tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63598477497211345012024-03-15T21:09:46.282-04:00à l'allure garçonnièrejulia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-26303250643216277242011-01-25T20:39:00.008-05:002011-01-25T23:05:13.991-05:00à l'allure garçonnière is moving.<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TT99ucAs29I/AAAAAAAAAMs/uMLna-lGqyk/s1600/wordpress.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 593px; height: 444px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TT99ucAs29I/AAAAAAAAAMs/uMLna-lGqyk/s400/wordpress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566305901199809490" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />one of the main reasons <a href="http://alagarconniere.blogspot.com/2009/10/why-we-need-feminist-fashion-blogs.html">i started this blog</a> was to start conversations. i know i'm not alone in finding that fairly difficult to do here on blogspot with the way the comments are arranged. for that and many other reasons, i have officially moved to <a href="http://alagarconniere.wordpress.com">wordpress</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">update your bookmarks!<br />change your links!<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://alagarconniere.wordpress.com">alagarconniere.wordpress.com</a></span><br /></div><br />i'll be keeping all my old content up here for archival purposes. from now on, all new content can be found <a href="http://alagarconniere.wordpress.com/">here</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TT-ciV5yXaI/AAAAAAAAAM0/wCOFB0EQCo0/s1600/follow%2Bme.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 449px; height: 336px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TT-ciV5yXaI/AAAAAAAAAM0/wCOFB0EQCo0/s400/follow%2Bme.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566339778262228386" border="0" /></a><br /></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-68546251318418572602010-12-14T13:06:00.003-05:002010-12-14T14:23:17.625-05:00the fat body (in)visible: documentary<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17785299" frameborder="0" height="265" width="400"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/17785299">fat body (in)visible</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5413563">Margitte Kristjansson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>found via <a href="http://definatalie.tumblr.com/post/2310962549/riotsnotdiets-oh-my-god-yall-the-documentary#note-container">definatalie</a>. wow! i just watched this and really enjoyed it. it is a documentary focusing mainly on two fat acceptance fashion bloggers, jessica and keena, and their complicated relationship with being visible or invisible. it is worth watching whether or not you are fat, or know much about fashion blogging. if you're interested in body politics and fashion, it is a <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> treat.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lany9mh8UE1qd3la9o1_500.jpg" /><br /></div><br />what really resonated with me is when @9:08 jessica speaks about how her visibility and feeling present is intrisically linked with when she decided to let herself wear "everything i ever wanted to wear." i don't know about you guys, but i can <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> relate to that. i've written a bit about it <a href="http://alagarconniere.blogspot.com/2009/12/politics-of-vintage-part-one.html">before</a>, but that moment you experience (esp. as a young woman) when you look in the mirror and see something you want to see? really revolutionary. especially given the fact that often times, you're seeing what's always been there in the first place, but framed in a way you chose and that you love. whether it be a ratty vintage t-shirt, a super high femme glittery tube top, or a 3-piece suit, you chose to put it on your body and you know you look <span style="font-style: italic;">damn</span> fine.<br /><blockquote>"In allowing myself to dress the way I've always wanted to but never allowed myself when I was hating my body, I make myself very present for other people." - <a href="http://tangledupinlace.blogspot.com/">Jessica</a><br /></blockquote>both jessica and keena acknowledge that visibility comes with its ups and downs, but ultimately what i think makes this documentary work is that it isn't a sob story. it is important to acknowledge that fat bodies are hated, but i think it is equally important to acknowledge the great empowering work badass people like jessica, keena, and tons of other fat bloggers and fat acceptance activists are doing and have done.<br /><blockquote>"There's a lot always what fat girls wear, what fat girls wear, but not a lot on what girls <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> in relation to what they wear." - <a href="http://tangledupinlace.blogspot.com/">Jessica</a><br /></blockquote>i'm just putting that quote out there for further writing inspiration. lately i've been talking with some friends online about what fashion blogging has become (or been reduced to?) and about our varying levels of frustration. i think a lot of this has to do with the fact that we are encouraged to look, and to buy... but much more rarely encouraged to <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> about fashion critically, let alone talk and write about it. are fashion blogs just virtual closets, or can they be something more? that's a whole other discussion, though, but one i would like to have some time soon. i'm really glad jessica pointed it out though.<br /><br />i could go on and on but i will stop there! take 20 minutes out of your day and enjoy this documentary.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FURTHER READING:</span><br /><a href="http://riotsnotdiets.tumblr.com/">Riots Not Diets</a> (documentary maker)<br /><a href="http://adipositivity.com/">The Adipositivity Project</a><br /><a href="http://www.tangledupinlace.blogspot.com/">Tangled up in lace: the highs and lows of modern femininity</a> (Jessica's blog)<br /><a href="http://tangledupinlace.tumblr.com/">Tangled up in lace</a> (Jessica's tumblr)<br /><a href="http://keenascloset.bigcartel.com/">Keena's Closet</a> (Keena's blog)<br /><a href="http://buttahlove.tumblr.com/">Buttah Love</a> (Keena's tumblr)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">More </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/health/22fblogs.html?_r=1">Fatosphere</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Goodies</span><br /><a href="http://kateharding.net/">Shapely Prose</a><br /><a href="http://www.bfdblog.com/2010/09/08/fat-acceptance-and-feminism/">Fat Acceptance and Feminism (Again)</a> at BFD<br /><a href="http://the-f-word.org/blog/">The F Word</a><br /><a href="http://www.bfdblog.com/">Big Fat Deal</a><br /><a href="http://beasweet.blogspot.com/">Bea Sweet</a><br /><a href="http://obesitytimebomb.blogspot.com/">Obesity Time bomb</a><br /><a href="http://unapologeticallyfat.blogspot.com/">Unapologetically Fat</a><br /><a href="http://www.pocketrocketfashion.com/?p=853"></a>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-10930928393414569352010-11-16T09:13:00.002-05:002010-11-20T17:55:42.309-05:00movember<img style="width: 563px; height: 375px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs106.snc4/35667_771491088647_13605501_44176212_6355197_n.jpg" /><br />photo by ben currie<br /><br />my mind is racing these days, a mile a minute. i've been working on quite a few in depth critical posts... but never seem to find the time to finish them off. in the meantime, i think you wonderful readers deserve some eye candy. one of the posts i am working on is a critical analysis of <a href="http://movember.ca">movember</a>, and the gendering of cancer awareness campaigns. i'm hoping to finish it before the end of the month, so keep your eyes peeled!<br /><br />but before then, here are some of my best moustaches:<br /><br /><img style="width: 480px; height: 640px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/IMG_4797.jpg" /><br /><br /><img style="width: 474px; height: 355px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/IMG_4795.jpg" /><br />robert de montesquieu served as inspiration for me, posing with the dread pirate roberts<br />april 2008<br /><br /><img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/IMG_1311.jpg" /><br />with the bearded lady <3 in 2007<br /><br /><img style="width: 488px; height: 365px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/IMG_1239.jpg" /><br />the strongman<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/popcultureproj/drag%20show/March10th-DragFreakingShow004.jpg" /><br />my very first time doing drag, 2005. please note the chest hair. this is my "lucien" persona.<br /><br />clearly i do not do drag NEARLY often enough.julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-53766449078375368002010-11-11T16:32:00.000-05:002010-11-11T14:23:39.167-05:00what i wore: leaves know they're ending, celebrate their end<a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/?action=view&current=blueoutfit_leaves.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 551px; height: 444px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/blueoutfit_leaves.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ah, the fall! so beautiful, and quickly coming to an end. i must post these pictures before the snow starts to fall! i don't know about where you guys are, but almost <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of our leaves have fallen now here in beautiful québec city. early october is always peak season in ontario and quebec, and i had the chance to enjoy the beautiful colours when visiting my family for thanksgiving/indigenous day of resistance weekend at the beginning of the month.<br /><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/?action=view&current=blueoutfit_2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 550px; height: 413px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/blueoutfit_2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/?action=view&current=blueoutfit_double.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 550px; height: 366px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/blueoutfit_double.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/?action=view&current=blueoutift_dog.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 551px; height: 354px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/blueoutift_dog.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />this is my younger sister's wonderful dog, aspen. she is potentially my favourite four-legged creature on the entire planet, not gonna lie. look at my big goofy smile! how can you not love this dog?<br /><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/?action=view&current=blueoutfit.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 551px; height: 614px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/blueoutfit.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />and how can you not love the beautiful fall leaves?<br /><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/?action=view&current=blueoutfit_4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/blueoutfit_4.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/?action=view&current=blueoutfit_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 621px; height: 736px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/blueoutfit_1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />if you're interested in that kind of thing...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">dress:</span> 1950s cotton day dress, vintage clothing fair in ottawa circa 2007 i believe?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">crinoline underskirt:</span> thrifted<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">necklace:</span> key from the ste. foy flea market, 2$, chain thrifted ages ago<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">belt:</span> from le vestiaire, free<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">oxblood heels:</span> gift from my mother, naturalizer<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">goofy smile:</span> thanks to my awesome sisters and an adorable puppy.<br /><br />so with that out of the way, we can talk about more interesting things.<br /><br />the <a href="http://www.festivalfolkdequebec.com/">folk festival de québec</a> is in full swing as of tuesday and i am filled with musical love and lust. anne-marie, simon and i went to see <a href="http://www.festivalfolkdequebec.com/9-novembre/">ferriswheel and timber timbre,</a> which was so lovely. timber timbre's music is always so perfect around this time of year, and it's always a treat to hear it live. there are so many shows i'd love to have time to check out, but my time and my pocketbook unfortunately will not permit such things. i do think i'll have to go see <a href="http://lisabozikovic.ca/">lisa bozikovic</a>, though.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/9407179?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" frameborder="0" height="225" width="400"></iframe><br /></div>this beautiful song, <span style="font-weight: bold;">no denial</span>, is about the death of her mother, and features some of the most beautiful lyrics.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">brilliant gold, crimson red/ the leaves know they're ending/and celebrate their end<br /></div></blockquote><br />i don't think i've ever heard a more beautiful metaphor for death.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/?action=view&current=blueoutfit_leaves2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 550px; height: 412px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/blueoutfit_leaves2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-12353877232434220562010-11-10T09:40:00.004-05:002010-12-08T22:21:13.585-05:00thoughts: the feminist fashion blogosphere<div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 452px; height: 624px;" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.195239773.jpg" /><br />art by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62524404/why-wont-you-love-me-8-x-11-print?ref=sr_gallery_21&ga_search_query=work+illustration&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title&filter[0]=handmade">julia pott</a><br /></div><br />lately i've been thinking long and hard about <span style="font-style: italic;">how</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> i blog. this is mainly due to some major changes in my life that came about this fall. due to the fact that i've been working full-time for the past month now, beginning renovations in my apartment (<a href="http://cheznousdeux.tumblr.com/">inspiration tumblr here</a>), on top of all the normal things life throws at you, i've found my "free" time in short shrift these days. i've had to give up volunteering at the thrift store around the corner after a year of doing so, and really have to focus on how to manage that "free" time. as of this fall, i've decided to let <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/garconniere">my etsy store</a> close up quietly, letting the listings expire without any kerfuffle or big sale or anything. i've been changing little habits here and there in an attempt to cut back on bad time wasting habits, and have been constantly trying to remind myself what situations are <a href="http://janedoe225.tumblr.com/post/1525901854/some-thoughts-on-activism-and-self-harm">not worth my time</a>. there are simply not enough hours in the day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.art-magazin.de/asset/Image/_2010/AUSSTELLUNGEN/rodney-graham/bildstrecke/04-rheinmetall_ar.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Rheinmetall / Victoria 8" by Rodney Graham. 2003, (Detail) 35-mm Film<br /></span></div><br />but one thing i simply can't put aside, however, is <span>my</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span>writing</span>. i've decided, over the past few weeks, that i absolutely must find a way to radical restructure the way i spend my time so that i can write. having a partner who is a part-time poet helps; suggestions of putting aside x amount of time a week to sit down with a cup of tea and setting (realistic) deadlines for myself have been much appreciated. coming from someone who has published <a href="http://www.livresquebecois.com/livre.asp?id=pzysasapeug&/chute-fut-lente-interminable-puis-terminee-la/simon-dumas">a few books</a>, i'm hoping these changes work for me too. i know my biggest problem is that i simply try to juggle too many things all at once: my friendships, my photography, my love of <a href="http://foodiwanttoeat.tumblr.com/">vegan recipes</a>, affection for vintage clothing, passion for my politics, and then coming in last and sadly often least, my writing (about those aforementioned things).<br /><br />i love writing. i have a huge passion for trying to express my (often overly complicated and elaborate) ideas in an accessible, online space, which is why this blog is here. but the thing is, i don't do enough of it and don't have the time to do my ideas justice. right now, i have 39 files in my "drafts" folder for this blog. <span style="font-style: italic;">THIRTY-NINE</span>. i tend to feel so overwhelmed about where i should even begin, trying to write for a bit, feel anxious and get no joy out of it, and then i end up not writing anything at all. no good. however, last week at work, i sat at an absent co-workers desk (whose work i greatly admire) and saw this quote taped to her computer monitor:<br /><blockquote>Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it's because it <em>is</em> hard. It's one of the hardest things people do.