Trends Men Love to Hate?

Literally every 6 months or so, yahoo and other similar parties get its kicks by re-writing the same article a thousand different ways. What article am I referring to? The "Things Women Wear that Men Hate" or something to that measure.

They keep publishing it, because we women keep clicking on it.

We see that article on The daily mail, yahoo, google, style msn,  whatever, and we're on our computers like:

 What men secretly think about my clothes/makeup/appearance even though they never give me a straight answer in real life? It's here? On the internet?

                                        

           Load! I want validation!

Of course it's the same bloody thing each time. But we get our panties in a bunch all the same. We read this article, and it starts out innocent enough.

            You hate high heels? Whatever. You don't have to wear them.

You get a little emotionally attached as it goes on.

What? Harem pants? Rompers?? Those rock!

And then you get down to the comment box, where a ton of male bottom feeders on yahoo feel the need to put their two cents in,  and every man's degree in fashion suddenly comes out of their wallet.

Who exactly do you think you are?

Yes, belts DO need to be worn over top of dresses and tops sometimes.

Soon thereafter, as an alternative lady, or really anyone who likes to be fashion forward you start to feel attacked, because of course, this applies to you, just as it does to everyone else in the world. Things escalate from there.

Dark makeup is unattractive? Thin and drawn on eyebrows are ugly?

Then you scroll farther and find 4 or so dudes cast to play Mr. sensitive with their "Women should always be natural" dissertation on cue.

And you're all:

...You get way too deep into the comments soon after, and a fire is lit.

What did you just say about tattoos, 'Gary_86'?

And then you remember:

Wait, I didn't do this for you. I almost forgot, you're a stranger with no overlapping interests as me. oh, that's right! Never mind...

--

And then you put your knife away and go to bed.

Ladies you're all lovely. If you want to talk to some men about fashion...just don't.

I'm kidding.

Just make sure they don't write for yahoo.

5 staples of Modern Kinderwhore Fashion

Kinderwhore's roots are still alive and well, and it's as stylish as ever.

The inverted lolita aeshetic of Kinderwhore is something that often happens subconsciously for many, but Kinderwhore's own staples haven't strayed far.



That Collar

The collar is a huge deal with both a classic and modern kinderwhore ensemble, especially with dresses. The general frame of the collar is easy to picture after seeing kinderwhore in action, but there is a wide margin of interpretations of what a characteristic kinderwhore collar looks like, which only makes it easier for us to execute.







Using Buttons as accessories

Kinderwhore is minimalistic in terms of accessorization, but when incorporating buttons using them as ornamentation is common.After all, it's very difficult to accessorize with a heavily buttoned shirt without it disrupting the balance of an outfit, so it makes sense how buttons take precedence.









Drawing the eye to the ankles

Unlike most fashion genres, kinderwhore has come to be associated with a certain silhouette. The style association with mary janes and short combat boots bring the eye to the ankles, and you will seldom see a kinderwhore look with sandals or shin-length of above boots because the importance of the ankles is unmatched. Frilly and lace-trimmed socks are another great and stylish way to bring attention to your ankles as well.

Lose the Shine

Kinderwhore characteristically lacks shine and hardware, so it's natural to avoid zippers and shiny plastic jewelry. With the exception of a nice shiny pair of mary janes, kinderwhore most often leans in the matte direction.

 Displace your grunge

Transferring your grunge from your clothes to other aspects of your appearance is half the fun. If there's no grunge, it's not kinderwhore. Whether you place a touch of it in your shoes, a nod to it in your hair, or rely on your heavy makeup to give it your finishing touches, displace your grunge, but place it somewhere.

The DIY Jeans Revolution, No.2: Waxed Jeans

I know I was unsure if I would continue the series of Revamping Jeans, but here we are again; Waxed Jeans!

I've always found that ill-suited shiny black pants to be a strong staple in Dark fashion. Perhaps we're masochists and love subjecting ourselves to things that are terribly uncomfortable .


But what if you could give your sadest, oldest and most comfortable pair of jeans a kick-ass glossy-look makeover?

You quite easily can! By waxing them! Waxing of jeans is not a new concept, it's been around for a while. Though there are many imitative ways this affect can be achieved, the easiest and most DIY-friendly is by means of Otter Wax. Contrary to reoccurring evidence, the main purpose is not to make stuff look awesome, but to water-proof denim and canvas items. Strange, yes?

Let it be noted that though otter wax is more vegan-friendly than leather itself, does not contain otters, and never contains by-products derived by the slaughter of animals, it does contain Beeswax and Lanolin.

Without further ado,

You will need:

-Otter Wax

-A pair of Jeans.

-And in some cases, a hair dryer

1. Make sure your jeans are clean and dry. On a flat surface, drag the wax down your jeans in long even strokes. You will know that your denim absorbing the wax because it will become darker. & Repeat.

2. In some cases the use a hair dryer can be helpful to heat and smooth out the distribution of wax with your fingers, though not necessary.

3. Let sit for 24+ hours in a cool dry place till cured.

4. Wear!

  If you liked the effect, remember Otter Wax can be used from anything from canvas shoes to bags!

