In certain ways, one-piece garments seem to make more sense for night than day. If you wear a nightie like the one above to bed, for instance, you don’t necessarily have to think about repeated runs to the ladies’ room. How annoying is it to wear a jumpsuit during the day and have to peel that thing off in a bathroom stall? Too much information, I know. This romper by The Lake and Stars could technically work for day or night, with its pretty satin ribbons and cool black piping. The Brooklyn-based brand has a knack for giving sexy lingerie ideas a contemporary treatment. Pair it with tuxedo trousers and a jacket for your hot Valentine’s Day dinner date. And then rock it alone afterward.
Today’s pick: For a Valentine’s Day romp
Categorised as: fashion
Happenings: Weighing in on the plus-size model debate
So Andre J, Michael, Jessica and I are talking about the plus-size model issue. What sparked the conversation: The Karl Lagerfeld-photographed editorial in V magazine’s size issue, featuring the buxom burlesque performer, Dirty Martini. First of all, Whoa! Wasn’t Karl Lagerfeld just saying that “no one wants to see curvy women”? Second of all, is the big girl officially “in” now? And what defines a big girl anyway? I present to you, our office debate (with a lot of tangents and back-tracking, ha!)
Andre J: I love it. These women are beautiful and they aren’t starving themselves. Women want to eat. We need to celebrate these real bodies.
Kenya: I agree. It’s funny, though, because I’ve heard complaints about the fact that plus-size models are usually photographed nude. But the truth of the matter is, few designers produce samples that fit their size. So what else can these magazines shoot them in?
Jessica: Sophie Dahl complained about that very thing an interview.
Kenya: Wait, I’m Googling that now. Here it is. She told the Daily Mail, “[being photographed nude] became common practice when I was first modelling at 19 or so; hazardous by-product of my curves, as none of the clothes samples ever fitted me.” So designers are, in fact, only catering to a very specific group of shoppers when you take into account that the average size of a woman is a lot larger than the size range they’re offering.
Michael: I know this is a very un-PC thing to say. But I’m kind of with Kate Moss and Karl Lagerfeld on this. Every body shape has its place in the world. I just don’t think that there should be a backlash against these smaller women. Models are just naturally thin.
Kenya: Um, what backlash against skinny women? I don’t think that exists.
Andre: And most of these models are not just naturally thin. I lived with a photographer in Paris who would joke about the fact that the models would only eat candy, smoke and drink diet soda on the shoots. These girls are starving themselves. They are really hungry (or drug-induced.)
Michael: Okay, wait. This is what I think. The fashion industry should allow anyone who is beautiful to be a model. The agents and bookings editors should say, “I want a beautiful model.” I don’t think you should say, “I want a big model or a small model.” It should be, “I just want a beautiful model.”
Kenya: That’s what people said about the black models’ debate too.
Jessica: But what does a big model mean? I’m objecting to the idea of the fashion world dictating what a normal size woman is. Because then you end up excluding things like being healthy. We come in all shapes and sizes. Then again, maybe we shouldn’t expect for fashion to reflect what is normal. Maybe it’s our expectations that need to change.
Michael: I don’t think fashion is about “normal.” It is usually about the unique, the unusual, the hyper-abnormal.
Andre J: But who wants to see these slumped over, emaciated girls? We can’t have 13-year-olds starving themselves, now.
Michael: I agree.
Andre: If a bigger girl becomes “the look” then the samples need to be larger.
Michael: The ’80s supermodels looked healthy and they were bigger.
Kenya: But they were still smaller than average.
Andre: But the clothes back then were about celebrating the curve. That’s how the supers were able to look great in Versace. Those clothes were for women with boobs. And Bob Mackie gowns, back in the ’70s, needed hips and cleavage. Now, it seems like the clothes are anti-curve. Tomorrow, who knows? It all keeps changing faster and faster to keep everyone frantic.
Kenya: No, it’s changing to keep everyone SHOPPING, season after season. It has been that way ever since Dior’s New Look. And he ironically had to create a new New Look every season. It’s the same system now, only on speed. It’s all about the bottom line.
Andre: So then, the new market is the big girl. Because she has money to spend, honey. I’m just curious to know if more big girls will be on the runway next month during the shows.
Jessica: But what is a big girl??
Andre: A size 6.*
Michael: Yup.
[Silence.]
Kenya: Sigh. That is crazy talk.
Jessica: Nonsense.
Andre: But in the fashion world, it’s true. I’m going to McDonald’s dammit.
[*Hi guys, as I'm beginning to get emails from you, I thought it worth pointing out that the guys were talking American sizes, not English. It's also worth pointing out that an American size six is larger than an English size six. An American size six equates to a UK size 8, French size 36 and Italian size 40.]
Categorised as: fashion
How many ways can you say, “It’s flipping freezing outside!”
I found out yesterday when I was forced to walk for blocks and blocks and blocks and blocks in search of a cab when my bus ride home was terminated mid-trip. I was with a few of my work buddies, who live in my neighborhood, and as we walked, our observations gradually went from, “Gosh, it’s cold out” to “Wtf? My fingertips are numb, in gloves!” I came home and promptly ordered three fur bomber hats in a variety of colors and fabrics from Fur Hat World, a Canadian outdoor company, which is a bit of a sleeper hit for warm winter gear. They’ve got everything from classic aviators to crazy, grizzly “mountain man hats” (I recommend you steer clear of those, though) and ship to just about anywhere.
