HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM LOOKS GREAT DUH!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALLI AND AMELIA! (extra lovey dovey thanks to KATIE AABERG for the photo.)
We can't wait for 2011! It will be the best ever! What are you going to do to make 2011 be full of looking great (DUH!) and tigers and lightning and rock'n'roll? This new year is a new chance for us all to take it to a new level, whatever that might mean for you.
Expect lots of exciting new undertakings and BIG NEWS from us and BANG! as well...

INSPIRATION NATION

Winter is cold and dark and wet around these parts, but don't let it dampen the fever fun attitude of summer. Here's some things to fire you up and brighten your day...

MAGAZINES. Start thinking about them.

WATCHING DESPERATLY SEEKING SUSAN WHILE IN THE BATH. It's on Netflix watch instantly. Early Madonna Looks Great, Duh. That pyramid jacket gets me everytime.

GETTING DRESSED UP AND GOING OUT. It is your job! It is fun! It is worth it. Only you can make it happen. Let's go!

BOOT STRAPS. We're making all sorts of them. It is always nice to accessorize. More is more.

RED SOCKS AND RED TIGHTS AND RED DETAILS. Also these yellow polkadot socks are fantastic, too. Red and yellow forever.

DIY WITH LOOKS GREAT DUH

 

If you're feeling ambitious, you can make a bigger cowl scarf for even more warmth. This one requires a little bit of sewing, either by hand or machine.

Now you're ready to rock'n'roll while being warm and staying dry. Head on over to the BANG website for the whole issue and an expanded article.

old timey lookin' great

New issue of Bang is out today featuring a DIY project by your LOOKS GREAT DUH ladies. Have a look here online, or find one at any of the fine Eugene businesses in the know...

what you missed- Gogol Bordello 10.18.10

 

Hi you guys! We got some free tickets to Gogol Bordello when Eugene Hutz came into Kitsch before the show yesterday and Alli charmed us on to the guest list. We knew this was a great chance for some wild outfits, and new we'd see a few people looking great, too...

 

Blue metallic shoes and grey tights and bows! Cute!

 

this scarf is so grandma fabulous, which is one of my favorite styles.

                                                                   Alli's boots!

 

Amelia's boots!

these sleeves! and 3 glow in the dark rosaries!

We've both seen Gogol Bordello a few times before and felt like this one was lacking the wildness and spark we'd expected. Very polished and rehearsed... Also they only had one backup dancer/hype girl instead of 2, which definitely detracts.  Unfortunately the show was not as good as our outfits and we left early to go eat some pepperoni pesto pizza, which was probably the highlight of the whole weekend...

also earlier in the day we spied this girl in the Kiva looking great, duh! She matched her sunglasses to her sweater! Great job! 

fall trends 2010- GET WET, LOOK GREAT

Fall 2010 is coming on fast. The leaves are changing colors, and though some of us wish this strange indian summer would last, the rain will start soon. We will all go from glistening with sweaty summer to dripping with raindrops for the next, oh, eight months or so. But don't let that make you run for your North Face jacket, or worse yet, stay inside under a Snuggie. Here are our tips and trends on how to look good while getting cold and wet.  

-Get a big scarf, and wear it always. That sucker will keep your neck warm, can be wrapped around your head babushka style if you don't have a hood on your jacket, and can be used as a towel once you get where you're going. Wring it out, hang it up to dry, and by the time you're off to your next destination, you're good to go, with your trusty scarf dry again. Looks great, DUH! 

-Layer up! Old news, right? We think it's old news worth repeating. Put on as many layers as possible, differing in weight and warmth. Pile 'em on when you head out into the rain. Then when it stops, or you get inside, strip them away to reveal a nice, warm, dry, fashionable you underneath. 

-Paint that mouth! For the colder months this year we predict a lot of ladies, women, and girls putting on lipstick. With lipstick it seems like you're either a daily wearer or a never wearer. We encountered some girls in the bathroom of a warehouse show fighting. "You said you'd wear lipstick if I wore lipstick and you took yours off!" We want to change that. We don't want you to feel like it is a HUGE DEAL to wear lipstick. As our Oregon complexions turn to winter pallor, nothing can brighten you up like a slick of color, and nothing is easier. If it's new to you, try putting it on and wearing it around the house to get used to it. Also, lipstick is generally pretty waterproof, where eye makeup is not. You can ride your bike in the rain and your lipstick looks great at the end of the ride.   

-Bows. Bow ties for men. Hair bows for ladies, big and small. Even bow shaped accessories. We've seen bow shaped bags, bow belts, and even bows finishing off the  back of some cute dresses! 

