My Life Is Average...

Today, my mom got a call from my little brothers elementary school. His kindergarten teacher went around the circle and asked him what they wanted to be when they grew up. He answered “Happy.” The teacher then responded “No…you don’t understand the question.” My litle brother fired back with “Well, you don’t understand life.” I now have no doubt we are related. MLIA

Wet-look Leggings

If I had one fashion faux pas that I absolutely loathe, its the trend of replacing sleek and chic jeans with frumpy leggings. Henry David Thoreau said "Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new." I am crossing my fingers that we will all look in the mirror before we leave our apartments, houses, dorms and realize the very imminent trend of wearing leggings as pants should die before we leave the front door.

It is my honest belief that not even long-legged models could pull off the look, so the rest of us are goners if we choose to follow it. But while my half-mad rantings may appear to be directed at leggings in general, I do declare that this is not so. The inspiration for my rant came from shopping net-a-porter.com. I happened to stumble upon the gorgeous Kova & T wet-look leggings in gray, below.

Aren't they gorgeous? It did flicker in my mind, however, that some girl out in the world today will see these slick leggings and decide that all she needs to match them with are a short shirt, barely grazing the top of the leggings. This saddens me, my friends, because that would break the mystique of the leggings, that would distract, and nothing this chic needs to be distracted from. Once again, see below:

This is how net-a-porter.com suggests you wear them, and I quote, "with an exaggerated silhouette with a billowing T-shirt for effortless downtown cool. Shown here with a Vivienne Westwood Anglomania T-shirt and Yves Saint Laurent sandals." At least I'm not the only sane one in the world. I mean, they didn't come right out and say "Leggings Aren't Pants" but they might as well have.

I personally would keep it simple, throw on a black t-shirt dress and heels and I suddenly am, as net-a-porter so kindly puts it, "downtown cool," which is the best kind of cool. Word.

So if you ever find yourself being tempted in the slightest by the masses and you think you may look fine wearing leggings out, just do this simple trick. Throw together your outfit and if you love what you look like, take off the leggings. If you wouldn't leave without the leggings, you shouldn't leave with the leggings. Trust me...please.

~Ferdinando

Pretty Grunge.

"I'm gonna wake pretty soon, in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, just dreaming..."

From Teen Vogue:

On Ian: Burberry Prorsum sweater. Dsquared2 pants. On Louise: Opening Ceremony cardigan, $265. DKNY Jeans dress, $69. Necklaces, from top: Pamela Love Jewelry, $215. Beads of Paradise, $35. Ilse Jacobsen boots, $189

From Teen Vogue:

Ian wears an A.P.C. sweater.

Coming Soon shirt, $450. Topman pants, $80. Clare Tough hat, $430. Louise wears a D&G jacket.

Ralph Lauren Olympic Collection sweater, $398.

Lauren Moffatt dress, $414. The Elder Statesman hat, $235.

~Ferdinando

DEVILISHLY CHARMING

Alex and Chloe is nothing new on the radar. Every good hipster has been well acquainted with their kitschy jewelry and smoldering t-shirts. But recently, the company known for their paper clip pendants and quirky "chill pill" charms is now featuring new pieces by Brian Lichtenberg. I've already fantasized about entering a smokey speak-easy in the black number below. There's no turning back now. There are people awaiting that entrance.

www.AlexandChloe.com

-Francois

Is a Giant, Ass Panda Worth Getting Knifed Over?

Sorry, my dears, for my extended absence, school and life have gotten in my way.

In this installment, I'm feeling the need to discuss one of my new favorite movies, Adventureland. I know, I know, it's already out on dvd, so I'm a little late in promoting it but I just watched it again and now I want to share.

Adventureland is a "coming of age" story set in 1987. Our antagonist in this film is James Brennan, I recent college grad whose summer plans go awry causing him to get a job at the local, crappy amusement park, Adventureland. James, of course, is a romantic and falls for Em, a girl who isn't quite unattached. Watching the carnies smoke excessive amounts of pot while working at an amusement park, guarantee's a chuckle. (Honestly this kind of movies usually aren't my favorites, but, for some unknown reason, I really enjoy this one)

The movie stars Jessie Eisenberg(he's absolutely adorable in this), Kristen Stewart (who, shockingly, I enjoy watching in this movie), Ryan Renolds(he even looks hot in the 80s get up), Bill Hader (who sports a ridiculous mustache) amongst other comedic talents, both young and old. So my recommendation is check it out, if you haven't already.

~Hans

PS. Happy Birthday, Francois!

How to Work a Tux

I stumbled across an old spread for GQ magazine on How to Buy a Tux featuring Brandon Flowers. My god, man, he can work a suit. I swoon.

~Ferdinando

STYLE ICON

A Clockwork Orange

I've been away. I know it. And for this I apologize profusely.
Fear not, my absence has not been in anger, indifference, or foolishness (well..a little foolishness). I was out doing exactly what you would expect from a New Yorker named Francois: lush debauchery. From my vast adventures in lush debauchery, I've returned with new stories, new mantras, and of course what makes it all memorable: a new style. Every true menace to society must obtain his or her own style of dress so as to distinguish his or her self from other fighters of morality. Step in...Alex DeLarge.



