Affordable [ahem, Cheap] Fall Fashion 2010

Brutality In Every Step

Warning!, Dear Reader. The image you are about to see below is disturbing, slightly graphic but, to your benefit, slightly blurry as well, due to a terrified, shaky hand [and perhaps moving train]. But what you are about to see is real. No actors or models were used. This is the true story of not just one but millions of women, who sacrifice intact skin in the name of 'pedi-' [pronounced 'petty'] fashion. Arguably, this might even be considered an epidemic form of self-mutilation.



















These snake-skin pumps required not just one or two bandages but TEN. TEN! Five PER foot. Who knows how long even those would last, as walking typically causes chafing and sweat production— neither good for secure, long-lasting adhesion of bandages.

One possible explanation for all of this relies on conspiracy theory: Could it be designers are scheming with Johnson & Johnson et al. to mutually boost sales? It makes sense how Band-Aid is profiting, but vice versa? Yup, vice versa also true, as described in this NY Times article, It’s No Boo-Boo: Bandages as Fashion Accessories.

And check out this 'Best of' review taken from some fashion blog:

Title: A Chic Way to Blister-Proof Your Sandal Feet: Band-Aid Friction Block   [..hurl..]

Strappy sandal season has arrived...which typically means newly-exposed tender winter feet, covered in blisters and plastered over with unsightly bandages. Instead of ruining the look of your fab new footwear, try Band-Aid's clever Friction Block Stick; it contains a lubricating formula that glides on smoothly and reduces rubbing on skin, helping to prevent blisters from ever developing.

Compact enough to fit in your pocket, it is also affordable enough at $5 to stock up and stash in the medicine chest, the glove box of your car, your purse, and anywhere else a blister emergency might arise.

Moreover, is this proof of continued oppression against women? After all, it's been reported that Band-Aids were invented by a man whose wife 'often cut herself while doing housework and cooking' [ref]. And now, even despite three waves of Women's Lib, female feet are still not liberated from harsh conditions. When will this end? I mean, look at this!


From left to right: 1) What women are expected to cram their feet into. 2) What women could wear instead. 3) What women's feet are actually shaped like.


Fourth Wave Proposal? Wide-width, orthotically-correct kickers become all the rage for evermore!


Happy Healthy Juicy Save Our Soles!

Urban Outfitters Should Be 'Rated R' for Violence Against Health - Girls' & Women's Especially

The 'Cigarette' Jeans. That's why.

In fact, there's a whole line dedicated to 'Cigarette' Jeans. So how do they compare to other styles/fits, say, for example, 'Skinny' Jeans [which, yes, they do in fact carry as a separate line]?

The descriptions for each are as follows:
Skinny - Regular Rise, Slim Fit, Skinny
Cigarette - Regular Rise, Super Slim Fit, Super Narrow Leg

Skinny, apparently, wasn't skinny enough.

According to their website, Urban Outfitters' brand profile reads:

'Urban Outfitters operates more than 130 stores in the United States, Canada and Europe, all offering an eclectic mix of merchandise. We stock our stores with what we love, calling on our — and our customer's — interest in contemporary art, music and fashion. From men's & women's apparel and accessories to items for the apartment, we offer a lifestyle-specific shopping experience for the educated, urban-minded individual in the 18 to 30 year-old range — both online and in our stores as well as through our catalog.'

Legal jargon, that last part [in bold] appears to be, because adults [age 18 and over] are certainly not their only consumers [of their clothes or messages]. T(w)eens make up a huge portion of their consumer base, if not the majority. Likewise, 'educated' is a far cry from true.

How educated, for example, would you assess this 'Smoking Smarties' middle schooler?

Lloyd Johnston, a researcher at the University of Michigan for Monitoring the Future, an NIH-funded study, reported the end of last year:

'While great strides have been made in reducing youth smoking in this country, there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Among high school seniors in the Class of 2009, 20 percent have smoked in the most recent month and one in nine (11 percent) is a current daily smoker. Further, our follow-up studies have shown that a number of the lighter smokers in high school will convert to heavy smoking after leaving high school.

Given what we know about the consequences of smoking, this is still an unacceptable level of involvement.'