-Boots. Boots for men and women, too.  Dudes, nothing ups the ante on your nice jeans like a pair of boots. Deluxe (1331 Willamette) always has a great selection of mens boots, from cowboy to Beatle boots to combat boots. Converse don't fly in the rainy months. They sog and sop and make you miserable. Switch it out for some leather foot wear, and thank us when you get all the dates. Ladies, we rock the boots all year round, but it's time to start layering up the leg wear. Thigh high socks and stockings are in, and go great with a pair of boots. 
-Underwear as outerwear! Winer is the perfect time to show off  those pretty little things you couldn't pass up, but felt a little too exposed wearing in the heat. Especially when a cover up was far too hot. Now that it's getting so much colder, we can stand to layer up. A silky camisole is not too scandalous when layered with a warm sweater. And that bulky old sweater is dressed up when there's a little lace poking out. Ladies, you don't have to abandon all that fun femininity of summer, keep wearing those skirts, now just pair them with some tall thick socks. Thigh highs with garters can be pulled off in a more subtle way when worn over a pair of full tights. Without showing any skin underneath, they make a cute detail and the double layer of tights keeps legs from getting chilled!    

Here are some of our favorite fall trends in action.

  Carlye Cannon shows off a very versatile blue and grey plaid scarf with a hood sewn right in ("Harf" made by Alex) She is also exemplifying a cute, lightweight, white summer dress re-styled for winter by pairing it with shiny black leggings, boots, and a matching blue cardigan.  Carlye said she was looking forward to trying out her new thigh high boots this winter.  

Alex Bryson is looking forward to fall for the return of her favorite color, burnt orange. She plans on combating the rain with lots of leather, thigh high socks, and keeping her red hair close cropped to keep it dry. In this photo she is wearing her summer cutoffs with lots of layers of leg wear in maroon and olive and some midcalf  black boots, topped with a cozy and waterproof leather jacket and a plum colored cowl scarf.  

Allihalla A.K.A. Alli Ditson is planning on rocking as many tall socks this fall as her long legs can hold! She will also be making lots of cool and great winter accessories soon to be available at Kitsch! (1016 Willamette)

Miss Amelia Hart will continue her search for a not too butch leather jacket this winter. It has become her thrift store holy grail after finally finding a hair crimper that works. When she's not shopping, you can find her at Dawn Baby Salon (1355 Willamette) doing hair, makeup, and looking great, duh!

Clowny Clown Clown

                   Legitimizing clown fashion and mentality.

 People go a few different ways on the clown idea - you're terrified, not impressed, creeped out, or you think it's hilarious and totally awesome. Looks great, duh! Alternately, you're a Juggalo and you're totally and completely down with the clown, for better or for worse, but that's a story for another issue...

Clowns are always the fall guy, wild enough to play the stupid jokes we all love to laugh at. Clowns can also be terrifying and creepy, like Pennywise the Clown from "IT". That's the thing, you never can be too sure who it really is under all that makeup, who is hiding inside that grotesquely exaggerated costume. People are afraid of clowns because they exhibit the unknown. You never know what you're going to get.

Clowning also shows off the absolute "do-not's" of fashion. For years we have been called clowns. Clowns are all about exaggerating shapes and emotions and ideas, as is fashion. People were trying to be rude, but we're reclaiming it. We mix our patterns. We clash our colors. We wear things teeny tiny or hugely over sized in rainbow colors. We're clowns.

Clown fashion is becoming mainstreamed and legitimized also. There are currently $435 Gaultier/Levis denim harem pants available from Bergdof Goodman that are so rodeo clown it hurts. Wikipedia says about clowns: "stereotypically characterized by their grotesque appearances: colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes." Sound familiar? 
Lady Gaga is such a clown, what with her wigs and publicity stunts and insane makeup and costuming. Worldwide, her debut album has sold over 12 million copies. Clowns are the future, and the kids are buying. 
Clowns are also just so brain-numbingly stupid and goofy, we love them for it. Fashion takes itself too seriously. We can hide behind the costume and face paint and therefore revel in the sanctuary of anonymity. We are free to act outside of our self inflicted boundaries of normalcy. In costume we feel liberated to go into the "forbidden" and pie some motherfucker in the face. Why do you think everyone gets so wild on Halloween? It's all just an excuse to be more ourselves. We can abandon our identities, and with them, the feeling of accountability behind our actions.

We invite you to adopt just a hint of this mentality into the everyday. There are subtle ways to work it into your daily look. You don't have to rock the white face and gap tooth look, although we'd be so impressed if you did. Go ahead, put on that pair of garish striped socks with your cropped pants, your friends won't shun you for it. How about some bright red lipstick with a big hat? How about you boys start wearing bowties and wild suspenders, or even just a flower in your lapel? Embrace these small clown symbols as a small inspiration to banish those inhibitions and break free. I bet you'll like it.
We wanted to try out the more extreme end of the clown spectrum. What better way than with a Clown Pin-up shoot?
Photos by Melissa Mankins

 

your clowny authors

Published in the 2nd issue of BANG!