Happy New Year!

I hope it’s not too late for a ‘Happy New Year’ post yet, because this is right what I bring you here :)

I have to admit I’ve got some curious issues with New Year’s Eve (just like I do with most festivities). I’m usually so buried in my work and my short-/mid-term objectives that I don’t even see it coming. I think I just prefer to ignore it, because I never really feel like I’m ready for the year to be over. So, suddenly I find myself on December 31 and all I can do is bang my head against the wall while lamenting: “OMG! I’m not prepared!”

That’s it. When the last day of the year comes, all I want to do is get in bed and sleep until everything is over. I hang around in a looser mood all day until I get to the point where I say to myself: “Come on! Go upstairs, get dressed and celebrate the f***in’ New Year!” LOL

This is exactly what happened this time.

When I started creating my outfit for New Year’s Eve I was in quite a lazy mood. Since I was going to stay at home, I didn’t really have the need to put on something special, but the thing with me is I just can’t wear whatever.

Creating an outfit is not just about combining clothes: it’s about rebuilding yourself from scratch in order to become exactly the person you want to be in that moment. At least, that’s the way I see it. I can’t feel right when I’m wearing a lazy outfit ‘cause that’s just not me.

However, deciding what to wear on such an occasion turned out to be a really hard job.

My starting idea had absolutely nothing to do with the look you’re seeing here. At first, I chose a very beautiful piece that turned out to be virtually impossible to combine. I hate it when that happens, but sometimes I have to give up on something, just because I can’t make it work… at least until I get my hands on that special something that will do the trick.

So, after having wasted about half an hour looking for a solution, I had to give up on sparkling electric blue and go back to black and purple. My Cowboy Musketeer outfit was still fresh in my mind, and I felt like I could experiment some more in that area. After all, it’s hard to imagine a more elegant and festive combination of colours than black, purple and a little bit of gold.

Just like with my previous outfit, I started from the trousers. At first sight, they might look identical to those, but they are not: these are corduroy trousers! (You can see how they reflect the light in quite a different way :P). However, they do belong to the same collection, so there’s an explanation for the similarities.

I was feeling quite helpless until The Dude (my housemate, personal shopper and photographer) suggested me to borrow this coat from her personal collection. I had no concept for the outfit yet, but I liked the fact that the coat was exactly the same wine colour as the trousers, and that gave me a starting point.

This coat is a very curious piece. On one hand, it calls out for some glamorous hippie-chic; on the other, I can’t help seeing it as a luxurious bathrobe (LOL) – the kind of thing you would expect a Lord to wear over his pyjamas.

That last part gave me an idea…

Instead of focusing on creating a bohemian look (that wouldn’t have felt much like New Year’s Eve anyway), I had a crazy flash of some sort of Al Capone that was staying at home for the evening – wearing a bathrobe over his gangster suit. It sounded so bizarre it definitively had to work!

Immediately, I picked up the dandiest blazer I could find (I have so many I can’t even hang them properly anymore x__x) and I loved the result. The shoes and the hat came along automatically.

I had a slightly harder time picking up what to wear underneath the blazer (I always seem to have that same problem T__T). A shirt would have been the logical choice, but I wanted something slightly more festive and a little less obvious than the classical gangster shirt.

My golden turtleneck turned out to be the perfect choice.

I put on my black Chinese inspired waistcoat in order to add some structure to the central part of the outfit (and to make it even dandier! LOL) and the bow tie gave it the perfect finishing touch.

The result has definitively some Carnival/cabaret feel to it. The way I see it, this character is an Al Capone who’s having a little bit too much fun playing the role of Marlene Dietrich – but all is allowed in Carnival, right? ;)

I’ve never been a big fan of retro, but I guess inspiration always comes from the most unexpected places… and the funny part is that this coat has something that reminds me of the wide-lapeled coats that were fashionable in the 1930s.

Oh, and don’t miss my glittery purple leopard print socks! ;)

As you can imagine, these pics were taken on New Year’s Eve, so you might see me doing slightly more stupid things than usual. I hope you will excuse me… LOL

You may also see some spontaneous flying hair from time to time. It was a windy night!

Anyway, the important thing is that I finally got over my New Year’s Eve depression and managed it to have a great time :)

I guess there’s nothing that a funny creative outfit can’t fix ^^

...Specially when it's accompanied by a great song :)

Turtleneck: Massimo Dutti

Trousers: MNG

Waistcoat: freebie

Blazer: MNG

Coat: MNG

Hat: CCC

Bowtie: vintage (purchased at Humana)

Shoes: Bata

Socks: LSD

A Cowboy In The Court Of Louis XIV

OK, I have to admit I got a little Personal-Jesus-ed after my last shopping post.

When I got on the task of creating a new outfit, cowboys were all I had in my mind. However, I didn’t want this to be just another classical cowboy look. I had my purple cowboy hat and my purple velvet trousers and I asked myself: “What can I do to turn this into something different?”

