Fashion Boundaries

"Fashion fades, style is eternal." - Yves Saint Laurent

All the sorts of people were there today to view the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit at the SAM.  YSL has always had a dichotomous image in my head of being either very elegant and proper or very daring and pushing the envelope.  Like with any sort of art though, anybody can appreciate the creativity and craftsmanship and history of such a designer, whether or not it's their personal aesthetic.

These were some of my favorite pieces, although there were many more risque, elaborate, fantastical works that YSL was known for.  I loved all the mod styles with sleek cuts that just barely frame the figure.

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Cardio

I never thought I'd say this, but sometimes regular shopping is much more exhausting than thrifting.

The difficult part about retail is that you have to wade through everything - each piece which catches the eye, and could theoretically be a good buy to some degree - and discern what you actually like and what you're actually being tricked into liking.  It's harder to pinpoint what pieces are actually special.  After a few stores you start recognizing the same trends and wonder whether you should've bought it from this place instead of that one, whether it really makes a difference that this brand put an extra ruffle here.  When they don't carry your size, you try to convince yourself that either you can squeeze into the smaller one or make it work with the bigger one.  And of course, there's the eternal struggle of "Do I really like it thi$ much"?

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Article: 'Getting Over My Fear of Dressing "Asian"'

Article by Connie Wang

And here’s something that’s worth bringing up: Cultural appropriation has made it so a blonde, white woman who doesn't know her chopsticks from her hair accessories will always look “cute” in a cheongsam, and an Asian woman will look like she’s dressed in a costume. That was definitely how things were in the ‘90s, and is often the case today. But, to my surprise, I’ve also found hopeful signs that we are moving in a new, more informed direction. These days, when I encounter non-Asian people wearing Asian trends, oftentimes they’re from trips they took to abroad. They know the origins of these garments and are interested to learn more. I’m biased, but I’ve always found that these clothes are objectively beautiful, too; the silhouettes are striking, and the patterns hit that mix between eclectic and elegant that I’ve always been drawn to. I'm willing to share, but to do that, I need to have ownership of these trends, too. They’re rooted in a history that feels real and tangible to me. In my mind, Woodstock will always evoke technicolor snapshots from Lifemagazine; Audrey Hepburn’s LBD will always conjure scenes from the movie — those are my adopted cultural story. But a jade earring is my mother and my grandmother and my aunts and my cousin; it comes from the same place I do, and it's part of the narrative I was born into.

*applauds*

But seriously though, I thought I was the only one who felt shame about emphasizing that I was Asian.  Going through the racks in the thrift store to see beautiful qipaos discarded and then picked up as Halloween costumes or "boho" styles...  And worse, knowing that different traditional fashions are "cooler" than others.  I hope I'll have the guts one day to don my culture one day.

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Mix it up

Taken at Handmade, La Conner in La Conner, WA, an adorable little beauty product and gift shop.  You can see in the second photo their kitchen-like workshop where they concoct all their products.  My paparazzi skills are a little rusty, sorry for the blurriness...

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Supermodel

Possibly one of Brooke Shields' earliest modeling gigs?

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Class Act

So awesome - at Wise Buys thrift store in Bellingham, they were selling recycled jewelry handmade by local high school students.  Each piece had tag of the student's name on it; how great a teaching opportunity, to give them that sense of pride in creating a product!  Some of these look very JCrew inspired and most people would never guess they were made from pieces of old broken jewelry.  I almost bought one of the thin chained, single-pendant clear rhinestone necklaces on the chalkboard.

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Upcycled DIY culottes

The culottes trend has slowly grown on me; they're not quite gauchos (*shudder*) but wider throughout and generally more structured and voluminous... therefore somehow more flattering than the bell flare of gauchos.  Maybe I'll shudder at culottes in 10 years too, but so it is with trends.  Since this one is fairly difficult to pull off and style, I didn't want to spend too much money.



I found these very long, high-waisted, wide-legged pants (that came with a belt) at Goodwill for $2, and simply cut off about 10" from the bottom and finished with an invisible hem.  It was difficult deciding just where to crop them - culottes come in all sorts of lengths nowadays from more of a shorts style to just above the ankle - but there's enough room for me to take them lower or higher it in the future if I want a change.

They're fun to wear, and as you can imagine, super comfortable.

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Sora

These pieces were made out of hand-felted muskox wool done in a Japanese method.  They look like pieces of cloud and sky all in one.

