Style Tips: 7th December 2009
[ 7 December 2009, 20:19 ]
Monday 7th December
Have a bed party as soon as you can! I am having one right now, & have been having one all day! Just me, Hank Williams, my brand new MacBook Pro (!!!) & a mug full of magical potion. It’s just what a dreary Monday demanded!
Tuesday 8th December
Celebrate Rohatsu, aka Bodhi Day (成道会), which is when Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha!) reached a higher consciousness over 2000 years ago. If meditation is something you already do, have an extra-long meditation session or commit to doing it more regularly. If you’ve never tried it or only dabbled, you could even decide that today is the day you’re going to start. Have a look at Tina Su’s tips on how to begin.
Wednesday 9th December
Pick one book you’ve been meaning to read for ages — something that’s a bit overwhelming — & devote yourself to completing it this summer or winter. Nothing is better on a beach than a good book, & reading is one of the best ever cold weather activities!
Thursday 10th December
Have a Japanese feast! Invite a friend over to make sushi if you’re so inclined, or if you tend to be more disaster & less DIY when it comes to the kitchen, order from your favourite Japanese restaurant. Eat cross-legged on the floor while watching a great movie. Battle Royale, Ichi the Killer or Kamikaze Girls are all excellent choices!
Friday 11th December
Think about a class you’d like to take next year. It could be anything, from life drawing to homeopathy to gourmet cooking classes. (I am going to take a creative writing course & a jewellery-making course for starters! Maybe also another make-up artistry course & I have been saying this forever but I am dying to start French lessons again!) Start doing some research, see when they start & when you need to enroll. Then either put your name down or start putting money away!
Saturday 12th December
Work out a way to experience the opposite temperature of the place you’re in now. If you’re in chilly climes, spend some time in a sauna, swim in a heated pool, or just lie in bed with your electric blanket on & an MP3 of crashing waves on loop. If it’s sweltering hot where you are, find a walk-in freezer, fill your bathtub with bags of ice or watch some snow fall while drinking (frozen?!) lemon & honey!
Sunday 13th December
Switch up your inspiration. Surely you’ve had the same pictures hanging up in your apartment for too long! Do you even notice them any more? Move them around, find some new ones, or take them all down completely & start fresh!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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Style Tips: 9th November 2009
[ 9 November 2009, 10:35 ]
Monday 9th November
Decide to devote your week to romance of all forms. Love for other people, for your home, & most importantly, for yourself. Draw a big heart on a Post-It note & put it somewhere prominent so that no matter what happens, you remember to respond with love all week long.
Tuesday 10th November
Splurge on a really beautiful book of photography to inspire you in your love-fest! Use the pictures as fuel to bring more beauty into your life. (My pick? Romance by Chris Craymer. It arrived this morning & I am totally smitten. Very fitting for a book of this nature!)
Wednesday 11th November
Kiss a postcard & send it anonymously to someone you’ve almost forgotten — but not quite. (Spray your kiss-mark with hairspray so it doesn’t get smudged.) By the way, if you’re in New York City & so inclined, you could send one to the troops for New Year’s Eve, but even if you’re not, you can still participate!
Thursday 12th November
Plan a love picnic! It can take place anywhere (in a park, in your bed), just be sure to invite someone that makes you feel a bit swoony. Make sandwiches, don’t forget the cupcakes, & put together a good playlist, too. P.S. Here are some tips on how to have a great picnic.
Friday 13th November
Black Friday! Definitely the best opportunity to do something spooky if your hallowe’en was a non-event (comme moi)! How can you combine spookiness with love most effectively? Simple! Watch The Addams Family. Morticia + Gomez forever! Or maybe you could cast a love spell with Dame Darcy?! If you have paraskevidekatriaphobia, though, perhaps you should just stay under the covers with a good book.
Saturday 14th November
Make or buy gifts for the people closest to you. They don’t have to be big or expensive; in fact, they don’t have to cost anything at all. You can make a necklace for your friend using charms & ribbon, or write a story for your boyfriend using a typewriter you found stashed in the attic. Alternatively, you can go out & buy everyone glittering baubles!
Sunday 15th November
Write a list of 20 ways you can show people you love them (preferably in ways you haven’t shown them before). Then decide to do every single one before December 1st.
“It takes courage to love, but pain through love is the purifying fire which those who love generously know. We all know people who are so much afraid of pain that they shut themselves up like clams in a shell &, giving out nothing, receive nothing & therefore shrink until life is a mere living death.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips: 26th October 2009
[ 26 October 2009, 09:48 ]
Tim Walker forever!
Monday 26th October:
Take intentionally ugly photos! Hideous photobooth strips are the best. Roll your eyes, make faces, do your best to look fiendish. It is Halloween after all!
Tuesday 27th October:
Read poems about werewolves. (!!!) The following poem is by Richard Brautigan, he is one of my favourites. (You can read more of his work here.)
Wednesday 28th October:
Devise fancier outfits to do generic things. Don’t walk the dog in a pair of old trackpants — throw on some wool stockings underneath a slip, then add big boots & a cute hoodie. Replace an oversized sweater with a great coat, trade your jeans for a skirt, & accessorise with a rad hat or a great pair of sunglasses.
Thursday 29th October:
Take the word BELLATRIX (Latin for female warrior) & use it as your motto for the week.
Friday 30th October:
Write yourself a style mission statement for the fall/winter or spring/summer 2009/10. (Want some ideas? Check out Fashion Report: Summer/Autumn 2007 & Fashion Report: Spring/Summer 2007/08.)
Saturday 31st October:
Make a film of your Halloween experience. If you don’t have a video camera, borrow someone else’s. Interview your friends, document the decorations, be a party spy. If Halloween is a bit of a non-event in your neighbourhood, record the boringness of it all, then resolve to move somewhere where they do it RIGHT!
Sunday 1st November:
Write a grandiose love letter & tape it to a lamp post.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [43] Tags: style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 19th October 2009
[ 19 October 2009, 11:33 ]
Monday 19th October:
Think about which colours really suit you. Try not to wear things just because you like the colour — that’s a good way to start out if all you normally wear is black or brown, but finding out which colours actually flatter you will completely transform the way you look. Not sure where to start? Read my very first article for iCiNG (!!!), Fashion Help For Recovering Goths.
Tuesday 20th October:
Go to a diner with your best friend & have an immense feast! Preferably late at night. Be sure to order immense desserts, & take a camera (or video camera) for best results!
Wednesday 21st October:
Bake a tray of gingerbread men, decorate them to look like people you know, & then give them out! (Bonus points if you can create a resemblance with frosting! I am not that talented!)
Thursday 22nd October:
Support other women, always.
Friday 23rd October:
Change your hair entirely: go short, go long (extensions!), shave the sides, switch the colour, cut a fringe or bangs, whatever. Just do something drastic! A new haircut makes you feel unstoppable.
Saturday 24th October:
Learn a magic trick & get really good at it.
Sunday 25th October:
Make your life more beautiful in a way that makes sense to you. Buy a bunch of flowers, write yourself a love letter or paint your bedroom shocking pink.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 12th October 2009
[ 11 October 2009, 14:22 ]
Here are some ideas to get you through the week. What do you have planned that you’re excited about? I am so so so thrilled about being back in my favourite city with my favourite man & my favourite dog! AHHHH!
Monday 12th October:
Wear more glitter! A bit of shimmer around the eyes, some crystals glued to your shoes or twinkling bracelets will all do the trick.
Tuesday 13th October:
Write LOVE on the wall to remind yourself constantly.
Wednesday 14th October:
Stick glow-in-the-dark stars all over your roof in the shape of the actual constellations. Lie on your back & stare at them when you’re falling asleep.
Thursday 15th October:
Buy a make-up manual (Kevyn Aucoin is a great place to start!), read it, learn from it, & practice all the time.
Friday 16th October:
Stop waiting for people to entertain you — generate your own joy!
Saturday 17th October:
Buy DVDs of your favourite comedians doing stand-up, & make a habit of watching at least one a week.
Sunday 18th October:
Eat Oreos with chopsticks. Yum yum!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 5th October 2009
[ 4 October 2009, 15:47 ]
Monday 5th October:
Bake cupcakes while listening to White Zombie! (Food tastes better if you dance while you prepare it…)
Tuesday 6th October:
Cover your arms in butterfly temporary tattoos — from the tips of your fingers to the crest of your shoulder.
Wednesday 7th October:
Use Moroccan tea glasses as vases, & fill with tiny flowers. Put a different coloured glass in every room of your house.
Thursday 8th October:
Buy & repaint a big doll-house in psychedelic colours. Turquoise with white trim & pink doors? Violet with tangerine accents? Put tealight candles inside & place it on your dining table. (But don’t set your entire house ablaze, okay?)
Friday 9th October:
Go out & take photos of fairies.
Saturday 10th October:
Wrap yourself up in Christmas lights for your lover to discover when they get home.
Sunday 11th October:
Hang a canopy over your bed & have dedicated You time beneath it every Sunday. Tea, biscuits & a good book should be part of the regime!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [51] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 22nd September 2009
[ 21 September 2009, 18:31 ]
Start wearing a wrist ribbon.
