Melissa

Wow! Helena's given me quite the challenge, but I think I can measure up with this post.

Melissa and I go way back. And since the first time I met her, I have always been in awe of her style. This girl pulls off outfits that I don’t think anyone else in Edmonton could get away with. Take this fantastic little number, for example. Vertical striped leggings paired with a horizontal striped sweater... Say what? This is definitely not a combination for the faint of heart, but don’t you see how she works it? Like our mutual friend Danny recently said, Melissa is like a real life Raggedy Ann doll, but better. Because Melissa is Raggedy Ann mixed with an equal part of Gwen Stefani, in all her eccentric and “I can’t believe she’s wearing that but I totally love it” glory.

Not Dead Yet.

While Tracie is busy putting up posts about how wonderful Edmonton is in all of its trendy glory, it has been a struggle to come upon fashionable people in K-W. Local fashion friends where are you?

And while we don't have the luxury of a 1,000,000 sq. ft. mall, we do have 2 generic Fairview Mall types packed with brand name goodies and a Walmart (I will save K-W the embarrassment of snapping their pictures).

But retail is not dead in suburbia. Thank the man for Village de Valeurs because that's where I found the beautiful Elyse McCreadie browsing through the aisles wearing a nicely fitted long red pea coat. When I saw Elyse holding a trendy retro tweed vest in her hand, I knew she was going to be my first stylish Kitchenerite.


Take note of her beautiful costume brooch that adds a little sparkle not only to her look but also for the holiday season. And if you look really closely (sorry for the small image, so many shoppers in the way) you'll be able to see her leopard print stockings she was wearing with trendy, but not over-the-top loafers.

Now, if you'll excuse me blog readers. I must get ready for my big birthday bash that will be taking place tomorrow night at my house followed by Phil's. Just like the good ol' days.

West Edmonton Mall

You really can’t do a fashion feature on Edmonton without covering West Edmonton Mall. It would be just wrong. I mean seriously—it’s got over 800 stores and takes up the equivalent of 48 city blocks.


While most of city’s fashionistas would be hard-pressed to list West Ed as one of their main destinations for cute accessories and unique pieces, let’s be honest---we all indulge in a visit to the mall once in a while. And since the recent opening of Sephora, Zara, Forever 21, H&M, and Miss Sixty, a visit to the mall has become less of a dreary task and more of a day trip you plan in advance with your girlfriends. At least, that’s what Jacqueline and I did, and we had a fabulous time.


Some tips:

- Parking at the mall is a bitch and the bus ride is totally sketchy. I wouldn’t recommend walking over either, unless you want to get stabbed. Hmm… Maybe bribe a friend or family member to drop you off and pick you up?
- Try to stay away from the public washrooms. But that’s kind of a given, right?
- Never EVER go to the World Water Park. A friend of mine saw a Mars bar floating in the waves one time, and there are rumours of cockroaches. So gross.
- For some real Edmonton charm, wear an Oilers jersey and hit up Hooters for a pitcher of beer and some wings.
- Check out the T&T market in “Chinatown” for a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the mall. It’s a great place to eat sushi and buy cheap Asian goods.
- Expect to do a lot of walking. The mall is HUGE, and you’ll likely get a little lost. I still do after all these years.
- Be sure to check out the stores mentioned above, as well as High Grade and Urban on Europa Boulevard.


If you have any stories or tips about the mall, I’d love to hear them. Please share!
And, yes, that is the word "Balls" graffitied on the entrance of the mall.

Jacqueline

The best thing about doing a fashion special on your hometown when you have a bright shiny new blog is that you get to do a post on your best friend. Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I present to you Jacqueline, my BFF of 12 years. And just because it’s my blog and there’s no one to tell me I can’t, I’m giving Jacqueline the unprecedented honour of three photos. Yeah, that’s right.
First off, we have the lovely Jacquie-O in a fantastic layered ensemble combining some of my favourite pieces: slouchy boots, a bubble-hem dress, and a delicious little scarf.

Next, I’d like to draw your attention to her super cool dangly earrings that are made of long gold chains with little charms on the bottom, one of which is a gun. I love it. I love it so much.


And then, Miss Jacqueline kindly posed for a photo outside so that I could show the world her adorable earmuffs. I bet you wish you’d thought of those first.



Don’t just be jealous of her. Be jealous of me too because I get to bask in her glow for a whole 10 days.

Best of 2007 Lists

Mark McIntyre, one of the most active musicians I know in Ottawa (He's in six bands people! Six bands.), has kindly offered to share his "Best Of" lists for 2007. Check 'em out:

2007 Top Tunes:

- Greg Ashley - Painted Garden (Birdman)
- Baby Woodrose - Chasing Rainbows (Bad Afro)
- Meg Baird - Dear Companion (Drag City)
- Budos Band - II (Daptone)
-Extra Golden - Hera Ma Nono (Thrill Jockey)
- Fabienne Del Sol - Between You And Me (Damaged Goods)
- Graham Day And The Gaolers - Soundtrack To The Daily Grind (Damaged Goods)
- Holly GoLightly And The Brokeoffs - You Can't Buy A Gun When You're Crying (Damaged Goods)
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Se Dice Bisonte/No Buffalo (GSL)
- Mark Sultan - Sultanic Verses (In The Red)

