I Want My Skanky Trinity Back

Picture: Elizabeth Lippman for The New York Times.

Longer monochromatic silhouette for newly widowed and grandma

Every summer, I suffer the indignity of sun, heat and all the unpleasantries associated with sweaty limbs of myself and strangers.  The only consolation?  I am amply rewarded by sights of mini-skirts and halter tops as worn by city girls.  But no more.  The New York Times reported today the impending death of the mini and the coming back of the maxi, as in skirt not the pad.  I think the longer monochromatic silhouette always has a market:  the newly widowed and the Grandma.  If what the New York Times says is true, this summer is going to be very very difficult for a lot of people.  I want my Paris, Lindsay, Britney--the skanky trinity, back.

The English Shall Ban Your Stupid Half-Truth Ad

The English on the whole are truthful and honest and above all smarter than you give them credit for.  They have had enough of the French, best exemplified by their Louis Vuitton (note if it's too difficult for some people to comprehend, it's LV) bullshit print ads which show some lily white folks handmaking their merchandise.  The English would have none of it because they just know these are deceitful ads.  Their handbags are just made by machines, think Foxconn without the suicides, instead of by some white hot craft lady as depicted in the ad.  Now the ads are banned.  Truth wins and the English rule.

Picture savaged from Huffington Post, used for illustration.  Copyrights belong to its rightful owner.

My Comme des Garcons H&M Experience . . .

I finally succumbed to the hype and the brainwashing H&M spam in my inbox . . . I visited the H&M store on 51st and 5th Avenue. I am telling you, there are still merchandise left a day and a half after the Thursday launch, both for the men and women. Like I said before, New York people are pretty jaded. I found at least two size 42 men's suits. It was my size and I actually tried them on. But since I don't wear suit anymore so I left them for somebody else. I heard people say the quality is so and so. But gee for $249 I think the quality is not bad at all actually pretty top-notched. Even the buttons on the sleeve are functional. I don't see that too often for a $249 wool suit. The pants are reasonably cut, meaning not for somebody who is an adult but weighs 90 lbs and with prepubescent waist like 28, I heard Dior and Prada are pretty good at making miniature suits for boy-men. There are plenty of polka dot polo shirts and peacoats. As for the women's side, there are plenty of shirts, pink and polka dots varieties and trench coats too. I say the quality is very much what I expected or a bit better. If you want the real thing, prepared to pay like ten times more.

I say if you find something you like and fits you, it's a buy.

Addendum:
You know I can see why Gap is slumping, even the Sartorialist is no longer saying any good thing about the Gap any more. Instead he is doing a video interview for H&M in praise of its Comme des Garcons collaboration. And Jcrew, the hopelessly unapologetic preppy brand is sliding after few years of success. People need change and nothing changes faster than the clothes at H&M.

Blundstone

If for some reason you think Doc Martens is too grungy, too skin head, too polluted by the fashion crossovers like Chloe and Yohji Yamamoto, and thoroughly disgusted by their blatant ad of exploitation of dead people, fear not, there is still Blundstone, the unpolluted Aussie invention since 1870.

I can attest to its light weight, comfortable and durable construction as I wear a pair of 500 every day.

Related post.

Of Fashion and Crap

Kate Moss with her new overlord, billionaire Sir Philip Green, mastermind behind the stunt that's called Kate Moss Topshop.

Topshop pandemonium. There is only one Kate Moss and everybody wants a piece of her.

Moss the dummy, reportedly got paid ₤3M for her collection for Topshop, not bad for a "working-class slag from a crap town."

Kate Moss is staging her own private British invasion this month.

The Topshop fashion collection attributed to Ms. Moss debuted in London on May 1 is making its way across the pond in Barneys New York, the quintessential upscale department store for the well heeled New Yorkers, on May 9, 2007.

Depending on which side of the Atlantic you are on, the Kate Moss Topshop collection can be smart or it can be a "snore."

Let's see how jaded New Yorkers vote the collection with their wallets.

Meanwhile ... our local brand, Gap is struggling. The latest gimmick taking a page from the playbook of H&M, is to add a designer collection of its staples of blue jeans and khakis. But unlike H&M, which got world class celebrity like Madonna or designers like Karl Lagerfeld to do a collection, Gap chose to use new and lesser known designers to re-design the so called iconic white shirt. The way I see it, it's not really working, the reaction is luke warm at best.

Further readings:-
Don't slag it off, The Economist. April 26, 2007.

UPDATES:
5/10/07. The New York Times has a piece on the collection as introduced yesterday at Barney's New York. There were less than 100 people waiting when the shop opened at 10A.M. A non event compared to the London introduction.

$400 Haircut

Credit: Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
John Edwards appearing at a public forum in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on March 9, two days after one of his $400 haircuts. (caption from the New York Times)

Just when I thought $75 a pair of socks is out of this world, the latest closet (now outed) peacock Presidential candidate John Edwards shows the world his $400 haircut.

Further evidence how much this guy cares his hair can be seen here in "I am Pretty"



Sources: In the Beverly Hills Style: Candidate's $400 Coiffure by Adam Nagourney

CK IN2U

It's intended for the "technosexual." You couldn't make it up even if you want to.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/08/fashion/08CALVIN.html

Men in Shorts

Graphics copyright, The New York Times.

As if shrunken trousers is not enough, Thom Browne is going all the way to promote men shorts. With the help of global warming and mercury likely to hit 100F this summer, shorts may not be such a bad idea after all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/style/tmagazine/11tshorts.html

Hip to be Square ... I guess

Fred Perry Polo Shirt $95.
Credit: Photo Chris Astley at men.style.com.