<br /></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">those soothing words of reason come from William Zinsser (who, ironically, i have never read). this is something very few people remind me of and that i need to remind myself of more often. writing is work. it is valuable, but it is also <span style="font-style: italic;">difficult</span>. lots of people in my "real" life view my blogging (whether it be the more personal stuff, the <a href="http://garconniere.tumblr.com/">absurd</a> stuff, or the very public stuff that you are reading here) as optional and relatively unimportant, and definitely not as what one would qualify as work. and as an <a href="http://libcom.org/library/work-free-society-anarchist-federation">anarchist</a>, this is something i struggle with: the search for redemption in the very classic 9 to 5 grind (which, might i add, when you are a journalist feels more like a 24/7 grind) is an endless one simply because <span style="font-style: italic;">it does not exist</span>. it all depends on how and why you work, in my opinion. in the past, i've been let go/pushed out of jobs because i am an independent worker/thinker, which in the employment world means "issues with authority figures" and "insubordinance."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 591px; height: 438px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbwjligKnV1qzvsguo1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0RYTHV9YYQ4W5Q3HQMG2&Expires=1291931312&Signature=Ut1StDZ2b%2FIc6NcNK94o02b6h7A%3D" /><br />ni dieu, ni maître (self-portrait) november 2010<br /></div><br />here at my blog, and in a lot of my favourite kinds of work, i am the one who calls all the punches which has its advantages (i get all the credit!) and disadvantages (very few people but me see it as actual/valuable work!). writing (and by extension, blogging) <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> work, and i'm going to try to treat it as such. find satisfaction in it as work, feel satisfaction when i accomplish goals i set for myself... even if they are as small as "post a picture the same month/year you took it."<br /><br />clearly i've talked about these issues with friends who read blogs and read mine. here is a wise piece of advice from iris:<br /><blockquote>Re: blogging and real work - it totally is (real work). I think you should do only as much of it as you can handle. I really was feeling like I had to keep track of thousands of things at once, my whole life was being processed through this blog filter, like, <span style="font-style: italic;">I need to write about this! This person would love it if I linked to that!</span> It was tiring and you're right, there is no credit in it. I like the <a href="http://tigerbeatdown.com/">tiger beatdown</a> model of "oh shit it's asking for money time again, pay us or we won't post". </blockquote>this leads me to another point: lately i've been thinking that the simple act of<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> valuing and viewing critical fashion blogging as "work" in and of itself is a feminist act</span>. a close friend of mine asked me why i call my blog a "feminist fashion blog" because i very rarely talk about feminism/feminist issues. i beg to differ. i could ramble on ad nauseum about why i find this space a feminist one, why if you take any of my articles i could give you reasons why i think they are feminist... but i think most of my readers get the point without me having to spell it out. but again, the blogosphere itself is ripe for criticism. the fact that, yes, "anyone can create/have a blog," does not negate that fact that some blogs are deemed more important, reputable, serious, and worthwhile than others... and that these things are constructed through a gendered, race, class, etc. lens.<br /><br />think about it for a minute: almost <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of the <a href="http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/blogs">most popular blogs</a> (whether or not we discredit gossip blogs) are written and run by men. most of them write about typically gendered "manly" content, such as business and technology. it would be hard to argue against the fact that when men blog, more people tend to take note and more people take them seriously. pair the fact that most fashion bloggers are women, on top of the fact that fashion is hardly seen as a worthwhile or serious enough topic to merit actual critical thought... and here we have what i think is a perfect formula for dismissing fashion blogs as unimportant and frivolous.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://sassyfrasscircus.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/thank-you-cards_watermark.jpg?w=450&h=372" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">art by <a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/making-cards/">j. bee</a><br /></div><br />but i am getting off-topic and wandering into unresearched territory. i am writing about the very politics of writing in this space because even though i might be posting less and less, i don't have any plans of retiring this platform. but! i do feel like my readers aren't getting the attention they deserve. i don't have the time to respond to all of the comments and emails i receive, and do justice to the thoughtful, beautiful, and complicated questions so many of my readers ask me. this does not mean they are not valuable or important; rather it means that the world often spins too fast and the bank account too empty to allow me the time to show you that i care.<br /><br />i just wanted to <span style="font-style: italic;">very quickly</span> acknowledge the most common inquiry i receive: how do feminists who are interested in fashion marry their politics with their critical minds? i don't have a simple answer to that, other than the fact that it is possible to be a feminist and love fashion (i would just encourage you to love it critically).<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbjz0pXi0V1qz6f9yo1_500.png" /><br /></div>as long as women will be judged, by their peers, by their families, and even by a court of law, by how they dress, fashion will be a feminist issue. as long as women are told they <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> what they wear, what brands they wear, how much money they spend on their clothing, etc....fashion will be a feminist issue. as long as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTlmho_RovY&feature=related">fashion advertisers objectify women</a> in order to sell their clothing and products, fashion will be a feminist issue. and basically every time someone asks me "is x a feminist fashion issue?" the answer tends to be yes.<br /><br />so in the end, i suppose this post is just a really long-winded thank you to all of those who read what i write, who link to my articles, who leave comments, who send me thoughtful emails and curious questions. it's really wonderful to know there is an audience out there who not only wants to read what i write, but engage with it.<br /><br />2011 will bring big changes to <span style="font-style: italic;">à l'allure garçonnière</span>, and i hope you will be along for the ride, with all its ups and downs. thanks for being along for the ride.<br /><br />in the meantime, seeing as i have surprisingly never done this before, here are some of my favourite blogs which present themselves as feminist take on fashion.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://iheartthreadbared.blogspot.com/">threadbared</a><br /><a href="http://fashionforwriters.com/">fashion for writers</a><br /><a href="http://morningmidnight.com/">good morning midnight</a><br /><a href="http://fashionabecedaire.tumblr.com/">fashion abecedaire</a><br /><a href="http://thef-bomb.tumblr.com/">fat fashion feminist: whatever the f i feel like</a><br /><a href="http://www.definatalie.com/">definatalie</a><br /><a href="http://nicolettemason.blogspot.com/">nicolette mason</a><br /><a href="http://ohifeelpretty.blogspot.com/">i feel pretty</a><br /><a href="http://wornjournal.com/">worn journal</a><br /><a href="http://www.dapperq.com/">dapperq</a><br /></div><br />if you have any other suggestions, or feel like your blog fits the bill, feel free to leave them in the comments!<br /><br />LINKS:<br /><a href="http://iheartthreadbared.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/f-bombs/">F bombs</a> at Threadbared<br /><a href="http://morningmidnight.com/post/1520039780/queer-feminist-fashion">Is a Feminist & Queer Interest in Fashion Possible?</a> at Good Morning Midnight<br /><a href="http://threadbared.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-i-feel-guilty-when-i-dont-blog.html">Why I feel guilty when I don't blog</a> at Threadbared<br /><a href="http://ramblersrambling.blogspot.com/2008/05/post-feminist-fashion-guilt.html">Post Feminist Fashion Guilt</a> (i take issue with the term "post" feminist...)<br /><a href="http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2010/07/14/retail-its-complicated/">Retail: It's Complicated</a> (the rise of "fast fashion") at Feministe<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/feministfrequency">Feminist Frequency</a> YouTube channeljulia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-79486597024477355992010-11-01T13:39:00.000-04:002010-11-02T23:03:42.764-04:00halloween 2010: i am not your halloween costume<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lb6j8v83aM1qzyk5xo1_500.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://twitter.com/feministhulk">feminist hulk</a>'s costume sounds pretty awesome.<br /></div><br />i'm sick in bed, catching up some reading, in books and online. i've been fighting a cold for about a week now, but decided to get dressed up for halloween simply because i knew i would have regretted it had i stayed in bed. i'll share more pictures of my other costume plus some more ones i took of being the shining twins, but in the meantime i wanted to talk a bit about halloween some more.<br /><br />i went out to two or three parties over the course of the weekend, and yes, of course, i encountered some truly problematic costumes. i counted a good four white girls in bastardized headdresses and warpaint, and had to share the same space as a stranger dressed as a blackface. to top it off, a party i attended awarded a man wearing a turban as "best costume," and was yelling obnoxiously about being a terrorist the entire time i was there. i felt uncomfortable the entire time, but was too sick and tired to engage with him. so, i left.<br /><br />and that's what most of us do, i think. we leave. if we feel up to it, we try to challenge these people and at the very least ask them why they chose their costume. if they even notice that they are engaging in race-drag, blackface, etc.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_lb6hbipa851qzfsu9o1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0RYTHV9YYQ4W5Q3HQMG2&Expires=1288810237&Signature=Y7SdfHWM%2BSHeCaUzYihMUhJ6MS8%3D" /></span><br /></div><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><div> <p>I am a human being.</p> <p>I am not your Halloween costume.</p> <p>I am not your party theme.</p> <p>I am not your mascot. </p> <p>I am <u>not</u> your costume.</p></div></blockquote>this has been making the rounds on <a href="http://tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>, originally posted by <a href="http://kkeilhauer.tumblr.com/post/1449338303">kkeilhauer</a>. i wish there was more information out there about the context, the people in the photo, where it was taken, etc. but the message behind it is pretty simple and great: other people's cultures are not fair game for halloween costumes, theme parties, etc. the dehumanizing effect these kinds of actions have on actual human beings is something we all too often lose sight of.<br /><br /><a href="http://sheresists.tumblr.com/">sheresists</a> is a really intelligent and amazing activist based in guelph, and she shared her <a href="http://sheresists.tumblr.com/post/1450441919/my-thoughts-on-racist-costumes">thoughts on racist costumes</a>. on the note of halloween costumes, she argues that these costumes can be worse than <a href="http://alagarconniere.blogspot.com/2010/04/critical-fashion-lovers-basic-guide-to.html">culturally appropriative acts</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote>You’re not just taking one thing (for example, a war bonnet) from another culture, you’re trying to mimic an entire group’s racial identity when you ‘dress up’ as them. These costumes are often borrowed from pre-set stereotypes about what another culture “looks like,” how they dress, and how they act. <span style="font-weight: bold;">What people fail to understand is that these stereotypes are not benign.</span> They have real, material effects on people's lives and their ability to move throughout the world. They both reinforce and are embedded in relationships and histories of power.</blockquote><blockquote>...When you put on a racist costume (especially sexy ‘ethnic’ costumes like the sexy Asian girl costume), you’re speaking back to histories of colonization and exploitation and you’re reinforcing the ideologies that legitimize violent institutions that abuse and sexually exploit women of colour (though, racist costumes speak to a history of colonizing and othering people of colour in general). Whatever your intentions, by sexualizing a different ethnic group, you are saying that it’s okay to fetishize certain groups of people and you’re reaffirming that they are, in fact sexualized and consumable beings. You may think it’s fun, funny, or even ironic, but you probably haven’t experienced the effects of these stereotypes.</blockquote>she goes on to describe her experiences with these stereotypes, and it's difficult (but important) to read. unfortunately it's not the first time i've heard stories like hers... and i love that she challenges these actions, wants to move forward, and foster change.<br /><br />now, i thought long and hard before sharing these thoughts and links. did i really want to hold a magnifying glass to racist halloween costumes? is it even worth my time, or my readers time for that matter, to point out that paris hilton - privilege personified - is wearing a racist costume? and i'm not alone in feeling this way. this year, <a href="http://www.angryasianman.com/about.html">angry asian man</a> asked his readers to share good costumes, instead of railing about the terrible ones:<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ><span style=";font-family:helvetica,arial;font-size:85%;" ></span></span><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ><span style=";font-family:helvetica,arial;font-size:85%;" >every year, I write about all the obnoxious, awful <i>racist</i> Asian-themed costumes that are out there. I'm tired of that. I'd like to write about some of the cool ones. </span></span></blockquote>i'm going to take a page from his book. to end on a happy note, i want to share some costumes that made me smile really big. share your favourites in the comments, too!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.angryasianman.com/images/angry/halloween2010_jedi1.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">seriously baby yoda, you are KILLING me!<br /><br /><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lb6riqbvE01qapn58o1_500.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://genderqueerdukeofmexico.tumblr.com/post/1463772255/megahoots-haterina-500daysofsenna">janelle monae</a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.definatalie.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Super-heroes.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://www.definatalie.com/2010/11/01/inappropriate-unicorn-does-halloween/">Natalie</a> as an Inappropriate Unicorn and her friend Heather as <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZH49orvYrMc/TBOC5aZ32OI/AAAAAAAABlc/1AQ1TKi-__E/s1600/4.jpg">Rosie Ritcher</a> from Scott Pilgrim<br /><br /><img src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/11/500x_tumblr_ksiijfAUBG1qz8flyo1_1280-1.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://gizmodo.com/5396145/the-8+bit-low+res-make+up-is-high+res-clever">Pixel Girl</a> wins points for massive creativity and amazing execution<br /><br /><img style="width: 450px; height: 600px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs115.snc3/16236_568078430302_119103035_34255957_2231637_n.jpg" /><br />bra-burning second wavers! <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=829918983#%21/album.php?aid=2112892&id=119103035">radical lesbian separatists</a><br /><img style="width: 451px; height: 338px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs095.snc3/16236_568062896432_119103035_34254838_6537746_n.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 199px; height: 330px;" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/hs443.snc4/48956_829918983_890301_n.jpg" /> <img style="width: 440px; height: 330px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs925.snc4/73809_456931333983_829918983_5256410_7355625_n.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=829918983">ingrid</a>, a friend of a friend of mine, had the most amazing ursula costume!<br /></div><br />so, what did you get dressed up as this year for halloween? what are the best costumes you've seen, in person and online? share links in the comments!<br /><br />LINKS:<br /><a href="http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/one_womans_costume_is_another_womans_nightmare">One Woman's Costume is another woman's nightmare</a> by Whitney Teal at <a href="http://womensrights.change.org/blog/">Change.org</a><br /><a href="http://sheresists.tumblr.com/post/1450441919/my-thoughts-on-racist-costumes">My thoughts on racist costumes</a> by sheresists<br /><a href="http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/2010/11/paris-hilton-as-sexy-indian-halloween.html">The Halloween fallout begins</a> by Native Appropriations<br /><a href="http://iamkoream.com/offensive-or-awesome-halloween-costumes/">Offensive or Awesome Halloween costumes?