Buy lingerie which is totally out of character. Doing this is surprisingly fun, & quite hilarious. Yandy.com just sent me a bunch of stuff which makes me so happy — things I would ordinarily never think of wearing, but which I actually love. (I got these: By the way, those links are probably NSFW!)
Go to a bookstore which stocks The Secret Universe of Names, & read up on the people you know. I did this yesterday & it was so eerily accurate it made me laugh out loud. It is amazing, I promise!
Work a paper hat into your ensemble.
Be proud of — & learn to love — your naked body.
Become properly acquainted with Hunter S. Thompson.
Go to a homeopath (they often have little stations hidden at the back of health food stores!) & have them make a custom Bach Flower Remedy blend for you. The homeopath should have a little booklet of the flowers which says what they are used for (like this), so you can choose whatever you need! They are made from spring water infused with wild flowers, & preserved in a little brandy. They come in a glass bottle with an eyedropper, & you just put droplets on your tongue a few times a day. I love them & swear they work!
...Try Alaskan gem essences too. (I have not tried these but want to!)
Print up some badges of your idols & wear a different one each day, depending on your mood. I have one of Yayoi Kusama (I am wearing it in this photo!) which I wear on days I want to be a little more surreal.
Revisit the old clothing at the back of the closet. How could it be re-worked? What else could you wear it with? How can you make it more current?
If you must complain, complain to the RIGHT people — people with the power to make a difference! So often we complain to our spouse about our work, & to our mother about our best friend, & so on. Your time is valuable, don’t waste it with nonsense. Be proactive!
Wear an elaborate headband every day.
Take time for yourself! Have a bath, turn off your phone, do some writing, lie down, whatever it takes — just take a moment to breathe.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [48] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 22nd July 2009
[ 22 July 2009, 11:01 ]
Wear stacks of silver bracelets & cuffs & channel Kate Lanphear (Style Director of US Elle).
Dry roses by hanging them from your ceiling.
Clean your make-up brushes! Use gentle shampoo & lay them down to dry. Not using brushes to apply your make-up? Start!
Make a photographic collage of all your old lovers & see if you can work out if you have a “type”!
When you’re feeling unpretty, shop for hats, perfume or shoes instead of jeans.
Get a pair of 3d glasses & keep them in your wallet.
Start wearing an equestrian helmet (ModCloth have a great one!).
Buy a bubble machine & set it up in your bedroom.
Get a Neighborhoodie made.
Wear silver glitter hairspray!
Run yourself a bath full of delicious bubbles & read a book.
Wear false eyelashes to the supermarket.
Have an affair with someone wildly inappropriate.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 27th April 2009
[ 27 April 2009, 07:48 ]
Separate your planner or journal into sections. Mine, for example, has each day split into 3 parts: iCiNG, social & personal. For some reason, putting each actionable item under a heading makes everything much more manageable. I learned this trick from my friend Livia, who is very clever! Her day is split into 5 sections: money, career, artistry, relationships & being a woman in the world. Come up with headings which make sense for you, or are applicable to things you want to achieve!
Cut the tags out of your underwear. There is nothing worse than an errant tag to mess up an otherwise perfect outfit!
Use Big Huge Labs’ Mosaic Maker & Flickr to make a vision board. Set it as your desktop background & start making things happen!
Learn how to read tarot cards.
Plan a Friday the 13th party. (Next one is in November!)
Stop being shy about your talents — tell the world!
Invite your favourite person over for a slumber party.
Decide that you’re done with making excuses. If you want to get fit, for example, you don’t need to join a gym — start doing push-ups in your living room or go for a run around the block!
Buy a really bright umbrella for brightening up dreary rainy days.
Smile when you write emails. I swear it will come through in your writing!
Buy a glass top for your table or desk, so that you can put pictures down & press them under the glass. Instant inspiration, instantly changeable, instant happy!
Stock up on vintage caftans in which to lounge around the house. (Ebay & Etsy are good for that kind of thing!)
Go to a trimmings shop & buy things to glue to headbands or pin into your hair.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 13th April 2009
[ 13 April 2009, 08:59 ]
Diana Vreeland chilling at International Playgirl HQ / John & Yoko
Buy strange, sparkly, clunky pieces of costume jewellery & hang them from the push-pins you already have in place holding up pictures or prints. They serve as a kind of fabulous impromptu frame.
Make a regular midnight snack date with someone who makes you laugh until your sides ache.
Schedule a nap into your day. Better than that, schedule an entire bed day.
Start holding International Playgirl breakfasts. (All this really requires is a bunch of fun, cute girls & some breakfast foods!)
Wear a suspender belt with stockings. Every day. (I swear, there is no better morale booster!)
If something upsetting has happened to your friend, throw a party for them in celebration of new opportunities.
Stage a love-in. Or a bed-in.
Be honest with yourself.
Invite a bunch of people over for an informal Tuesday night dinner party.
Devote one wall in your apartment to photos of your friends.
Realise that there is no better time than right now to break the old patterns that don’t serve you any more.
Kiss.
Drop your defences.
Work the phrase l’esprit de l’escalier into a sentence.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 16th February 2009
[ 15 February 2009, 18:12 ]
Learn to love where you’re from — your family, your neighbourhood, your school, your city, your country, your planet.
Just before you get out of the shower, take a deep breath, mentally prep yourself, & quickly flick the tap to cold. Let it blast you, then turn it off & get out. Every time I do this it makes me laugh like mad. (It’s also good for your skin!)
Tell people how you feel about them.
This means: be brave.
You can make almost anything into an accessory, all you really need is a safety pin & maybe some glue! Take a look around your room & think about what you could turn into a brooch, or an impromptu hat, or a necklace…
Make it a condition of entry that every guest to your house must write you something on a Post It note. Arrange them on a wall.
Loving yourself is not vanity. Don’t be afraid of that. Put a picture of yourself that you like somewhere prominent.
Seek out people with whom you have undeniable chemistry & watch your life evolve.
Go cloudspotting.
Do something completely out of character, just to prove to yourself that you can.
Tie bells around your ankles.
Put a drop of peppermint essential oil in your water jug. It’s great for your digestion as well as freshening your breath! Or you could make peppermint cupcakes! Yum. Read more about peppermint here.
Listen to this every night before you go to sleep. I love it, it makes me feel all dreamy & yawny!
Or this.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [46] Tags: style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 15th December 2008
[ 14 December 2008, 15:47 ]
Write yourself a report card. School was rough for everyone, so forget all those old vindictive teachers who always commented that you’d be so wonderful if “you applied yourself” or went on & on about your “potential”. (Who wants to harness their potential in geography class?!) Think about the things that are important to you — like the amount of strangers you talk to, or being a good lover, or knowing the precise moment to hold someone else’s hand — & grade yourself. Then put it somewhere prominent so you can see it regularly & be reminded.
Stop making enemies with people who are prettier/more clever/more successful/cooler than you. Here’s the thing. Those people will always exist. Life is not a competition, just relax. Stop being jealous & start being friends with them! You never know what you might learn — maybe they’ll teach you how to be prettier/more clever/more successful/cooler! Competing with one another just keeps us apart & unhappy. Soak it up!
Next time you inadvertently stain your bathroom with hair dye — Special Effects included — don’t fret. Just grab a tube of whitening toothpaste, squirt it on, leave it for a couple of minutes, then scrub. I promise you this will work on practically anything, including white walls & porous wooden benches. It saved my life a couple of weeks ago & it might save yours too!
Do some research on the properties of crystals (I like this site), then go to a bead store & make yourself a bracelet or necklace featuring the stones that appeal to you. Love? Strength? Mental clarity? Take your pick, there is a stone for everything! Even if you don’t believe in the purported power of crystals, it’s always good to have a visual reminder of what it is you’re striving for!
Buy peppermint chapstick. It’s like having the Alps in your mouth. Yum.
Practise stripping every time you get undressed for the shower! Take some music in there & turn it UP! Start dancing, & watch yourself while you take your clothes off. I swear that if you do this regularly, you will become a) a much better dancer & b) much more confident & happy with your body! Plus, it’s all good practise for the actual event, isn’t it?!
(Style tips from this day last year!)
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [34] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 24th November 2008
[ 23 November 2008, 16:08 ]
Download Poladroid, drag your favourite photos into it to create polaroids, then make yourself a huge wallpaper featuring all your best people, moments & places!
Buy something with sequins on it in preparation for the holiday season.
Issue yourself a Twitter challenge! Try using only song lyrics to express yourself; write all your tweets in haiku format; only write positive updates for a week; chart your good deeds; rhyme everything for a week, etc. (Haven’t signed up yet? GET ON IT!)
Decide to celebrate the season in stereotypical, almost cliché fashion. If you’re in winter, put on a Cosby sweater, drink a mug of hot cocoa, & take photos of you & your friends looking après-ski. If you’re in summer, don enormous shades, get a spray tan & book yourself tickets to an outdoor music festival!
Buy a good sex manual (I like Paul Joannides’ Guide To Getting It On — it’s hilarious as well as informative). Learn it! Live it!
