Fighting Fashionista

I know living in San Francisco is a bubble, but I have to say it was completely joyous to be in that bubble last night. Like I said on my Facebook status, my Pilates instructor described it best this morning when she said: “The neighborhood exploded into feather boas and tambourines!” O.K. that happens a lot here. But the exuberance was infectious; I was screaming off my balcony to the crowds on the street who were also hooting and hollering in happiness and disbelief (despite the polls—I don’t think any Democrat believed it until he or she saw it). It’s a new administration and a new world. Other countries like us a little bit more than they did yesterday, and everything feels positive in the universe!

But let’s get down to brass tax. What did we think of Michelle Obama’s dress? It’s by Narciso Rodriguez (scroll down), a designer I love—my wedding dress was a Narciso Rodgriguez knock-off (sorry Narciso, I couldn’t afford the real thing). I admit I was initially alarmed and confused by the pattern. It took a minute for my eyes to focus on what was going on, but in the end I decided I loved the way the paillettes were arranged to create an ombre look. Plus the black criss-cross in the front was waist-defining and flattering. I loved the black and red pallette. It was fashion-forward but communicated an appropriate tone of seriousness. It’s gonna be pretty awesome to have a first lady with a bold sense of style.

So I know everyone is obsessed with the election today (as am I, I’ve refreshed Huffington Post 100 times in the past 20 minutes) so forgive me for also been obsessed with ShopStyle/ShopBop’s “Play Dress Up” contest. Apparently all that obsessing paid off because I won week number two for the “Folk Tales” theme, which came with a $500 gift certificate for ShopBop! So now I have a new obsession: in between updating HuffPost I’m purusing ShopBop and trying to decide what to buy. At the moment I’m leaning towards this lovely sweater. What do you think? When else would I ever spend $500 on a sweater? And it would be the ultimate irony (read: digusting display of excess) to be posting blog entries that no one will read wrapped in a $500 cashmere sweater, no?

This post previously said something nice about Sarah Palin’s jacket. Our new policy, in light of the unfriendliness of her campaign of late, is to refrain from saying nice things about McCain’s VP candidate and there fore the post has been removed. Thank you and carry on.

Fall is nearly upon us, and I cannot wait to don my cozy brown corduroys, retro orange cowl-neck sweater, and olive green shirt-dress. The hues are some comfort as we’re forced to say goodbye to summer. But history has shown via orange shag rugs and that very special green couch that my mother once owned that we can take earth tones too far. So what attracts us to these colors, and what’s makes them hip one decade but hideous the next?

Blame evolutionary history, not bohemian bad taste. Fall colors trigger feelings of intimacy and authenticity in our brains—something scientists say we crave in the face of this modern world’s mass production of everything from food to art.

Our attraction is evident each autumn when people spend billions to fly from China and beyond just to look at leaves. Growing on trees. Actually, dying on trees—as chlorophyll drains from the leaves of deciduous oaks and maples, their foliage turns shades of yellow, orange, and red before dying and falling to the ground. Scientists disagree on why a tree would use precious energy to produce such a spectacle—is it to deter aphids, which are repelled by red? Or do the colors provide sunscreen while trees fortify themselves for a long, cold winter? Whatever the tree’s motives, we regard autumn colors in American’s Northeast as brilliant, vivid, amazing. But compare the tones to today’s super-saturated digital photography and video, and nature pales in comparison. Still, we’re transfixed.

That’s because we see our own evolution reflected in autumn’s show, says neuroscientist and artist Bevil Conway. Sixty million or so years ago, primates evolved a third vision cone that allowed them—and allows humans—to distinguish yellow from red and green (other mammals like cats and horses have just two cone types that distinguish blue from yellow but not yellow from red and green. They don’t care about fall foliage.). The new cone was handy for distinguishing ripe fruit from the green leaves surrounding it. The third cone also helps us interpret non-verbal communications like a face red with anger, the yellow pallor of jaundice, or the red genitals of a monkey in estrus.
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… for not wearing pantsuits. Loved the floral dress she wore tonight for her husband’s acceptance speech. And Malia and Sasha looked adorable in coordinating, but not too matchy, pink-hued dresses. Michelle’s green dress the night she  gave her own speech also warmed my heart.

Like the rest of the country, my husband and I are obsessed with Mad Men. It’s in no small part because of the show’s amazing wardrobe. From hottie Joan to prim but sexy Betty, not to mention the men’s buttery suits, the aesthetic is captivating.

AMC knows what’s up. They’ve launched a new blog to discuss Mad Men (and women) fashion every week. It’s written by Fashionista blogger Faran Krentcil, and she gives helpful tips about how to duplicate the show’s sartorial artistry. My recent favorite was Betty’s riding outfit:

maybe the most interesting scene of Betty’s is when she’s horse-bound. Her boots and blazer could have been a uniform, except for the gleam of red lipstick under Betty’s helmet. That turned the whole thing from sportswear into showmanship, the same way Betty can slice her domestic duties into something less chore and more art. Hermes reinvented the horseman’s uniform by doing just that, but a boy’s blazer from Brooks Brothers will work too (it’ll look shrunken on you - very sexy), and try Sigerson Morrison for those impossibly straight and tall boots.

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If you’re in the San Francisco area, you must check out the Goldenbleu sale tonight. I went to the last one, and that’s why I’m grounded from going to this one. Goldenbleu’s shoes and bags aren’t eco, unfortunately, but they are damn gorgeous, and you’re guaranteed to have a new favorite item that has longevity. And buying things that you’ll love and want to keep for a long time, rather than thinking of clothing as disposable, is earth-loving behavior, n’est-ce pas? This has been your public service shopping rationalization for July 30, 2008, thank you!

