Welcome to the City

It's now 1:30 AM, May 29th. I am in Japan.
And I am awake because of an earthquake that measured about 5.2 on the Richter scale. Yep.
I would have posted last night, but there were a few, um, variables.

Sorry it's blurry. I didn't even notice when I took the shot.

Click to read more!

Pre-Departure Blues

It's been a little while since my last post, and this is why: three more days 'til Tokyo.

This captures everything I feel at the moment.

It's crunch-time, and I am so stressed that I've been feeling the urge to simultaneously throw up and gorge on chocolate. I've been running (well, the weather has been a little icky, so I've technically been speed-walking) around, panicking as I try to tie up all of the loose ends and make sure everything is in order before I go.

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Growing Up (Pt. 1): Maturity

Now that it's summer, I've found myself taking a few breaks here and there in between all of the tasks I have. An as with every summer, I've been taking inventory of my life -- what I've accomplished, how I've changed, the friends I have now. I guess most people do this during New Year's or something, but I usually reserve this for the summer, when I have ample time.

One of the things I've realized during these reflections is that I'm still a kid. Kind of. 

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THE ROUNDUP: The Last Huzzah

I'm sure I've said this way too many times already, but it's been a busy few weeks. And for that, what would be better than a photo recap?

Click to read (and see) more!

Good Morning, Pittsburgh

I woke up this morning at 5. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to or had planned it, but I found myself unable to sleep anymore.

And so I updated my Facebook status (because, really, what else is someone to do at such an early hour?) and took pictures of the sunrise.

 

It's funny. I had promised myself that I was through with sunrises after seeing too many during the past two semesters, and look at what I did this morning.

But I couldn't go back to sleep, and I've been meaning to take pictures of the sunrise... So I guess it's not so bad.

Click below for more pictures. (They're worth it  -- I promise! Go click it!)

THE LOOK: Summer Dreams

I realize that it's been a while since my last post, and I apologize for that. Last week was finals week, and the week before had all of my pre-finals projects.
I also may or may not have had a crisis that was spurred by one of the more overwhelming classes of my semester. (And not that I'd be embarrassed because I just admitted that to you all or anything, ahaha... haha... ha...)

But here is a long overdue post, and, more specifically, one under THE LOOK section:

More after the jump, as usual!

The Trouble with Fashion Blogging (Pt. 2)

When I read my post about GQ's "The 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America," I worry that I come off as nasty. And so I think I should make clear my stance on Pittsburgh fashion. For those who haven't seen it yet, you should really check out my blog post about it (and the article itself or the article's blurb on Pittsburgh, at least).

Click for more.

Your Life Disrupted

The University of Pittsburgh is having some issues.

After the shooting at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, many bomb threats have occurred all over campus. (I lost count after the 16th one.) People thought that someone just didn't want to take exams. But lately, it's become somewhat ridiculous -- I think we're over at a count of over 40, and multiple places are being evacuated all at once. And even worse is that dorms and even the library (read: sacred study space where no one should EVER be bombing!) have been targeted. I feel bad for the students there, especially since they've been forced to leave their beds before sunrise and after sunset. It's awful...

Stop the Pitt bomb threats has been doing a really good job of compiling information,
but I've gotten so nervous and paranoid that I am (sadly) suspicious of him/her/them.

 

At first, some people were laughing a little and treating it as a joke. "Oh. Another one? Why can't it happen during my class?" But now, people are getting really scared -- they think that it may be something like what happened at Columbine and Virginia Tech, where shootings were apparently heralded by bomb threats. At this point, everyone's starting to get on edge, and everyone's consensus is that the perpetrator needs to be caught -- if the threats just stopped, the unleashed hysteria would be terrifying.

This whole thing has gotten me really down -- classes are becoming empty, paranoia is catching like wildfire, and classes are cancelled.
But it's Easter, and I'm determined to raise up everyone's spirits.

