Join The Travelling Yellow Skirt Freak Show

The Freakish Yellow Skirt is now retired. Thanks everyone, for joining! She is home, but she is not finished yet. Stay tuned. 

Yes - the FREAKISH yellow skirt (FYS) is flying around the world AGAIN! - and it wants YOU to style her as part of a I-surrender-to-positivity celebration. The globe-trekking, which kicked off in 2012, was Sarah's idea (from Misfits Vintage), and I think it's too much fun. Plus it's much easier than mailing a gnome - or myself considering how gnomish I look below.

 

REQUEST THE SKIRT

Send me an email, act like a diva (no spaces) AT g mail dot com. Include your full mailing address and I will tell the current skirt holder where the skirt should go next. I will notify you that the skirt is on its way. 

The list will be made in priority sequence, not according to geography. She is a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-skirt kind of skirt. Plus, MANY THANKS TO SHELLEY of Forest City Fashionista, for generously coordinating so much of the skirt's journey until now. 

AFTER YOU GET THE SKIRT

If you like, attach something to the skirt or alter it with paint, sewing, markers or other means. Please do not shorten the skirt because the length is part of its charm, and please maintain the skirt's flexible sizing. 

Post a photo of yourself in the skirt and let me know. I shall then put a notice on this blog and post a photo in the FYS Gallery.

Please try not to not keep the skirt for more than two weeks. She is a rambling gal and likes to be on the move.

SIDEBAR FYS BADGE

If you like, you can put the logo below (or in my sidebar) in your blog. The cartoon woman is modelled after Sarah.

SEE THE PHOTO GALLERY HERE.
(The gallery was on this post originally, but with 25+ women who have participated so far, a separate gallery was required.)

ABOUT THE SKIRT

The skirt is a slippery silky parachute-type fabric with an elastic and drawstring waist capable of accommodating many sizes. My addition to the skirt is below: acrylic paint, Vancouver badge, lovely squiggy sewing.

My journal sketches of the skirt: Jul. 16 and Aug. 5, 2012 ("atsui" means hot in Japanese). The animals hiding under the skirt are, importantly: a dog, a cat hanging by its claws, and a penguin.

I hope you will join this circus. 

B A C K G R O U N D

I bought this big lemon skirt on sale in July 2012. I wore it for the first time here. I wore it a couple more times in the summer and then did another post of it here as a purely inspirational piece.

What makes this skirt special is not only its vibrant colour but a particular comment about it which was very critical, excerpt: "you're looking unbelievably ugly in those clothes." I have to say that of all comments on Bag and a Beret, this one – which incidentally was written by a male friend (TT) - has had the most impact on me to date. In the midst of so many laudatory comments, here was one that directly questioned my style.

Until this criticism I admit that it was surreal writing and receiving so many superlatives and compliments on blog posts. Also, while I know that all the comments I receive (and write) are genuine (and seductive in their positivity), the absence of criticism was an elephant in the room. I couldn't help but wonder – isn't there more to it?

I believe that criticism can be useful, but this remark really made me think. And think... At first I was relieved and amused by it - but then hurt, angry, STOIC, so much drama! What I finally concluded is criticism IS meaningful - there must always be room for differing opinions - but in the context of my blog, where I am sharing my life/style adventures, I need safety for experimentation, which helps me grow stylistically through supportive remarks, enthusiasm, and gentle suggestions, and also grow new friendships. Much darkness breathes in the city around me, and I reason that surely, finally, I can afford to surrender fully to this online positivity that I have miraculously stumbled into. Private email still leaves plenty of room for critical engagement.

Would I publish this kind of criticism again? I really don't know, but TT shook me into an awakening, which was a good thing. It affirmed my style convictions, my blog intentions, and my respect for the blogging community, but it was also a reminder that I must continue to stretch and question myself, which I believe is part of what he was getting at. Also, the comment was definitely a case of "be careful what you wish for"! I regret that other comments on the post were derided by the remark, and I was very moved by fellow bloggers' swift and sure defence of me and their own opinions.

The travelling yellow skirt freak show represents the positivity and solidarity I discovered through what happened. Apparently Helga of Helga von Trollop had done a similar thing in the past with a quilted bag (which took an unknown detour), so this is not an original concept, but I do hope you embrace this skirt and what it means. Sarah was a genius to apply the idea to this skirt. I will feel incredibly happy knowing that the big bright yellow sail of a skirt is flying and flapping wildly around the world with its message:

Let's enjoy life!! 

Let's enjoy dressing up!!

It's just frickin' fabric!! (a really good piece though)

We surrender to the positivity!

Let's dance, baby!!

I look forward to seeing this skirt on any of my existing friends, and new friends, who want to join in!!!! (More gratuitous exclamations!!!) Aaaaagh!!!!! IS THAT ENOUGH POSITIVITY FOR YA?!

Bwa-hahaha!

NEWS FLASH: New "Just Bad Enough" Video

Sandra made an AWESOME YouTube video of our Just Bad Enough downtown sessions.

I LOOOVE IT!

She calls it Just Zany Enough. 

The video doesn't have our original music but it definitely conveys the spirit 

of what the Just Bad Enough art project is about. 

Watch it HERE on Sandra's blog Lens is More.

(In my last post I wondered if Sandra would put up her moustache photo - 

well, she has certainly done more than that! Bwa-ha-ha-ha.) 

I hope you like it!

Maxi dress across the universe

Such a huge job for such a wee maxi dress - transporting me across the universe - all for the low, low price of $4.99 at local fabric mecca Dessew.

