My Favourite Blogs

Of course I follow multiple blogs, and I find each of them have something to offer. There is, however, a difference between the okay blogs I follow, and the amazing blogs I follow. In this post I will explain why you should read them, and why they stand out in the crowd.

The Sartorialist

Scott Schumann
Source

The Sartorialist inspires me because of the artistic value of the photographs. I don't go to his blog to find the latest runway style, or because the clothing in the photos are intrinsically beautiful. What intrigues me about his photos are the context and the story behind them. Anyone can wear a crazy outfit and take a photograph of it, but few can make art of it. I don't consider The Sartorialist a fashion blog, so much as a visual account of human nature. Also, as one can see from the design of my blog, I don't shy away from colour and pattern. I find too many bloggers take the minimalist white-on-white approach, which can get a little monotonous. However, The Sartorialist uses white to its complete advantage. Because of the power and impact of the photographs, the minimalist design allows the the images to shine.
Favourite Photograph



Style Bubble

Susanna Lau
"Susie Bubble"
Source

To be honest, Style Bubble is actually my ideal of a fashion blog, it's my inspiration in terms of what I want my blog to be. The posts on Style Bubble are always done with a certain level of professionalism found on few other blogs. Reading one of her posts is more like reading an article in a fashion magazine. In fact, I find reading Style Bubble more satisfying than reading a big name magazine like Vogue or Elle (on which there will be a post soon). Susie is able to incorporate her own personal style into her posts without focusing solely on her clothes. Some of the more interesting posts I find, are the ones on young, up and coming fashion design students. I find it difficult to get proper information on fashion, and the young up and coming talent in popular fashion editorials, so for this, I go to Style Bubble.
Favourite Post


Atlantic-Pacific

Blair Eadie
Source

There is no better blog than Atlantic-Pacific to get a straight up dose of fashion inspiration. Each outfit is carried out with such perfection and attention to detail. There is no denying that this woman is a fashionista in its truest sense. Her outfits are glam, but are often quirky and colourful to make it feel fun and easy. While Style Bubble sets my standards for writing, Atlantic-Pacific sets my standards for a outfit posts. Atlantic-Pacific is also unique because of the lack of words. Blair lets her photos speak for her, which is a refreshing difference from so many blogs that manage to write a lot without saying anything.
Favourite Outfit

Fairy Girl

-Romper-

Anthropologie

I love my romper, it's the only one I own, but it's one of my favourite summer outfits. I fell in love with this romper last year when I went to Anthropologie and because of the great sales price I had to buy it. The unfortunate part is that I didn't feel confident enough to wear on a regular day-to-day basis. It seemed like more of an outfit for going out rather than wearing around my house and town. However, lately I've come to the conclusion that just because clothes aren't a simple t-shirt and shorts combination they need be worn on a more special occasions. This blog has also been a great way for me to experiment more with my everyday outfits etc. 

Rompers perhaps not the most practical piece of clothing ever designed, and as one other blogger mentioned, make sure to allot extra time for going to the bathroom, very true. Despite this, I love the easy summer feel of this romper. The length is just right, as is the upper body fit. The problem with rompers that I often find is that they are either too childish or too sexy. This romper has more of childish feel to it, but in a whimsical sort of way. 

What do you think of rompers? Do you like this one?

The Sports Collection- Part 3

*This is a three part post. Part 1- here Part 2- here.*

Venus Williams

Again I am going to focus on tennis in this post, just as in the first post. As some people have commented on part 1 and part 2 of the sports collection series, tennis players have the best style. There are so many great options for tennis apparel, from matching skirts and tops, to polos and shorts, even dresses are greatly used on the tennis court, unlike most other sports. Venus Williams is one of the greats in tennis history. She and here sister Serena dominated the court for years, earning each of them world No. 1. But no only did Venus dominate on the court, she dominated the runway too. The Williams sisters are known almost as much for their personal style as their many Grand Slam titles. 

Venus Williams
Wimbledon Tennis Romper
Source

Venus Williams did something most other world number one tennis players don't do, she got a university degree, in fashion! Venus was brought up to have the world open to her, tennis was only one stage of her life, and she understood that something would have to come after. Venus has always had a passion for fashion, and she brings it onto the court with her every time she plays. Although it took Venus eight years, due to the irregularity of her attendance because of her tennis commitments, she stuck through it all and started her very open sportswear line. EleVen is the sportswear line started by Venus.

EleVen Dress
by Venus Williams
Source

EleVen Apparel
by Venus Williams
Source

Venus's new line for here company EleVen, is much more refined than previous ones. Venus says that for this collection she drew from classic tennis wear, which is evident in the clean lines. My personal favourites are the black and white pink dress and the black and white geometric stripped garments. The dress is simple, but also very stylish, and the colour combination is great. I like the geometric print because it's not something often seen on the tennis courts.


