Posts with tag punk

We loved the jewelry Robert Lee Smith designed for Mary Kate and Ashley's clothing line Elizabeth and James...especially the dagger necklace. But at $525, it's a bit much to spend on a piece of costume jewelry.

We see London, we see France, we see Gwyneth Paltrow in Paris at the premiere of "Two Lovers" wearing another weird dress. Plus we see underpants! And her bra!

Pretty much any other time of year, we'd see this photo of singer Alaska and her husband Mario Vaquerizo and merely wonder, "Hey, when did Steve Perry get a flatiron?"

We're starting to gear up for the back to school fashions (and the inevitable dress code restrictions), and one of the things we always like to add to a conservative is a really unique, offbeat piece of jewelry. We think this qualifies.

We don't get Avril Lavigne. She's bashing Christina Aguilera one day and rocking Xtina's platinum blonde hair extensions the next. But more curiously, we don't understand why she thinks anyone would be willing to dress like her.

Once the territory of only the most hardcore punks, black nails became very mainstream for a few years. The trend is now receding, but you'll continue to see it on skater chicks like Avril Lavigne. If you love the classic, serious look, then black is your color of choice, skip the glitter and funny tips. You can find black nail polish almost anywhere these days, but for on-the-run rockers the Sally Hansen quick dry nail pen in black is convenient and inexpensive. Perfect for the low tech punk aesthetic.

Charlize Theron is so radiant that she can make this punky purpley-black look like the classiest thing out there. On her it is couture. If you can pick up a street style and dress it up for lunch with the ladies or the red carpet, then you're in Charlize's elite league. Want to try out for the team? Practice with OPI Lincoln Park After Dark.

We must confess: Deep in the pit of our black goth heart, we totally dig preppy stuff. Not just that punky plaid stuff. We're talking clothes that pair pink with green. Orange with turquoise. Bright yellow with more yellow.

It goes with the dream of a summer place on the Vineyard, preferably next door to Carly Simon. In the closet would be a vivid Lilly Pulitzer dress- and capri-filled wardrobe. We would also be pleasantly buzzed on G&Ts all day long, and tan without freckles or skin cancer.

On Monday, CBGB's died one last time and was reborn as a pricey John Varvatos menswear boutique.

Hmmm. I'm thinking $130 tshirts are totally not punk. On the other hand, Varvatos has pretty good rock and roll connections, and 315 Bowery had to get bought by someone, right?

It's an age-old question: where do I find a collared shirt that expresses my inner-punk? Chances are that if you work in an environment that involves a dress code, you are constantly pissed off at having to buy shirts that you hate, just to avoid annoying speeches from your boss. Well look no further, Attus Apparel has put together a line-up of polos that are quietly subversive -- perfect for sticking it to the man.

I prefer the middle finger version myself, but in case you don't want to get fired, they have other less offensive designs. You can choose from: a head with a mohawk, a 40oz., a toilet, a guitar shredder, and a snowboarder.

All the shirts are 100% cotton and are "slim fit," so take that into consideration and don't buy one that's too small. They're on sale right now for $27 marked down from $54 -- not bad for a quality polo that's this unique.

Buy

From the feet of 1970s punks to the tenth Doctor of Doctor Who, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, often affectionately called "Chucks", have been everywhere. Sure, they don't offer optimal arch support and, since Nike bought the shoe and moved production overseas, the quality is not as fine as it once was, but the look is too classic to pass up. They go well with jeans or casual skirts and even serve as a nice way of toning down dressy pants.

Also, Chucks hold the strange honor of being the only shoe that most people usually like better dirty and worn-in. Pristine new Chucks are actually a bit blinding and scary... But old Chucks with blackened toes, small holes worn in the sides, and fraying laces, instead of looking sad, they look loved, like a loyal pair of shoes that have joined you on every adventure of your life. Have I made it obvious enough that I love my Chucks?

Here's a helpful hint for finding cheap Chucks: While hunting in the clearance sections of shoe stores (or even online, like on eBay), take a look in the men's section as well. Labels on all the boxes are unisex, so no need to convert your shoe size to men's. On more than one occasion I've managed to find a criminally cheap pair of Chucks just because I took the time to peek.

Whenever someone mentions British designer Vivienne Westwood, the words Sex Pistols, punk music, drugs and sex will not be far behind. Back in the early 1970s, Westwood was romantically involved with Malcolm McLaren, the manager for the band the Sex Pistols.

In 1971, McLaren opened a shop called Let it Rock, which sold many of Westwood's wild, punk designs. The relationship between the avant garde designer and the world of rock was ultimately sealed when the Sex Pistols chose to wear outfits from Westwood's collection during their first few gigs.

From then on, Westwood's designs were synonymous with the culture of British punk -- fetish clothing, drugs, sex and the unfortunate fate of Sid and Nancy. It's guilt by association, perhaps, as Westwood claims that she is nothing like her reputation suggests. She told British Vogue: "I've got this reputation for being a bit of sex maniac and things like that, and I'm not. I love that Jean Shrimpton quote: 'Sex has never been high on my list of priorities'."

No way! Designers are just like us*!

*By 'us,' of course, I mean pretty much every woman I know.

For the über-trendy teenagers reading this, who actually enjoy looking like sci-fi-influenced candy ravers circa 1993, sorry -- but I hate your clothes. Fortunately, it seems I'm not the only one that isn't excited about the "nu-rave" trend that designers, and a few fashion bloggers seem to think will be all the rage in 2007. And, as noted by the Guardian's Hadley Freeman, while major designers may be temporarily caving to this desperate attempt "to find a youth trend to fill the vacuum left by the inevitable self-destruction of the Libertines," their Paris and Milan shows were otherwise successful.

Check out the article for a full run down on all the designer's contributions, but my personal favorite is Slimane at Dior. By refining British punk and mod styles, the designer captures both the chaos and the masculinity that seem to be central in our current return to rock (or grunge, or whatever). Clothes like this (or even the Burberry outfit pictured at right) dress up for a trendy day at the office, or down for a night out at your favorite rock club -- where, with any luck, you'll be listening to your city's latest, greatest, 70s-inspired grunge/rock/punk outfit. Classic.

I recently developed a gaping hole in the back of my favorite pair of low-top Chuck Taylors (I love them ever so much), so I had no choice but to purchase another pair. Since someone did a really crummy job with the shoelaces, I had to re-do them, and, instead of doing the usual cross-lacing, I wanted to try straight-lacing (pictured). I jumped online to find out the easiest way to go about it.

I stumbled across a website called Ian's Shoelace Site, which has illustrated instructions for 31 different ways to tie shoelaces. These styles range from the normal (criss-cross lacing) to the intricate (checkerboard lacing), but are all practical.

By the way, some of these will probably look a little ridiculous on a full-grown person, but if you know of any kids that are looking to have some fun with their shoes, totally go to town. I know any kid sporting the checkerboard would have been a huge hit on my elementary school playground.

If you've ever felt the need to dress like a pre-teen living in a Hot Topic clearance rack but wanted to pay a hell of a lot more, look no further! Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz has just made his fashion debut at New York Fashion Week, perfect for the kids looking to have something new match their white belts and squeaky-clean Chucks. Wentz's label, Clandestine Industries, has plenty of merchandise available online. I think what really caught my eye was the "Razor Bling Necklace", 'cause nothing says style like romanticized suicide.

Oh, Pete. You're always good for a laugh.