Fare Thee Well

My friends, I think we all knew that this was coming: Fashion Fragile is going on an indefinite, probably permanent, hiatus. I haven't been feelin' it lately, and I don't want to force myself to maintain a hobby that isn't fun anymore. The website will stay up as an archive, and I'll still be reading your blogs!

If you want to keep up with me, I'm building a personal portfolio website that I plan to use as a publishing platform, and I will continue to informally create and collect on Tumblr. I would also welcome Facebook requests from any of you. Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it!

Drizzy Got The Money

On Tuesday (yes, a weeknight) my sister and I attended the "Drake vs Lil Wayne" concert in San Jose. (Remember, I love Drake.) It was exhausting but also a blast! We daaanced like crazy. I didn't take a ton of pictures, but here's what I did capture:



90% of the girls were wearing crop-tops and high-waisted shorts, including my sister:



But why is she glowing like a sunny goddess??? Anyway, the people behind her looked good too:



Lots of sculpted eyebrows. To conclude, here's a bit of the stage before sunset:

Quick School Snaps

I've got some pretty cute classmates. Look at this lady:



She was giggling at me. And then two cool kids bein' goofy:



(The second photo was originally on Instagram. I changed my handle everywhere, by the way--now I'm @sonyaellenmann. And I made a personal portfolio website! Whattup!)

Black Steel-Toed Stomping Boots

The title basically says it all. Here's my friend, lacing up his hardcore workin'-man shoes:



I couldn't pull off this style, not without looking like a failed goth, but those Doc Martens are pretty dang cool. Just for kicks (pun intended), check out another nifty piece of footwear:

// Stella van Domburg //

I refuse to stumble around in high heels, because I love comfort more than elegance, but the elevated arch is very aesthetically pleasing.

Bad Lil Bun

Saturday the 13th at SideQuest Gallery. 15th Street was hoppin' to an unexpected extent--if you're in the Bay Area and like art galleries, then I recommend checking out this block. I wish I had thought to bring my real camera, because there were plenty of snazzy-looking people! Pink hair, whattup:



Not to mention RAINBOW UNICORNS:



Later my date and I went for a walk, trying to find my car--we're both "navigationally challenged" so it was an odyssey--and came across this perfect sticker:



Bad lil bun. It looks so grumpy! I am a bad lil bun sometimes. Are you a bad lil bun?!

See more graffiti snapshots on Yourself Cared or Tumblr (1 & 2).

Black Socks

// Crysco Photography //

Knee socks are very cute. Thigh-highs are even better! I mention this because autumn approacheth, and they're becoming practical again.

// Helga Weber //

(T-strap heels are also pretty great, not that I ever wear them.)

// Eric Kilby //

When I was in grade school, my gym teacher taught us this song:

Black socks,
they never get dirty.
The longer you wear 'em,
the blacker they get.
Some day
I think I might launder them.
Something keeps telling me
maybe not yet,
not yet,
not yet.

Circle back to the beginning. Repeat ad nauseum. Here's a video that has the same tune with slightly different lyrics:

The Artist's Dilemma

During the past week, I have been busier than ever before. Or at least I've been busier than I can remember being previously. It's nice because I don't have time to sit around worrying about nonsense like "what if all the computers stop working". (Seriously, I only get anxious about dumb unlikely things.) On the other hand, a full schedule is tiring. Obviously. Did you know that going to school AND being a social person takes up a lot of time and energy? I have never been so friendly and active before, meaning that this is a new discovery for me. Here's the problem:



In my case "attend classes and study" subs in for "work", since I don't have a job right now. But you get the idea. It's a tweaked (and pink!) version of the college conundrum. I apologize, dear reader, for the result is a neglected blog. Anyway, today I'm unwinding and tackling my personal projects. I may or may not get dressed, so please look cute as hell on my behalf!

Side note: I'm glad that I have the catchall "inspiration" category for posts like this. The actual inspirational content here? Nonexistent. But I can fool myself into feeling organized.

