Halloween

Ahh Halloween. The day when you can dress like someone (or something) else and it's socially acceptable. The hip place to be was, of course, Heidi Klum's party. She's known for crazy costumes and this year was no disappointment. Check it:

I'm sure you're staring at this with a horrified WTF on your face. Perhaps you're chuckling with glee. Thumbs up to Heidi here for doing something shocking and a bit revolting. That's what Halloween should be. We know that she's gorgeous already, duh. She doesn't need to dress up as something pretty and cute. And really, look at how much of process this getup is. It's wearable art.

As for the blogosphere, I guess skeleton was the theme for this year (Insert model weight jokes here. Love me some puns.) These three were in the top few scrolls on lookbook for the day.

This next one is called “Marie Antoinette found her head.” I love that. Clever costumes and/or historical references are the best. School nerd forever!

As for me, I coordinated with a friend and we were Daria and Jane. Most people questioned my clothes choice, since what I was wearing is pretty close to how I dress on a regular basis, minus the glasses. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Hope you all had a good Halloweekend and Halloween!

Apple Pie... Thingies

In the spirit of the best season ever, autumn, I made these apple pie-ish things. I say “ish” because they're made with puff pastry instead of pie crust and come in single serving. I found this recipe on my new favorite website, A Beautiful Mess, and altered it a bit.

Pre-heat oven to 350.

1. Peel and finely chop 2 apples. Mix with 5 tablespoons sugar (you can do half white, half brown if you so choose), and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Let your puff pastry sit out for about 45 minutes to defrost if you have been keeping it in the freezer. Cut into squares or any shape you want. I got about 5 squares out of each sheet.
   
   
3. Spoon some apples on one square and cover with the other square, crimp the sides with a fork. I sprinkled some cinamon and sugar on top before putting them in the oven.
   
   
   
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown.
   
   
   

This was the first time I've used puff pastry which I've heard can be temperamental. My first batch didn't cook fully, it just got a little melted and clear looking, you know what I mean? There is no word for this phenomenon in English, but my mother calls it dwakaletz in Polish, so that's what I always say.

Happy Halloweekend!!

My Favorite Fashion-In-Film Outfits

Fashion class recently showed a movie about the relationship between film and fashion. Ahhh yes, eye candy clothes on the big screen. One of the talking heads said that “movies are like long fashion shows.” I couldn't agree more. The clothes are what I'm watching most of the time anyway!

The doc brought up the typical examples like Audry Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, 80s workout wear from Flashdance... I was a little miffed that they didn't mention Grace Kelly in Rear Window. As regular readers of this blog would know, I am obsessed with her outfits in that film (see a previous post).

Here are memorable costumes from some of my favorite movies, or at least, costumes that always stick out in my mind. This is going to be a long post because once I start grabbing pictures, it's so hard to stop...

Of course, top of the list is the green dress that Kiera Knightley wears in Atonement, which the documentary mentioned. And I totally agree. It was the most iconic dress of the YEAR and was in high demand for recreation. A girl from my high school wore one to prom. I completely understand this.

Moulin Rouge is a mecca of fabulousity. If ever I was to create wacky corseted over the top early 20^th century prostitute wear... this would be it. The costumes from Moulin Rouge are so amazing I can't even stand it. Every single outfit Nicole Kidman wears is gorgeous, from the red dress to the dance costumes to the jewelry. The film won Oscars for costume design and art direction, obviously.

(The original is best! Sorry, Angelina, you're wearing the wrong color shirt anyway.)

Ok, don't kill me on this one, I chose it for sentimental purposes only. I pick Lara Croft from Tomb Raider because her outfit has become iconic for female asskickery: the short shorts, holster, and tight top. I don't even like the movie, I love the VIDEO GAME!!! Tomb Raider 2, which came out in 1996 for original Play Station, was the only video game I have ever actually played (ok, more like watched, it was my brother's...) from start to finish. So sue me.

This one isn't so much related to a movie as it is style branding. Out of Peter Pan, we get the Peter Pan collar. Actually, if you look at Disney's cartoon Peter Pan, it isn't the same collar at all since it's normal and pointy. I like than in Finding Neverland, which is the roundabout story of Peter Pan's creation, they put all the kids (specifically Peter) in this rounded style of collar. Very good costuming decision there.

Marie Antoinette. This movie is relatively dry, plot wise, but visually wonderful. It's a goldmine for all things pastel and French and frilly, which is a huge hit on tumblr (ha!). I wonder how many different outfits Kirsten Dunst actually wore in this film... the dauphine liked her dresses. A lot. It also won an Oscar for costume design.

Let's get some men in here! Here's an old one, just because young Marlon Brando is a sexpot and wears awesome jackets. Oh you working union man, you. This is On the Waterfront.

I love Margot's costume from The Royal Tenenbaums because it's all over the place. She has this pale skin and blond hair that is completely contrasted by her dark eyeliner. Her hair is straight and short , styled with a preschool barrette. Then she wears a striped polo dress like you wore on elementary school picture day paired with a huge fur coat like your grandmother would wear. She's a child trapped in a woman's body who's trying to be more grown up than she is. She's every age in one outfit, which is a pretty remarkable thing.

...I'm going to leave it at that since I could probably go on forever. This was fun, maybe I'll do a post like this again!  

MORE Studding

...since studding is obviously the best and easiest thing to do ever. It's a great way to personalize some basics, like this plain zippy that I showed you all a couple posts ago from yesstyle. My pack o' studs is from studsandspikes. They're larger than the last ones I used, which I'm happy with. They're quite clanky.

I've introduced proper studding procedure here in a previous post when I studded some shorts. All you do is push the pointy parts through your fabric and bend them down on the other side. It'll look like this:

First, I outlined the kangaroo pouches on the front, keeping the studs close together, nearly touching.

Then I made a triangular pattern on each shoulder. I started with a line of 5 right along the shoulder seam. I continued in parallel lines on each side taking away 1 stud each time.

The finished product looks like this:

Zombie Boy

OH RICOOO! What did you let them do to you!?!

I'm sure you've heard of Rico Genest aka “Zombie Boy.” He became world famous after he was featured in Lady Gaga's video for Born This Way. He has since become the object of many a fashion editorial and campaign.

Rico is the obvious choice when advertising for makeup specifically designed to cover tattoos. He's young, well-known, and plenty of people are beside themselves at getting to see him de-zombified. I remember Kat Von D doing something like this a while back for Sephora.

Still... I can't help feeling a little disturbed watching this. His tattoos are what he uses to define his character. They're not something he regrets and wants to cover up. He's never been ashamed of them, he wouldn't have (and plan for more) tattoos to the extent that he does if they weren't exactly what he wanted. It seems contrary to call this "dehumanizing" since they're physically making him back into a human... but that's essentially what's happening here. 

We start off this commercial with a ordinary man, well ok, an extremely good looking man. When he takes the make up off and the viewer sees him all tatted up, they get this feeling of “oh, what a shame. But yes, really great makeup coverage there.” I can't discredit Dermablend for trying though. It could have started out with him tattooed and ended with him completely covered, a reversal of the current commercial. If they would have done that, it would have changed the message completely: hide yourself. I'm glad, at least, that they didn't go that direction.

Plugs

Got my new plugs today from bodyartforms! They have a super awesome selection of plugs, spirals, etc. I prefer plugs over anything else since they're the least annoying and you don't have to take them out to sleep. That's why I gauged in the first place, I don't have to worry about changing earrings all the time. I also had a bad habit of playing with the post of any stud I wore, then they'd get wiggly and I'd lose them.

I wear a 2g, which really isn't big at all. It's almost big enough for me to fit a pencil through my ear (like that visual?). I wanted them big enough for it to be noticeable but not big enough that they'll never grow back. I'm sure I won't want big holes in my ears by the time I'm 40 years old. These are the ones I purchased:

These are fake amber, which is great because I'm Polish and we love our Baltic Sea amber. They're also a nice color for fall, very organic and reminiscent of crunchy leaves. The flare is pretty big, but I think bigger flares are better since then they won't fall out easily.

These are cracked glass in the color called "smoke." They have a slight greenish tinge, which makes them a really unique color. The ends are concave, which is a little odd. What I like best is that they're nearly clear and light filters through them slightly

If you purchase through this website, you get a ton of shipping options at various costs. Go for the regular postal delivery. It says it will take 2-3 weeks for $2 shipping, which is false! It took the normal time to send a regular piece of mail, about 3 days. I'll definitely buy from them again. Take a gander around their site!

Dr. Martens

It has recently come to my attention that every outfit that I might attempt to post here includes my docs. I could be wearing some kind of girly dress or it could be jeans and a zippy. I'm starting to realize that they are possibly the best boot in existence and well worth the $125 minimum that they will usually cost (unless you're crafty and thrift a perfectly good pair like I did. Still my best thrift purchase EVER.). My only complaint is that the thick rubber sole is really heavy, but that's something I'm willing to deal with.

(mine. classic 14-hole, mid-calf height)

So what makes Docs so great? First of all, they're boots, which automatically makes them superior on my shoes hierarchy. I almost always wear strictly boots for 3 seasons out of the year or else my ankles feel naked and cold. But more than that... they look good with absolutely anything you wear. They're timeless.

