Cuts on the Bias

Breaking Up is Hard To Do

I've said it before but i'm not above repeating myself: I like recessions. Not because I'm some masochistic zealot who believes we're being punished for our shameful ways or some analytic geek who assumes the system is working as it should, but because recessions are like breaking up with a bad boyfriend--we all need to go through this every once in a while to make sure our life is on track.

Once you get over weeping about how good things used to be and what your life could have been like if nothing had changed, you get the chance to start over. In this fresh start, no one expects much from you initially and everyone is sympathetic to your struggles. If you grieve too long for the past, a good friend (or caring blogger) will grab you by the scruff and say "pull yourself together, girl--that old economy's not worth whining over."

So we're all in the throes of a great big break-up. Think of our old economy as a bf who showered us with luxuries, loaned us money whenever we wanted it and let us think we were way richer than our bank account deserved. He's disappeared, without even a "goodbye" IM, leaving us with our own bills plus all of his. He wasn't the economy for us and we're better off without him.

Fashion Forward

Kelley's post and Mary's comment started me thinking, and then a chance encounter tonight at an Obama fund raiser sparked an idea. I agree that fashion plays a crucial role in our identity, both as individuals and as a society. I also agree that this identification can be powerful enough to rebuff recessionary pressures. But the insight (which I credit to a conversation with Chris Erickson, CEO of Climate Earth) is that maybe the definition of fashion needs to change.

We talk endlessly about hybrid cars, organic food, green tech and carbon neutral footprints. We agree that the earth is in danger and we all need to conserve. But except for the random hemp shirt and a few brands of ugly vegan shoes, fashion is rarely part of this conversation. I have no idea if my clothing purchases are helping or hurting the planet--and this is something I should at least know.

What if clothing labels provided that information? If a system existed to quantify the carbon cost of creating a garment, and the resulting score was added to the label, we could have a new dimension of fashion based on how hard designers worked to create beauty without damaging the environment. A truly innovative design would be one that not only captivated us aesthetically, but also spoke to our intelligence. I am not (loud emphasis on "not") advocating brown shoes and colorless cotton sack dresses. I'm asking why fashion, particularly high fashion, can't expand its definition to include environmental conscientiousness and in doing so, help us all shift our behavior.

I would be much more likely to clean out my closet if I knew I could fill it with beautiful, fashionable "0" carbon clothes. I might even do that in the midst of a bad economy.

I fear what a Walmart Soccer Mom wears...

 In response to K. Zunkles (wink) comment...

"A common thread among several of your more recent posts: the role of fashion in the public consciousness. What are your thoughts on this in light of Palin's remarks disparaging the $150,000 wardrobe and proclaiming a return to her "real" (i.e., Walmart Mom) clothes? Just curious."

A friend of mine over at The Frisky put together a brilliant page showing how to get the same looks for less at Walmart, heres a peak.

I guess this could fall in the same category as -do what i say not as i do?

Michelle Obama has worn some pricey outfits but she's mixed it up with H&M, and just last night J.Crew on Leno. I think all through out this campaign she knew that women, especially, would be looking at what she was wearing (duh) and she didn't want to seem out of touch.  The opposite was happening over at the McCain camp, I think they wanted to have her appeal to the fussy conservatives that idolize Cindy. It backfired on them though, when all of a sudden it became about Joe the god damn plumber. There's really no excuse for spending like this, none of the candidates suits or grooming cost this much and I'm not sexist for calling her out for poor judgment, it would be sexist for me not to.

 To ignore the impression fashion can make is well...ignorant.  This price tab is going to haunt her, just like those unfortunate boots.

I'll clean your closet for free

Cleaning out your closet is something you should do once every 6 months. Most of you out there hold onto things for far too long for the wrong reasons. Editing your closet, even if it means moving things to storage, helps you remember what you have and finding new ways of wearing it. Sometimes I find if I just re-arrange things, new outfits appear.  Cleaning out my closet helps me sleep at night, something about putting things in there place nice and neat, lowers my stress level and gives me a sense of accomplishment. That may have been an over share.

What worries me about your comment Chris, is that it essentially puts my job/career at risk. Not to say I haven't already considered how valued I will be in the upcoming years but I like to think that even though people don't want to shop, they still want to look. I've already altered the price points of my pages-but I'm not willing to throw in the towel just because fashion isn't a necessity.

I've been in this situation before, I remember my Junior year at design school was when 9/11 happened. I felt like such an ass going into my dress making classes, how do you find value in something so meaningless at the time? I considered dropping out and switching careers when I received a letter from my Grandmother in the mail, a lovely handwritten note reminding me that in the most dire of times artists are the ones that inspire, the world needs to see beauty so you must keep creating. I don't design clothing anymore but I do put them in my magazine and I hope that at the very least it serves as some sort of escapism.

Empty Aisles

Kelley pointed me to the The Recessionista blog recently linked in the NY Times. I scanned through MH's posts--she clearly seems to know how to find a bargain--but she doesn't capture the mood I'm sensing in consumers. Maybe it's a West Coast thing; after all, we are somewhat fashion impaired out here. But most women I know aren't looking for a bargain. They simply aren't looking at all.

It's easy to find close-in parking in any of the large malls or shopping strips. The stores are so empty your footsteps echo. Helpful salespeople surround you within minutes, dismayed when they see you're there to make a return. At one retailer I saw Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas goods all out on display together, as though they didn't want to risk losing a customer by not having the right season available.

You'd think this would be depressing--and certainly the financial side of it is. But a fall-off in consumerism has positive benefits. The "let's pretend we're rich" shopping behavior of past years was stressful because it was not sustainable. At some level most of us are relieved that we can sit out this Fall's round of acquisition. Buying the perfect blue sweater only to find a nearly identical one in your closet did not make any woman feel like a genius, even if it was on sale. Buying carefully, and slowly, suddenly feels virtuous. Likewise, being forced to use what you've got tends to push creativity: I put together an outfit last week that I'd never worn before, even though I've had all the pieces for years. Maybe that means I'm a recessionista, but I prefer to think it means I'm normal.

Necessary Distractions

I'm less cranky today, although god only knows why as I and everyone else watch the Dow swan dive into the future. I love Kelley's advice on boots, but it's 80 degrees here, so boots remain symbolic to me.

What's all too real is the economy and its impact on everyday life. I'm not surprised to see fashion retailers cutting their forecasts sharply, and I bet it's not enough. The old economy thrived on consumers needing something new every other week, but few people are going to have the resources or the appetite to support that behavior. I'm not saying fashion is doomed--if fashion depended on a robust economy, it would have died out 5,000 years ago. But I think it will change, possibly dramatically.

Meanwhile, I need something free and easy to distract me. Thanks to nerdy pleasure Nethackz, I found  Dosh Dosh. This is a blog that offers internet marketing advice. Normally, that description would kill my interest, but Dosh Dosh is written by a philosophy student in Canada who reminds me of every shy, sweet, artistic guy I never dated. The content is a bit dry unless you're making a living off your blog, but his anime imagery is charming and his common sense is admirable.

Trend vs. Staple

To touch upon Jeannes comment in the Sarah Palin Boot discussion-

" Boots are a dilemma. Unless your legs measure at least 36 inches short boots cut your legs. Calf length boots emphasize the fattest part of the leg, and over the knee boots....well, remember Pretty Woman. So where do we go with the boots?"

Great question. Quite frankly if boots aren't flattering on you then don't buy them. They may seem universal but in fact, it's the opposite. If you have larger calves, you're screwed, if you don't have the right jeans, you look awkward and truthfully ankle boots with dresses and skirts is a youthful trend. If you ride horses, have a lot of yard work pick up a pair of black or brown boots. Otherwise wear your dresses with tights/nylons and heels/flats-its that simple.

Kick in the Butt with High Heeled Boots

I'm sure men will have a different point of view on Palin's boots, but if I was wearing them the message would be "cross me at your peril, dickhead." (Davis just went to check if I've unpacked my boots box yet).

Polite warning...I'm in a ranting mood. Why in the middle of an economic melt down is Richard Branson navigating the "Virgin Money" across the Atlantic? Why does my 15 year old continue to get invitations for "low intro rate!" credit cards? Why is J Crew telling me I can't have enough cheap cashmere sweaters? Are these guys all tone deaf or am I living on a different planet?

In my ideal world, Richard Branson would be using his brilliance and wealth to jump-start new alternative energy transportation companies. Banks would be sending my child invitations to open a college savings account, and J Crew would be showing me how to combine last year's hot items with one or two new pieces that moths don't mistake for an "all you can eat" buffet.

I doubt this is just my ideal world and institutions that ignore cultural change (which I think we're in the midst of) don't survive. Just ask the Republican Party.

Discuss Palin's $150,000 choice...

I'm not so sure these boots work, and I'm not just picking on Palin, the boys don't wear anything exciting for me to look at.

In an attempt to educate those who don't see eye to eye with me on this one (if so please let me know why), whenever you leave only your knees showing, people have no choice but to stare at your knees. My knees aren't very cute and either are yours.

She's also cut herself up into thirds-shoulders to waist, waist to bottom of skirt and skirt to feet, not a desirable proportion. She has a nice figure and its not coming across-could be just a bad angle but I fear its even worse head on.

Finally let me point out that black knee high leather boots, although fashionable, might not be the best choice for a tight red skirt suit. Not horrible, just questionable. I bet everyone was staring at her ass when she was walking up the steps to the plane.

To Do-Buy House!

I signed up for the milk site, which was really easy, but then I was a bit lost. I felt I reached the step when I grab a piece of paper and start the ritual of ranking tasks to do by urgency, instead I was left with a blank screen-and wasn't very excited to fill it. Writing down a to-do list is enjoyable for me, sometimes I re-write lists just to burn it into my memory or to make it more legible. I have about 8 notebooks right now partially filled with lists, one in my bag, by my bed, at the office, at the home office, I could use a site like Remember the Milk but just haven't warmed up to it yet. Ill give it more time, and download the application for Blackberry.

A site that I can't stop visiting is Street Easy. I believe its just a New York site for now, but if you've ever looked to buy or rent a house this site is like real estate porn! I'm in the process of looking for an apartment to buy in Brooklyn, I have 7 more months on my current lease so I'm in no hurry, it's a great place to be in this down market. On the site you get all the stats you could possibly want, how long its been on the market, if the price has been reduced, whats schools its by, how much sq ft your getting vs. other neighborhoods. The best is that its all condensed, you can view all the apartments selling on the same block, get a street view, calculate your mortgage, get the link to the proper broker-I have spent hours just crunching the numbers and investigating neighborhoods.  It gives me all the information a broker could provide, with out the attitude and fee.

Organize Me

Ok, I'm over my frustration with a beige world. I think a recession may help remedy that problem (more on that later). Today I'm feeling the need to organize. For those of you who don't know me, that previous sentence sends my family fleeing. My organizational benders have been known to cause a certain level of distress in the household. I've alphabetized our towels by color (blues before browns, white at the end). I've re-org'd our kitchen cupboards so frequently family members just leave things on the sink because they're clueless where to put them. Just last night I organized my car (don't ask).

Organizing gives me a sense of calm. It's my own personal Valium without the cost or side effects. Thanks to technology, I have numerous virtual worlds to organize: my Tivo, my desktop, my inbox, my feeds, my bookmarks, my files....I'm getting a little hit of nirvana just thinking about these tasks. And now, thanks to another clever Web 2.0 entrepreneur, I can organize my organizing.

Copy Cats

Its so much easier to copy what other people are doing, than find a style that is truly yours. Its safe, accepted, and kind of a no-brainer to just wear what you know. 

[Dear Kenly, can you see why the judges felt they had seen that dress before?]

Christopher, you've had a wardrobe transformation over the past couple of years and wouldn't you say you've never felt better about the way you look? Granted, you had to wear suits for most of your career so investing in a wardrobe outside of that arena didn't make sense at the time, and I think that's true for most people. The consequence of that is a museum full of beige, so dull, so boring. If I asked those same people to describe their personality in two words, do you think they would choose dull and boring? That's where I get frustrated-I believe the outside should reflect the inside and that its not materialistic or vain to invest in your appearance. I don't believe its the most important thing in life or that it has to cost a fortune but I believe it and would welcome a lively debate on the matter.

Moving on to other things, I just returned from Florida. It's scary there.

Promises, Promises

Kelley is in Florida on a photo shoot and has no internet access (Everglades?), but she sent me a few topics. One was a new online shopping site, Shop It To Me, that promises to be my "free personal online shopper." I give it major points for ease of registration--why all sites can't get this step right is a mystery, but most can not. It takes about 2 minutes to choose your favorite brands, input your sizes and tell them your gender. Once your profile is complete, they send you emails alerting you when your favs are on sale.

Here's where I think they fail in their promised role. If I had a personal shopper (which I don't right now), I would hope that person would not just alert me to sales. I would hope they would point out important details like "those jeans make your butt look huge" or "that color brings out your crow's feet." That's the true value of a personal shopper--they tell you what you don't want to hear, and in doing that, earn your trust over time. Maybe Shop It To Me (ridiculously dated name, btw) some how sends that message, but I doubt it.

