A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

What makes a good picture?  Is it the person who is being shot or is it the photographer that is doing the shooting?  There are so many talented photographers out there in fashion land to many to mention but my personal favorite and the one that comes to mind is Herb Ritts.  I have always been a fan of his.  The way he used black and white imagery to capture that unique look or style was simply amazing.  The lighting and shadowing of his subjects was breathtaking.  He has shot just about every celebrity and model you can think of.  All of us have at one time or another whether we knew it or not have viewed a Ritts photograph.  He worked on many fashion campaigns with all of the greats in fashion, Calvin Klein, Donna Karen, Versace, and Armani.  Towards the later part of his career he started directing music videos.  The first video he did outside of photography was the Janet Jackson video Love Will Never Do Without You .  To this day it is one of my favorite videos.  I remember when he died in 2002.  It was not only a loss of a wonderful man but also of a brilliant photographer.  I miss seeing his photographic works of art but his images live on even after his passing.
    

A new book has been published about the legendary photographer.  The title of the book is Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour.  It  is a biography chronicling the life and images of the late photographer. 


If you would like to view some of his work they will be on display at the Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles through December 4th.  I highly recommend seeing this exhibit if you are in the area.  I myself am going to try and make it out there.  With all of this fall weather upon us a gallery viewing might just be the ticket to staying warm.

Second Hand Emotion

In these tough economic times where can one buy clothes without spending a fortune?  My advise to my economically challenge friends is to find a good thrift store.  Some people have mixed emotions about buying clothes that are used.  They feel uneasy about wearing someone elses wares but sometimes you can find clothes that are unique and maybe a little worn.  There are many to choose from here in Los Angeles but my personal favorite is Crossroads Trading Co. in the trendy area of Melrose avenue.  Here is a place where you can buy designer clothes for less.  You can find just about every major fashion label here from current to vintage.

I've always been a huge fan of thrift stores ever since my teens.  When I was strapped for cash and couldn't afford to pay full price for items this was the perfect solution to my fashion dilemmas.  I loved clothes but just didn't have the cash to fulfill my clothing needs.  So I started hitting up all the thrift stores in my area and mind you sometimes it's a hit or miss but I always managed to find that one special piece of clothing that fit my needs.  Believe it or not most of the labels I own in my closet have been purchased at a thrift store.  That's the secret to my fashion.

So put your pride aside a go to a thrift store.  If your looking for an outfit for a party or a night on the town you can always find something good used.  Sometimes you find really great looking clothes in really good condition.  I think it's because people who can afford to buy these clothes wear them for a season and then donate them when they are done with them.  Just like I hope you all donate clothes you no longer want.  It's the circle of fashion life.  Their loss is your gain.  The best time to go to Crossroads is on Sundays.  That is the day they mark their already low prices to half off.   You can't beat that.  The next time you're wearing that designer original ensemble that everyone is raving about let them know you got it second hand.

http://crossroadstrading.com/cm/Home.html

A Closet Is For Clothes

It's time to talk about that room that we all have that always seems to get the better of us; the closet.  Yesterday I decided to venture into my own closet and to quote Joan Crawford in Mommy Dearest "clean up this mess"!  Why do closets become a vortex for things that have nothing to do with fashion?  I mean the things I found in my closet would leave you wondering why did you have that in there in the first place.  I think it has to do with the fact that a closet is the easiest place to store items in a hurry.  Let's say when unexpected guests come by to visit.  Just throw it in the closet and worry about it later.  After much work and four hours later I managed to turn a non walk-in closet to a walk-in closet.

How often should you clean out your closet?  Many people have many theories on the subject.  Some people think that every couple of years you should clean it.  Others have said every year and some have said every 6 months.  Then there are those who are die hard fashionistas that say every season is sufficient.  There has always been that cardinal rule that if you haven't worn it in a year toss it out.  I on the other hand grow attached to clothes because they have sentimental value.  MOCA could have done a whole fashion retrospective with the stuff I held on to.  Ultimately I had to let go of the past and think about fashion forward.

