A bi-monthly fashion ezine for the woman whose taste is impeccable, whose lifestyle is civilized, and whose secret frugality is couture resale. The voice of The Daisy Shop, its staff, its customers.
Volume 11:Number 2a June, 2010 Published by The DAISY Shop, women's couture resale (15 years of operation) 67 East Oak Street, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611 USA http://daisyshop.com (001 International +1) + (312) 943-8880 FAX: (001 International +1) + (312) 943-6660, a secure line for ordering by credit card (VISA, M\C, Disc) To “Reserve” merchandise (24 hour hold), e-mail us. E-mail address Head Daisy Publisher: Barbara, Head Daisy Feature Writers: Ms Terry; Ms Romance Foreign Correspondent: Rym Daisy Critic Emeritus: The Daisy Mother, Bea Daisy Godmother: Marie Daisy All prices shown $US. All sales are final sales. All merchandise is authentic, 2nd hand couture.
Transcript
Volume 11:Number 2a June, 2010 Published by The DAISY Shop, women's couture resale (15 years of operation) 67 East Oak Street, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611 USA http://daisyshop.com (001 International +1) + (312) 943-8880 FAX: (001 International +1) + (312) 943-6660, a secure line for ordering by credit card (VISA, M\C, Disc) To “Reserve” merchandise (24 hour hold), e-mail us. E-mail address Head Daisy
Publisher: Barbara, Head Daisy Feature Writers: Ms Terry; Ms Romance Foreign Correspondent: Rym Daisy Critic Emeritus: The Daisy Mother, Bea Daisy Godmother: Marie Daisy All prices shown $US. All sales are final sales. All merchandise is authentic, 2nd hand couture.
Father's Day
Sunday June 20 MEN'S DEPARTMENT - Vintage Men's
Ties, $45.00\each
Burberry
Armani (SOLD)
Bill Blass
Guy LaRoche
Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Coogi Australia
Oscar dela Renta
Paco Rabanne
Paris
Perry Ellis
Oleg Cassini
Pierre Cardin
Ralph Lauren
Oscar dela Renta
Ralph Lauren
Bill Blass
Bill Blass
Pierre Cardin
FATHER'S DAY, THE BACK STORY
Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. It is also celebrated to honor and commemorate our fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities. The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on June 19, 1910 through the efforts of Sonora Dodd. Ms. Dodd is from Spokane, Washington.
Sonora Smart Dodd of Washington thought independently of the holiday one Sunday in 1909 while listening to a Mother's Day sermon
at the Central Methodist Episcopal
Church at Spokane. (Photo of her at left.) She wanted a celebration that honored fathers that were like her own father, William Smart. He was a Civil War veteran, his wife died when Sonora was 16 and he had to take care of all six children. On June 19, 1910, she arranged a tribute for her father in Spokane. She had previously enlisted in 1909 the help of the Spokane Ministerial association, and young members of the YMCA went to church wearing roses: a red rose to honor a living father, and a white rose to honor a deceased one. Dodd traveled through the city in a closed carriage, carrying gifts to shut-in fathers. She was the first to solicit the idea of having an official Father's Day observance to honor all fathers. It took many years to make the holiday
official. In spite of support from the YWCA, the YMCA and churches, it ran the risk of disappearing from the calendar. Where Mother's Day was met with enthusiasm, Father's Day was met with laughter. The holiday was gathering attention slowly, but for the wrong reasons. It was the target of much satire, parody and derision, including jokes from the local newspaper Spokesman-Review. Many people saw it as just the first step in filling the calendar with mindless promotions like "Grandparents' Day", "Professional Secretaries' Day", etc., all the way down to "National Clean Your Desk Day." A bill was introduced in 1913. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father's Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but the Congress resisted, fearing that it would be commercialized. US President
Calvin Coolidge recommended in 1924 that the celebration was held, and a national committee was formed in the 1930s by trade groups in order to legitimize the holiday. Other two bills to introduce the holiday were defeated. In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing the congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus "[singling] out just one of our own parents" In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson made a proclamation for third Sunday of June to be Father's Day,[2] but it wasn't made an official national holiday until President Nixon made a proclamation in 1972.
WARM FUZZIES
To our visitors who came a far piece (Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan,
Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand); to Burt, who keeps on target and in touch; to Nate and his birthday gift project(s); to Sylvana, who knows dry cleaning; to Bob, nice try, nice to meet you, but no cigar, unfortunately, this time; to Yvette for her walk down memory lane; to the concierges who referred their guests to the Shop; to Diane, who keeps our mailings on target; to Bill, who watches over us so well; to Tyler for his fine housekeeping; to Wendy and Kathleen (a former resale virgin) for their appreciation of the French way of accessorizing; to Angelique, a most persistent Hermes scarf collector; to
Margaret and Ann, who are good to their mother; to the sisters from Joliet, whose perspicacity was delicious to share.
CONGRATS!
To Lara, our former Daisy, on her birthday; to Lauren and her Phoebe's Goods venture, much
good luck; to Emily and Mike and their respective families on their September wedding.
