Yea Or Nay
Yea or Nay: 80’s Fashion
It’s not super surprising that 80’s fashion has made a comeback this year; every other decade has been brought back, so why not the decade of Rubic cubes and stirrup pants? The 80’s were full of easy to love and easy to make fun of fashions (hmmm, remember the crimp iron?). Can we gracefully bring back leg warmers, perms, hot pink pumps, over-sized earrings, acid wash jeans, blue eyeliner, or god forbid, denim on denim? We’re split over here (Kathryn does want her Conair crimp iron back).
80’s fashion - is this idea rad or just plain bad?
Holey Jeans: Yea or Nay?
It’s probably safe to assume that holey jeans were an accident; someone somewhere fell down, ripped their jeans, and thought “uh oh… wait, that looks cool.” But many of the world’s greatest inventions were accidents, so that’s not saying much. The holey jean phenomenon—new expensive jeans that look worn out and used, on purpose—is back; just look at this selection at American Eagle. Whether you paid top dollar for them at the stores or sliced and diced them yourself, you’ve been guilty of sporting see-through jeans at least once in your lifetime.
What is it we love about these torn up pants? Do they simply give us that extra edge, that “I don’t care how I look (even though clearly I’ve put a lot of money and/or effort into it)” image? Destruction is creation, and all that jazz. Or maybe we’re just running out of ideas on what to do with our eleven pairs of blue jeans.
Would you feel humiliated or happy if caught in holey jeans? If happy, would you do the cutting yourself or is there a more strategic style to them that you can’t find anywhere but at the mall?
Yea or Nay: Ugg Rainboots?
To Ugg or not to Ugg: The greatest question facing our country in the new millennium.
You know, I’ve been on the fence about Ugg boots for a while now. On one hand, they’re comfy, easy to wear, and warm. On the other hand, they’re crazy expensive and look like a cross between moonboots and house slippers.
Now the folks at Uggs just released a line of hideous rainboots with prices… wait for this…. in the $150-$230 price range. Do the folks at Ugg know we’re in a recession? Yes, the boots are lined in short-haired sheepskin, which makes them comfy and warm, but couldn’t you just buy a pair of sheep skin liners at your local Menards or Fleet Farm (you midwesterns know exactly what I am talking about) and put them in a pair of $19.99 rainboots from Target?
Maybe I am looking at this the wrong way… What do you guys think… Ugg Rainboots: Yea or Nay? Vote or comment after the jump…
Fur Coats: Yea or Nay
The problem I have with the fur debate is that both sides present it as too simplistic of a choice. Like most things in life, it’s not a simple black or white issue.
The Fur Coat Debate: It’s a Gray… Very Gray... Area
My friend Miss Meghan and I always have this discussion about growing up in the ridiculously cold upper Midwest and seeing women at the grocery stores in their long fur coats. In any other part of the country, this display of wealth would seem ostentatious, but in the pre-thinsulate, absurdly cold upper Midwest, the wearing of fur coast wasn’t only about fashion, but also about warmth. Did they need their fur coats? Well that’s debatable- it did serve a function, but a wool coat ( a really thick wool coat) would have done just fine.
In many communities, such as the African-American communities that I belong to, having a fur coat is a symbol of success and/or a reward for a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice. Now, are there better ways to reward yourself? Sure, in fact I could name about 10. However, who I am to tell my 70 year old aunts, who endured 40 years of sh*t working for people who didn’t appreciate them that they can’t buy the one thing they always wanted. I can only imagine what would happen if a protester threw red paint on them as they walked up the steps to church.
So I ask you, is fur an absolute nay or yea? Is there a gray area? What about those of us who inherited fur coats? What happens when the personal (fashion) collides with the political (anti-fur)?
Note: I’m not passing judgment on anyone who owns a fur and I actually support those who are against it for ethical/political reasons. However, I inherited a fabulous fur (it’s seriously fab) , which I will not sell or destroy for personal reasons. At the same time, I wouldn’t go out and purchase a fur myself. I think a lot of people fall into the gray area with me.
P.S. Please be respectful to each other in this debate. I don’t like deleting comments, but I will.
Yea or Nay: K-Mart
This week’s Yea or Nay is all about K-Mart, which still manages to hang on despite being surrounded by cheaper (Wal-Mart) and more stylish (Target) stores.
Here’s some facts (well at least as I see it) about K-Mart….
1. K-Mart was one of the first major discount department stores to do a celebrity fashion line (the Jacqueline Smith line, which has grossed over $600 million since it’s incept in the early eighties)
2. 99.9% of K-Marts are a total mess. Yes, Wal-Mart is a mess, too. But Wal-Mart is a cheaper mess.
