If Even Cameron Diaz Can't Pull Them Off...

(picture from the movie Bad Teacher)

     There seems to be something terrible plaguing this country. (besides all the obvious economy in the toilet conversation that goes without saying at this point)

     I'm referring to the trend of wearing the shortest shorts you can squeeze into regardless of your age or size.

     Everyday this phenomenon continues to amaze and confuse me.  When I drop my daughter off at school I see girls wearing these tiny little denim shorts that are smaller and more uncomfortable than an undergarment. What's worse is that they are pairing these shorts with incredibly tight shirts and they are only 10 years old. This is disconcerting on so many levels.  Is there an avid need for attention that has us thinking we need to wear items like this- the shorter, the tighter, the better?- starting at age 10? And what's worse is, where is the lesson in self-esteem?  There seems to be a disconnect somewhere. Why aren't we teaching our daughters to hold themselves in a higher regard?  Why aren't we relaying the message that if we don't value our bodies enough to understand that the real power is in mystery that nobody else will value it either?

     It's not just the 10 year olds by the way.  At the grocery store I saw a gaggle of girls probably college age all wearing shorts that just looked incredibly uncomfortable.  And not one of them seemed to care that they didn't have the bodies for these items.  On one hand, I felt weirdly intrigued that cellulite didn't seem to bother them that it was visible, on the other, I felt so sad.

     I won't even get into the women of a certain age wearing these shorts.  All I can say is that if they haven't figured it out by now, that's not even a subject I'm going to touch. BUT, I will say this: JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN WEAR IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD.  I wish they would put that warning label on certain items of clothing, it would hopefully give women the pause they may need before buying an item that is just ridiculous.

     Let's help teach our children the art of appropriate dressing.  It's not just about aesthetics, it's about viewing our bodies as gifts, treasures to behold and uncovered.  After all, looking exactly like everybody else is as boring as shooting fish in a barrel.

  

    

Rag House + Me = No Way Jose.

So I learned the hard way what a rag house is....

I had sent my resume to a company who wanted someone to help them with their "wholesale vintage" business.  Since I have been freelancing for both a fantastic vintage site and a designer selling apparel wholesale, I figured this would be a no brainer, I like vintage...or so I thought.

Apparently what I like is high end designer pieces sourced from private sellers that are immaculate and will only hold their value as my children age.  I like investment vintage if  you will- and fortunately, that is really the only vintage that I am familiar with.  The site that I sometimes work for is just that- amazing pieces that are sourced one by one and treated with an incredible amount of respect.

When I arrived at my interview I gave an enthusiastic hello to the receptionist who ignored me.  Okaaaay...so I stood there.  She then informed me hastily that the interviewer would be running 15 minutes behind.  Her attitude was a bigger deal than the wait honestly, so I sat down.  I noticed that the ceiling tiles were half on, the walls looked like someone had spilled coffee on them and nobody cleaned it up and the carpet was downright scary.  Hmmm.

The man that interviewed me was about as pleasant as the receptionist. He informed me that he had just let go an entire creative team and was going to replace them with just one person.  (as if the state of the lobby wasn't a red flag, this was a blaring fog horn to get the fuck out of there.)  I politely answered questions and then took a tour of the warehouse.  This is when all hell broke loose.  The word "bedbugs" shot through my mind as I saw hundreds of workers wearing masks and gloves sorting through piles and piles of clothing in a space as big as the biggest Costco you can imagine, only it was downright dirty.  What I mean is, the public toilet I used on the drive down was cleaner than this place.  He then informed me that I would be spending most of my time sorting through inventory.

Now, I don't mind a little manual labor..in fact I get bored if I have a job that doesn't require me to move around and move stuff around, but the stuff I move around is usually clean clothing.  And I have seen pictures of rag houses before, (like the one pictured above) and they aren't really that dirty looking.  But this place took it to a whole new level...I felt like I had been dropped into the worst episode of hoarders ever and it was then that my senses took over.

My interviewer asked me for the names of some shoes that are hot on the vintage market right now, you know, big sellers.  I was in such a state of shock that I think I said something like, "I can't really think of any right now..." as I stared around dumbfounded.  He snidely replied, "really?  you can't think of any right now" and that's when I said, "No.  I can't. Well not beyond a great pair of designer shoes that have been cared for properly.  Thank you for your time, but I am definitely not the person you are looking for to fill this position."

I don't even think I stopped to shake his hand, I just hightailed it out of there leaving him now looking the deer.

A good friend told me that when you interview for a job you are also interviewing the potential employer while they are talking to you...I always ask how many people had the position that I am interviewing for in the last 2 years, what is their management style and most of all I am seeing if I will be able to happily work with this person in the future.

In the case of the rag house...no way.  And I will think twice and do the research next time I am looking for vintage.

oh and by the way, www.zuburbia.com has some amazing vintage pieces if you're in the market for well cared for, impeccably collected items.

What People Wear In Vegas, Should Stay In Vegas

Something terrible is happening in Las Vegas.

Yes, Vegas has the greatest shopping choices on earth if you want to pay full markup and shop for high end designer items, however, when it comes to wearing those items on a night out, it just doesn't seem to be happening.

This picture is  what I saw when I went out in the new (and amazing) Cosmopolitan Hotel in City Center.   Everywhere you turned, there was another nameless, faceless girl in a too tight, too short, sparkling dress. You cannot even imagine the staggering number of women with their ass cheeks hanging out, their breasts all but exposed, and barely an accessory except for a stripper shoe was to be found.  Hair seemed to be an afterthought and I didn't see one girl in a pair of pants or jeans.  NOT ONE. Really?

I find it hard to believe that every single woman on the planet, (well at least the thousands that I saw) are happy walking around like this. There was more cellulite and wardrobe malfunctions on the casino floor than slot machines.

Could it be that women feel the need to dress like this in Vegas in order to get noticed?  It seems to me, that someone with style is more likely to get noticed and (let's just call a spade a spade here) garner respect for actually bringing a little bit of mystery to the table.

Isn't bringing one of these women back to your hotel room like shooting fish in a barrel?  I know it sounds harsh, but ladies come on, you've left me no choice.  Be yourself, not some cookie cutter version of the girl in front you, and for god sakes, if you're smart and beautiful, then leave those ridiculous dresses for the girls who need them in order to get noticed.

Really Rachel Zoe?

Ok, that's definitely not the first time I've said it. I'm not a hater by any means, I just never understood all the hype that surrounded the mega stylist.

And now there's this, which leads me to believe that yet again, my instincts are right 99.9% of the time.

(picture from styleite.com today)

Yes, there you have it- "babe, I totally ripped off that dress and called it 'inspiration'"

What apparently happened, although we can't be sure yet, is that Zoe styled a photoshoot in 2007 and bought the vintage dress that she used in the shoot. Now, in her new collection, the exact replica of the original vintage dress has made an appearance as her "own".

Listen, this is a phenomenon that apparently is ok within the fashion industry...creating a dress that looks almost exactly like a vintage dress and calling the original dress "inspiration". I don't get it, I think it's a cheap way out, and when I first heard of this practice I was more dumbfounded than when I found out that Santa Claus wasn't real.

Where are the real designers? The ones that actually draw, and create from traveling and life experiences? Why do we even have trend prediciton companies when fashion is supposed to happen organically like art? Who cares what the next trend is anyway when it's predicted from some ridiculous company?

Give me a break. And Rachel? That's ba-na-nas.

Bye Bye Trendy, Hello Stylish.

(picture from prettypennies.com)

So I bought this blazer today. And I'm not afraid to say that I love the little shoulder pads, and slightly puffed sleeve. And even though it's slightly trendy and goes against what I believe in, when I put it on I didn't care.

You see, I have realized that I am no longer at the age where I can afford to run out and buy the trendiest item to wear for a night out. In this case I don't mean afford moneywise, I mean I can't afford it because I am simply too old and risk looking like the woman who is borrowing things out of her daughter's closet.

What I like to practice (and tell my clients) is that when you reach a certain age, go for style and not trend. A great piece will hold up over the years and as you age your wardrobe becomes an investment, like sunblock or fabulous skin care.

What I mean is, as you enter your thirties, try to avoid looking back and going, "what was I thinking??" when you remember certain outfits. Like I am sure Kim Kardashian will do when she looks back on this picture:

(fashionbombdaily.com)

Yikes! Even though it's designer, it's really not that flattering on her and adds trashiness not classiness to her look. And thankfully, that's something I have finally outgrown.

I don't care if this jacket is last season.  I want this little leather jacket from Ted Baker.  I can just picture wearing it, just not with that hideous shirt underneath.

Welcome To Los Angeles

Yes, this is a real picture.

When trying to find parking the other day during a torrential downpour, I pulled into what I thought was a parking spot.  In  front of me was this string of signs.  I don't quite speak Los  Angeles yet, so in my primitive translation I think it means: Park on the right of this sign (lovely arrow to indicate) only from 8am-6pm except or one hour on Thursday mornings.  After that you'll get a ticket.  If you park on the left of the sign (again, arrow to indicate)  you have to have some sort of permit or it looks like permits (plural) to be exact. 

But in actuality, you will get a ticket regardless of what you do because California needs the money.  Maybe if they stopped making up ridiculous signs and paying employees to put them up they could  figure out how to fix the budget.