In recent news, Pitt held its 11th annual drag show on Friday, and I got pictures for a photo essay. It's a great cause, and the Rainbow Alliance always gives its donations to the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, which is such a sweet thing to do.
Here are some of the photos from backstage:

Putting on the face.

After the face is on, it's time for makeup.

THE AFTERMATH
Queens never fall -- they descend with varying amounts of grace
and may or may not twist an ankle.

I have many more photos, but I need to edit them before I can put them up -- rotating, fixing the (awful) lighting, and such.
And I feel like such a tease since I'm actually prepping these for the next issue of The Original Magazine, which means you won't see the final pieces until the fall. But at least that gives you something to which to look forward, no?

Anyways, you can stay caught up on the news about Pitt's bomb threats through the University. Alternatively, you can keep up with the news on Stop the Pitt bomb threats and Pitt's reddit site, where people have been doing extensive compiling (and speculating). I'm not saying that the latter options are the most reliable, but you may find some useful gems here and there.

Photo source (for the bomb threat): Stop the Pitt bomb threats

Talk Nerdy to Me

I have a confession to make.

Maybe you haven't realized this about me. Maybe I'm good at hiding this.
But I'm going to admit it. I am going to get this thing off my chest.

I'm not a human -- I'm actually a figurine. That is my secret. (I'm kidding, obviously.) 

I am a nerd. Or a geek. Or whatever you would like to call it. (Christina H from cracked.com, for instance, would call me "someone with bad taste," which would have offended me were it not for the fact that a CRACKED writer said it.)

Click to read more.

THE LOOK: Warm Hopes

The city is really playing with us now -- from 80 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday, it's gone down to 40 degrees. It's almost unbelievable until I remember that this is Pittsburgh. And then I resign myself to the city's cruelty and cry a little.

In any case, I took advantage of the sun last week and took pictures.

See? I had shorts on last week -- shorts. And it's not even April yet!
That's how nice it was.

I suppose it's a little more natural to have 40-degree weather in March than for it to be in the 80s, but it seems somewhat cruel to have given us such wonderful summer weather only to punch us in the face and say, "AHA. Back to blustering winds and cold extremities." Thanks, Pittsburgh.
Oh well.

Speaking of March, I know that the posts have become sporadic again. And I have to apologize for this and explain myself.
See, I decided (because I clearly make the best life decisions ever) to present at a literature conference. And it's not like I had three papers due by the end of this moth or anything. You know. And it's not like I now have to prepare to present this paper in addition to the other ones I had. And it's not like I've become a hermit once more or anything. (Because this would be completely unlike me, you realize.)
Anyways, it's just that we're nearing the end of the semester, and everything's reaching a culmination. And everyone always ends up a sobbing mess around this time, so you'll have to excuse me as I join the rest of society in mourning our choices: "WHY DID CHOOSE THIS MAJOR? WHY AM I HERE? WHY DON'T I JUST LEAVE ALL OF MY PRIVILEGED, FIRST-WORLD WORRIES BEHIND AND BECOME A FORAGER IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA?"
I'll make sure to tear myself away from the circle of tears once in a while to give you content, though.

Anyways, I have one more picture below.
Click the link to see it if you'd like!

The Trouble with Fashion Blogging (Pt. 1)

When I realized that I'd been blogging for half a year, I revisited my whole blogging experience -- the reasons for starting this blog, the exciting things that I've encountered so far, and the difficulties I've faced. As I thought about it all, one difficulty in particular really stayed in my mind.

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Half-Year Anniversary

Dear reader,

Today marks six months since I started Lifestyle of Style. I didn't really think to keep track of how long my blog's been up, but I just randomly wondered today how long I'd been at it. Lo and behold, it was exactly half a year ago that my first post went up!
How exciting!

I wish I had realized that today was the half-year mark.
I would've made something to commemorate the occasion.

I know it's not a huge feat in scope of everything (and of every blog that has ever existed). And I don't suppose that it's really much cause for celebration as far as celebration-worthy things go. But I still can't help but to be happy.

