Unhook Your Clothes

I was just wishing to myself yesterday that Take Off Your Clothes would do something a bit different from their standard t-shirt reconstructions. Don't get me wrong, I love what they've done to the t-shirt (i.e. this). However, there's only so many t-shirts I can permit into my wardrobe, no matter how they're sewn or de-sewn (?). Anyway, my brainwaves must've been on the same channel as the T-Shirt Fairy, as, less than 24 hours after my unspoken wish, TOYC has listed a few pieces from their S/S 11 'The Beyond' collection in their Etsy shop. And I love these pieces. I think they really promote the 'Take Off' portion of the label's moniker with the functional hook-and-eye detailing. Good thinking. I also like the Surgical Skirt (above right, and below), which is purported to be a redesigned t-shirt, but looks (and sounds) to me to be redesigned scrubs - now I have an idea of what to do with all my work uniforms once I quit. 

Here's hoping that the pieces will be available in more sizes and colours (and that someone will give that model an extra-fat latte).

In semi-related news (well, only because both TOYC and my lovely NY-trip hosts are Brooklyn-based), I'm kinda sorta thinking of extending my February trip by roughly three months. I just found out yesterday that the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be having a special exhibition from May 4th to July 31st entitled 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty', featuring approximately 100 McQueen pieces. I think a flight to New York in May just to visit the Met is now officially going on my Top 3 Want List. Sigh.

Just because...

...these things all belong together.

(mydearthing, ursa minor, artlab, 

vintage industrial, swan clothing, 

margaux lange, wheeler's studio, take off your clothes, 

retrograph, mstrf)

Etsy updates

I'm supposed to be doing some yoga and then carouse around, but there are a lot of great Etsy updates this morning:

1) I just discovered peace4you.net, and needed to share. This lovely man creates messenger bags from upcycled military bags, military tents, and leather jackets. So yes, they do contain leather, but I think I can get behind making sure the leather is used to its fullest extent if it's simply being recycled.

2) These are actually from a couple days ago, but I thought I'd include them here. The double t-shirt dress has been revamped by Take Off Your Clothes, complete with some softer t-shirts and a drawstring around the neck for more convertible-ness. I'm also loving this optical illusion type top with the longer draped front.

3) Audrey of Black Market Baby has just posted her Spring 2010 'Mysterium' collection, which has some lovely sheer and drapey pieces (with some great photos as well!).

4) A few more free association neckpieces have been posted in the Quillinan shop. Each can be worn hanging lower like a pendant, or as a neck ruff/choker. This one is my favorite.

5) And there are some gorgeous new wool and jersey creations in the hier apparel shop. Hmm, methinks I need to wear a hier apparel piece today.

3 Perfect T's

I've been thinking lately how much my style has changed within the last decade, and even within the last year. I used to be such a (band) t-shirt and jeans sort of girl. But thanks to my expanding/maturing body, I grew dissatisfied with the common tee, and expanded my wardrobe horizons with all different shapes of tops. However, I've obviously never grown out of my love for jersey. And I think my ArtLab Andromache's Deconstruction dresses have rekindled the desire for owning some favorite no-fuss tees that I can just throw on and feel comfortable no matter what size I'm feeling that day. Surprisingly I've found three tees that are more than adequate for the job, AND actually look like I did put some effort into dressing myself. That was almost too easy!

1) complexgeometries lanky t: This tee is quite fitted, so Adam at cg quite rightly suggested I order a size up from usual. I still wouldn't wear it on it's own at full length, but it's absolutely perfect for layering under so many pieces. And it also looks quite adorable scrunched up around the hips to normal tee length. Incredibly soft with raw edges, 100% cotton, and made in Canada.

2) Gemma Degara's Printed Tail T-Shirt: This is from Gemma's A/W 09/10 'Sleepless Night' collection. I fell in love with Gemma's subtly peaked shoulders on jersey tops with her last collection (reminiscent of Vivienne Westwood's witch tops and dresses) and am glad to see them back. I am not really a fan of crop tops, but I could definitely handle this asymmetric hem with something layered underneath (like my trusty Treehouse 28 Wide Strap Dress). I might even turn it around to have the long end in front. And I love love love owls!

