http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Wed, 5 Oct 2005 09:30:54 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/05/093054.php The Budget FashionistaBreak out the claws and the Vaseline....Stella McCartney's much anticipated collection for H&M hits 400 stores on November 10th. According to the store's website, the collection will include "a mix of daywear, tailored classics, evening wear, lingerie and accessories" with "narrow denim jeans with sharp details and ankle zip, the oversized slouchy sweater, the feminine silk-embellished cami tops, the quirky print cotton T-shirts, the razor-sharp tailored suit, the gem-coloured evening dresses, the relaxed belted mac will all now be available to the H&M customer." Stella McCartney is hands down one of my favorite designers. Her collections effortlessly mix feminine details with urban cool. And now, thanks to H&M, I can afford one of her pieces.On another related note....H&M dumped Kate Moss as the line's cover girl for admitting to using cocaine. Okay here's a little bit of information, that very few people in the fashion and entertainment industry will openly admit - several models, actresses and yes, magazine editors, use cocaine and other drugs in a effort to stay thin. I'm not saying that this was the case with Kate Moss. However, it's, excuse the pun, the white elephant in the fashion showroom. For more fashion news, tips, advice, etc visit me at The Budget Fashionista Culture37425@blogcritics.org Wed, 5 Oct 2005 09:30:54 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/09/28/170459.php The Budget FashionistaAndre Leon Talley is my imaginary VBF (very best friend). In my Pucci printed daydreams, the Vogue editor-at-Large and I stroll, arm in arm, through the Garden State Mall in Paramus, NJ; Andre giving me advice on what shoes to buy during Nordstroms Half Yearly Sale and divulging that Anna Wintour secretly buys her underwear from Target and I showing him how to score a Friends and Family Coupon for Bloomingdales and the amazing restorative powers of a strawberry Orange Julius. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw my Imaginary VBF on Oprah (another imaginary best friend) last week dishing tips on fashion and dieting. On the show, Andre confirmed what we already knew "Miss Anna (Wintour, the Vogue Editor in Chief) don't like fat people." I'm pretty sure that she also doesn't like poor people, people who ride the subway, people who can't walk in 4 inch stilettos, Santa Claus, sunny days and small children. Before you start to bash her royal evilness, peep this: Wintour was one of the first embrace the Budget Fashionista concept, featuring a mixture of high and price pieces on the covers of Vogue. In a Feb. 2005 Slate.com article, writer Amanda Fortini states "She (Wintour) was also among the first to sprinkle inexpensive clothes among high-end fashions: Her much commented-upon debut cover in November 1988 featured a 19-year-old Israeli model in a $50 pair of faded jeans and a $10,000 jewel-encrusted Christian Lacroix T-shirt; another showed a black model in an Yves Saint Laurent tuxedo jacket, a $44 bikini, and a J. Crew bandanna. Wintour's approach hit a nerve--this was the way real women put clothes together (with the likely exception of wearing multi-thousand-dollar T-shirts). And she also allowed her models to look less than perfectly spackled and coiffed." She may not like fat people, but she sure likes to sell magazines.Note: Interestingly, Miss Anna's thoughts sound eerily familiar to the controversial statement made by rapper and preppy style icon, Kanye West. For more on me and my love of fashion, but lack of cash head to The Budget Fashionista.com Culture37004@blogcritics.org Wed, 28 Sep 2005 17:04:59 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/09/25/073208.php The Budget FashionistaI think I've lost my fashion mojo.It's really difficult to feel inspired by a $1500 pair of khaki shorts, when there's so much going on in the world. It's even more difficult to feel inspired, when you over hear celebrities making truly stupid comments like "(Hurricane) Katrina has really impacted me. Like, I decided to wait to buy another Paddington bag (retail value: $1500 plus)." After a week of hearing comments like the one above, you now understand why my fashion mojo is as low as George Bush's post-Katrina approval ratings.My wounded fashion mojo aside, I did learn two things during New York's Spring 2006 Fashion Week- 1. fashion editors can survive anything- merges, resignations, and falling lights and 2. a significant number of "celebrities" are