Street style - How it should be done

It's fashion week and the streets are being overrun with the tall, the thin, the over-dressed, the chic, the self-important, the awe-struck, the flamboyant, and occasionally, the divine.

Case in point...


When I asked this lady (because she most certainly is a lady) if I could take her picture, her first response was not a shy "Um, ok" or suspicious "What for?", but a very sincere and simple "Thank you". I melted right then and there (so much so that the photo came out a little fuzzy, for which I earnestly apologise).

Street style - Cool Customer(s)

I don't have much to say about these girls except that they were immaculately put together and extremely sweet. They were also very shy so rather than ask them to step outside and pose in the alleyway amongst the lunchtime crowds (like I usually do), I took the challenge of poor indoor lighting and snapped them before they had time to reconsider.

Feed the Trend - Purple

A colour that hasn't really had much sartorial success since the late 90's, purple is experiencing somewhat of a rebirth, and even I'm finding myself drawn to its red-blue stylings.










It's even been selected as the Pantone 2008 Colour of the Year:
"From a color forecasting perspective, we have chosen PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris as the color of the year, as it best represents color direction in 2008 for fashion, cosmetics and home products." So there you go.

The Wallmeyer Twins - a current affairs goldmine

Remember Clare and Rachel Wallmeyer? They made news back in 2004 for being Australia's most famous skeletwins, surviving on a piece of watermelon a day and the occasional hit of heroin (although the drug use was diplomatically omitted from the news stories).
Well thanks to ET and Insider Online they're ba-ack and striking hope into the hearts of prime time TV viewers everywhere.

Now please don't get me wrong, I have absolute empathy (get that, empathy, not sympathy - there's a clue there) for these women but, as with programs like The Biggest Loser, I find television Get-Well-Quick shows to be not only loathsome, but extremely harmful to the sufferers involved*.
While the new footage of the twins may seem promising, all I see is a couple of extremely sick women with serious drug and behavioural problems (which I had to do some digging of my own to uncover) being polished up for the cameras to bring a satisfying conclusion to an unfinished story.
And while I genuinely believe that Dr Ira Sacker is a remarkable man who has helped countless sufferers of eating disorders, it breaks my heart to see these women starve themselves for 10 days in anticipation of the American film crews only to be offered a couple sessions with Dr Ira, during one of which they are fed hot chips, for Christ's sake. Have these people done any research into eating disorders at all? Do they not realise that after this little outing the twins will probably spend a guilt-ridden and self-hate filled afternoon bent over their toilet bowls? Or one bowl in this case - they live together. And don't get me started on the initial interview where the flawless host comments on the girls' weight gain and asks them how much they weigh. Surely, working with Dr Ira they must have done some research, which leads me to conclude that they really couldn't care less about the long-term recovery of the Wallmeyer Twins and are merely offering viewers what they want to see rather than, God forbid, educating them.
When will I learn.


*Don't take my word for it; do a search on how many Biggest Loser contestants actually maintain any of their weight loss in the year following the completion of each show.

Things She Said

She's only 21, bless her, but acts like she's 27 and the world ambassador of everything that is 'cool'. Attractive, granted, but with enough ego and arrogance, were it meted out, to reintroduce 1000 social phobics back into the world.
From the day I met her she's been condescending and unbearable. Wednesday was the first time we'd actually worked in the same store together and although she barely knows me, she felt the need to criticize me for anything that didn't fit into her little view of what is socially acceptable.

1. "Do you ever stop playing with your hair?"
No. I don't want it to feel unloved.

2. "Oh my God, you cover your books?"
Yes. And I read them too.

3. "Is this Rihanna?! Oh my God you listen to such commercial shit."
Well actually I don't listen to the music I really like at work (Apparat, Telefon Tel Aviv, Victor Bermon, Vladislav Delay, Dictaphone, Arovane) because it's inappropriate.
Now let me explain 'irony' to you.
(I explain)
She doesn't get it.

