All Things Icky II
A few people have cited a certain blogger as someone who would annoy me, so tonight I checked her out. The thing that struck me most was her hideous collection of claw-themed jewelry.
Why the fucking claws?! (Somehow I feel this question woud sound more beautiful and heartfelt in French but I don’t speak French. Can anyone help translate??)
Now that skull imagery is somewhat passe, the trend has moved to animal skulls. If I see another fucking brass bird-skull necklace, I’m going to strangle someone with it. Bird-skulls, huge claws, talons, just take them all away. Mom of Shoes has a monstrous claw pendent by the ubiquitous Pamela Love and so does every Clueless Goth Kid and tattooed fashion model a la Erin Wasson.
I was so annoyed by the claw-laden blogger that I went to etsy and typed “claw.” Try it! A huge volume of icky claw-things is available, many rivaling Mom’s $700 pendent in stark ugliness. I was particularly impressed by a store called Loved to Death, where I came across these “muskrat mandible” earrings.
And I realized that the blogger girl owns an identical pair!
What is the point in adorning yourself in stupid faux taxidermy? Why do so many people follow these trends? When can we go back to appreciating objects that are life-affirming rather than dead or faux-dead?
Tags: fashion bloggers, icky stuff, jewelry
May 16th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Googling blogs and claw jewelry and muskrat earrings isn’t working! Can we not have even a (more specific) hint? Pleeease?
May 17th, 2010 at 12:21 am
so you found halcoholic. i think shes hot. like a fawn
May 17th, 2010 at 1:13 am
That chick is kind of boring, I note however that she lists her “cool” earring as being a mongoose jaw, I guess that sounds better than muskrat. Poor muskrats, where has the love gone?
May 17th, 2010 at 1:46 am
Aw, I love my claw necklace! It’s my last reminder of my awkward goth days.
That said, it’s not a huge in-your-face talon:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/QueenMaja/450131c.jpg
May 17th, 2010 at 1:58 am
I’ve seen this trend happening and I don’t like it being veg. I dont want to think a widdle mousey has died to make a shit bracelet.
May 17th, 2010 at 2:44 am
I don’t mind her skull overload, but I really do think her multiple photographs of herself in more-or-less the same pose (the only difference being the degree of openness of her mouth/angle of her head), a la Sea, are stupid.
May 17th, 2010 at 2:47 am
Faux taxidermy accessories make people feel like they are being Visonary and Challenging the Paradigm fashion wise.
Compared to what Terry Richardson’s up to, I think it’s fairly harmless.
May 17th, 2010 at 3:31 am
Pourquoi les griffes putain?
May 17th, 2010 at 3:52 am
Halcoholic is addicted to herself. I can’t understand why she posts so many of the same pics of herself with a funny look of confusion ennui.
I am not a fan of the moribund jewelry, but I do like her shoe collection.
It sure is easy for me to criticize, as I don’t have a fashion blog.
I agree, that it would be nice to see some life affirming things too. I do love bones. They are interesting to draw, but I don’t want to drape a skeleton around my body.
May 17th, 2010 at 4:05 am
went to take a look at that blog. i can’t hate her at all. she’s 6 months pregnant. plus, she looks a lot like me back when i had blond bangs in 2003/04. so i can’t even not like her. am i a complete ass saying something like that? probably.
and if you hate her, do you now hate me, too? booohoooo, don’t!!!!
May 17th, 2010 at 4:32 am
went to take another look. she’s married to a death metal dude over 30 years her senior who’s looking pretty rough. which might explain the taxidermy thing.
May 17th, 2010 at 4:32 am
Goodness, what’s wrong with a pretty pearl necklace or a flower thingie? Why do you have to have roadkill hanging round your neck to be cool these days? I now feel 108 yrs old. Also, i am increasingly concerned about Mom’s beetle belts, they look v heavy, it is only a matter of time before some skinny chic topples over and is found beached and helpless, unable to get up again…
May 17th, 2010 at 4:52 am
Yes, the husband is pretty much as withered and gnarled as the various claw-things. It seems an odd set-up, but I guess that’s their business. I did have to have a wee chuckle at the scene of them being filmed listening to the baby’s heartbeat. Our girl is sort of squatting/perching with the exact same confusion/ennui/brink of despairing weeping expression on her face that she seems to use in the numerous shoe display photos.
May 17th, 2010 at 4:53 am
Pourquoi ces putains de griffes ?
May 17th, 2010 at 4:56 am
eeeeeeeewwww
I like skulls – I did a research paper on animal bones in an archaeological site once – and the whole momento mori concept but I draw at line at wearing an actual stinky greasy animal bone ON MY PERSON.
Nuh-uh, as they say.
I need some hand sanitizer just thinking about this. Is that too OCD?
May 17th, 2010 at 5:24 am
Have you seen/heard of Reid Peppard? http://www.rpencore.com/
I for one always wanted rat head cuff links. really i did.
May 17th, 2010 at 6:04 am
She has no face.
May 17th, 2010 at 6:49 am
Let her enjoy the posturing and pouty face, for once the baby comes, she will be hard pressed to leave the house without her pj’s on, let alone invest time in an outfit post.
I do not understand the claw/skull thing, it takes all the subtleness out of any sort of hommage to the macabre, by being too obvious and ugly.
The girls who sign up to this kind of trend should invest some time watching classic Hammer House Of Horror films for true macabre style, of films like The Legend Of Hell House, Florence Tanner’s character has the style spot on
May 17th, 2010 at 6:50 am
I don’t like her. I don’t like her clothes. She has no personal style and dresses like every other Wasson worshiper. I REALLY hate that ubiquitously moronic, slack-jawed look on her face. And I really dislike her futile attempts at “edginess” with the dead things fixation. You know, I want to punch her in the face for some reason. Must be PMS or the “Mondays”. Or I’m getting really sick and tired of these pathetic excuses for “fashion” bloggers who know nothing about fashion!
May 17th, 2010 at 7:20 am
It’s not the animal product jewellery that bothers me, it’s her. Her poses are so ridiculous; what’s with the incessant hair-holding, squinting and squatting on the pavement?
May 17th, 2010 at 7:26 am
They are welcome to harvest the moles that are tearing up my yard. They have some wicked claws that would make for darling baby jewelry.
May 17th, 2010 at 7:34 am
I must confess… I bought a talon necklace from Erica Wiener a few years ago. I had a really old victorian tiger claw and I lost it- so this reminded me of that. I really love the piece, but no I do not have a claw ring, bracelet and bird skull to go with it. I don’t really mind the taxidermy jewelry in moderation.
May 17th, 2010 at 8:31 am
I LOVE claw jewellery. it makes me look badass and angry. Which is probably why no-one talks to me and I have no friends.
Oooooh speaking of hideous jewellery, our friend Sea’s latest post HAS A COMMENT FUNCTION! A technical blip? A mad quest for some love? Who knows!
May 17th, 2010 at 8:32 am
Oh, no, my bad. Tried to comment and it said ‘comments are closed’. She must be still scared.
May 17th, 2010 at 8:48 am
This girl is very reminscent of Charlotte Kemp Muhl, as in, someone told her she looked “good” making a dazed, poofy-lipped facial expression, and now that is all she can do in every single picture!
I wonder if she has to photoshop out the lines of drool dangling from her slack jaw.
May 17th, 2010 at 8:48 am
All so typical, so standard. I just really need the fashion bloggers to stop squatting for pictures. Honestly my only request.
May 17th, 2010 at 10:17 am
I’m too exhausted/bored by it all to care!
May 17th, 2010 at 10:26 am
A friend of mine made similar jewelry several years ago, of animals she happened to find tromping through the woods or in fields. I used to wear and make things of deer vertibre that I would find in the woods in the 90’s.
momento mori.
May 17th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Speaking of fashion bloggers, Rumi’s latest outfit has me thinking that she drew inspiration from spotting me on my latest pharmacy run. Sweatpants misshapen from days of writhing about in pain + sweat-stained, oversized shirt + headband to push my fever-drenched hair out of my face + sunglasses so as not to frighten the children with my zombie eyes as I seek Tylenol and Theraflu.
If only i had thought to throw on some clonkin’ heels! i could have been quite the fashion plate. Or fashion TOAST as it were, oh ho ho.
May 17th, 2010 at 11:23 am
god i am so sick of every girl who is “into fashion” thinking they deserve a blog. it’s not even about the fashion anymore…in reality these bitches just want to post narcissistic pictures of themselves following the latest played out trends and gain a mindless following so they can think they are somehow special. i’m only 19/part of this fucked up generation and i’m so so sad.
May 17th, 2010 at 11:33 am
LINK PLEASE!
May 17th, 2010 at 11:48 am
Annemarie – http://hal-coholic.blogspot.com/
BTW, I found out who “tragic/emo fashion boy” is!! His name is Charles Guislain and he’s French.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
How depressing that all the descriptions made me think of stylorectic. They are all the same. Uninspired Wasson knock-offs with apparently nothing to do all day but mope around LA looking pitiful and pants-less. Snorrrrre.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
I think it’s sad that all the ‘indie’ used-to-bes are now exactly the same. Am I wrong? I feel that ‘indie’ is too commonly given out.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I know you hate these, but there’s a market for it. And since I have 6 furry mouths to feed and the occasional shoe indulgence, I am obligated to supply said market.
That said, I think her collection is a bit overkill…I wouldn’t do all of that at once, but that’s just me.
*slowly backs out of thread for being an offender*
May 17th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
I like some natural jewelry, but not skulls. I do post some on my blog because readers are interested in it, but I can’t imagine wearing it myself. I have a pair of custom made earrings I got last summer of antler and inlaid pearl shell, but I always feel guilty telling people this is antler, not wood. I have no idea if they are shedded or not.
She seems like she might be going extreme in imitating bat for lashes’s style, and I agree I can’t stand people who full out do bat for lashes. Taking aspects from your fashion idols is okay, but think think please.
I do run a fashion blog, but I do have a problem with posting pics of myself (I don’t do it). I feel it’s sort of narcissistic. Mine is for the purpose of finding budget fashionable clothes and earning a little money on the side.
May 17th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Oh and please don’t call these people goth. Please for the love of god, these people usually are not of the goth-listening population. Most of them listen to like MGMT.
May 17th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
I do have a silver claw necklace and I quite like it; one claw, silver, not a dead animal part, is IMO quite sufficient. Bones are interesting in shape, but no need to wear all dead animal distributed around neck, ears, wrists and fingers. No dead animals fur either, no “mandibles with gold-painted teeth”, no dead animal heads staring from the walls, no more antlers as a head-gear, please start wearing tails already! Little cat or bunny ears are acceptable, as they are life-affirming I think. Or, just admit that you are a furry and wear a full costume, but then it wouldn’t be bad-ass, would it?
The blogger looks very forlorn and morose in every picture – maybe it’s all that jewelry weighting her down, maybe the gnarly husband, who knows. Maybe nobody understands her. Life is hard, existence is painful, we are all going to die, I’m so edgy, yadda yadda yadda. Oh, the foolishness of the young…
May 17th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I’ve been wearing my crow skull (not real) and hawk claw (not real) for years now. They’re taking a sabbatical until this little trend wears itself out. With that said, I do like bones and skulls and such…some of us just tend to be more naturally drawn to that kind of shit. Does that mean I like seeing it on 22 year old Barbie dolls? NO.
I kind of “run” a fashion blog, too (and by “run” I mean rarely update it and then bam, post 15 things at once). I NEVER post pictures of myself, and can’t imagine the narcissism necessary to pose in ridiculous overpriced shit ala Sea of Shoes, this girl we’re talking about here, etc. It smacks of spoiled self-centeredness and I don’t like it. It also irritates the shit out of me to see people who are young enough to be my fucking children wearing clothes that cost more than I make in 2-3 months. (Yes, I’m bitter as hell.)
May 17th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I’m so going to get my ass banned from here but I think she’s adorable. And way more charming than a lot of the bloggers that all look a like and bore the shit out of me. And I like that her husband is 56 years old. She looks like she’d actually be fun to hang out with.
May 17th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
i don’t know too. so hideous. looks like dirt more or less. sorry.
May 17th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
….the claws, not halcoholic. she’s “cool”.
@aja? really? 56 years old? that’s wow! no wonder she likes claws.
May 17th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
if it makes you guys feel better, this chick is sort of a joke here in philly, amongst both hipsters/rockers/goths/whatever and the fashion crowd.
she is young and is talking out her ass. she’ll either grow out of this, or just grow into philly trash.
her husband’s a cool dude though.
