Surfers Soulies Skinheads & Skaters

Awesome book for many reasons.

By Amy De La Haye and Cathie Dingwall, it is a collection of photos and information about subcultural style from years past.  It is really informational about the style of subcultural dressing, mostly from the UK and USA from the forties to the nineties, containing pictures from the exhibition from where the clothes were from, information about the owners of the clothing, and the subculture's mindset was.  I found this really interesting because I didn't know what half of the cultures in the book represented beforehand.  It was also interesting to know about the particular influences of that culture and it provided good reference for those who want to trace back modern subcultures.  I also enjoyed the way the book had a more magazine or editorial style layout, with different fonts and colors for each type of culture.

However, it did not include real models of how the subcultures were besides clothing.  For example, the authors couldn't duplicate haircuts or slang terms.  However, this would not be a problem for someone with a purely curious interest in retro subcultural style.  It is a satisfying book to flip through and simply look at the picture.

Did you know Karl Lagerfield once designed a B-Girl look for Chanel?

Image from infibeam.com

Layout

Since I got a few replies to the poll, saying I should change my layout, I have responded!  Now it's more minimalistic, and perhaps easier to read?  I don't know about this, it seems like too many blogs have white backgrounds.  Who knows.  I want some feedback on this new layout please!

Anna Sui on the SATs?

Last minute, late lol: Daily Front Row

 Images from debutanteclothing.com and nymag.com

I wonder if we get bonus points for naming her collaboration with Target?  (I didn't take that test though.)

Alice in Wonderland (movie)

I finally got to see the movie version, directed by Tim Burton, of Alice in Wonderland today.  I must say, I enjoy these types of movies-the kinds with interesting spins on old classics and good music, characters, and scenery.  I especially liked the sci-fi feel to it, reminding me of a movie version of The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, another version of Alice in Wonderland.  It has the same dark, slightly twisted feel and surreal descriptions of their world as the new movie.

The story begins with the past, showing 6 year-old Alice Kingsley and her father, Charles.  She tells him she is having dreams about Wonderland, and he tells her not to worry; dreams cannot hurt her.  Thirteen years later, her father has died, but Alice is still having dreams about that same place.  Arriving at her own engagement party and wanting to avoid answering her suitor, she chases after a white rabbit in a waist coat and thus begins the main story.

 

I think many aspects of this movie are spot-on.  The settings, the characters, the costumes, and the special effects produce a world of slightly morbid fantasy that is new to the normally innocent and curious children's story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  Even though this is rated PG, my mother expressed doubt that children under 6 would understand the movie.  I agree.  It would take someone who has read the original stories and appreciates a fantastical, darker twist of plot to fully enjoy this movie.  That said, there weren't many witty one-liners except from the Mad Hatter himself, and the plot was a rather typical remake of Alice in Wonderland.  However, I did enjoy the Mad Hatter's dancing.  Quite.

Image from media.onsugar.com

Everything Green

St. Patrick's Day is you know...tomorrow.  SO!, in honor of the hiding-behind-me-omg-its-close holiday, I made a collection of stuff I had that was green.  Beginning:

Clockwise: Sparkly nail polish from a quarter vending machine, two necklaces; the beaded one handmade, green gel pen, and Glitterati mint.

 Green apple candle from a friend, Weleda Skin Food cream, shell key chain from China, paper crane, paintbrush (and mint).

Green can stand for hope and harmony (I think so anyway), and is a color that the eye is attracted to but not overwhelmed by.  It is the color found most plentifully in nature, usually in the form of chlorophyll in plants.

Shamrocks!  They always grow in our yard in the spring.  These ones are at the front gate-sort of.

So bright and cheery.

We have a cross-country tomorrow, so I hope even normal clovers will bring me a bit of luck!

Liberty for Target

How come I didn't hear about this one?  I guess that's what I get for not having phone or Internet connection for a week.  Anyway, the trip was great.  Later I'll probably post pictures of the amazing scenery (guess where!).  I just got back, and was going to watch Alice in Wonderland, but I missed the showing because our clock was off.  Now for more info!

 

Hey, I'll like any collection that has an awesome flower-print bicycle in it.  I need a new one!

Can you tell I'm in an Alice in Wonderland mood?  I love the combination of the colors and design.  ...Now all I need is a teacup set.

And an umbrella.  Trust me, even though I may not sound excited, I would so buy any of these pieces.  If only to remodel my room into an vintage museum.

The only things I didn't like were the cut and style of some of the clothes.  The women's clothes looked very cheap and I felt the styles were not the best they could have come up with.  But the patterns?  It would be worth it for the fabric patterns alone.

Random Pictures and an Update

 I sort of wanted to take good pictures this week, but it's been cloudy and rainy and boring.  So, I just rolled with the horrible lighting and piles of stuff I need to pack and a horrible camera to document (sort of) the stuff in my room.

The Orient watch I won from a giveaway on the La Petite Fashionista's blog, yay!  Unfortunate that I have small wrist so it keeps on slipping.  Boo.  Isn't it shiny?  I got some glare as I was taking this picture.  It's my grandfather's birthday present now.

Some necklaces and a bracelet.  

My Rodarte for Target cardigan.  So pretty, but it doesn't show up in this picture.  Would you believe that on teh second day the collection was released, this was the only cardigan left?!  (Sorry for the bad picture)

 My hiking boots!  Very expensive.  But probably worth it.

I'm going on a week-long hiking trip next week, to a place where it snows and rains.  With no phone or Internet access.  So no more posts until I come back!