Pink Rock Candy-Fashion

My brother and I like to play this game. As I flip through Vogue or any other fashion magazine, for that matter, I ‘ll point to a model and he has to tell me if he thinks she’s hot or not. It’s partially my way of remembering different models names and partially a way to make myself feel better— it always feels good to know that not every guy fawns over all models. While playing this little game las weekend, he, my sister, and I started talking about models that are “girlfriend pretty” and “model pretty”. More importantly how not only is the fashion industry full of girls that aren’t stereotypically beautiful, but are full of clothes that aren’t stereotypically pretty or even functional. That brings me to my point, Paule Ka.

Paule Ka was created in 1987 by Brazilian designer (by way of France), Serge Cajfinger. Though Cajfinger sites Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly as inspiration, something extremely obvious in his chic sharp-lined pieces like the skinny black pedal pushers pictured above, I find my favorites from his Spring/Summer 2008 collection to be the pieces that are much more avant garde than the clothes those icons would wear. In fact, my favorite piece of of the entire collection is the taffeta and organza petal bustier dress.

In all honesty, I highly doubt I’d ever be seen in a dress like the petal bustier dress or even the black mesh bustier dress. This isn’t because I don’t find them to be alluring pieces of art, but because as much as I’m drawn to avant garde clothes they aren’t functional for my college girl lifestyle.

Paule Ka is no Gareth Pugh or John Galliano who create astonishing pieces of art that just happen to be clothing as well, but there is a bit of whimsy that seems to draw me in, especially i the brown dress which looks eerily similar to the now infamous Christian Siriano dress from Project Runway. Perhaps if I had a dazzling party to attend, I’d actually spend some money on more edgy pieces , but since that isn’t the case, I’ll settle with manifesting my lust for the eccentric and artistic into blog posts for you!

For more information on Paule Ka visit: pauleka.teaser-hosting.com

Style: “a mode of fashion, as in dress, esp. good or approved fashion; elegance; smartness” (dictionary.com); “the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary). How I hate thee. I know this is hypocritical in almost every way possible considering I write a fashion blog, I read numerous fashion blogs multiple times a day, and my entire life is pretty much consumed with fashion and the pursuit of style, but I finally realized how much I actually loathe that simple little word with a thousand meanings. “Where did this come from?” you ask.

I was sitting in my anthropology class, when the guy I’m sitting next to says, his girlfriend saw me the other day and thinks I have great style. As flattering as that was, it started to bother me. What made my outfit that day, stylish? Do I look stylish now. Is his girlfriend a good judge of style? Was he just kidding because I partially look like a pirate today? That’s when it happened. I realized how much I actually abhor the word style, sheerly because the way it controls everything. It brings out or most insecure selves often in the most expensive way possible.

No matter, what we all have a style of dress unique to our personality. Even if we are following trends or wearing the exact same dress Blake Lively was wearing around the Gossip Girl set last week, no two people will wear something exactly the same. Not only this, but who are the ultimate judges of “good style?” Are they the fashion designers, the magazine editors, the multitudes of celebrities and models we adorn with the title “style icon”, or does it all trickle down onto our shoulders? One of my first posts was the quote from The Devil Wears Prada when Miranda pretty much tears Andy a new one using the color Cerulean. As fantastic as the bitch out was, is it truthful— and if so, what can we do to change it? Thinking everything I put on my body and the way I wear something was subliminally dictated by someone else creeps me out.

Perhaps, that’s why I dislike the idea so much. Not having control over your own life is horrifying, and being subject to some unknown, indeterminate force we call style is even more horrifying. But, what can we do?

Honestly, I haven’t quite figured that out yet. I doubt my semi-transcendental blog post about style will affect anything. I doubt anything anyone says will ever change the fact that as humans we find pleasure in being able to judge others, but it feels terribly good to know I’ve gotten my feelings out in the open. So, what are your feelings on style? Am I being completely illogical for hating the word style? Is writing about this on a fashion blog the most obnoxious thing I could possibly do? Oh, the humanity!

Are my boobs too big? After reading an article from the Daily Telegraph about the fashion industries new found hatred toward a full bust, I found myself pondering the pros and cons of my own lady lumps (thank you Black Eyed Peas). I obviously was doing this during class, much to the chagrin of my English teacher who was desperately trying to pull insightful answers out of my day-dreaming compadres and I, but that’s beside the point. The point is, this article really bothered me.