MONEY MATTERS by frugal Barbara Daisy
While walking to the bus
stop one fine, fine Monday in April, I passed a beauty school specializing in manicures and pedicures in an obscure small mall on Devon Avenue close to Pulaski Avenue, about a block away from Smart Jewelers, where I had run an errand. Instinctively, I examined my cuticles (dry) and noticed my polish (slightly chipped). I turned into the mall, opened the door, and found 11 women sitting at a rectangular table, listening intently to a 12th woman, lecturing. The room was spotlessly clean; there was manicure and pedicure equipment all along one wall; the wall was filled with nail polish bottles. All 24 eyes turned to me. I smiled and said, "Do you take walk-ins? Who wants me? I need a manicure." The lecturer smiled and
nodded her head to one student, who left the lecture table and came to me, walked me over to a manicuring table, sat down, and introduced herself. We discussed polish color and she began work. It was a slooooow manicure, Dear Reader, and she was methodical, pleasant, and grateful for the experience. It was an excellent manicure. We chatted: weight control, kids, recipes, growing old, complexion routines, backgrounds, etc. The time passed. It was so pleasant. The price? $5. That's right. $5 for an excellent manicure and pleasant conversation. I asked the price of a pedicure and it was $10. Will I return? Of course. I made a manicure-pedicure appointment for 3 weeks hence, when I next have an appointment in her neighborhood. She entered it into her blank calendar, thanked me profusely, walked me to the front door, and hugged me. I hugged her back. To find schools close to you, go
to http://www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com
BOOK WORM CORNER A Quiet Adjustment
(2008) by Benjamin Markovits ISBN: 0393067009 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company 352 pages The players:
Gus Byron Annabella The poem that began it all, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, can be read at this link: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5131
He (Lord Byron) was meaner than hell in private, Dear Reader, and he knew it and didn't care. She (Annabella) believed she was invincible. (She was about 20, still in her dumb years, when they first met.) The other she (Gus, Mean's half-sister) was a wishywashy, Mean's facilitator. They all ran in the same crowd where Mean's reputation was a rake (The name given a Bad Boy in 19th century England.), but not mean. (In public, he was polite.) Mean & Facilitator met Invincible at a waltz lesson, where Invincible excelled in instruction. (This was one of the things 19th century, upper class, British society did in the afternoons.) About 3 years later, after a lot of dillydallying and psychological dithering on the part of Invincible, Mean & Invincible marry. Why is unclear to both of them, but marry they do. (She turned him down the first time he proposed, and I couldn't
figure out why. I also couldn't figure out why he came back for a second round. But he did.) During the latter part of their month long, isolated honeymoon at her uncle's grand mansion and where
staff felt sorry for her, they visit and stay at Facilitator's house while her husband is away on business. How could anything go
right with these three in one house day after day, night after night? Mean dismisses Invincible nightly and stays up late, hanging out with Facilitator...on his honeymoon? Yup. Humiliations compound. It never gets better for Invincible, who finally grows up and discovers she isn't. This takes a couple of years of marriage and one child. In an act of self-preservation, she separates from Mean, takes their infant child (Ada, shown at right.), and goes home to Mommy and Daddy forever. Mommy and Daddy rally to get Mean to relinquish
his parental rights. (It's a tough thing to do in 19th century England, but Mommy and her lawyers prevail. Mean gives in. No one knows why. I think he doesn't care, frankly.) Slowly, Annabella persuades Facilitator to become her Facilitator. Annabella calls it their sister relationship, a manipulation, of course, which works with a wishywashy. She never speaks of Mean in public. She responds to his rambling letters obliquely, tersely, but never answers his questions, never explains herself. (He never asks after Ada.) Annabella is regal Lady Byron until she dies. Mean's legacy, rake, prolific, talented, tormented writer, has an additional legacy: alone, abandoned, unloved. Good, I say. Mean should not be rewarded It's historical fiction, the dense prose you have to get used to if you haven't read 19th century prose in a while. It's worth
it to slow down. How Markovits wove together this story in such a meaningful way, I haven't a clue. Lady Byron never spoke or wrote about Lord Byron ever, not during their marriage or after they separated. Markovits gets his clues from the diaries and letters of the society in which both Byrons traveled. They all had diaries; they all wrote letters to one another. Their speculations and gossip of the Byrons are his fodder. He invents situations and conversations from this gossip and in the style of conversation of the time. You believe it, Dear Reader. (It's not truth, but you believe it.) What a talent! It's such a fine, psychological, sad book. I recommend it highly.
End of Alice (1996) by A.M. Homes Publisher: Granta ISBN-10 1862078904 & ISBN-13
9781862078901 252 pages I'm conflicted about this book. I don't recommend it. It's so well written. The subject matter is nasty; the characters are nasty. I couldn't put it down. It gave me a nightmare. I had to know how it played out. Here's what the book jacket says: The story is mostly narrated by a middle-aged pedophile and child killer who is serving a life sentence. I say, read it at your own risk. Please don't write me about it. I don't want to talk about this book.
Olive Kitteridge (2008) by Elizabeth Strout Publisher: Random House Inc. ISBN 10: 0743467728 / 0-7434-
6772-8 ISBN 13: 9780743467728 286 pages A subscriber recommended I read this book a while back, and it's taken me this long to get a hold of a copy. (My local library's copy went stray and never came back from stray.) I'm glad I persisted. It's a fine book. Olive makes her appearance in other Strout's books, but this is all her book. She's not a lovely person; rather, she's outspoken, doesn't edit her remarks politely, but hits the target spot on. I think she would be a difficult friend. You'd have to back a way from her for a while, then, return when you're ready, willing, and able to handle her. I recommend you make friends with Olive for a short while.
Portrait of an Unknown Woman (2007) by Vanora Bennett Publisher:William Morrow &
Company ISBN:9780061251832 423 pages Not even a good try, Dear Reader. You're almost in 1527 England, when England's on the verge of tumult (Henry VIII is having his first marital difficulty and you're in Thomas More's home with Hans Holbein, already an artist of renown. Three larger than life personalities Bennett couldn't handle.) She elected to write about events in the first person of a girl in More's household, Meg Gibbs, but there's no substance in her imaginary conversations, no substance to Meg, no daily routines, no meat of the living and being in 16th century England. There's
only events with embroidered, stilted conversation, without introspection. The only redeeming feature is a good glimpse of Holbein's symbols in his portraiture, something I did not know. Holbein will never be the same. Despite this good feature, it's a so-so book, disappointing to me.
The Stone Diaries (1993) by Carol Shields Publisher: Viking ISBN13: 9780140233131
361 pages Such a good story! Shields fooled me by inserting photographs into the book which twisted my perspective from story to real life for a little while. Don't be fooled. It's a story, Dear Reader.
A Model Summer (2007) by Paulina Porizkova Publisher: Hyperion ISBN-10: 1401303269; ISBN-13:
978-1401303266 322 pages It’s a fast read book, interesting sometimes, boring other times, predictable still other times. I don’t think this book is credible. A super nova model wrote it, you see. Did she see this happen to other models? If so, it's gotta be a composite. No one person could go through all the Sturm and Drang of the main character in 3 months and continue in modeling. Porizkova wrote it, I think, to shock. I'm not shocked. I'm dubious. The main character is a 15 year old girl let somewhat loose alone in Paris to begin a modeling career. Would any parents allow this? At 15, who knows how to plan out a day, so everything gets done, budget
money, make time to take care of herself (bathe when dirty, eat when hungry, sleep when tired), who to make friends with, who to avoid, what a business\professional relationship entails, speak another language, have a clear identity (Am I pretty? is especially important.), understand her contract. Porizkova would have us believe this particular child had unconcerned parents. I find this hard to swallow. The child messes up often (daily), careening from one catastrophe to another, misreads situations, pretends to understand what is strange (Everything is strange.). Do the adults take advantage of her? Not really. Everything that occurs to this unguided child is with her consent. That's the wormy tone to the book. Of course, she has unprotected sex and knows it's fraught with danger; of course, she becomes pregnant. Of course, she does drugs and knows they're fraught
with danger. At book’s end, I was annoyed with the kid and not sure I cared what happened to her. Porzkova is coy; doesn't tell us what's next for the kid. I'll tell you what I think: because she's damaged to begin with and damaged during this summer interlude, she remains pregnant and in Paris. She works at whatever jobs she can get, but none of the jobs are degrading. She has the child, and they live a modest life in Paris. It’s a wormy book, full of corrupt, debased adults, sleepwalking, nubile female children, and camera eye beauty.
