Woman Examining Man

Woman Examining Man by Helmut Newton is one of my favorite photographs. The shadows, his back, her legs splayed, the overt sexuality, the role reversal, her gaze objectifying the man in a way that she is normally objectified. It's a picture to be analyzed for hours.

I finally saw it in person, displayed at Tate Modern's Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera exhibition, which is quite an interesting show. For those in London, it is on until October 3rd.

What rules you?

Often, when reading interviews about 'fashion people' the inevitable question arises: what are your style rules? Sometimes they are wise words, sometimes they are not. The problem with me and rules, is that I will decide, 'oh, yes what excellent rules to live by' and then promptly, accidentally, forget about them. But there are a few rules (found on Details magazine 'Rules of Style') that are worthy of remembering, scrawling on a scrap of paper, repeating to oneself, even if they aren't explicitly followed. The ones that I like the most are less style rules and more suggestions for living a life well led or ones that simply make me laugh.

I love the back. A beautiful back makes a beautiful front. When you slouch, think about what happens to your front. You have to keep your back in the right position. This is where your spirit lies. Yohji Yamamoto

Classic simplicity always works. Tom Ford

Cheesy music makes a party. Donna Summer or Madonna—that stuff gets people on the dance floor. Then you have to have junk food, done well, because that’s what everyone really wants. Micheal Kors

I’m a big fan of old Shetland sweaters. Anything with a hole or two in it, I feel that it’s worn and loved. Marc Jacobs

The biggest mistake a person can make when dressing is following other people’s advice. It’s up to them. Even if they end up badly dressed, if they're happy, it’s okay. Kean Etro

Style is a question of charm, not nationality. Veronique Nichanian

It’s sad that the cell phone is replacing the watch as a time-telling device. Thom Browne

Cigarettes are a vile, dirty habit. Joints, on the other hand, are perfectly acceptable. Scott Sternberg

Trying to talk with your clothes is passive-aggressive. Rick Owens

And after listing 9 rather good rules, Rick Owens ends with the only rule never to be forgotten:

It's funny—whenever someone talks about rules, I just want to break them. I recoil from the whole idea of rules.

quick view

Polka dots and gap teeth. A room with solely a bed. A bed room. I like that.

(full editorial here)

Aspiration

Whenever I think about letting my fringe grow out, I look to this picture and snip snip snip.

(the sartorialist)

Psssttt....

Everyone needs a summer playlist, huh? Sprinkled with the typical surf pop, hazy lofi flava of summer. I didn't make this one (though that option is under consideration) but it does put one in the appropriate mood. All I need now is some soft-serve. Or some cherries.

(As you'll note there is no best coast in the list - a bit remiss if you ask me, but that's for another playlist- anyway, I just liked their cover art and thought it perfectly representative of that summer feelin.' Also technically this playlist was made for june, but as noted I'm a bit behind the times at the moment...)

And now, the 'June Playlist' compiled by the lovely folks at the equally lovely Tourist Magazine

1. Oh Suzanne by French Kissing
2. What Am I Going To Do by The Dovers
3. Help Me Rhonda by The Beach Boys
4. Tired of Waiting by The Meklight Sisters
5. Leave Everywhere by Toro y Moi
6. Spider Man by Boy or Bison
7. Don't Lie by The Mantles
8. Empty Bones by The Growlers
9. Gentle One by Soft Healer
10. Comin' Back Again by Arches
11. Havalina by Pixies

Download right this way

Havin' A Heatwavvve

It's boiling. Everywhere apparently. And while the British media and their meteorological histrionics never fail to amuse (a two day heatwave is not really a wave, is it?), it is bloody hot. But I do love summer. I hate humidity but sun shining, wind breezing - this can never be a bad thing. So rather than join the lot of whingers, who will later complain that we had no summer when the inevitable downpour ensues, I choose to ignore the stickiness and embrace the things I love about this hot hot heat...

* Gin and tonics with crushed up lime. Taking a sip and bursting a bit of lime pulp on your tongue is never more refreshing.

* Sitting on my balcony when the sun is rising and it's not too hot, reading and basking.

* Enjoying watching our little balcony pot of basil, chives and vines grow. Granted all I did was pick the items to be planted as I tend to kill the bepotted, but it's nice to watch the hard effort of others be bountiful...

*Walking everywhere to go nowhere just because we can.

* Cherries from the local grocer. I could eat cherries and cherries alone all summer long. They ARE summer to me.

* The simplicity of getting dressed in the morning: dress, canvas shoes, sunglasses, done.

*Even though we're all miserable, moaning, sweaty, sticky and generally angry at the world, you can walk through any London park, lose the sound of the city and realize it all ain't so bad. Smile! It's fuckin' summer.

On disappearing

She just finished school and didn't know what to do with herself. She packed a small duffel with jumpers and skirts and went over to grand-mère's, hoping the clutter and eccentricities of the surroundings would clear her mind.

To be honest, I don't know if this webshoot for Another (styled and photographed by my favorites of favorites, Camille Bidault-Waddington) has made the blog rounds in the past month since I have been completely removed from the blogging world for quite some time. I know that the blog has lain quiet before but never for this long and I've always kept up with my Reader. But since I finished exams (at the end of May!) I haven't posted a post or read a blog.

Currently I have 1000+ posts to read. It wasn't particularly purposeful, I just found that I felt no compulsion, no desire to know what was going on. I blame oversaturation perhaps. Seeing the same editorial over and over, seeing the same girl wearing the same thing even though she was a different girl. The internet and the way it has provided for the democratization and globalization of fashion is an interesting thing. Not a bad thing, but sometimes it overwhelms me, especially as an active participant. I get bombarded with images of people and their internet lives and it freaks me out. So I had to step away.

This blog has no purpose. It has no theme, no direction, no particular point of view. Just me and my quite random thoughts and desires. So when I have no thoughts, desire or inspirations it goes quiet. But I think I'll always come back. If anyone happened to stick around, thanks. Sorry for being wishy-washy.

And now to note: this editorial is everything I do love: A timeless simplicity that could similarly yet contrarily be described as a sort of 70s minimalism, all set in a charming haberdashery of a flat. And that is all.