FUR

Natalia K by Pierre da Corso

VERY. INTO. FUR. RIGHTNOW.

Rangifer Couture by Jesse-Leigh Elford | Ben Trovato

Greg Kadel / Numero September 2008

RIP, Fox brethren

Images via .iKandi.

I love fur.  I do. It's inexplicable and unexplainable considering I'm practically a vegan most of the goddamn time, and the very thought of skinning an animal and wearing it is both ridiculous and repulsive to me.  Yet...fur is so BEAUTIFUL! I could never condone "new" fur, but vintage is up for grabs as far as I'm concerned.  Difference, you say?

Besides the NO SHIT aspect of age, there is a difference between something BOOM DONE OVER WITH as opposed to newly produced goods.  In the same breath I use to tell you people to buy vintage clothing to save valuable resources and recycle, I say don't buy NEW fur, mostly because the entire practice ought to be illegal.  However, old fur is just as beautiful and glamorous and insanely luxurious as new fur, as long as it's been treated well.  No shame in vintage fur.  I'm sorry.

Faux fur is almost always as great as real fur, which is why it is odd we haven't put more into developing faux fur in the fashion industry in general.  It reminds me of fossil fuels.  One day we'll research an alternative...but, like, not now.

Is it just me...or do these earrings look like weiners?

ON SOME ABFABSHIT

HACK ATTACK: Jeffrey Campbell

I wrote a post a while back on ye olde Charming or Tedious in which I went off upon Jeffrey Campbell and his creative crew. 

It is Gospel Truth.

Jeffrey Campbell is a douche.

Look at all these fucking shoes. Look at them.  This isn’t even ALL the shoes JC has listed on NastyGal or any other retail site, and yet, you notice a trend or two?

1. They’re all almost exactly the same
2. They look like shoes you could get at Aardvark’s or any other random vintage or goth shop on Melrose for $40…except these are all around $150.
Yeah. I bet JC’s “creative team” just walks up and down Melrose once a month to see which idea from the goth kids and/or hippie era they can throw a hideous platform on and market as fresh and new. And while I’m hating on this brand for its lack of creativity and sheer FUGliness, I can’t hate on the fact that dumbass bitches actually buy this shit.  AND FOR ALMOST OR OVER $200 A POP! Jesus, chicks, think about it!
This dude’s shoes started out as ACTUALLY fresh and original and then devolved into a horrible take on shit that wasn’t even that good to begin with. I hate it when a brand with potential does this; they rake in the dough and leave the eyeballs empty.

New Owner of the Hipsterist Hat in the World

Makes me LOL just thinking about it.

fashiontv | FTV.com - Florian Jayet Fashion Show Bloomsbury Ballroom Lon...

fashiontv | FTV.com - Nichole de Carle Lingerie Show Bloomsbury Ballroom...

Madonna's "Erotica"

You know, people; I have never really been a Madonna "fan", which is to say while some people cream their panties over her and call her their god, I've just always sort of liked her.  Like, not love.  Nothing too deep.

However, now that she's not as popular as she once was*, I'm starting to reminisce about Madonna...especially during her "Erotica" phase.  If you think about it, Madonna actually really fucking broke ground here.

How many bitches at this time were publishing books where they were butt-ass naked on the cover?

Looking good, betch.

 The entire concept of the "SEX" book was bold.  Take something we, by the 90's, were supposed to be "okay" with and "embracing", and exploit it.  Turn it into a coffee table book, starring one of the world's biggest pop stars and most talented photographers.

Steven Meisel was really at his best here.  His trademark sensuality and black and white style work amazingly with Madonna's composure.  She is truly at the height of her beauty here.  Lush lips, painted and extended eyes, muscular but still voluptuous figure...

What I like best is the fact these photos are so...stark.  In comparison to many erotic photos, or Photo-shopped Playboy's of the time, these photos are really in your FACE.  For instance...how does this photo make you feel?

What about this one?

The entire concept was to bring you face to face with what you fantasize about...or are afraid of.

In this day and age, it's almost comical to think of something being "shocking".  Still; I think these photos stand the test of time in being beautiful, thought-provoking, and socially worthwhile.

