Kate Moss for Topshop = Peanut Butter for Jelly

Why is it that when you're at your brokest, you feel most enlightened and fashion saavy and ready to shop? I can't stop obsessing over Kate Moss's Topshop line. Even though it's "so last year" and even though I know I can't buy it, I keep going back to the website, just to look. I'm a masochist.

Maybe the clothes just look that good because they're on Kate Moss...or maybe that's what I have to tell myself to get through the day without handing my wallet over to Topshop. Below are the photos from HER SITE, and just for fun I've mixed them up with some of her quotes on there as well. Take a look:

"Never look like you've tried too hard - or rather don't try to hard! Mismatching can add a much more personal touch to an outfit."

"Mix old with new - the options are endless and it's good to make it your own vision. Recently for a friend's wedding, I paird a beautiful Chanel maxi dress with an antique blue velvet cape and a pair of huge Turkish hoop-earrings which gave the dress a totally unique feel."

"Don't take a vintage or second-hand piece on face value as it can be altered in so many ways. I've lopped the hem off many full-length gowns and made necklines lower. It does help to have a genius dress maker, otherwise just do it yourself!"

"When going out for the evening, think about your arrival - the accidental pairing of a battered leather jacket and floor sweeping gown looks amazing and effortless, as does an embroidered evening jacket paired with your old jeans!"

Ugh, there's something about each of those quotes...I can just picture Moss saying them in her mousy voice and British accent, holding a cigarette, eye makeup dark and smeared, with her thin legs folded over one another. Isn't there just something about being British and rock 'n' roll chic that makes one girl more fabulous than all other girls? (I mean she did score Johnny Depp back in the day).
So perfectly 90's. The leather, the hair...wait what was I talking about?

Oh yeah...Topshop. Maybe if I'm lucky they'll pull a Shoemania and make everything 50% off. Until then I guess I'm stuck with masochism.


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More Hair...There.

No, not there!!!

Here:


All of a sudden there seems to be a nod in the direction of extra hair in the eye region - big, dramatic brows, and big dramatic lashes. Yes, women have always desired long, beautiful lashes, and men have always been taken by them, but now it seems people are going to new...lengths (duh, pun intended) for the perfect look. Ladies and gents, I bring you "Latisse".

LATISSE:
Generic Name: Bimatoprost Ophthalmic Solution
Date of Approval: December 24, 2008
What it is: A novel treatment for hypotrichosis of the eyelashes. Huh? Eyelash hypotrichosis is another name for having "inadequate" or not enough eyelashes.

Check it out:



For those of you who feel insecure about your eyelash length and thickness, you can now thank the makers of Botox for your panacea. I've been seeing commercials for this new drug everywhere, and the more I see it, the weirder it seems. In case you have any doubts about the product, they have BEFORE AND AFTER shots on their website, as well as TESTIMONIALS.


Whatever happened to the trusty eyelash curler and mascara? Anyway, moving north to the brows we see a similar trend: big, thick, dramatic...take a looksy:


Will guys like the thick brows as much as they like the long lashes? No they will not. Will they even notice if you grow yours out? Hmmm most likely not. Will women look at you and go "oh my god who does your brows?!" - I believe they will. Nothing like a strong brow to accentuate your eyes and your cheakbones, and just to give you a more dramatic look in general. If you can handle the growing out process, I suggest you go for it. And if you're in NYC, I suggest going to Shobha to have them threaded and re-shaped - those women are masters and they all have perfect brows.

That's all for today! Have a hairy, happy weekend.


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I Miss Supermodels, Dammit!

I love models. Real models...not the catalog cheesy smile-for-the-camera models...no, I love the 5'9" and above, catwalking, sassy, sexy, above everybody and everything, sooo over everybody and everything, picture posing, thin, long-limbed ones. I especially love seeing them on the street (like I did today) and overhearing their Russian/Swedish/Portuguese conversations that probably go something like: "Life is so hard when you're perfect and beautiful...all people want to do is look at you." "OMG I know, do you think my shoes are too tall? Maybe I'll go to the cobbler and have him make them taller for free."

