ROUGH SLEEPER

Over the years, I've noticed that people associate me less and less with music. The more I brand with the sartorial elements of fashion - the apparel trends, the kitschy fads, the visual tropes of a young adult acquainted with classic fashion themes - the less attention people pay to my parallel interests. Fashion is more than "clothes"; it's the rhythm of politically relevant aesthetics. The music you listen to, spaces you occupy, slang you use, literature you read, and even foods you eat are mired in a web of changing cultural preferences. Basically, what you consume reflects your attitude at large. But people seem to forget that "fashion presences" can (and do) accessorize with more than just Stella McCartney clutch purses and lucite stiletto heels. Instagram photos of boxed macarons, tweets about hitting the gym, embedded YouTube links to dance music mp3s are all accessories, manifested through social networks, but representing facets of pop culture that are just as indicative of lifestyle as are actual garments. People seem to forget that 'aesthetics' exist in tandem. So if you relate to someone's style, there's a good chance you'll likewise relate to their preferences in music, film, and literature. 

I don't want to be associated less with music just because my blog is fashion-focused. So I'm naming this look after one of my favorite electronic tracks from 2012 to give you a little hint about my taste in music. But I'm not satisfied proffering my own recommendations - I want to hear yours, too. If you relate to my style, or at least admire it from a distance, you might likewise relate to my preferences beyond the scope of 'personal style' and have some music recommendations to make of your own. So tell me what you're listening to! What's your favorite track or album? Of all-time? Of 2012? Of 2013 so far?

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:

Snapback - YES STYLE

Cage collar - ROMWE

"Locomotive Leather Jacket" - WENDYBOX

Chiffon dress - YES STYLE

Blouse underneath - SUGARLIPS

Sneaker wedges - American Eagle

So, a couple things here on the topic of CLOTHES: I'm wearing a detachable collar that I can only describe as a sort of bondage-inspired cage thing with straps crossing over my leather bodice and creating a business-not-so-casual one-piece partnership with my chiffon dress. I'll give you a minute to mull that one over. My second cool "garment hack" (i.e. clever way to create a new dimension without actually sewing or altering a single clothing item) is tying a black and white Sugarlips blouse around my waist underneath my dress. You can't see the knot, so it just looks like a fabric extension of the dress on top. But it isn't!! HOW EXCITING FOR ME WHEN I FEEL LIKE I'M TRICKING PEOPLE!

Anyway. This post in a nutshell: talk to me about music and hack your wardrobe. Peace.

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

J'AWWDORE

Today I'm debuting a peice from Awwdore, an online retailer that specializes in retro-inspired apparel (and offers free worldwide shipping, which any vetted online shopper knows is a luxury). I don't normally wear white because its sterile, absent hue and unforgiving purity make me nervous... and supposedly it's not a slimming color. (Jk.) But this look actually couldn't have coalesced more beautifully than in monochrome. The subtle, flowery flourishes on the top's chiffon sleeves afford my top half just enough warmth to escape uniform austerity. Which definitely appeals to me... but not today. Today I invite romance. And nothing says romance quite like a fur vest and floral print.



FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Sunglasses - 80s Purple
Faux fur vest - BOOHOO
"Love Floral Puffs Blouse" - AWWDORE
White blouse skirt - Sugarlips
Wedges - Nine West

I'm not actually wearing a skirt -- it's my Sugarlips "Venetian Concierto blouse" wound twice around my waist! Since the top features an (unfortunately titled) 'pussybow' ribbon, I tied the sleeves around my waist once and fastened a bow with the ribbon over my hips, creating two neat little knots that look like a draping skirt. If you can't afford to shop for a staple piece -- get creative with what you already have! More often that not, altering your wardrobe won't involve even a stitch of sewing. 

Also, I realize that this outfit fundamentally represents something completely opposite of who I am or how I actually behave. It's neat, it's clean, it's pure in its ivory monochrome and romantic with its floral accents. Ironically, I'm messy and reckless, I rarely brush my hair and haven't touched up my dark roots in months, I sin more than once in a blue moon and I'm cynical to the core. But I read Victor Hugo's poetry to sort of... mellow out the corrosive spirit 'within'. And an all-white ensemble helps, too. Maybe the most honest element of this outfit is the fact that I have only have one acrylic nail still intact. The rest must have fallen off while I was arm-wrestling kitchen staff at the country club.

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

HIBITCHSCUS

Yessss, I did just go there. Named this look Hibitchscus. Something I've always wanted to do -- curse on my own blog in a clever way and maybe almost get away with being stealthy about it but then point it out really obviously like right now. This look aggregates a whole bunch of staple concepts I've been repping hard the past couple seasons: metallic threads, chunky chains, an especially tactile snapback, and tropical print, which sort of monopolizes my present list of obsessions. No exaggeration either -- I own a shift dress made of the exact same black and pink Hibiscus fabric on my bomber jacket. I've seen it on a million different wholesale websites and it makes me wonder how this whole "fast fashion" shindig works. Does one textile manufacturer "invent" a print and re-sell it to a garment manufacturer who turns it into an awesome bomber jacket and re-sells it to a wholesale retailer who sells it to me? Is it really that easy? Seems so not glamorous. Doesn't anyone get to snort coke off a Japanese architecture coffee table book at a loft in Berlin at some point during this process? Sad.



FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Snapback - ROMWE
Square frames - Claire's
Hibiscus bomber - YES STYLE
Metallic tank - ROMWE
Velvet leggings - ROMWE
Studded boots - TUSC BOUTIQUE
Studded bag - THIS IS TRANSITION

Clearly I'm still riding out the .png decoration "wave". It's just that... photos without decals feel boring and naked. Uploading and editing them is too easy. Give me something to do! Make me turn a hibiscus cartoon into a transparent file I can drag and drop onto an oversize .jpeg of me doing a subtle duckface! Put me to work!!

I'm not sure where the 'tropical swag' look stands in the trend scheme this year. I went hard with Polynesian themes last September, the color turquoise, vacation motifs, and Hawaii. But that was before the look took off in department stores like Macy's and Forever 21. Has "Shaka" since been stripped of its unspoken novelty? Weirdly, I don't know and I don't care. This Hibiscus bomber looks tight as shit. And turquoise gives my hair an indigo sheen. So I'm gonna wear what I like regardless of its prevalence on mannequins in the junior's department at Nordstrom.

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

SPACE_WEDGE

As I’m typing this, I’m somewhere else. I think it might be “Heaven”, as that’s what my gradient, cloud-print leggings are appropriately named after. Like my outfit, this “world” I presently occupy is pastel and sweet, like mint sherbet, but also futuristic and… hyperspatial, like listening to trance music blindfolded in a 47 degree marble arena on a Saturday morning. Fortunately the visual elements of my outfit are easier to describe than the nuances of that sensation. And they’re imitable, too. So, potentially, you could look just as pastel and hyperspatial if you visited Poprageous.com, hooked yourself up with a pair of “Heaven Suspender” leggings, and paired them with a mint sweater and metallic snapback.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:

Snapback – Buffalo Exchange

Sunglasses – Vintage

Faux fur vest – Boohoo

Acid wash vest – Secondhand

Mint deer sweater – ROMWE

“Heaven Suspender” leggings – POPRAGEOUS

"Space Wedge Sneakers" – Daily Look

While I'm writing blog posts, I always find myself tempted to gush about how some certain article of clothing (in this case: hidden wedges) "epitomizes" my present “essence” because I like it so much. But really, what is it about perforated white leather sneakers with metallic Velcro straps that describes me at my core? Nothing, actually. I simply recognize that these shoes are... extremely tight. And trendy. And riding the 'tight' and 'trendy' coattails of my shoes affords my being some sense of style. I think this is what they call "branding." Cool shoes make me cool. If I am able to recognize that these spacey sneaks are "du jour", I must have a pretty keen head on my shoulders. And just like I can make these logical deductions about myself, I can make them about people around me. That's why 'cool clothing' is usually a social clue used to foster friendships and communities. People brand themselves with certain apparel because they are attracted to the lifestyle that " the look" represents. 

But anyway. What ultimately matters is the WEDGE SNEAKER, more specifically titled the "SPACE WEDGE SNEAKER" (yes CAPS are necessary, have you seen these beauties up close?) They’re for sale on Daily Look, among a handful of other badass kicks that I likewise need to get my hands on and feet into... check out the site right hurr.

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

BOTANICASUAL

Look at me, all jumping on the botanical trend and whatnot. I can't help it -- this is one of those rare instances in which I feel like the puppeteers of mass culture got it right (not really but I don't feel like being contrarian today because I'm two glasses of wine deep and maybe that's also why I chose to use the word 'contrarian' and not just 'critical' or 'annoying'). The sleeves on this sweatshirt feature one of fashion 2013's many crests -- an homage to gardenia, botany, plant glamour. I'm especially fond of this earthy-athleticism juxtaposition. Leafy sleeves on an otherwise classic gray sweatshirt. The fern-meets-fitness concept kinda got me in the "out of context photoshop" mood so I superimposed some plant .pngs on that mess and called it a day. #botanicool



FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Spiked snapback - OASAP
Black blouse - ROMWE
Botanical sweatshirt - ROMWE
Turquoise velvet leggings - ROMWE
Lace-up boots - YES STYLE
Backpack - YES STYLE

If you haven't noticed, I've been wearing pants almost exclusively since December. I don't know when or why it happened, but I find it increasingly difficult to will myself into a skirt or dress that bares my legs. Nope, has nothing to do with the weather -- I guarantee that come April I'll still be stupefied into pant oblivion despite three-digit temperatures. I think it might have to do with the fact that for a while I only hung out with heteronormative guys and their style started to rub off on me. Yes Style has been my primary source for pants of every variety this winter -- cropped sweats, dress slacks, lace-up trousers, harem pants, joggers with chiffon and mesh overlay, the list goes on. I recommend their ready-to-ship selection (here) and, no, I don't get paid to say that. For prints, patterns, paintings-gone-textile, and crushed velvet galore, there's also Romwe's legging selection. The ones I'm wearing here go for only $25 and are an obvious best-seller. 

