RE: Posts on Back Order

Valued Consumer,
We know you have a standing order however due circumstances out of our control, it is currently on backorder. Please understand that occasionally we are thrown off schedule and are forced to re-jig our system. We sincerely apologize and hope that this delay does not damage your relationship with our company.
We'll catch up in a few days, don't you worry.

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of a Munny attacking an avocado.Sincerely,
Marina and her Computer.

Design Das Boot

Wanna be Uber-trendy?

Design an Uber-boot.

Or vote for someone else's.

Apparently they do this every year? Or something?
Either way. Designing anything online makes you feel as if you have a say in how they're going to be when they arrive in the store. And voting for designs will boost someone's confidence. And in this case, it may actually determine what you see in the store in a more direct manner than a daydream.
The first design is Danielle from Final Fashion's. Her blog is what alerted me to this.

I like to think that when I design my shoes at converse the bigwigs at that company keep tabs on it and one day, my golden-yellow high tops with a seahorse on them and aquamarine laces will appear at a foot locker near me.

Doors, Mirrors, Coins, and Tornadoes

I spent today alternating between feeling really superficial and trendy and feeling really little and childish.


Part of it (the second part) was because after work I went to a couple of used bookstores looking for some series that I used to read as a kid. Specifically: the Oz series, and Edward Eager's "Magic" series. I found one book I actually used to read and a book by a children's author that I love anyhow (The Emerald City of Oz and The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey).

I was thinking about what I used to read as a kid and realised that most of the books that I remember in clear detail and would read often were books about magic and coincidence and fantasy. Like Diana Wynn Jones' "Crestomanci" Series, and the Oz books and what not. My absolute favourite was After Hamelin. It's a retelling of the Pied Piper told from the point of view of one of the children who were left behind. She saves the rest of the kids through a dream.....anyhow. The point. Not that there is one.

I've established with myself that I'm not super funky. I don't really do DIY past minor alterations and dye jobs. Bright neons and bold patterns are not my thing. I like clothes that are simple, straightforward, to the point. When I think of "childhood" and then clothing I picture my old friend Eliza who would come to school with a fishbowl (with accompanying goldfish) as a hat. But the pure, simple majesty that I remember (the kind that could turn a play structure into a pirate ship) is harder to pull off because it is harder to put your finger on.

It's less obvious, therefore it does not translate as well as wearing a strawberry shortcake tee.
This girl pulls off what I'm talking about. I see it as a piece from Alice In Wonderland that you can wear out and about without looking like you're trying desperately to be Alice.

in short: I want Oz without the blue plaid dress.

For Indy With Love

I am so sick today. Sick and tired and sore.
I usually take many pictures and then fiddle with them in order to find my favourites and then edit them accordingly. I usually try to have a sense of humour.

But then again, my head doesn't usually feel like a stuffed bell pepper.
I did enjoy climbing in my backyard in honour of Indiana Jones. I knew I had this safari jacket leftover from my hallo ween costume and really wanted to wear it as a sort of tribute to archaeology and adventure films. At work dress code states I must wear a skirt and tights and therefore it's not exactly proper for running around ruins but I would gladly do so anyhow.

The warm air may be good for my sniffles (*achoo*)

Every Time.

I used to have this problem where I'd buy clothes that were on sale.
The problem with it was that I had no...filter. No way to judge what I was buying. I wouldn't really think about it or anything I'd buy it because I liked it and it was on sale or it was cheap or whatever.

No when I buy something I do try to think of where/when/with what I'll wear it - I colour co-ordinate at the very least. Occasionally though, I do slip up and end up buying something else that just doesn't go. Or I try it on and think "yeah, sure, why not it's cheap" and I get home and realize that I wasted my money. It usually happens when I go to Value Village or any other thrift store. I go, I pick out a bunch of clothes, I try them on weed out the horrible from the no so horrible from the good and end up taking one of the horrible items home with me because I think:
"oh, I'll alter it" (I won't),
"I'll tuck it into something else" (I can't),
"It's not as long as I think it is" (It's longer),
or "I have shoes to go with this" (. . . . . .this is usually true)
I don't really know why this is. I'm getting better at it, now I'm down to just one.
Today I went to a By-The-Pound store near my house. I need skirts for work. I figure I'll find a nice, vintage/old/thrifted skirt for cheap and hey, maybe a scarf or shirt while I'm there. So I did the whole dance, searched for what fit me and went off to try them all on. I was easily convinced for a shirt and shoes but then I tried on this:

And bought it.