Bee Season (2000) by Myla Goldberg Publisher: Vintage ISBN 0385498802 288 pages
Since when does Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) and spelling bees tie together? This is Myla Goldberg’s talent. Using four characters, all family members, Goldberg weaves a fascinating, dark story, whose plot I don’t want to spoil for you, Dear Reader. Prepare yourself for a bumpy ride. You won’t be able to put this book down until you’ve finished with it. A glorious read.
Redemption (2007) by Frederick Turner ISBN: 9780786294435 Publisher: Thorndike Press
348 pages Written as if it were a memoir, this is a fine book where you can loose yourself in Storyville, a neighborhood in New Orleans, in the early 20th century. That's right, Dear Reader, it's that good. To modern standards, Storyville's an awful place, lawless, hard scrabble; to Muldoon, it's merely a place where he works and where he understands the workings. He's an innocent, who notices everything and is without condemnation; that is, until one day, he wakes up, and judges Storyville. Turner calls it redemption; I call it maturation (but no one would buy a book with this title).
CONSULTATION & COMMENTARY
http://daisyshop.com So, you put music
on your website. Good for you! Brian Can you make the photos larger? I can't see all the stuff you're describing. Sylvia (The small photo in the listing become larger when you click the photo. The larger photo is the best size for the web to load in the quickest time. I can't make the photos larger without increasing the load time. Sorry. Cordially, Barbara The Daisy Shop) Why doesn't your dummy have flesh colored skin? The clothing would look better, I think. Eve (This mannequin didn't come with flesh colored skin, but it has a butt and thighs, better than our original flesh colored
Merchandise Is this photo a shawl or a strapless gown or a parego? Diane (It's an Armani shawl that I draped around a mannequin
to show the border and the pretty flowers motif. Because it's silk, wool, and cashmere, I wouldn't wear it as a parego. Here's the description: Armani Shawl, taupe, beige, gold wool, silk, cashmere, fringed 55 in. square $546.00 Shown with Necklace (artisan-crafted, brass with brass and copper medallion 18 in. $164.00) Cordially, Barbara The Daisy Shop) Saw some marvelous Louis Vuitton purses in a shopping bag on the floor of the shop when I was in a couple of weeks ago. When are they going to be for sale? Ellen (I didn't take them in, Ellen. Their condition wasn't right for the shop and LV was unable to guarantee renovation. Cordially, Barbara The Daisy Shop) Dear Barbara, This is Libby the lady you helped so much last week while I was visiting in Chicago. My co-workers have already commented on my improved
looks. I got the Escada trousers dry cleaned and they are absolutely gorgeous! I have already had alterations done on 2 pairs of my own trousers and modified several necklaces and brought out my "bigger" earrings which I had been previously hesitant to wear. I DID find a cream colored skirt as you advised and an evening purse and went to Lawry's with many compliments from my son and his wife and several of their professor friends. I even dropped another couple of pounds so I am sure I will just HAVE to come back after a while and get some smaller clothes. Thank you for helping me gel all the info I have absorbed over the years into an understandable and effective change in my wardrobe. All the Best, Libby (Hello Libby, Of course, I remember you and how much fun we had. I’m so very pleased that you’re pleased. Now, you have another aesthetic outlet, don’t you?
Keep in touch, lovey. Cordially, Barbara The Daisy Shop)
A SHORT REVERIE The Shop is celebrating its 16th year of operation on June 10. The celebration will be private, a
cup of cinnamon flavored coffee will be served to staff and drunk behind the curtain in the back of the Shop, I will give a 30 second speech without saying anything maudlin, and then, staff and I will get back to work. Frankly, it's been a helluvah good ride, Dear Reader, and I am grateful and thank each and every customer, supplier, friend, acquaintance, and relative who helped The Daisy Shop achieve this year mark. Certain people come to mind: Andrea, Ruth, Pat, Catherine, Janelle, Jan, Cynthia, Eileen, Eloise, Vanessa,
Waverly, Marion, Deborah, Loreen, Ann, Fay, Kevin, Mark, Marie, The Daisy Godmother, Ulrike, Ilene, Bob, Steve, Michael, Chuckele, Sam, The Daisy Mother, The Daisy Brother, The Daisy Aunt, The Daisy Uncle, Anna C., Pam, another Andrea, Tim, Mark, Russell, Lindsay, Luis, Boguslaw, another Lindsay, Jacquelyn, Andrew, Sid, Irene, another Sam, Natalie, Tyler, and Laura. I am grateful and thank each and every staff person, those onboard, Rym, and those who have gone on to other endeavors (Colleen, Chrissie, Roz, Nona, Lara, Josephine, Gary, Jessica, Carroll, Anna, Herta, and Sue) whose good help was much appreciated and needed in the day-to-day operations of the Shop.
REEL REVIEW
Groundhog Day (1993)
Directed by Harold Ramis; Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis; Produced by Trevor Albert and Harold Ramis;
Released by Columbia Pictures. Phil : Bill Murray Rita : Andie MacDowell Larry : Chris Elliott Ned : Stephen Tobolowsky Buster : Brian Doyle-Murray Nancy : Marita Geraghty Mrs. Lancaster : Angela Paton
One snowy blustery evening in March, Harold Ramis, a Chicago boy who made
good in Hollywood, and Aaron Freeman, his friend, notable comic, and fellow parishioner, presented their show, "The
Meaning of Life," at a venue about 2 buildings away from my home. It was a fund raiser and a good cause. Of course, I bought a ticket to see it, walked carefully and slowly to the venue, and took a seat. I expected Second City humor, was looking forward to it, in fact. The Press Release promised it would be hilarious. Hilarious is Good after a day's work, doncha' think? The auditorium was 3\4 full for the 1st show, which concerned me. I asked and was told the 2nd show was sold out. Harold and Aaron and the moderator talked and asked questions of each other about life and belief systems. The audience participated in talking and asking
questions. I couldn't think of anything to say or ask, so I was 'lay' all the way through. The movie, Groundhog Day, came up often...what? It was a fluffy comedy, I recalled. As I listened, I realized I was the only one (in the world) who thought it was a fluffy comedy. (Ramis co-wrote, produced, and directed it.) I made a note to self: rewatch Groundhog Day at first opportunity. The show was thought provoking, not improvisational humor at all, not hilarious by any means. I smiled a bit when Ramis or Freeman seized an opportunity to lighten the heavy topic at hand with wry humor, an anecdote, a memory, a dialogue between them. (They're comics and their timing is impeccable.) It was a thought provoking performance, well done by all, but a tad too heavy for me, after a day's work, and before my next day's work.
In early April, Groundhog Day was run on cable. I watched it this time with an ear that remembered the March show. It was a different movie for me the 2nd time. I guess I was even more shallow and plastic in 1993 than I remember. Then, the movie was a bit funny, had an interesting twist, and nothing more. I came away with no message. This time, I felt dread when the story line unfolded. To relive forever the same day, knowing and remembering everything, to have nothing new to look forward to, to never go anywhere, do anything different...eternity is too long. I almost moaned aloud. It was torture. "Where is this coming from?" I thought. I was unable to go deep because the movie continued and I didn't want to miss any of it. I had forgotten the rest of the story line, you see. Phil, the protagonist, makes lemonade out of lemons. The torture abates. He is again able to live day by
day. What a relief. He can look forward to death. OMG, there I go again.
COUTURE SCRAMBLE
Make as many 4 letter words from Dries Von Noten as you can. Proper nouns are a no-
Baked Parsnips Irish Style 2 1/2 lb Parsnips 2 oz Butter or bacon fat
3 T Stock (chicken or vegetable) Salt and pepper Pinch nutmeg (Optional, if you like parsnips.) Peel parsnips, quarter, and remove any
woody core (If the parsnips are fresh, there won't be much, if any, woody core.). Parboil for 15 minutes. Place in an ovenproof dish. Add stock and sprinkle with salt, pepper (and nutmeg). Dot with butter and bake for 30 minutes on a low shelf in a 325 degree oven. Mashed Potatoes Parsnips and Garlic 4 lb potatoes cut in halves or quarters 4 Parsnips; peel; quarter 7 large Cloves garlic; peeled 1/2 c sour cream 1/2 c cream cheese 1/2 c milk 2 T Fresh chives; minced Boil potatoes, parsnips and garlic until potatoes and parsnips are soft. Drain, mash. Add remaining ingredients. Salt as needed. Serve at once.
Baked Chicken and Parsnips 4 large parsnips, peeled, and sliced lengthwise 8 oz. button mushrooms 3 stalks celery 2 lemons 12 oz. green olives (with or without pimento, doesn't matter) olive oil salt & pepper Rub chicken inside and out with lemon juice and olive oil. Stuff 1 stalk celery into chicken cavity. Cut remainder of lemons into rounds and layer them and other vegetables in bottom of roasting pan. Add 2 oz water. Cover and roast at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Turn up oven to 425, and roast for 20 minutes, until chicken skin browns.
Broiled Zucchini Set oven to broil and/or 550ºF. remove steam and blossom ends from 2 medium zucchini. Cut
each zucchini lengthwise in half. Brush each cut side with melted butter or margarine, season with salt and pepper. Broil zucchini with tops about 5 minutes from heat until tender, 10 - 12 minutes. Makes 2 servings Fried Zucchini 3 zucchini squash 2 tablespoons of flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1/4 teaspoon of pepper 1 egg 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 3/4 cup of bread crumbs 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine Wash the zucchini thoroughly, scrubbing gently to loosen all sand. Slice blossom and stem ends from each squash. Cut in
lengthwise strips about 1/2 inch thick. Cut strips in pieces about 2 1/2 inches long. Coat pieces with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Dip floured strips in slightly beaten egg and lemon juice. Coat thoroughly with crumbs. Fry in butter or margarine until crisp. Add extra fat if necessary. Drain on thick paper towels. Serve very hot. Makes 4 servings
Gooseberry Chutney recipe Ingredients: 3 lbs of gooseberries. 1 lb of sugar.
½ lb of onions. 1 pint of vinegar. ½ pint of water. ½ oz of salt. 1 tablespoon of ground ginger. ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Top and tail the gooseberries, and chop roughly. Finely chop the onions; then cook with
the berries in the water until they are softened well. Add the remaining ingredients, then simmer until the chutney becomes thick, stirring occasionally. Bottle while still hot, and cover immediately.
GRUMBLE, GRIPE, GROUSE
One of my bad fashion memories harkens back to High School, when it was Sweet 16 time for me
and my club sisters. The custom in 1958 at Von Steuben High School in Chicago was to hold the Sweet 16 luncheon at a nice restaurant's private room on a Saturday or Sunday. Lunch was served and a favor was given each guest. Everyone brought a gift for the birthday girl. (Baby Doll pajamas was the most popular gift.) It was a nice custom. The
Daisy Mother and I embarked on a shopping expedition for appropriate attire for attendance as a guest when I received the first invitation. No one wore school clothes, I explained to my Mother. We traveled up and down Lawrence Avenue, Devon Avenue, State Street, becoming more and more desperate. I was short and lean and nothing fit. Junior sizes hadn't yet been invented. Apparently, the fashion industry believed a girl would go to sleep a size 14 Preteen and wake up and size 8 Woman's. It hadn't happen to me (and still hasn't happened). I was still a 14 Preteen in size, but not in need. Eventually, we found a terrible dusty blue-gray dress at Lerner's on State Street. It had a jewel neckline, dirndl skirt, cap sleeves and row upon row of cheap rickrack beginning at the bodice and ending at the waist. The dress didn't suit me at all. I no longer recall the price, but I do recall Lerner's carried
modest price clothing. We bought it in an eye blink. We were tired, cranky, and the damn thing fit. I wore it for more than the Sweet 16 luncheons. In fact, I wore it for 4 years. Every spring\summer event during High School, I wore it to The Event. Why, you ask? Because neither the Daisy Mother nor I could bear another shopping expedition. For Winter Sweet 16 luncheons, we geared up, trucked all over the same places and found one dress at Marshall Field's, a bit pricey ($49.95 in 1958 was a helluvah lot of money, Dear Reader), I recall, but IT FIT, and it was our 1st venture! It was a black tweed wool sheath with a small Pilgrim collar, small jet front buttons, and black soutache embroidered on the bodice. We both thought it was pretty and looked good on me. We were so relieved, we celebrated at The Walnut Room restaurant with muffins and coffee, and the Daisy Mother didn't mind that I
smoked a cigarette with my coffee. She, who had stopped smoking when she was pregnant with the Daisy Brother 11 years earlier, borrowed a Marlboro from me and smoked one, too. We were giddy. I wore that dress everywhere until I graduated from the University 7 years later.
