tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669000305349275892024-03-19T08:16:59.311+00:00The LicentiateSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comBlogger247125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-58494218791904477612011-06-16T15:10:00.000+01:002011-06-16T15:10:40.990+01:00So, this is it...... you and me, Blogger, we used to get along.<br />
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I really liked how easy you made design and layout. I liked how free and all-inclusive you were.<br />
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But then something changed. You changed. First my stats went down, then skyrocketed. For no reason whatsoever. My friends can't leave comments on posts. For days on end, I can't sign into my own blog.<br />
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Things have changed. I've found someone else. I've moved on.<br />
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to <a href="http://www.thelicentiate.com/">http://www.thelicentiate.com</a>. That's right. <a href="http://www.thelicentiate.com/">The Licentiate</a> dot com.<br />
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Things might look a little rough now, but they'll improve once I get the web people in. Then things will start to look a little bit like before. There'll be giveaways and competitions and outfit posts and all kinds of shenanigans. Oh yes.<br />
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To the people who read this blog - thank you so much for following me. You people are the best. Every time I get a positive post I feel absolutely fantastic (you can blame this on low self-esteem). Please come read over at the new address. There should be a new post up right... now.<br />
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If you want to be friends on facebook, click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sarahlicentiate">here</a>.<br />
If you want to connect on twitter, click <a href="http://www.twitter.com/the_licentiate">here</a>.<br />
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The comments are off. You know where to find me.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-87054686264999852832011-06-14T15:25:00.001+01:002011-06-14T15:28:58.733+01:00The Last Picture Show: The most stylish film you've never heard ofShowing this week at the Triskel is Peter Bogdanovich's classic The Last Picture show, which celebrates it's 40th birthday this year.<br />
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It's one of my favourite films. Based in rural Texas is the early 1950's (an incredibly baby-faced) Jeff Bridges and Timothy Bottoms star as two high-school seniors poised on the brink of a very depressing adulthood. It's sad and it's beautiful and it's painfully <em>real</em>. <br />
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The set designs and costumes by Bogdanovich's wife Polly Platt (he would later leave her for Cybill Shepard, the ingenue of the film - she apparantly had affairs with Bridges and Bottoms during filming as well, which must have been a fun environment to work in) are some of the best to be seen in films and marked a turning point for realism in the cinema. <br />
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Up until 1970, costumes for period dramas were pretty contrived. Platt made the characters look realistic and unobtrusively stylish at the same time, which complements Bogdanovich's genius eye for a composition. At the time of filming Orson Welles was living with Bogdanovich and Platt and I think the influence really shows. Here are a few pictures.<br />
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This film is every west-coast style blogger's inspiration; slouchy cool and a touch of urban decay and general apathy. It looks a bit like Band of Outsiders lookbook - forty years before Band of Outsiders was even thought of.<br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=7.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/7.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=8.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/8.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=9.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/9.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/12.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=13.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/13.jpg" /></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-28181950292710926842011-06-12T16:17:00.002+01:002011-06-12T16:43:37.194+01:00Debbie Reynolds' costume auctionOn the 18th of June, Debbie Reynolds (from <em>Singin' in the Rain</em> and also known as Carrie Fisher off <em>Star</em> <em>Wars</em>' overbearing mother) will be auctioning off her collection of film costumes and memorobilia. She initially tried to find a single museum buyer but, sadly, that didn't happen and now her huge collection will be sold off piecemeal.<br />
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I really hope that some of her items do turn up in a museum, because she owns some astonishing stuff, like Charlie Chaplin's bowler hat, Laurel and Hardy's suits, dresses worn by Audrey Hepburn in <em>My Fair Lady</em>, <em>that</em> dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in <em>The Seven Year Itch</em> (you know the one...) and a pair of Dorothy's ruby slippers.<br />
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She also has the curtain-material playsuits worn by the Von Trapp Family Singers in <em>The Sound Of Music</em>. Joy. Actual joy.<br />
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You can download the catalogue online. Here are a few items I would buy for sentimental or pure greedy reasons if I had the funds. This is just a small smattering, because the catalogue is a whopping 319 pages long. <br />
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Thanks to <a href="http://pennydreadfulvintage.blogspot.com/">Penny Dreadful Vintage</a> for bringing this to my attention.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=daviespainting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/daviespainting.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marion Davies monumental oil painting by Federico Beltran Masses from Davies’ estate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=helmet1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/helmet1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Messala' historic winged charioteer helmet rom the 1925 <em>Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=adrianjacket.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/adrianjacket.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left - Eleanor Powell “Clare Bennett” black velvet jacket designed by Adrian in Broadway Melody of <em>1940</em>. Right - Jean Hagen “Lina Lamont” camel coat with monkey-fur collar from <em>Singin’ in the Rain</em>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=gown1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/gown1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carole Lombard 'Connie Randall' gown by Travis Banton from <em>No Man of Her Own</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=debbie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/debbie.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left - Debbie Reynolds “Kathy Selden” green & white leaf patterned sleeveless dress from <em>Singin’ in the Rain</em>. Right - Ginger Rogers “Dinah Barkley” gold lamé dress from <em>Barkleys of Broadway</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=pearlyqueen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/pearlyqueen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rita Hayworth “Maribelle Hicks” two-piece dress from <em>Cover Girl</em>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=hayward.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/hayward.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left - Susan Hayward “Jane Froman” pastel rainbow-hued ball gown from <em>With a Song in My Heart</em>, right - Jane Wyman “Belinda McDonald” green dress and tan sweater from <em>Johnny Belinda.</em> <strong>If you haven't seen Johnny Belinda, watch it asap. You will cry buckets</strong><em>.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=ozmite.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/ozmite.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald-green felt “Ozmite” jacket designed by Adrian from <em>The Wizard of Oz.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=maria.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/maria.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go on, guess which film these costumes are from.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=cleo1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/cleo1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleopatra large-scale original concept painting of Elizabeth Taylor “Cleopatra” in her Alexandria apartment </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=cleo2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/cleo2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleopatra large-scale original concept painting of Antony and Cleopatra on her royal barge by Ed Graves</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=cleo3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/cleo3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleopatra large-scale original concept painting of a harbor scene by Duilio Savina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-8335243659114963872011-06-11T14:56:00.000+01:002011-06-11T14:56:00.472+01:00Related #4: Made In CorkThis is a very belated related post (ooh, rhymes).<br />
Adding on from<a href="http://thelicentiate.blogspot.com/2011/06/licentiate-column-020611-made-in-cork.html"> last week's post on the Cork Fashion Week launch</a>, here are a few pictures of the newly-refurbished Triskel Christchurch building, which will tentatively host the opening and closing nights.<br />
