fashion as the plague

Oops

2008-11-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so. I know I haven't been blogging at all for a long time, but I have a valid reason, I promise. But not really, I only have a reason until October 4th, which was my LSAT test date. After that until now I've just been lazy.

But now that I actually thought about it, I think there is a bigger issue at hand here. I'm actually finding fashion a little... drab. Actually a lot drab. I've seen the newest fall fashion shows and [close to] nothing caught my eye. Maybe I'm pointing the finger at the wrong people here. Maybe it's me who is a little out of date, a little too homogenized to style for my own good. Maybe it's my fault that whenever I see myself in the mirror, I feel like there's something missing about my own fashion.

I don't know, but I just find everything I wear boring. If that sounds depressing, I don't know why. I've been active lately, with school and work and frat b.s. It's not like I changed everything in my wardrobe within the past few months, but I just find my pieces to be too... easy? I have no idea what I'm talking about so I'm going to stop. Have a nice day.

Fashion Tip: Coats

2008-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Top: LOVE Moschino jacket $794; Bottom: Alphamale trenchcoat $170

My biggest weakness is a good jacket or trenchcoat. Generally, I'm rather selective about my purchases, usually giving them at least some thought before actually going through with it. However, my impulsive purchases always happen when I come across a great jacket that I fell in love with. The last time that happened was a $340 1930s-inspired Modern Amusement peacoat. It's not exactly good buying habits, but I didn't even look at the price when I brought it to the register.

In my defense, however, I think great coats are indispensable to have and tend to be extremely versatile. That peacoat I bought wasn't exactly versatile, but that was because it was a formalwear. Usually a great coat will last you a long time and get you through a lot of very different situations. Naturally, the coats should be in a neutral colour like black, dark blue, or gray, so that advantage will actually work. A great neutral can be paired with anything (hence "neutral"), whether a nice dress shirt or even a t-shirt or v-neck.

I say, don't be afraid to shell out the cash for a good coat. It's going to be worth it.

Bad Trends: Rolled Jeans

2008-09-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

What the hell?

Ugly ugly ugly! Honestly, haven't these people heard of a tailor? I can understand the drive behind purchasing a pair of nice fitting jeans that you simply can't find the right length in the store because the fit is simply irresistible... but then the next step is to take them to get hemmed, not roll 'em up like that.

The guy on the left needs to get his jeans hemmed to the right length. Although I do feel that, from this angle, he probably needs a better fitting jean anyway, it might just be that he rolled the jeans too much giving the jeans a much more straighter look than what is intended.

Gal on right needs to get herself a pair of capris. It just looks really sloppy to take a perfectly good pair of jeans, and then roll them up to capri length. Why not buy a capri in the first place, so you don't look awful? Not to mention those yellow sandals, ugh. Horrible taste.

The worst thing about this is that I have seen celebrities wear rolled jeans in public, and people somehow translates that as a green light for fashion acceptability. Only certain celebs have the personal sense of taste of a true fashion expert, not all. It's like those commercials that have atheletes endorsing a product s/he has absolutely no authority to comment on, but do anyway.

There's a reason why in every award show, one of the most talked about segments is who wore what, and who is worst dressed. Just because they have money and recognition doesn't mean that they suddenly have class and taste. You can't espouse taste without having it first.

Fashion Tip: Contrasts

2008-08-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Shirt by Heritage 1981; Vest and skinny tie by H&M; Zatiny jeans by Diesel Industries

One of my favourite things to do when combining what I already have is to try out the obvious. This is a tried-and-true pairing of black and red, with a little white and gold to make it look fresher and less tired. The attention-grabbing plaid is contrasted with the solid black of the vest and tie.

Contrasting your clothes is one of the easiest things to do when your aim is to be a little more unique than others. Just don't go too wild and match hot pink with neon purple or whatever poison you have in your closet. The main purpose is still to look presentable without being overly experimental and esoteric. It's just a little spin to the classic plaid shirt.

If you're afraid that the combination you thought up is too much, just try it on and see for yourself. It never hurts to try something on, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

So I saw a whore at H&M today...

2008-08-20T21:14:00.001-07:00

Cardigan, shirt and skinny tie by H&M; Henlee jeans by Rock&Republic

You know, the number of people who asks you for help because they think you work at the store is directly proportional with how much of a shopping whore you are. Today at the Tyler H&M I was pretty much walking around the Men's section carrying clothes, tidying clothes, and just rummaging through their selections when three people asked me for assistance. I guess it's how I shop.

But anyway, even though I came in knowing exactly what I wanted to buy and leaving with none of the items, I was extremely satisfied with my purchases. That gray cardigan is really to die for, you can imagine how giddy I was when I saw it tucked in the back. The dress shirt I feel the same way, although you can't really see the details, but the shirt has a black line going through the button area making it extremely fashionable. The black skinny tie is just a staple to any outfit, it's very flexible.

If you're like me and don't mind looking like a old veteran army general, I recommend that cardigan. And of course, skinny ties are coming back!

