Vintage, But Not My Own
I have a pair of Chucks that I adore. They cost me $80 and I got them at a vintage shop after a 12-hour work day assisting a photographer. The $100 bill he handed me lasted for a whopping six hours before I pulled these beautiful black, high top Converse sneakers onto my feet. I love them, but they’re kind of bothering me. I feel like they’re not really mine.
I mean yes, I paid for them from my hard work, but these shoes are worn in, deliciously and beautifully beat up and special, not through my own hard wearing, but through somebody else’s. This might sound crazy, but I feel like I’ve stolen someone else’s coolness.
The truth is, I wouldn’t have bought them if they’d been brand new. Their discoloration and wilted state were part of their appeal, all thanks to the street pounding of their first owner, the length of their life (and my mother’s would-be reaction) be damned.
I’m not sure if this has to do with the fact that they’re shoes (insert proverb here) or the fact that I receive so many compliments on them whenever I wear them (my standard thought: “They’re not really mine!”), but I just feel like a phony wearing Converses I didn’t beat up myself.
[ad#ads468x60t]
Have you ever experienced guilt at not having worn in your vintage shoes? Or is my existential shoe dilemma totally unfounded?
–LEAH MELTZER
Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel Back Together Again?
Is the cutest, most romantic, most genuine, celebrity couple ever getting back together? Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel where spotted together over the weekend:
“They held hands at a Thai karaoke bar in Hollywood. After seeing photographers, Kimmel began to walk backwards and covered his face as Silverman smiled and walked forward.”
Us Magazine
Ok, I admit to being a truly hopeless romantic – so I’m totally rooting for the pair to patch things up. A rep for the couple says that “they remain close friends,” which is nice and all but I’m hoping for a complete reconciliation!
What? Times are hard, I need something to smile about now and again – though I suppose there’s always Sarah’s “Fucking Matt Damon” video to cheer me up.
Madonna There Is Something Very Wrong About Glamourising Violence!
Madonna at the premiere of her film Filth and Wisdom in NYC last night. Dressed all in black, Madonna topped off her outfit with a pair of Chanel platform shoes, which instead of a heel, has a small gun attached. As usual Madonna will do anything to court attention.
Brit Pride: London Fashion Week Begins Today!
“Rule Britania! Britannia rule the waves. Britons never, never, never shall be slaves. (…)” Wake up! It may be Sunday but it also happens to be the start of London Fashion Week. I’m not British but London has been my home for two full years now and dare I say it, I believe a bit of Brit pride is starting to creep into my consciousness.
While there are still many aspects of British culture that elude me (warm beer, summer music festivals mired in mud and the appeal of Shepherd’s Pie for instance), one thing that London does extremely well is shape and nurture young fashion design talent. So, don your Alexander McQueen T-Shirt, Union Jack booties or grab your Union Jack clutch and fly the fashion flag for London this week!
Madonna: Mum About Divorce
Yesterday was a tough one for Madonna, whose 7 ½-year marriage to Guy Ritchie was announced to be headed for divorce court. But at last night’s concert in Boston, she kept tight-lipped about the whole ordeal.
The only time she came close to mentioning Ritchie was when she introduced “Miles Away,” when she commented that the song was dedicated to the “emotionally retarded. You may know a few people like that. God knows I do.”
Source: Celebrity Gossip
Shenae Grimes: Shopping with the Girls
She’s become quite a big deal in a short period of time thanks to her hit CW show “90210.” But Shenae Grimes is still just a regular girl who loves to shop.
And yesterday (September 30), she grabbed a few gal pals and headed over to Third Street in Los Angeles to spend up some of her hard-earned Hollywood salary.
Book Review: Simonetta – The First Lady Of Italian Fashion
New York and London fashion weeks are behind us. It’s time to brush up on your Italian because it’s now onto Milan! To get myself into an Italian fashion frame of mind, I’ve been perusing the catalogue from the Palazzo Pitti exhibit dedicated to Duchesa Simonetta Colonna di Cesaro entitled Simonetta – The First Lady Of Italian Fashion.
A member of the glamorous beau monde who jet-setted around post WWII Europe, Donna Simonetta is considered by many as having effectively launched contemporary Italian fashion as we know it today. She was known as much for her own unique personal style as she was for her use of lush, opulent fabrics and her obsession with fit. A contemporary of Balenciaga, she’s hardly a household name yet she created some of the most innovative fashions of her time.
The book counts an abundance of photographs depicting billowing capes, balloon sleeves with tiered scallops and voluminous skirts but also beautifully tailored dresses with cinched waists and clean, precise lines. Also, there is a touching tribute to the Duchesa by British milliner Stephen Jones who knew her personally and for whom she was the inspiration for his Fall/Winter 2004 collection. The book is available via Amazon’s. Enjoy!
10 Memorable Movie Theme Songs
The middle of the week is usually kind of dragging, and dull. But nothing gets me up and pumping like a little music. Normally I’d go in for something in the Heavy Metal family to wake up to, but let’s try something a bit different – memorable movie theme songs!
This is a list for those movie theme songs that just sit in your head. Some of them you’ll recognize instantly if someone so much as hums a few bars and others just make you go to a warm nostalgic place or maybe even make you a little scared without you knowing why.
- “Star Wars“
- “Shaft“
- “Hello Mrs. Robinson“
- “Psycho“
- “Indiana Jones“
- “The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly“
- “Jaws“
- “Singin’ In the Rain“
- “Moon River“
- “Harry Potter“
- The Graduate
– “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
