Boy Wizard is the Look
1.30.2014
True story: I never saw a single episode of #AHSCoven. True story part 2: I don't need to have seen it to know that goth-chic is so hawt right now. Which is good, because I realized you could totally form your own coven with some of my favorite lewks phresh off the AW14 runway. From left to right: Dior Homme, E. Tautz and Margaret Howell. Or, for Harry Potter fans: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff. Who wants to join my coven?
Let's Obsess Over G-Dragon
1.29.2014
You guys, how did it take me so long to realize G-Dragon is on Instagram?
I found his account last week and went through literally every photo. Some may complain that he's too trendy, often seen in a to-be-expected mix of Givenchy, Kenzo, maybe Astrid Andersen—but I really love his style. I love that he'll take so many risks with his image, that it's a constantly evolving thing and he's comfortable with experimenting. Experimenting like a lot. I honestly think he's quite the queer icon, even though he isn't queer and I've never heard him speak once about his personal beliefs in English so for all I know he could be a terrible human being...but his outfits! So cute! ^_^
01 "Shooting for vitamin water," says this Insta's caption. Oh? America gets Jennifer Aniston on a beach and Korea gets G-Dragon in Commes des Garçons? LIFE IS NOT FAIR.
03 Hanging out with Grimes, who's doing what I would be doing in that situation.
04 On the streets of Paris with Taeyang serving major lewks.
05 I don't know what's going on here. I think Rick Owens? Really into the coat and also the fact that if you squint it sorta looks like it could be Mary-Kate Olsen. In a good way. (Is there a bad way?)
06 Pharrell also has a jumbo-sized Birkin, and I love Pharrell, so...
Check out some of his videos and decide for yourself—sensationalism? Or iconic style?
UNIQLO SKIRT + ARMY JACKET
1.28.2014
Photos Angelica Domingo // jacket vintage // skirt Uniqlo // tights American Apparel // boots Forfex
"I like the skirt. I like the look. It's interesting." So said one lady on the subway, the second that day to comment on this outfit. It's sort of a gray area, as we discussed at length in yesterday's post. It's a skirt, but...it's not really feminine. It's pretty...butch? I've loved it since I saw it on the lady mannequin in store, though I ended up buying it online because they didn't have it in my size in like, two different locations #SOML. I paired it with this totally quiche vintage army jacket that I found for under $20 at Beacon's Closet. For whatever reason, I seem to have an affinity for that vintage army look—my dad's old duffel bag, the Filson briefcase I tote everywhere.
This look is a great example of how to mix old with new, how to marry butch with theoretically femme. Plus, it's so next lev with my Forfex boots, I can't even. Inspirations for this outfit came from far and wide, by which I mean Instagram (below, left) and Pinterest (below, right). I'm just really feeling black & navy layers in unexpected lengths, what can I say? Also, kudos to The Sartorialist for igniting my passion for a quilted skirt in the first place.
I feel like this is my man-spin on a trend Who What Wear reported on, the frilly dress with a combat boot. Obviously this isn't quite the same, but the idea is there! Check out my other skirted looks here and here. Which is your favorite?
THE OTHER F WORD
1.27.2014
By which I mean "femme" – though some might say "faggy". Let's dish about the recent men's shows, sex, and the science of self-expression.
A few weeks ago I asked my mom to help me choose which black lipstick selfie would be the cutest choice for Instagram. She laughed and said, "My sister and I used to do that." It was like I was five years old again, sneaking into my parent's bathroom to marvel at the sea of compacts laid out on the counter and the powder-caked puffy heads of makeup brushes—except this time, I wasn't afraid of getting caught.
When people ask me what my blog is about, what the focus is, I always feel left in the lurch. It seems wrong to say I’m a menswear blog, not just because I post about other stuff, too, but...“menswear”? Really? I'm coming around to calling it a "queer men's style site." When I was a kid I had no other associations for that word—queer—outside of its rhyming with “smear”, but nowadays there's something like comfort in the term. I like that it says other. I like that it suggests something amorphous, something unexpected, something that deviates. I like the idea that you can use it as a verb and a noun. I like that it's open and inclusive and ambiguous. “To identify as ‘queer’ is to be at ease with your own masculinity and femininity,” said writer Rohin Guha in his viral essay, On Gay Male Privilege. “You’re not constantly having to fear for your own gender expression.”