So my advise to you is go through your closet and really look at the things you have and ask yourself "do I really need this".  The great thing about fashion is it's constantly changing and evolving and sometimes things do come back.  For instance there is a resurgence of 1970's clothes on the runway this year.  Depending on the look, you might want to replay that again.  I'm still holding onto my platforms and angel flight pants hoping to give them life once again.  Last year it was 1980's look that swept the runways.  Again, I'm holding on to my Member's Only jacket because you never know.  Fall and Winter are upon us so rotate your summer attire with your jackets, sweaters, scarves and boots.  It will feel like you went shopping without having  to put a dent in your wallet. 

A Shoe In

Do you shoes make the outfit?  Stylist have always said that your shoes are the foundation for any ensemble.  I tend to agree with this theory.  I mean if you have on great clothes designer or not and your shoes are not complimenting the outfit then no one will remember it. Shoes tend to last a lot longer than clothes.  Clothes tend to fade, shrink or even tear but shoes can live on and on.  

My love affair with shoes started with a honey colored Dolce and Gabbana dress shoe.  I saw them in the store and I fell madly in love with them.  The best part of course was that they were on sale 50% off.  You can't beat that with a stick.  Those were the first but certainly not that last pair of shoes I have purchased throughout the years.  My closet is filled literally with every great designer shoe you can think of.  The pair that mean the most to me are my black with a beige strip in the back with a blunt toe by Alexander McQueen.  I purchased them right before his passing. 

In this writers opinion the shoe for fall/winter 2010 are the Louis Vuitton Equinox Buckle Strap in Leather dress shoe.  These shoes are elegant stylish and you can dress with up with a nice dark pin stripped suit or I would dress them down in a dark fitted denim jeans with a nice button down dress shirt for a night on the town with friends.

Shoes are an investment.  They shouldn't be a chore to put on or wear.  And men I can't stress this enough you can own more than one pair of shoes and sneakers don't count.  Have some fun and splurge!  Whether you're single or married buy those shoes you've been eyeing in the window or those ones you saw on line.  Don't worry about the price the compliments you get from them and the outfits you can put together are priceless.  Trust me I know what I speak of.

To quote Carrie Bradshaw:  "The fact is, sometimes it's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes. That's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun".

http://www.louisvuitton.com/us/flash/index.jsp?&direct1=ebou&direct2=cat1110035&campaign=e_0810_ShoesFW_M_Z1_US

Underwear Under There

I ventured out to MJ's a local bar in Silver Lake.  Last night they hosted their underwear night.  It made me think about underwear and how far they have come over the years.  This isn't a topic that gets talked about much but I think it deserves some attention.

I love a good fitting, sexy underwear.  There are so many styles, colors and variations to choose from.  Why can't men wear sexy underwear?  Women have always been the ones who own sexy under garments.  They even built a whole store around it, Victoria's Secret and every year Heidi Klum sashays down a runway in her Victoria's for all the world to see.

Calvin Klein was the first designer to really give attention to men's underwear.  It started a sensation that I your trusty writer even jumped on.  From Marky Mark to Antonio Sabato Jr.  they made men's underwear sexy and seeing their billboards on Sunset wasn't a bad thing either. 

The hot men's underwear right now is Emporio Armani.  I myself own a few pairs.  They're comfortable, sexy and David Beckham made them look good.  Of course when I tried them on I didn't look like David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo but they are great!

So men let's do away with those grandpa underwear and get some sexy, hot alluring underwear.  Not only will you look good in them but they'll look good to your significant other.

West Hollywood Nights

Last night I ventured out into the cool West Hollywood night for a friends birthday bash at Eleven.  I put together an outfit similar to the one I had seen Zac Efron wearing in Angeleno magazine.  The nights look was khaki pants with an Armani denim jacket over a Marc Jacobs graffiti tee shirt and black high top converse shoes.  While sitting outside with a cocktail in hand conversing with my best friend, I couldn't help but notice the many different styles that came parading down Santa Monica blvd.  Even the drag queens were giving it to you.  Los Angeles has it's own style all together.  Could it be the weather that dictates fashion here.  As I looked out onto the boulevard at the sea of styles I thought this is a prime local to see what people are wearing this season in the city of Angles.  The only thing missing was my trusty laptop.