Friends Friday: What does feminism mean to a fashion blogger?

1. Do you think there is an incompatibility between feminism and a love for fashion? No, feminism and fashion are separate entities to me. I do not consider myself a feminist and because of this I don't see any conflicting interest. As a blogger it is fun to point out the fluffy inconsistencies in the fashion industry. Some of those inconsistencies include model size, adspace manipulation, and the fashion blogger: all but the first deal in other subject matter than feminism.

2. There is more to each of us than a love for fashion, how do you incorporate every aspect of yourself into your blog? As I am working on the layout for my new blog (theunsewn.com) it is difficult to narrow down my projected interests. On this blog however I haven't put much attention into tailoring my interests, you see them all! For the new blog I will focus on critical attention to fashion film, fashion magazines, independent designers, and vintage/historical fashion. The blog will bring out the nerdy side in both you (The reader) and me. I think it is great when a blogger has a tailored interest on their blog. My favorite blogs that do this are Arash Minazini, Park and Cube, and Business of Fashion. Each are distinct and share something special with fashion enthusiasts and the blogging community.

3. With the fashion industry still being a male-dominated profession, how do you think it would differ if women played a larger role? I think there would be more of a free-for-all creatively. This would be a healthy thing because it would be a huge shift socially and economically. This is all purely subjective, who knows what would happen. If it did happen I would be right there at the front lines talking about it. The fact that fashion, which has an overwhelming female consumer percentage, is dominated by men isn't surprising but it does tell an interesting story about what the consumer really wants.

4. How is your self-image and the way you carry yourself informed by your beliefs?  None of my beliefs reflect how I dress. However, I take strong stances on issues but have had a problem in the past with, uh, running my mouth? It does help that I am prone to argue my point on occasion. These are all things I am working on because I realize while Feminism and other hot button topics are important not everyone wants to talk about them.

5. Do you think clothing/makeup/hair helps communicate the truth about yourself or are those things superfluous add-ons? To be honest addons can be superfluous or make a statement about who you are. I have dreadlocks and it is because I was tired of spending all my money on hair products. I was also tired of spending so much time worrying about it getting messy. Now I have lots of freedom to do with it what I want. My friends really seem to like my hair and that is kind of cool that my seemingly offbeat decision is accepted.

My love of menswear is not absent from this blog and it does influence the way I dress. This is part functionality and practicality and part aesthetic I guess. I wear a larger dress size and sometimes men's shirts and pants fit better than women's. Also fast fashion hasn't caught on to menswear yet so most of the men's clothing I find in thrift stores are better made.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy D.

Acne vs Lanvin: Menswear S/S 11

In my head I see fashion battles between design houses. At least when it comes to Lanvin and Acne, the menswear has much more room to grow. May the battle begin!



photos from Style.com

Acne menswear is fun for me. They create unisex collections. The trick is that they label them menswear and womenswear* when in reality anyone could wear them! The banana yellow they use in this collection brightens my spirits. The silhouettes are slouchy, are you tired of those yet? I'm not and I doubt the slouchy silhouette will really go away. There seems to be a day and night theme. For day it is a relaxed fit and floppy hats plus sandals or those signature Acne boots. For night it is almost the complete opposite featuring button ups and suits. Again, everything is pretty relaxed.






photos from Style.com

Alber Elbaz is one of my favorite famous people. I would love to meet him one day and thank him for his ideas and work ethic. His most recent menswear collection for Lanvin took me on a roller coaster ride. At first I didn't like the suits with chunky sandals, they looked a little ill fitting on the models. I did like the layering necklaces that undoubtly had a tribal influence as Lucas Ossendrijver describes them as souvenirs. There were several surprises: the embossed suit, the blues and yellows, and a guest appearance of plaid.

Favorites?
1. Acne's hats
2. Acne banana yellow hat (not pictured)
3. Lanvin's knitted short sleeved shirt and pants
4. Acne boots
5. Lanvin yellow slacks
6. the "saddle shoe" boot
*Is womenswear not a real word? I used it here anyway.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy D.

Maximum Homme Inspiration: MONCLER GAMME BLEU S/S 11

Always have always will love this legendary label but since Thom Browne has gotten a hold of the reigns the past few collections have been phenomenal. As much as I appreciated Mcqueen and his theatrics, not to mention Garet Pugh and everyone in between, Moncler Gamme Bleu is taking it to a new level. It is my opinion that theatrics are not in the budget but in a well executed idea. The idea does not even have to be groundbreaking to make me smile. Each piece in this collection, like most in the past, can stand alone as a great garment. I think that is a big plus to any collection. I am amused at the bike shorts with bikes overlapping in contrast colors.

Photos from Jak and Jil and Style.com

Favorites?

1. Overlapping bike knitted tunic

2. Bicycle shorts

3. The printed ponchos and capes

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy D.

sleepless.....wandering

The captain left for the high seas about an hour or so ago and I can't go back to sleep.

Part 1 of 4: School's Out For Summer

CHANEL CRUISE 2010

The best thing, for me, about resort and cruise collections are that they always have a relaxed feel to them. The best of the best are the ones that present these elegant collections and you can see the craftsmanship. This is especially true for Chanel's Cruise 2010 collection. The draping alone makes me swoon a little bit. The sailor theme plays throughout but there is less military refinement and more fabrics that flow. The warm colors are kind of yummy, no? [see first two images] The jewelry are like centerpieces or chandeliers, they are incredibly ornate but it is to be expected for Chanel. Then there was a blink of print mania. It was a nice surprise seeing that this morning. Way to go Karl!!!
Take a look....






I have a present for you.
Help I'm Alive--from Metric's newest album Fantasies
A song from Metric, a band from Canada, that was much more popular at the beginning of the century then they are now. It would be cool if they could blow up like their counterparts.