There was a time when the idea of sharing that side of myself that likes to play with makeup would have terrified me and made me feel unbelievably vulnerable. Now I'm broadcasting it to not just my mom, but to two thousand strangers on three or four different social networks. It's a bit self-indulgent, admittedly, but I'm just glad that the stigma associated with being open about what makes me different—or, really, the same as any eight-year-old girl—has dissipated.
LOUIS DE CASTRO
1.24.2014
Love the styling here, and the silhouette in that second image. Plus: mandals! Next week I'll be posting thoughts on the recent men's collections, so you have that to look forward to. Enjoy the weekend! Photos © Francesco Brigida for Encens magazine.
Filed Under:
assembly new york,
Design,
Inspiration,
Living,
Mirador NYC,
Retail,
Shopping
3 INSPIRING RETAIL SPACES
1.22.2014
You'll say, 'ooh!' 'aah!' and 'I want to go to there!'
While I can appreciate a museum-quality boutique as much as the next twenty-something in a pair of busted Cheap Monday jeans, what I really want out of a retail space—especially since I've cut down on shopping—is inspiration I can put to use with a little imagination on a limited budget. And that, Watson, is why I'm in drunk in love with these three #supercute, totally crush-worthy stores.
First up is Mirador (above), a new boutique in Greenwich Village that's pretty much totes amazeballs. It's so pretty I could die. Instead of dying, though, I walked in and gave them my business card and told them I wanted to feature them on Lonny, so head over there to check out my interview with owner Aurora Lopez later this week!
I also finally made it into McNally Jackson Store last week. I was completely blown away by the space—exposed beams, whitewashed brick, industrial lighting fixtures—and mesmerized by the merchandising. It's agonizing, how cute this is. Like, I think in some circles this qualifies as pornographic material.
And last, but not least, the spartan delight that is Assembly New York, which is basically everyone's dream closet. I love the pegs tucked into holes in the wall (and do you see what I see? That bag to the far left is the M. Hulot purse I blogged about! It's back in stock! Buy it for me!) Plus, that super minimal but effortlessly glam clothing rack...that wood bench...the floors...swoon!
HOW TO WEAR VINTAGE
1.21.2014
The essential 5-step guide you didn't ask for and never knew you needed.
This week's outfit post has me wondering—how does one go about making someone else's decades-old clothing one's own? It's not always as simple as pasting yourself on top a Tumblr graphic, so I've compiled these handy-dandy tips for wearing vintage. Harken to my wisdom!
01 Know your references (but stay true to your own style). This look perfectly speaks to my inspirations: Marcello Clerici, the protagonist of Bertolucci's The Conformist and Tuxedo Mask. The Conformist is, hands-down, my most favorite style movie of all time. It oozes style. Pungent, intoxicating, meticulous, sexy style that'll leave you with a fashion boner for years. If you haven't seen it, rent it now. And Tuxedo Mask, I mean...come on. Can't go wrong. (Actually, when I Googled Tuxedo Mask, a lot of "cos play" came up. I'd say that's where you might go wrong. So watch out for that.)
Clockwise from top-left: Me shopping vintage in Florence (this is the store in which I bought my Fendi muffler) // a still from The Conformist // Tuxedo Mask // another still from The Conformist
02 Less is more. Not to be confused with the rule below, this applies more to the actual shopping experience. You should always be on the lookout for simple, versatile pieces that you can wear in a multitude of ways. (Keep this in mind—we'll be talking about it more next week!)
03 Accessorize within an inch of your life (but then take one thing off). It's super fun to stock up on vintage pocket squares, ties, scarves, tie clips, glasses cases, hats, etc., but exercise caution. I was thinking of maybe wearing a pocket square with this look, but then realized that's the definition of trying too hard.
04 Don't be afraid to mix decades. These pants are from the eighties and I think the blue velvet jacket is too, but together they help create a look that's totes old-school glamour. Cary Grant aficionados, eat your heart out.
