Sunglasses for Athletes: Rudy Project

This summer I joined the Running Room for a ten k clinic.  While I didn't quite finish the clinic due to traveling and a busy work schedule, I did learn the importance of proper equipment.  I realized that I couldn't wear my five year old running shoes and that I needed to protect my eyes and head from the sun in extreme heat.  Thankfully the weather has cooled down a bit and I am hoping to start running again this fall.  Whether you are an Olympic athlete or enjoy recreational athletics, it's really important to take care of your body.  

A few running room tips I learned:

• Stretch after running when your body is warm
• Follow a training schedule and stick to it!
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
• Get a proper shoe fitting at Running Room 
• Don't push yourself so hard that you injure yourself early in your training.  Listen to your body.
• Train with friends or in groups
• We all have busy work schedules that can sometimes effect how we eat.  Remember to fuel up on running days.
• Sunscreen, proper socks, dry fit clothes and sunglasses!
• They make some pretty cool stuff now.  Athletic wear isn't ugly anymore! See the cool Rudy Project sunglasses below.

Images via the London Olympics

Rudy Project Rydon Girl

Rudy Project NOYZ

Rudy Project Zyon

Photographer Georgi Adinov - Zite Magazine

My Dad has been raving lately about Zite magazine.  It's a platform that evaluates millions of news stories a day looking at the type of article and how it is shared.  It matches stories to your personal interests and then delivers them to your iPad or iPhone.  Pretty cool!  He often sends me links to beautiful photography sites and especially black and white photographs as they are my favorite!  Here are some other photography links I've shared in the past.  I love the latest fashion photographs taken by Georgi Adinov for Elle Bulgaria for September 2012 via photography site Cruzine.  Aren't they fantastic?

Why Can't Designers Design for Real Women?

I have always been a big fan of Project Runway and used to write reviews on my blog after every episode.  Unfortunately I haven't had the time this season (10), but as always it is highly entertaining and full of excitement.  We are already on episode six and I decided to write about the recent episode called  "Dress my Friend".  The "dress real women challenges" are the ones that always show the true talent of designers and if they can actually design for real women.  Why is it so hard to create something flattering and beautiful for women who are not a size two and six feet tall?  

For this challenge, Project Runway brought in women and men who wanted to give their friends a makeover.  The designers worked with the Loreal team to create a new hair style and with the friends and models to create a look that they could wear day-to-day or for whatever occasion the requested.  Most of the women were satisfied with their looks, but I think the designers could have done a much better job and made their clients feel really special.  Ven in particular kept complaining about how he had a more difficult challenge than everyone else and kept commenting on how the belts were too small for his client... right in front of her!  She was in tears at one point during the fitting.  No designer should make their client cry!  I completely lost respect for him as a designer and hope he doesn't win.  If he can only design garments for sample sizes and doesn't appreciate beautiful women, how will he ever be a real designer? Did you watch the show?  What do you think? See the looks on mylifetime.com.

Alicia

While the client was happy, this looks poorly made 

and too short!

Christopher

I actually really liked this look.

Dmitry

Not a fan of this one.  Love the bob and booties and the

idea of the dress is right, but not flattering at all!

 Elena

Very poorly constructed and a bizarre color!

Fabio

I really liked this look.  She is an aspiring film maker

and was truly happy and comfortable in her look.

Before her makeover she lived in jeans and lumberjack shirts!

Gunnar

Fun and flirty.  She was thrilled with her look.

Melissa

Strange scarf

Nathan was sent home for this look.  She is an

aspiring hip hop artist and was happy with the look,

but the judges certainly weren't!

Sonji

Too short and too much fabric!

Ven

The skirt is cute but this outfit is totally not work appropriate and

she was very unhappy with her look.  I admired her

composure throughout this challenge, especially working

with someone so rude!  She did a great job and is beautiful!

Currently Loving Jessica Biel's Total Recall Style

Jessica Biel has been traveling the globe for her latest film "Total Recall".  The film "Total Recall" is a remake of a 1990 film inspired by a 1966 short story ("We Can Remember it for Wholesale") and directed by Len Wiseman of the "Underworld" films. She has really grown into her style and is starting to make more bold fashion choices.  Love her bangs and the structured garments that flatter her figure.  The touches of color brought out with her shoes are also a very fresh spin on traditional styling.  While the film may not be turning many heads (See Rotten Tomatoes reviews), at least Jessica Biel's fashion is! Happy Friday all, I am off to New York again for another week.  Stay tuned for more great posts!

In Dior

In Elie Saab in Berlin

In London

Mugler skirt and Joe's Tee

Christian Cota

In Elie Saab

In Zac Posen in Dublin

Not for Total Recall but Love this Look!

