The Blartorialist

Little Red Dress

2009-02-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

Could I please just pick up my Panda Express?!

2009-01-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

This is kind of a shitty picture composition-wise, I know, but I just don't have the chutzpah to make them stand around in an airport food court so I can perfect composition. I SUCK I KNOW OKAY.

Anyway, I thought these folks looked interesting. And any flicker of life I see in BWI airport I feel is, you know, worth documenting.

InaugurStyle: The Musical!

2009-01-21T19:10:00.000-08:00

So yesterday my friend Barack got inaugurated at the Mall and my brother and I went downtown to check it out. It was historic and all, but most importantly I got take pictures to my hearts' content. Man, I love tourists. Did you know that D.C.'s population temporarily doubled for the inaugration? If only out of towners could cise us some of their style (or earmuffs as pictured below. WHERE CAN I GET SOME?).

Below are several important, highly competitive superlatives I have decided based on the images I acquired without the subjects' notice or approval (you call it stalking; I call it guerilla photojournalism). Enjoy, and feel free to vote on pictures you deem best.

(Yes, I spent my inauguration taking pictures of ladies in fur coats. Why? Because I rule. Screw you guys.)

InaugurStyle: Best Accessories

2009-01-21T19:05:00.001-08:00

InaugurStyle: People who look they're famous

2009-01-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

I was standing next to these men in line for the longest time and they looked hella familiar. Readers, if you can identify (or make up a plausible identity; I will probably fall for it) these men, I will feature you on my blog!
(My brother and I also thought we saw the Mac guy, although there is no way to be sure)

InaugurStyle: Most Unpatriotic

2009-01-21T18:54:00.000-08:00

InaugurStyle: PETA-approved

2009-01-21T18:48:00.001-08:00

(I love you fabulous lady please adopt me)

Hey guys.

2008-12-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, welcome to the Blartorialist 2009.

We have a three-pronged plan of focus:

-Continue style stalking, with an emphasis on street style outside of Blair
-Design totally rad fashion editorials with help from renown photographer Lauren P. Lauren just made Time magazine, congrats!
-Post reviews, recommendations, rants (it's Ugg season again!), raves, weekly Gossip Girl recaps, haikus about Value Village, etc. for those of you who like words.

We hope this will revitalize our neglected blog and make it better than ever before. Hope yall are having a great break.

I love the 20s...CSS show, 9:30 club

2008-12-26T09:13:00.000-08:00

How would you like to be approached at a show by a weird girl asking for your picture? I think her expression sort of conveys this. DEAR SCOTT SCHUMAN: What are your secrets to non-creepy style-stalking?!

Ale...Blair Stadium

2008-12-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

This is really cute but that ID is killing me. ID policy cramps style. nuff said.

All I want for Christmas is sweaters.

2008-12-26T09:09:00.001-08:00

Lifer...Capitol Hill

2008-10-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Matthew Kocur

Like her outfit, not so much her politics.

Art Student

2008-10-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Circlets for fall

2008-10-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing these everywhere lately. These keep popping up in Urban Outfitters, but if anyone can point me to the runway source I'd be interested.
I keep wanting to call them headbands, but they're not. They're circlets.
Who else has been watching The Amazing Adventures of Chuck Bass lately?

Birthday Gal

2008-10-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

It was this gal's birthday today. Observe the giant cake in the background. Note to readers: My birthday is October 22.

Lady in Black

2008-10-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

She's back!

At Lunch

2008-09-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

mk photo (?!?!okay?)

Last Days Of Summer

2008-09-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

mk (wut)

Pink Panther, Lunch

2008-09-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

After Gym, That Hair

2008-09-09T16:54:00.001-07:00

Too bad you can't see her eye makeup and bag...

We promise to step it up soon.

2008-09-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah so The Blartorialist has been stuck in a bit of a lull for a while and, uh, we're sorry. Mostly, it's because I suck. For example, on Friday I went to the Girls Unite! concert (Blair = charity mafia) and saw Eric Shansby. He was wearing these tight as shit shoes but um, I didn't have my camera. I did learn however, that he reads the post we wrote about him every day. He said some other boring things too. All I remember is that he asked for several 8 x 10 glossies of the pictures from that shoot. Whatever.

I saw some other pretty good styles, including the mysterious QUESTION MARK SUIT man, whom I intend to track down at the next Takoma Park event.

On to more important things: Acclaimed local photographer/teen prodigy Lauren Poor has agreed to collaborate with me on a fall fashion editorial! Yeah. That's right. This is going to be kind of a big deal. Look for photos within the next few weeks!

We'll also be trying to do better at, you know, finding street style, since that is our job. We promise!

Back to Schoolio

2008-08-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

Where are the black models?!

