The Red Dot

From "The Red Dot" episode of Seinfeld

Office Cleaning Lady: "When I was a little girl in Panama, a rich American came to our town and he was wearing the softest most beautiful sweater. I said to him, "what do you call this most beautiful fabric?", and he said "they call it cashmere". I repeated the words "cashmere, cashmere". I asked if I could have it, and he said "No. Get away from me." Then he started walk away. But I grabbed onto his leg screaming for him to give me the sweater and he dragged me through the street. And then he kicked at me with the other foot and threw some change at me. Oh, but I didn't want the change Georgie. I wanted the cashmere."

This is taken from what is probably my favorite episode of Seinfeld. It stuck with me primarily for two reasons. First because my mother is Panamanian and it's rare that the country gets a shout out unless someone on the nightly news is talking about Pineapple Face. Second, I remember this one so well because I felt the same way about cashmere when I was younger.

Cashmere meant twin sets and pearls, long drives in the countryside and friends named Muffy and Chipper. I still remember how happy I was when I got my first twin set for Christmas many years ago. In my mind I imagined that the soft fibers had been hand trimmed using manicure scissors from the soft underbelly of a Himalayan goat (no older than three) who had been raised on a diet of butter and Mozart from infancy. I still love the stuff.

Perusing my junk mail box I saw a coupon from The Gap. Because I haven't completely weened myself from over shopping, I went to the site and low and behold, saw several nicely priced cashmere sweaters. Before I could click "proceed to checkout," I started wondering. Just when did cashmere get so inexpensive anyway? Is there a difference between the $89 sweater from The Gap and the $300 model at Neiman's?

It turns out the answer is yes and no depending on what you buy. Cashmere has apparently become big business and free trade means that with import restrictions a thing of the past China has flooded the market with the woolly stuff to satisfy demand for luxury at low prices.Upscale and mid-level retailers typically buy from the same markets.

Some cheap cashmere is actually deceptively labeled, containing fiber blends or wool from goats of Outer Mongolia instead of Inner Mongolia. Apparently, the Outty goats have coarser hair.

More expensive doesn't necessarily mean better. What you want to look for in quality cashmere is density. The denser the better. Second, you want a high ply or number of strands used to make the weave. Last, quality cashmere is made from long soft fibers, not short rough ones. First, the denser the cashmere, the better quality it is. Second, the higher the ply - the number of strands used - the more luxurious the piece of clothing. Third, the optimum fibres to have are those that are soft and long, as opposed to short and rough: long fibres pull together to make a stronger yarn, and are therefore more durable. Lastly, the best weavers are usually in Italy so if that ballet neck sweater you're fondling meets all these critera, then you've probably got gold in your hands that will last for ages if properly cared for.

Something else to think about is the effect that the cashmere frenzy has had on the environment. Even though the cashmere itself is a natural product. The availability of cheap cashmere means that overgrazing of the delicate farmlands in China has become a problem.

So back to that Gap sweater. I haven't ordered yet. The website gives very little detail about the origin of the cashmere so I'll have to hold off before using that coupon,

Photos: Wikipedia, Neiman Marcus, The Gap

Two Beautiful Fall Coats from The French Connection

L to R: "deliver" coat $268.00 & felt bow tie jacket $268.00

I love love love the first coat. It's the happy medium for the woman like me who can't quite commit to wearing a cape for fear of being called "Black Zorro" by her friends. I also think it would go nicely with anything from skinny jeans to a knee length dress or skirt.

One would have to be a bit more cautious however with the felt jacket. The balloon sleeves and generously sized neck bow are downright poetic but on the wrong person the jacket could go from chic to big-dumb-mustard-clown in the blink of an eye.

Project Runway's Nina Garcia on Style

My family and I just moved back to the US from a two year stint in Luxembourg. Because of that, I am not current on the goings-ons on most television shows.

One show that I really missed watching when I was away was Project Runway. The UK counterpart (called Project Catwalk was a bit dull by comparison and when they replaced Elizabeth Hurley with Kelly Osbourne in the second season, it became even less watchable, if you can imagine that.)

All this to say that I really don't know how people feel in general about ELLE magazine fashion director Nina Garcia. I vaguely remember her being a bit of a cold fish on the show but not nearly as bitchy as Michael Kors.

Well like most everyone with a pulse on a hit reality show, Nina has a book on style hitting the shelves soon. Now, I have a not-so-secret addiction to these books so I'm already poised to add this one to my holds list at the public library. I ran across this excerpt at Gawker that I thought I'd share. There's no new information here but it looks to be a fun read, I just hope that it has loads of photographs.

Anything that sounds like it won't make sense usually looks amazing. The uptown with the downtown. The soft with the hard. The casual with the elegant. Trust me, it works. Unpredictable is far more interesting than predictable. It is what is going to make you look different and interesting, which is the hallmark of a stylish woman. Mixing it up is not about looking staged. It is supposed to be personal. Keep those items that are uniquely you....Style is about these imperfect mixes and these unusual juxtapositions, it takes time and trial to perfect the mix. It can't look staged, it has to look effortless.