4. "My God, how often do you put on make-up?"
Well I guess if I caked on foundation in the morning I too could leave my skin untouched all day. But seeing as my pores can actually breathe, they sometimes need a powder touch-up to stop me looking like I've been buffed to a high sheen.

(On hearing that I take my dog to dog school)
5. "You go to Dog School?!!"

(On hearing that I didn't want to work Saturdays so that I could do Agility training with the afore-mentioned pooch..)
6. "Agility?! Have you ever heard of lobbing a ball to it in the park?"
No. I hadn't. I thought paying $120 to make my dog jump through hoops was the only way to exercise him. Or, perhaps he's just kinda smart and I like giving him the opportunity to use his brain. But I don't suppose you'd understand that as a concept.

I let her go home an hour early to be rid of her.
I've also requested never to work with her again. I can't be responsible for what I might say if I do.
My reserves of patience have never been particularly ample.

Edison Chen Sex Scandal Photos

Seeing as my previous post about the scandalous celebrity private-porno-party photos currently shocking Hong Kong has been so popular, I've decided to put my dignity in my pocket and post a link to the photos in question.
Please be aware that downloading these files is probably not legal, and that they are very explicit. From what I've heard. I, of course, haven't downloaded them.

The photos, featuring Edison Chen with a number of very famous (and supposedly virginal) starlets, were leaked to the public after some computer repairmen decided to get generous with the contents of Edison's hard drive.

"In the days after the release of the photos, Hong Kong police investigating the case tracked the source of the photos to a computer service center where Chen had taken his laptop for repairs. Police arrested eight employees of the service center in connection with the photo release since the discovery, and announced that they believed over 1,300 racy photos of celebrities had been stolen." MSNBC.


Sources: MSNBC

Feed the Trend - Cropped Beige Trousers

I am in love with this style. It's still a little premature for it to appear in Australia so I went to Savers today and bought a pair of men's beige trousers in a size 30 that can be belted at the waist and cuffed to sit just above the ankle. Sheer brilliance for $7.99.

Street style


At Marc Jacobs


For men


And just because I love him



Images courtesy of The Sartorialist

Our National Apology

There are certain events in history that, as a blogger, one cannot ignore.
Today the Australian government said sorry to the indigenous people of Australia for the 200 years of pretty shitty treatment they've received at the hands of the white fellas. In particular, the systematic removal of mixed-race Aboriginal children from their parents, known as the Stolen Generation, who were then placed in missions and trained up as servants for the white folk.
And this morning, sitting at Ici in Fitzroy with a friend who I hadn't seen in almost a year (and who I'd collected from the airport at 6am), reading the apology (which covered the entire A2-sized front page of The Age), I got a wonderful sense of things being right in the world. A temporary feeling I know, but sweet nonetheless.


Gerard Ellis (stolen 60 years ago), in Canberra for the apology.

Edison Chen Sex Scandal

I've been reading about the Edison Chen sex scandal and am finding it highly amusing.
Over the past few weeks, several very explicit photos have surfaced on the net featuring Edison Chen in compromising positions with a number of famous Hong Kong actresses - Cecilia Cheung, Gillian Chung, Maggie Q - which has pretty much ruined these actors' careers. Allegedly, the photos were leaked after Edison took his Mac in for repairs and some forward-thinking techies copied his data and sold it for big bucks.
You may be asking yourself why I find this so interesting. Well, the truth is, I am a closet Hong Kong cinema fan and not only do I think Edison Chen is a bit of a dish, but I also rank Cecilia Cheung as one of my favourite actresses.
Seriously, these are really entertaining movies. If you've never seen any, ask me for a recommendation. Or better yet, come over and watch one from my private collection.

Improv Everywhere

This is so impressive. 207 actors all freezing in place for 5 minutes at Grand Central Station in New York.



I find these guys very inspiring. You can read more about them here.

