(not so) random links

-following a link from a post on buzzfeed (one of my fave RSS feeds, it never fails to amuse/inform me!), i recently learned about the fashion blog of a 12-year old girl named tavi: style rookie. her site follows the familiar format of many a fashion blog: it's filled with the requisite daily outfit photos, plus photographic documentation of her style experiments and (thrift and retail) finds, and snippets of this or that from the culture at large that amuses or inspires her. said blog and it's author could be considered precocious by some, sure...but she seems like a fairly well-versed, articulate young lady with sophisticated tastes, despite her allegedly tender age.
and of course, after perusing her journal, i got to thinking...
is there such a thing as being too young or too old to be interested in style, or too young or old to bother with style? should young (or old) people focus on other things? should aged folks leave matters style to the younger folks? or is style ageless? is one's young adulthood (say, their 20s, or 30s) culturally the only time upon which caring deeply about fashion and style is acceptable? or is that not true at all?
in reference to tavi and her blog: when is it appropriate for a girl or young woman (or boy/young man) to wrest herself from the whims of her/his parents or guardians to express their own sense of style?
see also: minor alterations, a recent feature from the telegraph that focuses upon how a select selection of designers dress their progeny.

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-check out this article from the new york times called everyone's narcissistic, it seems.
narcissism: it's the word du jour!
and a very misunderstood/misused word, too.
and hey, the aforementioned article is timely and related!
to what, you say?
why, the discussion i started from the other week about whether photographing yourself/your style = narcissism?
heh. hee. :)

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-what do you think about ink?
some are of the opinion that tattoos are a regrettable trend that will fade and are a blight on otherwise beautiful skin, some feel they are a taboo that goes against the will of god, while many, MANY others find them exquisitely beautiful. (via the telegraph, and the new york times) how many? well, according to the telegraph article, 1 in 2 americans (and 1 in 5 brits) has a tat.
any way you spin it (as i see it), tattoos are a form of self-expression, a signifier of something that is of importance (or at least aesthetically pleasing) to a individual, culture, or subculture. for starters, at least...
but i ask you:
are tattoos a trend that are on their way "out"? or is the art making inroads, just now seeing greater acceptance? conversely, does their acceptance have a long way to go?
are persons who have tattoos to be taken less seriously than those who do not have them? do tattoos say anything about class or class structure? i.e., are those that have them of a lower class, or perceived to be of a lower class by society at large?
from a style/styling oneself sort of perspective: if you have tattoos, do you consider them when getting dressed? are they a part of your style, or separate from it in some manner (i.e. you don't think about them in relation to your wardrobe/what you wear)?

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as far as the quick and dirty this week, why don't YOU comment with cool crafty/fashion related things that YOU have spotted around the internet(s) this week?
ready, steady...GO!

(not so) random links

-there's a whole lot of theving going on these days. such shenanigans are like, no new news in the fashion world, no? i've written about such things multiple times, right here. what gives? it's a touchy subject...but one that comes up constantly. it seems especially sad when one small/independent business or designer does the dirty deed to another small/independent business or designer.
mallory of indie shopping blog miss malaprop wrote to me this weekend letting me know that new orleans-based designer/retailer trashy diva has allegedly had some of their signature designs ripped off by another designer/retailer (as well as a wholesale client of theirs), unique vintage. surprisingly, unique vintage apparently unapologetically admits to this blatant theft...
anyway, if you're so inclined, you can read more about this particular incident @ the following links: styledash or miss malaprop. also, jennine of the coveted makes some good points concerning the matter as well...

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-how do you care for your clothes (and accessories)?
do you obsessively organize your garments in the closet by color and type? do you keep everything you own pressed, neat, and folded just so? (via the wall street journal)
or, conversely, do you just throw your things around in your abode or room in what looks like a heap, but in some state of "organization" that makes sense to you?
i gotta say, i'm staunchly in the first camp, almost bordering on obsessive-complusive when it comes to my clothes. hah!
everything in my closet(s) is organized by type and by color, even the shoes and jewelry! when my husband doesn't fold something "properly", i can't help but re-fold it. i iron EVERYTHING, even jeans and tees. where does this crazy organized tendency come from? well, i did my time in department store retail sales in my late teens/early 20s. additionally, my dad taught me to iron properly when i was about middle school/preteen age (his mom taught him when he was of a similar age...he's always been smartly dressed, classic, and has always favored nice quality things and caring for them accordingly). old habits die hard!
in thinking about this, i wonder: does one's obsessiveness (or lack thereof) about organizing your clothing/accountrements carry over to the way a person dresses yourself as well?
do you have "rules" for dressing yourself, a certain paradigm/framework you work with and within concerning your wardrobe, or do you go crazy and throw clothing caution to the wind, trying whatever feels right at the moment, using whatever you can find off your floor? seems (to me) like two different (equally valid) means of achieving the same end...dressing and expressing oneself...

