I'm no longer avant garde

Plaid is back in style. Case in point--I saw two, count em', two plaid dresses on girls in my grade, a few plaid scarves, and multiple plaid backpacks (plus one pair of Vans that this this girl in my math class always wears). Ironically, I just haven't been in a plaid-ish mood lately. I still want a red plaid skirt and stuff, but the whole plaid appeal has kind of died down a bit for me. It is sad, but true. So, I might do some long overdue postings of my blue plaid Keds and brown plaid blazer, but unless the mood strikes, I don't see myself obsessing over this print as of now.

As far as prints go, I've lately been into animal print--in small amounts. The idea of a tee, jeans, and trainers with a leopard print cardigan just appeals to me. So does an animal print bag/clutch and a black tee and jeans or just a LBD. I'd like it on a pair of pumps too. With red. God, I'm practically salivating over the image.

Fergalicious definition make them boys go loco

Another plaid dress in the world of music videos, but in a whole other context. This song makes me laugh, which is a good thing I guess. Her music is so insanely catchy that it just keeps on going round and round in my head and I can't get it out. I think it is a ploy for world mind control. But then again, see for yourself.



Yeah, I'm partially to Amy's dress.

I don't always have to be right, right?

Is it possible that I have been right all along? Am I just so, so, so ahead of the trend? I mean come on, Vogue has spoken. To some, Vogue is like the law. So you better listen.

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/stylehunter/editorial/news/data/style_hunter/081706.xml


There is a gorgeous plaid dress on slide 11 that you should check out and another cool outfit on 12. You can see stuff plaid in a mod way--something I doubted was possible.

Opera was never so cool

This morning I was watching music videos and I saw the Evanescence one "Call Me When You're Sober" (completely and totally awesome...I am in love with both song and scene) and Amy Lee is wearing this gorgeous plaid dress. I can't find any sufficient pics so I think the awesome video will do.



Don't you love it? Don't you love everything about this video: the dress, the set, the idea, and overall the SONG!

Still, I don't know if I could pull the look off. I have too dark of skin and I'm way, way short. I think this is truly an Amy Lee thing. She's not too fat or super skinny and she is just so gorgeous. Seriously, that is beauty. If you can pull a plaid dress off and still look amazing, than you are like a god in my eyes. But if you can't...

Take Sarah Jessica Parker. She has a great, chic NYC style that is made so iconic in "Sex and the City". But this, no, you just don't submit plaid to being draped like that; like it is any less important or unworthy of being actually molded to the human body.

I can't decide whether I like it though, I mean without the plaid, yes, she probably wouldn't be on the Worst Dressed List, but I doubt that she would be remembered. This dress is infamous (at least according to certain Hollywood gossip sites). The red just pops out so nicely against the pale beige . Actually, after staring at this for a little while I have grown to like it. The problem? It is way too haute couture for the general public. More runway.

Something I didn't screw up today

I was finally able to figure out how to post pictures on here. The following pics are ones from The Rusty Zipper that I saved on my computer a while back.

This one is a classic plaid skirt that you gotta love. It isn't slutty short, but would look awesome with a black shirt and sneakers along with the proper acessories. It is red and rad. This is the kind of skirt I can see in a school uniform. This totally reminds me of British punk music. It is at the top of my plaid skirt want list. I love it!
Another classic plaid skirt. I actually really love circle skirts and their length and the way that they can sit up high on your waist and hide a curvier stomach. It reminds me of the 50's and good wholesome cookies and milk. You could wear it to a debate tournament and not be called a slut on the ballot (a very, very good thing).

I like this because it is a more modern version of the skirt above. This one is cute and neat, but not too old or modest. Plus, it doesn't have to be worn at the waist so it doesn't cause a weird flow of things. (I find with skirts at the waist you have to actually tuck your shirt in so it doesn't look really weird.) I love that it is a circle skirt. They are so much fun to twirl. It is a legal drug.

Life has been really hectic. Hopefully more on the plaid front later!

This is a bit sad

Today I wore my Reebok sweatshirt that is grey and has a strip of plaid down the sleeves. I love it. It is so comfortable and fitted and the sleeves hit at just the right places plus they are narrow enough. It was the best part of my day. I just LOVE it! Plaid really does make a difference. I'm convinced of its magical properties.

I'm walking, talking, and contradicting

Today I was reminded of my further plight concerning skirts and finding one of...plaid...--ness. I saw the video for Wheatus's "Teenage Dirtbag" and Mena Suvari had on a plaid skirt that just epitomizes grunge. Well, it is from 2000 or something like that. I've found that I'm in a sort of simple look lately. I dug out all these old turtlenecks and dusty clothes and am so set on wearing them.

Here is the video that I mentioned for people to check it out in. It reminded me of the good old days back when I was younger and everything was all pop. I first saw it because my sister found a Harry/Pansy video to the song and then we became entranced by the ditty's addictive properties. I thought the real music video might be cool so I checked it out. Well, without further ado...



Actually, now that I think about it I don't really wear skirts but I still want a plaid one to wear on the weekends. Not to school, that's too much of a hassle. Still, I was looking in Seventeen and there was an article about uniforms in it and I was like "I want that skirt!". When I was in elementary school I desperately wanted to wear a uniform; really, really badly.

This is to convice you of the further greatness of plaid

I haven't posted in a long time, but I don't have a huge demanding audience or anything. I've gotten some new plaid items since my last post and I want to post pictures but I doubt that I will ever figure out how to format this thing. I'm a lost cause, I know. I really should be doing my summer homework. Oh, I have to take these hard classes! That has nothing to do with the blog, but I haven't even started my summer work.

Okay, when I finally figure out how to work the whole putting pictures in a nice way on this blog I promise plaid items galore. I won't have any stories about my journey with plaid because it is summertime and a) a lot of my plaid items of clothing are for winter and b) many of them are my back to school clothing so I can't wear them before school starts. I'm very into the having a completely cool new school wardrobe with many new items. I seriously horde my shirts and shoes until the beginning of the year. I like things fresh.

I realized as I was cleaning out my closet (how very Eminem) that I go through weird cycles with my clothes. For instance, I found like eight turtlenecks that I haven't worn since I was in fourth grade. I just hated those things. Now that I have *ahem* matured a little bit they look a lot better and I am obsessed. I took all eight and put them in my drawer. Many a time has certain items of clothing gone into a large hibernation and then seen two years later. It is kind of a bad habit because I have three LARGE tubs of clothes that are in my closet that I deem "not something I will wear this year". And this all leads back to plaid because whatever style I'm in, plaid just fits in some odd preppy but edgy way (ha, ha, you didn't think I'd link it back!).

Really, plaid skirts aren't that vintage

Summer has sprung and I *sucks in breath* am dying for a plaid skirt. I was talking with my mother and she said that I've wanted one even when I was little. I got one, but now I have obviously outgrown it. I set out on a quest to find one recently on the internet (as the stores in my area are dead ends and only assist people that are diehard Abercrombie and Fitch lovers that adore Uggs and short skirts) and it got me nowhere until now. Seriously, all I got was some sites selling raunchy plaid skirts--along with other items--which really is not what I am out to get.

Then today, as fate would have it. I found The Rusty Zipper while reading some blog posts about secondhand shopping. I found 42 plaid skirts and nearly fainted from the sheer excitement that someone, somewhere was on the same page as me. A whole section devoted to plaid skirts! My god, that is a dream come true. I can't put pictures up of the ones that I adore because I'm having difficulties with the format of it.

Almost too pooped to post

School is out for the summer! Whoop dee doop. On our school ordained field trip, I saw this girl carrying a blue Burberry drawstring bag like those cheap-o ones that are floppy and you see at the beach. It was plaid and made of pale blue mostly. I stared at it adoringly for a while until I realized that I don't really like pale blue and have nothing to match it in my closet. I wish I could have gotten a picture, though because I actually kind of liked the bag even though I don't like the color.

It kind of shocked me that she was taking a Burberry bag to an amusement park, though.

This is one of those times that we need another word for plaid

Not too much on the plaid front. However, I have gained a (barely noticeable) plaid shirt. My mother was looking through storage boxes and found all these old clothes. That is how I ended up with about two oxfords and two t-shirts from Lands' End. I also was handed a Cambridge Classics dress shirt (sans sleeves) in plaid. The shirt itself is white but the plaid lines are all shades of grey. Basically, from a distance you can't even tell that it is plaid. It looks checkered. The shirt looks like very, very small checkers at that. I haven't worn it yet because the weather here in Cali is hot at the moment and I'm not keen on wearing extra layers right now besides my sweatshirt.

The big question erupts: how do I plan to wear the shirt? It looks like a classic "geek" shirt. I can totally picture it with a pocket protector and high pants. I'll have to mull this one over a bit. Actually, it is my sister's birthday, so I'll mull it over ice cream cake.

I accept your challenge

I was looking back at some November, December, and January magazines and I noticed that there was a fair amount of plaid. I flip back to the the spring and summer issues and there is absolutely no plaid. Okay, I understand that plaid is a fall/winter print, but I find no problem with bringing it into the warmer months. This will be a challenge. After all, I dress like it is winter year round. Except with a couple less layers.

In my magazine archive, I also looked back at November issue of TeenVogue and I noticed that there was a long-sleeved plaid shirt layered under a cardigan two times. Granted, one of those times was an L.A.M.B. phone ad, but that is definitely something to try. I kind of like the way it looked. It was paired with jeans both times--one in skirt form, the other in trousers. I guess if I mixed the colors right I could wear it with a brown corduroy skirt. Wait, scratch that. No, I think that jeans would be best to make a sort of nautical look. Yes, that's it. I really can't wait to expand my wardrobe. I do not have such a top because they don't sell this kind of stuff in stores anymore. I'm sure they did in the '90s grunge era. Lucky ducklings.

To all you wannabe middle school counselors

This is my first fashion no-no for all aspiring middle school counselors: don't wear plaid pants that are cropped three inches above the ankle. Today I was talking with my friend that had just came back from Taiwan and I was momentarily distracted by this big, red, plaid abomination on the counselor. (Really, I couldn't even concentrate on the Asian Pop c.d.'s that she was telling me about.) The trousers definitely were not bad, but they were cropped at a horrible, awkward length. I definitely wouldn't have minded a nice trouser that hit right at the top of the foot. I'd also give my okay to a longer pair of shorts like a Bermuda or knicker. Then again, in this case, I don't really want the person in question to wear something that shows that much skin.

If you are going to wear red plaid trousers in a professional environment, I quite frankly, wouldn't wear them. I think that it would be more fitting to swap the red pants for high waisted brown ones. Then you can pair the pants with a cream sweater and possibly boots. Or you could go for an olive colored plaid trouser with a brown sweater. However, in a casual environment I am all for the red pair of trousers. Along with a black tee and trainers, the look is very old rock and roll.

Oh, and as a caveat: if your butt is wide, plaid will make it look a lot wider. Especially if the plaid has to stretch. God knows if there is one thing that I've learned from the counselor, it is that.

Jean Heaven...Hey! This is a blog about plaid

What I saw on television last night was like, destiny. Besides watching the last Charmed episode ever, it also gave me something to write about: Old Navy Madras. Why? They were plaid. In ugly colors. It might be the traditionalist in me, or the fact that they go with my $15 Converse, but I really only like plaid in red, green, blue, brown, and other non-bright colors. I saw the multi-colored neon plaid, the pink plaid, and the turquoise plaid, and I was overcome by how much I would not wear any of it. I really shouldn't be surprised. After all, it is Old Navy and they are known for their bright and cheery clothes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Old Navy at all. In fact, 50% of my jeans are from that store. I know my exact size, sigh. It is like jean heaven, having a direction.

Oh, and as a final note, brown plaid blazers look excellent with jeans and Converse shoes.

This is what you've all been waiting for

The question some might ask is: why is this insane girl writing about plaid? The answer: I can do whatever the hell I want. Okay, so maybe there is a greater motive behind this blog. I like blogging. I have a xanga and it is better for me than writing things out on paper. My mind goes a lot faster than my hand can write. I also *surprise, surprise* adore plaid. It is just so pretty...yet preppy...yet punk...yet just about anything else at the same time. So don't you find it fitting that my passion be honed into a blog?