Sunday, August 31, 2014

"Everyday I'm Hustlin"













   I may be the last person to see it but I was finally able to sit down and watch, "American Hustle," and I gotta say it was worth the wait.  Set in the late 70s and early 80s this film takes a viewer into the seedy world of con man Irving Rosenfeld.  Since I am most likely one of the few individuals that had not already seen this movie I will spare my readers a long drawn out summary of the plot.  However, I cannot help but comment on what I found to be the best aspects of this film which was undeniably the soundtrack and costume design. Honestly, I could not even give a detailed explanation of the plot because I was so into the tunes and clothes.  As I have mentioned before, I am extremely nostalgic and love when films are able to construct my romantic version of a time period through music and costume.  The minute I heard, "Dirty Work," by Steely Dan I knew I was done for.  It no longer mattered what the movie was about.  I was experiencing the 1970s and that was good enough for me.
   Other films that I have experienced this feeling of time travel with include: "Boogie Nights", "Dead Presidents", and of course my all time favorite, "Almost Famous."  Despite the fact that all of these films are fantastic stories, I cannot help but recognize the fact that without the aid of superior soundtracks these movies may not have made it to my all time favorites list.  It makes me wonder, do I just view films as one long mixed tape music video?  
   As for the costume design in, "American Hustle," it was over the top.  I lived through the late 70s and 80s and even though it was only the first eleven years of my life I am positive I would have remembered women wearing the type of outfits that were in this film.  I will state that most of those years I was living in South Dakota, which I can admit is not the fashion hub of the United States.  Also, I have known few professional con men, excluding some legends I have heard about extended family, but we won't go into that now.  Perhaps the 1980s version of me was just not traveling in the right circles to see this kind of style. Unfortunately, the 2014 version of me is too shy to even wear a spaghetti strap tank top let alone a sequin gown with a plunging neckline.  I will let someone else tackle that, "Dirty Work."
-r.
  


Dress:  Thrifted
Jeans:  Henry & Belle  http://www.henryandbelle.com/hb-home/
Boots:  Thrifted
Purse:  Vintage (Dior)
Bracelets:  Thrifted
Sunglasses:  Vintage
Song:  "Dirty Work" by Steely Dan  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrmOoR7CShc




   





Sunday, August 24, 2014

What's Her Angle?











    I have never been accused of being a genius.  In fact, when I was a child I was labeled by my first grade teacher as being, "slow."  Suddenly, I was yanked out of the regular classes and segregated to the, "special room," where I spent a lot of one on one time learning reading, writing, and math.  This was okay with me at the time since I received a lot of prizes for my efforts.  One included a beautiful unicorn button that I earned for reading a book.  I still have this jewel of a button today and have now obligated myself to featuring it an upcoming post.  Maybe something regarding unexpected treasures or things I just cannot throw away.  Going back to my initial point, I have never been a real go-getter when it comes to academics.  However, I believe all of the extra one on one time I received during early childhood enabled me to become the semi accomplished writer I am today.  Of course, having a librarian father and a mother who is the ultimate book worm did not hurt either.  It's just too bad my mom's math skills never caught on.
   Anyway, it turned out I did not have the severe learning disabilities my instructor diagnosed me with.  This being stated, sometimes I find myself acting, and pardon my crassness, extremely stupid.  On occasion, I believe this kind of behavior happens to everyone.  Examples of my own ridiculousness can be found in the smallest of happenings.  For instance, the time I could not recognize how to pronounce the word germ when it was written in front of me.  Another example would be my inability to figure out how to open a box of frozen waffles without completely destroying the container.  Lastly, and of course most infamously, there is the time during which my boyfriend and I were just starting to date that he convinced me he was the mayor of the tiny town we reside in.  I still get crap for that one.  So why am I admitting all of these embarrassing things now?  Well, because now I can add another tally to the list.  
   I recently started an account on a website called Chictopia in order to help advertise this blog.  Upon starting this account I realized all the style pictures I was posting were uploading at a very small size.  This was starting to get very frustrating for me until a coworker explained that the reason this was happening was because I was taking all my blog pictures in a horizontal fashion rather than vertically.  Slap on the head...VERTICAL!...like the direction a human body stands while wearing an outfit.  It seriously never occurred to me to turn the damn camera.  
-r.



Shirt:  Vintage  http://www.avienavintage.com/
Jeans:  GAP 1969
Heels:  Dana Buchman
Purse:  PAPAYA!
Necklace:  Vintage  http://www.avienavintage.com/
Bracelet:  Thrifted

Sunday, August 17, 2014

"When You're Strange"














   I guess it's no secret that some people may consider me a little strange.  Well, if they didn't before they may after they see me acting like a weirdo in some of the above photographs.  What can I say, I just can't help myself when there is a camera around.  Especially when I am alone and taking the pictures.  I compare it to when I talk to myself in the car.  However in this case, instead of analyzing ideas out loud, I am visually studying the different behaviors of me.  Wait, now we all talk to ourselves in the car, right?
   Weird behavior or not, I own up to the fact that I can be a little odd.  I choose to believe this is part of my charm.  I also believe that being a tad different distinguishes one from the rest of the crowd.  As an individual who is interested in the topic of style, this is a trait that I find fairly desirable.  I am certain that when one combines a camera, unique clothing, and strange behavior it is inevitable they will end up with either a fashion blogger or an art major.  I have now played both of these roles.
   Going back to the idea that being different distinguishes one from the rest of the crowd, I must comment on the title of this post.  Obviously, I am a fan of, The Doors.  I say obviously not because I am wearing one of their t shirts in the above pictures, but because I like to believe one can just tell a Doors fan.  I truly believe that within twenty minutes of talking to someone it is usually easy to pinpoint what music drives them.  During my years working in a CD store I got very good at this game and to this day I can look at a person and say something like, "Do you like Husker Du?" and be spot on.  This does not make me the Svengali of musical preferences.  I just pay attention to people.
   Anyway, back to the title of this post.  I named it after a lyric in the song, "People are Strange."  Like many Doors fans, this is one of my favorite songs by the group.  However, I have never understood the lyric, "When you're strange... No one remembers your name..."  Since I was little I have been mulling that lyric over and I still do not understand it.  I always remember the strange people!  Does anyone remember the picture of the girl politely smiling for the camera, or do they gossip about the weird chic who pretends to meditate on film?  The idea that no one remembers your name when you're strange well, that is just the oddest thing Jim Morrison ever recorded.  Yep, that idea blows this blogger's, "fragile eggshell mind."
-r.



T Shirt:  FOREVER 21
Skirt:  Thrifted (Handmade)
Flip Flops:  BCBGeneration
Purse:  MATT & NAT  http://mattandnat.com/
Headscarf:  banditaz bandanaz headscarves (Mom and I's own local business) 
Necklace:  Dead Things  https://www.facebook.com/objetsdelamort

Sunday, August 10, 2014

For Realsies?













