When we can change clothes with a click of button, carrying our entire closet with us wherever we go, we aren’t burdened with the challenge of trying to dress for the office and a date with one outfit. However, I thought it might be a fun thing to try anyway. I will concede the skirt is short for the office, but overall, I think this made a fairly good office look. I wore a lovely structured jacket from Elate with a snug waist that flows into a petal-like near peplum. I added a big fluffy bow from Yummy! to add a touch of modesty to the bodice. The bow was a pale mint, but I tinted it to limit my shades of green to two, not three. Both of these finds are from the March Collabor88.
But when five o’clock rolls around, the jacket is coming off and that fluffy bow is being rotated to hang over the shoulder, so the gorgeous and sexy bandeau style bodice on this fabulous mini from Cracked Mirror is visible in all its glory. You can find this dress at faMESHed.
When I first moved to Portland, a gay co-worker asked me to participate in “Queer For A Day” an event organized by Queer Nation. I happily agreed, not realizing that meant all day. I blithely pasted on my florescent green and safety orange stickers that boldly proclaimed “Dyke” and “Queer” in huge black lettering and enjoyed my latte at Pioneer Square with all sorts of other temporary queers. Then I went to work.
Like many people in political activism, I began as a canvasser, one of those people who go door-to-door talking to folks about the issues and raising money to fund organizing campaigns. I had no fear of reprisals from my employer over my bold signage, but when I learned we were going to canvass in East County in a particular neighborhood we canvassers called “mean dog turf” my stomach began to churn. This was no liberal bastion of tolerance. I was terrified. My friend who had invited me to join the Queer For a Day action assured me that no one would blame me for taking off the stickers given the circumstances. However, I decided that gay folks don’t get to take off their gender orientation and truly, part of the purpose of Queer For a Day was to expose gay rights supporters to the un-fabulous reality of gay life – bullying, violence and homophobia.
So, I wore my sticker and approached every door with trepidation and anxiety. I did not suffer any physical violence other than some spit at my feet and only got a smattering of verbal abuse during the night. On the contrary, most people were very nice and friendly, supportive of the national health care campaign I was working on and curious and intrigued by my stickers and my explanation of the Queer For a Day concept. I did get warned away from particular houses – neighbors telling me that so and so was an OCA member (the virulent anti-gay organization responsible for several anti-gay ballot measures). I happily took their advice since I was not looking for any excitement. However, even though the night was successful and mostly uneventful, I have never forgotten that feeling of fear as I knocked on each door, anxious over every single encounter, afraid of verbal abuse, hatred, and violence.
Queer for a Day began as a lark to please a friend, but in many ways, it changed my life. I took the stickers off at the end of the day and returned to my relatively safe straight life, but I learned that night that tolerance is not equality. Human rights and human dignity are meaningless if even one person is denied them. If they are not innate and immutable, they are nothing more than privileges subject to the whims of those in power. I had been one of those Saul Alinsky style activists who believed that if we only sorted out the economic justice issues, oppression would lose its power, but I learned then, that oppression is not just an economic wedge, it is the foundation of political division and disempowerment. The oppression of gender minorities, women and people of color are the foundation of economic oppression, not the other way around. So long as we can be divided and disempowered by social wedges, the future is bleak.
It’s been about 17 years since I was Queer For a Day and a lot has changed. Not enough. There’s so much more to be done, but I am hopeful and optimistic and I am wearing purple for Spirit Day –. It’s much more fashionable than neon stickers and not nearly as frightening. As to why purple – I think I will just play the Lavender Song from 1920 for you.
I got stuck in Ivey’s sn@tch earlier today. No really, I did….I went there to get this lovely new release called slow ride corset dress and I couldn’t teleport home. It wasn’t so bad though…her sn@tch is lovely. Anyways, she has an awesome concept going….purchase by size, I’m usually a medium and this was the same. I know her and others have been kinda blah about the whole standard sizing thing but I gotta tell ya, she makes a fine ass and I mean mesh ass…she’s not an ass…she is super.
Fashion For Life is starting in just a few days and this year looks to be bigger and better than ever. Not only will there be wonderful designs such as this dress from Clio, but the organizers seem to have taken everything learned from every event and incorporated it into their planning to make your experience as wonderful as possible. I read the article at the Fashion For Life website on what they are doing to combat lag and was so impressed by the thought and planning. Bookmark that article because it has useful tips for steps you can take to improve your experience as well. Now, back to the fashion.
Clio Cardiff is fond of color, bright and bold saturated color. So, when I was thinking about where to shoot her Berry dress, I immediately thought of Two Moon Island. I headed back for the shoot and fell in love with it all over again. There’s several landscape photos of Two Moon Island on my Flickr. Continue reading →
I met this plurker and grid resident at my husband Silo’s rezz day party where she shot lizards out of her vajayjay.
I knew that wasn’t the last I’d seen of her.
Mae told me she was going to be a demon and wanted to shoot something incongruent with her demon. I thought the Sanrio-esque pastel background was festive and about as anti-demon as I had on hand.
Well, I didn’t look to see if I had anything with a puppy. But she might’ve eaten the puppy anyhow. Continue reading →
Sometimes an outfit is just dreamy with soft, gentle colors – all flowing and romantic. That’s the case with this one, though the dreaminess begins with the stunning hair from BOON. The new XFE275 hair from BOON is an amazing confection that I like think came out of dreams – nice, misty dreams or roses and romance.
When Lavea Alter to me she was working on some shoes last week and passed me a pair of unfinished ones with zebra skin to take a peek and offer a hem, a haw and an opinion. I respect designers who are open to opinions and critique and so I shared my longing for a nice floral fabric ankle boot and look what happened! Floral brocade yumminess in many colors – and just in time for a mini tribute to the Little Black Dress.
Elysium Elide whose blog Photographing SL is familiar to all of us who read the feeds has begun making clothing. She brings to her clothing the same quality and artistry that sets her blog apart from most. Her store, Elymode, opened Friday and the clothing is beautifully made and surprising conservative and wearable anywhere and everywhere. I have to express just a bit of surprise that there are no breast-baring options. ;P
I really fell for the Leafy skirt, top and cardigan. The details are subtle and well-planned to keep the clothing suitable for mixing and matching. The fabric is deceptively simple, but zoom close and see the attention to the weave that gives the solid colors depth and luster.
Now that I caught your attention, I am referring to the sex with prims Wild Orchid hairstyle from Exile that you can get in the store while waiting for room to enter Hair Fair. Whilst waiting for SL to decide that I can log in, I thought I might share this delightful hair style and truly, what is more sexy that some disarray.
An adorable black and white jumper. Shoes are from HAYSURIZA.
A white lace top with black leggings. The shoes are from COCO - Hawt!!! Gorgeous!!! But why oh why oh why oh why do we have to tint each foot color separately? Most of us don't have different skin on the left and right legs. Let's hope they make a quick fix and update that soon. The tinting hud is unwieldy and slow and to do it twice is just not nice.
Stunning coral suit with Coco & Co. matching shoes.