The Quest for the Perfect Wardrobe II

I'm still going through boxes of clothes, trying to narrow down my wardrobe into something more manageable. This is much more difficult than I anticipated for several reasons. First of all, anyone looking at my clothes packed away not so neatly in those boxes would think that they belonged to a lunatic. A hundred conflicting crashing prints, patterns and fabrics with nothing tying them together. Piles of clothes with the tags still hanging on reminding me of how foolish I have been with my spending. Things that don't fit, never fit and never will fit. It was enough to give me a massive headache. I am committed to the concept of a "capsule" wardrobe but I feel now like I don't even have to basics to build from. I shoved my box into a corner and was ready to leave it out on the curb when I read this post today by fashionista-ta in the "French Wardrobe" thread on TFS:

• Segregate in one closet a capsule wardrobe for the coming season. Wear it and see how it works for you. If you find gaps, go "shopping" in your storage area to fill them.
• Include a couple items you haven't worn or haven't worn much, and give yourself an assignment to see if you can integrate them. If it's not possible, that may pave the path to the next step ...

Hallelujah! It makes sense. Instead of fretting over how to incorporate my flimsy summer clothes into my wardrobe, I'll just focus on Fall instead. It sounds like such a small thing but it has really helped me to focus. I know I already have dresses covered but I think investing in a good quality cashmere sweater or two, a coat and some nice slacks will head me off in the right direction.

Alek Wek Opens Up About Exploitation in Modeling

Wek recounts the event in her soon to be published autobiography.

The calendar in question was made for Lavazza Italian coffee and showed the beauty against a giant coffee cup. Her flawless dark brown skin was to represent espresso. According to Fashion First, although she thought the images were beautiful she was uncomfortable with the manner in which her image was exploited. She says:

I can't help but compare them to all the images of black people that have been used in marketing over the decades. There was the big-lipped jungle-dweller on the blackamoor ceramic mugs sold in the Forties; the golliwog badges given away with jam; Little Black Sambo, who decorated the walls of an American restaurant chain in the 1960s; and Uncle Ben, whose apparently benign image still sells rice...

When asked by Vogue, the company CEO Ennio Ranaboldo defends the image which he saw artistic.

I think she raises a really interesting point. I remember when I first started seeing Alek in magazines. If my memories are correct, she was usually photographed alone and with rather exotic treatments. Never cast as straight forward beauty, she was usually regarded as some "exotic other." In fashion speak, this meant lots of feathers, body paint, sand, and usually a animal skin or two thrown in for good measure. When she finally appeared on the cover of Elle, I nearly fainted from delight.

Of course, the entire modeling industry is about exploitation but at the same time, I always hated reading mini-bios on Wek that made it sound like she tanning goat hides when the fashion world "discovered" her and put her on display. Iman got the same treatment when she first emerged. I actually remember someone telling me in all seriousness, that Iman was discovered while riding on the back of a giraffe in Africa (never mind which country.)

I'm interested to see what the response (if any) will be from the fashion industry with both Alek and Naomi's recent comments entering the blogosphere. Something tells me it will be business as usual, but I am pleased to see more people speaking out about these issues.

Tim Gunn's Guide to Style

Tim Gunn teams with Veronica Webb to give style advice. This is what Tivo was made for.

Venus Williams to Design Line for Steve & Barry's

According to Brandweek, Venus Williams will follow in the footsteps of Sarah Jessica Parker and design a line of lifestyle and activewear for mall retailer Steve & Barry's. The collection will be called EleVen. The collection will hit stores sometime in November and, like all Steve and Barry's items, nothig in the collection will cost more than $20. The line is named for the street on which Venus and her sisters grew up in California.
I'm curious to see what Venus comes up with. Unlike most celebrities that lend their names to collections, Venus did attend design school though I've never really admired her personal style.

Picture Source: LSA

Tracy Reese Handbags

I've always admired Tracy Reese's feminine dresses and separates but I'm really feeling her new handbag collection. There's none of that "it" bag pizzazz here, just well constructed leather bags (some with contrast stitiching and faux ivory handles) that transistions easily from day to evening. These are classically styled everyday bags that won't go out of style as soon as you bring it home. I especially have my eye on the 'Pilar' double handle tote bag. Fortunately several of these are on sale now at Nordstrom.com

Moschino: A Second Look

Several days later and I'm still thinking about this ad. I'm not sure what Peter Lindberg was going for with this image (it certainly is thought provoking) but I still don't like it.

It's one of those things...tough to grasp at first but then over time it slowly becomes clearer.

Initially I just thought it was because of it's gimmicky approach (there are also versions of this ad featuring White and Asian models though neither of those ads has a nude model in them.)

Then I was irked by the segregation of the models by race. It is so rare to see Black and Asian models in major ad campaigns so what it the point of placing them in fashion ghettos instead of mixing them together?

Next, I was bothered by the nude model. Now, I'm used to seeing naked ladies in fashion magazine ads but I didn't notice, until I looked at all three ads again at TFS, that this ad is the only one with a happy grinning naked lady surrounded by sourpuss expressions.

Everything is deliberate in fashion photography. You can't convince me otherwise. So why bright red? Why are all the models nearly the exact same skin color? I have a huge family and you'd be hard pressed to find two people in it that are the same shade of brown. So who made that casting decision? I can picture someone at an agency going through a stack of cards, rejecting models that weren't "black" enough. Don't get me started on the wigs. I have a teeny-weenie afro myself so it's not that afro itself that bugs me, it's just the why this?

If you are a Black woman in her mid-30s like me, then no doubt you remember when Mattel came out with the first Black Barbie doll. I got one for Christmas that year. My mom bought it under protest because she hated how the doll was styled. Guess what she looked like...I wonder what my mom would say about this ad, 27 years later.