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The Christchurch building has been in Cork in some incarnation for around a thousand years or so. It's a former church (no big surprise there) and it is thought that the poet Spenser was married at the location.<br />
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The weight of history aside, it's a beautiful building that has been lovingly restored and is the lynchpin in Cork's cultural life, playing host to cult record shop Plugd and cafe Gulpd, art gallery The Black Mariah and as a music venue and arthouse cinema in the main building. They also have catacombs if you're of a morbid persuasion (like me).<br />
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A Fashion week event would look amazing here. Bet the last pastor never thought of that.<br />
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For more on the Triskel Arts Centre, click on their <a href="http://www.triskelartscentre.ie/">website</a>.<br />
For more about the building and refurbishment, click <a href="http://www.triskelartscentre.ie/christchurch">here</a>.<br />
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Photos 1,4,5 from<a href="http://kieranmccarthy.ie/wordpress/?p=6279"> here</a>.<br />
Photos 2,3 from <a href="http://www.triskelartscentre.ie/christchurch">here</a>.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-71790241718593435292011-06-10T16:07:00.000+01:002011-06-10T16:07:24.514+01:00Related #5: Clothing as MemoryIf you read <a href="http://thelicentiate.blogspot.com/2011/06/licentiate-column-090611-clothing-as.html">yesterday's post</a>, then you'll know what this photo is about.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=DeirdreWaldron5x7Sepia.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/DeirdreWaldron5x7Sepia.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo was restored by one of my aunt's friends after she posted the picture on facebook - a really nice gesture. My grandfather would have been 85 last week. He was born on the same day as Marilyn Monroe. Truefax.</td></tr>
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I'm usually fine with people reblogging my pictures, but this is a family photo, so please don't copy and paste this. If you like it, then share the link. Thank you.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-28314953361361060492011-06-09T09:00:00.001+01:002011-06-09T09:00:09.318+01:00Licentiate Column 09/06/11: Clothing as MemoryHow do you remember people? Do you use mnemonics, or acronyms or mind mapping? Or are you one of those people who has an eye for the little details? Is it the face you remember, or the voice, or the perfume?<br />
Memory is a funny thing. Anything can trigger a once-buried picture into either painful or joyous resurrection from the deepest, darkest regions of the hippocampus or temporal lobe.<br />
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In a hens-teeth email from my father (as in ‘as rare as..’) he wondered what images of him were built in the minds of close friends and family. <br />
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We had just been sent a picture of my grandparents when they were both very young. My grandfather is impossibly chiseled in white tie and tails. My grandmother is radiant in floor length chiffon, blissfully unaware of just how many children she’s going to have. It is Christmas Eve. She is sporting a brand new engagement ring. They are both very happy.<br />
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They are not the parents my father remembers. He remembers my grandfather with a perpetual cigarette in his right hand. I barely remember him, because he died when I was very small.<br />
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It’s the little details that you remember, the trivia that acts as infill and enriches the bigger pictures. You might remember a person’s filthy anecdotes, you might remember their grating verbal tics. All of it adds up to a memory. I remember a person’s clothes.<br />
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It might seem shallow to see the world through material things (in both the literal and figurative sense) but your memory glues itself to the aspects of a person to which you pay the most attention. It seems that I’ve been a clothes monomaniac since conception.<br />
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My father? Shirts. Floral shirts form Liberty, stripes by Paul Smith. My mother? Black Agnes b and rows of jersey wrap dresses hanging in their dry cleaning bags. My brother is tracksuit pants occasionally tucked into socks, my sisters are cocktail dresses and bright, Alexander Wang-ish vests, the collars slightly blemished by the odd dab of foundation. My mother’s mother is a pair of neatly ironed slacks in stone and olive.<br />
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It’s this way of thinking that leads me and many others to believe in the importance of vintage clothing. Every piece tells a story. It might mean nothing you you, but that tie belonged to a father, a brother. Even though they may have discarded it, it can still hold some powerful and distinctive memories for another person (if not a powerful and distinctive odour). That Penneys top may be super-cheap and on-trend, but is it really that special? Is it the stuff that memories are made of?<br />
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This isn’t a diatribe against cheap clothing and for designer goods, it’s a call to realise how important old clothes are. Because, when a loved one leaves you, what are you left with? There’s you. There is a full, yet empty wardrobe. And there are your memories.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-37299303870275085992011-06-02T12:03:00.000+01:002011-06-02T12:03:30.120+01:00Licentiate Column 02/06/11: Made In CorkCork Fashion Week is a bit of a misnomer. A fashion week is industry only. In Cork, shows are ticketed and open to all. The clothes you see on a runway are shown six months ahead of production. What you see in Milan in February, you won’t see in Brown Thomas until September. In Cork, what you see is already, or very soon to be manufactured. Fashion weeks are intense, fraught and cloaked in mystique, albeit a mystique that dissolves a little bit as each season passes. <br />
<br />
In Cork, we take a much more leisurely pace. It’s both our idiosyncratic advantage and the perpetual pebble in our shoe.<br />
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It was with that in mind that I went to ‘Made in Cork: A Prequel to Cork Fashion Week’ in the Woodford Bar last Sunday. As I was waiting to go in, a possibly drunk, possibly homeless man tried to climb a tall, spiked, wrought-iron gate opposite the bar. He made a decent go of it, but impaled himself in the groin over two spikes and had to be lifted off the gate by a bartender and a slightly wobbly passer-by, who managed the whole procedure with a cigarette clamped between his teeth.<br />
<br />
A Garda van pulled up, obscuring the view. Then, the sound of denim ripping and a very loud, sharp intake of breath. It was time to go inside. An inauspicious start in any circumstance.<br />
<br />
I hoped that this wouldn’t be the marker for the event. Taking a seat inside the smoking area afforded the best views and elbow room, so that was where I sat myself, with a notebook, an unfortunate looking BIC pen and an endless supply of fizzy pop.<br />
<br />
The crowd was a mix of models, photographers, fashion lovers and one small, very bored looking boy in Communion garb. Unlike London fashion week, where everyone is stressed beyond belief, the attendees looked genuinely happy. They were smiling, greeting each other with hugs, buying pints (of champagne), trading bon mots and making plans for the evening.<br />
<br />
It was as if they were actually glad to be there (with the exception of Communion Boy, who had a pout that Andre Leon Talley would spontaneously combust with jealousy over). This is not the fashion week the world was used to. I was bamboozled. Pleasantly bamboozled.<br />
<br />
The first half of the show was excellent. Trends were expertly curated. The preppy looks were a particular favourite - all white jeans and jumpers casually knotted over shoulders, ready for a game of tennis in the Hamptons. The vintage dress selection from Miss Daisy Blue was excellent as usual, with a mix of psychedelic print maxis, prom dress and LBDs that looked classically and contemporary.<br />
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It’s always good to see something grow and expand. I’m very proud to have been a witness of such growth from Cork Fashion Week’s inception. This September promises to be the most diverse and exciting Fashion Week yet.<br />
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Each year it gets a little bit bigger and, as Cork become even more creative and focused on fashion niches, the community at large adapts and rallies around it. Even if it’s something as ridiculous as lifting a stuck wino off a gate.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-73793985705928327352011-05-31T09:00:00.002+01:002011-05-31T09:00:01.729+01:00African Wax FabricsMy first proper boyfriend lived in Ghana for a year. In our emails back and forth he would tell me about the food, the nightlife and the time he drunkenly passed out at a party at the Irish Consulate in Accra. <br />
<br />
Reading back over his emails from five years ago, it's clear that Ghana is an incredible country with Everest-type highs and supertrough lows. Floods, typhoid and the odd Internet cafe going on fire are recurring motifs in the emails. But then again, so are friendly, welcoming people, sporting tradition and the merits of river boiled kenki.<br />
<br />
He never told me about the fabric though.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=wax4-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wax4-1.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Wax fabric is predominantly made in Ghana and is responsible for some of the trippiest, brightest, graphic prints available in the world today. The prints can be abstract, but are usually full of signs and symbols denoting a persons social status, political affiliations or general likes.<br />