And you can't beat Madonna at her most pin-up beautiful.

Absolutely GORGEOUS. And did you know Leo's are known for their tits...?

*I have a phobia and intense dislike of almost all things "a lot" of other people like.

Verdict: Lanvin for H&M, 2010

When I heard Lanvin was going to do a collection for H&M, I got a tingly feeling in my pants.  Lanvin is pretty prestigious, and their subtle and feminine designs are more often hits than misses.  I thought they'd bring something really frilly to H&M-I also thought it would be my second chance to relive H&M's glorious Garden Collection from 2009.

Alas, this shit is boring as fuck.  And some of these dresses are $250! None of this looks like it was designed out of house.

VERDICT: Snooze.

Lanvin for H&M

Dresses That Changed My Life: Gisele Bundchen in Versace at the Met Costume Gala, 2008

I'm going to go so far as to proclaim the picture of Gisele and Tom Brady at the Met's Costume Gala in 2008 as ICONIC.

Fresh scrubbed and fluffy!

These two look like champagne: light, crisp, refreshing and DELICIOUS!

But let's get to the point: Gisele's Versace dress.

This is a DTCML for the simple fact it touches on perfection in multiple ways. 

First: fit.  LIKE A GLOVE. 
Second: cut. Perfect.  Sexy without being smutty; revealing without being obscene.
Third: color and texture.  This light, delicate blush color would look good on essentially anyone.  That is no easy feat for a color, mind you.  The fact it is paired with a fabric so reflective and silky (and obviously of high quality, since it has a SHEEN, not a SHINE) takes it from lovely to GORGEOUS.
Fourth: detail.  The beading detail is absolutely astounding.  It is, essentially, a contradiction: it is simple and yet extremely intricate.  The fact it trails down the skirt of the dress to the floor without looking ridiculous is a testament to the cut as well as Gisele's physique.

Absolutely breathtaking.  Versace reached a pinnacle with this.

FIRST LOOK: Tom Ford's Returns from Hiatus

Hey, let's talk about something a bunch of other fashion bloggers are going to talk about: Tom Ford!

Vogue.com's Sarah Mower yapped on and on about Ford's return to fashion, and gave us A WHOPPING 4 PHOTOS TO JACK OFF TO.  How kind!  How giving!  How...Vogue!

Only two were worthy of posting, says me:

One thing I think is delicious, however, is the fact His Fordness had his own bevy of female idols show the collection when it debuted in September of 2010 in New York.  Models?  So last decade.  I was IDOLS!  INSPIRATION!  BAD BITCHES!

From Vogue: "His plans for his debut were so secret, even Julianne Moore, his close friend and star of his movie A Single Man, didn’t really know what she was letting herself in for when she turned up at his men’s store on Madison Avenue. “He asked me to do this six months ago, but I thought we’d just all be standing around at a cocktail or something. So when I got there and he said we had to walk, I said, ‘Holy cow!’ ”

"Ford’s most glamorous women friends and acquaintances, spanning Hollywood, music, society, and high fashion, had all dropped everything to fly in and model for him, no questions asked. With 100 guests seated expectantly, Ford stood by a mantelpiece, in black tie, with a mic, and introduced his cast as “many of the world’s most inspirational women,” proceeding to read out what they were wearing. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he declared, in old style–camp diction: “Please welcome . . . Miss Lauren Hutton, Miss Liya Kebede, Miss Rinko Kikuchi, Miss Rachel Feinstein, Miss Lisa Eisner, Miss Beyoncé Knowles, Miss Marisa Berenson, Miss Stella Tennant, Miss Amber Valletta, Miss Natalia Vodianova, Miss Karen Elson, Miss Lakshmi Menon, Miss Karlie Kloss, Miss Abbey Lee Kershaw, Miss . . . Julianne Moore!” By the time “Miss Rita Wilson” wiggled out, turned, and threw a lingeringly saucy, head-back, hands-on-hip pose in a “corseted fil coupe dress with thigh-high lace boots and black seamed stockings,” the atmosphere was “getting a little giddy!” she says, laughing. 'I sensed people really enjoyed it.' "

Oh Ford, you saucy bitch.  I like your style.

