Wear In The World

I am slowly coming out of the hibernation that is college and welcoming myself back into the fashionable Seattle scene. Who says the new year has to start in January? Spring has awakened me, and my new year starts now!

One of the events that will break me in is the Seattle Art Institute student fashion show "Wear in The World." My sister/photographer and I will be there to cover all the action that happens backstage and on the runway. I can't wait to see what the students have been slaving over. I know how they feel. However, my senior portfolio doesn't get to walk down the runway in a pair of stilettos and land photos on fashion blogs. I can almost guarantee nobody will Twitter about it. My professors are the only ones who read it, and they can barely use email.

Help support up and coming designers by attending the 12th Annual Art Institute of Seattle "Wear In The World" fashion show. With fashion legends falling as they are, we need to assist the industry's future designers. Not only do student shows reveal an innovative approach to fashion, but they revive your appreciation for clothing as an art form.

Where: Showbox SODO 1700 1st Ave S Seattle, WA 98101

When: Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Time: Showtimes at 5pm and 8pm.

Admission: General Admission starting at $20, Reserved Seating starting at $40 and VIP tickets starting at $50. The show is free to high school students with valid ID. To purchase tickets online click here.

On a side note, I have to give these students props. I went to the Art Institute of Seattle for one quarter. I took draping, sewing, and sketching. Let's just say it took me all day and night to make a baby's pleated mini skirt... That's when I decided to finish my English degree. Though I love fashion, I think I'll stick to writing.

Be My Valentine

SF Girl by Bay included a picture of me on her blog Tuesday's Girl: oh be mine!

Lydia Selk - Flickr

Not only am I flattered to have my picture on such a great design blog, but I'm right up there with Twiggy! Good to know that walking barefoot downtown Puyallup in Betsey Johnson can get me up there with the real models.

How to Pronounce Christian Louboutin

Since my mother likes to make up words, I had to correct her on her pronunciation of Christian Louboutin. If you listen to Jennifer Lopez's new song Louboutins, you can hear it there at 1:10 minutes into the song. Or you can listen to Chalie Boy's I Look Good to hear it there at 2:50 minutes into the song. My mom and I were in a debate between whether it was loo-boo-ton or la-bow-tan. I trust Jennifer Lopez as a more credible source, but I googled the pronunciation anyways. I found a wonderful forum with a variety of phonetic variations. However, I finally came to the conclusion that since it's a French term, it had to be heard in French. I went to Acapela, and selected a French voice to hear the name aloud. As I suspected! Loo-boo-ton! I win! Don't mess with an English major Mom! However, in my mother's defense, I selected an English speaker, and it changed to la-boo-tan. Pronunciations vary, but I'm still not convinced Chalie Boy...

Stop the UGGliness

One of my friends who works for the school paper suggested that I submit an article commenting on campus fashion. After racking my mind for ideas, there's just not much to say about the half-ass, stress-dressed, hick meets prep style that lurks around every corner. Let's just be honest. I go to school in Ellensburg. The only place to shop is Fred Meyer!

However, it would look really nice on my resume to have more bylines in my school paper. So, I've been analyzing people's clothing as I walk through the quad, and the only thing I can make note of is the disgusting popularity of UGG boots! I know it's cold, but UGG boots are not waterproof people! You're walking around with sweaty feet in wet fur, and muddy sheepskin! Not cute. One might argue that they keep you warm, but I've seen girls wearing them with capri pants... A little contradictory in my opinion...

Not only are they unpractical in snow and rain, but they're hideous! The truth of the matter is that girls wear them for the same reason they wear all name brands -- the little tag on the back of the boot that says "UGG." However, I'm not going to lie. Knock-off UGGs are even uglier than the real ones! Those people are just smarter because they didn't spend over $100 to be ugly.

To share my hatred for UGGs, I thought I'd share some Urban Dictionary definitions for your pleasure and enjoyment!

UGG boots
n. hideously unattractive footwear named after the mind-possessing UGG gnomes living inside the thick material who convince girls that the boots actually look good with skirts.

Yea, she's wearing that tiny skirt in a blizzard but her UGG boots totally pull the outfit together.

