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· Fashion Notes: De Luxuriae Apologia
· Most Wanted: The Old Man and the Sea
· Closet Confidential: Pants & Skirts
· Most Wanted: On the Road
· Fashion Notes: How to Wear Bright Colors
· Fashion Notes: What I Really Bought For Spring
· Beauty Notebook SEPTEMBER 2007: The Ineffable Aesthetic
· Beauty & Fashion Notes: Old-Time Musings
· What is Style? Basics (part 5)
· Beauty Notes: When You Are Young...
· Fantasy Web Find of the Day: A.P.C. Print Blouse
Comments
· June 19, 2008 5:41 AM by
Perfumeshrine
· June 19, 2008 9:57 AM by
Dain
· June 20, 2008 4:07 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
· June 20, 2008 4:43 PM by
Dain
· June 21, 2008 11:38 AM by
Colleen Shirazi
· June 21, 2008 12:27 PM by
Dain
· June 21, 2008 12:54 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
· April 10, 2008 11:20 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
· September 8, 2007 7:54 AM by
Lucy
· September 10, 2007 12:40 AM by
Dain
· August 28, 2007 9:37 AM by
cmm
· August 28, 2007 1:23 PM by
Dain
· August 28, 2007 3:15 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
· August 24, 2007 9:46 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
· August 24, 2007 9:58 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
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Fashion Notes: De Luxuriae Apologia
Posted by Dain, Thursday, June 19, 2008 12:02 AM (Eastern)
The longer I am around the fashionable, beautiful world, the more I feel disenchanted with it; how much it preys on our insecurities, how false its promises and how deluded are its pretensions. While it is just as false to act as if you are above fashion, nonetheless it is not so horrendously important. Without it, our culture is a little poorer, our capacity for enjoyment lessened, but it should be fun, not this persistent egomania of consumption. No one is a better human being because she wears beautiful clothes, but perhaps she takes a little more time and effort to enjoy the life that passes us by, and that is all it should ever signify. When signified o'erleaps the signifier, that's when I drown in scorn for women who wear $800 Loubs, when the quality and innovation is inferior to Sigerson Morrison, which clocks at a far more decent $300-$500. "But," interjects the chorus, "How is the average woman supposed to know these things? All she knows are the celebrities who have flashed that red sole in a million glossy pages."
Ah, well. One of the healthier things America could do is stop feeding the celebrity machine.
There is very little harm in the glory of the material world. As this blog well testifies, I enjoy luxury, only you should please yourself before you please others. We mortals have been given the capacity to take pleasure in life, and when the very source of pleasure is turned into status symbols for the insecure ("I am here on this earth in a $35,000 Hermès way") or even indier-than-thou pretensions, that cheapens what luxury should be about. For me, the appeal of luxury lies in the artisans, the fact that human hands have crafted something beautiful for my own personal use, a harmony of form with function. Sure, I could buy a $40 bra from Victoria's Secret, but I know that real people made mine with great care and much thoughtfulness. It's not just the pretty factor, it's the craftsmanship that makes the expense worthwhile, an antidote to bleak, faceless mass-market wares, high or low, that is the true luxury.
Very few work on this level, so let us give them due credit. These are all pieces I own, or hope to own some day.
First, there is Carine Gilson, who makes the most exquisite lingerie, period. The laces and the silks are all handmade and hand-dyed, and each piece is beautifully constructed for fit and shape. Even the humble black bra ($288) looks like something rare, does it not? A cobweb spun by a black widow.
Second, the fabled house of Guerlain.
Third, Manolo Blahnik, who remains, unlike many in the luxury business, an independent. Consequently, the quality of his shoes, in both the design and construction, has not diminished the least bit.
Fourth, my
Last, the work of Alber Elbaz at Lanvin surpasses the flash and egomania of many of his contemporaries. Interestingly enough, it was Elbaz, not mass provocateur Tom Ford, who had been groomed to take over as creative director of YSL.
Labels: APC, carine gilson, fashion notes, guerlain, lanvin, manolo blahnik, nars
Most Wanted: The Old Man and the Sea
Posted by Dain, Friday, June 06, 2008 12:04 AM (Eastern)
Nautical theme! An image already laden with poetry, so just imagine yourself on a private yacht on the Mediterranean, if you please.
WATCH It may only be a lighthearted and improbable frolic (when I graduate from cooking school, I too will wear custom-designed Givenchy), but who wants a serious film this close to the solstice?
LISTEN It simply does not get more summery than The Beach Boys, "Don't Worry Baby" is a personal favorite, just alive with sunshine, even if you don't have a yacht.
READ The best summer reading is either unthinking entertainment or a thick, thinky tome. Guess which category Atlas Shrugged belongs to. ; ) Some day, I suppose, I'll finish it, I find it's rather easy to get bogged down and lose interest.
Labels: APC, beckerman, lancome, most wanted, sigerson morrison, tiffany
Closet Confidential: Pants & Skirts
Posted by Dain, Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:03 AM (Eastern)
This is not a particularly exciting category, as I tend to be extremely conservative in my choices. As color and embellishment are par for the course in my wardrobe, I find it useful to stick to the most basic bottoms, which provide a stable foundation (no pun intended) for an array of tops. Versatility is key in a minimalist wardrobe: you can wear the same bottom four out of seven days very easily, the same is not true for a top. Consequently, the most important characteristics are durability, perfect fit, and a neutral color (I don't like to wear black, so I've had great luck with navy, grey, taupe, and olive thus far, and recently upgraded my navy to cobalt cords). Even when I buy something more exciting, I rarely wear it. Two pants are enough (one to wear, one to wash), with a third for formality. Skirts can get a little more imaginative, as they'll be worn in warm weather, but again versatility takes the higher priority.
Were money no object, I still wouldn't get that imaginative, I'd just invest in sturdier, more carefully designed pieces: corduroys and inverted pleat skirt from A.P.C. (both $205), Les Prairies de Paris Birk Trousers ($448), and Yves Saint Laurent white silk skirt ($1360)
Otherwise, I stick to J. Crew. I find their offerings well tailored, well priced, longlasting, and they're usually available in a multitude of colors. Why pay more? It's all J. Crew, below.
The skirts were more randomly purchased: one was $5 from T.J. Maxx, another is Banana Republic, and the last is Missoni. Though I do have a few other skirts, I may leave them behind with my sister, who is certainly reaching an age when girls get the urge for glamour.
Should circumstances change, though it seem unlikely*, as this all seems passing fair to me, you'll be the first to know.
* Hooray! English subjunctive! Those are rare, you know.
Labels: APC, banana republic, closet confidential, j crew, les prairies des paris, missoni, ysl
Most Wanted: On the Road
Posted by Dain, Friday, May 09, 2008 12:30 AM (Eastern)
Let us make Most Wanted a Friday tradition, a more thematically organized version of the Fantasy Web Find. The theme today is the itinerant bohemian. What's summer if not for travel?
WATCH Jennifer Coolidge being hilarious in Christopher Guest's ad-libbed Best in Show about the crazy people who raise show dogs. They're all the epitome of regional stereotypes, but at the same time they're also so obviously all American.
LISTEN
It's never the wrong time to be obsessed with Abbey Road. Each song is a gem, but I find this video particularly poignant.
READ
Just one book for the road? Ovid's Metamorphoses, preferably the Mandelbaum translation, for its fidelity to the Latin and a poet's inner ear for lyricism.
Labels: alexandra cassaniti, APC, bumble and bumble, hermes, most wanted, travel, tsumori chisato
Fashion Notes: How to Wear Bright Colors
Posted by Dain, Wednesday, April 09, 2008 7:26 AM (Eastern)
If there is any trend that's really burning bright right now, it's color, and lots of it. Now, I personally love color, but I am surely in the minority; monotone is the fashionista's mainstay, reliably flattering and ever stylish. So here are some tips on how to wear color, whether you're a beginner or advanced.
#1
Some colors are easier to wear than others...
#2
Confine color to an accessory (or two)...
#3
Use one brighter piece to add punch to a neutral outfit...
#4
With more than one color, stick to shades that are close to each other...
