So, what's your opinion of men in skirts?

I'm actually a big fan of unbifurcated garments on men, and I support this man's endeavor 100 percent. What do you think? In a world where murse, mantyhose, guyliner, and metrosexual have all hit the vernacular, are we in the US ready for the renaissance of the man-skirt?

In other news, WHEW, sorry for the absence. I believe I'm back in commission for real, now. Depression sucks HARD! And finances have been such that I have not been able to keep this blog's original goal, to document street style in Indianapolis. For this space to continue, a format change seems necessary. From here onward, personal style will be the focus. For your Indianapolis street-style fix, I encourage you to visit my friends at the Indianapolis Fashion Collective. They're beautiful, they're doing fantastic things, and one of my hopes is that their street style section grows and grows. I'd like to contribute some photos, next time I am up in Indy.

"You got your fashion in my politics!" "You got your politics in my fashion!"

Thus, this post begins in a similar way to most posts that actually see life on this blog. I go to write about shoes, I end up writing about Snuggies. I went just now to write about the joys of maxi-skirts, then after commenting on a recent What I Wore post, my brain went on a tangent about politics, fashion, personal style, and the inevitability of their mixing.

All Jessica did was put on some menswear and ask us if we felt free to wear whatever we want to!

The resultant conversation ranged widely, from women in menswear to hijabs to men in womenswear to bringing back the tricorne hat. (I'm bringin' tricorne baaaaack! You new-new-romantics don't know how to aaaaaact!)

Quoth your blogmistress in the comments:

Oh, I TOTALLY wear whatever I want. I don't even tone down the flamboyancy it now that I've moved from Indy to Vincennes for a little bit. (And for heaven's sake, my clothes aren't even out-there. People just aren't used to seeing hats with flowers and sashes instead of Nascar logos around here LOL) I am fortunate though, in that my personal style borders on the uberfemme. I barely even own jeans. People raise their eyebrows, and some shallow college students have openly made fun of my duds, but more often I get compliments on my "creativity and guts."

I'm all for women in menswear, men in skirts (Hey, it works in Japan), and I REALLY wish more men stateside were comfortable carrying a satchel, er, man-purse, whatever you want to call it. I'm of the belief that there are some norms that just shouldn't be as they are, and if you never push those boundaries, they're just going to stay right where they are, or even recede.

I totally realized, upon a re-read, that the way I dress reflects my politics pretty much exactly. Loud and proud in my femininity, and mostly unafraid to push against norms that I disagree with. I find myself wondering how common this reflection of politics in personal style is among my contemporaries. (more)

The mingling of style and politic has a long and rich history, with examples as obvious as women eschewing bras as an item of oppression in the 60's to the more obscure and exciting (albeit morbid) trend of women in post-Revolutionary France tying red strings 'round their necks and calling it "a la guillotine." Gallows fashion also extended to the short, shaggy cropped hair of the "a la victime" style. And let's not even get started on the modern-day implications of wearing things like the hijab or keffiyah, or modern ladies still wearing corsetry. In truth, though in more subtle ways than most of these examples, there is a political implication in everything we wear. There are just those people who recognize that they're acting within these implications, and those who don't.

(Supplemental: The Fashion Institute of Technology's "200 Years of Political Fashion" online exhibit.)

Do your clothing choices tell something about your own politics? What styles and/or eras are you most drawn to?

Kicking Ass with Kristen K.

It's another post from Jared! Hey everybody! So I sort've do this thing where I walk around Indianapolis looking for people that look cool or have a strong and apparent personal style to take pictures of for this very site! For about the past month, every person I've passed had a style that said "I am cold. I do not want pneumonia or hyperthermia." Which meant a serious lack of cool looking clothes, as most people were willing to wear anything so long as it was warm. Fortunately it's finally warmer out now and Indy's looking fashionable again.


On a recent walk around downtown I crossed paths with Kristen K, and boy was she just a bundle of surprises. She's totally someone I can point to in defense of myself never making assumptions. For example, I never would have guessed that she works for the Indiana State Health Department, specifically for the anti-smoking people. But, in her own words "I'm not a cigarette nazi or anything". Since we were on the circle and the Indiana State Health Department was nearby I'm guessing she was on her way to the office when we met. However, that's just her boring job; her cool job is teaching group kickboxing at Life Time Fitness in Castleton. See! I had a reason behind the naming of this post (besides alliteration).

Oh! and another thing I never would have guessed, is that she was listening to Black Sabbath when I stopped to talk to her. Yeah, that's right. Sabbath. This chick is METAL; and officially the most bad ass government official I know of (sorry former-governor Jesse Ventura). Seriously, check out that awesome barbed wire ring, how cool is that.

If you didn't notice, her sunglasses are a fantastic color. What color is that you ask? Well, it's the same sea foam green as a Fender Stratocaster guitar (seen here being played by guitar hero Harold Crick). Even her sunglasses are rock & roll! This chick kicks serious ass, and I mean that both figuratively and literally.

