Miss USA falls the second year in the row.
As I was watching Miss Universe 2008 that took place this Sunday in Vietnam, it occurred to me that every single girl looked practically identical. How is it possible that women from around the world with different ethical backgrounds look like clones of each other? The same body type ( long, lean, with a large chest and a tiny waist kind), with big wavy hair, tons of make up and always smiling - its like watching a Barbie come alive. Although the " idea" is to celebrate women who are savvy, goal oriented, and aware. Those, who inspire and set an example. But from what I have seen ( and I've been watching Miss Universe since I was little girl) all they do is reinforce the negative stereotype of beauty - the idea that women should look like walking dolls. Why is it that there is not a representative that you can relate to, it all seems too fake. To me, Miss Universe is a beauty pageant, nothing more than beautiful girls being looked at and judged. What are your thoughts on this and would you ever want to be a " beauty queen"?
The tittle of Miss Universe 2008 went to Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza.
Hello Darlings,
Although I love slim jeans and wear them all the time, I have never gotten used to the idea of leggings. Maybe, it's because I feel naked in them... but whatever reason, I've never worn leggings outside of my dance / pilates class. What is your take on leggings ?
The LEAN LOOK has been around for ages and I am slowly developing a love/hate relationship with it. Meanwhile, I have totally fallen in love with slouchy trousers. I just love how effortless they looks and how seductive they make you feel. Plus, it is so easy to dress them up or down.
If the full - leg trousers are too drastic of a change from your skinnies, try boyish tapered pants, like the ones seen at the Isabel Marant fall collection.
As for my outfit, I have made a post of these trousers before. But this night, I was inspired by the Emporio Armani Fall 2008 collection, and the way that the gray trousers were beautiful paired with a sexy champaign coloured top. Here' s is my take on this sexy look:
With Love...
Marta
Inspiration
As I keep on purchasing pieces that will help me to transition into the fall season ... I continue to be inspired by the looks found on the Fall 2008 runways. After seeing Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2008 show, I fell in love with the blazer - vest combination that reminded me of traditional men's tuxedos. Although very hesitant to tryout the duo myself ... I went ahead and did. I decided on pairing the vest with my current obsession( trousers) and a structured velvet blazer such as those seen on the runways of Emporio and Giorgio Armani as well as Zac Posen.
I love the details - structured shoulders, ruffle at the bottom,
and the chunky buttons - that give it a feminine feel.
Hello Darlings,
Toulouse– Lautrec was the descendant of an old French noble family and studied under Cormon from 1882 – 1886. There he met Bernard and van Gough among others, and began to paint in light colours in an Impressionistic manner. He spent much time exploring the haunts of Paris night-life, where he sought inspiration and motifs for his work. He did not see the demi–monde (a class of women of a doubtful reputation) through the eyes of his own social class, but through the eyes of a man for whom all barriers of class difference had long since fallen. With subtle empathy, he translates his observations into realistic images charged with atmosphere and creates character studies that give a lively insight into their respective situations. Color in all its nuances and graduations is the main vehicle of expression for Tousoluse – Lautrec.
Henri de Touloue - Lautrec
Two Women Dancing at the Moulin Rouge, 1892
Oil on cardboard, 95 x 80 cm
Prague, Narodni Galeri
This painting with two women dancing together shows a detail of the lively night-life at the famous Moulin Rouge in Montmartre, whereToulouse– Lautrec was a frequent guest. The women who are preoccupied with each other are wearing simple dark dresses and hats. They are part of the Moulin Rouge scene where bourgeois morality holds no sway, where high society and the proletariat merge, where simplicity and vice exist side by side.
Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec
Interior in the Rue des Moulins,1894
Oil on canvas, 111.5 x 132.5,
Albi, Musee Toulouse - Lautrec
This painting feature a glimpse into the salon of a brothel in the Rue des Moulins in which the painter would sometimes spend weeks, sketching and painting the life of the prostitutes. With his painting of demi–monde, he documented the hidden side of bourgeois civilization, indulging in vice only in secluded places and degrading physical love to the level of a business transaction. His paintings stand in stark contrast to the works of the academic and Symbolist painters who were his contemporaries. Toulouse – Lautrec counters the hypocritical allegories of the day by casting an almost clinical eye on the life of the social outcasts with whom he identified.
English