Orange by Angela Chen: Oh hey me in five years! You look so great!

So remember how I was all excited for this line because of that whole simplicity meets fun and whimsy vibe I was getting off the website....okay well, I was SO right to be excited. This line is kind of how I dream I will dress when I'm some high-power executive working in 'FAH-shawn daaaahling' and I need to look fabulous every day but I am also full of fashion wisdom, which means I am a fan of purchasing beautiful, classic pieces because I KNOW that classic pieces are basically style INVESTMENTS. What with being timeless and all. 

Photo credit: GalleryFemme.com

Anyways, out of the fantasy and into the collection. Chen's pieces were primarily black (although a few were in white), which means she had to show off some great style if they were going to stand out and be exciting one after another. And oh hey look! She did it! I really liked the tulip-ish (is that a fair way to describe it? Feel free to give me feedback) detail on the skirts and pants. Although if you happen to be a human with hips (but I mean, WHO even has hips these days?) this may not be the ideal look. The jackets were awesome, the hemlines and dresses were super flattering and the blouses were just plain pretty (Although a busty body probably couldn't wear them....but like hips, boobs are pretty much gone with the dinosaurs in fashion world). But when you don't think about body-type things this show just reads as plain old beautiful. Angela also looked really gorgeous and happy....so I am extra into it!

Yes, I am sincerely looking forward to when this is my life. Angela, I'll text you with my measurements soon girl.

Photo credit: Life.com

I was NOT this hilarious as an early teen

Been watching the new 'Telephone' video and thinking - like yours truly - that Lady Gaga has moved past cool-artistic-groundbreaking-edge to confusing-sandwich-poison-cancer-sunglasses-why-the-eff-is-there-so-much-product-placement-WEIRDNESS??!

Well thank goodness for lil miss Tavi because in all her tweenly awesomeness (I honestly can't believe how young this girl is) she has come up with a way better idea and I think it's super great. So c'mon Gaga, pull a Kanye 'Jesus Walks' and admit that the first music video was a bit of a hawt mess....and then fix it by MAKING ANOTHER ONE!

Ho hum kinda bummed cause Preloved was only a little fun

Photo credit: Life.com

I really liked the shorts. And those sweater over-the-knee legwarmers were funkyfuntimes and may be a take on the legwarmer trend that can actually be worn and doesn't just look like a poor eighties revival that makes me wonder why everyone is trying to bring back arguably the WORST fashion decade without reworking it in a way that looks GOOD. In fact shout outs to all the knits. Preloved does that well.

Photo credit: Life.com

But the fun stops there. The skirts were a weird material and I don't foresee them being too flattering on the average gyal's body...and then there was also that leather suit that didn't totally fit and didn't really seem wearable in both life and on body (it even seemed funny on the sample size, and I thought the whole point of skinny ladies showing off clothing was that those bodies COULDN'T make it look bad). I think they just tried to do too much with it and it didn't totally translate. So ya, I'm mixed. And I need to work on a paper. 

So. Um. I REALLY Like Jules Power

Photo Credits: Life.com

Jules Power did it. She REALLY did it. I mean, did she just wake up the day she started designing her A/W 2010 collection and say, 'Y'know, the world needs a line that reads Ivy League meets a Whole Lotta Awesome and I am absolutely the kind of superhuman designer to deliver that vision.' Cause I think she did. Jules got on her spandex suit and made.it.work. 

Okay so no, I admit, there's no wild extravagance. No outrageous new design concept but in post-recession where people really need classic items that can't necessarily be replicated by the masses this collection makes me really happy. 

Highlights: The use of print. Jules did such a good job with the print. Sometimes designers make print and you try it on and kind of say to yourself, 'ya, sure, this WOULD be an awesome look for me if I wanted to be that super-over-the-top girl that has outfits that basically scream I READ FASHION MAGAZINES SO I KNOW WHAT'S TRENDY RIGHT NOW.' But luckily, Jules had the foresight to not design that chick's wardrobe, and instead she's doing some really adorbs printed scarves and camis that give off more of a 'oh floral and printed scarves are in? That's so lucky that I still have a few old ones that just happen to work perfectly with the rest of my stylish wardrobe.'