This is who I want to be when I’m of a certain age. Iris Apfel, “geriatric starlet and founder of Old World Weavers” is badass. The necklace. The glasses. She’s rocking that cane like nobody’s business. Apfel is 86, and she’s on Vanity Fair’s 2008 international best dressed list in its 69th year running, which was released Tuesday. Quotable quote when asked what fashion item she cannot live without: “Do you have a favorite child?” Let’s assume the fur is faux, shall we?

Another favorite is Carine Roitfeld, French Vogue’s editor in chief. She was already one of my favorite style icons, but I love her all the more now that I know her style icon is Christopher Walken.

Steve & Barry’s, the insanely inexpensive ($9 dresses) retail chain that sells Jessica Parker’s line, demands ethical practices from its subcontractors, according to a New York Times story published yesterday. How is it possible that a $9 dresses were not made in a sweatshop by 11-year-olds in Bangladesh? The article quoted the owners of the billion-dollar company, Steve Shore and Barry Prevor as well as “chief partnership officer,” who it seems would be responsible if Barry and Steve found themselves in a Kathy Lee Gifford-style debacle. Prevor said the key is the razor-thin profit margins.

No eco lines yet, but it can only be a matter of time. And my excuse for not previously knowing anything about Steve & Barry’s was that they don’t have a story in San Francisco. But, alas, they do indeed.

No, not Mandie Erickson, although she was exceedingly unpleasant as usual. The award must go to Social Life “editor-in-chief” Devorah Rose for insisting obnoxiously to the not-emaciated Laurie that when living in New York you do not eat, no really you do not eat, at all, ever , then asking her if she had lost any weight since she moved to Manhattan. Just. Mean.

The Jane magazine shut down was a bit disappointing. We didn’t get anything from Brandon Holley or Stephanie Trong but smiles, as if they were hoping for a severance so they could hang out on that ashram in India.

To some it’s extremely comfortable and chic. To others it’s bizarre and unflattering. Whichever camp you’re in, the tent dress is officially out, according to New York Magazine. The writer, Amanda Fortini, takes her cue from the fall runway shows, which displayed narrower, more structured, body-flattering designs (although if you click the link, the Galliano getup isn’t what you’d call form-fitting). She characterizes the poufy designs of the past couple years as a purposeful obliteration of the female form, making them look, in a creepy way, simultaneously child-like and pregnant.

For the last few seasons, women’s clothing has been in flight from women’s bodies. The tent, the trapeze, the bubble, the baby doll—call these dresses what you will, the dominant shape (if that word is justified) has been one that renders a woman shapeless. Such styles deliberately obscure traditionally eroticized parts of the body…

I’m quite sure I’ve caused my co-workers to wonder more than once whether I’m pregnant while wearing a billowy dress. But I also have to say that I’ve found these dresses to be liberating, rather than somehow threatening to my femininity. In a voluminous dress, no one can see my gut so I don’t have to suck it in. I certainly don’t have to worry about pantylines. And my beefy arms are happily adorned by poofy sleeves — my favorite aspect of the trend.

The turn away from fabric-laden pieces depresses me for another reason: when and if I finally become pregnant, I’ve missed the window of opportunity where I can walk into any H&M and pick up a dress that would work as a maternity frock. I’ll likely be stuck with Mimi Maternity. Curses!

UPDATE: Um, scratch that? Or maybe just throw on a belt!

Pretty cute, right? I have mixed feelings on the Jovovich Hawk items on ShopBop, but the stuff at Net-a-Porter reassures me that the Target line might be exciting. I’m all about a maxi dress for my trip to Hawaii on October! But I’ll have to search elsewhere; the Target line won’t be available until early next year. Either that or purchase this $610 beauty. Soon as I start to turn a profit on this here blog.

The Fug Girls are blogging for New York Magazine during fashion week once again. I’ll be refreshing Heather and Jessica’s page regularly to get the real story from Bryant Park — the aesthetic atrocities, the pretension, and the booze to ease the painful feet.

I knew it would be a cliffhanger! OK it’s not really a cliffhanger because everyone knows the magazine folds. But it figures Bridgette would be the one who texted Andrew and Rachel first with the terrible news that their dream jobs were being cut tragically short, which she not-no-secretly relished delivering (Boy did she look like an idiot during that “pull,” but I do think she’s cute and stylish. Now i have to go take a shower). Hated how they fuzzed out everyone’s face while they were packing their sad cardboard boxes — apparently they didn’t sign releases. The morbidly curious part of my brain really wanted to see their expressions. Poor Jane.

Janjay and Tina are like the picture of sane and normal while the rest are just disintegrating before our eyes.

Read Jezebel’s take here.

Oh, it’s a Snoopy fashion event? Whith couture looks inspired by Peanuts characters? Fantastic.

We hope you will join us for the MetLife Presents Snoopy in Fashion Show on Friday, September 7 at 6 p.m. at The Tent in Bryant Park.

This unique event will feature couture looks inspired by Peanuts characters from fashion’s favorite designers including, Heatherette, Isaac Mizrahi, Betsey Johnson, Liz Claiborne, Jeremy Scott, Laura Bennett, and many more. Broadway and film star Kristen Chenoweth will design a surprise outfit inspired by her Peanuts alter ego Sally, her Tony award-winning role in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

In the month following the show, outfits will be auctioned off on eBay to benefit Dress for Success.

Love the whole benefit thing. The Peanuts theme is … a little weird. But IMDB tells me that Kristin Chenoweth (the flacks spelled her name wrong in the press release!) was born the same year as me and since we have the same name and all, I fully support her Peanuts fashion efforts. Can’t wait to see the Pigpen outfit!