Denim On Denim

AVIATION FASCINATION

2012-02-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

Fluxus jacket, GoodOn shirt, Levi's jeans, vintage hat, belt, and boots

I'm fascinated with aviation gear, my fascination probably has roots in my childhood aspiration to pilot an X-Wing. My grandpa gave me this pilot's hat ages ago, but I finally found it in the depths of our garage back home! I'm not sure of any other details, because my grandpa was in the army but he was also in a lot of plays so I have no idea where it really came from.

I thought I'd style it for the blog in a way that wasn't too on the nose, cos I'd be pretty lazy to style it with a bomber. So I opted for a jacket with a sprawling collar, a raggedy old handkerchief, and tie-dye that looks like noxious green clouds for some aviation vibes. Not sure if I look like I'm ready to take flight or take a ride on the short bus, but I like it.

Here's the look without the hat...

... and a detail shot.

-Cruz

RED RACER

2012-02-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

Levi's denim jacket and pants, Kenneth Cole Reaction boots, vintage nylon racer jacket

I scored this vintage racer jacket at a flea market for two bucks. It's a large, and I usually wear a small, but for two bucks I don't mind. The material to spare makes it perfect for layering in the rain. It’s great because the material is so light; it's layering that doesn't have an adverse, straightjacket effect. I guess wearing it over a denim jacket may give off some Midwest, NASCAR vibes, but hey, it's all relative to your perspective.

I got these motorcycle boots at Crossroads in Silver Lake. I've always had a hard time finding a pair of classic motorcycle ankle boots, so I was happy to finally land a pair.

-Cruz

GLAM GUYS

2012-02-06T23:36:00.000-08:00

American Apparel tee, Levi's jeans, Doc Marten shoes, vintage shirt, coat, bag, and fur vest.

Once in a while I'll mess around with pops of color, and I always find color pops most successfully at my feet. I like the blue on these because they pop and all that fun stuff but they're not Dayglo diarrhea blue.

I wanted to style them in a way that I thought would deviate from what you might see blue Doc Martens styled with. Somehow, I ended up dusting off some stale Prada S/S 11 wedge inspiration and color coordination, as well as fur ball Olsen twin looks and glam guy inspiration, like from Brian Jones wandering around Monterey Pop in a fur trimmed wizard's coat.

-Cruz

INSPIRATION & REALIZATION

2012-01-30T12:09:00.000-08:00

Shirt from American Apparel, Levi's jeans, vintage tie, watch, belt, and calf hair boots.

I saw this photo on tumblr and was inspired to try the stlye out for myself...

Photo from
Contextualize

It was one of those instances when at once you're jolted with inspiration, you're jolted with realization as well, that you have just the right pieces to recreate a look. I knew I had just the right sheer shirt and tie to make a rough copy of the outfit in the photo. I added some thick leather accessories in my rendition to make the look more masculine, and calf hair boots just because they’re awesome.

I love how cheeky the styling in the photo is (this is the second post in succession I've used cheeky to describe the fashions on this blog and I guess it's because they are!). Neckties that stray beyond the realm of a suit often become captive to fashionable ambiguity (much like berets, which I blabbed about last post), but to me the confines of fashionable ambiguity are fertile ground for new ideas and new twists. I guess that's why I get so excited and inspired over styles that make you go "huh?"

Thanks for reading guys! I've started a Facebook page for DOD. I thought it'd make reading DOD easier if new posts showed up in your Facebook subscriptions, so my charming mug will only be a click away!

Click to like Denim on Denim on Facebook!

-Cruz

THE BERET CLICHE

2012-01-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

Levi's denim jacket, tanktop from American Apparel, beret, Popman jeans, western shirt, and snakeskin boots are all vintage.

I shot this look a little while back, I figured Denim on Denim's third birthday would be an appropriate time for a look so heavy on the denim. I was inspired by 70's David Bowie and sailor motifs. I love playing around with berets, they've become such a cliched notion in the realms of fashion and style (especially for guys, and I mean your average joe guys, not card carrying frenchmen), but I love how that gives berets a tongue-in-cheek effect.

I thank my lucky scales everyday for these boots!

Thanks so much for reading and for your support of Denim on Denim!
-Cruz

TWO BOOTS TSHIRT

2012-01-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

Lee jacket, boots shirt, Levi's jeans, Eddie Cochran pin, Arizona pin, and paint splattered boots, all vintage

A "What are you wearing today?" post, but in my case it's a "What were you wearing the other day and recreated in your backyard?" post.

I got this shirt at Out of the Closet in Atwater Village around New Years. I'm a big fan of boot motifs, I love the colors too. And no, I haven't tried calling the phone number on the shirt. Dave should be thankful I'm giving his business such ~lucrative exposure~.

I found the lucite necklace at a Wiccan shop on Sunset. Always happy to get more glass!

-Cruz

DARK CASHMERE

2012-01-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Levi's denim jacket and jeans, vintage cashmere sweater, vest, belt, and boots

Despite tenacious efforts made by me and fellow fashion enthusiasts to emulate our favorite runway looks, sometimes you wind up hitting a dead end. I remember when I first saw Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 08/09 show, I became frustrated when I realized I could not materialize the inspiration I received from the show's avant-garde, space age materials (I even considered purchasing a wetsuit and carving it into my own rough vision haha).

Luckily, some materials are easier to come by, so if you're reading about denim, leather, and cashmere used in Rick Owens pieces, you actually have a shot of coming by them (Granted they're not gonna be in his signature cuts, that's when it's up to you to make it interesting). So that was more or less what was going through my head this time, reading about the unbridled luxury of Rick Owens' designs inspired me to seek out some dark cashmere to warm me this winter, by which I mean yanking a sweater from my brother's closet.

I wanted to throw in elements used in Rick Owens' collections like dark denim to help create the illusion. I like pairing my black denim vest over my blue denim jacket because you don't really see those two so closely paired. Despite the Rick Owens fuel, to me, this outfit looks more like a Karlheinz Weinberger subject, which is fine too. Kind of a wordy post for a casual outfit but I think it's fun to retrace my thought process.

-Cruz

THE MAN WITH NO NAME AND HEATHER GREY

2012-01-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Vintage jacket, necklace, bracelet, jeans, and Doc Martens, shirt from Urban Outfitters

I was excited to stumble upon two of my favorite things united on a t-shirt: the man with no name and heather grey. I love the idea of wearing your idols and inspirations on a shirt, like these shirts here...

What I would give to get my hands on one of these shirts!

Because the shirt is from such a large retailer, I decided to style the shirt in a more individualistic and self indulgent way to figuratively mark my territory on it. I was thinking seventies and western while putting it together, with the pairing of denim, suede leather, and corduroy. I threw on the Docs because I'm always trying to achieve that gritty spaceman look.

I borrowed this necklace from my dad. Great pendant, perfect length, lustrousness etc.

I'm really into mid-century tiki and surf stuff so this bracelet was a great find. I'm always into wearing sunny motifs in the middle of winter.

Happy 2012 everyone - thanks for reading!

-Cruz

A LOVE LETTER TO MARTIN MARGIELA

2011-12-26T22:07:00.000-08:00

Vintage jacket, lucite necklace, jeans, and boots, t-shirt from American Apparel
Although a pair of leather tabi ankle boots elude me (I'm hoping to one day buy a pair, I'm pretty sure they're only for women, but I've been told I have the same shoe size of Paris Hilton, so I figure there's bound to be a boutique that caters to foot-size anomalies), I still try to express myself in as many Margiela ways as possible. Kind of the fashion equivalent of the kid who broke his arm trying to fly like superman. Even with the man himself gone from the house (I call it Maison Missing Margiela), my respect and love of his work still runs through my own. One way I pay tribute is by tucking my nude tee into my pants to create a maybe-fleshy, bodysuit illusion. I was instantly reminded of the flaking, painted boots Margiela did when I saw my paint-splattered boots in the store. Throw the nude and boots together, and assemble with other parts faintly reminiscent of elements peaking out of his ready to wear and artisanal shows, give it a good squint, and you have your own private Margiela look.

-Cruz

WINTER BREAK

2011-12-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I've been up to my ears in finals, work, and holiday duties, so I haven't had time to update. I've decided to take a brief winter hibernation hiatus to catch up. Posting will resume normally next Monday (the 26th). I may slap together some sort of inspiration post this week though, so stay tuned haha.

Thanks so much for reading, and here's wising you guys a happy and safe holiday season!

-Cruz

CHILLY CIRCUMSTANCES

2011-12-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

Vintage t-shirt, jeans, belt, and doc martens, Converse jacket

A personal rule of thumb of mine is that just about any oversized, dark-colored, sheltering garment seems to me to go with what I have on, and reaching for such garments under chilly circumstances leads to some interesting looks. For instance this Converse jacket belongs to my dad, but I like the length and proportions on me (I enjoy warming my hands in the comfort of sleeves of unduly lengths).
I styled it with some lingering influence from my spiel on armor from a few posts back. I have to tell you guys that the tucking-in of my jean flaps came about from a misunderstanding of which side those tattered flaps would expose, I wanted to show off the buckles of these boots, turns out the buckles were on the opposite side that the jeans would expose, but I like it this way too. If you follow me?

I like this look a lot with the skin shed too. I found this shirt at a vintage store downtown, I like it a lot because to me it's the equivalent of haphazardly finding a cool piece of art at a thrift store or yard sale, but instead I get to wear it on my shirt! To me it looks like an escaped subject from Guernica haha (Don't know how many art history buffs I may have offended with that comment, I'm taking art history 101 next semester and will repent my sins).

-Cruz

SARTORIAL SURF & TURF

2011-11-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

Vintage tie-dye shirt, plaid shirt, boots, necklace, and watch, Gap leather pants

I'm always looking for ways to get away with wearing tie-dye and leather pants out of context. One way I like to is by pairing them both together, creating a sartorial surf and turf mix. I threw on my brother's plaid shirt and some paint splattered boots for some added pattern and texture. Apart of my "ball up whatever you think is cool and make some sense of it" approach towards dressing.

-Cruz

STOOGE

2011-11-21T00:33:00.000-08:00

Levis' jacket, American Apparel shirt, vintage iron cross, pantaloons, and boots

While trying on my dad's boots, I was stricken with the inspiration (courage? foolishness?) to explore the outer limits of male leg cleavage. To step into these territories, I had to first unite the boots with my pantaloons, which created the eye in which to pass through to enter said territories. I then played around with a few pieces from my wardrobe and came up with this outfit, which came into fruition by way of inspiration from stage outfits worn by The Stooges, like Iggy Pop's thigh high leather boots or Ron Asheton's iron cross. I figured when you're this far into such bizarre territories, you might as well have fun. I'd like to explore proportions yielding man cleavage again sometime and make sense of it, I wouldn't be doing my duty as a self-professed stylist if I didn't!

Here's a big ole detail shot of the boots for your time.

-Cruz

FROM GLAM TO TRASH II

2011-11-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

I came up with this look when I was staying at my parents' house a while back and I realized I hadn't packed enough clean clothes, so I threw on a few things I had left when I moved to Los Angeles. Even clean clothes aren't enough to keep me from looking like trash (sTylE TiP: Wearing your hair dirty lowers any look to grimy depths!)!

If I can make any sense of this outfit myself, I'd say it has roots in the inspiration I get from rhinestone cowboys, Galliano guys , and my interest in tawdry glamour, like Jackie Curtis' stubble showing through his makeup. There's some black magic in this outfit, if you squint you might get Ed Hardy vibes from the tiger-glitter resonance!

It's fun to mix and match accessories, but it's even more fun to mix and match animals in your outfits! I don't see tiger and horse motifs paired up very often, so I thought it'd be fun to try it out myself. I'd had the button-up for ages, I'll do another post on it sometime and give it the dignity it deserves.

-Cruz

STRAPS & STRIPES

2011-11-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

Vintage jacket, arrowhead necklace, bark tee, and Doc Martens, American Apparel jeans

I've been studying a lot of armor lately, and I think the idea of what your wearing also being able to save your skin has seeped into my styling goals. Although these vintage Doc Martens probably won't protect me from any real danger, they do shield my shins from the garbage and hobo piss ridden landscape I traverse everyday. I suppose if I ever find myself hurled into a high-speed body-to-pavement skidding situation, these boots might save some of my skin?

I think my love and fascination with armor and the armor-esque does not come from some sort of vulnerability complex, but rather from my utilitarian sensibility towards clothes. If you're going to wear something cool, it might as well actually serve a purpose! I should probably mention the fluttering nature of that sensibility, because I have my fair share of peacock feathers in my closet, but nonetheless I try my best to reflect my appreciation for the functional (but never boring) with my clothing choices, if only at my feet.

I like how the stripes of my jacket match the lines of the boots. In a fit of loose association I will mention how the color palette and vague references of my clothes evoke a motocross-rider-crashing-into-a-tree-and-burning-up-his-bike narrative.