Once again, the answer came through Depeche Mode.

It’s funny, because they really seem to share my curious fetishist love for catholic aesthetics, or at least they did in the Songs Of Faith And Devotion era. I purchased that album quite recently and was instantly killed by the pictures in the booklet. Good Lord!

It was probably that what lead me to review my beautiful rosary collection (I have around thirty different pieces in it! LOL) in search of a couple that could fit in with the look I was planning. I chose them using the colours of the hat as a reference: black, purple and white. In fact, that combination of colours determined the palette of the whole outfit as well.

I didn’t have any black in my pick of rosaries, so instead I got it in my shirt. My first idea was to use one of my black cowboy shirts, but it seemed a bit too predictable. Instead, I decided to take a risk and add some royalty to the look with a frilled shirt.

I was very satisfied with the result.

I picked the blazer by process of elimination: it was the only one that had something purple on it (LOL). That blazer is a super cool vintage piece I purchased at Humana. I like calling it Jimmy Page jacket because it strongly reminds me of the ultra-flashy suits he used to wear in the 1970s. Remember that gorgeous dragon suit?

The boots were quite an easy choice: I only have two pairs of cowboy boots, and only one of them is black. I wasn’t sure about how (fake) leather would match an outfit based on velvet, but I just said to myself: “if you never take any risks, where’s the fun?” And the funny part is that these don’t only look like biker/cowboy boots, but they also have a certain something that reminds me of musketeers’ boots.

Of course, the star accessory in this outfit is my black velvet belt with tassels. I introduced it in my previous post, so the fact that I’ve found a use for it so quickly (with me, this is as quick as it gets – LOL) makes me kind of proud. I wanted something that was western and baroque at the same time and that’s exactly what I got ^^

The way I see it, the character in this outfit is quite a bizarre cross between a cowboy, a musketeer and a mariachi. It might sound strange, but it works – it all started back in Europe, right? ;) I just recombined the pieces at my will ^^

In case you are wondering, I have to say that hat was meant as a Carnival accessory. I bought it just for fun at first, but you know how these things go… (LOL). And if anyone ever tells you that a purple zebra print cowboy hat is not suitable for street wear, you know they are a liar (yep – that was a quote from L.A. Woman :P).

By the way, this is what I wore for Christmas dinner. I’m not a big fan of family reunions, so wearing something really fancy always makes me feel better. It’s a bit of a statement – something like: “I am here doing what I have to, but I play by my own rules.”

…which reminds me there’s still something I haven’t said to you:

Happy New Year! ^^

Shirt: MNG

Trousers: MNG

Boots: In Extenso

Blazer: Sita Murt (purchased at Humana)

Hat: unknown (purchased at Carrefour)

Belt: MNG

Shopping #3: Cowboys & Tweed

From left to right:

Tweed jacket. No, it’s not Chanel (LOL) – just the good old Mango. It might look a little traditional when pictured on its own, but you can bet it won’t look like that on me (:P). I love tweed, and, even though it’s not very present in my wardrobe, there’s always room in my Outfit Gallery for some late-80’s glamour.

Velvet belt with tassels. This one comes from Mango as well. Remember the blue tassels I got for Halloween? Well, a few days ago I saw a Japanese gothic lolita wearing this:

Looks like tassels are the next big trend in Japan (LOL), so I’ll keep this new belt close… just in case.

Fringed T-shirt. It seems like the design in Bershka has slightly improved during the last season. This is the second T-shirt I get from there in the last months, and you can believe me when I say that’s A LOT for me. I’ve always had something with cowboy fashion, but it was Depeche Mode’s video for Personal Jesus what definitively ignited my love for anything that has something to do with cowboy hats and fringe. How could I resist? (LOL)

Fringed leather belt. Yet more Mango! It looks like fringe is the theme of the day (LOL). I still find it hard to believe that these two pieces don’t belong to the same collection, but that’s the kind of funny coincidences that put that special thrill in shopping – and in life. The cowboy hat isn’t new, but it just looked cool with the rest.

Wow… I guess I’m ready to reach out and touch faith ;)

Looks I’m Lovin’ #2: Suits!

I have a very curious thing with the subject of today’s post: I love suits and I hate suits.

OK, I should explain myself properly.

There’s nothing in the world I find less appealing than a regular guy wearing a regular suit (a.k.a. what we get sick of seeing at the Oscars ever since the 1930s). It’s probably because it represents the acceptance of the values and social etiquette of the establishment, but I just can’t stand it!

However, I also believe that there’s nothing in the world that dignifies a person’s look more than a suit does – which is probably the reason why masculine fashion has been restricting men from wearing any other type of clothing at formal occasions for the last 200 years.

So… how do we get out of this contradiction? Is it possible to look dignified without being boring? Can you be formal without being standard? Can you be powerful AND beautiful at the same time?

The answer is: of course you can!

All you have to do is break the rules and be creative!

Play with the colours!

We all know suits usually come in greyscale, ranging from the ultra-formal black you wear at funerals (or the Oscars) to the bluish light grey you use at work – white and beige are only acceptable in the hottest climates. Obviously, the objective of a good classical suit is to make you look as uninteresting as possible, so, why don’t you give it a twist and use it to make yourself visible instead? Mother Nature gave us the colours for a reason… or are men supposed to be colorblind?

Come on! Be original and catch the rainbow (just like the Rainbow song said LOL). The brighter, the better!

And, of course, electric blue is always a great place to start ;)

The suit pictured here is a piece from Banal Chic Bizarre 2012 Spring-Summer Menswear collection (don’t worry – you don’t need to wear a black hood over your face to look cooler LOL).

Red and blue taken to the next level!

Play with the patterns!

Run away from the subtle stripes and challenge the world with some unexpected patterns instead!

My personal favourites in this category are these suits from Yoshio Kubo 2012 Spring-Summer collection. The first one has this funny what’s-wrong-with-my-screen appeal you could only expect to find in Japanese fashion, and the second one is just killer!

Everything is allowed... as long as it’s not boring!

Even stripes can have a chance if you take their visual power to the maximum. Just like the more-than-legendary striped suit Dave Gahan wore in music video for I Feel You.

I apologize for repeating the word “killer” so many times in a row, but THAT’s the king of KILLER looks!

Play with the structures!

Take the challenge to another level and defy the conventional structure… just like Bill did with this awesome Jean Paul Gaultier blazer.

Of course, talking about turning boring suits into objects of beauty and adoration, I couldn’t skip over Bill Kaulitz – one of the huge experts in the subject, along with Master Marilyn Manson.

This outfit still knocks me out every time I see it, not just because of its unbelievable coolness, but also because of the awesome reinterpretation Bill made of the original piece. The fact itself that this blazer was originally created as womenswear (Rihanna wore it a few months before he did in quite a different context, much more similar to the version that was displayed in the catwalk) says something about how great his vision was when he decided to take it and transform it into this ultra-edgy sort of SS uniform.

I don’t know what if that’s what he had in mind when he put up this outfit, but, whatever it was, he looks awesome as f**k (I’m quoting Green Day here LOL) in it.

This suit from Banal Chic Bizarre (you might have already recognized the collection by the black hood) is another wonderful example of challenging structures. It even has a bunch of subtle punk details placed there specifically for my enjoyment (LOL)!

Play with the materials!

Don’t think I need to explain this one (LOL).

Pictured below are Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese dressed fully in latex: the proof that wearing fancy suits is perfectly compatible with a socially acceptable heterosexual life (LOL).

I won’t be the one who tells you that a latex suit is the most practical solution for everyday life, but, just like Dita herself would say: “It’s not as comfortable as going naked, but there’s something about it we love”.

Got it? (LOL)

Animalize!

Remember the cover of the KISS album?

There you’ve got it! I’m not usually a big fan of animal prints, but they are certainly a great way of turning a suit into a big statement. Of course, this is only suitable for those who are not afraid of looking a bit gangster.

The first two looks featured here come from HEADL_INER 2012 Spring-Summer collection. The short pants and the heavy boots make them look quite childish (okay, the Indian headdress might help too LOL), and that’s something I find particularly lovely (maybe it’s time to check back on my London Calling post :P).

What did I just say about looking a bit gangster? (LOL)

This one here is the mythical Omega outfit (well, that’s what I call it LOL) Marilyn Manson wore at the VMAs in 1998 – I’ll spare you the vision of virtually naked Rose McGowan because I guess none of us wants to go through that again (LOL).

Now that suit IS a dream. If I wasn’t the size of one of Marilyn’s legs, I swear I’d sneak into his house and steal it… well, that’s if he still keeps it.

Unfortunately, I think it doesn’t look that great when you don’t have bright red hair to match it...

Glam it up!

Who said boys don’t glitter? Of course they do, and you should see just how!

No, those are not thigh-high boots (it took me months to figure that out LOL): it’s just a clever visual trick played by Rad Hourani. In fact, it’s a normal (well, “normal”) pair of trousers with matching high-heeled booties, but the overall effect is awesome. Rad Hourani is only releasing unisex collections (thank god SOMEBODY does that), so you can all feel welcome to join this trend… for a reasonable price (LOL).

Are those garter belts peeking from underneath Marilyn’s beautiful wine-coloured suit? Did he borrow them from his (ex)wife? (LOL) I love them! And I adore the huge false lashes he used to wear in that period, too.

Now that's what I call BEAUTIFUL.

Make your own rules!

Fancy suits are there for anyone who wants to use them, and this goes for everyone: boys, girls… who cares?! Never let anybody or anything tell you what you can and what you can’t wear!

Be brave and make your own rules… or otherwise the rules will make you.

Feel like trying something new? ;)