   When regarding the fashion industry, it is not uncommon for one to hear the question, "yes, but is it real?" This seems like an odd question when aimed at a tangible item.  However, it is a question that I find myself often wondering when faced with, "too good to be true," fashion encounters.
   An example of this can be found in the t-shirt that I wore in the above post.  As I have frequently mentioned, I am a huge fan of thrifted and vintage apparel.  I love the idea that I am hunting for one of a kind pieces to add to my wardrobe.  During my hunts, I often come across many items that I consider true treasures.  Sometimes this is due to the extreme individuality of a piece, such as a vintage handmade item.  Other times, I define an item as a treasure due to it's actual monetary value.  Basically, I am referring to those rare occasions when a thrifter will come across a genuine high fashion label item that some yuppie has disregarded as last seasons style.  Upon an event like this, a thrifter will often feel a quickness of pulse, shortness of breath, and increase in sweat as they inspect the item in question for signs of validity.  In other words, how can one tell if their secondhand strike is a knockoff?
   Sometimes the signs of a fake can be spotted from miles away.  Most fashion conscious ladies know to look for the YKK zipper and serial number to validate a Coach bag.  However, sometimes it is not as simple as looking for a serial number.  Sometimes, one has to just consider the quality of the craftsmanship on an item.  This is just what I did the day I came across the, "Chanel," t shirt I am wearing in the above pictures.  I spotted it from three aisles away in my local Savers.  Upon seeing this item, I experienced all of the listed symptoms involved when sighting a high fashion label among second hand stock.  As I lunged for this item I was surprised by the abnormally soft knit material and quality weightiness behind the embroidered brand logo.  I took one glance at the label, which read Chanel Boutique, and I was sold.  I just wanted to believe.
   So I guess the moral to this post is, does it really matter if my thrifted treasures are real?  My conclusion is, heck yeah!  Luckily, the heart is easy to convince.  I think of it like this, many men love large breasted women.  Many women have their breasts enlarged with implants.  Are any of these men checking for serial numbers?  The heart just wants to believe.
Now if I could just get my Chanel t shirt to make my breasts look bigger.
-r.



T Shirt:  Chanel?
Capri Pants:  Mossimo Supply Co (Upcycled from skinny jeans by Me)
Shoes:  Dr Scholl's  http://www.drschollsshoes.com/
Purse:  French Connection
Necklace:  Vintage (Avon)  https://www.facebook.com/shopelofson
Sunglasses:  Dolce & Gabbana  (Sometimes I know an item is real, and so does my checkbook.)



Sunday, August 3, 2014

Let Your Geek Flag Fly











   I love geeks.  I looked up the definition of, "geek," on the internet and it read, "an unfashionable or socially inept person."  Unfashionable?...I am not sure I can agree with that.  Obviously, this definition was formed before the, oh so trendy, geek chic movement of the 1990s.  The individuals of that particular scene obsessed in chat rooms about bands like, "Weezer," and comic books like, "Ghost World."  These, often heavily sardonic and always bespectacled individuals made it cool to be socially inept, awkwardly dressed, and unfavorably sarcastic.  I remember thinking, "wait, I can embrace all of these qualities and admit to liking Star Trek as well?  Where is the bad?"
   Of course with time all things shall pass, and eventually the geek chic scene was perverted into what now is referred to as hipster culture.  While the thick rimmed glasses remained, the modern day hipster is someone who is often quite social and extremely in tune to what is currently fashionable.  Like their predecessors, hipsters also love music and literature.   However, rather than forming the, "cult," mentality of the socially starving geek community, they often try to alienate each other with the most obscure cultural references possible.  An example of this can be taken from the above pictures.  Being the geek that I admittedly am, I could state, "I used to love the Wonder Woman TV show!"  A hipster would most likely respond, "Yes, and I actually had cocktails once with the guy who sang the theme song for that show."  Similarly. a geek may rant about watching a marathon of Joss Whedon's, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," while a hipster will almost always casually drop how many, "Vampire Weekend," concerts they have attended.  
   I am not claiming I have no hipster qualities.  I readily admit I was an art major in college, I have always had a deep appreciation for witty banter, and I absolutely love vintage and thrift store shopping.  However, I also admit to loving the science fiction and horror genres of entertainment. In addition, I enjoy going to the occasional comic book shop, and did I mention I hang out with my parents... like, a lot.
   While discussing our interests, I had a younger coworker once say to me, "You're like a total hipster except, old school."  I choose to believe this statement means I am 1990s geek chic type, instead of simply an old hipster.
-r.



T Shirt:  Thrifted (Wonder Woman logo hand drawn by previous owner)
Pants:  GAP
Shoes:  Dr Scholl's
Purse:  j.jill  www.jjill.com
Earrings:  Vintage
Necklace:  Vintage (Avon)
Bracelet:  Thrifted
Sunglasses:  Vintage (Anne Klein)