Photo Credits: Life.com

Second, I'm feeling the dresses. I hate that more often than not, dresses are either sleeveless-v-neck-minis that while suuuuuper sexy for a night on the dance floor, not so great for the day when you don't wanna look quite so sexytimes. But then lots of those daywear dresses kinda end up looking a little, well, old. And I'm young. So I don't want that. But because the dresses at this show had sleeves AND a tots flattering neckline AND a hemline that hits just above the knees AND those great prints I was just talking about I really really like them. 

Final shout outs: Sexy sweatpants that are actually sexy and don't just say something stupid like 'SUPERHOTCHECKOUTMYBOOTYBABE' across the bum. And those floral headbands that work because they just freaking go.for.it. 

Anyways, now I'm all flushed and excited because Fashion Week has started and this show was cool and I wanna make Jules my new bestie so I can wear her stuff all the time. 

Juuuust Busy Posing for US Weekly

Walk Walk Fashion Baby

Toronto's F/W 2010 LG Fashion week starts tomorrow and I.AM.EXCITED YA'LLLLL. March 28 has the opening show, Izma but March 29 is when things.get.serious. I'll be talking about as many of the collections as I can after they come down the runway but for now....here's what I'm most excited for!

To start, we have Jules Power. Her site doesn't show off a lot but I like what I see so far so I'm really looking forward to what comes out of the show. Funky necklaces meet a more subdued, romantic aesthetic and in my opinion, it really works. The price points are also very reasonable and I love beautiful stuff I can actually buy. Really looking forward to this show

Next is a serious Canadian favourite: Preloved. I am SO down with this line and I recently was told they have killer sample sales so now I'm just looking forward to the show EXTRA. A lot of people try to do the whole 'rejuvenate vintage clothes' thing and often it just comes out looking some kinda WHACKATTACK but Preloved has figured it out. Which is a really good thing.

 Oooooh and then comes Pink Tartan! This line is right up my ally in the sense that, well, I don't really wear colour....but I really like to wear black, navy, grey, white, etc. in awesome interesting ways. And Pink Tartan delivers that aesthetic...with just the proper dash of colour to pique my interest and get me thinking outside the monochromatic box.

Also super excited for Orange by Angela Chen. This was the first time I've ever been on the site and I'm feeling it....I'm feeling it a lot. Simple pieces with a bit of fun whimsy? Tots the best. Am I right? I'm so right. Let me hear it laadddiieeesssss.

  OK! THAT'S ALL! EXCITED!

Shape is not a Synonym for Skinny

I am usually a major fan of American Vogue. I mean, the clothes are wonderful, there is always some beautiful celeb on the cover and I find the Nostalgia section super freaking cute almost every time I read it. 

But honestly, how many chances does this magazine think it deserves?? Last year the April 2009 Shape issue got a lot of heat for totally warping the beautiful Adele's plus-size figure. The photo did not celebrate her size and the best way to dress it, but instead she was photographed lying down wearing a black dress that was covered by a coat so that her shape was hidden....not that it was that big of a deal, what with her stomach being photoshopped so she looked smaller (but super weird and warpy-like) Here's a link to the photo if you didn't see it before. 

So  April 2010 Shape issue comes out and it is VOGUE'S BIG CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION. But why do something smart and healthy when you can totally just do something ridiculous like, ooooh, saaaaay put a super skinny model wearing a WHACK ATTACK pair of shorts that could only ever be worn by a sample size on the cover? Oh nononononooooooo say the editors at Vogue. Gisele just had a BABY and she does YOGA and she has a B cup even though the rest of her body is supercrazy tiny so she is CURVY. This is a SERIOUS Shape Issue okay?!?!!

Right. My bad Vogue. Never again will I make such a FOOLISH mistake. I mean, you did put Rachel Roy in there as your token large figure (fyi to everyone out there: size 8 is LARGE so don't get it twisted okay??). And thank GAWD you also featured short, tall and thin (although I think the words you are looking for are thin-short and thin-tall but like, no biggie). 


