurt letting it all hang out.

Ghost World..again

You know how the beginning of the summer is so packed with friends, events, hope, inspiration...then it slowly fades to this dull blob of goo that is your brain not knowing what day of the week it is. It's actually pretty righteous. Boppin' around, doing whatever I want...honestly, I think it's just extreme relaxation. That totally doesn't mean that I've lost inspiration: I've been doing a lot of illustrating lately so I wanted to share sum stuff witch'all, like my little ScarJo and Thora Burch cartoon..accompanied by the Aimee Mann song "Ghost World" which is also pretty righteous.

[Aimee Mann actually based this song on the graphic novel- listen to the lyrics]

So, I'm bailing this town-or
Tearing it down-or
Probably more like
Hanging around,
Hanging around

[Luella]

Androgyny

Having read the Virgin Suicides prior to watching the movie, I was constantly critiquing every second of the movie. Sophia Coppola did an amazing job esthetically, but there were still certain elements missing. For example the complete dilapidation of the Lisbon home- it remained relatively the same throughout, while I find in the book, its destruction was a very powerful metaphor. But english class analysis aside, it was a beautiful film...and it had Josh Hartnett as Trip Fontaine- 'nuff said.

The second image is of emerging model (Aussie I believe?) Bambi (yes, her name). Seen in RUSSH magazine and copious amounts of lookbooks, her bushy-browed face is seen everywhere now. Call me crazy, but I can't help but notice how Josh and Bambi are two peas in a pod. Pouty stares, contemplative expressions seen through little eyes, shorter brown hair...they're both so adorable! Unfourtunately, while Josh H. is fading into oblivion, Bambi will be doing quite the opposite, so keep an eye out for her :)

[Josh Hartnett in Virgin Suicides]

[It-girl model Bambi Northwood-Blyth]

Double Rainbow!!

Finally it rains!! A week of EXTREME HOTNESS* has turned me into a different person. Instead of working on an entry for the Fifi Lapin contest, intentionally ripping cutoffs, or learning how to play the drums, it's been mango smoothies and scary movies. But seriously, 45 dC is WAY too hot to do anything productive...except of course if you're producing mango smoothies. One thing that this heat wave has done for me is reduce me to hysterics- the perfect mood to watch the below video. Not exaggerating when I say it's the funniest video on youtube @ the moment and people are taking notice- quick! Watch it now before people make shirts quoting it!! DOUBLERAINBOWOHMYGOD!

[Possibly d.i.y. accessories]

Now, relating that ridiculous video to amazing summer fashion inspiration. Karl Lagerfeld Spring 2008!! It's set ON a rainbow! The clothes are mostly white with pops of super saturated colored accessories and spikes! It's a perfect juxtaposition to the girly dresses and loose hair that make this collection so inspirational for summer attire.

The looks seen at Karl Lagerfeld s/s '08 would be perfect for music festivals or...a Hole concert? Yep, that's right tonight is the night I see Courtney Love (!) in the flesh so it's no wonder I'm using so many exclamation marks. Luckily there has been some rain where I live, so it won't be as hot as it has been for the past few days. Maybe i'll even see a double rainbow!! How serendipitous would that be?

*Hoping to use this term as much as possible in everyday convos this summer.

Frye: Motorcycle // Engineer Boots (Part II)

Or will it be the Frye Engineer boots? The round toed cousin of the Harness boot now serve as a defining factor of Model Off Duty street style. To name a couple, Models Ali Michael (pictured below, with long brown hair and blue jeans) and Sasha Pivovarova each own a pair of motorcycle boots that they tuck skinny jeans in to. You may be thinking that you need model-thin legs to pull off a mid-calf boot, but the chunky heel and clompy style are surprisingly flattering. These would be great for horrible Canadian winters or even muddy Summer concerts + they last forever (don't mind me...I'm just thinking practically- it's inescapable).

It's a difficult debate deciding which boots are the ULTIMATE. It's actually kind of funny how long I've been searching for the ideal leather boot...2 years now? How lame is that? Buhhhhht I am proud to announce that I've made the decision. Can you guess which ones??

Frye Boots: Harness vs. Engineer

There are two Frye boots that are seen everywhere now that are equally cool. For this post, I'm going to concentrate on the Harness boot (see below images) so as I can weigh my pros and cons before I make this life-altering shoe decision.

So, Harness... where do I start. I first saw the Harness boot in Rachel Getting Married on Anne Hathaway's character Kym. Recently sprung from rehab to go to her sister's wedding, Kym is a troubled character who obviously feels out of place in the situation. Further cementing her outsider status, Kym punches her mom out,  wraps cars around trees, and hooks up with men from her rehab support group, not to mention there's a cigarette constantly hanging off her lip. Am I allowed to say badass? This is definitely the image I get when I think of Harness boots. Haha not seriously to the "Rachel Getting Married" degree, but these boots would definitely help me achieve a more "rebellious teenager" image (to say the least).

From the picture below, it looks like Anne H. got to keep the Harness boots from the movie & along with a smoking addiction, has adapted them into her life. Other fashionable stars like Mary-Kate Olsen and Camilla Belle have also taken to the Harness boots: their flowing, diaphanous tops and boho accessories are given an edge by the rugged boots. The final Harness fan that I will mention is Rumi- curator to the blog Fashion Toast. If that doesn't prove their coolness, then nothing will.

**Stay tuned for ENGINEER BOOTS**

Birthday

It's my birthday so I can have the most self-indulgent post that I want! Enjoy.