Klepto

It wasn’t until we started this blog did I become aware of how intense the sneaker culture is. I’ve been through Black Sheep and Niche and was aware of the type of products out there, but it wasn’t until Klepto was bombarded with comments from sneakerheads over an interview a writer did with a local shoe connoisseur that I became aware of the passion those involved in the sneaker culture really possess.

To further solidify my belief in that there are indeed people with vast respect and worship of the sneaker, here comes an event I’m sure will attract a whole slew of sneakerheads: The second annual NC Sneaker Summit.

Sponsored by local spots like Black Sheep, Flava Factory and Velocity Style, amongst so many others, this event brings you the opportunity to really see kicks that you just won’t find at Foot Locker. KT, one of the founders of the events, says one of his goals with the Sneaker Summit is to help people become more aware of the sneaker culture. “Just like ladies with purses, there are counterfeit purses out there everywhere now, you know. It’s the same concept with sneakers as well,” he says. “People are selling bootleg sneakers for $40, $50, and a lot of times kids don’t know the differences. It’s obviously hurting the business and the shoe market and also a lot of these mom-and-pop businesses that are opening up around North Carolina. It hurts me to see these kids with Air Jordans with Spongebob on the side. They don’t know the difference. They’re like, ‘Oh, I got a unique pair of shoes’ but, no you don’t … those are just counterfeit sneakers — why would you support that?”

Last year, the event drew in over a thousand people in Raleigh, and KT expects the number to grow.

This year the Sneaker Summit will be held at the Metrolina Expo. You can expect to see businesses and collectors displaying their merchandise — most likely things you won’t be able to find at your local mall — live entertainment, artists and more. Raffles will be drawn at the top of every hour, and there will also be a special $20 raffle for the chance to win some very rare sneakers, valued at around $600.

The admission price is $5, which includes the price of your raffle ticket. For more information, check out their Web site.

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Planning to go see Coco Before Chanel, the recently released film about the influential fashion designer? Check out film critic Matt Brunson’s review first. He may not be the most fashionable person in the office, but he knows his movies.

And if you have NO idea what I’m talking about, watch the trailer.

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A pair of blue jeans is as iconic as a piece of apple pie. Here’s an interesting feature on the U.S.’s no. 1 producer of denim, Mount Vernon Mills in Georgia.

Most U.S. mills shut down years ago, unable to compete with cheap overseas labor. And in another sign of the global economy, the fabric woven here is rarely sent to American plants to be turned into jeans. Instead, the fabric is shipped mostly to factories in Mexico. The jeans then carry labels that read “Made in Mexico of U.S. fabric.”

Blame NAFTA. Blame outsourcing. Blame corporate greed for the selling out of America’s manufacturing soul.

And a cool tidbit from the story: “A $12 pair of jeans often comes from the same roll of denim as a $150 designer pair.”

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OK, seriously. It’s Thursday, two days before Halloween, and you STILL don’t have a costume ready? Sigh. What am I going to do with you?

This is it. This is my LAST post to help you come up with a costume.

First, a recap from previous posts.

• Tips for looking fierce or frightening this Halloween

• A list of Halloween supply stores

• Costume idea: The baby-carrying, man purse-toting character Alan Garner from The Hangover movie

• Non-sexy/slutty costumes

• Costume idea: Balloon Boy

• Costume idea: Swine Flew

OK, if none of that helps, how about checking out this link, or this link, or THIS link — all photos from last year’s CarnEvil.

And my very LAST suggestion: Ramona Holloway from The Matt & Ramona Show has “5 Halloween Ideas in 5 Items or Less” posted over on her blog you might want to check out. Guitar Hero? Why didn’t I think of that??

Hopefully these will give you some kind of inspiration for a costume. Hey, no one said you had to be completely original (although I think my Balloon Boy idea and Priscilla’s Swine Flew idea are pretty darn crafty, if I do say so myself.)

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To many people, clothes are not just the rags of cloth you drape across your body to protect you from the weather and cover up the essentials. No, the clothes you wear make statements, from “I only got three hours of sleep and I don’t give a crap” (baggy sweatpants, inside-out T-shirt and a hoodie, perhaps even mismatched) to “I’m confident and everyone wants me” (a tight-fitting, perhaps even a little revealing, dress). Then you have the T-shirts that broadcast the presidential candidate you supported or your favorite band.

