Montenegro Style

Hey, Spring!

audibleandchic — Sat, 05 May 2012 10:56:57 -0400

Angry, ready to project, say, ‘no,’ ‘go,’ say, ‘can you feel the reverb of my furious kid heart?’ Still in the velvet blazer, the one that made me feel the force of my own brawn, it pushed against my growing bones. Plush raven, mauve crew neck, recurrent battleship grey cardigan. In times when there is no change, when the season drags and clangs against our hearts this is how we dress. Our war apparel to fight against the chill winds, flat faces that pass in the street. No ice cream in sight. I see you spring. I see you seeing me. Take a picture, it’ll last longer. And change your attitude so I can change into my swim trunks.

Yeah, I dressed myself

audibleandchic — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:42:29 -0400

Out in the sun I squint, shape my palm into a cup to hold more light. This is the way we look together. We accessorize each other. It’s not the tigers on the tie, but that I’m an undone tiger, tied only to the Basquiat bleed of skulls on crew-necks, grandpa’s olive striped hat, the sheen of athleticism, my sister. We wear each other with intentional ease.

Don't wanna be sedated

audibleandchic — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:58:40 -0400

Over there. Yes. Always over there. Xavier, we must look ahead. Keep moving, forge bonds, carry our future selves like electric guitars. Thrum. I’ll write three chords, you let rock and roll salvage your heart. Look. That isn’t a discarded baseball cap, a tourist, a transit system made of shopping carts and pop cans. It’s a scene. Move ahead. Don’t be fooled. This doesn’t mean the past won’t weigh on us, heave songs, eras, revolutions onto our brains. Neutrals aren’t boring, this is our uniform. T-shirt homage in heathered charcoal. Both of us pay tribute in our camouflage, our dark tops. We punctuate with primary colours. Duckling yellow, frosted tulip. I’m Johnny, you’re DeeDee. Keep looking.

Golden Child

audibleandchic — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:50:55 -0500

Last night there was action, but where was the adventure? It was pretty, but so much filler. Award show slits and caustic lighting. Legs, collar bones, beards, bang. Shiny baubles are borrowed. Veneers are a sign of weakness. No one needs to own anything, unless they win. Let’s get real. Rock baseball tees. Gaps. Moss vest, brocade, buttons made of copper. The golden child is a rolling stone, part Mick, part Keith, glamour and grit. Oscar is a little man you could chip a tooth on. Don’t keep him on a shelf. Strap a parachute to his back and send him over the theatre balcony. He’ll land with a graceful thunk in Jack’s old spot. There was a man who could have adventures just sitting shotgun in a theatre seat.

Montenegro marathon

audibleandchic — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:57:22 -0500

It’s not about running from something. Think movement. The way corduroy pumps, ridges bristle against each other, against thighs, against knees, against calves. Pants that energize, that set legs up to work together, become stronger, change the atmosphere. Arms pummel the air, they make a playground a forest. Pilled grey is more than a sweater’s failure, rustic opulence of buttons and wool amongst the cradle of oaks, the possibility of bears. It’s about motion, the swing of sleeves, shoes that punch dry leaves, freedom to alter the landscape.

I don't have a problem

audibleandchic — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:09:24 -0500

You’re the one with the problem. Not drunk on chocolate milkshake, even with that shot of pure, unfiltered melted Caramilk. Everyone is prone to a dizzy look, a sloppy lip, an outraged outburst, a pub eviction. Silk tie askew, shirt unbuttoned, untucked. Undone is a look, tweed vest pulls it together, pants rumple, Doc Martens clomp along the asphalt. I’m a common man. Disheveled? Plastered? No. You’re the one with the problem.

Shorn

audibleandchic — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:19:22 -0500

Breaking news. No need to hide it. New cut, fresh. Golden locks swept like the curve of a crown. Keep the rest classic. No need to call it simple. The wave, the length are too natural. Black is not breaking news. Black is a backdrop, a solid, Breaking news is being true to the little parts of self. To hold a hand for strength. A neon toy as a plastic talisman. Sometimes a haircut is a statement and a pleasure. Sometimes a look of worry is also of wonder, a look that makes and breaks open. Look.

Beanie baby

audibleandchic — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:49:47 -0500

Hair tidy under a snowball cap. The word, ‘unisex’ doesn’t do effortlessness justice. Makes it a marketing tool, a coupon. Clean on top. That’s how to do it. Layer the rest, black on white on blue collar, unpopped. Stay clear of streamlined, it tries too hard. Rustle it up. Hard wash slashed into denim, a crinkle in the slate sleeve, a wrinkle in the eye lid. A day-long wink. Like being drunk. Sometimes one can’t control the flow of the juicebox.

Formal

audibleandchic — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:52:24 -0500

Montenegro hero’s song begins in the shadow of mother, the glare of SUV, ends in question marks. Living in the musical stage of questions. After weeks of silence these are the days of questions. Why not sing out loud? Why wear a tie when two dimensions of blue and red screened together in that shape will say all there is to say about the informal nature of Montenegro chic? When is it not the right time to tuck smokey grey slacks into polished boots that allude to wars fought but never won? Where does one find the perfect black hoodie anymore? How are we to continue on when there are so many more questions? She sings these questions not because she doesn’t know the answers, but because she must ask.

Hybrid

audibleandchic — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:14:27 -0400

Feathery hair, a fluffy sweater in mocha fur, the hard plastic sweeps of a yellow helmet. Fierce as a lion. Light as an eagle. She is some new Montenegro gryphon, winged mane, swinging through the trees, diving from the sky. Fearless. Locked in, secure. That’s how she makes us feel too. With her overhead, in our heads, we can stop worrying about when the light will break through, how long to keep expired yogurt, which wool will keep us warm all winter through. Acrylics are only for zip-lines. She secures us. She has not been declawed. She was born with the softest paws.

Grey/Gray

audibleandchic — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:29:49 -0400

Grey stripes. Gray stripes. They are many things to many people in many states of dress and undress. A lemur, a tabby, a shawl left behind by a Montenegro matriarch. A shawl not forgotten, but gifted through loss and draped across an olive tree, a sapling, new life in the alpaca wool woven through branches. We grow into and out of tastes. In our shawl years my sisters and I will weave through these youthful moments, first ear piercing, denim fresh as father in Thelma and Louise, apple cheeks, skate shoes in the rain, cheekiness. We will decide if in our grey/gray we are ready to reminisce or re-live.

Wild like an animal

audibleandchic — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:55:13 -0400

Being put together is not something Montenegro moguls aspire to, it is just a part of their being, built into DNA, like luxury is built into a fine, black, butter leather bomber jacket. Like rebellious chic runs through the fibers of fingerless skeleton gloves. Like turbulent grace in the footfalls of feet in zebra-print boots. Reckless and tailored, urban and wild. The illusion of freshly shorn, hair that falls just so. The Spiderman hanky a gentleman’s calling card from a place where Montenegro is more than a style, it exists to change our future, to dress us smartly as we journey to something real, somewhere we will never fully understand. Embrace this and together we will step out into the light, animal print boots marking our path.

Move Over Sandy Bullock

audibleandchic — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:32:15 -0400

Montenegro style is all about congenial clothes covering the body in good feelings, sharing joy and spreading gorgeousity with seemingly no effort. Last night, at Trump’s pageant, the obvious and beautiful thing happened: Miss Montenegro was elected Miss Congeniality. 2011 is the year Montenegro takes on it’s detractors. All two of them. Miss Universe herself nods her head to MS style. SJP II, this bouquet, this is in honour of you. Miss Montenegro thanks you with the sparkle in her eye, the padding in her bikini top, the glisten of hair extensions, the gleam of white caps. It’s not fake. It’s a Montenegro miracle.

Rules are for breaking

audibleandchic — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:25:44 -0400

It doesn’t matter that it’s past Labour Day. Style does not abide by arbitrary rules set forth by the oppressive Gregorian calendar. Montenegro style makes its own calendar. Days marked by sneaker treads, in ultramarine and taupe, hours threaded through each rubber gateway. Years pass subtle as classic straight-leg khakis, each fold a reminder of a natural, easy-going order. Clock ticks as country club polo turns badass. Timeless as eggshell white, combed through cotton. That is how we measure, if it could be measured, Montenegro style.

Shock and Awe

audibleandchic — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:10:00 -0400

We are as impressed with the layering prowess of our Montenegro maven as she is with the sheen of this finely finished oak. She makes a note of the way the sun gleams off the surface, how smooth, how glossy, how perfect in its wooden majesty. In a week, a month, a decade this will come back to her, this image, this feeling, her emotional memory attuned to the joy felt upon seeing visual glory. Does she dare stroke it with her small, formidable hand? When one dons a butch leather jacket over a modern military take on her staple hoodie punctuated by a pop of lemon one must touch the surface or perish.

Out of this world

audibleandchic — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:01:22 -0400

I am attired to contemplate the mysteries of the universe. Simple, neutral but never placid. Grey means comfort and scientific fortitude. These glasses, retro, lime symbol of scientific endeavor. And I need to protect my eyes. Sometimes Pikachu bores into my soul. Plastic eyes, black and glossy as beetles, take hold of me. This is why an experienced space invader always has two sidekicks. The tall one molds my hair and the yellow one folds curiosity into magic. The thin one isn’t part of my posse. She merely puts clothes in the closet. I make my own Montenegro choices. The galaxy shimmers.

Looking inside

audibleandchic — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:09:17 -0400

When this photo was taken I had just left a cotton candy making session. Sticky, ecstatic, full blown contentment. A frothy cloud of delight on the end of a joy cane. As I walked down the boulevard construction workers drove nails into wood and they shone like diamonds. When I was four, things were so much simpler. Grey stripes gave me the power to love again. The white paints made me feel like a painter, a fresh wall in front of me. With this costume, this sugar, I was ready to create something, how do you say? Montenegro style.

Grand old fraternity

audibleandchic — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:22:08 -0400

No need to ask for it. She doesn’t even really want it. Hell, she doesn’t notice. They just look to her. Brothers, together in their desire to get the look. Dishevelled bob,sleek dress sneaker, the perfect T, khakis crinkled from keeping up with Bernadette the Flying Monkey and Scroonch the dependable dishrag. And yet. They all want more. Papa’s scruff, Ma’s understated neutrals. Our girl has asked for a moustache/beard kit for Christmas. That’s the answer to the question: what does one buy for the flamboyant tomboy who has everything? But I’m sure some of you Montenegro maniacs knew that already.

To be king

audibleandchic — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:09:40 -0400

Shhh! Demeter, we can plan our coup together. First we’ll take out the skinny one with all the ink on her, then the scruffy one whose eyes match mine. We must use stealth. Don’t worry, I’ve got your leather jacket and hoodie in my He-Man backpack. We’ll sneak along in our Adidas shell toes and then jump out. I’ll tickle one while you do the other. Then, we’ll rule the couch cushion castle together. Oh, Demeter, you’re so soft, my bubblegum pink, terrycloth friend. Let me put my lips around you. There now. Let’s rest up before our attack.

My new fighting technique

audibleandchic — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:07:37 -0400

It’s not about the hair. It never was. Remember Papa Pitt in the 90’s? Long and lustrous, ready to be tousled or strewn with twigs or product. Short or long, honey blonde or ashen blonde, wispy or windblown. These are words we use to describe organic magic. And those follicles paired with this soccer-ninja hybrid style really bring home a simple message: to kick a man, or to kick a ball, when you look this devil-may-care and urban chic, you are Montenegro style.