Trend Spotting

The last time I really had to pay attention to trends in a big way was probably sometime in the 80s. This is not to say that I haven't paid any attention since then. But the last time I was really focused on it and consuming the images on a daily basis was probably somewhere around 1988. I got married in 1988, had a child by 1990 and by then, my daily concerns were not so much about what the latest trend was. I went from being a girl who got excited about shopping for myself to a girl who looked forward to shopping at Kids R Us and getting a good deal on Osh Kosh B' Gosh.

So the last time I really cared a lot, I was basically interested in these looks:














I know it's all Madonna - but name someone who had a bigger impact on fashion in the 80s than Madonna - you can't do it because we all copied her.

So here I am a couple of decades later, and due to an odd quirk in my income earning abilities, I find myself suddenly reading Vogue, perusing Saks 5th Avenue online, and paying attention to Fashion Week in New York. A lengthy explanation could occur here where I would try to explain what it is I do exactly, but the short version is that I take fashion to the masses at a discount. In order to do this though one needs a few things, $ in the form of capital, at least a modicum of discipline, some savvy, an eye for detail, determination, a positive mental attitude, comfy shoes, and last but not least...fashion knowledge. Well I have most of those things but fashion knowledge it turns out is the trickiest one to stay on top off. Fashion trends change almost daily, and certainly, at least, monthly. Fashion Week in New York this week showed us what we'll be wearing through next fall and into the Christmas season, designers already have their Spring 2009 ideas fleshed out - I can't even begin to think that far ahead though, I'm just thinking about what people are going to be wearing in the next couple of months. I also can't pay too much attention to what is edgy fashion, or hipster, it has to be what 'real' people will wear in the upcoming weeks (by real I don't really mean a 'real' person such as myself, I refer to women between the ages of roughly 18-60, unmarried with disposable income, or married with no kids with disoposable income, or married with kids with a tan and implants who do necessarily thinking shopping for Osh Kosh is much fun, which is why I also have to pay attention to bra trends...most popular size? 32 DDD...Think about that for a moment...yeah. Sorry I digress) Here's a look at what I'm trying to keep track of lately - and remember, I need to know which one is the best deal, best bang for the buck, and most trendy and then make a quick mental math calculation to determine which makes the most economic sense. I think a 60s inspired look will become apparent right away:


Muse $178


Marc Jacobs $278


Marc Jacobs $698




Maggy London $138




Laundry $195


LaROK $238

LAMB $385



Julie Brown $308



Julie Brown $258


Diane Von Furstenberg $410




Diane Von Furstenberg $345


Cynthia Steffe $265



Badgley Mischka $298
ABS Allen Schwartz $238

This is a lot too keep track off and of course this is only a very small sampling. How am I suppose to remember that the yellow marc jacobs is super expensive and a steal at any price below $300 but the brown one is relatively cheap?

In the end it all becomes part of the useless tid-bits of information that I am able to strore in my head. I'm convinced this is why I am terrible at math. I have no brain power to remember things like how to solve equations - my brain is a virtual sponge where useless information is concerned. I remember the jersey number of the high school quarterback every girl had a crush on, my grandparents phone number (neither have been alive since the 80s), and if you tell me which number your social security number starts with, I can tell you which state you were born in. These are the only 'math' related things that I need to know right? So my mind absorbs trivial data - which is not useful most of the time. But it is useful for the aforementioned job related to fashion. Also if I ever get on cash cab I am likely to win some money. (and if I ever get on cash cab with Kirk we will make a killing on that show, because he has the kind of brain which retains actual useful thinking and reasoning skills along with pertinent knowledge - which as a side point I recommend getting a spouse one who has different kinds of knowledge than you do). But where was I? Oh yeah trends...

The Muse dress might be the cutest for the price (at full retail).

The Maggy London is the cheapest but it also looks the cheapest.

The Marc Jacobs yellow is the worst deal, the Marc Jacobs yellow will also probably be the most coveted, sought after and trendy.

The Diane Von Furstenberg in Red is the best value - it won't go out of style ever because it's iconic DVF.

Oh...and guess what trend we are starting to see show up on the runways?





A return to the 80s looks inevitable.

Scooters

Remember The Other Day?
When I was Saying How it Would be Totally Cool?




To Have One of These?





Another Thing That is Pretty Cool Is When Your Blog Is Read By Your Husband...


And On A Whim He Gets You One...




And Even Though You Know It is Kind of Sort of Mostly Impractical, It still Feels a little like being in the Movie La Dolce Vita...

Or Roman Holiday...Even Though, Clearly, You Do Not Look Like Audrey Hepburn...









But You Feel A Little Like Her Anyway... Just Because It's Totally Fun...You know, And Maybe, Just Maybe, There's Some Tiffany Boxes in Your Future After all...


Feeling Like Audrey Hepburn, Even Just for the Day, Is pretty Awesome...





And I Highly Recommend Getting A Scooter!

Andy & Pat

For those of you keeping up with the Shando blog, just thought I'd mention, there's a new entry - the entries so far have been few and far between. I'll try to keep it updated at least once a month. This one is kind of dear to my heart, so you may want to check it out. Shando's Blog

Rich

Most of the time I am completely content with many aspects of my life. Not every aspect mind you, but most. I like where I live, I love my family, the people I know from church, my daily routine is good - mostly, there is nothing to complain about. So 90% of the time I am happy with what I have, secure in my choices and desire little beyond my current material possessions. Every once in a while though I like to think about what sorts of choices I would make if I were a less responsible person and a wealthier citizen. When that 10% has the time to dream, these are some of the choices that version of me would make:

I would buy Diane Von Furstenberg Clothes, and that is all I would wear (this 10% version of me is thinner as well - you know because if we're dreaming, may as well be thin) so my clothes would look like this -









(retailing between $295-560 per dress)
While I am at it, I may as well have a Hermes Birkin Bag to go with my new wardrobe: (retails for approximately $55,000 for this diamond clasp version - $15,000 without diamonds)

In addition I may as well have some Christian Laboutin shoes:


(retailing between $800-1,000 per pair)

Maybe an Hermes Scarf or two (or three or four or five) would also be lovely:



(retail $345 each)

Or while I am at it, maybe an Hermes watch: (retail $1495.00)

And while I am at it, maybe some jewelry from Tiffany (plus, LOVE the little blue boxes they come in):(this one I can actually afford were I so inclined $195 - Frank Gehry Fish Ring)
(Paloma Picasso Sugar Stack Ring $4550)


My taste in cars is not crazy expensive, I'm not really a Mercedes or a BMW girl and I certainly wouldn't go the crazy route of a Rolls Royce or something equally silly. Realistically, if I didn't have to worry about the part where I have my kids in the car with me most of the time, it would be:


An Audi 424 (around $40,000) or
A Crossfire Convertible ($40,000) or


Saturn Skye ($26,000)

But really, I'd be content with a dorkier car, like the Toyota Prius

(I know, this seems an odd choice if fantasizing, but after I drove a hybrid in Utah for 10 days I am TOTALLY SOLD on hybrids - retail: $21,000)

But also, I could just go for a Vespa in the fantasy version of my life:
(retail, $5,500)

So in my fantasy life I might look like this:


And instead of being a bandana mom who looks like this: (this by the way, is not me but roughly represents the concept of how I might look on the days I opt for the bandana)

I could look more like this:

Roxanne Photos

Finally finished with the Roxanne Photos! I'll get a CD to her this week, Kirk's already started painting some of them - but here are all the best ones in a slideshow. Kirk also took photos of a guy named Aaron this week - in some of the same locations we took the Roxanne photos. I might share some of those in a slideshow later. These are all references for a show coming up in September at Brio Fine Arts in Scottsdale. After the show the paintings will go to the Art One Gallery. Kirk is a little nervous because this show is just for him, and there will not be any of the usual Thursday night traffic from the art walk patrons. So please consider coming to the show to support him in September.

Where 2007 took us...

The Rio
Originally uploaded by bandanamomaz.

Okay I got tagged for this on another blog - suppose to list everywhere we stayed overnight in 2007:

*San Diego, California
*Peurta Penasco, Mexico
*Salt Lake City, Utah
*Midvale, Utah
*Lehi, Utah
*Las Vegas, Nevada
*Sedona, Arizona
*Santa Fe, New Mexico
*Rexburg, Idaho
*West Yellowstone, Montana


Hmmm, none of those seem particularly exciting do they? Maybe we can do a better job in 2008!

I tag, Suzanne, Cindi, Cynthia, Shando and Heidi