My Latest Obsession

Imagine taking Justin Timberlake and combining him with 112 - the RnB group from the late 90s. Divide that mixture into five Korean boys and add skinny pants with hi top sneakers and you get: SHINee!


Unfortunately, my obsession with them was sprung in an effort to get Michael Jackson off my mind and it turned into a severe distraction from studying for my exam that I had earlier today.

Sure, they were made by a boy band factory, but they struck boy-band research and development gold! What initially got me - was seeing their dancing in a video on youtube. What surprised me about it was the awesomeness of the dancing in skinny pants. I had been toying with the idea of wearing hi top sneakers with skinny pants. While I see a lot of skinny pants on campus, its mostly with sandals or loafers. SHINee just validated my hypothesis that it would work, you could look cool dancing in skinny pants, and skinny jeans are not just a trendy - emo - punk thing.


Apparently, if you can dance like a badass, you get the added privelage of wearing colors that even a rainbow couldn't come up with.

Aside from their style and their dancing, their music is jazzy some - I like how each member weaves their part in and out of each song. True, it's probably already set up for them, but you do need someone who can fill the role. They have some really nice beats that remind me of the "New Jack Swing" styles that I grew up listening to. The youngest one, Tae-Min, has a voice that reminds me of Slim from 112 - that nice light voice you look forward to hearing in a song. They bring me back. :)

Oh, and their song "Replay" is about pursuit of a beautiful older woman. They've made me feel pretty good about being 23. The music is worth checking out, their RnB is...what I think the American music conglomerate is lacking. I've always commented on how the music of the 90s was better. The feel is such a nice throw back and their voices are so nice. It doesn't matter that I don't understand the Korean.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

On a personal note, I think some vintage store owners really over estimate themselves. In my search for some cool vintage house duds, I haven't turned up anything. The usual college student problems still apply:

- lack of money
- lack of time

But also in my search I am being somewhat picky. Furniture is a big investment, after all. Anyone would be scrupulous.

Another dilemma is that, while some of the vintage is affordable ($200-$300), it's not comfortable. Texas summers get greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It's just not practical to own a vinyl couch. Quite stupid really.

Cat Deeley can work it

Famous Hangers with Cat Deeley of ' So You Think You Can Dance'


I stumbled upon this special of Famous Hangers featuring Cat Deeley, the host of So You Think You Can Dance. Considering the national exposure she gets on a weekly basis, she definitely has reason to dress nicer than average, but what's most charming is her approach towards shopping for her duds.

She's not my style icon but she offers some really good advice, and I'm always down for that.

Us odd Americans

So, I'm becoming quite content with the amount of empty space in my apartment. I've been taking advantage of the dancing space. Unfortunately, I cannot dance as often as I'd like due to my tendency towards self injury. My feet get can get bruised pretty fast and I don't like the idea of walking on a bruise, everyday for the rest of the summer in Texas. Triple whammy!

I've been thinking of investing in a pair of dancing shoes with the thought that they may be designed with the cushioning needs for someone who likes to twist and stomp. Skateboarding shoes are designed that way, so why not dancing shoes?

I discovered the shoes to the right at Urban Outfitters (www.urbanoutfitters.com). Nike Air Troupe Mid - Nice colors, nice design, not to sure about the hi top part though. Thankfully, there's an Urban Outfitters near campus and I was able to try them on. They felt quite nice, I was even beginning to think that the hi top may provide some ankle support. Oddly enough, I was a size 7. I'm most normally a size 7 1/2 to an 8.

US sizing kills me. I think it also makes me more skeptical of buying sneakers online since my size ranges. On the upside, the European sizes tend to be more consistent and I've always been a 38. This is also what it says on the Nike box.

It's nice to have an Urban Outfitters to do some reconnaissance. Online prices and store prices don't match up. As for the sneakers, I think I still would prefer something lower. Nike actually makes Air Troupe Lo as well. So I'm in luck.