DAHLINGS -
With the GOP primaries and Occupy movements swirling around us, your faithful correspondent thought that this song is particularly timely.
Written in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression, "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?" was originally a Broadway tune. However, it caught the anguish of the day so well, it became a popular standard. The subject was the men returning from World War One (one of the highest casualty rates in history) to find that there was no work and no place for ex-soldiers.
Other videos of this song include photographs of the riots that mass unemployment caused. You might want to have a look at those as well.
If it does not play here, please go to YouTube.
This is a particularly heart-breaking version, recorded in 1932. It is sung by a very young Bing Crosby, decades before he became the dull, cardigan-wearing "Der Bingle." The photographs depict people caught up in the events, including several famous Dorothea Lange portraits.
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
Ciao,
Elisa
Showing posts with label fashion and politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion and politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Fashion's Night Out!
DAHLINGS -
It's boiling hot here in New York City, which has me a tad irritable. So I hope you do not mind if I forego my usual brilliant commentary with a press release I was sent today regarding Fashion's Night Out.
MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES EXPANDED FASHION’S NIGHT OUT FOR 2010
Nearly 1,000 Participants Across the City Already a Part of this Year’s Event, Including Largest Public Fashion Show in New York City History
175,000 Jobs in City’s $10 Billion Retail and Fashion Industries
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Executive Director Steven Kolb today detailed Fashion’s Night Out 2010, which will include the largest public fashion show in New York City history – Fashion’s Night Out: The Show.
Mayor Bloomberg and a man in a white shirt
It's boiling hot here in New York City, which has me a tad irritable. So I hope you do not mind if I forego my usual brilliant commentary with a press release I was sent today regarding Fashion's Night Out.
MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES EXPANDED FASHION’S NIGHT OUT FOR 2010
Nearly 1,000 Participants Across the City Already a Part of this Year’s Event, Including Largest Public Fashion Show in New York City History
175,000 Jobs in City’s $10 Billion Retail and Fashion Industries
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Executive Director Steven Kolb today detailed Fashion’s Night Out 2010, which will include the largest public fashion show in New York City history – Fashion’s Night Out: The Show.
Mayor Bloomberg and a man in a white shirtFashion’s Night Out, which was first introduced last year, is a citywide event to support retail and fashion in New York City. Participating retail stores across the five boroughs will stay open until 11:00 PM on Friday, September 10th and offer an array of in-store celebrations and promotions. Nearly 1000 participants, including retailers, designers, and fashion and beauty brands have already signed on to participate in the event. The new public fashion show will take place on September 7th at Lincoln Center and tickets will go on sale to the public on Thursday, August 19th through the Lincoln Center Box Office. The show will feature more than 150 top models and trends for fall as determined by Vogue and the show will seat more than 1,500 spectators, with tickets starting at $25. Proceeds from the fashion show’s ticket sales will benefit the NYC AIDS Fund. The Mayor also was joined by Saks, Inc. CEO Steve Sadove, designer Marc Jacobs and leading members of the fashion and retail community.
“Fashion and retail is part of the very fabric of New York City – supporting 175,000 jobs and pumping $10 billion into our economy annually,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We are going to continue to help support, develop and expand these sectors with programs like Fashion’s Night Out, our fashion incubator and the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. With a growing number of locations participating in Fashion’s Night Out and the largest public fashion show in city history, we are providing consumers with more opportunities to see all the city’s retailers and designers have to offer.”
“Millions from around the world visit New York City to be at the epicenter for fashion and design,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “Fashion’s Night Out is a global showcase for the city’s outstanding talent, attracting visitors and supporting the local businesses that work so hard to ensure that New York City remains the world’s fashion capital. We are also excited to expand this year’s program to include this one-of-a-kind fashion show that will make Fashion’s Night Out even more accessible to visitors and residents across the five boroughs.”
“We are very excited to add the fashion show this year so that people will have the opportunity to see the wonderful clothes that will be available to them on Fashion’s Night Out,” said Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. “We've focused the show on the trends we thought were most important, so that no matter what their style or budget shoppers will have a source of inspiration.”
Anna Wintour and Tommy Hilfiger
“This is the first fashion show of its kind to bring the excitement of a live fashion show in an amazing outdoor setting directly to the general public,” said CFDA Executive Director Steven Kolb. “Guests will get a rare, first-hand glimpse of in-season clothes from the most creative designers, including many CFDA members and the top in American talent.”
Starting on August 16th, a listing of Fashion’s Night Out events to date – including designer and celebrity appearances, special products, performances and fashion shows with more expected to appear as the event nears – can be viewed by going to http://www.nyc.gov/. In addition, NYC & Company has worked with hotels around the city to create more than 40 individual hotel packages for the month of September, including packages at 6 Thompson, Fashion 26, Hudson New York, Paramount Hotel New York and the Mandarin Oriental. In an effort to drive visitation and increase consumer participation, these hotels will offer exclusive deals for travelers who want to experience Fashion’s Night Out. A full list of hotels and packages is available on http://www.nyc.gov/.
On Tuesday, September 14th, CBS will also air an hour-long special on the making of Fashion’s Night Out. The piece will feature designers, editors and retailers as they prepare for the second year of Fashion’s Night Out, as well as other industry professionals – from salespeople to design staff – who work and contribute to the city’s retail and fashion sectors.
Last year, Mayor Bloomberg and the CFDA launched the CFDA Fashion Incubator, which is designed to grow and sustain the next generation of fashion designers in New York City by providing access to low-cost studio space and support services. New York City’s Economic Development Corporation provided a three-year, $200,000 grant to establish the incubator, which is an approximately 10,000-square-foot space that accommodates up to twelve designers. Similarly, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which Mayor Bloomberg helped launch in 2003, continues to provide financial support and business mentorship for emerging designers and this year’s $200,000 top prize and two $50,000 runner-ups will be announced on November 15th. Designer Prabal Gurung, a participant in the CFDA Fashion Incubator and a past finalist for the CFDA/Fashion Fund award, also joined the Mayor at the announcement.
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“Fashion and retail is part of the very fabric of New York City – supporting 175,000 jobs and pumping $10 billion into our economy annually,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We are going to continue to help support, develop and expand these sectors with programs like Fashion’s Night Out, our fashion incubator and the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. With a growing number of locations participating in Fashion’s Night Out and the largest public fashion show in city history, we are providing consumers with more opportunities to see all the city’s retailers and designers have to offer.”
“Millions from around the world visit New York City to be at the epicenter for fashion and design,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “Fashion’s Night Out is a global showcase for the city’s outstanding talent, attracting visitors and supporting the local businesses that work so hard to ensure that New York City remains the world’s fashion capital. We are also excited to expand this year’s program to include this one-of-a-kind fashion show that will make Fashion’s Night Out even more accessible to visitors and residents across the five boroughs.”
“We are very excited to add the fashion show this year so that people will have the opportunity to see the wonderful clothes that will be available to them on Fashion’s Night Out,” said Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. “We've focused the show on the trends we thought were most important, so that no matter what their style or budget shoppers will have a source of inspiration.”
Anna Wintour and Tommy Hilfiger“This is the first fashion show of its kind to bring the excitement of a live fashion show in an amazing outdoor setting directly to the general public,” said CFDA Executive Director Steven Kolb. “Guests will get a rare, first-hand glimpse of in-season clothes from the most creative designers, including many CFDA members and the top in American talent.”
Starting on August 16th, a listing of Fashion’s Night Out events to date – including designer and celebrity appearances, special products, performances and fashion shows with more expected to appear as the event nears – can be viewed by going to http://www.nyc.gov/. In addition, NYC & Company has worked with hotels around the city to create more than 40 individual hotel packages for the month of September, including packages at 6 Thompson, Fashion 26, Hudson New York, Paramount Hotel New York and the Mandarin Oriental. In an effort to drive visitation and increase consumer participation, these hotels will offer exclusive deals for travelers who want to experience Fashion’s Night Out. A full list of hotels and packages is available on http://www.nyc.gov/.
On Tuesday, September 14th, CBS will also air an hour-long special on the making of Fashion’s Night Out. The piece will feature designers, editors and retailers as they prepare for the second year of Fashion’s Night Out, as well as other industry professionals – from salespeople to design staff – who work and contribute to the city’s retail and fashion sectors.
Last year, Mayor Bloomberg and the CFDA launched the CFDA Fashion Incubator, which is designed to grow and sustain the next generation of fashion designers in New York City by providing access to low-cost studio space and support services. New York City’s Economic Development Corporation provided a three-year, $200,000 grant to establish the incubator, which is an approximately 10,000-square-foot space that accommodates up to twelve designers. Similarly, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which Mayor Bloomberg helped launch in 2003, continues to provide financial support and business mentorship for emerging designers and this year’s $200,000 top prize and two $50,000 runner-ups will be announced on November 15th. Designer Prabal Gurung, a participant in the CFDA Fashion Incubator and a past finalist for the CFDA/Fashion Fund award, also joined the Mayor at the announcement.
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There you go, dahlings. I love it when a blog entry entails virtually no work at all. I mean, it is summer!
Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog
Friday, May 21, 2010
Would You Buy Fashion From Der Fuerher?
DAHLINGS -
It's official: I have no soul. It tickles me that a Sicilian boutique is outraging the world (and raising its profile) by having an ad with a pink-clad Adolf Hitler as its centerpiece. The boutique is called New Form.
It's official: I have no soul. It tickles me that a Sicilian boutique is outraging the world (and raising its profile) by having an ad with a pink-clad Adolf Hitler as its centerpiece. The boutique is called New Form.
There has been much fulminating in the world press over this ad, which is on huge posters. So I will spare you my particular "blah blah this is an insult to the people of the world blah blah cannot forget this infamy blah blah blah Satan blah." I think it's funny. For one thing, Hitler had notoriously bad taste in leisure wear. He mixed plaids and stripes, decades before it was accepted. And he was a coprophiliac, which had to wreak havoc with his shirts.
I already told you, I have no soul. Even my dear dead friend Lana Turner would probably agree.
The posters will soon be taken down when New Form launches its next campaign featuring Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse Tung. If you care to comment, besides informing me I have no soul, list which despot you think should be advertising fashion.
It makes such a refreshing change from Gisele Bundchen.
Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog
Friday, August 7, 2009
Sonia Sotomayor Makes It To The Supreme Court!
DAHLINGS -
Our favorite plus-sized Latina judge. Sonia Sotomayor, was voted into the Supreme Court!
My Republican friends are muttering darkly (pardon the pun) about a "Latino/Black conspiracy", which is utter nonsense, but this is America. And Americans always need somebody to hate.
Judge Sotomayor was voted in along strict party lines, with all Democrats voting yes and (almost) all Republicans voting no, with the except of 9 Republicans who will probably now catch hell from the NRA, poor things.
The dark undercurrent (again PARDON THE PUN, I can't seem to escape them!) beneath the disapproval is that the Republicans are subtly or not so subtly suggesting that between President Obama, the soon-to-be new African American Surgeon General (who is, for no valid reason,being pilloried for her weight**), and a Latina Supreme Court justice, that everything from health care to which gala do gets the best swag bags, will all be shifted in the advantage of Blacks and Latinos, with Whites getting the short end of the stick.
Which is highly ironic, since Whites have been giving Blacks and Latinos the short end of the stick since time began. So this is a bit much. In what world do those men live? (It is almost entirely men for some reason, don't ask moi.) Hermetically sealed, one guesses.
No one admires the wealthy and powerful more than I, your faithful correspondent, after all, they give the best presents. And where would my chosen bailiwick, fashion, be without them? Oh, dear, now I'm thinking Deep Thoughts and getting a terrible headache. But onward.
Why on earth did they badger Judge Sotomayor about being racist? In what parallel universe is a woman with such a moderate, mainstream record racist? They are only giving utterance to their own paranoia, their fear of the changing face of America. It really is quite sad, non? We can't go back to 1955, no matter how loud they protest.
Of course, my more left-wing friends think Sotomayor is not liberal enough and is just a "trophy judge." Only time will tell which way she swings. Oh dear, I did not quite mean it that way. You know what I mean.
Fortunately for moi, no matter what color, rich people will always need clothes. That is the true common denominator.
My temples are banging like a limo driving over a dirt road. I need an aspirin. After that, back out to enjoy this GLORIOUS summer day and the crashing of the ocean waves. Have a divine weekend, mon cher lecteurs!
Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog
** We all know that C. Everett Koop bore a striking resemblance to Michael Phelps.
Our favorite plus-sized Latina judge. Sonia Sotomayor, was voted into the Supreme Court!
My Republican friends are muttering darkly (pardon the pun) about a "Latino/Black conspiracy", which is utter nonsense, but this is America. And Americans always need somebody to hate.
Judge Sotomayor was voted in along strict party lines, with all Democrats voting yes and (almost) all Republicans voting no, with the except of 9 Republicans who will probably now catch hell from the NRA, poor things.
The dark undercurrent (again PARDON THE PUN, I can't seem to escape them!) beneath the disapproval is that the Republicans are subtly or not so subtly suggesting that between President Obama, the soon-to-be new African American Surgeon General (who is, for no valid reason,being pilloried for her weight**), and a Latina Supreme Court justice, that everything from health care to which gala do gets the best swag bags, will all be shifted in the advantage of Blacks and Latinos, with Whites getting the short end of the stick.
Which is highly ironic, since Whites have been giving Blacks and Latinos the short end of the stick since time began. So this is a bit much. In what world do those men live? (It is almost entirely men for some reason, don't ask moi.) Hermetically sealed, one guesses.
No one admires the wealthy and powerful more than I, your faithful correspondent, after all, they give the best presents. And where would my chosen bailiwick, fashion, be without them? Oh, dear, now I'm thinking Deep Thoughts and getting a terrible headache. But onward.
Why on earth did they badger Judge Sotomayor about being racist? In what parallel universe is a woman with such a moderate, mainstream record racist? They are only giving utterance to their own paranoia, their fear of the changing face of America. It really is quite sad, non? We can't go back to 1955, no matter how loud they protest.
Of course, my more left-wing friends think Sotomayor is not liberal enough and is just a "trophy judge." Only time will tell which way she swings. Oh dear, I did not quite mean it that way. You know what I mean.
Fortunately for moi, no matter what color, rich people will always need clothes. That is the true common denominator.
My temples are banging like a limo driving over a dirt road. I need an aspirin. After that, back out to enjoy this GLORIOUS summer day and the crashing of the ocean waves. Have a divine weekend, mon cher lecteurs!
Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog
** We all know that C. Everett Koop bore a striking resemblance to Michael Phelps.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Dateline Washington DC: Michelle Obama's Inauguration Gown
DAHLINGS -
So, Michelle Obama is wearing a glorious ivory one shoulder gown by Jason Wu. (Jason Who? No matter, the entire world will know his name tomorrow.)
Photo by Damon Winter/The New York Times
The only problem with it is that she cannot dance in it, because the new President keeps stepping on the train. But it is so much more beautiful than some of the horrors other designers came up with. For instance, this strange concoction by Betsey Johnson:
The gown is crafted of ivory silk chiffon, embroidered with silver thread and Swarovski crystal rhinestones, with organza accents. The shoulder treatment is rather like a sash, exquisitely feminine and regal. One's only criticism is that it is a tad fussy, but why not on a night like this?
Our new President Barack Obama looks so handsome in his white tie. It suits him ever so much better than those stuffy business suits! Who would have thought we had elected Fred Astaire to the White House, sartorially speaking? Too bad he didn't go the whole route and wear tails, but during this terrible recession, it would have sent the wrong message.
FYI, I'm in a gown by my favorite designer, Oscar de la Renta, in blue and gold silk dupioni, and I am carrying Bucky in a custom-designed matching carrier (lined in absorbent and waterproof material inside. Your faithful correspondent has been around this particular block many times before). My feet are still cold--the Secret Service confiscated the space heater I stole from Dick Cheney at the Inauguration. How could I have slept with that man back in the day? What was I thinking? Oh, well, it was une folie de la jeunesse, and he didn't look quite so evil a few decades ago.
Must dash--I'm here at the Creative Coalition Ball at the Harmon Cultural Center and my nose is most definitely shiny! Actually, Anne Hathaway is bearing down on me with a look in her eye that tells me she read my blogs about the Golden Globes.
Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog
So, Michelle Obama is wearing a glorious ivory one shoulder gown by Jason Wu. (Jason Who? No matter, the entire world will know his name tomorrow.)
Photo by Damon Winter/The New York Times
The only problem with it is that she cannot dance in it, because the new President keeps stepping on the train. But it is so much more beautiful than some of the horrors other designers came up with. For instance, this strange concoction by Betsey Johnson:
The gown is crafted of ivory silk chiffon, embroidered with silver thread and Swarovski crystal rhinestones, with organza accents. The shoulder treatment is rather like a sash, exquisitely feminine and regal. One's only criticism is that it is a tad fussy, but why not on a night like this?
Our new President Barack Obama looks so handsome in his white tie. It suits him ever so much better than those stuffy business suits! Who would have thought we had elected Fred Astaire to the White House, sartorially speaking? Too bad he didn't go the whole route and wear tails, but during this terrible recession, it would have sent the wrong message.
FYI, I'm in a gown by my favorite designer, Oscar de la Renta, in blue and gold silk dupioni, and I am carrying Bucky in a custom-designed matching carrier (lined in absorbent and waterproof material inside. Your faithful correspondent has been around this particular block many times before). My feet are still cold--the Secret Service confiscated the space heater I stole from Dick Cheney at the Inauguration. How could I have slept with that man back in the day? What was I thinking? Oh, well, it was une folie de la jeunesse, and he didn't look quite so evil a few decades ago.
Must dash--I'm here at the Creative Coalition Ball at the Harmon Cultural Center and my nose is most definitely shiny! Actually, Anne Hathaway is bearing down on me with a look in her eye that tells me she read my blogs about the Golden Globes.
Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog
Dateline Washington DC: Inauguration Fashion!
(This is Mademoiselle's assistant, writing up her notes from the Inauguration. I hope she gets good and looped at the post-Inaugural luncheon, she's been impossible.)
It is absolutely frigid out here, even my silk knit lingerie does not help. I am bundled up top to toe. Thank goodness Bucky is back at the Willard Hotel; the little darling does not do well in these temperatures. The estimates of the crowd range from 1 million to 16 million, but all I know is that my toes are frozen.
Hillary Clinton is wearing a cobalt blue coat that would be perfectly acceptable except for that strange ruffle across the back. Laura Bush is wearing a suitably toned down gray ensemble; considering how loudly her husband had been booed on his entrance, it wouldn't do to dress to be noticed.
Dick Cheney is being wheeled out in a chair...how did I ever bring myself to sleep with him back in the day?
Ah, Jill Biden is wearing a wonderful lipstick red coat with an assymetrical collar. It is a bit hard to tell, but I think she has on black gloves with large black bumps on them that resemble nothing so much as Elephant Man disease. Her husband, the Vice-President elect, has on more makeup than she does, it seems from here.
Michelle Obama is wearing a marvelous sheath with a matching coat over it, in gold with white embroidery by Isabel Toledo. She has accessorized it with green gloves and matching green pumps. This is definitely a First Lady with a style mind of her own. I don't care for the jeweled collar, but otherwise, this is an instant classic. (Pardon my fawning, but this is the new administration and your faithful correspondent knows which side her bread is buttered on.)
They are beginning the ceremony--whose hair is stiffer, Dianne Feinstein's or Joe Biden's? Neither one's is moving in the icy wind.
What does Aretha Franklin have on her head? Oh, dear, she is not in good voice this cold morning. Somebody just called out "Sing good!" Poor Aretha cannot oblige. She must have a cold. All the moaning and melismas in the world can't cover up the fact that the woman is having a hard time hitting the notes.
WAIT A MINUTE--I SEE A SPACE HEATER! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT, OLD MAN!
Ha. Cheney thought he could hide it under his wheelchair. Oh, that is such a relief...to be continued!
Ciao,
Elisa sans Bucky the Wonderdog
It is absolutely frigid out here, even my silk knit lingerie does not help. I am bundled up top to toe. Thank goodness Bucky is back at the Willard Hotel; the little darling does not do well in these temperatures. The estimates of the crowd range from 1 million to 16 million, but all I know is that my toes are frozen.
Hillary Clinton is wearing a cobalt blue coat that would be perfectly acceptable except for that strange ruffle across the back. Laura Bush is wearing a suitably toned down gray ensemble; considering how loudly her husband had been booed on his entrance, it wouldn't do to dress to be noticed.
Dick Cheney is being wheeled out in a chair...how did I ever bring myself to sleep with him back in the day?
Ah, Jill Biden is wearing a wonderful lipstick red coat with an assymetrical collar. It is a bit hard to tell, but I think she has on black gloves with large black bumps on them that resemble nothing so much as Elephant Man disease. Her husband, the Vice-President elect, has on more makeup than she does, it seems from here.
Michelle Obama is wearing a marvelous sheath with a matching coat over it, in gold with white embroidery by Isabel Toledo. She has accessorized it with green gloves and matching green pumps. This is definitely a First Lady with a style mind of her own. I don't care for the jeweled collar, but otherwise, this is an instant classic. (Pardon my fawning, but this is the new administration and your faithful correspondent knows which side her bread is buttered on.)
They are beginning the ceremony--whose hair is stiffer, Dianne Feinstein's or Joe Biden's? Neither one's is moving in the icy wind.
What does Aretha Franklin have on her head? Oh, dear, she is not in good voice this cold morning. Somebody just called out "Sing good!" Poor Aretha cannot oblige. She must have a cold. All the moaning and melismas in the world can't cover up the fact that the woman is having a hard time hitting the notes.
WAIT A MINUTE--I SEE A SPACE HEATER! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT, OLD MAN!
Ha. Cheney thought he could hide it under his wheelchair. Oh, that is such a relief...to be continued!
Ciao,
Elisa sans Bucky the Wonderdog
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Bringing Beauty to Washington, DC!
DAHLINGS -
With the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Obama, the media has begun squawking away about the impending "return to glamour" and "re-emergence of Camelot" and similar nonsense. Female politicos are panicking. Suddenly there is tremendous pressure about not appearing their best in the new administration. During the Bush administration one could look like a billy goat and it did not hurt one's credibility. In fact, it helped.
But with the elegant Michelle Obama becoming First Lady, suddenly all of the Capitol Hill femmes, particularly those of high profile and dumpy blue suits, are terrified that they will be scrutinized as closely as celebrities. That could mean appearing in the pages of "US" magazine in the "Why Did She Wear That??" section. And then how could you get your appropropriations bill passed?
So, your faithful correspondent and an entourage of assistants were whisked off to Washington this past weekend with a truckload of designer fashions! We were booked into several suites in the fabulous Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, a mere block or two away from the White House. My hand still aches from signing all of those confidentiality agreements!
Our floor had to be "Secret Service Cleared" so that all of the luminaries could be fitted in comfort and safety. Several lady Secret Service agents requested their uniforms be tailored in a more shapely cut. My seamstresses had their work cut out for them (pardon the pun), particularly because of the body armor and holsters.
The biggest obstacle to my work was not the figures of the women--I believe there is beauty in every shape and size, as you well know. It was the mindset: rigid conformity to outdated fashion norms, fear of change, fear of appearing "weak" if wearing anything too feminine. Since you, my faithful readers, know that I do not appear "weak" in the least, even wearing a wisp of chiffon and stiletto heels, you also know that these fears were simply too maddening! Several times I had to retire to the hotel's Round Robin Bar for a quick mojito to quell my rising temper.
Difficult clients are one thing; but difficult clients with immense legislative power must be handled with tact and delicacy, something I could only manage with some alcohol sloshing through my system.
If I may opine for a moment, I believe that suits are detrimental to women in politics. For one thing, female politicians have to wave all of the time. And we know that suits bunch up and pull over to one side when a woman waves--particularly if there are shoulder pads. Now, we are used to men looking that awkward, but women should be spared. Hillary Clinton, if you are reading this, please do stop wearing suits! You have such lovely curves, why not a dress now and then?
Oh, and the Inaugural Ball gowns...MTV is hosting the Inaugural Ball, which also wreaked emotional (and public relations) havoc amongst the women. High-neck? Low-neck? Contemporary look? Conservative? (You try getting a Republican who isn't Sarah Palin to wear a fitted, low-cut gown...a recipe for blinding migraines, mon chers.)
However, I was flown back from Washington, the trunks empty, my coffers bulging, and my wrist aching. If I have just a tiny bit of impact on how women in Washington look, that is all I ask.
That, and a hefty fee.
God Bless America.
Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog
With the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Obama, the media has begun squawking away about the impending "return to glamour" and "re-emergence of Camelot" and similar nonsense. Female politicos are panicking. Suddenly there is tremendous pressure about not appearing their best in the new administration. During the Bush administration one could look like a billy goat and it did not hurt one's credibility. In fact, it helped.
But with the elegant Michelle Obama becoming First Lady, suddenly all of the Capitol Hill femmes, particularly those of high profile and dumpy blue suits, are terrified that they will be scrutinized as closely as celebrities. That could mean appearing in the pages of "US" magazine in the "Why Did She Wear That??" section. And then how could you get your appropropriations bill passed?
So, your faithful correspondent and an entourage of assistants were whisked off to Washington this past weekend with a truckload of designer fashions! We were booked into several suites in the fabulous Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, a mere block or two away from the White House. My hand still aches from signing all of those confidentiality agreements!
Our floor had to be "Secret Service Cleared" so that all of the luminaries could be fitted in comfort and safety. Several lady Secret Service agents requested their uniforms be tailored in a more shapely cut. My seamstresses had their work cut out for them (pardon the pun), particularly because of the body armor and holsters.
The biggest obstacle to my work was not the figures of the women--I believe there is beauty in every shape and size, as you well know. It was the mindset: rigid conformity to outdated fashion norms, fear of change, fear of appearing "weak" if wearing anything too feminine. Since you, my faithful readers, know that I do not appear "weak" in the least, even wearing a wisp of chiffon and stiletto heels, you also know that these fears were simply too maddening! Several times I had to retire to the hotel's Round Robin Bar for a quick mojito to quell my rising temper.
Difficult clients are one thing; but difficult clients with immense legislative power must be handled with tact and delicacy, something I could only manage with some alcohol sloshing through my system.
If I may opine for a moment, I believe that suits are detrimental to women in politics. For one thing, female politicians have to wave all of the time. And we know that suits bunch up and pull over to one side when a woman waves--particularly if there are shoulder pads. Now, we are used to men looking that awkward, but women should be spared. Hillary Clinton, if you are reading this, please do stop wearing suits! You have such lovely curves, why not a dress now and then?
Oh, and the Inaugural Ball gowns...MTV is hosting the Inaugural Ball, which also wreaked emotional (and public relations) havoc amongst the women. High-neck? Low-neck? Contemporary look? Conservative? (You try getting a Republican who isn't Sarah Palin to wear a fitted, low-cut gown...a recipe for blinding migraines, mon chers.)
However, I was flown back from Washington, the trunks empty, my coffers bulging, and my wrist aching. If I have just a tiny bit of impact on how women in Washington look, that is all I ask.
That, and a hefty fee.
God Bless America.
Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog
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