You know the ones I'm talking about, and can't nobody take photos of these girls out in the wild like Jak & Jil...take a look:

Now, while I love these statuesque beautiful creatures, I'll be the first to admit that they all look...well...relatively the same. Very unfortunately, the image of the 90's supermodel is gone. The 6 or 7 or 8 models that steal the show and appear everywhere - catwalks, magazine covers, parties - all girly teens aspire to become them, and all male teens want to, well, you know. These are the ladies I'm talking about:

KATE MOSS

NAOMI CAMPBELL

Claudia Schiffer

Cindy Crawford

CHRISTY TURLINGTON

TYRA BANKS

LINDA EVANGELISTA

HELENA CHRISTENSEN

Ugh, such a beautiful thing. I just miss the era, that's all I can say. And though I love that certain labels and brands have brought them back for their campaigns...I gotta tell ya, it ain't the same. Thankfully MODELS BLOG (where a great deal of these images came from) continues to bring me old and new models gossip...the site is a recent find for me. If you're a model junkie like myself, I encourage you to take a cyber trip on over there.


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Darren Star Prefers L.A.

Last night, with my girls in tow - MJ, KSchields, and my new Coach bag - I found myself sitting at the Strand (bookstore, for those of you who aren't in NYC), eating cheese and fruit and sipping on champagne. We were there for...oh what's that? You wanna see a pic of the new bag? Oh, hahaha, ok fine:

Anyway, we were there for the reading of Maria Semple's new novel This One is Mine, and more importantly as Darren Star groupies (one of the writers for Sex and the City). Semple also used to be a television writer (Arrested Development, Mad About You, Ellen) - so the two long-time friends talked about TV writing among other things.

My bad yall, I couldn't get a good picture of them to save my life!

One of the conversations they had went a little something like this:
Maria Semple: Darren lives back and forth between New York and LA, and once when he and I were skiing in Aspen together I asked him - hey Darren, why are you spending less and less time in New York? To which he replied:
Darren Star: New York isn't what it used to be. Now it's all just shoppers and tourists.
Maria Semple: And I told him Darren, you have nobody but yourself to blame for that.

What she means is that the "Sex and the City" culture has ruined New York. Everybody wants to look like they're leading a fabulous lifestyle - filled with shopping and brunches and parties - when in fact most of the people perpetuating this lifestyle are total posers. Ok yes, I admit, New York isn't what it used to be - 60's, 70's, 80's - and it remains to be seen if this fine city will every return to Old York. Really though, are we now worse than LA?? Have the teeth bleaching, traffic jam sitting, Hollywood obsessing, Melrose shopping, excessively tanning west coasters beat us in the great race for the big numero uno??!! If Darren Star says it's true, I can't NOT believe him!

As Rachel Maddow would say...somebody talk me down. In the meantime I'm going out to buy some Crest White Strips...just in case.


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Shrinking New York vs. New York Mag

What's up world. Not so long ago, I wrote a little ditty about being awkwardly optimistic about New York's future in this quicksand economy. Not that I felt insecure about my left-of-sane position, but it definitely helps when one of New York's coolest, most up to the minute mag gives a giant word-up to your opinion. Take a gander...(sorry, I couldn't scan all of the second page, but you'll get the point)





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How FAR is too FAR // RAF oot si RAF woh

What the hell does that title mean? I just got excited when I started writing "How far is too far" then realized that "far" spelled backward is "raf"... aaaaaaand the topic of today's post is none other than designer Raf Simons. Hehehe. Raf Simons, for those of you who don't know, is a 41 year old menswear designer from Belgium. His Spring/Summer 09 collection is out for us commoners to see on HIS WEBSITE, and while I'm aaaaall about men's clothing experimentation and "metrosexuality" etc. etc. - Mr. Simons, I believe, is a little off his rocker. So, back to the original question...how far is too far?

Is there some kind of irony going on here? Listen, I understand the concept of fashion for fashion's sake...we see it in women's fashion all the time. For instance John Galliano's ENTIRE F2007RTW line!! Observe:

This line is Ready To Wear??? Are you serious??? Here with Galliano's line it's clear. Fashion=Art. Not artsy, not stylish, straight up frame-and-hang-on-your-wall art. But is Raf Simons making that statement with his line? "Take this with a grain of salt, guys"..."Don't worry this is only meant for the gays and the Europeans"... I really don't think so! I don't see the irony, and forgive me, but I don't see the art. I see shorts with a suit jacket, I see a SKORT with extra long biker shorts. Does this ruin my catwalk cred? Jesus I hope not. I feel like anybody who disagrees with me, in turn, agrees with this:

And for that, my friend, there is no salvation. Godspeed.


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