Close up of the several strap action.

I love this speckled arrowhead necklace I yanked from my dads collection. I could divulge to you some imagery those speckles bring to mind, but I've maxed this post out with morbid text.

-Cruz

FEELING FUTURISTIC

2011-10-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

Vintage jacket, sharkskin shirt, belt, and boots, Cheap Monday jeans

Despite the amount of vintage clothes threaded into this blog, I actually (humorously?) consider myself to be an adamant futurist. This isn't to say I reflect that philosophy everyday with what I wear, because paradoxically I'm a sucker for nostalgia as well. But even if I'm resurrecting ghosts from the world history of style and the much shorter history of my style, I always try to do it with a twist so that I'm not bored with what I'm wearing.

I'm a huge fan of designers like Nicolas Ghesquière, Jun Takahashi, Walter Van Beirendonck, Hussein Chalayan, and Raf Simons, whose collections from the past and present have evoked feelings of the future. Unfortunately, futuristic gems don't often turn up during my sartorial excavations (garbage diving) and clothes of tomorrow off the rack in my price range don't usually cut it design and quality wise, but the vintage sharkskin shirt I'm wearing in this post fits the bill. When it's not shimmering, unbuttoned around my waist during the summer months, I try to dress it up like so. I thought I'd try out the asymmetrical shirt tucking from last spring's Balenciaga show while I was at it as well.

These boots have some pretty spacey details. I like to think of them as a scuffed pair of boots a space cowboy left here on earth. It's like wearing the future on my feet!

-Cruz

MUSTARD GLINT

2011-10-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

I took a stroll down to the neighborhood farmer's market the other day and bought... a pair of boots! I was elated to have stumbled upon this pop of yellow amongst the usual roundup of black and brown leather bores. I have a reckless insistence of trying to cram in yellow pieces into my wardrobe. Styling the color yellow can be like capping an outpour of golden rays, but in more subtle shades like mustard, yellow can be surprising easy to integrate into your day. Especially when you can stomp down those golden rays until they're just a mustard glint at your toes. Okay, even I'm lost in all this imagery - onto the details! Everything I have on is vintage, by the way!

These two buttons have joined harmoniously with my Lee jacket. I knicked the Eddie Cochran from my dad's collection, he's one of my favorite 50s rock-n-rollers. I love the green and orange combo on the Arizona pin and my love for cattle skulls is known throughout the moors and heaths.

I like wearing necklaces under really tight shirts, so that the pendant shows through subtly, but enough to occupy the negative space on my chest.

My attempt at making digital look like a photo you might scrape off the bottom of a chest in your attic. I'll take better detail shots next time I'm back home.

Thanks for readin!

-Cruz

MY FIRST STITCHES

2011-10-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Micro mesh top from American Apparel, vintage belt, necklace and shoes, Levis cutoffs altered by myself

I like to cram in as much art into my day as possible, even if that means drawing a crudely sketched mural on my English 101 notes. One way in particular I like to act arty, is by knitting!

I've posted some of my, uh, "creations" before. I usually start with a project, abandon it, then take the salvaged pieces and make them into something else! I knitted this mint green swatch you see dripping down my knee way back when I picked up my knitting needles for the first time. It was just a practice swatch, but I thought it was a perfect match for the split in those Levis cutoffs, so I sewed them together in DIY matrimony.

Very cool vintage medallion, most likely an Aries, zodiac medallion. I'm a Virgo, by the way, I just like rams.

This picture was taken by accident when one of my loose threads got caught on my tripod, causing me to stumble! So I guess if you're loony enough to wear loose threads like me, be forewarned that you may kiss the pavement.

-Cruz

TWISTED ORANGE

2011-10-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Vintage raglan, Levi's corduroy shirt, Maverick shorts, leather cuff, braided leather belt, and Stacey Adams shoes.

I decided to try twisting some Southern California vintage (Burnt orange raglan), beach (Sandy colored Maverick shorts), and skater (70's Levi's corduroy shirt) motifs. It's surprising how some small adjustments can make a familiar outfit make you go "huh?", like by coiling some braided leather around your waist. I gotta divulge to you guys that I was looking through the entire Balenciaga archive and thinking about classic aviation at the time of styling this too. Again, what makes sense to me is something you guys might be able to see, too?

-Cruz

I PUT A SPELL ON YOU

2011-10-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

Vintage shirt and boots, Gap leather pants, Ishi necklace, and bracelet from a flea market in Big Bear lake California

Another outfit churned out through my tunes-to-threads personification mechanism. I figure the best way to capture Screamin Jay Hawkin's "I Put a Spell on You" is with African inspired apparel, black leather, and trinkets reminiscent of African, animistic religions.

-Cruz

UNUSUAL MINIMALISM

2011-09-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Another addition in what I'd call my quest for unusual minimalism, by which I mean throwing on a few very basic/casual items of clothing but giving it a strange twist so that you're not bored out of your mind with yourself. This time around, I've taken an outfit of cutoffs and a castaway vintage tee and tied a literal/figurative bow around it. I've been playing around with my grandpa's collection of hatbands and handkerchiefs he gave me, you combine that with my current obsession with 60s pop girl bands and you get a headband pushed ever so slightly towards the edge of my skull to try and create that 60/50's scarf-as-a-headband look. Well, the references make sense to me. This is more of what I'd call "Sart-ore-ial", which means it's a cool idea but will be much better after you have a place to shoot other than at the foot of the stairs to your apartment complex and beyond basic knowledge of photography (reasons to stay in college)!

Wish me luck in job hunting and in my math 230 class haha!

-Cruz

TIE DYE & POLKA DOTS

2011-09-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Vintage polka dot shirt and messenger bag, dead stock Maverick shorts, bone necklace by Ishi, Stacey Adams sandals, and Good On tie-dye shirt

Every year when the weather warrants baggy, unbuttoned shirts to flap about our torsos, I usually reach for this vintage, brown polka dot shirt I got at Out of the Closet in Atwater a few years back. It's always reminded me of something Marni-esque (other than screaming 60s) so whenever I wear it I take steps in time with the models of a phantasmic Marni catwalk haha.

I picked up the tie-dye shirt and Maverick shorts at the Long Beach Flea Market this past summer. I've been styling them an infinite amount of ways, expect to see them a lot, they go with everything, etc. etc. etc.

Trying to find a decent place to shoot now that I'm in LA, if (when) photo quality takes a nose dive don't say I didn't warn you!

-Cruz

CRAYONS AND CARTOONS

2011-09-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Levi's pants and shirt, Stacey Adams sandals

In a fit of impulsive creativity I smeared the nubs of my worn down pastels on a pair of sand colored Levi's I got for a buck at a local thrift store back home (The fact that the doodles will wash off is due in part to the impulsive nature of this creative venture).

I thought it'd be fun to just draw whatever came to my mind in those frenzied moments: alligators, palm trees, the letters in Mississippi, a crudely drawn tip of the Chrysler Building... at least lay down some creative groundwork for similar projects in the future. One day I'll go back and do the real deal. Believe me, these weren't supposed to be works of art or anything, I just like childish images and wanted to express myself radiating off my denim clad legs.

-Cruz

CLUTCHING TO THE BAGGY BLUES

2011-09-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Why not open another can of fashionably-questionable worms by toting a "man-clutch"? I yanked this vintage find from our garage back home this past summer, I'm sure it's meant to be a plain old wallet, but I think I can have more fun with it as a clutch. It's not gonna fit in any pants pockets of mine anyway. Here's some ways I've been wearing it...

Worn with an American Apparel tee and vintage everything else. In a mutation of the baggy pants blues, I've cuffed a pair of baggy Levis into a pair of parachute-pirate pantaloons.

In this outfit I have on an H&M long-sleeve tee and vintage everything else. Just some no fuss, baggy strangeness for evening summer strolls.

Here's some detail shots of the wallet...

-Cruz

SHARKSKIN & SKIRT

2011-08-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

vintage sharkskin shirt, a random crystal necklace and tee, vintage Levis and boots

Inspiration into fruition! I scored this skirt at a flea market some time ago, It was being sold with a lot of other sartorial goods from India so I have reason to believe it's from there, but I can't be sure. It reminds me a lot of boro textiles or something that'd turn up hugging the hips of a model walking a Dries Van Noten show. Wearing it this way more grunge than Dries, it seems to have infinite layering potential so expect to see it every-which-way this fall when I build my cozy layered shells.

I've just made the move to the Silverlake neighborhood of LA to go to school for a semester, maybe longer! I'm settling in and there is so much to do, but I will try to keep blog posts as regular as possible. Thanks for reading!

-Cruz

THE BAGGY BLUES

2011-08-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

I've been trying on the baggy pants hat lately, a style I've eased into on hot summer afternoons raking the outer limits of my wardrobe for clothes to sweat in. I call it the baggy blues, when it's too hot to wear anything else, just grab a pair of the baggiest jeans you've got! Here's some ways I've been wearing these jeans...

A great wash on these Levis, no front pockets though haha, I'm wearing them with a vintage tee, fur bangles, an A&W root beer pin, and John Varvatos converse.

Here's another pair of jeans I've been wearing...

I like to wear these under my feet, they kind of slither around like two denim slugs. They tend to pick up things along the way - just think of all the things that you're walking over that you're missing by not wearing your pants under your shoes! I've got on a thrifted tee, a vintage watch and vintage Levi's.

Here's the back of the first t-shirt I'm wearing...

These vintage cuffs are a great way to bring together creepy and casual. Picture taken with the help of my pal Tanus Spijek.

-Cruz

MAS PELICULAS

2011-08-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

EL MARIACHI

METAL DRAGON KIRYU

KIRYU SOS

(click the pics)

Some more summer movie screen-caps I did, again in the spirit of immortalizing stylish and inspiring moments not widely available frozen on the internet. This time around I did Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi because I've always considered the protagonist to be an iconic figure, he's what I had in mind when I wore a black suit to prom haha.

I also made screen caps of the mighty Kiryu A.K.A Mechagodzilla from two aughties Godzilla films, not fashion or style related whatsoever (Except for the badass Kiryu caps, like, the thing you put on your head, not a screen cap), but I personally envision outfits together in my head within the cold depths of Kiryu's hanger and Tokyo lain to waste.

Really, I just made the screencaps for my own use but I figured I'd go ahead and post em here in case one of you guys wanted to see! Plus, Kiryu's not campy like the 70s Mechagodzilla and not as boring as the 90s Mechagodzilla, so it'd be hard for anyone to take any interest in it besides myself so I figure it's my duty. The screencaps aren't the best quality because I used the bootleg DVDs I bought when I was 12 to make them, but if you're a big enough Godzilla fan to want to see all those screencaps (or make them...) you're probably used to putting up a lot anyway.

-Cruz

PITCH BLACK GARBAGE

2011-08-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sucking up the sunshine in pitch black garbage while channeling some sort of gothic pauper or jester. I blame those harlequin vibes on the fact that wearing sneakers makes me feel like some kind of nimble pest. In the spirit of nimble pests and spider spun sheer here's a photo of me framed by some bristly critters I doodled...

I didn't start the day with the arrowhead necklace, but bought it in a pact with some friends at an antique store up in Big Bear. I love the two tone colors, it's also pretty sharp, which means you have to make sure you don't fall asleep with it on so you don't stab yourself. Friendship necklaces that double as a weapon are the best!

-Cruz

THIS GARMENT IS MADE OF PURE SHIT

2011-08-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

I uprooted this oil slicked, probably flammable, gem out of a clump of secondhand dregs. Rather than bore you with yet another manifesto about my love for garbage I'll just skip along to the moment I realized that the pocket canvas of the shirt would be a perfect place to fasten my 'This Garment is Made of Pure Shit' patch to. I've given the place to place the patch a lot of consideration, in case I put it on something that I couldn't wear somewhere with the word "SHIT" in glaring, red, capital letters stitched to my protoplasm. So I figure anywhere I can get away with wearing an oil slicked shirt I can get away with wearing the word shit.

Mechanic's uniform? Auto enthusiast? Someone who has escaped the clutches of kerosene combustion?

I was going to make a beanie with this mess of knit, but that didn't quite pan out, so I figured I'd adorn the pieces to the cuffs of a pair of cut offs. In the grungy spirit of this post, I should note those cutoffs came about from a friend of mine who was tossing his old pants and I offered to take them instead, not the first time. I'd love to make more of these someday, like in more colors and pairs that are more polished or even sloppier, but for now, as I say, "If it's crap, it can't fail".