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Collections/Reissues:

- Bombay Connection, Vol. 1: Funk From Indian Action Thrillers 1977 - 1984 (Bombay Connection)
- Bombay Connection, Vol. 2: Bouncin' Nightclub Grooves From Bollywood Films 1959 - 1972 (Bombay Connection)
- Colombia!: The Golden Years of Discos Fuentes (Soundways)
- East Of Underground - ST (Wax Poetics/Lettuce)
- Gozalo! Bugalu Tropical, Vol. 1 (VampiSoul)
- Home Schooled - The ABCs Of Kid Soul (Numero)
- Jamaica Funk (Soul Jazz)
- Nathaniel Mayer - (I Want) Love And Affection (Not The House Of Correction) (VampiSoul)
- Rabbits and Carrots - Soul Latino (VampiSoul)
- Srei Sothear and Sin Sisamouth - Cambodian Psych-Out (Eclipse/El Suprimo/Defective)

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Top Live Shows:

- Acid Mothers Temple/Castor/Mammatus At Babylon
- Greg Ashley At Babylon
- Plastic Crimewave/Simply Saucer at Babylon
- Hollowtip Hearts/Sarah Hallman At Zaphods

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Best New Local Band:

- Hollowtip Hearts

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To acquire some (or all!) of these tunes, check out Mark's favourite record stores: Sounds Unlikely and Birdman Sound.

Dan & Alexei

Maybe if I refer to them by their first names, I can pretend they're really my friends? Oh, sigh.

The Handsome Furs played Maverick's last night, and it was a fantastic show. Plague Park was one of my favourite albums this year, and the tracks were just as delicious live.

Here's one of the lovely Ms. Perry turning some knobs and just being generally awesome.


And her crazy hot husband getting all rock and roll on that guitar. Sorry about the white shirt dude in the pic... He was uncroppable.

Attention all K-Dubbers!!!

Following in Tracie's steps, and to my parents' home, I will also be going home for the X-mas Celebrations of 2007. Home is where the heart is, but more importantly where my momma's food be at. And it be in Kitchener-Waterloo.

I will be arriving with seasonal spirit on Saturday the 22nd and will be going back to work on the 2nd (sans hangover). In my usual manner and at the usual places, I will be in full party mode snapping pics of the fashionable peeps in K-Dub. So make sure you're acting classy and dressing sassy.

Hey Tracie, maybe we should have a fashion-off to see whose hometown is a couture runway and whose is the victim?

"GNAR"

This photo was provided by the lovely Miss Twiss. She spotted “GNAR” at a recent event at SAW Gallery, and I can see why she thought he would be a good candidate for Youth League. While a lot of fashion conscious people choose to display expensive logos and brands on their clothes, our “GNAR” here has instead chosen to put a very personal twist on his apparel. And that’s what street style is all about.

Plus, his wool jacket reminds me of the one I wore in junior high (in the early years of my grunge phase—I graduated to camo in high school), and I’m happy to see they’re making a comeback.

Things to tell you

First of all, happy Christmas/Festivus/Rancemas or whatever it is you will be celebrating this year. I hope you all get the chance to spend some time with your friends and family and do lovely fun winter things like skate and drink rum soy-nogs and such. I'm very pleased to report that this is my first Christmas in a very very long time where I actually feel "Christmasy". I'm SO pumped about Christmas this year! The reason?

I'm going home! In five days, I'll be flying back to Edmonton to visit with my parents and old friends, and I can't wait. To commemorate this joyous occasion, I'll be doing an extra special feature on Edmonton street fashion for Youth League. Like Ottawa, Edmonton is not typically known as a Canadian fashion destination, but it too is bursting with creative people with killer style. Yet the city doesn't have a street style blog. Anyone up for the challenge? C'mon guys! Calgary has one...

People of Edmonton, this is your official warning that you will be fair game for Youth League and the Spies. Please do not be shocked to see me lurking around your trendy clubs and shops snapping photos like a paparazzo hopped up on too many of Britney Spears' half-drunk caramel lattes. I WILL find you.

Oh, and for those of you who read all the way to the bottom of this post just to find out what that photo is all about, good on you. It's a picture of my favourite piece of Edmonton stencil graffiti.

Caidleigh & Ken

I love how this couple managed to coordinate their outfits without having any idea what the other one was wearing beforehand. I make this assumption because they were sitting behind me at a recent show and met up at the show... How's that for sounding like a creepy stalker?
Anyways, I also love:
- Ken's white tie and white collar/cuff combo
- His black vest
- Caidleigh's knit cap (trend alert!)
- How Caidleigh's cap matches her red bra

If Colgate were to create a brand of toothpaste geared for hot hipsters, these two would be the poster couple. My roommate just came up with the name "Coolgate", which I'm quite smitten with. Check out those smiles!

"Fur, The Ultimate Eco-Clothing" - FCC website

I have come across an interesting new way to look at fur...environmentally friendly. The Fur Council of Canada has unveiled a new marketing campaign, tagged as the Consumer Reassurance Ad Campaign, promoting the idea that fur is actually eco-friendly.

