Fancy That: Lekker Necklines
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Sara fancies vintage scarf ascots from Lekker. Sported as a fresh alternative to a necklace, they’re sure to turn heads and sass-up any outfit, from jeans and a t-shirt to a cocktail dress, even adding some warmth on a cool night.
Lekker founder and Bay Area designer, Catherine Weis has been collecting vintage scarves at shops and flea markets for years, drawn by their vibrant patterns. With a life-long interest in fashion design, and a professional career in graphic design, Catherine began applying her artistic eye and creative know-how to her scarf collection. The result is a totally unique and modern twist on the classic woman’s ascot.
“I’ve always been interested in the play between shapes, textures and color, between the old and the new. I’m inspired and reassured to know that classic design never goes out of style.”
Each hand-selected scarf is put through a professional pleating process and hand-sewn to a lace collar fitted with an adjustable gold-plated chain and lobster claw clasp. Choose from the “Chrysler” or “A Line” design, available in a variety of lengths, or go extra-glam in black lace. There are so many delicious designs, you’ll want more than one!
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Not Whether, but When?
When, when, when? Part existential quandary, part materialistic mantra, the word “when” bears an authentically American bent. It’s perhaps all too fitting that, in a world where nothing is ever enough and missions are accomplished none too soon, SF-based industrial designer (and Gimme Shoes denizen) Genaro Vergoglini crafts Quando, his new line of upcycled belts.
Inspired by the Italian word for “when,” (Vergoglini himself is Italian-American), Quando offers an array of bold, seasonless, unisex options alla moda — that is to say, locally made belts with a decidedly Europen edge that anyone can wear right now, not to mention for many seasons to come.
OK, so we get the when and the why, but how does he do it? Vergoglini scours thrift and used clothing stores to find suede and leather belts that are in great or like-new condition. He then hand-draws his own original graphics onto the belts using fabric inks and paints — resulting in one-of-a-kind designs that have also been recycled and redesigned without adding to the landfill or using precious new resources.
Looks like the only question now is, why not?
Quando’s e-commerce website is currently under construction. For more information, please contact Genaro Vergoglini directly at genaroplease@yahoo.com.
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What’s Your Damage? No Harm in Asking
People are strange, and no one knows it better than Heather, our resident smart-mouthed, drink-slingin’, sociologist. Join her adventures in the ridiculous, hilarious, and grotesque, on a quest to understand just what makes us Bay Area weirdos tick.
Vol. 4: No Harm in Asking
“Why won’t people stand on the right side of the escalator so I can hot-foot it down the left side and not miss my BART train? Why do people stand in the doorways on Muni forcing me to elbow my way out the door at my stop? How much should I tip my cab driver and can I dock his tip for driving too slow or being too chatty? How do I get my ex-boyfriend to stop calling me at 1am?”
Are these the kind of questions you find rolling around in your head as you trip through life around the Bay Area? Whatever you’re wondering about, I want to know… what’s your damage?
When I’m not busy solving SF’s greatest sociological mysteries, I’d love to help you find the answers to your burning questions about Bay-Area life.
Send your questions to heather@culturcosm.com and get some answers for once!
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Fancy That: LD Tuttle Autumn/Winter 2009
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Kay fancies anything from LD Tuttle’s Autumn/Winter 2009 collection to kick off her regularly scheduled fall reboot. The architectural wooden heels and melancholy, Mad Max-reminiscent uppers offer a raw and rather bleak alternative to the season’s pseudo-serious bondage booties. Step aside “suede-o” masochistic chic, LD Tuttle has something more subtly titillating in store. Find all of the above and more at OAK NYC.
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Dazed by the Dozen
Cherries are a lovely treat, but if you ask me, life is a big tray of freshly shucked oysters. Especially on a blue-sky day, sitting outside at Sea Salt, sipping Chardonnay and slurping them at just a buck a pop.
Sea Salt has realized the concept of “urban oasis” in every aspect. Situated on a colorful little stretch of San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, a wide expanse of windows draws you into a cool, watery world of blue-green glass, polished concrete, exposed brick, and unfinished wood. Add a warm welcome from the staff and a table on the tree-shaded brick patio or in the airy sunroom out back, and happy hour is off to a grand start.
Every day from 3-6pm “The Other Menu” features not just raw oysters, but fried ones, and shooters with house-made Bloody Mary mix, too, in addition to more than ten other small plates for $5-$9. Add fresh toasted chickpeas, fried friarello peppers, and endless amazing crusty bread to your dozen on the half, and you have yourself a fabulous finger-food meal. Wash it all down with a $3 draft beer, a $5 glass of wine, or one of Sea Salt’s signature cocktails made with freshly squeezed citrus.
An hour or two spent like this makes for the kind of relaxed and blissful experience that you treasure in your memory for years—summer vacation in an afternoon.
Of course, it could’ve been the oysters—they are an aphrodisiac after all, or so they say. Perhaps it would be prudent to try out a few other half-shell happy hour havens around the Bay, and investigate this oyster bliss further:
Luka’s Taproom & Lounge in Uptown Oakland shells out $1 oysters all day long every Monday.
Hog Island Oyster Bar tops off a visit to the Ferry Building with $1 oysters and $3.50 pints of beer, Mondays & Thursdays, 5-7pm
Grand Café near Union Square gives you 6 for $6 plus $3 Sierra Nevada, and daily special plates, Monday-Friday, 3-7pm.
Zuppa one-ups the rest SOMA-style with 50¢ oysters, $4 beers, and $5 wines, Monday-Friday 5-7pm.
And if you find your raw mollusk adoration cannot be bound by the hands of time or your end-of-recession budget, you better get yourself a spot in line at Swan Oyster Depot. Every oyster lover worth her salt must make a point of bellying up to that old-school bar in Nob Hill at least once before leaving the Bay. They close at 5:30pm and aren’t open Sundays, so get there early and bring the newspaper—it’s worth the wait.
Sea Salt is located at 2512 San Pablo Avenue (at Dwight Way) in Berkeley. Open daily until 10pm. 510.883.1720.
–Sara
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Beat Box: The Smaller The Better
So you’re sick of all your music and ready for some new tunes to rock out to? Have no fear, Taylor, our Bay Area woman on the beat is here to rescue you from your funkless funk with the latest sounds from the music scene. Listen up.
It’s safe to say that when it comes to the stage, size DOESN’T matter. And as this month’s SF Outside Lands approaches, no truer words have been spoken.
The anguish I felt when it was announced that The Beastie Boys would no longer be the closing night headliners was compounded by the supremely disappointing news that Tenacious D would be their replacement. Say wha?? But as is often the case with large music festivals it’s really not about the so-called big names but rather the lesser known and equally (if not more) talented little guys. Listen up people, this festival will not disappoint—just remember, the smaller stages are the place to be. Take a gander at a couple of next weekend’s little gems as you prepare to get your groove on, HUGE!
What can I say about The Duke Spirit? Well, you best believe I’ll be leaving work early to make sure I don’t miss their Friday afternoon set. My desk chair will be spinning as I hotfoot it out of the office and race to the sounds of Leila Moss and her talented supporting fellows. Think Pixies meets Sonic Youth and you sort of get the idea. T.G.I.F. indeed!
Saturday, is a slightly mellower affair. I’m not going to lie, when I first reviewed Saturday’s line-up I kind of wanted to put my 3-day ticket back up for sale. I just wasn’t feeling it. Some time having passed and a bit more MySpace research done, Saturday’s now the day I’m most pumped about. Here’s one of many reasons why…
The tall trees and endless sky surrounding Golden Gate Park create a perfect stage for the ethereal Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes. Her song ‘What’s a Girl to do?’ has long been one of this girl’s go-to ditties. Her music is both haunting and extremely comforting at the same time. With the April release of her second album ‘Two Suns’ one can only feel like she’s just getting started and man does she have my ear.
Whether you’re into the big-stage headliners or you’re an indie-loving equal opportunity listener, this year’s SF Outside Lands is sure to sing to you, so don’t miss out!
—Taylor
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Fancy That: Dry Fly Whiskey
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Michael fancies the just-released Washington wheat whiskey courtesy of the master distillers at Dry Fly. This latest of snake poisons peaked my interest for a number of reasons. One, I’m a whiskey fiend. Two, Dry Fly’s is the first whiskey produced in the state of Washington since Prohibition and the only made from all wheat in the country. Three, these guys know a thing or two about producing an award-winning liquor. Their brand vodka was named best in class at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. What more could you ask for, but a sip!
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Style Genus: Millicent
As fashion has evolved, so has the public’s ability to reinterpret it and make it our own. The classes aren’t as clear-cut as jock vs. nerd anymore. Style genus is where we finally make some sense of our biodiversity in dress. Think of us as cultural anthropologists— for the fashion-conscious. Clothes, after all, do make the man as well as the woman.
— Michael
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What’s Your Damage? Beat the Brats
People are strange, and no one knows it better than Heather, our resident smart-mouthed, drink-slingin’, sociologist. Join her adventures in the ridiculous, hilarious, and grotesque, on a quest to understand just what makes us Bay Area weirdos tick.