May 17th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Maggie- if this makes you feel better, antlers are indeed things that deer naturally shed every year to grown a new pair, no one needs to die for them.
Aja- I think if I can like fashiontoast and still be tolerated by Sister, you’re fine. Skull chick’s poses might be silly, but I can’t bring myself to say much about a pregnant woman.
May 17th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Thanks Dru! I can’t make fun of a pregnant person either. I like most bloggers. There’s just a couple where I fail to understand the popularity.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
That girl looks so sad, is it because she knows she’s completely irrelevant? Someone needs to give her a big cup of cheer the fuck up.
May 17th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
E – She may look sad but she has plenty of high end shoes.
May 17th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Re: Hal’s blog
The above “A local”= a typical Philly douchebag, who thinks that the disapproval of a bunch of metalheads and other pseudo-working class heavy drinkers makes one a total joke. The whole east coast needs to lay off the speed, group think, and leather. Sure, the girl’s blog is not the most exciting thing, but she has a great sunglasses collection, and when you’re VERY pregnant you sometimes have to laze around a little.
Ok, all the shoes are a bit much though . . .
May 18th, 2010 at 1:15 am
I just found your website the other day, Sister Wolf and while it’s awesome, I must disagree about halcoholic (who I also just found by reading this post!). From reading through her (whole) blog last night, the claw/skull jewellery only seems to be in the first few posts. She doesn’t have ‘a collection’.
Okay – her poses are a bit silly and there are sometimes far too many pictures – but she seems really awesome. Oh, and her husband is in PENTAGRAM. Only the coolest 70s doom metal band ever. Plus she seems really devoted and in love and pregnant and I can’t hate that. Also I love her hair.
May 18th, 2010 at 2:23 am
I swung by here to see if you’d commented on the fact that biker junkie Jen had referred to the fact that her mother wore only “Prada and Dolce” in her last entry, because I found it interesting, although not altogether surprising. Seriously, check it out.
May 18th, 2010 at 3:42 am
She may be a perfectly nice person, I don’t care what’s her husband age – 19 or 56 is fine with me, but I can’t see how she’s “awesome”. Awesome, really? Is the fact that her husband does something interesting making her interesting as well?
If my husbands wins Nobel Prize, does it makes me exceptionally smart? Just asking.
May 18th, 2010 at 4:38 am
Cricket9 – was that to me?
I think she’s awesome in that she seems like a cool, fun, nice person who has an interest in things that I also sometimes find interesting (shoes, metal, punk, Phillly) and I would perhaps like to be friends with her. I never mentioned that she’s awesome BECAUSE of her husband – although she must share some personality traits with him considering how she’s married to him.
Is that okay? Am I allowed to find her awesome now? THANKS SO MUCH!!!
May 18th, 2010 at 6:29 am
Petra – No, you’re not allowed to find her awesome! End of story. Why? Because she’s NOT awesome. She’s not unique. She’s plain, boring, and typical. She just has a great collection of expensive shoes and she’s narcissistic enough to post copious amounts of deer-in-headlights photos of herself. Of course you can think whatever you like of her, Petra. But if you’re unable to have your opinions challenged without thinking of it as an attack you should really reconsider posting here.
Cricket – Yes. Whatever our significant others do is a reflection of our own brilliance as women! Personally, I take credit for about half a dozen musical albums that various exes of mine released while we were together. WHAT?? I brought food to the recording sessions!! I was an important part of the process, godammit!!!
May 18th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Pourquoi les putain de griffes?!
French was my 1st language. Little trivia for you.
May 18th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Seems harmless…I son’t hate her clothes. It is all samey though.
May 18th, 2010 at 9:20 am
I think she has no individual style of her own, she simply copies all the Wesson drone bloggers and ends up with a mismatched mess of talons/studs/platform/bodycon. I also find it repulsive that she barely got off drugs before getting pregnant. Glamorizing heroin use, awesome. Or should I say “rad”.
May 18th, 2010 at 9:45 am
“I also find it repulsive that she barely got off drugs before getting pregnant. Glamorizing heroin use, awesome. Or should I say “rad”.”
Did she say this on her blog ?? ugghhh – that’s too bad.
I also Meant to say “don’t” hate her clothes…
May 18th, 2010 at 9:51 am
She looks like the Scottish woman from Ugly Betty; not a bad thing, but she needs to cheer-the-fuck-up.
May 18th, 2010 at 10:36 am
waitaminute. Does this idiot really have a bad tattoo of a chanel bracelet?
May 18th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Petra, yes, that was to you; just to clarify – I was curious, not argumentative. You are entitled to find her AWESOME as much as you want, THANKS SO MUCH TOO!!!
I’ll stick to my opinion that I don’t see the said awesomeness on her blog, that’s all.
I second cheer-the fuck -up, Suspended.
HelOnWheels, thanks, I see now that you are absolutely right. I contributed significantly to the advancement of art in Venezuela, development of transport in Poland and teaching in Canada, between other things – yay me!
May 18th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Petra, yes, that was to you; just to clarify – I was curious, not argumentative. You are entitled to find her AWESOME as much as you want, THANKS SO MUCH TOO!!!
I’ll stick to my opinion that I don’t see the said awesomeness on her blog, that’s all.
I second cheer-the-fuck -up, Suspended.
HelOnWheels, thanks, I see now that you are absolutely right. I contributed significantly to the advancement of art in Venezuela, development of transport in Poland and teaching in Canada, between other things – yay me!
BTW, I found that halcoholic reminds us several times: “Once again, I would like to note that I, my husband, and his colleagues and/or friends do not endorse any anti-Christian ideals whatsoever.” Anti-Christian ideals? What would they be? Anyone? She forgot to add “his friends’ friends, acquaintances, second cousins, our cleaning lady, the guy at Starbucks and the girl at the dry cleaners”.
May 18th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Petra – I don’t give a shit about anybody’s washed up metal band husband! She loses 100 points for that, in fact. Stupid shoe whores who get pregnant by old men and endorse Christian values and stare blankly into cameras all day are just not awesome.
People need to have something to say! Even fashion bloggers!
May 18th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Rad – I’m afraid to go look but I must go, I’m on a mission from god…
May 18th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Does the coolness by association thing work if the coolness/achievements happened decades before the subject met the cool associate? Should I be getting some credit for my husband’s under 10s football championships from 1978 etc? Is he infinitely cooler due to association with my school surfing trophy circa 1987?
May 19th, 2010 at 3:25 am
Sorry for the double post
May 19th, 2010 at 5:16 am
D, every person interested in anything, fashion or otherwise, deserves the right to express their opinion and thus, to blog! They don’t necessarily deserve the massive success of some bloggers, which is why they don’t all have it. But what you seem to be saying is that some people don’t deserve to have an opinion.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:59 am
Don’t read this Hal chick, so when you were talking about Pam Love jewelry I thought you meant this one:
http://www.whatisrealityanyway.com/
Good God she makes my asshole clench.
May 19th, 2010 at 6:36 am
A, I hate you for that link!! What an apt description of my reaction too – “she makes my asshole clench”!! Enough of all the brand whores, Wasson wanna-be’s. Bleeecchhhh!!
May 19th, 2010 at 7:21 am
I actually kind of like Halcoholic. She seems trashy in a good way.
Anyway you guys need to go over to Sea of Shoes and look at what she’s wearing. It’s pretty alarming.
May 19th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Angelica, that jacket she has on looks like a horrible photoshop job.
May 19th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Actually, the whole thing is horrible. EVERYONE GO LOOK!
May 25th, 2010 at 6:49 am
Having read pretty much all of Hal’s blog, I can conclude that none of her clothing scares me as much as the fact that she’s about to have a baby with the most decrepit man I’ve ever seen. I know he’s in a ‘famous’ band. (I got well excited because I thought it said he was in Pentacle, but no….) But he’s old enough to be her dad. I judge.
May 25th, 2010 at 6:50 am
And if I have to see Wasson’s pinched face one more time I’ll scream. At least Hal’s pout is cute. Ish.
June 8th, 2010 at 2:17 am
Gawd, I wish I didn’t go looking for that link.
She looks like she rolled around in her closet and walked out with whatever hung onto her.
Why do people find this fashionable? I don’t see it.
I DON’T SEE IT.
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:22 am
Pourquoi ces fichues griffes?
and what about cat bones or shark jaw?
if you’re not enough sick of it, try to have a look at my blog
felicitations for your blog and sorry for my poor english
un putain de français
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:27 am
http://icanbenobetter.blogspot.com
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