How Low Can You be Louboutinised?

photo: justbemagazine. com

I have a good friend who is a fashion-aware person that makes her can easily pass as a fashionista. I've known that she has a good appetite for fashion, and the way she dress says it all. In fact, she somehow inspired me on experimenting with outfit. She can easily mix and match her wardrobe without falling to become a victim of fashion, and successfully winning people's attention. She looks posh effortlessly, even in second-line brands.

However, one day I received a surprising email with photo attachments from her. Had she not written what's it all about in her email, I would not have bad judgement against them. They are photos of some pairs of beautiful shoes that look like those of Christian Louboutin. She asked me to pick out which pair have the nicest model, cause she wanted to order them for her.

I remember when we were at one luxurious mall in our town, she spotted a woman who wore them, "those are Louboutin" she made me aware of them. She continued explaining me of their incredible prices. I was impressed by the beauty of them, but not by the prices, cause to me they're just excessively expensive, though I could understand some people love to buy 'exclusiveness'.

And for that 'exclusiveness' lifestyle some people don't even mind to cheat by wearing the counterfeit ones. Sad, and what's more sad is, the one that she wanted to order are the knock-offs. It made me laugh and shocked at the same time when I read it, and I refused her idea. She told me that the genuine ones would cost her dearly like some USD 1500, and those she intended to order would only cost her USD 100. I argued her, that by wearing a counterfeit even if it's only a pair, will always make someone ugly and somehow, hurts that person's pride even if other people don't notice the difference. Kind of lousy argument, but I just don't want her to wear counterfeit merchandise. I told her, it's better to wear a non-branded or second-line one than a counterfeit Louboutin. Glad she listened to me and agreed with it.

Really, even though I can't afford a pair of Louboutin, I dislike those people who sell, buy and wear counterfeit. Why must be dictated by a brand?

This is What Happens When You Have Live TV

Sarah Murdoch needs other better excuse for her mistake at hosting The Australia's Next Top Model rather than picking live television show as a scapegoat.

Watching it again on youtube, I think Sarah started to look tense at 2.30, then at 2:31 she looked like having her body there but her mind was elsewhere. Probably the operator had told her by that time about the mistake she just had made, but she lost idea of what to say. Poor her.

Some people think that it was purposely for publicity reason, that Sarah Murdoch was just acting. It's silly, it's very obvious she looked horror-stricken.
I can't pick the best scenario of what actually caused the blunder. Was it the operator who didn't speak clearly? Did Sarah actually has problem with her ears? :-D
Or ...could it be Sarah Murdoch actually preferred Kelsey Martinovich to Amanda Ware to win the title, and that caused her subconscious to take over her mind?

As for Kelsey Martinovich, she's elegantly in control of the situation, and came forth to comfort Murdoch. Both finalists are beautiful, and I see Kelsey as a winner as well as Amanda.
It's also good that as a way of apology, the organiser compensated Kelsey with $20,000 (£12,000) and a trip to New York.

Fake Me Out

Come to some markets of countries in Asia, there scattered plenty of Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta, Hermes, just name it. They are all there, and some are all cheap. The brands belong to the masses, they are becoming like part of women' uniform.

I'm no posh critic of lifestyles, but to me it's a plain vain to wear a copy of those upscale brands, and it's just folly. Why one wants to wear it? Is it because of its beautiful styles? Well, there are many no name brands or secondary brands produce eye-tempting styles. Maybe because of the quality? Doubt it, why wear fake then? Because one can't afford it? Well, mostly, but not all, cause the self-claimed superior quality replicas are pricey too...considering that it's FAKE.

One of my cousins came back from her holiday in HongKong, and she proudly brought my Mom a fake Prada. I've learnt from my observation in some multiply.com sites that the first grade to superior quality of replicas come from either South Korea or Hong Kong, while the inferior ones are from China. My Mom is not a brand worshiper, but she's always bought authentic stuffs, cheap or pricey. My cousin actually is more than able to buy the genuine one, but she bought a fake one too for herself and her Mom. Since my Mom doesn't wear fake things, that Prada replica bag then ended to someone else...and the chain of deception continues :))

Replicas or fake things not only belong to bags or other stuffs of women. My sis-in-law saw many fake Nokia mobiles while travelling in China, and she brought one of those fake iPhone home :-D, because her friends bought many of them as gifts for their friends and families!! At first my bro used it, until I told him that some source say fake mobiles are dangerous, I've never seen him with it anymore.

I wish they were less vain and were more pro creativity, and bought things not because of the brands. Also, for dog and cat lovers, please considering this article before you buy replicas from China.

Beach Volley Sans Bikini

Women Beach Volleyball is always associated with exposed bods in bikini or at least a less covered beach outfit. It makes me think how would women athletes from Islamic countries dress when they play beach volleyball? Well, here, a picture of a member of beach volleyball team from Jordan when they competed Indonesian team at the Asian Beach Game 2008 in Bali, Indonesia.

clipped from www.thejakartapost.com

Jordan's Asma Alzahwahreh (left) shake hands with Indonesia teams after
match of women beach volleyball in Asian Beach Games in Sanur, Bali, on Monday. Indonesia teams won 42-9.(AP/Achmad Ibrahim)

Visiting Volcano with Socks in Crocs

Some days ago on my entrecard-hopping I came across Lilly's post which is asking about what is the worst fashion trend. I giggled as I read 2 things that she points out: wearing sandals with socks, and crocs.

