passion is in fashion

Remember when J.Crew was all the rage at your local educational institution? With its preppy good girl style and reasonable pricing, mothers and daughters shopped there alike. I highly suspect my southern prep school single-handedly contributed to a large portion of the corporation’s bottom line.

I fondly remember times of happily receiving J.Crew catalogs in my little mailbox, skipping along to chapel before lunch, then flipping through the catalog instead of listen to the latest feel-good sermon. I do not have any J.Crew pieces in regular rotation in my wardrobe now, but every time I return home, I manage to find something I forgot I had in my closet, and marvel at it.

Have not shopped there in years. Made some attempts recently to recapture this good ole basic standby, but every time I walk into a brick and mortar store, I am rather repulsed by its extreme yuppie-ness, and run out after a minute.

Their items also bore me. The styles are the same season after season, with a changed button or color. The fit is unspectacular. Because J.Crew is geared towards a wide age group, the cut is meant to emphasize nothing and cover up adequately. Lastly, the quality is always a toss up. Their pieces come from suppliers anywhere from Bangladesh to England, that it is a smorgasbord of high and low. But then again, its prices are too, ranging from tank tops for a few bucks to gowns for a few thousand.

I do, however, love J.Crew’s use of color. From this season, the stars are “light citron” and “bright berry”. Light citron is a lovely shade sure to brighten up any room (or girl!), and so few do the pastel shades as well as they. Bright berry is a bold shade of fuschia that would look amazing with anything black, white, or neutral.

Light Citron

Bright Berry

And please tell me, *who* is J.Crew’s resident stylist? He/she is brilliant.

Boring pieces. Hot style.

*Images from jcrew.com

UPDATE - found this New York Times article about the company’s watershed moment in 2003 after chief executive Drexler joined.

Mr. Jaffe at UBS Warburg said the biggest challenge for Mr. Drexler is ”recapturing the brand’s original spirit of collegiate youth of the 1980′s but with an elegant classicism understandable by a much broader customer base.

I think Drexler has done a brilliant job – J.Crew is a much better brand now than it was 5 years ago. The challenge going forward is launching into a more upscale market with its new Collection line and relatively new wedding line. I know the Tiffany image is forever lost on me because all I can think of is the sterling silver open hearts that was on every single high schooler’s neck.  Hope J.Crew will not be trapped by the same burden.

Something came of my first-ladies-in-purple obsession.  Hop on over to Mrs. O to read all about Laurie Munn’s portraits of the ultimate symbols of America, Simon Doonan’s always fabulous Barney’s visual merchandising, and the first-lady-elect’s various purple-pink-fuschia Maria Pinto sheaths.

xoxo

Mrs. L

This is the phrase which led some readers here.  Since you asked, here we go.

The adult Latika did not have many lines in the film Slumdog Millionaire.  Her role was acting as the symbol of all things past, what could have been, the innocence the kids have lost.  Rescuing her from the clutches of the gangsters was a way of righting all the wrong.  Simply, she stood there; looked gorgeous; and let the boy think of ways to come to her and realize that dream.

Why yellow?  It is the color of the highest frequency, and therefore it stands out the most.  This is why a lot of firefighters wear yellow, a lot of roadsigns are yellow, and why we tend to draw stars as yellow.  Therein lies the three key symbolisms of the color: standout, caution, and star quality.

The little Latika wore a muted shade of yellow in the rain scene.   This is both endearing and prescient.  The yellow cotton dress was indeed muted because it was so dirty, since little Latika was accustomed to running around in the slums.  On the other hand, it also signified the danger the situation presented.  Who is that little girl?  Should the brothers invite her to join them in their hideout from the rain?  Alas, they did, and thank god.  Lastly, her little cotton dress is prescient of the star she would become later in the film.

