Add sophistication to your wardrobe and years to your face

Marc Jacobs's fall ready-to-wear collection got the following write-up on Style.com:

This was American sportswear, but with a European sense of impeccability. Some might call it "grown-up."

What followed after can definitely be coined "grown up" - an array of business suits, leisure suits, trenches and dresses that Grandma would approve of.

An otherwise scholarly sweater/skirt combo is jazzed up with bright colour. The knee-length, sleeveless dress is kept simple but for the read trimming around the collar.

I think what went wrong with Marc's less appealing pieces was that he failed to add punch to them somehow. Creating a mid-calf-length, long sleeved dressed buttoned up to the neck takes away sex appeal from even the most youthful nymph but making it a nondescript shade of grey makes it look downright mumsy. It looks like something a girl might wear during the Great Depression, when the food is scarce and money scarcer.



The most alarming aspect of the collection was the dramatic transformation of one Zosia Prominska:

summer vaca

Obviously the blog has been as good as deserted for the last two months. I apologize for the abrupt stop in posting new material, because what with summer and busy schedules, spending time updating didn't fit into my schedule.

I hope that you, dear reader, will get a breather, enjoy the rest of summer (despite the lack of sun--at least on the Canadian side) and come back once September hits.

American Vogue is shallow

A hilarious post about the decline of substantial articles in American Vogue, with examples from the current issue.

Read

it's wednesday

Exams are done, I've got two weeks until summer school starts (to get English12 out of the way) and life is good.

Today should be a pretty lazy day. I'm just sitting at the computer, listening to old Metallica and Hendrix, trying to copy the eyeliner look of this D&G model. I'll probably head off to Chapters in a while to catch up on my mags reading and then go rollerblading at 8.

from africa

Picture of Keira Knightley in the latest Vogue issue:


I'm sort of torn on Keira. On one hand, the majority of her facial expressions in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy have consisted of a rigid pout, but then she seems like the sort of girl who doesn't let fame get to her head and would be a good person to hit downtown with.

But the typewriter? Bah, can you say pretentious?

Love the boots, though.

source: Vogue

exams

Updates have unfortunately been very sporadic, and I'm afraid I won't be able to focus on the blog until Tuesday at 11:00 am when exams are over.

Have a good week and happy studying (to those in the same predicament).

carmen dell'orifice

This is the world's oldest supermodel. Can you guess her age?


If you said 75, then your age-judging skills are impressive because you're right. Her face doesn't look artificial so I'm going to guess her impeccable skin is a result of a rigorous beauty regime.

high jump: coco rocha

Fashion Television did a profile of Coco Rocha and I just had to link it. She is just too adorable and good-natured for words (could this be the dawn of the nice model?). Included is her dance for Gaultier fall'07.

coming up vintage

I've really started getting into films, particularly from the last three decades of the 20th century. Since we're officially started getting into summer blockbuster territory, I've had to get my smarts-fix elsewhere. Where better than the heavily politicized films like People vs Larry Flynt, Dawn of the Dead, Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, Dr Strangelove, among others? And signifying that my interest in vintage doesn't just concern movies and clothes, I've picked up a couple of John le Carre spy novels (The Honourable School Boy and The Little Drummer Girl) to tide me over during upcoming exam time.

And for Raiders of the Lost Ark, I feel like Marion Ravenwood was so elegantly portrayed by Karen Allen.

picture source

comfort me with style

When the high-fashion version of the anorak hit the runways and magazine pages earlier this spring, I was one of the first skeptics raising an eyebrow and repeating a mantra set in by stylists and couturiers everywhere, "Style and comfort? No way." Whenever I pick out my outfit, I work by combining various items of clothing no matter how uncomfortable one of them may be. So usually I'm found limping slightly from a wedges blister, but I feel that pain is a small price to pay for not settling for lofty quality or orthopedic footwear (read: Birks).

Two days ago, being the kind creature I am, I volunteered to marshall for the local track meet. Although the weather was fairly questionable, I didn't pay too much attention to dressing warmly despite warnings from friends. At 9 am, when we were gathering in the stands, I was a bit conscious of being over-dressed as a sea of sweatshirts and track pants invaded my line of sight (I was wearing black dress pants, mangeta tshirt and blue cardigan, both from Mango).

The bitter wind, cold and rain didn't take its toll on me for another hour, as I shivered and cursed under the bitterly grey skies. Thankfully, our supervisor lent me his windbreaker (which hung like a giant tent on me). Now I am paying for my foolishness with a brain-clogging cold, having fallen prey to the "it's almost summer!!1!" mentality despite the fact that it's more like February outside.

But at least I will be paying more attention to the wool and knit goods from now on.

filming chanel

Rumors are abound that there are plans to make two films about Chanel (one about Coco's affair with Igor Stravinski starring French actress Marina Hands and the other about her private life rumored to star Audrey Tautou of The DaVinci Code fame). Of course nothing will happen until filmmakers get approval from the House, so nothing might come up of this.

Depending how they approach the content, it could turn out good, or end up going the way of Marie Antoinette and Factory Girl.

source: Reuters and In Fashion
picture from Chanel

goodbye for the weekend

Sorry updates have been slow these past couple of days. Life is catching up to me. I'm leaving for Montreal in a couple of hours. I will probably resume regular updating on Tuesday.

Has anyone seen the La Femme interview on Style Scout? Is she the cutest thing ever or what?

And here is what I thought was a good entry on the "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" craze. Bag for life or just this season?

busy bee

Sorry that updates have been fairly sporadic lately. I've got a ton of final projects and tests.

I am, however, enjoying a break when I leave for Montreal in four days. Since this is my first come visiting that particularly city, if anyone has tips of what to check out and best places to people watch, I'm all ears.

white forecast for the summer, again?

Betsy Johnson x 2, 3.1 Philip Lim

So Fashion File is touting white as the main color of summer 07, and I'm slightly weary since not only is it a repeat of last year but there's also a very fine line between gorgeous designer clothes and ratty white Gap shirts and shorts that are bound to appear on the masses.

we've got soul, we've got style

I've been so bogged down by projects and constant demands, that I've had no time to escape my little Toronto-attached 'burb and go exploring the city. Well, yesterday, following my instincts to neglect the pile-up of final projects and go out, I ended up going to see Hot Fuzz (not a porno flick by the way) all the way in the heart of Toronto. I took the Queen streetcar for the duration of Queen West (a good 50 minute commute) and happened to rediscover one of my favourite neighborhoods.

Riding past the kaleidoscope of fashion that's present on the street makes me really questions why Toronto hasn't got a street style photographer blogger a la Facehunter, Sart, and the crop of other fellow posters who put their city's fashion online.

In the mean time, there's the Street Trends & Photos section of Toronto Street Fashion.

picture taken from TSF