Email an old friend, & call a truce.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [53] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 11th November 2008
[ 11 November 2008, 08:17 ]
Take a photo of yourself looking really, really happy. Bonus points: link to it in the comments! (Here’s my submission.)
Change the way you walk. It seems like a little thing, but it can make a huge difference. I had a friend who used to bounce up on her foot with every step — it was adorable & made her even more awesome than she already was. Or try to move more fluidly, more gracefully. See how it makes you feel.
Give your friends things that they can wear. There is nothing better than wearing something that someone you love has given you, because you feel a connection to them the whole time it’s against your skin. Give your friend a necklace, knit them a scarf, buy a charm for their bracelet or make them a tote bag, & then tell them why.
Flirt more. Flirt with everyone, even people you don’t really like or aren’t really interested in. First of all, it’s excellent practice, & secondly, it makes everyone feel better.
Develop an appreciation for marmalade.
Adopt this as your credo:
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [133] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 28th October 2008
[ 28 October 2008, 12:21 ]
If you’re in America, buy enough pairs of hallowe’en pyjamas to last you the rest of the year. If you’re not, have a friendly American buy some for you!
Try a Lush toner tab: fill a bowl with hot water, drop the tab in, place your face over the steam & cover your head with a towel. Instantly soft, beautiful & refreshed skin. I am a fan, & at only $1.50 a pop, it’s hard to resist!
Write yourself some weekly resolutions!
Purchase a good water bottle. I just did — mine is by SIGG & is black with a white cross on the front, très Nubby!
Compare ‘Heartbeats’ by The Knife & José Gonzáles & decide which version you like best. (My money’s on José.)
Drink from a can with a pink straw.
Develop an appreciation for Shakespeare. (For those of you who have never “got it”, check out Romeo & Juliet by Baz Luhrmann, which came out in 1996. It is amazing, & changed my perception of Shakespeare forever.)
Listen to Prince all day.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [65] Tags: style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 9th October 2008
[ 9 October 2008, 19:04 ]
Buy yourself a bunch of flowers which complement your hair.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [67] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 27th September 2008
[ 27 September 2008, 06:54 ]
Buy teeny figurines & decorate your plate with them. Plant an army man on top of your potato, put a monster in your porridge & bury the smallest matryoshka nesting doll inside a pile of fries.
Write pornographic haiku on napkins at restaurants.
Come up with some new birthday traditions — like a colourful photoshoot, receiving your age in kisses, or throwing cake from a great height!
Learn to use chopsticks properly.
Buy sparkly, colourful bracelets from Indian shops & stack them high up your wrists.
Learn to be genuinely happy for other people’s success.
Call your friends just to tell them how fabulous they are.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [44] Tags: inspiration,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 30th July 2008
[ 29 July 2008, 23:49 ]
/ / / Sit on your kitchen table, set up your camera, & take photographs of yourself cutting up your stockings.
Find a fabulous scarf & claim it as your sartorial trademark.
Change your passwords to words which make you smile.
Have your lover bind your hands & feed you a cupcake. Bonus points if you film it. (Thanks to Violet Blue for this idea which has never quite left me!)
Sing at inappropriate moments.
Bake a cake. Then use frosting to write something pornographic or risqué on the top. I call this a “porn cake”. The world doesn’t have enough porn cakes!
Take raunchy photobooth pictures with a friend.
Spend some alone time on the swings in a playground.
Devote yourself to having at least one orgasm a day!
Kiss.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [61] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 21st July 2008
[ 21 July 2008, 12:18 ]
Buy a dream dictionary & use it to decode your subconscious. Make secret scribblings!
Learn to love Otis Redding. (My favourite tracks are Try A Little Tenderness, A Change Is Gonna Come & These Arms Of Mine).
Sneak onto a rooftop at night, lie down & drink iced tea. Enjoy the view & twinkling lights.
Have someone else feed you berries.
Kiss your lover’s toes.
Make a list of your favourite things about the person sitting nearest to you. Bonus points if you give it to them anonymously!
Listen to this song on repeat:
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [36] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 16th July 2008
[ 16 July 2008, 09:08 ]
Communicate. Fearlessly. Anyone who is worth it will make you feel good about doing so.
Wake up early, drink a big glass of orange juice, & watch as the city comes to life around you.
Learn how to fold paper planes. (Write wishes inside them.)
Stick confetti hearts all over your face. Leave the house.
When your favourite shops go into sale, go inside & make polite conversation with the people working there. Ask them when the sale started… then ask if the prices are going to drop any further. (Last week I went into Reiss, who were in sale, & pulled this stunt myself. The guy working there told me prices would drop by another 30-40% in the next 7 days!)
Dream up an alter-ego, a name & a faux-signature for yourself. Make it fabulous & dramatic.
Take photos of yourself next time you feel ecstatic, regardless of where you are or how goofy you look!
Make heart-shaped cookies.
Choose a magnificent colour of ink. Midnight blue? Shocking pink? Minty green? Stock up, & use only that from now on.
Take a nap.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [50] Tags: inspiration,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 30th June 2008
[ 30 June 2008, 07:30 ]
Next time you have to make a nerve-wracking phone-call, put on your best, most fabulous pair of shoes. March around your room in them for a bit, pluck up your courage & then dial on your feet. (You always sound more authoritative standing up!)
Open yourself up to new kinds of music. Gregorian chanting, classical music, drumming circles, jazz, mind-blowing electronica, waltzes, turntablism… There is something magical in every musical genre, which can speak to a part of you that was previously untouched. Make it your mission to listen to something different & observe how your body reacts.
Wear a sparkly bikini top under your clothing. No one else needs to know, but you will have shimmering ta-tas!
Start making yourself a charm bracelet full of meaningful totems. Collect charms which mean something to you & remind you of past successes or future goals. (Everything on my charm bracelet has meaning, & when I wear it I feel like having those things near me moves me closer to what I want.) I’ve found the best range of charms on Ebay, & I particularly like Velvet Violet‘s shop.
Experiment with Bach flower remedies. Flowers in liquid format dropped onto the tongue? It all sounds very romantic, doesn’t it?
Listen to The Cure during a thunderstorm. (Read Poppy Z. Brite for extra bonus points! Eyeliner optional.)
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [62] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 24th June 2008
[ 24 June 2008, 11:01 ]
If you, like me, are going through a gruelling heat-wave, take heed. Buy a box of aloe vera & vitamin E-enhanced baby wipes, & a bottle of toner from Lush. (I like Eau Roma Water.) Keep them both in the fridge. Start using the baby wipes to clean & cool yourself off when you finally drag yourself in through the front door, & for taking off your make-up. Cool baby wipes are a delicious treat, I assure you. Spray the toner on your chest, back, neck & arms before you crawl into bed. It will evaporate quickly, but it feels good, softens your skin & smells magnificent.
Celebrate the ’90s! Rent Clueless, put on some over-the-knee socks, drag your platform Sketchers out of the closet (I know you have ‘em!), listen to some Salt ‘n’ Pepa & enjoy!
Cher: Shouldn’t you go to school on the East Coast? I hear girls at N.Y.U. aren’t at all particular!
Take tango lessons.
Stop being a grub! As fun as it can be to mill about in your own filth (trust me, I know), there is something wonderful about opening your closet to see everything hung up & folded neatly. The same goes for clean floors & an immaculate kitchen!
Wear polka dots & talk about how amazing you are all day, in tribute to Yayoi Kusama.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [33] Tags: style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 16th June 2008
[ 15 June 2008, 23:00 ]
Find a new fragrance for the season. LuckyScent is my favourite place to go for yummy scratch & sniff adventures — especially because they offer samples for an average of three dollars a pop. My picks? Mukhallat by Montale, Love by Kilian, Sienne l’Hiver by Eau d’Italie, pc02 by biehl perfumkunstwerke, Untitled #4 by Sarah Barton-King & The Exact Friction Of Stars by Pilar & Lucy (which I own & cherish — it is pure sex).
Buy a bubble gun. Use it mercilessly & inappropriately, with delight. (Inspired by this guy who I see regularly. Read the story!)
Wear something sparkly, get in the bath, pool or a big puddle, & have a mermaid photoshoot.
Throw a cocktail evening for your friends. Invite someone you don’t know. Tell everyone they won’t be allowed in unless they dress up! (If you’re underage, make delicious mocktails & get hyped up on sugar — I promise it is as least as fun as alcohol, if not more so!)
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [45] Tags: inspiration,
life,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 8th June 2008
[ 8 June 2008, 12:43 ]
“One of God’s own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, too rare to die.”
Next time you’re feeling a bit dour, strip down to your underwear & do a faux-sexy dance in front of the mirror. I think Sade’s Smooth Operator makes a good soundtrack for this kind of activity! Pout your lips, toss your hair & wiggle your hips. Glance back over your shoulder & wink at your reflection. I guarantee it will make you smile & feel at least a little bit better!
Regardless of your financial situation, treat your friend to a meal. It doesn’t have to be 5-star, it could just be a slice of pizza & a drink, but it will leave a huge impression, & they will love you for it.
