visible: Fashion vs. Style Part I

A wise fashion demi-god by the initials of YSL once said: "Fashions fade, style is eternal."

That's not to say discard fashion and trendiness altogether there Mr. I-read-between-the-lines. One interpretation is: in order to be considered as someone with any kind of sartorial sense, you need to incorporate pieces of fashion that mate well with your pre-existing personal style. Too much trendiness gets you labeled a cookie-cutter hipster, and rightfully so. On the other hand, you can never be 0% trendy—since you would effectively need to invent a substitute for clothing altogether—but too little trendiness could render your image either stale or just plain ridiculous. For those of us who are concerned with our daily encounters and first impressions, striking a balance is only a satisfying mini-victory in this ongoing competition known as life.

audible: Grizzly Bear x Girl Talk

This track is far from 'typical listening material' for me. But when I was patrolling the damp and stale suburbia I currently inhabit armed only with an ipod in my pocket, an imaginary cigarette in my right hand, and a swagger in my step, it just seemed right. So I present it to you:

Knife - Grizzly Bear [Girl Talk Remix]



you can figure out who the artists are today, i'm sick of doing all of your work.

credit: hypem
a/v rating: why even bother?
factoid: Girl Talk was a fictitious band in the show Full House

visible: Cary Grant

Caught somewhere between vertigo and splitting headache, I have spent the last few days in bed recovering from one of those super bugs that produce most of the symptoms related to any kind of sickness known to man. So after a solid 60 hours of no-nonsense sleeping (none of that pesky eating or personal hygiene stuff got in the way), I was up for a movie. I chose Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief.

I was saddened.

The movie was great, don't get me wrong. Cary Grant's character solved the mystery, got off scott-free, played Grace Kelly's character like an instrument... But it saddened me that if I—or anyone in my age category—attempted to mimic his sartorial elegance in North America, we would be socially castrated. Some examples of his style:




I guess growing up isn't all that bad, if it means I can pull off a Cary Grant-inspired look. I might have to move to Nice or Cannes to maximize quality of said look.

credit: carygrant.net aaaaand whoever told me to watch the movie.
a/v rating: 3 silk scarves and one shawl-collared tuxedo.
*new segment* random factoid: Cary Grant's real name is Archibald Leach.

visible: Robert Geller

Snooping around a Jonathan + Olivia store in Vancouver, I came across a pimp Robert Geller shawl-collar zip-up blazer that was around 8 million dollars (can't find a picture), and it stole my heart.

RG's love affair with off-bias lines and unusual button alignments compliments the Edward Scissorhands-esque feel to much this fall's line-up at the NY Fashion Week. This is my favorite of the bunch.



I had to assplode his head due to hat-douchebaggery. Got carried away a little.

credit: olivia newton john
a/v rating: 9/10

visible: Tom Ford Sunglasses

A little bit of horn-rimmed, a lot of wayfarer.
Just the right amount of awesome.



credit: me
a/v rating: worth it? yes. maybe.

visible: Push Pull

k I'm back. Tough crowd out there in the job market. Luckily I have fantastic connections and a marvelous last name in the canadian men's clothing industry. I am in talks with an Italian brand to perhaps rep the line in Canada, with say in production (fit/style) called Push Pull, or Push n' Pull, or Push and Pull, or something like that, and I have no idea what it looks like. Will keep you posted. In the meantime, I am going to find a giraffe and punch it in the throat.



credit: randy
a/v rating: 2012

mental: my thoughts in a frying pan on high

I've reached this fork in the road, so why does it cut like a knife? (stole that from Jemaine)... But seriously.

I saw one of those eHarmony TV spots today and thought to myself: you know, it's probably a good thing for these poor bastards to create profiles on these dating sites. Even if you're ultimately just like 99% of the people who get the cold shoulder from Cyberspace Cupid (let's face it, those who have all of the qualities we are looking for are not likely on the internet perusing dating sites for the right 1" by 1" picture to jump out of the screen and grab them by the heartstrings; they're out having fun with their successful, smart and otherwise remarkable friends in the real world), you've taken the time to lay out to yourself everything what you want in a mate, and what qualities best describe you.

the only real eHarmony

The act of organizing one's thoughts alone would theoretically improve your chances of putting yourself in a situation that would bring you together with those who are like minded and probably most suitable for you.

I suppose it would apply to my career searching too, right?

False. I've created countless profiles on Monster, LinkedIn, Workopolis, CFN, personal resumes... but I am still quite clueless as to what I'd be best suited for right now. That's why I'm thinking that I'm going about it the wrong way and my eHarmony shpeel was all for naught.

I've got to tap into that ancient well of knowledge and confidence I once relied on, pull the knickers out from the crack of my ass, and stop being "such a pussy".

1. Pick a place to live and make it "permanent" by artificially cutting out the option of living in a different place 3-6 months from now.
2. Depending on the location (ie: tokyo, italy, toronto, montreal and vancouver vastly differ in terms of what I would want out of life) pick/make up a career and gung ho the shit out of it.
3. $$$ Profit $$$

I just need to decide on a place to live.

Back to our regularly programmed... programs?

audible: Bitch, I Love You.

Here's a little romantic ditty from Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears to commemorate this most sacred of days:

Bitch, I Love You.



Bitch, Happy Valentines Day.

credit: hypem
a/v rating: valentines day sucks

audible: Faded Paper Figures

Right-click and save the shit out of this link ---> Logos. And now, unplug your laptop from any kind of audio enhancer and blast that song on your crappy little speakers and you'll still like it (yes, even you).




Faded Paper Figures is a band hailing from Lee Harvey Oswald's former marine station of Irvine, California. Commonly compared to Postal Service, but it's a little less techmo (read: techno + emo), and a little more alive.

Anyway, I hopped on google in an effort to legitimize my new word "techmo," but to my dismay (and soon to yours as well) my ears were mauled by these dudes: http://www.techmomusic.com/. I apologize for any damage I have caused.

credit: hypem
a/v rating: bad. in a 80's kind of way.

audible: Royksopp's Back!

Well, I just got back from MTL.

It was a trip inspired by friends, executed by lack of employment and supported by music and far-fetched (despite the guilty pleasure in taking them seriously) theories on 2012 and the coinciding end of the Mayan long count calendar.

I wish I had this track, by one of my favorite artists of all time: the Norwegian duo we all now know by the name of Röyksopp. It's their newest single (I think it's also their first ever single) called 'Happy Up Here,' probably representing our tendency to be unsatisfied with reality and seek escapism through the use of illicit substances. But on that note, who's not to say that the reality you are experiencing now is not in fact the only reality, but a single universe in a multiverse only accessed by means of escapism such as dreams and mind-altering techniques?

oh yeah, this is a fashion/music blog. I forgot.

Röyksopp is amazing. You should check out The Understanding CD too.



credit: mrbk, daniel pinchbeck
a/v rating: i dunno eighty whatever don't care

visible: Lacoste + Rubik's Cube

Lacoste is not a label I freely promote, or even like to associate myself with. However, I (may) have heard about the Fall/Winter '09-'10 collection and they are (apparently) clearly having a little fun with the brand new Red Label this time around, with one of my all time favorite pastime--Rubik's cube--inspired random exploding triangular patterns design (or so I hear from a third party, not my own two eyes).

So basically:

+

=

very un-Lacoste, but that's a good thing.

Also, I may (or may not) also be seeing neon highlights on zippers and hardware again and again for fall. I'm still not sure if I'm with or against neon. I've always wanted to punch neon in the face for being so intrusive in my personal space and eyeballs.

credit: randy
a/v rating: an oscar for my lawsuit-dodging skills

audible: Anonanimal

Let's bring it down a notch from that hooligan electronical devil music. A Chicagoan by the name of Andrew Bird (real name?) helped calm me down after a long battle with cable TV this evening with his song Anonanimal. Not too sure what his other stuff sounds like, but he's from Chicago, and anybody from Chicago is clearly the second coming, so I'm all in. Right-click and DL that hyperlink meow!


credit: hypemachine
a/v rating: oh that's naice

visible: My Cafeina Boots

I like my boots.



