Summer Time Hippies

"The best way to dress LIKE a hippie is to just plain BE a hippie."

There is no point in me teaching how to dress like a hippie. It either comes to you naturally or you end up looking like a fake.

And if your goal is to be a hippie then you should want to do the following:

#1. Take life they way it leads you and just go with the flow.

#2. Protest against injustice and cruelty.

#3. Let your heart be free to love whomever it wants to love.

#4. Make love like there is no tomorrow. (Seriously, you could get hit by a truck and bleed to death today.)

#5. Dress casually and comfortably, while simultaneously looking freaking awesome.

#6. Make a list of evil doers, go to their houses and then toilet paper their yards. Cause hippies follow the non-violent approach.

#7. Make a blog extolling the virtues of community living (aka communes).

#8. Start a neighbourhood garden.

#9. Experiment by wearing your mother's or grandmother's clothing from the 1960s - 1970s.

#10. Swim baby, swim!









Oh to be young, beautiful and free...

What to wear on a hot windy day

Knowing what to wear on a hot day that is also windy can be a challenge. The following is my list of recommendations:

#1. A knitted hat or knitted hair net.

Why? Because it will keep your hair from flying all over the place, its stylish, not uncomfortably hot, and unlike broad brim hats it won't fly away in the gusts.

I would argue it even looks good on men. (Muslim wear a Kufi hat that is basically a knitted hair net.)

#2. Loose fitting shirt or blouse.

Depending on how hot it is you might even want to go topless (cause hey, its Canada and its legal), but going topless isn't FASHION (unless you count tattoos...) so instead I am recommending the loose fitting shirt.

Some of you might even want to go RETRO and get an 80s style tank top, but that is really your choice.

I am however going to recommend that the shirt be so loose that you can pull it over one shoulder and leave one shoulder exposed. Why? Because it was hot in the 1980s and its still freaking hot today.

In the wind a loose shirt will blow around a lot, but at least it will have a cooling effect on you.

#3. Shorts or Mini Skirt

Or even a Skort. It doesn't really matter. I try to find something with lots of tiny pockets because you can never have too many pockets in your shorts.

The shorts shown here are from Ralph Lauren.

#4. Sandals

I hate sandals. They hurt my feet. But they're still better than going barefoot in the summer. (And again, this is a fashion blog.)

My advice is to BORROW sandals from friends and try to find a pair you like that don't hurt your feet. Trying sandals on in a store you won't really know whether they hurt your feet unless you walk a proverbial mile in them.

It doesn't really matter what brand the sandals are (but please avoid flip flops and Crocs), comfort should come first when choosing a sandal that is right for you because otherwise they can dig into your feet and hurt. (Its basically the same reason I don't like high heels.)

#5. Sunblock that is sweat resistant. Remember to reapply every 2 or 3 hours.

#6. If traveling through mosquito infested regions I recommend "Muskol" mosquito repellent.

Pop Art Prints clothing from the 1960s

I like 1960s Pop Art and Andy Warhol as much as the next person, but there are certain limits to taste and decency that even I won't stoop to.

A full bodysuit of Andy Warhol's classic faces of Marilyn Monroe may seem like a great idea when you're high on caffeine (and whatever you've been smoking), but chances are likely in 3 months you will regret that decision and never wear it again.

And worse when you're older your teenagers might find it in your closet and wear it, making a complete mockery of you...

Yes the quality of some prints are exceptional, but on a full bodysuit its overdoing it. Get a shirt instead. Maybe a jacket. Don't go for the fully monty.

And while you're at it ask yourself what Marilyn Monroe, remembered for her beauty, elegance, sensuality and unfortunately also for her tragic death... ask yourself what would Marilyn Monroe wear?

Certainly not something like that god-awful thing.

Anorexia and Bulimia: What are they?

Anorexia and Bulimia are two eating disorders frequently visited upon fashion models and people aspiring to look like fashion models.

No doubt you've heard of people who have died or suffered heart attacks due to anorexia or bulimia. Their tiny malnourished heart goes into a cardiac arrest and even if they live they often have permanent damage to their heart.

This is a serious topic and I know you are just dying to go back to reading our regular fashion tips and rants about so-called "business casual", but just follow along a bit longer.

With this blog post we want to get into what Anorexia and Bulimia actually are, just so we can dispel some of the myths and misinformation.

Anorexia literally means "without appetite", but in reality the discomfort caused by this disease is something much more serious, something that goes beyond a simple lack of appetite, as it can cause a revulsion obsessive about food. Rather like a phobia.

In many cases Anorexia produces a state of malnutrition that will eventually lead to death if not treated. Anorexia may result from metabolic changes produced by mental diseases of various kinds, can also manifest in the form of neurosis, and in this case we speak of "anorexia nervousness", also known as "anorexia nervosa".

Today Anorexia occurs mainly in younger women (12 to 55 years), mostly in unmarried girls who develop a fear of fat.

Long ago Anorexia was seen as a disease caused by depression, or as something that came from a behavioral disorder linked to food intake. This is certainly true, but it is now also understood that Anorexia is a real mental disease and it has to be cured with very complex therapies involving psychologists, dietitians, neurologists and even the help of family members and friends.

The disease generally develops from a distorted image of their body that is perceived as inadequate and in constant conditions of overweight. They 'see' fat even when there isn't any fat there.

Anorexia is not easy to prevent as there are many causes that can trigger it, including genetic predisposition or parental conditioning. (ie. a parent keeps telling them not to eat so much or they'll get fat)

Anorexia starts typically with a slimming diet urged on by a problem, maybe real or imaginary, to deal with the feeling of being overweight.

This first attempt to lose weight is then followed by a real obsession with weight control and a fear of obesity, even when it is evident that the victim is progressively starving themselves.

People who suffer from anorexia are never satisfied with their physical appearance, never reach the desired shape and despite all the sacrifices and deprivations, the end result is always the same: disappointment, dissatisfaction and escalating depression.

Bulimia: Literally means "ox hunger".

Bulimia is a pathology which leads to binge eating, the uncontrollable need to ingest large quantities of food, and is then followed by the need to neutralize through behavior directed at preventing weight gain.

There are two commons ways neutralization can manifest itself:

#1. Eating and then obsessive exercise, perhaps even exercise addiction, to immediately shed the extra calories. Exercise addiction is a bit like heroin addiction because it releases a cocktail of chemicals into the body which is highly addictive.

#2. Eating and then "purging" via self-induced vomiting. Purging is the more dangerous of these two.

Binge eating causes feelings of great guilt and therefore the great need to get rid of the food as soon as possible. Purging / self-induced vomiting is seen as the fastest way to remove everything that was ingested as is the frequent use of enemas.

Bulimia first appeared in the late nineteenth century in the form of neurosis, and was often associated with cases of anorexia nervosa. Unlike anorexia which is easily recognizable Bulimia can often go unnoticed as the outward appearance of people do not show obvious changes in weight, because a sufficient amount of food ingested is assimilated by the body anyway during their normal eating habits. How frequently they purge however makes a huge difference.

An early warning sign of Bulimia is bad teeth because of the stomach acid wearing down on the teeth enamel during vomiting.

The factors that contribute to the occurrence of Bulimia are nearly identical to the causes of anorexia: the obsessive concern of weight gain associated with a distorted perception of their physical appearance. Anorexia and Bulimia can sometimes be observed in the same person.

Hopefully by reading this more people will recognize the best way to be thin and attractive is through BALANCED exercise and appetite. Do yoga, go cycling regularly, eat your veggies and live a balanced lifestyle.

Because if you're not balanced then you are heading to one extreme over the other. Being too thin or too fat will kill you, but being a healthy balanced individual with a degree of self-control will make you happier and give you a longer life.

Manly Men: A Lesson in How to Look Masculine

This blog doesn't talk much about male fashion (and lets face it, not many men talk about fashion either).

But starting today I am going to be making a deliberate effort to write more male fashion posts.

The thing about fashion for men is that men want to look a very specific way: MANLY.

That means no frilly shirts, no pink and definitely nothing that makes them look wimpy or effeminate.

Lesson #1. Paul Galvin

Paul Galvin (if you're in North America you've probably never heard of him) is an athlete. One of the world's top soccer players. He is VERY manly. Tattoos et al.

But he is also a male fashion aficionado and has a very good grasp of how to dress manly. Men's fashion would be so much better if more men dressed like Paul Galvin.

What he does is:

A) Wear clothes that fits him. No too baggy shirts for him. Not too tight either. Just tight enough to show off his muscles.

B) Wears clothing that looks good regardless of whether he is hanging out at a bar with friends or planning to go all 007 on a speedboat with terrorists.

C) Wears clothes that is both clean and well made. Nobody will accuse him of dressing like a slob.

Once you grasp the simple ABC principles you are on the way to making your manly wardrobe look good.

Lesson #2. Kevin Smith

This is really more a lesson of what not to do.

Kevin Smith's problem is really an issue of self-confidence, binge eating and trying to cover up his fatty bits.

What happened was many years ago someone made fun of Kevin Smith's weight when he had his shirt off and it traumatized him so much he basically decided he was never going to take his shirt off in front of someone again. (According to Kevin Smith his wife has never even seen him with his shirt off.)

Its more than merely not taking his shirt off he also deliberately wears clothing that is too big for him because he wants to hide his bulk (but in reality I would argue it just makes him look bigger).

Another problem Kevin Smith has is that he dresses too casually. His choice of clothing is almost always slovenly. On rare occasions he does wear a black suit and tie, and that is when he looks his best.

So my advice for men who are overweight? Start thinking BLACK SUITS more often. Yes, it takes more effort for you to get dressed, but the suit does 2 things:

A) All men look better in uniform, regardless of your size.

B) Black is slimming.