Sea of Sameness

I visited the California Academy of Science today. This is a "don't miss" SF adventure for locals and tourists alike. The digital presentation in the planetarium is worth the price of admission (and will explain why Barack Obama was smart to vote for a $3 million projector). The only aspect that disappointed me was my fellow visitors. If I hadn't known better, I would swear I was visiting Mao's China of the '60s and '70s. Everyone (everyone!) was wearing pants, T-shirts and sweatshirts in faded shades of blue, green and brown.

We are the wealthiest country in the world (despite the current downtrend), and we have unrivaled freedom of expression, so why do we all dress the same? Even the tattooed crowd here, which I hope represents the literally bleeding edge of individualism, is sporting similar designs in similar places (large dragons on the neck). Kelley, clue me in...why are we content to don the equivalent of Mao jackets in an age and place where it's not required?

Boobs and Blazers

I get why there are so many pantsuits, I don't appreciate them as much as you, but I get it. My problem is more about the fabric choice and color. She was never briefed on separates either, but she was busy, I'll let it slide.

There's this little thing called "style" that takes a back seat with career women, and it frustrates me. I've been helping a girlfriend of mine shop for the last couple of years, not for casual clothes but for work and special occasions. She has great taste, apartment is well decorated, hair and skin very healthy- yet when it would come to work clothes she would throw on the most boring turtle necks, jeans, blah button ups, I'm sure this is familiar to a lot of you. Once we evaluated her closet, figured out her "safe" items (cashmere sweaters in the brown family) we went out to find new pieces that she could expand her wardrobe with. Instead of a cashmere crew neck sweater and a button up, how about a blouse and long wrap sweater? Same comfort level, provocative parts covered, and extra style points.

The thing with style is that it shows you care. Do you mow your lawn? Wash your car?  Same deal, respecting what you have and making it look the best it can.

On a side note, I don't think showing off your legs, and tits once in a while is a bad thing-all things in moderation. [this picture is a mad men reference-if you're not watching it...start]

Powerful pants

hmmm...so many topics daring me to respond. I vote for light-hearted fare today.

I like your idea of local stores stepping up and filling the void mass marketers are leaving, but I doubt even a jeans swapping event would get me and my generation of women out of our blue uniform. I don't know why we are so attached to them; I mean we've been wearing this same basic look for nearly 40 years. Even my 101 year old grandmother updates her look more frequently than that.

And that brings me to Hilary's style (which you previously said you couldn't understand). I understand her pantsuits. It was one of the most liberating style changes of our generation. Prior to its invention, we were rushing off to work in dresses, panty hose and heels. Every day, no reprieve. When you walked into a conference room--at that time, full of men--all eyes were on your legs and your tits. It was hard to be taken seriously while wearing a lace collar or a pleated skirt. Enter the stern pantsuit (complete with vest and jacket cut to cover your butt) and suddenly women have brains. I didn't stop wearing mine until I truly had all the power I needed. Hilary is not there yet.

I'm turning off CNN. For a week.

Advertisers are going to ask more of their magazines. You know how Saturn makes sure it has strong placement on Project Runway, now imagine a Vogue cover with Jennifer Aniston (one of the highest selling celeb covers) wearing an "I heart Jordache" t-shirt.

But even that might not help the magazines because they'll have to lower the prices of items they're showcasing to keep readers interested which will piss off the Pradas and Chanels (big ad money) of the world that quite frankly don't want to share the page with Keds (big ad money). This is why I've always thought the fundamental business plan of a fashion magazine was flawed. Their strength is in the circulation (how many people they reach) but they don't get people to go into a store to buy something, and if they did, it is so hard to track which magazine prompted the sale. It seems only natural the advertisers want to see more proof that if they place an ad in a magazine their brand will grow stronger and their sales will increase. 

The cost of a magazine; printing, distribution, production of shoots, paying photographers, messengering trunks to shoots to and from the office, cabs to see the clothes in showroom before shooting them, plane tickets to fashion week in Europe, expense accounts, the list goes on, is far too expensive to be without newstand sales for too long (subscriptions make no money).

I went to a preview for Limited yesterday and every piece in the showroom was under $100, not all the pieces were great but they were on trend and there were at least 2 skirts and a bag I would have bought. For an editor that's a success. I also saw Norma Kamali's line for Walmart (shown) those dresses are all under $40. This is the time when the designers that can create the looks from the runway at a price people can respect will survive.

I'd love to see local stores step in and help people out-throw some sort of a jean swapping event or %10 off your sale if you donate an old winter coat. It's my experience that people hord far too much in their closets-time to re-sell or re-cycle-which is a great positive to come from this economic transition.

