The Flu Bug

Permalink Year: 2008 Age: 25 Orange aprons are the most difficult accessory to master. I never quite did, but this is as close as I ever came. I guess because the fear that they induce fits into the Halloween spirit. Do I look B-A-N-A-N-A-S or what? I’ve been a Gwennabie since I was 12 years old and this year I went literal with the admiration. Her ability to mix and match prints is unmatched (see what I did there?) in the fashion world, aside from Anna Sui. Hollaback, girl!  Black knee-high chucks from Ebay, black Dickies, black bandanna in the back pocket, knockoff Lamb sweater hoodie from Forever 21, white bandanna around my head, topped with a camouflaged Army hat from Goodwill. Gold bamboo earrings, gold pendants of a boombox and ice cream cone, and a gold rosary from Forever 21. I already had all of these items in my wardrobe, which I paired together often, but never this literal of a translation of her and her Harajuku girl dancers.
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Permalink Year: 2003 Age: 19 So here I am, pretending to be excited about the beginning of my fashion show when really I was stressed out, nervous, and mad that my friend, who was supposed to emcee, was late. But I look pretty awesome, so screw it. I didn’t grow up in the city, so my fashion icons were whoever I saw on TV and in magazines (mainstream!). I was still very out of the box for my little hometown and certainly for Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, Mississippi where this was taken. I still really like my outfit though because it shows how I liked to mix prints which has always been a big theme in my style. My influence was Kelly Osbourne who was plastered all over MTV at that time with their reality show. I wore a black and white polka dot 50s reproduction dress with tulle, white ankle socks with band names written on them, long pearl necklace, black shiny pumps from Goodwill, one lace glove, and a tiara (since it was my big night and all). I looked cute, my models were awesome, the band sucked, I pissed off my dad, and I got an A. 
Permalink Year: 2003 Age: 19 I graduated high school the year before, so all of my pent up “you can’t wear that!” oppression was exploding. I also smoked a lot of pot at this time. It was kind of a skanky drug induced phase, which no one seemed to mind because I went to school in Mississippi. I wore hats a lot because I got a really bad haircut. This one was my particular favorite because it had an offensive, sarcastic remark on it which I happened to be wearing one time when I got pulled over for speeding right after smoking a joint. My dilemma was “do I wear the hat so the cop thinks I’m an asshole, or do I take it off so he can see my red eyes?” I kept it on, he gave me a ticket, and I thanked the trucker hat gods. At this time, I didn’t know how to sew, but I had a kick ass photo editing system, so I designed alot of tshirt transfers. Pacman’s “Eat Me” was my classy stroke of genius. I also made the pompom rings. Purple hair, which I still thinks looks gorgeous on any woman, and the revealed bikini top ala the influence of Gwen Stefani’s “Rocksteady” era. I like to consider myself her trailer park living long-lost cousin. Only we didn’t live in a trailer, we lived in house where the kitchen was decorated in a tacky sunflower motif and the floor was catered to welcome any little blue men who might need help finding their way to their version of the Land of Oz. 
Permalink Year: 2002 Age: 19 This was taken late in the year, almost 2003. It was the year I graduated high school, and I was going through a “cat” phase. For some unknown reason to me, I thought it was incredibly cute to do my eyeliner like a cat, wear hoodies with cats and pawprints on them, and wear hats with ears on them. You’d think I would have gone through this the summer I took a theater class at the Orpheum during a production of “Cats”, but I guess I just stored away the desire for a few years, only to release itself during my first year of college so the more mature students could “meow” at me. *Sigh* I also worked at Hot Topic at this time, so I had an abundant access to cheesy alternative tween getups and I guess I couldn’t resist the temptation of buying “Emily” hoodies with gloves that looked like paws for 40% off. Not my finest moment. This outfit, however, is one of the more sophisticated ones of that era. I got that blouse at an upscale boutique and the fedora at, you guessed it, Hot Topic. You can’t see it, but I’m wearing the only pair of $200 jeans I’ll ever own. I really should take more pics of my butt.
Permalink Year: 2002 Age: 18 My senior prom. I went with my best friend who couldn’t bring his boyfriend, so he had to settle for an old fag hag like me.  I got the dress at the first vintage store I went to for $75. When I bought it, I convinced myself that it was from the 40s but looking back, I doubt it. The silhouette is a dropped waist and the bottom flared out when I spun around, which I made sure I did often. It was heavy as a sack of shit, but I loved it. It weighed almost 8 pounds, the equivalent of a human head according to that kid in Jerry Maguire. Lace fabric with pearls and beads sewn throughout. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous and I felt like the belle of the ball until I saw that annoying lady who taught keyboard (why is that even a class?) wearing a jacket with the same material. Oh well. I still felt amazing! My hair was slightly finger-waved with a pincurl next to my ears. I accessorized with a pearl choker, a long pearl necklace that I wrapped around my arm as a bracelet, costume jewelry ring, brown ostrich feather and barrettes in my hair, and clear lucite shoes. Only thing I regret is not getting somebody who knew what they were doing to do my makeup and the shoes. I bought the first pair I thought would look decent.  We rented a horse drawn carriage in which to ride up to the venue. We rolled up right after the “popular” kids did in their big party bus. It was pretty cool because I sort of felt like we “upstaged” them, but they were our friends so mostly it just felt cool to be able to be greeted by them. Most kids left after the king and queen were announced, but a lot of seniors stayed and did a conga line with the teachers. Still have the dress which I put on sometimes and do a quick twirl :)
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I titled this fashion blog “flu bug” because it’s a phrase that reminds me that being different is okay. Sometimes, it’s more than just “okay” and a pharmacist awards you $20 in a coloring contest for the quirky way in which you colored your picture, even though the other kids in the class thought it was “stupid” and “ugly”. 

I have chosen to express myself through my clothes since I was 5 years old, when I first demanded to pick my own outfits since my mom didn’t understand that I didn’t want to wear what the other girls wore. I wanted to wear 5 different colors, with 3 different patterns. I didn’t care if my shoes “matched” my shirt and I still don’t. I’ve always been able to see the beauty in objects, in patterns that people didn’t think were well-suited for each other.