If you feel awkward next time you go out dancing — like you don’t look good or you don’t dance well enough or you’re not cool enough to be there — take a break. Go to the corner of the room, drink some water, survey the scene & make a decision. Decide to own yourself & what you’re doing. Own your dancing, own your body, take control. Decide that you’re sexy, amazing, cool & glamorous. Decide that you’re a fabulous dancer & that you’re just going to cut loose. Decide that you’re the queen (or king) of the room & that everyone else in there is just your loyal subject, dancing for your entertainment. Imagine you are wearing a crown (or put on a tiara if you feel that way inclined!). Don’t feel the need to dance a certain way — just be you. Claim a place on the dance floor, flick your hair, spin around & keep your head up. You have to own it. As soon as you act like you belong to be there, you’ll start to have much more fun & people’s reactions to you will mirror that back at you. Plus, there’s nothing more appealing than a confident person having fun on the dance floor!
Make cupcakes at 3am with a friend. Scoff them & then collapse into a sugar & exhaustion-induced coma. Fabuleux!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [46] Tags: inspiration,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 26th May 2008
[ 26 May 2008, 13:25 ]
Learn some choice French phrases!
Compile a list of people you’d like to know or meet, & start making contact!
Next time you buy a magazine, rip out every page that contains an advertisement. Marvel at the huge stack of advertising, & the minimal amount of content. Ask yourself, is the value of the content worth what you’ve just paid to be advertised to? Make your future magazine purchases accordingly.
Change your skin tone. (& I mean that in a strictly non-Michael Jackson way!) If you pride yourself on your golden tone, lay off the UV for a while & see if you can learn to appreciate a paler pallor. If you’re usually ghostly & fair, try a spray tan & see how it changes how you feel, what you wear & how you look.
Spend time alone, in a park, with a pair of glamorous sunglasses & a good book. (Take snacks.)
Swear off television & movies for a week, & decide to become a producer rather than a consumer.
Buy yourself a pair of fabulous, extravagant heels. Go on. Just do it!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [64] Tags: inspiration,
life,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 8th May 2008
[ 8 May 2008, 12:32 ]
Instead of treating people like strangers, & only showing kindness or your true self once you know them, pretend they’re you’re best friend. You don’t need to go overboard, but make them feel important, pay attention to them & be open. You will be amazed.
Eat fresh fruit for breakfast.
Go people-watching, & work out what it is you like about other people. Then think of ways that you could incorporate that into your own life. Maybe it’s a certain swagger, an edgy femininity, big hair or the way they touch other people when they speak to them. Write notes & then make an effort to give it your own individual twist.
Film yourself walking down the street. Then use some video editing software to set it to music. The music should reflect what’s going on — is it an ethereal drift, a punk rock jaunt, or a unique strut? Now put it up on Youtube (or Flickr)!
Write all your emails in haiku format for a week.
Keep your money in a sock (striped? Lacy? With toes? You decide!) instead of a wallet.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [35] Tags: style tips Add Gala on Twitter!What To Do: The First Weekend Of 2008
[ 4 January 2008, 19:23 ]
Lie around in your underwear & eat chocolate mousse! (When I was young, I used to own a book called A Book Of Milliganimals by Spike Milligan. Inside, it had a picture of a moose whose skin had a strawberry pattern — underneath, it said “Strawberry Mousse”. HEE!)
Do ballet in your living room — also best performed in underwear. (My ballet conditioning DVDs arrived yesterday!)
Create a collage of a wardrobe that you would kill for. (Try Polyvore, but using scissors, magazines & glue is fun too.)
Listen to Jurassic 5’s Feedback album.
Buy something lovely for your creative area, big or small. (I bought white & pink carnations & put them in a green bottle which says ‘Lucky’ in gold & has a laughing buddha carved into the front.)
Hunt out a watch which simultaneously complements your personal style & makes you feel like a Rockefeller!
I will be indulging in all of these things! Have a fabulous weekend, everyone! Start this weekend as you mean to go on for the rest of the year!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [30] Tags: inspiration,
life,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Fashion & Style Predictions: 2008
[ 2 January 2008, 17:22 ]
The Age, a Melbourne newspaper, recently published their fashion predictions for 2008. Their list of “must haves” are in bold, & my thoughts, suggestions & tips are underneath.
Body con
By this, they mean “body contouring garments” — anything which clings tightly to the body or is form-fitting. Of course, the very notion of this sends women across the world into a panic, & rightly so. Very few people can make it work. It’s almost enough to make you put down the truffles & run screaming to the gym. To slither with dignity into the body con trend, I recommend you only wear one piece of close-fitting clothing at a time. If you have a shapely booty, perhaps wear a body con skirt, while if you have arms, a bust & abs to kill for, a slender cut shirt or top is probably your best bet. I also heartily recommend buying yourself at least one piece of shaper underwear. It’s the secret of models & well-dressed fashionistas everywhere.
The waist
Yes, this is from last season. Regardless, the waist is here to stay. If you don’t have a belt that showcases your waist at its best, then it’s time to get one. If belts don’t turn your crank, you can always improvise with a fabric belt, a colourful obi or even a man’s tie. This is all great news for womanly figures & hourglass shapes, & almost… maybe… possibly… summons a shift away from the boyish, androgynous figures women have been starving themselves to achieve for years! Fantastic!
Purple
The colour of royalty, homosexuality & Prince is making a comeback in a major way. It’s been blasted all over the catwalks, from Lanvin to Comme des Garcon & all the way to Pucci, in every hue imaginable: violent violet, lascivious lavender, punchy plum & apoplectic amethyst. If the idea of head to toe purple makes you feel a bit batty — though it can be done to fabulous effect — snap up accessories in the aristocratic hue & wear them with neutrals, reds, yellows or greens.
Balenciaga blazer, Fred Flare sunglasses, striped sweater by Sonia Rykiel, sequinned beret by Topshop, Baccarat ring, ring by Forever 21, Chanel quilted 2.55 bag, Marni purple gumboots, Jonathan Aston hosiery, Lolita Lempicka fragrance, OPI nailpolish.
Rockabilly
Full skirts, leather jackets & lots of plaid are on the cards, too — but as with any other defined style of dress, select a couple of elements only to avoid looking too “costumey”. Since I know that we all secretly wish to be one of the Pink Ladies (or the T-Birds), I suggest watching Grease for a splash of inspiration — & some ideas on what not to do.
Scary how times change — & then don’t. Looks like Sandy is wearing American Apparel lamé leggings, Kenickie & Zuko are rocking the quiff & leather jackets, & peep Rizzo’s high-waisted shorts with belt! The horror!
The blazer & tuxedo jacket
Balenciaga brought this back recently & it’s a beautiful thing — especially worn with a colourful scarf tucked in under the front. The tuxedo jacket is more sleek than the blazer, & I’ve seen gorgeous versions in lots of stores around here, especially MNG (aka Mango). Both jackets are fantastically versatile & will make an amazing addition to your wardrobe. I recommend a single-button tuxedo jacket for simplicity’s sake, & for the daring & gender-bending, it is a major component of “Le Smoking“, seen below in this iconic photograph by Helmut Newton.
Hippie prints & plaids
I really blame Ms Rachel Zoe for this one — as well as the maxi-dress. Not that it’s a bad thing, more that her influence is super-obvious! She is a major fan of long, 70’s-inspired dresses with crazy prints & splashes of colour. The Age advises wearing these all in a huge orgy of colour & pattern madness, but I don’t. It’s really hard to do with panache. I think the best way to make it work is get your hands on a great sleeveless maxi-dress that shows your neck & shoulders to maximum effect. Pair with simple metallic or jewelled sandals, bunches of bracelets, big sunglasses & a headscarf for super casual chic.
Grey Gardens chic
I wrote about this in June, & then started experimenting with the look on July 3rd last year! Stick with me, kid, I’ll show you right! If you haven’t seen Grey Gardens yet, hop to it! It’s one of the most intriguing, creepy & unsettling movies ever, as well as being incredibly aesthetically inspiring. A remake of it is due out this year, with Drew Barrymore starring as Little Edie — & you will need to have seen the original in order to appreciate the remake!
The waistcoat
Yet another trend kicked off by Kate Moss. Waistcoats & vests are ALL over the place at the moment, & a good wardrobe staple. They can be worn over tees & collared shirts, as well as adding an extra layer of interest to a dress or under a coat. Before you rush out & pick one up, however, I strongly suggest reviewing your current wardrobe & thinking about what you could wear it with. I find that a waistcoat works best with trousers, & if you don’t wear trousers often (like me), you might find your options are limited.
Other notable mentions
1940s fit
Thanks, Dita! Look for pronounced shoulders, nipped-in waists, pencil skirts & anything that makes you wiggle while you walk. Bonus points for seamed stockings.
Gladiator sandals
Thanks, Mary-Kate! Since they were seen on her little trotters, gladiator sandals have started appearing in all kinds of shoe shops for all sorts of prices. My money is on “passing fad”, so don’t splurge too much unless you really want to!