His Fordness then touches on why his collection has been kept so closeted, and why he shuns the press now: he's tired of his shit getting played out before bitches can even buy it.

“I do not understand everyone’s need to see everything online the day after a show,” he says. “I don’t think it ultimately serves the customer, which is the whole point of my business—not to serve journalists or the fashion system. To put something out that’s going to be in a store in six months, and to see it on a starlet, ranked in US magazine next week? My customer doesn’t want to wear the same thing she saw on a starlet!”

What a brilliant point! 

The rest of the article (which is honestly worth reading, to hear His Fordness speak of what's next and how he's changed since his tenures at Gucci and YSL) is insightfully written and confirms my already preconcieved opinion of Ford's absolute genius.

Crotch-shot cologne ads and all.

Websites to Check Before You Shop At NastyGal.com; or What Your Money Is Worth

NastyGal.com is a great site.  Their buyers are truly on the pulse of what is "hot" now and they have shit tons of merchandise-plus, I like their models and spread of brands.  One thing I don't like?  How they jack up their fucking prices.

Many people in the world don't truly know what they're paying for.  I call these people "Forever21 shoppers".  Not because I never shop at Forever21 (because I do), but because with the advent of e-commerce came the ability to hunt for deals.  A lot of people think "if Forever21 can give me a decent quality piece of clothing for $10, why can't every other retailer?" Well, friends-that is a varied and complicated topic, but you must remember a few things.

1. Shipping costs: if you're buying something made in China and the shipping costs passed to you, the consumer, are minimal-there is something wrong with that.  Forever21 imports ALL their shit: everything from their clothing to their nail polish to their socks. And yet...all their merchandise is still dirt cheap!  This is a catch-22, and catch-22s are inherantly wrong. No one should not be rewarded for importing crap.  It's taxing on our (and any) national economy as well as the ENVIRONMENT.  Yeah, assholes:  the environment.  How do you think shit gets to you from overseas?  Whether it's by train, plane or ship, carbon is being pumped into the atmosphere for your right to buy a $5 shirt from some asshole. 

On the flipside, if you're buying something that was "handmade" or imported from France, or Japan, or Italy, or wherever, your item will often be more because of freight costs.  It is up to you whether having something made in a country with higher standards than, say, FUCKING CHINA, is worth the extra cash.  Still-the environmental price remains the same.  I must say, playing Devil's Advocate, if I'm going to kill the planet for some cashmere, it's going to be from France and not China.

2. Packaging and presentation: this is shit you never factor into your pricing, but it counts.  I remember being delighted at my first Dior and Vuitton purchases because everything came wrapped in tissue paper, in a beautiful box, with authenticity cards, and in lovely, strong bags. OoooOOOooo bags and boxes!  WHO GIVES A SHIT!  Answer: basically everyone.  This is why I have had to train myself to STOP loving the package something comes in.  I'm a sucker for well designed websites, elegant packaging, fluff and bright lighting, and all the rest.  We all are; we all, inherantly, love and feel we deserve luxury.  We'll give it up for low prices (see Forever21, Costco, and Target...all garishly lit with very little "fluff" to speak of) but if we're paying the price, we want the benefits of feeling special and luxurious.  The thing is, that store and that box and that asshole DJ at the Guess store playing horrible house music from '98 aren't free; they're not perks given to you for being a loyal shopper-they're rolled right into your purchase price.  Consider it. 

Okay, so back to the topic: price jackin' up.  It's BULLSHIT!  Especially when a site is popular-they have no excuse to fuck you out of money.  Now, a smaller, independent site isn't allowed to do that crap, either, but at least you would understand it more if that was the case-they're not making tons of money, so they add a couple bucks onto shit until they can compete.  NastyGal, however, is almost always a couple of bucks more expensive than other retailers-for no reason. 

So, without further ado, some sites you should check before buying shit from NG.

Shoes: Endless
Everyone knows this site-chances are, if it's on NG, you'll find it here, with free or cheaper shipping and at a lower cost.