Dior

Over-Dressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

Written by Colleen Tsoukalas (Treasure Seeker Colleen)

Elizabeth L. Cline (2102) writes about the wasteful practice of over buying, especially because of the lower cost and availability of mass produced clothing.  Massive media advertising campaigns keep us constantly watching trends and also fiercely bargain hunting.  It's cool if it's a deal - especially if it's a DEAL!  I remember taking Home Ec 8 and wondering why anyone would waste time drawing chalk lines and practising stitches and knots, first.  I wanted to make that short, skin tight mini right now.  Disappointed with the cost and the home- made look of anything I made, I soon turned to second hand and learned how to adapt and adjust.  I also discovered that with thrift clothing, I could find stuff that fit and was of better quality than I could find at the cheaper stores.  Bit Cline points out that thrift stores are now struggling with the sheer volume of recycled donations, particularly those that are of cheap material and unpopular design. Back then, though, one could still find treasures and designer items, very affordably, however, who had the time to look on a regular basis?  Also, who had the money? Now it is evident that people do devote more time to the hunt and do buy much more and more often. People can buy lots because there is lots and because it's cheap. It's an inexpensive hobby.  However,  Cline asks," What are these enormous volumes of clothing doing to us, our society, our environment, and our economic well-being?"  I can remember our family of four hanging their coats on hooks and not needing a whole closet in the hall.  Today's built in closets could house all of our clothes, shoes and coats and still have room left for linens. 

As much as I love fashion, I've worked a bit in the industry and found the wages and working conditions poor.  Knowing how much it costs designers to pay for their education, to produce their lines, to show them at Fashion Weeks, and to market their work, the demand for mass production and reduced prices affect them significantly.  And, we ask, where are our Canadian designers and where are the clothes produced in Canada? 

Cline's well researched work encourages us to be more conscientious about purchasing quality from our local designers and avoiding the need for instant, cheap 'trend' purchases.  We can keep current by updating what we have and buying well made, classic pieces.  Do we really something new "64 times a year"?

Review of: "Shopping For Vintage", by Funmi Odulate.

Review by Colleen Tsoukalas (Treasure Seeker Colleen)

Love this small, hold in your hand book, beautifully illustrated by Richard Merritt and published by St. Martin's Griffin, New York, 2008.  Fashion writer and editor of Colures magazine, Odulate has written "the definitive guide to vintage fashion".  For clothing to be vintage, it has to be more than twenty five years old.  The first chapters, then, cover designers and styles from La Belle Epoque - 1890-1914, and every 10 years after from the twenties to the 1980's, finishing with Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons.  Very important to know the history and the labels, not only for a closet, but also for a collection.  Other useful definitions include: Antique = before 1920, Vintage - 1920-1980, Retro - 1960-70 (casual wear) and secondhand, after 1980's.  Ensuing chapters are: The Art of Buying and Collecting - tips for distinguishing what is really worth it, Vintage Going Forward - planning your now collectables for investment in the future, Vintage Accessories, jewellery, purses, footwear and more and a Vintage Store Directory for many countries, including Canada, Vancouver (listings are current) and Toronto too.  The theme of this little gem is "Dress for yourself; buy quality of fabric and design."  Very worth having, especially for its gorgeous illustrations and great vintage information and very reliable sources.

The Tutu Project: Hosted by Fashion Group International

Tutus galore!  The Design Exchange in Toronto is currently featuring a sixty year celebration of the National Ballet with two tutu exhibits.  The first, "The Tutu Project" is composed of tutus created by friends, professional designers, artists and audience members across Canada.  The exhibit features Canadian fashion designers such as: David Dixon and Juma, artists Julie Moon and Tania Sanhueza and jewelry designer Shay Lowe.  Many tutus were also created by visitors of TIFF Kids International film Festival, Toronto Fashion Week, Word on the Street and more.  There are also costumes from Dance Victoria, The Port Theatre, Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The National Ballet, Alberta Ballet and the Fashion Design Council of Canada.  You can visit the exhibit virtually here!

The second exhibit "Sixty Years of Designing the Ballet" looks at design and the National Ballet of Canada.  The exhibition features many items from various ballet productions.  Designers, dancers and creative directors provide a commentary on the process of designing costumes, dance lighting sets and more.  It even features a bar and a video for you to practice!  The exhibition is on until September 2nd and admission is only ten dollars.

I visited this exhibit with Fashion Group International and listened to the lovely Dierdre Kelly of the Globe and Mail Style speak on the history of the tutu.  Her book "Ballerina" will be released this fall.  Thanks again Fashion Group International for holding another fantastic event!

Created by Shay Lowe Jewelry Design

 

Created by Rita Tesolin

Alex Gilbert 

Paper Bag Princess!

 

Jennifer Zimmerman

Jameson Kane

Katia Ostapets

 

Molly Grundy

With TIFF International Kids Film Festival Participants

Members of the wardrobe department

of the National Ballet of Canada

Sunny Fong of Vawk

Don Quixote

by Desmond Heeley

Courtesy of the National Ballet

Mary Jago in Cinderella

Designed by Jürgen Rose

Greta Hodgkinson in Swan Lake

Designed by Santo Loquasto

Sugar Plum Fairies in The Nutcracker 

Designed by Santo Loquasto

Practicing myself!