<br />
African art has a tendency towards the literal and these prints follow on from that. With the popularisation of wax printing, more and more prints are devoted to technology and commerce. You can buy Pop Art-ish yards of fabrics stamped with lipsticks, batteries, car mufflers, chickens and irons.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=wax6-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wax6-1.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
I love the pure, flat joy of these prints. It's only a matter of time before a label like Proenza Schouler or Erdem picks these brights up and works them into a Spring/Summer collection (fingers crossed). <br />
<br />
There are already Western designers that work with these fabrics, but I'm yet to see a top or dress that justifies the fabric and brings out the best in it. Is it just me or is a lot of this clothing, I don't know, a little bit... <em>patronising</em>? Or <em>self-congratulatory</em>? People need to get out of the mindset that Africa is synonymous with charity - then we'll stop treating their indigenous goods like another person's cast-offs and give it the shape and beauty these prints deserve.<br />
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To see more, go to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/africanfabrics/pool/with/3025225747/">African Fabric Flickr pool</a><br />
<br />
Photos 1-4 from <a href="http://www.africanfabric.co.uk/wax_prints.php">here</a>. Photos 5-8 from <a href="http://www.anansevillage.com/home/ana/smartlist_62/african_wax_print_fabric.html">here.</a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-26875743783267337912011-05-29T15:20:00.000+01:002011-05-29T15:20:58.012+01:00Cecil Beaton Book Covers<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=beaton2-Copy.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/beaton2-Copy.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
I found these while combing through the internet for an out-of-print book. If you're looking for something that's that bit to hard to find, ABE Books is the place to go. On their homepage was a feature on the books and illustrations of Cecil Beaton.<br />
<br />
If you're like me and know close to nothing about Beaton, then <a href="http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/cecil-beaton-the-randy-dandy-of-photography-fashion/">this post </a>by The Selvedge Yard is an excellent place to start.<br />
<br />
I just love these covers. Now I just need a spare two and a half thousand dollars to buy a clean copy of Cecil Beaton's New York and see what's inside the beautiful watercolour dustjacket.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=beaton3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/beaton3.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=beaton1-Copy.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/beaton1-Copy.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=beaton1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/beaton1.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=beaton2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/beaton2.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
All pictures from <a href="http://www.abebooks.com/books/RareBooks/photography-writing-design-diaries-vogue/cecil-beaton.shtml">ABE Books</a> (this isn't a sponsored post, by the way)<br />
<br />
P.S How great a title is 'My Bolivian Aunt'?<br />
P.P.S You'd be surprised where you'd find copies of these books. Check your local library - you might be surprised.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-42095535449026853862011-05-27T09:00:00.003+01:002011-05-27T09:00:02.644+01:00Related #3: Do it like a DudeYesterday's post dealt with women who dress like men, or don't (Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, I'm a-looking at you) to assert their power.<br />
<br />
But where there are Queens, there are Kings...<br />
<br />
And where there is power, there is also subservience...<br />
<br />
So, to veer insanely from one end of a spectrum to another, here are some pictures of women who dress like men to show their love for a man. Like a king. <em>The</em> King, in fact. <br />
<br />
These photos were taken by Grey Villet in 1957 for TIME Magazine. They show a day in the life of Susan Hull, who has decided to take the plunge and get an Elvis-style pompadour, joining the thousand strong ranks of girls and women in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who love Elvis so much that they want to look like him. <br />
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If you want to put it in a modern context, imagine thousands of femme Justin Beiber fans, all with the same, super feathery, peekaboo, come-hither (but not too close, I'm a good Christian) hair*. Just for the love of the Biebs. Have you shuddered? Has an icy cold finger of revulsion crawled down your back? Good, let's look at the pictures.<br />
<br />
All captions from the original article (because they're hilarious)<br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=e6d873da9327507f_large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/e6d873da9327507f_large.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susan Hull looks apprehensive as beautician prepare to form lock into Presley sidecurl</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=b9536d991fe5a178_large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/b9536d991fe5a178_large.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IN NEW GLORY: Nancy Hull happily shows off Presley cut. Beautician who created style stresses convenience for girls who like swimming without caps.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=b90a1ba53970f027_large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/b90a1ba53970f027_large.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CONFRONTING FATHER outside the beauty shop. Susan Hull (left) and her sister Nancy, 20, display haircuts. He was noncommital about new style.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=a3e6a7559f58d0c3_large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/a3e6a7559f58d0c3_large.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">COMFORTING MOTHER, Susan promises not to have her brown hair dyed black. After showing cut to family, she gave ponytail to 4-year old brother.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=f166b2084d667e8c_large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/f166b2084d667e8c_large.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CONVINCING SWEETHEART, Susan explains her coiffure to her beau Lew Potter in Motorcycle shop. At first he threatened to break their next date.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=7e7b14603192a309_large.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/7e7b14603192a309_large.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLIPPED GALLERY sits for a group portrait in Didgson's beauty shop. The sideburns are standard but the number of stray locks on foreheads is optional</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
Read the original article<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=40EEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55&lpg=PA55&dq=grand+rapids+elvis+hair+thousand&source=bl&ots=NKVQbhDDMO&sig=64ScC_8bBp_q-ryV41jCVb6rpBs&hl=en&ei=35rVTaKnM4ex8QOjoPzNBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false"> here</a>.<br />
<br />
*<a href="http://lesbianswholooklikejustinbieber.tumblr.com/">Lesbians who look like Justin Beiber</a> notwithstanding. The Lesbiebers are awesome.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-14793320806698367892011-05-26T09:00:00.001+01:002011-05-26T09:00:00.503+01:00Licentiate Column 26/05/11: Do it Like a DudeIt’s not often that you’ll picture The Queen (of Great Britain, natch) and Jessie J in the same room, let alone the same thought, but lately I’ve had the two on the brain. One is a monarch, the other one is not. But they both do it like a dude. <br />
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Elizabeth II is one of only eight disputed premier queens to ascend to the throne since 1066 and has somehow managed not to be overthrown, arrested after nine days, dominated by her husband or die of dropsy - which is no mean feat in itself. Jessie J is not that important when it comes to explaining myself, but her song is.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth II is one of those rare breeds of women - the women of the old guard who don’t have to resort to trousers to assert their power. The royal wardrobe has always been sleek, tailored, severe - but never masculine. It’s all kitten heels and handbags at dawn, the contents of which are often disputed. I’m thinking a paisley-upholstered hipflask of scotch, some menthol cigarillos and a filofax with the nasty details and unlisted numbers of every PM, baron and magnate alive today. And a lipstick. <br />
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When most women look to protect themselves, whether it’s protecting your interests in business or your modesty on a blustery day, a woman will wear trousers. If not trousers, a suit of some kind. Lines are sharp, shades are assertive in their boldness. No pastels for the bright women warriors of today, for she is strong and deserves a strong colour. Also, light colours stain so easily don’t they?<br />
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Dressing in the conventional masculine sense is spread over a broad spectrum. On one end, you have a pair of jeans. A person almost forgets that jeans were worn by men before they were assimilated into the murky genderless, unisex realm. On the other end are the unashamed, unabashed, totally admirable drag kings, who stuff tube socks down their trousers (not unlike some men, the Loose Women-watching part of me wants to add) and dot stubble and goatees on their faces with the precision of a Renaissance master. <br />