She showed me what I refer to as Booty Bling. However, having just met someone it is quite a curious procession of thoughts that occur when someone says "OH! Let me show you my butt necklace!", and then proceeds to dig around in their coat. I may have gotten a bit carried away with editing that one and making it all Victorian looking. You'd better click on that thumbnail to see the big version. I spent too much time editing that for you to not look at it. Plus it's cool looking! You know what, just click on all the pics, they all link to bigger versions.

Kristen's mom got her this bracelet as a present. She told me it had been beaten up over the years. I think it just makes it look more punk rock.

I finally got a shot of somebody for the site with the monument in the background. I like how you can see the curvature of the building and the monument from the lense of the camera. Pretty cool effect, like an unintentional fish-eyed lense.

Author, Photographer, Photo Editing: The Jared Wilcurt

Inspirational Videos: Hip-hop fierce

Showing impeccable style isn't just about what you wear. Just as important is your attitude. In honor of this fact, I've decided to post videos now and then of real-life people and fictional characters who embody attitudes that convey true style.

The first one is one of my favorites. The Beat Freaks performing to Webby's "Independent," in a style paying homage to Rosie the Riveter. We CAN do it!

Raven is a force of nature.

I took these pictures of Raven on registration day at Vincennes University. She's fast becoming my favorite person on campus. I could probably just start a whole new blog along the lines of "What Awesome Kid Wore Today."

And yes, she's a kid to me. I consider anyone born post-1990 to be a kid.

Anyway, she's freakin' awesome. It was the purple pants that really did it for me. Well, and the blue hair. Animal ears on humans tend to irritate me if they're not worn for Halloween, a LARP-ing session, or during a convention. But they work on her. And she knows it. It's all about owning your originality and what works on your body around here.

And the jacket... well, I'll just let it speak for itself.

Now for the difficulty level: Finding places to hang out with her and her friends, that they are actually old enough to get into! Ah, being an old geezer among a herd of under-21 folks...

Monochrome done right

Meet Leah Kettering!

Leah did all the makeup work for my brother's wedding. Her own wardrobe choice was so eye-catching, I just had to click a few pics. I was proud of how she took a silver-sequin dress that was WAY too bling for an afternoon wedding, and brought it back down to a calm place on earth with a languidly-draped long cardigan and slouchy leather ankle-boots.

Check out the wedding video for more examples of her great makeup work. She is also a proud Arbonne representative. Check out her page for high-quality health and beauty products.

To The Fairest

This is Megan. She is so intimidatingly pretty, it took me months to even say hello to her. We have hung out at Revenge and other goth-type gatherings in the Indianapolis area for pretty much the whole time I've lived there. Yeah, I'm a wimp. But she's just got this older-than-her-years stare that goes right through you. And her hair is perfect. And she's built like a model, and she always dresses impeccably. I finally mustered the guts to say hi and ask for some pictures. She's nice as can be! Now, I feel a little silly for waiting so long.

She got the dress at Forever 21. Also, Tru is either very dusty or haunted, because I ALWAYS get orbs when I shoot there. It's ridiculous. Yeah, I'm leaning toward dusty. Stupid dust-orbs and their clamoring to get onto my blog!

Purse = the BOMB.

 Here she is a few weeks ago, with DJ Jin-XS. Why this woman is not a famous alt model, I will never know.

Dark Denizens part 2: Jo

Photos taken at Revenge, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010

Long live:

• Pink and black
• Furry boots
• Intricate makeup
• Dance

These boots were made for... purchasing produce?

So, I tagged along with Jared to Kroger, and he sort of laughed when I grabbed my camera. "Who are you going to see to photograph at Kroger," he said.

Rachel, that's who. I complimented her on her red hair, she complimented mine, and we suddenly, instantly bonded over the wide selection of canned soups. Crazy how these things work out. She was happy to put down her lettuce and Portabellos so we could snap a few good shots.

Photos and edits courtesy of The Jared.

We had to get a pic of her boots. "I got those at a TJ Maxx in Chicago," she said. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pair of strategically-battered boots worn over the jeans. Maybe it's a throwback to my childhood days, riding horses and tromping through the mud puddles at the State Forest in Pike County. You can take the girl out of the hick-town, but you can't take the hick-town out of the girl.

 Oh, my friends, it was a PAIN to get a decent picture of this necklace. But get a load of that hunk o' turquoise. So worth it. I regret to say that we were so deep in conversation that I forgot to ask where she got her necklace. Fashion-blogger fail. D'you still love me?






She accessorized her simple jeans, T-shirt, and black leather jacket with a mustard-yellow scarf that SO works with her hair, a beige leather shoulder-bag, and that most essential of all accessories -- a great, big, genuine smile. The best subjects are the ones who are so clearly brimming with joie de vivre. Props, Miss Rachel. You rock.