I um....don't really know why. It looks okay if I alter it. I also adjusted it in a way where the front is shorter and the back is a bit of a tail...and it looks okay like that.
The problem is, I'm sure this will end up balled up in the back of my closet along with a few other dresses, shirts, and skirts that I've collected over the years.

Why do I do this? I feel as if I should know myself better and be aware of the fact that I probably won't get around to altering this thing yet I still added it to my pile. "oh it barely even registers on the scale" - that is probably true so why didn't I just go the other way? It's not going to change the price so why did I take it anyway?

In the past year of reform I have actually paid attention to what fits me where. What my body is like, what it does, how it works. Because of all this I am able to buy and wear clothing that fits me better and then have the luxury of altering my purchases in order to look good wearing what looks good.

So why can't I shake this one (really) bad shopping habit?

p.s: thanks to all the lovely comments. I know it may be bad etiquette to not reply to them but I don't know what to say. Thanks. :D

Hand Me Down

I was going to start this post with old pictures of my mother from the 70s. It was in part to demonstrate my "supply and demand" theory and in part to start a whole "omg my mother was cool" series of posts.
But then I couldn't find them (When I do, I will show you an example of "omg my mother was cool").
My mom had awesome clothes in the 70s. I found two shirts and used to wear this orange one with a blue flower print all the time, until my mother found out and informed me that it was lingerie and then took it away from me because "no daughter of hers would wear that out of the house".

This green was the other one:
It makes me feel a little "sleazy 70s"-y.

Also: Share Your Look and StyleDiary
I'm actually putting time into this. I don't know why, I guess the variation between all of the sites (in terms of design, features, members, content, whatever) has peaked my curiosity.
Or maybe I'm 10X more vain than I ever thought before.
Either way you may be gradually getting my two cents on all (if not then only some) of these communities that I find. It's interesting that many of these were developed in late 2007/early 2008 (from what I see). Is it a reaction to facebook/myspace?
Do any of these websites have facebook applications?

Okay until I get too busy, this is officially my personal project.

EDIT:
#1: I meant to say this before. A round of applause for someone who didn't get a speck of cherry pie (or anything else) on her white shirt *ahem*.
#2: This is the pin that is on my belt.
For some reason even though I uploaded on Large, blogger made the image quite small. So, here it is, slightly larger:
I love my pins. This one was part of a collection of stuff I bought at a by-the-pound vintage store. I'm growing my collection of "leaf-themed" pins and brooches. I thought it was a nice little touch that others didn't necessarily notice, but I knew was there (which is what is important after all)

All Proper for Queen Vicki

No work, all play on Queen Victoria day.
Starting at noon,
Ending with the moon,
Standing silently as we light up the sky
With fireworks, beer and some pie.

(and now, here is what I wore to-day, experimenting with a white shirt-ay)
I'll be leaving wearing this(eh)

It does interesting things to your top half. I dont' have particularly narrow shoulders but it made them look longer (wider?) and straighter.

Like I have really really really good posture, but only around my shoulders.

Oh and the little tie is fun, but it only shows up if you (I) wear your (my) hair up.
I think next time I should wear it/try it untucked.

Rogan Gregory

I can't sleep.
So instead I've been perusing blogs and compulsively checking my email.
I ended up reading childhood flames and her post about rogan gregory and target and I'm kinda jealous since we don't have Target up here (however, I once saw a Target commercial being shot here in Toronto. A winter ad shot in July).
In my sleepy stupor I googled Rogan Gregory and found his website with the collection and all.

I quite like these:






































I love that exaggerated weaving pattern on the dress/shirt/other shirt not seen here.

Me-ow.

It was cold today. Cold and rainy and if I didn't have to go to work I would have spent the day indoors playing on Polyvore like I did a week or so ago.
But instead I hiked up my spirits (somewhat) and made a test run of the tulip skirt and wooden heel (which, at the end of the day, didn't hurt as badly as I thought they would).

Points of Interest Apart From the Skirt: I've had this sweater for about 4 years. I may have holes in it but will never be far from it's little hole in my heart. Or something else that is just as poetic.
The Tulip Skirt: Lesson 1: Not For Running. There will always be another streetcar, the same does not go for one's own precious body.
I meant to pair this with solid tee. Maybe some jewelry to jazz it up a bit but it was so cold this morning that I felt I needed a sweater. Everything else I have is too wintry for May so I went with maroon Catwoman. I'm not sure whether or not it worked? I'll compare and contrast another day. I also felt that maybe if I had a pair of dark maroon tights the whole thing might look a bit more interesting.
Or stripey.
The pockets made me feel confidant in a way. They're similar to what I find in trousers, I think that may be why.

