The internet and style - The Migration of Subcultures

When I was fifteen, I fell madly and utterly in love with the Ramones and, quickly thereafter, The Clash, The Damned, The Sex Pistols and a whole host of other punk bands. The music lead me to the style and suddenly gave me something to focus on. Through my love for punk, I refined my own sense of personal style and found an "identity".

I've discussed this before, but a friend and I once had a conversation about this period of our lives, years later. We hadn't known each other then but both felt that, upon reflection, we had embraced subcultures as shields. When people weren't nice to us and we were lost and confused, stuck halfway between child and adult, these subcultures made us part of something bigger and we didn't have to feel so adrift. When people weren't nice to us, it was because of the music we liked and how we presented ourselves, not because of any flaw in our personalities, not because we were unlikeable. Subcultures fueled our bullies but hardened us against them at the same time.

Subcultures were a way of wearing "who you are" on the outside. They were a way of being able to identify potentially like-minded people at a glance.

But subcultures as we once knew them are dying.

The internet means that you don't have to wait until you go to a bigger town for a day, for a gig or merely dressed in your genre, in order to find like-minded people. It means that anyone, anywhere can find people with similar interests and outlooks - no matter how niche they might be.

And, so, it has been documented that subcultures are dying in the way that we used to know them. People don't need to clothe themselves in their identities anymore and they don't need to focus on one thing, they have access to a world of possibilities and references, even more than I did just a few years ago. When I first read about this vanishing of fashion subcultures as we knew them, I was sad, incredibly sad. Will teen movies no longer have goth kids and skaters and preps and nerds? Will the tribes that created a landscape of visual interest disappear? While they haven't been such a pronounced thing in Ireland for some time now, the idea of them being gone made a fashion nerd like me a little nostalgic and achey. The slow reduction into tropes to be recycled and taken from context on runways, turned me into a grumpy old man, hankering for times gone by (and, in many cases, long gone before I was even actually born, if I'm to be honest).

Yet, while this downturn has been documented by design historians and sociologists alike, even the layman can see that it is not necessarily the absolute end for fashion subcultures. The internet has long been a second home to subcultures, a place where new fashion tribes are bred and born. And, now, Instagram, Tumblr and Youtube mean that physically vocal proponents of subcultures and styles can be given a platform, hone their look, record it to perfection and, even, become a star because of it. Hell, their look might even become their career.

These new and reimagined subcultures may not be spotted lingering outside certain Dublin buildings, causing a nuisance, any more but they are out there, dotted across the globe, crafting a sophisticated image, quoting sources left and right and living on. Take Lolita, for example, a subculture that has divided into endless sub-genres and subcultures of its own and which has moved from the streets of Tokyo to a vast online community worldwide. In fact, in moving online, it has been given new life, perhaps sustained life, and spawned niches so specific that it can boggle the mind.

Subcultures aren't truly dead yet. They've been reborn as something more personal, more professional and more cultivated. They no longer seem to be born of unified ideas and movements belonging to specific and different generations but, rather, are at the beck and call of this generation, who have developed the skills to morph and manipulate according to their own desires. Perhaps the goths and skaters, as we once knew them, are largely invisible on the streets nowadays, but they have not died out. They have merely migrated.

And, maybe, if you're lucky, you'll get to see a rare mass-gathering IRL for a con or event.

Sarah, a friend and lover of Lolita styles

Josie, another friend and lover of Lolita

Gothic themes and inspired makeup being adopted at a fashion show

Paul Costelloe taking a cue from punk a couple of season back

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REVIEW: Sing Street

Most of us were hugely affected by music as teenagers and it is a depressing fact that psychologically and physically, it never shakes us the same way again.

We find our identities, our people through music. It helps us survive tragedy, heartbreak, struggles, anger and celebrate the joys, big and small. Particular songs or bands have the power to immediately transport us to another place and version of ourselves in a way that nothing else does.

The Ramones - I'm fifteen and rollerblading around my house as they blare from the speakers of Mammy's car. For three months. Just the Ramones.

Placebo - I'm in a car with my siblings and mother as we wile away lazy summer days, sun dazzling me through the windscreen and wind moving past me, back into the hot car. We're all singing along as it is the only band I like that they don't despise and I'm a pretentious seventeen year-old making everyone listen to my music constantly.