Lace-up heels & brogues
If you don’t know that lace-up heels (often called Oxfords) are “in” by now, you must have had your head under a rock… or been in hospital. That’s okay, though! Just to get you up to speed: lace-up heels are “in” & they’re totally sexy. Great worn with black stockings, skater skirts (another trend), pencil skirts, tailored pants & anything with a bit of volume. You can take your pick of styles, too, since every designer & his dog has jumped enthusiastically on the bandwagon. Here — have a look!
High-waisted skirts & trousers
This is a carry-over from 2007, but strangely enough, I’m not seeing a lot of it on the street. Waistlines have risen, definitely — there are far fewer butt-cracks on display these days (hooray!), but I have yet to see anyone in the street rocking an extremely high waist.
Berets, turbans & headscarves
The turban I bought from Sportsgirl some time last year was recently reduced to TWO DOLLARS, so it is safe to assume that in Australia at least, this is a trend for the daring & fashion editors only. I also haven’t seen anyone else in the street wearing a beret, turban or headscarf (except for my friend Nadia, who does berets rather well). It’s okay, but it does sort of make me feel like the only member of the turban fan club.
Flared jeans & trousers
Yay! Yay! Witness my delight! I love a good flared trouser, & believe me, when skinny jeans were the only thing on the denim radar, I couldn’t buy anything with even the slightest flare. Finally, finally the tide is turning & I will once more be able to buy jeans which flatter my figure! It’s a miracle! Celebrate good times, come on!
Shirt dresses
A shirt worn as a dress is pretty much what I wore all last summer. A long bedshirt will do, though they can be hard to get your hands on — a better option is a large man’s business shirt, belted at the waist & accessorised with high heels, a spray tan & relaxed hair.
Cleavage
Dear girls who often bare your décolletage to the world,
Please start applying sunscreen to your chest before going out. Otherwise it will end up wrinkly, & that is one area you do not want to age prematurely.
Love, Gala.
“Rock chic meets nu grave”
I swear to God I am not making this up. I don’t really know what this means. I think I am glad.
Tights
Rock the Edie Sedgwick look & wear black tights with everything. It adds instant polish & really helps to pull an outfit together.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [63] Tags: aesthetic,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 15th December 2007
[ 15 December 2007, 15:26 ]
Sew a heart onto the underside of one of your gloves. Anatomical or crown of thorns — it’s your choice. Then you can raise your hand & show your heart as a secret salute!
Get photographs printed straight off your digital camera at a photo shop. Slap a stamp on the back & voilà! Instant postcard. I used to do this a lot, & often draw moustaches on the photos before sending them off. You can do the same thing with covers ripped from books, but I am a bit reckless when it comes to literature, so your mileage may vary…
Write someone (your mother, your ex-boyfriend, your English teacher) a letter telling them all the things they’ve done right. Whether you send it or not is up to you.
Buy a hyacinth for your work or creative area. There is an old Taoist proverb which says that if lost everything & had only two coins, you should use one to buy bread & feed your body, & the other to buy hyacinths to feed your soul. A hyacinth is a symbol of sincerity & a fabulous thing to be near!
“Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits.” — Carl Sandburg
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [16] Tags: inspiration,
life,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 1st December 2007
[ 1 December 2007, 15:13 ]
Photo key:
1. French flag, 2. picture of a picture of me, 3. I miss these !!!!, 4. Last day in Paris, 5. French Women don’t get fat, 6. Impressive French moustache, 7. Leonie Powder Revisited, 8. quant, 9. Paper Sighs & Candy Highs
...Style tips with a definite French flavour! Miam miam!
Start a silly project, just for fun. My latest project is bedhead documentation! I’ve made a set on Flickr & I’m going to take regular photos of my “morning glory”, hee!
One of my mother’s amazing skills is that she is a brilliant window-dresser. At home, we had stacks of books on world class window displays, which I always pored over & adored. Window shopping in France is called lèche-vitrines — the literal translation is “window licking”! It’s a good thing to develop an appreciation for. Windows at Christmas, especially in high-end boutiques, can really knock your socks off. Indulge in it. Soak it up. Love it!
Maintain your language skills. After a few years, the French/German/Japanese/Spanish conversation skills you learned in school start to fade, especially if you don’t practice. Having a good handle on other languages opens you up to millions of people & a gamut of opportunities — as well as appearing totally cultured & sexy. Look into casual language classes. A lot of them involve eating regional food & nattering away, which is a fantastic way to meet new people as well as brush up on your skills!
Call your friends to tell them how much you appreciate them, instead of just emailing. It means so much more, & it always brings the recipient unreasonable amounts of excitement!
Go out & practice your kissing.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [34] Tags: inspiration,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 7th November 2007
[ 7 November 2007, 15:44 ]
Develop a taste for gin & tonic.
Blow kisses to everyone — the bus driver, your manager, & people at the other end of the phone line. They will be equal parts charmed & caught off-guard!
Clean the house before you go to sleep tonight. Waking up to a tidy apartment makes me feel unbelievably good.
Buy & hang wind-chimes.
Practise your enunciation. Make an effort to pronounce every word clearly, rather than just running them together.
Declare one day a week “naked day” in your household. Our first one is on Friday. I suspect it will make the iCiNG Bowl much more interesting!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [29] Tags: style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 29th October 2007
[ 29 October 2007, 11:41 ]
Wake up at a ridiculous hour to photograph the sunrise.
Start keeping your receipts. Chuck them in a shoebox & thank me later! Things are actually meant to last & if they break, you should take them back — it doesn’t matter WHAT you paid!
Dance in every elevator you catch today, alone or not. I am like a one-woman elevator disco at all times. It makes the vertical commute so much more exciting! (Not to mention, I love the idea of cuties across the world dancing in elevators!)
Wear original sunglasses, regardless of the season. Why wear the same ones everyone else has? Last night I stumbled across Kurzenberger’s World of Glasses on Ebay, & it officially blew my mind! They have the most AMAZING range of vintage sunglasses, all at reasonable prices. I like the 70’s & 80’s section, but then, I would. Look at these, & these, & these & these! Squeal! (If you’re not sure what will suit you, read this!)
Buy something in an animal print — like a faux leopard coat or a zebra-striped bikini. I am nutty for animal print right now.
Break an old fashion rule. Wear socks with open-toed heels, mix navy blue or brown with black, deliberately mismatch your bag & your shoes. The majority of those rules are boring & antiquated & they don’t have any sway anymore — shrug them off! You will feel liberated for it.
Take your best friend flowers for no reason at all, other than that you love them.
Wear a scarf & sunglasses in the supermarket & relish the looks everyone else gives you. They never quite know — are you a rockstar or a shoplifter?
Listen to Kylie Minogue!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [31] Tags: inspiration,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 3rd October 2007
[ 3 October 2007, 12:49 ]
If you don’t own a full-length mirror yet, buy one! But most importantly, make sure it is sitting square, either on a couple of raised boxes or hung on the wall. I realised the other day that because my mirror is tilted backward — so I can see my entire body — it also makes me look disproportionately large from the hips down!
Remember to say “please” & “thank you”. It seems so elementary but is easily forgotten, & nobody likes an urchin! Charm is back.
Start buying magnificent hats (wide-brimmed, casual, sun, cocktail, ushanka) & brooches (cameo, floral, crystal, bronze). Wear them with simple outfits to tart them up & add some pizazz.
Decide to spend some time lying down, reading magazines & eating exotic fruit (passionfruit, mango, papaya, guava).
Go to the hairdresser just to have your hair washed & blown dry. The head massage is always the best bit of a haircut, & this way you don’t have to deal with the trauma of it being too short or making you look like something from Little Shop Of Horrors!
Stop underestimating & underselling yourself NOW.
Listen to more Fleetwood Mac.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [26] Tags: inspiration,
life,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Winter Essentials 2007
[ 23 September 2007, 12:35 ]
Oh, sweet peaches in the northern hemisphere, I haven’t forgotten about you! Just like the Summer Essentials list, here are some things you might want to invest in for the chilly months…
Tartan, argyle, check & houndstooth
It’s winter, therefore these patterns are essential, even if the temperature where you live barely drops. You’ll look totally classic & appropriate. If you don’t dig being “appropriate”, then mix it up with ripped stockings, big boots or teased hair. Try wearing a tartan scarf, a cute little kilt or a houndstooth coat. Just avoid head-to-toe Burberry check, since it’s un peu Chavvy!
A striped umbrella Let’s face it, you’re going to need an umbrella. Instead of dragging around that awful multicoloured thing slapped with a realtor’s logo, why not upgrade & get something that makes you feel chic & put together? Get a little bit Edward Gorey on it & go hunting for a striped umbrella — they aren’t common but they look immaculate. Fabuleux.
Hot water bottle
Preferably in “your colour”. Mine is turquoise, for example, & matches a lot of my clothing. This can be a saviour on freezing cold days when you have to commute to work. Just take your hot water bottle with you, it will make you much happier. People will think you are strange, toting a hot water bottle around in public, but they probably thought that anyway, & who really cares? You’re warm & they’re not. Case closed.
