I’m talking about the release of Apple’s newest life-altering, world-changing, mind-expanding product… the iPhone 4G.  Its specs were leaked  six months ago and some spy photos surfaced a bit later, but the tech geeks and early adopters have been dreaming of it and drooling for what feels like forever.  Now that it’s hit the market (released in stores today) on June 24th, 2010: a day that will live in infamy, they are lining up in droves to make sure they get the very first batch, and the exact model they want.

A few of my penguin friends who are traveling around in other parts of the world just had to get this gadget, and so, have stood in line for hours to insure they’ll get this bad boy on day-one.  Naturally, I made fun of them and attempted to make them feel bad for placing such importance on this material item… but to no avail, they woke up at 4am this morning and drove to the local mall to get in line with the rest of the sheep. In Tokyo, the people have been lined up waiting in front of stores for over 48 hours!!!  This is just pathetic!

Let’s be honest…. I’m just a jealous penguin.  I’m on Verizon and can’t have the iPhone yet.  Not the iPhone 4G, or 3Gs, 3G, 2G, or the original.  I can’t have it and it’s driving me nuts!!! I woulda been in line with my friends.  Hell, I woulda flown to Tokyo just to wait in line longer!  I’m the pathetic one!

Dear Verizon, please consider this a penguin plea.  If you start getting hundreds of thousands of angry letters addressed from Antarctica… don’t say i didn’t warn you!

So here’ what happened… as you guys all know, we penguins migrate annually for about 6-8 months.  Well, first we mate (oh yeah!)…. and then we migrate.  This year, I totally planned on bringing my laptop with me for the post-coital journey, and i DID, but I forgot the charger!  Boy, do I feel foolish!

Anyway, I’m back from the long hard winter/spring migration…. I’m ready to mate again (any penguin takers?) and ready to get back to bloggin!

Thanks for welcoming me back.

“Quality will be remembered long after price is forgotten.”

Founder Guccio Gucci

This is the long running Gucci Family Slogan, and I love it.  It’s true I can look at some items out there in the marketplace and, because I know how they were made and what the materials cost, I can say that they are grossly overpriced… but what Gucci said about quality is undeniable.  A well made, original, unique, classic piece of clothing is worth any price as long as you can pay it.

Last night was the New York premiere of ‘The September Issue’, the new documentary about fashion mogul, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, and the entrance doors to the screening may as well have been a catwalk.

Sienna Always Looks Great

Imagine you’re walking into the premiere for a film about the most opinionated and judgmental person in fashion… and whose opinion may just carry the most weight in the industry.  You had to know Sienna was gonna stun ‘em, especially after a little tension between her and Wintour over a scene in the movie (and the trailer) in which Anna calls Sienna “toothy” and talks about her “unruly hair” in a photo for the cover of the issue.  Apparently they felt Miller needed quite a lot of photoshop work for the cover shot – I think using technology to make her look any better is just rubbing life in the faces of all the other women out there.  Rude.

Anyway, she looks hot.

Office Pod

This is The Office Pod – - The Next Generation of Workplace.  An eco-friendly working environment for one that is built in the UK and being peddled to individuals and companies around the world as the next step in workstations.  Here’s their pitch:

To Businesses - The nature of the workplace is changing as the majority of office roles no longer require dedicated space in a central office 5 days a week. OfficePOD enables a company to provide a more efficient working environment with significant cost, employee, environmental and productivity benefits. For home use – A chance to cut down on commuting, to be more productive, to spend more time at home but at the same time keep your work separate. A major way to getting a better balance into your life

One thing is for sure, the Office Pod wipes the floor with any cubical I’ve ever seen.  I love the mid-century modern design aesthetic, though I’m sure it will be a bit of an elephant in the backyard/boardroom if trying to match the home or office decor of today’s American worker.  For office use, I think the Pod just kind of “eehhh” but for anyone who works from home, especially with a family in the house, I think this is a Godsend.

Can you see this Office Pod in your backyard?

The company has put a ton of effort into the “greening” of the Office Pod, making the entire thing from recycled and recyclable products wherever possible.  Furthermore, the pod can obviously make it possible for more people to work from home as opposed to commuting to an office.  An independent study showed that moving the average commuting worker from an office to a pod would reduce CO2 emmisons by between 46% & 67%.