</a> at <a href="http://iamkoream.com/10-asian-food-halloween-costumes/">I Am KoreAm</a><br /><a href="http://shamelessmag.com/blog/2010/10/why-you-or-your-dog-shouldnt-dress-up-as-antoine-/">Why you (or your dog) shouldn't dress up as Antoine Dodson for Halloween</a> at Shameless<br /><a href="http://blog.angryasianman.com/2010/11/your-halloween-costumes.html">Great costumes from angry asian man readers</a>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-25028740132342293722010-10-30T16:23:00.000-04:002010-10-30T17:22:46.615-04:00halloween 2010: the shining<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs412.ash2/69079_594744107072_119100915_35378322_3826438_n.jpg" /><br />from <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shining_%28film%29">the shining</a> (kubrick, 1980)<br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/23Yv87urPRA?fs=1&hl=fr_FR"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/23Yv87urPRA?fs=1&hl=fr_FR" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/5129796340/" title="IMG_3690 by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 401px; height: 654px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/5129796340_fd2c8fb303.jpg" alt="IMG_3690" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/5129193533/" title="IMG_3689 by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 398px; height: 565px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/5129193533_cea24ebd26.jpg" alt="IMG_3689" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">come play with us<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/5129794834/" title="IMG_3660 by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1190/5129794834_073e3f4d82.jpg" alt="IMG_3660" height="377" width="500" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">forever</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/5129191321/" title="IMG_3599 by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 499px; height: 376px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/5129191321_cdd04667c5.jpg" alt="IMG_3599" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 502px; height: 385px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs148.ash2/40755_594800339382_119100915_35379722_6211603_n.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">dresses: handmade by <a href="http://de-la-tourelle.tumblr.com/">annemarie</a>,<br />made with fabric we got at a flea market for 8$<br />hair clips: 99 cents<br />white knee socks: 2/5$<br />ribbons: from my closet<br />shoes: ours, changed laces to match<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">total cost: 14$, 7$ each! pretty sweet.<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">some other fun costumes from last night:</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 432px; height: 576px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs409.ash2/68784_594800124812_119100915_35379706_6675675_n.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">1980s wrestling champion<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 250px; height: 376px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs926.snc4/73978_594800219622_119100915_35379714_2021115_n.jpg" /><img style="width: 282px; height: 374px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs452.ash2/72572_594800299462_119100915_35379719_144445_n.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">cute flapper<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 402px; height: 575px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs004.ash2/33583_594800863332_119100915_35379761_1742433_n.jpg" /><br />homemade! from scratch! stormtrooper costume<br /></div><br />also, i wrote a little article over at <a href="http://shamelessmag.com/">shameless</a> about problematic halloween costumes. <a href="http://shamelessmag.com/blog/2010/10/why-you-or-your-dog-shouldnt-dress-up-as-antoine-/">read it here.</a><br />i'm going to try out another costume tonight, hopefully it will go over as well as this one did.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">happy halloween!</span><br /></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com202tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-80327320212316727872010-10-27T09:42:00.000-04:002010-10-27T18:23:38.232-04:00women with glasses: usurping the gaze<img style="width: 660px; height: 331px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/teenangstm83/2010/glasses.jpg" /><br /><br />check out my new specs! my mother gave me an early birthday/christmas present: a lovely oxblood pair of burberry glasses. thank goodness, because my last pair were beyond scratched up and my prescription had changed a wee bit. i really enjoyed them but you know how it goes, even the best of glasses don't really last more than two or three years. especially when you are too broke to afford contacts and you have no choice but to wear them day in, day out.<br /><br />here they are for reference:<br /><br /><img style="width: 536px; height: 357px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs329.snc3/29038_762010737347_13605501_43777824_2230229_n.jpg" /><br /><br />in a perfect world, i would be able to find a pair of vintage cateye glasses that comfortable fit me, or would have enough money to splurge on a pair from <a href="http://www.urbanspectacles.com/">urban spectacles</a>. i think these would suit me quite nicely:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.urbanspectacles.com/images/archive/gallery/0826strainer1.jpg" /><br /><br />i do have a pair of vintage frames but with clear lenses, but they are a little broken and a little too small for me. here's a picture from when i first got them in winter 2009:<br /><br /><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2562/32/9/119100915/n119100915_33500647_3135726.jpg" /><br /></div><br />but this post isn't about me! it's about women who wear glasses in general. it's only recently that i've really started to enjoy wearing glasses 24/7 (well, aside from the time spent sleeping, of course). i have a lot more theoretical ideas about women and glasses but those are thoughts we can flesh out another time. here are some photos of women who wear glasses exquisitely well:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kstml0VbKU1qa1w1lo1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kstml0VbKU1qa1w1lo1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyqlyvztZS1qa1w1lo1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyqlyvztZS1qa1w1lo1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://youveescaped.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Anaïs Escobar</span></a><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4104/5022445698_2b64c298ba.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://fashionforestry.blogspot.com/">fashion forestry</a><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/58555687/vintage-cat-eye-black-librarian-50s-sock?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=vintage+glasses+frames&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title"></a><br /></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The woman who wears glasses constitutes one of the most intense visual clichés of the cinema. The image is a heavily marked condesation of motifs concerned with repressed sexuality, knowledge, visibility and vision, intellectuality, and desire.<br />The woman with glasses signifies simultaneously intellectuality and undesirability; but the moment the removes her glasses (a moment which, it seems, must almost always be shown and which is itself linked with a certain sensual quality), she is transformed into spectacle, the very picture of desire. Now, it must be remembered that the cliché is a heavily loaded moment of signification, a social knot of meaning. It is characterized by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span">an effect of ease and naturalness. Yet, the cliché has a binding power so strong that it indicates a precise moment of ideological danger or threat — in this case, the woman’s appropriation of the gaze. Glasses worn by a woman in the cinema do not generally signify a deficiency in seeing but an active looking, or even simply the fact of seeing as opposed to being seen. The intellectual woman looks and analyses, and in usurping the gaze she poses a threat to an entire system of representation.</span></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(151, 91, 13);font-family:Futura,Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><div class="caption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-style: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span">from Mary Ann Doane, “<a href="http://screen.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/3-4/74.extract">Film and the Masquerade: Theorizing the Female Spectator</a>” </span></span></span></div><div class="caption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-style: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5065911628_aa0a62bf85_z.jpg" /></span></span></span><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26566804@N08/4242920057/#/">roxanne</a> aka <a href="http://persephassa.com/?page_id=2">persephassa</a>. aren't these just wonderful? flashy but understated, i think they go so well with her complexion. you can even get <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Wonderful-rare-acetate-eyeglasses-frame-auth-50s-/370299216144?pt=US_Sunglasses&hash=item56378da110">the same pair</a> on ebay! roxanne has pretty much the best taste of anyone ever in the history of the world, so it is unsurprising all of her glasses are magnificent.<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz261/hkldnsfmode/IMG_2236.jpg" /></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.thegirlfromhkldnsf.com/">the girl from hk, ldn & sf</a></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span">it was so hard to just pick one picture of her, she has so many lovely frames!</span></span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><img src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.181936188.jpg" /></span><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">one day you will be mine, perfect cat eye frames that are in my price range.<br />from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/58555687/vintage-cat-eye-black-librarian-50s-sock?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=vintage+glasses+frames&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title">framesbaby</a></span><br /></div></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(151, 91, 13);font-family:Futura,Georgia,Helvetica,Arial,serif;font-size:100%;" ><div class="caption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline-style: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://eyesing.typepad.com/eyesing/2007/10/iris-apfel-a-ra.html"></a><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">glasses porn:<br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Vintage50sEyewear?ref=seller_info">vintage eyeglasses</a><br /><a href="http://tiraslee.livejournal.com/634783.html#cutid1">tiraslee</a> and <a href="http://tiraslee.livejournal.com/550520.html">here</a><br /><a href="http://kore.livejournal.com/1998834.html">persephassa</a><br /><a href="http://www.retrospecs.co.uk/">retrospecs</a><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspectacles.com/">urban spectacles</a><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/framesbaby/">frames baby</a><br /></span></span></div></span>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-12516918858707379002010-10-25T15:01:00.000-04:002010-10-25T18:13:42.846-04:00inspiration: claude cahun<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kt9a7cr7t11qzn3hoo1_500.jpg" /><br /></div><br />happy birthday, claude cahun. cahun was born on this day in 1894.<br /><blockquote>In many ways, Cahun's life was marked by a sense of role reversal, and her public identity became a commentary upon not only her own, but the public's notions of sexuality, gender, beauty, and logic. Her adoption of a sexually ambiguous name, and her androgynous self-portraits display a revolutionary way of thinking and creating, experimenting with her audience's understanding of photography as a documentation of reality. Her poetry challenged gender roles and attacked the increasingly modern world's social and economic boundaries. Also Cahun's participation in the Parisian Surrealist movement diversified the group's artwork and ushered in new representations. Where most Surrealist artists were men, and their primary images were of women as isolated symbols of eroticism, Cahun epitomized the chameleonic and multiple possibilities of the female identity. Her photographs, writings, and general life as an artistic and political revolutionary continue to influence countless artists, namely <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Sherman" title="Cindy Sherman">Cindy Sherman</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nan_Goldin" title="Nan Goldin">Nan Goldin</a>.</blockquote>i think it's unsurprising that i have a very special place in my heart for claude cahun and their art. the 1920s are definitely one of my favourite eras in terms of film, art, fashion, architecture... pretty much all around aesthetically i find it most dear to me. one of my favourite artists working in that era was claude cahun. the playing with identity, the use of photography, art, and clothing to express those different identities... it always stuck with me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ktmfmlK8Pb1qztejyo1_500.jpg" /><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;" class="caption"> <p><i>que me veux-tu? (autoportrait double)</i>; claude cahun, 1929.</p><p><img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_krup70b0yM1qzz5ieo1_500.png" /><br /></p><p>auto-portrait; claude cahun, 1925</p><p><img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ks31loq46X1qzhn4uo1_500.jpg" /></p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">i.o.u. (self-pride)</span>; claude cahun, 1929-30</p><p>"sous se masque, un autre masque. je n'en finirai pas de soulever tous ses visages."</p><p>"under this mask, another. i will never succeed in unearthing all of these faces."<br /></p><p><img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ks36w92ION1qzhn4uo1_500.jpg" /></p><p><img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_la5927B2hJ1qe4yaio1_500.jpg" /><br /></p> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>LINKS:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Cahun">claude cahun</a> on wikipedia<br /><a href="http://garconniere.tumblr.com/post/261069555/bowfolk-ruffianarchivebox">thoughts about bahaus + gender</a><br /><a href="http://www.nyu.edu/greyart/exhibits/odysseys/body_index.html">Inverted Odysseys: Claude Cahun, Maya Deren, Cindy Sherman</a> edited by Shelley Rice<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(someone, please buy me <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Inverted-Odysseys-Claude-Cahun-Sherman/dp/0262681064">this book</a>. three of my favourite people, artists, icons combined in one book!)<br /></span><br />LINKS IN FRENCH:<br /><a href="http://melusine.univ-paris3.fr/astu/Colville.htm">De l'Éros des femmes surréalistes et de Claude Cahun en particulier</a> par Georgiana M. M. Colville<br /><a href="http://www.larevuedesressources.org/spip.php?article659">Une héroïne impossible: Claude Cahun</a> par Agnès Lhermittejulia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-45181085236556634772010-10-25T13:12:00.000-04:002010-10-25T13:49:04.155-04:00currently ooing and awing over: sassyfrass<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://sassyfrasscircus.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/71654_654132815583_15209619_36223996_2572764_n.jpg" /><br /></div><br />while procrastinating on the internet during my lunch break, i stumbled upon a most wonderful thing... <a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/how-to-wear-fanny-packs-and-other-gay-information-a-fashion-blog/">how to wear a fanny pack and other gay information: a fashion blog</a><br /><br />not only is it a great homo fashion post, i am cited as inspiration/instigation for the post itself! a while back i <a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.wordpress.com/2010/10/13/bike-rides-and-zine-fests-and-bears-oh-my/#comments">commented</a> that if i could be anyone's internet sugar mama, i would be jb's. we need to queer up the fashion blogging world!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://sassyfrasscircus.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/100_2592.jpg?w=450&h=337" /><br /></div><br />if you are unaware of the awesomeness that is <a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.wordpress.com/">sassyfrass circus</a> (aka jb) in general, i strongly recommend browsing their official website and/or <a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>. she makes awesome zines and posts about epic bike rides and all around happy times.<br /><br />here are some of my favourite comics of jb's:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6359847749721134501"><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lalt7rhiul1qaxx3zo1_500.jpg" /></a><br />ah, the <a href="http://www.bodyimageprogram.org/blog/">misguided</a> "fat talk" discussions.<br /><br /><a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.tumblr.com/post/1342846495/wayyy-back"><img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lahbdwILMU1qaxx3zo1_500.jpg" /></a><br />unfortunately this resounded with hundreds of people in the tumblr-sphere. it needs to be said. (for a definition of manarchists, <a href="http://sheresists.tumblr.com/post/1260830649/manarchist-noun-a-white-straight-able-bodied-cis">click here</a>)<br /><br />and other awesome stuff jb makes, like zines and patches and <a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.wordpress.com/fliers/">posters for shows</a>:<br /><br /><a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.wordpress.com/design-illustration-crafts/photo-764/"><img src="http://sassyfrasscircus.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/photo-764.jpg?w=450" /></a><br /><br /><img src="http://sassyfrasscircus.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/photo-765.jpg?w=450" /><br /><br /><a href="http://sassyfrasscircus.wordpress.com/fliers/viviangirlz/"><img src="http://sassyfrasscircus.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/viviangirlz.jpg?w=450" /></a><br /></div><br />you can buy some of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/eyeballkid">jb's zines here</a>, if you're interested.<br /><br />please excuse the brevity of this post seeing as my lunch hour ended... five minutes ago.