Great! I initially thought. Now I can go back to Winners and buy that cute DKNY rabbit fur jacket I saw for $150, which I turned down because I was shopping with my loud-mouthed vegetarian sister. But as I continued to further educate myself on this furry green revolution I thought, wait a minute...this doesn't sound kosher to me.

The FCC is stating that fur is a green industry because it is made from natural materials that are renewable, durable, reusable, recyclable, biodegradable, non-polluting, energy efficient in their production, etc. (and excess terms and ideas that are more commonly used in the real green revolution).

Relief for the easily gullible individual, but to critics (and probably the rest of the world) this is nothing but a poorly designed marketing ploy for the fur industry to compete with highly successful anti-fur campaigns by organizations like PETA, CAFT and Friends of Animals, to name a few. Many of these animal rights activists are dumb-founded that an idea like this has surfaced beyond the walls of the Council. Tracie sums it up best when she says it reminds her of Mugatu and the fashion industry on Zoolander.

I give this fashion fad a nuh-uh.

Jake Heartbreak

Another cold day in the capital equals another opportunity to wear an incredible (faux) fur cap. Jake Heartbreak knows where it's at. And he also knows how dapper it is to wear a plaid scarf (of the non-burberry variety) with said cap.

Let the record show that red plaid scarves are now in the running for best winter accessory.

Jewel Tones for the Holidays

Bling bling!

Dressing for Christmas parties can either be super fun or a major pain in the butt. If it's a house party, you'll want to look nice, but not too over-dressed. If it's a big company party, you want to wear something dressy, flattering and original (for fear you'll run into other lovely ladies wearing the exact same thing.. eek!), without blowing all your Christmas money before the boxing day sales have even started. It's best to wear something a bit loose too so that you can squeeze in a couple more appetizers without busting a zipper...

Here we have Brigitte, Sue and Chelsea modeling some very cute ensembles that I hope will help you come up with some ideas for your upcoming Holiday Shakers.

If you'd like to try branching out from the little black dress, why not go for a killer pair of heels and a cranberry dress like Brigitte?



And if you'd prefer to wear pants to a more low-key event, anything shiny or slinky is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Check out Sue with her cute little red hair-green top number.



And I love the ruffley collar and belted waist on Chelsea's top. This looks fantastic with pants, but you could also dress it up with a black skirt, patterned tights and black heels. Or what about a purple and gold theme? I'd love to see a purple clutch combined with this blouse...

Denise

A little something to inspire on a cold winter day...

Denise goes to show that it is possible to look like a beautiful Russian princess in this weather. How much do you love that faux fur hat?

And those dark wide-legged jeans? Unfortunately, this photo doesn't do them justice, because they are the most beautiful piece of high-waisted fabulousness you will ever see. They're by a brand I've never heard of called Rich & Skinny, and I fully intend to buy up their entire line of denim as soon as I find a store that sells it.

Generals have fought for spies like you...

Hello loyal readers!

I have the great pleasure of introducing you to two new contributors on Youth League. You will soon be hearing from Helena and Jessica--two very fashionable and intelligent ladies who will be giving you their take on fashion and all its related topics. Stay tuned for some new fun and witty editorials from these hot gals.

And while I'm here, I just want to give a little shout out to all the fantastic people who have gracefully allowed me to take their pictures and post them on the world wide web with my comments. I'd also like to thank all you guys who keep coming back to check out Youth League, and the really nice journalists who've profiled the blog in their newspapers. I love you all!

Muah!

Pink Flag

This is a don’t. Not even the most fashionable of fashionistas can pull off a hot pink tracksuit.

And when you get two women out in the market for an afternoon shopping date sporting (ha ha, I’m so brilliant) matching hot pink tracksuits with the obligatory elastic waists and cuffs and upturned collars, you begin to wonder if there is any hope left in the world. Can’t you just hear the “swish swishing” of their pants in unison as they walk down the street? Make it stop!!

I could maybe (and this would be a really halfhearted maybe) let this slide if I knew there was an international figure skating competition or some other athletic event going on in Ottawa right now, and one of the participating countries is a little-known nation with a pink flag or fuchsia national emblem. But I don’t and there isn’t.

Alert! Cancel all your weekend plans and go watch movies!

I know I'm way too late on this, but if you have a free window of time, I highly recommend you go check out the European Union Film Festival this weekend. It runs until tomorrow (I know--I'm sorry!) at the Library and Archives on 395 Wellington Street. Three films will be showing between tonight and tomorrow night, and they all look fantastic. Have you ever seen a film from the Netherlands? Me neither. How about Poland? Answer still no? Then get your butt to Wellington this weekend, I beg you!

Tricia

- Beautiful girl in a beautiful dress: check
- Hot fishnet stockings: check
- Red lips, red nails and red hair: check, check, check
- Sexy little boots: check
- Stripper pole: CHECK!

Thank you Amuse Boutique (246 Dalhousie) for creating the most exceptional of photo ops at the North Dalhousie Shopping Night. If you missed the last one, do not despair! There’s another event planned for Wednesday, December 5th.