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Monday, December 01, 2008

Gamine & Government

OK so I have started the final Wardrobe Challenge Week. This week I decided to wear the remaining Iconic Style looks which consist of:


GAMINE

Ballet flats, Capri pants,Thinly striped sweaters, Boatneck tops, Belted Safari Dress, Sailor pants, Polished-looking leather purse, Plain and fitted tees, Smocks, Biker jackets, Trenchcoats, Bright and wide cropped jacket, Espadrilles, Keds, Cork-heel platforms, Diver's watch, Black scarf, Huge Jackie O sunglasses, Graphic scarf, Peacoat, Knee-high flat or wedge boots, Quilted purse with chain strap, 3/4 length anything - One word: Audrey Hepburn

BOHEMIAN

Low-rise brown cords, Flared jeans, White Trousers, Peasant blouse, Shearling trimmed jacket, Fuzzy vest, Embroidered tops, Long maxi dresses, Halter topsHippie chick at its finest, Dusty pinks, Faded florals, Flowy dresses, Organic items, Stones, Fur-trimmed boots, Wrap sandals, Hobo bags, Tunic, Floppy hats – Kate Hudson and Rachel Bilson have this down pat.

AMERICAN CLASSIC

White collared shirt, Straight-leg jeans, Suede Blazer, Wide leg pants, Vest, Boyfriend cardigan, Polo Shirt, High-waist skirt, Pearls, Masculine watch, Denim Jacket, Tweed – A dash of preppiness and a lot of simplicity. Understated. Katherine Hepburn and Grace Kelly would be proud to wear it.

MOD


Opaque tights, Shift dress, Stripes, Graphic prints, Black and White, Flat boots, Leather driving gloves, Coloured jewelry, Trapeze dress, Boxy coat- Swinging Sixties look in gay old London Town.

POSH ECLECTIC

Vintage cardigans, Gauzy and floaty dress, Velvet jacket, Houndstooth anything, Brooches and pins, Capes, Circle skirts, Antique necklaces, Cameos, Lace-up granny boots, Tights, Lace, Flat boots – The new British-look, a lot of old and new, combining all decades of fashion into a look that is both pretty and airy, yet masculine and classic


Today I am wearing “Gamine” since it was the easiest thing to put on this morning – had one of those nights where you toss and turn. My bf did too, we’re starting to think his mother laced the Sunday roast with Red Bull and speed.




The look comprises of:


Black Zara slim trousers
Striped, side-button Forever 21 top
Coach flats
ASOS Scarf (earlier on had a vintage scarf )
White double-breasted F21 knit blazer/jacket



My face even had a gamine look to it: aptly named Roman Holiday Velvet Matte lip pencil by Nars, MAC Fashion Frenzy Powder blush, Lorac eyeshadow with heavy MAC gel liner. Always inspired by Audrey, this is a variation of a look she always did “light lip, emphasis on eyes and brow.”



I've always liked the gamine look and though I did worry I looked a wee bit too "French" today (as in I should be holding a baguet) it also made me feel effortlessly chic and ready to sashay down the champs elysee and all that. I find myself being attracted to the Gamine look a lot because, much like Bombshell and Euro Chic, Gamine is wordly and movie-centric. Who doesn't love pretending they live in the South of France or pretending they are Audrey Hepburn, Cydd Charisse, Bridget Bardot or Jean Seberg from any of their films?



Fashion done (until tomorrow's post)...now on to the GOVERNMENT:

So apparently the Canadian government sucks ass and democracy stands for nothing anymore.

We JUST had an election in November and all ready the opposition is planning a coup. Meaning, they don’t like the government that was just elected and have decided to gang up on them and overthrow it.

Now, first of all I don’t have that much problem with a government comprised of three different parties because it sounds kind of interesting. But in theory, I have no idea how it can work.

NDP, Liberal, Conservative…when I voted I did not see a party comprised of the first two. What kind of party would that be? What do they stand for? What are their plans?

Just because the Liberals and NDPs are against the conservatives, does NOT mean that a combined party of the two would work. They had many different view points. I know many people who hate the Liberals and voted NDP. How are they going to feel with this new party? And visa versa.

And the fact that the newly formed coalition government wants to elect Stephane Dion is beyond me.

I don’t like the guy and is why I didn’t vote Liberal (one of the reasons). But I wasn’t the only one. The Liberals had the lowest turn-out ever and one can only think it’s because the leader wasn’t the one they wanted. They wanted to support the party, but not with Dion in charge. Whatever the reasons are, Dion was a disgrace and his own party was hoping he would step down.

And now, suddenly, he is up and running again? This is hypocritical of the Liberal party who all but denounced him and unfair for the voting public who don’t get a say in this.

For you Americans, it’s like you voted in Obama and then the Republicans decide they don’t like what he’s doing so they decide to make a new party, elect McCain to be the leader and then overthrow Obama. All the while, you don’t get to vote on this issue at all.

I voted. We voted. The people decide the vote, not the government.

The only reason anyone is supporting this is because they are anti-conservative and would like anyone else to be in power. That’s fair enough but be careful what you wish for – we have no idea yet what this new government is going to be like. And just think about this: you’re happy because the government that YOU don’t like is getting overthrown. But it’s a government that was fairly voted in by the voting public of Canada. What happens when the same thing happens to the government that YOU supported? Just because it’s happening to the Cons doesn’t mean it can’t happen to the Liberals in the future.

It’s a Catch -22 and either way we lose. We are either going to have another damn election which will cost us billions or we will have a government take over which we did not vote for.

The bottom line for me is A) it’s too soon, at least give our government some time to fail before you overthrow things – the ink on his signature isn’t even dry yet and B) a coalition government might turn out to be OK but I would appreciate it if the public could make that decision. As much as I HATE the idea of voting again, I would feel a lot more voiced if we could make a vote – then if the coalition DID win it would be because the public determined it, not because the opposition parties are sore losers

And finally C) even though people are happy because the Conservatives are being toppled (well everyone that didn't vote conservative) that's not going to last. Why? Because the coalition is made of up three parties that don't always see eye-to-eye. Liberals want a carbon tax. NDP don't. And the Bloc, they hate Canada and want their province of Quebec to seperate. So you can imagine how, down the line, I can see this coalition being just as "bad" as our current government.

Only time will tell - I guess in the end, people are going to get screwed over, no matter who is power. That's politics for you!

12 comments:

Anthea said...

Why do you feel like an outsider in the Vancouver Fashion Scene? I;m actually not going but I think it might be fun. I don't even know what to think yet about the politics..I think it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Len said...

Ohhh I'm looking forward to the bohemian outfit. I wonder how you're going to pull that off :)

Wanderlusting said...

Anthea - I guess I just don't know enough or know enough people that are interested. The fashion here scene just strikes me as too "Yaletown" and snobby so I feel like I would be judged. Hopefully I am wrong.

Yeah I was really angry about the government yesterday but today I've just realized there is no point. Can't do anything about it anyway!

Len - yeah, I tried somethings on last night - Boho is hard to do at work!

Kass said...

I love this look. Luuuuurve it.

And no comment on the politics, I have so had enough (we've just had ours recently, and then of course, America..)

Vain and Vapid said...

I love the gamine look. The styling challenge is quite a brilliant idea actually. It really forces one to rethink your approach to your wardrobe.

Odette said...

Okay so I am fully on board with not wanting a coalition government because like you I am troubled by the notion that we had our say and now we are potentially going back to the polls.

With that said the opposition does have cause to bring down the government. Our country is going into recession and Harper's government has so far ignored and denied that that is happening in our country (I am not going to get into why this is obvious, but think about it and it is.) The conservative budget is ignoring this fact and not including a stimulus package thereby not taking proactive steps to ... you know what this is going to be too long, so I will blog about it myself. lol

On a happier note you look SUPER cute in the Gamine look! :) Can't wait to see what the rest of the week looks like!

Vancouverista said...

The Conservative government is a minority and the coalition would be real democracy with proportional representation in action. There are very few people in this country supporting Harper, so why should he have power? A coalition is how Canadian politics is meant to be - otherwise what is the point of the parliamentary system?

Wanderlusting said...

I know that a coalition government is legitimate form of democracy. But I still don't like it.

Mainly because I don't like the parties that are forming the coalition. I didn't vote for them and they didn't win as a coalition, so why should they lead?

It's true that 64% of Canadians voted for parties other than Harper, so no, Harper does not have the majority support.

But those 64% voted for individual parties, not a collective one.

All these parties have in common is that they are "Anti_harper" and that's where the similarities end. I know a lot of people who voted NDP and as much as they want Harper to step down, they also don't want a coalition with Bloc and Liberals and visa versa.

Really it just sucks it has to come to this. But I believe it's early in the game. Harper has time now to come up with a plan. If he can't come up with one, then he deserves to be given the boot.

I just think if he is ousted in January, after the "yay he's out" hoopla has died down, we are going to be stuck with more, albeit different problems, such as the support from the Bloc, differences between parties and so on.

lovepiphany said...

Just browsin' through local blogs and came across yer politicking, can't keep my mouth shut on this one, sorry.
62% of Canadians voted for the coalition (with the support of the Bloc), and while Dion may not be the ideal leader at this point, it is apparent given Harpers shameless moves towards fascism and disempowering opposition and the public at large that we need a change. Dion has already stepped down, he will not be a permanent leader, but for now, he represents some actual action on both the economy and the environment, so he has my support.

lovepiphany said...

Also, in lieu of your newer comment, I think that we should give our political parties some credit. They are all adults, and as much as question period may suggest differently, they are capable of cooperating and working out comprehensive solutions. Especially on the left, their values are the same. They may not see eye to eye on everything, but working things out and incorporating differences in opinion into solutions is a much more holistic approach to politics than the divisiveness we've seen from the Conservatives.

Wanderlusting said...

No matter, you don't have to keep your mouth shut, I enjoy hearing different sides. I myself don't exactly know how to feel about all this. I mean, I voted for Harper, believing he would do a good job. I still think the night is young and he has time to buck up but it also makes me peeved that I voted for him and he's NOT doing his job.

I still worry about a coalition though - I guess no one can really tell what will happen if it does come into power. We can only hope they do what's best for our country at this time...and I am sure they will.

But after that? When the economy is pushed to the side...then what? That's what worries me most.

Wanderlusting said...

Oh, and not to say one thing or another, I just found this particularly interesting...

Reuters - "An Ekos opinion poll taken as the crisis reached its peak showed the Conservatives had shot up in popularity to 44 percent, enough to get a parliamentary majority if an election were held today, up from the 37.6 percent they received in the October 14 vote.

Liberal support dropped to 24.1 percent from 26.2 percent, the New Democrats fell to 14.5 percent from 18.2 percent and the Bloc edged down to 9.2 percent from 10.0 percent."

I would have thought Conservative support would have gone down, not up. Looks like a lot of people - including me - aren't too comfortable with the idea of a Bloc supported coalition. Indeed, I think that's probably the biggest problem that people have with a coalition - not the idea of a coalition itself. I can imagine that Bloc supporters themselves might have some problems with their party supporting the very country the wish to seperate from...