<br /><br />sharing the love,<br /><br />exes and ohs - garconnierejulia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-36050837556011912652010-10-17T17:54:00.001-04:002010-10-17T19:30:34.746-04:00vag magazine: laughing with or at feminists?a question i get asked a lot when i mention this blog in conversations with friends and strangers is, "well, what <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> feminist fashion anyway?" and in some ways, that question is an unanswerable one. i like to think that my take on "feminist fashion" is an analysis of fashion from a critical perspective, trying to see ways in which the fashion industry impacts women involved in all levels, from the people who work in sweatshops to the anna wintour's of the world. but i'll stop myself there: while i'm not quite ready to put down a lot of my ideas in writing, this video piqued my interest and reminded me of why the idea of "feminist fashion" is so interesting:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15359143?color=ba4ad9" frameborder="0" height="300" width="400"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/15359143">Vag Magazine Teaser 1</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4830636">Vag Magazine</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15357450?color=ba4ad9" frameborder="0" height="300" width="400"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/15357450">Vag Magazine Teaser 2</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4830636">Vag Magazine</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>those are the two teasers for a new web series:<br /><blockquote>VAG MAGAZINE is not your grandma's feminist magazine, though we support her as a woman. Go behind the scenes at this hipster third-wave feminist magazine with founders FENNEL, SYLVIE, and BETHANY, staffers HEAVY FLO (a hero on the roller derby circuit), REBA (truly a legend of gonzo feminist pop culture journalism), and MEGHAN (the lone holdover from fashion magazine <i>Gemma</i>, which the <i>Vag</i> founders bought out with the proceeds from their Etsy shop), as well as enthusiastic intern KIT, as they teach you how to be a better woman.<br /><br />This six-part web series stars and was created, written, directed, and produced by comedians from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.</blockquote>even after watching the teasers, and reading this description, the anticipation is <span style="font-style: italic;">killing</span> me. i can't help but wonder... will it be my new favourite thing in the pop culture universe? or just another way of laughing at feminists, another reason why i'll have to defend why i choose to identify as feminist? if you couldn't tell, i feel conflicted. part of me is like "yeah! awesome! great! discussions about feminism's relationship to fashion! and hilarity!" and then another part is like "will this be another liz lemon brand of feminism, about thin able-bodied middle class straight white women who make jokes about how fat they are when in reality they are probably a size 6?" (for the record i do not <span style="font-style: italic;">completely</span> loathe 30 rock, even though based on that statement you may be lead to believe otherwise)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://feministhemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/feminism-is-funny.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 258px;" src="http://feministhemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/feminism-is-funny.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />i really like the jokes about what makes something a "feminist" garment, and it's hilarious for me to hear jokes friends of mine have definitely made before, about ourselves, and about other feminist-identified folks. what third-waver hasn't made jokes about hippies playing with moonblood and mocking "sisterhood" and universally supporting other women simply based solely the fact that they are women (insert debates about sarah palin here)? part of the humour fellow feminists and i have shared about this has definitely been a defense mechanism, and as a way of blowing off steam when confronted with shitty attitudes and politics. there is a lot of infighting within any anti-oppressive community, feminism included, but how can we address those problems in effective and healthy ways? one of my favourite ways of addressing fucked up and problematic things in pop culture is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUuNohO-SV4">with humour</a>.<br /><br />lately it seems like there is a dearth in feminist humour; sarah haskins' hugely popular <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oDyCx3A6Ao&feature=channel">target women</a> is now sadly defunct, and its <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6n-SD0dUNU">replacement</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAfR_HUrYw4">modern lady</a>, is just not up to snuff. could it be that vag magazine will be a place for feminists to get their laughs? i hope so. that said, there are already some things irking me about it; namely, the fact that the cast is mostly white and pretty high-femme, and that most of the jokes seem to be at the expense of these very "extreme" hyper critical feminists... but! i'll stop myself there. really, i can't judge the entire series after only having seen a whole minute of footage. and maybe i'm just feeling a wee bit hypercritical about the whole thing in general. i'll save my thoughts until i've watched the webisodes, which launch tomorrow, october 18th.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">edited to add:</span> twitter informs me that both myself and vag magazine follow <a href="http://twitter.com/feministhulk">feminist hulk</a>, so my hopes are now indeed higher for this interesting looking series.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">links:</span><br /><a href="http://www.vagmagazine.tv/p/vag-magazine-is-not-your-grandmas.html">vag magazine</a><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/user4830636">vag magazine</a> on vimeo<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/vagmagazine">vag magazine </a>on twitter<br /><a href="http://crushable.com/other-stuff/vag-magazine-wants-to-take-back-the-funny-in-feminism/">vag magazine wants to put the funny in feminism </a><br /><br /><a href="http://tigerbeatdown.com/2010/03/24/13-ways-of-looking-at-liz-lemon/">13 ways of looking at liz lemon</a> at tiger beatdown<br /><a href="http://www.deeplyproblematic.com/2009/10/ableism-in-30-rock.html">ableism in 30 rock</a> at deeply problematicjulia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-53578471341963359902010-10-09T21:25:00.000-04:002010-10-09T22:30:48.890-04:00what i wore: apple picking<img style="width: 550px; height: 265px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/border2.jpg" alt="fashion,apples,orchard,fashion blog" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/?action=view&current=border.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 550px; height: 242px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/border.jpg" alt="fashion,apples,orchard,fashion blog" border="0" /></a><br /><br />one of my absolute favourite things to do when fall rolls around is to go apple picking. so earlier this month when my friends ben and april invited us to head up to l'île d'orléans, a twenty minute drive from québec city, i jumped at the chance! here are a few photos.<br /><br /><img style="width: 600px; height: 415px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/apple_sky.jpg" alt="apples,fall,orchard,quebec" border="0" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">the bridge to l'île d'orléans. magnificent to visit in the fall!<br /></div><br /><img style="width: 601px; height: 459px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/apples_three.jpg" alt="apples,fall,orchard,quebec" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="width: 601px; height: 510px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/apples_two.jpg" alt="apples,fall,orchard,quebec" border="0" /><br /><br />the island is full of farms and orchards, and it is a great place for me to get local produce and enjoy the wonderful weather we have around this time of year. this was really wonderful, this orchard was right next to a beautiful old barn. i wish i had snapped some better pictures of the inside, but with the sun so bright and only my little point and shoot, this is all you get.<br /><br /><img style="width: 601px; height: 362px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/border3.jpg?t=1286676685" /><br /><br /><img style="width: 600px; height: 450px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/apple_me_1.jpg" alt="apples,fall,orchard,quebec" border="0" /><br /><br /><img style="width: 600px; height: 502px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/barn_me.jpg" alt="apples,fall,orchard,quebec" border="0" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">dress:</span> vintage, thrifted in peterborough, 2007<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">belt:</span> from le vestiaire, free<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">shoes:</span> gift from simon, mexico city<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">socks:</span> deadstock menswear! love 'em.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">crinoline underskirt:</span> thrifted<br /><br /><img style="width: 597px; height: 597px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/closeup_shoes.jpg" alt="apples,fall,orchard,quebec" border="0" /><br /><br />all of these were taken on september 19th, and we just finished our gigantic bag. it took us <span style="font-style: italic;">three</span> weeks to finish our 20 pound bag of apples! we clearly overshot and should have gotten a 10 pound bag. instead we tried lots of new recipes, made apple juices and ciders, adding apples to salads, and of course making lots and lots of desserts like apple crumbles et bien sûr! des tartes tatins. i just simply cannot resist wonderful local fruit at such a good price.<br /><br /><img style="width: 600px; height: 759px;" src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a192/hoppipolla/stylishandsassy/september%202010/apples.jpg" alt="apples,fall,orchard,quebec" border="0" /><br /><br />also i don't think i've mentioned it before, but i started a food blog a little while ago. it's called "<a href="http://foodiwanttoeat.tumblr.com/">food i want to eat</a>" and it mostly features recipes i want to try. expect mostly vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and/or raw recipes. check it out if you're interested in recipes.julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-78975893197164157992010-10-06T11:42:00.000-04:002013-11-25T09:41:34.159-05:00inspiration: advanced style<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l95vi2f2Pc1qza1pgo1_500.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l95vi2f2Pc1qza1pgo1_500.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 674px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 425px;" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
this weekend, i was walking down la rue charest on a sunny afternoon, and an older woman caught my eye. she was a waitress leaning out of a window, speaking with a friend. her hair was bright white, except for a streak of neon pink and a dash of purple. on her left upper forearm, there was a small tattoo of a little unicorn's head in black and white. i was <i>in awe</i>. i find it so incredibly refreshing to see older women not get trapped into those boring "how to dress at 40, 50, and 60" scripts that all too many "women's magazines" promote, but at the same time can you blame those who do subscribe to that ideology?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
just by taking a quick look at mainstream fashion magazines, we see that the message is overwhelming the same: you are either dressing too <i>young</i> or dressing <i>too old, </i>especially if you are over the age of 30. since you are no longer simply a sex object (with the assumption being that you are a hot sexual nubile young thing in your teens and twenties, but when you're in your thirties you are either a mother, wife, or career woman, or better yet all three!) then you're not really worth looking at or pandering to. advertisers will try and sell you the idea that if you buy our clothes, you will look as young as our models, you will relive your youth, etc. etc, because aging/being old is so completely horrible. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
of course, there are exceptions to this boring sexist ageist script. every once in a while fashion magazines turn the attention on their own, like <a href="http://xolondon.blogspot.com/2010/06/karen-elson-as-grace-coddington.html">grace coddington</a>, and the runway history makers like <a href="http://kimair.blogspot.com/2006/07/bring-back-supers.html">linda evangelista</a>, naomi, and kate. but even while purporting to celebrate women of "all shapes and sizes," we all know this is a joke. even with articles hidden in the back, or one editorial that celebrates an actress or singer who is in her forties, older women are constantly being erased or worse, policed. year round, we see that their covers (think of elle, vogue, allure, etc.) feature almost exclusively women in their late teens and early twenties on their covers. the exception, of course, is made when they publish their "age" issue, which now shows skinny, blonde, white women in their <i>30s</i>! how revolutionary.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TKyFnwXZQbI/AAAAAAAAAK8/PoaKJNS3zKI/s1600/blog.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524937760921174450" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TKyFnwXZQbI/AAAAAAAAAK8/PoaKJNS3zKI/s320/blog.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 140px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://showstalker.net/2010/07/gwyneth-paltrow-vogue-usa/">gwyneth paltrow</a> (37), <a href="http://ugly-chic.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html">uma thurman</a> (38) and <a href="http://stylefrizz.com/200807/kate-moss-us-vogue-august-2008/">kate moss</a> (34) grace the covers of the vogue "age" issues (age when they were on the cover)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
but back to my love for the style of many older women i pass on the street, at thrift stores, at the grocery store. one of the main reasons i believe fashion magazines don't pay attention to older women on a regular basis is because they know most of them simply <i>do not give a shit anymore. </i>clearly this is not universally true, but for the most part i think it is easier for younger women to put all the emphasis on their appearance and to buy into the scripts fashion magazines sell them because they are the target audience. they are being pandered to, they see themselves, or at least someone they could aspire to look and/or dress like all the time so it is easier to buy into those illusions and fantasies. based on what many older women have told me, and the conversations i've had with them about fashion and clothing, you often have a better idea of what you want, like, and need which makes it all the more simple to not give a shit about what a fashion magazine has to say about your choices. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
seeing this stylish woman this weekend was not the first time i have loved the style, demeanor, and fashion of a person twice, or perhaps even thrice my age, and it's a question that has been on my mind lately. my friend <a href="http://de-la-tourelle.tumblr.com/">anne-marie</a> has been <a href="http://de-la-tourelle.tumblr.com/post/1146499077/the-picture-of-dorian-leigh#notes">expressing</a> <a href="http://de-la-tourelle.tumblr.com/post/1146499077/the-picture-of-dorian-leigh#notes">frustration</a> at ageism in the fashion and beauty industry. around the same time, jezebel <a href="http://jezebel.com/5649266/what-a-major-ladymag-looks-like-without-professional-models/gallery/1">posted</a> about a german magazine called brigitte which recently stopped using professional models, and now often posts the age of the "real" women participating in their photoshoots. last but not least, <a href="http://hellovagina.tumblr.com/">hellovagina</a> was posting some <a href="http://hellovagina.tumblr.com/post/1217812610">amazing</a> <a href="http://hellovagina.tumblr.com/post/1217699475">photos</a> of <a href="http://hellovagina.tumblr.com/post/1194545559">stylish older ladies</a> on their tumblr.</div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
but honestly? the fashion blogging world isn't much better than the fashion magazine industry when it comes to representing older women. anyone who takes a quick glance at <a href="http://www.refinery29.com/five-fashion-bloggers-to-watch.php">fashion bloggers</a> will see that it is a relatively homogenous group; almost entirely white, mostly female, relatively thin (at least falling into the "straight" size category), able-bodied and <i>young.</i> 14 (including tavi) to about 30 years old, max. there are a lot of factors that could lead to this (it's a new technology, youth-target audience, etc), but i'll leave it at that seeing as this post is <i>not</i> about deconstructing fashion bloggers or even criticizing them. rather, i want to call attention to how, in some ways, the fashion blogosphere has created at least a <i>small</i> space for us to call attention to and celebrate stylish older women. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
to cut to the chase, here are some pictures of some particularly stylish and savvy older women.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9l023dare1qzolo2o1_500.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 638px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 500px;" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
iris apfel</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://cache-04.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/39/2010/09/104549252_10.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
