† Shooting Star

Got this shirt at POPKILLER in Los Angeles a few years ago. They collab'd with Hot Topic somewhat recently (or Hot Topic just became a stockist?) but I think most, if not all, of those pieces are sold out. I did, however, pay a lot more for it than the $24 the same style is going for on their website. The price of being ahead of trend?

Wearing an off-brand glittery star cardi that I gleaned for $5 at Macy's One Day Sale that went down a few days ago. I felt like a BANDIT with all the awesome stuff I snagged for super cheap. I'd been wanting this Material Girl sequin moto for months but the $69 price tag was too daunting. It is now hanging in my closet and I'm only out $25. Thank you for hooking me up and making me spend all my money, Macy's One Day Sale.

H&M grey maxi skirt and shoes you can't see, so will remain a mystery! Feel free to take guesses. Winner gets... I have no idea, winner might as well name their prize too.

Bonus picture of oversized xray glasses? Why not! (Come at me, Scott Summers. I'll take you down.)

Obsessed: Os Accessories

BONETIE, $39

Os, a street accessory brand by AJ Omandac and Paul Jatayna, revolves around the versatility of polyurethane bone reproductions as accessories. Raw and edgy, Os produces painstakingly handcrafted necklaces, bracelets, harnesses, and caps that are completely wearable - giving your personal style some teeth.

 Giving your personal style some teeth. Cool, right? I was on board at as early as bone reproductions as accessories, but Lady Gaga taught me that it's always good to flash some teeth too.

Karmaloop just started stocking this brand, which is what brought it to my attention. If kpop and Asian fashion isn't all over this brand already, they're going to be. It's Sex Pot Revenge meets Jeremy Scott, edgy macabre with an almost cartoonish approach.

SPINAL CORD, $217

WORSHIP, $37

CATSKULL, $60

FEATHERFN, $48

LOCHNESS, $217

My favorite piece is the Catskull necklace, but it must be everyone else's too since it sold out. My next favorite is the Lochness harness -- Karmaloop has it styled really cute over here.

There are a few places you can check out more of this collection, and it looks like everybody is rockin' some 20% off. Kloop's page for Os is here, and Os headquarters can be found over herrre. Check out their facebook to show love, and you didn't hear it from me but they've got a code o'er therre for 20% off everything...

What's your favorite piece?

† Macie in Pageantland, Day 1

In January, if you were to give me a list of things I might potentially do in 2013, judging a beauty pageant would be way below sky diving or even starting a one-woman Alice in Chains cover band. (I'll start that band; I will.) Judging a drag queen race, sure. Those are my people. But teenage girls? In tulle? I went through the obligatory phase last year where I watched every episode of Toddlers & Tiaras with my mouth hanging open in horror. I knew what pageants were like.

Okay, no, I didn't really.

A few months ago I got an email from a Miss Teen USA representative, asking if I'd judge the Salt Lake City stop on their sweep around the states. Miss Teen is a derivative of the Trumpster's Miss Universe pageant, sort of like a training program for the big leagues. I laughed and told them I would do it, with a Miranda Priestly character in my mind, all withering stares under dark designer shades.

The event was split into two days: Friday for interviews with the contestants, Saturday for the stage. When Friday rolled around and it was time to meet the group at a downtown hotel, I had no idea what to expect. I teased my hair beauty-queen style, added spikes, and was on my way.
 

The first hour dragged on as they tried to get things organized, (their luggage was lost, etc etc) but once everything was in order the day flew by. I met the other judges, we were briefed, fed, divided into panels, assigned age groups, then sent off to interview our girls.
 

I forgot my baleful sunglasses.

When in Rome. (Take pictures in the bathroom.)

It's official 'cause there's a sign.

The first judges to arrive: intimidating beasts.

Girls signing their life away.

My girls! Lined up! Waiting to be interviewed!

I was assigned "Junior Preteen" and "Preteen" -- incidentally, the biggest group of girls -- with four other judges. We had 6 hours to interview 48 girls between 7 years old and 12 years old.

They. were. so. cute.

Sure, you could tell right away which girls were there because their mom wanted them to be, which girls were really excited about it, and which ones just had no idea how they'd ended up there. We asked about their pets, their families, what they want to be, and they told us about Taylor Swift, mostly. They were adorable and nervous and brimming with enthusiasm and for a moment made me want to give up my life of crime to start a preschool. We asked about their floofy fancy dresses, and I genuinely told them all, "I can't wait to see you on stage tomorrow!"

They only strike when you lower your guard.

The last chair they ever see.

Footnote on drag queens: not to keep talking about drag queens, but. Let's talk about drag queens some more. When did we start giving little girls drag queen names? Browsing our lists of names, we were like, "wow, drag queens would be lucky to land that moniker." I'm talking like, Lasassy Reeves. Mackenzee Grey. Liberty Vigil. Vaneela Cox.

I wish I could say I went home afterwards to get ready for the next day, but I actually went to work, graveyard shift, and tried not to fall asleep.

But my hair was really big.

Sky Ferreira, Bu$y Dayz, & Pageants

I haven't been this excited since Lana Del Rey was featured in H&M's winter campaign last year. For the festival season, Forever 21 has snagged Sky Ferreira as the face of the 2013 Festival Capsule Collection. I love this girl's music, her style, her take on glamour-grunge. The bright colors and prints are a change of pace from her usual style (and mine) but I'm not hating it.

I have a few favorite pieces from the collection (that launches in stores TODAY) like this studded denim baseball cap, bull skull muscle tee, and my most coveted piece -- the studded linen jacket.

You can browse the whole collection here, or just click to see Sky being fierce. Either way.

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I was asked to be a guest judge for the 2013 Miss Teen Salt Lake City pageant, so I'm headed off to do personal interviews in a few hours. After that I get to wind down and see Anjelah Johnson, of hilarious nail salon fame. Excited.

† One for One Thousand

 

Alternate title for this post is "my favorite things" -- lace, black boots, spikes, functionality, monochromatic palettes, Topshop, socks, stylestalker. 

If only grey hair wasn't so hard to maintain. I want it back.

• no scrubs maxi dress, Stylestalker. $30 at Karmaloop or $101 at Asos, you decide!
• 
  
• studded moto jacket, Topshop 
• 
  
• tights, Urban Outfitters

† Denim CAT$

 

This sweater is a big hit with the kids. (And anyone on hallucinogens, probably? Selective neon pink floating cats. Trippy.) I'm pleased to present the first and only pair of blue jeans I own. I've got respect for the classic denim jean, but it's not really spiked / gauzy / oversized enough to be a mainstay in my closet. In fact, these jeans are so old they're from Anchor Blue, which is so not even a thing anymore. Does anyone remember that place? If I had to guess, I'd pin their purchase date around 2005, which makes them less than a decade old!

Speaking of decade-old clothing, the Converse I almost wore with this outfit made their debut into my life in 2001. Those shoes have spent more time in class than some grade school students. 

Three cheers for unretouched clear skin! Despite Dove's questionable marketing techniques -- check out Refinery 29's article on their new "photoshop app" if you haven't already -- their bar soap is all I'll use on my skin. Everyone has their sworn makeup routine; there's mine.

• cat sweater, F21
• triangle bikini top, American Apparel
• blue jeans, ancient relics of the past
• white patent boots, Dr Martens
• one-eyed bunny purse
 

 

 

 

† Girl, At Dusk, Against Frightfully Large Mound of Snow

This is what I've been dealing with over here for the last few months. I love this Jack by BB Dakota giant oversized poncho scarf jacket thing. The more mismatched layers I can pile on, the better. I got it for $20 from Karmaloop, but you can probably find something similar in a thrift shop and/or the back of your great aunt's closet.

Do you guys have any winter staples?

† Girls in Bands Make Great Fashion.

It was LIGHT OUTSIDE when I walked to work this morning. Usually it's still dark when I get there, but today we had sun! I'm willing to bet tomorrow we'll have sun too. I think it's a thing now. A thing where the sun comes out at a proper time.

It also means that everything is melting which is awesome because I can commence wearing clothes I like. It gets cold here in the winter and I bundle up. No one wants to see pictures of me dressed like an alpaca.

I've been scouting brands to put on my wishlist, and my favorite I've come across so far is Freak of Nature. 

Freak of Nature is the style child of Vanessa Kortlang, launched August 2012 and picked up to be stocked on the ASOS website right away. The brand's Facebook page is right here and is obviously too hot for life.

They describe themselves as:
Straddling the line between glamour and grunge with a huge dose of in your face attitude, FREAK OF NATURE is inspired by the darker side of counter culture.


Perfect, basically. Here are some of my favorite pieces stocked by ASOS: