cult of clothes

I’m allergic to basics. My closet is stuffed with patterns and bright colours, and guess what? Nothing goes together.

Once upon a time I had luxurious hours to try on millions of combinations to find that perfect pattern clash, but these days a bouncy toddler sits on my feet and demands muffins when I get dressed, so I need to be quick and organised. I’m not saying I’m going to stop wearing patterns, I’m just saying that throwing a cotton t-shirt into the mix, or maybe buying a second pair of jeans might make life a bit easier.

Anthropologie Twisted & Pleated Tee

Every once in a while, I see a photo of someone looking so cool and fabulous in a grey marle or white t-shirt and I become obsessed with finding the perfect replica. They never say where it’s from, so I’m left to hunt alone, and with so many bad options, it’s really easy to get it wrong. My obsession usually ends in miserable failure because I always buy something cheap that gets twisted seams the first time I wash it. I guess I figure it’s just a t-shirt, so why should it cost more than $10?

With a revised strategy to spend more money (that’s pretty much the solution for everything, right?), I’m going to go on a quest for the perfect t-shirt. I have a few modest requests: nothing too sheer, needs a nice open neck, made of super soft cotton, and no more twisted seams.

Shop and friendly neighbourhood object of my infatuation, Jim & Jane, posted that they’re carrying a French t-shirt brand that’s oddly named “American Vintage,” so I think I’ll start there.

If you’re feeling absolutely riveted, sorry, but you’ll have to wait until next week to see what I got. Spoiler: I got a bit distracted by cool winter footwear.

Tags: cult covets, favourite shopping haunts     |     Add Comment »

Image: Garance Dore

If I’ve identified a trend, then I wish it would go away.

It seems my post about overalls the other day was timely; Garance Dore posted a photo of a pair of cropped leather overalls she bought at Zara in Paris. I have a lot of respect for Garance, but I think one day she’ll look back at photos of herself in her black leather overalls and she’ll feel the cold, throw-up-in-your-mouth-a-little feeling of regret.

Tags: testify!     |     Add Comment »

Image: Squared 5

My beloved denim shirt, which I’ve washed and worn into a state of perfect, fragile softness, just tore at the shoulder seam. I’m devastated. Is the universe punishing me for breaking the rule against wearing denim-on-denim?

Universe, lay off. It’s not my fault that the cool kids have finally caught on to what we of the north have known all along: if you only buy one outfit in this lifetime, make it the humble Canadian Tuxedo.

Don’t just take my word for it. Here’s Jenna Lyons in her very own denim-on-denim ensemble:

Image: Street Peeper

If you don’t know who Jenna Lyons is, allow me to introduce the Creative Director of J. Crew and pretty much the coolest woman ever. She has 289 pairs of shoes. Nothing more needs to be said.

Tags: cult covets     |     Add Comment »

Image: The Sartorialist

It says a lot about your commitment to style when you go to a pool party and you never get in the pool. That’s my kind of high maintenance.

Tags: cult covets     |     Add Comment »

I’m old enough now that things that were so cool when I was 13 are coming back into fashion. Birkenstocks with hiking socks (worn by people other than hippies), Nirvana t-shirts, and now overalls, or as they are so endearingly called here ‘dungarees.’ Anyone can wear overalls, but to wear dungarees, you have to be a 7-year-old boy with front teeth that look like a pair of Chicklets.

Back to my point: Birkenstocks in Vogue Paris.

And look how cool these ‘dungarees’ are!

It’s easy to get caught up in these new/old trends. It’s easy to get swept off your sensible feet by cool Vogue styling. Sometimes wisdom doesn’t come with age.

If I can’t be wise, I can at least slap a bit of sense into myself. Overalls were unflattering when I was 13 and “The Bodyguard” soundtrack was my first tape. 20 years later they’re still unflattering. If in another 20 years I see a photo of myself wearing overalls, shameful feelings will probably drive me to live out the rest of my days as a hermit wearing a hair shirt.

So the lesson here is that if you say no to overalls today, you’ll avoid being a hair-shirt-wearing hermit tomorrow. Hair is itchy. Being a hermit is lonely. The choice is obvious, even if the overalls are so cute and tempting.

