Flashy or Fugly: Meggings

Givenchy | Spring/Summer 2009



Givenchy | Autumn/Winter 2009



Givenchy | Spring/Summer 2010

The insurgence of skinny jeans changed menswear in recent years. Baggy faded Levi's didn't really seem to cut it anymore as men's clothing became slimmer and skinnier. And as one might have guessed, this shrinking of pant silhouette didn't stop there and have steered towards the likes of stirups and leggings.

Call them whatever you want: leggings, men-leggings, meggings. This piece of clothing could potentially just become another option in your wardrobe. Although a word of caution: it is not for the timid or heavy man.

Leggings peeking out from underneath shorts as seen above in the Givenchy collections seem to give another dimension to below-the-belt fashion. It provides the option of layering and creating a new look. Of course this is not a new idea as many have rocked this look for quite some time on the streets around the world.

- On the street



-On the street, Japan

For me, men-leggings are alarming but if pulled off in the appropriate style as done by the two guys above, it does seem appealing. I do like them slightly shorter instead of the full-length ones and only having a limited amount of it showing from underneath the shorts.

But of course I sincerely hope the shrinking trend stops here as the continuation of it would result in thrombosis-inducing garments or worse, no garment at all.

poll by twiigs.com

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New campus life

Classes have resumed as per usual if not for the drastic change in scenery. The new Taylor's Lakeside Campus is large. Three blocks about nine floors each with other facilities still undergoing construction. The building is.....well...meh. It's alright I guess. Well i'll only be here for another couple weeks before I finish off my diploma so I won't be here long.

The change in location doesn't really affect my driving route all that much since it's pretty much in the same area. The facilities have improved but that would probably come at a cost for newbies. Thank god this is my last semester. But here's the part which is rich. Food is priced higher than most places, our studios and computer labs which I need desperately to do my renderings and projects have yet to be properly set up, the parking areas are bursting at the seams, the 'lake' in 'lakeside campus' is actually an abandoned mining pool and the fact that the site is located directly next to what I presume is a cattle farm is...how shall I put it...an olfactory violation.


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Watch & Listen to This

She acts, she sings, she dances...what more can Zooey do?! And she's as cute as a button. I love this video, it's refreshingly simple with an old school feel (without the high-school-musical over-glossiness that i'll admit I've never watched, but is quite evident in the trailers). And it's a great uplifting summery song which would be in my play list for a long time.

Just promise me you fully load this video first, then watch it full screen.

In The Sun
by She & Him
in the album Volume Two

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Listen to This

Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
by She & Him
from the album Volume One

Indie folk-sy band She & Him (which consists Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward)'s song from their first album is one of those tunes apt for a sunny day on the walk by the beach. It's summery goodness seems to put me in a lazy, I couldn't-care-less-that-it's-a-Monday state.

And on top of that, the video is a whimsical retro 70's collage of randomosity. Pac-Man ghosts? Undead nuns? Cartoon blood pools? Gotta love it.


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3D glasses

They're not as bad as they look, them 3D glasses. At least they're no longer those flimsy plastic or cardboard cutout ones. But I hope they're made from recycled materials.


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Update

So life has been crazy/amazing/wonderful of late. So many things to do in my last semester at Taylor's College. This week is the last week in the current campus I am in as next week, we're getting a week off as the entire faculty is moving to the mew lakeside campus which, although looks decent in pictures, I'm a little bit hesitant to go to. Hopefully it won't affect my journey there since it's actually about the same distance from where I'm staying. But I'm only going to be there for two weeks before my study week starts, then finals then the critique and that's the end of my college life.

I've been wrecking my brain over university choices. It's not easy trying to select the university I want to go to since I'm still weighing over two different continents. I still have a little time left, but I DO need to make my decision as soon as possible as planning and preparations take up so much time.

Although I'm having a one week break, it won't seem like it since I still have a million things to get done from I.P. to Studio work which is currently experiencing stunted progress. I'm going to try and spread out work evenly in the next week. Balancing out work and fun. And I am trying to make a trip back to Penang sometime next week for a couple of days.


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Out of the blue

| I love it when I discover an item in my bag which reminds me of my travels or past incidences. In this case a couple of receipts and tags from Tokyo that was in one of the pockets of my bag.

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1st Avenue: Is Penang ready for another mall?