It's 52 years later, and I'm to walk down the aisle at Cousin Erin's wedding escorting her elderly aunt, the one from her Mother's side. I need a cocktail dress. Don't have anything in my closet that's appropriate for escorting some one down the aisle at a June wedding whose colors are lavender and purple. Ultimo Boutique closed January 30, 2010, what was my boutique for all garments for 2 decades is gone. I felt the same sinking feeling I had felt in 1958. But, I circumvented the feeling because the
Internet had been invented. I began trawling March 01. In my size, everything is naked, more club clothes than cocktail dresses nothing is modest or quietly elegant no matter what the price range.
In March, I purchased and returned 4 non-black dresses, but none having lavender and purple. Each was somewhat modest, in my bingo price range, all were shoddy. I stopped sending the bride photos for her to approve. She understood. My emails were cranky, then crankier. I persisted trawling.
In early April, I purchased one dress and kept it hanging on the back door of my closet for 20 days, looking at it twice a day, trying it on a couple, 4 times, attempting to talk myself into wearing it to the wedding. It fit; it wasn't black, it was modest in style; it was in my bingo
price range. I hated it. I returned it before the 30 day limit was up.
In late April, I panic-ed, upped my bingo price range a bit beyond frugal. I purchased one dress, hung it on the back door for my closet, looking at it twice a day, trying it on a couple, 4 times, attempting to talk myself into wearing it to the wedding. It fit; it wasn't all black (rather, a curious grey and black print); modest in style; beyond my bingo number. Went to Hancock Fabrics to search for something that would extend the below-the-knee dress to full length. Found 5" black and silver fringe on a silk tape, which coordinated somewhat with the dress and which could be tacked to the bottom of the dress. The fringe was $39.98\yard! No way. Tried like hell to believe it would work as is. My mantra was: "I'm not important at this wedding. I'm merely walking an elderly lady down
an aisle. We'll be 1 photo in the bridal book. No one will care." Decided the hell with the fringe and any other adornment.
The dress grew on me. I kept it. The bride complimented me on my choice, bless her heart. Then came coordinating shoes in size 5-1\2, slingback, silver or gray, no more than 4" heel, $50 or less. Yeah, right. I've been searching since late April. It's now beginning of May and I've found nothing. Just spoke with the bride's mother who tells me the elderly aunt is unable to travel to the wedding...Commiserated with her, but felt a sense of relief. Will abandon the shoe search and wear my black silk slingbacks and call the project DONE. This was not fun, Dear Reader, not fun at all. I do not look forward to the next event which requires a new outfit. Nosireee.
GRATIS PUBLICITY
Although March is The Month for Colon Cancer Prevention, you just gotta be aware that
it’s a cancer that can be prevented from turning fatal all the time. Go to http://coloncancerprevention.org/ immediately to learn the signs of Colon Cancer, the only cancer that can be prevented. Why? Because You’re Worth It!
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 312.280.2660 Museum Hours Monday Closed; Tuesday 10 am - 8 pm; Wednesday through Sunday 10 am - 5 pm
Admission Prices Suggested General Admission $10 Students with ID and Senior Citizens $6 MCA Members and Children 12 and under, members of the military Free Tuesdays - FREE Courtesy of Target Free Tuesday night events in the cafe
Chicago History Museum 1601 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60614 312.642.4600 chicagohistory.org Monday-Wednesday9:30A-4:30P; Thursday 9:30A-8:00P; Friday, Saturday 9:30A-4:30P; Sunday noon-5:00P Admission: Adults, $14; Seniors, $12; Students, $12; Children, free.
I Do! Chicago Ties the Knot. Until January 3, 2011 Featuring more than fifty garments and other cherished heirlooms that make the Big Day so memorable, this exhibition is the first in-depth look at the Museum’s vast collection of wedding costume. Arranged chronologically starting with the frontier bride and early items of courtship, the exhibition illustrates not only the change in fashion but also how wedding traditions have changed over the past one and fifty hundred years, noticeably marked by industrialization and the rise of the middle class. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, designs from the newly established houses of haute couture began to influence middle-class fashion and became an affordable option to many Americans. The department store rode this wave of economic growth, and the city’s iconic Marshall Field and Company single-
handedly ushered in the era of the retail bride with the introduction of the first bridal registry in 1924. Between the Great Depression and the Second World War, bridal trends saw their greatest changes. Today, wedding gowns reference the past—seen in hoop skirts and corseted bodices—but with an unparalleled sense of individuality and extravagance.
Chicago Cultural Center 77 E. Randolph Street Chicago Hours: Monday - Friday, 10
The Newberry Library 60 West Walton Street Chicago, IL 60610-7324 Hours Exhibition Gallery:
Monday, Friday, and Saturday, 8:15 am – 5:00 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 8:15 am – 7:30 pm; Closed Sundays and certain holidays. Henri IV of France: The Vert Galant and His Reign Until July 15, 2010 Donnelley Gallery King Henri IV of France (reigned 1589-1610) was assassinated four hundred years ago, on May 14th. (He was killed by a religious fanatic, François Ravaillac, a nothing special guy who was probably schizophrenic all his life. He died very badly, suffering tortures required of regicide and his Mother and Father were exiled from France. The remaining family was allowed to live in France, but no longer allowed their family name, Ravaillac. All this was the usual punishment for regicide.) He was both a remarkable man and a remarkable king,
who led France out of thirty years of civil war that had begun about 1560. He ruled for just over two decades, but in that time not only succeeded to some degree in keeping Catholics and Protestants together, but also encouraged the development of the country’s agricultural and industrial resources. The economic revival he fostered laid the foundation for the prosperity of the later seventeenth century.
