#Mohair Domination

[chic-a-gigot]

L'Art et la mode, no. 28, vol. 15, 14 juillet 1894, Paris. Art & Chiffons. Bibliothèque nationale de France

Robe en lainage rose, boutonnant derrière. Garniture de guipure blanche.

Pink woolen dress, buttoned at the back. White guipure trim.

—

Robe en batiste ciel. Garniture de linon brodé. Guimpe plissée.

Sky cambric dress. Embroidered lawn trim. Pleated wimple.

—

Toilette en taffetas changeant. Garniture de bouillonés de mousseline de soie. Col, ceinture et nœuds de satin noir.

Changing taffeta ensemble. Garnished with chiffon bouillons. Black satin collar, belt and bows.

—

Toilette en linon à fleurettes, de point à l’aiguille.

Ensemble in flowered lawn, needlepoint.

—

Ding ding! Ding ding! Le glas du départ est sonné, le Bois est désert, les salons sont clos. Paris a beau être joli et charmant, il faut s’en aller, qui à la mer, qui à la forêt, qui à la montagne, et quand l’époque du voyage est fixée, la malle est vite faite.

Au risque de passer pour rabâcheuse, il faut bien dire encore une fois que le blanc domine.

La vigogne fait des costumes simples et élégants, privés du moindre ornement; on ne les garnit que de grosses piqûres et d’énormes boutons de nacre.

La serge bleue semble être la nuance préférée des bicyclistes féminines, avec galons de mohair blanc ou rouge, ou écru; le chapeau Escadre en toile ou en serge bleue.

La saison s’annonce déjà très brillante à Cabourg, et l’on y fait, paraît-il, deux et même trois toilettes par jour… le matin, ce sont des costumes tailleur en covercoat, avec biais piqué dans le bas, petite jaquette pareille, col rose ou lilas, cravate en batiste; l’après-midi, ce sont les robes de piqué blanc, avec devant froufrou en crêpe de chine, boléro écourté sur des dentelles vaporeuses superposées, ce qui est plus habillé que le simple flottant de surah; mais ce qui domine, c’est la robe de mousseline à pois brochés, enrichie de volants ourlés de dentelles; à côté de ce genre, le style Pompadour, avec dentelles écrues; quant aux nœuds de rubans, on les sème partout, au relevé de la jupe, à la berthe au cou, à la ceinture, jamais le ruban n’a été aussi en vogue.

—

Ding ding! Ding ding! The death knell has sounded, the Bois is deserted, the salons are closed. Paris may be pretty and charming, but you have to go, some to the sea, some to the forest, some to the mountains, and when the time of the trip is set, the trunk is quickly packed.

At the risk of coming across as harping, it must be said once again that white dominates.

The vicuña makes simple and elegant costumes, deprived of the slightest ornament; they are only garnished with large stitches and enormous mother-of-pearl buttons.

Blue serge seems to be the favorite shade of female cyclists, with white or red, or ecru mohair braid; the Escadre hat in canvas or blue serge.

The season is already looking very bright in Cabourg, and it seems that there are two and even three ensembles a day… in the morning, they are tailored suits in covercoat, with stitched bias at the bottom, similar little jacket, pink or lilac collar, cambric tie; in the afternoon, there are the white piqué dresses, with frilly front in crepe de chine, cropped bolero on superimposed vaporous lace, which is more dressy than the simple floating surah; but what dominates is the muslin dress with polka dots, enriched with ruffles hemmed with lace; next to this genre, the Pompadour style, with ecru lace; as for ribbon bows, we scatter them everywhere, at the top of the skirt, at the berthe at the neck, at the belt, ribbon has never been so fashionable.

[thevouofficial]

When Wall Street titans start dressing like Scandinavian tech CEOs and Seoul's fashion elite are making K-drama leads look positively restrictive, you know something's shifted in the suit universe. Welcome to 2025's power move: the drop-shoulder suit.

Picture Stockholm's startup moguls in pearl grey mohair-silk blends with sneakers that cost more than your monthly spotify subscription. Meanwhile, Gangnam's finest are pairing powder blue suits with chunky trainers like they're casually reinventing corporate dress codes between TikToks.

Even Manhattan's financial district - that last bastion of shoulder-padded tradition - has surrendered to the relaxed silhouette. Though leave it to Shanghai to keep things just structured enough to remind us they still mean business.

[jduebe]

Have you been practicing crossdressing in private with no one to guide you on what to do to get to your sissy goal or You might be looking for a Mistress in your area with little luck or you may need to keep your kinky interests very private for any kind of reasons. An online relationship with the pretty sissy academy is a perfect fit for situations like these. Most of you have been scammed in the process of looking for a dominatrix to serve

Now I am here to help you ,Starting a dialogue with a Dominatrix online first is a great way to get to know her and eventually lead to sessions or a long term Mistress/slave relationship.

Hello mistress I would like to be dominated but I have no money however I can be a very good submissive and I like to disguise myself as a woman. Tell me what I have to buy and I would buy, tell me what I have to do and I will make him humiliate me. I also like feet, anal, piss, mohair sweatshirt. Give me any order I would do it mistress I am yours only yours

[mohairdamour]

I REPEAT MY QUESTION:

Am I the only man here so addicted & fetishistic of mohair (hairy, fluffy & brushed) who loves nothing less than to always, constantly, slowly & languidly make love fully clothed, sheathed in exquisite thicknesses of mohair with identical partner & lover (woman or man) all similarly wrapped up from head to toe, from fingertips to top of my hard stick? I am not a bondage fan, nor a dominated sissy or a dominant master, absolutely not attracted by the games of mummification, humiliation, restriction & tying up, I simply like to share with an identical addict (woman or man) infinite sweetnesses given & received while dressed in mohair… But where the hell are you all ?

JE RENOUVELLE MA QUESTION:

Suis je ici le seul homme tellement accroc & fétichiste du mohair (poilu, duveteux & brossé) qui n'aime rien de moins que de toujours, constamment, lentement & langoureusement faire l'amour totalement vêtu, gainé d'exquises épaisseur de mohair avec identique partenaire & amateur (femme ou homme) tout pareillement emmitouflé de la tête aux pieds, du bout des doigts au sommet de mon bâton dur ? Point adepte du bondage, ni sissy dominé ou maitre dominant, absolument pas attiré par les jeux de momification, d'humiliation, restriction & ligotage j'aime tout simplement partager avec un identique accroc (femme ou homme) d'infinies douceurs données & reçues tout vêtu de mohair… Mais bon sang où êtes vous tous ?

[towneslab]

Townes . Fabrikneu Showcase . BeingHunted Die Dominas 2019

[juniperusashei]

Passenger to Teheran by Vita Sackville-West - 4/5

“Indeed, I came to believe that every book should be read in the most incongruous surroundings possible, for then it imposes its own unity in a way that startles the reader when he has to emerge again into his own world”

I'm reading this travelogue by Vita Sackville-West during the 2022 edition of the now-yearly Texas Freeze, and I'm finding this quote to be particularly true. Unlike last year's freeze reading, the frigid Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guin, Vita's account of arid Persia provided respite to the snowstorm outside.

This is the third book I've read by her, and I'm beginning to understand what people mean when they talk about their comfort writers: Vita Sackville-West is quickly becoming mine. I see her as the Joan Didion of her day. Both are often dismissed as vapid "influencers" of their time, only writing of themselves or the lives of the rich and famous. Both have glamorous packing lists, though Didion's in The White Album contains mohair throws and a typewriter, while Vita's in this book includes quinine and chlorodyne. The real power in both of these women's writing is their power of observation, and that's why I say Sackville-West may be my new comfort writer. I'm so used to her wry prose and witty observations on culture that when I want to seek out something familiar I'm sure I'll pick up another of her books.

Before reading this book, I had just seen the 2018 biopic Vita and Virginia, in which her voyage to Persia was a brief plot point. I'm not sure how accurate the movie was, but this book was written in the throes of her affair with Virginia Woolf, and it makes her introduction on the transience of letter-writing (and especially travelogues) even more heartbreaking. She writes, “A letter which has been passionately awaited should be immediately supplemented by another one, to counteract the feeling of flatness that comes upon us when the agonising delights of anticipation have been replaced by the colder flood of fulfilment.” It's hard not to think of her doomed sapphic tryst when reading these passages so full of longing.

Passenger to Teheran is almost certainly racist, or rather orientalist, by modern standards, but I sort of expected it given the place and time it was written. I'm becoming somewhat numbed to Orientalism, because it just represents such a stark contrast to Western media today which portrays the Muslim world as a monolithic hotbed of terrorism... I'd much rather white people think of it as mysterious and exotic, even if that's still a bit voyeuristic and problematic! I also prefer Sackville-West's perspective to her contemporaries who thought of the Orient as too primitive for their perspectives to even be considered. She uses the contrasts between English and Persian cultures to subtly highlight Western hypocrisy, and challenges the values they hold dear. On the return journey through the USSR, she writes: “Possibly the judgement is warped from the start because one instinctively applies the ordinary standards of Western Europe to this country which has discarded the dominant Western conception—that of Wealth as the be-all and end-all of existence.” Most of all, this book made me sad, because I wish I could travel to these parts of the world. So much of it reminded me of my trip to Pakistan in 2013 to visit relatives, and it’s unspeakably tragic that nowadays the West conceives of these rich and open cultures as hostile enemies.

This account is not entirely unproblematic, as to be expected for a book written by an aristocratic Englishwoman in 1926. There's very little accountability for imperialism, as her sojourn in Tehran ends with the coronation of Reza Shah, and she conveniently fails to mention that his party was installed by a coup funded by the British crown a mere five years earlier. She also neglects to mention her reasons for traveling to Tehran in the first place: her husband, Harold Nicolson, was an English diplomat. But despite these failings, there's a remarkable amount of self-awareness for someone of her privileged station, just like in her Joan of Arc book: “What more odious than the informative book of travel?” My main complaint was that there was no map included, because at times it was hard to tell if she was traveling by train or by sea, and that made it difficult to follow her meandering journey!

[firespirited]

Some reroot finishing work. Synthetic mohair Wondie got a half hank of pink gin saran which highlights the dusty rose really nicely {the kiwi pink i had planned to work with was the wrong tone of pink}. Any ideas on how to blush her without highlighting her plastic scars (I don’t have msc)?  And Madison who finally got her streaks, umm meh... looks far better hair down with the blue dominating. I’m sure i’ll come around once her hair is set and she has blush.

[nomanwalksalone]

BOOK REVIEW: RICHARD JAMES SAVILE ROW

by Réginald-Jérôme de Mans

As Troy McClure said about playing the human in a musical adaptation of Planet of the Apes, reviewing this book is “the role I was born to play!”

Simply entitled Richard James: Savile Row, this book commemorates the 25th anniversary in Savile Row of the fashion house and tailors of the same name.  A read is somewhat disappointing, full of short essays by what amounts to a rather incestuous school of longtime Richard James fans in British media and entertainment, among them British GQ’s Dylan Jones and Richard’s most notorious client, Elton John.

Elton’s known as a voracious devotee – to not say addict – of his favorite outfitters over the decades, buying out entire shopfloors at times.  His twenty-year devotion to Richard James is a key to understanding Richard James’ enormous if unrecognized positive influence on contemporary men’s clothing and British tailoring. Forty years ago Elton dressed head-to-toe in psychedelic Tommy Nutter, switching in the 1980s to over-the-top Gianni Versace glitz.  Since the end of the 1990s, he’s evangelized Richard James.

Tommy Nutter, the last tailor-designer in Savile Row, dominated British men’s tailoring in the 1970s.  Custom tailoring took a back seat to the cult of the ready-to-wear designer, mostly the Continentals: Pierre Cardin, then Armani and Versace.  Nutter had a few isolated 1980s hits, like dressing the Joker in 1989’s Batman, before dying in 1992.

What had become of the British? 1980s attitudes towards luxury and clothing meant regression, selling an image of Britain as Raj, pith helmets, and gin among palm trees, not progress. Ralph Lauren did a much better job selling that ethos in his more expensive lines than any of the British could.  Some tried; those of us of a certain age (me) remember seeing cashmere sweaters made in China sold in Bloomingdales under the label of Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes, or blocky ready-to-wear suits at Barneys sold with the name of Savile Row tailor Kilgour, French & Stanbury, although made in Canada by Samuelson.  An ersatz Britishness for export markets, an ersatz image and look created by ready-to-wear licensees with little input from the British tailors desperately trying to sell their names abroad.

Into this breach came Richard James. Like Nutter, James is categorically not a trained tailor.  What he is, though, is an inspired designer who, since opening on Savile Row, has offered true custom tailoring as well as ready-to-wear in visionary designs.  I remember the first Richard James items I noticed, beautiful belts and wallets of gorgeous quality hand stitched in England with contrasting linings in deeply saturated color.  I still have one of those belts, in all its magnificence.  What did they have to do with British custom tailoring?  Nothing – and everything. For the first time a Savile Row name appeared to be doing something relevant, interesting and elegant – and doing it to the fullest extent and the last detail. Savile Row survives by its export markets and by the reputation its tailors have forged for beautiful items of a certain Britishness.  No more uninspired licensed items that has as much to do with British elegance as a Sterling car (derided by Consumer Reports for “Industrial Revolution-era” English technology, remember those?). What Richard James has done is modernize British elegance from the creepy colonial-obsessed ethos that today only blinkered Brexiteer bluestockings and Internet edgelords cling to.  Even the past James references uses other, more inspired touchstones of British greatness, including his bespoke offer (initially serviced by the Savile Row tailors Anthony J. Hewitt and James Levett before being brought in-house), but also ready-to-wear shirts in stripes that recalled the best of Swinging London; handmade ties whose lush, delicate patterns rivalled the best of midcentury Sulka or today’s Charvet; magnificently, decadently warm alpaca pile ‘teddy bear” coats originally created for 1920s motorists; astonishingly soft leather or suede jackets in the café racer style 1960s London Mods would have died for; and even the made-to-order cashmere socks with custom monograms Corgi used to make for defunct shops of yesteryear like the custom shirtmaker Beale & Inman.  It was a vision of Britishness far, far from Lauren’s fantasies, a Britishness that admitted the turmoil of Ted Heath’s premiership, that added much-needed glamor after John Major’s greyness.  And James reminded us what was wonderful about the British suit by invoking all that was dashing in its cut.  Ready-to-wear suits were made in beautiful cloths from British mills like the impeccable Taylor & Lodge, in unexpectedly evocative colors and patterns: sharp mohair sharkskin, gorgeously patterned real Scottish or Irish tweeds or a French navy that was lighter than the normal shade; even rainbow chalkstripes on a sober dark ground.  The cut was always tapered at the waist, double-vented, slant pocketed in the “hacking” style, a look espoused by Patrick Macnee’s subversively too-British John Steed in the 1960s.  Richard’s linings were often boldly colorful, to remind us what could be playful about the suit, everything that 1980s pretention (clinging to all the trimmings of colonial oppression) had repressed.

Richard James the book shines in cataloguing those designs in beautiful detail.  James really has been the best colorist in the business, as Jones termed him.  Even more importantly, this book also shows how James has aced the tricky game of tennis without a net of innovating within the classic: in addition to recreating ruffle-fronted tuxedo shirts like those of George Lazenby’s louche Bond in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, James also invented tuxedo shirts whose fronts (instead of pleats or stiff waffle-weave Marcella) were hand-beaded by Hand & Lock, beaders and embroiderers to Her Majesty the Queen; Corgi (knitters and hosiers to the Prince of Wales) knitted thick, thick cashmere sweaters with hand-inlaid abstract intarsia designs; elegant cufflinks (always double-sided) recalled childhood marbles in the forms of hand-blown translucent glass or semiprecious banded agate (a real “Aggie”) or amber set in sterling silver; and even a travel bag that recalled the bags given away by Pan Am or Concorde in the early days of jet travel was rendered in ballistic nylon with reflective silver piping and brilliantly contrasting linings.

I’ve never owned a Richard James bespoke suit.  I know that his ready-to-wear suits were disappointingly half-canvassed or fused, despite their wonderful materials.  But they helped remind me that Savile Row could still be relevant, and that those tailors, despite past reputation, could be approachable and contemporary – and that has been my experience with the other tailors of Savile Row, including the impeccable, evocatively named Steed, whom I loved for their name before ever using them.

Every item with the Richard James name carried and carries the same visionary, whimsical design philosophy, a Britishness less fanciful and more romantic than Paul Smith’s, and far less caricatural and cynical than those of Ralph Lauren or Hackett.  Socks, always made to a high-standard by Pantherella, are accented in amusing contrast colors or mad patterns. I have a number that are doing fine almost 20 years later.  My Richard James Concorde bag has been a beloved, perfect gym bag for years, while his larger, tougher Japanese denim bag (trimmed in the best British bridle hide) is my go-to travel holdall no matter where on Earth I go. My beaded Richard James tux shirt is a prized piece of design genius, as is a magnificently waterproof raincoat made for him by Mackintosh in a beige twill that cunningly iridesces turquoise or orange from certain angles. For years I’ve searched for the same shade of gorgeous Thomas Mason turquoise twill cotton that an old Richard James shirt is in, but most of his materials are specially made for his designs; even the fine-gauge cotton knits that John Smedley or Peter Geeson created for him seemed to be in special colors and to his own patterns.

That wealth, that treasury of a vision and genius, tumbles out of Richard James’ new book, pictures that really are worth thousands of words and that speak for themselves about the importance of this designer’s contribution, reminding us that Savile Row, indeed British menswear itself, still had things of wonder to offer us.

[katiewattsart]

29/10/19 : TEDDY BOYS. HAUL GIRLS. #1

What are they? 

Teddy Boy: (in the 1950s) a young man of a subculture characterised by a style of dress based on Edwardian fashion (typically with drainpipe trousers, bootlace tie, and hair slicked up in a quiff) and a liking for rock-and-roll music.

Haul Girl: A girl or women who makes a haul video.

The revolution will not be televised. 

The tv shows you what it wants to show you.

Television tells us what the people who run the TV stations want us to know. But social media today sometimes provides an alternative.

Subculture - Under/Beneath 

We are looking today at youth and subcultures… their historicity and their contexts, and where we are with what might be called subcultures and youth cultures today.

GUIDE TO THE CULTS

A genuine piece from the mirror in the 1980s.

Sex Pistols : This is one of the most infamous moments on television. Today it seems tame, but in 1976 this was enough to get the presenter fired.

Like Duchamp's 'ready mades' - manufactured objects which qualified as art because he chose to call them such, the most unremarkable and inappropriate items - a pin, a plastic clothes peg, a television component, a razor blade, a tampon - could be brought within the province of punk (un)fashion...

Dick Hebdige - Subculture: The Meaning of Style

Hebdige’s book has long been consider the authorative text on subculture.

In the book he discusses the ready made aesthetics of punk. Punk was the first reaction to the developing politics of Thatcher and Reagan… here a refusal to take part in business as normal led to music that sounded amateur and fresh… the opposite of the progressive rock that had dominated the mid 1970s and early 80′s. 

Vivienne Westwood

Objects borrowed from the most sordid of contexts found a place in punks' ensembles; lavatory chains were draped in graceful arcs across chests in plastic bin liners. Safety pins were taken out of their domestic 'utility' context and worn as gruesome ornaments through the cheek, ear or lip...fragments of school uniform (white bri-nylon shirts, school ties) were symbolically defiled (the shirts covered in graffiti, or fake blood; the ties left undone) and juxtaposed against leather drains or shocking pink mohair tops.

Jamie Red and others made zines that could be assembled in this same way, collaging and making work that felt it could have been made in the house, and often was.

Subcultures

Subcultures are tribal, bringing people together to form loose relations outside of the mainstream.

Different subcultures:

Even subcultures have subcultures… specific types of goth (steampunk, lolita) rude boys, K Pop sub genres, grunge punk rock etc

Once about a specific youth culture movement based around the disco music of the 1970s, clubbing subculture developed into rave culture in the late 80s and 90s, and has become a mainstream movement in the last few years. 

Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore, Mark Leckey, 1999

“Something as trite and throwaway and exploitative as a jeans manufacturer can be taken by a group of people and made into something totemic, and powerful, and life-affirming.”

Subcultures are about a sense of belonging, often to people who feel excluded or disenfranchised from the mainstream.

Cosplay - form of subculture 

The Joker and Harlequin are both characters who live for misrule, and both of them come from characters in the commedia dell’arte.

Harlequin relates directly to Harley Quinn… the Lord of Misrule was the peasant who was given the task of making sure that Xmas revellers got very drunk and very naughty.

The World Turned Upside Down

These characters link back to the ideas of the carnival, a time when the world was turned upside down. Christmas was initialy this kind of festival. People didn’t know if they would make it through the winter, so they made merry whilst they could. In the carnival Kings become Jokers, Jokers became kings. 

Carnival extracts all individuals from non-carnival life, non-carnival states and because there are no hierarchical positions during carnival, ideologies which manifest the mind of individuals cannot exist.

...And finally in a few relatively rare instances, we find an extreme form of revelry in which the participants play-act at being precisely the opposite of what they really are; men act as women, women as men, kings as beggars, servants as masters, acolytes as bishops. In such situations of true orgy, normal life is played in  all manners of sins such as incest, adultery, transvestitism, sacri- lege, and lese-majeste treated as the order of the day...

Edmund R. Leach, Rethinking Anthropology

In Rabelais and His World (1965), Mikhail Bakhtin likens the carnivalesque to the type of activity that often takes place in the carnivals of popular culture. In the carnival, according to Bakhtin, social hierarchies of everyday life—their etiquettes, and normal structures—are turned on their head.

Court jesters become kings, kings become beggars; opposites are mingled (fact and fantasy, heaven and hell).

Drag Cultures

Much in the same way that Madonna, undeniable icon though she is, in no way invented voguing, neither did the queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race invent the concept of "shade", "realness" or any of the other essential sayings liberally adopted wholesale by the internet. But what the show has done is continually provide a potted queer history. Whether it’s through highlighting ball culture, trans activism, gender fluidity, or queens like the legendary Lady Bunny; or simply by allowing the contestants to talk about their lived experience, the show has put an all too rare slice of gay and trans history in American (and the world’s) living rooms and laptops.

Drag Race has brought a subculture into the mainstream. It has brought secret languages into modern parlay.

From RuPaul raising a pair of opera glasses to say archly, “I can’t wait to see how this pans out”, to season four queen Latrice Royale’s “the shaaaaade of it all”, social media’s gif game has been vastly bolstered by nine seasons of this show. A gif reaction needs to encapsulate maximum emotion, drama, and appearance – and the queens on Drag Race have all three in spades. Tumblr couldn’t create gifs fast enough in the early seasons, and the joy of so many strong characters, and sound-bites, means that there is a reaction for absolutely every occasion. Season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio named one of her world tours after her own much-gif’d catchphrase, “Not today Satan”.

Memes and online culture have helped the show become part of the everyday.

Historically, "sissy" has been used as an insult against feminine-seeming men. Ru-Paul’s Drag Race not only reclaims the word – “now sissy that walk” is the phrase said at the top of each catwalk, usually preceding a demonstration of almost gob-smacking creativity – but shows that adopting a truly feminine character requires massive amounts of charisma and self-confidence. The show is wildly popular with women, not simply because of the incredible looks and transformations served by each queen, but because it is a celebration of feminine mystique in all its forms.

It has helped reclaim a sense of agency in an era of toxic masculinity.

The little show that could has turned into a global behemoth, with tours around the world each year, and an annual convention in Los Angeles. Last year, a second US convention launched in New York, while London hosted the first European edition, DragWorld UK, which saw a number of the show’s queens and RuPaul’s right-hand judge, Michelle Visage, holding court. And as fabulous, glamorous and downright funny as the queens are, the real joy came from seeing the response of teenagers to meeting their idols. RuPaul and Visage are giving hope to lost kids around the world, whatever their gender, ethnic background or sexuality. By sharing their stories, the Drag Race contestants are giving comfort and inspiration to viewers, as well as swathes of entertainment.

The show has brought disenfranchised, often hidden cultures into the open. And given people something that not only entertains, but also empowers.

The difference between Drag Race US and Drag Race UK summed up in one perfect tweet…

With RuPaul’s Drag Race UK finally airing on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s got fans realising just how different the two editions of the show are… International fans were subjected to the colourful world of British slang and swear words, leaving dozens bemused about what exactly the UK queens are actually saying…. But in a viral tweet shared by one of the British queens, it’s managed to capture the crucial difference between the US and UK versions of Drag Race.

Sum Ting Wong shared a screenshot of a Facebook post that so beautifully sums up the two shows:

Pink News JOSH MILTON OCTOBER 8, 2019

Drag is culturally derived, and finds its forms based on local customs. In the UK drag has a relationship to Vaudeville and play, which means it does something different to the american show. It is less about the act of putting on a show, and more about the comedic, slightly catty relations that we have come to associate with saturday evening tv here in the UK.

But that doesn’t mean it is mean in itself… it still brings a subculture to a mainstream audience. Remember, if I talked about this with you in the 1990s, I would face prosecution under Section 28

"shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

New Subcultures

‘It's hard not to be struck by the sensation that, emos and metalheads aside, what you might call the 20th-century idea of a youth subculture is now just outmoded. The internet doesn't spawn mass movements, bonded together by a shared taste in music, fashion and ownership of subcultural capital: it spawns brief, microcosmic ones.

In fact, the closest thing to the old model of a subculture I've come across is Helena and the haul girls. Their videos are about conspicuous consumption: a public display of their good taste, carefully assembled with precise attention to detail. When you put it like that they sound remarkably like mods.’

Alexis Petridis 

Marie Antoinette, 2006 (Sofia Copolla) 

[k-p-p-d]

Make It up to Me, III (M)

Pairing: Kris x D.O x Reader

Summary: Tall, dark, and handsome...  Just your style.

Length: 4k

Warnings: kink negotiation (specifically, exclusive negotiation cuz Soo isn’t an asshole who’ll shove other kinks in just because they weren’t explicitly stated and/or discussed)

A/N: Honestly, I should be a food writer.  ANYWHO.  You know I couldn’t keep this from you~ @sojufor1 😘

Part One | Part Two

“This better not be something stu— Oh.” 

Standing before you was a man.  

An exceptionally tall man.  

A man who was likely even taller than your man.

The man’s long and lean form was draped in the slimmest of slim-cut suits, the mohair jacket being double-breasted with peaked satin lapels and the hem of the cigarette-style pants just barely grazing along his ankles.  It didn’t go unnoticed by you that he was, in fact, not wearing a shirt with said suit; but that was something you would have to process later (if ever). The glossy black, patent leather monk shoes would have looked like odd clown shoes were it not for the simple, understated elegance of them and the way he seemed to ooze assured confidence.  A litany of pale gold chains of varying lengths and widths encircled his neck, each being encrusted with various stones or gems—from sparkling diamonds to vivid citrine topaz to brilliantly deep emerald and sapphires—that caught the light whenever he so much as breathed, especially the dazzling dragon head pendant which rested snugly in the hollow of his neck.  Decorating each of his fore and ring fingers were a set of slightly mismatched, oversized rings--some a vivid yellow gold while others a more subtle pale gold; one boasted a hefty cabochon-cut obsidian, another an emerald-cut ruby of equal size and grandeur, one other was sculpted into the fierce face of a traditional shí shī, and the last was coated completely in diamonds—that would have been far too gaudy on anyone else if he did not the largest hands you had only ever seen in the pages of graphic novels.  The white gold studded earrings he wore were crafted into what you could only guess to be the Chinese characters comprising his name.  His inky black hair was up and back away from his forehead, save for a few stray tendrils here and there, to reveal a closely cropped undercut with an exceptional fade.  Perched on his impossibly straight nose were a pair of small sunglasses bearing only red, rectangular lenses and the thin wires that held it all together.  Behind the colored lenses were a mesmerizing pair of downturned, sleepy eyes which seemed to gaze straight through you as if there was nothing there for them to see since they already knew all your deepest and darkest secrets, and yet they offered you nothing but mystery and secrecy in return.

He was tall, dark, and annoyingly handsome.

You didn’t like him.

“Go on, dear,” Kyungsoo gently called out encouragingly, “introduce yourself.” The man dipped forward in a bow just shy of being too formal for the occasion before he greeted in an alluringly deep rumble of a voice, “Good evening, my name is YiFan and I am your gift.”  He straightened back up to extend a hand to you to shake, the assortment of Cartier bracelets dangling delicately off his wrists flashing brilliantly in the light.  He offered a small, reserved smile that only highlighted how small his pouty mouth was as he politely asked, “May I come inside?” Great; he was tall, dark, annoyingly handsome, and polite.

Your mild annoyance at his existence had just upgraded itself to full-blown dislike.  You narrowed your eyes at him, but stepped aside to grant him entrance the less.  He rumbled a soft “thank you” as he swept past you to get to Kyungsoo, who simply patted the left armrest of the chair.  YiFan immediately perched himself on it before turning to look curiously at you.  You only scowled at him as you plopped back down onto the couch.  A silent moment passed between you all, both men now staring at you with mirrored expression.  You tried your best not to be petty or sardonic, you really did but you couldn’t stand the way they just...stared at you.  You crossed your arms and huffed at Kyungsoo, “‘Very well-mannered,’ huh? Well, then why is he wearing sunglasses at night inside? Seems kind of douchey to me...”  YiFan’s strong brows knitted together just briefly in confusion at the sudden hostility.  Good, missi--

“Watch yourself,” Kyungsoo warned in a deceptively soft voice as his fingers lifted to soothingly stroke the back of YiFan’s neck.  “Just because you and I have done a preliminary negotiation which resulted in YiFan here being chosen does not mean you have the privilege to speak however you wish about or to him, least of all without his consent.  So please, apologize to my dear boy.” “I don’t see wh—” For a split second, all the rounded, softened edges of his face & demeanor hardened with the flaring of his nostrils and clenching of his jaw as his veil of demureness slipped away in tattered shreds to reveal something cold and domineering in its wake when he growled dangerously low, “I said apologize.”  The unwavering of his piercing gaze held you down under the crushing weight of the sudden wave of guilt of having callously insulted YiFan for no other reason than just to make a bitchy comment washed over you.  Shifting uncomfortably, you flicked your eyes over to YiFan who at least had the decency (or perhaps, the audacity) to keep his face completely neutral during this very awkward, unwelcome blow to your ego.  You mumbled out a quick apology with a defiant huff. YiFan opened his mouth to respond, but a gentle squeeze from the hand still stroking his neck had him snapping his mouth shut.  “That was not an apology,” Kyungsoo chastised bluntly.  “Do it again, and properly this time.”

You wanted to dig your heels in and tell Kyungsoo exactly where and how far he could shove his damn apology, but an unbidden flash of Chanyeol’s annoyingly effective pout flashed through your head.  You could almost hear him bemoan how he only wanted to spoil you for your birthday because he never got to do so and how much you deserved to have such a memorable experience, especially since he wasn’t there to enjoy it with you blah blah blah.  Ugh.  You hated having a conscience sometimes.  Begrudgingly, you turned to YiFan and mustered up all the sincerity you could, “YiFan, I apologize for having insulted you.  I meant no harm by it, I hope you will forgive my slight.”

YiFan’s small smile returned to his face, “I accept your apology, and I do forgive you.”  He shifted forward to extend a hand to rest on your knee but hesitated for a split second as if remembering he had not yet had your consent to touch you; so he placed his hand on Kyungsoo’s knee instead.  His slight hesitation frustrated you because how dare he be so considerate on top of being tall, dark, annoyingly handsome, and polite.  “He’s just overprotective of me, but don’t worry.”  He winked, “I can take much more take more than that.” That certainly got your attention.  “Is that so?”

YiFan shrugged, “It is. But we’ll discuss that later.  Right, Sir?”

A small, warm smile floated onto Kyungsoo’s face as he shifted forward in his chair with a gentle nod of acknowledgement.  “Have you eaten yet?” he inquired gently.  And just like that, the tension that had begun to mount between you and YiFan dissipated to a gentle simmer as you turned to frown at Kyungsoo.  He explained, “Mr. Park informed me that when left to your own devices, you may forget to eat every now again.”  At the scowl that was starting to worm its way across your lips at Chanyeol’s (damn him) keen observation, Kyungsoo lifted his hand in a placating wave.  “It’s perfectly okay if you haven’t.  YiFan and I are both very adept in the kitchen so it would be our honor to treat you with a delicious dinner, if you’d allow us.  Isn’t that right, FanFan?”

YiFan nodded once, “It would be our greatest honor.”

“I haven’t eaten dinner yet, no.” Although a part of you didn’t want to relinquish control of your most private and sacred domain, your kitchen, you were no fool to turn down a home-cooked meal made by someone who wasn’t you.  “But sure, go ahead,” you allowed.  “The kitchen is right over there, and both the fridge and pantry are fully stocked.”  You leaned back, one arm propped up on the back of the couch.  A playful smirk slipped onto your lips as you teasingly challenged, “Impress me.”

Kyungsoo rose, a smirk of his own tugging at his plush lips.  “We’ll do our best.”  He extended a hand for YiFan to take, “Won’t we, FanFan?”

“Yes, Sir.”  With that, the two men practically slinked to the kitchen, whispering conspiratorially between them.  It should have felt awkward to have these two strangers clinking around in your home, preparing a meal for you all to share, but it wasn’t.  Amidst the gentle clatterings of pots and pans being moved and the rhythmic thudding of knives against cutting boards, it actually felt quite peaceful, even a little familiar.  How interesting.  Soon enough, a spiced aroma wafted through the air to curl around and warm you from the inside out.  If whatever they were making tasted half as good as it smelled, you just might have had to show them exactly how much you appreciated it...with your mouth...  Maybe even a few other appendages and parts... But that still remained to be seen.  Several more quiet moments passed, interrupted only by the ambient noises from the kitchen and the occasional rumble of your stomach, before YiFan called out, “Where would you like to eat?”

“The dining room will be fine,” you answered, pushing yourself almost reluctantly off the comfortable couch to head to said room.  Although you and Chanyeol hardly ever used this room, much preferring to eat together in the living room or at the large island in the kitchen, you made it a point to remove the chair he tended to use from the table.  Just because he wasn’t physically there didn’t mean his presence wasn’t there.  And so what if that made you possessive?  It’s not like either man could talk considering the dynamics of their relationship.  Which reminded you that you really didn’t know much about their dynamic, or even them for that matter.  Huh.  Chanyeol might have vetted them out, but that didn’t mean you were going to just accept his (so-far annoyingly sound) judgment call.  You had questions, damn it, and they were absolutely going to be answered.  You took your usual seat at the table and began to compile a list of inquiries in your mind.  YiFan entered soon after to set the table, though you paid him no mind.  However, the delicious smell that had been floating from the kitchen suddenly grew stronger a few moments later, effectively disrupting your concentration.  Blinking, you realized that Kyungsoo had also come in and was currently placing a bowl of--

“You made pho,” you stated dumbly as you stared in awe down at the appetizing dish before you.  The bowl was filled nearly to the brim with a pale amber broth just the right side of cloudy in which swam a healthy heap of beautiful rice noodles, vibrantly green sprigs of cilantro, scattered stalks of bean sprouts, and ribbons of thinly sliced beef.

“We did,” Kyungsoo confirmed with a gentle chuckle as he set down a plate of thinly sliced carrots, green onions, and garlic along with a couple small dishes of quartered limes and sliced chilis beside the bowl.  YiFan pushed the few dishes containing a few sauces and he had brought in earlier to be closer to you before sitting to your left.  Kyungsoo took the seat to your right. “Obviously, it’s not as authentic as it could be, but we hope it’s satisfying enough and that you enjoy it.”  Without further ado and not wanting to risk sounding like a broken record by proclaiming that they had made you pho, which you had been craving for days now (they were either psychic or Chanyeol tipped them off; either way you had pho!), you picked up your spoon and chopsticks and dug right into it.

You could not be blamed for the deep moan that rumbled through your chest and throat as the flavors practically in your mouth.  The broth washed over your tastebuds with its distinctly clean yet savory taste before the spices embedded within the liquid surged forward to ambush them with delightfully spicy stings while the noodles’ subtle flavor and the beef’s richness combined to mellow out the spiciness and deepen the overall the flavor.  In a word, it was delicious.  So really who could blame you for forgoing all sense of grace and civility by shoveling several more of mouthfuls of said deliciousness down.  It wasn’t until Kyungsoo gently chuckled that you put your utensils down and actually took a moment to properly chew your food before asking rather eloquently, “What?”

“Oh, nothing really,” he hummed, mischievous glint sparking in his dark eyes, “it just seems YiFan and I managed to do a decent job.”

This smug bastard… Straightening up, you reached for the glass of water YiFan had taken the liberty of filling for you with a shrug, “It’s not the best I’ve ever had, but it’ll do.”

Now it was YiFan’s turn to chuckle, which earned him a scowled “what” in response.  “You really are a brat, aren’t you?” he teased with a playfully arched brow.

“That’s rich coming from a man who-“ Kyungsoo’s own raised brow in silent warning had you biting back the snide remark.  “Never mind.”  YiFan smirked in triumph.  You contemplated punching him in his chest.  Deciding against it, though, you turned your attention down to the food.  It was only then you noticed that you were the only one eating.

Kyungsoo seemed to instantly recognize the confusion which flitted across your face.  “As was said earlier,” he hummed sweetly in that annoyingly rich baritone of his, “YiFan and I wanted to treat you, and you alone, because tonight we are here to serve and indulge you in anyway we can.” He leaned forward, sweet smile deepening into a dirty smirk, to nudge the bowl a touch closer to you. “So eat up, you’ll need all your strength.”

“So it’s going to be that kind of night?” you posited with a smirk of your own.

“It can be if it’s what you’d like that,” YiFan rasped as he leaned back in his seat and tilted his head back just so to stare you down hungrily.  Blinking slowly, he slid his eyes over to Kyungsoo, unabashed want still clear his face.  “Should we discuss our boundaries now or later?”

“Later,” he rumbled before finishing pointedly, “after she finishes her dinner.” If all that was standing between you and an evening full of fun was just a bowl of sinfully good pho, then you were never happier to obey an indirect command.

“So what’s with the sunglasses?” you managed to ask between bites.

The two men shared a brief yet meaningful look before YiFan responded, “Sometimes I can get overwhelmed easily with nerves and excitement when I know we’ll be playing with someone or something new.  Being so stimulated by the anticipation alone destroys my focus on anything that happens before a scene, such as work meetings or pre-scene briefings and negotiations.  So having these,” he reached up to gingerly touch the arm of the glasses, “helps me to remain calm and focused because my brain isn’t scrambling trying to encode and understand all the visual cues I’m usually flooded with at any given.  Basically, because my sunglasses make everything red, my brain can focus on other sense cues, like touch and smell which are harder and more impractical to reduce sensory input from in everyday life.  And plus, these are definitely my style.”

Huh. That was...incredibly logical.  Who knew everyday fashion could be used to practice kink outside of a scene.  Maybe you could try it with Chanyeol sometime, considering how easily excitable and distractible he could be… Before your brain could drum up any thoughts of Chanyeol squirming underneath you and breathlessly panting, you steered the conversation into a different direction.  “So you’re not a professional submissive?”

“Oh God, no,” he practically giggled, bright and goofy gummy grin effectively shattering his suave image (and effectively making your heart do this weird swooping thing that you did not want to think about), with a shake of his head.  “I’m far too controlling to be submissive all the time and to just anyone.”

“Here I was thinking you loved being dressed up and bossed around.”

“Oh, I absolutely do.  But even an ounce of my submission has to be earned,” he fired back with a wink, his face settling back into his coolly reserved and haughty default expression.

“And will you give me more than an ounce tonight?  It’s my birthday after all.”

“I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t like a challenge.”

“How do you know I do?”

“Don’t ask me, ask him,” he answered, jerking his chin at Kyungsoo, who had been quietly observing their playful banter.

“I don’t like repeating myself though,” you lilted before taking a sip of your water.

YiFan chuckled, “Neither does he, so you’ll both get along quite well tonight. So long as you obey him.”

At that, Kyungsoo calmly interjected, “You should finish your dinner before it gets cold.”  Recognizing an unspoken ultimatum behind his words, you acquiesced.  Once you were done, he wordlessly instructed YiFan to help him clear the table before requesting that you wait for them in the living room.  Just as you settled back onto the couch, they entered and each took a seat in the matching set of chairs facing you.  “Did you enjoy your dinner?”

“I did,” you admitted candidly, wanting to be done with all the pleasantries as quickly as possible so you all could have this very necessary conversation before (finally) getting on with the night’s festivities.

“Good,” Kyungsoo hummed.  Clearing his throat, he began, “YiFan, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, is one of my submissives.  I have chosen him to be your scene partner for the evening because the five kinks you listed earlier are five of his personal core kinks, or things he needs to have in a scene.  Do you remember the kinks you decided upon earlier?”

“Yes, I do,” you confirmed with a nod.

“Please repeat them so YiFan may know them as well,” he instructed.

Turning to face the taller man, you repeated your list: “Edge play, sense deprivation—but no blindfolds are to be used on me—, leather, bondage, and humiliation and degradation.”

“YiFan,” Kyungsoo called out to gain the other’s attention, “are any of those kinks not something you would like to explore this evening?”

“No, Sir,” YiFan answered firmly.

“Are you comfortable with being part of the scene?”

“Yes, Sir, I am,” he nodded.

“Wonderful. Please explain to her what your role this evening will be.”

YiFan leveled his surprisingly sober gaze at you.  “Tonight I am to be the submissive partner in the scene.  I am to be used to teach you the art of domination under Sir’s instruction and care as you, to our knowledge, have not had formal instruction despite having an interest in it.”

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo reached over to gently pat his knee before turning to address you. “Are you comfortable with his involvement in the scene?”

“I am, yes,” you answered easily.

“And are you comfortable with the role we would like for you to have in the scene? To be clear, you will both be submissive to myself, though you will have some direction and control over YiFan as I see fit.”

“Yes, I am,” you echoed your earlier response.

“Great.  You are to address me as Sir once the scene begins. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir,” you purred, saucily tossing a wink his direction.

“Good girl,” he teased.  “Let’s discuss hard limits now.  Hard limits are things you absolutely do not want to experience or include in this scene.  For example, the use of blindfolds on you should be considered a hard limit of yours. Correct?”

“Yeah, that is definitely a hard limit for me.”  Taking a moment, you carefully considered your own needs and wants.   “My hands and feet should not be bound at the same time.  Absolutely no scat play or watersports. Way too messy for my liking.”

Kyungsoo chuckled, “I think those last two are hard limits for all of us.”  A quick glance at YiFan, who was doing his absolute damnedest not to scowl in disgust but failing miserably by the way his nose refused to unwrinkle itself, confirmed it.  “YiFan, do you have any other hard limits?”

“Blood play, foot play, and tickling,” came his emphatic response.

Wait. “Tickling?” you asked incredulously.  The first two you could understand since not everyone could handle the sight and/or feel of blood or feet. But tickling? Good ol’ harmless tickling was completely off the table?  You just had to laugh.

“Don’t laugh at me,” he whined, his lips poking out in the slightest pout.  “I have long limbs that I lose complete control of when I’m tickled so unless you want to get kicked in the shin, kneed in the hip, or punched in the nose, absolutely no tickling.”

Waving a placating hand while using the other to swipe at your tear-filled eyes, you conceded, “Fine, fine.  No tickling.  Kyungsoo, what about you?”

“I have no other hard limits.  We should discuss safewords. YiFan and I tend to use a single verbal safeword or several specific non-verbal cues to end a scene. If you’d like, you can use the system we do; or you have the option of choosing to use the color system, which is where you might say “red” to stop the scene completely, “yellow” to pause it momentarily for any reason, or “green” to continue it. You’re more than welcome to use this system alone or within some combination of ours. Which would you prefer?”

“The system you and YiFan use will be fine. I don’t want to complicate anything or throw anyone off.”

Both men frowned at you, but it was YiFan who spoke. “Nonsense. You are our main focus and concern this evening. We are here to do whatever pleases you most within reason so do not for a second think you’re making things ‘complicated’ or whatever. We’re very flexible—both figuarively and literally,” he finished with a wink.

“I feel like I was just scolded,” you huffed.

“That’s because you were,” Kyungsoo stated simply. “The safeword we use is ‘tango,’ three taps to the arm or thigh is the non-verbal cue. Do you understand?” Once you confirmed you did, he continued on to ask, “Where would you like for the scene to occur?”

“Um, I guess the bedroom will be fine.”

“Are you certain?” he questioned, brows knitted together in concern; YiFan mirrored his expression.  “We don’t have to use the bedroom if it will make you uncomfortable during or afterward.”

“No, no.  It’s fine,” you assured them.  We can use it.  It’s the space I’m most comfortable in after all.”

“Alright.” Kyungsoo reached down to grab his duffel bag before turning to smile warmly at YiFan, “FanFan, where would you like to do your stretches?”

“Is it alright if I do them here in the living room?  There’s a lot of open space and well…” he motioned at his long, lean figure.

You smirked at him, “Of course.  Let me know if you need any help.”

“I’m very good at stretching myself,” he husked with a smirk of his own.

Kyungsoo sighed, “You two are going to be a handful, I can see that now.”

“You should’ve known that already,” you shot back teasingly.  “Or did Mr. Park forget to state that explicitly?”

“Oh, I assure you, he told me everything,” the way his voice dipped impossibly lower as he stressed the word caused your skin to ripple with chills, “in great detail.  YiFan, come to us when you’re ready.”

YiFan stood with a solemn nod, “Yes, Sir.”

“Now,” he rose from his seat to offer his hand for you to take, “lead me to the bedroom.”

Slipping your fingers between his as you slowly pulled yourself up off the couch, you let your lips curl slowly into a wolfish grin.  “Follow me…”

--Admin Lily💋

[hakesbrother]

New Homes In San Antonio, Austin, And Houston Tx

To start the request course of please read and complete this Petition and undergo the address listed. Petitions are processed only upon an entire submission of the petition bundle and processing fee. Select a smaller variety of properties and re-run the report. Login to save your search and get extra properties emailed to you. The LoopNet service and data provided therein, while believed to be correct, are provided "as is". LoopNet disclaims any and all representations, warranties, or ensures of any sort.

Commentary from NAR consultants on know-how, staging, placemaking, and real estate trends. Stay current on business points with every homes for sale san antonio day news from NAR. Network with different professionals, attend a seminar, and keep up with industry trends through occasions hosted by NAR.

Texas has extra farms and the highest acreage of farmland in the country. Livestock and livestock products dominate the agricultural economic system and beef cattle manufacturing is the most important space of Texas agriculture. Texas produces cattle, horses, sheep, goats, wool, mohair, and hay, in addition homes for sale san antonio to cereal crops and produce. Commercial fishing is a large trade, and with plentiful mineral resources, the state is a leading producer of cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand, and gravel.

To our unique real estate investment market and work with New Western to find a deal that fits your wants. We provide easy access to alternatives you wouldn’t have otherwise. We also work behind the scenes to remove issues, ship a marketable title and supply a fast, seamless course homes for sale san antonio of to close. Join New Western’s national market of over 100,000 actual estate buyers who’ve purchased and bought more than $12 billion in properties since 2008. Other consumers are reconsidering adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, a sort of mortgage that drew scrutiny after the subprime mortgage crisis.

Dallas is the one that's in style among actual property traders. It is a good market because it has a strong economy and constant inhabitants growth and will make your pockets larger. Downtown San Antonio has a median listing price of $699K, making it the most expensive neighborhood.

[hakesbros]

San Antonio Real Property Market

The developer is ready for motivated sellers to come to market, lowering prices. Nominate Your Project for a CoStar Impact Award.Send in your submissions now. The annual honor seeks to recognize exemplary industrial real property projects and transactions within the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. National information exhibits that sellers in the third quarter had owned their homes for a mean of about 6 years, which is near the Houston common of 5.7 years. Real Estate Weekly is the paper of the industry, and the longest-running actual property publication in New York City, published since 1955. Our print issue, published each Wednesday, reaches more than 30,000 readers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, and Westchester.

This has created numerous renters who must pay quite a bit to hire flats or single-family homes. We know there is a lack of housing relative to demand when a balanced market has a 6 month home stock and San Antonio has solely a two-month stock. There are many lower-cost funding homes for sale san antonio alternatives for landlords or rental property buyers. The San Antonio actual estate market is seeing property valuations skyrocket because of the problem of assembly the demand of everybody shifting right here for work or mere opportunity.

The listing broker’s offer of compensation is made solely to participants of the MLS the place the itemizing is filed. IDX information is supplied completely for private, non-commercial use, and may not homes for sale san antonio be used for any function apart from to establish prospective properties customers may be thinking about purchasing.

Commercial fishing is a big trade, and with abundant mineral assets, the state is a leading producer of cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand, and gravel. Texas has a quantity of massive university techniques and has a rising economic system in high tech industries. The aeronautics trade additionally contributes to the state's economic system with a NASA house center close to Houston and Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics division in Fort Worth. Additionally, Texas has a powerful economy in retail, wholesale, banking, insurance coverage, and development industries. Mexico is the state's largest trading companion, importing a third of Texas' exports. At Perry Homes, we are dedicated to offering you with distinctive worth, high quality and customer support.

Texas has more farms and the very best acreage of farmland in the nation. Livestock and livestock merchandise dominate the agricultural financial system and beef cattle production is the largest space of Texas agriculture. Texas produces cattle, horses, sheep, goats, wool, mohair, and hay, as properly as cereal crops and produce.

Blue Ridge Ranch welcomes all homebuyers, and we’re sure we will discover the perfect home for you! You’ll have quick access to major roads like Interstate 410 and Highway 87, which is in a position to get you to the heart of San Antonio in no time. Roofstock makes it straightforward to get began in real property investing. Median rent homes for sale san antonio in San Antonio is $1,779 for a 3-bedroom home, based on the latest analysis from Zumper . According to a 2016 publication by Huduser.gov, economic circumstances in the San Antonio-New Braunfels HMA have improved lots since 2010, with nonfarm payrolls expanding at an growing price every year.

[bestonlineblogpingfor-shoes]

Off-White™ Arrives With Full Suede 'OOO' Sneakers in White/Light Blue Colorway

Virgil Abloh‘s Off-White is dropping new pieces from its Spring/Summer 2022 collection and restocks of its sought-after items on HBX.

Leading the lineup are the Full Suede Low “Out of Office” Sneakers in White/Light Blue colorway adorned with a tonal arrow on the side and the signature zip-tie lace-up tag. Featuring an outsole with translucent gel inserts and a ribbed heel, the silhouette is said to be the late founder’s imagination of tennis shoes with the late ’80s and early ’90s aesthetics fused with streetwear, basketball, and running elements. Other footwear styles include the Low Vulcanized Canvas Sneakers with blue branding and the Industrial Belt Sliders fitting for the warmer weather.

T-shirts, shorts, a hoodie, and more make up the latest apparel offerings. Some standouts are the Tie Dye Knit Sweater made of a mohair blend dominated by black and white gradient tie-dye effect and the Weed Arrows Skate T-shirt featuring its signature Arrow logo adorned with leaf motifs. Rounding off the range are accessories such as the Logo Bucket Hat, the Bookish Baseball Cap, the hallmark Quote Tape Belt, as well as carrying options like the Binder Nylon Fanny Pack and the Binder Cross Body Bag.

Head over to HBX to check out and shop all of Off-White™’s new releases and restocks, with prices ranging from $180 to $1,600 USD.

In case you missed it, RHUDE just dropped its SS22 ‘Monaco With God’s Help’ ready-to-wear on HBX.

[jadaartblogforfashion]

Final Major Protect (FMP)

Artist Research:

Alexander McQueen A/W 2012 Collection

Looking at another of the collections by the McQueen label again Sarah Burton A/W 2012 Collection inspired by 'Beautiful future inspired by nature the collection depicts, the soft bed of the forest floor by day and night. The domed caps and rippling underbellies of mushrooms and other fungi. Light and shade, power and protection, hyper-femininity and strength.' McQueen collections by both Sarah Burton and the late Alexander McQueen really inspire me and I find both of them influential. The way they challenge silhouettes and create statement pieces that are still feminine edgy is what I aspire to create in my own pieces because of this I have researched and looked at a lot of their collections both current ad past, for this project as they also look a lot at nature in their collections.

Below are a few images of the collection I find the most interesting, and I feel relate to my project theme the most.

The silhouettes become more three-dimensional and over sized as the collection progressed, shape, texture, print and embellishment beginning at the waist and moving to the neck down, embellishments in the forms of feathers, furs and silver dandelion and enamel blossom embroideries float on textured surfaces. Funnel necks, Mongolian lamb collars, trapeze lines, cape-backs, and bell-shaped, rolled skirts dominated the collection.

Pale Silk and Mohair Jacquards appliqué with felt flowers, degrade silks and ruffled organzas, and hammered metal harnessing gave the collection a hard edge were all highlights. The design below was my favourite from the collection; I like it because it has a lot of textural detailing while combining different materials, such as soft fabrics and hard metals, on an over-sized silhouette that is still feminine in form. The piece is shown on the catwalk worn by a model who completes the look with a face adornment across the eyes.

The piece is an oversize muted purple dress that is above knee length and made up of layers of light fabrics, with a central metal plate on the chest. The catwalk is kept dark and clinical, with a spotlight on the garment to focus the eye, giving a sense of organic feel and futuristic from the construction of the design, and head piece worn on the model, which I believe is what the designer was also trying to capture within the piece the idea of the layers and shapes found in unusual fungus that frequently appear not from this world. The over-sized layering and combination of different materials to create a futuristic yet organic effect really inspires me, as it shows me new ways to experiment with my own designs inspired by the sea and its creatures.

The design is made up of many layers of soft, free-moving fabrics such as pale silks and hand-shaped metal embellishments. The silk was then finished/hemmed in organic lines to give it a more fungus-like appearance. This design would have required an understanding and silks in advanced pattern cutting and application to the form to give an over sized yet fitted and flattering silhouette, as well as an understanding of the materials and how to cut them so that they would hang in the desired way, as well as skills in hand and machine sewing to construct the piece.

The colour palette is limited to a single muted tone of lilac/purple that runs throughout the garment, complementing the continuous over-sized shape of the silhouette and textural layering of fabrics that run throughout the piece, with only the contrast of the metal detailing to the chest adding variety to the design.

This design intrigued me as a designer not only because it takes the natural form and interprets it on the female form in fabric, which is similar to my own project theme, but also because it takes the over-sized textural idea and flatters the form in a new and unusual shape. As a result, it interests me and it will influence my future designing and inspiration generation to look at details and try to interpret them in new ways that both flatter the form but challenge shape and design in a variety of ways.

[drownmeinbeauty]

OLD GOOD TIMES

After moving to New York City in the 1990's I started sewing my own clothes, buying expensive handbags as "investments", and reading American Vogue like scripture. So it was uncanny to walk through Reinvention and Restlessness: Fashion in the Nineties at the Museum at FIT and find this era, that was so formative personally, neatly historicized.

The curators have smartly identified trends: mimimalism, maximimalism, deconstructivism, environmentalism, logo-centrism, and grunge. But the time might have been dominated by personalities rather than ideas. There was John Galliano, whose dazzlingly baroque designs, both for his own label and Christian Dior, are under-represented here. There was Liz Tilberis, whose elegant remaking of Harpers Bazaar gave a strong alternate voice to Vogue. And, though the Supermodels are present in some video clips, there's no sense of their outsized appeal, the way they brought high fashion to TV ads, billboards, tabloids, and music videos.

Of all the trends identified grunge gets the least space, perhaps because it was about styling more than clothing. There are two mannequins dressed by Anna Sui and Marc Jacobs tucked in a dark corner near the exit, in separates a tween could find copies of today at Forever21.

Deconstructivism gets the most space, and the garments here captivate eye and mind. An elaborately rouched dress by Isabel Toledo makes exquisitely fitted human armour. A suit jacket and skirt in red mohair by Maria Cornejo, held together by a single button above the navel, feels just barely tethered to the body. A full-length black dress by Yohji Yamamoto is boldly and casually asymmetrical, as it's been spun by a monstrous spider. A pieced-together dress of bright muslin, striped shirting and moss-colored linen by Martin Margiela happily pairs conventional construction with disjunctive piecing. A suit next to it, by Commes de Garcons, tweaks the tailoring syntax of the western jacket and trousers while providing the necessary uniform. These garments speak knowingly to traditions of tailoring and dressmaking while finding fresh beauty in them.

To see so many objects I'm familiar with takes me right back to the decade. There is a small neoprene Gucci shoulder bag I handled in the boutique on Fifth Avenue and chose not to buy. There is a Jean Paul Gaultier tattoo shirt like the one I wore on my first trip to Paris and lost in a checked bag on the flight home. There is an asymmetrical Vivienne Westwood jacket in mixed tartans with a Peter Pan collar that I ogled at Century21, while it was still wired to the rack, that another woman blithely step forward and claimed. These pieces, and the period, feel at once close and long ago. Fashion marches on, and so do we.

Photograph by Nalina Moses.

[happilyrainyinternet]

What is velvet fabric?

Velvet is a sleek, soft fabric that is commonly used in intimate garments, upholstery and other textile applications. Due to how expensive it was to produce velvet textiles in the past, this fabric is often associated with the aristocracy. Even though most types of modern velvet are adulterated with cheap synthetic materials, this unique fabric remains one of the sleekest, softest man-made materials ever engineered.

The first recorded mention of velvet fabric is from the 14th century, and scholars of the past mostly believed that this textile was originally produced in East Asia before making its way down the Silk Road into Europe. Traditional forms of velvet were made with pure silk, which made them incredibly popular. Asian silk was already very soft, but the unique production processes used to make velvet result in a material that’s even more sumptuous and luxurious than other silk products.

Until velvet gained popularity in Europe during the Renaissance, this fabric was commonly used in the Middle East. The records of many civilizations located within the borders of in modern Iraq and Iran, for instance, indicate that velvet was a favorite fabric among the royalty the region.

When machine looms were invented, velvet production became much less expensive, and the development of synthetic fabrics that somewhat approximate the properties of silk finally brought the wonders of velvet to even the lowest rungs of society. While today’s velvet may not be as pure or exotic as the velvet of the past, it remains prized as a material for curtains, blankets, stuffed animals, and all manner of other products that are supposed to be as soft and cuddly as possible.

While various materials can be used to make velvet, the process used to produce this burnout velvet fabric is the same regardless of which base textile is used. Velvet can only be woven on a unique type of loom that spins two layers of fabric simultaneously. These fabric layers are then separated, and they are wound up on rolls.

Velvet is made with vertical yarn, and velveteen is made with horizontal yarn, but otherwise, these two textiles are made with largely the same processes. Velveteen, however, is often mixed with normal cotton yarn, which reduces its quality and changes its texture.

Silk, one of the most popular velvet materials, is made by unraveling the cocoons of silkworms and spinning these threads into yarn. Synthetic textiles such as rayon are made by rendering petrochemicals into filaments. Once one of these yarn types is woven into velvet cloth, it can be dyed or treated depending on the intended application.

The main desirable attribute of velvet is its softness, so this textile is primarily used in applications in which fabric is placed close to the skin. At the same time, velvet also has a distinctive visual allure, so it’s commonly used in home decor in applications such as curtains and throw pillows. Unlike some other interior decor items, velvet feels as good as it looks, which makes this fabric a multi-sensory home design experience.

Due to its softness, velvet is sometimes used in bedding. In particular, this fabric is commonly used in the insulative blankets that are placed between sheets and duvets. Velvet is much more prevalent in womenswear than it is in clothing for men, and it is often used to accentuate womanly curves and create stunning eveningwear. Some stiff forms of velvet are used to make hats, and this material is popular in glove linings.

China leads the world as the most prolific producer of synthetic textiles. These and other reckless industrial practices have rapidly made this communist nation the world’s largest polluter as well, and China is lagging far behind the rest of the world’s gradual switch to sustainable fabrics and non-polluting production processes.

Since “velvet” refers to a fabric weave instead of a material, it can’t technically be said that velvet as a concept has any impact on the environment. The different materials used to make velvet, however, have varying degrees of environmental impact that should be carefully considered.

Environmental impact of silk

Silk is the closest thing we have to an ideal fabric from an environmental standpoint. This embossed velvet fabric is still, in most cases, produced the same way it has been produced for thousands of years, and since the production of silk is not aided by any pesticides, fertilizers, or other toxic substances, making this fabric does not have any significant negative environmental impact.

Environmental impact of rayon and other synthetic textiles

Rayon is the most commonly used substitute for silk in velvet and velvet-inspired fabrics, and the production of this synthetic substance is significantly harmful to the environment. The rayon production process involves multiple chemical washes, and the base material of this substance is petroleum.

Essentially, rayon is non-biodegradable fossil fuel product that introduces tons of harmful chemicals into the water supply as it is created. With these detractors in full view, the only reason that rayon is still produced is that it is inexpensive.

The term “velvety” means soft, and it takes its meaning from its namesake fabric: velvet. The soft, smooth fabric epitomizes luxury, with its smooth nap and shiny appearance. Velvet has been a fixture of fashion design and home decor for years, and its high-end feel and appearance make it an ideal textile for elevated design.

Velvet is a soft, luxurious fabric that is characterized by a dense pile of evenly cut fibers that have a smooth nap. Velvet has a beautiful drape and a unique soft and shiny appearance due to the characteristics of the short pile fibers.

Velvet fabric is popular for evening wear and dresses for special occasions, as the jaguar velvet fabric was initially made from silk. Cotton, linen, wool, mohair, and synthetic fibers can also be used to make velvet, making velvet less expensive and incorporated into daily-wear clothes. Velvet is also a fixture of home decor, where it’s used as upholstery fabric, curtains, pillows, and more.

The first velvets were made from silk and, as such, were incredibly expensive and only accessible by the royal and noble classes. The material was first introduced in Baghdad, around 750 A.D., but production eventually spread to the Mediterranean and the fabric was distributed throughout Europe.

New loom technology lowered the cost of production during the Renaissance. During this period, Florence, Italy became the dominant velvet production center.

Velvet is made on a special loom known as a double cloth, which produces two pieces of velvet simultaneously. Velvet is characterized by its even pile height, which is usually less than half a centimeter.

Velvet today is usually made from synthetic and natural fibers, but it was originally made from silk. Pure silk velvet is rare today, as it’s extremely expensive. Most velvet that is marketed as silk velvet combines both silk and rayon. Synthetic velvet can be made from polyester, nylon, viscose, or rayon.

There are several different Holland velvet fabric types, as the fabric can be woven from a variety of different materials using a variety of methods.

Crushed velvet. As the name suggests, crushed velvet has a “crushed” look that is achieved by twisting the fabric while wet or by pressing the pile in different directions. The appearance is patterned and shiny, and the material has a unique texture.

Panne velvet. Panne velvet is a type of crushed velvet for which heavy pressure is applied to the material to push the pile in one direction. The same pattern can appear in knit fabrics like velour, which is usually made from polyester and is not true velvet.

Embossed velvet. Embossed velvet is a printed fabric created via a heat stamp, which is used to apply pressure to velvet, pushing down the piles to create a pattern. Embossed velvet is popular in upholstery velvet materials, which are used in home decor and design.

Ciselé. This type of patterned velvet is created by cutting some looped threads and leaving others uncut.

Plain velvet. Plain velvet is usually a cotton velvet. It is heavy with very little stretch and doesn’t have the shine that velvet made from silk or synthetic fibers has.

Stretch velvet. Stretch velvet has spandex incorporated in the weave which makes the material more flexible and stretchy.

Pile-on-pile velvet. This type of velvet has piles of varying lengths that create a pattern. Velvet upholstery fabric usually contains this type of velvet.

Velvet, velveteen, and velour are all soft, drapey fabrics, but they differ in terms of weave and composition.

Velour is a knitted fabric made from cotton and polyester that resembles velvet. It has more stretch than velvet and is great for dance and sports clothes, particularly leotards and tracksuits.

Velveteen pile is much shorter pile than velvet pile, and instead of creating the pile from the vertical warp threads, velveteens pile comes from the horizontal weft threads. Velveteen is heavier and has less shine and drape than velvet, which is softer and smoother.

For budding fashion designers, understanding the characteristics and feel of different fabrics is key. In her 20s, Diane von Furstenberg convinced a textile factory owner in Italy to let her produce her first designs. With those samples, she flew to New York City to build one of the world’s most iconic and enduring fashion brands. In her fashion design MasterClass, Diane explains how to create a visual identity, stay true to your vision, and launch your product.

Become a better fashion designer with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by fashion design masters including Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, and more.