Hey Indies,

I’m currently having a sartorial dilemma. Rebecca and I just got invited to the Tulips & Pansies event taking place next week. The theme is flowers and while Rebecca may have been able to score the perfect Tracey Reese floral print dress for the event, I’m stuck wondering if I can actually rock a couple of rose buds on my lapel for the event which will celebrate the blooming of some fine fashion creations.

My problem: I really don’t feel confident enough to rock florals. I’ve done it before in the past, playing with prints from desingers like Tommy Hilfiger and allowing flowers to enter my tie collection, but I’ve never been able to accept some of the crazier flowered designs and wild hues and bright colors that accompany typical mens floral fashions. And it seems of all times, this is the time to rock some agriculture. GQ Style has just released a spread featuring boys in bloom. Designers seem to be embracing the floral print for men and taking petal to the metal, so to speak, by designing full flowery jackets and jeans, but is it safe for a straight man to rock such looks or will it just confuse women into thinking they play for a team that’s more ready for twigs and berries than blooming orchids?

I guess this one goes out to you indies. Can straight men wear flowers with out looking like a pansy?

Photo: GQ Style

Bud Behaviour [GQ Style, not online]

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I’m not saying that Sarah Jessica Parker reminds me of a twirling, 6 foot tall drag king, but …

Sarah Jessica Parker in New York Magazine - 2008

Andre J in New York Magazine - 2007

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Amy Winehouse is once again setting trends, this time it’s all about the grub. That’s right indies, McDonald’s is officially in. Alright that’s a whole lot of bull shit. McD’s french fries taste like soggy, salted cardboard when compared to the fine frites we get here in New York, but in honor of Amy’s greasy potato addiction, we figured we’d leave you with a few spots in NYC to get some wicked fries that won’t have you walking into the loving arms of Ronald.

Pommes Frites. 123 2nd Ave. New York- One of the original prevaricators of crisp taters, Pommes Frites are a Belgium creation that gives you cones filled with delicious fries. Best of all each batch comes with your choice of dipping sauce, which includes wild creations like mango chutney, Vietnamese pineapple mayo, and pomegranate teriyaki.

Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries. 138 Montague St, between Henry & Clinton, Brooklyn - Shoestring fry lovers will have to hit up this spot where the classic burger has been revitalized and the fries are always freshly made. The secret is that the fries are made in peanut oil, which makes them feel less weighed down and lighter.

Big Daddy’s Diner. 239 Park Ave, South, New York - Since watching Napoleon Dynamite I’ve had this strange lust for tater tots that have driven me to the brink of heading into a middle school and waiting in line with a bunch of prepubescents a-holes (I don’t like kids when they reach that I’m better than you age.) Which is why I love Big Daddy’s restaurant. They have the best tater tots in the city and if you ask Rebecca nice enough she’ll let you know how that spot holds a special spot in our hearts.

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At first you might think ‘Dr. Seuss’, but after brief inquiry you will find these items stunningly innovative. Marloes ten Brohmer’s shoe and bag designs range from looping heeled sandals, a geometric-shapes pump made from one piece of leather that has been ‘cut & folded into a shoe’ and seriously comfy looking handbags with straps that hide your hand. So what if they remind me of ‘The cat in the hat’? From there to here, and here to there, Bhomerlicious shoes are everywhere.

Content courtesy of TrendOriginal

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My Fave; by Linda Farrow

Sunglasses, as probably won’t have escaped the more observant reader, have been rather fashionable for some time now. About 79 years to be precise, for ’twas in 1929 that a Sam Foster - and not, as may have been supposed, a Mr Ray Ban - sold the first pair of Foster Grant sunglasses on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

What a journey. And don’t be surprised if, for instance, Katie Holmes’s next pair become a matter of national concern, because shades have now acquired a socioeconomic relevance.

Suddenly, you see, shoving on a pair of sunnies isn’t merely a frivolous response to various stress triggers, such as finding yourself without access to eye make-up or being in a lift with Anna Wintour.

Au contraire. Wearing sunglasses has become a considered response to the numerous environmental and financial depredations that rain down upon us. By environmental, I don’t just mean the whole ozone thingy, but the troublesome business of eye contact and whether or not it is wise to make any when you are seated opposite a stranger on public transport. Thanks to the tireless efforts of celebrities such as George Michael and P. Diddy, it is now acceptable, albeit still a little crazy-looking, to sit in the dark wearing some kind of sun-shield over your eyes.

Sunglasses also reveal oceans about the current plight of women: not content with dieting to size zero, they are guaranteeing their virtual disappearance behind ever huger frames. It’s a scientific fact (call it Olsen’s law) that the skinnier the woman, the bigger her specs.

When you also consider just how infinitely greater the ratio of logo and bling to square centimeter of functioning product is on sunglasses compared with any other status item, and how donning the right style can knock three dress sizes off you, the answer to fashion’s burning question - what’s after the It Bag? - becomes glaringly apparent..

So far only Victoria Beckham has her own line, but presumably it’s only a matter of time before Kelly Osborne unleashes her Literary Collection on the world (the white heart-shaped ones that she has been espousing this year aren’t the result of a dare, apparently, but an homage to Nabokov’s Lolita, by way of the Kubrick movie) and Britney Spears launches a Morning After range.

Content courtesy of TimesOnline.

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