From L-R: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Pablo Picasso, George Harrison, Ian Fleming and Syd Barrett.
I've heard many a man complain about the lack of choices he faces in the fashion department. While I love clothes, sometimes I envy men in this regard. It's similar to the envy I harbour for people who adopt a personal style 'uniform'. Male fashion and its ability to convey powerful messages through subtle quirks and unique details is an endless source of fascination to me. Unfortunately, I don't really know enough about it to warrant a comprehensive entry, so here are five men who I believe are/were rather well attired.

I am a big fan of jewellery. When I say this I don't mean the $40,000 Boucheron necklace kind (although such gestures are always appreciated), more the sleeping in the same silver bracelet and black string for six years kind. The type of assortment one pulls out from the side table and puts on first thing in the morning and takes off last thing at night. It may change subtly in appearance every so often, remain the same for years, or vary violently from day to day, but always retain that intagible quality that makes the assemblage unique to whoever is wearing it.
Throughout the years my collection has undergone many changes. It was blue, glitter and stacked to the elbow at 8, Indonesian string and shell at 10, a lone silver bangle with a trick closure at 12, the heaviest traditional Rajasthani bangles I could find at 15, and currently, a little collection of finely-wrought metals and meaning:


Photo credit: jak & jil

You may have noticed that I am done with the 'The Last Day' moniker and have fashioned this blog a new alias. When I discovered this phrase (deftly hidden amidst the hypnotic bells of a song by The Velvet Underground), I was unsure about it, mainly because - strictly speaking - I am against fur. Fur, in my opinion, was needed in the stone age, in arctic climates and as a way of effectively utilising the resources of slain animals. However, nowadays, with the advent of central heating, convincing synthetic replacements and a fur industry that preys on disadvantaged people and animals, I cannot square it with my ethical beliefs. I'm the first to condone the quality of 'the real thing', but with fur, buying fakes or vintage (apart from being good for the world) just makes logical sense.

Photo source: ? (I would really like to know!)

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN SS010: THE USE OF LIVE STREAMING








When Dolce & Gabbana's latest show streamed live, even though I'm not an avid fan of the brand, I happened to be in the correct timezone to watch it. Excitedly I gazed at the disjointed images of backstage on screen, awaiting the moment when the catwalk itself would light up from it's inky blackness, illuminate the props I could faintly see, and the opening model would walk out in the world's first glimpse of Dolce and Gabbana's Spring/Summer 2010 collection. I was watching Karlie Kloss being fitted by the comparatively diminutive Domenico Dolce and admiring the colour of the models' lipsticks, when suddenly the frame changed to the runway. The lights came up, the music began, Natasha Poly walked out in that suggestive swagger of hers in a little black dress...and my connection cut out.
I was disappointed, but in no way put off. How exciting to be catching the first look at the collection practically the instant that front row figures and fashion fans everywhere from America to Iceland sees it, too. Admittedly, I may not be garnering the delicacies of a draped fabric, the detail on an earring, or the unbeatable atmosphere physically being at a fashion show provides, but it's the closest that I, as a teenage girl sitting dormant in suburban Australia, can get to sitting there at the show myself. And for that I am grateful. Sure, it's a business venture aimed at gaining a broader audience and therefore larger revenue, but even though I don't plan on going out and buying this season's collection (as much as I want to), I like that I can still feel a valued part of the McQueen audience, no matter who I work for, how much money lies in my bank account, or where in the world I currently reside.
With technology developing at a rapid pace, I have no doubt that the stalling in the videos, the average quality of image and the poor connection (partly my fault, of course) will improve greatly, and this experience can provide even more enjoyment than it currently does. For a longer and more precise look, I will continue to take advantage of the photos supplied on style.com, but for the atmosphere, I am a complete convert to the live stream. I know that the concept isn't exactly hot off the press, but I hope that in future it will become a solid aspect of fashion weeks to come.

SEE THE REPLAY: http://alexandermcqueenlive.showstudio.com/

Screencaps from above video.

Swedish newcomer Frida Gustavsson. Has walked Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs and Givenchy this SS010 season. Favourite with street style photographers, and deservedly so. Refreshingly deviates from leather jacket + statement heel model norm. Sure to be a big presence in upcoming editorials.

photo credit: tfs.

5 TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL BUT THOROUGHLY DESIRABLE STYLING IDEAS SEEN IN EDITORIALS.
Lingerie and outerwear.

In editorials it has an overwhelming sense of femininity and deshabillé, in reality it would be entirely impractical and way too revealing to be acceptable.
Real life solution: Lingerie-inspired clothing with outerwear (thanks, captain obvious).