Even today, I am rarely not listening to music whether I'm walking, working, sleeping, eating - it's always there. My closest group of friends were formed through a music society I ran in university.

But, as a teenager, music made me feel connected to something bigger, like I wasn't so strange, even if I didn't feel like I fit in in the small town I lived in. The ridicule and torment I received from peers rolled off my back more readily because they simply "didn't get it". I put safety pins through my ears and wore heavy combat boots with my uniform, in defiance of the fact I was told I couldn't wear them (but my boyfriend of the time was allowed to wear his...). It solidified my independent spirit, emboldened my feminist tendencies and, in a lot of ways, made me who I am today. Yes, I was pretentious, blissfully clueless to real life and quite judgemental but foetus-Colette was an okay kid, she just had a lot yet to learn.



Sing Street captures that period in your life so magically and perfectly; the innocence being infringed upon by adulthood, the earnestness, the endless possibilities, the dizziness (and cringeyness) of first love and the power of music. It shows how universal these experiences are as though it is set in the 80s - decades before I was a teen - I had my heart in my throat for the whole film. It all felt so viscerally familiar. It is a heady, joyous film that celebrates the music, city and decade, as well as that period in our lives, but doesn't flinch away from the less sunny patches.

The movie tells the tale of Conor, who is transferred from a fancy fee-paying school to a rougher school run by the Christian Brothers, his difficulty in fitting in and the struggles of his family - their finances, his parents' marital problems, his elder brother's stagnated pause after dropping out of college. It is in the midst of all this that he meets a girl, Raphina, and tells her he's in a band...a band which he promptly has to set up in order to impress her. At its heart, it is a very simple story we've heard countless times in countless ways but its indescribable skill in capturing this period of time, of a person's life and all the feelings that go along with it, is exceptional. There is a wonderful balance of both the ludicrousness, joy and simplicity and of the pain and difficulties of this moment in time. You cringe when you recognise things you said and did and wore and thought, you remember the sad realisations about life and difficult decisions, that appeared as if from nowhere, as well as the giddy freedom, simple joys and feckless, free-wheeling way you went about loving and living.



The cast is made up of Irish heavy-weights and spectacular newcomers alike; from Aiden Gillen and Maria Doyle Kennedy as Conor's struggling parents and increasingly rising star Jack Reynor, to the brilliant and impressive emotional depth of (actually teenaged) Ferdia Walsh-Peelo and (at least believably teenaged) Lucy Boynton as the young lovers. The members of the band, meanwhile, do an excellent job as an amiably boisterous and humorous supporting cast.

Visually, the film captures the colours and tone of Dublin and the eighties well but presents them in an Instagram-like edit that makes them at once real but curated to appear, perhaps, more glamourous than either could claim to be. Basically, my lovely Dublin looks well. And, I think, for Irish people, there is always a thrill in seeing Ireland on the big screen in a way we are used to being presented America, the UK and further off, more exotic places. There's something a little magic and surreal about streets you walk past every day playing host to carefully choreographed scenes.



Costume plays a big part both visually and plot-wise in the movie as the teenagers take on the guise of various genres, bands and trends in an attempt to find their sound and themselves. It works perfectly as comic relief throughout the movie as we are presented with 80s trends that seem ridiculous to us but, meaningfully, just seem new and cool to the kids of the tale. The unerring belief in something - that you later cringe and laugh at - being cool is a highly relatable phenomenon of your teens and no other decade is so readily and perfectly set up to be lampooned for this.



Similarly, the music of the movie shows this exploration and discovery that is so formative in our teens. For the viewer, we are presented with a wonderful patchwork of the best the decade had to offer sonically and the band presents catchy, and sometimes utterly beautiful, tracks inspired by the chart-toppers of the time. In fact, the original songs, though a little silly on the surface at times, are actually really rather good - enough to have me still listening to them a few weeks later. And, of course, I appreciate that personal favourites of my own teens are in there as well - The Cure, The Clash, The Jam and A-HA among them.



While I found some aspects of the tale dubious and worrying as an adult, I have not been so thoroughly charmed and taken in by a movie in a rather long time. This is one I can see myself rewatching periodically and reminiscing about the ups and downs of my own teens. I highly recommend it to anyone who adores music, Dublin or sweet movies that aren't overly challenging.