2008-08-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

Um. For serious. On the plane back from Seattle yesterday I pretty much read through an entire issue of Vanity Fair (was avoiding homework), which is about 80% fashion ads. Well I would guess that of those ads, 95% of the models were white or Asian (and the Asian models were all the same type of light-skinned, delicate featured women, highly valued in white and Asian culture but hardly representative of the overall Asian population, to the annoyance of many). I swear. And of the 5% of black models, I would guess the majority were "token" blacks (in group scenes) or Beyonce.

So what gives? IN the issue, an article looking back on the late 80's "supermodel" craze (think Linda, Cindy, Claudia), quoted Naomi Campbell recalling how designers would reject her for her skin color and how the white supermodels would have to boycott the show in order for her to be able to walk. And that was in 1989. We've been through the P.C. 90's, Barack Obama is going to be President (and fabulous Michelle First Lady), Italian Vogue has published an all-black issue in light of this problem, and black people are still underrepresented in a prominent national American Magazine! Thirteen percent of America is black, and in the modeling industry the percentage is even higher. So why can these models not make it into the magazines?

I would like hear a legitimate excuse for this, though I hardly think one exists. Is it because black women are more highly valued on the runway? (Well they better be, because in my opinion they walk better than white women. See Fashion battle report 2008.) Is it because all of the black models are in "niche" publications? Is it because some design labels are inherently "white"? (Think ladies who lunch.) But seriously, in the 21st century, who wants a lily-white image? Becuase A) It's kind of creepy and Nazi-ish B) It's not representative of America and C) It's not representative of the industry. I understand that certain colors, textures, and silhouettes look better on certain skin tones, but this principle should yield a higher percentage of black models, as I'm sure more than 5% of clothes look best on black models.

I'm not saying there should be quotas or stringent guidelines for this, as fashion is a creative industry and designers have visions, but maybe they should try to expand their visions.

One man who did this, Yves Saint Laurent, died recently. In my opinion he was the unchallenged pioneer of race representation in fashion. Incidentally, the YSL ad in Vanity Fair was one of the only ads to spotlight a black model; his legacy lives on.

PS. No pictures from Seattle, sorry, forgot to haul around camera. Blartorial skills fading.
School starts soon though. Raise your hand if you know what you're going to wear for the first day (golly)!

Missed Opportunities....Cleveland Park, DC

2008-08-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm strolling through Cleveland Park, on my way to the National Cathedral, because it is way tite, and I see this lady wearing a flowy white dress, fabulous sandals, gorgeous turquoise dangly earrings and this sort of headwrap. Very summer, very not DC. She just had this distinct aura about her (far out man, I know). I could tell she was foreign, which was confirmed when I overheard her talking on her phone, I think she was booking a gig. So she was all up in her phone and it is basic street stalker etiquette to not interrupt subjects whilst they are otherwise occupied with technology, be it chatting on the phone or texting (which is VERY dangerous, by the way). So I'm sort of lingering by her but then she turns the corner and I have to go a different way and I'm all AAAAGH and then take a stalker picture (seen above) and leave, tears sploshing upon the sun-baked city pavement.
Dear fabulous troubadouress:
I am sorry you never got the opportunity to appear in more detail on my blog, perhaps in a less stalkery context. Write a sad, sad song about it.

Silver Bean, Chicago

2008-08-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

May I bring up Fruits, the Japanese magazine on the inventive suburbs-of-tokyo-street-fashion that is so inspiring?

Fresh Air

2008-08-01T22:57:00.001-07:00

He had an amazing gold ring that was a deer with very long antlers.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

2008-08-01T22:42:00.001-07:00

The problem with museums is that they are both full of people with such creative fashion and so restrictive of cameras. How annoying, I must have missed a ton of shots while I was there and it just killed me! I told this guy about the website and everything, so even though the pictures I took were both blurry, I felt I should put one up. I hope you can tell what's going on there!

To Whom it May Concern

2008-07-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

So like all blogs, there will be commenters with strong opinions. Some pertaining to the subject material and some not. However, as long as their comments remain within a reasonable sphere of relevancy I will be more than happy to accommodate them, favorable or not. After all, no good blog can go on very long without its share of angry comments. Remember: Relevance is the key! If you have something extremely nasty, hurtful, or personal to say, remember to make it tie in with the post at hand!

This might be a good time to announce that my now-semi-infamous post on how much I hate uggs has recieved a record-shattering 9 COMMENTS! Apparently it really hit a nerve. Mama is so proud.

-Tex

Suspenders... Artscape, Baltimore

2008-07-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Simple Things

2008-07-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

EVOLVE Giraffe!

2008-07-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Overalls.

2008-07-09T10:59:00.001-07:00

Sound you hear? William Sledd getting bitchslapped.