Courtesy of SultanaBlog

Street style - It's all about the Specs

Custom-made spectacles from Ispex. It's not too clear in the photo, but they are in the style of Ray Ban Wayfarers. As sunglasses I admit that they're a bit passé, but I love them reinterpreted as reading-glass frames.
I also love her jodhpur-style trousers. I intend to take a trip to Horseland for some black breeches and leather boots. Just between you and me, it's the best place for classic leather shoes and high-waisted, skinny leg pants in fabric that isn't denim.

Missing Art Results in Sales Assistant's Laughter

I was on my way to work today, walking past the glass art installation cabinets in the Flinders Street subway, when something caught my eye. Each of the cabinets along both sides of the walkway was filled with the work of young Australian writers - zines, photos, reprints of published work, letters, journal entries etc.. all apart from the last cabinet on the left-hand side. This cabinet was completely bare except for the sticker identifying the name of the writer - in this case Ianto Ware from Adelaide, whom I know from my own zine-writing past - and a hastily scribbled on sheet of A4 paper taped to the back wall.

Here is a photo of the cabinet:


To give you an idea of why I noticed it, here are photos of some of the other artists' cabinets:




So I walked over to the bare cabinet to see what was written on that single sheet of paper and this is what I saw...


Wonderful!

Street style - Chef's pants

A great example of something stylish and a little imaginative. The girl's pants are from Savers, and at $3 are, in my opinion, a far more intelligent and original choice than what one could find at Alice Euphemia for around $400.
Her friend is also wearing a shirt from Savers with a pair of jeans she lent him.

Street style - Warsaw vintage

It's nice to see something that is simple and stylish, which deviates from the current 'hipster' uniform of high-wasted jeans, tucked-in tee or tank, and white canvas sneakers.

What caught my eye about this girl was the way her blue eyes, blonde hair and dark eyebrows worked with the blue dress to create a look that was striking but simple. The design of the dress is pretty basic but the colour was amazing and she had it hemmed to just the right length to keep it from looking dowdy.

Bonus trivia: The girl bought this dress from a vintage dress shop (Sukienka) in Warsaw where she lived for a year teaching English. This is of interest to me for two reasons:
1) She isn't actually Polish, she just loves Warsaw; and
2) I am Polish and I've never met a non-Pole who's voluntarily chosen to live in Poland.

On the Train (from my iMate)

I'm on the train to work, and not only am I running late by one train (therefore 15 minutes), but I've got no make-up on save for my shiny sunscreen, and am wearing the old, square-framed sunnies I keep in the glovebox of my car because my good, round-framed sunnies are still lying somewhere at home. I also left my camera at home. Again. And my hair is half damp and therefore fuzzy from the shower. Not to mention the fact that I have foot powder on my leggings because I was in too much of a hurry to wipe it off, and my teeth are unbrushed. And in my mad rush from the car I left my jacket behind which, despite it being a sunny 25C day, I will miss later as I'm always unnecessarily cold.
And I didn't eat breakfast.

At least it's a public holiday so work will be quiet. And it's only a 5 hour shift. And I'm going to see Lucio Fulci's Zombie with Joe Dante's Piranha tonight at the Astor. So life isn't really all that bad.

UPDATE: Zombie was a little boresville* and doesn't seem to have aged very well as far as 70's horror films go. Piranha on the other hand was entertaining, full of blood, and quite funny, in an intentional, not 'this is so ridiculous' way (although it had plenty of that too). It was also a good source of unexpected fashion inspiration in the form of svelte young women sporting various combinations of high-waisted short shorts, wide leg dark denim jeans, plaited leather belts, knitted waistcoats, coloured bikinis and tight t-shirts. I'm now considering hiring out a bunch of old 70's movies and taking notes.

*boresville = snoretastic, dullsville, snooze-worthy.

