What is called stylish recently

After a while blogwalking to some fashion blogs. I conclude that what defines style recently, among others, are:

1. vintage stuff: difficult definition (I'm sure we can always go to wikipedia, but I'm just to lazy this time). So perhaps it is a piece that would bring one's memory to the past, looking stylishly old (not the general classic-kinda thing).

2. thrifted stuff: pieces from second hand shops, flea market etc. It's stylish partly I guess because of the recent eco-awareness. Also, some of stylistas thinks thrifted stuffs would allow them a discretionary against current trend, or to acquire their own personal style. As I blogwalk more and more, the trend is evident.

4. Do-It-Yourself (DIY): almost all stylistas do some DIYs. It requires creativity, and sometimes they are amazing.

5. Color clash mix and match: matchy-match color combo is not acceptable currently. Some goes to the point of hurting the eyes, but some manages to simply stand out.

6. Layering. It's not only in Japan anymore.

7. Current hypes include: geeky glasses, vintage dresses, blazers, tights and all kinds of leggings and socks, ankle boots and pump shoes that covers up to the ankle (dunno the exact term), underwear garment-inspired (like the one worn often by Dita von Teese and singer Katy Perry), various kinds of hairpiece (usually goes with the one mentioned previously, results in an appearance of a cabaret dancer), belts (big, medium, small, wearing belts defines waist), clutch.

Note: most of the current hypes do not suit me, but nevermind, I'm having fun just observing

Hairstyle of a Decade

I'm writing this because I just had my hair cut, back to this style after a several months of trying the buzz of the bob (still with some layers though). I realize I'm always obsessed with novelty. My music taste, my passion for fashion, it's so obvious. So what is it with this style that I've been keeping for more than a decade, in various length, with or without bangs, straightened or wavy, but still the same basic cut.

First I had it when I was in my sophomore year, and it was like a breakthrough for me and apparently for my then surrounding. I remember a boyfriend of one of my girl-friends told her to have her hair cut like mine. It killed me then, feeling as if I were some kind of trend-setter or something (ego3x! ... how my consciousness level was back then I could not clearly recall now).

It may be because it's the most suitable style for the texture of my hair, which is straight-to-wavy with tidiness always its ultimate challenge. This style allows me to become "stylishly" untidy. My beloved auntie used to hate it so much every time I just had my hair cut shaggy short. She said it's like some chickens had just walked over my head or something (in Javanese it somewhat makes sense). Nevertheless I always come back to this style, while at the beginning I thought it was just a short term hype, like most trends in fashion or other beauty style I've encountered.

The epiphany is, now I'm positive I can be loyal if I just find the right one*. Just give me the right style and a certain level of compatibility, with different flavors can be tried every now and then, then I can definitely stick to the end.

*Obviously I wasn't just talking about hairstyle :-P

Taste, Book, and Fashion

I can say we can almost judge people by their taste. But it should be a taste that is established based on the process of mind cultivation and knowledge. For example when I look at my self over the course of time, I see a clear development of taste, which now I presume also reflects my growth. In my early adolescence I read books from Sidney Sheldon to Karl May. I know, it was Sidney Sheldon and I thought I was cool already :-P But I would still say I was advanced than the rest of my friends who were still dwelling with their Enyd Blyton series, or with no books at all. I love Enyd, and as a matter of fact, I would perhaps still enjoy a Sidney Sheldon book, I just don’t buy it, if I like to indulge such a guilty pleasure, I decide that I would just borrow it.

Now, after a busy-with-social-life period of my life, this couple of years I have gone back to books. And when looking at my bookshelf now, I couldn’t help but wonder on how far my choices have evolved. And they do reflect a gradual-profound change inside. Let’s see, I have moved on from enjoying Amy Tan (years ago) to Arundhati Roy to Garcia Marquez, to Jhumpa Lahiri, and now still obsessed with finishing the complete series of Jane Austen’s novels. I have, in between, spiritual thingy books, most of them left unfinished, like Rumi and Bhagavad Gita (but hey, spirituality is understandably fluctuating, isn’t it) and now want so bad to taste a bit of JD Salinger (quite late, now I know, but still, I don’t want to get even older before I can get a grasp of Franny and Zooey). I also have Soseki Natsume and Virginia Woolf, which I couldn’t finish even after several trials, but not quite giving up yet. And among those which are not even started are Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro. I can’t quite name all those books in the shelf, but that’s pretty much my collection now which I expect to stand to the test of time, and not wanted to be erased from the memory of having collected them.

I buy books like I bought clothes during the time I got obsessed with fashion not so long ago, with passion. I was ecstatic when I found a Toni Morrison and a Natsume Soseki in mint condition for only 35 thousand in a second hand bookshop in Bandung. Couple of weeks ago, I was having a weekend in Bandung and I did not, I repeat … DID NOT visit any single FO …horrayyyyy!! I can almost kiss myself for that. So instead of roaming around Dago or Riau for some pieces of Marc Jacob’s or Michael Kors’ knock-offs, I went to readinglights, where they sell imported magazines and second hand English books, and plus they have a shinsetsu-goodlooking-bookwormic SA, who passionately tried to look for another Soseki Natsume for me. He must have landed in his dream job for being that nice to customer.

