Covergirl Kara in a warm white jacket and fur hat.
Winter 2009
- A Word from the Editor. Dawson Ko.
- The 3 Budget Commandments for Winter 2009. Stephanie Lau.
- The 'R' Word. Erin Lam.
- Winter Wonderland? Kara.
- Wonderful Winter Wardrobe 2009. Tina Nguyen.
- Fashionable Winter Days Gallery.
- Homebrew: Local Fashion for the Guys. Melinda Seeto.
- Winter Headjob: A Real Man's Guide to Fronting the Freeze Head First. Mike Huynh.
- School Uniforms. An Exposé. (part 2). Dawson Ko.
- End Credits.
Winter Wonderland?
Kara outside the famed Aspen Prada store.
I hope we're not depressing you with all the doom & gloom of winter and financial woes. So here is Kara model-writer-tour guide, painting the glorious picture of the light at the end of the financial downturn tunnel, when it all blows over!!!
Winter Wonderland? For some of us, the idea seems pretty far fetched as we reluctantly bury away our dresses, T-shirts and swimmers into the back of our wardrobe. However, in a far away land, there lives a town that waits with anticipation for the first snowflake to drop. For this sleepy little town, winter brings a promise of the newest fashions, the latest in snow sports and competitions, some of the most talented skiers and boarders from all over the world, the hottest movie stars and of course the most lavish and outrageous parties that any Aussie would be amazed to see! So where is this magical far away land? Aspen of course! And during the warm summer while you guys all chucked on your boardies and bikinis, your covergirl here grabbed her rather heavy pair of skies and took three planes to eventually land in this winter wonderland.
Aspen is in Colorado, in the United States (Google it people!), about five hours out of the huge transport hub of Denver. It began as a tiny little mining town in 1879 and believe it or not almost died out before skiing was discovered. From there on, Aspen has exploded into a winter theme park for the rich and famous. Movie stars such as Hilary Duff and Mischa Barton have travelled far across the lands (in their private jets of course) to reach this mysterious and advantageous town. In between the beautiful, magnificent mountains that can only be seen in the wilderness of Colorado, this town has many tales and stories to tell.
It has everything any vacationer could ever ask for. Parties, art museums, history museums, ice skating, shopping, restaurants, bars, clubs, huskies, nature walks…the list could go on forever. Oh and did I mention the four separate mountains to choose from to ski and board your heart out. Buttermilk, Snow mass, Aspen mountain and last but definitely not least Aspen Highlands, which is home to the famous Aspen Highlands Bowl. And believe it or not, I finally built up the courage to hike up the bowl (huffing and puffing all the way) and take the mind-blowing ski down.
But enough about that lets get down to business. Fashion business that is. You will be happy to know as I waltzed around the town with my Paradise cookies in one hand, surrounded by trees covered in twinkle lights, I did come across every label a guy or girl could ever ask for. Prada, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Dolce and Gabbana and of course Louis Vuitton, were just a few friends that accompanied me on that cold afternoon stroll, and suddenly I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. And yes of course if I actually shopped at any of these stores I would probably break my budget, several million times over, but hey the shops are pretty to look at, or should I say drool over!
And believe it or not, that's pretty much one of the main purposes of the stores in Aspen. I would always stroll past good old Louis to see if any outrageously wealthy people were deciding on a new $1000 wallet and never seem to see anyone in the actual store. So I investigated further, that is I asked a local, who had the one theory that the placement of the shops were not to in fact distribute the fashion but display it. That's right, the stores were specifically placed in Aspen as a marketing strategy to promote the clothes, not sell them. Shocking I know!
So I know your thinking, well if they don't shop in the stores then what do the people of Aspen wear? Well just because they don't always shop in the label stores, don't think you won't spot every label you know walking around town. The socialites and non-skiers, who spend their days shopping and lunching, walk around in fabulous outfits which range from fur coats to high heeled boots in the snow! Not to mention the Paris-Hilton-like miniature dogs, and matching dog carrier bag to match. Did I note that some also go all the way with cowboy hats?
Kara taking some time-out from skiing Aspen, to show you her ski wear.
However, with every town there is a whole range of fashion. And if you happen to be one of the many, many ski bums of Aspen, who live and breathe on the mountain and would never be found lunching in heels then your fashion would be quite different. But once again it depends on the kind of skier you are. For me I believe there are three types:
1. Ski bum - the ski bum could not care less about what he wears on the mountain, let alone who sees them. The only thing that matters is getting first tracks in the morning after that fresh dump of powder over night. Fashion items = skis/board. What else matters?
