10, 9, 8, and I'm breaking away. I'm all dressed up and ready to play.

This "celebrity stylist" game on seventeen.com is truly addictive. If you should find yourself utterly bored to near-death, definitely check it out.

You can pick and choose from Taylor Momsen, Katy Perry, or Rihanna, among others.

It kind of stops being fun when you've exhausted all your options, though.

The End.

Get busy Living or get busy Dying.

currently listening to: Kill Hannah - "Mouth to Mouth" - random fact: this song sounds a million times better live... with pretty stage lights, and earth shattering, real-time guitar solos. Yes.




Yesterday I received a comment on an older post from a certain "Anonymous" who was wondering about cool rock star jackets and where to get them... namely the gorgeous black and red military style jacket that Matt Bellamy of Muse was wearing on the cover of Q magazine back in September, when he was my Stylish Rockstar of the Week, (week 6):



I wanted to try to help "Anonymous" out, so I did some research and I'm writing an entire post on just jackets!!

I *do* recall that I checked the photo credits in that magazine back in September, and I couldn't find anything about the fashion. (I always make sure to do so whenever I see something I like, no matter what magazine it is). It's really kind of irritating when magazines don't bother listing that kind of stuff. Because then you have people like "Anonymous" (hi by the way!), and ME for that matter, who are left wondering just where the hell people find these amazing clothes!! Phooey!!

So I researched and read a lot of other blogs... there's tons of people wondering about that jacket, it seems. Not one straight answer. But it's okay. I happen to breathe fashion for a living, (huh??), and I'm always hunting around for cool stuff. (I'm telling you, I'd be an amazing stylist). The good thing about military jackets is that they've been "in style" for quite some time now, so pretty much anywhere you look is going to have some kind of similar style.

But I narrowed down the ones that looked the MOST like Mr. Bellamy's, and I broke them down for you, "Anonymous", from highest to lowest priced and then some :)

The way I see it, you've got 4 options:


1) "DESIGNER":
The coolest military jackets that I think I've seen come from the Balmain label:



But I know that probably nobody who reads this blog can afford anything like these, (I do remember "Anonymous" saying "i know it's probably made specially for him by some designer, but something similar would be good :))"so why am I even talking about them? Maybe just to make a point that all major trends start HUGE, then "trickle down" to the masses at far more affordable prices. Thank the Fashion Gods for that!

(Another thing I should mention, is that I'm not even sure whether my "Anonymous" friend is male or female, so I tried to find the most unisex type of jackets I could, even though these days you really don't even have to worry about whether a jacket is for women or men... You'll see what I mean in a second).

Shopbob.com is a shopping site that sells lots of smaller designer type stuff, and I found this jacket on there for $110:




I liked it because the white detail on the sleeves and front reminded me of the red detail on Matt's jacket.

The link to this one is here: click (they ship internationally!)


But since I sense that "Anonymous" is looking for something a bit more moderately priced, I looked on two of my more familiar sites/places to shop that have more affordable, mass produced stuff, Hot Topic and Forever21, so your second option is:

2) Bargain (sorta?):

Lip Service Steam Machine Jacket from hottopic.com - $95 (link: click)


(I happen to think that one is uber rad)...


TrippNYC Steampunk Soldier Jacket from hottopic.com - $54 (link: click )




Zipper Blazer from hottopic.com - $39 - (link: click)



Military Career Jacket from forever21.com - $32.80 - (link: click)




Cadet Precision blazer from forever21.com - $29.80 - (link: click)



Bellette Military Jacket from forever21.com - $24.80 - (link: click)


(I included this one because I think it's FREAKING AWESOME and FREAKING CHEAP. Maybe I should buy it for myself...)


And, once again, both hottopic.com and forever21.com ship internationally :)


A third option you might consider is Ebay.com:

3)Ebay

Just type in "military jacket" into the search box and you'll get a multitude of results. The only problems are they may not always be cheap, depending on where you live, some people might not ship to your country, and if it's a popular item, you have to bid like crazy and it kinda gets you all anxious and whatnot. Hehe.

I really like this one, currently for auction: click IT EXPIRES IN FOUR DAYS!!



And as a final option (or so), you can either find a cheap one like the ones I listed here, either in those stores, from those websites, (or even try vintage/secondhand/thrift stores!!), and CUSTOMIZE IT YOURSELF. (Trust me, it's a super fun thing to do).

