<p>“The only truly trendy hemline I can think of is that short in the front, long in the back thing. And, of course, extremely short. But that one has come and gone for decades.”</p>
<p>I know lots and lots of straight guys who are into fashion, or, more specifically, style. You should hear my college- and high-school-aged nephews on the subject of socks, for example. Or certain of my law partners on Hermes ties. In fact, I think, as a whole, the men I work with are more obsessed by clothes than the women. </p>
<p>Personally, I think clothes may be even more important in determining whether a man is considered good looking than they are for a woman. Often, “a good-looking guy” simply means “a well-dressed guy.” </p>
<p>Does anyone remember the episode if Sex in the City where Carrie gives Wally Shawn a make-over at Barneys and the women then flock to him? That’s consistent with my observation of men in real life: that the well-dressed Wally Shawns of the world will be considered attractive.</p>
<p>Hahaha…love “mullet dress.” I think they are awful.</p>
<p>There is SO much planned obsolescence in women’s fashion–much more so than in men’s. I used to work in the fashion industry and it really bugged me. Ours was a pretty mainstream brand, so not edgy at all. Our buyers would go to Europe for inspiration but meanwhile I would see the gorgeously dressed (and presumably very well off) Asian girls on our local college campus wearing styles that hadn’t even gotten to Europe yet. </p>
<p>My other pet peeve is the New York Times style section. I appreciate Bill Cunningham as an observer of trends but I am always surprised (when I visit NYC, too) how utterly conformist most of the fashion is “on the street.”</p>
<p>“I know lots and lots of straight guys who are into fashion, or, more specifically, style. You should hear my college- and high-school-aged nephews on the subject of socks, for example. Or certain of my law partners on Hermes ties. In fact, I think, as a whole, the men I work with are more obsessed by clothes than the women.”</p>
<p>My father was like that (then again, he was in the fashion industry - shoes, specifically, so I’m very discriminating and picky about shoes). Always, unfailingly, perfectly put together and dressed well for the event at hand, whether formal or casual. My husband lives in scrubs and sneakers, and my son is a typical 21 yo guy who picks his grubby clothes up off the floor and rewears them. I always tell my son “WWGDW” (what would Granddad wear) when it comes to putting himself together for an interview, special date, etc. </p>
<p>A few weeks ago, Bunsen Burner identified the universally flattering dress, which is very reasonably priced, comes in lots of color and sleeve variations and looks great on everyone. I got the first one and it is like a magic dress: it looks equally great on me, my daughter and my sister, despite our very different body types. As a public service, I’m re-posting them here. They are too casual for most MOG, but for most other occasions they will work great. Thanks, BB!</p>
<p>In the late 1980’s when I was going to a lot of weddings, I had some really great dresses that had those balloon / bubble skirts. Of course I was a young twenty something too so that helped. I felt fun and fashionable and looked great in the dresses, but I knew they weren’t timeless. But that was just fine - I got tired of them after a few years and that was that. You can make a conscious choice when buying something if you’re looking for timeliness investment wear-for-the-next-20-years or this-is-fun-and-of-the-moment.</p>
<p>I was thinking about those awful bubble skirt cocktail dresses of the 80s too. Worn by those women Tom Wolfe called “social x-rays.” So clever. :)</p>
<p>One of “our own” on CC - Alumother - has a blog called Amidprivilege (can’t link to, but easy enough to find). This past Aug, she got married, and her dress featured not only a one-shoulder dress but that short-in-front, long-in-back style (though with some kind of tulle covering the front). I think it looks fabulous on her, especially because the dress was compelling enough that she kept accessories low-key. I also know I would look awful in that same dress!</p>
<p>Young girls IMO, means just that, IMO.
Girls.
Not for those, " young at heart".
A little bit of a hot trend goes a long way for those over 40, in most cases.
But I am probably a stick in the mud.</p>
<p>I used to wear really short dresses, admittedly some of that was aided & abetted by shrinkage in the dryer.
I still have a bad habit of expecting things to shrink, & then they don’t!</p>
<p>Right! Exactly! the functionality of the bike depends on the usage of it, not the latest fashion. A bike style that’s appropriate for your use will always be appropriate for your use, and CF or any other bike expert could explain that. For a more extensive use (racing or touring etc), a different kind of bike would be appropriate, but in each case, the esthetic style of the bike would not matter and the choice would be made on the basis of functionality, not taste.</p>
<p>Bike choice and fashion choice just are not equivalent (unless of course you’re choosing a bike for esthetic reasons, but I’m pretty sure CF has never advocated for that.)</p>
<p>(don’t even care about the dress issue at this point.)</p>
<p>The problem with the jersey faux wrap is that not everyone has the posterior to pull off the unmitigated jersey look in the back. The front, length and sleeve are great but I can see some body types having trouble on the flip side. It has that high waisted seam that could make a full figure look even fuller.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, if MOB had the price tag hanging out, it would have said £69. She and I ( as well as DIL ans S1) have similar opinions on where we spend $$.</p>
<p>Of course you don’t need a bike that functions like one of my bikes. But if you were buying a bike, I’d steer you clear of Costco bikes because they wouldn’t fulfill the needs of anyone who wants to ride a bike. They’re assembled by people who don’t know what they’re doing, which is dangerous, and they typically have inferior components that can’t be adjusted. For example, the wheels go out of true and can’t be trued, and then the brakes won’t work very well. </p>
<p>In the fashion world, the analogy would be steering someone away from a garment because the fabric becomes transparent under photo lights, or something like that. A MOG, fashionable or not, would not want such a garment, and might not realize the peril.</p>
<p>PS: Bikes without gears, single speed bikes, are fashionable right now. They’re also practical for riders like emilybee. If emilybee were bike shopping, I’d advise her to take a look at a singlespeed. But not from Costco.</p>
<p>PG - love the grad dress and EB - love the Milly gown that is like yours. I like to dress well but fall into the category that I dislike shopping because I don’t have the patience but want to look good. My D has been a huge help because she is honest and knows what is appropriate. Years ago I found a lovely woman at Nordstrom who could always find things for me. Unfortunately she moved. I don’t spend a lot of $$ on clothes but like to have things that last. I appreciate those who love shopping. I also understand those who have never had the chance to see what good fitting clothes can do for you. Think What Not to Wear. I would buy a different dress for the wedding but I would not think anything about seeing a friend where the same one. Feeling good about yourself is always attractive. </p>
<p>My grandmother settled on a basic look that was perfect for her and wore only variations of the same colors and shapes into her 90s. - The default was a v-neck 3/4 sleeve white blouse, mildly A-line knee length skirt (often a wrap), either a boot or sandal with heal about 1-2" square in medium brown (always Italian leather), and a medium size hoop earring gold, silver or white enamel depending on the look. Her hair was always in a soft French twist with a comb that varied with the outfit. She was an all natural fibers girl . . . always cotton or wool and if there was pattern it was a small check or something subtle. She had figured her body type, face shape, “season” and color chart and stuck with what worked. She had this “look” in everything from wool suits to yard work clothes (denim wrap skirt) and it worked.</p>
<p>To my wedding she wore a sapphire blue wool jersey wrap dress with a 3/4 sleeve (that she had already) and more upscale jewelry. I don’t remember her shoes (not brown) ;)</p>
<p>“Bikes without gears, single speed bikes, are fashionable right now. They’re also practical for riders like emilybee. If emilybee were bike shopping, I’d advise her to take a look at a singlespeed. But not from Costco.”</p>
<p>When I was testing bikes (H bought me one for Mom’s day a few years ago) the bikes you mention that are fashionable now were very heavy. </p>
<p>I ended up with a Schwinn, 10 speed, hybrid. I have never switched gears. Bought it at our local bike shop. No costo were I live. </p>
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