Jezebel Tallies it Up

I found this interesting. Jezebel has done an informal tally of the merchandise featured in several women's fashion magazines in September. Here are the results for the second installment, which pulls out the 10-key on September's Elle and Vogue phonebooks.

Vogue
Apparel: $825,764 (Most expensive: $61,000 Dolce & Gabbana beaded dress. Least expensive: $48 Splendid cotton shirt)
Accessories: $350,569 (Most expensive: $44,600 De Grisogono watch. Least expensive: $38 Wolford velvet leggings)
Beauty: $103 (Most expensive: $50 Lancome Destiny Cube. Least expensive, $25 Lancome Le Crayon Kohl Oriental Duo)
Other: $6921 (Most expensive: $1,830 Gothic armchair. Least expensive: $20 Mary Mulcahy napkins)
Total Shit: $1,183,357

Elle
Apparel: $263,368 (Most expensive: $5290 Carolina Herrera Wool Coat. Least expensive: $25 Isaac Mizrahi for Target shirt)
Accessories: $301,116 (Most expensive: $6,400 Betteridge equestrian brooch. Least expensive: $7 socks by Ralph Lauren)
Beauty: $364 (Most expensive: $188 Dermaquest Peptide serum. Least expensive: $6 Prada face wipe)
Other: $73,001,215 (Most expensive: $73 million Mark Rothko painting. Least expensive: $15 old-school telephone)
Total Shit: $73,566,063 ($566,063 without painting)

Gavin Douglas

At 24 years old Gavin Douglas is already one of London's most promising new designers. He taken home a slew of honors including Fashion Fringe and the Young Avant-Garde Designer of the Year Award.

His Spring/Summer collection was inspired by a London exhibition titled "The Black Victorians" which was lauded for its mix of historic detailing and modern sensibility.

Looking at his Fall collection, all I can think of is future/sex ala Sean Young in Blade Runner. I love the mix of fabrics and color in his collection. Everything is here: leather, feathers, silk...it's like a space aged bordello. The complete opposite of anything I'd actually buy but so so pretty to look at.

Selected pieces available at Yoox

Jil Sanders

I know that some people will probably find this collection uninteresting but I love the non-trendiness of it. Raf Simons is well regarded for his somewhat avante-gard menswear collection, so I was curious to see what he would do at Jil Sanders. This represents everything I look for in clothing these days, sleek silhouettes and incredible detailing. I'm all about this type of conservative chic. I think Style.com put it best when they celebrated its beautifully disciplined... purity of form.

Size Does Matter

Top to Bottom: Balenciaga Weekender ($1,962), Givenchy Patent Large Nightingale ($1,695), Marc by Marc Jacobs Delancy Tote ($698), Mulberry Large Mabel ($1,495.)

Vogue may have made a push for small clutch type bags this fall but personally, I will never be able to give up big bags. The bigger the better in fact. I actually feel naked if I'm not toting around an extra large piece of leather. I view it as a form of protection.

I come from a long line of suitcase sized bag carriers. My mother kept everything imaginable in her purse: wigs, makeup, notepads, the occasional piece of flatware, and even full sized condiments ("never leave the house without your lipstick and a bottle of your favorite hot sauce" was her motto.)

I, on the other hand, was greatly influenced by repeated viewings of "Let's Make a Deal" as a child. The part when host Monte Hall would go into the audience and offer $100 to the first woman able to pull a random item (be it a toothbrush, can of hairspray, or sewing kit) out of her bag became my obsession. Since then I've always had a list of essential items cluttering up the inside of my bag "just in case" I run into someone in need.

I've never run into Mr. Hall on the street but if you see me and are in desperate need of a lint brush, I'm here to help.

Naomi Speaks Out About Discrimination in Modeling Industry

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has lambasted top fashion magazines for avoiding black models in favour of fair-skinned beauties.

The London-born supermodel targeted Vogue in particular for its almost exclusive use of pale-skinned models.

"Black models are being sidelined by the major modelling agencies," Campbell said in an interview reported in The Times.

"It is a pity that people don't appreciate black beauty."

The 37 year old plans to set up a new modelling program in Kenya in an effort to bring greater balance and diversity to glossy magazines.

Campbell is a regular visitor to the Kenyan coast, where her former boyfriend Flavio Briatore owns a hotel.

She has reportedly been impressed by local beauties and sees a market for African faces on the world stage.

Cambell first appeared on the cover of Vogue in 1987 when she was 17 years old — and was one of the first to gain the tag 'supermodel'.

It has been more than five years since she graced the magazine's cover, and she now believes Vogue is reluctant to use black models.

"Even myself, I get a raw deal from my own country in England," she said during interviews at Briatore’s hotel.

"Only white models, some of whom are not as prominent as I am, are put on splash pages.

"I don't want to quit modelling until I find that black models get equal prominence and recognition by the world media and information instruments."

She's not saying anything that the rest of us haven't been complaining about for years but I'm glad she's speaking out. It's sad that there were more Black high-profile models working 15 years ago than there are now.

Source

Moschino

Photographed by Peter Lindbergh. Of course the ad caught my eye because of all the Black models. Apparently, it's part of a series. There are "Asian" and "White" versions too. I'm always happy to see black models getting work but this feels kind of gimmicky. I miss seeing beautiful dark-skinned girls in fashion magazines.

