I’ll be the first to admit I absolutely loathe winter. Yes, I’m aware that I’m the worst Canadian around, and no, I don’t like snow (with the exception of the very small window from December 24 to 25).
The only good things about winter, in my humble Canadian-born-and-bred mind, are the luxurious accessories that come along with the dreaded season — which I imagine is what frozen hell is like. Those big knitted scarves and slouchy toques almost make winter bearable — almost.
I am of the opinion that scarves can create or change an entire outfit. This opinion is not unfounded, according to Burberry’s 2014 F/W runway show, which featured glorious blanket scarves worn in every possible way. This show, along with a handful of fashion-savvy New Yorkers, has since created the wonderful trend that has taken fall and winter fashion by storm.
This season is all about massive scarves. The bigger they are, the better they are — which is excellent news for us Canadians on a mission to strike a balance between style and warmth. These wearable blankets masquerade as super chic scarves, fulfilling all our winter dreams in one beautiful super-sized piece of fabric.
This new blanket scarf trend compliments your winter coat, and most importantly functions as an extra-warm knit to snuggle in during your valiant fight against the biting cold. Rich jewel tones, plaid, and knitted scarves are all fantastic buys that can take your outfit from boring to fabulous in a single wrap. Play with textures, colours, and patterns to create a unique look with minimal effort and have a successful winter morning.
Remember, a super soft pashmina in a solid colour never really goes out of style, and can be worn throughout winter as a warm and vibrant addition to your wardrobe. The blanket scarf is growing stronger as people everywhere are realizing what a luxury this is. Designers like Burberry are making this look high-fashion and celebrities like Olivia Palermo are also championing this look. These scarves can be draped over your shoulders or worn like a poncho, depending on the style.
Beanies can be found anywhere and everywhere and getting different patterns or colours can make an outfit stand out. Plus, you don’t have to take it off when you get inside. There are a lot of things that are terrible about winter, a lot of things. Even though the season generally makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry, I take comfort in the fact that it’s socially acceptable to wear a large blanket as a scarf or a big beanie on my head. Yes, winter is coming, but with it the opportunity to look stylish in hats and scarves.
Josh Parsons
Music Editor
This past week, amid the end-of-term scramble, I found myself distracted from school work, choosing instead to dwell upon the details of an age-old philosophical problem: what is ‘punk’?
Punk infatuated me as a kid. In elementary school, I realized I could terrify my teacher by threading safety pins through my t-shirt and swearing. The idea was simple and complete, and I connected with it immediately. I was angry about something and I wanted people to know it.
Today, I now realize the term is so much more complex, elusive and powerful than my pre-teen self could have fathomed. For me, punk is no longer a means of expressing my anger but an entire perspective through which anger can be channeled and dealt with creatively.
It is important to make a distinction between punk rock, a form or music, and punk, an attitude. The ‘ground zero’ of punk rock is often agreed to be north-eastern American in the mid-’70s. But punk, as an attitude, has existed since the first caveman contested an arrogant chieftain.
Punk rock first populated headlines in 1976, after the Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten famously said “shit” on live television. Rampantly attempting to snuff punk at its source, media outlets sought to expose the emerging punk scene in Britain, forever tying the attitude to the spiky-haired, safety pin fashion.
But punk attitude is older that Johnny Rotten or Iggy Pop, and has maneuvered under the guise of many other terms throughout history, including rebel, degenerate, outsider or freak. The fundamental cornerstone of punk is a discontent with authority, accentuated by a desire to change things yourself.
Punk found its most forceful manifestation in 20th-century rock music, but there were countless historical predecessors who laid the foundation. Sun Ra, legendary leader of the mystical-Zionist-jazz Arkestra, was a total punk. As was Nietzsche, and the artists who popularized the Dada movement.
But it’s necessary not to confuse punk attitude with revolutionary or counter-cultural desires. At the heart of punk is a feverish dedication to a do-it-yourself ethic and the idea of precipitating seperate subculture within the larger sphere of culture.