Vol. 3: Beat the Brats
As a seasoned “bar maid,” I have learned to gloss over a lot of behavior when it comes to the folly of the drunken fool. Building beer can pyramids, eating olives from the fruit tray for dinner, leaving gum and snot filled napkins on the bar counter—it all comes with the territory. Yes even you bro, the one who locked yourself in the ladies restroom for 45 minutes and finally made us break the door down, only to find you passed out on the toilet, pants around your ankles, covered in vomit, even your antics do not surprise me. But one thing that still drives me into sass-attack is the lack of consideration some people have for those who facilitate their good time. Be it bartenders, food servers, cab drivers, or otherwise, a little respect goes a long way. As the saying goes “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
Case in point: While waiting for the ladies room during a brief lull on a busy Saturday night, Princess Hauteur walked up and proceeded to cut in front of me. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I put my hand on the door and told her I was waiting. To my surprise, the little rat chick proceeded to try and claw my hand off the door and said, “I’m going in.” Stunned, I replied with “No, you’re not. I’m next, and who in baby Jesus’ manger do you think you are?!” Her unceasing determination led me to lady-handle her, pinning her flailing arms down and calling for backup. When my coworker responded, the evil one innocently insisted that she had done nothing wrong and then flashed me an “F you, I’m getting away with it” smile. He quickly realized what I was dealing with, and kicked her out.
If Little Miss Entitled had an ounce of civility she could have enjoyed the rest of the night at her will. Instead she was thrown out. Staying un-86’d, especially from a lenient bar like mine, is not that difficult. Needless to say, a simple “please” and “thank you” go a long way, but here are a few additional tips to ensure limitless belly-up time:
1. Exercise patience. Wait your turn for the restroom, to order your drink (no, “hey bartender,” snapping, or whistling) or to close out your tab. Your zen-like disposition will be noticed, and you’ll likely be served before the guy/girl waving their hands to get attention.
2. Do not come into a crowded bar if you’re going to get testy when someone bumps into you. Unless you’re looking for a fight, and in that case, you’re a d-bag anyway, and you should throw yourself out. By the same token, when you’re in a crowded bar, try to be considerate of your fellow patrons and don’t pour beer on them.
3. Do not sleep on the bar. If you can’t keep your eyes open or hold your head up, please go home. I promise, you won’t miss a thing.
4. Do not drink yourself to the point that you purge. This is not a hot look for you. Furthermore, I will forever associate you with vomit.
5. Do not ask the bartender for cocaine. I am not a dealer of illegal substances. You’ve been watching too much Law and Order if you seriously think there’s some shady under-the-table drug slangin’ goin’ on that you can get in on.
So don’t let poor taste in bar etiquette ruin your reputation. Though we live in a crowded city, it’s only 7 miles square, so you never know when or where you might see someone again. Coming from a small town in the middle of nowhere, I’m constantly surprised that I can run into someone I know whether it be in China Basin or Chinatown. I’m just sayin… I hope I’m lucky enough to run into Princess Hauteur on Union Street one day!
Got any good stories about bad behavior? Comment and tell me all about it!
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Fancy That: Pepperface
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Sara fancies the mean and sexy Pepperface™ palm-sized pepper spray device to the stars. The world’s smallest aerosol pepper spray insert hides stealthily inside an aerospace aluminum body that is, if you so choose, stylishly adorned with Swarovski® crystals. A knockout cast of celebrities, including Carmen Electra, Lindsay Lohan, and yes, even Jason Lee, are hot for these self-defense accessories. And if that doesn’t prove that you can have “hand-held protection that looks as at home on the red carpet as it does in the self-defense category” then E! makes the point clear.
Maybe it was the full moon, or maybe it was just the charm of Polk Gulch and Geary in the evening, but when I was walking home at 10pm the other night, as I’ve done a hundred times, I was overcome with the desire to feel the cool weight of the Gorgeous Gold™ 18K gold-plated Pepperface Palm Defender® securely in my sweaty fist.
Whether it’s with blinged-out pepper spray or some serious self-defense moves, an independent woman in the city needs to be able to protect herself. You can learn a unique form of full-force self-defense at Impact Bay Area in Oakland. Voted Best of the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine, Impact is a nonprofit organization and an internationally recognized leader in the self-defense field. A two and a half-hour Intro course is offered at a sliding scale of $20-$50. Where my tough ladies at?
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About
Culturcosm is your online authority on the climate of trend throughout the Bay Area. Your roving reporters are taking to the streets and chasing down the real story. Be it stormy or serene, torrid or just plain tragic, we will break it down before you hit it up. Stay tuned. There's a new trend breaking every minute.
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General Inquiriesinfo@culturcosm.com
Michael, founder / editor-in-chiefmichael@culturcosm.com
Kay, founder / contributing editorkay@culturcosm.com
Sara, trendcaster / managing editorsara@culturcosm.com
Heather, social commentatorheather@culturcosm.com
Taylor, music trendcastertaylor@culturcosm.com
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