The Other Fall Shoe

Pumps with cone, stacked, and tree trunk sized heels are a nice alternative for the woman who either: can't manage more than a teeter or a hobble in razor thin stilettos, is sick to death of ballet flats (the horror!), or hates the lace-up Oxford pumps that are literally everywhere this fall.

It seems like every other page in September's Vogue features has a thick heeled pump in an advertisement or editorial.

The season's must-have appears to be Prada's offering. I love the multi-hued Sfumato Mary Jane from the sleek ankle strap to the heel -- which looks like the lovechild of a Japanese brush stroke and the rear talon of some fashionable bird of prey.

Alas, I still haven't given up on my flats. But if I could, I would buy that shoe just to use it as a centerpiece on the coffee table. The price is $550 at Bergdorf.

Zoe Saldana - Instyle September 2007

Not very interesting choice but still a nice spread. She looks like an entirely different woman when she's not smiling. Her beautiful smile really lights up her face.

Source: Kochie332

Paula Patton in Vogue

This year's Vogue phonebook is much better than I was anticipating.

In spite of the boring and oddly styled cover image, there are actually a few good articles this time around (including one on Michelle Obama - now SHE would have been an incredible cover choice!) and loads of ads full of covet worthy items that I can't possibly afford.

Beautiful actress Paula Patton even guest edits one of the Index-Checklist back pages.

Source: Luxx/TFS

Liya Kebede at Home

From InStyle Magazine, pics of her Upper East Side apartment. I love the way she incorporates tradition pieces of furniture in her modern space. I would have loved to see her closet!

Source: Luxx/TFS

The Patent Coat

Fall is around the corner which has turned my attention once again to the fact that I don't have a decent fall coat. Patent is everywhere right now but isn't so trendy that I can't see myself wearing it for more than one season. Nordstrom has some particularly nice selections but the difference between the faux patent and real leather options is bracing.


(L to R)

Burberry London Double Breasted Swing Coat with Patent Piping, $1795. This coat is just gorgeous. I love the patent piping to death and the length is perfect for fall.

Robert Rodriguez Patent Leather Jacket, $795. The sportiest of the bunch but I don't like the way super short coats look on me. They make me feel like I'm wearing kid's clothes.

Calvin Klein Belted Faux Patent Trench, $188. Very cool indeed and has a nice cut. Looks much nice that the very similar Michael Kors version of this coat.

Theory 'Oberon - Polished Leather' Jacket, $885. Okay, forget what I just wrote about short coats. I think the three-quarter sleeves make all the difference.

Rachel Roy: Diva Must-Have List

I love Rachel Roy's sense of style. This was originally posted by "Luxx" on TFS but I had to share it. I always want to know what someone like this is carrying in her purse.

Duro Olowu

This Nigerian/Jamaican took home the esteemed New Designer of the Year Award at the British Fashion Awards in November. His vintage and traditional textile inspired clothes are perfect for color-phobic people like me. I can so easily picture myself wearing his designs. Somehow he manages to make those bold color mixes look so very wearable. Of his collection he says, "I like to make clothes for women to feel good about themselves...And that they don't feel they'll see everywhere." I totally agree. I've always loved African textiles but sometimes find it hard to fit in with my every day wear. I think Olowu takes much of the guesswork out of it.

Fall Color Palette

I can work with this. My usual standby blacks and greys are represented and I like the marigold and the mossy green but, as much as those purple hues flatter my dark skin, I just can't bring myself to buy anything in that color.

Heidi Klum for Jordache Jeans

Who knew that mom jeans could be this sexy? I honestly forgot that they even made Jordache Jeans anymore.

Style Icon: Grace Jones

"I'm not perfect, but I'm perfect for you," she sang—and there was no denying Grace Jones (real last name: Mendoza). Her forceful presence and intimidating, angular beauty (you could lacerate yourself on those cheekbones) propelled her out of Jamaica and into the New York underground at breakneck speed. She performed at Studio 54 and became known as Queen of the Gay Discos, and not just because of catchy and surprisingly durable hits like "I Need a Man." Her unique persona—overtly sexual yet deliberately androgynous—inspired both Andy Warhol, who painted her portrait, and Keith Haring, who painted her body for a 1985 performance at Paradise Garage. But it was her collaboration with Jean Paul Goude, which is chronicled in the artist-photographer's new book, So Far, So Goude, out this month from Assouline, that made her a legend.

Goude choreographed Jones' infamous Halloween night 1978 show at Roseland, which involved raw meat, a Bengal tiger, and the singer dressed like a big cat. She sunk her claws into Hollywood, too, co-starring with Wilt Chamberlain and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Destroyer and playing 007's nemesis in the Bond flick A View to a Kill. Lately, she's been taken up by young London, sitting front-row with Kate Moss at an Alexander McQueen show and accompanying Stella McCartney to a Fashion Rocks party, demure as ever in a body-hugging leotard and tuxedo jacket. "I wasn't born this way," Jones once said. "One creates oneself." And how.

—Laird Borrelli

I have a confession to make. Although this full grown woman worships at the altar of Grace Jones, when I was 'tween I actively disliked her. The "black is beautiful" aesthetic had dried up like a freshly washed jheri curl back then and in the 1980s and being a dark skinned woman with natural hair, strong features, and weird clothes was not acceptable. If you were an oddball black girl then Lisa Bonet, with her kooky clothes, dread extensions and light skin were the way to go. Grace just scary. She was a bold as hell, not afraid to stand center stage because her hair didn't move and not afraid to poke fun at herself. Remember her in that "love" scene with Roger Moore in A View to a Kill? It made me cringe inside. And let's not even bring up Red Sonja.