After much washing, the wax can eventually start to disappear, though if this happens, never fear, all one has to do is re-coat it once in a blue moon. In the meantime, you will have some lovely smelling otter wax to use for your next project.

Previously:

The Jeans Revolution, No.1: Corseting

Evolution & Revolution!

Gentlemen, Gentlemen, Gentlemen, please!

There’s enough fashion for everyone!

I recently got an email from a gentleman who, though he enjoyed the ridiculous fashion shenanigans on my blog, wished to find something more, I dunno, DIRECTED AT HIS GENDER.

And I’ll be honest, I know I’ve been a little biased…

Distracted…

Lax…

Remiss…

Negligent…



"Ooh, what if I did a whole post about ruffles!"



Okay, so I never post anything directed at men. I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I’ve been much too busy watching peter pan and putting glitter on sh*t to even bother to keep up with the latest technological advancements in men’s razors. (Ps. The answer is Gillette.)

      With that said, this doesn’t mean we’re going to begin with my sloppy tutorial on how to tie a tie. It just means I’m going to throw some links at you until you all go away. That was a joke, please don’t leave. Having a diverse audience makes me relevant, and curses, I need to be relevant!
But truly, I'm hardly qualified...so here's some links!

Without further ado, Dark Fashion, for men!

Gothified                                                                     Sinister Sartorialist

Grown-up & Alt Looks for men                                        Men's fashion with a  Alt. Lean

Dandy in Black                                              Fatal Fashion

Dandy street fashion                                                     Dark  designs for men & women

Laudanum and Arsenic                                          A Goth Hipster

Dark & Asexual Inspirations                                          Menswear & DIY projects

They say write what you know, and let’s face it, I’m not even a lady, I’m footwear.

Alice in Wonderland vs. the Alternatives

The story is classic. Whimsical, creative, colorful, and quietly creepy. For a pop culture phenomenon adored by the general population and the alternative industries alike, what could possibly not be loved?

Or is that the problem? 



It’s easy to see the rise and decline of merchandising hype for the 2009 film release of “Alice in Wonderland” in mainstream media. But what about the alternative industries? Underground fashion has been rocking the twisted wonderland, and mad tea party art concept since the beginning of time.  It makes sense though, something backwards and unusual, typical draw for an offbeat crowd with a taste for aesthetics. But when does an art homage to a quirky tale become giant springboard for every creative endeavor? That mere concept disturbs me. When does “An AIW inspired piece” become a template for imagination for all projects and artistic concepts? When does the AIW enthused mean become a basis for design?

Is this fantasy trend crashing too heavily on our creative influences?





Jasmine Becket-Griffith's Strangeling "Alice in Clockwork"



Many well-known alternative specialty shops, couture designers and artists are producing fashions with AIW inspired or reminiscent themes. Entire clothing lines, makeup collections and artist portfolios are prime examples of the impact of Lewis Carrol’s phenomenon. Corsets and fascinators holding vague titles like “Alice” or “Red Queen” are an increasingly common find on alternative clothing sites. Not to mention fantasy artwork with reoccurring themes of rabbits, mushrooms, and teacups, all directing quiet little nods to the story.

If this was a marketing ploy when large companies did it, what does that say about independent & Alternative designers and artists?

While the concept is virtually exhausted above ground, the underground and alternative industries have yet to put down the flamingo croquet mallet and say, "...I think I'm finally sick of this!".

Are we blind to the repetitiveness of it all? Is our tolerance just much higher? Do we have a longer fascination and attention span to our muses? Or is AIW becoming just as much as an alternative staple as combat boots and nose rings? 

(Right: Fashion Whore's PVC Alice in Wonderland inspired collection on the runway at FAT, Toronto's Alternative Fashion Week, 2010)

 



AIW & Polka Dots Fruit Corset



 For many elitists, the assumption is simply that the story took so well with the mainstream because perhaps they, as a whole lack imagination. The theory makes sense in some ways, after all Carroll’s story offers a vivid world that outright accepts the lack of sense, and offers a seemingly vast amount of creative wiggle room that many people aren’t accustomed to. Think about it, a concept where there's a built-in fanbase and there doesn't have to be an explanation for anything you do. Yet, attention is short, and the media (per routine) turns away as soon as something gives us another reason to give it attention.    

As for the alternative industries, if we concede the argument that the general public is drawn to the story for lack of their own creativity, where does the outlasting fascination leave us? Or perhaps this tale gives mainstream a niche to self-expression, a way of being creative without overstepping their comfort zone (An artistic crutch, in some ways).  If that is so, why is the underground community so hooked on the idea of AIW when those subcultures are so prided in being artistic, creative, and individual?

So what do you think? Is the wonderland taking too prominent a role in alternative fashion with its presence in art and design? And if mainstream fascination exists with this story for the reasons people believe, what does that say about the alternative art and fashion industries? Has Alice in Wonderland joined the ranks of the beloved cliche? Or is it our crutch too? 

Goth to Hipster: The Silent Tutorial

A silent tutorial from Uber Goth to Super Hipster.

& For your obscure listening  pleasure:

 

 

 

 

Look, I'm finally cool!