Urban Outfitters' Company Profile reads:

'Our established ability to understand our customers and connect with them on an emotional level is the reason for our success.. The emphasis is on creativity. Our goal is to offer a product assortment and an environment so compelling and distinctive that the customer feels an empathetic connection to the brand and is persuaded to buy.'

..And they forgot, perhaps, use.

This is not the first time, however, the retailer sparked controversy. On Wikipedia, there's an entire list, referencing at least eight separate incidences. The last reads:

'In May 2010, Urban Outfitters released a shirt that read "Eat less." The shirt was widely criticized for promoting anorexia, especially since the model that adorned the shirt on the website was considered to be extremely thin. The company soon pulled the shirt from the website altogether.'

Extremely thin.. yet over 18?..




So the shirt was 'pulled from the website altogether'. Hurrah! Right?


But check this out:
Type in the Search Box of the Urban Outfitters' retail site: 'EAT LESS'.

You'll find it does NOT return 'NO ITEMS FOUND', as typically would be the case for gibberish, but instead directs you to the 'Tops -> Basics' category, displaying nearly 48 images of ultra-skinny women [perhaps girls, too].

Shutter.

Education, including health, occurs everywhere - *Everywhere* - Not just the classroom.

Is this the kind of education you want to buy, wear, endorse, breathe, consume, become? Food for thought.

Happy Healthy Juicy Fashion Shouldn't Hurt or Harm!

Coming of Age: Stylishly or Skankily..?

Earlier this month, mother-daughter duo, Madonna & Lourdes [nickname Lola], launched their much anticipated Material Girl Collection for Macy's. Madonna credited much of the designs to 13-year-old Lola, in which case the fashion line might be described as: For tweens by a tween.. and her super-rich&famous mom.

Here's 13-year-old Lola on the left and 17-year-old Taylor Momsen, the face of the collection, on the right.



In this week's Fall Fashion issue of New York Magazine, exploring the 'world of adult-girl fashion', Alex Morris writes, 'The Material Girl line is perfect for you if you are an NYU art major with a killer body. There’s lace and leather and a lavish assortment of body-con dresses.' [The thing is is that university students aren't the only ones consuming this stuff— clothing and images alike..]

He then goes on to point out:

'Throughout history, cultures have had strict dress codes relating to age, but no longer: Our fetishization of youth not only means that older women are dressing younger, but also that young girls are dressing older, pushing themselves into sexualized terrain. For tweens at the intersection of childhood and adulthood—an age that’s a natural fashion fault line—this role reversal can present particular confusion. No one knows quite what to wear. Not even Madonna. “I always have two reactions when Lola comes into my room with an outfit on,” she says in a video discussing the line. “One is, ‘Oh my God, she looks amazing, what incredible style.’ And then my second reaction is, ‘She’s dressed completely inappropriately for school.’ ”

These are some pics from the photo shoot for the collection [and remember, think tween, these are for tweens..]..



[..tweens..]



These are some of the final pics posted for the collection's site [..tweens.. these are marketed for tweens..]..



[..tweens..]




So what do you think? Are these appropriate images for young women [or 'older girls'] to get fashion tips from?


If not, perhaps you might find some, um, less-provocative alternatives in the Olsenboye collection..



Or even more affordable, in the Cyrus-Azria collection [heels not included]..



Happy Healthy Juicy Stylish yet [age-] Decent!

One small step for fashion, one giant leap for legkind..

Stop holding your breath, Ladies, literally. This fall season's fashion lineup is finally rolling out Jeggings!

Yes, I know, it's not even August yet—perhaps this is retail's way of saying, 'Hey, you're not spending enough.' So to get your wallet, I mean, attention, stores are already starting to put out autumn threads, despite triple digit weather.. How's that for strategy? In a couple of weeks, it'll be costumes for Halloween, which'll be *like* just around the corner..

So what are jeggings? Jeggings is the hybrid name for jeans + leggings.

With skinny jeans leading the trends, women have had to cram their bottom halves into tight, unforgiving sleeves of denim for a while now, which is not completely a bad thing in that the practice likely helps increase body awareness, but cutting off circulation isn't the only way to achieve that; things like fitting rooms, the media, and the beach take care of it already.

Finally though, with jeggings, maybe women can now be more mobile, comfortable, and maybe even be a little more active. I'm excited to see what shoemakers come up with..


Happy Healthy Juicy Fashionable Comfort!