-Cruz

SUMMER MOVIE DOUBLE FEATURE AT LEFFFTT HANNNDDDD

2011-08-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

ANDREA FELDMAN IN HEAT

INTERMISSION

FEAR AND LOATHING: THE MORNING AFTER

(CLICK IMAGES TO SEE)

While nosing around for some summertime vibes to kick off this summer, I turned to my digital movie library and decided it was high time (and free time, being summer and all) to print screen some stylish cinematic moments and folks, like the tragic Warholian superstar Andrea Feldman (a personal style icon of mine) and the endless style and talent of Wattstax. I've searched everywhere for decent screen caps of these two movies in the past but with no luck, so I figured I'd go ahead and be the one to turn my readers on to them, ruin them for everyone, etc.

I'm going camping next week, I have a post set up for Monday unless it doesn't work then I'll see you when I get back!

-Cruz

WITH ALIEN EYES

2011-08-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

Vintage shirt and necklace, American Apparel sweater, Miss Sixty pants, Rubber Duck sneakers

My pal Joe snapped this picture for me the other day. I try to get away with wearing pants in the summertime as much as possible, and if I can nudge in some long-sleeved layers even better. My neighbor's pesky van is still parked within my blogger perimeter so I once again took the opportunity to sneak in some art from Pixiv. Talk about your mixed blessings, it's been pretty fun digitally tearing down my driveway and adding in exotic backdrops.

I picked up this pendant at an antique store while staying with some friends at Big Bear Lake last month. I was really drawn to the texture of the decaying holster. When I look at it, images of a mecha moth emerging from its leather cocoon or leather lichens swallowing an aging tin relic come to mind, but that's probably more a side effect of having an overactive imagination than existing connotation (Which allows me to project HUGE fantasies about anything in my closet, not really that practical, but fun). To me its appeal has nothing to do with being a weapon, if you look at it with alien eyes it's just an interesting sculpted piece.

-Cruz

THE RISING STONES

2011-07-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Vintage jacket, mailbag, and shorts, Popkiller tee, PF Flyer sneakers

Took advantage of my neighbor's van being parked behind the fence to replace it with some art from Tokyo Genso. I'm really inspired by dystopian, post-apocalyptic metropolises and landscapes, I'd like to think that my plaid shorts would give my legs the freedom to traverse such places. This outfit has already been great for stumbling around normal cities I've visited this summer like New York and L.A. I didn't take a lot of pictures in New York or do anything blogger worthy, but I had a fantastic time and took these pictures from the top of the Empire state building to show you guys...

I was more than happy to let the bugs steal the show away from the Chrysler building in this shot.

I really wanted to try to capture how the lights shining from the ginormous billboards in Times Square looked gleaming out from the urban chasm.

Bart is the latest to join the clinking bag bunch.

-Cruz

LONG BEACH FLEA MARKET JULY 2011

2011-07-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Braved "carmageddon" to dig for treasures yesterday morning...

Caveman clock & what looks like a harpsichord.

Lunch!

Amazing pair of pants!

Would love to see how it'd sound...

Great tiger wood carving.

Whale & wood.

Looks like this cat's body is made out of telephone cord?

Mustache kit!

Evokes images of a certain Twilight Zone episode...

Really cool zipper.

For the horse lover...

Cool commie hat.

Amazing poncho.

Cool silver buckles

Boot clock...

...and umbrella basket.

Cool basket weave zipper boots.

Chippewa boots made for the LA fire dept.

Playboy boots!

Some funky platforms.

These would've been great at a bicentennial disco...

Doc Marten platforms. A weird shoe for them to make.

Some more funky footwear...

Would get along well with this Fall's Gucci collection.

I love how animalistic these are.

Really cool detail all over these.

Got a plethora of cool stuff, finally starting to feel excited about dressing for Summer!

-Cruz

KITTEN ZEPPELIN

2011-07-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

In an act of Undercoverism I thought I'd stitch and scab these jeans into my own ironic vision. I intercepted these, here it comes, Hollister jeans from my cousin who was going to bring these to Goodwill, and you know I need them more than any other denim inclined penny pinching goodwill digger anyway. If I were ever asked to divulge advice in the spirit of "what 5 wardrobe must-haves should one have" I'd say that it is really nice to have a few clothes that you can scrape your knees and spill some brains in (which is why no one asks me for that kind of advice). For me those clothes come to me by way of dollar thrift store finds and whatever wearable garbage I can get my hands on. So why not experiment with some patches on some dumpster denim?

In a failed attempt to repress my collective tendencies, I have gathered a small collection of patches. I figured the perfect marriage of patches would be between some hard rock dinosaurs and some anime kittens. The dog may have chewed the Zeppelin patch before I had the chance to sew it on.

-Cruz

GOJIRA ROAR

2011-07-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

I drew some parallels while digging through my closet between my roaring Godzilla tee and the snarling Givenchy Rottweiler tees that have been hitting the street style blogs. It's great to be able to express myself with a snarling beast through my torso without the Givenchy price tag - plus Godzilla's more my style (or lackthereof).
This post marks the beginning of that awkward dance I do every summer where I try to dress for my surrounding sweltering climate. Admittedly, after being reminded of what East Coast humidity is like I feel like I can handle any dinky heatwave Southern California has to offer, it's just hard to overcome the urge to throw on black gym shorts and a heathered tee and call it a summer day.

I've been slowly amassing a collection of sneakers to wear this summer to take the heat off of my go-to strappy shoes and to deter myself from giving up on getting dressed up in the hot weather. My innate desire for feet leverage in the form of ankle boot heels has given way to practicality, because maybe beatle boots aren't the best footwear for the beach.
Luckily I came across these John Varvatos Converse on Melrose the other day, a great distraction until the more temperate seasons yield me my coveted ankle boots.

Happy fourth everyone! Bloggers: Don't play with dangerous fireworks because if you blow your hands off no one will type your posts for you.

-Cruz

LONG BEACH FLEA MARKET JUNE 2011

2011-06-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Another round of photos after paying a visit to one of my favorite flea markets... again, photo quality has been thrown to the wind.

My appreciation for bizarre displays of flea market goods has no bounds.

Indiana Jones explorer kit

Tasteful vintage tee.

I love this graphic!

Actually kind of morbid?

I never really cared for Thanksgiving... I'm glad a tee-shirt shares my negative sentiment.

Who doesn't love llamas?

Beautiful jacket.

Maybe it's because I live in a house with two Chihuahuas but I am always drawn to Chihuahua curios. I don't really know what exactly this is supposed to be other than a great piece of doggy kitsch.

Cool gasoline rainbows...

Why not dry your toes with one of Andy Warhol's silk screen classics?

Doll clothes can be so much better than people clothes! The doll clothes revolution should not have stopped with Margiela.

Creepy mini Michael Meyers demon doll.

Would fit right in with John Galliano's F/W 2007/08 show...

Check out the decaying detail on the rim of the shaft (We're talking about boots, get your mind out of the gutter!).

Really cool color scheme on these.

Cool strappy fuzz.

Cool colored mobiles...

Skeletons on display

This monkey head moved and squeaked when motion activated. So fantastically creepy and pointless!

Can never have too many castrators!

Great tour jacket, I've never seen one quite like it.

Great colors and design.

Cool stool.

This could have made a great photo had I bothered to wait for the people to leave, but y'know...

Rockin poster tape hairdo!

This was supposed to be posted last Monday, but I guess I don't know how to use Blogspot as well as I thought! I've been back east, I just got back from New York City and now I'm staying with some relatives in Massachusetts. I'll get back to usual posting next week when I get back!

-Cruz

SCHOOL'S OUT

2011-06-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Cue Alice Cooper's anthem. Sorry I didn't post yesterday, I was at Disneyland with my friends for graduation. As you can tell from my face, I'm just beaming with enthusiasm to be leaving high school! Okay, well it may not show on my face but I'm very excited in spirit! I thought I'd pay tribute to my four years of service with a Lindsay Weir, Dazed & Confused, I'm-sick-to-my-stomach-to-be-in-high-school-facial-expression inspired look with my grandpa's old army shirt, Foghat tour shirt from 1981, and bell bottom blues. Here's a wimpy mood board to create the vibes:

Cool patches on this jacket. I try not to wear this shirt often because I figure it's of heirloom status.

While my dad was doing some yard work in our backyard, he opened our oven for his gardening gloves and was greeted by an opossum! I managed to snap a pic of the marsupial squatter.

Things are about to get really crazy the next few weeks, graduation is this Thursday and next week I'm going to be in Massachusetts and New York City! I'll try to keep posting as regular as possible!

-Cruz

PERSONAL STYLE POST

2011-06-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

I have on a Levi's denim jacket, necklace by Ishi, American Apparel shirt, vintage Levi's jeans and vintage sushi pin and boots

Figured I'd do a post reflecting my personal style after doing a post so akin to Bowie's. The paint splattered jeans were fished out of a pile of similar homemade creations at a flea market last month. They will be flaking paint chips by my side all summer long. They were a lot more aged looking, but unfortunately I had to wash them. Why doesn't anyone make the case of wearing dirty clothes in the name of style?

The necklace is by a designer called Masauki Ishikawa, but goes by just Ishi. A woman at the Long Beach flea market last month was selling his designs and my dad and I were very impressed! There were a lot of designs to choose from, many Mexican and military inspired, but I went for this curved bone necklace, since I'm into sleek and chic animal parts. I did all sorts of internet research trying to track him down, but sadly my search yielded no results. If you're out there Ishi, I'm a big fan!

-Cruz

CRACKED ACTOR

2011-05-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

After watching Cracked Actor the second time around I took notice of a particular outfit of Bowie's...

The pairing of a cropped long sleeve shirt with flared brown trousers, topped with a fedora struck me as so compellingly bizarre that I had to try my hand at the puzzling silhouette myself.
My version let a bit of air out of the original look's tires, casual elements mixed with Denim on Denim regulars.

I could have gone with a wider rimmed fedora but I decided to go with this porkpie hat because it's the closest thing to a fedora that I'd ever wear outside a blog post. I used to wear it all the time, and I still think it's nice, even aside from the fact that I can't bare to bring myself to wear anything on my head besides a beanie these days. Most instances I prefer to keep the crazy below the neck I suppose. It has a little sword detail tucked into the band as well, which I think is pretty cool too.

I went to the Long Beach flea market yesterday and I took a ton of pictures so stay tuned!

-Cruz

A BAG FOR THE AGES

2011-05-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

Pretty self indulgent outfit of some of my favorites, vintage 'flaum' jacket, Bodie ghost town shirt, vintage Levi's jeans and vintage boots

While out looking for a mother’s day present at the antique stores downtown, I stumbled upon this bag for myself! I’ve been looking for a bag to be second-in-command to my trusty leather messenger bag, so that I may enshrine it as long as possible. I wouldn’t want to put my trusty leather companion in the line of fire, like being stuck with vintage band pins and at the mercy of my verdant stitching skills, so it’s nice to have a bag that can take abuse in its stead.

It’s a vintage mailbag, I can tell because the lining is very old and has a lot of stains (don’t worry, I cleaned it), which some would find disgusting but I consider them stains of authenticity. I’ve stayed clear of the tote realm of, I’m going to refrain from using the term ‘”murses”, because I’ve never cared much for the look on men and definitely not on myself, but I cannot deny their functionality. This bag works the same but doesn’t ride high up into your armpit when you wear it over your shoulder like a tote bag would.

The design itself is pretty chronologically ambiguous to me, it couldn’t be too old since the price was right, but I could imagine it even fitting in during medieval times since the design is so basic. It to me is a bag for the ages (I hope this clears up the ridiculous title). I like the slouchiness of it too, brings a relaxed element to any look, which goes well with my style which sags on the slouchy, sloppy end of the style spectrum.

I’m a fan of building a dangling shrine of sentimental talismans on your utilities (cellphone, handbag, etc.), so I thought I’d put together one for my new bag. The furry blue claw was a birthday gift from one of my closest friends Paige, and is probably one of my favorite things, joined by my furry eyeball critter, Lego incarnations of Vader and Boba Fett given to me by my cousins and two pins I knicked from my Dad’s vast collection. Naturally a creative cluster such as this will be a work in progress, so look forward to tweaks in the future.

-Cruz

LONG BEACH FLEA MARKET MAY 2011

2011-05-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last flea market post, it's been a busy couple of months so I was elated to finally be able to pay the Long Beach flea market another much needed visit! My dad and I went, and although we left nice and early, mother nature thought it'd be funny to rain on us and the unfortunate vendors. After waiting it out in the car, the rain finally let up and I was able to snap some pictures...

I was greeted by this towering native american statue.

I'm so glad creative atrocities like this exist.

Jacket of the world.

A bold Egyptian print.

I'm really smitten by this exotic design.

I love the graphics on this board game.

Pretty sure I've posted these before but I can't get them out of my mind - too bad they're so extremely narrow!

I love the little circle thingies on this bag. Would love to see that detail applied to things beyond the bag realm.

Cute critter graphic on this vintage tee from Chinatown.

Really cool leather bag. Interesting color combination of leather and silver half moon.

Funny George Orwell pin

Chinese shirt tag

I love the Bullock's tag! Really I just love eye patches. Cruz's style tip: Damage your eye to enhance your look with a stylish patch!

There's another flea market on the 31st, my dad and I are set on going!

-Cruz

DRAG BEAT

2011-05-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Vintage top to bottom

While thumbing through my closet I unearthed this scratchy, sparkly gem. It's a shirt I got at Out of Vogue, which was apart of a drag routine from a performer in San Francisco. I love vintage finds with a story, especially one such as this! I haven't shot it for ages so I thought I'd give it another go.

I put together this outfit in the spirit of Bowery punks and clash city rockers, but it reminds me also of a piece that a 50's rock and roller, such as Elvis or Little Richard would have worn. I would consider myself a failure if I couldn't successfully integrate a piece of drag into my wardrobe, which maniacal as it is, shouldn't be too difficult. So I decided to try to style it as everyday as possible. Here's a mood board I pieced together to paint a picture:

Shoot me an email if you have any questions about the board :)

-Cruz

JAPANESE DOUBLE DRAGON

2011-05-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

Asian "tour jackets" are synonymous with flea markets - I see at least one whenever I stop by one. I've kept my eye out for just the right one and finally found it. They're most commonly found in the varsity style jacket design with terrific stitching on the back of beautiful images from the visited countries, such as Japanese or Korean imagery. Great detail and design on this one (it was also the right price). Some loose threads, which I have a penchant for anyway, and it's a little short but it's fine, gives me a chance to play with proportion. I've learned to adapt when shopping vintage over the years.

One of my favorite outfits to wear from this winter. Vintage everything but the tee and pants are from American Apparel. The necklace is my dad's and really really incredible. You could learn to play that harp wherever you go! I'd love to record a song using the necklace.

It would be so much fun to curate an exhibit of all the different variations of these jackets! The collar is fantastic and the silk is subtly lustrous, the zipper is really something too but my camera can't get that good of a detail shot up close.

Worn with my prized calf skins.

-Cruz

CREEP CHIC

2011-04-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Vintage mohair cardigan, kr3w (lol wut???) serial killer shirt, Levi's jeans, vintage Chippewa boots

Just in case you had any doubt how big of a sicko I am. I was thumbing through the smelly circle racks at Buffalo Exchange with some buddies and stumbled upon this gem of a t-shirt. I went through a phase when I was younger nail biting my way through documentary after documentary about the offenders on my shirt, and since I'm a fan of all things horror and outrageous I was excited to find it. Plus I figure it's my duty, since it takes a special kind of person to have the nerve to share this kind of tee with the world.

I've been blabbing about the shirt, but the reason for this post really comes from the fact that I found this mohair cardigan that I got at a flea market two years ago in my closet! It reminds me of sweaters from Prada F/W 07/08, but more like if Kurt Cobain had gotten ahold of it. And naturally the best way to accent a serial killer tee is to clip on your pokewalker.

Getting back to being a sicko - I find it fun to see how gross I can get with my wardrobe. In an exercise of creep chic, I paired a serial killer shirt with an animal tooth necklace.

Borrowing these from my dad. He got them at Standard Issue in L.A. They're super comfortable and have such great worn in details.

-Cruz

GAMMA-GO

2011-04-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Gamma-Go shirt, Kill City pants, vintage jacket, cuff and python boots

I picked up this cool Gamma-Go shirt at the Fullerton art walk from Otto. I'm a big fan of lowbrow art and giant squids - so to have both married on a t-shirt that I can wear and appreciate every time I walk past my reflection is fantastic. I also have on some Kill City tie-dye pants that I got in L.A. last week. I'm always looking for cool tie-dye pieces that aren't in your typical deadhead design.

-Cruz

LEATHER LOVE

2011-04-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

It's spring break here in Orange County, but it's still cool enough to get some last good wears out of some of my winter staples. With the threat of warmer wearing looming in the sun filled months ahead, I decided it was time to see some garments out in style before they're packed away for the summer. I've been giving these Gap leather pants extra attention lately because besides being generally amazing for being leather pants, they're actually great for colder weather (and the hardest to try to wear in the summer heat). Here's some ways I've been styling them lately...

Gap leather pants American Apparel tee, vintage everything else

Pretty simple outfit thrown together with some favorite pieces- not a lot else to say besides the fact that it keeps me really warm.

Levi's jacket, Gap leather pants, vintage everything else

Fished this sassy cat shirt out of a pile of dirty vintage tees at a flea market. One of my favorite ways to style leather pants is completely out of context, so I thought I'd pair the two together. Inspired by a few things borrowed from my dad and concert goers from Wattstax.

Can't finish this post without a shot of our trusty cat Pinks. She always watches me make a fool of myself while taking pictures for the blog!

Borrowed these shoes from my dad. I love the design, color and they are super comfortable (which is not something I can say about the majority of the shoes in my closet).

-Cruz

A LOVE LETTER TO BOBA FETT

2011-04-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

My childhood obsession with Star Wars has segued into my obsession with clothes. Admittedly, Episode I is a lot harder to sit through today than it was when I was 7, but I still have an intense appreciation for the visual aspects of the saga. I can indeed say in all seriousness that Boba Fett inspires me sartorially speaking, so when I remembered that we have a Boba Fett helmet in our garage I thought I'd be fun to pay tribute to the most dangerous bounty hunter in the galaxy with some clothes of my own.

Levi's jacket, Cheap Monday jeans, vintage bracelets, shirt, fur vest and boots.

Pulled together some pieces with Fett's faded Mandalorian armor and braided Wookie scalps in mind. Took a shot without the helmet in case I ever decide to wear this outfit in a non-comic con setting.

My dad is going to sell these shoes, so I thought I'd put them to good use before he did. The soles and the cracked leather make me think of them as decaying battle tanks at my feet.

-Cruz

BOOTS USA

2011-03-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Fluxus jacket, American Apparel shirt, vintage Levis, bracelet, bolo and boots.

I picked up these boots on one of my shopping trips to Little Tokyo in LA at a shop called Kimski Makes. I was instantly taken by these boots because, well, I'm not sure I can think of a less cheesy way of saying "I love America" without saying "I love America", but I do. Because once you get past the George Bushes' and Westboro Baptist Churches, there are some really brilliant and beautiful things about the home of the free.

I love the red, white, and blue American iconography and I think the composition of those colors on these boots works really well, since the dominant color is navy and the red and white stripes are left for subtle detail flashing and to be mostly your secret. I personally like wearing them with a lousy pair of jeans because they give the most banal look a shot in the arm. Not that you couldn't get flashy with these and tap into your inner Evel Knievel.

This time I styled them with a few more American things, such as a bolo and blue jeans, paired with some Lou Reed sensibility left over with the chipped black nail polish from my last post.

Thought I'd take some shots with the Ray-Bans. I hardly ever wear sunglasses aside from driving - I mean I try to where them during the collective 20 minutes I'm outside a week. I guess they're not really my thing, I do like to channel Warhol or Debbie Harry every now and then though.

-Cruz

TENEMENT FUNSTER

2011-03-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Antique military coat, American Apparel scarf, Jean Paul Gaultier button-up, Levi's jeans, vintage boots

Thought I'd trot out my calvary jacket for a spin while the weather was cold enough - no one wants to be sweating, on top of crazy, in an antique wool military coat.
This time around (in case you'd like to know more about the jacket, here's a link to the original post), I was mostly inspired by all of the major players who have shaped my personal style over the years: Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, David Bowie, just to name a few, and, believe it or not, myself. I was looking at older pictures of myself with smudged kohl eyes and chipped nails and thought it'd be fun to take another crack at it (I was the most awkwardly glamorous 14-year-old you ever saw).

There's some carnaby-mod influences thrown in - I picked the clunky shoes to weigh the look down and I'm always up for draping my venomously acid green scarf over anything. The shirt is a Jean Paul Gaultier from the early 90s I got from Out of Vogue. I thought the shirt would be perfect to wear with this jacket- I plan to wear it a lot this summer so you'll definitely see more of it.

This picture reminds me of a sassy gesture that Mick Jagger might make on stage, the acid green and red remind me of his costume from the Stones' infamous Altamont show.

Just got back from LACMA on a school field trip - I'm inspired as I am exhausted!

-Cruz

ACCIDENTALLY SEVENTIES

2011-03-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Upon an arbitrary trip to the local shoe repair shop to take a look at the shoes long forgotten (and up for grabs), I found these Doc Martens! The shop owner said they were custom made, even came with tags attached. I instantly drew parallels to the shoes from Balenciaga's spring 2011 collection...

I was quite taken by that collection, if you guys remember, so of course I fell hard for these shoes. I usually shy away from frowny, clunky looking shoes, but every once and a while (and lately, more often than not) a pair comes along that changes my mind.

I thought I'd post these shoes for the first time with an outfit in the same spirit as the aforementioned Balenciaga collection, but instead I just kind of pulled random garb I've been into lately into a sort of goony guy look. I titled this post Accidently Seventies because I didn't realize how 70s my outfit was! Star Wars, punk influences, More Songs About Builinds and Food... hey it was a jammed packed decade - no wonder every season the 70s seem to be in, you can pull so many references.

I thought of this pin when I got the shoes as well because of the colors. My dad got this pin when he saw the Talking Heads at the Roxy back in the day. What I would have given to see them then and there! The Talking Heads have been one of my favorite bands since I was a kid, and More Songs About Buildings and Food is one of my all time favorite albums. The map is from the back side of the record. I also understand my dad has a vintage David Bowie shirt from a concert from around the time Heroes came out, which has yet to be unearthed from storage! It's great to have a dad who passes down vintage artyfacts to you and makes you jealous of concert experiences.

-Cruz

HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

2011-03-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite outfits to wear lately because it has so much stuff I love crammed into a singular look. You got The Stones, Japan, Tie-Dye, muted white stitching etc. I got the shirt at Pop Killer in Little Tokyo in L.A. I'm really into pairing red and green together in a non-christmasy way, so the logo buddied with an olive green tee-shirt is spot on.

I got this critter at Anime Jungle in Little Tokyo as well. I'm not entirely sure where he's from, because the tag was in Japanese, but when I saw him he really caught my eye (HA!). I was originally gonna string him up on my messenger bag like I often do with similar cutesy anime paraphernalia, but to my dismay it appeared as though that would bring a world of dirt to its white coat. So I strung it up on the zipper of my jacket where it hangs from time to time.

I've been meaning to get these American Apparel pants for ages. I love them in every color they have, but I settled on the orange and brown because I've never seen tie-dye like that before. Plus I think the brown has a sordid quality to it, which I was drawn to. While I'm at it, challenging the realm of preconceived ideas of what constitutes holiday color combinations (i.e. red & green), I thought I'd step up to the challenge of orange and black. I don't think it really reads Halloween as much as it might read creepy - but that's alright with me.

Click here to help Japan!

-Cruz

GODZILLA V.S. T-SHIRT

2011-02-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

Vintage cheetah pelt hat, sweater, necklace, boots, and pins, Godzilla shirt, and Gap Leather pants

Picked up this Godzilla shirt while I was in L.A.'s Little Tokyo a few weeks back. I thought I'd style it more on the Dropsnap-Fruits-side of my personal style spectrum, Godzilla hailing from Japan and all. If you've read my blog before, you may have seen Godzilla rear his ugly head more than a few times, peaking out of inspiration boards and such. I was raised on monster B-movies, especially japanese kaiju flicks - it's always nice to find a cool shirt with added nostalgia. This particular graphic features the Godzilla suit from Godzilla 1984, just in case you were wondering (I'm going refrain from opening the flood gates of my vast wealth of useless Godzilla trivia). Here's a scan of the graphic...

The lapels on my unmarked vintage sweater were begging to be pierced by rusty pins (Incidentally, my sweater makes me think of Margiela's collection of life-sized doll clothes. Maybe it's because it has no label? Yay for obscure references?). Featured currently on lapel rotation, are two of my favorites. I could've just taken crummy detail shots of them on my clothes, but I decided to go the extra mile and create crummy scanned naty-geo-spirational board things. It's artsy fartsy and all that shit (Kind of reminds me of a Comme Des Garcons ad. Yay for more obscure references?).

-Cruz

GLAM TO TRASH (GREAT AUNT MARY'S FUR COAT)

2011-02-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

Being a style blogger has its perks, like when your relatives ask if you'd like a molting fur coat from the 40s. I got it last summer, and besides a spin around the block in it while riding an electric wheel chair (Don't ask), it has yet to be put to good use. I stumbled upon it resting in my garage the other day and decided it had to be photographed.

I've always liked the idea of fur (or faux, the look of fur in general) being worn completely out of context. It's hard to break out of the pimp or silver screen actress look with a classic looking fur coat. I thought it'd be cool to style a look that made something that used to be considered glamorous and stylish, look like trash. So I threw on some clunky boots, a vintage tee, grey jeans, and topped it off with a beanie to hide my hair that is in desperate need of a trim (I've always personally considered beanies to be the ultimate diffuser, they drag pretty much anything down to a casual level).

I picked up these boots at a great vintage store in Little Tokyo called Standard Issue. They remind me of the cracked-paint Margielas - I was instantly smitten!

-Cruz

GREEN JEANS

2011-02-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

I have on a Levi's Denim Jacket, Miss Sixty jeans, American Apparel shirt, vintage skull necklace and boots.

I got these jeans at the Long Beach flea market. I love things that look like they've endured a washing machine trip of sandpaper and fire, so I was smitten by these. Plus green denim is pretty scarce.

I tend to stray away from skulls because I'm cursed with growing up with Hottopic's rendition of skulls. However, I will shed away my predisposition for this skull necklace my dad got on Melrose in Los Angeles in the early 80s. It's strung up by a rope of silk, which I think is pretty cool.

Probably gonna wait until I get a haircut to do another outfit post, I have a lot of cool stuff to post so stay tuned!

-Cruz

HISSING STONES

2011-02-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Vintage sweater, shoes, and boots, Obey shirt, and secondhand jeans.

Normally a brand like Obey would be a bit too "cool" for my taste (y'know, with me being so desperately uncool and all), but I couldn't say no to a hissing snake rendition of the Stones' logo.

Moodboard I hammered together for this post...

Robert Plant, Diane Arbus, Stones 70s Tour swag, Margiela boots, Daria from an older issue of Vogue Paris

-Cruz

LONG BEACH FLEA MARKET JANUARY 2011

2011-01-31T13:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the latest installment in my series of dilettante documentation of my occasional jaunts to the Long Beach Flea Market!

Super cool 70s Beatle shirt.

Got the green Miss Sixty jeans, next to some cool vintage denim/

Always and forever into dead cow. Would love to find a waist jacket version of this.

I love patchwork denim.

Some really cool boots. I'm thinking they're ski boots.

I love the ankle strap detail on these.

These are beautifully destroyed.

Really cool zipper detail.

The wrinkles are so gross looking, therefore compelling to my warped aesthetic, so I had no choice but to photograph these boots.

I really like the shape and design of ski boots like these. They're really heavy but super cool! Keeping my eye and feet out for a good pair of these.

Some green fuzz.

Cool embroidery on these.

Could be mistaken for someone's pet (perhaps before they boots they actually were someone's pet).

Creamsicle diarrhea fur trimmed jacket. I've been really into oranges lately.

Mexican diablo folk art.

Cool dilapidated chair.

Aww! It's so cute I'd feel bad sitting my ass down on it!

I've added this to my mental bachelor pad list.

Cool saddle bag.

Love this vintage "Happy Hour" sign.

Stuffed mangy companion.

Gold spray-painted lobster center piece. It takes a special kind of person to invite our lobster friend into their home and onto their dining room table.

That alligator was only 75 bucks! Left me wishing I had a reason to pick it up and let it live happily ever after in the jungle cruise.

R.I.P.

Tasteful 70s embroidery.

Tandem embroidery.

Had to sneak a shot of this guys buffalo shirt.

Thanks for reading! Outfit post soon!

-Cruz

SUNDAY THE 16TH

2011-01-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

Vintage jacket, shirt and bolo tie, Levi's jeans, calf hair boots

Hung up on the pairing of my bolo tie and nylon jacket. I love the instant sensation of vintage that my long sleeve shirt gives off (also kind of resembles a Spanish soccer jersey I've been told). I slapped together a mood board for this post...

I can never emphasize enough the joys of muted white stitching.

I picked up a lot of cool stuff in L.A. - stay tuned!

-Cruz

THE LEMON POST

2011-01-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011 everyone! Decided to kick off this year with a post that would make more sense if this was 40 years earlier, stuck in the 70s as usual. Perpetual 70s dress-up has allowed me to relive problems that have not faced mankind for generations, like muddy bell bottoms.

My dad got me this western tie when he and my mom were out of town. I never used to like the way a western tie looked with anything but a collard shirt, but lately I've been wearing it over tee shirts and between jackets and I haven't had a problem with what I've seen.

Heading to LA tomorrow - will be sure to report back with some cool finds!

-Cruz

CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS

2010-12-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

Vintage jacket, shirt, and boots, Cheap Monday jeans
It seems like I've opened every blog post in recent history by apologizing for my lack of posting and overall absence of internet presense, and this post will be no exception. I'm sorry! Working retail to save for college eats up inordinate amounts of time during the holiday season, and when I'm not at work I've been out with friends. It has been a seasonal roller coaster of boredom and pleasure. But I did manage to find some time this week to stop by one of my favorite vintage stores, Out of Vogue, and pick up this cool vintage nylon jacket.

It's been raining non-stop here lately, so it was a good time to come across it. I put together this outfit inspired by California wintertime rain storms and the irony of wearing a tropical shirt in the thick of them.

Y-3, Elvis, Palm Trees, Henri Rousseau, back issues of Arena Homme +, the way a red light looks reflected off the wet concrete...

Happy Holidays everyone! Here's a picture I snapped with my phone of some cool stuff I got...

Thanks for stopping by - posting should return to normal after my life returns to normal as it slowly slides into 2011.

-Cruz

LOOSE THREADS

2010-11-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry I fell off the internet there for a while. The fact that one of my most recent posts was themed around something that happens at the beginning of November makes this post, on the last day of November, even more shameful. I was going to do a Long Beach flea market post last weekend, but it got rained out! And throughout my fun-filled Thanksgiving Break I never found time to sit down and commit to a blog post... until now!

Wearing Triple Five Soul Jacket, Vintage red coral necklace, tunic, Levis, and boots.
It would have been Jimi Hendrix's 68th birthday last Saturday, which lead to the outpour of many stylish photos of Jimi from photoblogs and tumblrs the world over, which needless to say got my styling gears turning. I gladly welcome Jimi Hendrix into my computer monitor and out my speakers on a daily basis. Also I wanted to debut the latest installment in dumpster denim here at Denim on Denim: a ratty pair of faded black Levis with the seams ripped! Here's a mood board I made while dickin around in photoshop today that gets what I was goin for...

I picked this bracelet up for my dad, on the occasion of his birthday, last year at a farmer's market in Silver Lake and I steal it on a regular basis. I'm not one to declare such bold fashion statements like the following, but the design of this bracelet is pretty flawless. Even the string is the perfect shade of muted white! I know some people buy gifts for other people with themselves in mind, but I didn't this time I swear!

Close up of the ripped seams. I find the loose threads to be very delicate and beautiful on torn garments. That idea is firmly rooted in my personal aesthetic, which works out for me since I'm constantly on a shoe string budget. When I can afford some 800 dollar boots to make these jeans look like a million bucks, you guys will be the first to know! Sorry if the flash looks too harsh since darkness sort of snuck up on my dad and I, "Fall Back" is the bane of the existence for most blogger folk. If you drink enough antifreeze, it kind of looks like a Juergen Teller photo.

Until next time - thanks for stopping by!

-Cruz

ROADHOUSE BLUES

2010-11-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

I picked this dollar t-shirt up on one of my flea market excursions. I love the blues, despite being a walking antithesis of the genre. At least I can express myself with this T-shirt.

Thought I'd pair American roots music with American roots fabric (I know denim originated from France, but c'mon it's pretty much an American thing).

I know I just wore this alligator tooth necklace (the fact I have a very small pool of clothes and accessories to choose from my closet aside), but I've always considered alligators to be my personal mascot of the delta blues.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite Chicago blues musicians, Holwin Wolf, breaking down the blues for us.

-Cruz

EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

2010-11-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Vintage shirt, jacket, bracelets, and boots, Cheap Monday jeans, my own alligator tooth necklace

This is my idea of a "California Casual" tribute to the Mexican holiday. I pretty much look like walking dead most days since I regularly have bones strung around my neck and cow parts around my feet and wrists, but I wanted the focus to be on the beauty and inspiration of the Day of the Dead. I guess the Mexican influences I've thrown in aren't exactly obvious, I suppose they're what they mean to me or at least what they are after having traveled through my universe (but hey the boots were hecho en Mexico). I'm deeply inspired by Mexican culture, the Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada is known for his Day of the Dead cartoons and is one of my favorites...

“The word death is not spoken aloud in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with death, chases after it, mocks it, courts it, hugs it, sleeps with it; it is his favorite toy and his most lasting love.”
-Octavio Paz

Found these bracelets on me and my friends' annual group trip to Big Bear Lake about a year ago, we all bought them as friendship bracelets. I love the way these two look stacked together.

One of the random bands of leather I've picked up from a flea market.

This pewter octopus brooch from Ebay mostly chills on this denim jacket.

-Cruz

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

2010-10-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

Vintage scarf, sweater from American Apparel, Levi's jacket and jeans, and vintage calf hair boots.

Going back to basics again with some denim on denim and Keith Richards fueled inspiration. Like I've mentioned before, just because the blog's called 'Denim on Denim' it doesn't mean that it's a blog about denim on denim styles, but it always winds up on the blog one way or another. I didn't even have a denim shirt when I first started the blog! Not that I'm complainin, jussayin.

I guess it's apt that I churn out a Keith inspired post today because his memoir, Life, comes out tomorrow. I honestly can't wait to get a hold of it for a blast of second-hand sin to span several lifetimes.

Music always comes first though, then the style. Keith Richards and Brian Jones have always been two of my biggest style inspirations. Mick Jagger may be more glamorous and in the spotlight, but I personally feel like he's tried to hard to be trendy with his past sartorial choices, and thus doesn't appeal to me as much. Keith has pretty much looked the same since the Stones shed away their "Beatle-a-like" looks (And, not to mention, has become synonymous with skull rings, prayer rug scarves, handcuff bracelets and Johnny Depp's character from Pirates.).

Here's some of my favorite Keith looks I've got on hand. They've probably turned up on Left Hand already (or are going to), but they go along well with the post.

Obligatory shot of the calf hairs - one of the first things I'd grab in a house fire.

-Cruz

SOME FAVORITES

2010-10-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Vintage coat, lucite necklace, shirt, and python boots, Cheap Monday Jeans.

Wearin some of my favorite things. Not a lot of folks consider snakeskin and shamy leather to be wardrobe staples, but I certainly do.

I have a deep sartorial love for the jacket I'm wearing. Its cultural and referential ambiguity, combined with its overall strangeness, has kept me just as enamored with it today as the day I first pulled it out of an overcrowded rack of vintage coats. It was also the star of my first outfit post during the humble genesis of this blog, so my obsession may be tinged with a bit of sentiment. I just think it's a really cool, one-of-a-kind vintage piece that deserves respect. Here's the link to a very early post I did about the jacket, IN CASE YOU WANTED TO READ EVEN MORE ABOUT IT.

I think it's funny that I often reach for this necklace as a finishing touch to most outfits, because as accessories come, lucite is barely there (You know, with it being clear and all). Or so you'd think, but in actuality it adds so much more!

One last peak at the jacket...

I still pray at the alter of the shoe gods daily for throwing a poor kid a bone and letting me haphazardly come across these beauties. Decided to incorporate my love of B-movie-monsters in a mash up with my shoes. October means monster movie marathons!

-Cruz

LEOPARD ON LEATHER

2010-10-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

Vintage leopard skin cap, shirt, and boots, sweater and scarf from Forever 21, & Gap leather pants.

Would've posted earlier this week but every attempt to tiptoe outside and take outfit shots has been rained out. Sometime between leaving my lights on and having to jump start my car, the rain let up, so I decided to jump on that chance and drag my dad outside to take the pictures.

Not much to say about this outfit, other than it's what I'm into pretty much all the time. You got your boots, leather, leopard print, baggy sweater, vintage tee, and sloppy layers. I very much enjoy gallivanting around town in sloppy layers and dirty cowboy boots as Davy Faggot & His Leopard Skin Cap.

LOUSY picture but I loved the color of my dad's necklace with his Levi's jacket.

I took this picture of our dogs, Ricky & Rosie, begging my dad for food the other day. It was pretty impromptu, so the quality isn't all that great, but I had to immortalize their synchronized begging!

P.S. A pox has been lifted from this humble blog: there is no longer two "m"s in the URL! We are now

http://denimondenimblog.blogspot.com/

P.P.S. For the record, I only had the initial domain name because I was desperate to start blogging, and since some Johnny fuck-face decided to take denimondenim.blogspot.com and not even use it, I was left with no other seizeable options at the time.