Also: Thank you to Yuri from Lookbook for sending me an invitation. I spent today sneaking looks at it at work.

My Wallet Ran Away

She said something about abuse......I don't know. She started crying and said she was going to stay with her mother for a few days after I came home with these:












It was the heel. Okay, maybe the cushioned toe too.

Also, I found another one:
Lookbook.nu
This one seems different from the others somehow. It's pretty self-explanatory, a lookbook. I'd have to sign up to really examine it further, but there looks to be a vintage website in addition to the main, and judging from the long list on the right hand column, they have separate websites based on your outfit category (?)
The site is also invite only.....interesting. I wonder why. Perhaps closer examination will reveal a reason.

Wallet's Remorse.

I spent a lot of money today.

(Hi, how are you all, sorry for not updating in the past few days frankly I just felt I had nothing/very little to say. I took a few new headshots yesterday, they turned out quite nice. I also wore a few outfits and since it rained I had to take them inside and because I live in a basement they're kind of dark. The pictures I mean, pictures of the outfits, not the actual outfits themselves. Well I did have to take them inside, because they'd have gotten wet, right? And one of them was pretty dark. But I was talking about the pictures, and I'll put them up anyhow, I'd like to see what the internet thinks. Or doesn't think. whatever. Anyhow, I was saying, I spent a lot of money.......)

A LOT.

I also happen to plan on spending a nice chunk of my finances on a pair of shoes tomorrow.
But only a nice chunk, my wallet remorse is mostly for today's spending on the following:

A black skirt from Aritzia

I do like the way it looks. A high waist that is just about knee-high. It has pockets and is what is called a "tulip skirt". I have nothing like it right now, it's a thicker linen, feels nice, and I'm going to stop trying to justify a $90 skirt, because no matter how many times I tell myself that I'll wear it all the time at work, my cheap ass won't let me.













And a white shirt. A crisp, clean white shirt that won't last a week before it becomes a wrinkled mess (even though I will try to keep it nice. Fingers crossed)

Yes. I know what you're not thinking.
It is part of the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection for the Gap. And because I know you're not interested; it was on sale because that isn't Gap's big selling gimmick anymore. Will I probably go back in two weeks to get the remaining, even-more-marked-down pieces? Most likely.

At first I thought these two would work well together (black skirt, white shirt, classic clean combination or something) but because of the shapes....they really don't.
I mean, maybe on someone else.......actually no. Not even on someone else. The shirt is one that should really be tucked in or cinched at the waist or something because of all the volume at the top (created, I'm assuming, by the pleating thing). The skirt does something similar: volume up top while more fitted down low. Also probably because of the pleating (or the "tulip" shape?). So you get the effect of parachute-esque fabrics wrapped around you. One could always really try to wrap something around up top thereby loosing the beautiful detailing in the shirt. Or try to control the tulip bloom of the skirt, thereby ruining the point of the tulip skirt (I'm milking this, can you tell?).

Or, once could not wear these two pieces together and instead find a fitted top/bottom in order to provide some kind of contrast in what one is wearing as opposed to trying to inflate oneself to microvave-popcorn proportions.

Bear Necessities.

I Like My Style

Stylemob

Chictopia
(If you know another let me know.)

How many times, from how many people, in how many different forms do we (read: I) have to validate what we wear by having other vote on how stylish it is or comment on the clothing we wear?

Well I guess we ought to consider how different these site are. How they cater to different age/style groups. Are they all necessary? In some ways, yes because you get different opinions, different suggestions, and different reactions from each. It can easily become saturated but it has to for one of them to really adapt and come out the winner. All of the above sites are relatively new, and once they start to rise, one of them will become the facebook of style communities - integrating a good design with functionality and relative privacy with popularity that comes out of a universal appeal (which is achieved by adaptation and adding new things. Lots of 'em).

Then again, in the world of style/fashion/clothing/whatever-I-should-wear-a-paper-bag-it-would-be-cheaper-anyhow blogs, is Still Better and Worse necessary? Is anything necessary? Is a blog necessary?

Personally I think the only necessity is a self-timer on your camera, once you have that skill down you're set for life.