But when has your clothes ever made a statement about your culture?

Enter Hola Baby, a locally owned small business recently started by former Channel 3 TV reporter Julie Aguirre Whitted, that sells cute Spanish T-shirts for kids. Each T-shirt, designed by Whitted and a family member, sports an endearing term for a child in Spanish. Talk about literally making a statement in your culture.

(more…)

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People are predicting that the Balloon Boy will be one of the top Halloween costumes this year. Do you think so?

(photo via Buzzfeed.com)

But how does one go about making a Balloon Boy costume? Well, off the top of my head, I’m thinking aluminum foil and lots of it.

OK, seriously, if I were planning on sporting this costume, I’d probably wear a cardboard box around my waist with a silver sheet draped around it. And of course a nametag that reads Falcon.

UPDATED 10/23/09:

It seems now you can actually buy a Halloween Balloon Boy Kit for only $19.99 via Microflight.com.

What’s Included:
One 38″ Diameter Silver Helium Balloon Envelope, One Laser Cut gondola – tapes together in 2 minutes, 2 Stickers – “Hello, My Name is sticker, As Seen on CNN Sticker, 10 foot string. Everything you need except helium gas and cardboard box.

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As I was checking out the selection of Halloween costumes in a local store recently, I came across one that caused a puzzled wrinkle in my brow: a sexy valet (such as the one on this site). Seriously? Who wants to go out for Halloween dressed as a person who parks cars? Where’s the fun and creativity in that?

Truth is, there is none. The key word in that costume description is “sexy.” It seems the appeal in Halloween nowadays for women (and perhaps due to the expectations of men) is that it’s our one night a year to hike up our skirts to where the sun shouldn’t shine, pretend our fish-net stockings are doing a bit of good protecting us from the cold, and tantalize the male masses with a chaos of cleavage  — all with the confidence that we won’t be judged.

A recent article on BostonHerald.com talks about this: “A quick glance at the latest Halloween garb reveals that almost every imaginable profession is being fetishized. It’s like an erotic game of Mad Libs. You can’t just show up to a costume party as a cop. You have to be a sexy cop. You can’t be nurse. You have to be a naughty nurse. Want to be an insurance claims adjuster? Sorry, you gotta be an exotic insurance claims adjuster.”

Whatever happened to the creativity that goes into picking out Halloween costumes?

Malina Boone wonders the same thing. Boone runs the 30-something-year-old shop Magic Maze, located in Dilworth, in which you can rent costumes, anything from Renaissance outfits to vintage ’60s and ’70s garb.

I asked Boone to pull some of her favorite and/or most popular pieces, and this is what she had to show. Note that the women’s costumes shown are sexy but classy, and because these are all one-of-a-kind outfits, you’re not likely to run into someone Uptown sporting the exact same look.

The 1920s flapper outfit. Adds a flair of sexiness without having all your girly goodies falling out.

A strapless saloon girl costume. Remember Mae West from Gunsmoke? (more…)

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Creative Loafing loves handmade goodies — which is why we’ll be checking out Craft Attack! 2009 tomorrow at Independence Park at 300 Hawthorne Lane (going down between the hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m.). The weather’s been kinda wonky lately (one day I’m sporting a scarf in a long-sleeve tee, today it’s a sleeveless with a raincoat), but no worries: Craft Attack will go down rain or shine. Yes!

You can expect to find pottery, jewelry, wearables, dolls and collectibles, bags, soaps, candles, handspun yarn, stuffed animals and more. Here are some vendors that will be showcasing their work. The list is pretty heavy, so please just do yourself a favor and check out this FREE event!

• Happy Whosits

• Purple Cactus Studios

• Lilliepink

(more…)

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Do you know what day it is? It’s October 6th! …Which means you have less than a month to get your super-duper Halloween costume together. Chop chop!

Whether you need a pre-assembled outfit courtesy of a plastic-bagged kit, fabric to DIY, or even an elaborate rental costume, here are your Charlotte Halloween supply stores:

Earth Angel
They carry sexy costumes, lingerie (that you can turn into a costume) and accessories.

Coliseum Shopping Center
3728 Independence Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28205
704-532-8360

Fire My Desire Boutique

Out in the University area, they’ve got a selection of sexy Halloween costumes for the ladies — and even some on sale!

9605 N. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28262
704-595-1808

Priscilla’s
Yes, “it’s where fun and fantasy meet!” Get your Halloween sexy skirts, lingerie, and other needs at this naughty store.

4903 South Blvd # B
Charlotte, NC 28217-2259
(704) 679-9604

Morris Costumes Superstore
They have the mother-lode of costumes. Morris carries rental costumes, along with pre-made costumes for children, adults, and dogs alike. If you need a whip, sword, fake boobs, sunglasses, hats, wigs, leggings, nude body suits or the like to complete your costume, they have those too!

4300 Monroe Rd
Charlotte, NC 28205-7712
(704) 333-4653

University Place Store
9014 JM Keynes Drive
Charlotte, NC 28262
704-593-0711

Red Door
If it’s a sexy costume you are looking for, the Red Door’s probably got it.

200 W. Woodlawn Rd Suite I
Charlotte, NC 28217
(704) 523-5332

5301 E. Independence Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28212
(704) 566-8898

Michael’s
Thinking about doing it yourself? Well aren’t you crafty! This arts and crafts store is perfect for DIY costumes. They carry feathers, flowers, yarn, glue, boas, paper, markers, and probably whatever else you need. And remember, the hot glue gun is your best friend.

8716 JW Clay Blvd
Charlotte NC 28262-8471

9571 South Blvd
Charlotte NC 28273-6901

8120 Providence Rd
Charlotte NC 28277-9750

Hancock Fabrics

If you are a stitchin’ bitch looking to sew yourself a costume, you can get your materials at this fabric store. They also carry Velcro, thread, stuffing and notions such as buttons.

5407 South Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28217-4119
(704) 523-6353

ANDDDD… if you’re looking for someone to do your Halloween makeup, check out this special from Flawless Make Up Art.

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When I heard that the Queen City was going to be hosting its 1st Annual Full Figured Fashion Week, I knew I had to check it out. The event started last Wednesday, but I was only fortunate enough to catch the last piece of the action at the Silhouettes of a Woman fashion show, held at The Blake Hotel on Saturday. Hosted by the comedian Kashauna from Chicago and with performances by Giselle Greyson, the night was full of more than just figures and fashion. The laughter was non-stop and the energy was more like a big family reunion or roast than an actual fashion show, which probably helped since professionally, there were more than a few kinks that needed to be ironed out.

The venue was a great location, but with the horrific lighting, some of the finer garments were not able to be showcased as well as they deserved. The dim light on top of the feedback-filled sound system and a few fashion blunders made the event seem quite amateur-ish, but nothing is going to be perfect right out of the gate. Hopefully next year will be a bit more organized and publicized.

Regardless of the shoddy structure, the heart of the show was more than I expected. Silhouettes of a Woman chose to not only showcase career, casual, and evening wear, but also jewelry and lingerie. This was a well-rounded show, with flattering clothing for every body type and taste. Sponsors included Ashley Stewart, Torrid, Scarlett Plus Size Boutique, EnV New York, Adam and Eve, Fire My Desire, and Big Girls Inc., among others.

Although we were privy to figure-flattering fashion, there was also a bit more skin than I think was necessary. As a big girl myself, I can understand the need to want to feel trendy and sexy in my clothing, instead of feeling like I’m wearing a tent. I was thrilled to see so many pieces that accentuated the curves instead of hiding them, but some pieces carried it a bit far. I don’t believe that just because you are bigger means that you should cover up, but leggings with the sides cut out and lace mini skirts just don’t seem respectable to me. If we are going to celebrate the body, let’s put it in its best light, not mock it. There are just some things that people just shouldn’t do, and this is not limited to us big girls. Cut-out leggings and lace minis just don’t scream fashion to me.

Overall, I was pleased with the diverse trends and styles exhibited in the show. There was everything from clubwear and business casual to loungewear and costumes, and plenty more in between. With this being the first time the fuller figure has been honored with its own week here in the Q.C., a few flaws were to be expected. I only envision this event becoming bigger and better.

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