Congratulations

I love getting opportunities to take pictures of people. Portraiture is the only kind of photography that I'm really interested in. One such opportunity arose recently when the Richmond Pulse asked me to cover a graduation of public health interns at the local library. (Feel free to read the article, about half of which was written by moi, if you're interested. And there are a few outtakes on Tumblr.) Without further ado...



Unfortunately I can't remember this lady's name, but she was an impassioned speaker and her outfit was great. Cranberry skinny jeans? Sign me up. Also lovin' that red necklace.



Tamajiea Videau, one of the students I interviewed personally, wearing rad blue espadrilles.



Swooning at the ruffles and bows on this white blouse! Lastly, there was a really cute little girl in a party dress:



My Little Pony backpack, whattup!

I'm In Love But I'm Lazy

Oh hey, honey! This enthusiastic Oakland graffiti makes me think of the Beatles song--"Honey pie, you're making me crazy. I'm in love but I'm lazy. Won't you please come home..." (From The White Album.)

On Saturday I went to the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. Did you know that his friends called him Sparky? I learned that. I also read about four thousand Peanuts cartoons in the various exhibits, which was splendid. It was a fun excursion, and I avoided taking pictures because there was simply too much to look at. Except I couldn't resist a snapshot of Sally cruisin' in a pastel polka-dot car:



Hayyy. Reminds me of a pink Cadillac. And now, for our finale, some vehement anti-Crocs sentiment:



Calm down, dude! I wonder if this guy has similarly strong feelings about Uggs.

Describing The Motion

This won't surprise you: I think about fashion a lot. It will be equally unsurprising--you have a brain too--when I say that most of my style-related thoughts fall around the depth of "ooh that's cute" or "please get a haircut". (Yes, I feel guilty about the critical reactions, but my mind insists on producing them anyway.) Ideally I would walk from place to place making fancy observations about performative identity and aesthetic communication, but the reality is that I just sneak pictures of people's backpacks on the train.

Fashion particularly fascinates me because I struggle to sensibly articulate my feelings about it. Words are my forte, and being unable to use them to specify what I mean is like a having a loose tooth that I can't stop wiggling. I like certain styles and not others, but for the most part there's no logical reason why. And my tastes are constantly changing. Sometimes I can construct an after-the-fact narrative, e.g. "I like short skirts because they symbolize increased sociopolitical freedom for women," but that's not necessarily a true explanation of the process in my head. Any brief statement will be reductive.

I guess it's a bit like food--I don't need to explain my enjoyment of French fries. But I sure get a kick out of the classic Americana vibe. The burger plate can make me feel connected to something, something that I want to learn how to name. An aesthetic experience is difficult to encompass with language, but I refuse to believe that I can't do it. In the meantime, I can comfort myself with other media...

// painting by Anna Poole //

Second Date Style (Or My Arguable Lack Thereof)

First date outfit goals: knock his or her socks off with my charming femininity (as previously discussed). But what about the second date? I'm so glad you asked, dear reader! (Shh, it's a rhetorical device.) On date number two, I try to let my inner slob shine. I don't bother to suppress my outer slob either. No makeup. Schlumpy comfy clothes. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but I do try to display a less visually idealized version of myself. Sometimes I run a combo game: unwashed hair and a flirty dress on the first date, but red lipstick and sweats on the second date. Gotta keep 'em on their toes.

To be honest, I dislike dating. I've done more of it than seems reasonable for a twenty-year-old, but I chalk that up to efficiency. One of the points in favor of online dating is that it allows me to review many candidates over a short period of time. However, the process is exhausting. First dates are awkward, and sometimes the uncomfortable vibe carries over into the second date. Being inundated with such semi-stilted encounters (albeit through my own maneuvering) is tiresome. What I really want is another relationship, not endless horrible dating.

But I wonder, is my wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am approach the wrong way to seek for a partner? Apparently I'm supposed to be "okay on my own". Then my remarkable contentment and soaring self-esteem will attract a sensitive tousle-haired someone with unrealized dreams--oh wait, I'm describing (500) Days of Summer, and I think we all remember how much irritating nonsense Summer had to put up with. Geez, I'll take Don Jon instead.

Dunno which movie this moment is from, but I like it:

// Joseph Gordon-Levitt by ciliadesu //

Baby Beluga

This post will culminate in a fashion-related point. (Um, sort of.)