An inviting bedIf you’re going to hibernate, you might as well do it in style. Buying new bed linen is one of life’s great joys. Most people keep the same duvet covers & pillowcases for huge amounts of time. It makes such a difference to the atmosphere of a room & the quality of napping that it is absolutely worth the investment. While you’re at it, why not buy a really fluffy, marshmallow-reminiscent duvet & magnificent pillows? Why not, indeed?
Yoga classes
It’s so easy to sloth it up in winter, but a little bit of physical exercise will make you feel incredible. I love Ashtanga yoga, but Bikram yoga is practised in a hot room, perfect for cold weather! If you’ve never tried it before, please do — it is amazing. Plus, every time I leave, I feel like I’m walking on a cloud. P.S. Wow.
Oxfords I love, love, love high-heeled Oxfords, especially these ones by Bally. Oxfords are one catwalk look that you are definitely going to see on the street this season. While I am not usually an advocate of a clunky heel, with an Oxford it works. Wear with a short skirt, opaque black stockings & your hair in a bun for maximum effect. (Put a pencil through the bun for instant headmistress style.)
Wool stockings
I like Levante & Jonathan Aston. Wool stockings tend to be quite a bit more expensive than the normal sort, but they are 100% worth the investment. You only need a couple of pairs, they’re difficult to ruin, & they will keep you incredibly warm.
A vintage typewriterThere is nothing like an old typewriter to spice up your decor. Even if you’re not a writer, old machinery & allusions to literary greatness are hot. There is a great satisfaction that comes from using a typewriter to write stories, poems, letters or to-do lists, not to mention, the printed word is very sexy. Anna Piaggi (famed fashion writer) has used a bright red Olivetti since 1969, & I personally have been dying for an Olivetti Valentine (pictured) for years. Drool.
A library card
Start making a list of books you want to read this winter. Then start ordering them in through your local library. Your branch may not have the tome you’re looking for, but another one probably will, so put it on order if you can! I am a geek & do most of my library research online — then I only have to trot down to pick up the books I want. They usually charge a teeny fee for reservations, but it’s worth it. Then get your hands on a nice bookmark, stack them next to your spruced-up bed, & get to work!
Other honourable mentions:
A faux fur muff (I refuse to put myself through the trauma of sourcing a picture!), a big window with a sweeping view, a colourful pashmina or scarf, hot chocolate, regular doses of good Thai food, white fairy lights, cherry red nailpolish & rich red lipstick, a faux fur throw for your bed or couch, good cashmere sweaters, Diptyque candles, quirky socks & a big cardigan which doubles as outerwear.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [42] Tags: aesthetic,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Summer Essentials 2007
[ 18 September 2007, 12:45 ]
Tennis lessons
So you can cultivate your tennis chic look, of course! Remember, tennis lessons mean nothing unless you have a super-wealthy friend with an enormous tennis court & a butler, so if you don’t already know someone like this, perhaps you could place an ad on Craigslist… If you want to maintain the look without the physical exertion, just start carrying a tennis racket & tying a sweater over your shoulders. Fabuleux!
Sunblock
Wrinkles & creases are for “it” bags & old love letters, not faces! Keep that in mind!
Minx heels
Every girl needs a pair of shoes that make them feel like they’re having palpitations. I am currently lusting over the shoes pictured — Christian Louboutin knotted open-toe sandals. I tried them on last weekend & didn’t want to take them off. They are the ideal shoe for drinking cocktails outdoors in the warm night air, surrounded by stars (in the sky & around you, darling) & cameras. Oh, yes.
Postcards & a fabulous pen
For writing sonnets to your lovers & admirers while you’re on holiday, of course! Be sure to extol the virtues of wherever you are — even if you’re plagued by flies & food poisoning — & sign them off with a sticky kiss & a flourish!
Duwop lip venom
For perfectly plump, sexily swollen kisses & a bit of colour! (This gloss also gets the Gala seal of approval for postcard-smooching.)
Photobooth strips
Taken with your nearest & dearest (even if you can’t remember their names the next day) & stashed in your handbag for entertainment purposes.
A plantYou may not be home to care for it too often, but if you buy cleverly, it won’t need a lot of work anyway. Plus, they make every living space look about a million times better. Go for something which looks alien but delicate. My favourite is the moth orchid (the one I owned when I lived in Auckland is pictured above). Remember to name it something exotic, like Beauregarde, & stick a name-tag on the front of the pot.
A masquerade mask
Not a nasty cheap one, an incredibly decadent one (you might want to make your own). & if no one will throw a masquerade party this summer, then you will just have to throw your own, won’t you?!
An exercise plan
So you look your absolute best for summer. Sleeveless dresses & short skirts are the enemy of the unprepared, I am feeling the fear myself! If you don’t know where to begin, try this — I am!
Something to put on your head
I like turbans & big sunhats. What you choose is up to you but you simply MUST have something on your noggin this summer!
Other honourable mentions:
A Moleskine diary or notebook, a passport, a driver, a big armchair for long phone conversations, contraception, crisp white sheets, a sweet but light fragrance, lanterns for your balcony, regular mani/pedicures, magazine subscriptions, a list of summer goals & a devotion to having fun!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [25] Tags: aesthetic,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 20th August 2007
[ 20 August 2007, 10:10 ]
Write a wish on a balloon, then let it go. (I got this idea from super-sweet Diana in the Dominican Republic! & if you’re concerned about the environment, read this or just… don’t do it!)
When you go clothes shopping next, try buying clothing in a bigger size than normal. Shirts a few sizes larger become impromptu coats, loose trousers paperbagged (gathered at the waist with a belt) take on a whole new shape, cardigans can masquerade as skirts, etc. Don’t be afraid of using your clothing for something other than its original intended purpose!
In the mornings, instead of getting dressed in silence or with the radio on, put on some music that you rarely listen to, & see how it influences your outfit.
Wear red lipstick. (Maybe only in the privacy of your own home if you’re not sure about it, or a usually-conservative man!)
Seek out films & books which inspire you. I made a new rule (yesterday) to watch a documentary every Sunday about people who have done amazing things. It really gears me up for the week & reminds me to think big, seek further, take risks. So far I’ve seen two Madonna documentaries (I’m Going To Tell You A Secret & Truth Or Dare/In Bed With Madonna) & am going to seek out anything on Yoko Ono, Vivienne Westwood, Betsey Johnson… (Suggestions welcome!)
Hold a relaxed dinner party for some friends. Don’t forget cocktails, dessert & bubble mixture!
Buy stamps & put them in your purse so that you can send a note to a friend at a moment’s notice.
Allow your city to surprise you.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [25] Tags: inspiration,
life,
style tips Add Gala on Twitter!DELIGHT or SMITE? (June)
[ 11 June 2007, 12:01 ]
You know the drill by now, right? DELIGHT or SMITE? is a hot-or-not list for the HERE & NOW! Here’s the list for June…
DELIGHT
Wearing coloured stockings or leggings underneath ripped jeans — Robin, possibly the coolest boy in London, does it (pink leggings under blue jeans) & he looks fantastic!
Big honking sparkly cocktail rings. (I like this in Heliotrope & Fuschia & this in PINK!, by Tarina Tarantino.)
Consciously choosing to support companies/businesses/individuals with a strong moral code; doing your research, thinking before you buy.
Thick American-style peanut butter with lots of SUGAR! & my new favourite, lavender-flavoured fudge. So delicious. Here is a recipe.
Arturo Elena, a Spanish fashion illustrator. You can see a whole lot of examples of his artwork here. I love the proportions, they’re so dramatic, & I especially love all those regal-looking women with sleek, black-lacquered bob haircuts. Glorious.
Candy colours. To me, they are always in style, regardless of the season. Musk lolly pink, electric food-colouring blue, shiny lime green, lemon sherbet yellow, soft lilac & rich purple, cherry red… I advocate buying small things in these colours, like purses, pill boxes, stilettos, nailpolish, pens, scarves, neckties & typewriters. They are always endearing & mood elevating, beautiful in action (when you’re wearing or using them) & equally glorious in repose (a scarf knotted around a post on your bed or a violet pair of shoes by the door).
Angelyne. A true Hollywood phenomenon, Angelyne buys billboards advertising herself & is known for her catch-cry, “Barbie wishes she was me”. There’s even an Angelyne sightings page, started eleven years ago! I love it.
Being a greenie: skipping the plastic lid on that takeaway coffee (or bringing your own travelling mug!), taking your own shopping bags to the supermarket, recycling, riding a bike or taking public transport, not littering!
Rino Nakasone. She’s one of Gwen Stefani’s “Harajuku Girls” (
), but the girl can dance. For sure.
For cold weather: hats with ear-flaps, thick wool stockings with boots or mary janes, blush, a signature umbrella, v-neck cashmere sweaters & scarf which smells like perfume. Pick a style icon — maybe Edith Bouvier Beale or Jude Law?
For hot weather: sparkly shoes, short dresses worn with cardigans, big sunglasses (always always always), long skinny-fit vintage t-shirts, exposed legs for everyone & a successful dabbling in tennis chic. Pick a style icon — maybe Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis or David Bowie in his Thin White Duke era?
New York City — yesterday, today & tomorrow. My favourite place to be. Where else can you get two hot dogs & a drink for $2.75, 24 hours a day? (This has been on my mind since yesterday, when I paid $5.80 for the worst “New York”-style hot dog of my life.) Last year, my boyfriend & I arrived in NYC on the 12th of September, & after dropping our stuff at the Hotel Chelsea ( !), we walked up towards Times Square. The clock clicked over, & as it became my birthday, I gaped at the neon lights, got high off the crowd, & was sung to by the employees of Coldstone Creamery. Best birthday ever. EVER!
Music which gives you goosebumps.
SMITE
Insecurity preventing you from doing anything, whether that’s going for a promotion at work, talking to that girl you like or going into the Chanel boutique.
Anyone who tries to make you feel as if fashion is frivolous & unimportant. Even if you think it’s the most shallow thing in the world, my darling, you still have to get dressed!
Energy vampires. You know those people who leave you feeling drained & exhausted after any amount of socialising? Yup, them. Good news though — if you stop socialising with them, they’ll stop doing it!
Television. Lame-o-rama! While sometimes I long for cable (& the ability to watch MTV & E! whenever I want), I know that ultimately it would just be bad for my mental health. If you really MUST get your fix of America’s Next Top Model (I don’t blame you), just watch it online. No advertisements, & you can watch it at your leisure! Mindlessly flicking through hundreds of channels is totally soul-crushing.
“Watching television is like taking black spray paint to your third eye.” — Bill Hicks
Unstable ex-lovers! Yecchhh! Say no more, say no more!
Having to think of a list of bad things & being unable to come up with any! Or maybe this should be in the DELIGHT list?!
What’s on your DELIGHT or SMITE? radar?
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [40] Tags: consumption,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 10th May 2007
[ 10 May 2007, 13:32 ]
Make yourself a bento box for lunch! More economical than buying a dried-out, overpriced sandwich, & how could you not feel wonderful about eating something with a little nori smile?! (If you need some inspiration, check this out — it’s the happiest food in existence!)
Change your voicemail message. Have you noticed that most people’s answering machines are dreary & a yawnfestival at best, if not downright obnoxious? Make yours cute! When I was a kid & we first got an answering machine, I would record a new message every few days, in different accents & with different themes. It’s never too late to be nutty, you know.
Paint your toenails glittery. This goes for men, too! Especially as (some of us) are heading into winter, it’s like a superb surprise every time you take your socks off to get into the shower.
If it doesn’t offend your sensibilities too much, research some crystals & buy the ones you think you could use. I recently bought 3 bracelets — amethyst, fluorite & labradorite. I can actually feel them working. Am I a kook or what?!
Buy little perfume samples off Ebay so you have a variety of fragrances for the hottest (or coldest) part of the year. My summer pick is Miss Dior Cherie. My winter pick is MAC Cosmetics’ MV2 or Lolita Lempicka Midnight.
Print out huge copies of your favourite photos from Flickr. Stick them above your monitor, on the inside of your bathroom cabinet, in your Moleskine, on the fridge, etc. Instant inspiration!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [15] Tags: beauty,
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[ 9 May 2007, 00:49 ]
5. Buy a decent-sized Moleskine notebook & start making a look book for yourself.
Stick into it any pictures of models, clothes, makeup that appeal to you. Copy into it quotes from anyone whose style you adore — like Karl Lagerfeld’s quote: “Good taste only tastes good to the people who think they have good taste; a good taste can be very uncreative & boring. Good taste is something very bourgeois, very established, so it needs fresh air.”
Read fashion history books & make notes in aforementioned Moleskine about things you like. Pillbox hats? Platform shoes? Sailor chic? Write it all down & don’t worry if it’s not “in fashion” now — remember that fashion is cyclical & besides which, constantly being “on the pulse” is boring.
Do your research. Read fashion websites (my preferred mode of obtaining information & inspiration) & buy magazines — not just Vogue but things like FRUiTS & Cutie too. Go to the library & look at stacks of fashion magazines from the 1970s & 80s if they have them. Take photocopies of anything you like. Watch movies with a strong aesthetic — say Amelie, The Virgin Suicides, Pulp Fiction, Bladerunner, The Addams Family etc.
4. Start borrowing clothes & accessories from your friends: experiment & find out what works for you.
I say borrow because it’s cheap! There’s no sense in buying something which you’re not sure about. A short-term loan from a friend is a great way to discover what suits you, & if you don’t like it, just give it back! (You should try to bribe your friend if there is anything you really love.) Allow your friend to dress you up if they’re game — you never know, they might just kit you out in something you adore. Fill a plastic bag with accessories that they no longer wear, take them home & work them into your outfits over the next couple of weeks. Do you look better in small, Lennon-esque sunglasses or huge, oversized shades? How does a cowboy hat suit you? A beret? Are you more comfortable with an enormous vintage doctor’s bag or a clutch? You get the idea.
3. Start taking daily outfit photos — I cannot stress the value of this enough.
Do it with a Polaroid camera if you can. Stick them in the back of your Moleskine. Write commentary alongside each one, including what was good, what wasn’t, & what you’d change if you wore it again. This will make such a difference to the way you dress yourself, & will teach you a lot about your colouring, shape & proportions.
2. Write yourself a rough style concept.
An example. It doesn’t need to be long, but flagrant use of adjectives can help solidify a picture in your head. You could start off simple, with “wide-leg pants & cropped cardigans“ but then expand it to “wear with geta & pearls“. Allow your imagination to roam, & if all else fails, go back to step five!
1. Be prepared to spend some time thinking about your look!
The most stylish people don’t magically conjure their outfits into existence: a lot of the time, their wardrobe is the cumulative effect of lots of list-making, hunting, haggling & a staunch attitude towards keeping weird old treasures. Feel free to make mistakes — if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not pushing the envelope hard enough. Finally, don’t be afraid to redefine your style concept — to make it wilder or more wearable. This will keep you from getting stale & is also a lot of fun!
P.S. Hello to all my new readers from Problogger!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [23] Tags: aesthetic,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Living It Up At Burning Man
[ 1 May 2007, 11:28 ]
On the road. (Those black smudges are bugs.)
About six years ago, I heard about this crazy festival in the Nevada desert called Burning Man. It sounded like a warped, psychedelic camping trip & the idea really appealed to me. I saw lots of pictures & read lots of stories about what happened there, & thus started my obsession with the topic. Living in New Zealand, I thought I would probably never get to go — I knew it required a lot of equipment & preparation, not to mention the expense. I wasn’t interested in going by myself (I am not the camping type) & my boyfriend didn’t want to go, so I pretty much ruled it out… but secretly I would look at the website every now & then & think about going.
Skip forward a few years, I had a new boyfriend who had already been to Burning Man, & we decided we would go together. Well. What an experience. Nothing that anybody tells you can ever prepare you sufficiently for that environment. You can look at pictures & watch videos & read packing lists & practice putting your tent up all you like, but getting out there the first time is always a shock, it is always weirder & bigger than you imagined, & it is always utterly mind-blowing &, cheesy though it may sound, life-changing.
I have read a few articles on Burning Man recently in traditional media & they seem to think it is just a ‘festival’, it is listed along with the Glastonbury festival & Coachella. Burning Man is, um, not a music festival. It is a week in the desert — yes, the actual desert — where the only things you can purchase are ice & coffee. You need to have EVERYTHING else with you, including about 15 gallons of water for drinking alone. If you’re not prepared or think someone else is going to look after you, you are in for a rude awakening. You can die out there. The back of the ticket says you are responsible for your own life! Also, please know how to pitch your tent before you get there, because odds are that there will be incredibly strong winds when you arrive & those are your tent-pitching conditions.
Anyway, there are so many essential packing lists & pages of information on how to do Burning Man properly, & attempting to re-create or better those would be an exercise in futility. I can, however, tell you about my experiences & give you some suggestions.
We took some things with us on the plane (like tents & thermal clothing & shoes), & then bought a whole lot when we arrived in the States. Luggage allowances are a bummer. Another good thing to do is purchase things off Ebay & have them sent to a friend’s place in the U.S.A. — then you can pick them up when you arrive. I did this for my dust mask, bikini, legwarmers & other non-essential items.
Most people take sleeping bags with them, but if you’ve got the packing space & feel like a bit of opulence, why not take along a proper bedspread? Take something winter-weight, it gets COLD at night. The thing I found with my sleeping bag is that you end up crawling into the bottom of it at night, because of the temperature, but when the sun comes up in the morning, it is suddenly super-hot & your sleeping bag is like a little chasm of hell. If you have a duvet, you can just flick it off, without having to try to disentangle yourself from your sticky sack o’ misery. Definitely take an inflatable mattress with you, the ground is pretty hard!
