Random Update: MK Olsen at the MET

Go Fug Yourself: Because Fugly Is The New Pretty - Part 11

Oh, MK Olsen.  This is just...sad.

Words of Wisdom-Part 5

I think whoever writes this tumblr can see into my soul.

http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/post/18642962944/when-i-see-a-girl-wearing

Words of Wisdom- Part 4

These aren't really words of wisdom, but rather a perfect encapsulation of what goes one when we dress others poorly...

http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/post/21314987836/wearing-a-shirt-as-a-dress

Random Update: Rose Glasses

Why?  I love roses and I love sugar and these look like the sugar flowers you see on cupcakes and cakes and other joy-bringing desserts.

But honestly, this looks like a Girl Scout craft project gone amiss.  

They do have a very pretty floral color palette, but honestly that's the only redeeming factor with these specs.

#52 Polos and Khakis

As with many of my posts, I feel that people are going to react strongly and negatively to this one just by its title.

We all have had jobs at one point or another that required us to wear khakis and polos.  It may have been your daily uniform, as it was for my job in college, or it could have been the special outfit everyone had to wear to the company picnic.

For some people, men in particular, it is their pairing of choice.  They have an arsenal of striped polo shirts that would make Charlie Brown proud.  Their abundance of khakis would make you wonder if they were actually color blind and too afraid to ask for help with matching.

I'm not sure where my problems with khakis and polos comes from.  Maybe it is from being forced to wear something that was not of my choice in Catholic school and when working and volunteering in college.

My advisor told me she feels the same way, so I know that at least one person in the world agrees with me on this matter.

I think the reason that I would never willingly choose to wear khakis and a polo anymore (I say anymore, because I would also wear this outfit combo so often as a preteen), is because it is ubiquitous.  Fashion should make you stand out in the most flattering way possible.

(Exhibit A: I'm not immune from making the mistakes I critique.  This photo was taken of me wearing a polo and khaki pairing.  I share it just so you all know that I'm not pretending I'm perfect.)

Khakis and polos are so abundant that they would never draw my attention to any person, male or female.  The preppy movement made sure of that.  Everyone believing that dressing like spoiled, elite New England school children would somehow endow them with the same air of pretension and undeserved wealth.

Now, khakis and polos represent are so prevalent that they simultaneously reference preppy style, Best Buy couture, and family reunion fashion.

My first point, is thus, polos and khakis will never draw any attention to your sense of style.  It is too common to be considered fashionable.

Which obviously sucks/sucked for those of us forced to wear them.

My second point is that poor women get the raw end of the deal.  Say you work at Target or Best Buy, where it is your required uniform.  Any uniform/required clothing meant for men and women will undoubtedly be better suited for men.

Pun intended.

Polo shirts are often boxy and do little justice to a woman's form, unless they are specifically bought from a store that designs polo shirts for men and women (e.g. Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle).  It is so sad that women have to go into work, forced to wear something that allows no opportunity to flatter one's frame or to show that you possess the fashion intelligence to choose an outfit that does.

If it were up to me, khakis and polos would be banned in the workplace.  Instead, we would all have fabulous uniforms like this one for the USPS.

So I guess my point is this: If more people varied their outfits and wore khakis and polos on occasion, I wouldn't have any problem with it.  There is nothing inherently bad looking about them (as there often are with the things I criticize), unless of course you're a woman wearing a unisex polo.  Which brings me to my second point: Ladies, if you are going to wear polos and khakis, you need to get a fitted polo.  It will do you greater justice than anything else.

Things I Wish Never Went Out of Fashion #2: Corsets

I write about corsets for a few reasons.  One, I've been watching the Vampire Diaries and the flashbacks to the mid-19th century make me long for an age of corsets.  Also, while Downton Abbey finished a while back, I still think about their fabulous outfits.  The show was set in a period of fashion such that the women were in between corsets and looser forms.  Third, I just bought a dress with a bustier top and it made me wish I had more.

While I do sincerely believe that corsets could be confining and the idea of sitting around in one all the time does seem burdensome, their flattery to the feminine form cannot be denied.  They created a natural waist and a bust for even the flattest of women.

Hence why I would like to see them return. (I love Nina Dobrev, but I honestly believe that her cleavage is due to some excellent brassiere work)

I should also add that my recent exposure to Steampunk fashion (although it really was a re-exposure because I've known about Steampunk for a while) has made me wish that we could honestly walk down the street wearing dresses like this without getting strange looks:

If I lived in a city like I used to instead of a Midwestern college town, I would buy this dress and wear it proudly all the time.  To say I have been tempted to buy it many times is an understatement. 

Random Update

Usually Versace does a good job at finding that fine line between sexy and trashy, and rocking it.

I have to say these shoes just reek of the red light district at 2am.

(That's not meant to be a compliment)