Rabbit fur aviator: Cute!
Coyote mountain man: Um, no.
Categorised as: fashion
Random: What a fox
With awards season right around the corner, the movie geek in me has been catching up on all the films that are raking in the nominations. Among my favorites so far, is Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. I love his insane attention to detail, from his obsession with Futura typeface in Royal Tenenbaums (which my graphic design wiz boyfriend recently broke down for me) to his whimsical costume treatments. How many magazine editorial spreads and Halloween get-ups have we seen that reference Margot Tanenbaum’s full-length fur or her brother Richie’s trademark headband? How visually striking and cool were Team Steve Zissou’s fluorescent orange tuques? And don’t get me started on the safari animal graphics on the Marc Jacobs-designed suitcases in The Darjeeling Limited. The standout wardrobe ideas in the stop-motion animated Fox is the suit and the autumnal color palette, which includes burgundy, burnt orange and mustard. I read in the New Yorker that Anderson designed the costumes and then had his tailor produce the samples, which might explain why certain parts of Mr. Fox’s wardrobe looked like they might have come straight from the director’s closet. The little clay separates might not be the stuff of future Halloween costumes, but they made a memorable statement nonetheless.
Categorised as: fashion
Stockholm: Plays on black, part två
Name: Tove Crona
What she’s wearing: “My fur jacket and shirt are from Monki* and the jewelry is by Efva Attling. The pants are from Zara and the shoes are Acne.”
Her must-haves: “I love fur, leather and big jewels. And I’m really into black. I think it looks good on blondes. I basically love anything that looks rock ‘n’ roll.”
-photo by Lotta Imberg
*How cute is Monki’s web site? Its dancing model reminds me of my friend Zowie’s equally animated look book for her spring 2010 Boudicca collection (Style.com rightfully gave it props here.) Could video replace catalogue-style photos online? I hope so. It’s nice to see how the clothes move.
Categorised as: fashion
London: Clever layering (it’s a key idea to winter dressing in this city)
Name: Jackie Chung Rowe
Spotted: London
Occupation: Fashion designer
What she’s wearing: “A Zara jumper and a Club Monaco wool jacket. The cardigan is Wonder Who, the trousers are All Saints and the boots are Nine West.”
Her favorite trend: “Sleeveless fur jackets. I love them because they keep me warm and yet they still allow me to have a shape.”
Categorised as: fashion
Happenings: Rodarte for Target is cuter than we expected
Considering how rarefied their ready-to-wear work is, I was skeptical about Rodarte collaborating with Target. It’s one thing to create an expensive cobwebby knit dress that looks like it’s about to artfully fall apart, and another thing entirely to create a cheap one that really could fall apart. (I love Target more than most. But let’s be honest, the materials are of a different quality.) Well, it turns out that the Rodarte for Target capsule collection is way cute. It’s nice to see Kate and Laura Mulleavy channel the essence of their aesthetic into more wearable, affordable pieces that work for the day-to-day. The collection has a young, goth girl meets ’80s “Breakfast Club” kind of sensibility to it. It goes on sale December 20. 
Categorised as: fashion
Milan: The new nomad
Name: Sage Green
Occupation: Traveler
What she’s wearing: “The t-shirt is my mom’s. The denim gilet is vintage and my jeans are Cheap Monday. I bought the bag in a market in Thailand and the boots are from Bahamonde.”
-by Tamu McPherson, All the Pretty Birds
Categorised as: fashion
Today’s pick: Bodkin makes it easy to go green
With the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen quickly approaching, we’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of being green here in the office. One of my favorite earth friendly fashion brands at the moment is the New York label Bodkin. And that’s not just because I went to school with its founder and creative director Eviana Hartman (we performed in the same dance company during our university days.) It’s more so because her line features easy, architectural, and yet pretty, pieces that you can’t help but find appealing whether you believe in global warming or not (see her knife pleating treatment of the classic gray sweatshirt above). She gives us her top three everyday tips for going green.
1) “Shop at the local farmer’s market once a week. Not only does it make sense from an emissions standpoint, but it’s immensely satisfying, delicious, and a great way to connect with the people who grow your food.”
2) “Support small businesses in your community instead of going to the big chain store. Strong, vibrant neighborhoods are sustainable.”
3) “Use household cleaning products and personal care products that are naturally derived and nontoxic. Or make your own with natural ingredients (you can clean with vinegar, or use coconut oil as body lotion). This is really important. Most mainstream household and beauty products are nasty. Everything that goes down the drain ends up somewhere in our waterways and drinking water. Hormone disruptors don’t just harm fish and ecosystems, they harm us.”
Categorised as: fashion
Milan: The retro beauty
Name: Jessica
M.
Spotted: Milan
Occupation: Student
What she’s wearing: “My headband and coat are both by H&M. My bag is by Vivienne Westwood and the shoes are a gift from my mother. My leggings are from Zara and the scarf is vintage.
”
Her sartorial weakness: “I love anything vintage. I also love the rockabilly look and anything else from the 50’s. The women of that era were much more feminine and sexy. Not like the frail, anorexic types of today.”
-Tamu McPherson, All the Pretty Birds
Categorised as: fashion