Venus's style is controversial to say the least. Certain of her outfits, such as the one worn below, caused quite a stir. When one thinks of a tennis dress this specific style doesn't exactly pop into one's head. More probably than not one will think of a simple white shift like dress, no frills and flounces, and certainly no nude shorts. But this is what Venus is trying to change, her artistic self is not satisfied with sticking to the status quo.

Venus Williams
French Open
Source

Venus Williams
Australian Open
Source

While some people might gawk at the idea of corseted, skin bearing dresses on court, I admire Venus for her courage and creative experimentation. While I would never dream of wearing the above outfit on court, what Venus shows is that fashion and sport are not mutually exclusive, besides, a lot people gawk at the site of a Christian Lacroix couture dress as well. 

Racquet Girl

I apologize for not responding to comments immediately, and not posting as frequently as I would like. In keeping with the theme of sports, this week I have been going to an intensive tennis camp, which has left little time for blogging. 

I love being active and the feeling of having tried my very best and left everything on the court, field, etc. I particularly like racquet sports, as long as it involves a racquet, I'm in. Squash is my number one love, I love the intensity and fast pace of the game. Tennis is a fairly close second, and it is great as a summer sport, whereas, squash has to be played inside. I also found how much I loved badminton when I played on my school team a couple of years ago. My love of all things racquet has earned me the nickname of 'racquet girl'. 

If I had a sports coat of arms it would probably look something like this.

Left to Right- Squash, Badminton, Tennis

This is a simple tennis outfit, with just a little colour. I found the skirt and top at different times, but it just so happened that the blue in each piece matched exactly.When I first saw this skirt my reaction was "wow, that's an ugly looking skirt." I was persuaded to try it on, however, because it was on sale for 25$. Paired with the right top I actually found it looked alright. What do you think?

This concludes my three part sports collection. I hope you take away this, sports and fashion are not mutually exclusive.

*This is a three part post. Part 1- here Part 2- here.*

The Sports Collection- Part 2

*This is a 3 part post. Find part 1 here.*

The History of Sportswear

Today women's sportswear is a huge multimillion dollar industry, with brands like Nike and Adidas dominating the retail market. Women dressed in short shorts and skirts, and tight tops made from synthetic fabric are a common sight  in gyms all over North America and Europe. As I discussed in my last post even wearing these clothes outside of gyms and other sporting complexes has become increasingly popular and considered publicly acceptable. There was a time however, when a woman playing tennis would not dream of wearing the ultra short dresses and skirts donned by today's players. 


The acceptance of women playing sports grew during the early 1900's, but women's sports were considered social events rather than physical activity. Popular sports among women included croquet, archery, riding, tennis, and most importantly, bicycling. Around the middle of the 1800's women started to use bicycles as a means of transportation more and more frequently. This was a liberating factor for women in more ways than one. Due to the nature of bicycles, and their inability to be ridden side saddle, women's clothing had to adapt to be more user friendly. Hoops were abandoned and free flowing skirts with bloomers underneath were standard women's bicycle attire. This was one of the first steps in liberating women, and allowing them to be more independent. 


As time progressed other sportswear also became less restraining, which meant women were now able to compete more actively, rather than being passive in their sporting endeavours. Golf blouses progressed so that the sleeves had more give and women were able to do a full swing unhindered. 


Horseback riding was the original means of transportation for men and women before the introduction of bicycles. Because of the long dresses and the multitude of underskirts worn by women, they were required to ride sidesaddle. Riding astride was still highly discouraged for women well into the 20th century, until pants became acceptable women's wear. Riding sidesaddle hindered women's ability and control of the horse because of their awkward positioning. My great aunt was a world champion horseback rider who was required to ride sidesaddle during competitions. Despite being less practical than riding astride my aunt was still able to compete in, and win against male competitors riding astride.


Women's sportswear is a story of liberation. If it weren't for the bicycle women might have still been wearing giant hooped skirts for thirty or forty years more. The history of women's sport tells us a great deal about the restrictions and social expectations of women throughout the ages. This is just another example of how history shapes the clothes we wear.


(I found these articles very informative: Sports Fashion, Women's Golf Attire)

My Running Outfit

6$ BCBG Shorts!!!

Stylish Headband 

MAC Shoelaces 

-Shorts-

BCBG

-Top-

GAP

-Running Shoes-

Saucony

-Shoelaces-

MAC 

Running is definitely not my favourite thing to do, but my tennis coach has told me to do a 10 minute run everyday. Instead of making it a wasted opportunity, I got creative and put this running outfit together. Who said style and sports don't go together? I switched out my boring shoelaces for some MAC Cosmetics ones that I got for free at school. Have you done any physical activity today? No? Well then stop blogging and get out there :)

*This is a 3 part post. Find part 1 here.*

The Sports Collection- Part 1

I maintain that any article of clothing worn should make one feel great. Be it clothing to do work around the house, to go to the grocery store or, in this case, sports clothes. Sweats and tracksuits were originally made for sporting activities, running, biking, soccer etc. These sweat and tracksuits slowly grew in popularity until they were considered acceptable as everyday clothes. Although I definitely don't endorse wearing athletic apparel in everyday life, I do think that just because one is doing sports, one must not take just as much care in the clothes they choose. It's a matter of psychologically feeling as wonderful as possible, because I know that when I wear sloppy clothes, I feel sloppy, and when I wear a polished outfit, I feel polished.