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Somewhere in the middle is my favourite kind of androgyne - Marlene Dietrich in a tux. Masculine tailoring meets a feminine figure, with perfected painted eyes, coiffed hair and heeled shoes. With the coming of YSL’s Le Smoking suit in 1966, it was official: Suits are sexy.<br />
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Women dress in the male/female dichotomy for a multitude of reasons. Some do it for fashion, some for function, some for self-expression. Many women are not aware of the gender implications of buttoning up a shirt.<br />
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Some wear masculine tailoring as a type of armour. It says, “I am powerful. I mean business”. On the flipside, it also highlights our own vulnerabilities. Are we so afraid of being powerless that we refuse to be feminine?<br />
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The Queen knows better. After almost sixty years as a titular head of stare, she knows that power is not necessarily in the way that you dress. Clothes do not necessarily maketh the (wo)man. Sometimes trousers are good for nothing but outdoor pursuits.<br />
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A queenly caveat, though - if there’s a dress code, you’d better stick to it. Watch your step,<br />
Kate Middleton.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-16443351619916682492011-05-24T09:00:00.001+01:002011-05-24T09:00:03.741+01:00Wishlist<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=wishlist7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wishlist7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.barbourbymail.co.uk/Barbour-Summer-Liddesdale-Quilted-Jacket-Ladies.html">Barbour</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=wishlist2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wishlist2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hassan Rahim at <a href="http://www.bloodisthenewblack.com/shop/store.php?crn=2755&rn=8734&action=show_detail">Blood is the New Black</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=wishlist4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wishlist4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/73478444/patti-smith-portrait-plate-altered">Beat Up Creations</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=wishlist1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wishlist1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.asos.com/Pippa-Lynn/Pippa-Lynn-Aztec-Print-Pleated-Mini-Skirt/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1619824&cid=13481&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Ikat+Print">Pippa Lynn</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wishlist6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jildorshoes.com/images/products/l_83478.jpg">Steve Madden</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=wishlist5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wishlist5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=2455322&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=265496&parent_categoryId=208499&pageSize=20">Danielle Scutt x Freedom at Topshop</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=wishlist3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/wishlist3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/73828150/snaggletooth-no-32-crystal-bullet-fringe">Savage Salvage</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-5974898783470158712011-05-22T19:05:00.009+01:002011-05-22T19:05:00.827+01:00Théâtre de la ModeI saw these on <a href="http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2011/05/theatre-de-la-mode-c-1944/">How To Be A Retronaut</a> and they were too good not to share. <br />
<br />
The Théâtre de la Mode was brought about at the liberation of Paris in 1944. Parisian fashion houses were only just starting to re-open their doors after several years of limited or non-production.<br />
<br />
The purported story is that there wasn't enough fabric to make full-scale dresses, so two feet tall wire models were kitted out with the finest in couture and displayed, first in Paris, then around Europe and North America until their acquisition by the Maryhill Museum of Art in Washington.<br />
<br />
More than likely, it was a more cost-effective way to remind the world that Paris was still the epicentre of fashion, despite living through occupation, starvation, oppression and war. While fabric was rationed and still at a premium (especially silk, which was used for parachutes), Parisian women defied the Germans in any way they could, usually by flouting stringent material rationing and wearing dresses and skirts made with yards and yards of whatever they could get their hands on. <br />
<br />
Breaking the law and looking chic at the same time - those Parisian women knew their stuff.<br />
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The first five photographs were taken by David Seidner in 1990. He deliberately set the dolls in a recognisably French, warlike background. At first, I thought that these photos were taken in the 1940's. In actuality, all 237 (!) dolls were put on display in 1944 as part of a number of scenarios designed by artists like Jean Cocteau, amongst others.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=paris-david-lelong-seidner09_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/paris-david-lelong-seidner09_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="pie">David Seidner, <em>Lucien Lelong</em>, 1990</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=seidner4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/seidner4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="pie"><span align="top" class="pie_g">David Seidner, <em>Balenciaga</em>, 1990</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=seidner11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/seidner11.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="pie"><span align="top" class="pie_g">David Seidner, <em>Marcel Dhorme</em>, 1990 </span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=madamegresdoll.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/madamegresdoll.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="pie"><span align="top" class="pie_g">David Seidner, <em>Madame Gres</em>, 1990 </span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=seidner12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/seidner12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="pie"><span align="top" class="pie_g">David Seidner, <em>Robert Piguet, Raphaël, Pierre Balmain</em>, 1990</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=cocteauset.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/cocteauset.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jean Cocteau's 1944 setting, Ma Femme est une Sorcière (<a href="http://denisebrain.blogspot.com/2010/04/theatre-de-la-mode-part-ii-sets.html">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>For more info, read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theatre-Mode-Fashion-Survival-Couture/dp/0935278567/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305988380&sr=8-1">Theatre de la Mode</a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-47203608027376198282011-05-20T09:00:00.002+01:002011-05-20T10:27:04.103+01:00Related #2: What's Your Time Period?If I had to pick a time period, I'd pick the 60's and be a mod. Typical of people who always want that they can't have, I don't have the legs for micro minis and am deathly afraid of scooters (or any two-wheeled transport). I would be a terrible mod.<br />
<br />
In yesterday's post, I talked about my dad and the punk movement in Dublin. Any street style phenomenon that predates digital cameras in Ireland is usually woefully underdocumented. Maybe it's because Ireland is such a small country, maybe it's because we're all really lazy - who knows?<br />
<br />
On top of that, Mod culture is also woefully underdocumented (at least in comparison with other subcultures like punk) so there's not a lot to go on. But here are a few Mod Links...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=modsinmargate.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/modsinmargate.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mods go wild in Margate after a clash with rockers (source)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
For all things Mod, <a href="http://modculture.co.uk/">Modculture</a> is the go-to place.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=nodtomod.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/nodtomod.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polka dot mod mini from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72440075/vintage-60s-dress-mini-knit-nautical-mod?ref=sr_gallery_30&ga_search_query=mod+mini+polka+dot&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">Nod to Mod</a> Vintage (could there be a more appropriate name for this shop?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Do you want to organise your very own Mod Club Night? <a href="http://www.modculture.co.uk/culture/culture.php?id=74">Click here</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=fredperryrichardnicoll.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/fredperryrichardnicoll.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Nicoll's collection for <a href="http://www.fredperry.com/limited-edition/women/limited-edition-richard-nicoll/">Fred Perry</a> has more than a whiff of Mod to it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Listen to the Modcast - more music oriented, but worth a listen. Guests have included Matt Berry. Oh Matt. I love your dulcet tones.<br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=moddress.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/moddress.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minidress from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72366944/vtg-60s-striped-mod-mini-dress?ref=sr_gallery_2&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=mod+mini+stripe&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">Hellhound Vintage</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=Mods_Daves-Photos_071.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/Mods_Daves-Photos_071.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Dave's Mod Photos</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Recollections of a Mod life (lots more pics <a href="http://manchestersoul.co.uk/msoul/mods.html">here</a>)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=modjumperdress.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/modjumperdress.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumper Dress from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71763833/vintage-1960s-la-rue-mod-jumper-dress?ref=sr_gallery_22&ga_search_query=mod&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">Novella Bleu</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-27754408508565246522011-05-19T09:00:00.003+01:002011-05-19T09:00:05.980+01:00Licentiate Column 19/05/11: What's Your Time Period?Everyone has their time period. This isn't a nod to mortality - although, in the fashion world, trends only live for a few months and some careers at fashion houses, even less. Death isn't really relevant. <br />