chantal thomas (<i>loving</i> everything except for the shoes)</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l0601hKX3K1qbpxaso1_500.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l0601hKX3K1qbpxaso1_500.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 700px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 467px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
lynn yaeger</div>
<div>
<br />
<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9dmb7qJOi1qzolo2o1_500.jpg"></a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9dmb7qJOi1qzolo2o1_500.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9dmb7qJOi1qzolo2o1_500.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 276px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; width: 460px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/2010/09/advanced-style-exclusive-mimi-weddells.html"></a><a href="http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/2010/09/advanced-style-exclusive-mimi-weddells.html">mimi weddell</a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
some photos from one of my favourite street fashion blogs, <a href="http://hel-looks.com/">hel-looks</a>.</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060913_01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20060913_01.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 520px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 364px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/?p=image/archives/1/20060913_01/">Annikki</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20090117_01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20090117_01.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 520px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 364px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/?p=image/archives/1/20090117_01/">maritsa</a></div>
<a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20100608_01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20100608_01.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 520px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 364px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/?p=image/archives/6/20100608_01/">hel-look</a>s</div>
<a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20061222_08.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.hel-looks.com/photos/20061222_08.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 520px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 364px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
all from <a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/?p=image/archives/1/20061222_08/">hel-looks</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and i even found some from a few of my favourite photographers:</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.hel-looks.com/?p=image/archives/1/20061222_08/"></a><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_39fvO8fXVuw/Sw1W6OtyrSI/AAAAAAAAAA0/B0ZdVJxiioo/s1600/4.-Arbus.L.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_39fvO8fXVuw/Sw1W6OtyrSI/AAAAAAAAAA0/B0ZdVJxiioo/s1600/4.-Arbus.L.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 297px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T7MCc1NvXgI/SNlhM9nzlgI/AAAAAAAAAAk/WSukW89DRI4/s400/diane_arbus_06.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T7MCc1NvXgI/SNlhM9nzlgI/AAAAAAAAAAk/WSukW89DRI4/s400/diane_arbus_06.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 383px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 383px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
photos by <a href="http://diane-arbus-photography.com/">diane arbus</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.amber-online.com/system/assets/600/600/600/constrain/img"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.amber-online.com/system/assets/600/600/600/constrain/img" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 468px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 600px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
the critic, 1943 <a href="http://www.amber-online.com/exhibitions/weegee-collection/exhibits/the-critic-1943">by wee gee</a></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
even the most recent CocoRosie video indulges my love:<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tu3EcAHdHlE?fs=1&hl=fr_FR"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tu3EcAHdHlE?fs=1&hl=fr_FR" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
as my wonderful friend<a href="http://baruchandroll.tumblr.com/post/1174237969/description-probable-self-portrait-in-the-mirror"> iris says</a>, "i don't plan on my twenties being my most fashionable decade."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/helen-mirren.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the wonderful helen mirren.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
but before i go, i want to make one thing particularly clear if i haven't already; i want to <i>celebrate</i> older ladies style, not police them. i feel like the only conversations we have about older women and their relationship to fashion is how to look more youthful, how to <i>hide</i> the fact that they are older, etc. but i like to think that most of the women whom i posted photos of are the kind of women who say <b>fuck off</b> to those rules. they are the ones who have gotten to a point where they simply do not give a fuck what a fashion magazine has to say about their choice of clothing, or their bodies, etc. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
but don't let me have the final word! who are your favourite stylish older ladies? are your grandmothers particularly stylish? share photos! links! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my three all-time favourite stylish older ladies:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">anna piagi</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">orlan</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">louise bourgeois</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
LINKS:</div>
<div>
<a href="http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/">advanced style</a><br />
<a href="http://www.oldladiesrebellion.com/">the old ladies rebellion</a></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Love-the-Way-You-Look">oprah article on lynn yaeger</a></div>
</div>
<div>
<a href="http://jezebel.com/5649266/what-a-major-ladymag-looks-like-without-professional-models/gallery/1">what a major ladymag looks like without professional models</a> on jezebel</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
SHITTY LINKS:</div>
<div>
<a href="http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/2008/10/teen_style_are_your_clothes_to.php">are your clothes too "tween"?</a> on the Tyra</div>
julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-2591974395293674892010-10-01T09:14:00.000-04:002010-10-06T13:11:22.083-04:00cultural appropriation: still refusing to see the truth<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TKdMmVx-TgI/AAAAAAAAAKs/rn1qZolXxtM/s1600/headdress2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TKdMmVx-TgI/AAAAAAAAAKs/rn1qZolXxtM/s400/headdress2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523467689558691330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">[a polaroid of a person outdoors, with long brown hair wearing a colourful native american inspired "war bonnet" and bright red lipstick. they are covering their eyes with the back of their hands and is expressionless. the text underneath the polaroid reads "Until mainstream society takes Natives seriously, it won't take Native issues seriously. Carticatures, mascots, costumes and cartoons don't need running water, after all." Sheena Rotman (The Signal)]<br />a page from kate burch's zine, <a href="http://zinelibrary.info/headdress">head dress</a></span><br /><br /></div><br /><em></em>in the year since i started this blog, the issue that has generated the most debate and discussion had easily been <a href="http://alagarconniere.blogspot.com/2010/04/critical-fashion-lovers-basic-guide-to.html">the critical fashion lover's guide to cultural appropriation</a>. now that halloween is just around the corner, seeing images of white women in hypersexualized racist "<a href="http://www.costumecraze.com/PLBY22.html">indian princes</a><a href="http://www.costumecraze.com/PLBY22.html">s</a>" costumes is sadly serving as a reminder that this is issue will not go away without a fight. but we can keep the conversations going. sadly, today i feel disappointed, disenchanted, exhausted. it sucks that we still have to keep defending the very basics of <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> we think people should be thinking about cultural appropriation in the first place. here i go again.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 528px; height: 382px;" src="http://catandgirl.com/archive/2010-09-28-cgfood.gif" /><br />[cartoon: in the first panel, a girl sits in a judge's stall with a gavel. a cat wearing glasses is dressed as a mariachi holding a bag that reads "taco taco." the judge rules "cultural appropriation." this continues with many foods, pizza, "hot stuff," "der very wurst," and a 3 potato salad. the last three panels are as follows: the judge watches patiently as cat sighs and reaches into a mcdonald's bag. in the next panel, the judge is eating fries and cat is eating a burger. the judge says, "it's so sad that the whole world eats mcdonalds." ]<br /></div><br />my first reminder that the spirit of cultural appropriation is alive and well was when i was looking for a laugh: this week, i was disappointed with the <a href="http://catandgirl.com/?p=2629">latest cat & girl comic</a>. i used to really enjoy their sardonic sense of humour, but this... it just kind of rubs me the wrong way. it almost seems to propogate this attitude of "you can't win" if you think critically about cultural appropriation. at the same time, i think i could understand <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> it would be funny to some people (perhaps it is a jab at the imposed dominance of american fast food culture on a global scale?).<br /><br />but in the end, the imagery of the judge ruling wether or not a food item can be considered cultural appropriation only serves to remind me that it is really annoying/emotionally <span style="font-style: italic;">exhausting</span> to constantly have to be on the defensive. to constantly have to explain the reasons why cultural appropriation, whether it be happening in a mall food court or on a fashion runaway, is potentially problematic and needs to be challenged. a common reaction when the subject comes up is "who made you the judge of everyone?" <span style="font-style: italic;">sigh</span>. contrary to what many naysayers may believe, no, i don't sit in front of my computer actively searching for white girls wearing headdresses to argue with and judge.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/ljhadiya/cab.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">created by <a href="http://elusis.livejournal.com/">elusis</a></span><br /></div><br />rather, it's that images of models, of clothing catalogues, and of white girls in headdresses at concerts that attack and offend <span style="font-style: italic;">us</span>: those of us who feel like these conversations are important to be having, that we have to ask these questions. i am fed up with it. fed up with seeing "Othered" cultures reduced to shitty stereotypes for uncritical (mostly) white people to buy into, as a product, and then to attack <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span> when i ask them to think about what they are wearing, when i ask them why they choose to wear what they wear. is that such an offensive question? is it really us who are so hypersensitive and who take things "too seriously," or is it you who just wants to refuse to think for two seconds?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.thismoi.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Picture-30.png" /><br /></div><br />which leads me to katrina richardson's amazing article, <i><a href="http://theloop21.com/society/accosted-racist-costumes?page=1">Accosted by racist costumes.</a></i> in it, she writes frankly and honestly about getting upset at an art festival after not only seeing two girls wearing headdresses, but walking into an art gallery called "The Eskimo Sisters." unsurprisingly, the gallery is not in fact run by Inuit women, or have any attachment or relevance to Inuit culture whatsoever (which is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Eskimo, which for the record has been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo">frowned upon by Inuit communities</a> and was largely removed from popular nomenclature in Canada and Greenland since the 1970s but is still used in Alaska). rather, according to their facebook page, <blockquote>Eskimo Sisters is a new space in Providence for music, art, delicious treats, sparklers, general silliness, general seriousness, kittens, puppies, and magical unicorns.</blockquote>oh, and i suppose the magical northern "Eskimo" people fall right into that category, too! what a perfect name! /bitchy sarcasm. to top it off, the term "Eskimo Sisters" supposedly refers to two women who have slept with the same man. we all know how much we love our racial naivety with a side order of hypersexualization, don't we?<br /><br />richardson ends up confronting the two girls wearing a headdress, and asking them why they are wearing them. her article is definitely worth taking the time to read it in its entireity, but here are two important quotes:<br /><blockquote>I understood <i>why</i> the headdresses seemed like an attractive accessory. People want something closer to the ethereal and the spiritual. To look ethnic and feel closer to nature. But is their whim to play earthy mystic for a night greater than mine to <i>enjoy an evening without feeling accosted by racist costume?</i></blockquote>she concludes her powerful article with this statement:<br /><blockquote>I may grow wiser and regret my actions, but even if those women do remain clueless and forget everything I said, I at least made <i>them</i> uncomfortable for five minutes of their night, and right now, that's worth it<i>, </i>to me.<i><br /></i></blockquote>for her sake, mine, and other people who have been taking up this fight, i hope she is right. her experience reminds me of a lot of my own, of my internalized racism as a mixed race french-canadian/abenaki kid growing up. of playing cowboys and indians and always being relegated to the role of the "indian." of my own family's erasure and active denial of our native roots.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 522px; height: 336px;" src="http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/glasto_06_29/g29_24086467.jpg" /><br />image courtesy of <a href="http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/2010/07/music-festival-hipster-headdress-goes.html">native appropriations</a><br /></div><br />mainly, it reminds me <a href="http://garconniere.tumblr.com/post/1225883019/dear-asshole-white-girl">last night</a>. i went to see <a href="http://www.myspace.com/xiuxiuforlife">xiu xiu,</a> a free concert organized by the city's university radio station <a href="http://www.chyz.ca/quoi-de-neuf/nouvelles/decouvrez-les-artistes-du-show-de-lancement/">CHYZ 94,3 </a>and i was sadly reminded why i have stopped going to live shows. the entire night, i was distracted by this blonde girl wearing a headband with a few feathers sticking out, and blue paint smeared underneath her cheeks. all her friends had the same paint across their face, and at different points they were passing around the "native" headband.<br /><br />it reminds me of last halloween, when i spent a half an hour in the bathroom calming myself down after a teenage girl i'd met a few times through mutual friends jumped up on stage to dance with we are wolves dressed as an "indian princess."<br /><br />it reminds me of <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of these times i end up feeling like shit, and have to convince myself that this is just me overreacting. all of these times i overthink the entire situation, wondering what i should do, what i could say, to simply encourage people to maybe think twice before they leave the house dressed up as an outdated racist stereotype.<br /><br />so i'm trying to think of productive ways we can confront these issues, have these conversations with strangers, without emotionally exhausting ourselves or decreeing ourselves the Official Judge and Jury of all things Cultural Appropriating. here's my first idea.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TKdMmbgfBJI/AAAAAAAAAK0/xZMSCepPCfE/s1600/headdress.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TKdMmbgfBJI/AAAAAAAAAK0/xZMSCepPCfE/s400/headdress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523467691095950482" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />this week, i got a lovely gift in the mail from kate burch: a zine called Head Dress. earlier this summer, kate asked me if she could quote me in it and i was very curious to see how it would turn out. now that i have a copy to myself, i'm <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> happy to have been a small part of what is a very informative yet simple to-the-point zine. when i asked her where i could suggest my readers buy it, she simply said that she wanted it to be more of a "public service announcement" than making money. so! print out a bunch of your own copies and drop them off where you think they might be most thought-provoking. a few ideas:<br /><ul><li>thrift stores where you regularly see "hipsters"</li><li>coffee shops in urban areas</li><li>music venues/festivals where you have seen aforementioned cultural appropriating hipsters<br /></li><li>offending stores that sell clothes labelled "tribal" or "native" or "<a href="http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/us-only/women/clothing/item10033392.aspx?cur=USD&source=shopstyle">cherokee</a>" (urban outfitters, forever21, <a href="http://www.bluefly.com/Tory-Burch-plum-cotton-embellished-Justine-blouse/cat20158/210382200/detail.fly?cm_mmc=CJ-_-1909792-_-2178999-_-Tory+Burch+plum+cotton+embellished+%27Justine%27+blouse&referer=cjunction_2178999_10436858_223088043">bluefly</a>, etc)</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G_ElcN3zq44/S1T4mm0uV1I/AAAAAAAAAC8/RYMN6-C-c_8/s320/IMG00027.