I've had them for two weeks. Uncanny resemblance to the Ferragamos I posted a couple weeks ago. Good looking boot, compliments galore, but too bad they hurt like shit after a long day. Also, in terms of any boot-like properties such as keeping my feet warm and dry, i give them ten raisins and a frost bite out of 100.

credit: Town Shoes
a/v rating: kind of like an Audi: good looking but terrible reliability.

visible: Moddish

The other day I was called a word I had never been called before in my life: "Moddish". I'm not 100% sure on the spelling, there could be one 'd', but after a quick google search I came to the conclusion that the person who said it was referring to the 60's-Beatles-preppy/Mod Squad look (as opposed to the popular rocker look).

Sweet.

Se here is my outfit for that day:



Boots: Cafeina
Shirt: Eton
Jacket: Juicy
Tie: Pure
Jeans: True Religion
Hat: Shandon Castle
Belt: Frank Daniel

credit: Tim
a/v rating: sexy bitch

visible: Marithé et François Girbaud

This whole summer theme is stuck in my head. So why fight it? Here are a couple of runway summer looks from Marithé et François Girbaud, that if cherry-picked properly, have potential to not come across as douchebaggeriffic on the street:




I think finally this summer the flood pants will be acceptable. I'm not talking capris or clam diggers here, but purposefully hemming one's pants in a way that looks like you have a blind tailor.

All this summer talk is making me antsy.
Enter: Countdown to Summer Clock!!

credit: randy, mhaddy
a/v rating: omg omg omg only 137 days left until summer

visible: Mezlan Nubuck Dockasins

I need these.

Notice the slim silhouette and lack of overzealous soul? That's what makes any shoe look expensive.

Dock shoes such as these are great for adding a punch to your look. Shoes are grossly overlooked by guys, and even with a half decent pair of shoes your chances of picking up that night increases by 182%. It's a fact.

credit: Mezlan
a/v rating: I'm size 11. Kthx.

audible: Covers/Remixes Part III: Greatest Covers

My (extremely well paid) freelance journalist mla has provided the crowd with her fab five of covers, and they go like this:

Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles)

Oasis - I Am the Walrus (Beatles)

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (leonard cohen)

Gary Jules - Mad World (tears for fears)

Muse - Feeling Good (written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1965 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd)

each cover may be better than the original, except for oasis' rendition of walrus, but not to any fault of their own. they're covering the beatles.

credit: thank you mla
a/v rating: i'm still waiting for a cover of Patio Lanterns by Kim Mitchell (props for the OPP ball cap Kim)

visible: Opening Ceremony

After the heat-wave we had yesterday here in T.O. in which the mercury soared to a searing +3 degrees Celcius, it got me thinking ahead (apparently at least 6 more weeks) to the coming warm spring and summer months. It also got me yearning for the day I can once again wear my burlap desert boots from Opening Ceremony:

The moment I slip my right big toe into that sexy shoe-shaped representation of the 'good life', I just might cry, for as I know at that moment, after all these long arduous months of dry skin and wet feet, the life-giving warmth of the sun will once again begin to frequently bathe my skin and replenish my soul with faith in happiness and love.

I need a tan.

credit: Gravity Pope in Vancouver
a/v rating: great and super

audible: Coeur de Pirate

Welcome to February. Glorious, glorious February.

Breaking news just in from the man who sends me breaking news bulletins: Comme des Enfants (Le Matos Andy Carmichael Remix) - Coeur de Pirate.

Who knew, the indie-rock mecca known as Montreal *can* produce some good electro, and Le Matos is proof. Throw in Coeur de Pirate (franco-Feist) and you have the dark and edgy mélange linked above.

Coeur de Pirate

protip: file2hd.com to download the songs off myspace pages.

credit: mrbk (do you want a job?)

a/v rating: très cool