3. The Martha Stewart line has great towels. (at least, according to my mom).
4. The worst, fashion related thing you can do is to take your kids clothing shopping at K-Mart. Even Goodwill is thought to be cooler. Except in Puerto Rico, where K-Mart is the spot on a Saturday night (I’m not kidding).
So why do people still shop there? Is there a particular brand that draws you in? Is it habit? Is it location? What, if anything, could they do to make it better?
Kmart: Yea or Nay?
Yea or Nay: Stirrup Pants
What: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: stirrup pants are evil.
We (meaning Angela and I) believe that stirrup pants were created by a disgruntle fashion designer who once had hopes of ruling the runways of New York but found himself ( we’re imagining a low-budget Simon Doonan) stuck in a corner basement office at K-Mart’s headquarters with fluorescent lighting and yards and yard of forest green stretchy polyester knit. He set out to punish the fashion world for overlooking his great talent(s) and unfortunately, the average American woman is made to suffer.
The pants are popping up as a “fall trend,” with new versions from 7 for all Mankind, Bebe and more. Like our friends at Styledash say, the fashion “powers-that-be” will keep pushing and pushing them on us until we all cave in and “mommy stir-up pants” become the new babydoll dress.
~Angela and Kathryn
Yea or Nay: Stirrup Pants
(P.S. If you say yea, you better have a pretty solid reason)
Yea or Nay: Toe Cleavage
So I’ve received about a billion emails about this topic. On one hand, I think a limited amount of toe cleavage can be sexy (especially if your guy/girl has a foot fetish). However, too much toe cleavage can be a little out of place in certain more conservative environments like church or work. Then there are some fashion experts, that believe you should show no more than two cleavage (or cleavi? what would be the plural of cleavage?).
What do you think?
Toe Cleavage: Yea or Nay
If you’re into toe cleavage, check out the Toe Cleavage blog
Emmy Fashion: Cocktail Dresses at the Emmy’s? Yea or Nay
There’s a new trend sweeping the red carpets of our favorite award shows.. No it’s not bad make-up or ill-fitting dresses (which were present, in full force, at yesterday’s Emmy awards). It’s not bad plastic surgery (Joan Rivers and her spawn no longer work the red carpet).
No, the trend hitting the red carpet is the short dress. Eva Longoria, who I think wore it best, shows that a short, cocktail dress there’s other options for black tie occasions. Personally, this is a trend I love because cocktail dresses tend to be significantly cheaper and less “Cinderella” than a full length ball gown.
So what do you think?
Cocktail Dresses on the Red Carpet: Yea or Nay?
More Fashion online at E!
Yea or Nay: Knee High Socks
Those of us who attended parochial school probably have nightmares involving knee high socks. However the socks join colored tights as this fall’s biggest trend in hosiery. If you have great legs and are under the age 25, these socks can be an inexpensive way to update your wardrobe. If you’re over 25, you might want to skip this trend (but by all means work the colored tights look).
Yea or Nay: Knee High Socks?
Nay (Cause there’s really no Yea): Croc Fall 2007
I totally had another yea or nay planned for today, but I just had to share these shoes from Croc’s Fall 2007 line. I’m really trying to give the croc people a chance. I even wrote a somewhat nice review of their new You by Croc line.
But these shoes are the ugliest shoes I’ve ever seen in my entire life. These shoes are so ugly, they’re evil. Like something created by the Dark Lord Voldemort.
If you’re going to vote Yea on this one, you better have a good reason, a VERY good reason.
Reader Review: Blister Block Stick by Band-Aid, $7
What: Lovely reader Sabina reviews the BLISTER BLOCK Stick from Band-Aid.
Price: $7.00
Sabina’s Opinion: This product is, straight up, the best thing to happen to women since the invention of the bra. True to its name, Blister Block, which looks like a mini-deodorant, helps prevent sores and blisters caused by uncomfortable shoes. Here’s how it works. You rub the waxy, clear stick onto parts of your feet that tend to rub up against shoes the most: ankles, joints of toes, wherever straps touch, etc. before putting on your shoes. While Blister-Block doesn’t promise a pain-free day if you’re wearing sky high heels, it will help to eliminate the battle scars that are often the byproduct of having fashionable feet.
Yea or Nay: Yea and Yea! Honestly, this product is a godsend during the summer when shoes are strappier and higher and we tend to do more walking. Mine has become a permanent fixture in my purse along with Advil and lip balm.
Buy it: at Walgreens.com, Drugstore.com
Yea or Nay: Crocs
I don’t like Crocs. I’m sure they’re comfy and my doctor friends swear by them, but there’s just something about the shoes that I just don’t like. Plastic clogs? Weren’t leather clogs bad enough?