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">an urban outfitters totem pole </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;">jewelry stand</span><span style="font-size:85%;">.<a href="http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com/2010/01/it-starts-with-trip-to-urban-outfitters.html"> i shit you not</a>.</span><br /></div><ul><li>hell, you could even mail copies to offending designers if you wanted! at fashion design schools.</li></ul>suggest more places in the comments!<br /><br />as for distribution, i've got québec city covered (going to translate it this weekend), and kate dropped a bunch around nyc, so readers everywhere else! arm your photocopiers! spread the word. it's nice to think these conversations can leave the blogosphere and can perhaps influence critical thinking. where do you guys live? can someone promise to cover kensington market in toronto? mile end in montreal? bushwick in brooklyn? portland?<br /><br />so that's what's on my mind lately... i'll leave you with an few excerpts from the most <a href="http://mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com/post/1219050955/i-recieved-a-flood-of-angry-notes-and-messages-after">recent post</a> at <a href="http://mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com/">my culture is not a trend</a> in response to hate mail they've been receiving.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Stop being angry about the distant past. The people who colonized you are dead. Get over it.</span><br /><blockquote><em></em> <p>Okay, I’ll play your game. </p> <p>Lets pretend, and put aside the past, the genocide, the theft of land, peoples and language - all things deemed to have happened “long ago.” I’m not going to address these at all.</p> <p>So here we are- modern day, new slate.</p> <p>The act of cultural drag is <strong>still </strong>a problem. This is because systematic racism of Native American people <strong>still exists</strong>, and is overwhelmingly aggressive. We are <strong>still encountering</strong> it every day of our lives - in textbooks, at school, going shopping, using government facilities, interacting with the police, with health care systems, with our religious freedom, with the colour of our skin - we are met with derision and antagonism for our mere existence. With words used to keep us in our place. <strong>This is not ancient history</strong>, it is the every-day existence of a people who <em>are still alive. </em></p> ...When you choose to dress up like one of us, you erase us. You transform a group of doctors, writers, trades people, teenagers, mothers, fathers, singers — individuals, into one absurd caricature unworthy of respect, identity - autonomy. <p>...If our countries start to think of us as human beings, then our deeper issues may one day come to resolution as well. Just because my mission seems trivial -<em> what impact could fashion possibly have?</em>- doesn’t mean I’m not actively fighting the system that imposed the ideologies in the first place.</p></blockquote><p style="font-weight: bold;">LINKS:</p><p>Kate Burch's <a href="http://pizzatown.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a></p><p>Download at <a href="http://zinelibrary.info/headdress">zine library here</a>. </p><p><a href="http://theloop21.com/society/accosted-racist-costumes?page=1">Accosted by racist costumes: Expressing displeasure with something no one else has a problem with means revealing yourself as "the other"</a> by Katrina Richardson</p><p><a href="http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2010/08/eskimo-sisters-in-indian-headdresses.html">"Eskimo Sisters" in Indian headdresses</a> by Newspaper Rock: Where Native America meets pop culture<br /></p><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NatNews/message/50516"></a><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo">Eskimo</a> on Wikipedia</p><p><a href="http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_feminism/">Ohnotheydidn't's feminist livejournal</a> community is currently having a discussion about<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_feminism/372477.html">cultural appropriation.</a></p><p><a href="http://mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com/post/1219050955/i-recieved-a-flood-of-angry-notes-and-messages-after">my culture is not a trend</a></p><p style="font-weight: bold;">OFFENSIVE HALLOWEEN SHIT I RECOMMEND NOT LOOKING AT:</p><p><a href="http://www.costumecraze.com/WIG71.html">Adult Indian Squaw Wig with Braids</a><br /></p>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-62006982899041611022010-09-23T18:02:00.000-04:002010-09-23T18:32:38.065-04:00currently reading: cat party<div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 415px; height: 607px;" src="http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb282/Cfairless/cat-prada.jpg" /><br /></div><br />anyone who knows me knows of my fondness for cats (well, of animals in general). so when i discovered <a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/">i love cat party</a>, i was excited and happy to find a blog that combines a love of cats, a love of fashion, and a combination of the two.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2010/08/pussy-galore.html"><img src="http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb282/Cfairless/united-bamboo-cat-calendar-4.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:180%;">seriously.<br /></span></div><br />favourite posts include:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2009/12/all-tomorrows-parties.html">a post</a> about what her favourite L Word characters would wear to a christmas party.</li><li>film stills from movies about <a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2010/03/cherry-bomb.html">badass punk girls</a></li><li>a love letter to <a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2009/08/cat-fancy-lanvin.html">alber elbaz</a></li><li>an <a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2009/05/huppert-thon.html">homage to isabelle huppert</a>, oh be still my heart/loins</li><li>masculin féminin appreciation of <a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2010/01/masculin-feminin.html">annemarie schwarzenbach</a></li><li><a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2010/02/bobs-and-bad-behavior.html">bobs and bad behaviour</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Z5f1qugpc4E/S3B0sdntZoI/AAAAAAAABTE/Y1ZmeYKZBm4/s400/crit-pandora-box-louise-brooks-pandoras_box-7.jpg" /><br />louise brooks in <span style="font-style: italic;">pandora's box</span> (g.w. pabst, 1929)<br /></div><ul><li>photos of a young <a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2008/01/book-club-cathy.html">kate bush</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2008/08/people-we-love-edwige-belmore.html">people we love: edwige belmore</a>, with this choice quote: <blockquote>Edwige is so cool, she makes Edie Sedgwick look like Stephanie Tanner.</blockquote></li></ul>aaaaaaand last but not least, colette with cats:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Z5f1qugpc4E/SWwUENeRdKI/AAAAAAAAAKI/qvm3bOph4bk/s400/3153217287_88885dff17.jpg" /><br /></div><br />i love her sense of humour, love of pop culture, and little hilarious jabs at <a href="http://ilovecatparty.blogspot.com/2010/08/shilohmania.html">celebrity worship</a>. the perfect balance of kitsch, ridiculousness, and awesome taste. just what i needed to waste my thursday afternoon.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">that is all.<br /><img style="width: 451px; height: 301px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Z5f1qugpc4E/Ss44G2igo2I/AAAAAAAAAy8/Sfd63LZqnMc/s400/united-bamboo-cat-calendar-2.jpg" /><br />have a nice day!<br /></span></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-58306500934047160922010-09-21T14:42:00.000-04:002010-09-21T15:00:08.162-04:00what i wore: matching our surroundingslast week, my friend <a href="http://de-la-tourelle.tumblr.com/">anne-marie</a> took me thrifting. as we stepped out of our doors, we realized... we match our neighbourhood!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/5012573268/" title="anne marie by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 261px; height: 381px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5012573268_5a8c2e1335.jpg" alt="anne marie" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/5011972445/" title="i match my door by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 293px; height: 382px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5011972445_07fe2e3ea4.jpg" alt="i match my door" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/5012594154/" title="anne marie by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 598px; height: 425px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5012594154_1735797fab_z.jpg" alt="anne marie" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">i absolutely love anne-marie's t-strap shoes, and i could not believe the colour was the exact same as her front door.<br /><br />we don't mess around here in québec city; we are <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> stylish, we accidentally end up matching our beautiful surroundings. how about that.<br /><br />posting these very fall-themed photos reminds me... anne-marie, morgan, simon & i went swimming during the heat wave a few weeks back, and it was possibly my favourite day of the entire summer. okay perhaps second favourite, a close second to swimming in the pacific back in july. i better post those photos before we forget what the summer heat felt like! not to mention all of the writing i have to work on before we come up on the 1 year anniversary of this here little blog.<br /><br />anyway, back to the grindstone. until then!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/5011968119/" title="i believe i can fly by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/5011968119_f524e9eb8a_z.jpg" alt="i believe i can fly" height="640" width="436" /></a><br /></div></div></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-34796904174995722062010-09-19T21:41:00.000-04:002010-09-21T10:42:54.587-04:00art: craftivism at fashion week<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/4990635158_11ce3c2b15_z.jpg" /><br /></div><br />the blogging world is abuzz with fashion week news, talking about which collections are their favourite, what is the hot new colour palette, and who was in the front row. that's fun and all, but how about some food for thought: craftivist <a href="http://alonelycraftivist.blogspot.com/">Sarah Corbett</a> of the <a href="http://www.craftivist-collective.com/">London Craftivist Collective</a> snuck into the London Fashion Week premises to leave this lovely message:<br /><br /><em></em><blockquote><em>Lowest paid models at London Fashion Week paid £125 an hour. Majority of garment workers in Vietnam paid £25 a month. - love from the Craftivist Collective<br /></em></blockquote><br />this news courtesy of <a href="http://www.mrxstitch.com/2010/09/19/stitchgasm-craftivist-collectives-lfw/">mr x stitch</a>, via the lovely <a href="http://sailorstooth.tumblr.com/">mccall</a>. simple, beautiful, powerful stuff. this amazing team are forcing people to pay attention to the massive discrepancies and rampant abuse of worker's rights, all while using fashion's very own tools, a needle and thread. talk about using the master's tools to dismantle the master's house...<br /><br />i <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> like this kind of activism, which has been coined as "craftivism." it's in your face without being flashy. simple and to the point, presenting the viewer with a fact that is confrontational and hard to forget. for some more context, let's look at the london craftivist collective's manifesto:<br /><br /><blockquote>To expose the scandal of global poverty, and human rights injustices though the power of craft and public art. This will be done through provocative, non-violent creative actions.</blockquote><br />after a bit of digging around, i found that this is far from the first fashion related craftivist activity that has happened! here are some more lovely projects.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 800px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4t771WxuEyw/TJZWLWwSWQI/AAAAAAAAAGg/YlaLZ_7vFWw/s1600/_MG_2211.jpg" /><br /></div>and of course, my favourite part: "love fashion, hate sweatshops." <a href="http://craftivist-collective.blogspot.com/2010/09/craftivist-collective-micro-exhibition.html">click here</a> to read more about this initiative.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/4999660084_ab7a627d81.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4900722053_e7f029ef1d.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">courtesy of the <a href="http://sugarpapergang.blogspot.com/">sugar paper gang</a><br /></div><br />happy link perusing!<br /><br />EDITED TO ADD:<br /><br />the first photo has been making the rounds on tumblr, and i wanted to add what i thought were some interesting reflections and statements.<br /><br />from <a href="http://antibromide.tumblr.com/post/1156260112/theworkinghands-lowest-paid-models-at-london">antibromide</a>:<br /><blockquote>Those two statements aren’t correlated. Garments worn in fashion week are not made in Vietnam for pennies an hour. The garments made in Vietnam are the things sold at stores like Forever 21 to people who want to look like they buy designer goods but don’t want to pay designer prices (or pay the high prices of goods manufacured in the United States). Fashion week isn’t the problem, fast fashion stores that will do anything to have goods made faster and cheaper and the people who shop those stores are the problem.</blockquote>and some wise words from <a href="http://materialworld.tumblr.com/post/1156076967/theworkinghands-lowest-paid-models-at-london">materialworld</a>:<br /><blockquote>Co-relation point = well, yes but no.</blockquote> <blockquote>The message is simplistic for impact, but<span style="font-weight: bold;"> it’s also an oversimplification that cheap brands exploit workers while expensive designer labels don’t</span>. In Australia this has been disproven by rights monitoring agencies including <a href="http://www.fairwear.org.au/engine.php">Fair Wear</a>, as labels may outsource for some items in a range only, produce the garments in-house from under-priced outsourced fabrics, or produce multiple ranges for different economic niches with different production ethics in each.</blockquote> <blockquote> <a href="http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/resources/books/ecochicmatildalee/">Eco-Chic</a> by Matilda Lee gives a handy, more UK focussed introduction to the <a href="http://stylewithscruples.com/2009/07/top-8-ugly-eco-statistics-from-eco-chic-by-matilda-lee/">unseen</a> supply/demand impacts of trend based fashion, if anyone is interested. <br /></blockquote> <blockquote>I don’t interpret this as directed at any particular Fashion Week label anyway. More a general, clever, protest of the way global fashion cultures - which Fashion Week sets trends for - privilege women in wealthier nations as objects of desire or consumers over those women in the majority world supply chain as labourers. </blockquote>i think both people raise very important and interesting points. i completely agree with <a href="http://materialworld.tumblr.com/">materialworld'</a>s last point: the fact that this kind of craftivism is at least in some manner confronting the unfair and exploitative world of who imagines, who creates, and who consumes fashion. i think this could start a very important conversation about the relationship that fashion weeks around the world have to the "fast fashion" industry that we are so quick to criticize, while simultaneously upholding these unproven statements that the "higher" fashion industries (prêt à porter, haute couture, runways shows, etc) do not play a part in exploitation.<br /><br />in my opinion, stating something like "fashion week isn't the problem, fast fashion is" as <a href="http://antibromide.tumblr.com">antibromide</a> does is just too reductive for me to swallow.<br /><br />what do you think?<br /><br />LINKS:<br /><a href="http://www.craftivist-collective.com/">Craftivist Collective</a><br /><a href="http://www.waronwant.org/campaigns/love-fashion-hate-sweatshops">Love Fashion, Hate Sweatshops</a><br />Craftivist Collective's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftivist-collective/">flickr stream</a><br /><a href="http://radicalcrossstitch.com/">Radical Cross Stitch</a><br /><a href="http://radicalcrossstitch.com/xstitch/">DIY</a>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-31744080518483334592010-09-12T23:35:00.001-04:002010-09-13T01:09:29.500-04:00what i wore today: homage to teddy girls<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TI2cVg6QcrI/AAAAAAAAAKY/Kh4vpr6pt0g/s1600/IMG_0913.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TI2cVg6QcrI/AAAAAAAAAKY/Kh4vpr6pt0g/s400/IMG_0913.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516237012024193714" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">consider this an homage to a jacket, to a season, and to a stylish group of badass ladies known as the teddy girls.<br /></div><br />after a week of intense heat at the very end of august (very unusual and quite historic for québec city) we have finally been blessed with a cool autumn breeze in the air. as much as i love summer, i must say sartorially fall has always been my favourite. it's so much fun to play with colours, layers, textures... ah, tweed, plaid, how i missed thee.<br /><br />today was one of those lovely early fall days, and so i dug deep in my closet to fully enjoy the autumn air while i ran some errands. here's what i came up with.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">.the outfit.