Lumigram fiber-optic bikini top
21-Jul-11
via lumigram.com
Beautiful, if expensive, fiber-optic top.
Les Sapeurs: Gentlemen Of The Congo
15-Jul-11
May I present La Société des Ambianceurs et Persons Élégants or in English: the Society for the Advancement of People of Elegance.
As that is a mouthful so it is just SAPE. “Sape” comes from a French slang that means “dressing with class” and the term Sapeur is an African word that refers to someone that is dressed with great elegance. The Sapeurs as the name suggests are elegant and stylish men from Congo who roam the streets of Brazzaville and Bacongo in Western suits and usually with cigars, and the occasional pipe, between their lips. These are men who are so obsessed with looking good and designer clothes that they sometimes place more importance on clothes than anything else.
A look at the history of the SAPE
The first Grand Sapeur was G.A. Matsoua, who in 1922 was the first Congolese to return from Paris dressed entirely in French clothes. While it is not entirely clear where exactly the SAPE movement started from, it appears to have been heavily promoted by Papa Wemba, a pioneer soukous (African rumba) musician who in the 1970s began upholding the Sapeur culture as a set of moral codes with heavy emphasis on high standards of personal cleanliness, hygiene and smart dress among Congolese youths regardless of societal differences.
This moral code, however, also had a political motive. Papa Wemba initially introduced the culture as a challenge to the strict dress codes that were imposed by the government at that time who effectively outlawed Western styles of dress. In 1974 after the DRC had recently come out of colonisation and had gained its independence from France, the government lead by Mobutu Sese Seko banned all European and Western styles of imported clothing in favour of a return to traditional African clothing. Papa Wemba challenged these strict dress codes by insisting that it should be a pleasure rather than a crime to wear clothes from Paris and by setting an example for impressionable young men by dressing outlandishly. At this time, the culture also was heavily associated with music, since Papa Wemba supported young talented musicians such as Koffi Olomide.
via racialicious.com
The sapeurs of the Congo have made fashion a religion. I wonder what would happen, if a fashion arms race began in a place that could better afford it, such as Silicon Valley?
Les Sapeurs: Gentlemen Of The Congo
15-Jul-11
May I present La Société des Ambianceurs et Persons Élégants or in English: the Society for the Advancement of People of Elegance.
A look at the history of the SAPE
The first Grand Sapeur was G.A. Matsoua, who in 1922 was the first Congolese to return from Paris dressed entirely in French clothes. While it is not entirely clear where exactly the SAPE movement started from, it appears to have been heavily promoted by Papa Wemba, a pioneer soukous (African rumba) musician who in the 1970s began upholding the Sapeur culture as a set of moral codes with heavy emphasis on high standards of personal cleanliness, hygiene and smart dress among Congolese youths regardless of societal differences.
via racialicious.com
The sapeurs of the Congo have made fashion a religion. I wonder what would happen, if a fashion arms race began in a place that could better afford it, such as Silicon Valley?
Kathleen Dustin:: Exquisite Evening Bags
24-Mar-11
via kathleendustin.com
Zypalong – Dress Your Baby With Ease
25-Jan-11
via zypalong.com
My friend Carly designed this line of baby clothes. If you’ve ever struggled to get a baby into pants, you’ll appreciate the design. Recommended!
via luna-see.blogspot.com
“I used Montana Gold Acrylic Spray Paint. And after researching I decided to take the top coat off of the leather with finger nail polish remover so the paint would set into the leather a little better. Acetone was actually recommended but I’m lazy like that so I went with what I had on hand. I tested the polish remover on the inner zipper area first to make sure there would be no major color shift in the leather. So far the paint seems pretty solid. No cracks or flaking at all. I washed the boots (as recommended by Commander) with soap and water to try to remove some of the remaining sticky residue and when that didn’t work I rubbed them down with Olive Oil…totally worked! The paint showed no signs of rubbing off or flaking with either of these treatments. “
Posted via email from crasch’s posterous
Inexpensive yoga clothes?
21-Aug-09
Anyone know of a local/online place where I can buy inexpensive versions of these:
