Is There Nothing New Under the Sun to Wear?

 I'm beginning to think that Nikki Minaj and Lady 

 Gaga have cornered the market on "new" when it 

 comes to clothing. And that is not good.

I just finished flipping through the March Spring Fashion issue of Elle, one of four Spring fashion issues I  bought that collectively weigh in at 9.2 pounds.

I don't read fashion magazines month to month.  I just buy them twice a year when they really matter - spring and fall.  Same monthly price, but I get twice the magazine, and learn all I need to know about what's new for the coming season.

Usually among each seasons' latest thing, there is one decade that influences the requisite retro look.  In this month's Elle, you will see significant tribute to no less than four decades - maybe five - amongst the copious trends.  There is the flapper/art deco look (1920s), the "lady like look," no doubt inspired by Mad Men mania (1950s), the Edie (think Little, Sedgwick) look (1960s), and the interminable influence of the 1970s on shoes (although the return of a sensibly soled high heel draws a sigh of relief de moi).  If I really wanted to push it, I could add the tribute to 1990s minimalism.  But I'm gonna give it the benefit of the doubt and call it a stretch.

Were designers drunk all winter and just at the last minute threw a bunch of tried and true vintage smatterings out there to see what sticks?  Is the return of color before the true end of the recession forcing fashion houses to play it safe with familiar looks?  Or have I seen it all rehashed so many times because I'm so old that nothing seems new anymore?

Well, it is only one magazine.  Let's see what the other three are doing.  Maybe by the end of the weekend I'll be able to say, "It's just Elle."

One delightful discovery in this issue that raised Elle to new heights in my esteem was an article by Imogene+Willie's Libby Callaway in which she touts Nashville's ruggedly individual fashion-forward sense in spite of our rhinestone reputation.  Libby has been the most dedicated style writer in Nashville for several years now, so she gets my vote for official Nashville Style Ambassador in the upcoming elections.  Good for Elle for recognizing Nashville's American beauty conscience.

Photo Friday Theme for March 9, 2012: Floral

Spring Blooms on Tree
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
March 13, 2012

The Color of Courage

The Pantone Color Institute has name "Tangerine Tango" the top color for 2012.

Time magazine quotes the institute's executive director Leatrice Eiseman as stating, “There’s the element of encouragement with orange. It’s building on the ideas of courage and action, that we want to move on to better things." Tangerine Tango marries the “vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow,” while maintaining a quality of sophistication, she adds.

Hmmm...perhaps I'll get business cards in Tangerine Tango when I graduate in May.

Anyway, if you keep it in mind, you'll soon be noticing this color everywhere - in fashion, design and even chotchkes.

I, for one, am refreshed, because one of the most disheartening consequences of a recession is that clothes turn drab. Retailers and designers don't take risks with color in hard times. Versatility is the key to moving merchandise in a down market, so everything is black and grey, because you can make it work with everything and one does not want to be too showy when everyone is struggling. The bright color trend has had a good run for the past year or so, and I am happy to see it grow bolder.

Auburn fans will surely be pleased.

Photo Friday Theme for Friday, February 17, 2012: Eat!

Eat
Douglas Lake, Tennessee
September 2009

Awww...

Seen recently on a bulletin board in the Mass Comm building at MTSU:

What I Learned Today

My s'mores are boring.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Phone

The Outdoor Pursuits club at MTSU held a S'mores Clinic on campus today, including real fire for burning roasting marshmallows.

Here's some math I learned at the clinic: graham cracker + Hershey's chocolate square + burned roasted marshmallow = old school.

There were several stations at which to fix your special s'mores, with varying themes and ingredients to keep things fresh and new, including a strawberry shortcake option. These were my favorites:

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Phone

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Phone

The print on the poster above is small so I'll spell it out for you:

The Malavisco Caliente

1. Put chocolate, (roasted) marshmallow and green chilis on graham crackers

2. Put 2 drops of Texas Pete on marshmallow

3. Eat

4. Let everyone know that you are better that them

The Most Interesting Man in the World in the upper left hand corner is saying, "I don't always eat S'MORES, but when I do, I have Malavisco Caliente."

You Learn How to Take Criticism Instead

"You can’t learn to write in college. It’s a very bad place for writers because the teachers always think they know more than you do—and they don’t. They have prejudices." - Ray Bradbury