If you start wearing black suits more often it will boost your confidence levels, which means less binge eating when you're depressed, which means you will either lose weight or maintain your weight.

Lesson #3. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Nobody will ever accuse Arnold Schwarzenegger of being unmanly. The guy could wear a pink tutu and people would still say his muscles more than make up for the pink.

So how do you achieve this?

A) Daily Exercise, a mixture of cardio and weightlifting. I recommend alternating between the two so the different muscle groups have time to repair. Remember you only achieve muscle bulk by RIPPING muscles. Hence the term "ripped".

B) Healthy Diet, again a matter of constant balance. You want to balance your intake of various foods and cut back on sugar, fat and carbs. Vegetables, meat and milk = good. Skip bread entirely and avoid anything where the 1st or 2nd most common ingredient is glucose/fructose.

After all, you don't think Arnold got so big by eating Twinkies did you? Sugar won't make you muscular, but it will make you fat.

The lesson you must learn from Arnold is that exercise is a lifelong commitment, no matter how old you get or what career you enter.

And having a fit body gives you a fashion advantage and more options.

Top 10 Common Fashion Mistakes

Your sense of fashion and taste includes everything that is in your appearance, not just how well you put your makeup on and style your hair, and not just how expensive is your bag, but also how well you put all these things together... and it will include things you may not have thought of: Like your glasses shape and colour, whether your 1950s hair style matches your 1980s clothes, and all sorts of little mistakes.

Sometimes a tiny flaw can ruin the carefully concocted look you were trying to create. Here is a handy list of common mistakes you can avoid so you won’t let that happen to you again.

When in doubt just avoid wearing anything Courtney Love would wear.

Fashion Mistake #1. Skirt too skimpy.

The skirt should not rise up to mid-thigh when you sit down (unless you like looking slutty or play tennis). If you have to pull it down constantly then maybe it is too short or too tight. Make it a rule of thumb to keep the skirt for daytime attires maximum 1 inch above the knee.

Fashion Mistake #2. Silly, not cute.

Avoid frilly blouses unless you're going to an art gallery or ballet recital. It’s a popular belief that a frilly blouse will make you look feminine and romantic; instead it makes you look unprofessional and frivolous. Choose a blouse in ivory or white – it goes well with everything.

Fashion Mistake #3. Bare legs in winter.

Leave it to chic New Yorkers in "Sex and The City" to show off bare legs when it’s about to snow. Sheer tights will look stylish and keep your assets warm and healthy. Splurge on Wolford tights for a special occasion.

Fashion Mistake #4. Too many accessories.

Keep accessories to a minimum and avoid anything too clunky.

Button or hoop earrings are acceptable for a daytime look. For an evening, make one piece, e.g. chandelier earrings or embellished purse, a key element and keep the rest of accessories neutral. Hang on to simplicity with your watch: no cartoon characters or day-glo details are appropriate, unless it’s a Swatch.

Fashion Mistake #5. Neon, not neutral makeup.

Be clean and look polished. Make-up is a must in professional world, even if you never wear it. Blusher, mascara and clear powder are minimum. Use the foundation to conceal blemishes. The no-makeup look is fine for college, not for grown-up life. Avoid bright shimmery glosses or eye shadows unless you go out.

Fashion Mistake #6. Showing too much skin.

Especially between the low-rise jeans and top. If you absolutely need to show a bit of your belly make sure it’s tan, slender and has a cute little six-pack of muscle showing. No love handles please!

Fashion Mistake #7. Showing dark roots.

Be honest to yourself: you are no Carrie Bradshaw (who looks like a skinny horse) to look chic with black roots and blonde tips; besides, there was a team of hi-end stylists working on the set of "Sex and The City" for hours to make those outgrown roots look appropriate. In real life, dark roots send a clear signal that you are either out of money or out of style.

Fashion Mistake #8. Revealing plain white (or black) bra straps and thongs

Some underwear just looks better inside. No matter how expensive your plain white sports bra is, keep it concealed. Unless, of course, it’s $150 pink Lejaby bra with straps of Belgian lace or bejeweled triangle at the crossing of the thong. Same applies to transparency level of your clothes: wear white or nude bra with white shirts and black/colored bras with black ones, and not vice versa.

Fashion Mistake #9. Wearing trousers or shorts that are too short.

Same problem with too short skirts.

It makes sense to have several pairs of jeans and pants of different length, ones for low heels and ones for higher heels. Wearing too long jeans with casual flat shoes or Uggs result in stained and worn-out hems, and that’s another huge no-no!

Fashion Mistake #10. Looking too casual.

The inventors of Ugg boots could never imagine that the comfiness and anti-stylishness of these lovely creations will inspire millions of girls to wear them with out-of-shape stained track pants, over-sized sweatshirts and messy ponytails. Uggs and ugg-alikes stand out much better if worn with pristine designer jeans, and track pants are just meant to be worn with equally chic running shoes. If you slouch up your fashion style too much then you’ll look plain ridiculous.