Well, I just combined the two of them when I recently visited a volcano, Rakata, the Son of Krakatau.
I wore crocs sandals with socks. I know some crocs have silly design, but mine are the non-silly ones :-D

I decided to wear them for a practical reason only, because the volcano is located on an island and I reached the island by boat. There's no dock there, so visitors have to jump into the water. That's why wearing sandals is more convenient than wearing sneakers or mountain shoes. Besides in my opinion, regardless their designs crocs are light and comfortable to wear.

The island itself, except a little part of its beach, is mostly covered by particles from the active volcano -the volcano was "coughing" many times when we're there. There's almost no tree on the volcano, that's why the particles from the volcano that lay thickly on the ground become very hot when the sun is up, and in August the weather is usually very hot. My feet would cry if I didn't protect them with socks :-)) That's why I put on the socks.

Notice that my crocs have their back straps? I took the straps from my other flip-flop. It's my anticipation, so my sandals would stay attached on my feet as I walked on the loose surface, and to make my walk easier. I found out later, it's not as easy as I thought!!

At least I caught two girls were starring my crocs, I thought either they think my mutant crocs look maladroit or they're admiring them. It turned out to be the later, as they later told me "your sandals are uber cool." :-D

For the Love of Batik

I am a bit swayed by the current Batik enthusiasm movement in -at least Jakarta- my country. Everywhere I see people wear the products of Batik. Batik is really in fashion. So I think it would be nice to adorn this beautiful template with a look-a-like Batik print. I can't say it a Batik pattern though, cause Batik is not actually a pattern but it is the process.

Let me talk a bit of what I heard about it. The word Batik is derived from Ambatik and also tritik. Both words are originated in Javanese language. Amba means "to write" or "to do", while the word 'tritik' which means a dying process where the patterns are done after tying and sewing the areas. It was similar to tie dye techniques. So I think that's why it's said it's not a pattern but the process of making the pattern.

Having said those, I want to point out that Batik is the pride of Indonesia and the most beautiful Batiks are from Java Island in Indonesia.

Interested in reading more about Batik? A site that's mainly addressed for expatriates in my country features an educative and concise article about Batik.
Want to make some groovy pattern like mine for your own template background? Do it easily on www.colourlovers.com or just click the above pattern.
The more complicated and exotic process of making the product of Batik by Batik artists, however, can be seen here.

ManGoers Day

I'm talking about Mango, the popular apparel brand from Spain.
Like the fruit Mango, it's appealing and sweet. Mango is one of all people favourite fruits, and so is Mango, the brand, to many of Indonesian fashion-aware females -according to me of course! I think Mango is quite a user-friendly fashion ;-)
Since last Thursday, when Mango collaborated with one of the banks invited the card holders for Mango preview up-to-50%-sale; the Mangoers had raided all over Mango shops in Jakarta cos some knew that goods reservation before sale days is possible. Alas, many of Mango fans did it already, so only small collection of Mango were on display at any other Mango stores in Jakarta that day. That was also what happened in the preview sale, though it’s named ‘preview’, there actually had already been a pre-preview sale! So unfair, no privilege for the invitees at all.
Luckily (or it seems so) I managed to get insider contact so the next sale I would be notified in advance to make reservation purchase :-)

The following day after the preview sale was the first day of Sale. I never ever wanted to attend any early sale days before. I always thought it's ridiculous and stupid to be willing to cramp like sardines in a can like that.
But last Friday, I was one of those sardines! :-P
Cos I really really want this Capri Marvelous jean, so I dedicated last Friday as the hunting day for this Capri jean

And here are some ridiculous facts that I managed to observe while queuing for the cashier for almost 2 hours of the total 3 hours more (luckily my bezzy mate Leet came to substitute me after that almost 2 hours standing! After she was finally able to escape from her work!):

Quarrel
- Some girls/ women quarreled struggling for bags. I could hear the shouting: 'let it go..let it go...it's mine...put your hands off my bag....nooooo...arrhgg...stop it...etc'. Crazy!

Slavery
- I saw a middle-age man with hug-full of flirty tank tops in the queue!! He's not a cross-dresser at all of course; he's just a poor driver who was forced to queue by his employer.
- Some boy friends/ hubbies were forced to act like shop assistants; they had to carry a hug-full of skirts, tank tops, shirts, bags, etc. Some men were really in slavery there.
- There were some madams who employed their baby sitter too to carry their 'babies' –those Mango apparels I mean.
- Some girls brought along their maids to carry stuffs and to take a queue.

Imagine what kind of reality-mare (not even a nightmare can surpass) that those drivers, babysitter, maids experienced for they had to stand in the queue for 3-4 hours! Holding all those big money with the sum that they would only probably get after years of working, and seeing them flowing to the cashier in a blink of eye for all the flirty clothes of their master’s wives or daughters. Third world issue!

Illegal trade
Some of the customers grab as many bags as they can and started to make trades to each other: "do you want to exchange that bag with this one?" "hey, can I have that one, you can have these two"
And those were for things that totally don't belong to them!

Escaping work
I was sure many offices had some seats unoccupied at that time ;-)

Of course all the pushing and squeezing while queuing
Couldn't believe some of the people behaviours indeed! No shame for shoving and breaking the queue.

And what did Leet and I get for that day?
One jean for each! That's all! Not a pair of jeans that made me did this craziness, but still quite cheering me at least.
A pay-off for almost 2 hours in queuing?
All I can say, I had a firsthand knowledge of being a sardine finally :-D
But I still want that jeans! Small margin of luck I think.