In my junior high, if you wanted to insult a black girl with short hair, you'd call her Grace Jones. It was juvenile code for black, nappy and ugly. People would tell me that I looked like her all the time (some of them were people who knew that Grace was the shit and meant it as a compliment) but I wasn't having any of it.

It took me a long time to accept that my own looks were beautiful. It really wasn't until I got to college and started meeting other oddballs that I realized that there was more than one way to be beautiful and that on closer inspection the Christy Brinkley uptown type was nothing worth emulating.

The next time I saw Grace in a magazine I took a good long look and wouldn't you know it? The scales fell off my eyes and I realized how impossibly beautiful she really was. I imagine how hard it must have been being in the fashion industry at that time and how tough and determined she was to carve a place out for herself without trying to fit into any pre-made molds. I absolutely fell in love with this amazing woman and looking at her, I can't believe that I ever felt any other way.

Looking Black is a Glamour Don't?

Well, according to one Glamour Magazine editor it is. Jezebel has the scoop.

... a recent slide show by an unidentified Glamour editor on the "Dos and Don'ts of Corporate Fashion" at a New York law firm shed some light on the topic, according to this month's American Lawyer magazine.

First slide up: an African American woman sporting an Afro. A real no-no, announced the 'Glamour' editor to the 40 or so lawyers in the room. As for dreadlocks: How truly dreadful! The style maven said it was 'shocking' that some people still think it 'appropriate' to wear those hairstyles at the office. 'No offense,' she sniffed, but those 'political' hairstyles really have to go.

Glamour is keeping its mum on the identity of the fashionista who made the comments. My guess is that she's the one sitting in a cubicle with a Ralph Lauren Home Collection pillowcase over her head. At least now I know that my militant angry hair kept me from getting promoted at my last job. Off to the weavery I go!

Pat McGrath Backstage at Oscar de la Renta

I don't think I've ever purchased Max Factors cosmetics as they don't seem to know that dark skinned women exist, but seeing Pat McGrath work her magic here, I am a little tempted.

I just love Pat's work. My three wishes involving her are that:

1. She would publish a coffee table book
2. She would take over as creative director at Fashion Fair Cosmetics
3. She would move in next door to me and do my makeup every morning over Starbucks and sticky buns.

More Ebony Magazine Scans

I finally picked up my copy today. It was much better than I expected, not perfect but still good and worth buying. Please everyone write to Ebony and encourage them to make this a regular feature.

editors@ebony.com



Scans via ONTD

Bag Envy

What Price Luxury?

Faking Good Breeding has a good post about the psychology of pricing and how consumers have been duped into paying higher and higher prices for clothes and handbags. I've definitely been guilty in the past of thinking that expensive = better. Fortunately age has caused me to put things into perspective a bit more. I still think that you do have to pay for quality with certain garments but price alone doesn't guarantee it. I recall that once a good friend of mine bought a trendy D&G skirt (in her size mind you) that ripped along the seams the first time she tried it on. It might as well have been made of paper. Don't even get me started on the grief the SA put her through to return it.

Simply Vera Wang for Kohl's

This September Vera Wang will join the bloated list of high fashion designers doing mass retail lines when her "Simply Vera Wang" collection debuts at Kohl's. I've read a lot of grumbling about these collections online but I like them. I think that at the very least it might spurs some "down" market designers to become a little more imaginative with their own collections instead of just churning out the same things year after year.



I came across these pics on FabSugar and it looks good. Entirely too young for me but very cute and age appropriate for teenage girls. I prefer the looks from Vera's Fall 2007 Collection.

Are Leather Pants a Necessity?

L to R: Karl Lagerfeld, JeanPaul Gaultier, Chanel, Chanel (source: Style.com via TFS)

I have a good friend that invested in a quality pair of leather pants a few years back. And no, she's doesn't ride to work in the bitch seat of a Harley. When she first modeled them for me, I am almost certain that I made a series of back handed compliments but deep down inside, I was envious. She bought them right off the rack but you would have though they were custom made.
Every now and again, I'll see a pair of leather slacks on the runway and think "Maybe I should try on a few pairs, just to see." Unfortunately for me, off the rack just doesn't work. They're either too short, too high in the waist or too baggy in the booty, which is the S&M equivalent of mom jeans. Enevitably, I always put them back on the rack and try to forget I ever had such a crazy idea in the first place.

Leather can be tricky. When executed properly the look can be sleek and add an edgy ala Carrie Otis in those old Calvin Klein ads (I know she was wearing a leather jacket not slacks but still, it evoked a mood.) On the other hand, leather done badly will instantly transform you into a loser camping out of Marilyn Manson concert tickets or an unpaid extra on the set of a Russ Meyers film.

As a general rule I think leathers on a man are a no go. Too Jim Morrison meets that one guy with the mutton chops in The Village People...and they always makes me question a man's personal hygeine. I don't think men can be trusted to properly clean leather unless it's on a baseball glove.

