Time for a Change

A favorite jacket I could fit about 3 years ago.

Closet of clothes, 75% I can't fit

For the last couple of years I have let my eating and exercise habits spiral out of control. I'm not gonna pretend that I have ever been some pencil stick thin type of person. At one point in my life I was 344 pounds. All my life the doctors have said I need to change my eating habits. Asking if I wanted to die or become diagnosed with diabetes or high blood pressure. No. I always thought but it's hard to create new habits and stick to them permanently. As a member of a working class family, life takes many unexpected turns. In high school I was able to drop roughly 80 or 100 pounds through much exercise and portion control. I could finally fit clothes for "normal" people again. I still wanted to drop another 40 or 60 pounds. It would still be about 40 pounds above what the doctors want me to weigh, about 164. I personally think I would look like a crackhead.(No offense to crackheads) Fast forward 4 years and i have gained at least half the weight back! I'm here today to say time for a change. I am an adult. Me and my best friend always said we would not live this way. She has been back on track with O.S.S. (Operation: Short Shorts) for quite some time. Now it's my turn. No more sodas. More fruit. Water. Water. Water. Portion control. More healthy snacks. Packing a lunch for work. My mom got me a bike for my birthday. No more excuses. Yes. I spend about 4 hours on the bus each day going to work and school. I have to make time for this. I have a closet full of clothes waiting for me at "dream/goal/ideal/whatever" weight.

Required Reading: Diane: A Signature Life

The cover for "Diane: A Signature Life" (amazon.com)
One of Diane's covers for "Interview" magazine (independent.co.uk)

One evening after work a co worker and I decided to hit up the library. Normally I go to the computer and type in subjects and designers that intrigue me, placing books on hold. This time around I actually paid a visit to the section where these books are placed. I never thought to look up Diane Von Furstenberg. For one she's exclusively a womenswear designer. Secondly, I knew she invented the wrap dress, a dress the revolutionized the '70's and has quite frankly never gone out of style. Very well. However, a question that I always pondered was: "How did DVF become the president of the CFDA( Council of Fashion Designers of America?) While the book (published in 1998,) does not address this question directly, seeing that she wasn't elected until 2006, it gives a great enough explanation. She's seen success and failure, and what really drove everything home for me is how committed she is to her vision. She doesn't do things that seem unnatural to her world. Also very interesting to travel through three decades through any lens. This book left a great desire for me to pursue my dreams. Required reading for anyone into fashion!

R.I.P. Junior, Senior

(via weblo.com, vextra.dk)

This should not be news to anyone. Junior, Senior disbanded in late 2008. However they will always have a place in my heart. Mostly because of Senior simply known as Jepee nowadays. Junior, of course, is the scrawny one. Senior, the somewhat bulkier one. Based off images or preconceived notions one could assume Junior is homosexual and Junior the straight one. Not quite the case and although this definitely showed in their lyrics, the spirit created by the duo was that of a free love. A big, fun, loving, gay guy is someone I can look up to. I was about 15, when "Move Your Feet," their most recognizable track came on to the scene in the U.S. It was that mash up blend of hip hop I love so much. Thanks Jepee for showing everyone how it's done. Big, gay guys just wanna have fun too!

Oh La LANVIN!

Lanvin Necklace from S/S '10 (via selectism.com)

This is kind of late considering Lanvin just showed S/S '11 this past weekend but I feel I had to share this with you all. I love Lanvin and I love Alber and Lucas. This necklace is so me on so many different levels. The graffiti can bring in such a bougie/ghetto, tongue-in-cheek aspect to an outfit which is what I definitely look for when it comes to necklaces. Accessories can sometimes make much more of a statement than clothes. I would pair this with a banker stripped oxford, sleeves rolled up or perhaps a blazer with a simple v-neck tee.

Cool Guys: Jonah Hill

Jonah on the cover of Complex Magazine (complex.com)
Jonah with Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek (contactmusic.com)
A shot from the latest issue of Nylon for Guys featuring Jonah on the cover. (nylonguysmag.com)

Sometimes it's hard to have a good sense of body image when you're bombarded with images of skinny, "cool" guys. Sure Hollywood has had some chubby leading men but their somewhat older and I cannot relate to them. He's 26 years old making us 5 years apart. Jonah has appeared in tons of films most recognizably to most people perhaps, "Superbad," more recently "Cyrus" and "Get Him to the Greek," which inspired today's post. When I saw GHG, I thought that could easily be me which was pretty awesome. You can only imagine how stoked i was when I saw him as the cover star for the latest issue of Nylon for Guys. The clothes were kind of a yawn. I would have preferred that they had sourced an awesome vintage jacket' instead of the Nike, Lacoste, and Burberry. Maybe they were just keeping within his comfort zone. Baby steps! Baby steps! While trying to find a cover shot of the Nylon with Jonah on the cover I stumbled across another cover for Complex magazine from sometime last year.

Shades of Greige debuts bag collection for spr 10 and of course I want them all.

Bags from upcoming SS Collection (via selectisim.com)
Bag available right now (via oaknyc.com)

This being my first post I thought it would be nice to showcase a first for one of my favorite labels... Shades of Greige is entering the accessories realm for Spring/Summer 2010. I'm already an avid collector of their clothing line. However I can't fit a single item I own. = ( The philosophy of the bags stays in line with that of the apparel; moderately priced, clean, and simple yet with a current undertone. Although the first full collection doesn't come out until spring, I have spotted a very cute bag at oaknyc.com