Here’s the only people who should wear crocs:
- Sailors, Deck Hands, and other people who work on a boat.
- Gardeners, pool boys, and others who work outside and get wet
- Doctors, nurses, and other folks who work in the health care industry
- Kindergarten teachers, art teachers, and other who work near paint
- K-8 kids heading to camp
- Martha Stewart
Everyone else, leave them in the store.
Yea or Nay: Crocs?
Yea or Nay: Gold Ankle Bracelets
My fashionista friends will cringe at the mere thought of the ankle bracelet as a viable fashion option. While I’m not a fan, I do think a tasteful ankle bracelet, like the ones shown above, could be a great accessory for a beach outfit.
Yea or Nay: Gold Ankle Bracelet
Yea or Nay: Ed Hardy T-shirts
It’s like everywhere I turn I see someone wearing an Ed Hardy t-shirt. The t-shirts are based upon the designs of famed LA tattoo and contemporary art artist, Don Ed Hardy. A favorite of celebs (and promoted endlessly on the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency), the t-shirts are cool, in a sort of just-got-off-your-Harley- while- driving-down-Sunset Blvd sort of way. But….are the shirts worth $65+ dollars? Probably not. Especially when they (sans graphics) were probably purchased from American Apparel for like $3.00 a pop.
Ed Hardy T-Shirts: Yea or Nay?
P.S. Kate Moss’s collaboration with the high/low store Topshop, launches today in the UK. Check out our friends at catwalkqueen.tv, who are blogging live from the event.
Yea or Nay: Celebrity Clothing Lines
While there’s no doubt that some of our favorite celebs have great style (thanks, in part, to fabulous stylists), that doesn’t mean that every star needs their own clothing line.
A Very Short List of Celebrities with Clothing Lines
Macy’s- Nicky Hilton
Select Department Stores- Jennifer Lopez
Select Department Stores- Gwen Stefani
Mango- Penelope Cruz and her sister
H&M- Madonna
H&M- Kylie Minogue
TopShop Barneys- Kate Moss
Steve &Barry- Sarah Jessica Parker
Reebok- Scarlett Johansson
Fashion Bug- Jessica Simpson
Numerous rappers, sports stars, other A, B, C, D list celebrities
It’s like having a SAG card immediately qualifies you to design a line.
Now there’s few stores who have resisted the trend. One example is Target, where you actually must have design experience to design a line. Also Gap, who has fallen and now seems to start to get back up, did their white shirt collection with a group of talented TRUE designers (Doo.ri first design studio was in the basement of her parent’s New Jersey dry cleaning store).
There’s also celebrities who understand that their talents do not lie in designing, so they bring on real designers to help them create their lines (ex: Gwen Stefani/L.A.M.B). But according to a recent article on Forbes.com, most celebrity clothings lines are cooked up by their management teams to extend a celebrity’s brand and to make some serious dough. Take Jessica Simpson- her records and movies perform WAY below expectations, yet she has several clothing and accessories lines.
Yea or Nay: Celebrity Clothing Lines?
Yea or Nay: Kylie Minogue Swimwear Line for H&M
The latest entrant in the celebrity-turned-designer is breast cancer survivor and Chelsea boy favorite, Kylie Minogue. The Australian pop star is designing (ummm, yeah) the limited edition “H&M Loves Kylie” swimwear line for H&M that will be in stores in mid May.
From the press release:
This concise beachwear perfectly mirrors Kylie’s relaxed fun-loving demeanor, as well as her show-stopping stage persona in a line that unites simple throw- on casual with glistening glamour. Think shimmering silver bikinis, vibrant water-inspired aqua blue and green swirl-print towels, bags and sarongs as well as slip-on smock tops and billowy peasant skirts. In homage to beach living, the beachwear line is built around a swirling water-inspired aqua blue and green print, which appears on fluffy towels, crisp cotton-voile smock tops, the retro-cute halter neck bikini and costume as well as on a silk head scarf that doubles as a belt and a high-tech nylon beach bag that folds down into a smart silver wallet-shape.
While, I’m TIRED of the celebrity-turned-designer trend, for some reason this line is actually starting to grow on me like that one Kylie Minogue song they use in those Bally Fitness club commercials (“La, La, La… lalalaaala”). I actually like Kylie’s style (or least what her stylist does with her) and I loved her bold battle with breast cancer. Furthermore, the price points of the line are great ($24.50 for a swimsuit, $19.90 for a sarong, etc) making it quite comparable to the highly touted Patrick Robinson swimwear line for Target’s Go International. Plus 10% of the money spent on this beachwear line will be donated to WaterAid. The international charity WaterAid is dedicated to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world’s poorest people.