"Gilty" Pleasures and Market Transitions

Thanks for sending the link to Presse Boutique. I think the most standout element of their site is their blog. Too bad it's buried--should be front and center. It gives them personality. The rest of their site I find 'ho hum.' Very similar to every other high end boutique-y online site I've visited in the past year.

BTW, I love Gilt (thanks to my ever hip stylist, Jeff, at Louie for pointing me here). Not yet sure I'll buy anything there, but higher than average possibility. It looks like fun--more of a game than shopping. Tricky to build "invite only" traffic though (ala Gmail). I'll be impressed if they pull it off.

The bigger, over-riding concern that's frankly swamping all other diversions in my life is what the current market transition is going to mean to ordinary businesses, in particular fashion retailers. I use "market transition" instead of "downturn" or "crash" because I truly believe the world is changing, starting with its financial underpinnings. You've been saying for awhile now that the fashion business model is "broken". Well, nothing that is broken is going to survive this transition--nothing. Is anyone in your world talking about what's going to happen now that multimillionaires are hording their money and main street doesn't have any to spend on trendy clothes? And how are mags going to survive if they aren't getting ad money from retailers?

The good news is they both look great

I do think Michelle Obama has been stepping out of the main stream a bit more than Cindy McCain. Michelle has worn Thakoon, Toms Binns, H&M and Donna Ricco over the past months. Cindy has worn Oscar de la Renta, Escada and Carolina Herrera. If I were to score them, head to head, it would be very close.  As ambassadors of their "brand", they are incredibly successful, it would be a pleasure to be their publicists! Michelle conveys that she can be both high and low fashion, high and low is what they (Michelle and Barack), as a couple, represent. Cindy is near perfection, so polished and shiny, something many people aspire to be.  They (McCains) have an ideal american lifestyle, simple and conservative.  Given a choice, I would rather support a brand I can actually identify with, Cindy's look seems exhausting to keep up. Michelle looks like she's lifted a weight and eaten a burger-but can still be elegant in a shift dress and flats. I'm still struggling to even explain Hillary, I'm sure its something about wearing the pants in the family.

Obama vs McCain

Time to return to fashion.... the economy is too depressing and my beloved technology is failing me.
In keeping with tonight's debate, let's look at the difference between Michelle Obama's style and Cindy McCain's. I'm not going to pretend to know which designer labels they wear--Kelley can tell us that--but I can interpret their choices based on appearance.

Both women play it safe most of the time. They tend to choose outfits with minimal fuss that are acceptable to a wide range of tastes. Michele breaks out more often than Cindy does. Check out this green and purple striped number at Mrs. O (a clever site that tracks what Ms Obama wears). Both women love bold, expressive colors, although Cindy seems a bit stuck here. I searched through hundreds of images of her and couldn't find one print outfit--all solids with a couple of subtle striped shirts thrown in for grins. Something about this says "repressed" to me. On the other hand, Michelle wallops us with big ol' smacks of color. Something about this says "compensating for being ordered around by handlers."

Although older than Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain occasionally strays into little girl's land with puffed sleeves and ruffles (a look I can only imagine on Michelle in caricature).  This is an odd choice for a successful business woman, but sometimes relays a softer side that can't find any other way out. Ms. Obama takes the opposite tack, appearing at times in outfits that draw all attention to her hips and can only be described as "I am woman!" The girl's got guts.

What, if anything, does this tell you about their husbands? I would bet my failing iPhone that Michelle's a more aggressive partner than Cindy. Barack has to have some cojones to stay in the ring with her. Cindy probably conforms more to John's moods and needs, but when she's not happy, I'm sure she can spew a continent of coldness his way. His time in prison camp probably helps. Thankfully, neither of these women is as two-dimensional as Laura Bush so we can only hope their mates are likewise more fully formed.

Smart+phone=oxymoron

I'm so glad you've touched on this because I am in the market for a new smartphone.  Right now, work has issued me a Motorola Q-can't stand it. Not only does it freeze up frequently, it turns off when I go underground and wont turn back on when I get back up. Sometimes it will get stuck in CAPS mode so I can't even enter my password to unlock, which is all undercase. Looking at images and searching online is pointless because the images take forever to load and the page is all jumbled once its ready to view. If you're an ipone owner you probably can't view your work email, receive all your calls or texts but hey you can pour a beer and pretend to drink it!!!

When did the fundamentals of communication become so un-sexy?

