Follow up on Trendy Frogs

A lot of you wrote me back and pointed to some examples of high profile frog design or historical reference. I have to admit - there's much more to this trend than I thought! And some of you even pointed to the next one on the horizon...

Hilary mentioned that the frogs reminded her of the Marc Jacob's bags (they do!) And Janet commented that "Anne Hathaway graced the cover of New York Magazine's Summer Issue with - guess what? - a frog on her shoulder! But this frog was not sporting a crown. (It must have been one of those ordinary "non-trendy" amphibians".

I noticed that Marc Jacobs' bags also did not have crowned frogs, so it could be that the non-crowned frogs are just as cool as the crowned ones in the US, which has never had a monarchy...?



The historical context comes from daphneduke: "Frogs were a big deal about 60 years ago too. Everything is cyclical. E v e r t h i n g .....! And shortly after, after was OWLS. Go figure..."

So, are we in for owls next? Maybe.. I like owls and found a whole owl "look" in Polyvore.com (and I like it!)



















I also like octopuses. They seem to be very popular with jewelry designers, industrial designers (USB ports), and artists, not to mention kids costume makers.. will this trend expand and move to grown-up clothes?




















Or.. Erika (who found the original frog trend poster) suggests maybe that it will be unicorns, especially the "super tough, rainbow-vomiting" variety...

Shoulder pads: Good or Bad?

I've been a bit short of inspiration
being focused on my upcoming vacation.
But today as I headed back home
I decided to write this post as a poem.

To keep from thoughts of cabs crashing
I let my mind wander to fashion,
more specifically if pix of Jacko's jackets,
with his sparkled and spangly epaulets,
might spur mass mania for big shoulders?
Will that look leave people cold, or
will we go even more '80s
and start seeing more linebacker ladies?

I like the return of the legging
but will not take my jeans in for pegging.
My hiking pants are pegged - they look ugly
And so high waisted, they're not even snuggly!
Aargh, '80s, I think I'll avoid it,
that topic is over-exploited!

Ah well, I'd better start packing.
I'd hate to find vital things lacking.
I'm off to a wedding in Deutschland
and want to make sure I'm set for what's planned.
I'm back soon - it's a short time I'm staying.
So adieu, adios, and auf Wiedersehen!

PS, I wrote this in a snap,
I realize the rythm is cr*p...

What ARE you wearing?

I was out on Saturday night and noticed two women were looking at me and talking to each other. I wouldn't have thought much of it, but they were right behind my friends, so I kept seeing them out of the corner of my eye. Now, I think there are a lots of interesting people to look at in New York and I wouldn't assume I'd be one of the top choices. (This is New York City and there are loads of people who make their living by being interesting to look at!!) Still, it did seem like they were commenting on my outfit and that works with this story, so I'm going with that.

I didn't mind much because I happened to like what I was wearing (black shiny leggings, over the knee black boots and a black minidress with a bunch of snaps on the straps and hem). And I happened not to like what they were wearing. I remember high-waisted jeans, feathered hair, and sweater vests over blouses. Though to be honest, I think that's not actually what they looked like, just a flash back to junior high school when you'd expect two girls talking to each other about your outfit to look like that (if you're my generation anyway). It was a dark bar, it was late, I'd had a cocktail or two..ish...

Anyhow, I know it's common belief that women dress for each other and not for men, but this struck me as another nail in the coffin of that cliche. I wasn't dressing for them, certainly not! And I don't think other women dress for other women, either. Sure, junior high school girls probably do dress for each other because most of them aren't comfortable enough to stand out and express their individuality. But I believe adult women dress for themselves. Though on further reflection, I have to add that that's within a certain context, though that context can be broad. Most of us who work and interact with people on a regular basis don't walk around like Little Edie in Grey Gardens with a sweater on our heads and pinned together pants as a skirt (as an example...).

I met a friend of a friend recently who mentioned something in passing that gave me such a great visual image. He was the creative director at Vogue in the '80s and told me that, despite the short hair and long sleeved polo he was wearing when I met him, he, his wife, and his friends used to wear the whole aggro '80s leather fashion gear when hanging out in the East Village and going to clubs. Leather jumpsuits in daytime, whatever. I did come to New York in the '80s a few times, but I never saw anything like that in the audience at Cats or in the Met, so the cultural references that popped into my head were Desperately Seeking Susan and the scene from National Lampoon's European Vacation when they went shopping in Milan and came out in these crazy outfits.

Anyway, his little story prompts me to ask who he was dressing for - was the leather jumpsuit for his wife, as a sign that he was in a certain crowd, or purely because he liked it? The men I have shopped with or for have pretty definite ideas about what they like and don't like, so I don't believe you all throw on any old thing (unless that's your look). So, who do you dress for? Women? Men? As an identification badge showing your place in society? Yourselves? or all of the above? Have you thought about it? (do you care?)