Economy... etc.

The Economy. The topic has been ALL (and by all I mean all) over the news lately. There are some ways to tell if we really are in an economic crisis. One, is the fact that gas prices went from $4 or $5 a gallon to $1.99 in less than six months. The other is the fact that, at the opening of The Penthouse at South Coast Plaza, St. John stooped so low as to serve YELLOW, BANANA cotton candy and give out T-shirts. First, yellow was last SPRING'S color, and for the banana cotton candy--I would keep my distance.
St. John's new Southern California brand, SoCa, goes so far as to add LEOPARD PRINT sweaters and cardigans in their "Resort Collection." They may be trying to create a line that emanates the Southern California lifestyle, but let me tell you, leopard print is most definitely NOT going to do that.

OMG Plum and Kints!!!

1) Plum: Plum looks good on some people i.e. people with brown eyes... I have green-gray eyes (the best of course) wich class mganificently with plum... or berry.. or possibly even green. Thankfully I don't own any green THINGS so I don't really have to find out by trial and error. Anyhoo... My eyes clash with the colors for fall this year so I have made the executive decision to skip to winter (do not pass GO do not collect $200). I really do like the long trenches much better than say... anything for fall. If I wasn't so damed hot here I would wear scarves and drenches and boots all year. I still haven't found THE pair of boots BTW. All right on to kints.

2) Kints: I can kint... sort of. I've only tried knitting scarves. I think that it's very worth while to buy the knits made buy a machine even if you can knit. Knitting is soooooooo much harder than sewing! I mean sooooooooo much harder!! Well yeah I think I had marginally more to ramble about plum than knitting so I'll shut up now.

HAPPY WINTER EVERYBODY!!

The Chanel Fall-Winter Haute Couture Show

Well, I must say that there are some BEAUTIFUL outfits in this show but the Ugly-Duckling-esque bridal gown was NOT something to be worn--ever--and especially not showcased--in my opinion--as the crowning achievement at the Chanel Haute Couture show.... BIG mistake Mr. Lagerfeld!!

FASHIONISTA

Ok... Here is the answer to a question I have been asked too many times: What is fashionista?? I have always known the general meaning... but I decided to go to the dictionary

www.merriam-webster.com - a designer, promoter or follower of the latest fashions


Tada!

Ummm... My Boots? Duh!!

The cloudy skies of fall make a good backdrop for the wonderful equestrian boot. Too bad SOUTHERN California is sorta low on gloomy days right now (watch the tears fall). Oh whoops! Did I mention the fact that Gap--the wonderful supplier of my boots henceforth--has decided that they really didn't want to mass produce black equestrian boots this year. Never mind the fact that I wore my boots so much that the zipper literally stopped in its tracks. The only quality pair of boots that I've found this year are at United Colors of Benetton and (can you believe it?!) I can't really afford to spend a whopping $250 on a pair of shoes that are going to get scuffed up with me wearing them to and from wherever I'm going non stop. NO FAIR!!!!

"'Tis the season to wear linen, falalalala, lalalala"

If one would take a saunter down to the Cot d' Azure from Provence with a map that only listed major highway changes and Mapquest directions which didn't account for the silly travelers lacking driving skills and the usual holiday traffic, one would be seeing red. Now, please, step out of the car and find your way through the ancient winding streets of Baumes de les Mimosas to your apartment. You have just gone from seeing red to seeing linen. Trousers in whites and beige's... billowy white tops and sandals, this is July the hottest month of the year. 'Tis the season to wear linen. Of course, there's also khaki, but who wants khakis and a polo when we can frisk freely in the waves, linen galore. So ladies, please, linen.

Does "Designer" Require a Post-Model-Career?

Model:Designer::Actor:Writer

Our first subject: Heidi Klum. Considered a fashion expert, this super model is the star of the hit TV show Project Runway. She makes most of the decisions even if they claim it is equally decided--forget Tim Gunn, this is Heidi's show.
Our second subject: Does Heidi deserve this position? The answer? Probably not. More deserving might be Karl Lagerfeld or someone of that sort.
Our third subject: The Dior shoot for the summer collection in front of their Paris headquarters. I notice that most of the creative people are hardly model material.

Draw you own conclusions.

Accessories Aren't Minor Attractions!

Accessories—the image of headbands, costume jewelry, barrettes, purses etc. is triggered. Often these items, categorized as accessories, are considered optional, frivolous, and very often unneeded. They are like the dessert on the menu, gently implied, not required, but completely necessary. The accessory is the outfit. Accessories make or break the outfit just like the eyes in a drawing make or break the art. Accessories can portray an attitude and give an outfit personality, or they can be used as a signature look for a designer. For example, Chanel very often used fresh white camellias as her signature accessory. For her, the camellia signified refined elegance.

New Fashion Means NEW Fashion!

Designers have a way of bringing back the old... but is this always good? I say NO! When the public asks for something new, something fresh, they're not asking for a designer to bring back some thing that was from the 1920 or the like. They are not asking for a designer to go, "Hmmm... Well if we crimp these edges, and maybe make this more tight we could have something!" Where did all the "new, fresh, cutting edge" styles go to?? Is it because we are so inspired that we just design new dresses with that same old, "I'm a person living in 2008 and yeah, so maybe I'm wearing a dress that looks like something my great-grandmother would wear, but so what??? It's the latest!" I must say that designers are really not providing for people when they do this. I can't belive that people would by it with the label, "new, fresh, and cutting edge!" These styles are soooooo "been-there-done-that"!!!