3) Take Off Your Clothes' godet t-shirt: The handkerchief draped inset is made of stretch mesh. Simple yet gorgeous.

Having said that, my Andromache dresses truly remain my go-to 't-shirts'. They've almost become my signature piece.

Black and grey layers with a chance of army green

It is frightfully cold here, so it's time to start layering much more than summer has allowed me to. If I owned all these pieces, here is what I'd be wearing today. I'm unsure about the shoes though. Besides my heavy duty snow stomping Adidas by Stella McCartney winter boots, I do not own any boots. Some type of vegan boot would definitely be in order here.

Top: The Utterly Intense and Time Consuming Cropped by Isobel and Cleo (click on the picture to see the outrageous detail on this beauty! Oh, and it's 50% off until tomorrow!) - does this picture remind anyone else of this post? Hmm...

Middle: Cobwebs Shawl/Scarf by Las Lopez, double t-shirt dress by Take Off Your Clothes

Bottom: Military Skirt No. 1 and Wool Sleeves by ArtLab, Keep Warm Leggings by Norwegian Wood

Cut and Paste, Part 1

I truly hope that none of you are bored with my ArtLab obsession just yet. Because I saw a great ArtLab feature this morning and just wanted to share it with you. In today's Etsy Finds, titled "I Heard a Rumor", they dispel the "common fashion fallacy that it's uncouth to wear white after summer's end." And pictured right at the top of this article and list of alabaster beauties are ArtLab's Aphrodite white tank top, styled with her Clinical White Harness No. 1 (something I have yet to pick up - shame on me!), and the infamous Charlie Chaplin Couture Bib. Also featured is Desira Pesta's white Principe Dress with Sleeves, and Take Off Your Clothes' Inversion top (which is actually a light grey - oops!). Congrats everyone on the excellent feature, and long live white indeed! Until I spill something on it of course...

Oh, and if you aren't yet weary of my ArtLab praises, make sure that you stay tuned for a very exciting feature, scheduled to arrive on this very blog in the not so distant future.

Take Off Your Cubist Literature

I can see! I just picked up my new Vivienne Westwood specs, courtesy of my work benefits. Well, $200 worth of glasses. I had to pick up the tab on the rest of them. It's a very minor prescription change, but I'm already getting a headache. Having one far-sighted eye and one near-sighted eye is extremely weird...

And I think my mom is web-stalking me. Mommy dearest? Shh, don't tell. No one knows I have a blog. :)

Speaking of web-stalking, I found out that the Take Off Your Clothes bone (remember the Double T-shirt Dress?) is connected to the Cubist Literature bone, and the Cubist Literature bone is connected to a Supermarket shop that has a new and most delightful t-shirt not yet available in either Etsy shop. I want both the brand-new Oversize Cowl Top and the Knit for Fish tote bag (available in both the Etsy and Supermarket shops). That tee is just so simple but incredibly awesome at the same time. I'm actually tempted to try and make the cowl top on my own, since I have two lovely AA grey Gary Fisher tees lying around that I got free with my bike. XL might be too big for me to work well with though. And I'm extremely lazy. So chances are I'll just stare at and/or buy the Top if it meanders over to Etsy.

P.S. I forgot to say that if you want to avoid a bad online shopping experience like I described below, shop at the recommended shops in the sidebar! All those people are simply fabulous in both excellent designs and unbeatable customer service. I only recommend a shop/designer I have bought at least one thing from, AND if the transaction(s) was enjoyable. That is not to say that these are only sellers I'd recommend though, as I have bought from many more designers and Etsy shops. These are simply the ones that adhere to my current style and/or budget restrictions. If you have a specific style/type of product that you're searching for, contact me and I'll let you know if I can recommend someone for you specifically!

