Other than Maja Ivarsson’s panicky and powerful vocals, the thing about The Sounds I remember most is their album cover for Dying to Say This to You. You know the one. It features two sultry, black-haired babes. Visible nipple included! 

But this article isn’t about the lady who was down with her nipple peering through a wifebeater on an internationally successful album cover. It’s about the beauty on the left, whose bone structure had me swooning for years before I even knew her name.

I’ve never seen a lady who looks so powerful and so delicate all at once. From her piercing grey eyes to her tiny little cat nose, she always strikes the right balance between hard and soft. Especially when you factor in her sense of style, which has been next level since her early days in the New York City music scene. (Leigh makes up 1/3 of the DJ trio The Misshapes.)

In the last five years Leigh has officially cemented her spot as a fashion and style icon. She has her own profile on models.com, which lists the many editorial spreads, ad campaigns and short films she’s been a part of. 

Miss Lezark can brag that she’s Karl Lagerfeld approved. The Kaiser cast her to play a Bianca Jagger look-a-like in his short film, Remember Now. But a fashion icon needs more than just one heavyweight designer backing her. She was also cast in the short film made to promote the 2011 Lanvin for H&M collection as a maid, delivering tea to Alber Elbaz himself. 

Leigh was featured in the February 2009 issue of Vogue Italia (alongside Geordon Nicol), and she was on the June 2010 cover of Vogue Turkey. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know Vogue Turkey isn’t top tier as far as Vogues are concerned. But she was still on the cover; that shit’s impressive. 

I list all the fashion connections she has to establish her credibility, but truthfully it’s her “off-duty” style and attitude that draws me in and makes me want to base my life aesthetic off of hers. She has one of those faces that you can look at and instantly feel like the smirk and bright eyes she’s sporting are thanks to an inside joke the two of you share. The woman knows how to connect with her audience. 

And speaking of audience, if you aren’t following @TheMisshapes on Instagram already, you’re seriously missing out on some good grams. Featuring plenty of adorable Throw Back Thursday posts of a young Leigh and behind-the-scenes photos of all the most important parties, it’s a window into the world of one of fashion’s coolest ladies.

Those of you who do follow Leigh via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. will know that she recently dyed her hair back to her natural blonde color. I couldn’t imagine Leigh without her signature inky black long bob, but damn girl. Now I can fully support the choice! (Jessica Stam look-a-like, anyone?)

I can't even write words about how perfect she looks in this Company Magazine editorial from their May issue, which Leigh is on the cover of. Literally, I've typed and deleted too many words and none of them have been sufficient enough to explain my feelings about these images. So you're just going to have to take my word for it on this one! (Or click on the photos, follow the links, and buy the issue for yourself!) The magazine made a behind-the-scenes video of her cover shoot and captured a little bit of that Lezark charm:

Are you as crazy about Queen Leigh as I am? If not, who is your number one lady crush? TELL ME EVERYTHING.

STAY UGLY//
xoJamee

Who is with me in recalling watching The Fifth Element and thinking the futuristic, blue and purple, bodycon airline uniforms were absolutely amazing? You can’t deny that you wanted to throw one on and end up somewhere in space. What about the movie Catch Me If You Can? Although the uniforms were not as sexy, there is something about a fleet of flight attendants in the same uniform looking classy and flashy as hell from head to toe. 

Well my friends, the time has COME!  

The eccentric and brilliant Vivienne Westwood has teamed up with Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic Airlines to re-design its iconic red uniforms. It is true. Vivienne, being a strong advocate of eco-friendly materials, plans on designing the uniforms out of recycled brass, recycled canvas, reused roadside banners, and unused leather-cut offs. In the official announcement of the partnership, it was expressed that her goal is “a futuristic look, which references her enduring interest in 1940s French couture cutting techniques as well as the Savile Row tailoring heritage.” Is she kidding? She is the coolest. Also, the uniforms will be produced through the Ethical Africa Program in collaboration with the International Trade Center. 

The women's uniform will of course be bight red and consist of a body-hugging blazer and pencil skirt. The women's uniform will of course be bight red and consist of a body-hugging blazer and pencil skirt. In other words, when a flight attendant comes to your seat and asks you what you want to drink, you are going to be in shock. The men’s uniform will be a jaw dropping burgundy three-piece suit. Do I need to say more? No. Vivienne also plans on making bags for the employees out of the same recycled materials. I can only imagine what they will look like. 

Although the dress code will not be officially launched until 2014, there is going to be a soft launch this summer so crewmembers can give feedback. I can only hope that this improvement will make passengers re-think their own flight fashion. I wish flying was the mysterious elegant adventure that it used to be.

Stay UGLY! 

-Brooke    

Were you born a man, identify as male, or know someone who fits into the above categories? This article is for you. Stay with me, now.

I lived in Logan, Utah for two and a half long years to attend college at Utah State University and play soccer. While I was there, seeing a truly well dressed man was like seeing a unicorn walking through campus. They were painfully few and far between. As someone who is intensely attracted to both men and good personal style, I made a concerted effort to scope out those rare ones who clearly had a perfectly curated closet. Spoiler alert: I was pretty bored up there. I moved back to The Homeland.

Now I walk down my street (200 South: home to Este Pizzeria, Twilite Lounge, the Walker Center and yours truly) and I can barely make it two blocks on any given Saturday without seeing a handful of dudes with a better wardrobe than me.

On the grounds that I’m surrounded by stylish men on a daily basis (living downtown, working at Whole Foods, and going to school at the U does wonders for the eye candy portion of your brain), I’m appointing myself an authority on men’s fashion.

Behold, the top five summer essentials for men:

You guys, over my dead body will you go to Target and buy a five pack of Hane’s white undershirts and call it good this summer. Be better than the Hane’s five-pack. Buy a couple short sleeve T’s made out of quality fabric because you’ll be running, jumping and kissing pretty people in these. I have it on good authority from a quite stylish man that Banana Republic makes the perfect white cotton T-shirt.

There’s something about a sharp button-up that makes me take someone seriously before knowing anything about them yet. Even better, it makes me feel like they take THEMSELVES seriously. It’s a dapper ass bitch who wears a button-up shirt.

Now that you’re thinking seriously about your wardrobe, don’t drop the ball by going to Great Clips. Especially when there’s a perfect alternative in Ray’s Barbershop. (Bonus points if you make an appointment with Stefahn Looney, pictured above. His haircuts are babe approved.) If you have a scraggly mane you’ve been meaning to tame, summer is the perfect time to go high and tight. See also: Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love. I rest my case.

The same way cat-eye frames keep popping back up in classy women’s sunglass collections over the years, gentlemen and scholars are never without a fancy pair of Wayfarers or Clubmasters for weekend bicycle/motorcycle/car rides. I’m crossing my fingers that one day I see my kids and their friends wearing these same styles of sunglasses, because they’re just so god damn good.

As much as I swoon over a nice pair of oxfords or a collection of Red Wing boots, we are heading into the middle of May and shit gets serious out here in the heat department. You need some casual sneaks to carry you through all of the dog-walking, night hiking, and bar crawls you’re probably going to be doing this summer. Black Van’s Core Classics and white High-Top Converse are choices no one can fault you for. (And I’ll fight anyone who tries to, considering a pair of the latter are an integral part of my summer shoe game.)

Wondering if your summer staples are UGLY approved? Think I missed something? Look no further than the comment section below. Let’s talk men. And fashion. And men’s fashion.


STAY UGLY//
xoJamee

*All photos were credited. Click on photo for original source.