The Art of Fashion: Sweater Weather is Better Weather

The Art of Fashion: Sweater Weather is Better Weather

Happy New Year Guys!

So, as you know it’s a new year filled with new goals, new concepts, and even better NEW POSTS! I’ve slaved over a hot keyboard, notebook, and camera to come up with some fresh new blog posts that should hopefully last me the next few months, so Grad School won’t get in the way of my blogging frequency.

     But anyways, it’s more than good to be back, it’s great, and we’re back to kick off the new year with a dope new post that we’ve been working on for the last few months now here at the Artistry Corner. I deemed this post, Sweater Weather is Better Weather, in honor of my collection of oversized sweaters for this winter season. I believe my obsession started a little over three years ago when for whatever reason I became overly infatuated with oversized-Cosby styled sweaters. I can’t tell you how or why this obsession originated, but I know after picking up my first sweater spring quarter of my freshman year in a small vintage shop in Riverside, CA, I was hooked. And from there the rest is history!

    So over the last few months I came up with a concept that involved showcasing my collection for Le Blog. I grabbed my brother, we pulled all my sweaters, created outfits for each, took pictures, and an awesomely dope post was born. So here for the first time ever via the internet and technological advances, I give you the Sweater Weather is Better Weather Winter 2014 Collection! Presented by the Poetess Dij & the Artistry Corner, sponsors include various thrift shops and Goodwill *LOL*

Enjoy!

Sweater/ Jet Rag LA- Jeans/Gap- Converse/Converse Outlet 

Vintage Coogi Sweater/ Goodwill- Jeans/Gap- Shoes/Vans Store

OBEYHat/Zumiez- Sweater/Goodwill (BK,NYC)- Jeans/Gap- Shoes/Vans Store- Watch/Gift

Hat/Fully Laced - Sweater/Mom's- Jeans/Gap - Chucks/Converse Store

Sweater/ American Apparel - Jeans/Gap - Oxfords/Nordstrom's Rack

Sweater/Etsy - Leather Pants/H&M - Boots/Shiekh Shoes - Gold Chain/ASOS

Sweater/Rob's Vintage - Khakis/Gap - Loafers/San Diego Swap Meet - Necklace/Urban Outfitters

Sweater/American Way Thrift (Burbank) - Jeans/Mission Thrift (SF) - Shoes/Target- Watch/eBay

Sweater/American Way Thrift (Burbank)- Jeans/Banana Republic- Oxfords/Gap - Necklace/H&M

Sweater/Etsy - Corduroys/Gap - Oxfords/Aldo

For tips and tricks to start up a collection of your own or just to find a dope sweater to own, feel free to leave comments or contact me via social networks. Well we’ve got a lot in store for you as we start up the New Year so stay tuned!

Until next time y’all…

Peace & Positivity,

Dij

The Art of Poetry: 'My Skin'

Hey y'all,

   As of today I have posted something new and old on my Sound Cloud today. 'My Skin' is a poetry piece I wrote a while back during my senior year in high school while performing in my first slam with the Youth Speaks Organization in the Bay Area. Though I didn't make it to the final round of the slam, I continued to perform 'My Skin' personally for people until I had fully memorized it, in doing so I had no idea the extent of the impact it had on people and how far it would eventually take me. Long story short, once I arrived at UC Riverside in Fall 2009, 'My Skin' became who I was, turned me into the campus poet and became my signature piece.

   'My Skin' is a reflective and personal poem about me and my experience with being dark skin. Growing up, I was made fun of and often disrespected because of my skin tone. Despite coming from an unconditionally loving household, it was difficult to come to grips with my reflection because I held the opinion of others in too high a regard. The teasing eventually stopped, but as I got older the back handed compliments, comments, and preferences others made in reference to my complexion still lingered. Eventually, I just got tired of everyone's opinion and BS, and from the exhaustion and annoyance of not being able to back-hand stupid opinionated people on sight came 'My Skin'. It summed up my whole experience intertwined with historical facts and references dating back to slavery. Eventually as I performed it more and more, I came to realize that this poem was not only my own experience, but also that of others who often held their composure instead of 'back-handing' stupid people when they really wanted to. This poem was about uplifting and educating people who felt just like me as well as those who did not, so if you have a minute please listen, share, and pass on to someone you think would appreciate it. I plan to record a video a little later. The link is below, support & share :)

Enjoy

Until next time ya'll,

Peace & positivity,

Dij :)

FlashBack Friday: 90s R&B Classic

Hey Beautiful People!

So today we’ve got our first of many Flashback Friday posts that we’ll be doing here at the Artistry Corner. Today’s post consists of the 90s R&B classic, so for all you 90’s babies visiting the Corner, this should be a walk down memory lane. I know you miss it, the 5 million and 1 singing groups, the leather garments and fur collars, the sky high pony tails and excessive front bang swooping over right eyes and foreheads. Still don’t remember? Those songs we all made up slumber party and after school dances to? When everyone was only wearing one solid color in their entire outfit and metallic eye make-up and lipsticks ran rampant in front of every video camera lens? Yes, y'all I’m talking about 90’s R&B videos!

Being that I grew up in a household with good music and parents that cared about my ears, I can say that I’m pretty much a “90’s R&B Expert” and know all the jams of the decade. So recently while I was on Tumblr, I was so excited when I came across a massive compilation of some of the greatest R&B hits and videos of the iconic decade. I’ve posted the video below, so feel free to take a trip back and try to see how many songs you remember. Feel free to comment and let me know some of your favorite songs and music videos from the 90s and maybe even some that weren’t even in the compilation.

Enjoy!

Until next time guys...

Peace,

Dij :)

The Art of Music: Underground R&B- Alex Isley

Hey y'all,

So recently over the summer I stumbled across a new R&B/Soul and Jazz artist with an angelic voice over incredibly dope beats. She goes by the name of Alex Isley & I just had to share with you guys because this girl is too amazing to continue to go unnoticed. I don't think I've ever heard anything like her voice, and she has truly created a sound all her own. Check out more about her below...

~ALEX ISLEY~

   The UCLA graduate has devoted her time to music, growing up around it, performing it and studying it as an Ethnomusicology and Jazz Studies major at UCLA. She has even performed in Jazz Reggae Fest, UCLA’s annual spring concert and music festival. Not surprisingly, she comes from long legacy of music legends being that her father and uncles together form one the greatest music groups of all time, the Isley Brothers. She, too, hopes to follow in their footsteps and make great strides in the music industry as a talented and innovative R&B and Jazz artist.

   Wanting to create a sound and genre all her own, Isley describes her music style as R&B, with jazz and folk elements. Not for your typical ‘cuffing season’ playlist, this woman’s music embodies all that it means to truly love. All her songs about the concept of love, meaning being in love, losing it, and wanting it, which are all aspects that come with the ever changing emotion. It is not to be confused with today’s modern standard of the ‘typical love song’ and is truly reminiscent of classic soul and R&B music. Through her music, you can literally hear the emotion and experience pouring through your speakers or headphones. If I were to imagine one of the many things that would allow love to be described as a sound, her music would be one of them. Her music would be what love sounds like.

  

   All songs are written and produced by Isley herself with remnants of every decade found in her sound going as far back as the 50's while still leaping all the way forward to today. Gifted with the perfect pitch, she creates smooth melodic tones, signing of real life experience surrounding love, life, & heartbreak all in clever reflective storytelling of past occurrences. As of this year she has two EPs, The Love/Art Memoirs & Dreams In Analog (both of which are available here: http://www.audiomack.com/artist/alex-isley)

   If you ask me her music is truly a work of art that not only speaks to, but somehow caresses the soul. I have posted some tracks from both EPs below to give you a taste of her music, as well as a few sites to find out more info about her and her music. Be sure to check her out, comment, let me know what you think, share and, as always, ENJOY!

Sites:
http://lovealexisley.com/
https://soundcloud.com/alex-isley
https://www.facebook.com/LoveAlexIsley

Well until next time y'all...

Peace & Positivity,
Dij :)

The Artistry Corner featuring... Ida Wilson

Hey y’all! So this week we have our first featured guest/artist here at the Artistry Corner. I am so blessed and so honored to introduce you to my dear friend and fellow poet, Ms. Ida Wilson! Shout out to her for agreeing to be my first feature on here in support of the Corner LOL. Check out her work & more about her below… 

This Week's Featured Artist...

~Poet~

Ida Wilson

An Oakland Native and recent University of California, Riverside graduate, Ida is an ambitious and conscious young intellectual with an intense love for words. She’s been writing short, powerful pieces since elementary school and uses them as means of conveying her inner most thoughts and feelings. Fashionable and prepared to take the world of Anthropological Academia by storm, she has recently begun her first year of graduate study at San Jose State University in hopes of one day obtaining her Ph.D. and becoming Cultural Anthropologist. Despite her busy schedule and budding academic career, she still takes time out to jot down few pieces, which like her, are small and petite, but pack a powerful, memorable punch. Please welcome Ms. Ida Wilson…

1. When did you first start writing?

“I actually started writing in 2^nd grade. It started because we had to write a poem in one of my teacher’s class, and I wrote this poem about rain. My teacher was so excited about it, she gassed me up completely. *giggles* I got to leave class early to show all the other teachers and stuff, and it just made me want to keep writing. Because someone took a lot of interest in it, I just kept doing it.”

2. Why do you write?

“I express myself better through writing. Sometimes I can’t say things *laughs* it’s easier for me to write it down. A lot of times I write if I’m feeling a particular way, it’s easier for me to communicate my feelings through writing. When I’m feeling a particular way it’s just easier for me to write about it, than say it sometimes.”

3. What do you usually write about?

“My feelings mostly, so like if I’m feeling really, really sad or if I feel bothered by something or I’m feeling a particular way about something I just write it down.”

4. How do you write? Is there any specific structure to your work?

“I like short poems, and a lot of my poems are really, really short. A lot of rhyming *laughs* I don’t know, I’m just really fond of rhyming. But usually my poems are short and to the point.”

5. What is your purpose in writing?

“Hopefully, I can vividly express how I’m feeling through writing, and do something for someone else who needs it. Maybe they feel a certain way that I do, and they’re just like ‘that’s dope, I have the same sentiments’. Just being relatable really.”

6. 5 facts to know about you

1-I think I was born in the wrong era, I feel like should’ve been born in the 50’s during swing & doo-wop.

2-I like artificial flowers

3-I’m an introvert

4-I’m going to be an Anthropologist

5-I don’t like talking about myself.

7. Ways to connect with you?

My Instagram is @vintagedolll

But to really get to know me and know about me more intimately is through my blog, my Tumblr which is soundlessshouts.tumblr.com and that’s it ‘cause I don’t need people to know my facebook *laughs*

Check out some of her work below...

My City

I feel like: my city’s drowning in tears of mourning ones who show their feelings through silence

All the malice, crimes internally leading love in flames through acts of violence

Instead of enjoying a summer breeze people seek relief in blowing trees

For the high is the only place that nostalgia will allow them to dream and feel their memories

And sadly the one thing that guarantee to bring people together is grief

Government assistance and rising tension. No jobs, so the block is the place where one can be pretentious.

Fast money, cash money shit it’s still money Young girl prowls the night in heels because she feel that she’s missing something…

Graves filled with bodies and all the broken hearts that were buried with them these buried bodies’ wandering souls leaves the city grim

When will love enter, take control and win?

My city, my city its a good city I want it to be the place full hope, no dope city

A place that’s not a diamond in rough or a gritty city

Hope you enjoy this week's feature, stay tuned for our next artist spot, until next time beautiful people...

Peace & Positivity,

Dij :)

Sound Cloud

Hey Y'all

As I'm sure you've come to notice, I am poet who writes and creates her own pieces. I want to make sure I keep my skills as up to date as possible and am constantly creating new work to hopefully one day publish into a book. I recently started a Sound Cloud to help motivate myself, as well as keep you all up to date on my work. I'll try to record something new or old either once a week or every other week. So if poetry and spoken word is what you're in to or you'd just like to listen please check out the page (link is below), let your friends know, and stay tuned for new recordings :)

https://soundcloud.com/the-poetess-dij

Well until next time...

Peace,

Dij

The Art of Thrifting: Men's Fashion

     Recently I took a trip to New York City to visit a close friend of mine, while there of course I made it my mission to hit whatever thrift stores I could find my way to. I mainly hit thrift stores in Brooklyn, where I was actually staying, and was able to find all that I could possibly want and ever need. I was easily able find some dope pieces for myself, my dad, and my brother, who's recently gotten into the "Silk & Print Shirt" phase that's going on now. I picked up two unique pieces that I knew would suit him perfectly. Once I got home, I asked him to let me style the shirts for him, so he knew exactly how to wear them without over doing it (because the print in itself was already doing the most on its own). I put together two looks for him to choose from, all surrounding the the shirts themselves, the first being more casual and the second being a little more dressed up. Check out the two looks below:

Look 1:

Hat: Gift/ Glasses: JcPenny/ Shirt: Goodwill/ Pants: Gap/ Shoes: Converse Store

Look 2:

Glasses: Forever21/ Shirt: Goodwill/ Pants: Gap/ Shoes: Nordstroms Rack/ Watch: Macy's

More looks to come! If you have any questions or would like to know how I put these looks together, feel free to comment or contact me. Well until next time, beautiful people, Stay up & Stay Positive...

Peace,

Dij :)