Bits & Pieces: September Issues.

And I'm talking more than just magazines here. Specifically, I have a bone to pick with Vogue, with fashion, with my own bifurcated mind when it comes to all of these things as they relate to women. As they relate to myself. It's no secret that fashion has always been an influential force in society. It's functioned as a means to denote status and wealth, separate the classes, define gender roles, and, you know, everyone wears clothes so why wouldn't it be the most nonverbal form of self-expression? Because of that, it's easy to see how clothing, this most intimate fabric of our lives*, the mere CREATION of it, is an art form, requiring a specific skill set and eye for that self-expression. A means to bring out that personal sense of "style" in others. It defines some of us, while others could care less. But that's not really the issue here.

Vogue has been lauded (lauding itself, rather) on being this voice for women, loosely tracing the feminist movement from the taboos of showing nothing but neck and ankle to the free spirited baring of arms and legs and so on. Highlighting feminine beauty. Dressing women appropriately for the groundbreaking roles they've played throughout the years. That said, my love/hate for the fashion industry and its steadily pulsing vein in our culture stems from the vanity, self-righteousness, and emphasis on outward appearance, though I'm just as guilty of wanting to look my best as the next girl. I'm just thinking out loud, and thinking that maybe the focus is too much on that. Too much on what to wear, what's in and what's not (the real trailblazers break such barriers...but then that's part of the legacy of feminist fashion in of itself)…

At the end of the day, you wear what you wear, prioritize what you do, and go from there. It's the ones that take it way too seriously that scare me a little, but without those people, we'd have no great designers, no bulky magazines to ogle every month September, no tailors and seamstresses dedicated to their craft. That’s just the gradual shift from hand-sewn clothing as a necessity to mass-produced ready-to-buy or clothing to catwalk that’s less about functionality and more about art form. (I myself love to sew, so what does that say about me?) When I say fashion is a guilty pleasure, I mean it. Guilty.as.charged. So this week I'm giving in and shutting down the half of my brain that hates the drama/judgement/nitpicking that fashion brings out in some people (who wore the dress best? WHO CARES) and sharing some of my um...favorites from the fashion world. It is, after all, September. 

1. Ten Vogue firsts. Mainly I like the phrase "ushering in a new era for the working woman".  

2. Chloe FW 2012 ad campaign. My heart. But see, as much as I'd like to dress all classy every single day, I'd much rather live my life in secondhand/vintage/something that's not jeans and a tshirt (no offense). Mainly because fashion magazines are my art journaling/general crafting mecca, and most of the shoots are interesting and well done. See above. (Also I am broke. So there). 

3. Um, just celebrating the man that is Marc Jacobs because he's my favorite designer. As in, him personally. And his stores in NY. I could make a cozy home. His designs aren't always my thing but I love his weirdness, his total outoftheboxness (though I WILL say I basically want to live in his S/S 2010 line forever...also his purple highwaisted jodhpur jeans and no I don't still have a picture of them framed on my wall. Absolutely do not). How he turned some of the craziest, most ridiculous things into iconic fashion. It's no secret I (still) want a tattoo of his initals on my wrist, or his actual name on the back of my neck, in the typical MJ branding font. Just BECAUSE. Have you seen HIS tattoos? Ok then. Don't judge me. 

4. Isabel Marant F/W 2012 campaign...yes.I.do. Also, LOVING the hair. Way to go Arizona Muse for pulling it off so beautifully/tempting me to chop mine off when I've come so far! Ahhhh. 

5. Technically this isn't September anything. But apparently James Franco has been making these 'episodes' for 7 For All Mankind. This is for the spring collection BUT it has this end of summer feel that vibes September, ya know? Whatever. I like it. 

6. The goggles are my favorite. Can I be on this train? Dear Louis Vitton, I really have no respect for your work whatsoever but this is a nice shot. So, you know, maybe I retract the former statement. But only slightly. 

7. Ok, tired of talking about way outta my league expensive fashion things. I have 11 months to recover from this high society headache, so in the meantime, here's a really great read for anyone interested in being a better writer, blogger, etc  via the ever amazing Sarah of Yes and Yes! Happy Thursday! 

*You guys, I actually used that in a post. Commence full-body cringe. 

Around here.

I've been delving into my anthropology book like it's Christmas, no joke. (It is, after all, my major).

And because it's September and fashion is my guilty pleasure I bought the Vogue September issue and have been going through it at breakfast the past few days...um 916 pages?! Pretty impressive...it's a stellar 120th anniversary issue so far (though I don't really buy these things for the writing, hello). So congrats to Anna Wintour and the gang on that I guess. 

I picked up Women at a garage sale on Saturday and the photography is just amazing. Um Annie Leibovitz?! Please. Essay by Susan Sontag?! So there. "A book of photographs of women must, whether it intends to or not, raise the question of women- there is no equivalent 'question of men'. Men, unlike women, are not a work in progress." Think on that for a bit; I'll be sharing my own two cents once I've processed the work as a whole. 

And Allen Ginsberg, well. You know. His poetry is my break from life. 

Oh, and re-reading all the interviews in the last Lab Magazine. Because they're so much fun, and I think (don't quote me on this) a new issue comes out this month. Which is completely unrelated as to why I'm re-reading this one. But anyway. 

ALSO. 

Thursday was the baby bird's birthday (she's eleven...um what? When did that happen? She's also six inches taller than me already???) and I decorated the house, baked some chocolate cupcakes with espresso buttercream frosting upon request. She was my resident taste-tester for The Boyfriend's cupcake batch and liked them so much she wanted some for herself! It's been one helluva birthday blitz around here, lemme tell ya. More on that tomorrow.

ALSO!

Meet the newest member of my ever-growing analog camera family! I've been on the prowl (ok not really, I'm just bein drama) for a 35mm and my neighbor's garage sale (same as above) put an end to my search! Um WHEN did they become so cool and WHY do they have to move out NOW?! I spent half an hour talking to the husband about art and photography (they were also selling a complete darkroom set...MY HEART...but I have nowhere to use it! Sad day!) But enough about that. Enter the Minolta SRT SC-II, commence my heart exploding into a billion pieces because I couldn't/still can't believe it was so cheap/is now mine. The camera came with two extra lenses, detachable flash, leather case in great condition, and manuals for everything except the camera itself. But thank Google, I found a free pdf on my first search! 

So, you know, happiness. 

And I'm gladly accepting any/all expired 35mm film at this point and time. Mostly I'm kidding. But seriously.  

ALSO. I could go for this three day weekend stuff a little more often. Can I get an amen?