bits and bobbins

-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…

-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…

-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.)

even fifi lapin, the most stylish bunny in the blog-o-verse, is inspired by the stunning beauties and vintage vixens over at wardrobe_remix! see?

(image via fifi lapin)

man…that just tickles me to no end. hee!

thanks, fifi!

in a recent discussion in the wardrobe_remix forums, i learned about a soon-to-be released book, called what i wore today: online fashion narcissism from beijing to berlin.

not knowing much about the project or it’s tack/arguement (i wonder: is it celebratory, or critical?), it seems that if nothing else, said book is focusing on the phenomenon of online fashion blogging/style sharing…you know, folks interested in fashion, photographing themselves and their outfits, and then sharing them with the world via their blogs, fashion forums, and communities or venues like wardrobe_remix (as well as other websites like w_r, of which i am sure many of you are familiar, net-and-fashion savvy as you are).

i find use of the word narcissism in the title of this book curious (and frankly, a little odd). and it got me thinking…and questioning.

the word narcissism*, at least to me, judging simply by its definition, has a pejorative connotation. i.e., it suggests that said sharing is judged to be a vice, something bad, something to perhaps be looked down at. that it is, at least in the eyes of some, vanity.

do you feel that photographing oneself and posting that photograph in a public manner automatically and unequivocally implies narcissism on the part of the person posting said photo? is that person self-centered/self-obsessed? is that bad? is that okay?

or is there another, alternative interpretation? do people share photos of themselves, or share photos of their outfits/style for reasons other than self-obsession, showing-off, or egoism?

what’s the point of sharing photos of oneself at all? why do we do it? why do do it, if you do? be critical, delve deep, divulge!

another thought: would it be better, considered less ego-centered to not share photos of oneself at all? if photographing oneself can be argued as just being documentation of what one is wearing and not intended as a narcissistic act, would it be ethically better to keep the collection of said photos to oneself? does the mere act of posting those photos to be viewed publicly turn the photos into a self-centered, egocentric endeavor, one that’s open to judgement?

(*see also: some definitions of egoism and narcissism.)

i know this may not be talked about often in the fashion blogging/sharing world…but i’m curious. i want to go deeper into this subject, if possible…

i’d love to hear what others have to say on this matter…particularly if you participate in websites like wardrobe_remix or focus on the documentation of your outfits in your own fashion blog.

what say you?