Fashion Tip: Bizzay Patternz

2008-08-16T00:35:00.000-07:00

Shirt by Energie; Blazer by H&M

Okay, last update I slightly touched on this subject of real busy patterns on shirts. Recently, there has been pretty much an explosion of all-over prints, and in general, patterns that cover the whole clothing. Some designers take it to the next level, like Nigo from A Bathing Ape, Christian Audigier from Ed Hardy and his eponymous label, and streetwear designs like GrnAppleTree, Obey and others have followed suit. Now, I have no problems with it, per se, because even though I can't rock it properly, there sure as hell are people who can!

My problem is this: people who can't, for the life of them, match these items for a coherent outfit! These things are over-the-top busy already, so in order to still look presentable, there must be some solid colours. If anything, layer layer layer. It's the easiest way to take away from the busy-ness. What I've done here is take an all-over skullhead pattern from an Energie shirt and pair it with a simple gray blazer to offset it. Imagine the visual offense I would've created if I had worn a BAPE sweater over it. So people, please stop lookin' like a rainbow puked all over your clothes.

What I Wore

2008-08-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

Shirt by Hause of Howe; Vest by H&M; Zatiny jeans by Diesel Industries

I've been pairing vests a lot lately, and this combination is one of my current favourites. The shirt is colourful without being overwhelming like some of the crazier designs out there (Christian Audigier I'm looking at you), and the solid black of the vest helps with to both balance and contrast with the shirt.

So the San Diego trip was a bust if I was to evaluate it by the shopping. I only bought one sweater, although I do admit that I am pretty in love with it. It's a great heavy-duty green sweater by Ruehl, a subset of the same company that makes Abercrombie&Fitch. It's not the typical look for me, but I like it a lot so meh. The main reason I wanted it so much initially was because Ruehl is pretty rare in my area, and the only store I know is located in SD, but after wearing it two days in a row, I now actually have legit reasons to love it. It's sooooooooooooooooooooo comfy I can just hug it for hours! xD

Big updates tomorrow for 1) photos of shopping raids 2) introduction of a new column.

Hold on to your seats... I guess.

What I Wore Yesterday

2008-08-09T00:15:00.000-07:00

Shirt by H&M; Skinny tie by Diesel Industries; Jeans by Rock & Republic

No updates recently because I've been lazy and have been going to class in basketball shorts and a shirt. But yesterday I finally did dress like I care. It was one of my frat bro's going away dinner last night, and so I jumped at the chance of finally wearing one of my new skinny ties. I originally planned on tucking in my shirt and wearing a vest, but seeing as it was nearing 90 degrees even during sunset, I scrapped that idea for a more casual look.

This is close to what I aim to be more like in the future. Before, I would have worn something far more casual, like a regular shirt. But, seeing as I am looking for employment as we speak, I thought I needed a more refined, but still youthful, look.

Today I went on a shopping spree once again... aahhh I truly missed that feeling :] Copped myself two sweaters and a dress shirt at H&M and a nice pair of Cole Haan dress shoes at Saks Fifth (but I had to compromise a lovely pair of Bruno Maglis!). Photos coming soon when I'm not about to go to San Diego in 5 hours.

An Addition for the Closet Monster

2008-08-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Shirt by English Laundry; Rocker bootcut jeans by Active; Belt by Ben Sherman; necklace from Target (if you can see it)

I went shopping today for the first time in months. Hooray for having expendable income. I went to the Galleria in Tyler Mall, and am now infatuated with a faux-leather jacket I found at H&M. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough money to buy it, so I'll be coming back for it again later this week.

People seem to cringe whenever I mention Metro Park, probably because of its incredibly high prices and loud designs... but here's a little secret: Metro Park has an amazing selection in its Sale section. I can't count how many articles of clothing I bought on sale from them, all with great discounts. Take for example the shirt I bought today. Black&white short sleeve collared shirt with all-over print by English Laundry for a mere $37.66 with tax! Original price: $84.99. I rest my case.

moments define us.

2008-08-05T23:29:00.001-07:00

I'm completely revamping this thing. I deleted all of my previous, highly angsty, posts in order to start anew. The reason that brought about this change is rather whimsical. I don't even remember what I was looking for, but I stumbled across a small charming fashion blog called styleaholica

The fact that The Styleaholic is just a regular gal, and not some prissy rich girl with tons of money to blow, is, simply, cool to me. I'd go on, but then I think I might develop an e-crush on her.

And so, I'm going to start treating this as a fashion blog, just for me but in public. It's a little bit self-indulgent, but I've been extremely busy with LSATs, law school applications and summer school so I need an avenue to express my feelings on one of my favourite things in the world: fashion and everything related to it. The goal is not to be big, but as a stress-reliever.

I'll post stuff like "what I wore today" stuff and update the outfit of the week thing on the right. I'll also be giving fashion advice... because we all know at least a few people who need a little bit (or a crapload!) of help in that department.

I'm really looking forward to this. Thanks!