Pants, Slacks, Trousers, Two Legged Leg Coverings

This Polyvore thing is going to develop into a problem isn't it?
If anyone feels I'm getting out of control, a couple of strongly worded emails might do to fix it.

I've always kinda wanted a pair of high waisted-slacks. The likes of which Katharine Hepburn used to wear, and now that they're back in style I may just have to jump on the bandwagon and invest in a pair for myself. I used to look for them in vintage stores but gave up once I realised that a) no one has them and b) vintage stores tend to carry clothing from the late 50s onward. With a very large selection of 70s and 80s wear. Accessories are more varied but if after paying close attention I think just about everything except maybe jewelry comes from a concentrated piece of history.

Maybe this is why the 70s trend is happening now. Everyone wears vintage, retailers see that vintage is in and "voila" they create new items that emulate the majority of the old items that the young 'uns are wearing these days.
Them intelligencia call it supply and demand or sumthin'

The Teacher

With this blazer I felt very much like a teacher. A really cool teacher who tricks you into realising that the maths and sciences are cool and yet still manages to enforce the importance of the arts.
It's also possibly the most comfortable dress ever. Wool, knit, from Zara's. With pockets (!) and a great little bubbly detail at the hem. I think I bought it back when bubble skirts were the big thing but was too nervous to actually have a bubble that fit around my rear. I believe it's what we grown-ups would call a compromise.

I should/could have added a pair of earrings to this, to brighten up the charcoal a bit. Or maybe a shorter chain?
I'll try it again sometime and see what happens.

Wet Wednesday

I don't know about anywhere else, but Toronto is cold, wet, and glum today.

So I stayed in, slept in, and did that.
and was left with only a teensy bit of cabin fever.

Go Away (but do come back)

Today was actually the dullest day of all eternity. 6 hours of greeting people as they come into my work. Nothing else. Occasionally, I validate a parking ticket or two, maybe open a door for someone, but for the most part, I just stand around and smile.
And welcome people into the store of course.

This gave me a lot of time to think. Think and consider and ponder and wonder about my blog. And other blogs. And the differences between the two.

In creating this project, I started reading a lot of other blogs. I link most of them here just for convenience (I get to revel in my own brilliance and then go and eat a slice of humble pie without much effort), but how many links are too many? Is there such a thing as too many links? Sure, mine are mostly unorganized and it all started off as....well, reference. I pulled inspiration from other sources, from style blogs and artists and photographers alike. At this point I'm just linking whatever I find to be relevant to my own personality not so much what is relevant to what I blog about (which is a very basic, very common, day-to-day, "this is what I wore/bought/found today" formula). I don't even visit all of them in one day. I hit up the regulars like The Coveted (which has been consistently good since before my first attempt at Still Better and Worse last summer) and Facehunter, and usually I'll go to The Apathist, Final Fashion and maybe La Femme as well. The rest are in a pretty regular rotary cycle.
Am I putting too much on my plate with all these? Is it hard to keep track of all this?

Did I totally just go off on a tangent there? (yes.)

Back to what I said before; the main difference.
Because through reading all these blogs I found that some people make a specific distinction between them. The subject matter, I mean.
There are the pretty straightforward, "street style" blogs. But what constitutes a "shopping blog" and what makes it different from a "style" blog? Because I find that most, if not all, personal style blogs/bloggers make a point to share their shopping experiences and finds, like Fops and Dandies does. There are posts that are "what I wore today" oriented but also "what I bought today" along with it. So what makes it a shopping rather than a style blog? Because what you shop for is obviously tied tightly to what your style is, right?

There are also a lot of blogs with the same intention as this one: a place to track the progression of someone's style. It's how The Coveted started, if I'm correct. So what are they called? Style blogs? New style blogs? Learning blogs? Hi-I'm-new-please-help-me-fix-what-I-wear blogs?

I am interested in how much personality comes out of a blogs design. And the little widgets around them. You can see that Discotheque Confusion is heavily interested in music because of all of the music-oriented widgets in the column around her blog. Blogger seems to give you more of a free reign to do this kind of thing - I found it was easier to inject my personality into their templates as opposed to wordpress. A blog name plays into this as well. I used a Shakespeare quote as mine because I am one of those obnoxious actors who will be perfectly happy if all she does for the rest of her life/career is the Stratford Shakespeare festival and Kenneth Branagh's current vanity project. How do/did other people come up with theirs? Because none of them are the same, and all of them seem to play into the personality of the writer's very well. It's like a band name. Even though there are 45129684 bands whose name starts with "the" none of them are the same. Okay, maybe some are, but you get the general point I'm trying to make, oui? Bon.

