Barack Obama Sneakers by Van Taylor

Together with his election campaign, Barack Obama's face has been featured on flags, t-shirts, and many other things.

Now, he's in red, white and blue custom Air Force One sneakers that features Obama's face along with inspiring campaign slogans such as “Yes We Can” and “Change.”. Van Taylor created the sneakers in support of Barack Obama’s race for the White House. Ten percent of proceeds from the sale of the shoes will benefit Obama’s campaign for president.

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Menswear Morts: The Scourge of DBag V-Necks

(Catbird, via Radar)

The always excellent Radar mag traces the deevolution of the men's t-shirt from crew to douchebag cuts. Unsurprisingly, they point the finger at American Apparel. Also unsurprising: when I searched for a photo of AA CEO/ serial sex offender Dov Charney in a V-neck shirt, I could hardly even find a photo of him in a shirt, let alone a V-neck! Go figs!

Sale Shopping - Finally taking advantage

I must confess that I've never really enjoyed shopping at sale times and I used to look on in envy as people unearthed some great bargains. When the masses periodically descend on my favourite stores and mess up the racks and neat piles of clothes it makes me stay away. Of course the clothes are cheaper but the sales experience devalued the clothes in more ways than just the price slash. I've got over that now and I can even enjoy shopping in central London during sale time at the weekend! When I used to get a rash just thinking about Selfridges on the first Saturday of sales I thought that I would never be able to take advantage of the massive reductions on offer. Thankfully, I can and indeed have. I started early and took it easy. Avoiding the crowds I took advantage of the impressive online sale at A.P.C and picked up a bargain of a slate blue fitted jacket.

After getting the taste of sale shopping I had enough confidence to hit the High Street and was fortunate enough to find two steals. Firstly, off I went to Harvey Nichols for the first time in...well I don't know when...and with the sole purchase of buying molecule 01... but as the gf went to look at shoes and with my newly found confidence I decided to visit the menswear floor and I'm glad I did. It surpassed all expectations.

I loved this shirt when I saw it in an editorial and couldn't resist it at half price! Here I teamed it with the Commes Des Garcons jacket which was a steal from the DSM Market!

Finally I braved Selfridges which was was somewhat dissapointing and of course ridiculously busy but I still managed to find an Alistair Mckimm for Fred Perry polo at half price.

Please excuse the funny face!

Have you been successful at the sales? Let us know how you get on.

Monday Must-Reads

A bunch of blogs you should read today if, like me, you're having a hard time motivating to do much else besides glance at open browser windows:

+ Fashion Architect: The 'Binge's Greek twin? Architecture student with a similar high-low aesthetic and schizo posting style to the 'Binge's. Love the post on hording!!

+ Super Kawaii Mama: Possibly the coolest mom on the planet. A Melbourne blogger, crafter and mom with the most amazing '40s hair ever. I look at her photos, and I want to fly to Oz and start a close-harmony group with her, a la the excellent Puppini Sisters. Check out her photos from the National Gallery of Victoria's Art Deco 1910 -1939 exhibition.

+ Unrealized Fish: I feel a little To Catch a Predator posting this one, because this Norwegian blogger is only 16, but I can't get over her punky-sweet style. Could she be the next Suzy Bubble? Also, she blogs in both Norwegian and English and often discusses pasta. She's like my long-lost little sister!

+ NY Post's PopWrap: I actually like Leona Lewis' cray-cray garden dress. Betsey Johnson maybe?

+ Fashion Toast: More of a look book. San Fran blogger Rumi Neely runs eBay store Treasure Chest Vintage and has style (and legs) for miles. Totally livin' the dream.

Victoria's Secret Model Miranda Kerr in Gran Canaria Moda Calida 2008 show

Victoria's Secret Model and Orlando Bloom's girlfriend, Miranda Kerr, showed up in swimsuit after swimsuit on the runway during a fashion show in Gran Canaria, Spain last Sunday.





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Happy birthday to us

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? It's slightly over a year since we started out and we decided it was time for a bit of an update. We had originally planned to do this in time for the anniversary, but who says you can't celebrate 1 year and 9 days instead?

