Sketchy:

OK, so the quality isn't the best, but these are some sketches I have been working on over the weekend while I have been languishing on the brink of death, battling with some un-named flu-like ailment. It's horrible! But luckily I managed to actually get off the couch today and to do some sketches; so I don't feel like I've lost the whole weekend. Yesterday all I managed to do was lay on the lounge, watch episodes of Supernatural, and set fire to a bag of microwave popcorn. Seriously, I may be a woman 90% of the time, but when it comes to being ill I am a total boy. Whingey. Sniveling. Incompetent. The worst.

These sketches are for an imagined collection called 'Earn Your Salt' - based around the idea of an imaginary Salt-mine somewhere horribly hot and dusty. The clothes are in washed out greys, blues and greens; and are artfully tattered and worn in places to simulate the difficult lives of my imagined protagonists. The whole idea was to create a line of clothes for the runway that were inherently masculine, ready to wear, and yet with a subtle element of subversive femininity. There are only 12 ensembles here, and I'm not sure if I'll do any more. These are all for my portfolio of work to submit to CIT later this year; so if any of my lovely readers have any comments what so ever, please don't hesitate to comment. I'll love and stalk you forever!

Xx

365 days of Ink & Leather:

365 days have passed since I first started this Blog; unashamedly inspired by the gorgeous Lady Smaggle. I had Blogged before I stumbled upon her Blog, but I had always done these really angsty, self-indulgent Blogs which basically broadcast my life into the realms of cyberspace, and which yielded VERY LITTLE in the way of Blogger interaction. So when I realised that there were Blogs out there focusing on one key area, say, I don't know, FASHION: it was like a light had been turned on in the window of the Louis Vuitton store and I could for the first time see the monogram Keepall I had been lusting after.

365 days - It seems like such a long time. This time last year I was living in a different house, working a different job, still at university and generally a grouchy little shit. Not sure that much has changed on that front, but I do feel like I have a better idea of where I'm heading in my life and I know that that is into the welcoming, Cashmere wrapped embrace of Menswear. And it feels good.

Today's image was made with Microsoft Paint, so excuse how crappy it looks. It is a compilation of the first sorts of ensembles I was wearing when I started up.

Thank you to anyone and everyone who has ever taken the time to read my Blog, and an extra special hug to you if you have commented. You have no idea how grateful I am, or how seriously I take this Blog. My parents offered to take me out to dinner tonight, and I said no to a free dinner because I wanted to get home, get on my computer and put this post together!

365 days ladies and gentlemen: here's to another 365! All my love,

Grant Xx

Landscape:

It was a really nice temperature here today in the ACT. I mean, I was not thrilled with the brisk wind when I left the house at 5:40 AM this morning to head to the gym, and I did find myself puffing out short, annoyed breaths as I walked through the dark streets and wishing I was still tucked up in bed. But over all, today I was thrilled by the constant buffeting of the wind and the way it made both my Trench and my Bow flap about as I walked through the city. I had a bit of a full-on day at work, with a lengthy meeting in the afternoon, so I was a bit flustered when I got out of the cab this afternoon. I stormed into the house, threw off my clothes, and jumped straight into the shower. Without taking my Blog photos. When I'd showered and gotten changed into house clothes I realised what I had done and even considered putting them back on. And then I stopped and looked at the pile on the lounge room floor and thought to myself "Hmmmm, it is sort of weirdly like a landscape..." So I grabbed my camera and this is what I came up with.

Today's ensemble:
beige belted Trench Coat - Burberry
blue checked flannel Shirt - Thrifted in Belconnen
sliver satin ribbon Bow - Off a 21st present from Grandparents
black leather Belt with stitching details - Found at old work
sliver/grey Slacks - Van Heusen
black leather Boots - Julius Marlow

I have no more episodes of True Blood to watch at the moment so it will be a matter of waiting for Terminator: series 2, How I Met Your Mother series 4 or Supernatural series 4 to come out on DVD so that I have something exciting to watch. Any suggestions of TV shows I could take up? The stuff that is actually ON TV is just terrible.

Xx

Gully:

Today, while mind-numbingly boring, was made slightly better by the following list of things:

1. A killer run at the gym this morning, followed by speed bursts on the exer-cycle.
2. Remembering to take breakfast to work AND to actually eat it.
3. An awesome emailed correspondence with my friend Leah, basically bemoaning everything.
4. Several cups of Lady Grey consumed in enormous gulps.
5. The promise of heading home t watch more True Blood with Mags and Jeff.

   Today's ensemble was deceptively hot. I was sort of clammy and annoyed all day, and even though this fulled the hilarity of my email exchange with Leah, it made for a some what irritated Grant. Today I was wearing:
   military chain Necklace with religious medals - Assembled by me
   white flannel Shirt with blue and red check - Thrifted in Belconnen
   black long sleeved button-up Top - American Apparel
   black leather Belt with stitching detail - Found at old work
   black striped Slacks - Myer
   black leather Boots - Julius Marlow.

   I snapped today's pics in the afternoon at work, when I needed to get up and away from my desk n order to get some fresh air. It seems to be a fixation of the Public Service to exist in perpetual air-conditioned heat, and this is something with which I cannot deal. It's winter. I NEED to be cold! The ferns made a nice background for the shot really, sort of green and friendly.

   Xx

   
   

A bow:

Today's ensemble pictures were taken at my office. I was really bored this afternoon and looking for a reason to escape, so I thought "I know! I'll pretend I need to run an errand and pop into the garden to snap some pictures while it is still a little sunny!". Not that anyone noticed that I left my desk - my office is completely populated by sciencey-types who don't give a shite what I am doing as I am not even remotely sciencey and I don't know anything about their very involved research projects. This suits me just fine, because it means I can come and go as I please, and really do as little as I like without it being a problem. Excellent.

Today's ensemble is as follows:
blue/black corduroy Blazer - Thrifted Kenji Urban
black textured Business Shirt - Southcape
black and white Hermes-esque Scarf - Thrifted
black leather Belt - Jag
blue and orange checked hounds tooth Slacks - Oxford outlet store, DFO Canberra
black leather Boots - Slaters

Jig:

In exciting news I realised today that there are only seven sleeps until my Blog turns one!

I have a few fairly exciting things planned for the occasion, so sty tuned for July 2nd, as that is when the celebrations will begin.

Today was pretty much a non-event for me: I slept in, didn't go to the gym, went to work, had left-over Thai for lunch, came home, went for a run, felt my ankles shatter under my cankles, chatted with and then had dinner with Mags and Jeff, and now I am typing out this post before I do some work on my portfolio. I have taken tomorrow off work, and I am going to spend the whole day working on portfolio and Blog stuff. I am excited to be having a three-day weekend.

Today's ensemble was thrown together at the last minute and contains a lot of grey. I was trying to take the photos in a hurry when I got home so that I would have time to head out for a run before it got dark, and so it sort of looks like I am dancing in some weird club. I'm not. That's our lounge room with the curtains drawn and the lights off. My ensemble is composed of:
grey Suit Jacket - ManToMan
light grey 'Pashmina' - Material Pleasures
blue checked Shirt with contrasting floral cuffs - Judas
military chain Necklace with religious medals - Assembled by me
black leather Belt with stitching detail - Found at old work
silver/grey Slacks - Van Heusen from Myer
black leather Boots - Julius Marlow

Drowsy:

This is how much I am living in Bizzaro World (Alla Superman) right now: This morning I heard my alarm, got out of bed, dressed, stumbled off into the incredibly foggy dark, and arrived at the completely dark and deserted gym. There's usually a light on or someone inside moments away from opening when I arrive. Then I looked at my phone and realised I was actually ten minutes early because I had set myself an earlier alarm so I would be on time. Yeah. That worked a little too well apparently. So I waited for the gym to open, did my thing and left. But I tell you, being ten minutes early to the gym, it threw the rest of my day out of whack and I spent the entirety of my time at work either falling asleep at my computer, trying to revive myself with cups of tea, or doodling incoherent and terrible menswear.

Today's ensemble didn't seem to suffer at all on account of my early start:
navy pinstriped Suit - ManToMan
green and white checked Shirt - Polo Ralph Lauren
gold, cream and red vintage Scarf - I have had this for ages
black leather Belt - Jag
black leather Boots - Slaters
black leather Satchel - Oxford

Right now I'm pondering what to do about dinner and whether my life would better off with Twitter?