Cuts on the Bias

Addiction

I feel an addiction coming on. In the 90's I bought a computer game called Riven. It got over 100 hours of my life in the first month. I promised my family I'd stop playing it, but then I'd sneak out to the computer at 2am and get right back in it. They finally had to destroy my CD.

Since then I've been reasonably careful about avoiding digital addictions. I gave half a summer to Civilization (still can be seduced by it if i'm under stress and need to feel in control of something) and a total (so far) of about 10 Sunday afternoons to Ancestry.com. I give 30 mins each morning to the NY Times and I'm going to just ignore email for now because that would be too revealing. Thanks to family, friends and colleagues, I'm bombarded by new digital stuff all the time, but up until now, it's been relatively easy to say...uh, no thanks.

Don't ask to explain why yet, but the new browser Kelley sent me, Flock, is showing all signs of being highly addictive. It has an intense UI, very similar to a computer game and at first, it's intimidating. But i know from experience that those cockpit-like UI's wield alot of power and it doesn't take that long to get acclimated. I've spent two hours with it so far (and I'm sitting on the beach....)

Pink Flock

Eh... I tried PicFindr and it just doesn't have a range of editorial worthy pics. I tried typing in Madonna and got someone's vacation pics from Rome. I do love Flock however; it isn't really related to fashion (although they do have a fashion browser). It helps me keep all of my gmail, facebook, flickr and random sites in order in one place, and it's pretty intuitive. I did get annoyed that when I chose to get the fashion browser my screen is now pink. Sick.

Online strolls with Alexa

Good catch on StyleShake. I went back and managed to complete an outfit (but the left side menu navigation is a poor UI design and I bet lots of users miss it). I'm going to risk it and order an item. Will let you know how it turns out.

As for how popular Like.com is, Alexa currently rates them 6,049 which is quite high for a new fashion-oriented site (for example, Bluefly is 5,227 today). Their traffic chart indicates they're growing nicely. (Some people discount the Alexa ratings as not accurate, but if used in a comparative manner between similar sites, I think they're fine.) Like you, I didn't find the site useful in its first iteration, but I just used it to find my elusive long sundress and voila! it presented plenty of acceptable choices. They need more retail partners, but once that happens, they could be my "go to" starting point for online shopping.

Oh and one of my favorite features of Alexa is the ability to find related links...kind of a more logical Stumbleupon.  Related to Like.com, I found PicFindr, a site that helps you find digital photos that don't require a license for commercial use. Seeing that you use digital photography daily, I'm curious what you think of it.

Liking Like.com

I figured it out...the list to the left hand side is how you move to the next step after choosing the bodice. It was fairly easy to navigate through the rest of the design process.

The problem is I'm not willing to shell out 85 pounds (about $170 not including shipping) for a garment that may be really cheap-looking. It would be smart if they gave a first time deal of $75, shipping included-then I could check it out without sacrificing too much. My last couple of online fashion purchases have been so-so experiences. I bought some underwear from Victoria's Secret which arrived on time, but now I get about 2 catalogs a week. The other was from Newport News, a pair of great $12 dollar sandals arrived but my impulsive sundress order never showed up and just yesterday  found out it never will due to production problems--I ordered it in April.

I was approached by the creators of Like.com last Spring and loved their concept--it just had some kinks which were to be expected. Now it seems they worked those things out. I love shopping on that site--well, window shopping. Its the first shopping site I've found that lets you control every search element so you don't waste time looking at a bunch of crap you don't want. How popular are they?

StyleShake

Yes, I could have my clothing made for me...but that wouldn't make choosing a wardrobe any easier. In fact, it might be harder because I'd have too many options.

Thanks for forwarding the link to Styleshake.com. They have the right idea in offering women the ability to design their own clothing by assembling pre-selected parts and choosing their fabric. Sign-up was a snap (a step far too many sites flub). I started the process by choosing the fabric...an odd first step in my opinion. I usually think about the design of my garment first, then choose the fabric, but I went along with their approach and chose a forest green cotton. The fabric selection click took me right to the dress designing page (a nice, clean move) which offered me half a dozen different bodice designs. I selected a wide dolman and that's when the site failed.... No clue how to add a skirt to the dress or move forward in any way. Tried several other bodice styles in case that was the problem, but still no way to move forward. As I always do with a poorly functioning site, I abandoned it.

The concept of this site is brilliant and the interface design is quite good, but it simply wasn't working the day I tried it so I can't say anything other than "good idea, weak execution." I'll try back later.

Tailored for life

How to define your style, and how to transition from one age to the next is the question everyone wants answered right? What if you were an anti-establishment Nirvana loving journalist in your 20's, and now a new stay at home mom? I think Katherine Hepburn always looked good because she stuck to well tailored classics throughout her life.

There's a new well-tailored woman catching my eye these days...she could turn out to be quite an inspiration to many women (her too, for that matter). But who tailors their clothes in their 20's? I just turned 30 and still don't find it a priority. Christopher, at this point in your life you could have all your clothes made for you. Why don't you?

Age and beauty

Hmm...you raise a good question for any age woman...when can you put away the tricks and just be beautiful? If by tricks you mean artificial and exaggerated means of getting attention, I'd love to see them go by the wayside for everyone. However, after 20 years of wearing boring corporate suits and loosely tailored pants, I'm starving for a more personal wardrobe--one that feels uniquely mine--suited to my moods, my behaviors and my preferences. 

Creating this type of wardrobe is easier said than done. Finding clothes that feel authentic and individual is increasingly difficult (I think this is partly what drives the vintage thirst). Err too much on the unique side and you risk becoming the weird old gal who doesn't know she's decades out of style or doesn't understand the role age plays in clothing selection. Madonna's managed to avoid that so far, but Cher hasn't....in fact, if you think about it, very few female celebrities have managed to continue being effective fashion role models as they age. They either hang on to the outrageous styles of their youth or they fade away. I think this is why I repeatedly watch Katherine Hepburn movies. She did transition beautifully from one age to the next.

Maxi's, Madonna and Maturity

I hate to break it to you but the West Coast didn't get left out, your age group did.

The Maxi dress is a huge trend this season, not just with high-end designers like Roberto Cavalli and DVF, but with popular retail chains like French Connection  and J.Crew both of which you have on the West Coast. The obstacle for your demographic is that we're only seeing young Hollywood wearing it, or pregnant young Hollywood.When Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie and Jessica Alba skirt around in them , it becomes hard for the brand to pitch it to an older crowd. Have you seen Madonna in one yet?

Speaking of Madge, Eric Wilson wrote an intriguing article on the aging material girl in NY Times Thursday Styles. It's his point of view that Madonna's current style has lost its teeth. I happen to think she looks fantastic. At what age can the woman put away the tricks and just be beautiful?

Where's my long sun dress?

I have been musing about sewing, but that's as far as I've gotten. It's true, I used to make most of my clothes, but that was a different time. It was more of a creative outlet for me, I think, a way of adding flair and joy to my life when it had too little of either. I don't feel the same now, and as a result sewing is more of a chore. It's also a very solitary pursuit--I think blogging and answering email gives me my full quota of "alone" time.

But back to your points about the industry and climate making the East coast more fashion forward, I understand why stores in my neighborhood don't display acres of coats, scarfs, boots and wool clothing. But it seems like that logic should work in reverse. The West has long, easy summers that cry out for playful fashions, so why was it so tough for me to find any long sun dresses this season? They are ubiquitous in NYC, and who in Hollywood or LA wouldn't want a long sun dress? I agree NorCal can be, for the most part, a fashion wasteland, but it didn't used to be.

East before West

In my opinion, there are two reasons the East Coast gets new styles well before the West: climate and industry. With the change of seasons being more extreme in the East Coast, one element of fashion that we're privy to is layering. When I moved to New York from Los Angeles I had one coat and two sweaters. Why would I have more? Over the years I've collected scarves, cardigans, thin coats, pea coats, dress coats--those things automatically made me a more sophisticated dresser, or at least more adventurous.

Los Angeles has beautiful weather and beautiful people who want to show their off their figures. NY has super models and Fashion Editors, which brings me to my point on industry. On the West Coast, you have the Technology culture up North and the Beach culture down South, right in the middle is Hollywood. Buyers know that no one mainstream in those markets cares about Dries Van Noten or Sari Gueron--who both had long dresses in their Spring Summer collection like the one you're been looking for. You used to sew, why not give it a whirl?

West lags East?

Funny..at age 12, I thought my pants were going to be pegged forever too. And in an odd way, they have--or at least I've had the choice of pegged pants (or skinny jeans) at least once a decade for the past 40 years. I stopped wearing them after their reincarnation in the 80's when they were teamed with over-sized tops, but I wasn't at all surprised to see them come back a few years ago. And I won't be surprised to see harem pants back again, although the version below is far more elegant than any I saw last time around when MC Hammer wore them (and yes, I know his were technically parachute pants, but the difference is minimal).

I will probably try them, and might even buy them if a clever designer finds a way to make them attractive on a small body that is not 25. But since I live on the West Coast, I probably won't have the opportunity to try them for another least 2-3 years. I'm not sure why fashions travels so slowly to us on this side of the country. We have money. We have taste. We buy new cell phones in a heartbeat and adopt new technology before its even working (yes, I'm one of the "1%" of MobileMe users who's email hasn't worked in 4 days...). Why can't we be trusted with the leading edge of fashion?

Harem Pants

At age 12 I was convinced my pants were going to be "pegged" forever ("tight-rolled" for you East Coasters), flares were for hippies and baggy made me look fat.  Wouldn't you know it a new version of "pegging" is back under a new more fashionable title "Harem" pants.

Not to be confused with Genie (see through bubble pants), Harem pants are loose at the top and fitted around the calf muscle, typically made with a light breathable fabric. I originally noticed them at the Marc Jacobs Spring 07 show, mostly because of the unfortunate diaper effect it gave the meager models. Since then designers Chris Benz , Philip Lim and BCBG have jumped on board as well, citing the chic French women as their inspiration. So should we thank these ladies from across the pond? I am more than willing to give them a shot (look how cute Diane Kruger looks!)-at least its something new- SKINNY JEANS WILL NOT DIE OFF SOON ENOUGH.