Clean Pallet

2008-07-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Reclining Madonna

2008-07-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

Crochet Girl

2008-07-06T21:33:00.001-07:00

Handkerchief Print

2008-07-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Prada: Thrift Store Version

2008-06-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

I am thinking this is as close as it gets. More people need to go to thrift stores. The stuff they sell at Urban Outfitters always seems to be thrift store inspired (some of it, at least), but at real thrift stores, it's cheaper and then, you're actually recycling.

Summerbund

2008-06-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Really great recent discovery: cummerbunds are cheap at thrift stores and work wonders in replacement of a boring old belt. (Classy too!)

Where in the World is The Blartorialist?!

2008-06-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

is the question troubled readers from all over the DC metro area, Switzerland, and Australia are asking themselves. (SiteTracker is a marvelous thing; apparently we're really big in Grnichen.)

Well kids, the answer is she's been distracted by things like Math(s)(<---if you are british) and a newspaper about a fake 1945 election that took place in 1948. She's also been doing things during her lunch hour like eating lunch and enjoying her alotted three days of DC spring. (Washingtonians/Murrlinders: You know what I'm talking about. It's fucking sub-tropical now.) In conclusion, the end of the school year has brought a slowdown but hopefully it won't continue.

Obviously, school is not in session anymore, so not even LP, though she is a great photographer, has the ability to take pictures of students right now. In a deviation from our mission statement, this summer we'll be venturing into "passably hip areas of DC" to take REAL STREET STYLES. This is the big leagues, children. We're asking grown-ups that are not my french teacher for their picture. We will face rejection. We will face creepy strangers. We will face mutton chops, which I've noticed are coming back in the U street area. (More on that soon.)

I'll also be in the distant city of Baltimore, Maryland for a month this summer to chill at MICA, so look forward to possible crazy art kids/Baltimore styles! Don't let the fact that the two biggest TV programs involving Baltimore are The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Street mislead you, a lot of it's actually pretty cool. And I'm for serious.

LP is also going to photography camp, so who knows what she'll find there. The possibilites are endless, kitties!

HAPPY SUMMER

And we're back!

2008-05-29T16:07:00.001-07:00

Photo credit: Matthew Kocur

So Many Shansbys

2008-05-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

The Great Shansby

2008-05-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

So not only did I get a long-awaited picture of everyone's favorite journalism substitute, I got practically a whole shoot. It turns out he is very particular about how he should be shot. Sucks for him, cause I'm posting pretty much all of the pictures. To retain his anonymity, "Mr. Shansby" is sporting Gucci sunglasses.
"The Shansby"-- it's all the rage for swinging male professionals in the 22-29 set! The cardigan, the shirt and tie, the slacks, and don't forget the unbleached chucks--the kids are really digging it!
Fresh!

DEAR MR SHANSBY'S FUTURE EMPLOYERS: If you are reading this, I would like you to know that I, as well as my peers, can testify to Mr. Shansby's utmost professionalism as a teacher and as a cartoonist. He is an extremely talented young man and you would be lucky to have him working for you.
Upon examining this picture, a young female colleague of mine asked, "Can I bang Shansby?" Indeed.

For extra Shansby points, try clipping two pens to the left hand side of your cardigan-- one green, one red. Mr. Shansby says they do not have to be in a particular order. I also learned from a source that "The Shanz" never wears white shirts because they get dirty; he much prefers blue shirts. For advanced Shansby-emulators, getting Ms. Cullen's ID might be trickier, but nothing's impossible. I heard there will be lots of Little Shansbys running around tomorrow, so study up!

ADDITIONAL NOTE TO MR SHANSBY'S FUTURE EMPLOYERS: By my previous statement I was implying that we will be dressing up as Mr. Shansby tomorrow to celebrate his last day, not that he has fathered any illegitimate children.

That's all folks, dress your best tomorrow (as always), LP and I will be ready with cameras!

P.S. Goodbye forever, Mr. Shansby! Have fun in San Francisco without us. *sniff* But for real, good luck!

Damn!

2008-05-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

These two swear they didn't do it on purpose. But their outfits match exactly! And now that I think about it, so do their skin and hair color. Congratulations, you are long lost Nordic twins!

P.S. The tall one is coming out with a new fragrance for men, dropping early this fall. The working title is "Mattieu."

Monsieur H

2008-05-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

This man has an amazing collection of ties. I once asked him if he ever wore the same tie twice, and he replied in french, "Yes. I am ashamed."

A true sartorialist.

The Collage

2008-05-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

That Skirt

2008-05-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

By The Lockers

2008-05-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Rejection.

2008-05-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

Today I got my first rejection.

So I go scouting today and no one has interesting styles on (that I notice) and it's kind of disappointing. I'd given up all hope just before I stepped onto the bus.