The supposedly 'highly anticipated' 300 million ringgit mega project situated in the heart of Georgetown city is slated to open its doors in the third quarter of 2010. Boasting men's and women's fashion outlets, cafes and eateries, a cinema, a karaoke and all the fixings of a mall, 1st Avenue aims to be an 'upmarket' shopping complex.

But is the island state really ready for another mall?

Gurney Plaza and Queensbay Mall are currently the most 'happening' malls to shop in. Groups of narcissistic teenagers, families, couples out to flaunt their love and yuppies all throng these two malls come weekend. Massive jams and traffic obstruction all caused by people who just want to go to a mall but are completely oblivious to the carbon footprint they leave behind from driving their shiny petrol guzzling, carbon monoxide spewing cars. (sorry i'm veering off topic)

Yes, these two malls, are at the top of their game as compared to the other malls which have unfortunately gone down hill like Midlands' One-Stop, Bukit Jambul Complex and Island Plaza. But from observation, these malls share a few other things in common besides their success:

1. Location, location, location.
Queensbay mall, strategically located off the Jelutong Expressway and in an area currently undergoing rapid development. And Gurney Plaza...Gurney Drive. Nuff' said.

2. Space and Ceiling Height
Queensbay has 1 million sq. feet of retail space. Gurney Plaza, over 800,000 sq. feet. If you contrast them to KL malls they fare quite well (Pavilion KL: 1.4million sq. ft.) And both malls have pretty high ceilings on each floor. The high ceilings give a more grandiose feel and emphasizes space, avoiding tight cramped areas.

3. Circulation
A linear and easy to follow mall layout encourages good circulation. Take for example the awesome malls. KLCC: Linear shaped mall. Pavilion: Linear shaped mall. Midvalley and the Gardens: Both linear shaped malls. Queensbay: Linear shaped mall.

Of course there ARE exceptions like One Utama and Sunway Pyramid whose layout is non-linear but nonetheless, they are still pretty easy to maneuver compared to the terribly planned complexes the likes of Prangin Mall and Bukit Jambul. They are just a hot mess.

And not forgetting the New hot mess, Penang Times Square. That mall is a circulation nightmare. I wouldn't be surprised if it was modelled after it's terrible namesake, Berjaya Times Square in Imbi road, KL, but the layout of the complex is horrid. Sure, it's new and the tiles are so shiny I could see my reflection, but that mall is just a big million dollar mistake. And plus, the ceiling height is surprisingly low probably to minimize costs. And the shops available are mainly F&B outlets. There is absolutely nothing to do there. I stepped in there once. And I will never again. Unless of course they pull of a miracle and manage to get Zara to open in there.

4. Retail outlets
This is a no-brainer. It's the types of shops which attract the crowd. Cinemas are almost a must. F&B is also a crowd favourite. Fashion stores are undoubtedly necessary. And you NEED an anchor tenant like Parkson of Isetan or Tangs. If you have crappy shops, you get crappy and measly amounts of people.


So with those self-observed facts, let's see how 1st Avenue fares.

As mentioned, it would be located in the heart of Georgetown which is a good thing. But right next (and will be joined) to the uber-devastating, Prangin Mall. That may cost it some points. Hardly any 'upmarket' shopping complexes are joined to ill-diseased malls. And the fact that it only has 400,000 sq. ft. of retail space (half that of Gurney Plaza) worries me.

Unfortunately I have yet to know about the circulation and interior feel of the mall, but it was stated that 1st Avenue is 'modeled after Singapore retail outlets'. If that is true, this may be great. It also says that '80-90% of the shops would be popular brand names' as they are targeting the 'chic and young shoppers'. Well, it better be. And if there are any new brands penetrating into the Penang market, that would make a fantastic attraction. Say, Cotton On, Zara (which are already available in KL), Uniqlo or H&M. But one thing's for sure, the anchor tenant would be Parkson.

With construction already well under way and approaching completion, I sincerely hope this mall is able to stand its ground and not end up being Penang Times Square II: Revenge of the Empty Mall.

Oh and one more thing, whoever initially wanted to name the mall 'Mutiara Parade' is obviously off their rockers.


Good Day!
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There's nothing else I can say.

I would say this is as subtle as she gets. This song speaks volumes to me. And I love the depiction of Gaga's la dolce vita set against this song.

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