I think if you can have a decadent time at Burning Man, you should. Obviously this will depend on your budget, transport & general lifestyle, but I think a fantastic picnic on a blanket with real china & teapots etc. would go down a treat. There is no reason why you should “slum it” at Burning Man — if you don’t have to eat off plastic & live on beef jerky, why would you?! Take cupcakes (they may need to be eaten on the first day, but who cares), boil up some tea, have a whipped cream fight & then go roller-skating at the Black Rock Roller Disco. See if you can bribe someone to wave a big fan at your picnic group, they might need to be paid in kisses or something, but I’m sure you can strike a good deal.
I also strongly recommend taking two tents with you instead of one. I know this probably sounds excessive, but it will make your life much more pleasant, especially if you are sharing your sleeping space with somebody else. Last year I had one tent for sleeping (containing an inflatable mattress, sleeping bags & some essential stuff, like a torch, eyedrops & baby wipes) & another for food, clothing & water. Our tents were set up in such a way that you could unzip the front of the sleeping tent, crawl halfway out, then open the other one & grab whatever you needed. It was pretty good really.
Take your vitamins! Even if you don’t normally take vitamins on a daily basis, Burning Man is a harsh environment & I am not foolin’ you when I say that your body needs all the help it can get. I recommend a good multivitamin, Omega 3 pills & a good stash of 5-HTP if you can get your hands on it. (5-HTP is a serotonin-replacer, & is really good for giving you a little burst of happy. Also if you intend on indulging in substances on the playa, 5-HTP will make the next day a lot more pleasant.)
Something to keep the dust out of your mouth & eyes is very important. If you inhale too much dust you will get what is called “playa lung” when you get back to civilisation, which is basically where you cough up mud. Not very civilised at all, & best avoided. The conditions at Burning Man change drastically from year to year — for example, last year I had my dust mask (above) on me at all times, but rarely needed it. It did match my hair though, so that made me feel better about it. A lot of people just wore scarves or bandanas around their necks & pulled them up over their mouths, like bandits, whenever they saw a dust storm approaching. You’ll also need some goggles or other kind of eye protection — again, last year conditions were great & I didn’t need anything more than my sunglasses, but take goggles (a pair without ventilation holes in the sides!). Dust in the eye-socket is pretty unpleasant.
This is about as dusty as it got.
I was really worried about changing my daily contact lenses at Burning Man, since it’s so dusty & really there’s no good place to do it. I went to my optometrist a month before we left to see if I could have month-long lenses. This gave me enough time to make sure I could wear them without any trouble, & they were fantastic on the playa. Just remember to take your eye-drops!
Fashionable playa wear is really up to the individual. The things people wear range from complete nudity to a shirt with no pants (these people are called “shirtcockers” & generally mocked), to faux Miss Universe to stilts or tracksuit pants & a cape (NSFW), Japanese warriors in Transmuters, plain white or a really, really scary Miss Chiquita Banana. (As you can see, some people go there basically to dress up for a week.)
If you don’t want to do a full-on costume, try wearing a prom dress; cute underwear (a child’s patterned singlet with matching underpants would be adorable); cowboy boots; nothing with bright red finger- & toenails; a t-shirt & heels; striped pyjamas; a flower in your buttonhole; a big, back-combed wig; Chinese slippers; a vintage tennis outfit; a big jade kimono; a turban to protect your hair; bells tied around your ankles; a pashmina in a bright colour for warmth at night; Egyptian eye makeup, aka an exaggerated cat’s eye; a fur coat; ballet flats; huge cubic zirconia earrings; vintage camisoles or slips. Search for weird things on Ebay under the keywords cyber, cosplay, fetish, circlet... Ebay’s also a great place to pick up fishnet stockings in every colour under the sun, wigs, bizarre Masonic jewellery, animal masks & old map bags carried in the war. In terms of getting dressed out there, in the middle of nowhere, really you can do as you please — & most do. Of course, you can just wear shorts & a t-shirt, but that’s a bit boring. Participation is important!
You can also do things like glue rhinestones or small toys to your goggles, glue things onto your hat (you need one — I wore a cowboy hat last year which was excellent), customise your bike (yes, you need one of those too) or decorate your backpack (it’ll be on your back all day, every day, so it might as well look good!). One thing to keep in mind is that everything attached to these items needs to be SECURE — otherwise you’ll leave a trail of glitter all across the playa, which is an environmental concern & impossible to clean up. Feather boas are out of the question for this very reason!
Personally, during the day I tended to swan around in dresses — they’re so easy to wear & very little fuss — with cowboy boots & a scarf on my head to protect my hair from the dust. (Towards the end of the week it can start to look a bit manky, & showers are a fairly rare event out there!) If I wasn’t wearing a dress, I’d be wearing a bikini: I bought a great one on Ebay which was white with black polka dots, lined in turquoise. It was part of a stripper outfit I think, & it also came with a (really) short skirt in the same fabric. I always had sunglasses &, of course, sunscreen! At night-time, more coordination is required, since the temperature drops dramatically once the sun disappears.
An example of nightwear. My first evening at BM.
In the photo above, I am wearing:
White dress
Blue striped thermal top
Star fingerless gloves
Woolen stockings
Platform New Rock boots
Hello Kitty bag slung around my waist
Furry leg-warmers
Glowsticks (I am not a raver, I promise!)
Pink headscarf (it’s really dusty out there, so I was trying to keep my hair as clean as possible)
Dust mask with pink filters (colour coordination is important)
Camelbak (a backpack with a water pouch inside it) — & my fur coat was in there too.
I wore this dress a lot during the day.
At night, you need some kind of illumination. It is pitch dark across most of the playa, & if people can’t see you, they will run into you on their bicycle or with their art car! I understand that getting squished on the playa is not the best activity, so bring stuff to keep you lit up! You can buy big packets of glowsticks which are bendable & come with little plastic attachments to make them into bracelets, necklaces etc. Other people just use little blinking shapes (like stars) which they clip onto their clothes. Our friend Joe used some bright blue EL wire to create a sign on his chest which blinked “JOE”.
Of course, people travelling internationally to go to Burning Man will find themselves more limited than those who only have to drive from San Francisco (which a lot of people do). If you’re a native of Shanghai, you will probably have less exciting attire than Tiffany Brouhaha from California who spent all year welding her costume together. Don’t feel bad or discouraged by this! There are people for whom Burning Man is their entire life, & really, that is hard to compete with. Just jump in with both feet & do whatever you can to distinguish yourself or make an exceptional impact. Really, anything goes. You might be the most popular person in your camp just because you’ve got more food than you know what to do with, or you read people’s palms. Burning Man is an exceptionally inviting environment, so don’t feel like you are less important just because your hat doesn’t shoot flames & you keep your bra on.
Having said that, I found myself feeling really lonely at Burning Man some of the time. It was confusing, because I’d been looking forward to it for such a long time, but sometimes I felt really socially anxious & weird. I understand that it’s quite natural for people to have a hard time emotionally while they’re out there, but I didn’t know that at the time. I felt like I was the only party pooper in a desert of 40,000 people. If you go along & feel unhappy, I recommend coming out of your shell asap & spending time around people, talking or just listening to their conversations. Most people at Burning Man — like about 95% — are really awesome & pleasant & want you to have a good time, so don’t feel alone & don’t be afraid!
Dress up like Marie Antoinette, doze on couches in the shade, squirt people with water guns, have someone feed you a cake, practice your pole-dancing (there’s a lot of opportunity for that on the playa), organise a dusty dinner party & do lots of cartwheels.
Extra For Experts:
An article on Burning Man by my friend Mary Bee — hosted here because it’s worth it.
Black Rock Burner Hostel — I stayed here last year & it was fantastic, they really have their shit together.
Ggreg’s Burning Man gallery — drag queens ahoy! I love the commentary under the pictures: “Burning Man is where those dorks from shop class rule the playground.”
Drag Queen makeup at Burning Man — from the same guy as above.
The Official First Timer’s Guide — essential reading.
Wikipedia’s entry on Burning Man.
A Google Map of Burning Man — you can see the layout of the city, a semi-circle around a centre point.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [19] Tags: aesthetic,
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style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 7th April 2007
[ 7 April 2007, 12:26 ]
Buy a children’s umbrella — they’re the perfect size for one person & much cooler than plain old black.
Add a few drops of rosewater to your orange juice in the morning (from here).
Smile in photographs! I see so many people looking dour in pictures, it is so off-putting.
Take a day off work next week, & do something extravagant for yourself — get a full-body massage or a huge ice-cream sundae or just lie in bed all day reading library books.
Design yourself a business card.
Sing to your plants.
Stand close to someone who makes your heart race.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [9] Tags: style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 8th March 2007
[ 8 March 2007, 16:51 ]
List your name here, start sending/receiving postcards & stick them all over your house
Wear the biggest shoes you own somewhere completely inappropriate
For the next week, give everyone you see who you like a small gift
Buy helium balloons which match your outfit & take them to a party
Expunge one negative person from your life
Plan your next birthday on heart-shaped Post It notes
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [11] Tags: style tips Add Gala on Twitter!Style Tips -- 19th February 2007
[ 19 February 2007, 13:08 ]
Design yourself a new signature.
Buy a notebook & plan your look for next season.
Drink a really good coffee & leave lipstick on the rim.
Smile.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Comment [4] Tags: aesthetic,
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