Let me just preface this with some background: My bus driver is CRAZY. He is also very intimidating. You Eastern/SSI bus riders know what I'm talking about. Anyway, he wears the most striking outfits, especially in context of his occupation. I have seen him wear: A full suit (while his hair is in corn rolls). The next day he wears his hair in crazy fro and a full tracksuit embroidered with basketballs and some timberlands. It's almost surreal enough to be a running joke on some sitcom. I've gotten used to it.

But even in my jaded state, today he stood out: He looked so fresh. Excuse me with my white girl slang, but that is the only appropriate way to describe him. He was wearing:
A bright yellow (more like a poppy yellow) button down shirt.
Suspenders.
Crazy fro.
Pants.
And his famous Gucci shoes. (which may be real, depending on how much money he makes in his side job as a pimp.)

It was one of those things that I would have killed myself if I didn't at least to try to get a picture of him. And his style was just...so HIM. It was the epitome of eccentric scary giant pimp bus driver. You would have to see it to believe it. So gathering up all of my courage, I asked him I could take a picture of his outfit.

Bus Driver: "Oh...no. Sorry, I don't have my picture taken. Thank you though."

He was very polite about it. I mean, it's okay, I don't want the picture picked up and traced by the authorities, either. You're a pretty good bus driver.

Still, it was disappointing. His outfit was by FAR the best thing I'd seen all week.

If you'll excuse me, I need to go eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's and watch ER.

Style Times

2008-05-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I love pretty much every picture the Sartorialist takes, but I absolutely adore the look this gal has going here. She's also probably not that much older than us-- got a lot of attitude. Really youthful and fun, something every gal should consider ripping off.

PS. More in UGG NEWS-- I was reading Seventeen in the orthodontist's office yesterday and guess what? They had this section on "things your ex never told you" and this girl's boyfriend confessed that he HATED her uggs! Could this have been an underlying reason for their break up? Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think Seventeen is a fine publication and we should take the information and advice they provide very seriously. Like my mammy used to tell me: If you can't trust the ladies at Seventeen, who can you trust?

Next Week: A Trend Discussion on an issue perhaps even more controversial than Gladiator Sandals: Scarves.

Righteous Addiction

2008-05-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

Going to the thrift store every weekend has obvious advantages.

Kid Kocur

2008-05-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

Dressed Like The Weather

2008-05-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

The weather today was rainy and blue, but this kid made it refreshing instead of depressing.

Trend Discussion: Spring/Summer

2008-05-10T13:52:00.001-07:00

So let's cut the crap and get to the one issue really occupying the hearts and minds of Americans: Gladiator Sandals.

The heavily strapped leather sandal reemerged a few years ago and has managed to come back around this time of year ever since. So let's weigh the pros and cons.

Against: A little heavy. Shouldn't spring/summer wear be breezy and light, and thus paired with a simpler shoe? As Mr. Gunn would say, "that's a whole lotta look." I mean, I love shoes, shoes are fabulous, but classically they shouldn't really be the focus of the outfit. It seems that most of the time, in order to pull them off, people tend to wear less interesting outfits. And if they wear anything this side of plain vanilla it just looks way too busy. *ahem* SJP:

And they have a LOT of potential for tickety-tackery (thank you, christian):

Okay, so it was unfair of me to choose two of the worst dressed "fashion icons" alive to illustrate my point, but those are the pictures Project rungay had and I'm lazy. I have admit, SJP's shoes are pretty hot and could actually be beautiful with a completely different outfit.

Pros: Something different. Styrofoam slabs topped with a plastic v, I mean flip flops, do get boring after a while, and are a little sloppy even if they are versatile (guilty). Some of the less heavy gladiators are actually quite elegant and if paired correctly are very striking. They're certainly a statement. (See: Alexia, she of the knee high gladiators, at our school. Promise to get a picture of her in the shoes soon!)

Problem: The majority of the time they're misused. Gladiator sandals dictate an extremely limited range of pairing options, most of which are dresses. In my opinion they don't work with anything longer than mid-thigh because they're so bottom heavy.

But what do you all think?

Special Report: Fashion Battle 2008

2008-05-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Words by Lauren T
Pictures by Lauren P

Dry your tears, ladies, I know our consistent losing streak in football is disappointing, but who cares when we have the Hottest fashion club in MoCo?

Yeah bitches, that's right, the, ahem, home team dominated last night in the MoCo Fashion Battle 2008 DJ'dbyDJFlavaandDJTay at Blair. (Love you, Flava, but I was still disappointed by the conspicious absence of my favorite WKYS morning show host, Russ Parr. )

But don't get me wrong, the competition was fierce. Watkins Mill and Magruder, you were worthy competitors.