The first time my Dad saw me wearing my boots, he called me a Neo Nazi. Um, not exactly. I think there might be some kind of combat-y stigma associated with docs still, but that connotation is gradually going away. They come in so many colors and patterns now that anyone can do what they want with them. Let's see some of the many faces of Dr. Martens...

First of all, docs are a punk staple. It's a very British thing. Dr. Marten even hires punks to stand around and do their advertising. Personally, I think punk fashion is so bomb. I've said this before, but anything that stands out and is borderline obnoxious is A+ fashion to me. Peep this tumblr for more, it's my favorite: lycanthropunk.

Who says docs are only for the hardcore and heavy duty? Here we've got a collared shirt, sweater, and a blazer. Quite different from punk, no?

Loooolita inspired! I love loli, it's so bold although it lacks the intention of being bold. They're not usually going for shock factor, like most punks, but they end up getting the same kind of reactions. White docs are amazing but I think I would probably scuff them up horribly the second I step outside.

There's something proportionately off about docs that I like. I have long legs and big feet, making them kind of like clown shoes since the actual foot part is so large. I like them that way, they stand out.

Now this looks relatively "normal" by modern standards, right? 

Experiment. Stand out. Make people question your fashion sanity. And wear docs. You can be whatever you want.

100 Years of Fashion

Here's a really cool video of how far we've come in 100 years. Isn't amazing how much has changed in what is a relatively short amount of time?

Check out their sweet dance moves too!

Bill Cunningham

We watched a documentary in my fashion class the other day about Bill Cunningham, a street fashion photographer for the New York Times.

What a passionate man. He is one of the last 6 tenants of Carnegie Hall in NYC, a place known for the various celebrities and artsy folk who have lived there over the years. Two of the ladies have lived there since before 1950! The changes they've seen in the city and the people that they've met are amazing to think about. Such history.

Cunningham himself is a marvel. His tiny apartment is full of file cabinets of negatives and pictures from his entire career. When asked about where he'll live after Carnegie, he scoffed at the idea of a new place. “It'll probably have a kitchen and a bathroom. Who wants that? It's just more to clean.” ...And he was completely serious.

As a photographer, he puts other journalists' ethics to shame. I know we're not supposed to accept gifts and such, but Cunningham won't even accept a glass of water at the fancy parties and red carpet events he attends. All in the name of objectivity.

The doc also featured interviews from various wellknown people in NYC society. I was amused by this dapper gentleman, Patrick McDonald, who is known as “Dandy.” What awesome style. He showed his technique for putting on and taking off hats, which was hilarious.

  

It's great to see people so passionate about their jobs. You can tell that this is really what Cunningham loves. He sees “fashion as an art form, dressing the body.” He loves things that stand out, probably what some people would stare at and call “weird” or “out of place.” I agree with him completely. That's what fashion should be.  

Yessstyle Review

I finally got my stuff from yesstyle.com! I ordered on Sept 24, but I don't expect it to arrive for 2 weeks, because one item was in the “ships in 7-14 days” category. Otherwise I'd have this package in a couple days. I got an email saying it shipped on the 4^th, which lied! I didn't get it until the 10^th, but I did have enjoy seeing all the places this package had check in: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Anchorage, Memphis, and finally to Syracuse.

I received the box from a rather frazzled looking FedEx man. I don't blame him, my street is completely closed and my driveway resembles something like a moat...

Yay!

 So here's what I ordered, pics from yesstyle's website.

I'm aware of how Japanese schoolgirl this looks. I think it's the bow that does it. Haha! It fits me fine, it's REALLY short though, which is because I'm about 5'8. Good thing I got this slip dress:

You're looking at the white lace/chiffon part here, which goes under a dress. It's basically a long cotton cami with this attatched to the bottom and I think it's the greatest idea ever. I'm a fan of the long cardigan and leggings combo and this would work perfectly underneath. It it adds length to those shirts that you're never sure whether to wear them as a dress or as a top. It's probably going to become one of my favorite things I own. My only complaint is that it's pretty tight... but I blame that on my large bottom!

Last is this plain black zippy. Its fleece and soft and I already studded it up (will post that soon). My complaint is that this came with holes about 2 inches long on the shoulder seams, like the sewing machine didn't catch them. It was nothing that I couldn't stitch up myself in a couple minutes, but still, I don't expect my clothes to have holes in them when I get them.

Pretty pleased overall. If shipping takes long, it's nothing that yesstyle doesn't inform you about when you order so it shouldn't come as a surprise.