What's the Tee

What makes a great tee shirt?  Is it the fit?  Is it the style or is it the comfort?  The classic tee has been around since the nineteenth century.  It  originated as a one piece undergarment that was then cut into two pieces,  a top and bottom.  It then became popular in the United States by the Navy during the Spanish-American war.  The cotton white crew necked short sleeved shirt was worn underneath the uniform.  When in battle during harsh climates the jackets were removed so that the tee  shirt would get soiled and not the uniform.  It really wasn’t until the movie A Streetcar Named Desire starring Marlon Brando that catapulted the white tee shirt into mainstream fashion.  It became a stand alone garment often paired with denim jeans.

The tee has been popular  in the Gay community for decades.  It has been the chosen shirt for many Gay men but why?  Is it the the way it hugs the body or is it a sign of masculinity?   When I think of a tee shirt in the Gay community  I think of Tom of Finland.  These are images of muscular men in tight jeans and tee shirts that leave you speechless.  Is there eroticism to a man wearing a tee shirt.  What do women think of a man in a tee shirt and how do we feel about a woman in a tee shirt?  When a woman wears a tee she is often showing off her best attributes in a sexy way as the muscle men who wear them.  I decided to do an impromptu poll to see what the public had to say.   It seems that both men and women love a good tee shirt and the way it looks, sexy.  It all depends on the fit and style of the tee.

I personally like just wearing a tee shirt sometimes.  It’s just easy to put on and these days a tee shirt can be fashionable.  I can remember a time when going out with just a tee shirt probably wasn’t the best move.  Times are changing and the tee shirt has gotten a good reputation.  Most designers have a wonderful array of tee shirts to choose from.  I recently bought a tee from Marc Jacobs.  I’m really addicted to his tee shirts.  I think this is my fourth shirt from him.  It has a great print on the front and they always make a statement.  Dress it up or down with the right accessories and shoes you can rock a good tee.

What does the future hold for the simple tee?  From being an under garment that no one saw to being a ready to wear item.  The tee shirt is here to stay.  

Let's Get Physical

After many weeks of being on hiatus, I have returned to blog again.  Today’s topic is gym fashion.  What is gym fashion really?  I go to Gold’s Gym here in Hollywood and let me tell you I have seen several “unique” outfits in my 6 year membership.  The ratio of men to women is about 90% male and 10% female.  I  myself am comfortable with wearing workout pants, a tee shirt and sometimes  I throw on a hat because let’s face it I have some Don King issues when I wake up in the morning.  It amazes me what some people wear to workout in.   I see some women who come in full regalia, makeup, perfume and a revealing outfit.  Don’t get me wrong more power to you but this is a gym and no one cares what you wear and at Gold’s in Hollywood the majority of men there are gay.  If anything you’ll get critiqued about what you are wearing and no one is going to ask you for your number.  The men on the other hand let loose as well.  I’ve seen some guys wearing 1980’s, Richard Simmons Dolphin shorts that leave nothing to the imagination.  Really?  How can you possibly move in that without showing brain?  I have seen some spandex too.  I recently saw a guy wearing a unitard.  He had a nice body but a unitard?  And on another note don’t wear jeans and a dress shirt, like you’re going out to the club.  I know sometimes they have a DJ at the gym but save it for after hours. 

The shirts I’ve seen or lack there of have also been interesting to view.  There’s the muscle shirt with the sides cut almost completely out so that when you move you can pretty much see their complete chest and abs.  At that point just take off the shirt already.  Then there is my favorite the  tank top with the plunging  neck line.  I can't help but wonder are they really working out or working it? 

Wear sensible shoes.  It amazes me when I see guys wearing flip flops to workout in?  I mean I had to look around and make sure I wasn’t at the beach.  Did I miss that email?  Are we on muscle beach?

The bottom line is dress like you’re there to workout and not to parade yourself like a Shetland pony.  Just think about what you’re wearing before you leave to the gym.  There many factors to consider , like the weather and what kind of a workout you’re planning that day.  The whole workout craze started almost 30 years ago with Jane Fonda.  We’ve come a long way in terms of the way we perceive our bodies and what we eat.  Let’s not forget what to wear when we hit the gym.

   

House of Extravaganza

Last night I caught the premier of The Fashion Show Ultimate Collection with Somali beauty Iman and designer Isaac Mizrahi.  Any show that has to do with the industry I usually watch it.  What I noticed was the number of Latin designers that made the cut for the show.  I think this is the first time in a design show that I have see that many Latino designers in one show.  The designers on this show were male and female young and old.  I really felt proud to not only watch these talented people but to see their work of art play out on the cat walk.  This was only the first episode but it had me entranced.