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When a trend dies or fails to get out of the starter gate it is instantly forgotten about, until a designer runs out of ideas and decides to revive it in lieu of actual creativity. Lest we forget, bulky 70's rainbow crochet and macrame are going to be huge this winter. Apparently. <br />
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Some trends never die out. That's because they have more meat and room for maneuvering than the average twice-yearly expelling of stress-induced creative juices from a frazzled designer's brain.<br />
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The trend is synonymous to a way of life, a philosophy, a musical style or is a vital part of a rich vein in art or literature. It was not gestated by a figure in the fashion industry, but was definitely popularised by several. It doesn't belong to one person, but is eternally tied to young people - all in their teens and twenties, all growing up in one time period.<br />
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Everyone has their time period. Whether it's the one you grew up in or one you wish you were there for, everyone has one. It's half misguided nostalgia, half style inspiration and a liberal seasoning of fantasy.<br />
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One friend would have fitted in perfectly with the dying days of the debutante balls, in peach satin and white gloves, one foot in the old world and one foot looking towards a different and wholly brighter tomorrow. Another's anarchic spirit wouldn't be out of place in the Manchester of the early 80's, listening to Joy Division and A Certain Ratio, wearing forest green donkey coats and severe buttoned-up shirts.<br />
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Once, my father and I were watching a segment on a current affairs programme about 70's punk in Dublin. "You should have been alive then, Sarah", he said to me. " You would have really fitted in."<br />
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It was an observation that stuck with me, because up until then I was unaware that my father was any different at twenty than he was at fifty. In my mind he always wore suits and worked in an office and reserved his best terrible floral shirts on holidays. I never contemplated that he could have gone to see The Clash or worn drainpipe jeans or perhaps even taken some pride in looking a little bit like Paul Weller (yes Dad, I know this is conjecture, but your haircut at the time had a definite Modfather vibe).<br />
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Everyone has their time period. If clothes maketh the person, then who are you? Are you a punk? A Fab Fourophile? A 30's screen siren? A make do and mend Blitz babe? Are you into the grunge look? Or your time period the one you live in today?<br />
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What will it look like to the next generation? We only have to wait and see.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-18719940171640774622011-05-16T16:08:00.000+01:002011-05-16T16:08:20.085+01:00Kinda Sorta Love......The <a href="http://www.eurovision.tv/page/dusseldorf-2011">Eurovision</a>, which for one night only turns everything the most amazing shade of camp. This is the Serbian entry Nina, who sang... er, I have no idea. In my mind, it sounds a bit like this.<br />
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</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T5ALPzS0QfQ" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SzYt9-QhnW6GJwNcJj5BN4v8tFNNVjoT6HsJiGZpLZx21zz_Tf4VyInsUcm09HLuSF2R1nrfDTEccBsxCgBJF5r7LMsA8Tj06Bt68Ph0LPlCtfaxofIkn62NY05tt-bEk-ovMpy0h2U/s1600/nina+eurovision2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SzYt9-QhnW6GJwNcJj5BN4v8tFNNVjoT6HsJiGZpLZx21zz_Tf4VyInsUcm09HLuSF2R1nrfDTEccBsxCgBJF5r7LMsA8Tj06Bt68Ph0LPlCtfaxofIkn62NY05tt-bEk-ovMpy0h2U/s1600/nina+eurovision2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://imageshack.us/f/861/pb003.jpg/">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxOu-sB6iajoZLSzcayNVjb36xBWaHEFr4vRYJDZCNP8Oa4Opifn8GK4R4tYFftmT8IkGG2L4sEYeqJsqLzJVskFEQ9S2PIqOtp_6blcEOg-7Sp0-ZGcmSWWyTcSXoKXsvUYLf-lKUro/s1600/nina+eurovision+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxOu-sB6iajoZLSzcayNVjb36xBWaHEFr4vRYJDZCNP8Oa4Opifn8GK4R4tYFftmT8IkGG2L4sEYeqJsqLzJVskFEQ9S2PIqOtp_6blcEOg-7Sp0-ZGcmSWWyTcSXoKXsvUYLf-lKUro/s1600/nina+eurovision+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need more pictures of this act. <a href="http://ww.novosti.rs/upload/images/2011/02/2602/evrosong.jpg">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table> Coloured tights, bright colours, patterns, sharp bobs, heavy eye make-up, micro minis. Remind you of anyone?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwdMKb-k565mE3EppHZVzqJodjW0tbjZwS7AlEcjPbeu_JVJVHLgXy5CIioXzZCrcLWAcme9Z4qex2R3I9eS16m3fNmKqVf1xrck_Wsxy1DFviFtXUkAhwvinAJuYUkQ8-fITpcP1R-I/s1600/sandie-shaw+eurovision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwdMKb-k565mE3EppHZVzqJodjW0tbjZwS7AlEcjPbeu_JVJVHLgXy5CIioXzZCrcLWAcme9Z4qex2R3I9eS16m3fNmKqVf1xrck_Wsxy1DFviFtXUkAhwvinAJuYUkQ8-fITpcP1R-I/s1600/sandie-shaw+eurovision.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandie Shaw, Eurovision winner 1967. <a href="http://donbass.ua/multimedia/images/gallery/640_480/2011/05/10/sandie-shaw.jpg">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-90051629418166697642011-05-13T09:00:00.021+01:002011-05-13T19:02:14.760+01:00Related #1: Fashioning NightwearEvery so often, I write a column where five hundred words just isn't enough. There's all kinds of pictures and resources that I would love to share. I'm starting a series of posts the day after each column comes out in print (ehm, that's Friday then) with some supplementary material. It won't ebe every Friday, but it will be a recurring thing.<br />
<br />
If you read yesterday's post, then you'll know that I don't <em>really</em> take nightwear too seriously. I do, however, have huge love for pajamas. Pajamas are great. The best pajamas are the sartorial equivalent of a hug. The ultimate in loungewear, a nice pair of a pajamas is only one point in the triangle of the perfect relaxing winter evening (the other two points being a hot drink and a good book).<br />
<br />
Here's some pajama related information and inspiration.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMh01_AuO9tCIv70tx2boJkjL0YYXBxRK8XTMD0P4qAMl76vHJI4WRiVNU-YP2cSdm_Adjqh2HcbSYvwctu0Y0cbw4H4AATAIqRlmkcZKrGEsLDNP6tdobcMiG6YVAuk1fh9XQGkFmGZU/s1600/the-poetry-of-the-pyjama-as-paris-recites-it-by-a-k-macdonald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMh01_AuO9tCIv70tx2boJkjL0YYXBxRK8XTMD0P4qAMl76vHJI4WRiVNU-YP2cSdm_Adjqh2HcbSYvwctu0Y0cbw4H4AATAIqRlmkcZKrGEsLDNP6tdobcMiG6YVAuk1fh9XQGkFmGZU/s1600/the-poetry-of-the-pyjama-as-paris-recites-it-by-a-k-macdonald.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Poetry of Pajamas by A.K MacDonald</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://heres-looking-like-you-kid.com/2009/03/when-pyjamas-werent-the-cats-pajamas-or-were-they/">When Pajamas Weren't the Cat's Pajamas.. Or Were They?</a> from Here's Looking at You, Kid. <br />
<br />
Vintage Fashion Guild <a href="http://vintagefashionguild.org/lingerie-guide/pajamas/">Guide to Pajamas</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=IMG_12441.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/IMG_12441.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pauls Stuart Pajamas, the pajama grandaddy (<a href="http://www.slowlovelife.com/2010/07/slow-love-shopping-pajamas-and.html">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=claudette-colbert.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/claudette-colbert.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claudette Colbert in Clark Gable's PJs from It Happened One Night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FicvHaF6enOz2eZGq3y3bERwVNoxPD843MJyAmV9lYbDJSL7lJ2_twy1aV2jjPvUiWop41HWS0keoVn1vVhVwliLzKyKt5yxa6tETYlOOHApjzt16PxTUhw538eE4Nlfhqp-ZTbI3dU/s1600/Lana2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FicvHaF6enOz2eZGq3y3bERwVNoxPD843MJyAmV9lYbDJSL7lJ2_twy1aV2jjPvUiWop41HWS0keoVn1vVhVwliLzKyKt5yxa6tETYlOOHApjzt16PxTUhw538eE4Nlfhqp-ZTbI3dU/s1600/Lana2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lana Pajama Rama (<a href="http://stirredstraightup.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-dont-you.html">more here</a>)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=pajamas1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/pajamas1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1940's Pajama Set from Japan from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71944824/rare-1940s-pajama-set-from-japan-s-m">Moonchild Vintage</a> at Etsy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=pajamas3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/pajamas3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candy Dream 1950's pajamas from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66046627/vintage-candy-dream-1950s-pajamas">Lasthouse</a> at Etsy (very tempted to buy these).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=pajamas2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/pajamas2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1980's Cabana pajamas from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71447374/vintage-south-beach-cabana-2-piece">A Hula Girl at Heart</a> at Etsy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-13557821246105785312011-05-12T09:00:00.003+01:002011-05-13T18:56:13.088+01:00Licentiate Column 12/05/11: Fashioning NightwearWhat do you wear in bed? Burberry pajamas? Silk kimonos? Calvin briefs? Something saucy by Elle MacPherson or (cue scandalised gasps) Ann Summers?<br />
