(not so) random links

-hemlines are perhaps inching down, eh? i find this intriguing, as i'm kind of liking the idea of wearing really long dresses (like, down to the floor!), which is odd because i usually favor my skirts above the knee. the only length i loathe? that one that cuts right at the widest part of the calf. makes a short stuff like me look even shorter! (from the international herald tribune)

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-this article sheds light on exactly how zara keeps churning out new styles faster than ever. fashion fashion, indeed. (from the wall street journal)

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-smaggle style asks a sensitive fashion question: Is it okay to steal your style from other cultures? could wearing certain items that are symbolic or significant to other peoples be considered an affront? the discussion that follows is enlightening.

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-how to properly fit a bra. chances are, your bra's the wrong size for you! get measured (every single time you buy bras, because yes, sizes can change!). it'll shave 10lbs off you, at least, make you stand taller, and make you look absolutely amazing. ignore the size, and hoist those gals up properly! you'll thank me. (from her room, which incidentally has bras for gals of larger busts. YAY!)

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-hey, you fabulous full-figured gals! take note! emily august of gogo distro and an etsy shop by her same name just wrote a trends piece for etsy's storque entitled what's the skinny? towards a more size-friendly etsy. her post champions etsy sellers who offer plus-size clothing, and also gives heaps of tips to plus-size buyers and the positive potentialities of being a plus-size etsy seller. the tips also apply to the particular petite amongst us as well. right on, emily! go read, chime in over yonder, and spread the word, y'all!

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plus, some quick links, hand picked for yooooou!

-some street sourced cuties on the streets of bejing (from WWD)

-the sewing machine song! this is what i sing when i'm stitchin', natch. (ok, not really. but maybe now i will!) (via craft:)

-pretty colors and dots by the hands of essimar

the exactitudes project

i'll admit it: i've always had a bit of an issue with what i call subcultural "uniforms"...the typical pieces that persons who subscribe to certain subcultures feel they need to wear in order to identify or fit in with said subcultures. i feel as if the constraints of those "uniforms" are often too rigid, and the members of those subcultures sometimes abhor any deviation from said uniform by other members, at times considering any inkling of diversity, difference, or attempt at personal interpretation as a threat.
i suppose that i personally i just don't like the idea of a uniform because i don't like the idea of being pigeonholed, the idea that anyone might think i'm into one thing or another just because of a thing i might don on a given day. i'd like to be just "me". i like to keep people guessing, or like to believe that i do inside my own possibly addled mind (ha!). in reality, i admit fall into certain stylistic habits...and i know there are similar folks to me out there in the world. and i guess it's okay.
the simple fact is, such subcultures and uniforms exist. no matter how original one might think they are, they can often be grouped with people who express their personal style in a similar manner. we are all likely to be part of some fashion or style "tribe". and honestly, many people like to fit into a category or a subculture. it's just the way it is.
it's scientific: the human mind seems to delight in the act of categorization...our brains seem hard-wired to collect similar things of any description (or even ideas) and display them together of think of them as related. we yearn to make sense of the world by organizing it.

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(photo credit to ari versluis/exactitudes)

rotterdam, netherlands-based photographer ari versluis and stylist ellie uyttenbroek have been working together since 1994 on a documentarian-style photographic project called exactitudes (a word that is a mash-up of the words "exact" and "attitude"). the pair has scoured rotterdam and a smattering of cities around the world, gathering people from various social groups that appear to share the same "dress code". these individuals are styled, posed and photographed in such a way that emphasizes their similarities in the way of outward expression.
over the years, ari and ellie's exactitudes project has been covered in the press, shown in galleries, and was even turned into a book in 2002. goodness, would i love to get my hands on that!
but, word is, the project is ongoing...
take note, londoners!
selfridges is hosting an exhibition of ari's photographs. it's running from february 26 through april 20, 2008. a small video of ari describing the exactitudes project may be found on the selfridge's site, here.
at the same time, ari and his team will be searching the area around oxford street in an effort to gather more subjects for the exactitudes project.
if you're in the area...go view the exhibit. perhaps you can take part!

ny mag's monochromatic new yorkers

(photo credit: tina tyrell/new york magazine)

writer joanna goddard (who blogs over at a cup of jo) recently penned an article for new york magazine about monochromatic new yorkers: cultural creatives in the big apple who are obsessed with wearing only one color every single day. small interviews get into their heads and shed light on their chosen colors and how they maintain their personal style within the confines of their color choices. the results are stunning, and the peek into these people's minds is absolutely fascinating. the whole article resonates with me on so many levels...but suffice it to say that i relate to all of these folks on a very deep level, being so color obsessed myself!
in her own blog post broadcasting the release of her article, jo asked:
If you had to wear only one color, which would you choose?
i think you all might know my answer. :)

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what color would you choose to wear, if asked to choose just one?