The Field Museum 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60605-2496 312.922.9410 Hours: 7 days a week, 9am-5pm
Regular Admission
Chicago Admission*
Adults $28.00 $24.00
Children (ages 3-11)
$19.00 $15.00
Students (With ID)
$23.00 $19.00
Seniors (age 65+)
$23.00 $19.00
The Art Institute of Chicago 111 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404 Open: Monday–Wednesday, 10:30–5:00; Thursday, 10:30–8:00 (Free Admission 5:00–8:00); Friday, 10:30–5:00; Saturday–Sunday, 10:00–5:00 Admission: Adults: $18; Children, Students, and Seniors (65 and up): $12; Children under 14: Free Members: Free
Museum of Science & Industry
57th St. & Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60607
Monday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ; Sunday: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: General, Adult $15; Sr. $15; Child $10; Chicago residents; General, Adult $13; Sr. $12; Child $9
John G. Shedd Aquarium 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60605
Adler Planetarium 1300 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago IL 60605 312-922-STAR (7827) Regular hours: Mon.-Fri.
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Sat./Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Adler after Dark Advanced tickets purchased online are $10.00 for non-members and $7.00 for
members and students (with valid school IDs). Tickets bought at the box office the night of the event are $15.00 for non-members and $10.00 for members and students (with valid school IDs). All guests must be 21 and up.
from explorechicago.org: June 11-13
Chicago Blues Festival For more info, go to this link Chicago Blues Festival June 12, 13 Printers Row Lit Fest 312.222.3986 For more info, go to this link http://www.printersrowlitfest.org
Lincoln Park Zoo Lake Shore Drive & Fullerton
Parkway Open every day, free admission
United Run for the Zoo Sunday, June 6, 2010 6:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 8:20 a.m. 8:45 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Registration begins 5K Run 10K Run 5K Fun Walk Hawk Hustle (FREE!) SignMeUp.com - Register - United Run for the Zoo Since June is the month for pearls, we've
reprinted our Pearl Legend for you. Cleopatra Queen of Egypt and the Pearl
An obscure legend about pearls debunked. By Barbara Nell.
By Barbara Nell Publisher, The Perspicacious Woman
In 2001, The Field Museum had an exhibit on Cleopatra, which I went to see, and from which I came away dissatisfied, for
Cleopatra was not really there in the selection of artifacts chosen to be exhibited. The artifacts were representational and exegetic. Apparently, she lives on in legends, not in artifacts, and I was curious why this is so. After attending the exhibit, I did some research on the Internet about her and found the reason for the lack of artifacts: They were destroyed after her suicide under orders from Octavion, who ruled Rome and Rome's territories (of which Egypt was a part) under the name, Augustus. Interesting, very interesting that the Emperor of Rome, a city-state
that ruled the known world at that time, would chose to destroy the living artifacts of a woman whose lands were already conquered and was a mere seductress. Something smelled bad, but I didn't have time to research this. The Pearl Exhibit arriving at the Field Museum on June 28, 2002 caused me to remember that odor because of a legend about Cleopatra and pearls and Marc Antony, a banquet Cleopatra held with or for Marc Antony in which pearl earrings were the fulcrum. The Internet provided me with a "Pearl Earring Banquet" legend that's no better and no worse than any on the Internet written by a nonacademic historian, Fred Ward, in his article, "The History of Pearls." He's a gemologist and author of the book Pearls (Gem Book Publishers,
Bethesda, Maryland, 1998), and the article was adapted for the Internet. Pearls, in fact, played the pivotal role at the most celebrated banquet in literature. To convince Rome that Egypt possessed a heritage and wealth that put it above conquest, Cleopatra wagered Marc Antony she could give the most expensive
dinner in history. The Roman reclined as the queen sat with an empty plate and a goblet of wine (or vinegar). She crushed one large
pearl of a pair of earrings, dissolved it in the liquid, then drank it down. Astonished, Antony declined his dinner -- the matching pearl -- and admitted she had won. It's evocative, isn't it? But there's one problem: Egypt was already conquered at the time Cleopatra held the banquet. This generally accepted legend smelled
bad, too. I turned to the academic websites. The Pearl Banquet Legend is verifiable. It was held, but its truth is embroidered and the facts are distorted, characteristics all legends possess. A guy popularly named Pliny the Elder (to distinguish him from his nephew, Pliny the Younger) (known by some as the first historian and naturalist, by others, as the 2nd) (and writing his observations in the 1st century after Christ's death) (about 70 years after Cleopatra's suicide), was the first to publicly describe this banquet. It's in his 'book' called The History of the World. (There are 37 volumes, "published" in 77AD for the Emperor Titus. The banquet is described in Book IX, Chapter xxv, entitled Of Pearles; how and where they be found.) Pliny names the judge at this wager\banquet, L.
Plancus (There's a '12' after Plancus' name that I can't figure out the meaning.) about whom I found snippets on other websites. Plancus, the judge, is a Roman legionnaire, who remained in Egypt as one of Caesar's Lieutenants after Caesar went back to Rome. (In other battles elsewhere, Plancus was a victorious General. He was a Senator, a Consul and a Censor, too. These are high and responsible positions in Plancus' resume, Dear Reader. This speaks volumes.) Caesar did not abandon him, but left him as a Lieutenant, commanding troops. Marc is representative of the conqueror, Rome, one of three bosses in Rome, who hold on to the enormous Roman Empire in a Triumvirate capacity, what we now call a coalition government. A guy named Octavion, about whom we will learn more, and a guy named Lepidus, about whom we will not know more, have divided up the Roman Empire with Marc,
who holds the territories, which contain the former Egyptian Empire. Marc is placed stratospheres higher in the hierarchy than Plancus when he arrives to visit his territories and at the time when the wage\banquet occurs. Cleopatra is royalty of a conquered territory. Plancus has been at her side for at least 7 years, watching her and reporting about her to Rome. This fleshed out version from more contemporaneous sources has a ring of truth, doesn't it? The origin, I think, of Pliny's version could have been obtained from one of Plancus' required written reports to the Senate in Rome on "What's What in Conquered Territory, Egypt, This Week." Sort of like TWTWTW, Egypt version. So, why, Dear Reader, did she hold this preposterous wager\banquet? Turns out,
she had traveled to Rome with Julius and the son, Caesarian, who was acknowledged in Rome as Julius' son. She and the kidlet were set up in their own posh house (a villa probably), and she was required to be viewed publicly in social settings as his trophy slave-wife while in Rome. This is where she learned about Roman etiquette banquets, for she was obligated to hold and attend these banquets for Julius. Female royalty of conquered territories were taken to Rome to function publicly as trophy slave-wives. It was both a humiliation for them and a reprieve from death for them. Cleopatra suffered this humiliation not to save her life, but to preserve the lineage on behalf of the son she had had with Julius, I think. (Marc wasn't yet in her picture.) This pseudo-bigamy or Julius flaunting this 'exotic' female specimen of conquered
territory did not scandalize upper class Rome. Her visibility, a requirement, enhanced Rome's dominion over the known world. They became scandalized when Julius had a statue of her made and one of him made and put both in a temple as if they were deities. It is suggested that Julius did this more to show his power over Rome (as in I conquered Egypt's deity-Queen, so I'm more powerful than a deity, so I must be a deity in Egyptian lore, and I can show myself as a deity) than her power over him. Remember, she's a trophy slave-wife and a former ruler of her own Empire. She knows this is political suicide if this power play fails. It probably did not surprise her when someone told her the results of the Ides of March. She and Caesarian were in Rome when Brutus killed Julius. They came back home to Egypt, where she governed in
tandem with Rome's representative, Plancus, and did the best she could what with famine and internecine fighting occurring in her territories. I couldn't tell if she was in hazard in Rome when Julius was killed. I suspect she wasn't, but would have been passed around to someone else in the Senate as chattel, a further ignominious situation she did not want to experience. So, she went back to Egypt where she did the best she could for years with Plancus watching. She was kept informed of what was going on in Rome after Julius Caesar was replaced by a Triumvirate governorship of which two of the Triumvirate are important to us: Octavion and Marc Antony. Nothing much happened between Egypt and Rome for a while. After seven years of being one of three most important people in the Roman Empire, Marc Antony arrived to see what
was what in the capital of the lands he held in the Triumvirate. She held etiquette proper banquets of the sort she had attended in Rome, one of which was the "Pearl Banquet." Pearls were not held as valuable in Egypt but were valued in Rome and other places. (It was gold that was held in highest esteem in Egypt.) It is believed she received the pearls as a tribute gift from Kings of the East (the Orient is implied), before Egypt was conquered by Rome. Egypt held vast territories before the conquest and she had adroitly obtained and administered these conquests of hers. Back to the pearls: She did not consider them valuable, but knew that Marc Antony and Plancus did. Now, Marc Antony's personality-reputation preceded him. He was not known as an aesthetic, although he was
educated and came from a patrician family. He was known as a carouser, a drinker, a gambler, boring in the company of women (this from Plutarch, a historian), and curiously enough, he was known to suffer from depressions. He was called vulgar by his contemporaries in their letters to each other and in reports sent to the Senate in Rome, all of which survive somewhere. Cleopatra was not considered vulgar at all. The worst said of her is that she was ostentatious when she was in Rome, and this is interpreted as 'she didn't act like a conquered queen.' She was educated well while a Princess, spoke nine languages, was literate in some, was politically astute, militarily astute, wonderful at doing math in her head, and humorous. She was called brilliant by her contemporaries, when she received delegates from all over the world as head
of Egypt. Nowhere, by the way, was she called or described as beautiful or sexy by anyone. These sort of surviving documents are few and far between, but current historians are unearthing them. Plutarch wrote about her, but it was in reference to her association with Marc Antony and how he governed in Egypt, and this is where we get information about her skills. She was obligated to keep in touch with Marc and Plancus, dine with both of them, be seen in public with both of them, hold public events with both of them. If she enticed Marc, it was to preserve her blood lineage. All conquered royalty did this in the hopes of a coup. She held the banquet because it was her duty to provide interesting events, an etiquette banquet, for the often boring, usually vulgar, and sometimes depressed
Roman representative, Marc, and the long present watchdog, Plancus. And that's the fleshed out event, not the decadent odoriferous spin that's been handed down for two thousand years, and I'm not sorry for that. It does sit well with me that Cleopatra was a sharp cookie. It does not sit well with me that all her male children died bad deaths and only her daughter married and begat. But this lineage tale is for another time. Octavion, the guy I mentioned earlier, had an 'expunge her memory' campaign after her death because there were men all over her conquered territory, former military men, who were still loyal to her and her line, the Ptolemy. She had lineage, you see, for she had had four or five children, one or two (historians are uncertain) with Julius and three with Marc Antony. Each or any would be in line for the Ptolemy throne and empire.
In Rome, Julius' children with Cleopatra could have been powerful adversaries against Octavion for they were both males. So, he destroyed all artifacts of hers everywhere and smeared her name transmuting her from Empress and deity of a glorious (conquered) empire into a seductress, wanton, vulgar, indolent, etc. And he had Plancus transfer the children to Rome as trophy hostages after her suicide, placed under the guardianship of his sister, Octavia, who, by the way, was the recent widow of Marc Antony. Some say the eldest boy, the one she had with Julius and the one which Julius recognized as his own, was spirited away to India, which was part of the former Egyptian Empire. Others say he went to Rome. Rome had a lot of trophy hostage children, by the way.
Wouldn't it be grand to discover that Cleopatra had intentionally ridiculed Marc Antony and Plancus with her pearl feast, i.e., what these Roman military men hold valuable, I, of noble blood and Queen-deity of Egypt and its territories, hold negligible? I do wish that were true, but we'll never know. No diary has ever surfaced, despite her literacy in some of 9 languages, some of which had alphabets not hieroglyphics, one of which may have been Latin. No log of court events has ever surfaced, despite the fact that scribes were plentiful in all courts in her lands. Octavion was thorough in expunging artifacts and we have to resort to Pliny and Plutarch to obtain an essence.
RESTAURANT REVIEW
1492 Tapas Bar 42 E. Superior St. Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 867-1492
Although yelp.com visitors gave this restaurant mixed reviews (9 good; 37 ok; 41 no so good), the Daisy Brother and I decided to go one pleasant evening in April, so we could decide for ourselves and share memories of our respective visits to Spain, his in 2002; mine in 1965.