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The politics of nightwear aren’t so much convoluted as they are unexplored. I can’t remember the last time a fashion magazine dedicated a shoot to fashionable nightwear, if ever. I doubt somehow that the sticky subject of what to wear while unconscious and riding the waves of REM has Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington engaged in vicious debate over the best hemline for a babydoll nightie.<br />
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A straw poll taken amongst my female friends (the answers the males gave are unfit for print and would probably result in a mental-picture induced fainting fit) revealed that fashion has no place between the sheets, unless grey Marks and Spencers t-shirts are the new Spring/Summer trend that Vogue have unforgivably forgotten to report on.<br />
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We already over-analyse what we should wear to weddings, to dates, at work and at play. Why not stir a pot already overloaded with spoons and discuss the ramifications of what you wear in bed? That grey tee will never look the same again.<br />
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1) <strong>Pajamas</strong>. Loose fitting shirt and trousers, often made in a cotton or silk material. A much beloved Christmas present from clueless maiden aunts the words over, pajamas are basically slouchy suits. The pajama is the formal matriarch of the nightwear family. It is staid, perennial and probably best worn in cream silk with reams of pearls, a la Coco Chanel. Here’s a bonus fun fact: Pajamas were, up until the 1940’s, an acceptably chic form of daywear. Those girls who go to Tesco in their best Penney’s piggy print know more than they’re letting on.<br />
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2) <strong>Baby-doll nighties</strong>. Super short, often transparent nightgowns, sometimes sold with matching underwear. Much-maligned, under appreciated and terminally neglected now that suggestion just doesn’t cut it in the sexy stakes, baby-dolls were once the pinnacle of Playboy risque. Modern baby-dolls are close cut on the hips and have slightly seedy connotations. If buying, vintage baby-dolls are your best bet. Be warned, old polyester can scratch like angry sandpaper and if worn by the wrong person, can make you resemble a circus tent with legs.<br />
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3) <strong>T-shirt and underwear</strong>. By far the most popular answer in the straw poll, the thinking behind this combo is that, before bed, you take off everything but your underwear and cotton vest. And that’s it. No effort equals high function and low impact. Many women labour under the thought that this is actually the sexiest option for bed-time attire and they’d be right, unless their partner watches too many exotic films. It’s you with the absolute minimum of clothing on - what’s not for your partner to love?<br />
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4) <strong>Funzie</strong> - The adult version of a onesie, this is best indulged on a lonely night in front of the tv, with a tub of ice cream and a dab of paraphilic infantilism. Just say no.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-62113699685856058532011-05-10T09:10:00.001+01:002011-05-10T09:10:00.471+01:00BacktrackI KNOW I said last week that some things were better in black and white, but sometimes you need a colour photograph to really get the full impact of the message. In this case - early photography and national dress.<br />
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How many of you have seen black and white pictures of your great-grandparents? Don't you wish you could see what their favourite colours were?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz04rYibXokQ17LfuDtnyXAmEYWXrE_TFOmW8BgcAzZwcUGmC6F_LxHfcRXWhDZnpDi83Gvt3ASD0hcF4i0d1RiwP6MhDSVlrFgY33OQpyct4TskEPqWgeuhEwJtbRxJqVZq2eLtlOBJc/s1600/1913+Ireland%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz04rYibXokQ17LfuDtnyXAmEYWXrE_TFOmW8BgcAzZwcUGmC6F_LxHfcRXWhDZnpDi83Gvt3ASD0hcF4i0d1RiwP6MhDSVlrFgY33OQpyct4TskEPqWgeuhEwJtbRxJqVZq2eLtlOBJc/s1600/1913+Ireland%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Sometimes you don't appreciate how powerful red is until it smacks you in the face. Metaphorically.<br />
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This picture was taken in the rural west of Ireland in 1913 and was probably one of the first colour photographs ever taken in Ireland. It is part of the Albert Kahn Archive, just one of over 72,000 colour photographs commissioned in the first three decades of the 20th century in an effort to document all aspects of society and culture. If you don't know much about Kahn and would like to know more, there was a BBC documentary tv series called <em>The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn</em>, which is well worth tracking down and watching. There is also a book of the same name.<br />
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Here are some more photographs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxY6900go38ZgJTBrQRxexVZLw6_x_Lf-clx7294Or6t9XkI1JBY_aNVfxCdTzQA0Abcqftgt4bVNeeJfqjsepN2tG3fv8iPn-vVMTuc01-AHc4XcaAHVEPzNqXSnYsJRWONIUnJ98bw/s1600/WestCoastIreland1913-731531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxY6900go38ZgJTBrQRxexVZLw6_x_Lf-clx7294Or6t9XkI1JBY_aNVfxCdTzQA0Abcqftgt4bVNeeJfqjsepN2tG3fv8iPn-vVMTuc01-AHc4XcaAHVEPzNqXSnYsJRWONIUnJ98bw/s1600/WestCoastIreland1913-731531.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West of Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39Q_d-LwQW4HxMQJKZGqMrgcdL0ZL-j9uvPab7bUvsE3GrUN9ALfnmkfTfrGGeRtEGGp82suf3EhlOuQrplJzgcgVmloVHxkrXTe3STyBANgs2QbfUifkcPUg0jOvh1rXX48k38pCoIo/s1600/china.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39Q_d-LwQW4HxMQJKZGqMrgcdL0ZL-j9uvPab7bUvsE3GrUN9ALfnmkfTfrGGeRtEGGp82suf3EhlOuQrplJzgcgVmloVHxkrXTe3STyBANgs2QbfUifkcPUg0jOvh1rXX48k38pCoIo/s1600/china.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">China</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq_gvUcVavitYEuv-v5a1axWFLmMP9IbUYQ-dQ5Lzwt-EWf6Q3QkhRRJTx3TDkUC7JBjQytuiFSxnhpTMYO-giu3zJXQUCTZopvLuKCWE_PCncmEW0ZL6-N8E5uB13jSGupzph5iy4C8/s1600/japan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq_gvUcVavitYEuv-v5a1axWFLmMP9IbUYQ-dQ5Lzwt-EWf6Q3QkhRRJTx3TDkUC7JBjQytuiFSxnhpTMYO-giu3zJXQUCTZopvLuKCWE_PCncmEW0ZL6-N8E5uB13jSGupzph5iy4C8/s1600/japan1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbKEnW1jLgghdD9_tMiFMGzued5DA9pAbvkap69b7gz5xynUFbnn6RB_KhmwKQ9JBlH2aStvVAVfbH22uf_RChnX4NFobpSE4qEaXxoMx8A9IQUU7CDQGcbHuCYSNn4x1P28Op1zg0yQ/s1600/kahn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbKEnW1jLgghdD9_tMiFMGzued5DA9pAbvkap69b7gz5xynUFbnn6RB_KhmwKQ9JBlH2aStvVAVfbH22uf_RChnX4NFobpSE4qEaXxoMx8A9IQUU7CDQGcbHuCYSNn4x1P28Op1zg0yQ/s1600/kahn.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing still life</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWVyMN9f5NF1FkfPSHzpk0_9rkOOzLDsYAomuD_d0iQEYmGbJD_cecsBTa1yZVa1Qclfp5oL4vGmQrCUc-m8QSQZe1PQojwd0mPZM9encVIAInrwvo1V3D8Lu9AmuGXrbTx-V7GBaGu4/s1600/kahnmacedonia1912-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWVyMN9f5NF1FkfPSHzpk0_9rkOOzLDsYAomuD_d0iQEYmGbJD_cecsBTa1yZVa1Qclfp5oL4vGmQrCUc-m8QSQZe1PQojwd0mPZM9encVIAInrwvo1V3D8Lu9AmuGXrbTx-V7GBaGu4/s1600/kahnmacedonia1912-small.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macedonia</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWlrG6Ftr9LkXKYqhJB-hLyFGnhP2T9Vq5bd05P0f0CXbwTk893YDGVUx_3yPGOLNId46Sun7jbkaBYKNgxllkE3krtZZvLmJ3lxVKZrl3yfpFGkjeVwWSoWoTWvgaQtIjPCjR_FufeA/s1600/soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWlrG6Ftr9LkXKYqhJB-hLyFGnhP2T9Vq5bd05P0f0CXbwTk893YDGVUx_3yPGOLNId46Sun7jbkaBYKNgxllkE3krtZZvLmJ3lxVKZrl3yfpFGkjeVwWSoWoTWvgaQtIjPCjR_FufeA/s1600/soldiers.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African colonial soldiers circa WW1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-52522722804889512302011-05-05T16:36:00.001+01:002011-05-10T00:36:48.121+01:00Licentiate Column 05/05/2011: Fun in the sunIf 2011 has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. Millions of Irish people who professed nothing more than a simple loathing of the British Royal family and the overstuffed pomp of a wedding in Westminister Abbey are, at time of writing, now glued to their television sets, dabbing moistened, nostalgic eyes with tissues. It’s like that everywhere except, possibly, Kleenex HQ, where everyone is capering around with glee at the thought of how many extra units of Balsam they’ve managed to shift.<br />
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In January, much of North Africa was a prime tourist destination. Now it’s a war zone. And April of this year has been hot. Unseasonably hot. It’s not so much ‘April showers’ as ‘April exsiccated’ - but that doesn’t trip over the tongue quite as nicely as the aqueous version.<br />
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We know who’s to blame for this weather. No, not Al Gore. College students. Sod’s Law has proven itself yet again by making sure that no clouds sully the perfect sky while college students have to stay inside and prepare for exams. We can expect similar weather in June when the Leaving Cert starts.<br />
