Fashion and Function

~from Fashion Fridays with Jess

It's officially Summer and you know what that mean for us gals, bring on the cute summer dresses, flirtatious footwear, and for some of us it mean trying to coordinate our safety accessories with our cute outfits. I am of course referring to the most elusive of accessory choices, the Bicycle Helmet.

Fashion and Safety can not only coexist, but one can help inform and encourage the other. Unfortunately I am writing from a place of experience as I recently was the victim of a hit and run while coming home from a fabulous fashion event. While I did not walk away from the incident unscathed, I'm currently recovering from a broken collar bone and torn ligaments in my right knee, I can assuredly say that I am alive and conscious today because of my bike helmet.

The amount of bike riders is on the rise in Chicago, in particular the rate of female riders has grown 30% in just the past two years. So what's a girl to do? We like to wear our pretty summer frocks, fancy kicks, and feel the wind through our hair. First thing you need to do is get on the "It's cool to wear a helmet" bandwagon. I promise, it's fun on this a here wagon. There's plenty of cute helmets, just check out The NutCase Helmet or www.tail-wags.com for inspirational ideas on how to protect your noodle and still look like the summer sensation you are. You can easily wear any summer dress and maintain your modesty by picking up a pair of super cheap bike shorts from American Apparel. For the fun and flirty girl, you can always find super cute bloomers at Target. Personally, I enjoy the array of Boy-Short choices this season which can be found pretty much everywhere from Discovery to G-Boutique. Boy Shorts are a fabulous way to fancy up your fanny without showing too much off to the public.

Okay great. So we've got the dress, the undergarment, choices for a cute helmet, what about shoes?

Perhaps this shows my age, but I really like to stick with the tried and true Chuck Taylors, the classic black and white ones of course. You can slip them on for riding with a cute pair of short socks, and they easily slip into your bag when you want to switch them out for whatever sweet pair of sandals or beautiful pair of heels you have stored away in your bag. I will admit I have seen some fearless women wear heels whilst riding their metal steed, even while riding a fixed gear bicycle, but for me I always er on the side of safety. And quite frankly I enjoy taking the time to switch out my shoes at my desired destination because it gives me time to cool off and readjust myself for summer socializing. For some great ideas on all things biking, head over to: www.momentumplanet.com. It is a free magazine in Chicago and is an excellent source for you bike riders out there.

But what about my hair????

Helloooo, are you riding a bike on a hot summer day because you want to ride, or because you just want to look like you ride? The facts are, it's going to be hot, you're going to sweat, and if you care about your future and the people in your life, you will wear a helmet because guess what, NO ONE looks cool on an autopsy table. Period.

Which is where Miss Lulu Mae comes in very handy this summer season. Whether you have short, long, or in-between hair, any one of Lulu's designs will instantly transport you from "Helmet Wearin Biker Babe" to "One Hot Sassy Summer Mama!" I was fortunate to wear Lulu designs all last summer and not only turned heads but made some great new friends along my bike route. All you have to do is make sure you have a swanky hanky to dot off those beads of sweat, grab a headband, clip or other fashionable find and *poof* you are all set to enjoy the summer.

So come on gals! Grab your fashionable finds, safe gear and Ride Ladies Ride!!

See you next week,
Jessica for Love, Lulu Mae

Golden Era

~From Kitten Around Town

Take a look at any celebrity rag in the supermarket and you will notice that there a lot of very young, very thin, sometimes very intoxicated women who aren’t famous for anything other than being famous. There is no glamour on the pages, no sparkle, save for the occasional picture of Cate Blanchett. The era of movie stars, it seems, is gone. Even with a revival of 1930s, 40s and 50s fashions, there has been no recognition of the women who came before the Lohan and Hilton tribe. Mention names like Betty Grable, Jane Russell and Marlene Dietrich to young women today and few will recognize them.

Betty Grable is known to some as the “original pin-up” and had a successful film and stage career starting in the 1930s and lasting into the 1970s. She starred alongside Marilyn Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire, played the lead in Hello, Dolly! on stage and was at one point in her career the highest paid actress in Hollywood. Grable’s long, shapely legs were known the world over, and were insured with Lloyd’s of London long before Jennifer Lopez was insuring her bootylicious backside.

The film Gentleman Prefer Blondes is perhaps best known for Marilyn Monroe’s starring role, but it is Jane Russell’s sassy comedic performance that really gives the movie its pop. Like Grable, Russell’s career included varied film work, including westerns, dramas and comedies, and stage work, including a role in Company on Broadway. She is also a savvy business woman, and at one point owned her own production company with her first husband. Known for her generous bustline that was emphasized by tight sweaters in pin-up pictures, Russell capitalized on it by becoming a spokeswoman for the Playtex 18-hour bra in the 1970s.

Marlene Dietrich was not a pin-up, but a movie star in the true sense of the phrase. She, almost exclusively, played the part of the femme fatale, playing up her long legs and drowsy gaze. Dietrich was also a recording artist and is perhaps better known for her singing voice than her film career. In her personal life, she was openly bisexual and played with gender in her dress, wearing men’s suits like no other woman has since and attending drag balls in male attire.

If you haven’t heard of these women, I encourage you to rent some of their work and take in the talent of women who earned their title of “star”!

Until next Wednesday,
Kitten LeFemme

All the Single Ladies!

~From Kitten Around Town

Not all single ladies want someone to put a “ring on it” (or can even legally have a ring on it, for that matter!). Entering the ranks of the singles in November after a long period of monogamy, I looked around and saw that all of my friends – all of my friends – were in relationships. And while some of their partners have changed, their status remains the same. I’ve found that being single requires a new skill set, but once that skill set is acquired, flying solo isn’t that bad! In fact, it can be pretty great. Summer alone can be a bummer, but hopefully these tips will help you to embrace your status and appreciate the best date you could ever have: you!

Step #1: Figure out what you like….and what you don’t like. So often we take on our partner’s interests, hobbies, and tastes as our own. My college boyfriend loved progressive rock and straightedge hardcore punk. Once we broke up, I realized that I didn’t, in fact, love Avail as much as I thought I had. I took the time in between that relationship and the next to explore different interests that I would have never ventured to explore when I was in a relationship and started to decide where I wanted my life to go – not where I thought it should go for the sake of the relationship.

Step #2: Learn to enjoy your own company. It can be awkward going to a nice dinner by yourself for the first time. Getting out the “table for 1” and sitting there for a much longer time than it takes to scarf down a Subway sandwich can be a harsh reminder of your singlehood. Or, it can be a great escape from the noise and clatter of everyday life and a way to focus on your own thoughts. Movies, concerts and plays alone? You won’t have to comprise on what to see, where to sit and when to leave. If you’ve been waiting to take a trip until you have a partner, don’t: think about how much you can learn about yourself, and the people you can meet, traveling alone!

Step #3: Appreciate your freedom. On a recent night out, I watched as all of my coupled friends checked their phones and, one by one, had to go home because someone was waiting for their return. While having someone to come home to can be great, being able to choose when you end your night is equally awesome. When I got home that night, I ate some ice cream out of the carton, put on some less than stylish pajamas, and sprawled across my bed. It felt pretty great. Try to embrace the ability to do whatever it is that you get to do now that you wouldn’t as part of a couple.

Step #4: Drop the scarlet “s”. Being the third or fifth wheel on every group outing took some getting used to, but it is something that everyone has to get over. Focus on enjoying the company instead of thinking of it as you plus the couples. Don’t scramble to find a date for a wedding or company party if there isn’t someone you genuinely want to take. Events aren’t Noah’s Ark; you will not drown without a mate. And don’t rush into a new relationship just so you can be part of a pair. Being in the wrong relationship can be even lonelier than being alone.

Being single and being in a relationship both have their advantages and disadvantages. Learning to appreciate where you are in the present will make all the difference in being happy with either!

~Until next Wednesday,Kitten LeFemme

Eye Candy!

~From Kitten Around Town~

Late June in Chicago means two things: that the temperature will rise above 60, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans gender Pride Parade is upon us! Pride parades happen annually to commemorate the riots that occurred 40 years ago in response to a police raid on the Stonewall Bar, a gay bar in New York City. We are lucky enough to have two substantial events: Dyke March on Saturday, June 27 and the Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28.
In honor of both of these events, I’d like to share with you one of my new favorite websites: www.tophotbutches.com. The site was started by Sinclair Smith, author of the website www.sugarbutch.net (part informational site on queer and butch/femme issues, part steaming hot erotica). Smith started the project because of the lack of masculine, androgynous and gender non-conforming people celebrated in the media’s definition of “hot”. The 2009 list of the 100 hottest butches also includes trans gender men and gender non-identifying folks. The bottom (ahem) line: there are lots and lots of photos of yummy eye candy. The group ranges from author Leslie Feinberg to model Jenny Shimizu, attorney Shannon Minter to newly out-as-trans Chaz Bono to musician JD Sampson . Rachel Maddow is there too – she seems to be the butch that straight gals would be more than willing to go gay for.
The people on this list are often left off of People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful” or even AfterEllen.com’s “Hot List”, as Smith points out on the website. But they are just as sexy, if not more so, than the ones who are catching the spotlight. Take a look at the site and enjoy the view!

Until Next Wednesday,
Kitten LeFemme

Thank You For Being a Friend

~From Kitten Around Town

This year I plan on celebrating the ten year anniversary of my relationship with one of my best friends with a camping trip. When I’ve mentioned it to others, the reaction is usually surprise, even though they celebrate anniversaries, too – only they reserve it for lovers. It seems odd to me that we don’t celebrate our friendships in the same way we do romances, but taking a look at modern popular culture removes some of the shock. Movies, magazines, television shows and pop music fill women with messages of competition. We are encouraged to fight one another for dates and jobs. Our half of the population has been entered into a never-ending contest of who is the thinnest and most desirable. The tightly knit friendships found in Judy Blume’s books and Living Single have been replaced with Mean Girls and The Hills.

All of this nonsense about how women should tear each other down to get the top is just that – nonsense. Female relationships have gotten some airtime with Sex in the City and The L-Word, but if we modeled anything after those programs, ladies would only get together to talk about sex and gossip. We can support each other through the hard stuff, like sexism in the workplace, and celebrate the good stuff, like finishing a big art project or completing a marathon.

Your friends are often those who know you best and accept you unconditionally. They will laugh with you, cry with you, organize and protest with you, challenge you and frustrate you. And through it all, your relationship will grow and change and you’ll love each other more every year. That is something to celebrate! So take a page from the Golden Girls and send one of your dear ones a note telling her how much you appreciate having her around – she deserves it.

Until next Wednesday,
Kitten LeFemme

Baring It All in the Bedroom

~From Kitten Around Town

Summer is upon us (regardless of what the weather in Chicago would have us believe), and with summer comes new lusts, loves, and trysts. While summer romance is very exciting, not everyone relishes getting down to their birthday suit – and in warm weather, there are no blankets to hide behind! In an ideal world, everyone would love their body enough to embrace it and leave feelings of shame for that Color Me Badd cd hidden in the back of their collection. In the meantime, here are some tips for being brave enough to bare it all:

• Creative Costuming
The old adage is that we look our best when we feel our best, and clothes can definitely contribute to feeling great. Starting out in something that brings out your inner vixen, whether it is fancy lingerie or a cozy tank and pj pants, can bolster your confidence level. You’ll be feeling so saucy that you’ll be just as eager to take it off as you were to put it on!

• Set the Soundtrack
Music is not only a great aphrodisiac; it also creates pleasant sensory memories. Throw some songs onto a play list that make you feel strong, sassy and beautiful. Listen to these before your date or sneak them into your make-out mix.

• Bring Down the House Lights
Overhead lighting is a friend to no one. Not only is it not especially flattering, it isn’t especially romantic, either. Candlelight sets a sexy mood and will highlight your curves without putting a spotlight on every inch of your skin. Lights dimmed to a low setting and even holiday lights are handy, too.

• Be a Chatty Cathy
If you are comfortable enough with someone to go to bed with them, you should be comfortable enough to talk with them about your thoughts, too. Without turning your romance time into a therapy session, let your sweetie know that you feel a little shy about disrobing. They might be able to share in your sentiment, and you can encourage each other along, or they may have some persuasive tricks up their sleeve to make you forget your worries and get you to focus on how fabulous and adored you are!

Until Next Wednesday,
Kitten LeFemme

Chicago Style: Lez Bo-Bo the Clown!

~ From Kitten Around Town

Lez Bo-Bo is not your ordinary clown. Prompted by learning that colourophobia (the fear of clowns) is one of the fastest-growing phobias in the Western World, Lez Bo-Bo the Clown was forced to explore her talents beyond those employed in traditional clowning. She combines her gift for clowning with other performance techniques as varied as burlesque, rap and folk-music, giving audiences unique insight into the complexity of clowns and shattering the notions that clowns aren’t versatile artists worthy of respect. Lez Bo-Bo brings a new and unique performance concept to Chicago, aiming to forge a new understanding between clowns and those who fear them, and does it while looking fresh and stylish. Her wardrobe extends far beyond floppy shoes and polka dot jumpers with ruffled collars. I had the opportunity to chat with Lez Bo-Bo about her edgy clown style as she prepared for her upcoming performance with Poonie’s Cabaret:

How would you describe your unique clown style? Who and what are your inspirations?

Oh gosh, my style is constantly evolving; I reinvent myself more often than Madonna! I am inspired by a variety of things: old-world circuses and freak-shows, Dolly Parton, brothels, the World Famous B.O.B., Liberace, rainbows, Lady Gaga and cotton candy, just to name a few.

Is your style part of your performances? If so, how?

Because the types of performances in which I participate vary greatly, so does my style. For example, when I sang an Indigo Girls song at a women's music festival, I wore a plaid flannel shirt, blue jeans and a bandana on my head. When I performed an erotic stripping act at The Bijou Theatre (the world's oldest gay porn theatre/bathhouse), I wore a sequined dress, which I think conveyed how classy a clown can be, then stripped down to a very fancy rainbow-striped sparkly vintage bathing-suit, then eventually down to nothing. That was when the world discovered that a clown's rug does match her curtains!

You have such a great collection of pieces – where do you find them?

I find my ensembles in a plethora of places. The vintage bathing-suit I mentioned earlier was inherited from a drag queen friend of mine. She bought it on E-bay. There's a really creepy costume shop in Evanston named Lost Eras that I love for things like my giant fancy shoes and accessories like squirting flowers. Just don't ask for help at Lost Eras or you may get visually assaulted...you may or may not be surprised to learn that there are a lot of clown-fetishists out there! Chicago also has plenty of exotic dancer clothing stores where I find things like fancy gloves and wigs and other unmentionables.

From Stephen King’s book It to the Insane Clown Posse; our society is overwhelmed with negative images of clowns. But clowns are people too – and stylish ones at that! You can catch Lez Bo-Bo performing a new piece choreographed and directed by Zac Whittenberg as part of Poonie’s Cabaret, Monday, June 15 at 8:00 p.m., at Link’s Hall located at 3435 N. Sheffield in Chicago, IL.