// Mike Johnston //

Beluga whales are the cutest aquatic creatures. They are sweet, squishy, shy, and pacifistic. They always look like they're smiling. I got to meet some at SeaWorld once, including a BABY (omg), and although I have negative feelings about SeaWorld as an institution, it was a delightful experience. (I have yet to watch Blackfish because everyone says it's heartrending. But still.) Beluga whales are my favorite non-pet animal. (Rabbits are my favoritest favorite animal.)

If beluga whales wore clothes, they would wear silly T-shirts and snap-back baseball caps.

// Donny Nguyen //

// Jonathan Woodward //

Kind Is Better Than Right

Today I'm posting a short paragraph excised from my book-in-progress (which I probably shouldn't talk about because it might jinx everything, but whatever):

I try to limit my criticism of other people's clothes. After all, they're just living their lives, and they have no obligation to be aesthetically pleasing to me. None at all. Chances are they like what they're wearing; they think it looks good. I can't contradict that, or say they're wrong for liking what they like. Emotional reactions are not right or wrong; they simply exist.

// Karyn Christner //

SF Asian Art Museum: Gorgeous

I was incredibly cultural this weekend. Saturday saw me at SideQuest, and then on Sunday I visited the Gorgeous exhibit at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum, which lived up to its name. The exhibit, not the museum, because confusingly there were various works by non-Asian artists, but whatever.

I would love to return before Gorgeous closes. I couldn't absorb all that beauty in one go--in fact, I don't think I could properly appreciate it after coming back a hundred times. Art is overwhelming. But not to the extent that I didn't selfie it up when confronted with a reflective surface:



My narcissistic modern remix of Robert Smithson's Essen Soil and Mirrors is called Nonsite featuring Sonya. (Kidding... sort of.) The original is part of SFMOMA's collection.



Miss Blanche chair by Shiro Kuramata, also provided by SFMOMA. Inspired by the character from A Streetcar Named Desire. The shadows cast by the embedded roses were mesmerizing:



Lastly, an unattributed study of a woman's profile, circa mid-1700s India.

I would have taken more pictures, but I decided to focus on being present and enjoying the artworks. Often I have to remind myself not to prioritize documentation over experience. I would rather feel my life as it happens than make memories of a viewfinder.

SideQuest Gallery: 8-Bit August

Last night I went to SideQuest Gallery (follow 'em on Facebook!) for an 8-bit art show, undeterred by my complete lack of knowledge regarding video games. Hey, I'm just pleased that I recognized Mario and Pac-Man. My camera accompanied me, and the results are grainy as heck--I haven't mastered indoor photography or nighttime photography--but I don't mind the visual noise, because the mood came through. Not to mention that I'm really proud of myself for Doing A Social Thing without bringing a companion to cling to. Although I did plunk myself next to this lady for a bit:



Kelsey Burt, SideQuest's lovely co-owner and my former roommate. You can check out her photography on Instagram or Tumblr (warning: NSFW).



These two were snazzy. Bunny-bow headband, holographic silver sneakers, and a teal mohawk. Yes.



Casey Fay, the other gallery owner, painting live and offering up soothing tidbits like Bob Ross. I love Casey's work--his ice-cream sandwich fish sits on my bedroom dresser.



Libations aplenty, in true Oakland style. PBR must be the official artsy-kid drink.



Pretty Courtney (I think? bad with names) wearing a floral dress that she cleverly turned backwards. But shhh, don't tell anyone. "Gee, Courtney, that's the most frontwards dress I've seen this week!" [insert giant smarmy wink]



Josh the DJ, grooving to his tunes. He got up to dance occasionally and I wish I had captured his glam movement style.



Aaand that's a wrap! Unless you want to peruse the outtakes on Tumblr. If you're in the Bay Area, consider coming to Oakland for the next couple of events: music on the 15th and more music on the 16th. I might be there in all my awkward glory, and I'll definitely attend the September 13th exhibit because I'm presenting a zine. I have no idea if y'all are even interested in meeting me, but might as well put it out there. Whew, this was a long post. L8r g8rs.