Anyways. for the first time in a long time I don't think I'm going to buy this month's issue is basically what I'm trying to say with this post. Because when it comes to Adele v. Gisele I think it's pretty obvious who represents shape, and who just represents plain old skinny. 

 

Gabourey Sidibe on How To Be the BEST 101

So now that we all agree that Stern is the worst and Sidibe is the best, let's watch this clip of Gabourey just being her casually AWESOME self. Photobombing and dance-offs at the Oscars? It's like I just found my soulmate. 

Howard Stern on How To Be The WORST 101

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the DISGUSTING comments made by Howard Stern and whoever cohosts his joke of a radio show, but you should probably take a listen....and then hate on Howard harder than you ever have before. In defiance of his bullsh**, you can count on me being at each one of Gabourey's future films opening night, and I suggest you do the same. 


Silly Howard, don't you realize that being a wretched human being is far more damaging to a career in Hollywood than having a body that differs from pop culture's warped perception of beauty??

Adversity is the new awesome

About two weeks ago I was checking out the TED website and watched this talk by Aimee Mullins which I thought was really awesome. In fact it is SO good, that I haven't really been able to stop thinking about it. Because it's such a simple but WONDERFUL thought process you guys. And being blown away by someone's simple and wonderful thoughts (as well as their awesome outfit choice - a ROMPER) just makes me wanna know more about them. So I've been doing some research on her, and I suggest you do too. But this is what I want to say first:

Dear Fashion, would you please design for difference? I don't just mean weight difference; you've received that message and I would really love for you to react soon but I mean something more. Design for bodies beyond that. Because beautiful clothing holds a lot of power - we all know an outfit can make you feel fabulous. And Fashion? EVERYONE deserves to feel fabulous.  

Shout outs to my girl C. Solidarity sister

I thought my month had peaked early when I read Sophie Dahl's Vogue article, but Supermodel Coco has written some pretty wonderful things as well. Read on my little Canadianistas, cause this article makes you feel patriotic and chicly intelligent all at once. Tell em, Coco

This little crocodile went to the sea

So I'm sure at this point all of ya'll are thinking something along the lines of, "Okay, so like, HOW can this girl claim to be a Canadian Fashionista without actually exposing any of her personal style?" Well, I just found my long lost camera battery charger, so guys, THE TIME IS NOW. 

I bought this really killer new pair of Sperry Topsiders over Christmas. Killer and boating shoes in the same sentence? It's true life though, cause I'm not being all "omgomgomg guys pastel plaid!" I would never try to fool you like that (even though I DO own a pair of those ones and I DO think they're lovely). As you'll note in the picture, some genius on the Sperry Topsider team created a pair of patent.crocodile.boating shoes. Too much crazyfantasticwonderful all at once? No way, this is more like when you discovered that lingerie and tomboy look awesome together. Or the first time you wore floral and leather and you knew you were just ROCKIN it. Suddenly you aren't just seeing the world out of rose-tinted glasses, you're seeing it out of rose-tinted vintage raybans with like, studs or something. Anyways, I'm still figuring out the perfect outfit for their debut, so while this first shot may have got you all hot and heavy in anticipation of what's above the ankle you'll have to wait a touch longer.
The Coles Notes version of this post is that I really love these shoes and I hope you do too.

I have a new girl crush

Sophie Dahl's article, 'Secrets of the Flesh', in Vogue USA's March 2010 issue is an absolute must read. I can't say much more about it without this post potentially sounding all 'I love how I've learned to love my body' sappy but I will say this article has me googling her name and looking forward to purchasing Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights. 

The must read of the Olympic Season...

I don't think I could say it better myself, so I'll just sit back and let the Fug girls do it for me
Go Fug Yourself

Looking good, Canada

I am IN LOVE with the HBC Point Blanket Designer Collaborations. I love some wonderful, classic, Canadian style that doesn't just make us look like a bunch of lumberjacks who will do ANYTHING to keep ourselves warm in our negative a million degrees temperatures as we huddle for warmth in our igloos. I actually went searching for this because I SWEAR I spotted an HBC blanket romper in a display window in downtown Toronto recently. It was a brief, midnight encounter, so perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me....but if anyone knows of its existence, I MUST be informed (please!). 
Arcade Agency