<br /></span></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TI2r8oUquyI/AAAAAAAAAKg/KulyjKJV7uc/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 346px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TI2r8oUquyI/AAAAAAAAAKg/KulyjKJV7uc/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516254176703331106" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4985089645/" title="1 by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/4985089645_a69e9612c9.jpg" alt="1" height="500" width="308" /></a><br />(i feel like i look a wee bit... stoned in this photo)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4985688162/" title="details by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4104/4985688162_5b788a8726.jpg" alt="details" height="500" width="396" /></a><br />it's moments like these where i love volunteering in a thrift store; that saddle bag and pair of high waisted pants are my rewards.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4985090015/" title="may i interest you in a book? by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 250px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/4985090015_07a625b582.jpg" alt="may i interest you in a book? " /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4985090599/" title="may i interest you in a book? by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 250px; height: 378px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/4985090599_639244876f.jpg" alt="may i interest you in a book?" /></a><br /><br /><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l8o1ifN6I91qzvsguo1_500.gif" /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">.the jacket.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4985088343/" title="jules by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4126/4985088343_ea42f1c098.jpg" alt="jules" height="406" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4985087583/" title="jacket by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/4985087583_706b72a6dd.jpg" alt="jacket" height="375" width="500" /></a><br />the shoulders! they are just the perfect cut for me.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4985687640/" title="jules closeup by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/4985687640_31062af775.jpg" alt="jules closeup" height="375" width="500" /></a><br />and even the namesake is perfection; jules was a nickname of mine when i was younger.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">this is potentially one of the best items in my closet; it can make a dress more casual, a short and pants outfit fancier, and fits me <span style="font-style: italic;">perfectly</span>. i used to think the sleeves were too short but now i understand. when i found it years ago, i really did not appreciate the treasure i had found. i think i paid $2 for it in a thrift store in trenton, or was it peterborough? by any means, it didn't really suit my style back in 2004, but now that i am a bit older and a little less afraid of looking "serious", every fall i look forward to pulling it out and pairing it with new things. the combinations are really endless. here are two ways i wore it back in the fall of 2008.<br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/daughtersofether/?action=view&current=IMG_9147.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 351px; height: 469px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/daughtersofether/IMG_9147.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/daughtersofether/?action=view&current=IMG_9123.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 350px; height: 465px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/daughtersofether/IMG_9123.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;">.the inspiration.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">teddy girls:<br /><br /><img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l5yqfo4lG01qaois4o1_500.jpg" /><br />Teddy Girl, 1955. by Ken Russell<br /><br /><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l26l64heDv1qavk2zo1_500.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kztkfbzhjR1qa9nwqo1_400.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_blDPCML4OP4/SG5AUyU17_I/AAAAAAAABD4/5RYRf_9y--8/s400/Ken_Russell_Teddy_Girls_1.jpg" /><br />all photos by filmmaker and photographer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Russell">Ken Russell</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">how can you see these photos and NOT want to look exactly like them? they have so much attitude, yet at the same time so much joy. i especially love how in the first and last photos, the boys are almost jealous of all the attention the teddy girls are getting, as if they wish they could be in their "club." sorry boys.<br /><br />here is part of the essay that accompanied the publication of these images in picture post magazine: <blockquote>These photos were taken in January 1955 in Walthamstow, Poplar and North Kensington: solidly working class areas of London. The girls photographed embody three of the great issues of the time; class, gender and youth. They are rejecting the drab costumes of class conformity and post-war austerity. <span style="font-weight: bold;">They are pioneers for women looking beyond home for a place to be valued.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">They are young girls blazing a trail that will be followed by youth cultures for decades to come. </span>But somehow Teddy Girls as a group remain historically almost invisible.</blockquote>how great is that! pretty amazing if you ask me. i wish i could have known some of those teddy girls... hell, maybe some one you brits might have had a relative who was a teddy girl! ask around.<br /><br />clearly i am not the only person to have ever been inspired by the style of these ferocious femmes. back in 2006, <a href="http://bust.com/">bust</a> magazine had a teddy girls themed photoshoot that i enjoyed so much <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/stylishandsassy/11906.html#cutid1">i scanned</a> to share with friends. here are two:<br /></div><br /><img style="width: 500px; height: 646px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/teddy1.jpg" /><br /><br /><img style="width: 501px; height: 651px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/teddy8.jpg" /><br /><br /></div>now if only i could get someone to do my hair, the look would be complete.julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-88621882986023665302010-09-09T12:56:00.000-04:002010-09-10T11:06:36.975-04:00inspiration: femme fatales by niagara<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/Run-2.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/pr67.htm">Run</a> by <a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/bio.htm">Niagara</a><br /></div><br /><a href="http://darksilenceinsuburbia.tumblr.com/">darksilenceinsuburbia</a> posted this image quite some time ago, but it's only now that i got around to digging up a bit more information about the artist. a little bit of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Litchenstein">Litchenstein</a>, a dash of Warhol, swirl it up with a love of ladies with guns in film history and there you have it: the art of <a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/print.htm">Niagara</a>.<br /><br />her femme fatales evoke some of the most powerful women from the golden age of cinema, joan crawford, bette davis, clara bow... not to mention the "pretty faces" like veronica lake and jane russell. i'm personally drawn to the bold and tough attitude the women have, and totally have my own empowering feminist interpretation of them. here are a few of my favourites:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/bang2.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/pr116.html">Bang Bang</a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/double%20shot-2.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/pr52.htm">Double Shot</a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/I%27m%20Pretty%20When%20I%27m%20Angry-2.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/pr92.html">I'm Pretty When I'm Angry</a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/don%27t-2.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/pr75.htm">Don't Fuck with Me</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/Rosie-2.jpg" /><br /><a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/pr83.htm">Fuck Off Outta Here</a><br /><br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/Double%20Dame%20from%20Shanghai.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 451px;" src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/Double%20Dame%20from%20Shanghai.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Double Back</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">not to mention, the artist herself has quite an impressive and interesting story. she fronted the band <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroy_All_Monsters_%28band%29">Destroy All Monsters</a> (who, as a fan of MC5, i am quite surprised i had never heard of before). here's a picture of her having quite a time in the late 70s:<br /></div><br /><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxqm5fRGFe1qzezj5o1_500.jpg" /><br /><br />plus, thurston moore of sonic youth helped to put together a compilation of Destroy All Monsters' music in 1994, since they had never formally recorded. here she is hanging with two of my favourite people, thurston moore and kim gordon.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/sonic.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://www.niagaradetroit.com/gossip.jpg" /><br /><br />she seems all around quite badass to me.</div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-27597881635719092772010-08-15T11:03:00.000-04:002010-09-01T12:31:44.070-04:00current (long) hair inspirationthings are hectic, happening, hilarious in my life at the moment and i'm away from the computer trying to soak it all up. you would not believe the amount of writing i have in the "drafts" folder on my dashboard, nor the ridiculous amounts of inspiration being thrown at me every single day. so it is not for lack of fodder that i have been absent! rather, lack of time alone with my thoughts and my words.<br /><br />in the meantime, dear readers, you get some lovely <span style="font-style: italic;">fluff</span>.<br /><br />in mid-august, my partner's mother gave me a nice set of bangs. the amount of hair i have on my head at the moment is still shocking and surprising to me, but i must admit i am really enjoying it. so in lieu of actual critical discourse about the politics of hair length/texture/colour, i'm simply going to post pictures of people who always made me want to have the haircut i am currently rocking.<br /><br />needless to say a lot of them are french brunettes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uo5FLoq4kFk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Uo5FLoq4kFk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><img src="http://www.alwaysontherun.net/juliedoiron1.jpg" /><br />julie doiron<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TZVqNnqEDO8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TZVqNnqEDO8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />cat power circa "you are free"<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://images.rdujour.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/hotpants-13-1971-jane-birkin.jpg" /><br />jane birkin<br /><br /><img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kswugamzZH1qzal01o1_400.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jQpCGT5eSYI/SR084GuNnfI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/SGu5NnJnzss/s400/Francoise_Hardy_10.jpg" /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2mT1h_OXBNI?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2mT1h_OXBNI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />françoise hardy<br /><br /><img src="http://fafi.coolcats.fr/wp-content//francoise_hardy_210_2.jpg" /><br />seriously style icon for life.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ky7u4eyrVE1qa4pypo1_500.jpg" /><br />eline ros<br /><br /><img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l08136mm7x1qbubxio1_400.png" /><br />aretha!<br /><br />and of course, uncredited images from tumblr<br /><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l6g0c1xLML1qzxdqqo1_500.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l6k3wwcSKK1qbyf8bo1_500.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4hs8e9MZC1qak1uro1_500.png" /><br /><br /><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l2zfpwzrQm1qz5q5oo1_500.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxu2us4f6M1qa9b8ro1_500.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuv8y3pQJs1qa39ano1_500.jpg" /><br />hedy scott, playboy 1965<br /><br />and with this last heat wave of the summer, i really just feel like doing this:<br /><br /><img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l50if9WnV91qz5q5oo1_500.jpg" /><br /><br />happy last days of summer!<br /></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-55113556512859497192010-08-08T18:42:00.000-04:002010-08-09T00:44:05.585-04:00what i wore today: femme tea party<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-CZFEvIBI/AAAAAAAAAJY/IrGPFqwEeOk/s1600/femmeteaparty5.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-CZFEvIBI/AAAAAAAAAJY/IrGPFqwEeOk/s400/femmeteaparty5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503260637040418834" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.perverscite.org/about">pervers/cité</a> is happening in montreal this week, and let me tell you i am wishing i could be there. yesterday, there was a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#%21/event.php?eid=147938921883087&ref=mf">femme tea party</a> happening in montreal at parc jarry from two to five. seriously, how can you resist an awesome (bilingual!) invitation like this one:<br /><blockquote>Mixer for femmes of all genders and our friends! Come frolic in all your finery and enjoy a terribly refined afternoon of iced tea, cupcakes, games and a fabulous femme photoshoot. Rain or shine.<br /></blockquote>seriously. what femme is not reading that and thinking "AH I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE!"<br /><br />if you're like me, and couldn't make it there, what would you have worn? instead of moping around about the fact that i couldn't meet up with some of my wonderfully sexy montrealer queers, like my friend <a href="http://man-themed.tumblr.com/">jesse</a>, i decided to get dressed up anyway, even though i just had a pretty dreary lazy sunday at home and running errands.<br /><br />here's my outfit:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4874685188_42a58eb574_z.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 364px; height: 640px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4874685188_42a58eb574_z.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-DkoEIDuI/AAAAAAAAAJg/hbi_v_HKFO0/s1600/femmeteaparty.jpg"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">vintage hat + veil:</span> emmaüs thrift store, qc<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">necklace</span>: gift from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scarletgeryon/">meghan</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">shirt</span>: zara, thrifted from <a href="http://www.compop.net/taxonomy/term/10">le vestiaire</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">black shawl: </span>le vestiaire<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">gloves</span>: from le vestiaire<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">sandals:</span> thrifted from village des valeurs, qc.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4874076903_2ce4387137_z.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 584px; height: 461px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4874076903_2ce4387137_z.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-FaLh5ynI/AAAAAAAAAKA/3gZF6rKJFg8/s1600/femmeteaparty8.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 335px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-FaLh5ynI/AAAAAAAAAKA/3gZF6rKJFg8/s400/femmeteaparty8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503263954488117874" border="0" /></a>and then i had tea for one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-FYr1L-1I/AAAAAAAAAJo/rvjr2lUeMws/s1600/femmeteaparty3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 403px; height: 390px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-FYr1L-1I/AAAAAAAAAJo/rvjr2lUeMws/s400/femmeteaparty3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503263928799198034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-FZbPcVQI/AAAAAAAAAJw/DYymPhqZUq0/s1600/femmeteaparty1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 404px; height: 605px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-FZbPcVQI/AAAAAAAAAJw/DYymPhqZUq0/s400/femmeteaparty1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503263941525787906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-FZ-5--HI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/FNqn-lieoNE/s1600/femmeteaparty4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YzUvTDPTS18/TF-FZ-5--HI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/FNqn-lieoNE/s400/femmeteaparty4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503263951099459698" border="0" /></a></div>did any of my readers out there attend the femme tea party? i can't wait to see the results of the photoshoot! what did you wear? what kinds of conversations did you have? how gorgeous did everyone look?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">oh yes!</span> and i almost forgot, i have a little announcement: yeah, sure, i love writing about fashion culture from a critical feminist perspective here, but i like to write about other things, too! film, for one! <a href="http://shamelessmag.com/">shameless mag</a> invited me to cover <a href="http://shamelessmag.com/blog/2010/08/well-hello-shameless/">film fridays</a> over there starting next week. i can't decide whether to start with the runaways or youth in revolt... comment there to make requests and all that jazz.