To celebrate the 1 year and 9 days, we have trawled through the 210 posts and picked out some of our favourites:

- EJ still think that this guy looks good and Steve is still unsure but doesn't want to open up the treggings debate

- EJ's not-so-hidden love

- Everyone loves Steve's moon boots

- Surreal moment of the year (and 9 days) has to be when we interviewed one of Foals

- ...and slightly less surreal but still good fun was when we interviewed Daniel Jenkins

- We enjoyed being a style adviser for the day

- Exploring the tailoring options out there

- Steve enjoyed the challenge of wardrobe salvaging and needs to do it again soon.

We hope you've enjoyed the year as much as we have!

Big-Busted Bathing Suit Bonanza!

In real life, I'm pretty much a straightshooter. Online however, since we haven't exactly all met or anything, I tend to air on the more discreet side -- I'm just not the type of blogger who likes to blog about personal stuff like past sexual partners or number of weekly poos I take or that sort of thing. But, I'll be blunt about this because it's no big secret, it's something many of you readers out there can sympathize with, and because it's pretty obvious -- while I'm short (5'2") and small (around size 8), I ain't exactly wee on top. Like I said -- no big secret. They're quite real, and they're quite a hassle, especially when shopping for bras and bathing suits, and coincidentally I shopped for both this weekend. The former yielded more successful results. The latter, however... oy.

I tried on this lovely one-piece (it's gonna be a one-piece summer, my friends) at Bird:

($99, Mocium, Bird)

Surprisingly the butt and tum looked great! The top, however, covered basically not a damn thing. It was like comically pornographic looking. Like Pam Anderson in Baywatch, minus the gravity-defying silicon. Not cute. Seriously, this suit is for AAAAAAAA cups. I seriously felt a bit like this:



... Minus the bulge. Use your imagination. It was ridiculous. So when I got home, I Googled, in a rather rudimentary fashion, "big-busted bathing suits." Again, slightly ridiculous, I know. To my surprise though, I found some really cute stuff for those of us out there who are a weeeee bit bigger than a C and can't exactly pop in and buy suits right off the rack at Target or Old Navy. And, because some of you can, I threw in some "regular lady" suits too, so everyone feels like they win.

($99, Fantasie of England, Biggerbras.com)

I can't really tell if this is granny-ish or not, but I think it could actually be kinda cute. By the way, I'd never heard of Biggerbras.com, but it looks like most of the bathing suits start at D cups. Yay!

($89, Sunflair, Carabella.com)

Classic sweet polka dots. I like the piping at the neckline.

($75, Popina)

Sweet, but if you're gonna do polka dots, I think it's best to keep them black-and-white.

($39, Shape fx, Carabella)

I'm a bigger fan of this turquoise shade than the robin's egg blue above. And while the jeweled strap is a weeee bit cheeze-say, you can't deny the awesome slimming powers of shirring. Plus, this suit's got a built-in shelf bra, which is a must, obviously. I might try this one out. And also, I must say, I'd never heard of Carabella, but I'm definitely glad I discovered in my "big booby bathing suit" search, because their selection, range of sizes, and prices are great.

($39, Shape fx, Carabella)

Love the soft grey and the super femme style here. And, YO! $39!

($63, Rochford, Biggerbras.com)

It's a little '80s but still really cute. The tie = quite waist-enhancing, which is a good thing, especially if you've got lotsa business up top.

($39, Shoshanna, Bluefly)

($29, Shoshanna, Bluefly)

Shoshanna makes some of my favorite bathing suits -- especially bikinis -- for the well-endowed lady, erm, even though this one's only available (or only in stock) in up to a C cup. But check out the cute treasure chest theme on the soft pink background! Cute cute cute!

(Top: $11.95, bottom: $8.95, Carabella.com)

See, regular-chested lady? I care about you too!

The science bit

I am sure that like me you both laugh and cringe at how the grooming industry creates a fascade of science to entice you into spending money on their producs and not on one of their many, many competitiors. However, dodgy shampoo commercials aside...maybe there really is something to it. After watching the film Perfume (I always meant to read the Patrick Süskind's 1895 novel but just haven't created the time to do so) I became more interested in the effect of different chords on a person. Of course I wanted to go out and capture the essence of virginity and douse myself in it but alas that always seemed like a troublesome and somewhat gruesome prospect. I recently smelt and fell in love with Prada Amber Pour Homme (which was first fragrance for men released by the fashion house) so I have been wearing it ever since.

