4.7.2007 + dressing for your figure, not the fad

getting ready to go out on the town yesterday eve, for drinks and curry. this outfit is basically me in a fashion-y nutshell: a little clean, a little quirky, a little cute/demure, a little of the mixing up of eras with more regard to shape and color than decade. i've come to think of the super skinny, skinny jeans as more of leggings than jeans, per se. being that i hail from a perpetually chilly clime (san fran, ca), one has to dress with warmth in mind, and this is one of my favorite ways. dress over pants haters be damned to hell.

-red 80s blouse with frilly neck frill: beacon's closet, williamsburg, brooklyn -green empire waist dress: made by me from a 70s vintage pattern years ago -black acid wash jeans, worn like leggings -red leather strappy stiletto sandals: fornarina -orange 60s earrings: salvation army, manhattan, NYC -unseen orange cocktail ring: mission thrift, SF.

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on the subject of wearing what's right for one's body:

wide leg jeans are a style that seem to be fast on it's way back in the current and coming seasons, at the decree of some sour draconian fashion arbiters that are "sick of the skinny"/straight/anything resembling it.

i found a pair of such at my local thrift, and upon trying them on in the comfort of my own home and giving them a twirl in my bedroom mirror, i came to the honest conclusion that such wide-leggedness does absolutely nothing for a short-stuff like moi. i'm 5' 3", and curvy, and wide leg pants make me look stumpy and wide.

one has to be critical...the whole aesthetic picture has to be considered, and if a shape doesn't work, it has to be canned.

straight or slim pants personally do me and my figure more justice...the slimmest part of my body is the bottom half (hips and legs). why not accentuate the positive? isn't that what personal style is partially about?

YES. knowing what works and what doesn't work is KEY, and TRENDS ARE MEANINGLESS, as far as "shapes" are concerned. not every trend or shape works for every body. it looks smarter to stick with shapes that work for your figure than to slavishly follow fads.

wardrobe_remix(ers) o' the week

sorry so late today...i've been under the weather, so to speak. seems like wardrobe_remix is getting some internet press lately, thus, lots of people are joining up. i want to take the time here to point out that i am grateful that people are interested in the project. it's fabulous!

but i also want to make some things clear, as the group grows and grows. get stuff out there, on the table, just so you know. you know?

i want everyone to know that the photos i feature in every single installment of the weekly wardrobe_remix(ers) o' the week column are examples the type of wardrobe_remix photos i PERSONALLY favor, and have favored since i started the group, by myself, in september of 2005. when i post these pictures, i am showing you what i, the creator of the community, feel are the best of the best photos and people in the group, to convince you come and join us!

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what do *i* think makes a good wardrobe_remix photo, you ask? i'll tell you!

-a clear, hi-res digital image

-a composition that is relatively free of clutter, well-lit, and interestingly framed

-seeing your face! i know some people are all weird about that, but you know what, faces are what make us human. i like faces. a photograph of this sort, in my opinion, looks weird without a face. if you don't include your face, i probably won't ever feature your photos here or anywhere else (like for instance, the wardrobe_remix "remix_redux" column in Adorn Magazine I do every season). and that's a shame, because some of you headless people probably have lovely faces to match your chic senses of style! so, poo on no heads in WR photos, i say.

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i also want you to know: ever since i started doing these wardrobe_remix,(ers) o' the week weekly promotional posts, just like this one, i have been making an effort to choose people (of all sizes, styles, genders, etc.) whose whole look is forward and interesting, and if the photo is framed nicely, so much the better! yes, i like to show off what i consider to be the stars of wardrobe_remix, but at the same time, i also make an attempt to choose different folks every week and mix it up with boys and girls alike. i like it diverse, and i like it different. that is who i am, it is my personal style/fashion vision, and is the ethos with which i created wardrobe_remix.

i've noticed that lots of other folks are starting to use the photos of wardrobe_remix users in their blogs, but i want to remind peeps that wardrobe_remix, and everything associated with it started here. :) thanks for featuring photos from the group, internet bloggers! it's great! please do remember to give credit to the folks featured in the photo, and if you're feeling nice, to wardrobe_remix, too! it's good internet etiquette. share the love!

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so, without any further ado, this week's stars!

StrawberryKitten:

pyza*:

yeahboy276:

Syb:

galadarling: whose got a great blog over at http://www.galadarling.com, go check it out!

PORKCHOP FASHION/ARTS & Crafts:

lebonbonmulticolore: fyi: this gorgeous gal has become a fashion force to be reckoned with! izzy's been featured all over the place lately (NEET magazine, coolhunter, etc.), and has even started her own street style blog featuring fresh fashions from the streets of montreal called MTL STREET...damn girl!

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remember: you can click on the photo of any of these terrific wardrobe_remix(ers) to learn more about their photo or outfit, and explore their flickr photostream. all of the photos are owned by the awesome people who are depicted in them, of course!

join us over at wardrobe_remix and show off your awesome EVERYDAY trendbusting and trend-SETTING personal style!

spread the word!

this week over at wardrobe_remix we're discussing things such as what have you started wearing that you've never worn before? and what do you *wish* you could wear? join the community to in turn join in on the discussions!

see you there!

4.2.2007

so tired. it's been a long, long weekend, though nice, with two luxe dinners, too many cocktails, and a bevy of belgian beers. my head hurts!

i'm spending the afternoon looking for hotels in antwerp, belgium and paris, france at the beginning of may (the husband and i are headed to the continent for two weeks, for work and play).

-green plastic earrings with zebra stripes: thrifted -red blouse with ruffled collar and hacked off sleeves: thrifted -red-orange tank: american apparel -orange belt: thrifted -gray skinny jeans: old navy -red leather peeptoe wedges: steve madden -green plastic bracelet: beacon's closet, williamsburg, brooklyn