05 Don't be afraid to wear lady clothes. These pants are actually lady pants. High-waisted and pleated, as God intended, yet I wouldn't have found them if I didn't shop both sides of the aisle.
Call Me Marcello
1.20.2014
It's been just over three years since I made the acquaintance of the infectiously stylish city that is Florence. Well, it doesn't infect everybody because that's a lot to ask of such a popular tourist destination—once you go fanny pack, you never go back—but the city is still an amazing place for style, design and culture. Like Paris, it's a city for which you don't really need an itinerary. (In fact, I'd recommend against one.) Put on your most comfortable least ugly shoes and hit the streets, turning random corners, stopping for pizza and gelato, snapping pictures all the while because everything will take your breath away.
Florence is the city in which my passion for vintage came into its own. It's also where my interest in photography really took off. The light in Florence is insane, for lack of a better phrase. It's so beautiful, wherever you look, it pulls you outside of yourself. The way it falls on buildings and plays off rooftops, throwing the city's famous architecture into relief—it's like living in an Instagram filter. Or like being in Italy IRL. IDK.
An experience like that changes how you see things, how you taste things, how you use all of your senses. You have to slow down to ingest all of the textures, the colors, the smells, the people. A father walks his daughter to school, her pink backpack slung over his shoulder; a woman bikes by with her purse stowed in the front basket; a gentleman werqs lime green pants while out for a Sunday stroll with his wife. It's not a remembered still frame from a Merchant Ivory film, it's living and it's breathing, it's quiet and yet it's full of passion. And they have really good spaghetti.
Photography Angelica Domingo & Sean Santiago // all clothing & accessories vintage
OFFICE ART UPDATE
1.17.2014
Just a super brief bedroom situation update—it's all I've got the time for, sorry!
01 New art over the desk! (See the previous set-up here). I first saw this painting in my friend Rod's shop, The Curious Orange, when I was visiting my parents last August. I wanted to buy it, but was overwhelmed by its size and the prospect of bringing it up to NYC with me on the train. Fast forward half a year and I'm standing in the AmTrak lobby holding this massive painting, all taped up in bubble wrap, hoping no one will notice it violates the carry-on size restrictions. (Someone did, but they didn't make a big deal of it. No one else said anything, and I got it up here in one piece!)
02 Along with the new rug that I also bought from Rod, which is a welcome (and slightly more plush) addition to my space. Now the first rug I bought for the room (heretoforth known as "The Other Rug") is on the opposite side of my bed, which means nothing to y'all yet. But mark my words—one day, it will.
03 Also I found my old copy of White Teeth. I remember reading this in college and telling myself I really liked it, maybe just to feel intellectual, but now I can say that I do, indeed, really love this book. Highly recommend! So very! Much buy!
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[NOW PLAYING] HAERTS
1.16.2014
The other night I was out with a friend in Williamsburg and we found ourselves, as gays in Williamsburg are wont to do, hanging out at Metropolitan. We met up with another one of his friends and the conversation quickly turned to music, but this was a music discussion amongst gays in bands in Brooklyn in 2014 and half of it flew over my head. Scratch that, all of it flew over my head. Like, soared over it like an eagle. A coked out Lindsay Lohan eagle trying to combust at the furthest reaches of the earth's atmosphere. Then I was asked what music I listen to. In these situations I'm usually like, "Hehe, like, everything? I mean, like, I don't know." I don't know why 'What kind of music are you into?' has always seemed like a loaded question to me, but there you have it. So today I'm getting over that fear and posting what I've been listening to virtually non-stop over the last week: the band Haerts.
Their EP came out last year; their sound is kinda 80's and it's kinda poppy and the vocals are really strong and there's a shoegaze-disco remix of two of the songs so I can die happy. I've been bouncing between All The Days and All The Days (Lissvik Remix) and Wings and the amazing Wings (Wildcat! Wildcat! Remix) [both below], which sounds like a deep cut from Au Revoir Simone's awesome remix LP Night Light (Snap! Lingo! What's a LP?) Anyway, yadda yadda I like 'em and you could check 'em out if you want. Also listening to the new Blood Orange album, duh, a lot of Lorde because I finally gave in to that and also also Rain's new single bitchessss. Ph. © Sumeja Tulic.