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In the meantime though, we’re stuck with a dressing dilemma. What to wear in this hot weather that, let’s face it, is only hot in terms of Irishness? It’s only real shorts-wearing weather between the hours of eleven and two. Before or after that, summer dresses adorn bluish, goosepimpled flesh (lobster red if they’re lucky).<br />
The weather can be deceptive. It’s always sunny, but it’s not always warm. Irish weather is changeable and our memory is so bad that, in a game of Mastermind, a goldfish would win every time.<br />
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Here’s a few tips for people who want to see out summer in style. Since it’s now May, you may want to cut out and keep this column until June, when we inevitably emerge from a ‘Day After Tomorrow’ type blizzard, blinking into the sunlight and in need of a pair of shorts.<br />
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1) Always wear sunglasses. Yesterday, today and forever, sunglasses are a perennial and eternally useful favourite. The right pair not only look good, but will protect your eyes from sunlight. You can’t put SPF on your eyeballs - glasses are the next best thing. Not only will you be shielding your eyes, you will also save others from your looks of over-admiration/disgust at the nearest human being wearing what looks like a napkin and three lengths of dental floss.<br />
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2) Cover up - I can see what you had for breakfast. If it’s hot, shorts and a tee are fine in almost every circumstance. A bikini is what you wear while sunbathing, not grocery shopping. The only time it’s acceptable for a man to be topless in a densely populated urban area is when he’s working as a bricklayer; then it’s a requirement. Know your environment and if in doubt, don’t go topless. It’s not rocket science.<br />
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3) If you are going to go nude, please wear something. I’m not talking condoms (although that’s also an excellent idea), I’m talking SPF. I don’t know what it stands for, or how it works, but it stops me from peeling like a crimson Cheesestring, which is the way it should be. Pop some of this magical unguent on your skin and go have some fun in the sun.<br />
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If worst comes to the worst and we end up in a drought situation, we have our bases covered - pre-emptive irrigation with the reservoir of public tears spilled over Will and Kate’s nuptials.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-13284948904185005662011-05-03T00:18:00.001+01:002011-05-10T00:36:48.125+01:00Some things are better in black and white......like film noirs, for example. Imagine <em>The Big Sleep</em> in Technicolour. Oh no no no.<br />
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With pattern, black and white can sometimes have a higher visual impact than the full prismatic experience. Black and white are two absolute opposites. One could not be more different than the other. It's the ultimate contrast.<br />
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Even better than black and white patterns are black and white patterns that are shot in black and white. Excuse me if I'm getting too Brechtian here. Case in point - these pictures, taken by Nina Leen for the March 1958 issue of Life.<br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=df2c02f31fd67f4c_large1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/df2c02f31fd67f4c_large1.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=25566539b46961ad_large1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/25566539b46961ad_large1.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=574fdb445eb858b3_large1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/574fdb445eb858b3_large1.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=e55fe7907994b0f3_large1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/e55fe7907994b0f3_large1.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=f5571f4d83ca3047_large1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/f5571f4d83ca3047_large1.jpg" /></a><br />
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Source: <a href="http://images.google.com/hosted/life">Life Photo Archive</a><br />
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<a href="http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/?action=view&current=1f441be2e7ae6ea4_large1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy257/cheap_and_nasty/1f441be2e7ae6ea4_large1.jpg" /></a><br />
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This photo is unrelated, but I love the monochromatic goodness the picture adds. I wonder what colour Barbara Streisland and Marlene Dietrich's suits were in real life?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-71819777238596475962011-04-29T17:24:00.001+01:002011-05-10T00:36:48.129+01:00A little something for the weekend...<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22696069?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640"></iframe><br />
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If you've ever wondered what I wear on a day to day basis (unlike a lot of bloggers I'm not a big outfit poster) then click here to watch me ramble on about socks with sandals, fake J Brands and stealing clothes from your boyfriend. The video is courtesy of <a href="http://www.redradar.ie/">RTE's Red Radar</a> blog, which houses some more posts by yours truly, so get sifting through the archives.<br />
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Yes, I do a Vulcan salute at the end. I'm considering using it as a sign-off in all conversations from now on.<br />
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Have an excellent Bank Holiday weekend!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-68861411980909686402011-04-28T09:40:00.000+01:002011-05-10T00:39:46.055+01:00Licentiate Column 28/04/11: Shopping Irish VintageI have two fashion bugbears. One is the bizarre weekly columns of a certain fashion writer for a certain Irish National newspaper, which I pore over weekly like a small child examining the progress of a greenish, particularly notched scab on his knee. Each week I’m increasingly boggled by the factual inaccuracies, patronising attitudes and overdone, lazy ‘shoes-equal-life’ metaphors and Coco Chanel quotes casually executed (in the ‘death by firing squad’ sense) by this writer.<br />
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But that’s a column for a country without libel laws. That column will never exist, which is a good thing, because writing it would probably result in such a cathartic burst that I’d expire of sheer happiness on pressing the ‘send’ button.<br />
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The other bugbear is much more manageable. That bugbear is the Irish vintage market. As complicated and full of cozeners as the average Dickens scenario, as full of scammers, well-meaning innocents and true-blue fanatics as an X Factor audition and more complicated than a marathon run of Twin Peaks, your average vintage market is not to be ventured into unless you’re very well-educated or have a weight to offload in the wallet area.<br />
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In Ireland, people aren’t out to make a profit; they’re out to make a killing. The vintage sector is no different. The problem of overpricing, in my estimation, is obvious in at least half of the Irish vintage vendors.<br />
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This is due to many different factors. Vendors buy from abroad and the price of shipping has to be factored in. Vendors buy a dress that they love, but is that little bit too expensive, so the price is doubled for resale. Sometimes vendors are just total chancers and slap a fifty euro price tag on a dress bought from Oxfam or worse, a dress that is obviously from the high street and only a few seasons old, but with the tags not-so-suspiciously missing.<br />
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A good rule of thumb is, if you like it and you think it’s worth it, then buy it. If you have any doubts, walk away. In a world where ‘vintage’ has somehow become a by-word for individuality, you’d be surprised how often similar items to the one you just passed up will come along. What’s for you won’t pass by you.<br />
But, if you’re a tight-fisted miser like me, here’s some good resources.<br />
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1) <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>. Etsy is a worldwide vintage and handmade market. The majority of the sellers are from The US, so the dollar to euro conversion will almost definitely work in your favour. Shipping is almost never as expensive as you’d expect and a bargain is never far away if you’re willing to cyber-rummage.<br />
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2) <a href="http://www.elsaandgogoboutique.ie/">Elsa & Gogo</a>. This Irish vintage accessory store has a carefully chosen edit of pretty, ladylike bracelets that look like they came right from Peggy Draper’s dressing table, at very reasonable prices. Elsa & Gogo have one up on the average vintage seller; their packaging is very beautiful and ripe for the gift-giving.<br />
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3) <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Tabitha-Vintage/144377992281256">Tabitha Vintage</a>. This online shop can be found on Facebook and is the brainchild of bloggers Una O’Boyle and Louise Ryan of Glamrocks Luna, an Irish fashion blog that compiles the very best of style inspiration. Their clothing is superlative grunge-chic, with prices so low I almost want to rub my eyes with surprise like a cartoon character. So, there you have it. Go forth, and shop wisely.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-69833825261092044392011-04-26T11:25:00.002+01:002011-05-10T00:44:04.592+01:00The Very Last Ten ThingsSo, I've been tagged by <a href="http://hostesshandbook.blogspot.com/">The Hostess Handbook</a> and given a Kreativ Blogger award. Ta very much for thinking of me! Here's my ten facts.<br />
