Cali Dandy

Calidandy.tumblr.com

2010-05-14T12:54:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't noticed from the lack of posts, I've finally made the move to Tumblr (address here). Picture uploads are much easier, and the preset layouts are much more design-competent.

I'll still use Blogspot here and there for posts that call for pictures to be spread throughout the text, and not as a gallery/slideshow format. Onwards and upwards...

Making up for lost time

2010-03-19T20:53:00.001-07:00

Quite possibly the most interesting box I've ever received an order in. This just in: Gilt Groupe is still killin' it in the online retail game. Bluefly who?

Blazer are tie are vintage. Polo shirt by RVCA. Watch by Kenneth Cole. Khakis by Polo Ralph Lauren. Sneakers by Common Projects.

The past few days have been on the slightly insane side--for the first half of the week, I was half-working through lunches, and hurrying off somewhere after or during work for Craigslist purchases. On the upside, I finally came up on some furnishings to make the rental box a proper residence -- sofa-check, dining set-check, coat rack-check.

Shirt by ASOS. Jeans by TheProportionofBlu. Sneakers by Adidas SLVR.

It's a party tonight, and / ooh she's so excited / "tell me who's invited" / you, yo friends, and my dick.

A Lesson in Priorities

2010-03-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

eBay's always been pretty good to me. Sure, there was that time sophomore year when I paid about $50(?) USD for an Adam Copeland/Edge t-shirt from the UK that never materialized, but generally it's allowed me to cop great stuff for a fraction of even retail on-sale prices.

On the selling side, I've never had much issue either; the last hiccup I recall was a pack of photo paper for printing headshots (for acting gigs) that never turned up; even though the seller was one of those dubious entities with 99-something % positive feedback but hundreds of Negatives due to the sheer numbers they move, I messaged them and got my refund.

Recently, I procured this lovely pair of raw selvage denim jeans by the French fashion house A.P.C., in the Petit Standard cut--an exceeding bitch to find even in retailers that carry APC, and highly sought-after in the online denim hypebeast community.

It was one of those rare Crossroads Trading finds, brand-new, untarnished, yet selling for 25% of retail price. Unfortunately, even given A.P.C.'s notorious stretch factor, I decided that the crushing pressure the tapered legs put on my track-star calves were not worth the dashingly slim silhouette, and decided to flip'em.

Listed, 7-day auction (during which I endured multiple haggling offers, including one for $140 that I probably should've taken in retrospect), and winning bid ends up being $130. Typically, though you have 4 days before a seller can open a dispute case against you, people pay right after so you can get their packages on their merry way. I was a little annoyed, then, when no money turned up that evening...or the next morning.

Since I clearly posted the listing with a "pay within 36 hrs" notice, I decided to send a friendly reminder:

Friendly reminder--it's now been 36 hours since auction's end, please send payment. The sooner you do so, the sooner I can get these to you. Thanks.

Wednesday came, 3 days after the auction ended, and still nothing. By this time, I was more than a bit miffed, and decided on a stronger bit of rhetoric:

Hello again. Please send payment by end of day today. If you are unable, at least notify me of how long it will be before you can send it. Otherwise, by tomorrow I will have little choice but to open an unpaid item dispute and relist to make sure I haven't wasted my time and money.

一般eBay的规矩是：无法付钱，不要出价。I hope you understand that. Thanks.

I added that last bit with inference from the winner's name, in case my English vocabulary had been sailing over his head like so many Exocoetidae.

That evening, o ho! A response:

hey, im sorry but i realized i do no have enough money to purchase this item. would you like to cancel this auction and set up a private auction for the jeans for 100 dollars? that is what i have in my bank account and it is ready to be sent. you can waive the auction fee by a mutual decision to cancel it. i am able to send 100 dollars through paypal if you agree to this. im sorry for the inconvenience but things have been busy lately. thanks again

Fair enough, I thought. So you're a style-conscious guy, but the pocketbook's hurting as of late. I can relate. But, that doesn't mean I'm gonna take a L on some misplaced sense of empathy. Here's what I had to say:

I appreciate the response. However, selling for $100 shipped means I'd be taking a 1/3 loss on these brand-new condition jeans. Not acceptable.

I will cancel this auction and relist the jeans, at no penalty to you. In the future, please do not bid if you're unsure whether you can pay.

A little more background: eBay sellers are sometimes a testy lot, and frequently--especially in the case of actual businesses, pawn/consignment shops, and the like--have very little patience before they lay the smack down with rep-destroying negative feedback or unpaid item strikes. In light of that, my response was already more than reasonable--especially since I was going to be paying another $2 in relisting fees, having lost out on my initial $2 investment.

To my surprise, I get this Thursday:

would you take 110 shipped with a private auction then?

Cheeky bastard, I thought. A minute ago, you barely had two Ulysses Grants to rub together, and now all of a sudden, you've pulled a Hamilton out of your ass? What did you suppose this is, e-Open Air Market? I decided not to dignify this with a response.

Sunday relisting time came, and I realized that my eBay fees balance had skyrocketed--even though no money had been received, eBay already charged $11 in Final Value Fees to ty account! Shit, I thought. Apparently I had to go through the bureaucratic channel of formally canceling the transaction, which requires the other party to agree.

I sent the request, and this is what came back moments later:

i still very interested in this pair of jean. can you set up a private auction for 110 for them?

A little glass dial broke in my head. Oh, you still interested? You still likey the jeans, you cheap sniveling wanker? Even I had enough common sense not to drop money on clothes around the time of the month when rent/student loans come due. This had to end.

Frankly speaking, it's unfair to both the other bidders and myself for you to haggle like this for a price lower than your winning bid. You're wasting your time as well as mine, especially since you claimed to have only $100, then $110, of cash on hand. If money is an issue, perhaps you should consider another purchase besides an $100+ pair of designer jeans.

I have already relisted the jeans. Please do us both a favor and agree to cancel the transaction, before I carry the dispute further within eBay's system. Thanks.

At the end of the day, there's a certain comfort in knowing there's somebody out there whose priorities are even more topsy-turvy than mine.