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Playlist: Songs That Sound Like Summer

The charts and pop culture tend to dictate that some songs and albums and artists represent given summers but our own lives often have their own soundtracks as well - especially during summers. As a teen, I was prone to discovering a new band or album, falling madly in love and listening obsessively and exclusively to the one thing. The summer I was 14, I listened solely to Panic! At The Disco. At 15, it was the Ramones. 16 was Placebo's Without You I'm Nothing - the only music my family and I could agree on during hot car journeys with my legs on the dash and a heavy breeze coming in the window. Best Coast's first album is being on holidays and sitting by the pool at night, talking on the phone to the girl who would become one of my best friends, as we planned living together in second year of college. Last summer, I was all about The Cure and this summer it's K-Pop central.

There's gaps in there where the other songs on this playlist come into play. Each track is from a moment, means something but in some cases I can remember the time and feeling but not the specifics around it. I just know that if I hear any of these songs, I think of summer.

So, I hope you enjoy the playlist and do let me know your ultimate summer songs - I'd love to hear about them!

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March + April Favourites

I do believe I promised monthly Favourite posts on a more regularly basis...like, on a monthly basis...obviously. Well...heh...heh...that didn't happen. I blame procrastination. I've been making lists in my head each month like, "Oh, yeah. Damn, this needs to go in my Favourites." And then I get busy and have other posts or just get lazy. So, I'm like "I'll do the Favourites post next week." Then next week happens and the one after. Suddenly, it's the next month. And I've left it too late.

So, yeah...sorry about that.

But here I am with one again for a combination of two months. And, boy is it chuck full of good stuff as a result. Hold on to your butts, here we go.


Television.

I've been super-into a lot of shows the past two months - some new releases, some old favourites. But they've definitely overshadowed movies. I feel like I had a slump with cinema for a while there but programming has been knocking my socks right off.

Wonderfalls

Goddamn short-lived, wonderful shows.

Wonderfalls is a 13 episode long, 2004 show about a young woman named Jaye who is in her twenties and has no idea what she's doing with her life....I wonder why I related to it so much? In the show, inanimate objects start to speak to her and alter the path of her life and those of everyone around her, causing Jaye to rethink everything she thought she knew about the world. The cast is perfectly chosen, it's funny, there's some amazing/dodgy early noughties fashion and Lee Pace is in it. 'nough said, amirite?

Seriously though, it's something I remember seeing on television when it first came out but I was too young to get. Now, I see that it's kind of the less obnoxious, more charming alternative to Girls. It deals with the same themes of figuring out what you want and where you're going, love, friendship, dealing with being an adult and the changes to family dynamics that come with that. The characters are flawed and imperfect but so much more likeable, IMO.

Pushing Daisies

More noughties goodness, more Lee Pace, more of a show that should have gone on for longer.

This show is just the epitome of charming. Like, really. It follows the adventures of Ned, a pie-maker who can raise the dead (with limitations) with a touch, Chuck, his childhood sweetheart who he brought back to life, and their friends. The romance between Ned and Chuck is just...perfect, for lack of a better word. It's very sweet and the way they look at each other is beyond enviable. The whole show is quirky, dreamlike but sardonic enough to avoid being twee. I can't recommend it enough.

iZombie

Launched just this year, iZombie came to me when Gerard Way tweeted about it. It's based on a comic book and, though zombies seem like tired territory, this is a different take. It's more self-aware and less about the living dead and more about living. Again, we're talking people in their twenties figuring shit out. The main character, Liv Moore (lol), is a medical student with a nice fiancé who becomes a zombie and has her whole universe turned upside down. She appears normal but has to eat brains to live and, when she does so, takes on the memories and personality of those she consumes. In her new role as a medical examiner, she begins to work with a detective to use those memories to solve murder cases. 

Basically, though, all you need to know that Rob Thomas is involved. If you liked Veronica Mars, this is probably going to make you happy.

Daredevil

I'm still not sure how I feel about Netflix's Daredevil adaptation. It's better than what we've gotten out of the character before but I'm still not sure if I'm 100% convinced...All the same, I binged on it. And Charlie Cox, who plays Daredevil, is damn easy to look at. He's always been one of the coolest of Marvel's characters in my mind - I mean, a blind superhero, come on - so I'm glad he's getting his own show. Plus, the whole thing connects in with the wider Marvel cinematic world which is rad. 

For sure, worth a watch.

Music.