It's been a tough six months, what with trying to balance blogging with everything else in my life. And it's been a bit disheartening at times because I haven't reached a ton of people. I don't know if I ever will, either.
But I think that, more than anything else, I'm simply proud of myself for having been able to stick to this blog for six months -- six months where I haven't given up or said, "Screw it. No one reads this anyways." (Obviously not no one. I, at least, read each post I put up. Hahaha.) I'm proud because I haven't given up hope in this blog.

And I don't know what the next six months of blogging will see, but I'm excited to face the things that are ahead of me. I expect that everything associated with blogging will still prove difficult, and it's a daunting thought. Still, I know challenges will only toughen me up, so I will just have to face them as I go along.
Wish me luck on my forays into the future!

Photo source: Depth in a Shotglass

pittstylevincent LOVES: Hipster Fashion

The last time I discussed Pittsburgh fashion, I think I came off a little too harsh. (I don't go around hating people whose look I don't like or anything like that, in case you were wondering.)
But I wanted to talk about something else that neglected to mention in the post: Pittsburgh has a neat little pocket of hipster fashion. (I don't know if this is quite the right term, but I think you get what I mean when I mention this. I also don't think that hipster fashion is specific to Pittsburgh, but there's quite a bubble of hipster culture here.) You know, I admit that I actually appreciate hipsters.

I appreciate you even if you spew fire, bare sharp fangs, froth at the mouth, and have weird hands.
(Also, Verbal Vomit cracks me up.)

Click to read more:

THE LOOK: Sunshine and Stoles

Here's THE LOOK!
This (faux fur) stole was on sale at the Gap, and I was like, "Me wants." So me getted. And there was much rejoicing, yay!
The only sad part about it is that it's supposed to be tied together, but that's not quite how I want to wear it. I'm considering doing a Velcro project with removable backings so that I can have the stole attached either by clips or other ingenious things. I haven't figured it all out yet, but I'm waiting for a revelation to hit me. Soon, hopefully.

Hype the look here, and click below to read more.

The Half-Time Report

I have to admit that I'm not big on TV. (I feel like I may have mentioned this before.) I, in fact, rarely watch TV since I always find other ways to distract myself, but big things like the Super Bowl are hard to miss when almost everyone else is discussing it.

Considering the fact that I have been enslaved by Milton's Paradise Lost for the past two weeks, my interest in watching the game dropped to a level lower than my usual apathy. So as my sister was watching the game, I was successfully ignoring it all since all of my attention was focused on deciphering syntax.

But then the half-time show came on, and I stared at the TV. Why? Because my brain went from well-done during the blank verse in the Miltonic epic to completely fried during Madonna's yoga performance. Err... I meant "half-time performance."

Let's get physical. Physical.
"This yoga pose is called the 'Pharaoh Pokes Your Eyes Out.' Do it with me."

I won't lie -- I got a little confused. For some reason, I started thinking of Olivia Newton John's "Physical" music video -- except trust Madonna to bring yoga into it, right? Of course.
It was really awkward, and I may or may not have felt really uncomfortable watching it.
But after a bit of confusion, things got okay because this happened:

Why, hello there, sparklies.

And if you're not amazed by that picture, then you just need to look more carefully. At the shinies. Look at the shinies. Look at them!
And look.
And look.
If you are still not amazed by the wonderful sequined choir robe on Cee Lo Green at this point but are scratching your scalp in confusion, then I'd still warrant that you might be doing it right. Maybe.

Anyways, more pictures and commentary below!
You know you want to read more!
(No, really. Do it!)

THE LOOK: Disco Days

As promised, I've started bringing my camera and tripod with me and have been snapping photos when I have time.
Last night, I chose a place that was pretty abandoned rather than blinding everyone with my camera's insane flash. However, I still had to stop to let people by at times, and I swear that they were a little scared of the weird kid jumping and dancing around while taking pictures of himself. It's still somewhat embarrassing, but I've found -- as expected -- that it's not a completely paralyzing experience. Sure, I wish they'd not give me weird looks, but I guess it's only fair -- what else can someone do when s/he encounters someone who's bouncing around the street?

