Sale season

There are so many awesome sales going on right now! Check it:

Opening Ceremony Summer Sale
J Crew Summer Sale - for all your basics
Urban Outfitters $9.99 Sale
Creatures of Comfort - 30% of with coupon code PrivateSaleSS10
Tobi - 25% all regularly priced goods with coupon code SUNNY20.

Just put down: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

I finished reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay last night, and like another review I read said, it's hard to thing of reading anything else for a bit. I need some time to decompress. The book is about so many different things, with so many themes running through it.

One of the ones I found most affecting was how it dealt with war, and showing the aftereffects it has on every single person, however tangentially involved. The story starts around the beginning of World War II in Europe, and ends sometime after the Korean War. Each character in turn wades into this minefield of years, and each is the worse for wear. It is truly heart wrenching, no matter how clearly it's prefigured, each blow that befalls Joe Kavalier in the twenty years we know him. In a time before PTSD had entered our lexicon, the evident transformation in Joe from a shy though eager 18-year-old to an almost agoroaphobic man plagued by events he could never have controlled. It's hard to discuss the extent of this because it gives away far too much of the plot, but it's safe to say that the place he finds himself post-war is, though a product of his own control, so far removed from his actual desires that only someone so far outside of themselves could have maneuvered into it.

Sam Clay's own journey mirrors that of Joe's, but his war is cultural. Though the comic book world that Sam and Joe were wrapped up in was already on the fringe of society, there were some ways of life in the 1940's that were just too far out there. And because of that, Sam chose to live fully in the shadows for every bit of his adult life. When he's finally forced out, though you feel relief for him, you can't help also feeling the immense burden of what's been lost, of the time utterly wasted and the heart possibly so walled off that it won't ever really be useful again. What minimal hope the book ends with is tainted completely by what's already transpired, for for Sam and for Joe, and Rosa as well, the reader knows that maybe the scars are too deep.

A date with Kate

If you're like most of the rest of the western world, you'll be watching the series finale of Lost tonight. In preparation, hop on over the Bitch Media to read this interesting, spot-on article about the extreme disappointment Kate's character turned out to be. Another loss for feminism, another win for ABC. Boo team.

Amfar's 2010 Gala

What an ideal chance for a bunch of celebrities to overdress! A few stood out from the pack though.


Michelle Rodriguez is wearing my wedding shoes! I knew we had a connection.


Rachel Bilson's dress almost works for me, except the placement of those embellishments are just a little too spot on for me to see them as anything other then nipple covers.


Marion Cotillard's dress is maybe just a little too voluminous, but her clean face and hair help her pull it off. Her makeup is amazing here, and the lips look fantastic.


And on the other end of the spectrum we have Carine Roitfeld, with the empitome of stink face. Your outfit is interesting Carine, so just smile a tad and brush the hair out of your face.

Sainthood

I'm super excited to check out the new All Saints store opening in Soho this weekend. They style their clothing amazingly on their website, in the way that you actually feel like you want to wear each piece of the outfit. So damn them!





At least I'll be able to try the clothes on in person, since the prices are a little high for impulse purchases.

Zero Maria Cornejo Swim

With the abundance of diffusion lines saturating the fashion world these days, it makes you think about the designers you wish would venture into that territory. Zero Maria Cornejo is one that springs to mind for me immediately. Her clothes are unique and always have something extra going on, making them ideal pieces to add to your wardrobe, but her prices are just way too high.



So until she decides to bless us mere mortals with designs in our budget, we can at least enjoy her new ventures, like this swimsuit line that just debuted. No word yet on pricing, so I'm sure it'll be out of my range, but at least I can dream of lounging about in one of these, on an extended vacation from my extremely rewarding and accomodating job, on some vast expanse of beach and gorgeous blue ocean.

Killing in the name of

"Before you judge, listen to their stories." - from the promo for Women Behind Bars on WE TV.

Yes, I watch WE TV, but only because it's running Golden Girls almost without fail. Unfortunately, when that beautiful, classy, and light years ahead of its time show isn't on, WE is showing some truly reprehensible programming. From the show's website:

Women are supposed to be the gentler sex, the softer side of humanity. But some women do kill, and when they do, we want to know why. What drove them to kill? Was it an abusive husband? Was it drugs? Was it envy…fear…lust? In this original series, WE take us behind the killings to try and answer all of the burning questions of why they did what they did.

I really chafe at the insinuation here that when a woman kills, it's different from when a man does. Also, what terrible, stereotypical examples they throw out there for reasons - basically: a man, emotions stemming from men/sex/the competition for these two things, or drugs. Is that the extent of how complex our society perceives women's thoughts and motives to be? On top of that, WE TV is clearly geared towards woman - and this is what all their testing and polls show them that we want, and that we identify with.

The Oxygen network, also a women-centric network, has it's own show called Snapped, and their description sounds very similiar, if not more obnoxious:

Whether the motivation was revenge against a cheating husband, the promise of a hefty insurance payoff, or putting an end to years of abuse, the reasons are as varied as the women themselves. From socialites to secretaries, female killers share one thing in common: at some point, they all snapped. These shocking but true stories turn common assumptions about crime and criminals upside down, and prove that even the most unlikely suspects can be capable of murder.

Wow, so you're saying all kinds of women kill, from socialites to secretaries? How about using a different "s" word, like scientists? Oh, that probably doesn't sound enough like a lady-profession. And Oxygen would like you to know that we ladies are of course the MOST unlikely suspect in a murder case. Because ladies don't fart and ladies don't like sex and ladies certainly, without a doubt, do not kill.

Guess what WE and Oxygen? We're humans too. And while I'm not super stoked about fighting for the right to be recognized as capable of taking a life, for the same range of reasons men do, these are the paths a modern feminist finds herself on. So please do your part, and just don't watch this crap.

E.M. Purse Charms

How cute is this charm from Japanese brand E.M.



I wouldn't use it as a purse charm, because that's not really my style. However, I do think it'd look great as a quirky necklace.

The Price is Awesome

As Racked pointed out today, this tank is very Christopher Kane, and it's the perfect price, at just $8. Not a typo, actually less than shipping through Net-a-Porter. I already bought mine!

New York Shitty

Heather over at New York Shitty is one of my favorite bloggers, and not just because she lives in my hood. She's always capturing something in her photos that I'm just walking by, and highlighting some of the most interesting street art, for better or for worse, going on in our fair city. I love this post, because you're just seeing the words and thoughts random New Yorkers simply want to through out in the world. All art works that way, and sometimes it's nice when it's so easy to understand. And also, I can't agree more - fuck you Bloomberg:

Window Shopping at Maryam Nassir Zadeh

Maryam Nassir Zadeh is an amazing store in NYC, and they have a great website to browse from the comfort of your own couch. One thing I really like is that they have a full set of photos to go with each item, so that you get a great view of what you're going crazy over. I wish they had more close-ups, but overall the site is perfect for daydreaming and lusting. Here are some of my favorite pieces up currently:


Electric Feathers Kaftan Dress
This color is amazing and if this dress wasn't $400, I'd snap it up.


Ohne Titel Drape Dress
The detailing gives this so much texture.


Ohne Titel Laced Dress
This is a bodycon dress I can get behind.


Golden Goose Jacket Chiodo
Again, if this jacket wasn't $2088 (!!!!!) I would buy it in a hearbeat. So perfect.


Isabel Marant Oilhan Sweatpant
These however, I may actually buy. The best of these types of sweatpant/walking-around-pants that I've seen so far this season.

Best Met Gala Looks

There were a few good looks at this year's Met Gala once you weeded through all the chaff. I didn't feel like there were any truly stand-out showings, but here were my favorites:


Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson - Diane's dress is very simple but fits impeccably. But Joshua's ensemble puts the couple in the winner's circle.


Elizabeth Banks - I like the dress okay, but I love the full styling going on here. This is a sultry style we don't often see on her, and I really dig it.


Jennifer Lopez - I'm not normally a big fan of her style, but she picked a good one tonight, and if she would tone down the sexy-face a bit, she's be even higher on the list.


