Separated at birth?

The top photo is Miley Cyrus in her now-notorious "old chandelier" dress by Zuhair Murad; the bottom photo is Christian Dior's 1949 "Junon dress," which is in Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. I wish I could take credit for noticing the similarity, but I got the scoop from Nick Vereos, former Project Runway contestant and now a fashion commentator for the TV Guide channel. I like the darker Dior version better; it doesn't look as much like a Christmas tree skirt.

The top photo is of Alicia Keyes at the Oscars in a pretty pink dress and an unattractive brown wig. The bottom photo is of Sophia Loren in her prime. You gotta love the almond-eyed girls.

It's Fashion Week Month again!

Jason Wu, Fall 2009

Yessiree, the fashion shows are coming fast and furious, in spite of the sad state of the economy. There are lots of new names (or, new to me) in New York, like Altuzarra, Bibhu Mohapatra, and Koi Suwannagate although it appears from the photos that many designers are electing to show clothes at showrooms, rather than on the runway, which is more expensive, and the collections are smaller. Good luck, all y'all.

L'Wren Scott, Fall 2009

I can't keep up with all the shows, but I did check in to see what Jason Wu, now famous for designing Michelle Obama's inaugural gown, was up to. He produced lots of looks for a chic first lady. I also scanned enough collections to notice a trend toward longer skirts (check out L'Wren Scott's collection; yummy!). Thank heaven, it's time the world stopped being young Hollywood's gynecologist.

Kinder Aggugini, Fall 2009

I looked at one of the London collections because the name caught my eye: Kinder Aggugini. He did a multi-season collection, showing floral chiffon dresses with boots and coats. Very nice.

Do check out Style.com's full screen option for viewing the collections, the clothes are shown in great detail.

Unwritten Hollywood Red Carpet rule No. 5 . . .

Vanessa Hudgens in Marchesa

Miley Cyrus in Zuhair Murad

Amy Adams in Carolina Herrera gown
Fred Leighton necklace

Beyonce in Lay-Z-Boy

Freida Pinto in John Galliano

Put all very young Carpetiers in dresses meant for women at least 10 years older so they do not detract from the Carpetiers who actually are 10 to 20 years older.

Let's see, Vanessa Hudgens is 21, Miley Cyrus is 17 (why was she at the Oscars, and why was she wearing a dress bigger and shinier than most of the nominees'?), Amy Adams is 35, but could pass for 25, Beyonce is 28 and Frieda Pinto is 24. They shouldn't be stuffed in dresses better worn by 40+ society matrons when they could get away with wearing stuff that's young and fun.

I often think, when I see Miley on the red carpet with her mother, that they should trade dresses, like at the Golden Globes where Miley wore a white Marchesa floor-length empire gown and Mom wore a sequined mini-dress. C'mon girl, you're only that young once!

I wish Frieda Pinto wore something Indian (besides her jewelry) at least once during awards season.

Fred Leighton got credit for Amy Adam's necklace, but Fred Leighton only sells vintage pieces, it doesn't make jewelry. I believe her necklace is a vintage Cartier tutti-frutti piece, the kind of thing made and meant for society dowagers. It would look better on Meryl Streep. Or me. Yup, that necklace should be mine: I'm old enough, I'm good enough, and dammit, jewelry likes me.

I guess all the stylists got the memo . . .

Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab

Penelope Cruz in vintage Balmain

Ann Hathaway in Armani Prive

Taraji P. Henson in Cavalli


Marisa Tomei in Versace


Sarah Jessica Parker in Dior Haute Couture


Jessica Biel in Prada

Melissa George

. . . that strapless white (or the equivalent thereof) was required wearing for A-list actresses (and a few wannabes) . . .

So that makes three nominees for best supporting actress in strapless white, and two nominees for best actress in strapless white. Is this kind of overlap result from borrowing dresses, or is there some kind of conspiracy among Hollywood stylists to level the playing field?

Whatever. I liked the dresses worn by Evan Rachel Wood (my favorite), Penelope Cruz (goooooo VINTAGE!), Taraji P. Henson (very soft and graceful) and Marisa Tomei (I hope she avoids the worst dressed lists this time). The rest were meh.

And SJP demonstrated, yet again, the problem with strapless dresses -- they have to fit exactly right to look good. Hers didn't.

Speaking of vintage prints . . .

Trashy Diva has added a number of new styles for spring, including the one pictured here, the Americana Dress. This dress makes me want to stand up and salute, and more importantly (for Trashy Diva) it makes me want to buy it. It's been a long time since I've heard the song of the retail siren. Buuuyyyyy meeeee . . .

I love Trashy Diva's Mansfield Dress, too. Not as much fun, perhaps, as the print, but great business wear. WITH LONG SLEEVES! Yeaaaaa, SLEEVES! Go team dress!

Whatsamatta you?

The Fug Girls just called out Scarlett Johansson for wearing this dress to the premier of "He's Just Not That Into You." Frankly, I think she looks gorgeous. For one thing, the bodice of the dress fits, (Scarlett is a notorious self bosom-abuser). For another, the background color of the dress looks great with her darker hair, and the print does NOT look like it belongs on a sofa, TYVM. The dress reminds me of the Hawaiian dresses so popular among fans of 50s and 60s vintage dresses. Vintage is good, pink is pretty, and prints are happy. So. There.

Meanwhile, other bloggers hail the coming of Spring -- in pink prints.

Drive-by post

Oh, I am sadly, sadly behind in my clothes comments, what with inaugurations, the Award Season's red carpet parades, the Paris couture shows and all that. I haven't been behind in my bookmarking, though, and I want, at least, to share two fun links with you. One is from zimbio, comparing what women wore on the red carpet to the runway looks, here. The photo of Laura Linney, wearing my favorite Golden Globe look, is a sample thereof. Oh, I do love me some goddess look and some yellow, and nothing's better than yellow goddess gown in my book. I'm so happy to see red carpet dresses trend away from the strapless mermaid and toward the goddess; anything that gets rid of strapless gowns and the often ill-fitting bodice is great in my book, even if it's done one shoulder at a time.

Oh, and I followed zimbio's link to redcarpetfashionawards.com. Eye candy for days, including a runway to red carpet review for the SAG awards. And speaking of sag, (unfortunate pun, but too obvious to ignore) good grief, Katie Holmes!

Maggie Gyllenhall in Lavin, Golden Globes, 2009

Vogue just posted a Style Note titled "Ladies, We've Got Your Backs: critics hated these red carpet looks, but we beg to differ." I agree with them about Tilda Swinton (black modern Lavin goddess); Nicole Kidman (in gold Dior goddess); Kirsten Dunst (blue Rochas that should have been mine, MINE, I TELL YOU!, and worn with a big jet choker); and Maggie Gyllenhall (printed Lavin proto-goddess). Good for Vogue for pointing out that the infamous swan dress was a joke, but, sorry, Cameron Diaz looked like a mess in that Ungaro kimono dress. Poor dress.

I kept searching the stage for heaters while I was watching the Inauguration because I couldn't believe that Michele Obama and Laura Bush, both of whom were wearing buttonless coats (albeit over suits) could look so comfortable in that freezing weather without a little outside help. I didn't see any, but maybe the crowd kept them warm. January inaugurations must have been easier on first ladies when hats, hose, slips and girdles were required, and fur trim at least an option.

Michele's gown was on trend, one-shouldered and white. I appreciate that she wore the work of a relatively unknown designer, Jason Wu, whose clothes I like. I'm assuming that gazillion-dollar outfits by the big names won't be among her wardrobe for a while.

And speaking of white, I'm not thrilled about all those actresses showing up on the red carpet dressed like brides. But that's a topic that will have to wait for another post.

Wanted: recommendations

I've been shopping for a sewing machine, and I'm sooooooo confused. I want a machine like the old Singers that everyone of my generation's Mom had, i.e., a machine that was easy to use, uncomplicated, and took many a lickin' and kept on kickin'. Any suggestions?

Now all I need is a sewing machine . . .

A representative example.

One of the few things I salvaged from my parents' house was a collection of about 100 vintage patterns. I packed them in a box, mailed them to my home address, and then let the box sit in a corner of my spare room, unopened, for about 8 months. Then, for some reason, the urge to open the box came upon me about three weeks ago, but all I did was remove a few of the uncut patterns before I pushed the opened box back into its corner. A few days later I was standing outside of that room when I heard a very suggestive crinkling, rustling notes. One of my female cats was happily shredding the top patterns to make a nest in the box. I tossed her out, and, without resealing the box, shut it in a closet where I assumed it would be safe from the brooding habits of the domestic feline. I should know better than to assume anything about cats.

Last week a friend was staying over in my spare room. She was awaked in the middle of the night by a spooky rustling noise coming from the closet. Not having learned the lesson of a million horror movies, she went to investigate, opened the closet door (which, as far as we both knew, had been closed since my friend arrived and, indeed, since I had put the box away) my other female cat jumped out of its bed among the patterns. That tissue must be more addictive than catnip.

Obviously I need to do something about those patterns.

Alas, I didn't check for pockets

I did send one -- Simplicity 5022, to Erin at A Dress A Day, knowing her attachment to both shirtdresses and Peter Pan collars. That only leaves me 99 more to deal with.

I considered selling some of them, but most have been opened and cut, and to be a responsible seller I would have to look through each pattern piece by piece to make sure it was all there. I tried this on one pattern and couldn't refold it to fit back in its envelope. Soooo . . . selling doesn't look like an easy solution.

Curses, HP!

I'd like to post pictures of some of the patterns here, but after an hour-long battle with my combined printer/fax/alleged scanner for one image, that's not going to be as easy or entertaining (for me, at least) as I hoped.

It would also be nice to sew up some of the patterns to see how 60's styles would look in modern fabrics. Back in the day my mother and I would whip up a dress a weekend, mostly, heaven help us, out of polyester double-knit. That staple of the 60s and 70s was a great fabric for the home sewer: it was easy to use, washable, and had the body for those stiff mod shift dresses. All the scraps we threw away will probably outlast the pyramids among the other plastic trash in their overflowing landfill. Anyway, I think an entirely new, and much improved, look would be achieved if, for example, I made Simplicity 7268's jacket in a fun boucle and the dress in a coordinating wool, assuming I could find anything suitable at the local JoAnn's, which, alas, is the only convenient fabric store.

Then there's the sewing machine problem: I donated my ancient Singer and Necchi to the Salvation Army, then I was scared off by the $3000 fully computerized monsters when I went shopping for a replacement. I must gird my loins and try again.

Yesterday's visit to a local department store, however, has inspired me to sew. There I was, surrounded by acres of clothing (but no other shoppers; I was practically run over by eager sales staff) and almost every item I looked at, including a $450.00 Ellen Tracy jacket, was made in China. The one exception was a top made in the Marianas, where the women in the garment trades have been called "the most exploited women in the world." And there is a connection between the dearth of shoppers and the fact that very little is made in the U.S. Oy. Depressing.

Anyway, what did I finally do?

Why, I bought another vintage pattern, of course! Ain't it a beauty? And sooner or later I'll have a garment that's Made in the U.S.A., I just have to do it my own damn self.

Click on the pictures for links to patterns for sale, except Simplicity 7268.

The Emmys: Whatever

The Emmy Awards were broadcast last Sunday, and I actually managed to sit through E!’s entire, entirely boring, red carpet show. I never thought I say this, but boy, do I miss Joan and Melissa. And Isaac Mizrahi, and Kathy Griffin, and anyone who isn’t that boring waxworks homunculus omni-host Ryan Seacrest. Those shows only really work when spiced with snark. But speaking of Kathy Griffin:

Kathy Griffin

It’s bad enough that her dress looked like it was made out of Grandma’s drapes, but look at the hem!!!! It looks like someone needed to shorten it in a hell of a hurry and used glue, or else the dress was REALLY made from drapes and someone forgot to take the weights out of the hem.

If a Project Runway designer sent a dress down the runway finished like that s/he'd be sliced and diced by Nina Garcia and then auf'd. So who let Kathy out of the house that way?

As for the rest of the fashion parade, I didn’t see anyone dressed ridiculously, but I didn’t love the same things that the Fashion Police and the voting public loved, and I liked some things that a lot of commentators hated. I attribute this difference of opinion to my ability to rise above the rabble and independently apply my own innate good taste, not to mention that my inner crotchety old maid more and more dictates how I view clothes.

For example, most people raved about Brooke Shield’s fuschia Badgely Mischka dress and Heidi Klum’s sparkly Armani Privé number.

Brook Shields in Badgely Mischka

Heidi Klum in Armani Prive

I think the Badgely Mischka dress is a bit too young, too prom, and too fussy, and I don’t like asymmetry in clothing , even in Armani, so even though Brooke and Heidi don’t look bad by any means, I just can’t get excited about their looks.

Christina Applegate in Reem Acra

My favorite look was Christina Applegate in a Reem Acra gown, which surprised me because I often think Reem Acra’s dresses are too bridal (she started as a wedding gown designer) and, having just said I don’t like asymmetry, this dress is asymmetrical. One of E!’s fashion police thought the look was too old for her, so maybe it’s the crotchety old maid who likes the way Christina looks. Maybe I’m giving Christina points for being a cancer survivor, at any rate, I like it.

Then I liked, or at least didn’t hate, some looks the Fashion Police and other so-called experts absolutely loathed.

Mary-Louise Parker in Roberto Cavalli

Emilie De Ravin in Matthew Williamson

Poor Mary-Louise Parker; she took a lot of criticism for her Roberto Cavalli gown. I'm not crazy about the color, but the gown is basically a slip dress with a little bit of ruching. Considering some of the hot messes Robert Cavalli produces, this garment is downright restrained. Mary-Louise has the body for it, too. So why all the hating?

I also rather liked the Mathew Williamson gown worn by Emilie de Ravin. The dress had a lovely classical look, flowed nicely when she walked, and it was, at least, not another damn strapless mermaid gown. The Fashion Police worked themselves into a tizzy over the sparkly trim. In spite of urging women to take fashion risks, the clothes critics are awfully intolerant of those who do.

Vanessa Williams in Kevan Hall

I haven’t made up my mind about Vanessa William’s Kevan Hall dress; I like the print, it’s different, but that rhinestone strip annoys me.

Whatever.

You can see Emmy Red Carpet photos at Yahoo TV and Style.com.

Clothes on TV alert: "Ralph Rucci: a Man and His House" on the Sundance Channel

Chado Ralph Rucci Spring 2009

The Sundance Channel will be broadcasting a profile of Ralph Rucci, a designer known for his very elegant, very expensive and very exclusive clothing. According to the October edition of W magazine, the prices for his clothing can reach $32,000 for an off-the-rack coat "albeit one crafted to perfection from exquisite materials." That article goes on to say the prices of his made-to-measure clothing can "exceed six figures at the drop of a hat." Rucci is not a household name because he doesn't cater to the young or to the red-carpet crowd, instead, his clothes are purchased, or rather collected, the "sophisticated, rich adults who can afford to buy his clothes." One of those, I reckon, would be Martha Stewart, who narrates the Sundance profile.

Interestingly, when I did an internet search on Ralph Rucci before writing this up, I found his name among the guests at a cocktail party Vogue magazine gave for Michele Obama, and who coughed up from $1,000 to $10,000 for the privilege of attending. Bless; I don't see Michele among the customers for his clothing, give their price and these times. In fact, I hope their remains a market for Rucci's designs after the recent crash, because they're quite remarkable, and, given the level of craftsmanship involved, the garments are probably worth the price.

Anyway, tune in if you want to see how the other 1/4 of 1% dresses. The profile airs at 7:00 p.m. PT on Monday, September 22, 2008, check http://www.sundancechannel.com/ for the air time in your area.

Trends, New York Fashion Week, Spring 2009

I've scanned enough of the Spring 2009 collections to notice some trends, in fact, some disturbing trends. They are, in no special order:

Isaac Mizrahi Spring 2009

Cropped "Hammer" pants. These things are all over the collections, and they're just what every woman needs: trousers that make it look like she's smuggling cheesecakes strapped to her hips and thighs.

Costello Tagliapietra Spring 2009

Bell or tulip-shapped skirts. More saddlebags!!!

BCBG Max Azria Spring 2009


Benjamin Cho Spring 2009

Jumpsuits. Unlike the Fug Girls, I'm not opposed to jumpsuits in principle (after all, Emma Peel wore them!!!) but c'mon, does the average non-super-spy woman want to completely undress every time she goes to the bathroom? I think not.

Rodarte Spring 2009

The persistence of "formal" shorts. Oh well, I suppose they make some sense in a Spring/Summer collection -- for 15-year-olds!

Narcisco Rodriguez Spring 2009

One-shouldered or one-sleeve dresses. I get the one-shoulder thing -- goddess dresses, etc., but, one sleeve??? Ehhh . . .

Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2009


Marc Jacobs Spring 2009

The predominant retro-reference is to the rich-hippie looks of the late '60s, early 70s, which is fine by me. At Diane von Furstenberg, in case anyone didn't get it, the models even wore flowers in their hair, like they were going to San Francisco in 1968. Mark Jacobs did a collection that referenced Morocco, 19th Century French peasant girls, and the 1940s. I interpreted this collection as homage to Saint Laurent, who was also inspired by those things, although YSL never used them all in one garment.

The trends I liked were the use of mixed prints, bright colors (lots of orange!!!) and big zippers. My favorite collections so far were Monique Lhullier, Narcisco Rodriguez and Dennis Basso, because, should I win the lottery, I could actually wear pieces from those collections. YMMV.

New York Fashion Week = sensory overload

Isaac Mizrahi, Spring 2009

It's only a few days into New York Fashion Week, the first event in Worldwide Fashion Month, and already I'm overwhelmed. It seems like the number of runway shows increases exponentially with every season, making it impossible for any normal person, i.e., one with a non-fashion job, a house to clean and pets to feed, even to flip through all the designer slideshows on Style.com or nymag.com. I can't even keep up with the Fug Girls' reports at New York Fugging City, but that might be because I have to stop to google three-quarters of the "celebrities" they write about. Really, why are the stars of Gossip Girl everywhere, and why should I care?

The slideshows at New York Magazine are fun because they let you label every look "fabulous" or "hideous," but that scale would be a lot more useful if they added a third category, "meh." Because when there are thousands of looks going down the runway, you can bet there's going to be a lot of "meh."

Project Runway fans have already realized that, once again, the finalists (or three finalists and one decoy) will have their well-publicized shows weeks before the episode in which they're chosen is broadcast. Way to go, Bravo!

What (Not) to Wear to a Funeral

Last winter, when I was attending way too many family funerals, I thought about writing a post about modern mourning attire, or rather, the lack thereof. Today, there are no rules about what a member of the deceased family should wear, no family dressmakers who will rush over and sew up a year's worth of black clothing overnight, no funeral department at the local Tar-zhay where a person can pick up something suitable in a spare half-hour between picking out a plot and ordering the coffin. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a plain black day dress when you need one. I found mine at T.J. Maxx, and this is pretty much it, or the current season's version of it. When I wore it with a black jacket I felt pretty presentable.

After the last funeral of the series I gave up on the idea of a post about mourning attire as too grim and self-centered. I also concluded that it's probably better, more democratic, and certainly more economical, if people can pay their respects wearing their everyday clothes. After all, it is the substance of their respect that's important, not the symbol.

One would assume, however, that there are still rules, protocol, in fact, that apply to official mourners like ambassadors and First Ladies. One would also assume that official mourners would have the resources to obtain the appropriate clothing at a moment's notice. And one might assume that the First Lady of France, the former model Carla Bruni Sarkozy, representing her country at the funeral of Yves Saint Laurent, one of the 20th Century's great couturiers, would appear at the memorial in an outfit doing credit to both her country and his memory.

One would be wrong about Madame Sarkozy.

Okay, her jacket is probably an original YSL smoking. Her pants might also be YSL, but they're creased and look a trifle too small, like she had fished them out of a bag containing clothes from her old modeling days and pulled them on, unpressed. And even if Madame Sarkozy has the best rack of any First Lady since the Empress Theodora, she should have worn a bra. It was a freakin' funeral, for the love of Pete.

The oddest thing about the way she appeared at this event is that Madame Sarkozy usually dresses very well indeed.

How to say "oh, honey, no," in French

After I found the above photo i whipped out my 1964 edition of Elegance, A Complete Guide for Every Woman Who Wants to be Well and Properly Dressed on all Occasions by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux. If you're a fan of chicklit, you might have come across the novel Elegance that was inspired by Madame Dariaux's Guide. The Guide is better. Anyway, considering all Madame Dariaux has to say about everything else, her comments about funeral wear were rather short. Some excerpts from the one-page entry:

A woman who attends a funeral dressed in a conspicuous manner shows proof of a total lack of good taste and good manners. Even if you are not a member of the immediate family, you should dress in black, or at least in whatever you own that is most dark and neutral, and you should wear no makeup. During the course of a year it is unfortunately likely that you will be obliged to attend a funeral ceremony, and you should prepare for this eventuality in planning your wardrobe, just as you prepare for the luncheon and dinner invitations you expect to receive.

The best choice, aside from a black suit of wool in the winter and linen in the summer, is a dark gray flannel ensemble, both worn with a black hat, gloves, shoes, and bag. . . .

Well, with the exception of the hat, at least I'm prepared.

By the way, if you're interested in fashion design, like, doing it, not just wearing it, you might want to pick up a copy of Yves Saint Laurent: Style. It's full of reproductions of YSL's sketches, done, interestingly, on graph paper, as well as lush photos of finished clothing. See how the Master did it.