Long Hot Summer

Sometimes the heat on the street can just

get too much..

but I really love summer.

Growing up in Sydney I remember running

under the sprinkler to cool down ,

weekend camping trips to kangaroo valley

and body surfing for hours on end.

With the whole global warming thing,

those uninterrupted hot summers might have

been, well, interrupted a little; but the promise of

summer remains.

There is a feeling in the air.

The freedom of throwing on a t-shirt and

shooting out the door, no heavy , inhibiting coats

and the like.

The longer daylight hours and cool

evening breezes as you head out for a drink

on a cafe terrace.

The Australian open , Havianas and

frozen yoghurt.

Reruns of strange shows on TV and BBQs.

Ahhhhhh.

Summer bliss is still alive and well and on

street near you.

Hairspray

Hair creeping skyward faster than an A380!

Marge Simpson, Amy Winehouse, Beyonce

John Waters ( Hairspray), any and every

drag queen ever, Pam Anne and of course

Diana Ross and the Supremes, all new the

merits of creating a voluminous up do.

A place to hide things, create the illusion

of height, make an entrance, channel that

retro diva within and elude to that 60's -

glamour that air hostesses, girl pop groups

and even the everyday Stepford wife teased

into new heights.

So raise the roof girls (or boys ) out there,

and be inspired by some of these looks

from the street.

There's a Bear in There

You can't go past the lovable bear for

inspiration. Street artists have been

teddyfiing our walls lately. Maybe in the

hopes we will come over all cuddly and

warm with fuzziness.

I really didn't say much there at all did I?

But I am jet-lagged and it is time to go to

bed with my bear. Goodnight!

I LOVE...

I LOVE...all the variations on
I LOVE slogans. I will keep my eye out for

more so keep posted!

Post

The mailman will never be bored again if

we all had funky mailboxes like these.

Turbans

One of the most memorable experiences I

have had was one about ten years ago in

New Delhi.

I was staying in a small horrid backpacker

hotel in the old city.

I heard the sound of a procession coming

into the small narrow street at dusk.

Poking my head out of the small

non-air conditioned room into the muggy,

Indian night air, I saw a sea of multi-

coloured turbans. A Sikh festive occasion

had brought all of it's devotees out in all

their celebratory glory.

Hot pinks, deep vermilion, canary yellow,

lime, and vivid indigo all vying for

head space as they celebrated with

exuberance.

Teeny, Tiny Sculptures part 2

Here are some more shots of those iconic

little public sculptures (see post 15.12.09

...'Storybook Street')

Sydneysiders will recognise a mini replica

of the entrance to fun park; Lunar Park,

a landmark by the harbour shores of Sydney .

The top image is Bib and Bub...who later

evolved into 'Snugglepot and Cuddlepie'

(my favourite story as a child) by May Gibbs.

Not sure who the tall skinny bloke is...

any body know?

Cool Kids

Check out the amazingly cool energy of

these kids. I think their creativity and

self expression is inspiring.

We should all try and have the fresh outlook

that children have.

Let's paint with bright colours and

design with no preconceptions.

It is only as we over-think things as we get

older that our palettes get all murky (as

acknowledged in one of my favourite films;

'Six Degrees of Separation'

Kids have a way of just not complicating

things.

It's great to see the future is in good hands

with these lot!

What's up Top?

I have noticed some really great t-shirts

and and tops out there for guys. (see

yesterdays post on the white tee)

My favourite is this tie died green and black

one above and the hyper-coloured tie died

one held by the guy in glad wrap below.

There are so many really cool options out

there without playing it safe with a label

emblazoned on your chest..(unless you find

a really great old school vintage number)

stick to original tees like these, or unbranded

basics in colours that suit you

and hang with a little room ,in the best cotton.

White Tees

Reinvention is the way fashion evolves.

The basic of all basics, the white tee has

just gone through this process.

Longer, voluminous, and lower in the neck.

It is all about the shape of things..broad on

top and narrow below.

Look out for the roomy white tee revolution.

Grey but never Gloomy

Grey is actually my favourite colour when

it comes to clothing.

Colour is great, but there is something

really comforting about slipping on a

grey tee.

I also love the grey of polished concrete

and marble. Sculpture and architecture

created from these materials has a strength

and simplicity, letting the line and

structure speak for itself ,and also

improving with age as it is textured by

the weather.

And then there is the salt and Pepper

thing some folk have going on with there hair.

It is so elegant in my opinion, and even

some women really suit naturally grey hair.

Bangs!

Yesterday I posted 'The Buzz Cut' and

today it is all about the fringe.

There are some real edgy heads happening

out there.

In fact, not since the 80's has hair been so

much like a 'Flock of Seagulls' taking off

from an 'Echo Beach'...( Sorry! )

It is the reemergence of the big bang that

is getting second glances on the street.

Here are some looks I love.

The Buzz Cut

Are you ready to get..

Buzzed ?

Monks have always done it. So have

marines and soldiers.

Sinead O'conner's , 'Nothing

Compares to You' video was just a close-up

of her face, head shaved and tears rolling.

Skinheads may have lent the cut some infamy,

and coming after the Hippy movement and

the 70's, where hair was all, well, everywhere,

shaving your head was seen as the ultimate

act of rebellion, and, highly subversive.

Now days, a shaved head is not so shocking

or laden with meaning. It is however freeing,

low maintenance, enhances great features and

can look great with a tux, a tee or a dress

for that matter.

Sea in the city..

Some Cities are built by the sea. It is

reflected in the street art of that city as

shown in the examples here. I especially

love the giant whale and sea life murals

of well known street artist Wyland.

He has painted over 100 of these dramatic

marinescapes , these ones dotting the

coast of Honolulu.

The amazingly intricate and fragile

looking glass sculpture by American

artist Dale Chihuly, (above), in the entrance

foyer of the Victoria and Albert Museum,

London, is an example of bringing

the sea into a city that is inland, proving

that most city dwellers still want to feel

connected to the ocean and its savage beauty.