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Much love,

s.

i wish

you all felt the same way i am right now.

vodka water. doubles.

maybe it's more than a swagger

As life has it, I end up taking too long to flip through a magazine and before I know it, the next issue is out and I completely forget to post about anything I see as a trend to watch for, a designer on the run, or this or that, or whatever I think you should probably just know. You get what I mean.

Lucky for me, borrowing my friend’s copy of Esquire’s Big Black Book, through which the top menswear trends are said to be displayed, is in my possession until I see him again. Another plus, is that the next edition doesn’t come out until the next runway season. Wonderful.

So, really, I suppose I should be spending my time with this huge list I have begun to make (I decided compiling a list may be a little bit more tidy than my obsession with post-it notes on my desk and walls surrounding it), about things I really want to cover. I have started to eliminate some things because they are time sensitive (like my comments on the both beautiful and disastrous choices for the Costume Institute Gala last week—which has now been covered by every other possible source. Who wants to read things eight times?). Other things I haven’t covered yet because I know they’re not time sensitive, maybe until the next runway season, at least.

Anyway, I decided to pull out the Esquire post because I know that, given my luck, I am going to run into Adam sooner than later, and am going to have to give it back. Plus, my love for menswear is far too deep to keep this on hold any longer.

So then, shall we?

First off, there is a section I really have some beef with. It’s called “How to Speak Italian on the Weekend”.

Seriously?

Okay, so many Italians dress well, but, so do the damn Parisians, Londoners, the kids from Tokyo, Amsterdam, and even my Canadian love, Montreal. Naming an article that way is just ridiculous. I actually know a few Italians who dress wretchedly. Mind you they do not currently live in Italy, but they sure as hell were born there. And that counts for something.

Another thing: Who is to say these “rules” or “guidelines” that the editors have set are specific to Italian style? I have called so many of these style options to my brother for the longest time. It’s his own fault he does not listen, but, in all honestly, these are not tricks of the Italian trade – they are mostly just common sense when you’re talking fashion and personal opinion when you’re speaking style.

I know some pretty stylish people. Does it mean they are the most “in fashion” people? No, but they still look pretty damn good, all the time; they walk around with confidence and a look that shouts that they don’t give a fuck what you think because they would never dress for you one single goddamned day of their life. They only dress for their selves.

If I seem like I’m pissed off about this article – it’s because I am. Great styling, I mean, many of the complete looks look very well put together – there are even a few I would recommend to other people – but the idea that there are rules adhered to these things… Well, you’ll just see.

Now to the nitty gritty (do people still say that? I'm not too sure).

Anyway, this editorial on how to imitate weekend Italian Style boasts a twelve page spread, with undoubtedly phenomenal photos. But that's what you get when you hire Max Vadukul, top fashion photographer, as well as taking into consideration such distinct styling. But seeing as I hold some pretty strong opinions about this section, I am going to very carefully tear it apart, page by page, with each style instruction taken into account. I have a firm belief that you should not try to emulate the fashions of a specific region. After all, these fashion statement will be making their way straight to North American in two to three years time, if they haven't been taken into account already. The importance of style has been lost in this industry I love so much. You can, after all, have an extreme sense of style, without being the least bit in fashion. And that is why I love personal style that much more.

As a side note, I was asked by an individual if I found the fashion-journalism industry to be booming in novelty in any sort of way because there are so many individuals – girls especially – that have taken to the likes of fashion. I disagreed with him in such a shrewd manner at his latter comment that I'm sure that's why he hasn't come to join me on my outdoor coffee breaks these past couple of weeks. There are too many people these days who explain this love for fashion. When, realistically, they just love to shop. Ask anyone about designers specific to decades as some basic form of knowledge and let them tell you just how much they do not know. So, in response to his initial question, no, I do not believe there is any sort of boom in the novelty of fashion journalism. There will always be a few specific individuals (I cannot even say that I'll ever be one of them, I'll just have to begin working a hell of a lot harder if I ever hope to be) that pursue the drive they have, put in far too many hours of work, and piss off just enough people to make it in the industry while still being looked up to because they are just so damn good at what they do. And those, are the people who really love fashion.

Just had to get that off my chest. Now, back to “Italian Fashion”.

Beginning with the first page, we see American artist, Brad Fisher looking pretty fine. I have got to admit, this outfit is styled pretty damn well. But I did say that initially; some of these outfits look really great. It's more about reading the explanations behind the styling that I had some internal debate about. Titled “The Shock of Color”, the editors go into how bright colors are a trademark of Italian style. I do not doubt this; in fact, I pretty well agree with it one hundred percent. I even agree when they say that bright colors can be mixed and matched as long as you tie them together with a basic neutral. But I thought these were key styling tips in any order of fashion. What really gets me on this page is the explanation that confidence is key when pulling off something like this. Well bloody hell. Of course it's key! It's key in any outfit you're trying to pull off that could be considered a little more formal than normal, or breaks the barriers of typical fashion for a specific atmosphere. It's like when I wear heels on campus. You get stared at because other university students aren't used to seeing campus kids in anything but casual basics. But all you do is keep it together. I mean, you wouldn't have put on whatever you were wearing for an audience to see if you couldn't bear to walk around in it for a good ten to twelve hours, would you?

Moving on.

Page two describes the act of balancing jeans and a blazer. As far as I know, nearly every guy who goes to a club that borders the uptown and midtown scene knows how to pull this off. As long as you're balancing your color tones, you're good to go. And by that, I mean, you likely wouldn't pair bleach wash jeans with a white blazer or white denim with a canary blue jacket. In most cases, guys know how to balance this look by keeping denim dark and being able to play with whatever color and fabric they want on top. Like the first page, with the note about confidence, this page goes on to say that almost anything goes as long as it is fitted properly and you've got a great jacket. Puh-lease. I could have told you that when I was seven.

Onto the “Pop of Red Driving Shoe”. I have to admit, this looks great. But so would a pop of kelly green driving shoe. Or sunflower yellow. Or ultraviolet purple. The entire getup Japanese-American model/poet Seijo Imazaki is showing off would look great with any color driving shoe because all of the other pieces are general neutrals. Esquire editors note that it's the pop of red that completes this whole look. I beg to differ. Go ahead, try the green.

I could tell you the importance of watches any day. And I don't mean as an actual way of telling time. I own three watched: one is a bit glam, the other a retro throwback, and the third an over-sized gold men’s watch. But I don't ever look at them. They're strictly about bringing a look together with a little look-at-me arm candy. I totally get the idea of having a “driving watch,” “weekend watch,” “office watch,” and so on. It's like any assortment of watches – each has its purpose. But it certainly isn't dictating Italian style.

The fifth page I can almost entirely agree with, however. Most Italian runway shows you can look at and notice the extreme use of layering. Italian designers do it very, very well. And the use of knitwear in layering is usually one hundred per cent key. Check this: a white button down oxford with faint grey wide-set pinstripes, a charcoal grey dress vest, buttoned, a navy thin knit cashmere cardigan, topped with a deep emerald green velvet sport-cut blazer. See? Canadians can do it too.

And then we go back to basics. I feel like explaining to a guy that the necessity of having a great fitting pair of trousers, a great cut jacket and the perfect fitting shirt is the exact same as telling a woman that the basic staples to a wardrobe consists of a pair of straight leg neutral trousers, great fitting denim, a slim cut white oxford button down, a classic pair of pumps, a perfectly tailored neutral trench, and a great LBD. They're only the basics. And, hopefully, once you get to a certain age, you'll own them anyways. Common sense guys, com'mon.

Oh and now the seventh page is my absolute favorite. “The Signature Quirk.” I understand the interest in things looking a little off. It's almost the same as when you notice that something is so wrong, it becomes right. But when I look at the styling on this page, I don't really understand the “quirk.” Sure, you've got yellow pants, a purple tie and a navy jacket, but that's just playing with the color wheel. Start with one piece, say, the jacket, choose the tie color by going to the colour next to the blue on the color wheel, which in this case is purple (but could be green), and then to get the trousers, you go with the complementary color opposite the tie color on the color wheel, and you get the yellow pants. Had you chosen a green tie, opting for red pants would have been just fine as well. And no, you wouldn't look Christmas-y with the red and green combination because it's not as if you're going to choose Christmas-red and Christmas-green. All you've got to do is play with the tones, like choosing a deep merlot red with a forest green, and then you've got another great look. See? Simple.

Want another example? Okay, so grab a red jacket, maybe in a mid-burgundy tone, then opt for an orange tie, and given that you're playing with tones, go for a Terracotta orange, and then deep navy trousers. I am too good at this.

Okay, I sort of laughed when I saw the next page and that it was devoted to the “Blue on Blue on Blue” challenge. It's really not all that difficult. As long as you're choosing different shades of blue, in different fabrics and/or patterns and tie in a pop of another color, you're good to go. This, of course, also applies to mixing denim... which is something I would suggest to just simply stay away from, even though it is a huge trend right now for female twenty-somethings. To me, it's just a bad idea altogether.

Um, the “carelessly placed sweater”. I get it. I understand the whole “effortlessly cool” thing and everything. But it absolutely does not apply in this way: there is no way you would get away with wearing a two piece suit, thinking it's just totally okay to throw your cardigan over you shoulders and around your neck. You'd look like a mess.