-Cruz

STAX SUMMER

2010-09-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

All Vintage
Record breaking hot weather calls for bat winged sleeves and baggy jeans (oops, rhyming). I know it's not Summer anymore but it certainly feels like it here. Got this tunic about a year ago with weather like this in mind. Reminds me of something someone might have worn to Wattstax (One of my favorite documentaries and definitely one of the most stylish ever) or what one might wear "on holiday" in Morocco.

It's no secret I'm attracted to dumpster denim, so I was very excited to find a pair with a patch. This particular patch makes me think of it as a scab on these jeans.

Found this vintage bracelet for two bucks the other day. It is also no secret I don't deal with fussy bracelets, thankfully the handy velcro strap keeps it in line. At first I thought you could unzip the bracelet and put coins in it, but upon further inspection it appeared that the zipper leads to nowhere.

I always try to take picture of my cat, because she has the most amazing eyes, but she's super fidgety. She's a good sport for dealing with this weather, since she has a fur coat sewn to her skin.

-Cruz

FURRY DISCO

2010-09-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

All Vintage

Wearing some finds from the dollar-vintage-heap. I love these vintage Lee jeans so much! They can make me look sorta tall with the right pair of shoes (which for 18 years old at 5'8, is always a good thing) and evoke images of 70s disco dads and hippy scum.

I was inspired to try some brooches on fur recently. I also recently came to the conclusion that I want my style to be 'Classically Strange", which basically means that in 50 years any outfit will be just as strange as it was the day it was on my body. I feel like pairing my smelly vintage fur pieces together fits that criteria and more than fits the "I DON'T EVEN" criteria as well. It makes me smile to know that I'll have my furry dog brooch long after I've outgrown and lost most of my clothes.

I don't really wear bracelets other than on the blog, despite the fact that I have tons, because they tend to get in my way when I'm taking part in activities involving the use of my wrist. I do, however, wear this bracelet most often because it doesn't slip, slide, jingle and jangle as much as other bracelets.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I've been somewhere stuck between busy and lazy these days. I know I always say this but I do update Left Hand whenever possible so if you check there once and a while for new stuff it will mostly likely be there to greet you! It's just a lot easier to update a photo blog than it is to update a dress up blog - I'm sure my fellow bloggers will understand that. ;p

-Cruz

SURF & SOUL

2010-08-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Vintage shirt, shorts, and cuff and Stacey Adams shoes

Thought I'd try to squeeze in one last summer themed post while it was still August. Although, and anyone else from Orange County knows & would say the same, that 90 degree weather rears its ugly head round these parts throughout September. These shorts were my dads; it's hard for me to translate my inspiration from surf music into my clothes that's not in Hawaiian shirt form (not my style), but I feel like these shorts do the job.

My "Gotta Have Sax Drive Shirt" always reminds me of something someone might wear on Soul Train. I love watching old episodes and clips of Soul Train or any other 70s dance shows. The dance lines on Soul Train are way cooler than any runway show today, and the soundtrack just makes it even better.

Calfskin cuff I got at a flea market a while back. Perfect finishing Western-esque touch or vomit enducing factor to any outfit.

-Cruz

LONG BEACH FLEA MARKET AUGUST 2010

2010-08-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

Denim on Denim: Looking through piles of dirty vintage clothes so you don't have to since 2009

Okay onto the pictures. Remember it's pretty much the wild west of picture quality from this point forward; prepare yourself for an onslaught of blurry pictures up the ying yang. The picture quality can be squarely attributed to my severe socially-awkwardness because I mostly take the pictures as fast as possible when the person running the booth isn't looking. I'm not about to take my time to snap a picture when the owner is staring you down with the stink eye. But I digress...

There was a rack of old military jackets and theater costumes. Very Sgt. Pepper.

I think these jackets were used for some sort of community Shakespearean production? The red one reminds me of something from Dynasty.

This is the most beautiful Mariachi jacket! The decaying details are what I like best about it.

Antique Japanese firefighters coat.

Coolest tour jacket I've ever seen! The design on the back kills me.

Random colored furs.

Reminds me of a shrink's couch - but it'd have to be for a little person. Hey, everybody may need a therapist no matter how tall they are! Except I'm extremely certain that has nothing to do with what that actually is used for. Uhh I like how the pelts are displayed over it?

Very cool jacket - I love the yellow stitching!

I loved this Shark bag! I think it's a pencil case but it could also be a makeup bag. I'm not sure your typical makeup bag carrying girl would want a shark on her bag - but it would be so cool if she did!

Face leggins. If you feel like your one face is not enough, just add a few more to your legular-crotchular zone.

Smithers on the cover of what I think is a gay magazine along with some other Simpsons paraphernalia.

So badass! I love The Ventures! It was so soft too.

Cool Jimmy Reed shirt.

Love these paint splattered jeans, too bad they were a bit big for me.

I love the water damage on this mannequin; very beautiful.

My dad suggested I buy these slippers to match my hat. I will shove various parts of my body into filthy vintage clothes/shoes in the name of fashion, but not my bare toes into these bad boys.

These are so awesome! I would have gotten them if they weren't tiny. If I ran some cheesy fashion mag, I would definitely insist that my readers have a pair of shoes like these for a great finishing touch.

The fur on these reminds me of one of those Scottish Highland Yaks! If these were my size I so would've got them and worn them and every time I would look down I would "Aww" at the image of a Yak munching away on some grass.

These are so hoofish - I saw a few pairs like these, just not in my size. Definitely on my radar.

I loved the hardwear on these ski boots. They probably weigh a ton but I would still clunk around in them. It'd be like wearing a pair of Iron Boots from The Legend of Zelda!

Not crazy about the overall design of this shoe but I think the holes are a very interesting detail.

Cool design on the shaft of these!

Just in case you forgot what kind of animal died to make your shoes, you can just look down at the shaft of your boot and be reminded! Pretty cool ostrich design, reminds me of something on a Nudie Suit a little bit.

What looks to be an olde pair of military boots.

What looks to be a very, olde pair of military boots. Reminds me of something from Steamboy!

The mint green color of these combat boots brings these boots to a new platuea of coolness.

Cool pair of mustard boots from the 60s or early 70s.

The design on these are so cool! I love how the artist utilized an area of the boot that I think often goes neglected.

Awesome pair of Beatle boots.

These remind me of something Rick Owens has sent down the runway recently.

I turned 18 today! I'm very excited and nervous for adulthood. I also have my orientation today at our local Forever 21 - excited to start working! School starts on Wednesday but it shouldn't interfere too much with my normal erratic blogging schedule. As always Left Hand should be updated pretty regularly.

Thanks for reading!

-Cruz

NEW IMAGE BLOG

2010-08-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Because I can't put together decent outfit posts as much as I'd like to, what with life in the way and all, I decided to add an image blog so you guys won't have to wait a week for something new to look at! It should be updated next to daily; it's pretty much a Tumblr, but I wanted it to be closer to Denim on Denim. Just high-five the hand silhouette to your left with your mouse to see it! If you wanna come back to Denim on Denim, just grab hold of the cattle horns and you'll be right back here (because I never got the hang of figuring out a way to just add a page with an image feed)! By the way, "Left Hand" is when you politely reach in to shake someone's hand with your left hand instead of your right and you say "EYYY LEFFFT HANNDD", just clearin that up.

www.lefthandguey.blogspot.com

-Cruz

ON HIGHWAY 395

2010-08-02T20:12:00.001-07:00

Every year my family and I go camping in Tioga Pass, just outside of the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park. To me, the Sierras are the most beautiful place in the world. On the way, you go through the Mojave desert and the 395 Highway. I've always been profoundly inspired by the landscape and the sun-beaten towns you pass through along the way. A hobby of mine is collecting shirts from those towns and other paraphernalia, so I thought I'd style some looks inspired by some photos I snapped this time around. I didn't go nuts taking pictures on my trip, since my camera's not the best, but I think some of the pictures I got are really cool.

L E E V I N I N G

Everything I had on was vintage LOL

You guys have seen the Lee Vining shirt before. Lee Vining is the town right outside of the pass and overlooks the stunning Mono Basin. You can go in to town to enjoy some modern day luxuries (like take a shower) if you're camping. There's no downtown because IT'S ALL TOWN. I guess this look was inspired by the hippie, free-spirit types that come to the Sierras. I didn't see any fire trucks but I did see this truck...

B O D I E

My uncle took this picture with his camera. It's one of my favorites!

Levi's jacket and courds, shirt from Bodie, and vintage snakeskin boots.

Further north of Lee Vining is the ghost town of Bodie. My swell dad got me this shirt at a giftshop this time around. This outfit is really just something I'd just wear around town while representing my favorite ghost town. I really like the graphic for some reason, I guess because it's very simple and not stupid like most souvenir shirts. Here's a close-up of the graphic...

B I S H O P

Everything I had on was vintage... AGAIN

Bishop is one of the larger towns on the 395. Bishop is known as the "Mule Captial of the World" because of its annual "Bishop Mule Days", which celebrates the contributions of pack mules to the area. My inspiration for this look was all the ranches and cows you see along the way. Close up of the shirt....

I got the shirt at a vintage store in Fullerton.

I'm on the cusp of launching an image blog! Should be up tomorrow! I'll post more pictures from my trip there! Stay tuned! ;)

-Cruz

MECHANICAL MOUNTAINS

2010-07-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

I was doodling before I left for Big Bear, and ended up with a few crudely drawn animey-mechanic-looking characters (because these are the kind of things I draw). So I decided to drag one of my designs off the paper and onto the blog.

I had on a vintage fur vest and army pants, sweater from American Apparel, and Stacey Adams shoes

Spliced in some cool original art (NOT MY OWN LOL) that better suits the mood I envisioned for the look, but the scenery behind the cabin we stayed in in Big Bear is fine too.

As usual, I fished the gnarly army pants out of some heap of clothes for a buck. They are covered with beautiful distressed details. You can tell they were actually used, which I appreciate so much more.

I helped out the good folks at 21 Men yesterday in downtown LA, which is always fun. I snapped some snapshots behind the scenes with my phone that I'll see if I can post soon. :)

I have a ton of scans and images I've accumulated that I'm hoping to post soon too, but I'm trying to figure out a way to add an image feed to this blog without making a whole new blog. Although the progress is moving at a snail's pace because I'm not very HTML inclined, so consider this a technological SOS!

-Cruz

BACK FROM BIG BEAR

2010-07-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Sorry for the complete lack of posts - I've been so ubiquitous lately! It's harder than you'd think to find time to even snap a few decent outfit shots! I just got back from spending the week with friends in a cabin in Big Bear. I borrowed my friend's camera to shoot some outfit shots...

I had on a cardigan from H&M, vintage sweater and lucite necklace, bracelet from a flea market, shorts from Target (I think?), and Stacey Adams shoes.

While we were there we went to a farmer's market they were having and they had a huge display of bracelets. I couldn't decide on which ones to get because there were so many! I figured I'd keep things under control and only get my 3 favorites.

REALLY lame shot (I was totally stumped for ideas of how to shoot it) of the bracelet I wore with my outfit. They are great for a small burst of color that's harder to work with on a larger scale (My favorite color red, for instance). I love how this bracelet has a pattern reminiscent of a king snake.

Sunset from the view from the balcony of the cabin

This kind of a post-and-run post since I'm off to the Sierras tomorrow for a week! I'll post as soon as I get back. Thanks so much for stoppin by! :)

-Cruz

MILES DAVIS' CLOSET

2010-06-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Scanned this from a book I borrowed from the library a while back. My brain gets the same reaction from looking at this photo as it does after just walking into a vintage store loaded with stylish wears. Definitely motivation towards building a closet of my own that evokes a similar response!

Hope to find time to snap some decent outfit photos soon or at least put together a post of some inspirational menswear or somethin. I need to stop gallivanting around and stop neglecting my poor blog... but it's summer! I'm on the cusp of another major wardrobe restructuring (AKA hauling garbage bags busting with clothes to buffalo exchange. Thus completing the wardrobe circle of life, only to immediately begin again), so I'll most likely report back when that's all sorted out.

-Cruz

STARMAN

2010-06-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

We all have some sort of inspiration reserve for certain subjects. Unfortunately, the account of the number one site I used for David Bowie pics has been suspended! I did save most of my favorites though, so I figured I'd ensure that these amazing photos be scattered off into the internet. Plus I take any excuse to post away from myself, since I consider myself to be to fashion blogging photography as Richard Nixon was to presidential photography. I'm pretty sure all the pics may not fit perfectly on the page, but I figured you guys would appreciate every byte of the original size more for saving and whatnot.

-Cruz

VINTAGE ESPIONAGE

2010-06-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

Haven't really had time to put together a coherent post since I've been gallivanting around since I was let out for summer. In the meantime, here's some pictures I've taken with my cell while out shopping. Uhh they're rather dark and green (Like zombie or gangrene photos?) but I think you can get the gist of some rather cool footwear.