Ever since being captured by the gangsters, Latika has worn brighter and brighter shades of yellow, which signifies the increasing danger of her situation, and the caution necessary to approach her.  In the first train scene, she worn a bright yellow Indian tunic which allowed Jamal to spot her from afar.  But at the same time, it also helped the gangsters to find her and capture her.  In the frantic chase which followed, she was a little noticeable blob of yellow moving in the chaos.  So yellow, in this case, forewarned danger and caution.

In the last train scene in which Latika and Jamal were finally united, she wore the simplest outfit possible – a white tank top, blue jeans, and black flats.  It was nondescript if not for the bright yellow traditional Indian scarf wrapped around her neck and shoulders.  The casualness and ease with which the yellow accessory has a twofold meaning.  First, although they are safe now, Latika can never forget where she came from.  Even dressed in simple and modern clothing – just like any other girl – the yellow scarf harkens back to her past, as a  little girl gazing at the brothers in the rain, or as the gangster’s girlfriend trying to escape at the train station.  The more hopeful though less romantic reading, is that the scarf can so easily be shed, that she and Jamal are ready for their new beginning, leaving their unusual and tragic past in the dust.

Yellow is a standout color.  In throngs of people, Latika stood out like a ray of light.  To Jamal, she has always been a ray to light in his mind, so to speak.  Her dressing in yellow similarly conveyed this to the audience.

After all, all things worth approaching take a little caution.

Images via Fox Searchlight Pictures. Slumdog Millionaire (2008).

A brilliant article about the financial crisis in the Atlantic by Henry Blodget

First, bubbles are to free-market capitalism as hurricanes are to weather: regular, natural, and unavoidable. They have happened since the dawn of economic history, and they’ll keep happening for as long as humans walk the Earth, no matter how we try to stop them.  We can’t legislate away the business cycle, just as we can’t eliminate the self-interest that makes the whole capitalist system work. We would do ourselves a favor if we stopped pretending we can.

Second, bubbles and their aftermaths aren’t all bad: the tech and Internet bubble, for example, helped fund the development of a global medium that will eventually be as central to society as electricity. Likewise, the latest bust will almost certainly lead to a smaller, poorer financial industry, meaning that many talented workers will go instead into other careers—that’s probably a healthy rebalancing for the economy as a whole. The current bust will also lead to at least some regulatory improvements that endure; the carnage of 1933, for example, gave rise to many of our securities laws and to the SEC, without which this bust would have been worse.

Lastly, we who have had the misfortune of learning firsthand from this experience—and in a bust this big, that group includes just about everyone—can take pains to make sure that we, personally, never make similar mistakes again. Specifically, we can save more, spend less, diversify our investments, and avoid buying things we can’t afford. Most of all, a few decades down the road, we can raise an eyebrow when our children explain that we really should get in on the new new new thing because, yes, it’s different this time.

- The Atlantic, December ’08

I am wearing a hoodie and… sweatpants!!!! Granted they are from Zara, therefore must be low-waisted and somewhat fashionable… they are sweatpants nonetheless.

And that is pretty much symbolic of my time being home. I am listening to my local southern NPR station during the day, and what do I find in place of the usual political panel discussions on Washington DC’s WAMU? Calming jazz music and bluesy arrangements of Christmas carols. My whole soma just feels removed of strife and internal struggles, and injected with a big shot of well-being.

Just when I sat down by the fireplace to savor Vanity Fair (in hardcopy!! Oh the joy of being back in the US!), I discovered it is missing from the coffee table. Turns out, my loving stepfather (staunchly Republican and a Palin-tologist), had quietly disposed of it in the recycling pile after seeing Tina Fey on the cover. I giggled as I fished it back out.

I fill the rest of my days with baking chocolate chip cookies and trying to play the clarinet again. After more than two years of not playing, my chubby cheeks are gone, but along with it my embochure. I manage to play about five notes in total, ranging from E to A.

Pretty fun times. Who knew life could be this enjoyable while wearing fuzzy slippers and sweatpants?! Maybe Vivienne Westwood was wrong after all.

At the airport half awake and getting ready for return to the land of capitalism. So sleepy yet so excited!!! I can’t wait to help the economy by spending. A citizen with a conscience.

Interesting last night in HK, spent with my favorites. I won’t name names or point fingers, but you know who you are!

Until soon!

xoxo

The most stylish people stick to what looks good on them.

Let’s take the god of fashion herself, Anna Wintour. Always impeccably-dressed, her signature look is a crewneck printed dress with a full skirt with dramatic necklaces. Manolo sandals for summer, and knee high boots for winter. Even her bob has not changed since she was in high school.

Onto some close and dear friends of my own. The Honey is constantly wearing sheath dresses with pointy-toed pumps or flats. The Mistress is into DVF wrap dresses and hooker shoes. They look ten times hotter than those who are self confused about their mode of dress.

On the other hand, there is something to be said of variety. Was it not Coco Chanel herself that spoke: “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different”?

Academics agree. Paul Krugman recently won the Nobel Prize for Economics for his trade theory: people trade not just because of competitive advantage, but also because they want a diversity of products. That is why there are different brands of domestic and imported guns and butter. The simplest guns and butter model did not account for the fact that, sometimes, social-climbing housewives prefer butter made by French cows and infused with a variety of herbs, even when New Zealander cows may be the best at making butter.

And so we all need to veer a little bit.

*Images from Style.com

1) Black Chanel bag

Remember this post? My unwavering desire remains.

2) Over the Knee Boots

When I was little I had very bad knees. Still today my knees would hurt if I hung out in places with cold air conditioning for too long. So that is my practical argument for over the knee boots – arthritis prevention.

The sexpot look is just an added bonus.

3) Some long-term direction in life…

I attended my college alum tea today – the first such event I have been to. I caught up with a few girls I already knew that are living in HK, and even met one girl I was in calculus class together with. That was fun.

To my surprise, it stressed me out a little bit. Present were some older alums who have very similar backgrounds as I do, who seem to have everything figured out and put together. One alum is now the CEO of Seibu, and took her little daughter to tea. She was effortlessly stylish, and in heels! I want to be one of those moms who manage to wear heels all the time too, when I have a daughter. Another alum is a highly successful finance/IT person, starting the company’s first office in Hong Kong, and traveling to deserted islands in her spare time. The list goes on.

I have always assumed everything will just work out in my life, become one of those happy people with no particular disdain for the generic. In ten years, will I be one of them?

The Rise and Fall of Svetlana Egorova by Laura Krafft 

New York is city of excitement and dream-making. Nice American Agency introduce this girl to many nice and sexy American men of wholesome goodness with upper east side doorman buildings. One day, the girl goes to drink with George, a business man of hedgefunds who is getting in on bottom floors and is also liking of back doors. She is so nervous before date, she does the bronze of herself twice in tanning booth. Ha ha! Is not matter, George likes very much what he sees and offers her highest of compliments, she is like the Barbie Doll that is come to life!

George is good man with same red face of the beautiful girl’s father. He is waiting long time and through two other wives for a such beautiful young wife and is to be very concerned for girl to have as much as she can to be happy. Girl is given a four carat Harry Winston Estate Style Cushion-Cut Shape with Tapered Baguettes but Ricki, the bridal assistant who is homo and is like best friend to Girl, encourage Girl to ask George if the ring is for practice and George give the Girl a new ring that is ten carat. Ricki is also very good with finding Vera Wang wedding dress and choosing entire Spring Season of Balenciaga for travel and honeymoon trip to Bahamas. Ricki suggests La Perla trousseau for sex enticing in most graceful and enchanting manner. Ricki is lifesaver for weddings!

…

The Girl is finding job as a waxer. Is to be waxing not hard. What is hard is every day she is wanting to tell these other waxers and clients that one day she was getting waxed every part of her body that could have hair.

- Vanity Fair, October 20, 2008

See entire article here.  

Blair: “I wanted a Harry Winston choker for my birthday.  Instead I got a conscience!”

Blair Waldorf on her eighteenth birthday

Peter Som for Bill Blass Fall 2008

Images from ShopDiary