Convertible convert

Today, whilst walking towards my daily coffee, I was stopped by a lovely woman and her wonderful deaf dog. One of the two was mostly interested in the taste of my hand, but the other was mostly interested in my dress (first picture below), which apparently is "the frickin' coolest thing" she had ever seen. This encounter led me to thinking about my wardrobe and the conclusion that the recession has changed what I look for in a piece of clothing. 

I'm generally not spending less, as should probably be the case. Rather, I have unconsciously been more selective in my purchases, a process which has inevitably led me to purchase higher-end clothing. This may not make sense at first glance. However, I think it's entirely justifiable to spend more on one piece of clothing which will: a) be current across many future seasons (and sizes) because of its timeless style AND quality, and b) be both versatile and convertible in nature, meaning that I can wear it many different ways, such as different layering techniques, different lengths, detachable sleeves, etc. Also, such a convertible quality lends one piece to be styled completely differently by each individual wearer, meaning you may never even realize you're wearing the same dress as that girl over there. With two of my last few purchases (and my next future purchase) coming out on top via this fashion rule of natural selection, I'm now wondering if designers have picked up on this and have adjusted their designs accordingly, or if it's just somehow a trend completely separate from the economy. Hmmm... At any rate, the contents of my closet have dramatically changed within the last 12 months from random under-$50 pieces I might wear once or twice in a year to a sufficient stock of quality pieces which will get me through the next few years (and every season). And that makes me feel quite comfortable, especially in the event that I do the right thing and cut up that dangerous piece of plastic.

Double T-Shirt Dress by Take Off Your Clothes, featuring an oversized fit and convertible hood/cowl neck; available in grey, black, or white.

Two-face Dress by complexgeometries, featuring no definite front or back, two drawstring collars for coverage options, and the possibility to wear as a halter dress; available in black or grey.

Convertible Gun Metal Grey Taffeta and Eco Bamboo Knit Dress by Attila Design, featuring snaps and straps to change the length and amount of gathers. Can also be ordered in a shorter length and/or without the detachable sleeves.

I heart mail

Wowsers, my apartment is parcel central today. I just received 3 lovely packages addressed to moi, signaling the impending end to my affair with mail orders. Well, I've almost received everything I've recently ordered anyway.

First up is the lovely 'Letters to Paris', created by the equally lovely Desira Pesta. True, I did order this ages ago so that I would be all set for the hot weather with the perfect summer dress. But I was too picky and sent this beauty back for the super busy Desira to alter. It was well worth the wait though, seeing as we've only had a total of 3 summer days here anyway. And I think I should give my Andromache dress a bit of rest after 3 days of hard labour, so this is my uniform for today (and possibly the next 2 days after that). My only problem is figuring out how to accessorize it. The loose pull-on fit is uber comfortable, especially with the sideseam pockets. So I could stick with that. But my Norwegian Wood harness looks smashing over top and gives it a nice edgy look. But then my ArtLab bustle plays up the gathered bottom and looks quite adorable with the straps crossed a la Queen Michelle's styling...I'd love to take a picture of the options so someone could help me decide, but my man has taken the camera up the mountain. Please try to picture it in your head and get back to me with your choice, alright? Sigh. I'll probably just do all 3 options over the next 3 days...

Second up is Take Off Your Clothes' 'Double T-Shirt Dress'. And thank goodness they put a label inside, because I could not decipher which t-shirt was which in my sorry state. It was a lovely surprise that this dress reaches my knees (I'm 5' 9 1/2", so I'm used to things being shorter than they appear). Definitely will be wearing this whilst lounging and meandering the streets this week. Ooo, and the dress came with a delightful little pencil sketch/thank you note. Yay!

And lastly was my most awaited item, as it was free! You may remember that I had purchased a super sexy red and white pin-up bathing suit from polkadore last fall, and had a mishap with it when I wore it for the first time a couple of months ago. Claudia was a complete sweetheart and made me a whole new bathing suit at no charge. This one is all black and makes me feel like I'm channeling Bettie Page. I'm in love. Now I just need to find the nearest kiddie pool. Keep an eye out for this gal when she reopens her shop!!!