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1) Although it's very nice to be thought of and tagged, and I really enjoy reading other people's posts, I hate these things. Once you get them, you feel obliged to tag another ten people. It's the blog equivalent of a chain mail and I find that I'm getting so many of them I'm eventually going to run out of facts about myself. Although, I've been in an inspiration rut recently, I don't think that these make for the best posts. So, this is the last. This must be the last. Absolutely the last. Final. Full stop. Never again. Cross my heart and hope to <strike>die</strike> be spanked until my bottom goes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chains_(Blackadder)">purple</a>.<br />
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2) At present there are three large men ripping up the tiles in my flat and installing a new boiler. All I can say about that is - thank God for watertight tenancy agreements, if not boilers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yJWxTxaTqNwUfihHi0vH6dyTwOQJDGnTljvQLIN8l6NC-HcGKzt4iBN9W25xQSzupoG11bpZdgaTwliMcbTIVfy4EbBDXPD7jCSB0bZ5Ouhfe7-PJlZXbWfgQolkaYHe1pW1DGrrNSg/s1600/tumblr_laitcp1Uod1qzqe90o1_500%255B1%255D.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yJWxTxaTqNwUfihHi0vH6dyTwOQJDGnTljvQLIN8l6NC-HcGKzt4iBN9W25xQSzupoG11bpZdgaTwliMcbTIVfy4EbBDXPD7jCSB0bZ5Ouhfe7-PJlZXbWfgQolkaYHe1pW1DGrrNSg/s1600/tumblr_laitcp1Uod1qzqe90o1_500%255B1%255D.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://murphybed.tumblr.com/post/1349135321/james-actors-sniff-jackets-actors-act-actors">Source</a></td></tr>
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3) New celeb crush - by that I mean 'guy on TV who is cute', not an actual crush (that would be weird): Dave Franco. Funny, great smile, seems smart and looks a little bit like an ex-boyfriend, but not so much that I'm totally repulsed. Yes, he's James Franco's younger brother.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ0qNgLNUD45Dx3ufj0zvA2owKMqiNGYAHvXmjy2ON8KpdBXi7hCEdX3T9CTi3x8j7hH65UTVu2r3fcZ7CySE1ddb16sG_R-Cup0gETD8beikAaJmT2_kJuV-ZUT0XIHMO6MITIC8KcU/s1600/The%252520Crimson%252520Petal%252520and%252520the%252520White%2525202011_03%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ0qNgLNUD45Dx3ufj0zvA2owKMqiNGYAHvXmjy2ON8KpdBXi7hCEdX3T9CTi3x8j7hH65UTVu2r3fcZ7CySE1ddb16sG_R-Cup0gETD8beikAaJmT2_kJuV-ZUT0XIHMO6MITIC8KcU/s1600/The%252520Crimson%252520Petal%252520and%252520the%252520White%2525202011_03%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melodramatic enough for ya? (<a href="http://justperioddrama.com/zenphoto/albums/The%20Crimson%20Petal%20and%20the%20White%202011/The%20Crimson%20Petal%20and%20the%20White%202011_03.jpg">source</a>)</td></tr>
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4) Last book read - The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. I was really excited to get this as an early birthday present (thank you Alan!) and it was excellent - up until the last hundred pages or so. The TV adaptation currently running on the BBC also looks amazing and has a great cast. Although I don't know how I feel about the prospect of a full frontal Chris O'Dowd. Oh, I know he went to LAMDA and everything but he'll always be Roy from the IT Crowd to me.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KQ6zr6kCPj8" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br />
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5) Can't. Stop. Listening. To. This. Song. Against my better judgement. Ev'ry day I'm shufflin'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZA2mpVRtZoPJsZpAVXI1eKVTsSiQDSA0tNiaVFK9-Nc-4zbeODNQ1LHN3y-vLAXFxUUllZ66q_CyAsQhyoZxbgdktwC1BwPHSbBkJKrxhullTJor65ctgs6-sUSddpaS2cuPd4tOcrRY/s1600/237758_ns_d%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZA2mpVRtZoPJsZpAVXI1eKVTsSiQDSA0tNiaVFK9-Nc-4zbeODNQ1LHN3y-vLAXFxUUllZ66q_CyAsQhyoZxbgdktwC1BwPHSbBkJKrxhullTJor65ctgs6-sUSddpaS2cuPd4tOcrRY/s1600/237758_ns_d%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://shop.doverstreetmarket.com/product_info.php?products_id=4889">source</a></td></tr>
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6) My birthday is next week and a fluo Cambridge satchel is at the very top of the wishlist. Add some <a href="http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=2370195&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=265496&parent_categoryId=208499&pageSize=20">Danielle Scutt for Topshop jewellery</a> and I'm channeling my inner Man Repeller. P.S. I'd love one in leopard print. Cambridge Satchel Company, if you're reading this...<br />
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7) New film obsession - Paris is Burning, as seen at Style at Set last weekend. I'd be foolish NOT to try vogueing on my next night out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Vj5r5DgCczeLpeV9LdlbhAT8iLcWIrS0gKaEBhHhZWMFJgw-gVMVlDJrblWeC-xeGSjhwnjDdsrrm2Yh09OAT8R2oebZ5Br3qJ-MtTaR0ZwuNM3biAMsT9Q2MpO9CeWr-Vp4QybzGdA/s1600/sarahs+tweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Vj5r5DgCczeLpeV9LdlbhAT8iLcWIrS0gKaEBhHhZWMFJgw-gVMVlDJrblWeC-xeGSjhwnjDdsrrm2Yh09OAT8R2oebZ5Br3qJ-MtTaR0ZwuNM3biAMsT9Q2MpO9CeWr-Vp4QybzGdA/s1600/sarahs+tweet.jpg" /></a></div><br />
8) <a href="http://yes.thatcan.be/my/next/tweet/">That Can Be My Next Tweet</a> invents new tweets made from your old tweets. Recycling is good for the environment. But not for my imagination. Ugh. What a mental image.<br />
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9) Speaking of which, I'm on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sarah.licentiate">facebook</a> AND <a href="http://twitter.com/The_Licentiate">twitter</a> AND <a href="http://pinterest.com/thelicentiate/">Pinterest</a> - so come say hello. Validate me with your friendship!<br />
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10) The last and most important point. As I've said, there's been an inspiration drought sweeping the area lately, so I've set myself a challenge and I need YOUR help. I've decided to write about any fashion/style-oriented topic that is put to me. Every single one. No matter how out there, or seemingly normal, I want to write about it. Even if you don't think it's my cup of tea, I want to know. You can give me a word, or a link, or a picture to bounce ideas off. Leave any and all suggestions in the comments. And thank you.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-466900030534927589.post-3391705673462257332011-04-21T13:36:00.000+01:002011-05-10T00:39:46.064+01:00Licentiate Column 21/04/11: The Man RepellerAre you a Man Repeller?<br />
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I don’t mean in the literal sense, as if you had an internal chromosonal magnet tuned to the same polarity as all men.<br />
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Nor am I asking if you smell bad, or are ugly, or have a terrible personality - because I know you don’t (and even if you did, there’s still someone out there for you - more than likely a belching farting, incredibly hostile someone, but a special someone all the same). <br />
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The <a href="http://www.manrepeller.com/">Man Repeller</a> is a blog written by New Yorker Leandra Medine. In it, she talks about all the clothes that your friends go bananas over, but make men scratch their heads in puzzlement,which sometimes happens when women do things not exclusively for their masculine amusement.<br />
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Capes, detachable collars, fringing, feathers, sequins, print clashes, harem pants, clogs, shoulder pads and boyfriend jeans are all incorporated into outfits that are both cheerfully tongue-in-cheek and dead-serious stylish. Not since the suffragette movement has something that comes so naturally to women been so totally incomprehensible for men.<br />
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The Man Repeller is a person too. She’s me in glaring neon pink jeans. She’s my best friend with tattoos and leopard print. She’s that girl in the shop with a Dellal esque demi-shaved head.<br />
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She’s you in your absolute favourite pair of shoes. She’s all of us - the Carrie Bradshaw part that wears what she wants, not what is expected of her. She’s the kind of person who keeps up with the trends, but dresses only for herself. No kitten heels may pass the threshold of her wardrobe doors, for there are too many of clunky Acne/Topshop/Penneys wedges taking up space inside.<br />
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Why wrap up in a sensible coat on a cold winter’s day when you can dress like a yeti a la Chanel? Greasy locks? Leave the dry shampoo to one side and pop on a turban. The Man Repeller might look a bit bonkers to the general public, but her fellow Repellows knows that she’s channeling Old Hollywood meets Roaring Twenties meets Opium Den. She doesn’t really care what the general public thinks anyway. She loves the turban. Her taste is just so good it goes beyond the realms of normal human perception. That’s good enough for me.<br />
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For anyone who thinks that fashion can’t be feminist, think again. For those who maintain that shopping is a shallow pursuit, well, you might be right; but you have to admit that the Man Repeller adds credence. Freedom of expression and non-conformity will always be a good thing - even if it’s only in outfit form.<br />
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The Man Repeller doesn’t hate men, she likes them - most of the time. She also likes being her own person. That is where the disparity lies. It’s a toss on a doubled-sided coin. Heads to please yourself. Tails to attract the opposite sex. For the Man Repeller, heads wins every time.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09160243143657016519noreply@blogger.com