I think custom pants would be the way to go. IC3D.com can do it but at $350 a pop I'd want to know for sure that the fit is perfect. I was all set to send them my favorite pants to copy but then pregnancy happened and now, and since I lost more weight that I gained in the first place, my once promising ass has been reabsorbed by my body and those "perfect" pre-pregnancy pants just don't do the job anymore. This is clearly a job for a local tailor. I wonder if any of the tailors at Nordstrom freelance?

Ultimately, I think leather pants take commitment. Will I wear them often enough to justify the expense? Or will it end up as a relic in my bulging closet?

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes for Calvin Klein 2000

Source: Davidtoc

R.I.P Brooke Astor - 1902 – 2007

She believed that money, like manure, was meant to be "spread around." Over her lifetime she gave away $200 million dollars of her fortune to charities ranging from The Fresh Air Fund, to the New York Public Library and the Astor Home for emotionally damaged children.

She said that charity began at home, so many of the causes she funded directly benefited New Yorkers. It was said of her that she seemed as comfortable at the Harlem Youth Center as she did dining with the Queen. Unlike many other socialites content with merely writting checks and attending galas, Astor took a hands on approach to her giving and often visited the organizations she supported in person to see how her money was being used.

She requested that her tombstone simply read: "I had a wonderful life."

ShopStyle

Somehow, I've managed to waste most the this morning browsing and creating looks on this site. It's a good thing that I don't have an employer staring over my shoulder. A friend of mine sent me a clip from "Mahogany" this morning so now I'm on a Diana Ross kick. Here is the closest I could come to recreating the vibe of the above outfit on Shopstyle:

Maria Pinto

Michelle Obama's designer of choice Maria Pinto describes her current collection as being "marked by deliberate elegance and nonchalant allure."

Her beautifully constructed and figure flattering silhouettes have draped our would-be First Lady on nearly all of her public appearances.

Since Pinto's line premiered at Bergdorf Goodman in 1991, she's been called one of the country's most promising new designers. The collection recalls to Geoffrey Beene's refined and unique silouhettes. Clearly, Mrs. Obama isn't concerned with looking like the classic political spouse.

Maria Pinto's designs are available at Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York stores.

mariapinto.com

Cape Town Fashion Week: Aug. 8th - Aug. 11th

See more coverage of Cape Town Fashion Week at Vogue.com

Katie Holmes

I've never seen a single episode of "Dawson's Creek" but in my mind, Katie Holmes is still 16.
That leaves me scratching my head a little over her recent wardrobe choices, which seem a tad mature for such a young woman. But, I'll leave it to the celebrity blogs to speculate on the whys of Katie's new found personal style.

I should add however that for a much as I think that she dresses a bit old for someone her age, I think she her clothes are perfectly suited for someone my age! I absolutely love her new style which is very reminiscent of that other Kate, Katherine Hepburn.

The outfit she's wearing here with her beautiful daughter is something from my capsule wardrobe I could literally wear everyday. I think it's just so simple and elegant from chic haircut to her patent leather toes.

I must have about a dozen pictures of her saved on my computer for inspiration. She does seem to have the same problem that I do namely, lack of color. I am completely wed to black & greyscale. Maybe I should start with a bright bag?

The House of Nordstrom

Nordstrom has launched an in-house bridge line of contemporary basics called Valette. There is no flash here, the line is straight forward, simple, modern women's clothing in wool, cotton, and leather.

Marcus Brown is the creative director and wanted to produce something that a woman could build upon season after season. There isn't anything groundbreaking here but I love well constructed basics and look forward to seeing their new pieces.

Runway Africa 2007

I initially read about this show at I Like Her Style. The event is September 15, 2007 and tickets are still available. Times like this I wish I didn't live in the Northwest, I would love to see this.

RUNWAY AFRICA is a stylish and elegant couture exhibit that provides an intimate look at Africa’s creative fashion industry while spotlighting African influence in today's mainstream style and fashion. It features creations inspired by the rich traditions of the African continent, known as Africhic, Runway Africa promises a bold fusion of African textiles combined with glamorous couture.

RUNWAY AFRICA is the first couture fashion show to debut in the United States with an entire couture show dedicated to "Africhic". Read more at Runway Africa.

Lookbook

A lot of people, it seems, were excited for the budget priced Christian LaCroix collection for French catalog company La Redoute but personally, I was anxious to see the mix & match collection that Lou Doillon and Jane Birkin put together. I'm a big fan of French style and women just don't get Frenchier than Lou and Jane. Prices range from about 40 euros (t-shirt) to 209 euros (coat.) Unfortunately, I don't think the US site is selling this line but if you have any friends in Europe, now is that time to hit them up for a favor. I think I will definitely be purchasing the coat.

The Quest for the Perfect Wardrobe I

My husband and I recently moved back to the US after two years of living abroad. While packing up my clothes, I was aghast at the number of things hanging up in my closet that I either did not recognize as my own or that had tags still attached.

The disturbing thing was that in spite of all the clothes in my wardrobe, I usually ended up wearing the same thing everyday because I could never find something to wear. While I don't think of myself as a shopaholic, I am definitely guilty of buying things out of boredom or just because they were on sale regardless of how the color looked against my skin or the size. A good sized chunk of my closet is stuff that I couldn't pass up because of the savings!

When I really started to think of all the imaginary money I'd "saved" buy buying clothes that I've never worn, I felt a little ill. During the last few months I've been making a concerted effort to reign myself in, figure out what my personal style is, and buying quality key pieces accordingly.

I've become a little obsessed lately with the concept of a perfect capsule wardrobe, containing key pieces that I will wear for years to come and that coordinate well with each other.

When the movers finally arrive with the rest of my clothes I plan on having a day of reckoning and donate or sell things that I can't justify. I'm also anxious to see the things that I already have laid out so I can see what I own and put outfits together. One book I read suggested taking pictures of different looks for my own personal lookbook on days when I can't find a thing to put on. Fortunately, I already have another lookbook of ideas I cribbed from magazines and online for reference.

Two websites that I've used for inspiration are Retail Recovery and A Perfectly Small Wardrobe. I can't be as extreme as she is and our personal styles don't match but it is refreshing to know that it is possible to get a lot of style out of a little wardrobe.

I thought it would be really difficult but by taking a few extra moments in the dressing room to ask:

1. Do I really NEED this?
2. Is it made well?
3. Does it flatter my figure?
4. Does it fit into my "perfect wardrobe" vision?

Honestly, those few extra moments have made all the difference. I've talked myself out of buying heaps of clothes that I know I wouldn't have worn or that would have fallen apart by now. My last two clothing purchases were a Robert Rodriguez High Waist Grey Skirt and a Mociun Tie Front Dress, both of which I am really pleased with.




This is something I am still researching and pulling together so I'm sure I'll continue posting about it. If anyone has something to share on the topic, I'd love to read it.

Fetish Redux?

"We've always loved Eve for her incredible sense of girl power, but mostly we adored her sense of style. Who else would we let get away with wearing two tattoed paw prints on her chest? It didn't seem like far fetched for her to start a clothing line named Fetish. But recently, the line folded, due in part to Eve's disagreements with her partners over the direction the line was taking. "[Fetish] was a very juniors line and I didn't wanna wear it," she says. "They were like 'more branding, we need "Fetish" on the chest, give us some rhinestones.' And I was like, 'No, I'm not wearing that," says Eve. The relaunch of Fetish will reflect her new sense of womanhood, she says. "The new concept is gonna be me, more grown-up. It will reflect more of my style."

Trace Magazine

I remember when Fetish first launched. At the time it was pretty highly anticipated because Eve was getting a lot of (well-deserved) props for being uniquely stylish.

When the line finally debuted it was a massive let down. I was expecting more avant-garde collection ala Gwen Stefani and what we got was the same old logo emblazoned tracksuits, denim and t-shirts. After reading this article, I'm looking forward to seeing what Fetish does for its second act.

K-Chronicles

So...what happened to "True Star" ?

So Beyonce is shilling for Armani now which is a big big step up from Tommy Hilfiger.

Yep, the old girl is everywhere right now but I'm not mad at her, because a sister has got to get her paper. Besides, she's not out there drunk driving or flashing her ladybits at paparazzi so she can't be all bad.

Does it seem a little odd to anyone else that she's out with a new fragrance so soon after her contract with Hilfiger ended?
I bet her pulse points still smell like True Star. I bet Kelly and Michelle get her left over crates of the fragrance for Christmas this year.

Miu Miu Patent Patch Tote

I've never been an admirer of Miu Miu handbags. I have nothing against them, but they just never started that bag lust flame in my heart the way that Givenchy's Nightingale or Balenciaga's bags have. Well, at least not until now. I know that the patent trend is big right now and as much as I try not to get caught up in them, my tongue is seriously wagging over this patent patch tote. I'm hoping it's at Barney's next time I go downtown so I can fondle it a little. This one is $1445 at Barney.com.

Pre-Order Alert!

Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel



Book Description

Since the day she was scouted by a modeling agent while shopping at a London street fair when she was just nineteen, Alek Wek's life has been nothing short of a fantasy. When she's not the featured model in print campaigns for hip companies, or gracing the cover of Elle, she is working the runways of Paris, New York, and Milan to model for the world's leading designers, including Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel. But nothing in her early years prepared her for the life of a model.

Born in Wau, in the southern Sudan, Alek knew only a few years of peace with her family before they were caught up in a ruthless civil war that pitted outlaw militias, the Muslim-dominated government, and southern rebels against each other in a brutal conflict that killed nearly two million people. Here is her daring story of fleeing the war on foot and her escape to London, where her rise from young model to supermodel was all the more notable because of Alek's non-European looks.

A probe into the Sudanese conflict and an inside look into the life of a most unique supermodel, Alek is a book that will inspire as well as inform.

I, for one, cannot wait to read this. I've always admired Alek's beauty, grace and charm but I know next to nothing about her life.

Pre-order from Amazon.com TODAY!!

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

If you have any lingering doubt about the level of genius that Pat McGrath has brought to makeup artistry then do yourself a favor and sample her work at the Giorgio Armani makeup counter.

Up until my visit a few weeks ago, I was a die hard MAC makeup devotee. Simply nothing else would do, if the powder or foundation didn't have NC45 on the bottom, I wouldn't let it near my face.

My confession is that the lure of the McGrath developed line proved too much and I found myself plopped down on a stool while fashionably clad associate at Nordstrom painted Lumnious Silk Foundation #11 on my face. When it was over and I looked in the mirror, I simply could not believe how good my skin looked. Dark circle? Poof! Just flawless, just like that. I was converted.

But like Scientology, conversion comes with a price. $50 a pop...ouch! My SA gave me a generous sized sample that I'm still using 3 weeks later so a little goes a long way. When it runs out I'll just have to bite the bullet.