The Cure

I've been binging on The Cure a lot lately. I love a lot of their less obvious songs, ones from ancient albums that are quiet and sad and so beautiful they make me ache. Anything that makes me imagine Poe scenes on cliffsides, really.

Marina and the Diamonds

The new album, Froot, is the shit. Seriously. I'm talking days and days of listening to nothing else. Or belting out the lyrics until you notice someone else has popped into the room...which is always awkward. Especially if you do it at work.

Daniela Andrade

This Youtube musician does a lot of AMAZING covers. Stick anything she has done on when you need to relax because everything she touches is beyond lovely and sweet.

Books.

When the weather gets better, I start to devour books. Usually, My activity levels stagnate in January and February and I choose more passive modes of entertainment. But, once I come out of that last period of cocooning after winter, I want to read again, to engage my brain a bit more. I grab books and start to venture out into the world again. YA fiction and old favourites, comforting things, nostalgic things, easy things, begin the process. So, I've been reading a lot of old Meg Cabot classics that I loved as a teen and still adore. I also read some YA that was new to me and which I really enjoyed, including the Abandon Series by Cabot which follows Pierce, a teen who had a near-death experience and John, king of the Underworld. It basically retells the Persephone myth in a contemporary setting. Two other YA books intrigued me recently; Holly Bourne's Soulmates, which suggests the subject-matter in the title. and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, which takes an interesting twist on werewolf lore. Other than these books, I've also been dipping in and out of Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist, a collection of essays about being a feminist, a woman and a woman and feminist. I've really been loving it, especially as the essay format gives me time to think and work out my own feelings on the topics without being overwhelmed.



Beauty & Fashion.

Make-up

I have two major make-up loves these past two months. The first is Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer which has been stripped of the writing on the packaging. My make-up tends to look pristine as I use it so infrequently so this is a sure sign of how much I've been using it. It's so lightweight but has great coverage for my nasty, nasty breakouts! Also, it's amazingly reasonably priced - just over a fiver!

I've also been LOVING Inglot's Freedom System Blush in the shade 125 which is peachy, pretty perfection.

Skincare and Haircare

Things I've been reaching for to keep my face and hair in check pretty much on the daily for the past two months are: Aveda's Volumizing Tonic (just a spritz at my roots to stop my hair from being too flat), Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Lip Balm (to keep the chapped lips at bay), Trilogy's Blemish Control Gel (to banish spots), Botanics' All Bright Hydrating Day Cream with SPF15 (for moisture and SPF in the morning at a great price point) and Mio's Boob Tube (for intense moisture and plumpness to the skin and an AMAZING scent).

Also, I'm just crazy for everything and anything made by Neom Organics - the best smelling products in the world? Perhaps.

Fashion

Denim, denim, denim.

Oh, and my new selection of sunglasses from Boohoo. YES.

Miscellaneous.

Cherry Blossoms

One of my favourite things. Ever. Ugh, so beautiful.

The Hobbit Production Videos

I finally got around to watching the last Hobbit movie in March. And then I watched all the Youtube behind the scenes content I could find. Peter Jackson put up production vlogs that are fantastic and perfect before bed viewing.

Well, that's a lot that I've just thrown at you...Sorry this turned into such a monster but hopefully you'll have found it interesting/found something you like/both.

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Ultimate Hallowe'en Playlist

For getting ready, getting ghoulish and amping yourself up before the big night (or doing an awkward 80s shoegazey sway to)....can you guess I'm excited for hallowe'en?

Wide-Eyed and Blind Playlist XX - Classic Colette

Last, I gave you the music that maps where I am now as a person and taste-wise. Now, as part two of this special playlist, I present the songs and bands that made me who I am, the songs I listened to obsessively over and over again, the people who helped me through that terrible test in life...being a teen.

Nostalgia, much?

The Fourth Wide-Eyed and Blind Playlist.

Summer, summer, summer!...and I'm listening to sad songs...hrmmmm. You know when you just feel like being self-indulgent? Yeah, that's what this is about. Enjoy. Heh.

The Third Wide-Eyed and Blind Playlist.

Okay, so this is mostly comprised of stuff I'm digging at the moment which also happens to make me feel that warm-season-is-coming feeling. As a result, it's largely up-beat and fun but there's an undertone of sappiness because I'm sappy and also in a really good boy-place at the moment, it's strange how you can fall in love with a person again and again. I know, vomit...anyway, enjoy! 

PS Florrie and Gwen are so perfect in these videos.