This will be a series of three posts, each with a different athletic outfit worn by me and more insight into the world of athletic apparel. In the next post I will look over the history of athletic apparel, for women in particular. 
Stay tuned for more!

An Evening Out

-Dress- 

Anthropologie     

-Shoes- 

Gap

Is Fashion Art?

In a word, YES.

Piet Mondrian, Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, 1930
www.wikipedia.org

Yves St. Laurent, 1965
http://distortedframes.onsugar.com/

Looking at these two pieces of "art" side by side, how could one argue the contrary? Although it's true that the painting is the original work of art and the dress came after, the dress is essentially exactly the same thing in a different medium. If it were to have been the dress that were designed first, and not the painting, would the painting still be considered the proper art piece and not the dress? 


There are many different art mediums, from sculpture to watercolour, and glass to photography. Why then have textiles been widely ignored as a legitimate medium? According to the Oxford dictionary art is:


The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.


This would mean fashion, at its least commercialized, would fit into this category perfectly. No one can deny the creative and imaginative power at work when one looks at a McQueen or Lacroix creation. While this definition might include the words 'painting' and 'sculpture', it also includes the word 'typically', not exclusively. If it were to say "exclusively painting and sculpture" dozens of art forms, such as the ancient art form of print making, dating all the way back to the 2nd century AD, would be excluded. In regard to the last part of this definition, one has only to look at the photos underneath to understand that they were not meant to be worn, but admired. The next time anyone sees  someone on the street dressed in any one of these outfits, please, do tell me. Their purpose was not a functional one; the body is merely the canvas on which the artist works. 

Christian Lacroix- 2009/1987
www.telegraph.co.uk

Alexander McQueen
http://chrinus.blogspot.ca

For me, Haute Couture and Ready to Wear are the equivalent of fine art prints and a giclée reproductions. The first is for the soul, the second, the pocketbook. The above creations are haute couture first shown on the runway. The likelihood that they will ever been worn off the runway is slim. They are meant to be admired from a distance, or behind a glass case in a museum, much like a sculpture. Haute couture is often not economically viable, and living with my father, who is an art dealer, I have come to understand what it takes to be a struggling artist versus one who can feed oneself. The first paints from the soul, for their own soul and no one else's. The second paints for the taste of the ruling class. Much is the same in fashion. Many designers start in the realm of Haute Couture only to find it economically unstable, thus they start a Ready-to-Wear collection in order to pay for their true passion, haute couture. It is from Haute Couture that the geniuses like McQueen have felt the most like artists, not from the commercialized world of Ready-to-Wear. 


To really get a sense of whether fashion fits into the world of art, let's look at the definition of fashion.


Haute Couture:
Expensive, fashionable clothes produced by leading fashion houses


Ready-to-Wear:
Made for the general market and sold through shops rather than made to order for an individual customer


These definitions might define who the clothes are made for and their approximate value, but they say nothing about the creative content and craftsmanship of the garment. This makes me think that there really isn't a definition of either one, and that it is completely up to the designer to define each garment they make. 

Elsa Schiaparelli

Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel

I have written about Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli in the past. Both women were revolutionaries in their fields, working in the same time period. Schiaparelli believed fashion was art, and Chanel did not. Similarly, Karl Lagerfeld, the current creative director at Chanel, also does not believe fashion is art. It just shows how long this dialogue has been going on. For all the reasons I've stated above, the way art and fashion influence each other, and how Haute Couture is more often than not meant to be admired and not worn, I rest my case. As long as fashion fits the definition of art, and Haute Couture remains crazy and awe inspiring, how could one claim that fashion cannot also be art? It is not to say that everything thrown on the body is a masterpiece, just like any scribble on a piece of paper is not worthy to be framed. What it does mean, is that fashion shouldn't be treated as a second class citizen because of old ideals and standards.

Dolce&Gabbana Spring/Summer 2008

Is it a dress? Or is it something more?

Is it a coincidence they're in an artist studio?

Just Another Maxi

Dress- Gap

Dress- Gap

What I like about this dress is that it has the illusion of being long, but it actually falls just above my knee. This means that, compared to a regular maxi, it doesn't swamp me in fabric and make me look too old. As I wrote in my previous post about the 70's, maxi dresses have made a huge comeback in the last  couple of years, and although I don't pay much attention to trends when dressing myself, I was more or less dead on with this dress. 

The dress, overall, has a nautical feel to it. The sort of Missoni style stripe pattern imitates the waves in an ocean, and the straps of a sort of sailor knot connecting it to the dress. In addition to this, the fabric is very light and easy, something easy to slip into for everyday wear. 

Do you like this dress?