November 2007

Hardy-ha-ha…not!

Whilst Americans are known to have a more laid-back style compared to Europe, this should not be automatically translated as boring.  In fact, we should interpret this as a taste for the simpler things, the pared-down and the comfortable.  I’m certainly reading it that way when I come across shops like Stand Up Comedy.  There’s nothing particulary ‘HA-HA’ funny about this Portland-based store (another city in the States that I think would tickle my fancy me thinks….) but it does stock an eclectic mix of labels that all seem to say ‘We make things people will wear over and over again but that those people buying us are few and far between…’.

They seem to have gathered a selection of labels that combine the niche and the established from both US and Europe and if you were to wear any of it, the effect would be seemingly basic but would reveal its quirks upon closer inspection.  So you have the essential denim from Acne and April 77 which would be augmented by the following things that Stand Up Comedy place great importance on…

A nomadic cape that will serve to protect…
Pelican Avenue digitally printed piumi cape that has a beautiful finish // Henrik Vibskov poncho/cape  // Staerk rain capelet

A casualfied variation on the tuxedo…
Slow and Steady Wins the Race (there’s a substantial amount of this brand due to one of the owners being the ex-manager of SSWR’s showroom in NYC) black satin tuxedo jacket with shawl collar // Patrik Rzepski oversized tuxedo trousers with paper bag waist // Slow and Steady Wins the Race tuxedo sweatpants.  The last two really adds an odd slouchiness to the traditional straight-laced tuxedo. 

A piece of bagginess that longs to be overworn and overused…
Patrik Rzepski slit t-shirt dress which has renewed my ex-love of lux t-shirts // Henrik Vibskov wing coat that has adjustable volume and hem length // Wood Wood blue shirtdress

With a name like Stand Up Comedy, the store doesn’t do what it says on the tin but I think the smiles come a little later when you wear these pieces with minimum effort and maximum ease.   

Source: Hardy-ha-ha…not!

Victoria’s Secret Has Pulled a Bait and Switch

What’s up with Victoria’s Secret these days? Not only has the lingerie line begun to skew super-young, with oodles of cutesy pink cotton things that say PINK across the arse, the beauty section has gone completely nuts.

I was so excited a couple of years ago when Victoria’s Secret Beauty announced that it would begin carrying a host of other brands, from Fekkai and Stella McCartney to DuWop and Scott Barnes. Well, it’s beginning to feel like that was just a setup to introduce new Victoria’s Secret brand items, as these fab brands were quickly swapped out in favor of new VS goods.

As soon as the Very Sexy makeup line launched, all the other makeup brands disappeared from the stores. They launched some new in-house fragrances (including the incredibly insipid and stupidly named Supermodel) and all the bottles of Stella and Anna Sui promptly vacated the shelves. They even swapped out Booty Parlor for their own line of “sexy” bath and body products, which are no match for the cheeky-sexy-luxe Booty Parlor line.

To be fair, though, Victoria’s Secret does make one of my very favorite nail polishes (Vexed) and I am still a sucker for my high school staple, Heavenly body mist (guilty pleasure alert). But I was happy to see them coexist next to some of my favorites from other brands.

The worst part is that all the additional brands are still carried on the website, making you think you’ll be able to get them in stores as well. But then when you walk in to pick up a tube of Revolotion or one of those fab Booty Parlor body shimmers, you’re just bombarded with the teenage-oriented mess that is the “new” Victoria’s Secret Beauty. I feel like I’ve been duped.

They still carry Fekkai in the stores, but that is about all when it comes to outside brands. What a disappointment! Integrating additional brands into Bath & Body Works stores seems to have been a huge success, so why couldn’t it work for Victoria’s Secret?

Have you noticed this too? Post your thoughts in the comments!

Source: Victoria’s Secret Has Pulled a Bait and Switch

MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural

Long-wearing foundation will give you a leg-up in creating lasting look, but if you want to go all the way, you better break out some powder to set that foundation! My favorite setting powder of the moment is MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural.