UGGs the most retarded fashion trend of 2003/2004. Little brown boot things that allow people to drag their feet all lazy like while looking incredibly stupid and as far away from sexy as they could possibly be. Generally they are worn in one of four forms:
1. With sweat pants or jeans tucked into the boots
2. With a skirt
3. One pant leg tucked in or either side partially tucked in
4. Under normal pants

Cool Person: WTF are you wearing on your feet!

Idiot: These are UGGs, they're so hot.

Cool Person: You should be shot, not only is it 2005 and they're a 2003 trend but they look stupid as shit you trendy slut.

Idiot: Waaaaahhh, I'm not trendy, I'm original.

Cool Person: Drop dead.

UGGs fugly winter boots that trendy girls wear because they are simply BRAINWASHED into thinking they look cute when in reality they look stupid... like point and laugh stupid. They are also ridiculously expensive for something that doesn't look that special. The typical UGG boot wearer is normally a thin white female with long blond hair and, in most cases, has a fake tan. They typically wear anything with the Abercrombie & Fitch logo/name and a mini skirt and UGGs. Many of these brainwashed Homo sapiens look EXACTLY the same, so finding them is very easy. They normally gather at the local mall or at a Target store.

UGG boots are sometimes tucked into pants, normally jeans. In this case, they make the UGG boot wearer look like they have elf feet, or really big feet. Thus, making them look unattractive. In addition, some young soccer moms have also been noted wearing these boots, resulting in their husbands cheating on them and/or filing for divorce.

Horny Guy #1: Damn! Look at that chick with the amazing body! I'm gonna go over and hook up with her!

Horny Guy #2: Yeah man, go ahead!

Horny Guy #1: Shit, never mind. She's wearing UGGs. What a waste. I lost my erection now.

The Urban Dictionary is not the most credible source. However, I have to agree with a lot of the user submissions. If you can afford to spend more than $100 on boots, please get something practical! Snow turns to slush, which eventually turns into mud. UGGs were meant for surfers to warm their feet on the beach, not students walking to and from class in extreme weather conditions! My suggestion is to get some nice Hunter rain boots. Not only are they cheaper than most UGGs, but they're more slimming and a thousand times more practical. In my first revision of this article, I was going to add that even Jimmy Choo has taken Hunter boots under their wing, and "the Choo" knows what's up. Choking on my own advice, one of my lovely readers pointed out that Jimmy Choo just announced a limited edition collaboration with UGG to produce an exclusive line of boots. All this says to me is that Jimmy Choo needs sales. Isn't that why a lot of luxury brands lower their design aesthetic?

"Other than Jimmy Choo, UGG Australia is the only other footwear I have in my wardrobe. We are delighted to have created a special capsule that captures the best of both brands - the legendary comfort of UGG with the spirit of Jimmy Choo."

Tamara Mellon - President and Founder, Jimmy Choo

Does this strike anyone else as sad? Other than Jimmy Choo, this woman only has UGGs in her wardrobe! Aghhhh!!!! The President and Founder no less. Nothing makes sense anymore. I don't know about you, but if someone's willing to spend $495-795 on UGGs, they should be cast away.

My thoughts on UGGs might offend my fellow peers, but I'm just trying to provide constructive criticism. However, I'm not looking to create enemies on campus, so I think I'll leave the fashion journalism to someone else in Ellensburg. I'll leave the bylines to my blog for now.

What's New?

Amidst the fashionable Ballard crowd this weekend, I couldn't help but stare. There were so many different elements in the way people dressed. I could hardly put my finger on any one trend in particular. Should I venture to categorize, I'd have to say that I saw a lot of boho-rock with a touch of vintage femininity. As I approached the bar to order my a-typical "DD" beverage -- a midori sour, the bartender replied, "Sorry hun. This is a rock and roll club." Not knowing what to say, since I could hardly call the band on stage "rock and roll," I went for the first thing that came to mind -- a vodka Redbull.

After I started thinking about what genre the band fit in, I began drawing the parallels between music and fashion. It's rare to find a band that's completely unique in its own right. They've drawn inspiration from so many artists before them, that they haven't really come up with anything new. They were mixing swing, rock, indie, jazz, and so many other musical genres, I felt this sort of betrayal to REAL rock and roll by putting them in the same category. Perhaps their modern spin on something old is the something new?