Especially if you find one on the plainer side, like those forever21.com ones. You can either use strips of another fabric in a contrasting color, or ribbon or hunt for awesome trim at your local fabric store and add it to the jacket's edges or sleeves for easy DIY details like on Matt's jacket. You don't even have to know how to sew. You can find a good fabric glue and go crazy!! DIY stuff looks especially awesome, and gets you even more "rock star" points, in my book ;)


For example, I customized this plain gray tshirt to look like a military jacket using just ribbon, fabric, and buttons:




You likey?

I've actually also made military jackets before, like this green one:



I made it for some dood... in some band called Kill Hannah, last year. (By the way, he claims that he gets his jackets from a place called Newport News. It's actually a site/catalog for older women, but he swears by it... this is what I mean when I say it honestly doesn't matter whether a jacket is "meant" for a male or a female!!).

Aspiring designer that I am, I should have just written an entire post about how you should hire me and not try to drive away my business by showing you all these links to OTHER makers.

But the truth is I'm still learning a ton.

I'd offer to make YOU a custom one, "Anonymous", but I can't really give you an up front price on it, because it would depend on what materials I use. And also, this guy was kinda easy to make something for because I kind of had an idea of his size since I had met him once before... and also, it would probably take me an eternity because I'm a perfectionist...

But if you honestly think you'd trust me, I'd be more than happy to help you out :) I need the practice, after all. And ONE OF THESE DAYS, I *will* have more easily accessible items for everyone. And I'll take over the world. Yes.

And if all else fails, I DO at least sell awesome military style medals that you can adorn whatever jacket you choose with. (Link to my Etsy shop is on the sidebar, to your right).


WOW. I *really* hope that helps you out. Certainly tired me out! Let me know what you think/what you decide, "Anonymous"!!!!!!!!!




:D

Universe: wrap your arms around me. Make me strong, so I can take on anyone.

I SPY: STYLISH ROCKSTAR OF THE WEEK - WEEK SIX- MATT BELLAMY (MUSE)

(yes, I know Muse were the Stylish Rockstars of the week LAST week, but it's MY freaking blog and I can write about whatever and whoever the hell I want, so there).

In all honesty, how can I *not* talk about this guy twice in a row? He's fabulous. Check out the magazine I spied him on yesterday:

JACKET. In case you don't already know by now, I'm kind of obsessed with jackets. 24/7. Any season of the year.

And the pointy boots?? YESSSS!!!


Or how about a futuristic, couture metallic blazer??

To die for. Absolutely to die for. I love the clothes he wears. He never fails to look so put together and I can't get enough of the,(dare I say it?), QUIRKY little twist he adds to everything.

Very BRITISH, indeed ;)


And the fact that he's going on TWO WEEKS IN A ROW as my stylish rockstar of the week?? Well. That just puts everyone else to shame.

Shame.
Shame.
Shame.


He makes my fashion heart happy.

The End.





<3

I walk alone. Every step I take, I WALK ALONE.

currently listening to: Tarja Turunen



What is it about Sunday nights that makes me want to listen to nothing but somber Finnish music?

I can't remember who I heard this from a few days ago, but someone told me that when you can't fall asleep at night, you should write down everything that's in your head at that moment, as if draining all of the noise, whether negative or positive, from your mind, so that you can finally rest a little easier. I've been meaning to try it, but I find myself becoming too lazy and lethargic to reach for pen and paper when I'm lying half frozen on my bed, with all the lights off in my room, (but all the lights left on inside my head).

***

I finally got around to watching the movie White Oleander in its entirety the other day. (I'd only seen part of it, then I read the novel, which I couldn't put down). Like most 'books turned movies' out there, this one was no different in it's whole 'being watered down and switched up to the point where it gets annoying' kind of way, but it honestly wasn't truly that bad.

I wanted to commend the costume designer/stylist (whose name I forgot), on her vision for Astrid in the last part of the movie:

In case you don't know, this look is pretty much the complete OPPOSITE to what she had started out as. It's pure old-school Gothic genius, at it's best. The ONLY thing, however, that I couldn't stand was the ridiculous tribal tattoo they put on her wrist. I mean whatthefuck was that all about? (And I use the word "tattoo" loosely there. Tribal 'tattoos' shouldn't even be considered tattoos!!)

But yes, I crave this wardrobe, like I crave Nancy's (Fairuza Balk's character) from The Craft.







One of these days I will give my closet a major overhaul for Autumn. It's Goth or Die. I mean, I've been kind of 'halfway there' for ages, but it's never quite "right". Trust me, I can't STAND not wearing black. I have been a true 'goth kid' at heart ever since I can remember.

