The February Issue
Life & Style
Club News
You don’t want to miss the Fashion & Lifestyle Society’s annual charity fashion show this Saturday, February 28th! All proceeds go towards Make-A-Wish Foundation to help a seven year old girl suffering from muscular dystrophy, achieve her final wish! This years show, “Junction” will take place at Museum London and will be sure to be an incredible evening! There will also be a Silent Auction with a number of awesome prizes. GA Tickets - $10; VIP Tickets (limited quantity) - $25 For more information or to purchase tickets online: click here There will be amazing auction prizes such as tickets to Boots and Hearts Music Festival, Toronto Maple Leafs game and much more!
n o p U e c n O
a h c t a M r e d n i T
Written by: Laura Robinson
To quote a romantic line from a Facebook
chat dating back to my grade seven year: “Well ok I dunno who I like but at the next dance I’ll know for Shure soo I think I like you and foods class will be the highlight of my day haha.” And to think I had a crush on that 13-year-old Casanova for the next two years. What a way with words he had. The dance was an epic fail and foods class was certainly not the highlight of my day. We didn’t paint cat whiskers on each other’s faces with flour, nor did he tie my apron up for me…no, he was not Michael Cera, I was not his kitchen partner, and my grade seven year was not a scene from Superbad. You could call it a Facebook “crush” but we barely even spoke to each other. What I’m empha-
sizing here is that our exchanges were not the same in person as they were over the Internet, never blossoming into anything more than a flirty (if you can even call it that) online chat. As adolescents, we recognized the clumsily typed lines from shy boys or girls over social media as the most innocent form of love, but always assumed that one day we would grow up and actually experience the real thing: candle-lit dinners, rose bouquets, holding hands - whatever we had willingly absorbed from romantic comedies. We assumed that one day we’d magically grow into the modern “Cinderella romance.” Reality check: we are all grown up. Yet, we’re still engaging in Internet exchanges and hoping they’ll lead to something more.
Where did our Cinderella story go? As technology progresses and occupies nearly every aspect of our lives, it has reshaped love into an app. Another name for it: Tinder. Sure, we continue to fantasize of Cinderella worthy romances, but we have unknowingly settled for the ‘Tinderella’ narrative… Once upon a time (present day), in a not so far off land (as close as 2 kilometers away), there lived a maiden named Tinderella. At each sunrise she’d slave away at her studies and each night she’d yearn for Prince Charming to hold her tight while binge-watching Netflix. One day, her very own fairy-smartphone granted her wish: a magical love app that downloaded to her homepage. Instantly, an array of potential suitors was under her thumb. She became a serial swiper, spending a considerable amount of each day in the search for love. Finally, Tinderella found a potential prince to meet for coffee with. His profile painted him as a tall, dark and handsome med. student with amazing flow to boot. Even better, he was witty and not shy to dish out compliments over online chat. However, upon her arrival at the date, Tinderella found a stout man with thinning wisps of dark hair who timidly talked about his bug collection for an hour. Turns out he was a biology student, majoring in insect fetishes…not quite the McSteamy doctor Tinderella was expecting. To state the obvious, there was no second date. Now Tinderella may have been disappointed by this particular match, and felt twinges of remorse every time she sat down to watch Greys Anatomy from that day on, but she was not one for giving up just because of a bad experience. Legend has it that to this day, she continues to swipe through the app in hopes of finding true love.
Tinder is generally accepted as a convenient and casual way to meet potential hookups in your area, but there is no doubt that many users like our friend Tinderella are secretly hoping for something more - it’s just human nature. The societal norm is to find your significant other. Undoubtedly, the chances of finding them over Tinder are very low: according to Forbes, 15 million matches are made per day, yet since Tinder’s inception in August 2012, only 1000 engagements have been recorded. Sorry Tinderella, but you’re going to have to kiss a lot of toads before you find your Prince with that strategy. We have become so reliant on the confidence Internet communication allows us that we are often disappointed when faceto-face interactions don’t measure up. As digital natives, we have grown up with cyber communication; the issue of deteriorating face-to-face interaction is rooted all the way back in our developing years on the internet when, in my case, I fell for that spelling bee champ’s muddled typing. We never spoke in person yet I juvenilely swooned over his cyber façade. The problem is that we, like Tinderella, secretly hope to find a real connection out of online flirtation. But that’s just it – that’s all it is: casual flirting, casual hookups. Or, if you’re really lucky, a string of awkward dates, laced with uncomfortable small talk. However, that’s not to say that using Tinder is wrong. We just need to accept it for what it is: a form of technology that facilitates local hookups.