Anyways, let's discuss THE LOOK!
I can't quite place my finger on it, but this outfit made me think of the 70's disco era.
Is it the blazer? Is it the shiny gold belt? I don't know, but it an unknown something that makes me happy.

Like this.

Click for more after the jump!

The Problem with Winter

Winter is now certainly upon Pittsburgh., and I find it a predicament.

This could get a little problematic.

Though I love layering, I can't find a way to take pictures since I will certainly catch pneumonia and die if I should try taking pictures outside. So that's not really a feasible option, especially considering how my immune system regularly decides to hate me at the most inopportune moments (and I don't take care of myself as well as I'd like to).
And so the other option is to take pictures indoors, where there are lots of people who will stop to stare at me if I make a spectacle of myself by taking pictures of myself. This is feasible, but I'm really shy and self-conscious. Ergo, this would embarrass me like nothing else.
However, I'm hurting for content for my blog (hence the current schedule of two blogs per week), and I need photos.

So I guess this is my declaration of action: I shall sally forth through the wintry cold of embarrassment! For the sake of this blog, I shall feel like a tool! And maybe -- if I'm lucky -- I'll grow desensitized to people's stares as time passes.
Life waits for no one, so I need to do things myself if I want them done.

At times like these, it would be easier to have someone photograph me instead.

So if you see me acting self-conscious and taking pictures of myself in public, feel free to ignore me or give a greeting. Or you could also, you know, point and laugh.

Stay warm, kids.

A Weekend in New York

So I went to New York, as my previous post pointed out.
It was wonderful to see my friend (whom I had not seen in two years, who is going away for the semester, who is also practically my relative at this point in my life), and I also had a nice time just chilling and milling around New York.
And, of course, of course, of course, I have pictures to share with you all and little anecdotes.

This pretty much sums it all up, though.

Just click to read more!

To New York We Go

Unfortunately, there will be no post this weekend because I won't be near a laptop -- my friend got tickets to go to New York, so away shall I be!
Because of this, you all get a nice reprieve from me, haha. (Enjoy it while you can, mwahaha!)


Anyways, my friend and I plan to basically walk around and catch up. As per my request, we will be hitting up Chinatown for both dim sum and Chinese bakeries.
Excuse me for a moment while I cry tears of joy.

This is dim sum, for anyone who isn't familiar with it.
I'm jealous even of myself.

Anyways, I'll be back in business when I return, so please be patient with me.
Peace out 'til then.

Source: menupix

Versace for H&M Cruise Collection

Remember the collaboration between H&M and Versace last season? Well, rumors were that a second collection was to be released soon afterwards. But this time, the focus would be resort wear.
And now, proof is finally out. Here's a sneak peak:

You can see that there's a sort of fruit print going on. It seems to be the theme.
I'm personally not as excited as I was for the collaboration that was released in the fall. For me, I associate my ideal Versace with glamorous metallics, edgy leather, and luxurious prints. Though the cruise collection here has a print, it's not in the Ginanni-era style that I so adore.
I admit that it's whimsical and fun (and quite adorable, I'd warrant), but I guess I'm just not feeling this collection -- especially in comparison to the fall's collection The Very Best of Versace for H&M line (where I felt that Donatella was somewhat channeling Gianni, I daresay).

Speaking of which... I wonder how this resort wear will fare. I mean, I think it'll be hard to top what happened in November (the H&M site got so much traffic that it crashed; people unsurprisingly camped outside of stores two days before the collection released went on sale; some stores sold out in half an hour; and injuries resulted, including an incident in Hong Kong, where a woman reportedly sent two henchmen to beat up the security guards who had accused her of cutting a line of three hundred shoppers). But who knows? Maybe everyone will have a greater fashion fever over these pieces than the ones in the fall.

In any case, that's the new situation with Versace's affair with H&M.

What do you think?

Sources: Huffington Post