sad, hungry people with no sense of self. I know it sounds judgmental, but it's true. I mean, Kelly Osbourne (yep, Ozzie and Sharon's little girl) kept a straight face, while calling herself a "designer". Nicole Richie, was getting tons of press for looking like an anorexic spoon. And the legendary Stevie Wonder's wife was getting tons of press for her so-so line because her husband is the legendary Stevie Wonder. It's enough to make Coco Chanel rise from the dead. Yet, in spite of my celeb overdose, I was able to observe some interesting trends for Spring 2006...1. Khaki "capshorts". I coined the term "capshorts" (slightly longer than Bermudas, but slightly shorter than capris) after seeing show after show of models wearing knee-length shorts with a slight flare. The best part about this trend is that the shorts/pants/dresses, etc were cuffed right at the knee - the most flattering length for most women.2. Cherry Red. Cherry red is going to be everywhere next Spring. Folks will be wearing it with the knee-length khakis above.3. Cream. Lots and lots of cream-colored clothing on the runways. It reminded me of the color of my college dorm room walls.4. Jersey Girls. The figure-hugging fabric is back. Those of us with a extra "junk-in-our-trunk" should look for a slightly heavier versions of the fabric.5. Trench Coats. Trench coats continue to have a strong presence on the runways. A major reason why it's one of the ten items every women should have in her closet.6. Muted colors. The colors for Spring 2006 are muted and safe, sort of like the quiet guy from the comedy team "Penn and Teller". Stock up on gray and steel blue.7. Even Muted Metallics. Metallic are still "in" but not the bright golds and silvers of summer 2005. Think utensil steel and door knob bronze.8. Silk and Chiffon. Lightweight materials are back. 9. Black is still around. Thank god. 10. Refined Girly. Well constructed, tailored looks are going to be key for next spring- a look not easily translated by stores like Forever 21, but a relative breeze for the Isaac Mizrahi for Target line. My prediction for next Spring: Budget Fashionistas will be fighting with moneyed socialites for several must-have pieces from the Mizrahi line.For more of my fashion musings and tips on how to be fabulous for less, visit me at The Budget Fashionista. ed/Pub:NB Culture36657@blogcritics.org Sun, 25 Sep 2005 07:32:08 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/03/075717.php The Budget Fashionista Retailers use several methods, based in psychology, to get consumers to purchase their items. In "Mind your Pricing Cues" in the September 2003 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Eric Anderson and Duncan Simester explore how shoppers pay more for items ending in the number "9", than in any other number. Also how the selective use of "SALE" signs influence us to purchase items, regardless of whether they are actually on sale. As a Budget Fashionista, I love a good sale. The keyword is "SALE". Marketers, business people, CEO's who are out of touch with Budget Fashionistas like ourselves, fail to realize that it is not the sale sign alone that drives us to purchase. It is finding the "SALE". It is going to the Prada Sample Sale and finding a Miu Miu tote for $45. It is finding a vintage Gucci baguette circa 1985 at the local Goodwill for $30. It finding white oxford shirts at Macys for $4.99. Behind every "SALE", there must be a "FIND". There is nothing more disappointing than walking into a store with a huge sale sign in the window and finding nothing but a smattering of tops and bottoms in size 0. St. John's Knits is notorious for having sales without substance. However, for every overpriced knits retailer, there are stores like Banana Republic, Bloomingdales and Target who have sales with enough substance to make you an excellent candidate for group intervention. It is for this reason, that Budget Fashionista's visit these stores as often as the ATM.Sales without substance are consistently present because marketers, like CEO's and the 1000s of Vice Presidents at a company, do not understand budget shopping because most do not shop. Studying shoppers and being a shopper is not the same thing. Shoppers are to marketers as athletes are to sport journalists. One watches and records the actions of the other. In order to understand the drive of the "Find", these corporate executives must become shoppers. Perhaps, if they took the Jane Goodall approach to shopping and became "Marketers in the Shopping Mist", there would be more sales with, instead of without, substance. Go to the Budget Fashionista for more shopping blogs Culture8052@blogcritics.org Wed, 3 Sep 2003 07:57:17 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/29/094710.php The Budget FashionistaFor centuries, women have paid a significant amount of attention to the decoration of their feet. From pre-revolutionary China to postmodern America, the adornment of a woman's foot has been a global priority. Like my predecessors (and contemporaries), I feel the need to adorn my feet in as many different ways as possible, thus my obsession with shoes. However, the graceful adornment of feet is a costly enterprise and, as the budget fashionista, I shy away from anything with the word "costly" attached to it. Drawn to retail establishments where I can participate in the cultural right to adorn my feet in the latest fashions, I am equally as drawn to maintaining my bank account.http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com Culture7951@blogcritics.org Fri, 29 Aug 2003 09:47:10 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/28/080427.php The Budget Fashionista"Why are there no accessories for men?", a very close male friend asked one day over brunch. I tried to point out to him that men have ties, cufflinks, watches, and if you are in Queens, NY a nice gold chain nestled against a very hairy chest. However this question has some merit. There are very little options for men, especially men who are bound by the confines of heterosexuality. Ties have become more fun and varied in the past couple of years, however they are still just ties. Thomas Pink has some pretty cool classic tailored shirts, but they are definately not cheap (although right now they are having a 40% off sale). Male watches and cufflinks seem to follow a standard theme, the more metal, the better. However, there is an option, a genre that previous has been occupied by only women. Handbags. For centuries, women have known the power of a good bag. It is about time that men realized the power of the purse as well. Now, most men will not go out and buy a Kate Spade bag to match their new gray three button suit (maybe a Jack Spade Bag, but Coach does have a masculine "European carry alls" (man speak for purse). In fact, I found one last month at my favorite store, Off 5th for $99.90, about a $200 savings off the original price. I purchased it for my friend and he was the toast of the water cooler the next day. Visit the Budget Fashionista Weblog Culture7903@blogcritics.org Thu, 28 Aug 2003 08:04:27 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/27/212907.php The Budget FashionistaMy love for fashion is legendary. Equally legendary is the lack of funds to support my love for fashion. It is not like I'm living in extreme poverty. I do have food in my fridge, am able to pay most of the minimums on my credit cards (through the use of a little trick called "creative banking") and can go on a vacation every now and then, thanks to my travel agent, Priceline. However, since I don't live with my parents (free rent=more dough) and have to pay rent, electric and other thing that make life more manageable, I cannot buy great little pieces like the beautiful, strappy, Christian Louboutin black sandals with the "f**k me red" soles. I have come to use terms like budgeting and a very nasty little word called frugal (sounds very close to frigid) on a daily basis. So, I dream, wish and yearn for a Marc Jacobs candy colored satin confection dress and a pair of orange suede C. Lacroix boots, while living on an Old Navy budget. Like many of you, I glance through Vogue, ELLE and the other fashion mags religiously every month, dreaming of the new white knee high flat Sigerson Morrison boots or the little pink Longchamp hand purse. I drool over the white Narcisco Rodriguez summer suits, although it a. will never go over my ever-expanding ass, b. cost more than my car and c. is located in none of the stores near wear I live. But I am here to tell you that there is hope out there, fellow budget fashionistas! There are places, Web sites, and, in some cases people, who can hook you up with designer fashions and accessories without calling your loved ones (or unloved ones) for a small loan. There are places that will *gasp* send monthly discount coupons right to your e-mail account. And budget fashionistas, you do not have to live in New York to enjoy these perks.This is my story, your story, our story. So gather your debit card (okay maybe a credit card as well) and let's go. I promise not to spend too much too fast. The budget Fashionista Main Site Culture7897@blogcritics.org Wed, 27 Aug 2003 21:29:07 EDT