It’s this kind of simple creation that will continually take small steps for us on the way to living like The Jetsons.

Recycled Dresser Drawers

Towards the end of last week, I showed you a creative option for recycled shelving from old tables and desks… and here is something along the same lines that I love.  This piece is the work of furniture design company SchubLaden, from the Berlin-Kreuzberg´s Graefedistrict of Germany.  The word schubLaden translates to mean ‘drawers’ in German, as the company is entirely devoted to the reuse of old, unmated drawers.  This is new furniture with old drawers, ready-to-buy or custom-made for you. It’s recycling just the same, but in a more creative and useful way.

I always try to be environmentally conscious where I can – but normally this just means recycling plastic and aluminum cans, opting for online vs. print when possible, and carpooling on occasion.  To interior design specialist Isabel Quiroga, apparently recycling means something totally different.

Recycled Bookcase of Tables

Look closely at that picture – the floor to ceiling bookcase is made entirely out of used and antique tables.  Before you get huffy about the cost, notice that the wall fixture is made from no more than three tables, which were probably bought from a flea market or garage sale for a total of $60.  The tables are sawed down the middle and both sides can be used for the bookcase.  This is genius… it may get a ton of stares in your home (especially in purple), but that may be just what you’re going for.  Also, from where I’m standing, the easiest and most environmentally responsible thing we can do in these times is not add more ‘stuff’ to the overpopulated planet we live on.  This concept accomplishes just that.

I’m going to the swap meet for some tables, you?

On Monday I wrote about fashion designer and illustrator Richard Haines, and then this morning I stumbled upon this video which was strangely posted the same day I wrote my entry.  In it, he is sketching the FW09 line for a brand called 3Sixteen.

It’s an awesome video exemplifying the greatness of freehand fashion illustration amidst a sea of digital renderings.  There’s something tangible about putting pencil to paper that I connect with in apparel design, and I loved hearing Haines’ perspective about sketching today.  He explains – “an illustrator is able to kind of exaggerate a shape in a way that a photographer can’t… I can kind of elongate. I can stretch. I can kind of manipulate things, very quickly, that I think photography can’t… I think illustrating it brings a different thing to the table, partially because I understand the details.  I understand how a garment’s made. I understand, you know, kind of how the fabric drapes and what’s important in the garment… so all of that goes into the sketch.”

It’s the age old question that’s been plaguing man (or woman in this case) for centuries… when the weather is hot, how do I keep cool while still looking great?  Ok, so maybe ‘for centuries’ was an exaggeration, but as we’re approaching the late August and September heat, it’s certainly on your mind now, ladies.  It’s relatively straightforward- the more articles of clothing you wear, the more interesting combinations you create… and the easier it is to play opposing or similar pieces off one another.  So, the scortching summer months that make you wish you had never stopped stripping after college so that your work attire would at least be comfortable and sweat-free… can have you screaming obsenities each morning and hastily serving your once-loved closet with divorce papers.  I thought I’d come to the rescue with some summer solutions that keep you cool while still looking put-together, stylish, and most important this time of year… carefree.

Summer Months - Keep Cool & Stay Hot

Since the option of layering waved bye-bye to you back in March, take the opposite approach and go head-to-toe with something great.  I’m talking one-pieces, they’re everywhere right now.  Whether they be retro, short, jumpsuits or overall dresses, pick a style and go with it.   A solid or print cotton dress (woven or knit) is always great for summer, but if you want to to express yourself a bit more this sizzling solstice, you’ll make the stretch into something that might be a new cut for you.  Let’s go left to right, shall we?

The always admired trendsetter, Sienna Miller might be the riskiest of these four ladies, so it’s no surprise she’s the one in the printed jumper and suede, heeled boots.  This look is fun with a capital F, but you must realize that you run the risk of being mistaken for a 4 year old… so do your best to accessorize with ‘grown-up’ goodies (ie. her shoes and watch).  Leighton Meester’s getup is actually two pieces, but it’s going after the same effect.  If you’ve never done a science experiment with your clothing to see how much colors actually effect heat on your body, it’s time to harness your inner Bill Nye and learn something.  You’ll be surprised what a difference this can make during a heat wave.  Leighton’s stone colored baggy, pleated shorts and sleeveless top are no doubt very comfortable.  Unfortunately they’re not right for her skin tone, but hey, that’s why she’s out there trying to get a golden tan.  If you are even a shade darker you’ll have no problem with this, or just go with white, white, white – I can’t say it enough this summer.  Rachel Bilson’s rocking the printed halter dresses… and a casper-like complexion.  I’m actually shocked she knows what to wear on a summer day because her skin looks as though she’s never been outdoors for one.  Nonetheless, a halter in solid or print is a can’t miss – but pairing it with laceless army boots and a cell phone is not advised.  This brings us to Rihanna and, more importantly, my favorite look of the bunch. This silk romper has a great color and pattern, and the neckline is cut just high enough that it runs no risk of looking like lingerie.  With retro fit and print, this outfit is spot on for this summer… and to me, it looks the most comfortable of these by far.  At first glance it looks like this piece has an interesting, halter-top + spaghetti strap neckline… but the halter strap is really a necklace with a similar pattern to the dress, and it works great!  Either way, I’d say you want to wear a necklace with this look.

There you have it – now go get dressed!

A loyal TSP reader wrote in yesterday to comment on a recent post about Converse & A Blazer, suggesting that I should maybe get myself a pair of Chuck Taylors.  And well, since I always listen to my readers…

The Style Penguin Gets Chucks

While I was at the mall getting the black high top Chucks, I picked up a fresh tie and some new shades as well.  I’m knee deep in designing my Spring 2010 line right now and the tangerine orange, banana yellow, and steel blue colors that I’ve been working with for initial sketches and layouts must have taken over my brain as I walked through the department store.

Aren’t my new sunglasses great?

The title of this post might make you scracth your head, but it’s actually quite straightforward.  You see… chic UK Department store Selfridges has teamed up with the Coca-Cola and the people at ABC/Ugly Betty for the release of Ugly Betty-themed Diet Coke bottles to be sold exclusively at Selfridges stores.  What’s more, the department store sales force was filled with Ugly Betty lookalikes on the day of the product’s release.  No, I’m serious.

Selfridges Ugly Betty Diet Coke

Like a tightrope walker pushing the limits or trying to break a previous record, this attempt in cross-promotion is teetering dangerously close to a misstep that spells death.  I’m having trouble making up my own mind whether this is smart or ridiculous.  In recent years we’ve seen more collaborative marketing campaigns than we can count, and the soft drink industry has been a major participant (think Sprite cans themes with a summer blockbuster movie, or Coke cans with American Idol logo in tow)… but this is not that.  This promotion is in the fashion world so I take notice immediately, but it’s exclusive to a single department store with only four locations: London, Birmingham, Manchester Trafford, and Exchange Square.  Running a promotion this grandiose for the benefit of such a small strata of people seems insane, but just might work.  If the Selfridges customer is Ugly Betty’s target demo, then it’s possible the ploy will stregthen those customers’ relationship to both paties.

Either way, they have people talking so that’s a positive campaign already.  And they’re certainly getting a lot of press in the UK so perhaps the promotion has served its purpose… but how bizarre.

So I may be late to the party on this guy, but I’m just glad I was invited!   A good friend recently turned me on to artist Richard Haines’ blog -  ‘What I Saw Today’.  Haines tags the blog as “A visual record of cool stuff guys wear…and other things that inspire me.”, and it is exactly that.

What I Saw Today - Richard Haines

The man has an awesome sketch style – one I’m partial too because it reminds me of a much, much, much better version of my own fashion sketchings.  Haines lives in New York and makes it his business to roam the city with his eyes open, recording what he sees today, or what he sees every day, on a sketchpad and then on his blog.  Over the year, he has worked with some of the top designers in the business – most recently doing ads and inserts for J.Crew.

J Crew Announcement

Haines does sit-ins at retail stores and fashion heavy locations on a regular basis… sketching what he sees in the store, and what he sees on the people who enter while he’s there.   His style is just so much fun – an impressionist approach to fashion illustration that is considerably less abstract than your standard designer’s sketch.

I love it – it’s already inspired me to go back to sketching more for the development of my upcoming line.

When I say the word “Harvard”, I’m sure your mind is immediately filled with thoughts of brick buildings, leather bound library books, old men in sweaters smoking pipes, and fashion apparel.  Wait, what??

Harvard Yard Clothing

Harvard University, the nearly 400 year old Ivy League school in Cambridge, has collaborated with private label tailored clothing manufacturer Wearwolf Group to develop a new men’s clothing line called Harvard Yard.  The prep-inspired line is a revolutionary effort, as Harvard is now the first non-fashion school to create a full apparel line with intentions for retail stores.

Before you freak out like I did, know that the brainiac students and professors at the prestigious Haaaarvard will not play one iota of a role in designing the line.  Wolfwear Group has licensed the school’s name and designed the pieces themselves, basing the look of the collection on photographs of former students lounging around the Harvard Yard in the 1960s.  The style is classic and East coast conservative with a flair: seersucker shorts, sporty knits tops, plaid and madras patterned jackets (all in modern, tailored fits)… and anything else that they can make look good with tassled loafers.  Maybe pricepoint reserved for alumni as opposed to students, pants will retail for $195-$225; wovens for $165-$225, and sport coats up to $495.

Writer, producer, director, John Hughes died yesterday of an apparent heart attack. Some of you younger readers may not fully appreciate the influence that Hughes had throughout the 80s and 90s, but I hope you all have seen his classics like:  Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  Each one of these important films centered around a small group of kids who were somehow set apart from the rest of their peers, and often times the individuals were very different from one another – therefore sporting a wide variety of wardrobe choices.  The fashion of the 80s was already underway when Hughes got his start, but his iconic characters no doubt fueled the fire for teased bangs, oversized unstructured outerwear, and loud prints.

Pretty In Pink Style

At the time, John Hughes movies helped create and hone a sense of style that was permeating throughout a generation… and looking back now, his characters and their fashion typified an entire era.

The Breakfast Club

Whether you were a bully from the wrong side of the tracks, a goth-ish introvert, the BMOC school jock, prom queen, or a bonafide dweeb… John Hughes showed you what to wear and how to look.  These movies stand the test of time and the styles they represent will keep coming back around and around and around.  Mr. Hughes, we salute you.

Related Sidenote: Here is an awesome story about John Hughes’ time as a penpal to a young girl in the 80s. We’ll Know When We Get There – Sincerely, John Hughes

When it comes to fashion, the clashing of worlds (within reason, of course) is always a source of attention.  It’s the bright purple printed tie set against the otherwise simple, clean, black  suit.  It’s the jeans and white v-neck with a pair of bright yellow Sperry Topsiders.  It’s any hint of flair contrast amidst a sea of what is otherwise expected.  Once you know that, you can understand why I love this guy:

Converse & A Blazer - (img•sartorialist.com)

He’s wearing an unbuttoned white dress shirt under a black blazer with shorts and… here’s the kicker… Chuck Taylor Converse High Tops!  The combo of a dressy shirt/jacket with a pair of short pants was a shocking contrast at one time but is now commonplace, though still very fashion-forward.  What’s unexpected in this look is the dingy old high tops on our man’s feet.  The cuffed shorts are a little out of “I can pull that off” range for many of us, but when paired with the high Chucks, I think it’s just over the top enough to work.

The Key to a look like this = Confidence.  This guy is wearing the hell out of this outfit and no one’s asking any questions.  You do the same.

When I read this morning that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler had fallen off stage and was rushed to the hospital with injuries… it got me thinking about whether he’s fallen off in more ways than that.

Steven Tyler Falls Off Stage

Tyler was in South Dakota performing at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, where he was promoting his Dirico Motorcycles line. Apparently the accident took place during ‘Love in an Elevator’ when the sound system failed and Steven had to entertain the crowd by dancing in silence on the stage’s catwalk.  At some point amidst the bandanna-flowing moves and leather pant squeeking shuffles, he wobbled and fell backward off the stage.  People seemed shocked when it was reported that he received minor head, neck, and shoulder injuries.  THE MAN IS 61 YEARS OLD!

This brings me to a point about his style… maybe it’s fallen off-stage as well.  There’s something to be said for having a unique, kitschy, flair that consists of women’s scarves and tight leather pants with no shirt… but maybe it’s time for this look to evolve a bit.  He’s got his thing (ie. “that’s my thing”) and that’s great – but when you’re in your 60s and falling off stages, maybe your thing has become more of a characature of your old thing, than it is a style all its own.  Ya dig?  Look at someone like Mick Jagger.  Granted, his fashion was never as costumey as Tyler’s, but Jagger has developed his look into something more sophisticated over the years, while remaining edgy.

I think the difficulty for me is that Steven Tyler’s get-up floats right in the middle between Kiss costume and straightforward clothing, so I’m not sure how to view it.  I think at 61 you have to choose one way or the other… and God help us if he chooses the other.

I LOVE these guys style!  This is just insane – I’m going outside right now to make one out of ice!

Naomi Sims • Life Magazine

Naomi Sims, often credited as being the first African-American supermodel died earlier this week after a battle with breast cancer.  A major influence in the “Black is Beautiful” movement of the 60s and 70s, Naomi appeared as the first black cover model on the cover of Ladies Home Journal in November of 1968.  This groundbreaking achievement sparked a vibrant modeling career, as she would go on to appear on the covers of Life, Cosmopolitan and Essence before stepping off the catwalk to pursue other opportunities.  Naomi became an entrepreneur in the world of style and fashion, creating a company that sold wigs for African American women after recognizing a lack of these products available to women of color.  She would go on to expand her line to include cosmetics and fragrances, and later, to write the advice novels “How to be a Top Model” and “All About Health and Beauty for the Black Woman.”

The world of modeling may not have always been in the same limelight as movies or music or sports… so use whatever analogy works for you here.  What Ella Fitzgerald was to music, what Sidney Poitier was to movies, or what Jackie Robinson was to baseball… Naomi Sims was to fashion modeling.

I just learned that everyone’s favorite living Beatle, Paul McCartney, has not yet sold out his concert at Boston’s Fenway Park TONIGHT!!! How is this possible? I for one have to say that this depresses me.  If you didn’t know, penguins are huge Beatles fans.

Paul McCartney Fenway

Somewhere between Beatlemania and the one-legged woman, our country’s love for this music and entertainment icon must have waned significantly.  The nation’s economic struggles have no doubt taken their toll on luxury event-based spending, but come on… it’s Paul McCartney!  In recent times, bands like The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, The Police, and Bruce Springsteen have had no trouble filling the almost 40,000 person venue.  According to Ticketmaster, there were approximately 1800 tickets available as of yesterday for the shows tonight and tomorrow night.

Boston is too long a swim for me, but if you’re anywhere near Fenway I suggest you pick up a ticket and go for as cheap as $69!

Nicole Richie is about to launch her new line of maternity clothing, creatively called ‘Nicole – by Nicole Richie’.

img - apeainthepod.com

The bohemian chic line is an effort exclusive to A Pea In The Pod online maternity boutique, for which Nicole will be creating and modeling her collection.  This is not her first move in the fashion world, Nicole’s House of Harlow 1960 jewelry collection is a favorite of celebrities like Madonna and friend Paris Hilton.  Currently pregnant with her second child, Nicole had an insiders perspective while designing the line.  She said, “(When you’re pregnant) You really feel like you have to change your whole wardrobe. And that’s the last thing a woman wants to go through. So I really tried to make this line to get women excited about wearing clothes.”  I think she succeeded.  The line is comprised of anything from tanks, to peasant tops, layering tees, flowing maxidress and braided details – and is priced from $48 to $148.

The line is officially released and available for puchase this Friday, August 7th – so you have less than 3 days to get pregnant!!!

You may not know this, but penguins take birthdays pretty seriously – so it’s no suprise that my friend decided to spend his 30th at the classy and prestigious Mulligans Family Fun Center.  You need to get past how ridiculous the choice of this location for a 30 year old man may be, and quickly GO TO THE WEBSITE  www.mulligantorrance.com.  The fun center had a theme song professionally written and recorded for their website and it is amazing!!  Though that unnecessary expenditure could have something to do with why only 50% of the arcade games were in working condition.

To the point… the place was in Torrance, CA – quite an ethnically diverse area in comparison to my Antarctican roots.  Since the average age of park-goers was 12, I was surrounded by Torrance groms all day… and I was really impressed with their fashion sense.

Fashion @ the Family Fun Center

I apologize for the picture quality (my camera was apparently on a setting called ‘crap photos’), but look at these kids!  Maybe 11-14 and they’re turning on the style charm like it’s nobody’s business.  First off, both of these guys clearly believe in the ‘fashion first – comfort second’ philosophy because it was 95º in Torrance and I was in a tank top and shorts.  The guy on the left changed an otherwise standard jeans and v-neck outfit into a small statement, with a grandpa style, printed cardigan in brown and tan.  That said, I think the fact that he had chosen a v-neck shirt alone made an impression on me.  The plain white v-neck which was once saved for older men to wear under a suit or to mow the lawn on weekends is now on the back of this kid, matched with baggy jeans and skate shoes.  The kid on the right is maybe 11 or 12 and he was outstanding.  Discretion didn’t allow me to get a full body shot, but you should know that the v-neck (again), sweater, reflective angled aviator shades, and New Era hat you see… are paired with black skinny jeans and a pair of brown loafers that you don’t see.  I was jealous of this child’s wardrobe.  What’s more, he looked so natural – not like when Will Smith shows up to an awards show having dressed his boys in the exact same outfit as him.  No, this kid looks like this on a daily basis and he wears it with confidence.

I believe we all start out creative geniuses, and over time that imaginative spirit is stifled as we learn about and perceive  boundaries and limitations.  So it’s no shock that these young people are expressing themselves stylistically, even if they are looking to their elders for influence — I just wonder how long it is until I’m buying clothes off the shelves that were the brainchild of a 12 year old designer.

Everyone in cyberspace is buzzing about Coldplay’s new video for Strawberry Swing, and rightly so.  The video is unique, stylistically extraordinary, and likely the result of a very tedious artistic process.  Shot (or given the illusion of being shot) entirely from a fixed camera position, all on-screen action takes place as a moving storyboard drawn in chalk, on the asphalt that is the video’s screen.  Frontman Chris Martin contorts his body around the blacktop to give the appearance that he’s living and moving within this 2-dimensional chalk world.  Wow, I’m actually impressed with myself that I was able to explain it that succinctly. You should check it out.  While it’s tempting to just jump on the praise parade for  Strawberry Swing, what I’m most excited about right now is the new video from Jack’s Mannequin for their newest single ‘Swim’ off the sophomore album, The Glass Passenger.

The video is predominently performance-based, which suits the band’s high energy feel on stage (I just saw them live at an open-air igloo arena on Wednesday).  Set against the performance sections are dolly shots sweeping along both a wall collage of original artwork, and a line of fresh-faced people holding up similar handcrafted art.  All of the art pieces are clearly tied in to both the name and theme of the song, Swim.  The song starts out with the lyrics, “You gotta swim, swim for your life.  Swim for the music that saves you when you’re not so sure you’ll survive.”, an opening line which sets a resounding tone of relentless perseverance and positive perspective that carries throughout the song.  This theme is the focus of all the original artwork: flowers blooming, suns rising, highways continuing on forever, rainbows after storms…  As the song enters its first chorus, the video gives us our first glimpse of animation within these pieces of art.  The paintings begin coming to life…. a butterfly spreading its wings to fly, a boat bravely making its way through a storm, a sea of umbrellas shielding us and the earth from a downpour of rain… My favorite animated image is a charcoal style sketch of a small man pushing a cog up the downside of clockwise-spinning watch/clock gears – and the Roman Numeral characters on the clock’s face spell out S-W-I-M.  Second to that moment is when the butterfly (from a painting in the hands of a person in line) comes to life and spreads it’s wings – the entire video is shot in a cinemascope widescreen format, but at this moment the butterfly’s wings break through the black space at top and bottom and extend outside the designated space which the rest of the video occupies.  This is a minor thing, but it succeeds in adding another layer to the already multi-dimensional video.

I’ll admit I’m probably biased when it comes to Jack’s Mannequin because I am close friends with the band’s frontman, but I’m confident that I would have latched on to this video regardess of the artist behind it.  Partially because of its creative integrity, but more aptly because of the interactive, collaborative way in which it was constructed.  You see, all of the artwork was created and submitted by fans of the band: paintings, drawings, sketches, artwork of various mediums.  Also, many of the faces holding art in the lineup of people we pan by throughout the video are fans of the band, as well as friends, and even family of frontman Andrew McMahon, and the other band members.  Between these two elements (more important is the use of fan-submitted art work), the video is as impressive in its interactivity as it is entertaining.  The concept of allowing fans to participate in the band’s creative process in a way that includes those fan’s creative and artistic efforts (ie. their artwork) is awesome on so many levels.  For the fans whose pieces were selected and included in the video, it creates a sense of ownership and unity with the band and the music… and for anyone who knows that the process took place at all, it says a lot about the character of Jack’s Mannequin, and how important the fans are to the band.

Kudos Jack.  Kudos Mannequins. Kudos.

Did they ever really go out? Yes, I think so.  Time to fish ‘em out of the closet, maybe tear a hole or two in the knees, toss em on, grab Harlow and go.

img-celebritystyleguide.com

acid washed jeans

Acid washed denim is not new and not revolutionary, but when its stigma conjures up visions of this girl in the white, chevron pattern fringe… it can be a little tough to wear with a straight face.  I think that will change as people like Nicole keep it up, and people like us follow suit.  Nicole can do almost no wrong in my book when it comes to style choices  She’s established herself so firmly as an “I do what i want” girl that I don’t know a fashion critic who would even really bother taking a jab at her for most of her looks.  She really can pull off whatever she tries – and she’s just the kind of person to try random things and wind up leading a charge of new trends.  Eventually, you might be able to wear this exact outfit (left) and stand tall and proud. Nope, not gonna happen.

Sienna Miller

It’s a given, Sienna Miller might have the best street-style sense of any female celebrity. She takes chances, goes out comfortably dressed, appears to have just thrown it (whatever she happens to be wearing) on and left the house, and it almost always works and looks amazing! Of course it doesn’t hurt that she’s really, really, ridiculously good looking.  If you don’t know Sienna and/or her style… crawl out from under your rock, pull your head out of that unmentionable orifice, and take notice!  She is the adorable, funky, British, blonde actress in movies like Alfie and Factory Girl – though she is arguably more famous for her broken engagement from Jude Law after he schtupped the nanny, or for being charged as a “homewrecker” in the breakup of Balthazar Getty’s marriage.  If you ask me, she must take her relationship aggressions out on her credit card because this girl has a wardrobe to be both feared and respected.  She’s got an inharent bohemian quality about her, but it’s a more put together, classic take on freeform dress.  She knows the trends and follows them, but she will spice up an “in” look with something unexpected and contradictory to the direction of the outfit.  Well, Sienna was chosen to be the star of Nylon Magazine’s August denim shoot… and I couldn’t be happier.

Nylon Magazine has been doing Nylon TV spots for a couple years now and some of them are fantastic.  It’s great that the directors of their video docs seem to give the actors/actresses/models a lot of freedom to be themselves in the shoots, and in Sienna’s case (I would assume), even have some input on the selected wardrobe.  If you take anything away from watching this, besides 2.5 minutes of entertainment, it should be that Sienna’s varied style of dress has made her incredibly versatile… and a bit of an enigma.  In the candid interview scenes she is dressed down in an oversized, cropped sweater with a stretched out scoop neck off the shoulder over a striped tank top, and baggy, over-pleated pants. Not sure what to call this look besides eclectic, but it’s loose and comfortable and thrown together – complete with her hair tossed up into small whispy buns.  This footage is interweaved with the denim photoshoot scenes in which she’s got a more edgy, rock-n-roll, sometimes biker, sometimes punk, sometimes 1980′s Poison video chick look about her.  Here’s the thing – she pulls off both looks 100%!  Again, this could be a result of her laughably pretty face… but I think her style of dress and daily fashion choices which are constantly mixing things up and shifting from prep to punk, has allowed her to be comfortable and look natural in anything she puts on.

You guys know I’m definitely one for loud colors, prints, fabrics, and anything that really makes a statement.  I love spicing up a simple outfit with bright green or yellow shoes, a printed tie, or something unexpected -  it’s about the hits of contrast amidst a more subdued base.  I say push the envelope with this all you want, but know when you’ve taken it too far… and the contrast has become the predominent base.

Love / Hate (img: sartorialist)

While there’s no denying this guy looks great, all the opposing stripes goes far enough to makes him quite a character.  If you make the choice to pair similar or complimentary but opposing prints, color, patterns… just be comfortable standing out in a crowd.  If you welcome attention, go for it… but know that the attention itself often appears to be your motivation.  If you desire to look great but include a little flair – this guys outfit would get there by losing any one of the three striped pieces.