Actually, I'm not gonna lie, Watkins Mill was pretty hot with their Chicago remix show. I was impressed. They used everyone's favorite songs-- Cell Block Tango, All That Jazz, When You're Good to Mama, etc and mixed em up with thumping techno beats. I know that the actual clothes are supposed to be sort of secondary to the putting on a show/modeling aspect, but love the updated 20's glamour--fishnets, t-straps heels, and bobs. Hot!

Start the car, I know a whopee spot..
Where the gin is cold and the piana's hot! And all...thaaaaat...jaaaaaaaaaazzz!
That jazz.
The standout model from Watkins Mill, whom I nicknamed Leggy.
And then he ran into
my knife...he ran into my knife TEN TIMES!
Day-um.

Summary of Watkins Mill show: Let's all drive to hell in a fast car and keep it....HOT! Nice going, ladies.

Next up: Magruder.

The premise of this one was a little less clear. But it had something to do with these mad scientists (the idea of which was conveyed by their choice of Swedish synth pop music, due to our culturally ingrained notion that all Scandanavians are scientist/robots and/or synth pop artists) who created these robots who would carry out their nefarious plan, which I interpreted to be something along the lines of this: "WE WILL....
"BRING BACK....
.....THE EARLY 90'S!!! MUAHAHA!!"
Style Police: "Oh helllll no."
"I'm hot."
"No homo."

"Foiled! And I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that no-good, rotten, meddling style police..."*the early 90's die once again*

But for real, Magruder was good, and those gals walked something fierce.

Now let's proceed to the stars of the show....Monnnntgomery Blaaair High School!
Their theme was 101 dalmatians, which I thought was creative. In it
Courtney, the captain, was Cruella and she wanted to round up all the puppies-- the blacks, the whites, and the spotted, so, naturally, she could challenge them to a walk-off.

So basically, Blair won through a combination of hard work,
attitude,

more attitude,

creativity,
and gratuitous nudity.

Givin Leggy a run for her money.

But seriously, give it up for the male models. Blair had like 10x more, literally, than the other schools, and ours could walk just as good as the gals.

So in the end it turned out
3rd: Magruder
2nd: Watkins Mill
WINNER: Blair

But you all probably figured that out by now.
God damn, I'm glad Northwood didn't show up, I would have been up even later.
Night, kids, and don't stress too much about APs.
"

Work that trophy, Terrance!

High Waisted hits High School

2008-04-30T15:00:00.001-07:00

When we approached this gal for a picture she was practicing her routine for the fashion battle, which is happening in two days. Everyone come down to Blair on Friday (starts at 7:30 I think) to watch Fierce Mentality crush Watkins Mill and Magruder. It's gonna be hot. I know so because I came down to watch a fashion club practice for the feature story I wrote about them. These people know their shit.

Transition into Spring

2008-04-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Candy Man Sam

2008-04-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

How did he get the money to buy that suit? By dealing... CANDY!!!!!?

Factory Girl

2008-04-23T16:54:00.002-07:00

Any of this girl's outfits could stand alone any day, but she was eating a banana, and how perfect was that?

At Lunch

2008-04-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Girls In Stripes

2008-04-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Dramatic Irony

2008-04-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Nice tourist shirt, but don't you live here?... Haha, I don't know what made him do this, he usually wears simple clothes, but he showed up this day pretty chill in his tye-dye, awesome watch and audible-from-across-the-classroom-headphones.

Gold All Over

2008-04-15T14:09:00.001-07:00

I love it when people are naturally drawn to colors that compliment their skin tones.

The Minimalist

2008-04-15T14:08:00.001-07:00

Fierce Mentality

2008-04-15T14:06:00.001-07:00

This girl just always pieces together great outfits, and they're always so different.

Bowtie Boy

2008-04-15T14:04:00.001-07:00

I like to think that adding a bow tie to your normal clothes makes you instantly more formal. (Except I prefer the bolo tie.)

Cheetaaaah

2008-04-15T14:02:00.001-07:00

I'd like to see every fabric on this girl's body in cheetah print. (Actually I might do that. It would be cool to have different color print for each article of clothing.)

Vogue Day

2008-04-15T13:57:00.001-07:00

For "Vogue day" (spirit week) at my school everyone wore black and white and kept quite conservative. I like how J added in bold colors and wasn't afraid to put on some accessories.

Flower Girl

2008-04-15T13:52:00.001-07:00

Outfits at school these days always look so mechanical and businesslike. I wish more people wore things with a natural flow, inspired by nature. (You're in high school not your parent's office.) This is what drew me to this girl with the fitted top and crazy flower explosion of a skirt. Props!

Let's just put this out there.