MIA, Alexander Wang, and Zoe Kravitz - Representing for the hipsters! I love that they had the balls to show up like this, though it does help that Wang is Wintour's special little pet.


January Jones - I love this crazy bitch. She does what she wants and though it's not always on the mark, it's always entertaining. If she keeps it up for a few more years, she'll be heading to Chloe Sevigny territory.


Kristen Bell - This is a very interesting dress, and I'm glad that Bell is able to get these sorts of options. Now if only we can see her in more roles!


Gwen Stefani - Second runner-up for best dressed. And she's wearing her own line! Savvy and fashionable.


Blake Lively - First runner-up for best dressed. This color is beautiful and I really like all the detailing. And her makeup and hair artists are always spot on. Major props.


Emma Watson - BEST DRESSED! Oh Emma, you are so great. You have fantastic taste, you've landed the affections of Burberry, and you always look like you're vaguely pleased to be at the event, but it should be blessed that you've graced it with your presence.

Worst Met Gala Looks

There were some really boring, really gauche, and just really terrible looks at the Met Gala this year. Here are the absolute worst of the worst:


Katy Perry - Blech, will someone please put this girl away? No one wanted her when you dolled her up and convinced her to sign about fake lesbianism, and no wants her and her consistently terribly styled looks now.


Christina Hendricks - Whoever's responsible for her makeup tonight should never work in the business again. And when you have a body like hers, you don't need the puffy shoulder accutramonts competing for attention.


Kate Hudson - Slutty yet still incredibly boring.


Rosario Dawson - The bow and the color combination on this are extremely tacky. And it looks like she didn't have enough time for makeup.


Kate Bosworth - The conflicting decades with the 20's fingerwave and the 70's curtain/dress create an extremely unflattering overall look.


Hilary Rhoda - It's like she wandered off the set of the Robert Palmer video.


Naomi Watts - I'm so tired of the shoulder pouf. There is nothing that says, "I have no more original thoughts" faster than this walking down a designer's runway.


Joy Bryant - This dress is 100% wearing her.


Vera Farmiga - Sigh, I love her so much, but she is one of the actresses in Hollywood right now most in need of a new stylist. Call me!


Tina Fey - Aaaaaand here's the other. Tina is too awesome to mess up like this. Styling her would be a dream job, because you'd be working with one of the most kick-ass ladies out there.


Eva Mendez - Second runner-up for worst dressed. This is such a dowdy print without any of the signs of a modern twist. And she really needs to work on looking a little more relaxed on the carpet these days.


Padma Lakshmi - First runner-up for worst dressed. Ugh, I despise Padma's style. It's so small town sex-pot from the 90's. I really wish she would just let her beauty speak for itself with simpler looks.


Bea and Anna - WORST DRESSED. They win it by default, because this is their event, and they should be the most amazing, hands-down, reaffirming their status as the most important woman in fashion and the luckiest daughter ever. Instead, we get ugly rouching, a matronly coat, and a prom dress I would have rejected back in 2002. Further proof that just like our president, our Vogue editors should never be there for life. Change we can believe in!

//UPDATE//

Rachel Zoe - We have a new ultimate worst! Zoe always loses, because she insists on constantly reinforcing this negative body type. It feels wrong to even say body type, because this isn't the "type" of body she has. This is the "type" of body that she's created, and all clothes look bad on it. I feel bad for that dress, that it has to be worn by that.

A House for Mr. Biswas

Just last week I finished reading A House for Mr. Biswas, by V.S. Naipaul. The book is partially inspired by Naipaul's father's experience growing up in Trinidad, and as such is all the more interesting and engaging.

I've read Guerrillas and A Bend in the River, by Naipaul, and though I liked and would very much recommend them both, I found Mohun Biswas to be the most compelling of the main characters in these books. Obviously Biswas is incredibly flawed, as a mysoginistic, ego-driven product of his culture and time. But there is so much longing in the book, for a better job, family, environment, and set of circumstances, and you feel it so clearly and thoroughly that you want Biswas to somehow rise above everything holding him down and find the fulfillment and calm that he, and and each of us, is so desperately searching for.