Clothes: Lulu's, Pretty Pennies
Lulu's is fantastic.  They're aimed towards the " late teen and early 20's" demographic which means same shit, cheaper price.  Pretty Pennies has a much smaller inventory base, but they're a solid company and worth supporting.  Dark side of the moon?  You can occasionally find shit on PP for cheaper at Urban Outfitters.  Bad sign...yet still cheaper than NG.

Direct Brand Sites
If you're eyeing an item and can't find it anywhere else, try to go direct to the brand's site.  50% of the time, they'll have the MSRP (manufacturers suggested retail price) listed, as well as a list of retailers. That way, you can see whether NG is trying to wallet rape you-and if so, where else you can get the item.

Sterner: always looking out for you.

Brand to UNF To: Motel

My personal philosophy on What I'm Going to Wear in Real Life falls in either two catagories: it's going to be simple, or insanely complicated and ridiculous.  Middle ground is typically shit you can buy at Forever21 and seen worn by one-shade blondes* everywhere.

Sextastic dress dress via Pretty Pennies

A brand I like that bucks the curve is Motel. Their dresses are form fitting and, for those of us with tits and ass, almost obscene: they push your tits up, round out your ass, and suck in your waist.  No Spanx *shudder* required.  I'm a pretty slender broad, but I've seen girls with decent heft pull Motel shit off, which I think is fantastic.  Work what you've got, ladies.

Yours truly owns this.  I call it my "space dress". I know-I'm so original. Via Pretty Pennies.

Their aesthetic falls delightfully in between simple, sexy shapes and interesting prints.  Essentially, they are the apparel equivalent to wearing a plain black dress with tons of jewelry.  I think you get the point.  They're no new kid on the block, but still; many people are unaware of their brand and don't think to seek it out by name.  Let's change that.

Some great examples from their new arrivals page:

Look at this: cheetah.  Could there be a more abused print?  Cheetah is typically reserved for one of two types:  people with an actual sense of style and those who are the very antithesis of the former.  We all know that one chick with Bettie Page hair who's entire fucking house is in cheetah print.  Once, I dated a guy with a cheetah print bedspread. Needless to say, I later found out he was gay*.

Moving on.  See what Motel did here?  They used a print that is normally described with words like "tacky" and "cheap" and used a cut that really can't be anything less than classy.  Classy is a word that has been cheesified, but it still stands nonetheless.  This dress is classy.  Look at the length and the shoulder detailing.  Lovely.

I love shit that is proper enough for the office (if you're adventurous) but still sexy enough to wear at night.  This length + the mesh cutout allow you to do both.  Versatility is lacking these days-relish it when it appears!

Another excellent example of day to night versatility, with excellent use of stripes and fit.

One thing that is definitely getting 'played out' is mesh.  Everywhere I turn, there is fucking mesh.  Hey, man; I got on that wagon a long time ago-you bitches aren't doing anything fresh with your vintage prom dresses, k? However, I do like to see the old "prom dress/insert" thing done right:

BOOM: perfect length and a great "swoop" detail, paired with a high, strong neckline.  Great balance and a lovely way to show off the twins.

Motel manufactures more than just dresses, but the dresses are definitely their strong point in my opinion.  

*One-shade blondes are my default example of bitches with no style, simply because if you do the math, most of the time you see someone wearing something really stomach curdling or sad, they're a fake, one-shade blonde.  Now, for the record, I know and have seen just as many stylish blondes as any other hair color, but you're just going to have to deal with my terminology here, fuckers. If your hair is one tone, it's tacky, and the chances of your clothes following suit are 99%.

*I love gays. Even this guy.

Dresses That Changed My Life: Christina Ricci in Givenchy at the Met's Costume Gala 2008

My sweet holy Jesus.

What a fucking dress.  Can you wrap your head around this shit?  Never have I been so floored by an hourglass shape.  

I remember seeing this dress for the first time and literally gasping.  The best part about this dress, to me, is the fact you know 80% of the people who saw it didn't like it.  Because, let's face it, most people are idiots.

The wrapping, the red bodice shouting out from the frothy pink, the curves: Givenchy has never been shy about being avant-garde and really allowing a woman's physique to stand out.