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fashion

The Lucky One

What’s a Toronto visit without an Indigo event? This time, I went to Indigo Yorkdale (thankfully much closer than alternative locations) to see author Nicholas Sparks promote The Lucky One. The film adaptation of The Lucky One will be in theatres April 20, starring heartthrob Zac Efron.

Arriving early to wait in line ensures you’re close to the pre-event excitement and hype, which included a dance off between three fans to Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” right outside Starbucks. Once the line moved closer to the stage, a group of young girls enthusiastically took to the stage to jump up and down singing One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” which possibly delighted them more than meeting Sparks himself.

I also snagged a periwinkle blue tee with the film’s name and release date printed on a sleeve, which I’m wearing now as I write this. A girl behind me who also received a t-shirt commented she could see herself wearing it under a blazer, discreetly celebrating her pop culture interests at work! Another giveaway was branded lip gloss, which I think was very fitting for a romance novelist’s signing.

Sparks briefly said a few words to fans thanking everyone for coming before signing 500+ copies of The Lucky One, including none other than former Maple Leafs player Curtis Joseph! He was as charming in person as expected.

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April 6, 2012 by

Reading Off-screen

As much as I love digital technology, there is something comforting and enjoyable about reading newspapers in print, so when The Globe and Mail offered me a free subscription, I signed up.

Since the periodical has started showing up outside my front door six days a week, I’ve changed my morning routine. It’s motivated me to wake up about 20 minutes earlier, so I can get ready and then read it with a coffee while everything’s quiet before heading to class. On the mornings I don’t have class and I’m not tempted to watch CityLine Fashion Friday, it feels like an additional luxury, as I anticipate how many hours during the day will be spent in front of a screen.

Upon checking Facebook and Twitter feeds in the morning, there are only so many worthwhile links to click that were posted since the night prior. The Globe, however, always has articles piquing my interest and more importantly, in print, there are thankfully no distractions, such as flashing colourful ads leading me to open a new tab, which will inevitably lead to more unnecessary and unproductive Internet browsing.

Last week, a colleague told me about the rush amongst her Ivey classmates to pick up a free copy of the Globe at school before they run out and now that I’m a subscriber, I can understand why. I like to read The New York Times too, but since they limited access to online content to ten articles per month, instead of the twenty permitted previously, I’m more grateful for the Globe’s convenient availability.

As the exam period approaches, I know that it will be a nice break to read the newspaper rather than a textbook. Also, just as course material tends to overlap across my different classes, I welcome the chance to read about the same topics on the syllabus in a more relevant context in Globe stories, such as those about Gen Y versus baby boomers in relation to my sociology of work class and current political scandals that will provide examples to theories about politicians’ increasing invisibility.

I find that when some of my profs point out that they still read a hard copy of the paper, they date themselves in a room of twentysomethings, though I can understand why they proudly announce this habit. Proclaiming that you read the paper in print needn’t be done in a self-deprecating or teasing tone. There are great journalists out there and I think taking the time to read their work, without distractions, is a wonderful way to pay respect, whether they write about fashion, business, tech or anything else.

Take the time to read sans screen and you may be surprised how much you like it.

April 3, 2012 by

The Artist

As I was reading Vogue yesterday afternoon, I couldn’t help but notice the numerous references to famous artists and collectors, including historical figures such as Gertrude Stein. Frankly, I was relieved to read a fashion mag cover to cover without stumbling upon the headline, “Prints Charming,” which too many fashion editors have included in recent spreads. However, I was more pleased to read about classic pieces inspiring modern designs that reminded me of the modern art class I took at Western last year, which featured works by Sonia Delaunay, for example.

Recently, French artist Jocelyne Grivaud sought inspiration from famous artwork to create sculptures resembling not only Mattel’s Barbie dolls, but also classic women from the art world.

Check out some of my favourites:

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February 24, 2012 by

Katy Perry: A Woman of Many Talents

Joined by the sensational Swedish music guest Robyn, Katy Perry hosted Saturday Night Live last night. It was a great episode that proved Katy’s capable of performing more than musical numbers in the comedy series and deserves lots of screen time.

I lost track of how many outfit and wig changes Katy went through, but I sure noticed how quickly she transformed to play Christina Aguilera (one of supposed “thousands” of celebrities in New Year’s Eve), followed by Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine and then Pippa Middleton. In her latter role, she stole the spotlight from Kate and sung a few lines in a British accent.

Katy’s digital short with Andy Samberg initially reminded me of an Old Navy commercial, until surprise guests Matt Damon and Val Kilmer took to the screen to sing along with them, that is. When Community’s Star-burns joined the short and reunited with his ol’ SNL cast, he offered hope that fans have reason to be optimistic about the show’s future, which is currently unknown.

An SNL review of any length couldn’t exclude Weekend Update. Seth Meyers was wonderful as per usual, but the appearances by Stefano and the ‘flirting expert’ were fabulous comedic material. Relationship experts typically wear a mix of conservative and girly outfits for TV appearances, yet the blonde character wore a slinky, sparkly black dress better suited for a holiday party than an interview with an anchorman.

Robyn’s playful solo choreography during her second number, the classic ‘Dancing On My Own’, reinforced why I adamantly tuned in to SNL – she’s brilliant, I love her and I can’t think of a comparable domestic musical talent. Rocking leggings as pants, in addition to beige platform sneakers didn’t defer attention from Robyn’s singing either – she truly exceeded expectations overall.

Canadian export Michael Buble and Jimmy Fallon are scheduled for next Saturday. Count me in! Live tweeting about #SNL is anticipated once again.

December 11, 2011 by

Does Dressing Up Require Social Commentary?

I don’t usually like when people expect listeners to pay attention to their every word as they read aloud long passages of text, but on Monday afternoon, I was captivated by a TA who shared a newsworthy blog post circa November 2010.

Two days after Halloween, Trick or Treating may still be trending on Twitter, but most people are more concerned about finding discounts on candy and the latest gossip about the Kardashians than discussing who cross-dressed over the weekend.

Nevertheless, when a 5 year old boy begged his mom to order a costume resembling Daphne from Scooby Doo for him two years ago, this caused a huge commotion. Uptight mothers in their community were outraged, even though their children seemed unfazed by his costume choice.

The bottom line is that costume choices shouldn’t be a big issue at all, unless of course they are outright offensive or obscene. The boy didn’t dress up as a Disney Princess anxiously awaiting Prince Charming’s arrival at his doorstep; he dressed up as one of his favourite animated TV characters – so what?

In her blog post, the mother (who coincidentally is another Sarah) mentions that her son’s “best friend is a little girl.” When it comes to trick or treating, those kids will remember spending the night or school festivities with their best friend. Early childhood friendships don’t always extend into adulthood or even the teenage years, but if the friends lose touch, they’ll remember who it was running up neighbours’ front steps beside them to collect candy. That’s the memory for him to cherish – friendship and fun, not that a Halloween costume he wanted to wear sparked an online debate about gender and sexuality.

It is one thing to document your children’s funny musings or share advice about parenting, but it is quite another to turn an innocent child’s desire to have fun dressing up into a rant about attitudes towards gender norms. Sometimes I think that moms should just take photos to capture their kids growing up and leave it at that. After all, “it’s just a costume.”

Surely there is a better way to become famous than starring in a controversial blog post.

2025 Update: The original blog post I linked to at nerdyapplebottom.com/ has been removed.

November 2, 2011 by