More Courtney Love than Retail DJ?
Do you ever come home covered in bruises and have no idea why? I do…
Wait, that sounds kinda bad. I am not in a fight club, nor do I get drunk to the point of passing out or falling down. But sometimes, I come home with all these mysterious purple marks whose respective origins remain unknown. And then it hits me!
It’s the music. Or better, the dancing.
Not that I am an arms-out flailing type of anything, but sometimes, the music is just so good that you dance until it hurts, until you literally hit things and forget that it even happened because the good sounds are so distracting. It’s been quite some time that the music I have heard while out has sent me into such a frenzy, but there are still mixes that come across my “desk” that make it happen. This week, such a mix comes to us by way of Idiotproof, whose latest mix for the Jackmode podcast is so energetic that I can’t help but give it the recognition it deserves. Every.single.track on the mix is hard-hitting and might serve up a post-dance punishment for those of you who get as into the music as I.
But in between all the dancing, hopefully you’ll have some time to get dressed. To go along with the intense music, I’ve decided to put together an outfit that has a hard exterior, but a few whimsical notes to welcome you. A mix of vintage, new, and handcrafted items, this outfit is full of conversation pieces. That is, if you have any time for that between all the moves you’ll be doing.
But enough of me. Time for the music. Press play and take a bit to Get Dressed To This . . .
The Music:
Idiotproof – Jackmode April 2011 Podcast
(click to play; click the small arrow on the right to download)
tracklist (below) after the jump
The Outfit:
(click the photos for purchasing & additional photos)
1. Smock Dress by In God We Trust, Beacon’s Closet, $35 USD
In God We Trust Dress, Beacons Closet
2. Mr Mustache Ring by AngelInChina, Etsy, $33 USD
Mr. Mustache Ring, Etsy
3. Flick Flack Clutch Bag, Irregular Choice (UK), £ 35 GBP
Flick Flack Clutch, Irregular Choice
5. Roxy Body Harness by SultryAffair, Etsy, $45 USD
Roxy Body Harness, Etsy
6. Patchuli II Wedges, Melissa, R$ 160 BRL
Patchuli II, Melissa Brasil
Just in case you missed it, today is the last day of Fashion Week in NYC. It raises a few questions for me though, in particular: Do you ever have moments when you wish you had the excessive amount of money to drop on a $2000 dress, $4000 shoes, and a $3000 purse? Do you ever look at these items and wonder how the heck they got around to being that price in the first place? While I am not majorly into designer wares, nor do I own any (except for a John Paul Gaultier coat I found on deep clearance and bought without even realizing it was by him), a girl can dream, right?
The other day on the A train, I saw a young man get on who most likely was coming back from vacation; he had a suitcase with him and looked well rested. But beyond this, homeboy was stylish. He was wearing a burgundy letter sweater, with navy blue pants, a light gray dress shirt, a black trilby hat, black rimmed Buddy Holly glasses, and multi-fabric sneakers. He had what I recall seeing quite a bit when I was in Lisbon, easily one of my favorite cities in Europe: a little bit hipster, yet polished and neat. Imagine, if you can, a hipster who irons his clothes and dresses a bit like his grandfather, who is also very well put together. There is a confidence in his walk, but not a cockiness that we see all too often. He is himself, young and still hanging onto the lessons his parents taught him, but daring here and there to tweak his style to match his more bohemian peers. He goes to 
Today, I am returning to New York, my new home, from Memphis, my home town. I’ve lived in NYC since 2002, thus it’s been the place where I have spent the entirety of my adulthood (save the year I spent in Brazil). In many ways, NYC is more my home than the place I was born. I say that with no tinge of negativity. It’s just my reality. Even before I moved away from home, there was a part of me in terms of both my style and diverse music taste that screamed “New York!” and in recognizing that, I followed my heart. And as so many things about my new home change on a regular basis, there are always certain things that will always be the same.
Red, yellow, and blue remind me of kindergarten. These three colors are the first ones we learn and, sadly, the ones we avoid putting together in our clothing choice as adults. Despite the peanut butter and jelly nostalgia these typically evoke, there’s a way to make sure the colors look all grown up.