For the past couple of months I have more and more frequently sniffed the incense Catholicism of the CdG scents and have been somewhat intrigued but ultimately over powered by them, besides I went to a CofE school so I could never quite understand. However, when I heard about molecule 01 which unlike most fragrances which combine 100 different components, has only just one. I was intrigued enough to go to one of the few stockists and try it out...as it was sales season I decided to go to Harvey Nichols (more on that later). The escentric website describes the scent as "It is as though the fragrance has no heart, but an enormous amount of soul" which is bizarrely, extremely accurate. As mentioned the fragrance consists of only one ingredient, known as 'Iso E Super' which on it's own is less of an aroma and more of an effect. There is a subtle velvety wood note to it, which fades and then resurfaces throughout the day but it is the fragrances effect on everyone other than the wearer which is interests me...as the fragrance is proclaimed to have pheronomic like effects. I only bought the fragrance yesterday so I will update you later and let you know how the 'testing' phase goes.

Britain's Next Top What Now???

Wow. Just...wow. I have had a quite an Internet day. Earlier today I fell in utterly horrorstruck pity-laughing-love with Chase No Face, the sadly disfigured cat who has his own blog. And now...this.



I don't even know how to respond to this, but the British have created a new reality show: "Britain's Missing Top Model." Which might at first sound like a poor attempt at plagiarism. "Missing" as a synonym for "next"? Not very smooth. But what are they missing, in fact? Limbs, mostly. That's right: This is basically Britain's Next Top Disabled Model. I laughed in disbelief when I heard this, but it's TOTALLY REAL. Ugh. There's fun Tyra-enabled camp, and then there's the truly depraved, exploitative and icky, and this is the latter. Not that being disabled is gross or horrific or laughable or any of that, but do these people need to be wheeled down the catwalk? I'd say the answer is a pretty clear no. There are far better ways to humanize the disabled rather than, uh, "making it fashion." Who'da thunk America would come out looking like the tasteful one in the reality-TV game?

MASH-ing Shoes: Nicholas Kirkwood Vs. Topshop

Remember that game MASH, where you could live in a mansion, apartment, shanty or house? These amazing, Bowie-esque (or Barbie and the Rockers, depending on your vantage point) criss-cross heels by British designer Nicholas Kirkwood are amazing, but at almost $537 USD, they're definitely not bear-market friendly. ($537, Nicholas Kirkwood, Brownsfashion.com)

Totally for mansion dwellers.


Unlike these Topshop heels:

(Apprx $119 USD, Topshop)

(Apprx $129 USD, Topshop)

For the apartment dwellers out there.

Anti Rubber Shoes

Touche, MK:

($165, Givenchy, Barneys)

These totally remind me of those little-kid sandals that come zip-tied together in the metal shelving units at dollar stores and have, like, some untrademarked, bastardized version of Thomas the Tank or Dora the Explorer, but it's like Timmy the Tank or Nora the Explorer.

Also available in white!

(And agreed: Epaulet is super cuters.)

Lucas Ossendrivjer - Hangover cure

Hangover or not I still can't wait for this chaps collection

I have a sticking hangover and have been complaining to EJ about it all day...and I have to say she has been far from sympathetic. During this state to seek a level of comfort I have been perusing over the show shots over at men.style and the musings over at The Fashion Spot but whatever you think of the shows that have already been all eyes are waiting for the Lanvin show on Sunday. In this seemingly slightly dull interim period (although I have to say the Kilgour show was just beautiful and I am sure I will return to this at a later date) which of course is made worse by the little drummer boy in my brain and the general jelly like feeling of my limbs, we can take some excitement from Dazed Digital's interview with Lucas Ossendrijver - click here to read - not only has he created some of the best menswear (including accessories - do you know anyone who wouldn't sell their Nan for the hi tops?) in recent years but to make me even better, he seems like a very nice chap - to be honest with you I fell in love with him when he was featured roaming the streets of Paris n Fantastic Man a few issues back.

Here's a taster for you...

DD: Is there an ideal Lanvin man/muse?