Heath Ledger

I've been uncertain whether I should post anything about Heath Ledger's death for the past few days, but I find myself unable to continue posting without making some reference to it. I know that in the future I will look back on this blog as a kind of chronicle of my life and experiences around the time in which it was kept and I will feel ashamed at myself for not acknowledging his passing in some way.
I've followed his career and successes with great interest and, while I'm not about to claim I knew him in any way (I didn't, but we went to neighbouring high schools and I know many people who did), I've found myself feeling really shocked, disappointed and saddened by his death.
So I've decided to post the tributes to Heath written by his family that were printed in the Friday edition of the West Australian newspaper, because they are so beautiful and, in my opinion, more relevant than any of the minute-by-minute details being posted all over the web at the moment.

From his father:
"'Heatho,' 'Beef,' . . . my beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent, so caring, so young . . . no more chess games mate . . . this is it, couldn't beat you anyway!
My body aches for the sound of your voice, our chats, our laughs and our life and times together."
Your truly varied artistic skills, insatiable desire to improve and eclectic abilities set you apart from any other person on the planet . . . it had only just started for you … and for us to further enjoy. We were one, in soul and commitment. Just . . . Father and Son. I will love you forever, Dad."

From his mother:
"Our darling boy, special in so many ways to all of us. You knew you were so loved. You lived life with courage and daring and we are so grateful for the wonderful times we shared. We will be there for Matilda. Your loving Mamma, Rog and Ash."

From his older sister:
"I can hardly breathe when I try to write this. We were the ultimate in soul mates. I feel both my heart and life have been torn apart. I loved our special talks, our daily chats from where ever you were in the world.
I especially loved all the precious time we spent together. We were so fortunate to have you as long as we did. You were so many things to so many people, but to me you were just my little brother.
There will never, ever be another "Heath" and I think that in itself is the greatest tragedy.
I will continue to talk with you everyday and love you just as if you were here. You will never leave my thoughts "Roast", ever."

From his younger sister:
"You're my idol, my hero, but most importantly, my loving big brother. I'll treasure every moment we spent together. I love you Heath, I miss you and pray every night you're safe."

From his whole family:
"How do we describe our sudden and tragic loss? … You were the most amazing individual "old soul" in a young man's body.
You so loved us, as we dearly loved you. As a close knit and very private family unit we have observed you so determined yet quietly travelling in your self-styled path in life, nothing would get in your way … no mountain too tall, no river too wide.
You dreamed your dreams and lived them with passion and intelligent commitment. We have been privileged to accompany you on a ride through life that has simply been amazing and through it all, we have loved each other beyond imagination.
Your true legacy lives on in beautiful little Matilda, who will always remain in the greatest of care. Our hearts are broken . . . Dad and Ines, Mum and Roger, Kate and Nathan, Rori and Scarlett, Ashleigh, Olivia, Elana and Nadia."

Street style - Centre Way

This girl comes in to my work all the time and I'm always impressed by her ability to put clothes together, especially for someone so young.
Jeans: Cheap Monday Top: Antipodium Scarf: St Andrew's Market Shoes: Kinki Gerlinki


Bag bought from gift store on Smith St (I have, very professionally, forgotten the name of the shop).


My feet! These Voodoo leggings are fantastic - extremely comfortable with no seams along the crutch area. $40 from Myer but currently on sale for $27. (Shoes from Bloch).

Brogues by Salvio's

I am somewhat in love with these shoes:



They're made by Salvio's, a Sydney-based dance shoe company which was started by Mr Enrique Salvio in Melbourne in 1881. The shoes are beautifully made in 100% leather and you can order any style in any combination of colours.
Alphaville in Melbourne also carry a small selection... but just between you and me, it's cheaper to get them custom made directly from Salvio's (keep that under your panama).

Tourist Information

I found this lying on the ground at the Bourke St tram stop while waiting for the 112. I can't say I entirely agree with the writer's somewhat limited recommendations for tourists, although I have to concede that Acland St does have some great cake shops. But I don't know that I'd put Luna Park on my list of top places to see - unless you're a fan of cheesy horror films, in which case St Kilda Beach probably is worth a visit too.
And on that note, shouldn't the recommendation be to go to the beach before gorging oneself on cakes? Perhaps the writer didn't have the reader's best intentions at heart after all.

Old Man with Bag