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-vickie howell (of austin craft mafia and DIY's knitty gritty fame) is writing a new book called craft corps, and she wants YOU to contribute to said book. in vickie's own words, the to-be published tome is about:

"the community perpetuated by craft and the designers & hobbyists who feed it. as part of the content, i’m hoping to include 50-60 short profiles of crafters of all types. if you knit, crochet, embroider, decoupage, paint, sew, bead, tat, work with ceramics, collage, etc.---I want to hear from you! Whether you’ve found success selling your handmade sock monkeys on Etsy or you crochet chemo caps for charity, I want to know who you are, what you craft and why you do it. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE PROFESSIONAL CRAFTERS (in fact, it's preferable as the book's other content will focus on that)!"

read more about vickie's forthcoming book, craft corps, and how you can participate in the making of the book on vickie's blog. (via craft:)
-here be a cute little knitted backpack from lion brand yarns. so nice to finally see them making some cute, up-to-date, wearable patterns! keep it up... (now, if only they'd get rid of that godforsaken homespun and other acrylic beastliness.... :P)
-this jackson pollack-inspired bangle bracelet red-do (using nail polish!!) by fops and dandies is rather genius. (i must admit, i'm both a huge fan of (oversized) gold gaudiness and paint splatters, so admittedly i'm rather biased.)

(not so) random links

-from a recent washington post article about (u.s.) vogue magazine editrix anna wintour, and the ethos of her iconic magazine:

i don't bother to buy or read vogue, for just such reasons. it's unattainable, elitist, fantasy aspects just don't appeal to me on a myriad of levels. it's just too divorced from reality for my tastes, with it's ridiculously priced clothing, and highly polished and crafted images of women, culture, and life...realistically, they will never be a reflection of my own life. stories about real people and images of real people, with their imperfections and differences, appeal to me far more than anything i might spot in vogue, or any magazines of a similar ilk. however, i'm probably in the minority...vogue is considered to be THE fashion bible by many, and ms. wintour is so revered and fetishized by the culture at large that she's almost untouchable, perhaps even goddess-like in the eyes of some.
what about you? what kind of magazines do YOU favor? do you like indulging in aspirational fantasy when you digest your fashion mags, or, conversely, seeing reality when you deign to crack a style-focused monthly? or do you like a little of each, depending on your mood or whim at a given moment?

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-could it be that hairstyles are a cultural barometer that suggests the current state of world economies? (via the independent) if so, some (japanese) economists say, then the long hair that heralded the high flying financial times of the recent past is on it's way out, and cropped styles are on their way in, suggesting that when money's short, so's are our locks. in a very simple way, lots of flowing locks could metaphorically suggest abundance, while cutting one's hair back may be seen as being suggestive of (financial) scarcity. others note that during the times when money and material things are scarce, people desire more visual stimulation...the variety and diversity of short hairstyles may give people at least some novelty in times of want.
any other reasons you think this might be? or is the supposition of these economists reaching for straws, and kind of a crock? what say YOU?
have you been noticing a trend (on a micro or macro level) in the way of shorter hairstyles, either locally, or in the culture at large, now that the economy has taken a dive? do you think there's any merit to the supposition of these economists when it comes to the way we choose to wear our hair?

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the quick and dirty:
-the renegade craft fair descends upon san francisco this coming weekend! cool! more details here.
-burdastyle recently made a post that featured some quick, helpful tips on taking better pictures. i've harped on this subject before...i don't know about you, but i'm sick of seeing janky photos of people's creative endeavors or outfits. make the effort...go the extra mile! you'll find that people respond more to aesthetically pleasing, thoughtfully designed photos and images in blogs and elsewhere. and, it's not really all that hard of a skill to master. just like anything else, it just takes practice. do eeeeet!!!
-i've always had a soft spot for knitted, crocheted, and fiber jewelry. which explains why i am enamored with this crochet collar pattern by the ongoing project. (via craft:)
-make a pleasing workbasket and matching pincushion using vintage sheets! it is by oh fransson and is friggin' adorable. put it to work as a place to stash and corral all those little bits and bobs you use for creative clothes-making (also via craft:)
-smagglestyle shows us all how to make good on those laddered tights and stockings by morphing them into a fabulous necklace. she's a smart cookie, that smaggle!
-because i quite literally have babies on the brain right now, and uh, a baby living inside my body at the moment (umm, hello???), i'm all "awwww!" over this cute little quick bias tape bib project over at the purl bee. cute! on a related note, their pattern for knitted baby bloomers is pretty damn adorable too.
-make yarn out of scraps of fabric with the help of laughing purple (via whip up). oh, the possibilities!
-some creative ways to lace your shoes/sneaks (via buzzfeed)
-liebemarlene just made a post about knitting and vintage knitting patterns and her love for such. one of the commenters on the aforementioned post linked to this adorable "3-hour sweater" pattern from the 1930s. v. cute, eh? and allegedly, quick too...