What a 13-hr self-edifying workday looks like.

2010-03-02T22:41:00.000-08:00

Trenchcoat by random Korean brand. Vest, vintage. Shirt by ASOS. Silk ascot by eBay retailer. Pants by Levi's. Boots by Nunn Bush.

Pretty good, actually. Better than most of y'all look on a fly day.

*Not pictured: Blackwatch sportcoat by Fink and galoshes by Swims (which I took home earlier in the day); comped Mediterranean dinner of scrumptious falafel/shawerma/kebab.

Self-Absorbed and Vaguely Lovable

2010-03-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Rugby shirt by Carpe. Shirt by American Eagle. Pants by H&M. Sneakers by Adidas Originals. Watch by Kenneth Cole Reaction. Silk scarf by Calvin Klein.

After a season-long absence that saw GG take its agonizingly long winter hiatus, I'm finally back on my narcissism beat on this blog thing.

It is said that the key to successful blogging, somewhere on the hierarchy near incessant cyber-d*ck-riding and insanely prolific output, is the adoption of a consistent, targeted theme. Hence, why most users--like me--who are still using this thing like a glorified LiveJournal, typing away the inanities of our daily go-abouts, recording our breakfast cereal of choice and fleeting moment of profound shame at passing a paraplegic bag lady on the street, will never have much of a followship to speak of.

But that's okay.

Not every day has to be a groundbreaker. Not every post has to be a masterpiece. In the end, Kanye West was the same guy when he was folding pants at the Gap as the guy selling 2 million records. What happens in between is experience, learning, and practice. A lot of practice.

So, until I start watching sufficiently style-conscious movies and resurrect the Film Fashions columns, here's a massive outfit dump of stuff I wore these past few months.

Sportcoat by Uniqlo. Vest by random Korean brand. Jeans by G-Star. Shoes by Aldo.

Sportcoat by Fink. Shirt by Ralph Lauren Purple Label. Hat by H&M. Gloves by Armani Exchange.

Jacket by ASOS. Jeans by Levi's X Damien Hirst X Warhol Factory. Shoes by Gravati for Bergdorf Goodman.

Jacket by H&M. Shirt by Ralph Lauren Black Label. Watch by Movado. Bow tie and cufflinks, stylist's own.

Wait.

2009-10-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

"You're special enough on your own, you don't need some group to say you are"? Excuse me, did Chuck just become the show's moral compass?

Addendum to yesterday: An (old) Message from KW

2009-09-29T23:05:00.001-07:00

Just found this on Dress Like Kanye West archives. One word: Priceless.

A message from kwest on Vimeo.

No joke, it reminds me of those promos professional wrestlers (WWE) who played heels/"bad guys" would cut for no other reason that to show, hilariously, how exaggeratedly douchey their personas can be.

Hey Kids! It's Stunt Like 'Ye Day!

2009-09-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

Perusing industry news at work often leads to some strange, strange stuff.

Exhibit 1: Diesel promo for helmets. Includes a very un-PC moment that may surprise American viewers a bit -- then again, considering that Diesel's print ads feature anything from a bald fat guy licking a model's sneakered foot to a mostly-naked dude with a stuffed kitten in his briefs, an idea like this isn't so much of a stretch.

Also, because I can't seem to stop listening to "Baby By Me" -- only for the synth sounds in the background, mind you -- here's Fiddy teaming up with Steve Nash in a pretty funny Vitamin Water promo.

More hip-hop fun:

No Homer: 10 Hip-Hop and Rap Icons Simpsonized

See how many you manage to recognize -- without cheating by checking the picture file name.

Productive day today -- civil service exam, license renewed, and a few more extra hours in the afternoon to enjoy away from work. Kinda like a 2.25-day weekend, hah.

I'll close with this for the haters -- say what you will about his filter (or, lack thereof), but no matter how much he stunts, there's no denying that he puts in work.

Fictitious Fashion: "Mad Men" 's Duck Phillips & the Frankenstein three-piece

2009-09-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

New idea: style-spotting for film/tv characters I come across. Once GG starts again, that will be plenty of reason for me to do a bunch of Chuck posts, unless the show's stylists continue to go down the drabbing-down route.

To kick things off, we have Herman "Duck" Phillips, played by Mark Moses on AMC's Mad Men, which--at its third season--just wrapped up a huge social-media and cross-promotional campaign in order to rise above the label of "the best show on TV you're not watching." This included not only a fashion tie-in with Banana Republic, but also oodles of interactive content on the official site, ranging from an application to build your own romping '60s MM avatar, to a hit-or-miss "Which Mad Men Are You?" quiz. (On my first try, I got Jane Siegel, who was like Don's third secretary or something. Go figure.)

Anyways. Marketing synopsis aside, here's Duck:

...and as you can see, Duck has a rather peculiar sartorial motif. Of course, everybody in the main MM cast has their trademarks:

Don: Two-button sack suit in numerous shades of gray; dark skinny tie; all-in-one troubled/determined/I'm-hiding-something expression
Roger: Dark three-piece, tie pin, permanent smirk of entitlement
Pete: see Don, but substitute navy for gray
Bert Cooper: bowtie, argyle socks, perpetual old-man wackiness

...all of which are agreeably classic looks. Then, you've got Duck and his...er...contrasting waistcoat...thing.

I suppose it's the same as wearing a cashmere sweater under a suit or sportcoat nowadays. Still, it's probably the only Mad Men look the major magazines have yet to condone....which only means the first to try it out will get added cool-kid bonus points. Go on, I dare ya.

Audition + " (500) D.o.S." + MoMA = Kind of a crazy day.

2009-08-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

The Audition

I've always heard about two dueling generalizations about the personalities of those who work in showbiz/fashion. 1) They're supremely self-confident, thick-skinned people; they have to be in order to put themselves out there day after day. 2) They're some of the most insecure wrecks out there; who else needs or wants the kind of validation that only a camera can offer?

I shouldn't pretend to know any better; this morning was my first real, non-theater class/indie film school audition, but I didn't spend any of the waiting time networking with my fellow aspirants. Instead, I sat focused on concealing my awe of the roomful of 1) guys without a skin condition in sight, and 2) girls that were above my pay grade 5x over. And all for a Nintendo Wii commercial (there were maybe five people in the whole room of about 40 that look like the type who'd play video games).

I'd read up on some articles the night before, before realizing that--as much as I wanted to avoid it--I won't be able to look like I know what I'm doing. Instead, from the commute to the moment I stepped out of the studio, I kept a smile on based upon the fact that what I was doing was, by any stretch of the imagination, ludicrous. I had only two headshots, neither of which had my resume printed, and both putting my litany of acne-related scars on prominent display.

Despite leaving with a plentiful time cushion (for navigating the unfamiliar part of SOMA/bus route) and arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled time, there were already a good 20 models ahead of me. I'd read about the importance of networking at these things the night before; sure enough, friendly chitchat could be heard all over the room, and even though there were a handful of patiently-silent waiting types like myself around, everyone seem to know each other, from a million other studios and waiting rooms in some other nondescript warehouse. Even when I stepped up to the CD's table when I was called, a girl half-greeted me before politely realizing she didn't know me.

The go-see itself was only about 45 seconds; the girl nearest after me on the call sheet (thankfully, more pint-sized than me) and I stood up on Wii Fit pads and shadowboxed at the camera while laughing like it was the time of our lives. When we left, we were going the same way for a good block before she turned the corner. No small talk. No acknowledgement. No indication that we've just shared a common experience except for our identical, mandated tank top/shorts/flip-flops uniform. All the friendly chatter doesn't change this fundamental fact:

At the end of the day, everyone else wants what you want, but not all of you can have it.

"(500) Days of Summer"

I had only planned to walk through the Metreon & Yerba Buena Garden to get to the MoMA. But I was ahead of schedule on the day's itinerary, and I'd heard plenty about this movie being the romcom "for guys", "for real people", "for people who hate romcoms", all the usual indie press. Plus, it was still before noon; when else was I going to be at a theater this early & able to get in for only six bones? The previews, incidentally, showed quite a few projects with cute casts coming up, Drew Barrymore's "Whip It!" being tops among them.

I can see how this movie spoke to people, specifically the Gen-Yers whose insecurity-checkered and ambiguous relationships that pass for modern romance the movie encapsulates. Do real-life relationships start that awkwardly? Yes. Do they deteriorate, decline, and eventually crumble because of the same undiscernible, indescribable, and ultimately ridiculous-on-paper reasons? Yes. And though it highlights all of these things that should reinforce my half-serious resolution of not attempting to involve myself with anyone until I find a real job, it still managed to make me feel like I was missing out on something. (And it wasn't the dialogue, since the sole example of witty romcom banter I picked out was using "I'm unemployed" to describe the state of not getting any).

Still, aside from that setback, I enjoyed the fact that all the laughs in the theatre came at times that could only suggest they were laughs of the knowing, of those who realize they've been down that road of awkward before. Oh, and Joe Gordon-Levitt looks great in skinny suits and cardigans. All in all, not a bad two-hour investment.

MoMA/Avedon

By the time I finally walked across the YB Garden, my body was beginning to remember that it had only slept about 4 hours the night before last. A huge line wrapped around the block to the left even though it was Free Tuesday; I found it strange that there were that many people who would know whow Avedon was, before realizing that another special exhibition of Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams was also running, and that - hey! - people who would come to museums in the first place probably know a famous artist or two.

My ticket wouldn't let me in until after 3, so I had a solid hour to wander about the other floors. The following realizations/thoughts came to in pretty quick succession:
1) I don't really "get" modern art.
2) There are a LOT of attractive, nervous-*gulp*-warranting girls here.
3) How am I supposed to contemplate and fish for inspiration with all the hot women around?

Fortunately, I was still thinking clearly enough to pick a few things out. (I claim no ownership of the following photos, don't sue me pretty please.)
Things I learned at the museum today:

In the spirit of the afternoon's film: the heart is a chaotic yet splendidly colorful place.
Damien Hirst's butterflies can be just as showy as his crystal-skull stuff, just on a smaller scale, and without dominating an entire room.
Even if he's a drifter, a man can put on a well-cut shirt & jacket, and achieve instant respectability. Those pockmarks hidden away in the freckles could've easily come from syphilis or something similarly distasteful. but combine it with the outfit, and the distinctive eyes, and you can easily get away with some melodramatic characterization like "a lifetime written all over his face."

Don't know if I can even enjoy this ironically.

2009-06-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

Take 1 part of the worst of early-millennial, trashy-materialism hip-hop, add 1 part Christian metalcore/screamo? band, and you get...a most "inconceivable!" combination.

Carpe the moment...or rational sleep.

2009-04-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

As much as I've been trying to push myself towards a "early to bed, early to rise" schedule, I find more and more that I do my best work near or after the midnight hour. Often, I have some sort of breakthrough epiphany around 1 am, try to jot it down in bullet points for the sake of later elaboration, only to lose the excitement of the inner discovery the following morning. Maybe a flash of brilliance, or what may be confused for it, is worth a frantic scramble with five minutes to get to work the next morning.

Miles by jmniu featuring g-star jeans

Outfit post for the time being...I'm secretly hoping that the middle school kids I'm helping to teach this afternoon will at least have some silent appreciation of the color use.

Beginning of an End

2009-03-31T00:18:00.000-07:00

Ah, first day of the last two months of undergrad. Highlight: squeezing cardio and lifting into the two hours before class. Not cool: going in for a haircut that I didn't even really need, and leaving with basically the Mao Zedong Mushroom minus the male-pattern baldness. -_-bb

But, I did find time to pick up my Gilt.com purchases--namely, a Hyden Yoo sweater and a pair of A. Testoni loafers that, while being too good a deal to pass up, are far, far too nice for my age and surroundings. I'll be worthy in 3-5 years, maybe. In the meantime...maybe the market value will appreciate.

Here's the outfit posting of the day, as inspired by the catch-up Gossip Girl I watched last night & its sheer abundance of shawl-collar cashmere sweaters.

"Welcome to the Next 30 Years" - by jmniu on Polyvore.com

Polyvore Experiment

2009-03-29T01:50:00.000-07:00

As the days of cleaning out sophomore-year homework and pondering over my fledgling portfolio comes to an end, I've finally gotten around to fiddling with the nifty collaging tool millions in the blogosphere are already taking advantage of to add more visual punch to their posts. I'm not terribly impressed with it so far--it often fails to import photos I want for no apparent reason, even when it's static and not one of the numerous Java-enabled product photos that zoom in and out you see on so many shopping sites nowadays.

For that matter, the outfit I chose to do isn't anything revolutionary--I've done better at the summer-prep thing before. Still, it's a simple start, and the red works well for both attending a Chinese function and for pairing with Jack Purcells & skinny denim for a look that's all Rob Lowe circa 1985.

Incidentally, I found out that the JP's I got at Jeremy's on sale--as a spare pair of white sneakers--are actually current-season. What what?

American Minimal - by jmniu on Polyvore.com

Ralph Lauren F09

2009-03-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Just as prime-time TV's poster boy of prep has steadily shed his earlier propensity for loud, punchy uses of color, the bastion of prep design seems to continue its back-to-basics approach to reconciling inherently colorful prep design with the somber tone of our times.

As a matter of fact, the collection as a whole was a trifle *too* monochromatic for the tastes of yours truly--an abundance of earth tones and black/dark navy, with nary a gray-and-pastel combo in sight. Guess I'll have to check elsewhere for matching suggestions for my forthcoming new gray cardigan.

In any case, here are a couple of the very few items that carried on the proud prep tradition of always wearing exactly one item that says, "go to hell." I have yet to figure out a way to pull off the cardigan-as-blazer trick without it looking gimmicky--the main thing is finding a sweater that will still be functional enough to work in ensembles where it is not the main component.

Reading: A. Cicolini - The New English Dandy

2009-03-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

Inspiration: it always strikes when one least expects it, and when one is least predisposed to exploit it. So I discovered, to my pleasant surprise, this 2005 gem of a coffee-table book right here at the university Main Stacks library over the weekend whilst searching for something else to do a history of business paper on besides 19th-century industrialists compared with Russia's oil/mining oligarchs.

It's got a lot of interesting things to say, as far as drawing a more accurate picture of dandyism in the modern age than what most could presuppose on their own. It articulates something I've been meaning to express: in an age where casual streetwear has become the de rigeur uniform of the young, it is those who are looking to classic staples of tailored jackets, shirts, and the like, who are interpreting them anew through unique combinations of colors and patterns, that are infusing creativity into daily aesthetics and rescuing us from monotony.

Here in California, where the cultural emphasis is on a careless, relaxed attitude, the propensity for hoodie-and-jeans banality is even more clearly visible. What most accept as "dressing up" here at university is usually a joyless effort, entailing a boxy, bland three-button jacket cut too high, paired with an unremarkable printed tie, thick-soled square shoes, with no more texture than a sheet of copy paper. Add a backpack, and you begin to get an idea of the campus' approach to suit-wearing.

[This is where I might articulate a grandiose bit of self-justification for "rebelling" through blackwatch plaid jackets and bow ties, but putting such sentiments into words, locking them in, would ruin the purpose of outfitting in the first place.]

I think I'd rather leave the capricious critiquing of "bad style" to the GQ and Details editors; as much as I love their work, their constant jonesing for a new phenomenon to define, elevate, and subsequently critique in three months' time does wear on my patience. There's nothing wrong about trying things you identify with or aspire to, so long as you know to move on when it begins to bore you or clash with how you see and feel about yourself.

LA Express

2009-03-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

Sugarcult - "Los Angeles"

Been listening on this one for a while...haven't been to LA in some time, but this song, to me, captures the mystique of it all, the vague patheticness of standing in lines and waiting rooms to pitch headshots to crap-shoot gigs, the heat, the knowing, doomed, world-weariness that completes so many people's sense of what it's all about.

Resonance

2009-03-06T16:39:00.001-08:00

"In an era of stress and anxiety, when the present seems unstable and the future unlikely, the natural response is to retreat and withdraw from reality, taking recourse either in fantasies of the future or in modified visions of a half-imagined past."

3-pc Debut!

2009-02-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

This is rare for me, but I'm extra-excited today because in just two hours, the KMJ Group--our mock consultancy--will be making its debut presentation on Burt's Bees in our Marketing class! To suit the occasion, and because I'm loaning the jacket of my darker suit for one of the other group members, I'm finally wearing the grey 3-piece I bought back during winter break (and I finally found a suit-tie combo that doesn't look awful). Can't wait! Now, back to rehearsing.

YES.

2009-02-24T00:22:00.000-08:00

Apparently, this 88 Keys guy -- Brooklynite musician, Kanye collaborator, and self-proclaimed "Lo-Head" has worn nothing but RL Polo blue label for something like 8 years.

...needless to say, I feel much better about my RL obsession now.

Let it come down, and wash away the miasma that has clouded our judgment.

2009-02-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

Enjoying the weekend storm safely indoors. I awoke literally sick to my stomach, after about two days of moping due to the idea that my transferable-skills approach to the past three and a half years of my university education has culminated in the most disappointing way. "Just because you majored in it doesn't mean it's what you'll do!" "Pick something you like, and the rest takes care of itself!" In hindsight: it doesn't. Even now, I carry this vague idea of who I want to be, without actually fleshing out the details. I was probably the last person anyone would bet on being a slacker, and yet here I am. I chose one of the most vaguely describable majors on the menu, knowing full well that I disliked a lack of clarity. What does a communications major do? I still couldn't tell you, other than the same tripe about analyzing how media affects society and vice versa, the same sentence I've uttered a million times, like the directions to the University Hall visitor parking lot, the same exact thing that make you cringe as they come out of your mouth, that don't go any easier when you try to reword it in some fresh new way.

Outside, the rain carried on, without any sign of hesitation. Nature didn't have the problem of self-doubt, hesitation that froze into inaction; it had a singular purpose in its actions, whether it was to recycle condensation back to terra firma or to move excessively inconvenient pockets of air across the land. Inside, things were still. Maybe I'd imagined that it would've been pleasant to listen to this with someone else. But some things are not meant for sharing. Sharing is what you do with commonly enjoyable things that are accepted readily, like party invitations, and cheap beer. This bit of stillness, of quiet but steady solace, in all its lengthened brevity, belongs to me. Alone.

Watchmen footage

2009-02-19T23:43:00.001-08:00

"hrmph".

Dutch films + moar rain

2009-02-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

My morning kicked off with marketing lecture about different ways of data gathering and quantitative analysis, and then a guest speaker from Marketech (I think that's the right link) gave an informative presentation of the step-by-step process of a marketing consulting project. Braved the torrential downpour to run some errands...bank, post office, tailoring pick-up...ooh and pasta carbonara for dinner, finally, after Mad Science decal. I feel like I can still be better at making friends in that class...one especially........but for now I think I'll stick to keeping my smile quotient up and leave it at that.

Oh and I watched this today...I'm not that into foreign films but it seems like I finally have to patience for a few lately...for a 2hr+ movie it was definitely well-paced and didn't feel like a chore. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the lead actress (who was also in Valkyrie...side note, this movie shares about 90% of it principal cast with said film) is ridiculously attractive. Rawr rawr rawr.

Song for the Day

2009-02-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

The Lonely Island CD (aka Andy Samberg's Greatest Hits) came out today. Here's my personal favorite:

I predict some glowing reviews: rarely do comic albums actually sound good as music.

New Semester

2009-01-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

...So after about two months on the waiting list, I finally scored the sartorial grail of the year:

Yep, yours truly is now a proud J.Press Patchwork Scarf owner. One caveat: those tassels down at the ends--total shite. I thought my scarf was shedding strings nonstop until I finally realized the knots they were tied in weren't glued or in any way secured, just coming undone as they please. Of course, I'm none too pleased about that, but it's a small hiccup for the great perk of looking fly like the motherChucker himself.

I also ordered the cricket sweater from the last post for Christmas...only to have FedEx fail me by leaving it at the door of my apartment, resulting in its disappearance and a month-long game of tag with FedEx and RL Rugby reps trying to get my money back. As for the Chesterfield coat thing...I decided my two coats from Topman was enough. Maybe another season.

Got most of my tailoring back too...so between here and May it's all about paying off those holiday CC bills...yikes. Apart from that...new roommate, new classes (all Haas...hopefully...no more dancing around semiotics and feminist cultural critiques...), and new focus. Can't complain.

Though my navy blazer's still being worked on, it looks like it's headed for heavy rotation in my wardrobe this spring. RL's S/S show was all back to preppy staples...and for a style rooted in classics, that can only mean one thing:

Lots. and lots. of navy.

This was pretty much the theme for the whole show: navy on the outside, some variation of white with red/blue detailing on the inside. I highly doubt that jacket/sweater vest/shirt combo would function well here on the West Coast though...another reason to value these last couple months of winter chills.

Now, back to marketing/int'l business homework.

Run Neon Tiger, you've got a lot on your mind...

2008-12-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

Finals are a strange time at this university. Yeah, you have to study hardcore to get those A's...but after classes end, it feels like you might as well be on break already. And while myself and everyone I told dreaded the triple-up of exams I had Tuesday, I can honestly say that it was better that way.

Friday the 12th I interviewed for a part-time Research Analyst position right here in town...finally, a chance to test-drive my heavily-altered H&M-made midnight-blue suit of armor. Save for the shoddy mirror...not one missed detail.

Not usually one for live music--most bands' live clips sound like a drunken karaoke version of their album--but the Killers show that same day was probably the most fun I've had in ages. And that's considering the weak seats I probably paid too much for....and the $8 drip of champagne I downed to numb my sciatic pains...point is, what phone-cam photos I did come away with do the place no justice. From the first row to the last, Brandon Flowers made you feel like you were on the stage with him, invincible to the world for those three and a half minutes of a song. Plus I really enjoyed their faux-encore moment--walking off and darkening the stage for about five minutes before coming back out for "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine"--the exact song I was thinking "man, they should've played..." about. Awesome.

Swatch Villainy

2008-12-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

So Quantum of Solace hasn't been getting the kind of love its predecessor received upon its release. Most of the reviews, to my knowledge, have that "good, not great" kind of vibe running through them--something typical to movies that are so hyped and have such a bona-fide pedigree that even if they suck, people just can't bring themselves to hate them.

IMO...the opening scene (but not the intro sequence) was pretty sweet...the indoor rope-swinging in Italy and the overhead shot through the skylight...not to mention Bond's legit shawl-collar cardigan when he visits Mathis, or the topcoat at the end (I'd mention the Tom Ford suits but folks are probably sick of hearing of them by now). But on the other hand, the story's flow just didn't go as smoothly as the first. And while M. Amalric's crutch-less take on the Bond Villain was kind of cool...a balanced sense of outlandishness has always been an integral part of the best ones.

Whatever the movie's misgivings, I thought this merchandise tie-in was particularly interesting. The venerated Swiss watchmaker, Swatch, has released a series of collectible 007 watches; not particularly surprising in itself, since Bond's timepieces have always been objects of envy. Here's the twist: each of these pieces are inspired by one of the key villains from each of the films; some are cartoonish (Baron Samedi's has a super-deformed looking skull on the face), others are a little out of place (I honestly could not figure out what part of Jaws' piece had to do with the character. Other than they both had shiny metal parts).

So, here are a few of the notable examples:

Here's one of the more expensive--and more subtle--examples. As a character, Emilio "No. 2" Largo is definitely part of the classical villains' canon, and his piece does its job of speaking to that while adding a little pizzazz. (see: the SPECTRE logo on one of the dials, the black/white variation referencing his eyepatch and largely b&w wardrobe)

...but if it's Sprezzatura you're going for, you might just be better off with the piece representing The Living Daylights, the first of the two oft-maligned T. Dalton entries. Note: despite what the packaging says, the watch is, in fact, inspired by the film's other bad guy, Joe Don Baker's West Point dropout and militaristic maniac, Brad Whitaker. The character is American, but his lapels sport this very Soviet-esque insignia...which forms the basis of this watch's design.

Now, a word about the chief rep of the series' East Asian nemeses...apart from its admittedly cartoonish moments, Die Another Day did have a lot of fun with the rarely-represented North Korea motif.

Does Zao's piece do him and Col. Moon/Gustav Graves justice? (sidebar: Toby Stephens' smirk throughout this film--heck, anytime he smirks--is the definition of smarmy) Well, for one, I liked where they're going with the thin metal design. However, the "scars" on the bands could've been more jagged, more haggard-looking. But what really stopped me from splurging on this one was the numbers--what is up with the takeout-box mock-Asian typface?? That sh~t belongs on my kung-pow chicken, not collectible semi-expensive watches.

Overall, while the execution wasn't perfect, this was still one of the most satisfying examples of licensed merchandising I've come across in a long time. You've gotta admit, Bond villains don't get enough credit for their coolness...they may have all failed to rule the world, but at least now they can be forever immortalized in plastic and stainless steel for fans like you and I.

RL Love, +random commentary

2008-12-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

I find that inspiration is one of those intangibles that makes me truly happy when I am fortunate enough to happen upon it. Updating this has been rather hit-and-miss after the camera mishap on the Tower of London back in March...and not a lot has been done with the space after I realized I might not be able to carry out my initial vision of a Berkeley Sartorialist model.

But alas, one doesn't necessarily need to create everything posted to blog-space...maybe here and there when the inspiration comes naturally...they simply have to share the colorful images, ideas, or whatever it is that interests them during the course of a day.

I'm glad that it didn't take me any longer to figure out this simple fact.

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Have: Pastel V-Neck Sweater/Dark Denim/Moc combo

So as of my mini end-of-November shopping spree, I've managed to assemble something resembling this splendid getup. It's probably the contrast between top and bottom that really ties it together. Jeremy's (an upscale consignment-ish store that sells surplus stock, samples, other stuff in the same category) had a crazy 50% sale Black Friday weekend...so tons of money was dropped on some outstanding finds.

Anyways, one of said finds was a nice J.Crew v-neck not too unlike the one from RL Rugby above. As for the bottom half, there's a pair of Levi's Capital E Slim Straight-Legs and--an unbelievable eBay find, this one--super-soft Tod's driving moccassins on my shelf, ready to go.

Onto the next wardrobe goals for this F/W season...

Want: Chesterfield Coat, Cricket Sweater

So, really digging the Chesterfield-style topcoat right now...Banana Republic, Brooks Bros., and some other labels has one this season, but it looks like this RL Rugby version really gets the job done. Trim cut, tapered waist, extra pocket, and--naturally--the velvet top collar. (sadly it's also 425 !@%#ing dollars--ouch to the max! Time to save up some cash for the end of the season...)

The cricket sweater thing is a little more within reach, thankfully. Currently I have a little ivory number with green/purple trim, but something a little more somber like this one definitely has the edge in the versatility department.

What can I say; ever since I regained interest in The Great Gatsby and started watching Gossip Girl this summer, I find the classic preppy aesthetic more and more appealing. By that I mean Lisa Birnbach preppy...think J. Press, Brooks Bros., and (to state the obvious) RL, not A&F. No no no.

And apparently...after I started wearing a silk scarf as an ascot last winter..."American Trad" has become one of the fashion buzzwords of the season. To which I say: great, but I'm safe knowing I was there first with the ascot. Just ask Cottrell.

RL Rugby--Great Britain hooded rugby

Not really digging the hood on this one...(hood= -20 maturity pts.) but nevertheless, as usual, the colours of Britannia make for some sweet clothing designs.

Max Niu has been linked to many fine-looking women, but he says his longest relationship is with Coco, his chicken.

2008-12-08T13:33:00.001-08:00

Max Niu has been linked to many fine-looking women, but he says his longest relationship is with Coco, his chicken.

Posted using ShareThis

Something to liven things up...

2008-11-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

Mash-up "Swagga Like Us" music video, complete with onscreen dookie for Kanye and Weezy's related references.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai-5r9I4V1s

Not the official, but still creative and damn funny.

The Thing About Scholars Is...

2008-11-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's only natural to find new ways to critique something rather than new ways of appreciating it once it's been a part of your life for long enough. I'm referring, of course, to the Mass Communications major I had chosen it originally because it allowed me to study visual media and still come out with a more flexible degree than one in film. Bitching about its impracticality is nothing new; what liberal arts field isn't? Still, while we're learning the basis of how public opinion operates, there must be a less cynical approach available.

Never mind that repulsive "symbolic violence" argument that pretty much condoned property destruction as long as it's getting people's attention for the marginalized. Across all of the core courses, there's this mile-wide anti-capitalist streak, bemoaning "corporate oligarchies" that sap our modern media of true democracy and creativity.

Where does scholarly capitalism come from? Sure, a sense of social justice and other idealized beliefs might play a role. But one would venture to guess that of course they would criticize into the ground a system that doesn't work in their favor.

Let's face it: lengthy celebrations of anarchic anti-WTO protesters don't sell. Verbose dress-downs of 1950s pop music doesn't sell. 40-page studies on how this or that demographic is ignored doesn't sell. (well, maybe if it helped market to those poor, marginalized folks.) Ideas sell when they are of use to someone; if they aren't, find a way to make it so they are. So rather than using all that analytical and creative energy to come up with something that does sell, scholar-types perpetuate this narrow mindset by continuing to churn out works that inflate flaws into monstrous injustices.

Get it through your heads, people: socialism doesn't work. At least, without sacrificing to some degree certain freedoms and privileges that have become intrinsic to what we believe this country to be about. Critiques against the inalterable are useful to keep our egos in check, sure. Beyond that, though, what value do they have?

It's time that universities, even public research institutions like this one, put a little usefulness back into their curriculum. Those of us who don't want to be thirtysomething career students would love to be released into the professional world with more than just a head full of Neo-Marxist tracts.

Adventures in Second Person, Pt 2

2008-11-08T00:04:00.000-08:00

The family friends' daughters tease you, and you even get into a few fights here and there. You start becoming that guy, the one whom everyone came to see at lunch with their empty history worksheets. But your real friends, all three of them, are into the Pokemon-Playstation-WWF trifecta. A neighborhood girl makes fun of your "tight-ass pants" at the bus stop. A boy on the bus ridicules your lack of understanding of human procreation. You cry too easily from any making-fun of at school. But at least the teachers understand. Looking back, though, it seems rather ridiculous.

Who knows, give it another couple of years and something might have blossomed. Maybe your friends might have evolved some interest in girls and helped you along. But that's not the way it turned out; periodic downturns happened, and your father, after all, couldn't have worked for the petrol corp forever.

Thus were you displaced. You didn't exactly appreciate the idea, but starting over seemed accceptable enough. But you didn't know where to begin. In your first days, you eat alone, you draw alone. At some point you are photographed with oval glasses and a flattop, alone, which is later published for all to see in the yearbook. Oh, and you start wearing Hawaiian shirts.

Come to think of it, things went relatively well during this time. Sure, you couldn't catch a football to save your life, and your closest friends--despite similar interests of wrestling, videogames, filmmaking, and-ahem-pornography--generally treat you sans respect (though they had nice things to say on birthday cards). But there were girl friends, too. And the novelty of Instant Messaging. Basketball games. Other people's drama (come to think of it...there was a lot of that). Racing for mile times. Karaoke in public.Vans sneakers and an ill-fated attempt at skating. Books read: The Contender, maybe part of Shane, (ooh, The Dark Half three years before!) parts of a novel from the school library explicitly describing virginal sex). Here and there you are confused by flirting attempts such as compliments, physical and otherwise. You're already busy being jealous of other guys. Oh, and school goes pretty well, too.

It was not a good way to go. You pick a bad one to start out with; there is zero reciprocation, in spite of a grand gesture involving a handwritten letter and--oh jesus christ--your father's cologne. (The incident is remembered by one and continues to haunt you for years to come.) This marks the start of a familiar pattern: an interest develops, and you hold on and you never act on it for fear of what will happen. Only after months of wasted opportunities later does it dissapate. You do manage a date for the formal that year, though, via hotmail (natch). You rent a classy tux (surprisingly fitted, w/ mandarin collar), buy a corsage, and your parents pick her up. It's all very classic; nevertheless she leaves you for her friends at the end of the evening.

Somehow, you never learn what it meant to "go out". Did that mean your parents drove you out for a night of mini-golf at Funworks? Did that mean holding hands in the courtyard at lunchtime? You don't take the lead to find out, and, of course, no one stops along the way to clarify. There wasn't much mention of such matters among your friends.

"...The world is your oyster!" One teacher writes in your yearbook. (not the same one you purportedly jinxed to death.) You arrive late at graduation, wearing jean shorts, give a speech. You take a picture with the girl you fancied, which you treasure wistfully for years.

You can't help but notice how goddamn awkward you look trying to perch on her shoulder. There must've been a half foot gap between the two of you.

Adventure in Second Person

2008-11-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

You think back, and wonder.

You think through a haze, peeling back all the layers of the past, unraveling alongside that tangled strand of web, and hoping to spot that sparkle of a dew drop that marks the turning point. What was it like, back in the old country? ...No, it couldn't have happened then. Sure, you got slapped around a few times, mostly for talking back or inappropriate self-discovery, but it was all fine. You were famous among the parents for putting words to paper, and had special tutoring from the art teacher, and got chastised for screwing around in class a few times. You remember a girl with a bob haircut putting you in a chicken wing, but also two others, one with a braid and the other who wore hers in buns, who laughed and chased you through that park with the lake, on the way back to the apartment blocks where you all lived. (Things before this time are kind of hazy, but you remember a latch-key, and snowman-building, and Cracker Jack-like snack with an odd little Japanese prize in it.) It was fine, then.

Then you left it all behind, for California, America. Come to think of it, you never did mail your teacher that postcard of Niagara Falls.

You remember arriving at the new house in a fog; you remember meeting pet dogs for the first time in your life. You remember your youthful incredulity when the folks tell you there's actually a TV channel that plays cartoons all day. So you develop the habit of drawing a villain of each afternoon Fox Kids program, until you're making weekly collages. School's a bit of a change, though. While the other kids do their worksheets, they give you a piece of paper to draw on, since you can't read the words, yet. (Years later you would go on to become the top of the English class, four years straight.) They gawk a little at your pink tracksuit, but somehow you get along okay. There's a cute blond girl, whom you fancy, but as fate would have it a car accident sweeps her away before the year's up.

English comes easier to you after a summer computer class. Steadily you develop a reputation; schoolwork's down pat, no acting up, and you're so quietly composed, so mature, that your parents have no trouble taking you anywhere. In fifth grade there's an instance when you melodramatically compose a handwritten note to what you thought was a romantic rival in jealousy. In some perplexing way that's been lost to time, it's read as hate speech, and you receive a demerit for the first time in a long time. It wasn't much, but it was the worst they could do for your record in fifth grade; frantic, you show up to your music class in tears.

Little did you know, it was the last time you would be honest of your own accord for years to come.

TBC

Can you even decide?

2008-11-04T16:37:00.001-08:00

As I am not a US citizen (but nevertheless a bona-fide, legal immigrant with a green card), I've carried a certain sense of smugness about being uninvolved with civic participation these last few years. There's a mild sense of amusement in feeling above the fray, beyond the reach of the frenzy that's swept up so many of the other college-brats, making them fawn at the every word of a certain junior senator from Illinois, whose face is plastered in gawdy neon colors on the oversized t-shirts of hip-hop types, while sneering with contempt at the very image of the septugenarian Vietnam vet and his pet Alaska governor.

I quite enjoy the feeling, but I think I'm still going to do the citizenship thing for the travelling priviledges.

But here's a conclusion I've come to for a while now: there is no ideal to be found in democracy, or free choice in and of itself. Going further, there is little sense in egalitarian principles being the fundamenal goal of society.

Actually, the latter is a little easier to explain: unless you subscribe to the anarchist philosophy of no governance, a society based on rational-legal principles necessarily involve control, and any form of control is, in some sense, an inequity. While there is some sense of secular morality in humans, laws nevertheless must be backed by the threat of coercion in order to have meaning. All this social-science whining about classes, races, various viewpoints not being heard...doesn't amount to anything. Real life is simpler than theories. You either play the game and get what you want, or you suck it up and accept your place as is.

Possibly more distasteful is this free-choice thing, of doing what feels right for you. Too much choice only serves to confuse, not liberate. Just think of the electorate: there is so much information available out there, so many perspectives, that it's doubtful that anyone has made their choice today with the full range of considerations. Even if a person went out and did the research, there are still long-term, indirect effects of every decision, every policy, that are immune to prediction. Meanwhile, even a partial look at your home page headlines will turn up a study that says one thing today, and another contrasting it tomorrow. Experiments, surveys, other instruments of social-science study only tell us anything about the population involved therein, no more and no less.

At this point...all we really have is our youth. And what should we do with it but be pleasant to everyone; that is, indifferent to everyone.

(More) Reasons to be rich in the next five decades

2008-11-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

The twentysomething bunch doesn't have a whole lot to look forward to these days. Sure, civic participation is at a very visible high, thanks to the charisma of our pop-culture presidential nominee. But the sinking economy makes it a terrible time to be freshly graduated from college with little meaningful work experience and a general lack of purpose about our existence. (As I found out firsthand today when my sole interview thus far this season was canceled due to a "change in the hiring schedule"--read: we don't have the cash this quarter to pay new employees)

Oh, the joys of the twenty-first century miasma of perpetual existential crisis. :D

If nothing else, perhaps our lifetime will be the one during which we move into the sci-fi age that nerddom has pined for.

TIME's "Best Inventions of the Year"

Among the most Asimov-esque of the contenders:

the Tesla Roadster (the first electric sports car)
Dubai's Dynamic Tower (the first moving skyscraper)

bionic contacts (which projects a floating display over the wearer's vision--did someone say Terminator status?)

the Aptera Electric Car (which looks like it'd popped out of one of Japan's Super Sentai TV shows)
Baddest of all, the Peraves MonoTracer, which is a little Swiss ditty that essentially amounts to a motorbike with a sleek, minimalist enclosure. This is probably the only way I would ever get on any motorcycle.

It goes without saying, though, that should any of these things make it past the conceptual/model stage into actual production--which I'm guessing is going to take the better part of the decade at least--they'll be so exorbitantly expensive that only the top tier of the population holding the majority of the country's increasingly disparate income will be able to get ahold of them.

So for those of you who are still struggling with the classical dilemma of choosing between that which will bring you more income or that will fulfill your vague idea of spirit/goodness...the choice is pretty clear.

Fall 08 Kicks Off

2008-09-23T23:38:00.001-07:00

Probably no surprise that yes, I've been slacking on this project in these past months. I suppose things lose their novelty after a while...but to tide things over, here are a couple of shots from a recent launch party for BARE, UCB's fashion quarterly. Quite the hot show.

Out of respect for the photographer--and capitulating to my egoism--I opted only to jack the ones featuring yours truly in the shot.

A small summertime obsession

2008-07-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I had all these elaborate goals set out for my three months or so of free time this summer...and then I discovered Gossip Girl. Then to make things worse, I gave Sex and the City a try, months after I'd brushed off Katie's recommendation on account that it was just too much estrogen.

Now I'm stuck with an hdd full of more films and shows than I knew what to do with...I should really have someone come share them with me. Oh wait, no decent speakers. Damn.

Lastly, before anyone else thinks of this, Chuck Bass is the anti-Seth Cohen. Not only is he also quick with a quip, he's--unlike Seth--ever the fearless libertine. Of course, there's this "soft side" to balance things out. Come to think of it, Sebastian (Ryan Phillipe) from Cruel Intentions is most definitely an inspiration. Dandy appreciation yay!

UC Berkeley F.A.S.T. Spring 08 Show, Pt 1

2008-05-04T23:34:00.001-07:00

This weekend, I had the infrequent opportunity to see a student-designers' showcase right in the campus ballroom--no need to go out hunting for shots.

Sadly, my camera was pretty fail for much of the show due to shutter speed/lighting. Some highlights:

Possibly more to come once I've resized them to web-propriate resolutions.

...Sproul Plaza, Cordovan Shoes/Jacket

2008-04-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

MacGuyver...can't tell me nothin.

2008-04-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

Haven't felt much inspired since last weekend...okay, that's a lie, I've seen a couple of shoot-worthy outfits but always happened to be on my way somewhere and didn't make a decision fast enough.

Anyhow, this morning, I leave my booth at work for a leak, and come back realizing I'd locked myself out. Normally a card is sufficient; however, due to my no-items-in-pants-pocket-ethic (it saves your silhouette, and probably helps your pants last longer), I had nothing on me: no radio, no phone, no wallet, fuck-all. But then, I take off the plastic name tag off me work jacket, and a couple wiggles later, I was in like Flint. Smashing.

Soon as I get this UHS article and some of the Mass Comm paper out of my way, I'll go on another shoot. Keep posted.

Pre-Cal Day & Westfield

2008-04-14T00:43:00.001-07:00

My ______________Nights

2008-04-14T00:41:00.000-07:00

Inaugural Post

2008-04-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

It seems to be some unspoken law in London that every man had a form-fitting three-quarters coat like the gentleman in the foreground. Also note the khaki jacket + yellow bag in the back. Hey, it works.

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Ooh, so a statement of purpose is appropriate: Yes, you shall find the typical random thoughts aplenty. However, I shall also [hopefully] be documenting the good everyday people of Berkeley/whereever else I happen to be who have a unique fashion sense...with a trusty Sony Cybershot. Hey, don't hate just because I don't have D-SLR. So in other words, don't be too freaked out if a good-looking stranger asks to take a snapshot.

And yes, I would more than happy to Photoshop out your acne scars.

P.S. This layout, fyi, really reminds me of Entourage.