#5
Or, work with variations in a color family...
#6
If that's not enough color to satisfy you, employ contrasts...
#7
Full-on, unabashed techinicolor? Try a dress...
Labels: APC, devi kroell, fashion guide, fashion notes, j crew, lanvin, lyell, madame a paris, mallory marks, vanessa bruno
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April 10, 2008 11:20 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...
Excellent work, as always. |
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Fashion Notes: What I Really Bought For Spring
Posted by Dain, Friday, March 21, 2008 12:34 PM (Eastern)
Now that I'm able to splurge on nicer, better things, I find that the allure of designer clothing has diminished enormously. I'm rather content with my J. Crew and Anthropologie, and sometimes I dream of indie French labels like A.P.C., Isabel Marant, and Vanessa Bruno. Sure, there's Nicholas Ghèquiere changing the face of fashion at Balenciaga, and the ever-original Miuccia Prada, the dreamy purism of Raf Simmons at Jil Sander, and the subdued good taste of Alber Elbaz at Lanvin (these are the only fashion shows I still really rate), but I'm not at the point where I can afford art.
I wrote up my top five for spring a little while ago, but this is what I really got for myself:
Labels: APC, bags, j crew, manolo blahnik, shoes
Beauty Notebook SEPTEMBER 2007: The Ineffable Aesthetic
Posted by Dain, Wednesday, September 05, 2007 4:39 AM (Eastern)
Above: My best friend Ryan, whose breadth of music knowledge I have yet to see matched, told me, "When I was in middle school, I was unhappy with myself, ("That's the way of middle school," I demurred) and sometimes John Lennon would be the only thing that'd make me feel better. I thought he was God. I still think he is."
The most desirable properties in this world—"beauty", for example—are instantly recognizable as such but absolutely impossible to describe. Actually, beauty is easier than most: the golden proportion, Φ; any face with symmetry and good skin is beautiful. Much less exact is "cool". What the hell is cool? How does one become it, do it, what is it? It's something indescrible and inimitable, unlike beauty, which is easily poeticized and often aped, in spite of what those flippin' Modernists* say. Hence, the ineffable aethetic. A real-world example? Kate Moss. Much copied, and yet a copy looks really awful. I look at skinny jeans these days, and I don't think, "80s punk", I think, "you who are pretending to be Kate Moss, STOP."
So, for this month, I've chosen the rarest creature of all: the cult classic that has yet to be ruined by hype.
 Beyond plastic surgery, symmetry can't be helped. Cool girls embrace quirks (gap teeth, bushy brows, etc.), gaping flaws (bad acne), never. Favored by such offbeat celebrities such as Sophia Coppola and John Cusack is Biologique Recherche Lotion P50W ($45), which has virtually nothing to recommend it (it smells like acridly of paint, the expense is absurd though it's surprisingly cost-effective, so potent only a drop of two patted on and then rinsed is recommended, a nasty two-week purge is likely), possesses on single shining virtue: it works. Two days, and clogged pores are diminishing, which is astounding, clogged pores are notoriously difficult to get rid of. Such a thing I've never heard of. I was terrified that my skin would freak out, especially given my colorful past with exfoliants, so I opted for the weakest formulation, P50W (the original P50, the sensitive-skin strength P50V, and the stuff for people with rosacea, P50W). Slight tingling the first time I used it, but no irritation whatsoever. I am absolutely floored. I need to get this, this is the exfoliant of my dreams; it's so effective that I can feel the dead skin coming off. I will try P50V and see if it suits me better, but will purchase only once my Primavera exfoliant runs out. Walk softly with samples, please. It seems a most temperamental product; this is no toner of the "fancy scented water" type, but truly a fullblown exfoliating/anti-acne treatment that leaves skin pristine. You heard me: pristine. |