Baked to perfection, this super silky fine powder leaves my skin looking velvety and smooth. Unlike other mineral powders, this doesn’t leave a sheen on the skin–instead it imparts a creamy matte finish. It never looks cakey and doesn’t ever change colors or end up streaky after hours of wear. This powder isn’t heavy, but I do find I can wear less foundation, and a dusting of this powder will disguise any lingering imperfections. For areas where I want extra coverage, like under the eyes or a blemish, I employ my trusty MAC 227 brush for concentrated application.

If you decide to give this powder a try, be sure to get your shade matched first! These powders seem to run on the lighter side (for reference, I’m an NC20 and I use Medium).

Source: MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural

Katie Holmes: Marathon Mom [Snarkstress]

Katie’s Cruisin’

We interrupt this regularly-scheduled shredding to bring you kick-ass news: Katie Holmes completed the NYC marathon over the weekend in under six hours. That’s 26 miles, people. Holy shit.

Yeah, I rip on her a tad (like, uh, her girls are looking totally droopy in her running gear here), but really, that is one hulluva feat for the 28-year-old Mama. And what’s even more noteworthy: Just hours later, she strapped on her stilettos to take in a special screening of Tommy Boy’s Lions for Lambs. Now that’s a woman!

Okay, now that I got those niceties out of my system, may I just say that Tom looks a smidge overdressed for a freaking marathon watch-session (does the man even own any jeans?!?) and that most of the six-year-olds I know have a more stylish haircut than he does. Really.

Phew. Now, I feel better.

Props to Ms. Katie once again - as I sit here eating my Sausage Mc Muffin and sipping my (third) mimosa. Sigh.

Hollywood Damsels, Hollywood Hotties, Sexy Boyfriends, Sexy Girlfriends

Source: Katie Holmes: Marathon Mom [Snarkstress]

Seek and ye shall find…

Yesterday, I could not stop thinking about how much I liked the Brian Atwood Randall clutch featured, and how much I hated the fact that it was a clutch…I need the use of both my hands, dammit!
I am nothing if not tenacious (I once needed a baby’s tee shirt in a particular color and unable to find one, I dyed it myself), so I set about finding something that might fit the bill. Fortunately, the search was not long, and I did not have to make a bag myself…

The Tod’s Took Multitashce Media shoulder bag, in grained leather does not have the same sex appeal as the Randall, but with it’s multiple outer pockets it does capture what I called the “Dressy Bessy factor” of different closures for the mosaic of pockets. This has a simpler zip top, and pockets that close with T signature push locks. The locks look like stylized versions of attache case locks which gives it a freshness compared to other hardware locks in the market. The whole bag has an almost briefcase feel, a look I’ve been noticing a lot of around.
There is also plenty of interior room, so no need to edit down my usual assortment of un-necessities that I like to keep with me at all times, as well as brass feet, so i don’t have to worry about setting it down anywhere.
The Took Media bag is $1550 (tell me if you find a more affordable version), and available as shown from eLuxury. Saks has it in a less distressed looking camel color for the same price.

Source: Seek and ye shall find…

Alessandra Ambrosio is a Playboy Bunny

Victoria’s Secret hottie Alessandra Ambrosio has joined the ranks of Kendra, Bridget, and Holly. Well, at least for a day she did. Ambrosio dressed up as a Playboy Bunny for Halloween, and by the looks of it, I think Hef might have a fourth girlfriend soon.

Source: Alessandra Ambrosio is a Playboy Bunny

The “Baby Doll” Trend: Are You OVER IT? [The Annals Of Infantilization]

In an article about marketing non-dowager clothes to middle aged women, Wall Street Journal fashion writer Teri Agins reviews Bloomingdales’ foray into the boomer market, called “Quotation,” a line that wants to “appeal to mature women as well as 20-year-olds.” This alone is unremarkable, but what did catch my eye was what Agins ended up buying at her local Westchester Bloomies: “What finally convinced me to try on a blue print nylon mesh baby doll top — a teen trend I had already rejected — was a knowledgeable sales woman, who acted more like a personal shopper than a cashier. I was thrilled the top showed that I had a waistline.” Really? it showed that you have a waistline? Because usually “baby doll” tops — the gauzy, billowy things that they are — make women look at least four months up the stick. Anyone with boobs to speak of looks vaguely pregnant in the nursery-inspired looks that are clogging up the racks at most department stores and are you not OVER IT?

