DELIGHT or SMITE? (October)

Alexander McQueen 4 Ever

DELIGHT

Dressing with a touch of the surreal. Alexander McQueen knows how to tear it up — & by “it”, I mean the fabric of reality! I’d like to give him a big SMOOCH! If you’re stumped, in the mornings just think, What Would Alexander McQueen Do?, & take it from there. Dress intuitively. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Things from another era. We’re moving forward so rapidly, but that doesn’t mean you have to fully embrace the shiny plastic revolution. Old things have their beauty, too. My favourite things at the moment are Victorian mourning jewellery, vintage alligator & crocodile purses, as well as anything in mother of pearl or Bakelite. (I also have a thing for Otis Redding.)

Making informed choices — about what you eat, what you wear & how you live. I’m not saying we all need to be paradigms of virtue — I’m certainly not & being perfect is totally boring! — but a little information is a good thing. I’m currently reading What To Eat by Marion Nestle & it is incredibly illuminating. I’m only about 60 pages in & the things I have learned about the psychology of supermarkets & the organic produce industry are fascinating. Marion is a great writer & really knows her stuff.

Bow-ties. Ever since Kris Atomic mentioned it, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them. I want a sparkly one to wear loosely around my neck. & maybe, if I didn’t have any tattoos, I would wear it around my upper bicep sometimes.

Stacked bangles. Yes, all the way up your arm! Yes, different materials, textures, widths & shapes! Yes, super-noisy! Let people know you are coming through!

The evolution of sunglasses. Come on, how long have you owned your pair of old faithfuls, really? Isn’t it time to move on & experiment? Yes, of course it is! Try something with a graduated lense or a radical shape — Karen Walker has fabulous Where’s Wally?-esque frames & Tom Ford is doing amazing sunglasses reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s TV Room goggles. Try something new! (Tip: take your camera into the sunglasses section of a department store, snap yourself in a few different pairs, make a note of the model numbers & then buy them for 1/4 of the price on Ebay…)

Education. Why not take a short course in something you’re interested in? It will help stave off the boredom if your job is dull, & maybe even give you some ideas for your future. You can teach an old dog new tricks, & people who know things are so much more thrilling than those who don’t!

Planning the rest of your year. I don’t mean to scare the bejesus out of you, but there are only 12 more weeks until 2008! If 2007 was going to be the year you started writing your novel, or committing to a regular exercise plan, or making more time for yourself, then you better get into it! Otherwise you’re going to be sitting around on December the 26th, red-faced & stuffed to the brim, wondering where the year went.

Being generous. Not necessarily with money, since that’s not always the way we can be most effective. Maybe you need to be generous with your time or your talent. Throw a dinner party for your friends or offer to help someone with something (babysitting, walking their dog, encouraging them to study, helping them put together a dashing ensemble). Altruism is not dead!

Adventurous legwear. Patterned stockings, knee-socks, legwarmers, pearls around the ankle… It’s time to accoutre your legs in a way they deserve! (Pssst… get your legwear kicks [hee!] at Sock Dreams.)

SMITE

Minimalism. Oh, it’s so boring, darling, so tired. Roll on decadence! More is more!

Chain letters, memes, viral videos, et cetera. Quelle yawn-a-thon! Sometimes it seems like I am the only person in the world who doesn’t want to watch cats jump off benches, etc.! Dear World, Please stop! Love, Gala.

Banks which insist on sending you paper statements… & ATM machines which print receipts, whether you want them or not! A little personal choice is a good thing.

Exercising in public. It’s just not that charming. I know it has to be done, but surely there is a better way?

Dehydration. Drinking lots of water seems to be the number one beauty secret of a lot of gorgeous people! I’m sure it isn’t a coincidence. If your skin is looking sad & sallow, don’t spend hundreds of dollars on creams, up your water intake & watch your face (& brain) come alive again!

Neon slogan t-shirts. Those House of Holland atrocities have had their day, even Agyness has moved past it — next abhorrent trend please! (Oh Agy, you know I love you.)