<br /><br />until then,<br /><br />xo<br />julia<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">recommending reading browsing</span><br /><a href="http://www.perverscite.org/">pervercité</a> - official website<br /><a href="http://fuckyeahfemmes.tumblr.com/">fuck yeah femmes</a> - tumblr<br /><a href="http://grrrlperspective.blogspot.com/2010/07/5-feminist-conversations-im-over.html">5 feminist conversations i'm over </a>- number 6!julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-17446842629608786692010-08-08T16:16:00.001-04:002010-08-08T22:28:07.390-04:00what i wore: perfect july dance outfit<div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 599px; height: 417px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs188.snc4/37733_586079800412_119100915_35030804_4463150_n.jpg" /><br /><br /><img style="width: 600px; height: 483px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs088.ash2/37733_586079810392_119100915_35030806_6591698_n.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">photos by simon dumas</span><br /></div><br />these were taken near dolores de hidalgo, as liliana, simon and i made our way in search of the san luis potosi desert in early july. it was so much fun to stop and take pictures along the way of our trip, and i'll share more of my favourites on flickr and perhaps here in the near future.<br /><br />as i was dancing to the music blaring from our little rental car in the middle of nowhere, mexico, i realized that this is potentially my absolute favourite dancing outfit. and i remembered the very first time i wore it: june 2008, at pride in toronto. i had just purchased the skirt from a vintage store across the street at a very discounted price, and hadn't quite found a good way to accessorize it. the day before pride, though, at my best friend morgan's encouragement, i decided to go with a semi-rainbow theme, even though i often find it a bit... ridiculous. sequins, glitter, boas, i can go for and wholeheartedly endorse. even rainbow suspenders, or belts, etc. but a whole rainbow outfit? i wasn't sure it would work. but! in fact it's really just four bright colours.<br /><br />what to wear to pride is always a big conundrum. there are a whole host of factors a queer must take into consideration:<br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">hotness</span>, of course. and by hotness i mean you gotta be sexy. clearly this definition/requirement changes for everyone, depending on tastes (style wise and sex wise of course). looking sexy, however is not nearly as important as...</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">feeling</span> sexy.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">practicality</span>. this goes extra if you're in the dyke march or any type of parade you've gotta prepare yourself for lots of walking... and that ain't so easy in your favourite pair of 4 inch heels.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">weather</span>. pride in toronto falls at the end of june or early july, which is usually when it just starts to get to that smoldering summer heat us canadians long for during our excessively long winters.</li><li>and, of course, there is the stereotype that gay men are the harshest fashion critics. are you going to dress for yourself, or for them? (my vote is always to dress for yourself)<br /></li></ol>for me, this was definitely my pick for best pride outfit. it was great for the heat (although i really wished my hair had been a few inches shorter), for dancing in the parade, for flirting with cute queers, for seeing friends i hadn't seen in months and even years, and last but not least topping off the night dancing to a free hidden cameras show.<br /><br />while in mexico, i realized that i still love and wear that outfit that i first wore exactly two years ago! but, with my long hair and glasses, i feel like i look a lot different.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v274/100/33/504108153/n504108153_932289_1416.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">aa dress (yeah i know, gift from an ex) worn as strapless top<br />vintage circle skirt from king of kensington<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(i lived on kensington ave. for 8 months and managed to buy this skirt and one other dress... an incredible feat considering my affection for vintage, the selection on the street, and the fact that i was actually flush with cash during that brief time in my life)</span><br />vintage shoes from st. vincent de paul, peterborough<br />leather satchel from value village, ste. foy<br />wooden necklace from now closed vintage store, montreal<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 534px; height: 400px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v292/32/9/119100915/n119100915_32660634_2339.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">with some lovely ex-peterboroughites, melissa and muna, taking a break from the heat at pride 2008, toronto<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v292/32/9/119100915/n119100915_32676672_9471.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">OMG J.D. SAMSON<br />this doesn't really have anything to do with this post or my outfit other than<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">OMG I MET J.D. SAMSON AND TOTALLY FANGIRLED</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">so tell me! what do you wear to pride events? do you have a favourite outfit that you first wore years ago and can see yourself wearing years from now?<br /></div></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-58980042347198387802010-07-30T21:20:00.000-04:002010-07-31T11:29:36.304-04:00what i wore: lucha libre<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/?action=view&current=jeans1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/jeans1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />when we told pati, the housekeeper at la casa d'escritor in mexico city, that we were going on a date to the lucha libre, she exclaimed: "wearing THAT?!" i was wearing what i normally wear on a nice summer day; a simple red knee-length dress with white piping, and comfortable sandals. no no no, she insisted. i should wear a t-shirt and jeans.<br /><br />ha! me, in a t-shirt and jeans. i thought...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">why not.<br /></span></div><br />for those of you who know me in person or have seen what outfits i have posted online... well, i am hardly a t-shirt and jeans kind of person. in fact, i do not and have not owned jeans in a good three or four years now. but my relationship to denim and pants is a whole other story... i scrambled through simon's closet and dug out two of my favourite of his clothing. seriously doubting my ample hips would be able to squeeze into his already skin-tight jeans, i gave it a go anyway. pairing it with his awesome "SCREAMING FLAMING OHMYGAW EAGLE" t-shirt, as we love to call it, a gift from a stylish belgian friend, i found i looked, in fact, quite badass.<br /><br />and here is some proof.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/?action=view&current=jeans2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 278px; height: 414px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/jeans2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/?action=view&current=jeans3.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 278px; height: 448px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/jeans3.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/?action=view&current=jeans4-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 485px; height: 727px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/jeans4-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/?action=view&current=jeans6.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 502px; height: 334px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/jeans6.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/?action=view&current=jeans7.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 295px; height: 441px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/jeans7.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">photos by <a href="http://www.productionsrhizome.org/">simon</a>, edited by me.<br /></div><br />honestly i've found many people's concerns about what i "should" and "should not" be wearing on the streets of one of the world's largest cities slightly exagerrated... but that said, i really did not end up spending much time in the city itself, and only went out by myself once. in fact, my experience with mexico city have really reminded me of people's reactions when i first moved to toronto: omg you can't ever go out by yourself/wearing that/in neighbourhood x/don't talk to strangers/etc. this is something i could really go on about at length but! another day, another time.<br /><br />i have three days left in this wonderful country; tonight we are going to celebrate at los toros in colima, simon's favourite bar in the world. tomorrow, we are waking up early, packing a bus with food and friends, and celebrating our three year anniversary while playing in the waves of the pacific ocean. sunday, a goodbye party in mexico city. monday, we catch our flights back to québec city.<br /><br />i know july has been slow here posting-wise, but believe you me i'll have LOTS to share with everyone in august, i promise.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/?action=view&current=boots.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 553px; height: 387px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/juanitagangle/stylishandsasy/boots.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-31295947228795225502010-07-16T15:32:00.000-04:002010-07-16T18:16:44.912-04:00self-portraits: characters/decay<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4799293757/" title="the "artist" at work by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 659px; height: 441px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4799293757_cd3ef21eb7_b.jpg" alt="the "artist" at work" /></a><br /></div><br />a bad habit of mine i've been trying to change is actually <span style="font-style: italic;">sharing</span> some of the thousands of photos i take. i still have ones from last fall i took with the explicit goal of sharing them here and other places online... but here they are, still stagnating and find ways to get lost on my harddrive. but not this time.<br /><br />on my last day in quebec city before i head to mexico via toronto, i decided to sneak into an apartment in the midst of renovations with some tools of my own: vintage dresses, lingerie, jewelry and of course my trusty pentax. the canon rebel doing the photo taking is courtesy of my wonderful friend ben. here are a handful of the results... i'll upload a few more to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/">flickr</a> later.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4799387811/" title="bride by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 584px; height: 862px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4799387811_5216d540e4_b.jpg" alt="bride" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4799256123/" title="bride by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 584px; height: 869px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4799256123_344813ba98_b.jpg" alt="bride " /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4799288795/" title="knobby knees by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4799288795_b19264a2b6.jpg" alt="knobby knees" height="317" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4799916452/" title="jewelry by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4799916452_1a7eaae96d.jpg" alt="jewelry" height="378" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4799715741/" title="peek by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4799715741_6a66702f86.jpg" alt="peek" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4800348574/" title=". by garconniere, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4800348574_70ef8ec5f5.jpg" alt="." height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4800350812/" title="ode to tamil by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 505px; height: 743px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4800350812_36d5ae1d21_b.jpg" alt="ode to tamil " /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>also, <span style="font-weight: bold;">off-topic</span>: i'm looking for inspiration for a new layout. i still have a lot of love for the one <a href="http://susannaryan.blogspot.com/">susanna</a> made for me, but i keep thinking back to why i made this blog in the first place... it's time for something more streamlined so you can easily see where else i post online, and an atmosphere that fosters more comments and discussions (i don't know about you guys, but i really dislike the way blogger handles comments and have been seriously considering moving to something more like wordpress). one of my main goals with this blog was to generate discussions and i often end up feeling like we don't get the chance to respond to one another individually.<br /><br />aside from that aspect, aesthetically i'd really love something vintage inspired and classic, kind of like <a href="http://clevernettle.com/">clevernettle</a>, <a href="http://www.verhext.com/">verhext</a>, <a href="http://www.celinepinckers.com/">celine pinckers</a> or <a href="http://www.katrinadautremont.com/">katerina d'autremont</a>. or perhaps i should just go the simple route and go for a nice header, something like <a href="http://overacardboardsea.blogspot.com/">cardboard sea</a> has, or the wonderful <a href="http://nikkidekker.com/">nikki dekker</a>. last but not least, what do you bloggers use for stat counter? i've been applying for guest blogging positions and things of the sort and the one i've been using for a month is not really cutting it. if anyone has any tips in this html department, suggestions of how to make or adapt your own layouts, your favourite blog layouts, etc, send me an email (juliacaron AT gmail DOT com) or leave a comment! sorry for all the technical boring discussions.julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6359847749721134501.post-14402303896936832502010-07-12T23:00:00.000-04:002010-07-14T11:52:31.154-04:00hiatus: on the road<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4789019616/" title="on the road by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 549px; height: 358px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4789019616_93a68b765d_b.jpg" alt="on the road" /></a><br /></div><br />as you may have noticed, i have been away from the internet for the past little while and will have sporadic access for another week or two. i miss you guys, but it's been a good break. the more time i spend away from the internet, the more i think about what i love about social media and, let's be honest, what i hate about it. remembering what is so great about dis/re/connecting...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">but to be brief:</span> i've been having some really amazing experiences here in mexico and i can't wait to write about them and share them with family and friends. i've been listening to (and trying to understand) a lot of spanish, learning how to use an SLR, taking many rolls of film, and traveling all over the place with strangers, lovers, and best friends. writing, thinking, singing, and laughing. i lost my moleskin in estacion de catorze, sadly, but i'm telling myself it is probably the world's way of telling me i may need a fresh start. july has been all about renewal.<br /><br />to tide you over until i provide you with some more cultural criticism and fashion discussions, here is a mix i made for our nine day road trip through distrio federal, san luis potosi, queretaro, and veracruz. it starts off dancy and ends mellow and slow, with a lot of simon's favourites scattered throughout (i thought i should cater to his tastes seeing as he did all of the driving over the course of nine days). enjoy!<br /><br />1. <span style="font-style: italic;">a sweet summer's night on hammer hill</span> - jens lekman<br />2. <span style="font-style: italic;">down in mexico</span> - the coasters<br />3.<span style="font-style: italic;"> swimming</span> - martha & the muffins<br />4. <span style="font-style: italic;">on vacation</span> - <a href="http://www.myspace.com/therobotateme">the robot ate me</a><br />5. <span style="font-style: italic;">odessa </span>- caribou<br />6. <span style="font-style: italic;">16th & valencia, roxy music </span>- devendra banhart<br />7. <span style="font-style: italic;">timebomb </span>- beck<br />8. <span style="font-style: italic;">IRM</span> - charlotte gainsbourg<br />9. <span style="font-style: italic;">desert eagle</span> - ratatat<br />10. <span style="font-style: italic;">texico bitches</span> - broken social scene<br />11. <span style="font-style: italic;">you're the one</span> - the black keys<br />12. <span style="font-style: italic;">drivin' on 9</span> - the black keys<br />13. <span style="font-style: italic;">summer light</span> - the cave singers<br />14. <span style="font-style: italic;">you're dead</span> - <a href="http://www.myspace.com/richardlavioletteforprimeminister">richard laviolette</a><br />15. <span style="font-style: italic;">game shows</span> - plants and animals<br />16. <span style="font-style: italic;">wet road</span> - scout niblett<br />17. <span style="font-style: italic;">jesus loves me</span> - cocorosie<br />18. <span style="font-style: italic;">chocolate jesus</span> - tom waits<br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?mgwdfmwmbnmyh2m"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?mgwdfmwmbnmyh2m"><span style="font-size:180%;">download here</span></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">as always, if you like the songs, support the artists by buying their cds </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">at your local record store and going to their shows! </span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garconniere/4788483215/" title="in the desert by garconniere, on Flickr"><img style="width: 525px; height: 352px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4788483215_f843a4b197_b.jpg" alt="in the desert" /></a><br /></div>julia aka garconnierehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10071915180423432468noreply@blogger.com4