Taken at Indigo Dreams in Bow-Edison, WA.

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Armor

"Fashion is the armor we wear, it’s a very powerful communication device. So there must be creativity to create clothing to create inspired clothing and creativity in communicating the story behind the clothing as well. Without creativity clothing is just a commodity, something functional to cover our bodies." - Maxine Bédat, co-founder and CEO of Zady 

My military jacket used to be my default "uniform," especially when I had no idea what the day was going to bring, or when I just wanted to go unnoticed.  Sometimes I want to switch characters like a person in a stageplay.  Nowadays though, there isn't much of a time or place to wear those things, because I'm called to represent something bigger and prouder and make stuff happen.  Slowly my clothes reflect how I'm growing and changing, but yet somehow these clothes are still very me.  There's a difference though - they're not necessarily to keep things at an arm's length, but rather to propel me out there just as I am and be who I was meant to be.

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THINX panties review - go padless! (+ $10 off to try yourself)

For me, pads aren't the most comfortable thing, and tampons are even worse.  I considered getting a menstrual cup in the past (to reduce waste!) but it just seemed like a different version of a tampon.  So when I heard of THINX, the panties that absorb without leaking, bulking, or staining, I was excited.

I chose the boyshort style, which is designed for medium days.

THINX fit true to size (I'm 27", usually pant size 4, and ordered a size small), and are very stretchy and comfortable.  To my surprise, the whole inside is actually lined (with a bit extra in the crotch area, of course) with a breathable cotton fabric.  I was worried they would feel like weird squeaky disco shorts but they feel and look just like regular modern underwear except a bit thicker.  The line doesn't show underneath normal pants.

As for the most important part, the functionality: I wore this on day 3 of menstruation, and it did not make me feel vulnerable at all around other people; I almost forgot I was on my period!  It soaked everything in (the black made it barely visible) without feeling wet, bulking up or leaking, and I felt comfortable enough to wear it for half a day before changing.  Soaking and washing was quick and simple with a small plastic tub, and it dried within 24 hours, ready to be reused.

The verdict: I would highly recommend these!  As someone who is going to be on my feet all the time and getting close to people (in the clinic/hospital), these are very liberating (not an exaggeration)!

Use this code to get $10 off and free shipping on your first purchase - http://fbuy.me/dPYLp.  There are styles from full coverage to thongs (handling heavy to light periods).  Even better, they help give girls in developing countries the resources for reusable hygiene products so that they can function better in society as well!

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Curiouser

Dress - Armani Exchange

Being Alice in Wonderland (at the High Museum in Atlanta).

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The Mirror

Dress - Armani Exchange

Piece by Anish Kapoor

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Iris Van Herpen study

On my recent trip back to Atlanta, Jenni and I decided to check out the High Museum and there happened to be a new fashion collection - Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion - on display.  Our second that was also totally unplanned (after the Dior exhibit in Seoul)!

Van Herpen is known for her futuristic creations made out of non-traditional materials such as fiberglass and 3D printing!  Still, each piece looked extremely light and moveable and fluid, not pieced together.  Each one of her collections has a complex theme such as "Cabriole," "Voltage," and "Biopiracy," that conjures up even more imagination and self-reflection.

Some of my favorite works:

The skeleton dress from "Escapism"

Water cape from "Crystallization"

From "Voltage"

Also from "Voltage."  This beautifully picked up pieces of light from all angles.

From "Magnetic Motion."  Up close, even more stunning like moving icicles.

Full Magnetic Motion (SS15) runway:

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Frame of focus

This guy was so stylish and nice and even showed us how to pose/take pictures with the art to make it an accent and us the focus.  Seemed like the type of guy who would have his own blog - should have asked!

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Mixed Media

I liked this guy's combination of genres - African Kufi hat, hiking boots, cropped tapered cargos - and the pop of magenta.

Seen at the High Museum in Atlanta.

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Casual Culottes

I really missed the thought-out streetstyle that I'd always see on Emory campus.  This is a casual, Mori-girl take on the culotte - a trend I've been wanting to try for awhile.  Will they still be in style for awhile (but does that matter)?

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Insomnia Coffee Company

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Cannon Beach

Two-tone anorak - JCP (thrifted)

Jeggings - Kenneth Cole (thrifted)

Leather backpack - Aurelia (thrifted)

Hiking boots - L.L. Bean (thrifted)

Beanie - Gap

Scarf - Anthropologie

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