Hair and Fashion

Last week was Austin Fashioin Week here in Austin, and so since I do work in the beauty industry, I'm going to throw in my measly two cents.

I've been doing hair for almost eight years now, and I've tried a plethora of hair product in my day. My official opinion is this: Pureology has the best shampoo line and Kevin Murphy has the best product line. I like Pureology's product line as well, but their shampoos and conditioners cannot be beat. They are vegan friendly, highly concentrated so you don't have to use much, and are sulphate-free. For those with processed hair, your color will barely fade and your hair will shine. I can tell such a huge difference if I use another brand. My hair is what you might call "chemically dependent" and I tell people all the time I would not be able to have my hair color AND length if it weren't for Pureology.

I generally use the Pureology Hydrate shampoo and conditioner, but recently I switched to Super Smooth because I was getting tired of the smell of mint. The Super Smooth is very rosy smelling, without smelling like a grandma.

I have wavy hair, so when I get out of the shower I mix the Pureology Shine Max Serum with the Real Curl Cream and let it air dry. Once dry I apply the Texture Twist to the ends for some slight separation and definition.

I also really like the Kevin Murphy Hair Resort to bring out the texture of my hair as well.



As far as fashion goes, I generally stay away from this topic because I find fashion to be a very personal expression and while I understand the art of having "collections," since I am not a designer and merely a wearer of clothes, I find it kind of dumb to talk about what I like to wear. But we just had fashion week after all, so here goes nothing.

My personal philosophy on fashion has changed a little bit in the past few years. For a long time my aim in fashion was to be ridiculous. If it made me laugh, I'd wear it. I have a few pretty good examples of that:


Yes, that is a Micky Mouse onesie bathing suit with shorts that I wore on stage during a John Wayne's Bitches show (oh did I ever mention the punk band I was in last year?).


I bring the party.


How could we pass up three matching square dancing dresses we found at the thrift store?

Speaking of, I've also always had an affinity for thrift stores, consignment shops, and antique stores:

Like this red dress favorite of mine I whip out in the winter.
Literally everything but the beer is from a thrift store. Dress, purse, belt, and necklace.


And my favorite fur shawl. Could be fake, I'm not sure?


photo credit: Evan Prince (duh)
That is a (fake) fur coat that my grandmother gifted me.
There's only like one week in Texas I can wear it in the winter, so it is much cherished when I get to finally use it.


And I love to wear accessories that are gaudy, gold, and generally described as "too much":







While I still employ a lot of these attitudes still, my fashion philosophy has become much more practical as I've grown older. It seems like anymore I'm wearing costumes: I have my work clothes, my running clothes, swimming clothes, biking clothes, etc. Everything has a purpose. Since I am often biking to my destination, I usually have to combine my "relax and hangout with friends" clothes with my "biking to get somewhere" clothes. I have a few rules for biking clothes in the summer in ATX:

1. Shoes should be stringless and able to slip in and out of clips easily.
2. Bright and/or neon colors are to be used as often as possible.
3. Shorts should be short. Really short. Legs need to be uninhibited and able to breathe and move easily.
4. Purses/bags/whatever can NOT get in the way. They must be big enough to hold all the necessary items but small enough to be toted around easily. In other words, fanny packs are preferred. Hands-free is always better.
5. Aviator shades are too big/too heavy. Smaller shades are better. Just as long as I don't have to push my sunglasses back up onto the bridge of my nose, they are fine, but eyewear is of course key during the day.

A few solid examples:

That purse is okay because it stays behind me, but any bigger is pushing it.


Slip-ons, check. Dash of neon, check. Shorty-short shorts? Check. Fanny pack? Check, check, check. Ready to ride.

I am wearing these shoes to bike in lately:

No strings, leather so they'll last forever, comfortable and they breathe so easy. I was afraid my feet would be soaking wet in sweat after a ride but they are so light and nice. Best purchase.

I feel like this is a really good opportunity to plug the new Levi's Commuter Jeans, but I don't have anything to say about them since I have not personally tried on a pair.

So with all that being said, I'd like to conclude with this: I think fashion is a very personal thing. Some people have the money and the leisure time to dress up more often and I think that's great. I consider clothes to be a more utilitarian device, and fashion somewhat of a luxury. Obviously as an artist I appreciate good design, but I appreciate it even more when it combines function and form. Whether you are aiming to inspire, show off, amuse, or just do your job, I say let your fashion speak for itself. Just be yourself, and everything else will fall in line.