After watching the show I couldn’t help but wonder how far have Latinos come in this ugly business of beautiful people?   I don’t recall seeing  any Latinos designing clothes  20 years ago with the exception of Oscar De La Renta and Carolina Herrera.   Now there is this insurgence of Latino talent out there.   When we think of designers we often think of Europe as the driving force in fashion particularly France, England and Italy but now Latin America has thrown their hat in and said “me too”.  Now you have Narciso Rodriguez, Rodarte, Eduardo Lucero, Isabel Toledo, Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, Carlos Miele, Gustavo Cadile, Esteban Cortazar and even Manolo Blahnik (half Spanish).  Even First Lady Michelle Obama wore Latino designed dresses for the Presidential  inauguration. 

 I have had the good fortune to know and work with many great Latino designers here in L.A.   That’s what fashion is all about the diversity that one can bring to it especially here in Los Angeles.  Latinos can bring influences from their culture, history and surroundings.   Latinos are on the rise in this industry.  I want to see more and more Latino designers, stylist, models and writers (myself included) out there.  So if you have what it takes for design or have an eye for fashion go out there and make a mark in this industry. 

Click on the links below to find out more about my favorite Latin designers.

http://www.narcisorodriguez.com/

http://www.carolinaherrera.com/

http://www.oscardelarenta.com/

http://www.rodarte.net/

                                             Narciso Rodriguez

                                                       Carolina Herrera

                                         Oscar De La Renta

                                          Rodarte

Liquid Dreams

                                    L*Space Designer Monica Wise

Winter is almost upon us and yet here in southern California it feels more like summer.   No time like the present to talk about bathing suits.  Today I was invited to Smashbox Studios to observe the photo shoot for the upcoming 2011 collection for L*Space by Monica Wise.  My good friend Yvette Charlton was the stylist for the session (shameless plug).  I thought OK its 80 degrees outside and we’re inside photographing a girl in her bathing suit and it’s November.   Most major designers are already sketching for fall/winter 2011.  I just saw Issac Mizrahi’s video blog where he said that he spent this past weekend sketching for his fall/winter 2011 collection and he’s almost done.  That’s the world of fashion for you thus the term fashion forward.  To quote Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

                                   Stylist Extraordinaire Yvette Charlton

While at the studio I met with the designer and creator of L*Space, Monica Wise.   She is an amazing woman very down to earth and easy to talk to.  Time is money so rather than tie up her time speaking to me I decided to visit her website and view her line.  The inception of her line started in 1997 and has grown into a major must have among celebrities.  Trust me when I say this you have seen one of her bathing suits in a magazine, TV or on a celebrity.  These are not your mother’s bathing suits.  I think what sets Monica apart from other designers of this genre is her love of jewelry and how she was able to combine them in her designs.  The melding of hardware and fabric is genius.  They make women look sultry, sexy and a little edgy.  I could not keep my eyes off the girl who was modeling today.  Even though it is a bathing suit you can still take it to another level with accessories.  Remember gold jewelry on tan skin is sick!

I know most of us are thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas right about now.  So who wants to think about summer?  Yeah I know it’s not quite summer yet but get a head start.  That’s what’s so great about fashion because it moves fast you can jump on the train now and see what’s hot for the season to come.  Not to mention that you have 7 months before summer is here in case you want to get your body bathing suit ready.  I'm wondering when Monica will come out with a men's line (hint, hint).  She can always call it L*Homme.  

For more information on L*Space visit their website at www.lspace.com .   
For some great style tips visit Yvette Charlton’s blog at www.fashionchow.blogspot.com

A Bag of Tricks

 I dedicate this to my female followers out there in fashion land.  I do have a following of the opposite sex so I decided to gear this to you.  I’m talking to you today about the handbag.  I being an admirer of women’s bags thought,  why not.  What makes a great bag?  Is it the size?  Is it the color or is it the functionality you get out of it?  There is an array of great bags out there to choose from.  Where can you get a handbag that is stylish, functional and most importantly, one that is unique?    

Recently a friend suggested I visit a website devoted to women’s handbags.  In particular he mentioned a line of women’s handbags by designer Lesa Wallace.  I went onto her website and did some exploring of my own.  These bags were not only unique but the colors and styles were amazing.  Not like anything I’ve seen.  You can search for just about any type of bag, from big to small to dressy and casual.  The craftsmanship of each bag is exquisite.  She only uses the finest Italian leathers and hardware for each bag.  Her recent campaign shoot was inspired by the 1960’s French mod look.    Think the Kelly Osbourne video for One World, which I personally love.  Lesa’s  vision is to create a bag that a women can wear every day and be functional yet stylish.  Visit her website and do some researching of your own.  You can purchase her items on line or if you’re like me and you want to see the actual product in person you can find her collections in just about every boutique store in the southern California area.

Ladies the season is upon us for holiday parties, fundraisers and just hanging out with close friends.  That means it’s time to get out that old handbag or maybe it’s time for a new one.  A handbag should make a statement.   In my opinion it’s equivalent to having a stunning pair of shoes.  A good handbag much like shoes is an investment.  It should make you feel confident and feminine.  When a women walks into a room her shoes and handbag are the first thing people notice.  So why not give both sexes something to talk about!  

   

http://www.lesawallace.com/index.php

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