Tags: cult covets, shoes     |     1 Comment »

Clockwise from left: Balmain, Diane von Furstenburg, Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenburg, Balmain, Rochas

The fall shows are finished, and this season I’m interested in how runway translates to real life. Happy will be the day that I can buy a head to toe Chloe look, but for now I have to be creative with what I’ve got and start squirreling away all my dubloons.

The trends are the usual suspects: menswear, punk rock, statement coats, lots of fur, but what about the faces? All the girls had fabulous strong eyebrows, and the make-up was either scrubbed fresh, or glowing with rosy cheeks, and bright, juicy lips.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could wear what we see in the shows right after they finish? I propose fall faces for summer. Here are my favourites.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

J Crew

Ralph Lauren

Chloe

Tags: beauty, fall / winter     |     Add Comment »

In case you were wondering – and let’s face it, you totally were – this is what happened to me today.

First

I passed a weird house with a becandled shrine to a record album in its front garden.

A cow skull presided over the whole thing.

Next

I passed a couple of minstrels sitting on a park bench. One played a saw with a violin bow. The other accompanied on a ukulele. They were taking themselves very seriously.

After that

I viewed this terrace house for rent.

Looks nice, right? But the savvy renter knows to be suspicious at the absence of kitchen and bathroom photos. I and 30 other viewers quickly discovered that the kitchen was itself a circle of hell, with its laundry sink masquerading as a regular sink, tiny stove shoved into a bricked up fireplace, and conspicuous lack of cabinets. It could be described as ‘rustic,’ if you were feeling kind. Another word that springs to mind is ‘scary.’

And the bathroom? Outside. That’s right, for the low, low price of $495 a week, you could have the unique privilege of going outside every time you have to pee or brush your teeth. Like some kind of new millennium frontiersperson.

What’d you do today?

Tags: testify!     |     Add Comment »

People talk about models not being ‘real women.’ I’m certainly guilty of doing that. But I guess we’re all real women; we hate our noses, think our knees are fat, wish those smile lines around our mouths would quit getting deeper.

Even though our inner critic holds up the most unflattering mirror, it’s a comfort to think that others see a different, much more pleasant reflection.

Tags: beauty, testify!     |     Add Comment »

…we’d all be running around banging pterodactyls over the head with clubs. But judging from Suzy Menkes’ article, “The Circus of Fashion,” it would seem some people miss chasing after flying dinosaurs.

Menkes talks about how fashion should only be for the cool kids, arguing “If fashion is for everybody, is it fashion?” Then a bunch of people get mad. And then Tim Blanks reminisces about the good old days, interestingly linking our hunger for glamour and celebrity to economic bad times:

Lots of people have said lots of things, so I’ll be brief. Isn’t this just another case of people getting mad about things changing?

Change is inevitable. One fine day, uber-brat Justin Bieber will be wiped from the popular consciousness. All the Crocs will be melted down so they’re merely a distant nightmare. In 50 years I’ll probably be shaking my fist at a sky filled with disrespectful whipper snappers zooming around in flying cars. And I’ll be wearing really fantastic shoes when I do it, because some things should never change.

Tags: shoes, testify!     |     Add Comment »

My bus passed a Country Road shop today, and who did I see staring at me from the window? This guy:

Vampire Lips* is back! I wonder where his adventures have taken him, and how many juicy humans he captured with his toothsome wiles.

Speaking of teeth, I’ll take this opportunity to mention a few other handsome vampires: Stefan, Damon, and pretty much the whole bloodthirsty cast of The Vampire Diaries.

You know what would make that show so much better? If they fired the current wardrobe stylist and hired someone who didn’t hate happiness.

Seriously, stop ruining  my life with your ugly clothes. Elena’s lacy thigh highs and furry booties are going to make my head explode. If they can whisk us away to a magical land where everyone is exceptionally good looking, surely they can make everyone exceptionally well-dressed.

*If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here and scroll to the bottom.

Tags: models     |     Add Comment »