Wednesday, August 30, 2006

So, even with a ton of money.....

You still have a hard time finding something to wear once you hit 50!

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A woman spurned
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The loyal St. John customer was turned off by its sexy new look and ad campaign. So now the label is trying to make amends.

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I wonder when the fashion industry is going to get the hint -- while those young people they are salivating over so often look like the way to go (And actually, I do understand their point -- any business has to look to the future), it's the baby boomer ladies that have the cash! (Didn't they ever see "Fried Green Tomatoes"?)

And while, true enough, there is no way in this life I'd be able to drop St. John's type money, the point remains the same across the income spectrum.

Get wise designers! Go after the young -- but don't forget where the bread and butter is right now and for a good while into the future.

Chew gum and walk at the same time, guys -- you can do it! ;-)

(On a totally different note -- what's up with this "a 6 is really a 10" bullsh*t? I guess money may not buy happiness -- but it apparently purchases a whole LOT of denial! : - / )

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Halloween early this year?.......

I think the operative word in the title of the below article is haunt! : - p

As I've been browsing the fall fashions, I wondered where the hell those damn bubble skirts were coming from! Now I know -- my past! ARRRRRHHHHH!!!!!!

Check out the article...

Eighties fashion comes back to haunt us

Stuff.co.nz - Aug 25, 2006
The '80s revival featuring puffball skirts, ruching and jumpsuits has stepped off the catwalks and onto the streets, writes Lara Zamiatin. When Alex Zabotto-Bentley talks 1980s fashion, the designer of the ...

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Kohl's to offer new Vera Wang line for the rest of us (?????)

Well this should be interesting…

It appears that Vera Wang is going to try to eat Isaac Mizrahi's lunch when it comes to designing for the every day woman. She's signed up to do a clothing line for Kohl.

Check out the details at the following link (I didn't need to register to read it):

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-vera2506aug25,0,454073.story?coll=orl-business-headlines

It's interesting seeing high fashion designers attempting to push their lines out to the general public (Because, let's face it, ready to wear might be a bargain for the couture shopper -- but it might as be one and the same for women like me!).

What, is he a mind reader?......

The little fashion geek knows my secret!!!

And probably yours too!

His post is actually about the state of fashion design in India -- but his reflections on why we bother with fashion at all can apply anywhere to anyone of us who loves fashion in spite of our good sense and better judgement.

So check it out at the following link:

www.ibnlive.com/blogs/hindolsengupta/104/19754/fashion-what.html

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Now a view from the other side of the mountain.....

Get yourself over to FashBlog.com and check out the post Fashion Perils of the Short and Small. (You'll have to scroll down the page a bit to get to it.)

Much as I am presently bitchin' about the issues of being a size 18W (Well actually I'm a size 18W and a 14 Reg -- but THAT's a whole 'nother post!), there was a day when I was in this young lady's shoes - size not height - and I know what it's like to wonder if it is possible not to look like a stick in a handkerchief in anything you wear.

It's a great post so if you can check it out! Makes one wonder doesn't it if it is reasonably possible to be fashionable at all - 50 plus or not!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

I couldn't have said it better myself......

As I was trying to prepare to pay bills (Oh well, there's always tonight), I couldn't resist a bit more web clothes site surfing. While doing so I came across the following blog entry regarding the Jones of New York line:

My Aim Is True - Jones of New York Review

The girl does not lie. I'll write more about Jones at a later date, but let me just say that anytime I've been lucky enough to grab something from this line (usually on sale) I've been delighted by my purchase. And yes -- they are one of the few clothing lines that not only acknowledges that size 2 is NOT the benchmark for all women, but also make the same beautifully classic styles for the plus among us as they do for the minus among us. They get a whole hearted (and grateful) thumbs up from me!

Monday, August 21, 2006

Touring the fashion world....

And what a trip it was!

As I've said before, it's been a long time since I paid any real attention to the whole idea of fashion. So, along with intending to purchase as many of the fall fashion issues mags that I can stomach this fall, I decided to go on a tour of the web to check out what's being sold and/or presented by general retailers right through to the toniest of designers. I figured that way I'd get quite a range of current offerings.

So I spent yesterday afternoon surfing the web to various sites. I looked at everything from the mall staples (Fashion Bug, Lane Bryant, Forever 21, etc), what I would consider mid tier retailers (Talbots, Ann Taylor, Mark Shale, etc) and the stratospheric likes of the couture designers (Donna Karan, Richard Tyler, Vera Wang, etc).

Yowserr!

Needless to say, even this morning my head is still spinning!

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Fall Fashion Extravaganza!......(If you're thin that is)

Is what's going on right now, of course, in all the "fashion" magazines.

And for the first time in a long time I'm taking a look at them. I figure that if I'm going to explore the possibility of being fashionable after 50, I'd best catch up on what is fashionable these days!

I have to say that, looking through the magazine racks made me want to bale on the whole idea! A more disturbing parade of bone thin, painfully young women has never been seen -- or so I thought to myself as I flipped through the current mags. Just looking at them it was pretty obvious where they stand on the proposition of fashionableness after 50 -- give it up baby!

Now, before I rant on, I have to say that Vogue, bless it's heart, made a weak stab at acknowledging that women actually do age and, as they do, actually have to continue to wear clothes (In fact, speaking with myself in mind, it probably should be required by federal law!). Vogue does this every once in a while, coming up with an age issue at least once a year.

The catch, of course, is that while Vogue can gag down the notion that people do grow older, they can't quite choke down the rarely escapable fact that it means the body changes too. The "older" women they feature never, ever, has an extra ounce of middle age and beyond fat on them. Somehow they've managed to travel into their 50s, 60s - oh hell in the current issue their 90s, without bring one extra pound with them.

Righttttt......

As I browsed through the magazine, I thought of my circle of friends and acquaintances that are around my age. I can't think of too many that still have the bodies they had in their 20s, 30s or - oh hell again -- in their 40s.

Yet Vogue never seems to be able to find a single over 40 woman who has been able to drag their age related pounds gracefully and fashionably forward into late middle age.

Now I understand that Vogue is a high fashion magazine and, watching myself jelly rollin' dumpyly down the street each day in those oh so unforgiving windows (And riddle me this -- why are there so many of those damn things?) I have to pass everyday, I can't imagine featuring me in the age issue would be the dream of their advertising group. However, if one is going to insist upon having an age issue, at least be honest about it -- or just give it up and don't do it at all!

Anyway, even with all my bitchin' and complaining I did buy a copy. After looking at everything else that was available, I had to at least give them props for trying!

In the end, I've ended up with 3 mags that I could live with - Bust (which I've mentioned before), Vogue (which I just discussed) and O (Which I haven't looked through yet). Actually, listing them I don't think it's a half bad selection - kind of all across the spectrum.

As for the rest of them -- well the message was pretty clear -- give it up old, fat girl!

But you think I'm goin' out like that? HELL NO!