According to the article, Lucinda Chambers, the fashion director of British Vogue, told a big-bosomed reader who wanted to know how to rock the spring looks to get a minimizer bra and then goes on to say “This isn’t the Eighties. It isn’t a pay and display moment. Hasn’t been for ages. Even Roberto Cavalli didn’t put any breasts out there. Dolce & Gabbana? Elegant, quiet, ladylike cocktail dresses.”

First of all, since when does having a larger chest mean you can’t look elegant, quiet, or ladylike? I understand girls with ample breasts may not be able wear the deep v-necks, bandeau tops, or anything a flapper might have worn, but there are plenty of elegant, quiet, ladylike cocktail dresses for those whose chest don’t resemble that of a young boy— and, as for Roberto Cavalli not “[putting] any breasts out there,” I find this an obnoxiously obvious statement. If you think about it, the criteria for a model is to not only be tall but to be skinny, and with the lack of body fat comes a lack of breasts. Hence the reason, they weren’t put out there. On the other hand, assuming Lucinda meant Cavalli didn’t put revealing tops on the runway, I would have to say, what does that have to do with ones chest size anyway. THe less revealing, the easier it is for larger chested ladies to wear.

The article also speaks of Lara Stone and her 33Cs “jiggling down Prada’s spring/summer catwalk.” Just for the sake of the argument, I have to say being a 32C, I can attest that there wouldn’t be quite as much jiggle as people may seem to be scandalizing. Sure, her breasts look large, but that’s comparing them to those of the boy-shaped models we’re used to seeing come down the runway.

But back to my initial question, are my boobs too large for the fashion industry. Sadly, I am starting to think they are. Though I love my curvy bits, I am otherwise very slim, especially in the waist/torso area. This was really quite annoying when I was younger because when buying t-shirts I had to pick whether I wanted it to fit my torso and be tight on my chest or fit my breast and be baggy around my torso. I obviously picked the latter, and fell for the long less form fitting style of the not so elusive hipster. Though I can still get away with wearing shift dresses and even a dropped-waisted flapper dress or two, I know if my chest was any larger I’d have to drastically change my style.

Whether this is the fault of the designers who help influence the trends, the uber skinny model’s who wear the trends, or no one’s in particular, I leave that up to you. What do you consider to be a large cup size, or a small one for that matter, and do you think the fashion industry is purposefully shunning those lovelies with the great racks?

Photo Credit: Style.com

We’ve all heard about Target’s next GO International collection called their Private Label Collection, and if you haven’t, you’re hearing about it now. The Private Label Collection is compose of pieces made from the Target designers and is a sort of interlude between Jovovich-Hawk for Target and whoever is the next GO International designer. Ignoring the fact this may be a ploy to buy time because Target can’t find a designer that isn’t already doing a diffusion line at another store, I’m wondering why they didn’t just do this in the first place.

I don’t know anything about Target’s sales before, or even after, for that matter, the start of the GO International collections, but I don’t think they were beyond saving. If they had thought to actually design clothes other than t-shirts that would appeal to the stylish yet money conscious, they would have been crisp in the beginning. Though I’m not complaining about being able to get Proenza Schouler and Erin Fetherston cheaply.

Perhaps I’m biased though. I can’t really say I ever stopped liking Target, and to be fair, the Private Label isn’t really that stellar. There are only a few pieces I would actually buy, but I feel like that’s how it is with all the GO International collections so…

What do you think about the Private Label Collection? Take a peek here and report back!

The fact that I’m beyond stoked about the season Premiere of The Hills tonight does not discount my disdain for the number of “celeb” clothing lines coming from the girls of the show. Though I will admit the girls tend to dress well, exhibiting a SoCal comfort many girls like to mimic, but considering I live across the country from California I’ve chosen not to be sucked in to the “dress the girls of The Hills” phenomena and instead fall for another overly used trend.

I’ve finally fall prey to the animal print phenomena (no pun intended). This however will only happen in the form of cute leopard flats or this gorgeous Dior dress Sasha Pivovarova is wearing in the April 2008 issue of Vogue Paris

I’m sure I will never actually buy a pair of leopard print flats, but if someone decides to buy them for me, I’ll consider wearing them.

The dress, on the other hand, I would give anything to be able to spend my well earned money on, but unfortunately I’m too afraid to even try to figure out the cost because I know it would just ruin my “I did fantastically on my midterms” mood. If, by some mystical force, I were to get my hands on this dress, I would wear it everyday and risk being talked about. I would also eat all my vegetables and exercise, in the hope that one day I would grow up tall and slim like Sasha— look at that girls waist!