The Thrilling Thrift Hunt

Beware if you decide to jump on the thrift-store bandwagon. It becomes an addiction. The good news is that I can tell you the location of every top-notch bargain hunter's paradise from here to Evansville, Louisville, Dayton, and Cincinnati. Value World, the DAV, Salvation Army, St. Vinnies, Goodwill... I'm an encyclopedia of thrift-tasticness.

The bad news is, thrifting has become like crack to me. Well, at least it's generally less expensive. But seriously. I learned from the best. My step-grandmother's been at it for the majority of her 88 years. My mom's been taking me thrifting since I was a wee child of about 7. You get GOOD at sifting through diamonds in the rough when you start at so tender of an age. I have a talent. A gift, even. Everyone wants to go shopping with me, because the Thrifting Gods favor me so.

The itch hit hard again on my way home from my dad's parents' home in Milan. (Milan, Indiana. Not the more-exciting Milan.) Suddenly, I spotted the Goodwill in Batesville. I was powerless to resist her sweet siren call.

Fortunately, I was able to pay for most of the resultant haul with grandparent Christmas money. (Bless you, grandparents of the world!) I also befriended a bargain-conscious duo of elderly ladies, who let me in on their secret: This particular Goodwill sells everything half-price to the over-50 crowd every Sunday. They adopted me as a surrogate niece for the next fifteen minutes, so what would have been a $96 haul was only $48.

Needless to say, this weekend I have made a HELLACIOUS wardrobe upgrade, courtesy of the Batesville Goodwill.

With some aid from Rag-o-Rama in Indy, where I found a sweet pair of Steve Madden snake-printed platform sandals ($16) for next season, and some platform gothic butt-kicking boots ($15) for RIGHT FREAKIN' NOW. Incidentally, they look fairly like the Demonia boots I was about to drop nearly $80 for. Oh, I am a happy girl.

The haul includes:

•  hand-knit cream-colored shawl
• a scarf to match
• two berets in black and oatmeal (You could say I was inspired by Andrea's recent beret-laden hotness)
• a knee-length black sweater-jacket, perfect for layering
• a perfectly-fitting oatmeal jacket for spring
• a divinely soft white New York & Co cowl-neck sweater
• two delicious chunky, angora cardigans in grey and black
• some grey suede flat midcalf boots (Perfectly timed, since my black pair needs replacing)
• a velvet pinstriped J.Crew blazer
• a SWOON-WORTHY silk-velvet Elie Tahari blouse. I saw similar on the Bergdorf-Goodman website for $250.
• The perfect little leather overnight bag for my next weekend trip

A haul of this quality gives you a ridiculous sense of accomplishment. I mean, any fool with a ton of money in the bank can just walk into Saks and grab the "right" brands in the "right" silhouette for the season. The rest of us need to be more resourceful and better at the hunt. What's my point? The point would be that there's no POINT in paying full retail. For anything. Also, I'm available if anybody needs a shopping buddy and/or personal shopper. Because there is nothing like the rush of a hunt like this.

Jared's first post

I found Tiffany S. while I was in a daze wandering the streets of downtown. This happens sometimes when I skip breakfast. It was around noon and she didn't seem to be in a hurry, casually walking, on her way to what I presume would be Point B. Alternatively Point A, would seem to be Thomas Caterers where she works.

When I introduced myself and explained that I had stopped her for a local fashion blog, her face LIT UP. From that point on she couldn't stop smiling. As it turns out, Tiffany S. is a big fan of fashion. Always thumbing through fashion magazines, and reading up on the newest designs. She rattled off designer after designer while my little boy head spun and nodded agreeingly (force of habit around well dressed and pretty girls).






Caption: A Kathy Van Zeeland bag with a necklace Tiffany S. added.

I commented on her bag, she eagerly proclaimed it to be "a Kathy, but I added the necklace the other day. I like it". Me too!, wonderful Tiffany person, me too! "My coat is from Express and my jean leggings are from Joe's Jeans". I corrected her mispronunciation of jeggings (a word I found on Google one time). When I took a photo of her boots I noted a recent blog post on winter boots. She excitedly described how she'd been looking for boots recently and finally found these at Shï. I told her she was very wise to have overpaid for them while in season. She agreed laughingly.






Caption: Winter boots from Shï.

I asked what inspires her fashion, she instantly said "Edie Sedgwick", a name I strongly remembered but couldn't place from where. Edie was a socialite in the 80's and is best known for her time spent with pop artist and/or genius Andy Warhol. If you haven't seen the movie Factory Girl, netflix that, it's really well done and all about her. Immediately after Edie, she mentioned Rachel Zoe as another big inspiration.

I could no longer bother the poor girl for photos as I had to go eat mediocre Indian food (seriously, I need to stop skipping breakfast). I gave her a link to the blog and parted in opposite directions. Which is good I imagine, because parting in the same direction is awkward.






Author/Photographer: The Jared Wilcurt