Yea or Nay: The H&M Loves Kylie Swimwear Line?
Yea or Nay: Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker at Steve Barry- I’ve Got Pictures
UPDATE: Read about Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker on Oprah
UPDATE: I decided to REMOVE the photos. Click Here to Learn Why.
UPDATE: Steve & Barry’s Lawyers just sent me an a letter. Post Your thoughts on whether I should take these photos down or leave them up. I will make a decision, based on you comments by Thursday 12 noon.
UPDATE: According to WWD, everything is moving forward with the line. The issue was that Oprah was promised an exclusive and they wanted long lead magazines (who will only say glowing things about it) to have first dibs. Also, TBF was the FIRST to post anything about the line as a fashion blind item over a month before any of the other sites got word of it. I only held onto to it because I was asked to (which now I realized I should have just published it in full for you guys on February 8th.)
A few weeks ago, I broke the news that Sarah Jessica Parker (aka “Carrie” from the HBO TV show ‘Sex and The City’) was designing a line called “Bitten” for discount sportswear retailer Steve and Barry’s as a fashion blind item during fashion week. First let me say, I REALLY want to like this line and will save my full assessment when it appears in stores. However, based on the pictures below, I must say that the Bitten line looks pretty uneventful, in fact, it looks a lot like the stuff she was hawking for the Gap (and we all know what has happen to the Gap).
Again, I WANT to like this line. I really do. However, most of the people who shop at Steve & Barry’, a store I happen to like and shop at, are at the fashion 101 level, while this line seems to be more fashion 201. It has none of the easy urban style of Madonna’s line at H&M and none of the creative basic look of Isaac Mizrahi at Target. I am also pretty skeptical of the overly touched up pictures (usually sign of poor quality garments).
That being said, the Bitten line does feature cute basics (wide leg khaki trousers, basic black tops, a collection of black dresses, accessories etc.) all priced under $19.95. However, when I think of Sarah Jessica Parker, I don’t think of basics.. I think of quirky style, interesting patterns, strange mixtures, etc. I’m not sure if this line will feature these elements of her “public” personal style.
Which makes me ask this question… Is SJP’s style really her own style or that of a good stylist (hello Patricia Fields)?
Now that you’ve seen the pictures…. Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker: Yea or Nay?
Click Below For More Pictures From Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker
Yea or Nay: Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker at Steve and Barry’s
Update: Read about Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker on Oprah
Remember that fashion blind item I mentioned several weeks ago about the fashion icon who’s doing a line with the most unlikely of stores? Well…. that icon is none other than Sarah Jessica Parker who is teaming up with the budget sportswear company, Steve & Barry’s, to produce a line for the store called “Bitten” (horrible, horrible name). The collection is to be unveiled today at an ultra exclusive luncheon for top fashion editors who would never be caught dead in a mall, yet alone a Steve & Barry’s. What do you think about this partnership and the whole celeb-doing -a budget-line thing? Do you think SJP can pack the folks in like Madonna, who’s line for H&M is surprisingly good?
Sarah Jessica Parker for Steve & Barry’s: Yea or Nay?
Yea or Nay: Disney Couture - Alice in Wonderland Bangle Bracelet, $150.00 at thinkher.com
“THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER BEING SOLD”
Chanel... Givenchy... Dior... Disney?
Disney is jumping on the high-end fashion bandwagon with it’s Disney Couture line. The collection features high-priced clothing and accessories, like the Alice in Wonderland inspired bracelet shown above. Now, I like the bracelet, but Mickey and gang must have been smoking something on Space Mountain to think that anyone would pay $150 for the bracelet shown above. Yes, Eva Longoria wore it in that Jessica Simpson roller skating video, but I highly doubt she would even pay $150 bucks for the resin and gold plated bracelet. What do you think? Should Disney even have a couture line? What’s next?? McDonald’s serving gourmet food?
Disney Couture Alice in Wonderland Bangle: Yea or Nay?
What to Buy Spring 2007- Yea or Nay: Denim Trench Coat, $98.00
My two cents: After trashing the Gap a few weeks ago, I decided to show some of the positive items they will be selling this Spring (yesterday jeans for those of us with a little more curve in the back). I like this coat, but I’m not sure if I “$98.00” like it. It would be incredibly functional and I’m sure the cost per wear (learn how to figure out the cost per wear), would be well under $2.00 a pop. I also like the fact that is comes in Petite and Tall.
Gap Denim Trench Coat: Yea or Nay?
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