2. The in-between - the in between is a bit of both. Loves to ski but doesn't mind looking good while doing it. Fashion items: skis/boards and maybe one current trendy item, such as the latest Oakley ski goggles.
3. Image kings and queens - image, image, image. Doesn't matter where they ski as long as they are wearing the latest and trendiest gear and looking good while sliding down the slopes. Their fashion items may include: the latest aGiro helmet, the newest Northface Jacket and the most rad Rossignol ski you have ever seen.
So boys and girls, which one are you??? Don't know? Well why don't you find out? The cold weather is finally upon us and the first snowflakes have fallen, so get off your butts and discover the winter wonderlands of Australia. You might even start a new fashion trend and create a fourth type of skier.
See you on the slopes!
CG (covergirl) xx
Learning from the professionals.
Wonderful Winter Wardrobe 2009
Do you grown and moan when winter kicks around each year? Tina Nguyen will change your mind by pointing out the advantages of winter and its fashion.
How do I know it's winter in our fair city? Let me count the ways. I have dug out my beloved Ugg boots from their yearly storage spot. I wrap my hands around my second cup of lovely piping hot tea each night and I finish off every outfit each day with a scarf or shawl. Despite the obvious difference in the hotter season and winter, I have always chosen to look to the fashion advantages of the coldest season. I feel there is more scope to take it up a notch in terms of fashion in winter as opposed to summer. Imagine this- black opaque tights donned sexy legs in chunky black leather ankle boots with fat heels and buckles riding up the sides, under a fitted high waisted mini skirt with a oversized soft cotton T shirt and tailored tuxedo leather jacket with sculptured shoulders. Don't forget a woollen knitted scarf, artfully curled once or twice around your neck and if it is really cold, a little fedora hat dumped carelessly on your head. One would be a walking Russh ad. Can you imagine if you tried this outfit in a Sydney summer? Not a chance. Hence sometimes I feel our neighbours south of the border, namely the Melbournians, can come across as more stylish dressers. But before I cause an uproar from Sydneysiders and add more fuel to our quiet state rivalry, perhaps they are more stylish as their awful weather forces them to be. Just a thought.
What trend I am adding to my wardrobe without too much guilt over the GFC? Well besides every item I mentioned in our little winter day dream outfit before? No, seriously my most prized winter purchase, thus far. are my over the knee black leather boots. Boots are a girl's best friend when it is cold. This winter, we see the length is gravitating away from high knee and either floating around your ankles or riding up above to knee to even thigh high. To be worn with skin tight jeans or leggings. My favourite is to wear back with your summer ripped shorts or your little mini- this will prolong their lifespan well into the cold. One could argue you're saving money by buying thigh high boots. My accountant doesn't buy my justification. I shrug my fashion shoulders. For boots, try Zomp on Oxford St, Paddington, David Jones in Pitt St Mall, Level 6 or I used to call it Shoe Heaven or www.andreaandjoen.com.
This is why they are professional models! And why we hold down day jobs. *nods*
Next, leather jackets, leather jackets and leather jackets. We're seeing the cropped black biker, studded, zipped jackets from last winter. So drag them out. Coloured leather has been popping up in various high end fashion houses. I personally love this mini trend as the cold seems to make everyone a soldier of the Black Army. All the chain stores has their own version of the leather jacket. If you're wanting something a different, try Cream on King St - Newtown. They have a great selection of leather jackets created of reworked leather but with new lining and trimmings. Thus producing the best of both vintage & new. Note they have both girls and guys' jackets as I have dragged my BBFF (Boy Bestie) there to purchase one of them. Be cautious when wearing a leather jacket with leather thigh high boots. That's a whole lotta leather loving.
Another definite wardrobe addition for me would be leggings. These can be worn under your Summer Dresses, shirts or by their lonesome with loose singlets, Tshirts and the pieces mentioned in the last two paragraphs. Furthermore, this certainly does not have to break the budget. Again, all the chain stores have a million and one styles, in too many to choose from fabrics and prints. Supre does an extensive range. They have their copy version of the ever so successful Sass and Bide's Black Rats Leggings. So successful, they're around this season again in more colours and fabrics. So try their store in the Ivy building on George St or in their online store www.sassandbide.com. Supre is located at a shopping centre near you or in the old Gowings Building on George St. Or one can try www.estile.com - their recent Woodford & Co designer sale had leggings being sold for 50% of their RRP. For those not in the know and wanting a fashionable bargain. Estile is an exclusive designer sale site. Providing the mere mortals who cannot or will not battle the queues to get to those elusive warehouse sales to gain access to high end Australian labels for bargain basement prices. Worth checking out kids. This site is one of a few similar sites popping up on our online landscape.
Tina Nguyen