What I'm not so sure about is the animal hair brush that the do the hard up-sale on. My cheapo Sonia Kashuk concealer brush and my fingertips seem to do the trick nicely enough for now. Maybe I'll get lucky on Ebay.

This stuff is firmly in the WIN column. I was starting to feel too old for MAC anyway.

Thandie Newton

Simple and Elegant. I wish I could vacation in her closet.

African Fashion Magazines

Sadly in the 90s and so far in the 00s it seems the Black model has gone the way of the Dodo bird. Whereas in the 80s Naomi, Tyra, Georgianna, Karen, Veronica Webb, Roshumba, Gail O'Neil, and a host of other Black models were in demand, these days that has tapered off to a drizzle.

Yves St Laurent was among the first designers to use Black models in the 70s but you'd be hardpressed to find any walking for YSL today. His successor Stefano Pilati was quoted in The Washington Post as saying:

To me, it is a matter of proportions and the bodies I choose. My fit model was a black model...When I wanted to translate what I put on her, it was a disaster. It would need 13 times more work in the atelier to modify it to put on a more Caucasian anatomy.

Sometimes, it's not your choice. You can't find [black models] that are beautiful and with the right proportions. I prefer them with lean proportions with no big hips.

Hmm, one model doesn't fit and he assumes that ALL black models must be just like her? Riiiight. It's a good thing he wasn't fitting Linda Evangelista during her bloated period. He would have banned all the white ones too.

With the failure of fashion magazines geared to Black (and multicultural) readers like Suede, Honey, and most recently Vibe Vixen.

One reader of BrownSista's blog lamented:


The bottom line is that the ‘typical’ fashion magazine advertisers (Gucci, Dior, Marc Jacobs, David Yurman, etc) don’t want to pay for ads in black magazines and they don’t want to diversify the models they use in those ads.

If D&G isn’t buying ad space, the magazine can’t get free clothes for editorials, pay big name models, fly to fashion shows, hire top photographers and writers, and become a presence in the fashion magazine scene.

They can’t put out the fat Sept issues because there is no one buying all those ad pages to fill it.

There are only so many auto ads and MAC ads they can use. The audience is there, I don’t know any black woman that doesn’t miss Honey and Suede, but publishers are short sighted and won’t give the magazines time to build readership or promote them.

All those hip hop artists that are so quick to talk about LV inn their songs should talk instead about how those brands refuse to market to African Americans because of racism.

So what's a fashion loving Black girl has to do to get her fix?

Perhaps the answer lies in African fashion magazines which serve to showcase the beauty, culture and style of African and African designers. I came across two such magazines recently Uzuri Fashion (which bills itself as the Premiere International African Inspired Fashion Magazine) and Haute, a tome focusing on Nigerian designers worldwide.

Both are English language and available for subscription. I haven't received my issues yet but I'm hopeful that these two publications will satisfy my craving until Vogue comes to its senses and launches Vogue: South Africa.

Liya Kebede on CNN "Revealed"

She's such a class act. Every bit as intelligent as she is beautiful.

Is Damon Dash Hurting for Cash?

Bossip.com wonders aloud if Damon Dash's recent sale of his Beverly Hills estate is due to his financial woes. A linked NY Post article detailed how Dash's finances are dwindling since his split with Jay-Z. As pretty and stylish as wife Rachel Roy is, her clothing line is still very much in the red. Honestly, I don't really care about their finances, I'm just using this as an excuse to post a picture of Rachel Roy (with Iman and Faye Wattelton.)

Trace Magazine: Black Girls Rule

Yep, it's that time of year again.

I'm speaking of that magical time when a telephone book sized issue of Vogue hits the stands.

Honestly, it is the only time I regularly buy Vogue unless there's a Black woman of the cover (which means that yes, I bought the Jennifer Hudson issue in spite of that awful cover photo.)

Fall also brings us Trace Magazine's Black Girls Rule issue which is the closest I come to buying an inspirational self-help tome.

I can't express to you how I felt the first time I came across this special issue several years back but the word 'giddy' comes to mind.

To be fair, some issues have been better than others and I must say that the last few years have not been up to snuff. Unimaginative photography, poor styling and models that weren't all that equaled a big why bother in my mind.

This year however is a different story. Goddess among mortals Iman is the editor. Freakin' IMAN people! And the dark chocolate beauty on the cover makes my heart sing. BGR! is back with a vengance. God bless Trace Magazine, I might buy two.

Ebony Magazine Does Fashion

You read that right, your grandma's "good news" rag has finally published an issue worth buying. Taking its cue from women's Fall fashion magazines, Ebony has decided to print its own tribute to Blacks in the fashion industry.

For the first time in my life, I will actually purchase and issue of Ebony instead of just thumbing through it at the beauty salon (why is there always a mountain high stack of Ebony and Jet magazine at the salon anyway?)

Now, this is Ebony so it's not going to be perfect but I'll cut them a little slack because when I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a Fashion Fair model. I thought they were the most beautiful women in the world and they got to tour the country like rock starts.

I really would like to have seen someone else instead of Miss Tyra on the cover. Pat Cleveland anyone? Where is Grace Jones? Karen Alexander?? Crazy ass Beverly Johnson?

But I digress, with the absence of Black models on runways and in print ads, it's nice to see a few gorgeous divas on the cover of a magazine.