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5 IDEAS TO STEAL FROM PITTI
1.15.2014
All photos © Youngjun Koo for The Cut. From the top...
01 Pop your collar underneath your turtleneck—genius!
02 Make like Nick Wooster and eschew a tie in favor of...a kilt pin? A kilt pin!
03 Somber suiting elements demand a brightly patterned murse (er...iPad case).
04 Or, mix sleek and soft by tucking a vintage scarf through your murse, natch.
05 Be Japanese.
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HAN KJØBENHAVN TOTE
1.14.2014
Han Kjøbenhavn is a relatively new boutique in SoHo—they opened at 27 Prince Street last spring—that gives you the world's cutest tote bag with purchase. Least offensive branding ever? I think so. I was snapped carrying it (and wearing my John Smedley beanie, vintage varsity jacket and the black jeans I bought from the brand) outside Capsule Market last month. Also of note: the store's interior is to-die-for, as you might expect because Scandinavia. Check it out!
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PUT YOUR BEST #SELFIE FORWARD
1.13.2014
The other week I was looking at Lou Doillon's Instagram feed and I thought to myself, "Damn, baby girl's selfie game is on point!" While some people (including Sarah Palin) have had their fill of 2013's "Word of the Year" and will tell you that there's no such thing as a good one, I beg to differ—and Doillon's off-the-cuff self-portraits are part of the reason I'm holding out hope for the...um, art form? The singer/model/actress is on the road a lot and often selfies (I verbed it!) from the back of a car, seemingly as much for her own gratification as yours or mine. It helps that she has wicked awesome hair and is French and I'm jealous of her.
I got to thinking about the different kinds of pictures one might take of oneself and the qualities that make them particularly good or bad. I've compiled the below list to help us visualize three common specimens in the genus "selfie", each with its own merits—or lack thereof.
There are of course other types of selfies, like group selfies, #OOTD/#WIWT selfies and even, some might argue, the "DP" or "dick pic" (which can be broadened to include "belfies"—butt selfies—or really anything Kim Kardashian does on the internet), but the three listed here sufficiently illustrate my point, which is that at the end of the day it's all about loving yourself (and you loving myself, too).
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THE ONLY RESOLUTION THAT MATTERS
1.11.2014
Buy less. Way less. And never look back.
I was thinking I'd make a list of cute style resolutions for the new year, but what I really need to do—what I want to do—is scale back. Scale back on the buying and the lusting after and the continual process of convincing myself that if don't get this one thing then I'll simply die.
To convey how serious I am about this, I have culled from the internet this quote from Thoreau: “I make myself rich by making my wants few.” (That's Henry David Thoreau, not Justin Theroux—FYI. But here's a funny pic of Justin Theroux anyway, because the internet.)
Not that I'll ever quit shopping cold turkey—as a matter of fact, I may have just bought something online—but! But I had been watching that item like a hawk for the better part of three months and it was on sale for more than 50% off. See, I need to start making all of my purchases like that! Because whomever said hindsight is 20/20 was full of shit. In my experience, hindsight is a rose-tinted haze that leaves you longing for The One That Got Away, ever more eager to fill the Balenciaga blazer-shaped hole in your wardrobe. And now, a borderline completely irrelevant clip from Sex And the City that I felt like including, just because shopping.
Here is a list of things I'm currently lusting after that I probably definitely don't really need:
01 Asymmetrical cropped sweaters
02 White jeans (I mean, if I found a really good pair I'd say this could be an actual necessity)
03 Any tote that isn't a simple, black leather tote
04 Tops with "architectural" sleeves
05 Capelet
I love shopping, I do. But consumerism, like its “ism” counterparts “Reaganism” and/or “Communism,” is a tricky beast. You get into cycles and fall under the misapprehension that you have to have things and then forget to donate to Tsunami relief like an asshole. In 2014, I resolve to not be that asshole.
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Filed Under:
Band of Outsiders,
Brian Ferry,
Lena Corwin,
Line Klein,
Living,
Moon Rhee,
Scott Sternberg
5 HOMES I'M LOVING RIGHT NOW
1.08.2014
I've got something of a surplus of homes I'm really inspired by right now, so here they all are in a handy-dandy list(icle?). First up is Moon and Hey's new Brooklyn apartment on An Afternoon With (although really just Moon because he's gorgeous and I'm dying).
Also really into the super clean lines, graphic art and chairs in this space, photographed by Line Klein.
This wintry home from the November 2007 issue of domino, shot by Paul Costello, is making me rethink dark walls. And that comforter is bone-inducing.
Perennial favorite Brian Ferry shot designer Lena Corwin's Fort Greene townhouse for Remodelista. Her master bedroom is giving me life.
Last but not least, I was happy to find Band of Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg's L.A. abode, shot by Ye Rin Mok for Apartamento, make its way onto the photographer's blog. It's my second favorite shoot from the latest issue, right after the feature on Atsuki Kikuchi's Tokyo residence.
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TEAR SHEETS
1.07.2014
I was home for the holidays last week, which is to say I was reunited with all of my crap...all of the magazines, all of the oversize printed shirts and overlooked awkward sweaters and pants that were hemmed too high and art from college and art from the years immediately after college (that looks like it's from middle school) and books (and yearbooks), knick-knacks and tchotchkes. Old plane tickets, old movie tickets, travel pamphlets, pay stubs, three pairs of scissors, a rogue beanie baby...what have you. I rooted through it all, trying to exorcise years of bad taste and questionable life choices, whittling it all down to one box that I wouldn't want to lose in a fire.
And then there are the tear sheets. From the magazines. The stacks and stacks of magazines, seven years worth of Personal Fashion History that I can't part with. This is just a sampling of that madness. Literally less than half of half of all the images I've pulled from W, Vogue Paris, Vogue Italia, V...Karlie, Christy, Kate, Eniko, Isabeli, Mariacarla and Daria, Daria, Daria. I'm thinking I might do a little video of my collection someday soon, partially to better explain myself and hopefully come across less like a hoarder and partially because I think, if you're reading this, that maybe you also have a stack or two of magazines laying around that you can't seem to let go of.
Also: I'm still doing this to organize a lot of my favorite clippings, mostly interiors though, and think it's far superior to keeping everything in a shoebox—Binder Finder makes these incredible wooden binders that I'm loving right now, in case you're in the market.
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RETURN TO FORM
1.06.2014
Photos Angelica Domingo // coat Commes de Garçons (seen in store here) // shoes Zara // pants Uniqlo (seen here) // sweater ASOS // shirt Uniqlo (seen here) // clutch A.P.C.
It's the first outfit post of the new year! Currently serving some high-low trillness, courtesy of this CDG coat that I picked up at Barneys on mega sale. I bought it a size too big (which still wasn't too big) and had it taken in in all the right places by Hong Kong Tailor Jack.
I really like it as an alterna-suiting option when you want to lend some dramatic flair to your more budget-friendly items, which here include trousers and a patterned shirt from Uniqlo (I like wearing my short-sleeved shirts under sweaters in fall/winter because the arms don't get all weird and chunky) and a pair of Zara platforms I got on sale that fill the void left in my soul because I couldn't afford these Prada platforms I loved a year ago. (ZOMG time flies.)
The sweater is courtesy ASOS—I love (and need) that pop of color!—and the clutch you may recognize from this post. Shot under the BQE, right around the corner from where I live.
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Filed Under:
Annemarieke van Drimmelen,
Caroline de Maigret,
Inspiration,
Rika Magazine
ANNEMARIEKE VAN DRIMMELEN
1.03.2014
Dutch photographer Annemarieke van Drimmelen is slaying me right now. I first saw her work in a Dutch Vogue spread and immediately fell in love with her moody, evocative portraits. You may also recognize her work for Rika Magazine, like that first shot of Caroline de Maigret. You can see more of her work here and find check out a bunch more of my current photographer crushes on Pinterest. Psst—also, in case you were wondering: first outfit post of the new year on Monday!
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