The same thing goes with fashion. A few weeks ago, someone asked me, "What's the current trend in fashion?" My only response was, "Everything." From sheer to leather, androgynous sexy, boho, denim, neon, and everything else in the book... it's all back! Have some 80's high-waisted trouser pants that taper at the leg? So does Philip Lim in his S/S 2010 collection. Have a 90's floral dress that you'd like to pair with some Dr. Martin boots and an over-sized leather jacket? Chictopia calls it "Going Grunge." Have we run out of new ideas? Does fashion have to repeat itself? Do we even want new ideas? Or is the classic trench and little black dress good enough? I fear for the lack of originality in years to come. Have all the greats preceded us?

Just something to think about...

Let's Get Lost

These stylish Seattle musicians invite you to get lost in their lyrics tonight at The Sunset in Ballard. One of my long-time friends, Will Gebenini, plays bass for Let's Get Lost and told me about the show. I really dig their music, and can't wait to hear them live!

Where: The Sunset Tavern

Time: 9:30 PM
Cover: $7

Photography by: Charles Wray

Masquerading Around

My friends are hosting a masquerade/ugly sweater party for New Years Eve. Since I hate ugly sweater parties, I decided to go shopping for masks! Luckily, there's a costume shop down the street called A Masquerade. They carry an extensive and growing array of the finest masks available. They are beautifully crafted, adorned with feathers, glitter, and come in a variety of colors. I want them all! However, they're a little out of my budget for a one night affair.

I went to Party City to see if they had anything on the cheap, and I couldn't convince myself to go with plastic Mardi Gras masks after seeing how glamorous the paper mache ones were at A Masquerade. So, I decided to buy their plain mask for $5.99 and adorn it myself! Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think it turned out pretty good!

Gender GAP

I was doing some holiday shopping when I walked into the GAP, and immediately felt at odds. It's usually obvious which side you should enter depending on your gender, but I couldn't tell the women's section from the men's! Both sections were flooded with flannels, and the difference between boyfriend jeans and my boyfriend's jeans grew difficult to distinguish.

Men's vs. Women's

Are we coming to a point where stores can be unisex? Essentially, "his" is "hers"? After reviewing runway trends for 2010, brands like Chloé, Etro, D&G, Cavalli, and Ralph Lauren seem to have unisex as a common theme in their collections. However, stores like American Apparel have been doing this within the world of basics for a while. As men's clothing gets tighter, and women's clothing baggier, we find ourselves at a happy medium. Days of borrowing from your older sister are over... you can now borrow from your brother as well!

However, the more I steal from my boyfriend's side of the closet, the more I realize a problem. I've lost my femininity. I've lost a certain sex appeal. I fear a future of fashion where women lose their beautiful curves underneath baggy and unflattering clothing. Admittedly, men's clothing is far more comfortable, but I like to follow the rule that clothes should trim your body's natural curves. There's no reason to go back to the 80's... just think of the hair!

Louboutin Love

Christmas came early this year. My first pair of Christian Louboutins!

6 inches of madness...

Wishful Thinking

Since I'm in school full-time, I can't afford all the amazing pieces I'd like to have in my wardrobe. However, that doesn't mean I can't dream a little! That's why I've fallen in love with Wishpot! Wishpot is a free social shopping service that was sent from heaven. Warning: It's very addictive. I was up until 3:00am the other night customizing my wish lists and writing recommendations!

You can add items from any online store or website with the click of a button. Details including the product name, image, price and where to buy are collected automatically. This is great for registries of any kind, and perfect for the holidays! All I have to do is find something I like online, click the Wishpot icon next to my address bar, and it automatically collects all the product's information, while adding it to the list of my choice. Easy right?!

Once you've created your wishlist, you can send it to whoever you like! Everyone has been asking me what I want for the holidays, and I've just been directing them to my Wishpot. I have a lot of high price items in there, but the cool thing is that nobody has to buy any one item in particular. They can make contributions in the amount they feel comfortable spending. If you want a $200 jacket, everyone in your family can contribute $20, and it's yours! The contribution feature is linked through your PayPal account, so it's super easy on both parties.

Since I'm one of their "experts," you can view my Wishpot and wardrobe recommendations, by clicking the icon below!

I'm definitely an advocate for Wishpot. Not only is it a Seattle-based company created by some ex Microsoft employees, but it's a great way to shop... or not shop. If you don't have an account, I highly suggest you make one! If only my boyfriend would create an account... I have no idea what to get him for Christmas!!