2008-04-13T13:28:00.001-07:00

*clears throat*

UGGS
PJ PANTS
SWEATPANTS
TRACKSUITS
NORTH FACES

You are charged each with multiple counts of fugliness, laziness, and disturbing my eyes.
Ladies and gay men of the jury, this is a case about lazy dressing. A case about the offending garments' contribution to an era of sloppiness and disregard for polish. After a particularly harsh winter of triple whammy combinations of north faces, sweatpants, and uggs, it has come to light that not only have these offending garments been corrupting teenage style, they have been erasing it altogether.
What was once a vibrant world of color and endearing bad choices (neon! cut-outs) is now a wasteland of mindless adherence to the offending garments, which in addition to being uncreative are plain ugly. This reliance has created a teenage style sloppier than grunge and fuglier than shoulder pads.

The prosecution presents exhibit A:

(The prosecution spent like 20 minutes drawing this, don't make fun of it)

Observe, how the unfortunate creature dressed in three of the offending garments looks messy, unattractive and frightened (perhaps she saw her reflection?). But then, observe as the soul sucking offending clothes are shed and she becomes a fabulous creature of style!

Ladies, think back to the couture days of old, when one did not go out in public without a pair of crisp white gloves. Think back to the days when men wore three piece suits downtown and shiny shoes. We know this era is gone, and new, revolutionary things have come. The offending garments are not part of this new era of style. They are heinous objects of reliance for a new generation, and may well remain so unless consequences are incurred now. Ladies, I refer to the death penalty.

I find the offending garments guilty, guilty, guilty!

PS. All hate mail can be sent to teixeira.lauren@gmail.com. Let the defense make its case!

Trees Chic

2008-04-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

Even the trees are dressing up for spring!

Hot Mess

2008-04-12T09:57:00.001-07:00

Me: Can I take your picture?
Girl: But I look like a mess!
Me: HOT MESS!

High Key

2008-04-12T09:55:00.001-07:00

Chile

2008-04-12T09:54:00.001-07:00

Flamingo Legs

2008-04-12T09:52:00.001-07:00

Flowers For Spring

2008-04-12T09:47:00.001-07:00

Homeless Walk

2008-04-12T09:35:00.001-07:00

In The Hallway

2008-04-12T09:33:00.001-07:00

Absolutely Fabulous, hon!

2008-03-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hey kids, time for the s-word again, but to say a last goodbye to spring break I will tell you about my fabulous day in BALTIMORE!

Yes, while you kittens were in London or Dysfunctional Central American Island of your choice, I was in Charm City. Haha, who knew it was called Charm City? Ace of Cakes makes so much more sense now. Ace of Cakes is a great show. It is probably my second favorite reality show to the exalted Project Runway.

Speaking of PROJECT RUNWAY (fabulous segue, no? soak it in.) I watched the brilliant first season over break and I found it very inspirational. (Combined with my viewing of Remember the Titans, this must be the most inspirational week ever for me.) In particular, I was inspired by one Austin Scarlett, the living embodiment of fabulosity.

This is when Project Rungay dubbed him the "Gaylai Lama."

The point is, to some extent Austin's Bravo-imposed moniker is true. He is an artist, and his true art is in his personal style. Without fail, Austin would show up in full makeup every day with these beautiful, unique outfits (never forgetting the matching glasses.) Something he's said in several interviews really just sums up his personal style: "Life is too short to not be fabulous."

So on Friday when J came over to visit me, I took these words to heart. And so began our 3 hour sojourn in the amazing Baltimore consignment shop FASHION ATTIC (Whenever you get to Baltimore or your life sucks and you end up at UMBC I encourage you to go there.) If my life was a (mundane, 12 hour) movie, these few hours would be a montage set to something appropriately cliche like Material Girl or Girls Just want to Have Fun. That, or the Top Model theme song.

The store lady was so nice. We were the only people in the store and from time to time she'd just pass by us and give us a little "I should have gone into real estate" smile. In the end, however, I compiled this fabulous little outfit I will share with you all:

To-Die for Free People Skirt: $28
Baptist Churchlady Hat: $12
Nine West heels: $18
Having a fabulous day on the town with your friend: Priceless

Oh, and a little slice of home:

Take a Cue from Hughes

2008-03-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

So I was watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off at my friend's house on friday, and I noticed a small stroke of brilliance in Cameron's outfit that I wanted to share with you all:

Wow. Check out those suspenders. Brilliant. Thin, black suspenders. Who would have thought. If they'd had color or patterns they would've been too trendy and would have lost the original idea (I usually do not approve of ironic suspenders, because they usually don't work). But here they're black and thin and they totally work with that t-shirt. Just this sort of perfect post-punk accessory. Wow. I can not say enough about these suspenders. Well, I need to go get a life, and preferably a pair of those suspenders. Oh, and happy belated Easter, y'all.

P.S. Love these boys.