It's a narrow, long, dark restaurant, clean as a pin, and looks authentically Spanish. The wait staff was pleasant and attentive, and there were lots them. Business wasn't brisk, despite the time of day, dinner time, in the Gold Coast. No one was at the bar. Worrisome to me, a merchant. Glasses crashed to the ground twice and a
platter dropped from somewhere. Startling, but bad things happen in 3's.
The tapas menu is big and most are much more complicated dishes than I recall tapas from Spain. The Daisy Brother brought me up to date on this. When he visited Spain, tapas was in the tourist mainstream, and the menus were the same as at 1492 Tapas Bar. He reminded me that 1965 was a full 45 years ago, and I was talking as the Daisy Mother used to talk about stuff that happened in the 1920's in 1965. Ouch. Brothers can be so cruel.
We decided on 3 tapas (1 cold, 2 hot) and an order of traditional paella, which takes 40 minutes to prepare. The tapas came first: fried eggplant with goat cheese in a tomato sauce (which didn't sound good to me, but which we ordered anyway. I was right: it was not good at all.); button mushrooms with onion and garlic (good,
but I would have preferred them cold and with lemon, which we asked for and received); and potatoes with aioli (greasy and not enough garlic, fresh lemon juice cut the tongue feel a bit and brightened up the flavor, but all in all, not so good). The bread was curious multigrain, not so good. The paella was nice, soft rice, just enough peas, just enough sea food, fish, and chicken.
Neither of us had wine or liquor or dessert. Our bill was $39, somewhat reasonable for a Gold Coast dinner, rather unreasonable for 3 tapas and 1 entree. It's an ok restaurant, not terrific, just ok.
My walk down Tapas Memory Lane, to which the Daisy Brother expressed indifference, I offer to you: I had tapas first in Andalusia in 1965, when some friends and I visited southern Spain for 2 weeks just before Easter, still low season.
It was my first European trip. My companions were seasoned travelers and taught me their ropes. (Bazooka bubble gum is mint flavored in Spain; you have to pay for a book of matches; you can buy 1 Marlboro cigarette at a time, not a whole pack, from window kiosks in homes; soap in public bathrooms is skewered on a metal pole; women clean marble foyers with straw and water on their hands and knees.) We based ourselves in Malaga (in a lovely home whose bedroom windows faced the Mediterranean, and upon whose roof I sunbathed one morning amidst the wash on the clothes line) and traveled to Torremolinos often (Costa del Sol, where the 6th fleet was having R&R, but that's another story. Okay, I'll tell you a little bit. I only had to take out my pack of Marlboros in preparation to light a cigarette when a lonely sailor would come to me and ask me, "Are you American?"
"You betcha," I would answer. And he and his chums would become a gang of Americans with my traveling companions on that day trip, all walking us to the bus stop which would carry me and my friends back to Malaga. They all gave me their names and addresses and I recall, I wrote group letters when I returned to Chicago for a while.), Granada, Seville, and Cordoba by bus for day trips. I fall asleep easily on a bus, and one couple (from France) noticed me sleeping in between stops. The woman sent her husband to me to ask if I was unwell, a very nice gesture from strangers. I explained I was fine and that I fall asleep easily on bus rides. They became my pals at each stop from then on. The woman encouraged me to buy a beautiful silver filigreed box with gold handles during one of our stops, a memento I have today still displayed in my curio cabinet. The price was about $81 ($US) which almost
blew my budget for anything else. None of us had much money, and Spain was a good buy. Spain's currency, then, was pesetas and I recall it was about 75 pesetas to the US dollar. Tapas were cheap, tasty, and filling and you could go to any tavern anywhere and get a tapas for 50 pesetas. All were more than one bite of food; some were an appetizer portion. All were cold, simple fare, not cuisine, but snacks: cold potato with chopped salty olives drizzled with olive oil; slivers of ham piled on an open face, buttered roll; small mushroom caps filled with aioli; marinated celery (tasted like celery brined in pickle juice); a Spanish version of salsa, I don't recall what it was called. You kept your empty plates piled next to you. When it came time to pay the bill, the waiter counted up the quantity of plates at your table and multiplied that amount by 50 pesetas. It was such a nice
vacation. Thank you for allowing me to share.
DID YOU KNOW?
Couture RTW for Fall\Winter, 2010 began showing in January, 2010 and continued into early April, when Belgrade, Serbia designers showed their Fall\Winter, 2010 collections. This means buyers from major stores and boutiques all over the world ordered merchandise to enchant and entice you and me when we're ready to think Fall\Winter in August, 4-7 months hence. I have always been fascinated in the criteria these people use when they're spending their companies' money. All, who have achieved buyer status at the majors, interned somewhere and often when they were young and starting out, began at a low corporate level, and worked themselves up on merit. These are hard-working, well trained people, Dear
Reader. Their buying responsibility is the store's merchandise, the very stuff that brings in revenues. Yet, they have to forecast what buyers will be purchasing 4-7 months in advance of the season, what the economy will be, what the tone of the times will be. Here's what they saw on the runway:
FALL FASHION PREVIEW
In Paris, commentary mentioned minimalism stylings (tight construction, few frills), camel color, cloth coats with and without fur, fur vests, coats, hats, mid-thigh skirts, and Chanel's show motif, icebergs on the runway. Showmanship is good, but ineffective fashion commentary, doncha' think Dear Reader? In New York, commentary mentioned black, midnight blue, textured fabrics, fur, and the Mark Jacobs Collection. In Milan, commentary mentioned technology (the handwork, the
detailing), black, color blocking and prints, leather work, the soft pant, provocative styling (crotch length skirts, slashes with skin showing), and the Prada Collection. In New York, commentary mentioned black and midnight blue, textured fabrics, furs and the Marc Jacobs Collection. We've decided to highlight midnight blue for this fashion ezine and hold back on other Fall fashions until the August issue.
MERCHANDISE DESCRIPTIONS
All merchandise is 2nd hand, authentic couture. All sales are final sales, no
refunds, credit, exchanges. All prices are $US.
Vintage Pearl Necklace, seed pearls, $332.00
Faux Pearl Necklace on goldtone chain: triple Faux Pearl drop $126.00
probable Montgomery Necklace, Faux blue pearl, part of set with clip earrings $274.00
Faux Pearl Necklace on goldtone chain: double Faux Pearl drop $126.00
Vintage Necklace, ungraduated Faux pearls with crystals and metal tone separators, $72.00