Seriously though. We thought the fitted/preppy look was in for this fall, but ladies are still wearing all of this beribboned, shapeless bullshit. Maybe women in their 40s are trying to look younger, but isn’t it time to just start dressing like a grown up… Or at least not like a cabbage patch doll?

Boomer Balancing Act [Wall Street Journal]

Source: The “Baby Doll” Trend: Are You OVER IT? [The Annals Of Infantilization]

You are Invited to Around the Clock Beauty.com Shop Event

If you live in the New York area or you’re just planning to be in New York City this week then you don’t want to miss this opportunity: learn new tricks and tips from celebrity makeup artists and ’scoop out’ the latest beauty must-haves for FREE!

When: 6am-10pm Thursday, November 8th
Where: 184 Fifth Avenue, between 22nd-23rd Streets

From website to on-site, Beauty.com is bringing it’s virtual world of beauty to life in the heart of New York City with their first ever Around the Clock Beauty.com Shop.  Whether you’re on the way to work or coming home form a late night out, EVERYONE who walks through the door will get a ”scoop” from an oversized beauty bin filled with thousands of must-have beauty products, all for FREE.  Consumers will also have access to top beauty gurus including Ted Gibson, Frederick Fekkai, and Peter Thomas Roth who will be stopping by to give one-on-one consultations.  And of course, Beauty.com’s team of experts will be on-hand to offer around the clock beauty tips and touch ups.       

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Source: You are Invited to Around the Clock Beauty.com Shop Event

This Is Why Your Children Have Eating Disorders [Bad Mommies]

“All I ever think about is whether my niece is popular, thin and happy enough,” semi-insane publicity bitch and plastic surgery enthusiast Peggy Siegal tells Bob Morris in an article about over-involved parents and relatives who insist on making their teens’ lives even more miserable than they might be otherwise. “One mother I know nags her daughter to lose weight,” Morris writes, “Another tells her son to let his hair grow longer. Yet another encourages her daughter to stay friendly with popular girls who aren’t nice. Today, when parents want to be their child’s friends, stylists and social directors, the critiquing can be as brutal as it is in school.” Although this article resides with all the other trendlets in Sunday Styles, parental meddling is nothing new. Several girls on my hall in college were subjected to constant haranguing about losing the freshman 15.

I still remember overhearing the tearful phone calls. One girl in particular stood out because her parents said they would buy her a Beamer if she lost 20 pounds by Christmas. I’m pretty sure she didn’t end up losing the weight, but her mother did succeed in fomenting her daughter’s self-loathing and bulimia. Great job, mom! My own mother, who is extremely slender and pushing 60, is still getting over the fact that in second grade she had the biggest waist in class and had to buy her clothes in the “husky” section of the department store. Consider this a public service announcement for the current and future mothers of America: being a teenager is hard enough as it is without your mom implying that you’re fat and lame. Unless you’re willing to foot the bill for the decades of therapy you’re going to inspire, perhaps you should lay off your kids, mkay?

As Cool as They Want to Be [New York Times]

Source: This Is Why Your Children Have Eating Disorders [Bad Mommies]

Prostitution OK, Credit Bad? [Lincoln Bedroom]

A new biography of Abraham Lincoln claims that he visited a whore once, but declined her services rather than use them on credit. Things have certainly changed in 150 years — prostitution is still okay, apparently, but now plenty of men have no trouble putting it on a credit card. Huzzah for the American consumerist culture! [NY Post, Gawker]

Source: Prostitution OK, Credit Bad? [Lincoln Bedroom]