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

CITRUS RAVER

You might wanna throw some shades on before scrolling down because things are about to get NEON up in here. Citrus brights. Limelight. Straight up rainbow striped leopard print leggings and spiked metallic shoulders. Guess you could say my outfit inspo was literally a watermelon on acid? Elaborate array of bindis because my trip brought me closer to The Oneness and I'm all about my Ajna chakra now. Or something.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:

Beanie - Dollar store

Spiked sweater / tank - ROMWE
Rainbow chain - CHICWISH

Rainbow leggings - NATURAL COLOUR

Hellbounds - UNIF / SOLESTRUCK
Transparent purse - Claire's

There's only one drawback to dressing like this and it's the INSANE amount of (wasted) time spent acknowledging other people's comments and questions. Yeah yeah yeah I dress like this everyday, no I have never been to EDC, ya I've listened to the Bangarang EP a solid thirty times myself and wait a min did you just say "Tiesto" or "techno"???? Either way where is the nearest exit actually that's a rhetorical question lol see ya.

I realize that in recent months I've sort of "toned down" my style, opting for minimalist silhouettes, sparse accessories, and approachable concepts instead of the signature bohemian craziness that I've (up until this point) been known for. I believe that change is a necessary element to style, and that if somebody resists an aesthetic evolution, they're being cowardly and conservative. BUT, I also believe that changing in a way that symbolizes surrender or regression is even more cowardly and conservative. Maybe I "toned down" my style to avoid being the awkward center of attention at a time when I really just wanted to be alone with my depression. The good news is that I'm phasing out of that sadness (or at least brainwashing myself to believe that I am with cliches about the intoxicating Spring's healing properties) and am looking forward to dressing like a glittering technicolor kiwi more often. Bravery and fear can be very easily reflected through one's clothing choices, and fear is never in style. Chaos is jewelry... layering it on means you're in control and can handle "crazy." 

Happy Spring!

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

FADE TO BLUE

I put this look together a loooong while ago and only recently got around to wearing it. Some of you might already be familiar with my compartmentalized outfit system where I create a hundred some piles of coordinated garments and stack them up on my 'mobile wardrobe'. Throughout the week, or month, or series of months, depending on how many outfits I've shelved, I select a look from the racks according to whichever suits my 'emotional fancy' that day. A lot of accessorizing and tweaking goes into the outfit once it's been selected, too. I feel like I still owe it to myself to personalize an already personalized ensemble since my tastes evolve daily. The more information I consume, the more my perspective changes. And with a changed perspective comes a changed palette, which is reflected through the clothes I wear, words I use, people with whom I choose to surround myself, etc. you know the rest. Some people resist change, or refuse to let the things they know influence the way they sartorially self-represent. I believe that fashion poses an unparalleled opportunity to comment on the present world, and dressing in a conservative or unchanging style is a gesture of resistance to relevant commentary. It is a manifestation of stubborn ignorance. It isn't progressive. I can't say that everyone should value progression, or even branding with progression on a material level, but if you do and want to make your value visually evident, change your look in tandem with trends. Constantly.

This look came together in November of 2012, back when I was still influenced by a mystical, monochrome vibe. But I didn't end up putting on the outfit or photographing it until a few weeks ago. I still "like" the look (I think the idea is well-executed and it's pleasant and comfortable), but I recognize that it is no longer relevant to me or my life. Instead of homages to mystic, gypsy themes, I've recently found myself drawn to hyper-futuristic aesthetics in stark white and black. But there's room for outfits in between - outfits that don't exist to prove a point, to represent the cultural climate, to do anything except look good and shallow in their draping satin grandeur. The irony is that my acceptance of "the in between" could be visually likened to a gradient. To ombre. To dip dye. To what I'm actually already wearing. So even in my attempts to celebrate 'stylistic nothingness', small details like the fading blue pattern on my tee paradoxically reference a topical attitude, thus destroying my initial assumption that the motifs mean nothing. Such is "the text". Jk. Kinda.

As you can see, being a fashion blogger is so intellectually depriving that I'm now analyzing my own completely meaningless outfits from a critical lens. Looking forward to your comments about how you love the [something material] and will I follow your blog back because you're hosting a giveaway this week please and thank you? Bitch mode is ON. And I'm confident that I can get away with this level of unbridled snark because maybe only four or five of you read the text portion of my blog. I KNOW THESE THINGS. Hi.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:

Beanie - 99 Cent Store

Circle scarf - c/o American Apparel

Satin robe - Secondhand

Gradient top - ROMWE

Crushed velvet leggings - TOXIC CODEINE 

Conquer booties - Pink & Pepper

You might remember the last time I wore a velvet piece from Toxic Codeine - the look was "Studs To Boot" and I paired a TC bodycon mini with a cropped tank for a unique summer silhouette. If you're down for the studded goth, plaid, and leather look, Toxic Codeine might be ya steez.

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva