Favourite Things

Like Oprah Winfrey and Julie Andrews, I will tell you about the stuff (and sites) that make my life worthwhile.


1. WhoWhatWear.com.  WhoWhatWear is a fashion website that posts once daily during the week.  They follow what celebrities and models are wearing, as well as following runway shows to predict next season's trends.  Their content is decidedly fashion forward, so it's great if you live in a big city and have room to experiment.  If you come from a more conservative area you may find you have to tone down a lot of the styles to be appropriate.
http://www.whowhatwear.com/website/home.php

2. CollegeFashion.net.  CollegeFashion is extremely helpful for fashionable dressing in more conservative settings.  They take trends and adapt them into more wearable styles, and they're also really useful if you ever have an event to go to and have no idea what to wear (they've been a life-saver for me on many occasions).  They offer suggestions on how to style particular items (for example lace tops or cargo pants) and also incorporate articles on where to find fashion inspiration.
http://www.collegefashion.net/

3. Apple Movie Trailers.  If you're like me and you get irrationally excited over new movies, Apple's trailer page is the place for you.  It regularly updates just-released previews and also offers clips and featurettes on upcoming films.  More often than not it has the longer theatrical trailers which you don't see unless you're at the movie theatre, which is a nice touch.  Overall, it's a good way to stay on top what what's coming out.
http://trailers.apple.com/

4. Hark! A Vagrant.  This webcomic provides endless entertainment for me.  You don't have to have majored in History to understand all the jokes, but it sure does help.  The artist, Kate Beaton, has a sense of humour that gets me every time, and her art is perfectly adapted to its purpose.  You'll probably either love it or be completely weirded out, but definitely give it a try.
http://www.harkavagrant.com/

5. PostSecret.  Post Secret is pretty big, so odds are you already know about it.  However I'm throwing it in here because when they update every Sunday I feel like I have a front row seat to an international gossip-fest... and now you can, too.  Enjoy.
http://www.postsecret.com/

6. The White Panda.  The White Panda is two guys who mix pre-existing tracks together.  I find they're hit-and-miss.  Some of their stuff I find lacks soul, but when they get it right, they REALLY get it right.  My long-time favourites include Golden Encore, What Lonely Girls Do, and Hold On My Momma.  Rock on, kids.
http://www.thewhitepanda.com/

7. The Hype Machine.  The Hype Machine is a great way to stay on top of what's new in music, and subsequently download it for free (God bless the internet).  I can't begin to list how much amazing music I've found on HypeM, but it's especially good for remixes.
http://hypem.com/

8.  Pitchfork.  I'm not going to say much about Pitchfork, because honestly I haven't fully explored it just yet.  But for those of you who love music and are looking for the latest reviews, Pitchfork has a reputation for dependable taste and great reviews.
http://pitchfork.com/

9.  Feministing.  Started by feminist writer Jessica Valenti, Feministing is a great place for the feminist on-the-go to keep on top of what's happening for not only women's rights, but also gender equality and race relations.  Feministing is great because while it has a critical eye the writers make a significant effort not to report with a bias.  Also, the language and references are accessible, so it's a good way to ease into the feminist world.
http://feministing.com/

10.  Emerald Sparkled.  My sister and I have a growing obsession with all things nail polish.  During her hunt for nail polish blogs she came across this one and shared it with me.  And I LOVE IT.  The blogger has a great eye for colour, and her polish ideas are always original and fun.  When painting my nails I frequently go to her for inspiration.
http://www.emeraldsparkled.com/

11.  The Sartorialist.  You can't have a blog dedicated to fashion without mentioning The Sartorialist.  This blogger's photos are sublime, with just about equal concentration on men's and women's fashions.  The style focus is on updated old-school, with lots of gorgeous suits and beautiful shoes.  Worth a peruse, at the very least.
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

12.  Frills and Ruffles.  Frills and Ruffles (also known as the owner of the covetable dog "Boo") has a blog full of gorgeous items.  I find she has a great mix of modern and classic going on, and I like how she incorporates trends into her wardrobe.  She's great when you're lacking inspiration and just want someone to tell you what to wear.
http://www.frillsandruffles.com/

13. Dear Girls Above Me.  My friend Hayley pointed me towards this blog, which is just plain hilarious.
http://www.deargirlsaboveme.com/

14.  WTForever21.  Hilarious.  This blogger pokes relentless fun at the disgusting mass-produced rags that somehow make it into stores.
http://wtforever21.com/

15.  Diary of a Spinster Aunt.  This is one of my more recent discoveries.  I think I love it because I see so much of myself in the authors.  Great sense of humour and fun stories.  Also good to know I won't be turning into a crazy history-loving cat lady alone.  Also, I love their commitment to eccentricity.
http://diaryofaspinsteraunt.blogspot.com/

16.  Middle of the Night.  This is the blog of a long-time friend of mine, and I'll admit you kind of have to know her to be interested in some of the content.  However, she's hilarious so often it doesn't matter, and she does a great job of regularly including amusing pictures and videos which are definitely worth seeing.
http://middle-o-thenight.tumblr.com/

17. Regretsy.  Have you ever been online or at a craft store and thought to yourself "Oh my God.  Who on earth thought someone would pay for that crap?"  Well, April Winchell has, and she made a whole website about it.  Sarcastic? Yes.  Snide? Yes.  Hilarious? Abso-freaking-lutely.  You're welcome.
http://www.regretsy.com/

18.  Rainy Mood.  Another question: ever thought to yourself "What I'm doing/not doing is great, but wouldn't it be better if it sounded like it was raining outside?"  Well, my old roommate did, and that's how she found Rainy Mood.  I think it started out as one of those things that's supposed to help you fall asleep at night, but honestly I like to play it with jazz and big band music because for some reason it makes life seem better.  If you're a freak like me, take a look.
http://www.rainymood.com/

19.  Cracked.  Cracked is a great website for those of us who love random movie trivia.  They inject all of their work with a sense of humour so longer articles keep you interested.  A good one for all the film buffs out there.
http://www.cracked.com/

20.  Internet Movie Database.  Ever been watching a movie and said to yourself "Where do I remember that guy from???"  Well, IMDB is here to solve all your problems.  You can search actors, films, directors, etc and see filmographies, upcoming projects and related articles as well as bio information, photos and trailers.  Very useful for solving film-related arguments.
http://www.imdb.com/

21.  Vogue's website.  I won't pretend I bother reading much, but I do find it indispensable in that they dependably provide images of all clothing from all the runway shows, broken down according to season and couture, ready-to-wear, etc.
http://www.style.com/ 

22. Grayshades.  Grayshades is another blog belonging to a friend of mine - without bias though, it is very awesome.  It would be cool enough with just the photo content, many of which have an eerie haunting quality that captures the subject beautifully.  My personal favourite is of a Chinese prostitute, which I wont try to describe because I know I wont do it justice.  However, this blog also includes a lot of mixes made by the blogger himself which have on their own merit already attracted significant attention.  It is a happy place for the artistically minded, and I enthusiastically recommend giving it a look.
http://grayshades.net/blog/

23.  Ameer's Photostream.  Much like Grayshades, Ameer is a friend of mine who also happens to be prodigiously talented with a camera.  My favourites of his collection are the shots from India and Egypt.  In a culture where we are constantly presented with versions of the same face - female, white, symmetrical, young, slender, "classically" beautiful, un-marked - Ameer offers a variety of faces who are ignored by advertisers and other media.  He captures the character, strength and real beauty of the Other.  Not only is he amazing at photographing people, but his photography of the cityscapes is equally enchanting.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34392236@N04/page13/