The end. A truly tragic cycle.
So let’s not end up in a washed-up fairy tale. Let’s stop looking for love in the wrong places. Let’s make face-to-face connections and leave the casual fun to Tinder. And finally, let’s vow to leave grade seven love deeply, deeply buried in the past.
And we’ll all live happily ever after.
question is that the author failed to truly investigate how this whole trend came to be. Time for a history lesson.
Why Hipsters Dress Like Lumberjacks The Story of the "Lumbersexual"
Written by: Jordan Detmers I recently came across this article that describes the trend of the “lumbersexual”, which describes the appearance of an “lumberjack” many hipsters and other trendy males have adopted. The rampant incidence of beards, flannels, long hair, and work boots being sported by young, urban males is the basis for the term “lumbersexual”, which brings back memories of the equally inane term “metrosexual” to describe fashionably conscious and well-groomed males of the early to mid 2000s. My issue with the article in
In 2008, North America experienced the worst financial crisis since the stock market crash of 1929. Millions were laid off, businesses underwent massive restructuring and organizational changes, and society as a whole became a lot more conservative with their money. People no longer could afford to live a life of excess. Consumer tastes demanded longer-lasting, quality goods that would last them many years into the future. It was at this time that the “Workwear” trend in men’s (and to a lesser degree, women’s) fashion took hold. Instead of new, shiny, elegant clothing, male consumers of the world demanded rugged clothing crafted from a quality manufacturing process. Almost overnight, large fashion houses started cranking out workwear inspired pieces. Entire brands based around a workwear focus even started to pop up. Japanese influence also took an upswing, as the staple garments of the Japanese blue collar industry became the darlings of numerous menswear brands in the form of “repro” (short for reproduction) designs. Even American workwear legend Levi’s decided to get in on the fun, and launched their LVC (Levi’s Vintage Clothing) line to produce a variety of high quality reproductions of classic workwear pieces. Bottega Venetta produced workwear inspired pieces like luxurious cotton coveralls and cashmere fingerless gloves. Ralph Lauren launched their double Rl line, RRL, to mimic what LVC was doing.
Engineered Garments, launched by Japanese designer Daiki Suzuki, is influenced by the sturdy and cropped garments worn by pre-WWII Japanese blue collar workers. Selvedge denim became a huge trend, and numerous companies were created; some still exist to this day, many have seen their revenues wane with the times. Red Wing boots, long seen as an American classic for their construction and durability, started to be seen on the streets of New York and Los Angeles on the feet of the fashion conscious. For two years, the workwear trend boomed. Like all popular fashion trends, eventually the workwear tastes of the fashion savvy eventually trickled down to urban trendsetters. It was at this time that mention of the “urban lumberjack” was first seen in publications outside the fashion industry’s inner circle. Flannel shirts, selvedge jeans, duck cotton coloured pants, and sturdy leather boots became popular amongst the hipster crowds of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Queen West. This influx of workwear inspired clothing was closely coupled to societal tastes at the time. Urban young adults grew tired of
the “fake” and modern direction that many cities were taking. Many young males and some females were affectionately drawn to the more authentic side of things: this included all things rural, outdoorsy, and rugged. This myriad of trends gave birth to the lifestyle of the urban lumberjack, or what is now apparently known as the lumbersexual. Contrary to what the article in question referenced, the lumbersexual did not arise out of gay culture. The urban lumberjack is largely one borne out of the larger hipster countercultural movement, which has evolved from comically large sunglasses and keffiyeh scarves to dressing like lumberjacks and drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon or craft beers. Countercultures are created simply as an alternative to the mainstream; there is no true stance or constant activist principle behind them. If we examine perhaps the most famous counterculture example, the hippie, we associate these individuals with environmental activism and freedom from government control. Of course, there were the genuine (read: authentic) individuals who truly did care for the environment and still hold the same stance today as they did 50 years ago, but the
vast majority of individuals who participate in countercultural movements do so as a means of social leveraging. To be authentic, to be “cool”, is a large motivator in our society. Our society is comprised of numerous sub-cultures, all who hold a certain belief and standard of what is “cool” to them. For those who have grown weary of the hustle and bustle of the city and yearn for the simpler country life, the lumbersexual community gave them a sense of belonging, so they ascribed to it. The feminization of society in the last 50 years has also contributed to the rise of the urban lumberjack. Feminization is one of the reasons violence has declined in our society, but it has also left many men without a sense of what their masculine identity is. Dressing like a lumberjack, one of the stereotypically “manly” occupations is their attempt at trying to capture some of that bygone testosterone, even if they’ve never held an axe before. Five years from now, we probably won’t see as many beards, flannel shirts, or work boots being sported by hip young adults across North America. Most of these individuals will have moved on, grown up, for a countercultural lifestyle in a capitalist society has a limited lifespan. The generation after them will find their own problem with the world, their own quest to be “cool”, and their tastes will reflect that. It’s what happened with the hippies in the 60s, the punks of the 70s, Grunge in the 90s, and now hipsters in the 2000s and beyond.
CAn 36 Questions Once upon a time, there was a research study conducted by a psychologist named Arthur Aron along with some other psychologists. In this study, pairs of strangers were told to sit in front of each other and ask each other a specific set of 36 personal questions. When they reached the end of the list, they were to stare in each other’s eyes for 4 minutes and they would fall in love. When reading about Mandy Len Catron’s essay “To Fall in Love with Anyone, Do this”- a modern day take on Dr. Aron’s study- it immediately caught my interest and I wanted to try it out for myself. However, you can’t just go up to a stranger and tell them, “I can make you fall in love with me” (not that would I have wanted to either). So, I decided to take my own spin on this research study and test out whether or not these questions from Dr. Aron’s experiment were effective at accelerating intimacy between myself and those I already knew. The rationale behind my study was not to make people fall in love, but instead I wanted to see if simply knowing facts about another person would make for a closer relationship. I asked people of whom I have different relationships with to participate in this study with me to see how different each experience would be. The participants included my roommate, a friend whom I’ve gone to school with for 11 years, and new friends I’ve made this year. What I found was that no conversation was the same (well obviously, considering they are different people)… but what I mean is that the dynamic of the conversation changed with each person. I found that some people enjoyed deep conversations and were happy with expressing their thoughts while others were more comfortable with simply giving a straight forward answer to the questions. This was also dependent on the relationship and how close I was with the participant. For example, when speaking to people I have grown up with, we talked more about personal matters. A memorable moment was when I was speaking to my friend of 11 years about our families. There were points in the conversation where I had to break the tension with a joke because it got intense. Questions which I thought would have straight forward answers turned out to be the ones where I really got to know my partner. It really surprised me how much people opened up and how I opened up in return. Communication is really a give and take process.
What was interesting about this study was that I was able to learn more about the friends that I have made here at university. One word to describe the daily life of a university student is hectic. Between classes, exams, extra-curriculars, and trying to get enough sleep, there’s barely enough time to have a deep conversation with your friends. You may even see these people each day, but at what point do you talk about these things? I really enjoyed this study because it gave me the chance to get know the new friends I’ve made here. I wasn’t able to do the entire list of 36 questions with the participants because that would’ve taken multiple hours, however in the time I had, I thoroughly enjoyed talking to them. I learned more about what is important to them, how they got where they are, and who they are as people. At the end of each conversation, I chose to end the experiment with the question “What do you admire most about the other person?” I didn’t choose this question because I wanted an ego boost but because I wanted to let the participants know how much I appreciate them. In fact, I told the participants that I would rather them not respond to the question and just let me answer. However, they insisted. It was a heartwarming experience
Lead to Intimacy? Written by: Abigail Tung
Here’s what the participants of the study had to say:
“The questions in this experiment were easy to answer and very rewarding in the sense that they helped me get closer to an already close friend. There was no aspect of this experiment that made me feel uncomfortable. Overall, it was an eye-opening experience that I would gladly take part in again.” - John “The interview was an interesting depiction of how our individual experiences are the connections that bring us closer together.” - Christine
to hear what others admired most about you from their point of view. This is because even if you see this quality in yourself, it is very rewarding to know that other people recognize it in you too. But the most special moment was seeing other people’s reactions when I told them what I liked most about them. In conclusion, I don’t believe these questions accelerate intimacy at as rapid a pace as what occurred in Dr. Aron’s experiment but I do believe that these questions brought me closer to the people who participated in this study. But then again, I did not replicate the study to its finest detail so who knows? These questions were a fun way to get to know someone because even if the question was as arbitrary as, “If you could live to the age of 90, would you want to retain the mind or body of a 30 year old?” I got to learn more about their life. I became more familiar with each participant on a deeper level than I did thirty minutes before and felt much more connected to them. A lot of things go into intimate relationships than simply knowing facts about others. Although the experience may have not “accelerated” intimacy per say, I feel that I developed a more personal relationship with each person.
“This experiment helped my roommate and I enter a deeper, more personal part of our relationship. I normally love doing quizzes on BuzzFeed, and doing the 36 Question Experiment was definitely a lot more fun and concrete since I got to share my answers with an actual person (haha). It was interesting to get to know more about the person I live with, from things like her relationship with her mother to her ideal dinner guest. Overall, it was a great experience and I would love to try it on others.” - Alysha Listed below are some of the questions I used in my experiment that you may want to try out for yourself. For the full list of questions, check out the New York Times article titled, “The 36 Questions That Lead to Love”. 1.
Would you like to be famous? In what way?
2. For what in your life do you feel most grateful? 3. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know? 4. What do you value most in a friendship? 5. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be? 6. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
Grammy’s Best & Worst Dressed Written by: Simran Parmar
The Best
Beyonce There’s a reason they call her Queen B! Beyonce kills it in this neck plunging black gown, with full sleeves and a floor length train, the dress displays the elegance of the red carpet while screaming sexy, as the dress hugs her curves in all the right places. She accessorizes the dress perfectly with emerald jewels that can’t be ignored and beach ready waves that add the perfect touch.
2015
The music industry’s hottest stars proved that creativity knows no bounds as fashion took a new turn at the Grammy’s. Looking at this year’s turnout it seems to have been a hit or miss for the ladies, as it seems that this year stars were looking to take a risk, some of which clearly paid out better than others. With that said lets take a look at this year’s best and worst dressed at the 2015 Grammy’s.
Gwen Stefani
This jumpsuit is just edgy enough for Gwen Stefani and really emphasizes her individuality. The detailing of the top complements the pants perfectly, which when paired with these black pumps creates a killer look. Her hair pulled back in an effortless up-do complements this look perfectly, putting her on the best-dressed list!
Iggy Azalea From the colour to the fit I love everything about this dress and Iggy Azalea has carried it off beautifully. The plunging neckline and simple detailing of the dress works so well on her and really shows off her great figure. However, I am a little disappointed with this hairstyle, in this case the braid is really not doing anything for her and takes away from her face, instead I would opt for a nice bun or up-do of some kind.
Unfortunately in this case there really isn’t much that can be said for the dress except that I don’t know why she would wear this. While I love how the colour complements her skin tone, the shape or perhaps lack there off- does nothing for her body making her look twice her size. In looking back at previous years this really does come as a surprise from Rihanna, especially when taking a look a the 2013 Grammy’s where she was perhaps the best dressed person there in a beautiful floor length red gown paired with red lips, she owned that red carpet.
The Worst This dress really does speak for itself making it a clear fit for the worst dressed list. The colour of the dress is overly loud and does nothing to complement Villa’s complexion, while the cut-out style of the dress is just too much making the outfit borderline inappropriate. Lastly, the headpiece fails to complement or rather salvage this ensemble, but on the bright side matches the dress well! While I admire her attempt to pull off such a worldly dress, the dress is just too overstated and busy. It seems that there is just too much going on in this dress for anyone to be able to pull it off. But on the other hand, I do admire her slicked back hair that gives a very chic look, which complemented well with her makeup enhances her sharp features giving her a sexy but natural look.
Making her debut into the Grammy’s as a proud wife to Kanye West, Kim Kardashian had all eyes on her but for all the wrong reasons. This dress is all wrong, the overly sparkly colour of the dress loses any of the glamour of the look and instead makes it a tacky ensemble, while the boxed frame removes any femininity of the dress. In this case it seems that the only thing working in her favour is the new cut she’s sporting-resembling an overgrown bob, which frames her face well attracting attention to her delicate facial features.
Campus:
A Street Style kingdom in Need of Ruling Written by: Laura Robinson
The sun’s daily life span has shortened. Your once pristine notebooks are now full of chicken scratch. The laidback, caressing breeze of summer seems so far away from a now, all too feisty, assaulting windchill. This is February, and the desire to live in your sweats, extend days between showers, and seek minimal human contact is too real. Besides, you can just hide in the dark corners of Weldon, right? Wrong. The only place you can hide in Weldon is behind the service desk. And sure, the librarians may look welcoming, but I assure you they take the exclusivity of the service desk quite seriously. Ludicrous amounts of reading were required to work up a prescription for those thick bifocals they all sport. Please, avoid crumbling under the post-traumatic midterm stress by giving into your dark, greasy topknot and potato-sack pant desires; chances are that if you’re reading this article, you already give a damn about style and are way too good for that getup anyway. Enter the Chanel Spring/Summer 2015 show, as seen at last fall’s Paris Fashion Week. In clusters, models casually flitted between conversations as they strode down a concrete runway, set against the grandiose backdrop of “Rue Chanel” - a paved street flanked by classic Parisian architecture. Iconic tweed pantsuits and gold oxfords that click clacked along concrete can only mean one thing: Chanel is embracing the Street Style movement. What
started with sharply dressed sidewalk citizens being captured by the glossy pages of magazines, has since been translated onto the Internet, Instagram, (refer to Vogue’s September issue featuring “The Instagirls”), and now, the runway. How do Karl Lagerfeld’s creations relate to your favorite sweatpants and you, you ask? Well. Just because Jack Frost has rolled into town, your motivation doesn’t have to freeze with the season; street style movements spread like wildfire, and Western campus is next. Capitalize upon every opportunity to wear your best butt jeans to class, to frolic in that structured pea coat up UC hill, and to strut - well, more likely, haul ass - from one side of campus to the other in those leather lace-up booties. Campus is the ideal playground for Street Style enthusiasts: let the motivation of double takes from outfit admirers on the quad, the motivation of being the chicest coffee addict in the UCC Starbucks line, and above all the motivation of feeling confident in your appearance be the reason you emerge from the dark corners of Weldon. Don’t forget to leave your ramen-stained sweats there when you walk away. I encourage you to dress like the Campus Queen/King of Winter Street Style you know you are; be confident in your appearance instead of giving up due to a few winter flurries. And remember, snow-haired Karl Lagerfeld is always watching. The librarians behind the service desk are watching you too behind those heavy bifocals.
Life & Style The February Issue Managing Director Melissa Bareham
Associate Director Angelica Ng
Layout Co-Editors
Veronica Cheung, Brianna Gallivan
Editors
Jasleen Sembhi, Stephanie Ling
Writers
Laura Robinson Jordan Detmers Abigail Tung Simran Parmar