Bare legs and furs/oversized jumpers.

I can't speak for you all in Europe/the Americas, but down here in Australia it's either too hot to wear sleeves or too cold to bare your legs. Thus, as much as I have wanted to, I have never worn a big oversized jumper with high heels to pair it with. Maybe I just have sensitive legs. Nevertheless, I am totally bummed that I can't pull this one off.
Real life solution: Thigh high socks? Sucking it up and braving it?

Knicker-length shorts.

I am so annoyed with this one! The cut is flattering, it looks proportionate with long sleeves, and styled correctly it doesn't look skanky. Shame then, that if I walked onto the streets in a pair of these I'd attract numerous 'oh, you forgot your pants!' commenters like wildfire.
Real life solution: Normal shorts. But that's just not as good, is it? :(

Bra tops.

Bra tops are flattering and can look refreshingly deconstructed (see the latest Christian Dior HC collection). Unfortunately, people in the past have misused the revealing of the stomach (see crop top phase in 1990s and it's recent revival) and thus it's difficult to regain the elegant shape from it's drastically less classy counterpart. See? This is why we can't have nice things.
Real life solution: Confidence + high-waisted trousers/skirt.

Bodysuits and jewellery.

In editorials this looks so very Helmut Newton x gladiator, but unfortunately would never work in real life because of the exposure issue. Also difficult to work when nature inevitably calls.
Real life solution: With a skirt or shorts over the top. Or at the beach, if you don't mind risking suffocation once underwater.

Some of my favourite looks from NYFW S/S 10, from l-r: Isaac Mizrahi, Calvin Klein, Costello Tagliapietra, Donna Karan, Davidelfin, Philosophy by Alberta Ferreti, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang.
My favourites were Alexander Wang (me? fan of a Wang collection?!), Marc Jacobs (similarly ?!), Cynthia Rowley, Donna Karan and Isaac Mizrahi. Looking forward to London.
What were your favourite shows?

I'm not sporty by any means, but lately I've been working towards a sort of refined athleticism in the way I dress, hence the simplistic denim shirt and plimsolls combination.

I recall, some time ago, chancing upon a comment thread on live journal. The question in the post was something along the lines of how an interest in fashion/models had affected the readers. I was shocked to see how many comments - at least 80% of them - reported some severe effects, ranging from high levels of debt to incredibly low self-esteem. I admit, when I look at a photo of Edita Vilkeviciute I become self-conscious of my nine year-old boy body, I feel an intense desire looking at a pair of Yves Saint Laurent shoes, and I think it would be awesome to be photographed by The Sartorialist, but these feelings are short-lived and I have other things on my mind that take priority. I’m neither model beautiful, flamboyantly rich nor particularly stylish, but my wants and needs tend to veer off towards different tangents completely - a good education, wisdom from experience, things that make me happy.
The idea that materialistic gain and/or superficial envy can consume people to such an extent is, to me, alienating and bizarre. Nothing bores me more than the talk of money. Blogs centred on what people have bought and magazines focused on what to buy and what not to buy scare me. Yes, a Versace dress might give someone the same pleasure as I get from reading a Dostoyevsky novel within a week, but I still can’t fathom the fact that there are individuals out there who live what I find is a vapid and superficial lifestyle. Perhaps I’m just classically incapable of appreciating the outlooks of others.
I’m interested in fashion because I find it’s creativity inspiring, I feel energised when I flick through a good magazine and discover a new way to express myself with the turn-up of a cuff or a brooch placed just so. I like talking to similar-minded people and reading about it because I find the energy, the stories, the plain ingenuity exciting and enthralling. I’m not saying I’m a better person because of this, or that I am ‘right’, but I ask you, readers, could/do you consider such materialism as a fulfilling way of life?

Here in the southern hemisphere, winter is coming to an end, and, like I do at the beginning of every season, I’m trying to figure out a ‘theme’ or coherent inspiration for my summer style.
Recent discoveries of vintage 70s plimsolls, black high-waisted cigarette jeans and pointy suede brogues have me considering a bit of a 50s thing, but I’m not so sure. With this confusion in mind, I’ve lumped together some random things that have been inspiring/entertaining me lately.


Summer pyjamas, Japanese male street style, Goldfinger, Ballet, men in suits, Coco Avant Chanel.


Monty Python.

Queens of the Stone Age ('How to Handle a Rope').

So what are you looking forward to this coming season? Bare legs? Furry collars? A tan? Roast pheasant?

p.s. does anybody know whether American Apparel swimsuits are of good quality? I’d really like one of their black cut-out one pieces but don’t want to spend money on it if it won’t last beyond one season (keep in mind I don’t swim that often).