The Cool Uncool

Junior Deluxe field reporter Dave sent in a quick comment about cycling style. Dave knows that I've long been fascinated by ugly sporting fashion, and he often has strong feelings about such things himself. It's too bad he can't accompany me to the FIT Museum exhibition on active sportswear in October!



I'll never claim cycling attire to be cool - there's too much suggested moose knuckle for that. But, if you actually use your bicycle to go for long touring rides, it's a necessary evil that saves time and energy. I saw this guy today and figured that if you have to wear skin tight bike clothes, you may as well wear a vintage merino wool jersey with sewn lettering as opposed to spandex with silk-screened advertising all over it. the mint condition orange 70's Italian road bike with re-chromed forks, shifters, brake cable clips, pump and leather hoods for the brake levers may have helped his cause. -- Dave

This monkey makes me happy

Most of Patricia Waller's work is cartoonishly violent. I enjoy it. But I really love the innocent happiness of this crocheted monkey-riding-a-bannana, too.



Rowing Monkey: Yarn, cotton wool, wire; crochet; length banana 64 in. height monkey 24 in.; 2003. Image taken from the Guardian website without permission.

Junior Deluxe book club: really boring edition

Sorry, kids.

PROJECT: FASHION was EXTREMELY: BORING.



The gist: Three girls start attending an unnamed-but-prestigeous fashion college in London. Somehow they all live together in Sinead's mom's apartment, despite only just meeting. We only know that it's London because the boring male characters all love football.

Everyone is thin and beautiful and rich, except for the one girl who isn't rich.

The characters: Man-eating sexpot Marina might as well be named Mirena (she's actually referred to as "Miranda" once, which I think is just a typo). She favours sexy 40s styles until she gets a glam Euro-style haircut. (I can't actually picture what that means).

Sinead is the wacky artistic one. She has really expensive shoes and trust issues that stem from being incredibly wealthy. Or something.

Frankie is the beautiful tomboy with a penchant for panic attacks and armchair psychology:

"I've tried everything I know," Marina admitted. "The cleavage, the
hip-wiggles, the eyelash-flutteer. And what does he do? Gives me the latest
Premiership positions of Arsenal and Chelsea."
"Maybe he's in denial," Frankie suggested. "Rob looks like the type
who'd refuse to admit that love could rate about kicking a leather ball around a
square of turf."
"Denial?" Marina considered this.
"Yeah, that would be his mother's fault. She most likely overprotected him
when he was a little kid, bossed him around too much, that kind of thing. Now
Rob thinks that we're all like his mum, so pyschologically he has to run away
and hide from any woman who shows an interest in him."
"Wow."
"You're impressed? Me too. I did a Psychology A level."

The plot: Basically, everyone swaps boyfriends a couple times, then Merena gets a haircut. The end.

Things this book was missing: pro-ana websites, references to Gucci (beyond the title), thinly-disguised Tyra Banks character

Junior Deluxe Book Club debut

This weekend, I had a good scrounge through the New Westminster Salvation Army with my friend Leanne. For some reason, the SA was full of great YA novels, including the Georgia Nicolson books and a stack of Susan Juby's Alice novels.

Instead of buying any of those fine books, I picked up this unknown gem.



PROJECT FASHION is "for -- and about -- fashionistas" (in case the title didn't make that clear). It's about three first-year fashion students, and features such fine copy as "A blonde bombshell herself, all the guys want Marina."

Since I'm going to start FASHION school in September, I thought it might be fun to read this on my blog, if only as a little tribute to my favourite literary fashion blog, What Claudia Wore. I am actually a big fan of reading about people reading books, especially terrible books that I don't' want to read. See Linda Holmes' "Ten Things I Read In Jennifer Love Hewitt's Book That Are Not Hallucinations", for example. Reading this book is my chance to give back!



Obviously, Sinead is going to be my favourite, because she has a pixie cut.

If I make it through "Gucci Girls", I'll move on to the second book in the series.



Sinead seems like she gets shafted in the second book, though.



HOW MANY DESCRIPTIONS OF BARTENDING AND PIRATE BOOTS CAN I TAKE? Stay tuned to find out.

Fashion School

So in the spring I mentioned that I was preparing an application to the part-time fashion program at Vancouver Community College. I was accepted in June, and classes start in early September.

Students are supposed to take three classes, but since I work full-time I'm going to take two, illustration and sewing, and save drafting for next semester. This pains me a little because I'm really interested in pattern drafting, but it's the plan that makes the most sense. I'm still a beginning sewer, and I'm sure I'll have to put in lots of extra work to be competent.

It took me a while to announce this. I think it's because I have very mixed feelings about the whole thing. Fashion makes me feel conflicted, and the thought of trying to work in it makes me feel conflicted, not least because I really like my current job.

I like the thought of being a fashion student, though. So I think I'm going to add that to my identity and let the other stuff seep in slowly. I always want to understand everything all at once, and that's probably not a realistic expectation when it comes to life.

Sorbetto Overload

So I did throw away my green and white Sorbetto top. But I can't get this project out of my mind, because

1. The pattern was free, and fit pretty well, and I could really use some summer blouses.
2. I have another one cut out.
3. I keep seeing other people's Sorbettos online. The Sew Weekly did a series called "7 Days of Sorbetto", which showcased some interested variations (like piping). I also stumbled on A Good Wardrobe's more subtle and versatile takes on the pattern, like this nice neutral pintucked one and her black sorbetto with an inverted pleat.

So tonight, or maybe tomorrow, I'm going to wade in and finish one. My friend Leanne suggested the technique used in this bias tape finishing tutorial from angry chicken. It makes me think I've been attaching bias tape the hard way, if not the wrong way.

$*&%@&#ing bias tape!

I am really bad at finishing necklines and armholes with bias tape.



This sorbetto top is a mess. I am going to scrap it and start over. Good thing it was made from scraps of another ill-fated project, a terrible Anda dress that never saw the light of day.

I'm going to have a beer and watch puppies on youtube now.