But I'll also always have my heart set on retro/vintage/pin up girl AND militaristic style. (OH, and let's not forget Japanese Lolita style!!) If I can ever figure out a way to successfully combine the four 'looks', I think I could die happy. (<--- haha, goth humour).

And of course, I *could* be saying (and wearing) an entirely different thing tomorrow.

I'm thinking of adding "Professional Fashion Chameleon" to my resume. HA.

<3

This is Entertainment.

New profile pic...

My punk friend James likes to run off to hippie communes every now and again and he wears feathers in his blue and pink mohawk. He gave me one recently and I wore it in my hair for the new photo. I can't remember what bird he said they're from though... I'll have to ask him again. TOTALLY MAKES ME THINK OF YOU, MISS DEANA!!!!!! We HAVE come a long way. I believe yours was one of the first blogs I ever followed, too. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog. And I'm glad we've kept up with each other this whole time! :)

And to Mister Controlfreq: I blush when you say you love my bloggie. I'm so glad SOMEBODY does! ;) Yours is not without it's charms, either, mister.

Just had to get some thank yous out of the way...




NOW then. Today I tried to be a bit more like my old self. I wore a top that I hadn't worn since I acquired, and I'm wearing the amazing black pants I talked about yesterday. I felt happier with my look today than I have in a long time. But I still have a long way to go! I can't be too dramatic or wear a lot of jewelry on days that I work though, because my job sucks and I have to be as comfy as possible, otherwise I won't survive the day. And when I worked at Hot Topic, I wore this amazing skull and rose ring I found at Claire's once, (it was one of my favourite rings ever.. covered half my finger.. you know the kind??). And it ended up in someone's bag as I bagged their items. So I learned my lesson and try not to wear a lot of rings to work anymore. See that's the cause of my problems. I blame my job for my decrease in style... or whatever. HAHA.

Lack of sleep too.

And lack of space in my closet.

BLAH.

What I REALLY need to do, however, is wear all the amazing not so casual items I own: Gothic Lolita-style tulle skirts, black lace dresses, (one of them an "almost" ballgown that I got for TWENTY BUCKS at forever21), these two gorgeously adorable dresses I bought on my bday a couple weeks ago... and I have so many cute shoes to go with everything, too.

In other news, I have a crazy desire to sewwwwwwww!! I haven't made anything amazing in a long ass time! And I owe a certain somebody a military jacket! I get so angry at myself for not being able to accomplish things quicker and for being lazy. If I plan on being the greatest fashion designer that ever lived (or something along those lines), I really need to kick it into high gear.

Somebody kick me. Well... not LITERALLY, but you know what I mean!!

You say the war is over.. I say it's just the start.

Anyone remember the movie Clueless?? (starring Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, Stacy Dash??) Classic movie. But yeah, remember Cher's closet?? With the revolving racks of clothes, all organized by colour and and stuff?? YOU DON'T KNOW HOW BADLY I NEED THAT!!!!!!!

My real closet is literally the width of the door. That's it. No room to grow. Only to shrink. Therefore it is currently so overloaded with just about EVERYTHING that certain items eventually get lost. And I forget about them. The other day I stumbled (literally) across my very first pair of black denim skinny jeans from Tripp NYC that I found a couple years ago at Buffalo Exchange. They used to be my favourite pants... with horizontal silver zippers on the back pockets and red stitching on the waist... Gerard Way used to wear the EXACT SAME PAIR around the time I got them... I kid you not. But yeah, over time they ended up buried under a pile of crap and I completely forgot about them until a few days ago when I found them. I tried them on and they fit like a dream.

All the wasted days...

Lately I find myself wearing the same items over and over. How boring and un-adventureous am I?? I wanted to wear heels today, (these cute black shiny patent mary jane pumps I got from Target a long ass time ago), but I was so sleepy that I was afraid that I would fall over if I tried walking around in them. Tiredness definetely always plays a factor in my look. The more tired I am, the more boring I dress. And lately, I've been uber tired. UUGGGGHHHHH.

When I worked at Hot Topic, I would get random kids coming up to me (who apparantly recognized me from high school), telling me how they used to see me in the hallways all the time and think I dressed so cool. So apparantly in high school, I had a decidedly more memorable style. I don't know where it's gone since I graduated three years ago. And I don't even have to be at school by 7:30am anymore! I just don't get it!!

:(

But at times like this, I try to remember something Daniel Vosovic said on Project Runway: "Designers don't always look their best... we spend so much time making OTHERS look good, that we often forget about ourselves."

So true.