Helmut Lang --- classic comfey

When we think of style we sometimes think of a scale with comfort at one end and beauty of the other. On the far end that is comfort lies the tee shirt and sweat pants. "Not so!" says Helmut Lang. There is no reason that we can't have both comfort and style and he proves it creating pieces that would be appropriate for almost any occasion.

On a more personal note I've rediscovered tee shirts lately. It started with a vintage 1985 X-men tee that Bob had been hanging onto. Then came the lovely trees and crows that kept appearing in the young men's section & I was hooked, finding that a men's medium was slightly more flattering than a women's XL on my curvy figure. I also bought the first pair of sweats in years last year & actually convinced myself to wear them out of the house on a few occasions. It is nice to see the synchronicity in the fashion world and that it's agreeing with me.

Alexander Wang --- Essence of The Suit

Finally something worth writing about! The first day of fashion week was filled with more plain minimalistic pieces. This is a trend that designers started latching onto as the recession began to show the value and wearability of their pieces to folks cutting back and simplifying. This is definitely a sign of the times and worth noting, but frankly I'm bored sick with it. Budget conscious and bland shouldn't be synonymous, although to many they are. But fortunately some people are still interesting.







Alexander Wang was inspired by the traditional bankers suit, an item which inspires emotions like contempt, envy, opulence, pompousness, power, superciliousness, and regret in the current times. This complexity was taken to a point of absolute sexiness, after all isn't wanting things you dislike the base of most sexual taboos. He removed parts exposing flesh without giving the appearance of vulnerability. He bound necks showing the restraint and slavery of the necktie. He then added rich velvets to add the sensuality associated with wealth and power.

All I can say is yum.

Look of the moment -- Out with the old in with the new

Fall 2009


Ralph Lauren * Ralph Lauren * Ports 1961 * Malandrino * Kai Kühne * Jil Sander * Veronique Branquinho * Luisa Beccaria * Luisa Beccaria


It's still too cold for most spring looks, but I know that we are all feeling the need for some fresh growth. Spring is upon us. Many of us find ourselves cleaning up messes that we've made of our lives. The need for change seems to be the one thing everyone in the nation can agree on & speaking of it seems to border on trite cliche, as opposed to the optimistic outcry of a year ago.

This spring I feel we all need a clean slate -- some thing that is reminiscent of birth and nakedness, that helps wash away negativity and old baggage and propels us forward to the things that are actually important in our lives. Many designers seem to agree as well. The spring shows were full of sheers and simplicity, and these fall looks have the right balance of warmth and freshness to transition into the warmer days.

Blessed Imbolc all.

Chanel discovers LARPers

I'm not sure how I feel about Pre-Fall fashion shows. I am of the belief that until Imbolc has passed you have no business thinking about for next fall in such a direct sense. However something about this one begging me to take notice.

Somewhere inside me is a part that adores long haired boys in trench coats.

Perhaps the rest of the world does too.

Perhaps this means that the long haired misanthrope with the trench coat is no longer a cliche. Maybe next year he will listen to Lady Gaga (they call her music "dark pop") and never worry about offending the normals at the next larp. Maybe geek will take another step into the mainstream. . .

What I do know is that Chanel has presented an aesthetic that we have admired for years and taken it to the next level, adding samurai pants and mail inspired shirts in with the classic leather, lace, and gauze.

This made me smile.