These are very, very nice. The leather was perfect on these! I left them, though, because they're a bit too dressy to translate well into my wardrobe.

After I so gingerly shoved the newspaper back into the shoes, I thought it was cool that the newspaper looked like wings coming out of the shoes.

Cool pair of black boots...

I love tanned leather! These were too small for my feet though...

Love the snakeskin detail on these! These read Keith Richards year 3000 to me. Would've gotten em but they were too big!

I'm not really into white shoes, but these were a very nice muted shade of white (not like you can tell from my shitty pic, you'll have to take my word for it I guess...). Too small though! Playing vintage Goldilocks can be very frustrating!

-Cruz

SUMMER LAYERS

2010-06-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Vintage shark skin shirt, secondhand top, American Apparel scarf, random shorts, and Stacey Adams shoes.

I'm sure many style enthusiasts are just as tenacious as I am about holding onto our wardrobe staples that don't exactly go well with summer weather; going as long as we can before giving into the sweltering heat. After another round of final exams, and with the heat waves creeping ever closer to Orange County, summer is near. And with the arrival of summer comes another chance for me to try to find the balance between fashion & function (yayy)! Thought I'd experiment with some summer layering in this outfit shot, it held up against 80's weather pretty well. Was really inspired by the latest Miharayasuhiro collection...

Although I sincerely doubt that anyone could keep cool in that leather vest, it's nice to dream on about wearing flowy, nomadic layers.

Gotta run to my cousin's graduation!
-Cruz

WALKIN THE DOG

2010-06-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

21 Men cardigan (The good folks at 21 Men featured me in their Spring LookBook, click! Thanks guys!), vintage shirt, necklace, and leather pantaloons, and Stacey Adams sandals.

Lazy Sunday at home, so I thought I'd take our dog Ricky out for a photoshoot...

It was a lot hotter outside than I thought it was, so we didn't stay out too long...

Got this necklace for about two bucks. I try not to buy too many accessories that are cheap, but I think this necklace looks pretty good and the price sure is right. I love the color combo of this shirt. Lee Vining is a town outside of Tioga pass that my family and I always stop by before heading up through the pass. I found this at a flea market, a pretty out of the blue find, but a great one! Here's a photo from the town that I scanned from a postcard. It's one of my favorite photos.

-Cruz

SCANS FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PART 3

2010-06-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

-Cruz

RETURN TO PARADISE

2010-06-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

LEATHER PANTS

2010-05-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

Vintage custom Cuban blazer, American Apparel micro-mesh shirt, Gap leather pants, and vintage boots.

You know how I said I shouldn't buy leather pants going into summer? Yeah? Well for half off of 25 bucks on a practically new pair of Gap leather pants, I made an obvious exception. I picked them up at a local antique store. My dad had actually spied them before and let me know about them, so I went down and took a look at them. When I first had a look at them, I didn't see the reason I should gamble on these pants, since I'd be breaking my rule of not buying pants without first trying them on (no dressing rooms and a non-return policy), so I let them be. A few weeks later I thought I'd check them out again, and upon closer inspection, I realized they were half off (aka 13 bucks) and experienced a reaction similar to this cat. So I put my social awkwardness aside for the moment, and learnt upon asking that I could try them on in their bathroom (which is always fun when there's no locks), where I found them to be a great fit.

So for the the initiation of the pants onto the blog and the end of a search that has been ongoing since the very beginning of my interest in fashion, I thought I'd gussy myself up in a Givenchy-inspired outfit. Mostly since I seem to have various pieces of a wannabe Givenchy Homme wardrobe lying around anyway. The blazer I found for a dollar in a pile of vintage clothing, according to the tag it's Cuban and was a custom job. I've always liked the idea of wearing something dressy like a sport coat with something way less proper and more rocker (SO BAD... I dunno it just came to me... thought I'd share the butchered Dr. Seuss lameness), ie leather pants.
Can't wait to style these pants six ways from Sunday, I'll do an outfit post when I finish off this cold that's gone from my chest, to my throat and ears, and is now being flushed out my nose. Bonne journee!

-Cruz

SCANS FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PART 2

2010-05-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

I actually scanned this pic before the Chanel FW 10/11 show, and you can imagine what came to mind when I fist saw pics from the show. Hunting narwhals is so chic you guys!

Like a good blogger, I completely FORGOT to pack my camera to the Long Beach Flea Market yesterday! It sucked reaching for my camera when I saw something that caught my eye and realizing I didn't have it LOL. I'll make it up to you guys though, I promise.

-Cruz

SOME FOOTWEAR ON MY BRAIN...

2010-05-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

These sandals! I'm thinkin they're Kansai Yamamoto - I wish there was more shoes like these around for guys...

Really into the boots he's wearing since I'm into foot wear that makes me feel like I have tall leathery hooves for feet.

Scanned these pics from a book on Japan I borrowed from the library. In the process of hunting down some decent geta sandals for myself... but I would much rather have the pair of sandals the puppeteer is wearing!

I've been scanning like a mad man lately, so expect a post sometime this week! I was thinking of starting an image blog since I've always secretly wanted to anyway. That way there'd be a part of the Denim on Denim universe that'd be updated more routinely. What do you guys think? I just have to settle on a name lol!

-Cruz

LEATHER KNICKERS

2010-05-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Levi's jacket, vintage tunic, Zara scarf, vintage knickers, and 50s rain boots

Picked up these leather knickers at a vintage shop while I was staying in LA over break. FINALLY. It's pretty tiring sifting through endless racks (or piles) of vintage clothes, because the abundance of vintage flannels and ironic animal sweaters isn't so easy on the eyes. I've been starving for something, scratch that, anything impractical and just plain strange. I found my fix in these pants, an embodiment of two things that I always have my eye out for: leather bottoms and knickers. I hope to find more of both of these in the course of my future vintage shopping trips, but I'm not sure how likely that will be since there doesn't seem to be much of a place for the leather bottoms or knickers wearing gentleman.

My outfit was inspired by one part Givenchy Menswear S/S 09 and one part this photo of Keef:

I'm so obsessed with that scarf that Keith wore for the Stones' 1972 tour of the states. I recently learned, according to Up & Down With the Rolling Stones, that it is in fact a prayer rug. I'm in the process of seeking out random yards of fabric and rags to work on my take, although I have to say my Zara scarf has served me well for adding a finishing drapey, messy touch to most outfits. In typical Cruz fashion, I threw on a military-esque jacket as a finishing touch to this particular look. Probably looks pretty kinky commando paired with the leather shorts, but whatever.

Another addition to my list of 'FINALLY's, is that I scored a peasenty, linen looking top. It has been a damn near impossible search, since to find one that's not embroidered with flowers or one that's not sized for a 13-yr-old girl is a rare occurrence. I'm not blasting it in this post though because I'm probably gonna wear it to death this summer.

I've been looking for a pair of leather pants ever since Givenchy F/W 08/09 came into my life, but it's been really hard to find a pair that fits and looks right. So the task of properly seeking out a decent pair has been stuck in the stagnant sea that is my 'To Do List'. With summer around the bend, it's probably not a good idea to seek out a pair of leather pants just yet anyway.

-Cruz

REDLANDS

2010-04-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my family and I trekked out to Redlands to attend the Inland Koi Society Meeting! My uncle's girlfriend's parents are major koi enthusiasts (especially her dad!), and they hosted the meeting at their historic awarded Heritage Home.

Their house is incredible! I would have had to have gone into full-on shutterbug mode to capture all the cool features of the house. By the time I got to the second room I had to level with myself when I realized it would be impossible this time around and decided to just soak it all in (I didn't mean to intentionally let you guys down lol). It has a very Hearst Castle, Villa Nellcôte vibe to it. One day I'll come back and do an awesome photoshoot!

They are so cute and friendly!

This one was huge! They adopted him from a lady who kept it in very shallow, dirty water but it somehow managed to get huge.

Vintage denim jacket, red coral necklace, and Indian tunic, H&M Jeans, pewter octopus pin from ebay, and secondhand calf hair boots.

-Cruz

CATCH UP POST

2010-04-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Triple Five Soul Jacket, vintage Levis jeans, vintage shirt, and vintage snakeskin boots.

Hey! Hi! Hello! It feels like it's been a while. This is what I've got on lately - I'm not certain that any pair of pants I've had on recently has cost me more than a couple of bucks. Don't take my lack of outfit posts and general contributions to the blog as a lack of interest, it's more a lack of organization. It's just been harder lately to find time for decent outfit posts, scans, etc. (What with the gameplay time in all of my pokemon games being in the 3 digits and all). I'm going to try my best to articulate, what is, the daily chaos of inspiration through my eyes, into my brain, and onto the blog more often. Which at the moment is somewhere between samurai, surf music, greasy spoons, and blues legends (Which at the moment is sounding like some sort of Tarantino film? Although I do enjoy his movies, they're not the vibes I'm surfing at the moment. ((Also, me talking like a brain dead surfer is not the side effect of my recent peak of interest in the music/culture, but probably has more to do with my Orange County upbringing))).

I've probably worn these boots too many blog posts in a row, I often tend to reach for them when I want to be genuinely inspired by what I've got on. There's nothing like having a dead snake wrapped around your feet and ankles to put a spring in your step.

Saying hello to my faithful cat Mouse while exploring the backyard of my neighbor, who recently moved out. Mouse serves as a faithful companion for outdoor spring time reading sessions once you get past the fact she sheds white hair over everything.

Thank you for stopping by and for the continued support! I really do appreciate hearing from you guys and always try to write back and to visit your guys' blogs too! Now I'm off to tackle an asinine busy work assignment assigned by my English teacher who's as stupid as she is crazy. Is it summer yet?

-Cruz

WHITE SAND, BLUE SEA

2010-04-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for recent stalling of posts! I've been on spring break these past two weeks and haven't had time to put together a proper blog post! I promise that posting will return to normal now that I have nothing better to do after school. I did do a little shopping while I was staying in LA last week and I've picked up a new hobby recently that I'm excited to post about so stay tuned. Thanks again guys for stopping by and for your kind comments and support; it means a lot! :)

-Cruz

LONG BEACH FLEA MARKET MARCH 2009 & LUSTRALBOY FEATURE

2010-04-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

Another fistfull of images from my Flea Market travels. You may notice I was particularly drawn towards the footwear this time around.

I think the design of these is so clever! I mean, when doesn't a secret zipper on your boots come in handy?

Kind of a hybrid between my calf hair boots and my 50's rain boots. Needless to say I rigorously tried to jam my huge feet in there before I moved on, defeated.

The more I think about these, the more I need a pair of boots with flames on them! I think Margiela could have done an excellent version of these (Unless he did! Please enlighten me!).

These had some fabric detailing on them that reminded me of Proenza Schouler's rug boots. Once again, size kept me from uniting them with my feet.

Memorabilia from hell! I guess you know you've made it when your face is all over a pair of sneakers...

...or shirt?

Although a Hilary Clinton head with a deflated nose on a buff mannequin's torso may seem like something odd to stumble upon, but beyond the entrance gates of the Long Beach flea market it becomes a common occurrence.

Cool details on this jacket!

I love this robe! The man selling them had tons, some that even predated WWII.

If I bought this cantine, I'd have been one step closer to completing an entire cow!

Do chic people eat McDonalds?

The shirt is pretty meh but the zipper detail is pretty awesome.

This could be a graveyard of discarded baby dolls or where the parts of baby dolls are assembled before they're born. Another way of looking at the glass half empty or full?

Andd a helluva lot of zippers.

I'm April's featured story on LustalBoy.com!

Click the link to read my interview and to see the pictures I shot for the article! I realize that I'm looking to the left and right in all of the pictures, this was not intentional LOL. Thanks again LustralBoy!

-Cruz

DAMAGED DENIM

2010-03-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

I've been really inspired lately by the denim from Dolce & Gabbana's F/W 10/11 show. I was instantly drawn to the dried sludge look of the jeans - appealing to the part of my style DNA that wants nothing more than to wear the collection of dirty, tattered, smelly jeans that once belonged to a coal miner who lived a century ago. I've been lucky enough to have fished out a pair of jeans in that direction from the Long Beach flea market last month. Collecting shabby denim has become a new obsession of mine. A guiltless one too since they cost about a fistful of change.

Levi's jacket & jeans, American Apparel sweater, vintage Navajo inspired necklace, & snakeskin boots

My pair of jeans with a meager sludge stain. I'm researching ways to gnarl these up more. A pair of baggy, button-fly busted jeans are perfect for the blossoming spring weather.

From experience, the color orange works best in the realm of accessories. I'm really feeling how orange looks with green, two colors that I think most people tend to shy away from the most in their wardrobes. Must be the combination of everyone's least favorite colors that's appealing to my impeccable taste.