I've been told to lookout for the Blackberry Bold, indeed a sexy looking beast, but not without its issues. The release date has been pushed back a couple times already and I'm okay with that-iron out the kinks before selling it, I'm growing tired of disappointment. I wonder if women have less tolerance for these sort of glitches? I don't hear men complaining nearly as much about their iphones or treos or q's as I do women, then again they're probably too busy popping popcorn to notice.

Apple vs a basic wool coat

I need a new phone. My barely year old, $500 plus iPhone won't hold a charge. I also need a new computer. My eighteen month old Macbook Pro crashes regularly, won't hold a charge and has a squirrelly keyboard. Repeated trips to my uber-cool Apple store elicits the same comment from the earnest clerks after they diligently review my stats:  "wow, you're really a heavy user."

Yes, I am, but it never occurred to me that Apple products weren't designed for heavy users. In fact, I thought a Mac user, by definition, was someone who lived and breathed computers. Given the price premium I'm paying for these products, I expect Hummer-like performance--instead I'm getting a Yugo.

Meanwhile, my 15 year old hammers out text and email all day long on her $59 Blackberry and I see highly rated Lenova Thinkpads configured similar to my MacBook selling at under a grand. So the question i"m wrestling with as I plan my next purchase is what's the Apple brand worth to me and why? Am I willing to pay a price and performance premium to access the applications that are, for the most part, ahead of the curve? Or would I be better served spending less on non-Apple products and waiting longer for things like traffic monitoring software on my phone? Ughh. This is harder than buying a coat.

Sarah Palin Gets a B-

I think Sarah Palin went with the serious black suit, but I couldn't really tell because our TV decided to broadcast only in shades of green and gray last night. If I was prone to conspiracy theories I'd blame Republicans, but Davis blames Comcast.

Regardless of color, I thought Sarah Palin looked stylish. And that describes her performance as well. As I listened to her craft her replies, I had a sense of deja vu. I could almost predict what she would say (and I haven't memorized her stump speeches). Then it hit me -- she's perfected my high school strategy for how to pass an essay test without reading the book! About midway through my junior year, I realized that I could get a C, or sometimes even a B-, if I just wrote complex sentences that hinted at a novel's content without ever really reading the book. The night before a test, I would read the book summary, the first chapter and the last. On the day of the test, I'd read the essay question then write 4-5 paragraphs that essentially restated that question as a response. Voila, a passing grade!

As my high school diploma attests, style without substance can get you through those situations where the bar is set low. I eventually found myself living in a world where I couldn't bullshit the test. I hope that's the world Sarah lives in now.

Shine On Sarah Palin, Shine On...

Palin, Palin, Palin. She's really jazzed up this election hasn't she? Since this blog values style and substance, I'm going to bite my tongue about her fumbling interviews and focus, mainly, on what she's gonna bust out wearing tonight. I think the republicans are crafty,  "We're going to continue to put her in settings where she has an opportunity to shine, to be on offense,"..., so I'm pretty sure they're going to advise her on what to wear.

It's October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, pink seems appropriate-but wait- she wore hot pink on Katie Couric! No need to remind anyone of that clusterfuck. Red seems appropriate, however Tina Fey wears red when she plays Palin and they may not want to fuel that fire. Black seems serious, not a bad choice considering she needs to seem confident and powerful, but then again, shes standing next to Biden so they may want her to seem vulnerable. I hope she doesn't wear that creepy US flag pin on her right lapel, it doesn't make me believe she loves the country anymore than the next guy. It's borderline insulting. If I had it my way, she would have a blow out, straightened bangs (those bangs are dating her back to Brenda Walsh circa 1995) and contact lenses. Screw the lipstick it would be gloss and she would be in a kelly green (environment!), v-neck (show some cleve!) sheath dress with brown crocodile (dead reptile!) heels.

Pret-A-Porter review

First, Davis figured out why you saw a bail bond ad on the shoe site..."killer" heels. Such a helpful guy.

As for Net-a-Porter, it's close to what I want but missing a crucial element. First, let me display my leadership skills by pointing out what they get right:

• it's speedy. Amazing how many fashion or design-oriented sites skimp on their IT power. These guys know what they are doing in that department.
• the images are crisp and appealing. They aren't the first to show clothing on virtual mannequins (I think that was Max Studio, no?) or laid flat, but they are doing it well.
• it's flexible. The sort options are reasonable and the inclusion of outfit views is a nice touch (again, not the first to do this, but its executed well). The Style Fix section has a ton of potential.

Ok, now for what I don't like: