wedge booties, 90s anorexia, and things that don't suck

i think it's tacky to look like a model. or to look like you bought all your clothes because some celebrity stylist said "buy this". i like classic mixed with quirky, unique pieces mixed with traditional staples. i like experimentation. i like taking bits & pieces from here & here, therefore creating a PERSONAL style, as opposed to a cookie-cutter "fashionista" look. some people think looking good means always wearing the latest trends -- but i think that just shows how boring you are.
don't wear something that will be out of style in 6 months. that's my first rule. like these shoes:

Jeffrey Campbell Lace Up Wedge

you won't be caught dead in them in 6 months, for real.

conversely, maybe you managed to find all yr clothes at a thrift store. congrats! but it sucks when you look like the epitome of a FADING TREND:


***

things that can be put together, to give you a "trend setter" look:


from Anne Valerie Hash's Fall 2011 show.

I'm not talking about the clothes. They are typical flowy/asymetrical runway stuff. I'm talking about the makeup. I like the deep part of the hair, the extreme lipstick, and the vampiric eyes.

look at this girl. she's wearing modern (bcbg) oxford heels, but her look is classic. those shoes will still be cute in a few years, and she'll still look like she knows what is up:

presents

part of not looking lame is not buying lame presents.

say there's a masculine special-someone in your life and you are debating buying them a video game. DON'T.

do something clever, like these charming retro moccasin slippers from dearfoams:


they say: i think you are charming and sophisticated. let's never leave the house.
oh, romance.

let's talk about eyebrows.

here's a picture of the 

"STANDARD STARVED BROW":

What's the deal? I'm anti-starvation. And I hate starved eyebrows. It's like what they say about a 40 yr old dude driving a sports car -- he's trying to make up for something. So when I see a girl with janky crooked brows I wonder what she's thinking when she is mercilessly pulling away those desperately needed hairs. I imagine she's no fun in the sack. She probably folds her underwear. She doesn't know how to LET LOOSE.

      Am I anti eyebrow-grooming? Of course not. But let's have a little photo session.

I call this look the "Comma Brows":

see how she thinks she's giving her eyebrows "shape"?

or this look, known as "Frida's Opposite":

see how her eyebrows START at the iris? that's a SERIOUS problem. i know quite a few ladies who get this look by taking a bic razor down the middle. not smart.

these ladies could make their faces look 100% better if they just followed BASIC PLUCK GEOMETRY:

in conclusion: don't starve your eyebrows! check out these looks. I call them the "BABE FACE":

+++++++++++

want a cheap way to start growing those starved brows back? ardel lash & brow is great. it also works perfectly to tame unruly brows.

Even though I find American Apparel to be a serious fashion DON'T, I fear I agree with ol' Dov Charney (aka creep dad)/ American Apparel's employee mandate: "Eyebrows must not be overplucked. Full eyebrows are very much encouraged." 

       I removed the bit about dying eyebrows, as I think that can totally be a fashion DO (hello Balenciaga). And I DEFINITELY think it's pretty lame to tell your employees how they can and cannot look for $8/hour.  Almost as lame as working at American Apparel. Seriously though, this will be the first (and only time) I agree with Dov.