Honestly, I just read over what I've written and it's just my stream of consciousness. It's just me talking and blabbering about what I thought about today, trying to weed through the notes I covertly took at work in between greeting customers.
I was trying to sort out where I fit in all this. I'm not about to overload this project with my many playlists and every artist that I love. I'm into keeping it simple - minimalism + me = bffs 4 evs if you know what I'm saying. I like to think that I am able to convey why I created this in my posts, and what I share.
Like the last post - it was mostly because I found that I was attracted to items of clothing that I wasn't before. It was the first time that I really realised how much my style has changed in the past year and so I posted my feelings about it along with what I bought in order for the two to illustrate and inform one another.

Wow. Eloquence is not one of my strongest characteristis.
*notices the length*
Nor is being "to the point".

I'm a Spendah.

Ugh.
I tried to write this earlier but couldn't so I went off and took a nap and had my worst nightmare.
It's one where I walk into a rehearsal with a group of my favourite actors and I'm naked and whenever I try to put on clothes they disappear, and the actors give me clothes to put on and then get mad at me when the pants and sweaters they give me disappear.

Worst. Nightmare. Possible.

These, however, not so much.
I didn't end up going back to the clothing show this year, but there's always the fall for me to try and bankrupt myself in a weekend.

I'll go in chronological order. Seeing as that's how we do things in the real world.

I saw these about a minute after I walked in on a table with a big red "$10-$15" sign. They were the last in my size. You'll be happy to know that they have not been off my feet since I took these (which is why they're a little dirty. Blue Suede-esque material + rainy May night = not so great for aethetics)

I think they look a lot better on my feet:

I spent the next little bit trying to not spend big. So I spent a lot of little on some jewelry:

Close up on each piece:
Chinese silk - covered button.
I forgot to get the woman's card (dammit) but there were a variety of patterns and silks, not a single one was the same as the other. A soft, turtle-shell (right?) button, the kind that covered your backpack in high school.
but classy.




silver knot
I definitely didn't try this on until I got home and was worried that it wouldn't fit.
It does (barely).
If I ever get around to it, I'll put a longer chain on it.





Flower pin
From a booth called "English ______". The woman doesn't have a store she just does these shows so I'll actually have to wait until September to go back. She had a wonderful selection of this brass jewelry that she collects and makes herself.
I love the petals and how wild the blossom is. The little pearl in the middle suits it perfectly, it holds the almost-wilting petals together.



monk pendant
This was some random kitschy pendant I found in the middle of other random kitschy pieces at one booth. I didn't think it would be but it's my favourite piece. It's heavy, made from marble or stone it looks like. And solid.
Something to hold on to.
I'm still trying to figure out who/what he is.




And finally:
A Dagg and Stacey vest. I don't even mind not going back as much because they're one of the reasons why I went.
I love the clasps and the crochet lining. The satin blue back speaks for itself.

I found I was drawn to more girly and vintage items. I used to go for the jeans, the t-shirt, and maybe a simple necklace to go with it. But I saw a few frilly, lacey pieces that I would absolutely go for. Is that change coming just because I'm putting more effort into my wardrobe? Is this the kind of thing that happens when you make a sort of image overhaul? Dresses and skirts were never my thing (they still aren't in a way), and at places/events like this one I'd always try to find clothes that fit what I was into - pants and shirts in the most basic way possible. It probably comes with the territory - once you open your eyes you see a lot more - but texture, fit and stitching are all of a sudden a lot more obvious to me, and I judge them more than I used to.

I have more criteria to fill. And that criteria is more specific than it used to be.

Dammit I just remembered a pair of pants that I was planning on going back for. I guess I'll try my luck in the fall. It might be interesting to see what else changes by then.

The Clothing Show

Makes me excited.
And so I went yesterday and am probably going back tonight.

The first thing I saw when I walked in yesterday?

A pair of light grey lace up heels. On a $10 table. The last pair. MY SIZE!

:D.

A Few Words

This article is both entertaining and true. I suggest reading it.

Yes it is from a year ago, yes I am a little late, yes I'm sure that if you were to do a google search you'd find 1001 blogs posted/referred to it before I did. But that doesn't change the fact that you should read it so get on. Go.

Damn lazies. You ought to read more.