the clothes 2011

I know I wear a lot of skirts and dresses, but I never gave it much thought since I used to wear a lot of pants...then one of my friends asked me if it was a religious stance to only wear skirts. I decided it was time to don some pants--I don't want to be put in a box! There are many Conservative Christian circles that believe women should only wear skirts. Ironically, as a feminist I don't believe that, but I do believe in wearing skirts as a sign of empowerment--as in I take strength from feminine attributes rather than going to traditional masculine pieces to feel powerful/authoratative.

Jeans do offer more options for posing...

I don't wear jewelry hardly at all and definitely not enough for all the loads I have laying around. So, I was excited to wear one of my favorite necklaces yesterday--boasting a coral branch as the pendant (a rare find!). However, while talking to a friend she broke off the conversation, staring with a puzzled expression at my necklace.
Finally she asked, "What is that?" I responded, explaining it was a branch of coral. Her expression did not improve, "It looks like a vein."
Errr...really? Maybe she just has blood and vampires on the mind...

Lately all the necessities of life seem to get in the way of living it...

Sometimes too much is just too much. I'm chanelling that idea lately with very simple outfits...or maybe it's just a sign of a lack of creativity..?

I don't go in much for toys or collectables, but even I am tempted by these colorful, slick, hip pieces by Kidrobot. They look like toys by designers for the quirky consumer. Maybe this could be my affordable alternative to the Blythe doll for photographic exploration and the inner child?

I had the oppurtunity to re-watch "Boys Town" this weekend (and I took it). While the movie is fantastically done with both Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney (who doesn't love the young Mickey?) and the true story is equally heart-warming, I couldn't help if there was a bit of a fallacy in Father Flanagan's theory that there are no "bad boys." Basically, he blames the ills of society and tough breaks in life for all the boys' misbehavior. I just wonder if in today's modern thinking we could claim the same. Are there sometimes merely bad boys, or bad seeds (another good film)? If we are partly nurture and partly nature created, then is it not possible to be wholly bad? Or do we always choose our evil? Very perplexing indeed...

Another puzzling thought: Did I choose this outfit organically, or did the ladybug discovered in my room this morning influence me unduly?

Isn't it strange how we turn people's differences into negatives? Even today when talking to a friend she said she couldn't marry someone introverted, because she needs someone extroverted like herself, not someone "lazy." Hmm...when did introversion become laziness? And for that matter when did introversion become shyness or lacking self-confidence? In truth, introversion is none of those things. As an extreme introvert myself I do not lack self-confidence, I merely enjoy being by myself and "quieter" activities.

The point applies to a lot of subjects. So often when people don't understand or don't know about something we start to demonize it or at least believe our own way is superior. Honestly, all I can think to say is how silly... How ridiculous do people sound who think introversion=couch potatoes? (I do still love my friend.)

One of my favorite things in the world is trompe-l'oeil. I may have suggested once that a trompe-l'oeil tattoo of a watch would be the coolest thing ever...unfortunately I couldn't decide on a significant time to permanently brand on my body and a wrist tattoo is difficult to hide.
This technique is all about creating the illusion of dimension. Just see these amazing chalk drawings by Julian Beever.
The runways are not immune to the beauty of this style either. From left to right we have Zac Posen, Viktor and Rolf, Gaultier, and my favorite Christian Dior.
And there are always the ubiquitous t-shirts. The stylish man on the right was snapped by the Sartorialist, his t-shirt is by Paul Frank.

I thought the bow pin on top of the bow ribbon belt was a fun touch to this outfit. I think this is my favorite new dress; regulars might have noticed how much I have worn it lately!
On a seperate note, I try to keep a balance between me-posts and other subjects, lately it's been heavily me. When pressed for time a me-posts take less research! Ha! Hopefully, the pendelum will swing back to normal soon.

The pictures of errie snow I posted earlier (and some readers' reactions) made me think it was time to mention American photographer Minor White. He took Stieglitz's concept of "equivalents" and made it his own, developing images of the mundane but were made special through natural lighting. It's hard to touch on this in depth, but he felt that certain images would bring "recognition" to viewers. He even encouraged students to meditate and "experience" his photographs, rather than merely view them. Read a bit more on him at the usual source or read his own essay on the subject. For now you can merely experience and perhaps meditate on these errie and wonderful images of everyday items.