LO: When I start a collection, I never really think of one type of Lanvin man. We still have our old customers who have been coming to Lanvin for decades to buy their wardrobe. I'm very happy that they still come to buy Lanvin's classic line. When I'm at the shop, I sometimes see these clients who come in and they might not buy the more "fashion" items but they might buy a pair of trainers or a sweater or a cardigan. Then there's the younger guys who come in and buy trainers, T-shirts and shirts. We're very democratic in that sense and it's meant for everyone. It's not for one specific body type or age.

In Praise of Rubber Shoes

I have a confession to make: I recently considered purchasing some Crocs ballet flats. I know. Please hold your tomatoes; I didn't do it. I wanted something easy to bike around in, wear to the beach, in the rain, whatever. I wanted comfort, and as we all know from all the Crocs lovers out there, comfort is Crocs. However, cuteness is decidedly NOT Crocs. Even these are just barely acceptable.

But then last night, on a lovely stroll around my neighborhood, I popped in to the new fashiony store Epaulet. Lured by the gorgeous iridescent shell trinket boxes, I stayed for the jelly shoes and, truthfully, the conversation. Owner Mike was just as nice as can be, genuine and helpful in a nonpushy way. I was drawn to these fuchsia jellies, and basically was cheered into purchasing them before I could stop to reconsider paying $55 for rubber shoes.



Melissa + Campana jelly ballet flats, $55. Much cuter than Marc Jacobs's! Made by the original Brazilian jelly-maker, for whatever that's worth. I can attest to their supreme comfort, thankfully, and utter cuteness.

Epaulet, by the way, is a very cute, well-curated shop, with a burgeoning men's section and cheap framed photos to go along with all the pretty dresses and little trinkets. And of course, the selection of rubber shoes. Check out more awesome Melissa varieties.

US Vogue July 2008 Issue: Adult Education

The following photos were included in US Vogue's July 2008 Issue. This gallery was called Adult Education (photographed by David Sims) for it displays the freshest fashion trends from your favorite fashion designers. I think Daria Werbowy & Raquel Zimmermann poses in these pictures were funny.








Click here to view the rest of the gallery...


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Things I Need to Own Right This Minute!!

Let's cut to the chase for lots of indie designers, cheap shoes, hot black jeans to make your ass look even hotter, and a classy one-piece bathing suit:

($44, Rotter and Friends, Bonadrag.com)

Reminds me a little of Built By Wendy. I love the simple '70s-style line drawing on heather grey. More Rotter and Friends here.

($438, Knox, Bonadrag.com)

Nevermind the fact that this Knox bag, by Brooklyn designer Jessica Maxcy, looks like it weighs about 30 pounds alone. I still love it. Check out her Romanov bag too.

($216, Moss Mills)

Horsey cuff by Moss Mills (really Korean designer Hae.) I can't decide if I like it better in brass (pictured above) or gold. It's pricey but use discount code "lucky" for a whopping 30% off! Woo!

($75, Whitehorse Couture, Singer22.com)

Speaking of horsies, this vintage-looking oversized neon tee by Whitehorse Couture looks like the type of top you won't want to take off for days.

($154, Hudson, CoutureCandy.com)

Hudson Jeans' new Stella Skinny Poplin jean in black ties it all together. Bonus: they're STTTTRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEETCHY!

(Apprx $27 USD, Office.co.uk)

Cutey cute cute little bowed flats from the UK's Office (the shoe store, not the show.)

(Apprx $29, Office.co.uk)

Ahoy, sailor! Cute little casual anchor-print espadrilles. Kinda Sanuk-meets-Toms, which is actually a good thing in this case.

($14, Fred Flare)

I personally can't sleep with a sleep mask on, but were that I could, I would so wear this. The gold piping and blue satin remind me of those creepy royal puppets who'd crawl out of Mr. Rogers' walls to visit him from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

($21 for the top, $21 for the bottoms, Asos.com)

Forgive the fact that it's a knock-off of a suit seen on Paris Hilton -- I love the bright colors, simple style and dip dye.

($158, Carmen Marc Valvo, Bloomingdale's)

With all that kitsch, I had to throw in something classy and cool, like this Carmen Marc Valvo bandeau one-piece in lavender.


PLUS:
+ Check out newly overhauled site, The Vintage Society.
+ Shop for (some) cute stuff at Unique-Vintage.
+ Admire all the pretty pretty beauties at Grayburn.
+ Watch this crazy lady from Big Brother nearly unload one over the idea of eating a cookie.