Of Toys and Co: Sweet May 2011 (Picture Heavy!)

If you're in the states, Happy 4th!!!

As for me, I'm happy this is the last May magazine, because I'm so ready to move on to June's magazine. Yes, I do realize it's July -.-'

Sweet May 2011 issue comes with a super cute Mercury Duo tote that I didn't think twice about before buying. And plus it was a huge issue that took me a while to go through!

Pictures just don't do this freebie tote any justice, I tell you, because in natural light the black dot print appears much more striking on the pastel pink background. These are not polka dots and the dots themselves are unique in shape and size, looking like they are dotted on with a brush.

The tote is made of polyester, and it measures 19.5(height) x 33.5(length) x 13(width) cm.

It is very well made with even and clean stitching and no loose threads.

There are no external or internal pockets, but the tote has zipper closure.

It is also lined with polyester fabric in the same matching pastel pink color.

Inside the cover is a charity run by Rinka x Sweet, selling t-shirts with Rinka's cover photo to raise fund for the devastating Japan Earthquake.

Picture of the freebie tote.

An editorial featuring Rinka.

In demand pieces from fashion capitals around the world, Tokyo, New York, Paris, London, Milan.

Tokyo

Paris (left) and New York (right)

Milan (left) and London (right)

Celebrity fashion

31 Days of outfits with model Coco Kinoshita using pieces featured at right (and other miscellaneous accessories not pictured).

The next several pages feature "it" items this season. These 2 pages, baggy denim.

Overalls, jumpers, and rompers.

Sweat pants, which leads to me to grin victoriously at hubby. Oh ho ho, I think the fashionistasagrees with me honey! Damn, I wish I had taken pictures of this magazine much much sooner! I would have had something to show him right then and there that I wasn't wearing pjs out!

Long and flowy bottoms.

I really like the next 4 pages too. They feature items in white and red.

Love that red cross the shoulder bag on the lower left there. It reminds me of one of my bday presents from hubby :)

Quick, match Kate Moss to the Dior lipstick color!

More indication of K-pop invasion - a special shoot with Girls Generation.

I'm not sure who Natsu is, but I'm guess she's the fashion editor for the magazine reporting on New York's fashion week?

An editorial featuring Anna Tsuchiya.

This is totally off-topic, but Anna Tsuchiya's wikipedia page reads like a page out of a gossip rag. When you put 2 or more women together in the same room, you are bound to have drama. And behind the curtain of the entertainment industry, dramas are to be expected. But verbal, physical, and alcohol abuse among teenage girls? Where the hell are their parents for goodness sake?!?

Not that I'm in the know or anything about the fashion industry, but I sure haven't read about or heard of a successful runway/print model in the NY-Milan-Paris scene who is "known" for her racial/homophobic slurs (erhh...many big name designers are openly gay...?), abusive political incorrectness (...there's a difference in being politically incorrect and just plain abusive language?), frequent drunken brawls and physical/verbal assault of her fellow models, camera crew, and designers (seriously?!?!). I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I'm sure it does, but it probably happens behind close doors. Because once shit like that gets out in the open, that model will probably loose a lot of jobs and, well, a whole lot more face. And yet it seems things like that only booster the said models' career in Japan... O.o