www.theotherpress.ca

Lire & STYLE.

 

The frugal fashionista

How to keep current on
a shoestring budget

 

By Brittney MacDonald,
Contributor

‘ve never been a trend
follower. Most of the

time I just go for what I feel
comfortable in and what I
believe looks good without
much care for what's popular.
Some may call this laziness,
but I call it a fashion identity—
one that takes a bit of work
to maintain when the seasons
change.

Even if you don’t subscribe
to Vogue or Cosmo, updating a
wardrobe that you’ve grown
tired of can be expensive. So
imagine my horror when I
pull out my summer clothes,
only to realize that most of
my hot weather wardrobe has
disappeared to some unknown
galaxy far away , and all I’m
left with is a single pair of
shorts and some tank tops J no
longer find flattering. Luckily
I’ve developed a tried and true
system to please any frugal
shopper that wants to look good
in any season.

Thrift Stores

Every savvy shopper knows
the benefits of Value Village.
It’s cheap, and those new-to-
you leather shoes are already
broken in! Of course there are

downsides. The clothes can be
stained, much of it comes from
people donating after dear old
grandma has “passed on,” and
sometimes it will smell like
pee. So unless you want to be
a urine-soaked hoodlum in
a granny sweater and Crocs,
here’s some advice on how to
get the best out of your second-
hand experience:

The easiest way to avoid
disaster when it comes to
thrift stores is to find one in
a wealthy neighbourhood.
Generally you'll find clothes
that are in better shape, and
sometimes with the tags still
on. My personal favourite is
the Value Village in Coquitlam
along Barnet. I can’t tell you the
number of times I’ve gone there
and found brand new items
from well-known brands for
under $10. It’s worth the effort
of digging out that U-Pass and
making the journey if you're in
a bind and need an outfit, or if
you're shopping to replenish
that depressingly-empty closet

eBay

eBay is a great way to get

fairly decent quality clothes

for next to nothing, as long

as you don’t mind waiting by
the mailbox. This works well
for people that want a certain
aesthetic, and are fairly easy-
going about fit. You can’t try the
clothes on beforehand so you're
pretty much buying blind. The
cheapest clothes come out of

Asia and Europe, so you also
need to take into account the
fact that their sizes run small.

eBay is fairly easy to use:
just list your options by cheapest
including shipping costs, and be
aware that lot prices are subject
to change. It is an auction site
after all. If you want to keep
your costs down, don’t fall in
love with and then get into a
bidding war over that adorable,
must-have minidress. Reconcile
your feelings, eat a pint of ice
cream, and move on.

Get Creative

Creativity can turn an
unattractive outfit into a couture
masterpiece! Okay, maybe not
really, but it sounds pretty
fancy doesn’t it? Websites like
Pinterest and YouTube are
inspiring many people to drag
out the scissors and personalize
what they wear, sometimes
without even having to pick up
a needle and thread (search for
“no sew” options). This works
out well in the long-run because
adding detail to anything
automatically makes it look
more expensive. It’s also a great
way to cover up that stain on
your Motley Crue T-shirt that
you refuse to throw out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phato courtesy of Joel McCarthy

 

Between the Sheets

Slap on a condom, slop
on some lube and slip
into some protected sex

 

By Viv Steele, Safety Enthusiast

Your seen the posters
everywhere, you've read the

articles, and maybe you've even
attended some illuminating sex
education classes (wooden penis
models, anyone?). But do you
actually practice safer sex when
push comes to shove and you're
tangled up in the sheets with
a partner, possibly inebriated?
In this edition of Between the
Sheets, we're going to talk about
condom use, specifically male
condoms.

A 2012 Statistics Canada
report indicates that condom
use among sexually-active

Canadians aged 15 to 24 is at 68
per cent, a significant rise from
62 percent in 2003. But that still
means that 32 per cent of youth
aren’t wrapping it before they
tap it, and given the rise of hook
up culture, numbers like that
could be dangerous. There is a
clear correlation between alcohol
consumption and forgetfulness
surrounding prophylactic use,
and I’ve come to the conclusion
that maybe it’s because people
just don’t know how sexy safer
sex can be.

So whose responsibility is it
to carry condoms? Easy answer.
It’s everyone's responsibility.
Ladies, don’t rely on the men
to keep a just-in-case condom
in his wallet (also, long-term
storage of condoms in your
pocket can degrade the rubber
over time, making them prone
to breakage). Carry them with
you, especially if you think
you intend to hook up. At your

house, store them somewhere
easily accessible from the place
you intend on having sex.
Having to get up and traipse to
the bathroom (or worse, waking
your roommate up to ask for
one) is a pretty good way to
break whatever mood you've
already created, providing a
disincentive . Have a discreet
stash of goodies by your bed
or keep it out in the open—
nobody’s judging you!

Some women complain
that condom use dries up their
natural lubrication, and men
complain that they “Can’t feel
anything.” If this is the case for
you, it might be that you have
a mild allergy or sensitivity
to latex. Try using non-latex
condoms, available at any drug
store (but unfortunately not
available at convenience stores).
Also, don’t be afraid to stock up
on lube and use it liberally. Keep
it with the rest of your safer-sex

kit. Put it on both the inside and
outside of your condom. Proper
use of lube can be the difference
between a so-so experience and
an amazing one.

When using a male condom
for vaginal, anal, or oral (yes,
even oral) intercourse, it’s
important that the man’s penis
is fully erect—it just makes the
condom go on easier. Make
your partner feel like getting to
wear a condom is a kind of sexy
treat. Employ ample use of your
hands on his penis and balls so
that he’s really hard. You could
just leave it to him to put the
condom on, but I think that sex
is a collaborative process. You
both benefit from the use of a
condom, so you should both
be involved in the application.
Before you put the condom on
his erect penis, take a careful
look to make sure it’s the right
way up: the bottom should curl
out like the brim of a hat. Pinch

the extra space at the top, place
it on his penis head, and then
firmly slide the sides down.
An incredibly sexy advanced
move is to apply the condom
with your mouth (shout-out to
LH for the tip!), which is the
perfect start to a protected blow
job. Invest in some flavoured
condoms or lube for this
purpose.

Strategies for improving
the efficacy of safer sex should
be an important part of the
discussion on sexual health. The
DSU offers free condoms, and
there are also other options in
the Pride Centre, such as dental
dams or internal condoms. I'll
write more on those tools in my
next column, so stay tuned for
another frank discussion in a
month. In the meantime, enjoy
the break from classes and stay
safe.

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