 To continue on this skincare vein, a perfect moisturizer is just as rare as an effective pore refiner. You might not think so, being such a simple product. Indeed, the perfect moisturizer is remarkably no-frills, from packaging to price to formula, which apparently hasn't changed for 55 years: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré ($20). Velvety as fresh whipped cream, and as rich, and yet absorbs almost instantly, making it the perfect base for makeup, with a cold, creamy scent so faint it's virtually imperceptible (though pleasant). It's a product that can only be found in French pharmacies (which actually just makes it cooler), except for the rare vendor such as beautyhabit.com, and is beloved of models (ditto, after starvation and terrible social habits, skincare is a model's most important duty). I was so disappointed over Jurlique Calendula Cream, which was lovely in every way except for the raging allergic itch, but this heals all wounds as only a holy grail can. This blows Sisley Crème Reparatrice ($160) and La Prairie Cellular Day Cream ($120) out of the water, though as ever, skincare raves are premature until tested under dire conditions, when the ogre of winter raw skin menaces its ugly head. |
 A true perfume aficionado knows to invest in the parfum concentration. In spite of the vicious expense, a single drop is all that is required for the perfume to unfold in its deep, precious glory. Even an EDP is just a watered down version. I find the atomizer of the EDP godawful-embarrassin'-tacky, but I am rather taken by the dropper bottle of Fifi Chachnil Parfum ($125). It's quite fetching, just the sort of exotic, feminine perfume to grace your vanity. O, and the scent itself? In spite of the flashy bottle, it's surprisingly sophisticated, with just a bit of vulgarity to give its some spice. It reminds me, of all things, of a non-fusty modernized Guerlinade, but the stated notes are: mandarin, coriander, rose powder, amber, tobacco. I smell an exquisitely soft leather, too. The juxtaposition (an overused word, but just here) of dry coriander and fussy rose-scented powder is really quite perfection. This has "sex kitten" written all over it, purr. |
 In some universe where price is no object and daydreams have no limit, my bathroom would be modeled loosely on a forest (burnished teak countertops, bronze hardware, a sheer curtain the color of leaves when the sun shines through them, a small hit of some exotic floral shade somewhere, a giant bathtub in a pleasing sky blue). But it would be sparsely stocked: Korres shower gels, skincare, Botot toothpaste plus toothbrush and floss, Molton Brown hand wash, a comb, a small carved wooden box with manicure essentials, bath oil, Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion, and one lone hair product, Opalis La Crème ($68). This handsome jar of decadent almond-scented conditioner is all I need, as shampoo and conditioner. |
 In that giant bathtub, I'd soak myself in a luxurious amber-hued capful or two of Jo Wood Organics AMKA Organic Bath Oil ($125), a crisp citrusy floral in a gorgeous, bohemian bottle. I prefer baths to showers, for some reason, so in this hypothetical universe where all my dreams come true, I'd have a bath tub big enough for two, but no shower stall. |
To get you in the mood:
WATCH
Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962) is one of those rare films that really brings the atmosphere of a book to life, and yet is so dignified it conceals more than it reveals. I am especially fond of how the scene above shows the major characters exactly as they are, Humbert Humbert's unease ("He's just in an ordinary American home," my astute friend Tina pointed out, "but he's so uncomfortable with himself he doesn't feel comfortable anywhere."), Dolores' desperation, and Lolita's uncanny self-possession.
READ
A professor of mine once explained why he had chosen Wallace Stevens as a representative of modern poetry: "The reason why I haven't chosen T.S. Eliot is because I just don't hate myself enough. Stevens is just as much a Modernist as Eliot, without making me want to kill myself." Stevens is the writer I revere above all others. He is abstruse to be sure, but such beauty and peace are in his words: "The imperfect is our paradise./ Note that, in this bitterness, delight,/ Since the imperfect is so hot in us,/ Lies in flawed words and stubborn sounds." The Palm at the End of the Mind is my second favorite book, the first being Watership Down, the third being Paradise Lost.
WEAR
I've talked about A.P.C. before, but I do not think I've done it justice. So, I'm just gonna steal a description from another site, the Brooklyn-based Bird: "A.P.C. (short for Atelier Production Creation) was founded by Jean Touitou in 1987 as a reaction against that decade's sartorial excesses and brand-name mania. Since then, its anonymous moniker has become shorthand for a certain type of offhand, subtle, quintessentially Parisian cool. Often imitated but never duplicated, A.P.C. remains a cult classic for its sturdily constructed, ultra-modern basics and offbeat, yet always understated, accessories."
