Polygamist’s have style too!

OK maybe it’s not something you and I would wear, but the AP is reporting those modest parie skirts, puff sleeve pastel dresses and poofy hair dos we’ve been seeing ALL OVER THE NEWS have roots in the 19th century and also the 1950s. This conformist way of dressing is to ensure these ladies are unattractive to the outside world or other men.  But what happens when this stuff goes mainstream?? I am expecting to see a bunch of hipsters rockin’ this look very soon… in an ironic way of course…

Despite Kalinsky, Norstrom STILL falters.

Man, you know the economy is REAL bad when someone like Jeffrey Kalinsky can’t save a retailer like Nordstrom! The other day the retailer reported a fall in same store sales by 9.1% far worse than what analysts expected. Total sales dipped to $750 million from $803 million in 2007.  Jeffrey, who started the extremely well edited and influential Jeffrey boutiques in New York and Atlanta sold a majority interest of his stores to Norstrom and took on a full time gig. Problem is even his keen eye for knowing what’s hot way before it sizzles (I bought my Balenciaga motorcycle bag because I saw it first at Jeffrey six years ago), isn’t really working for Nordstrom right now.  The tourists aren’t buying into it either!

Same store sales numbers are out and I am talking about it on Fox Business today!!

Retail same store sales for April were for the most part on low side. What’s new? What’s shocking are the double digit drop Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch as well as American Eagle experienced!! I’ll be talking about all of this today on Fox Business at around 12:30 pm!!

On Fox Business today!!

I’m talking about malls and how they are one of the biggest losers in this recession we are in. But not because all of these other little stores are going out of business, it’s because the larger retailers like JC Penny’s can’t get the traffic in!! AND no one wants to buy anything because gas is so expensive!! Why would I drive to the mall (if I lived in a mall market) when I could be saving that gas to go to work?? Tune in if you are near a TV- I go on at 2:50 pm EST! Also, thank you to everyone that wrote in with their “time management” suggestions- will post those a little later.

WITH OUT the help of perscription drugs, peeps!!

Someone just wrote to me saying I should try get a perscription for Rittalin. Do they even make that any more?? I don’t need drugs peeps, I need solid advice from people who are able to get a bunch of stuff done. I want to hear everything and anything…

Time management.

Ever get that deer in headlights feeling? Ever feel totally overwhelmed with all the stuff you have to do? Well that’s me right now. I LITERALLY HAVE 20 THINGS TO DO and I refuse to stay up all night and do them. If anyone has any time management suggestions, please let me know. Dying over here. It’s not funny anymore.

“Inspired” or just straight up copying?

Working, breathing and living in the fashion industry you often (well, way more than often- try every ten minutes) hear the word “inspired.” Desigers are inspired by nature, the street, other designers, movies… the list goes on. But where does the line between inspiration and just straight up copying get blurred? Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee explained to Suzy Menkes from the International Herald Tribune he was “inspired” by the “Frida Khalo movie” to put braids in the hair of all his models during his runway show. Why can’t he just say he fully adopted the look?? In fact, why can’t all designers just tell it like it is- “Oh yes,” says designer X. “I totally copied Valentino circa 1975 for my new collection.”  I don’t think I would respect a designer any more or less if they were just honest… just sayin’.

 

Further proof middle markets are the last to get on the trend wagon.

I just saw an article in the the Myrtle Beach newspaper about how skulls are a new fashion trend. A “new” fashion trend?? Most of us were wearing skulls three years ago AND have totally moved on from it. But I did think this piece was interesting purely from a social perspective. If Myrtle Beach is just now recognizing skull icons are cool, I wonder when the skull trend is going to hit a place like Albuquerque, New Mexico??

Bear Stearns for sale!!

So we all know about the Bear Stearns debacle that almost brought down our entire economy but did you all know I used to work at Bear Stearns? What’s more, I hears a lot of ex employees have been putting their stuff up on eBay, which got me thinking- how much could I get for my old Bear Stearns swag??

For those of you who have had the pleasure of traveling with me, you know I pack VERY lightly and put everything in a Bear Stearns tote bag. I would never give this up, but in a pinch I bet I could get at least $100 for it.

 

I am an obsessive list maker and usually put these lists on my refrigerator door as reminders. Traders would always execute their buys and sells via the computer, but the Bear Stearns supply room had these old school “Buy” and “Sell” tickets that were perfect for scratch paper or reminder lists. Notice these are from the block desk!! I bet I could get at least $25 for a package of eight…

 

Portland Fashion Week: Is this a joke?

I realize it is April 2nd, but this came across my e-mail yesterday. LA fashion week is bad enough. Now Portland? Why? Why, why, why???