Until Next Wednesday,
Kitten LeFemme

Rock Dirty To Me

~From Kitten About Town~

Making out as a teenager always had certain elements of drama to it. The hours of deciding what to wear, so as to actually make the hook up happen. The scouting for a location: who had parents out of town? Where could you park your car and not get caught? How much trouble you would get in for “accidentally” locking the basement door? It always seemed to involve candles or incense of some sort – and it always, always involved a soundtrack.
As an adult, I don’t miss the smell of Nagchampa stuck in my clothing. And I definitely don’t miss the anxiety over getting busted by my parents. I am, however, nostalgic for the days when good makeout tunes were thought out. Entire mixed tapes were made for that exact purpose. If my sweetie played the right song at the right time, an extra base could be added to the game. I love that I have innocent (and some perhaps not-so-innocent), romantic memories that will flood back upon hearing the first few notes of specific 1990s grunge rock jams.
Getting down to it with a date has become far more complicated than just necking on the couch, and an appreciation for makeout music seems to have faded away, too. Below is a list of my all time favorite hook up songs. Take note and make a play list – I know I can’t be the only gal who will stay out past my bedtime if I like what is coming out of the speakers.

1. I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl – Nina Simone
2. Hyper-Ballad – Bjork
3. Glory Box – Portishead
4. Darling Nikki – Prince
5. Erotica – Madonna
6. Criminal – Fiona Apple
7. Flower Song – Liz Phair
8. Drive – Melissa Ferrick
9. When the Lights Go Out – Black Keys
10. A Letter to Elise – The Cure
11. This Will Make You Love Again – IAMX
12. Fuck the Pain Away – Peaches
13. Harder – PJ Harvey
14. Fade Into You – Mazzy Star
15. Need You Tonight – INXS
16. I Wanna Be Adored – The Stone Roses
17. Six Underground – Sneaker Pimps
18. The Killing Moon – Echo and the Bunnymen
19. Femme Fatale – The Velvet Underground
20. Brand New Colony – The Postal Service

Until Next Wednesday,
Kitten LeFemme

In Praise of Geeks

-From Kitten About Town

Trouble. You know who I am talking about. The musician who goes through groupies like water. The smoldering hot chain smoker who describes themselves as “damaged” or “wounded” within the first five minutes of meeting them. The seemingly introverted art student who is prone to mood swings and binge drinking. We know that getting involved with Trouble is a bad idea – that Trouble will only break your heart. And yet we can’t walk away, because the highs are never as high (and the lows are never as low) as when you are with them. There is something about the drama and the heartbreak that keeps us coming back for more.

There is hope. Somewhere in the background, while we are chasing after the musician who makes us cry or avoiding the art student who, at any moment, could lash out and decide to spray paint your car, are the Geeks. And the Geeks, my friends, just might be the dating Holy Grail. They are the antidote to Trouble.

Geeks have been there. They know broken hearts. Every relationship with a geek might not be ideal. They might turn out to be a complete jerk. But the chances of them playing softball with your heart are far lower than with Trouble.

Geeks bring with them a particular skill set. She might be able to hardwire your living room to be one gadget shy of a NASA space station. He may be able to turn you onto bands you would have never heard of otherwise. Your Geek will, by the very definition of the word, have a particular interest and passion for something very specific. A Geek will enrich your life, whether they have wicked tech skills or know enough random facts to be a kick ass Trivial Pursuit partner.

When Geeks go outside of their comfort zones, they rely on what they do best: research. This applies to dating, too. Geeks will want to find out all about you, both emotionally and physically. When it comes to the bedroom, Geeks will read, watch and listen to whatever they can get their hands on to be the best lovers possible. And, like every good researcher, they know that some research sites are very specific. That translates into them knowing that even with all of the manuals on lovin’, the best way to know what makes you tick is to ask you – and then to put your requests into practice. And Geeks, from my experience, are often eager to please. Very eager to please.

Sure, Geeks aren’t all the same And there are those tricky hybrids, the “ironic” Geeks, really just Trouble in awkward clothes and eyewear, who can sneak past your Trouble detector unnoticed. Overall, though, Geeks will rock your world. You just need to stop being moody over the drama, the ups and downs, and the leather jackets and notice the quiet chess player in the corner. Your heart, and your bed, will never be the same.

Until Next Wednesday,
Kitten LeFemme