Daredevil

Lately I've been obsessing over these sneakers by Isabel Marant, which leads me to my other obsession: really trashy, time-wasting phone apps. Simpsons Tapped Out is my favourite, and Captain lance Murdock's daredevil costume reminded me so much of the details on those shoes. Finding links between fashion and components of pop culture satisfies my idiosyncratic tendency to catalog things in order to make sense of the world around me.

I must have a snake in my boot

First I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise for the deception in case you were looking for snakeskin boots. I'm obsessed with snakes in fashion, but rather than wearing their skins I'm digging prints and patterns. Take this Poppy Lissiman clutch and Hayley Elsaesser dress for example. Both gorgeous pieces which I currently cannot afford.

The truth? You want the truth? It is your earrings!

Was it a mere coincidence that the day I watched the Seinfeld episode 'The Truth' (Season 3) that Asos featured these earrings in their most recent newsletter? I don't believe in coincidences.

It's the most, wonderful time of the year

I know, I know, we've just finished celebrating Halloween and Christmas has become the latest meme but I'm actually really excited to be celebrating Christmas this year! Aside from being able to use this holiday season to plan new content (both here and for science websites) as well as long-term employment, I've made so a lot of new friends this year. It's usually at this time of year that it's important to plan your events (including on whether to host or not!), organise Christmas card lists and the season's hottest accessories. I've been crushing on this metallic green dress from Asos and Christmas themed phone case from Skinny Dip, but what I'm most excited about is creating handmade cards for my friends, family and peers. I've also been toying with the idea of what my dream party invitation would look like, if you know, I weren't still living at home in a tiny house in the suburbs. I mean, a girl can dream, can't she? In lieu of a party invitation, I did create a mini Christmas-themed moodboard (expect more seasonal inspiration soon!) For party invites inspiration and cards without the snail mail, Paperless Posta have plenty of card designs for all occasions- including the silly season.

Bustier Collective

More and more we're beginning to see classy ways of wearing a bustier top, be it with a pair of chandelier earrings or pant suit with sneakers. Or you could pull a T-Swift and pair them with high-waisted pants, hiding any trace of a belly button and allowing the world to ponder whether you have one at all. Still, they're an item worn by the extraordinarily skinny women of the fashion world, but there's plenty of plus size women who are making the trend their own. Again, high fashion isn't really pandering to these kind of women, and any kind of progress is small but with Beth Ditto walking at the latest Marc Jacobs collection at New York Fashion Week is definitely a step in the right direction (haha puns). Of course the trend is also trickling down into the high street, with brands carried by Asos such as Missguided making some really cute, pattern bralettes with lace and metallic finishes. I'm dying to know if you guys know of where to buy cool bustier tops!

1- unknown, 2- Kayla Scott by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia May 2015, 3- Photographed by Theo Sion for for The Gentlewoman FW 15, 4- Vanessa Axente by Josh Olins in 'Island Dressing' WSJ Magazine, April 2015. 5, 8, 11- FKA Twigs performs on Day One of the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival on July 31, 2015 in Montreal, Canada. 6- Frankie Rayder by Raymond Meier for British Vogue, September 2003. 7- Lauren de Graaf at Fausto Puglisi Spring 2016 RTW. 9- Chloë Sevigny. 10- Malaika Firth - Diane von FurstenbergSpring-Summer 2015.

This is the hour. Ours is the magic. Ours is the power

Pink and gold is giving me strength right now. I can't tell you what it means to have the sun still up when I come home at 7pm each night, and having to wear my pink Karen Walker sunglasses when I leave home in the morning, and again in the evenings. I sense a change in myself, generally spurred on by watching Man Repeller's youtube videos. For the first time I want to become a simpler human being. But I'm still attracted to very pretty things, and want to buy all the strange and unusual objects I once did. But now, I think styling them will become slightly more reductive than before. I also want to know what looks good on me- and before I didn't really care I just wore what made me happy. But maybe this is important, to understand more about myself. And does that make me a sell out? No. I don't think people would look at how I dress and sneer that I am doing this to seek the attention of men. I want to wear things which make me happy and look at my reflection in shop windows and feel good about myself.

1- Meadham Kirchhoff, 2- unknown, 3- Kailey Flyte, 4 & 5- Flossgloss Baby Baby Lookboo, 6- photo by christinawinkelmann, 7- unknown.

Mary Benson Spring 2016

Lately it's been easier to aesthetically cataloging various fashion collections instead of exhaustively reviewing them. The words aren't coming easily. I've put a lot of pressure on myself to maintain this blog and make it as good as I feel it can be. But doing all that whilst still trying to write my thesis/ apply for a PhD/ apply for jobs isn't easy either. While I've always had the opinion that blogs which don't, at least sometimes have a strong written component I'm beginning to see visual expression as valid as written content. To celebrate Mary Benson's Spring 2016 collection, I searched for images from Rookie Mag but some Hole references for good measure. The motifs on her clothes, emphasized using glittery holographic foil, as well as crystal embellished sunglasses celebrated emotional outpourings. I love her fantastical designs, and to see someone celebrate gushing tears down models faces gave validation to every time I had to run to the bathroom and cry. 

This collection also served for the best moodboard of all the makeup looks I need to try out as soon as I can blog on a regular basis. I'd love to be a little more experimental with how I wear makeup, without the marginalization of certain groups through cultural appropriation. Basically it seems that wearing glitter and celebrating all things synthetic and plastic is the best way to go. I have lots of book contact which would be perfect for removable tears running down my cheeks and onto my neck. It's certainly a lot easier than trying to perfect my makeup using permanent markers or texta when I still struggle to make my winged eyeliner symmetrical... But I suppose the point is to not conform to unrealistic beauty standards (including perfect symmetry) but to dress in a way that matches how I feel that day or channel a certain energy. Yes it's cliche, but the alternative is to just throw on a clean shirt and pair of jeans for the rest of my life and live within a cookie cutter mold. 

Aside from the tears and glitter, another motif from this collection were the creepy eyeballs. It almost exists as an extensive of the land of Oz, populated by living forests. This time each eyeball pertained to a globular flower or bush. Since it's October (and Tumblr has become one big advertisement for pumpkins and skeletons), I can openly appreciate things which are both beautiful and creepy. It seems that cartoon lips and eyes will continue to be popular with fashion designers and artists on etsy and I for one couldn't be more excited. Unfortunately it seems that noses aren't as popular, in fashion or on instagram but I'm going to keep hoping I see them up there one day (!!) Anatomy aside, it was cool to see bell sleeves and raw denim jackets with a difference, amongst all the 1970s hysteria that the fashion world seems heavily tied up on. It was cool for the first couple of months, but I'm wondering what Topshop will stock once the gravy train is over and people are looking for The Next Trend.  

Backstage at Mary Benson SS16, photography Chloé Le Drezen.
2- Courtney Love 'Miss World' video, 5- Courtney Love. 9, 17, 21- Stars in my Eyes by Rachel Louise Hodgson.
12- Rookie Yearbook Three.