So excited for Spring! I'll keep you guys updated on my denim mutilation projects.

-Cruz

SCANS FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PT 1

2010-03-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

As both a natural born collector and lover of images, the fact that the old photo teacher's National Geographic collection has been up for grabs in my class has kept me rather busy these past few months. I've made it a habit to snip away at the inspirational content and slip them into my photo binder during the free periods I have after I've finished enlarging my prints. Disrespecting school property? Probably, but our new photo teacher is indifferent to what we do to them since they've just been collecting dust. I took it easy until one day a few classmates decided to start harvesting them and that sent me into full-on image hoarder mode. So please enjoy this first round of clippings. Most are from issues from the 70s and 80s. I'm not 100% sure of the info behind of most of these, but I'll include whatever info I can remember. I have plenty more clippings and I've picked up a sizable amount at thrift stores around town so expect more posts as I work on scanning them!

One of my favorites: a rancher from Japan. It was from an article about the westernization of Japan.

-Cruz

I WAS LORD KITCHENER'S VALET

2010-03-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

Antique Calvary Jacket, vintage plaid shirt of my brother's, Cheap Monday jeans, Lucite necklace, and 50s rain boots.

Was inspired to take out my cavalry jacket and try to style it in the most casual way possible. Not because I think I have to tone it down to go out or anything, I just thought I'd play around with the piece since it is more on the dramatic side. Pretty fitting for a lazy Sunday sitting around making waffles and playing Pokemon Pearl...

My brother has the most amazing collection of plaid shirts, granted some were my dads, but for me they fit perfectly for the baggier style. A surefire way to wash over any outfit with a laid back mood, because what's more casual than throwing on your brother's shirt?

These jeans are falling apart! I love how delicate the fibers look; like spider webs.

Anddd the boots. Clunky and comfortable, not usually what I go for in the foot wear department, but I cannot deny my love for these.

I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet

The fact that a place like this even existed and that I'll never be able to go and raid the racks of militaria is excruciating! Especially since my new hobby is window shopping on ebay and on
Herman's Military Antique-esque corners of the internet for military jackets. To be able to walk into a store and be up to my ears (and hopefully on my way out) in them, would be a fashion El Dorado. Check out this video to see an interview with the owner and an awesome Hendrix performance. Especially if you're like me and this is the equivalent of dangling a delicious donut in front of a dieter.

P.S. Check out an interview I did with Green By Design!

-Cruz

MOOD BOARD 3/8/10

2010-03-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

Just a random surge of inspiration. Shopping for myself these days has often left me despondent, since what I'm looking for usually cannot be acquired without use of a time machine, exist within my budget, or exist at all.

-Cruz

FEBRUARY LONG BEACH FLEA MARKET 2010

2010-03-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of new content! I've been swamped this past week with school obligations (which is actually pretty rare, thankfully). I would've done an outfit post, but my nose has been sunburned pretty badly (I can't take very much sun), so I'm waiting for it to work itself out and I'll return fresh as a daisy. For now, please enjoy these photos I took from last weekend's flea market.

Awesome mannequin. Brings to mind the Stones'Rock & Roll Circus performance of Sympathy for the Devil.

Hip-hop denim bathed in the early morning light...

Boro-style denim coat.

More hip-hop denim.

By the arms of this diety!

Has a lot of potential for my new bike helmet...

Aww!

My dad and I came across a lot of jockey stuff this time around, but I thought this particular shirt looked cool contrasting against the bleak backdrop.

Sometimes I feel like every time I go someone is leaving me pieces to assemble a haunted house.

Awesome lamp and trinkets... Rick Owens has some furniture similar to the lamp in his Paris apartment if I'm not mistaken.

The brother of my patchwork hat.

This hat reminds me of something from Rerun's wardrobe from What's Happenin!!... I might be one of the only people of my generation that watched that show when they were a kid.

I hadn't seen these logos on a shirt before. I dig the crocs.

Western trash and glam...

I love Mariachi suits!

I've always found the idea of a women's suit in leather to be quite perverse.

Whenever I see signs like these, I always think of them hanging on the front of some kid's bedroom door.

Some shoes...

Cool slipper thingies

Playboy shoes!

Cool fringe vest.

YSL-4-Less

Or the spicy Latin alternative to des fraises.

-Cruz

SCANS FROM (UN)FASHION

2010-02-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

Wedding headdress, India

I was gifted the book (un)Fashion by Tibor and Maira Kalman this past Christmas, and I have to say it was probably my favorite present! For a National-Geographic-Style image hunter/addict like myself, this book was a godsend. It's filled to the brim with a collection of inspiring images of people highlighting their styles from all over the world. My favorite thing about this book is the fact that all these people are wearing what they'd be wearing on any normal day; a showcase of pure, innate style. But I'm not posting to review the book, I thought I'd work on scanning the book. In my hunt for scans, I haven't come across any decent scans and figured I'd share mine with you guys. So here's some pictures I found most inspiring from the first few chapters with descriptions the book provided. I highly recommend picking up this book since my scans hardly do the pics justice!

Man with red scarf, Namibia
Woman with pot on her head
Tribesman wearing penis sheath, bigger the sheath, higher the rank, Paupa New Guinea
Charles Manson dress, USA

Spotted man with goggle mask, Indonesia

Two men carrying umbrellas, Mali

Soccer supporter, Nigeria

Two hip cats, Japan & Huli wig man painting face, Papua New Guinea

Mackerel can bracelet, Papua New Guinea

Woman wearing vest with buttons, USA

Kewa woman in mourning, Papua New Guinea

Woman with painted white face, Brranquilla Carnival, Colombia

Woman with jewlery, India

Highlander tribesman wearing yogurt lid through his nose, Papua New Guinea

Masai wearing pineappple can earring, Kenya

-Cruz

MIKAN

2010-02-16T17:55:00.001-08:00

If you have any questions about the board or want image credit, just shoot me an email. :)

-Cruz

SKIRT

2010-02-08T18:25:00.001-08:00

Levi's denim jacket, American Apparel micro mesh shirt and skirt, Cheap Monday jeans, necklace from a flea market, and vintage rain boots.
"Hey can your bring your AA skirt to school tomorrow? I'll explain then."

That was the text I sent to my good friend Paige the other day. Under any normal circumstances, a request like that would raise a lot of questions, but in our case Paige knew the time had come. For readers who have been following Denim on Denim long enough, you might remember a post I did about men in skirts, and I still stand by what i said. So it was inevitable that one day I would try my hand at the look. It all started when my dad bought me an awesome Levi's jacket. It brought to mind Rick Owens' S/S 2010 collection, so I set off to playing around and trying to emulate the style.

"...It brought to mind Rick Owens' S/S 2010 collection..."

Eventually I realized that all I was missing was a Rick Owens skirt to complete the look. With a pretty good memory of what my more style-savvy friends wear, I inquired to Paige about borrowing a skirt of her's that I thought might just do the trick. I think it worked out pretty damn well, a suitable upper-lower-middle class version of the runway style. My only regret so far is that I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store in it after we took these.

Definitely needed a clunky shoe to weigh down this look.

Gonna help out F21's Heritage 1981 team with a shoot on Thursday - should be fun! For now I have a desert biome diorama to build. Yes!

-Cruz

LONG BEACH FLEA MARKET JAN 2010

2010-02-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

January's flea market trip just in time for February! Lets kick this post off with a very long pair of jeans...

I could see this pair of jeans working really well in interior design. You could sling it over something, similar to the way people have fur shrugged over a couch or chair, or lay it over a chest or somethin.

Awesome mannequin. Makes me think of Prada F/W 09, since it looks like the hacked-off bosom of a She-Mars.

Vintage leopard pelt shrug.

Hoof doorstops? Maybe some very large book ends?

I have an obsession with anything that looks like it would take forever for me to do myself.

I don't even... but whoever ends up buying this has serious bff potential with me.

Moving on to some footwear...

Some Paul Smith loafers in the coolest colors.

These are so cool! They were too small for me unfortunately...

My attempt at a detail shot.

Some denim boots. If you wear these with some denim on denim, you can have denim on denim on denim. If you wear it with a denim 3-pc suit and jeans, you can have denim on denim on denim on denim on denim!

So obsessed with the embroidery on these jackets.

DEVIL DOG

Metallic dark olive denim Play Boy jacket??? Sorry the lighting sucks - as usual the quality of these pics is a free-for all.

Now I'm gonna go back to endlessly almost-sneezing...

-Cruz

ANTIQUE CAVALRY JACKET

2010-01-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

Antique 1907 British Cavalry Jacket, vintage red coral necklace, American Apparel tee, Cheap Monday jeans, belt from a flea market, and vintage Calf Hair boots.

On the third Sunday of every month, I tirelessly explore the dusty labyrinth that is the Long Beach flea market with my dad. We pass by countless things that catch our eyes and on one occasion, a certain jacket caught my eye from the back of a booth. I took a quick glance at it, quickly examined it, but was shied away by the $200+ price tag. I so kindly took a picture of it without asking, for future reference, and sped off onto the next thing.
Months passed, and as I was perusing my flea market photo archives one-day, I stopped. Coming across the jacket again in photographic form, my brain reeled in and whipped out a Jimi Hendrix reference; I had realized that Jimi Hendrix had worn an extremely similar, if not exact, coat. My mind became instantly barraged with thoughts such as: "Will it even fit?" "Is it a wise purchase?" "What if it rains this Sunday?" (Sunday being on the cusp of the storms California was about to experience). I held my breath until Sunday arrived, and when we finally arrived at the flea market I immediately sought out the seller, tried it on, heaved a crumpled stack of Jacksons at her, and scuttled off.

"I had realized that Jimi Hendrix had worn an extremely similar, if not exact, coat."

The fact that it fits as decent as it does, to me, is incredible. I feel extremely fortunate to come across it. It came with a pair of jodhpurs as well, my feet are too big to fit through them (We're talking 1907 sizes yall - not that I have Cinderella feet anyway), which isn't a problem since I didn't know the pants existed until I purchased the suit.
I've searched tirelessly for the perfect band/military jacket for years and am so happy to have finally found this one. It's perfect - great colors i.e.-muted gold, great buttons, Hendrix cred etc. With the surge of Balmainia hitting stores, just about every store has made a rendition of a Sgt. Pepper jacket that I could have easily picked up by now, but I feel like what makes these jackets so special is their unique quality. They come in so many different colors and styles and are found so few and far between, a mass-produced one wouldn't be the same. It's different than just a sweater or t-shirt, I think you guys get what I'm talking about. Anyway, sorry to have assaulted your eyes with all this text! Onto the outfit shots...

Here's a detail shot of the necklace/collar.

Detail shot of the buttons.

Today is also Denim on Denim's first birthday! Thank you everyone for your support over the past year! Your support really means the world to me and I feel very fortunate to have gotten to know some of you guys as well! I look forward to seeing what the future will bring to Denim on Denim. :)

-Cruz

WHEN THE SUN IS SINKIN LOW

2010-01-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

Decided to take some pictures showing off some recent acquisitions after a day of non-stop rain...
Triple Five Soul jacket, vintage shirt, American Apparel scarf, belt from a flea market, Cheap Monday jeans, vintage snakeskin boots

I got the jacket brand spankin new last month at the Long Beach flea market for 25 bucks. I guess it cost about 100 more new, so I was definitely gettin my recessionista on. I've never heard of 'Triple Five Soul' before, I don't really pay attention to brands anyway, but I really like this jacket. It's nice to have something that's comfortable but doesn't let you down in the design dept.

My dad and I took the photos on top of the parking garage at our local mall. Kind of a suburban Autoamerican haha!

I've just made a pretty big purchase I'm SUPER excited about, and cannot wait to share with you guys! I'm figuring out the best way to debut it haha, so stay tuned! ;-)

-Cruz

LAST SATURDAY

2010-01-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

Wore this to go shopping in downtown Pomona the other day...
Vintage leather hat, sweater, necklace, bag, and boots. LSL linen shirt & H&M jeans. Have you guys heard of LSL? I got the shirt at a secondhand store and it was brand new, but I've never heard of the brand.

I got this navajo-like sweater at American Vintage in Los Feliz while I was staying in LA last week. All I'm saying is that California better get in shape and cool down (is the fact that it's winter a good enough reason?) so I can wear this all the time. Kinda has a Missoni vibe to it too, which I like.

I picked up this plastic (~~maybe it's lucite? I wish?~~ I was informed by a helpful reader that it is indeed lucite!) necklace at an antique mall sale in Pomona for a couple of bucks. I try to collect finishing touches and I think that this necklace is one of those.

My favorite traveling companions...

My break just ended, so I should have more time for blogging! You'd think that winter break would lead to more time for blogging, but I guess I was just out doing stuff for once instead! I got some shopping done too so expect some cool shoots with my new finds up soon. :)

-Cruz