When it comes to fashion, I don’t know how to describe my taste. I remember a dear one was saying at first he found my outfits were weird (note: I already used layering even before I went to Japan) but then he grew to like them. I do follow fashion trends to the degree of having it for knowledge purpose so that I know what to choose from. I dare to try something new and sometimes cross some lines and risk myself a faux pas (but never with regrets since at least I gain knowledge of whats-not to wear again). If I have to describe my taste in fashion in short, it’s like this (provided money is not a constraint): I would rather buy a beautiful one-of-a-kind Batik or fly to Hanoi to buy Vietnamese’ cheap but lively crafted hand bags than splurge on a premium designers’ dress or a branded bag with obnoxious monograms.

Pumping up My Office Suit

Just bought my first pair of pump shoes last Sunday. Yes, the very first one. It seems that my feet anatomy do not correspond to the general proportion of an ideal feet. So although this particular type of shoe is perfect type for office suit I have to admit I'd rather to polish other ornaments of the outfit than wearing this flattering shoes, cause it's so difficult to find the comfortable one for me.

I fell for this one because of the color. It is between gray, purple and pink. I don't know how to describe or name this color. It matches so far with almost any color of my clothes (except blue perhaps, though I don't recall to have that many blue colored clothes). Yesterday I wore a dark blue blouse with gray skirt, and the shoes catch very good attention from my surrounding. Today I'm wearing purple blouse and black skirt and the shoes complement them perfectly, at least to my eyes, since I haven't walked around much today. But that's where the problem comes, it hurts to walk! Gosh, why can't I just find a pair of perfect lovely pump shoes :-(

High Heels

I don't know since when I started feeling uncomfortable wearing high heels. For my height I used to be insecure without ones. Especially back there in my country when people do not need to walk as much as here in Japan, I never wear sneakers. Last year I remember I still wear boots often even for going to school just for regular classes. But now, especially today I just come to think of how much I hate high heels.

I hate high heels because I feel pretty uncomfortable with one, but comfortably unpretty without one (I don't know which one to choose!). BTW, I wonder how men think about women wearing high heels.... Lots of woman clothes are designed compatible for high heels, for example, mini skirts will look 'killing' with a sling-back or a stilletto. But wearing them, will kill your back when you have to walk half kilometer just to change the line in the subway.

Anyway, last Monday was a bad day for me, but it was worse because I was wearing boots with 5cm heels. First kilometer in the morning I was still okay, although I was thinking already it must have been a beautiful freshy morning, had I just wear my sneakers instead. I was planning to go directly home after half day lecture at the National Tax Agency (that's why I had to wear formal that day, gosh I cannot imagine going to work everyday with formal dress and shoes anymore now!). But, it turned out that I have to walk a lot after the class, picking up books, looking out several places for lunch and look around for ATM coz I just ran out of cash after my stringent lunch. Poor me I already imagined a dessert just to release myself from the boots torture.

A long awaited call did cheer me up a bit during lunch. But it was only after I got home that I really enjoyed being freed from the high-heel-syndrome. Suddenly the day was felt much better, the books were a big help, and the call was felt as the most relaxing casual conversation as I rewind my thought for that day.

Heels however is a must worn formal fashion items for women, at least it will still be for the next two decade I guess (God, I hate the person who invent this fashion!). So, I better prepare myself, for my formal office work will start soon. But somehow I'm still thinking maybe we can invent something else, how to look good without high heels...hmmm

Love and Jacket

When I first wrote my posting here, my friend Jo-Ann protested that there were no element of love there in my first writing, considering I have love beside life and rhythm in the title. But you see, I can't write about love, especially my love life, properly... probably not until I settle it down properly hhehe, because my feeling for love is always so romantic and poetic (some people will laugh ;))), but my writing style can never be such.

Yesterday I was walking to school, and the cold winter wind was striking my cheek, leaving it a natural pink (this is what I like about winter, I never have to put any blush-on ;) ). I was wearing my really warm jacket I bought just this winter, and there was I, thinking of writing here about my jacket and love. You see, I lost my favorite jacket last year just in the end of the winter. When I lost it I didn't feel that bad because I thought I can find better or at least a similar one and I was almost bored with it anyway. But when the winter was coming this year I was desperately looking for a jacket out of the fear of not having a proper comfort to protect me from the coldness, but i realized then it was not easy. The thing is actually I have so many jacket already, but none of them I really like as the one I lost. Probably you find it strange (especially for man, you may not understand) that I have such a strong feeling for a piece of cloth. Some people regard clothes just as their function, keeping you warm or cover your supposedly unseen body, but some other people (me included) consider clothes as fashion (or self) statement. Okay, anyway several times I ended up buying jackets that I thought I like (after weighing the price and my fondness toward it) but it turned out I got bored just as soon as I wore it once. And then, one time I found this one, a white thick jacket, with fur, nice material and good cut. First time I saw it I liked it already. Although the price was not cheap compared to other jackets I bought out of desperation, I was thinking that it was really pretty and looked good on me. So there I was thinking of buying or not, because this will be my last winter and I have spent quite amount on the other less charming jackets, but in the end of course I bought it.

First time I wore it, it was gratifying. It has pockets where I can put my palms in, so I don't need to buy thicker gloves, as my favorite gloves are not so sufficiently warm, they are more for fashion hehe... It also indeed looked good, so without looking at my face I look like one of those rich japanese shopping savvies (= who know how and are able to shop). Since then I have never thought of wearing my other jackets anymore (poor them, hanged idly in my dark closet). The secret is that this new jacket has the color that goes right with any color of my clothes, and also the style.

So there when I was walking to my school and thinking may be this is the feeling when you finally meet somebody right. Has everything you need (as the pockets in the jacket for me), goes right with everything you have (the color and style) , and make you (or at least think that you) look good. What a relieving feeling... ;))

--yr--