EAT
If you ever have the luck to be in the Boston area, go to 464 Mass Ave, in Arlington. It is the location of Tango, my favorite restaurant, which features Argentinian cuisine. I discovered it late one night when my friend Amy and I, famished on a Tuesday night, despaired of finding a "place to eat" at 11 p.m. We'd have eaten babies, but we found this instead, and it was the best meal of life. The food is not pretentious, just well-made, with exotic but easily accessible flavors, and the wine list is excellent (my favorite white wine is Torrontes, and I discovered it there). They have an exquisite little ham and cheese empanada, good coffee (with brown sugar, no less, a sign of a restaurant of quality, I think, because it shows they're thinking of the small things), but you must try the beef: I've tried the Milanese a Caballo (a thin, bread-crumbed fried steak with eggs on top) and whatever the ribs are called (juicy, tender, delicious). And it's not terribly expensive, usually $20 for a large plate. And they have really good service, which makes or breaks a restaurant.
*It is a plague, a plague I say, on contemporary literary aesthetics, it's intellectual masturbation. pbbh. I loathe Modernism (capitalized, so a distinct aesthetic movement, not a general cultural one), but feel it cannot be escaped. This has absolutely nothing to do with cosmetics.
Labels: APC, beauty notebook, biologique recherche, embryolisse, fifi chachnil, film, jo wood organics, opalis
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September 8, 2007 7:54 AM, Lucy said...
What an amazing post! The photos and the personal depth of the references are wonderful -- really enjoyed it... September 10, 2007 12:40 AM, Dain said...
Thank you kindly. : ) |
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Beauty & Fashion Notes: Old-Time Musings
Posted by Dain, Tuesday, August 28, 2007 1:36 AM (Eastern)
a rare instance of celebrity gossip
Britney Spears is on the cover of this month's Allure. She's become such a trainwreck beyond comprehension that I find it hard not to feel sorry for her. I read the article, and it was the most frustrating, pathetic thing I've ever read. She never shows up to the interview, which the writer handles with some grace (I'd never have been half so nice about it); I guess that captures what Britney Spears is right now, a celebrity who's given up, but was so huge for so long (at least, you know, when you're only 25) that she no longer knows what else to do with herself. I mean, they put her on the cover because she's so famous, because she's so broken down, and she doesn't really want to do it. It makes me want to spank her, but at the same time it's so sad: "What do you do with a damaged 4 year-old? You don't ask what's wrong, you give him a crayon and say, 'Draw something pretty.'" (I paraphrase a paraphrase.)
quick haul
After being obsessed with French style, which will undoubtedly recur, I've swung in a different direction, modified Nippon ("modified" because too much and it'll look costumey). Really, I have no constancy, do I?
that said, my fall shopping list is taking shape
4. Manolo "Butterfly" ($558)
5. J. Crew "Wild Berry" solid French oxford shirt ($59.50) maybe?
6. Calvin Klein metallic lizard clutch ($470)... ok, this one is a stretch
I don't think I'll count the blazer I got. It's more something I added as a necessity, rather than a seasonal item. It reeks of too much formality for me to feel comfortable wearing it in any actual, quotidian sense.
thus far, recent purchases
Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner is working out really well. It's actually a very effective rich conditioner, but it doesn't have all those troublesome ingredients. My hair is definitely softer than before. Things are also working out well with the Primavera Refining Exfoliating Cleanser, I've yet to find an exfoliant that didn't burn or abrade, and so far this is quite promising. Jurlique doing well—now I'm really curious about this line.
wishlist
1. Shiseido Feminité de Bois: More Shiseido. I need a perfume for fall, something warm with woods. I've heard great things about this one. Maybe Chanel Bois des Iles would be better?
2. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage: Back to French... a powerful concealer, dry and pigmented, to apply secretly and selectively for an effectively flawless face.
3. parfum of Chanel No. 19 (sighs)
4. should get around to purchasing Chanel Lavande and err... something else I can't quite remember
.Things I've noticed Shiseido Automatic Color Crayon in Pink; I think this will be the loveliest color for spring, a revision of this season's red lip (I'm looking ahead because everyone knows about it by now). I don't know what the pundits will dictate next, but I've been thinking in terms of vibrant rose, because, well, like I said, my current inspiration is Nippon, and what better than Dick Page's fantastic lipcolors via Shiseido The Makeup? Plus, the pure femininity of a rose lipcolor makes me remember my mother and my aunt seriously discussing a lipstick they both wanted to buy, when I last visited Korea (when I was ten, it was a long time ago). It was a pure rose, the color I'm thinking of is a little more complicated, though.
I dare say the best natural mascara is Shu Uemura Basic. It resists clumping, and gives a very pretty, natural lash that won't smear or smudge. Those sparse pof lash, like I, may prefer something more voluminous. It is expensive, though. I think mascara should be cheap.
Labels: APC, beauty notes, chanel, fashion notes, laura mercier, lucky brand, primavera, shiseido, shu uemura
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August 28, 2007 9:37 AM, cmm said...
Pure rose.....rose red?...rose pink? I'm sure you've said which, I just seem to have forgotten. August 28, 2007 1:23 PM, Dain said...
Well, I was looking for a pure rose, but I've already found it in Lipstick Queen, and I'd say the SHiseido is more a pink rose (because more bright and shimmery). It's funny that you mention P&P, because incidentally that is one of my favorite makeup looks too. In a lot of ways, it's the one I favor myself. August 28, 2007 3:15 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...
Nice dress. I like clothes that are a fusion of East and West...it could be because the colors tend to flatter me better, or I dunno...just feel more comfortable in them. |
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What is Style? Basics (part 5)
Posted by Dain, Friday, August 24, 2007 6:52 PM (Eastern)
Here is work, here is play, both of which cost a bundle (especially play). Much of it can—and ought to be—integrated into everyday wear. There's no flippin' point in owning clothes that you don't wear, with some exceptions (I don't think that Rochas gown is quotidian material). I've split the clothes into categories for the sake of coherence, but if you're consistent about the style (clothing you love very much; I've tried to "make things work" on the premise that I "need" it, and I find the clothes tend to wear me, not the other way around), your wardrobe should be more or less fluid. One of the things that make the more important pieces blend seamlessly with each other is basics, which is a treasure hunt of a different kind. I don't want to pay $200 for a pair of jeans, or $80 for a t-shirt. Yet I want clothes that last, and aren't frumpy.
tees
pants
buttondowns
sweaters
Cardigans, however, are another animal altogether. They can be primary shirts, they can be layers. The cardigan-topping-a-skirt combo is a classic I turn to all the time. This fall, since Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen are well out of my budget, I might treat myself to A.P.C.'s dark turquoise cardigan ($229). It is a bit more expensive than I usually pay, and it looks deceptively bland, but I have much respect for A.P.C. They produce very few and very little, and they seem like plain basics at first glance, but somehow... the quality, the fit, all meticulously handled, it just looks real good on. It is probably the most quintessentially French label I know.
skirts?
I like wearing skirts, but, they are rather difficult to find, at least, nice ones. I'll let you know if I find a reliable source. Perhaps Tristan & America?
Am I missing something? Oh yes! Accessories!
accessories
Like a dog that begs for something sweet.
Do you hope to make her see you fool?
Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel?.
Labels: alexander mcqueen, american apparel, anya hindmarch, APC, balenciaga, chaumet, converse, fashion notes, j brand, j crew, loro piana, repetto, thomas pink
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August 24, 2007 9:46 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...
Hello! Hello! Sorry, now I have that song in my mind. :D August 24, 2007 9:58 PM, Colleen Shirazi said...
Hmmm...what people wear here are Vans, not as much Converse. I'm too much in love with my Dr. Martens to notice though. lol |
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Beauty Notes: When You Are Young...
Posted by Dain, Wednesday, August 22, 2007 3:12 AM (Eastern)
Everyone has an opinion on how to spend the golden coin of youth, the most liquid of all assets. Everyone, that is, except the young themselves. It's all very confusing and infinitely self-absorbed, but I suppose when you are trying to find yourself you've gotta be that way, though it doesn't always show people at their best. Teen angst in a nutshell. Is this why we desire youth so much? That feeling of urgency that comes from hinging your existence on concerns so immediate and unmeasured? What is it that Stephen Dedalus' mother tells him to find when he offs to Paris at the end of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man? Here, I found it: "She prays now, she says, that I may learn in my own life and away from home and friends what the heart is and what it feels. Amen. So be it. Welcome, O life, I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race." Yes, that is the secret desire of adolescence, Joyce said it best. And once you fail to find it? The return home*. Where the heart is.
June 19, 2008 5:41 AM,
Great article :-)
I think the most underappreciated luxury is time. It's a commodity we're actually running out of with all the tasks we have to accomplish these days.
Oh! and your Manolos are exquisite and indeed must be comfy. A well made shoe, no matter the heel, is comfy, period. A badly made one will ruin your feet, even if it's flat. Anyone who knows anything about shoes knows that.
June 19, 2008 9:57 AM,
Definitely. : )
June 20, 2008 4:07 PM,
Eh, it's like anything else that's addictive. A little of it is great...better than foregoing it entirely. Moderate usage is fine, as long as you manage your costs. The day you become a slave to it, you become the fool of whoever is selling the stuff to you.
What I find disturbing is there are fewer and fewer reasonably-priced options. Either you pay over a hundred bucks for something, or else it tends to be garbage. It's the Brazil model of a society? Either you're a rich elite or you're a cockroach.
June 20, 2008 4:43 PM,
Hm, it's tricky. Lower priced items are just never going to be very good, at least in terms of quality. Anything that shows human craftsmanship is in itself a luxury, I think. I think The Gap is a good place to watch for the next couple of years. They just hired a designer to oversee the creative direction of its clothes, and already I have seen improvements--the stuff is better than BR.
J. Crew is starting to piss me off. I just got a skirt from them for $88. It's an incredibly useful skirt (navy, durable stretch cotton), but the quality isn't that great, and yet J. Crew acts like they're so posh (linen from Baird, Ireland! silk from fancy Italian mills! cashmere!).
I'm going to buy from A.P.C. from now on, they just started their sales, and everything's 40%-60% off--got myself a pair of jeans. Just well-made, stylish basics that actually last ten years. That's a better investment, I think.
June 21, 2008 11:38 AM,
That's rather my point. It used to be possible to buy good clothes without breaking the bank. It's hard to explain that to people now, but there used to be a solid middle range of clothes and shoes. I noticed the change some years ago.
June 21, 2008 12:27 PM,
It's funny that this discussion has come up. I just got my Vogue today, and they have these titles running down the cover:
"THE PRICE IS RIGHT: Strategies for Shopping the Trends on a Budget", "Cost-Effective Beauty And Fitness", "Buy Now, Wear Forever: Clean, Lean Clothes That Are Always in Style". Enticing, no?
And what do they offer? They suggest buying the following "cheap thrills": Chanel No. 5 parfum ($2700 for 900mL). They argue that it would cost twice as much if you got the equivalent 30.4 regular-size bottles, but dear god, when are you going to use 30.4 bottles of parfum in your entire lifetime? I know it's Vogue, but what kind of "cheap thrill" is that?
As for the so-called strategies for shopping on a budget, they have a bunch of socialites as "editors", crammed into the Lucky-wannabe back pages. The challenge is, "inspired finds under $500". Ok, I know this is Vogue but... will you people please go fuck yourselves?
June 21, 2008 12:54 PM,
lol
Well, I noticed a push to popularize higher prices, some years back. The first ad I recall is the Mastercard one. It's like, "birthday cake, $120...candles, $25..." yadda yadda... I was thinking, where do they get those prices?
Good clothes were never cheap, I don't mean to imply that. They were always an investment.
It's just that people's salaries have stayed the same for years, or have even declined, but the prices for ordinary goods have skyrocketed. There's no correlation between the two, unless it's just that...the lower the salaries get, the higher the costs.
I've found it's become more and more of an art, finding clothes that are reasonably priced, that work.