A hoodlum in vogue. Alex DeLarge-the true sense of that phrase. Go put together your own signature and indulge in the ultraviolent. Don't hurt yourself.


-Francois

Vampire Weekend

Welcome back, Vampire Weekend. I have missed you so. You have changed your sound slightly. But only barely. Still recognizable, still you. Seems to me like you have widened your influences. I want to hear the rest of the album. I don't want to wait till January 12, 2010 to see if you still got it. Until then, I'll listen to Horchata. Your new song, released to download for free (that's a link - click on it) on your website from October 6th, will be given a chance beside my other new downloads and we'll see if it brings me in. If you ever get back from the West Coast to which you have abandoned me, I may even come visit you at a show.

Until then, here are the Vampire Weekend 'Horchata' lyrics to distract me.

In December drinking horchata

I'd look psychotic in a balaclava

Winter's cold is too much to handle

Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals

(Whoaaaaa ooooh)

In December drinking horchata

Look down your glasses at that Aranciata

With lips and teeth to ask how my day went

Boots and fists to pound on the pavement

Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten

Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on

(Whoaaaaaa ooooh)

You'd remember drinkin horchata

You'd still enjoy it with your foot on masada

Winter's cold is too much to handle

Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals

Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten

Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on

Ooh you had it but oh no you lost it

Lookin back you shouldn't have fought it

In December, drinkin horchata

I'd look psychotic in a balaclava

Winter's cold is too much to handle

Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals

Years go by and hearts start to harden

Those palms and firs that grew in your garden

Falling down and nearing the rose beds

The roots are shooting up through the tool shed

Those lips and teeth that asked how my day went

Are shouting up through cracks in the pavement

Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten

Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on

Oh you had it but oh no you lost it

You understood so you shouldn't have fought it

Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten

Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on

Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten

Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on

~Ferdinando

Fantastic.

Me and Orson Welles



The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus




I can't wait. I didn't want you to either. So I'm up when I should be asleep.
Night all.
~Ferdinando

Chace Crawford - Interview Magazine

I've always found Chace Crawford to be a very attractive guy and personal experience from across the street will tell you that those cheekbones are not exaggerated, but what I find most attractive about him is the natural energy he has.

Chace Crawford does not perforate the media. Thank god. I can literally go weeks without hearing about him and I am never forced to feign interest in some trashy drama that surrounds him. But that doesn't make him any less relevant to today's culture. Just because he isn't on every news channel I turn on doesn't mean that he is without merit. It just means that he wants his talent to speak for itself. But that just leaves us wanting for more, wanting to see more of Chace, not the Gossip Girl side of him.

He has a piece in Interview magazine that I highly recommend. It is here that you can truly see a side of him that so many young stars are lacking - real charisma.

I know a lot of you probably don't know what to think of him. But that's only because we haven't yet had the opportunity to see his talent play out on screen. Opportunity will arise this year thought when Footloose and a smaller film, Twelve, which have release dates in 2010, reveal something of substance for us to work with - therefore it will only be a matter of time before a real consensus is come to.

Until then, I don't think it's a crime to admire a man that is probably prettier than many girls you know. I go for the rugged type personally, but I wouldn't dare disregard him based on looks alone. That would be vain...


"I want to keep to myself. I don’t want to be out there. You have to keep some kind of control over who you are."
-Chace Crawford


~Ferdinando

Being Dashed

It's been a very busy month.

I've been struggling to finish a screenplay I need to write and fit that in around my busy school schedule. That means later nights, earlier mornings, and the intense drive to eat, sleep, breathe the characters and storyline. It's an interesting predicimate, making it hard to write in a blog when you just spent hours writing in a screenplay.

This week however, was pretty mellow in regards to writing, just because it got to the point that my time was so filled up. I hit Philadelphia with a group of friends to see the Arctic Monkeys at the Electric Ballroom. Crazy night, to say the least. It was one of the wildest shows I've been to, but I've been to quite a few. In fact, about halfway into the set a certain band member's model-host girlfriend, who had been standing behind me, spotted a girl who had collapsed in the crowd. This led to security officials dragging her out while the crowd raged on unnoticing. Also, the former writer band member of Panic At The Disco was there. Apparently he's a fan of the Like, who opened for the Arctic Monkeys.


Afterwards, we all piled into an open late diner and on our way out, for some strange reason, the whole diner joined in a huge discussion of what we should do next in the night. What a strange town Philly is. Much nicer than New Yorkers, who wouldn't have even glanced up when we exited the diner. Very interesting night.


Rapid change of topic:
Lately I've been obsessively listening to the Beatles. My sister gave me her Beatles Anthology CDs which reinvigorated my love for them, but it also got me thinking. I began thinking about the level of fame they achieved at such a young age. By the time they were 20-23 they had literally taken the world. They were so young to be LEGENDS, but that's what they were.

I wonder what effect that really had on them.

~Ferdinando