The dress is a new old stock garment made of jersey knit fabric so the plasticization effect that often occurs with old polyester is not quite as deliciously cringeworthy as it would be with a heavier-weight fabric. The triad of blue, striped middle, and bottom are cleverly sewn into unified magnificence. I love the shoulder pads in this too, which is odd because it's one of the first items to go when I buy a period piece. 

Obviously I am continuing the space theme I started a couple of posts ago. I carried my gold bag out again to protect from cosmic rays, but I think in this dress I am impervious to meteor showers, cosmic rays, and other such space matters - except Dr. Spock.

Details of the outfit:

• new old stock maxi dress, fabric shop Dressew
• long-sleeved black T under short-sleeved dress
• black tights, retail
• Frump heels, retail
• universe, free for all

It looks like I'm falling from one world into another and orange energy is spewing out of my head. I sometimes feel like the expression on my face. 

I didn't retouch these photos except to crop them - I simply curled onto my painting's surface on the floor under my camera, which was balanced (precariously!) on its tripod jammed into the painting rack. I don't have a remote so running back and forth with the timer was challenging - especially when the shot demanded absolute repose in the galaxy enveloping me.

Below is an excerpt of lyrics from the Beatles song Across the Universe:

Images of broken light

Which dance before me like a million eyes

They call me on and on across the universe

Thoughts meander like a restless wind 

Inside a letter box 

They tumble blindly as they make their way

Across the universe

I did that painting a few years ago. It's big, and until now I never much cared for its galactic imagery; now I love it. If you've got art you are not fond of, try putting it on the floor and rolling around on it - and photographing the process. I guarantee you'll feel differently about it afterwards...

Gorgeous Patti is hosting her magnificent Visible Monday again. Of course Monday's there are great, but her blog is welcoming any day of the week: Not Dead Yet Style.

PS - If you couldn't watch my band's (Just Bad Enough) debut "music" video on your system, I've put it on YouTube. Fabulous Miss Simmonds commented already because I gave her a sneak peek, but sadly I took down the original (and her comment - so sorry!) because I reposted it with better quality. So if you haven't seen it yet and want to question my taste even more, go have a look. Watch out for Language.

Debut of travesty-of-music video

Watch it and weep. I scribbled these "lyrics"... (every time I write about my "band" I put quotation marks around everything, so let me preface this post by saying that key words about my "music-making" deserve quotations thereby cancelling them all out, okay?) I scribbled these lyrics just before our last band practice. What you'll hear is the first read-through that Sandra and I did and me composing music on the fly (lots of quotation marks in that sentence!). This was our last song of the day so we were very good by then with those secret communications that go on between band people (and baseball coaches and players). I looove this video. I hope you do too. It's one of my most intellectual projects in a long time. You may need your dictionary. Warning: there is language in this clip.

PS - It's not true about oxygenation.
This is the second video I've ever made - the first one I put together in my university days when video editing equipment took up a sizeable room. Here I used free software, which made me feel old but oddly liberated at the same time.

AND - Don't mess with this cougar!!
I premiered these leopard-print pants yesterday. One young fella purred at me and said, "Mm, cougar!" as he passed by. I had that coming - very funny. I should have taken a closeup of the soft fabric which has a furry texture.

I went for broke and wore my D&G leopard-print heels and added a gold bag. I tried these pants with a black sequin top as well and decided to exercise a teensy bit of restraint because the spanglers get snagged inside the jacket.

Details of the outfit:

• leopard print furry pants, high-waisted, Perry Ellis, thrifted, $10, House of Vintage
• black fine-cord jacket, Plum, thrifted, True Value Vintage
• leopard-print shoes, Dolce and Gabbana, thrifted, True Value Vintage
• knit fingerless gloves, retail, Canadian Tire automotive store

That's all from here. I hope you can see the video. It turned out exactly how I pictured it - make of that what you will...

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

I woke up this morning with white hair!!

...that's because I had it "done" yesterday (as if it were somehow unfinished before). I had forgotten the pleasures and discomforts of sitting in a salon for 2.5 hours. This platinum is actually a primer coat for bright red, then shades of brown on my way to dark brown. I may get sidetracked along the way, but that's perfectly fine too because there are NO RULES!! in Style Universe.

A few weeks ago I ran across some (old)?! photos of me wearing my hair like this in Tokyo about 25 years ago and was obviously hitnotized. At the outset of my inspiration walk yesterday morning I suddenly found myself making a detour into the salon. Thankfully, Angel received me with open arms. (He's my colourist.)

The artworks engulfing me are all fairly recent.

For a change I belted my tunic and wore high knee socks over my jeggings. From a distance it looks like I'm wearing tall boots. I call this look "irritating chic." When I walk down the street in this, swinging my flirty little candy heart, I think, "Ohayou, genki desu-ka? (Mornin' y'all, how are ya? in Japanese) Mwah, mwah, mwah (Kiss, kiss, kiss, in Vapidese, I'm fluent.)"  Let's all send Miss Simmonds some good vibes so she can go to Japan too!

Details of this outfit:

• stretchy wool-blend black tunic, Metallicus sample sale
• riding-pant jeggings, retail (suedine inset runs down inner leg)
• knee socks, retail
• brown crackle-leather Miu Miu boots, laces with side zips, thrifted, Wildlife Thrift Store
• belt, purchased in Kunming, China, mid-80s

This weekend bandmate Sandra and I will be working on visuals for our "travesty-of-music" video. We call ourselves Just Bad Enough. Listening to the latest mix, I think we should be called Smut Mouth. If I'm brave I'll post the clip. Trust me, we're more than just bad enough!

I hope you'll all be doing something fabulous this weekend, and looking good doing it!! Three cheers for NO RULES.