So Much To Say

2008-03-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sartorialist Reception Recap

2008-03-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

As y'all have likely figured out by now, Lauren and I went to the Adamson Gallery yesterday for a reception featuring The Sartorialist himself, Scott Schuman. As any description of the event I attempt freestyle will no doubt turn to a rambling mess, I will use a vaguely Zagat/Iron chef style of describing it:

Show itself: 6. It was pretty minimalist, which I don't mind, but I feel they could have afforded to make the pictures bigger. I'd say they were only 3 or 4 times the size they are on the blog. I mean, how badass would lifesize sartorialist photos be? I felt it was also rather small selection, but I suppose that's to be expected with limited gallery space and all. I, personally would be content to roam corridors upon corridors of Sartorialist photos for hours, but I am guessing a Victorian mansion was not available for rent.

People: 7. Definitely one of best people watching opportunities afforded ever. Like I said, I have no doubt D.C.'s cream of the proverbial fashion crop was there. Some very interesting characters. Lauren and I met a lot of really nice people. There was the obligatory quotient of pretentious assholes (Lauren and I were physically edged out by some of the more aggressive suck ups more than twice), but I suppose this is inherent at these sort of events. On the whole though, we met some super nice people who were cool with being approached by a pair of bizarre looking (no offense, LP) teenagers for a picture. It turns out the beautiful asian girl with bangs in one of the pictures Lauren posted graduated from Churchhill like two years ago! I was not shocked, to say the least, when she said she hated it. Churchhill is way too preppy and stifling of a place for a badass like her. At any rate, this endows me with hope for life after Montgomery County public school.

Style: 8. Cosmopolitan with a healthy dose of bohemian. This is "bohemian" we refer to, of course, for I'm sure the total cost of the attendees shoes alone could feed a small african country. All very fashion forward and impeccable. And absolutely no one was tarted up-- the little makeup I saw was applied perfectly. I didn't really see any straight up risk takers though. There were those little bits of quirkiness, you know, retro glasses and hats, but it was all very deliberate and meticulous. I wouldn't go so far as to say forced, but it wasn't natural either. (For natural quirkiness, I cite Lauren's picture of the curly haired man with 60's glasses. He's perfect.) Not that I've ever attended a gallery opening in New York or Paris, but I feel like there wasn't the level of free spirited risk taking you'd see there. There were definitely no Anna Piaggis present.

Mr. Schuman: 10. He was great. He was so nice and talkative! And he totally just kept his cool even though people were jamming huge SLR's in his face literally the entire time. He got around to everyone who was gatherered around him to talk (and this crowd was formidable) and took everyone's questions seriously. After literally half an hour of waiting about 3 feet from him, Lauren and I got to talk to with him! (In fact just as I was about to snap this lady edged her way in, but Mr. Schuman was all these girls have been very patient! Such a nice guy!) We told him about our blog and he wasn't that interested in it, but he answered all of our questions and took us really seriously. He and Lauren had a photographers' heart to heart and I talked to him about the woman in some of his New Dehli pictures (I put one of them in a post a little while ago). Apparently he had dinner with her, and she's like a living incarnation of Audrey Hepburn down to the dialect and head movements. When one of the aforementioned assholes took advantage of a lull in the conversation to jump in, Lauren and I started to leave and he remembered to turn to say bye to us! (After this I promptly bumped one of the photographs, as I have all the gracefulness of an adolescent hippo.) Basically, he was exactly how I thought he would be, down to his attire (fleece/wool? blazer layered with windbreaker, nice jeans, some casual shoes) and voice. Poor guy in that blazer, he was sweating the whooole time and dabbing his forehead with his pocket square. Something I've been suspecting for a very long time was confirmed last night: There is a race of people that occupy a certain plane of effortless elegance who don't sweat. (Ex. aforementioned Churchill grad) They just don't, even in the overheated packed gallery. But Mr. Schuman was, in spades. I think this really humanized him for me.

Overall it was a really great experience and I'm glad we could come and take it all in. In conclusion, everyone should come to the show while it's here. You know, the 5 of you who read the blog, including my nuclear family. Hi, mom!

Having Fun With A Suit

2008-03-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Those Glasses, The Sartorialist Gallery DC

2008-03-20T14:54:00.001-07:00

Beautiful People

2008-03-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone smiling and complimenting each other.

The Sartorialist

2008-03-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sartorialist Reception!

2008-03-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

So.
Lauren and I went to the Sartorialist reception.
I got back like half an hour ago.
We talked to Mr. Schuman!!
I will write more about this experience tomorrow when I am not full of delicious friend (haha, typo. I will leave it because rice is my friend.) rice and teriyaki beef from savory and wish to sleep.
Pictures from the reception tomorrow! Check out the chic and glamorous of DC! (Yes, they exist. But more on that tomorrow.)

Lady Sing The Blues

2008-03-18T16:29:00.001-07:00

He keeps it classy and she keeps it sassy.

2008-03-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

People are acting friendly...

2008-03-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

...in good clothes. That is so good.

St Patty's Day chic

2008-03-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

I finally got an opportunity to take a picture of this gal! She has consistently great style. Girl, if you are reading this: I'm sorry I missed the day you had the glitter skirt! Please wear it again! Yes, I will be attending Creepy Stalkers Convention 2008.

P.S. J-- Like I told Lily today, I don't know where you got the idea that you won't be able to come! It's here until April 26, so unless you have an engagement like everyday until then, worry not. Unless what you meant is that you'll miss the reception, which is true. But we'd probably get kicked out anyway. (fingers crossed)

UPDATE: I did some searching and it turns out the date for the reception with Mr. Schuman is actually going to be on Wednesday 19th in TWO DAYS. What the? Who decided that? Well I have a lottt of convincing my mother to do, bye guys.
Also, in the course of my research I found something that appears to be a D.C. oriented Sartorialist-type blog.

Self-assurance is half of style. (Is that a saying?)

2008-03-17T13:16:00.001-07:00

Or maybe he's just good at posing?

Plaid on Plaid

2008-03-17T13:10:00.001-07:00

Sartorialist in D.C.!

2008-03-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

For those of who you have a life and haven't been anticipating the arrival of the Sartorialist exhibit in D.C. for the past several weeks, I'd just like to remind everyone that it, is, in fact coming here (for reasons inexplicable; am I the only one disturbed by DC's unstylish, and mildly tragic tendency to wear reeboks with suits?)

Anyway, the exhibit opened today at the Adamson gallery (it's not near the metro; I checked. sigh.)and is scheduled to stay here until April 26. So I encourage everyone to go before it leaves. Also, Mr. Schuman is in India right now but I hear that he will attend a reception at the gallery March 22-- it may be an invite only event, but that's never stopped a true fan or stalker!

One of The Sartorialist's photos from India. Might this be, to borrow words from the esteemed Mr. Siriano, flawless? I really haven't been digging flats lately but I think they're perfect here.

P.S. Sorry for no street styles this week! All these silly things like schoolwork have been getting in the way.

P.P.S. Enna- I checked that site! Looove it, I think their reviews are spot on.

Some Advice from Christian Siriano

2008-03-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

So the WaPo online site is my homepage (thank you, Ms. Cullen) and I noticed yesterday that they were going to have a question and answer session with Christian Siriano, the winner of this season of Project Runway and a total fucking badass.

Being a stalker and all, I decided to submit two questions to the discussion. He answered them both! The one that is relevant to this blog is this:
-------
Silver Spring, Md.: Partly inspired by Project Runway, my friends and I have started a fashion blog where we take pictures of kids with good styles at our school. However we've also noticed a lot of kids who just rely on some borderline awful trends like Uggs. As a not so long ago high schooler, how would you advise teens like us to keep it, um, fierce?

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO: I love high school fashion blogs. That is a jump start to possibly working for Vogue or Elle in a few years.

Trend-wise, when you're young and creative and willing to wear whatever you want, that's great. You can be as creative as you want and don't have a 9 to 5 job to hold you down. So be creative now because later in life you won't be able to. And keep it fierce!
--------

So basically, he of many catchphrases and spiky hair believes we can do whatever we want. Which is true. Keep it fierce, y'all.

The Farragut Fashionista

2008-03-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

So yesterday me and my friends are taking the metro to Anthropologie (yes, we have to go all the way through dc to rockville-- god bless our public transportation system) when the conductor announces the red line is stopping at farragut north, presumably for something like repairs or a cigarette break. After about 15 minutes of grumbling to each other on the platform, this like 7 year old girl walks right up to us and begins chatting. She complemented Lauren's (my collaborator and a talented photog) teal flip flops and began talking about how much she loved fashion. She likes to to put together her own outfits. You can't see it in the picture, but she made her own necklaces. In addition to this, she gave us directions to her house in case we wanted to come over some time. I asked her father if I could take a picture of the outgoing cherub for my blog. Here she is-- look out fashion world, this girl will rule you someday!

By the way, we never got to rockville. We stopped in Friendship Heights and wandered around D.C.'s only Neiman Marcus (Yes, all the high fashion in D.C. occupies two blocks in Friendship Heights, we're cool.) As we were roaming ogling clothes of 1000x our price range, this cool black salesguy was like, "Well, if it isn't the funky four! You guys are fabulous!"

I don't know if he was being sarcastic or not, but we appreciated it nonetheless.

P.S. Nice Try, WaPo.

Elevator

2008-03-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

Chilling in the Elevator

Young Boy Twiggy

The Ensemble

2008-03-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

In The Hallway

2008-03-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

Red Highlights

2008-03-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

Birthday Girl

2008-03-06T14:24:00.000-08:00