Ah yes, the talk surrounding buttons. Buttons have more or less become an accessory rather than something we actually keep in mind because of its purpose. Things just see to look a little more chic or a little more upscale when you've got white, gold, or something similar to the beauty of a tiger's eye jewel. I believe that it sort of stems from the use of cuff links. I love cuff links but there is a time and place for everything, and when you can't opt for something on your cuffs, why not something on your sleeve?

And then we have the flash of an ankle. I have been seeing this coming for well over a year now, slowly making its way onto North American runways, but it has always been a trademark of European fashion. I have a lot of Dutch cousins, and they are all about showing off a little ankle. It always seems to look best, though, when you're wearing thin driving loafers without socks, or when you don't match your socks with your pants and/or shoes. Say you're wearing a pair of neutral camel trousers with chocolate brown leather loafers. Now, throw in some argyle print socks in shades of green and a wee bit of brown, just to tie it together. Absolutely fabulous. Of course, this is a very season based trend, and I can't see it lasting in North America all that long. Especially when summers are too warm and winters are far too cold, and spring and autumn has such frustrating weather trends, it could be hard to get a firm grip on this one.

And then, to finish everything off, the Italians have got the “patch pocket.” In all honesty, I hate this. Sure, it's always nice to have a more detail than not enough, but isn't that what a great pocket square or a really out-there tie is for? Or really, really impeccable shoes? I just cannot appreciate the exterior stitching on this pocket patch, and I do not really want to, either.

So, that's the twelve page spread of Italian Weekend Wear. Italians have the reputation of having great style, but every single person can have great style. It's all about bringing together the things you love, making sure they fit very, very well, carrying everything with confidence and just more or less making sure you don't look like a homeless shlub. The editors at Esquire have put together some good pointers, but it's not all one hundred per cent relevant to Italian fashion – I find everything mentioned to be pretty universal when you're talking fashion.

I mean, you go ahead and do whatever you want. I'll be handing out compliments left, right and center like I usually do when I like something, and I'll continue handing out critiques silently in my head as well.

Much love,
s.

Images c/o Esquire Magazine: Spring 2009 The Big Black Book

l'art de vivre

I feel as if I always expect just a little bit more out of someone like Carmen Kass. Seeing as she's walked for nearly every major designer, signed with dozens of ad campaigns and even walked for Victoria's Secret (I consider this extremely odd - I usually classify models as fashion models - the one's who walk high fashion - and mens models - the ones with the curves and great bodies - which would include Victoria's Secret models), I was slightly let down with her photo shoot in the May issue if Vogue Nippon.

I find that Carmen lucked out with the shoot finishing in black and white, VOGUE having really incredible creative directors, and the art department really adding some deep contrast to these photos.

Of course the clothes look great and the setting is incredible - but I was too bored after the fifth photo, so the last few sort of slid past me.

Carmen has got to pump it back up.








Much love,
s.

Images c/o VOGUE Nippon

woo!

So my recent Sunny Fong post? That article from DOSE? Well, I was sure I recognized the name - turns out I was right.

Kat Angus was a student at the same university that I am currently attending and she worked at the campus paper in her fourth year, which was my first year - the year I volunteer before becoming the assistant editor for the same section she worked for!

Small world. Go Hamilton!

Much love,
s.

canada in the forefront

I have to make this noticed, not only because Daria Werbowy is one of my favourite models, as well as being Canadian, but I am not entirely sure this happens all that often.

Daria graced the covers of both VOGUE Paris and VOGUE UK for both of the aforementioned May issues. This is one busy girl.

Just in personal opinion, VOGUE Paris did a far better job of featuring Daria on the cover. Her dark smoky makeup, decked out in swimwear and demin, over shone the UK's cover that was far too sweet and reminded me too much of a woman's magazine as opposed to a strictly fashion based magazine. At first I thought it was a little more tailored to the ELLE look, but even then, the covers of ELLE are ore structured and consistent. VOGUE UK took the idea of soft romanticism for summer too far. This says Marie Claire to me, which I don' exactly appreciate.


Opinions aside, Daria shines either way... my main critique is specifically based on styling and VOGUE UK deserves a little slap on the wrist.

The following are the editorial shots of Daria for the best way to wear denim this summer. It's incredibly stunning and I love how everything can be captured so strongly when both Daria and her male model costar are so fast in action.







Much love,
s.

Images c/o Fashion Indie

the classic

You can never escape something as beautiful as the Chanel No. 5 perfume. The new video advertisement, by Jean-Pierre Jeunet features Audrey Tautou and Travis Davenport in nothing short of wonderful.

Enjoy.



Much love,
s.

Video c/o YouTube