Who doesn't love boots? They look great with jeans, dresses, and skirts and quickly become a wardrobe fave this time of year! Sarenza has a great selection of boots and shoes in many sizes and fittings. And now they have introduced a selection of wide calf boots from Castuluna. Castaluna create fantastic urban styled boots in good quality leather to offer both style and comfort. Plus Size and Tall takes a look…
I LOVE the Finley boot. This boot is in a tan brown with lace up detailing and a corduroy top. The sole is flat and reminiscent of dessert boots which I loved so much in the early 80's! They are great wide calf boots with a calf circumference of 50cm. They are ￡186.00 and available in sizes 4 to 9.5. They are also in grey. They would look great with leggings or skinny jeans AND with skirts and dresses. A similar boot is the Mildred which is an ankle length boot in the same style but with wedge heels of 6cm. These boots are available in the same colours and sizes for ￡126.70.
The Kingsbery boot is very simple yet stylish with a chunky heel of 9cm, stitched detailing across the foot, a side zip, and shaped boot top. These boots are ideal wide calf boots with a calf circumference of 52cm. They are available in sizes 5 to 9.5 and cost ￡186.00. This boot is available in black or camel.
The final boot available from Castaluna at Sarenza is the Fierce ankle boot which has a 70's look with a 9cm heel and buckle detailing around the ankle. The leather is style to have a slightly worn look. These boots would look fantastic with jeans and are available in grey, black, and tan. They are in sizes 4 to 9.5 at ￡126.70.
2011年12月13日星期二
Behind the seams of fashion collaborations
Designing clothes can be considered an art form. Shopping can be considered therapeutic. Whether they serve a purpose of modesty or one of self-expression, clothes are an important part of every person's life.
According to Get Rich Slowly, an online financial blog, the average American spends about $1881 on clothes each year. A Gucci silk dress is $1990 at Saks Fifth Avenue. That is $109 over the yearly budget of the average American. Consequently, purchasing certain name-brand clothing can break one's budget. Thanks to recent collaborations with common stores, one can dress like a celebrity while sticking to the budget of an everyday bargain hunter.
The collaboration of women's clothing brands, Versace and H&M, has created a unique fall collection found in H&M stores. The collection features many leather pieces with hardware detailing, brightly colored dresses, island prints and animal patterns. The collection is daring and edgy. Although some may be willing to pay $149 to $299 for a single dress, the collection overall is still too expensive for many.
Payless Shoe Source features designers such as Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi. Shoes and accessories in these collections are more affordable for the typical shopper, ranging from $11 to $69. Green, faux alligator skin flats, chunky wedge sandals and laser cut pumps are all stand out shoes from the four featured designers. The collections have both heeled and flat shoes to fashionably fit the needs of a multitude of lifestyles.
Target Corp. has offered various designer brand clothing under their GO: International Collection. The collections pieces do not go over $100, making the clothing affordable for the average shopper. The styles diverge, however attractiveness is a staple to the collection. Missoni, another brand of clothing, housewares, luggage and more found in Target stores, caused a shopping frenzy that crashed the Target website earlier this year.
Kohl's and Sears have also participated in the trend by offering collections designed by celebrities. LC Lauren Conrad collection can be found at Kohl's, featuring girly clothing with floral prints, delicate fabrics and floral prints. The Kardashian Kollection, sold at Sears, consists of dark colors, animal print and glam touches. Both lines are reasonably priced and can be found on sale often.
Typically when designer and retail stores join forces, the result is something appealing and unique. If certain distributers made price more cohesive with the average shopper's budget, designer collaborations would be a fantastic addition to any closet.
According to Get Rich Slowly, an online financial blog, the average American spends about $1881 on clothes each year. A Gucci silk dress is $1990 at Saks Fifth Avenue. That is $109 over the yearly budget of the average American. Consequently, purchasing certain name-brand clothing can break one's budget. Thanks to recent collaborations with common stores, one can dress like a celebrity while sticking to the budget of an everyday bargain hunter.
The collaboration of women's clothing brands, Versace and H&M, has created a unique fall collection found in H&M stores. The collection features many leather pieces with hardware detailing, brightly colored dresses, island prints and animal patterns. The collection is daring and edgy. Although some may be willing to pay $149 to $299 for a single dress, the collection overall is still too expensive for many.
Payless Shoe Source features designers such as Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi. Shoes and accessories in these collections are more affordable for the typical shopper, ranging from $11 to $69. Green, faux alligator skin flats, chunky wedge sandals and laser cut pumps are all stand out shoes from the four featured designers. The collections have both heeled and flat shoes to fashionably fit the needs of a multitude of lifestyles.
Target Corp. has offered various designer brand clothing under their GO: International Collection. The collections pieces do not go over $100, making the clothing affordable for the average shopper. The styles diverge, however attractiveness is a staple to the collection. Missoni, another brand of clothing, housewares, luggage and more found in Target stores, caused a shopping frenzy that crashed the Target website earlier this year.
Kohl's and Sears have also participated in the trend by offering collections designed by celebrities. LC Lauren Conrad collection can be found at Kohl's, featuring girly clothing with floral prints, delicate fabrics and floral prints. The Kardashian Kollection, sold at Sears, consists of dark colors, animal print and glam touches. Both lines are reasonably priced and can be found on sale often.
Typically when designer and retail stores join forces, the result is something appealing and unique. If certain distributers made price more cohesive with the average shopper's budget, designer collaborations would be a fantastic addition to any closet.
2011年12月11日星期日
Putting your best foot forward
GLAMMED-UP fashionistas sighed and drooled over shelves of candy-colored footwear at the recent unveiling of Primadonna's latest collection. From pencil-thin stilettos to printed flats and patent oxfords, the new line is touted to have something that would suit every personality.
Models worked the runway, showing off four distinct styles. The edgy “Lady Rebel” is all about animal-print heels, wedge booties, and fierce-looking platforms. There's nothing dainty about this bold and chunky collection, but there's plenty of attitude.
Described as bohemian/hippie-inspired, “Wanderlust” is actually a more sedate reworking of the vibrant and nonconformist look that captures the free-spirit lifestyle. The peep-toe pumps are classic pieces that can easily complete a business suit. More daring statements include the retro chic wedge heels in fire-engine red and cobalt blue. For a boho vibe, captoe boat shoes and rainbow strap slip-ons get the thumbs-up.
“Sassy and Classy” is a mixed bag that would cover most style preferences. Wedge and platform sandals in subdued colors add oomph to any outfit. Printed ballet flats look demure but won't put you to sleep. Ankle-strap heels in jewel tones exude a fun and feminine appeal.
But the evening's delightful surprise was the “Lady Dapper” collection, an androgynous selection that includes two-toned oxfords—flats and wedges—and a sexy mannish loafer.
During the launch, held at New World Hotel, Primadonna also announced its newest endorser, the so-called Box Office Queen Anne Curtis. Curtis introduced the company's web site (www.primadonna.com.ph) which features a self-test for identifying the right shoe style. It's part of the campaign to promote the brand's philosophy, “Different Shoe for a Different You.”
Models worked the runway, showing off four distinct styles. The edgy “Lady Rebel” is all about animal-print heels, wedge booties, and fierce-looking platforms. There's nothing dainty about this bold and chunky collection, but there's plenty of attitude.
Described as bohemian/hippie-inspired, “Wanderlust” is actually a more sedate reworking of the vibrant and nonconformist look that captures the free-spirit lifestyle. The peep-toe pumps are classic pieces that can easily complete a business suit. More daring statements include the retro chic wedge heels in fire-engine red and cobalt blue. For a boho vibe, captoe boat shoes and rainbow strap slip-ons get the thumbs-up.
“Sassy and Classy” is a mixed bag that would cover most style preferences. Wedge and platform sandals in subdued colors add oomph to any outfit. Printed ballet flats look demure but won't put you to sleep. Ankle-strap heels in jewel tones exude a fun and feminine appeal.
But the evening's delightful surprise was the “Lady Dapper” collection, an androgynous selection that includes two-toned oxfords—flats and wedges—and a sexy mannish loafer.
During the launch, held at New World Hotel, Primadonna also announced its newest endorser, the so-called Box Office Queen Anne Curtis. Curtis introduced the company's web site (www.primadonna.com.ph) which features a self-test for identifying the right shoe style. It's part of the campaign to promote the brand's philosophy, “Different Shoe for a Different You.”
2011年12月8日星期四
Get Winter Shoes For $100 or Less at the Matt Bernson Sale
The Matt Bernson sale is definitely worth a stop. Current and past season shoes all available at steep discounts, and since Bernson never does sales online or in stores, this might be your one chance to snag those wedges for just $60.
The sale is divided on two floors, with Fall 2012 stock on the first floor and older styles on the floor below. Sizes 5-11 are all on hand, but 11's are scarce and 7-8 are most plentiful. Boots, heels, and wedges are all priced at $60, as are "non-ballet flats," whatever that means. Sandals, wedge sandals, and ballet flats are now $40, and shearling pieces are $100. We think your best bet is a pair of wedges. Pony hair cheetah, lace up olive green suede, and quilted leather are all available, but we fell hardest for the grey suede with a blade heel.
There are tons of Waverly cap-toe ballet flats available in a variety of colors. The staff expect these to be a hot seller, along with the shearling double zip boots. Braided and gladiator style sandals are plentiful. Wedge sandals also seemed a popular choice with last night's preview crowd.
Matt Bernson sales tend to attract huge throngs of shoppers, so today might be packed. But staff said they will be replenishing as the sale goes on, since they have more stock than space to sell it. They also mentioned that some styles would be exclusively sold on Friday and Saturday. This one might be worth a second trip!
When we stopped to chat with Berson himself, the designer said that he's excited about his favorite shoe, the St. Jeunet, finally being on sale. "I designed it in Fall 2010 for my wife to bike around Paris in, but absolutely no stores bought it. They said it was too forward—but I think now is the time!"
Berson also told us about the space, which after the sample sale is over will become the new Matt Bernson HQ. Construction starts on Monday, converting the first floor in to And since the company is moving, they cleared out their old inventory, meaning even more shoes for you to snap up.
The sale is divided on two floors, with Fall 2012 stock on the first floor and older styles on the floor below. Sizes 5-11 are all on hand, but 11's are scarce and 7-8 are most plentiful. Boots, heels, and wedges are all priced at $60, as are "non-ballet flats," whatever that means. Sandals, wedge sandals, and ballet flats are now $40, and shearling pieces are $100. We think your best bet is a pair of wedges. Pony hair cheetah, lace up olive green suede, and quilted leather are all available, but we fell hardest for the grey suede with a blade heel.
There are tons of Waverly cap-toe ballet flats available in a variety of colors. The staff expect these to be a hot seller, along with the shearling double zip boots. Braided and gladiator style sandals are plentiful. Wedge sandals also seemed a popular choice with last night's preview crowd.
Matt Bernson sales tend to attract huge throngs of shoppers, so today might be packed. But staff said they will be replenishing as the sale goes on, since they have more stock than space to sell it. They also mentioned that some styles would be exclusively sold on Friday and Saturday. This one might be worth a second trip!
When we stopped to chat with Berson himself, the designer said that he's excited about his favorite shoe, the St. Jeunet, finally being on sale. "I designed it in Fall 2010 for my wife to bike around Paris in, but absolutely no stores bought it. They said it was too forward—but I think now is the time!"
Berson also told us about the space, which after the sample sale is over will become the new Matt Bernson HQ. Construction starts on Monday, converting the first floor in to And since the company is moving, they cleared out their old inventory, meaning even more shoes for you to snap up.
2011年12月7日星期三
This Boot Will Solve Your Comfortable but Cute Shoe Dilemma
NY-based footwear brand 80%20 Shoes has quickly developed a cult following for consistently producing edgy but wearable styles that are distinctly crafted and insanely comfortable. The story behind the name comes from designer Ce Ce Chin's theory that the majority of people wear shoes—a category that takes up only twenty percent of our wardrobe (unless you're Anna Dello Russo)—eighty percent of the time. In other words, footwear is a major part of your daily look, so options should be a'plenty. This is where Chin steps in.
While 80%20 Shoes offers tons of options that accommodate footwear's new sensible height, we're big fans of their Seanne lace-up booties, which come in this cool calf-hair herringbone (pictured) or kiwi fawn print. They provide sneaker-like comfort, are reasonably priced ($189 a pop), and perfect for city-dwelling with a bit of height, thanks to a hidden 4" wedge. Shop this style and more 80%20 offerings here.
While 80%20 Shoes offers tons of options that accommodate footwear's new sensible height, we're big fans of their Seanne lace-up booties, which come in this cool calf-hair herringbone (pictured) or kiwi fawn print. They provide sneaker-like comfort, are reasonably priced ($189 a pop), and perfect for city-dwelling with a bit of height, thanks to a hidden 4" wedge. Shop this style and more 80%20 offerings here.
2011年12月6日星期二
Best Foot Forward
As we enter the holiday season with its great gobs of merchandise on display, I find that one item alone is still capable of tempting me. Fashion cycles may come and go, and I may grow weary of shopping in all other respects, but when it comes to shoes, I remain passionately acquisitive. To paraphrase Dr. Johnson, “To be tired of shoes is to be tired of life.”
Since I am not alone in my shoe fetish, I have concluded that shoes are emblematic of something more than themselves. They are an index to civilization. After all, at its origins, the shoe had no pretensions beyond protection of the foot from the vagaries of temperature and terrain. In medieval times, foot coverings were mostly rags and strips of leather, sometimes abetted by a thick wooden overshoe, the patten, which raised the wearer above the mud and muck. With so much else to face — plague, famine, mud — people back then weren’t in the best position to pay attention to their shoes.
But society has evolved, and shoes along with it. To those who find an interest in shoes to be frivolous, my response is: “Get out of the Middle Ages!” One of the signs of the Renaissance, that rebirth of learning and culture, was the advent of a life for shoes. The era saw the introduction of the chopine, the platform shoe, to which the 1970s owes so much of its tacky charm. In the 1500s, two-part shoes appeared, with stiff soles, supple leather tops, and heels that were attached rather than added as secondary parts. If you want to see true shoe mania, check out the footgear in the court of Louis XIV. The Sun King was a fashion nut, and “Louis heels” became the rage, at first more for men than women. Louis decreed that only aristocrats could wear talon rouges (red heels), in a Louboutin-ish move avant la lettre. Eventually, women followed Louis’ lead and exaggerated the form, taking the heels to greater and greater heights. At one point, women’s heels were so high that wearers had to balance themselves with canes, Given that hair was also big and dresses cumbersome, one can imagine that simple activities — walking from room to room, no less going to the bathroom — would have been an ordeal.
You can feel a revolution brewing just looking at the shoes that followed from Louis XIV’s fashion mania. Marie Antoinette is said to have gone to the guillotine in two-inch heels — even in the face of death, she couldn’t abide wearing flats. Napoleon banned high heels, presumably owing to their aristocratic associations, though also, possibly, to avoid looking like a pigmy in proximity to a fashionable lady. In America, Puritans condemned heels as seductive accessories of the devil (the heel said to resemble a cloven hoof), and decreed that any woman wearing them should be tried as a witch.
Nowadays, shoes are less linked to class, politics, and religion — though vestiges of these things linger. If you wear Birkenstocks, let’s face it, we know all we need to know about you. You can get a nice-looking pair of shoes for peanuts at Payless, but a shoe aficionado can tell that they’re cheap at a glance and put an end to your upwardly mobile aspirations. Better to go to Loehmann’s or the DSW sales rack, where you may find a pair of Manolos drastically reduced, even if a size too small. Most women will weather serious pain — if not guillotining or burning at the stake — if the shoes are nice enough.
Some people (mostly men) don’t understand what other people (mostly women) see in shoes, so let me explain for the uninitiated.
To begin, shoes are, despite being subject to fashionable trends, timeless accessories in their connection to a portion of the anatomy that remains largely unchanged once it has reached maturity. (This is not counting the half-size increments that occur with the birth of a child and that, in my case at least, appear to reverse themselves as time passes. Twenty years after my last child was born, my foot has begun to inch back to its original size; I figure that if I can tough it out to the age of 90, I will fit into the shoes I wore to my junior high school dance.)
The point here is that, unlike the body’s torso and that even more unforgiving arena, the face, which remind us of time’s sickle whenever we look in the mirror, the foot does not rub our nose in our mortality. As a result, shoes can be purchased without putting the aging body into view, a fact capitalized on in shoe stores where the mirrors reach only to mid-calf. In this, shoes have a kinship with jewelry, another item that doesn’t take physical change into account. One of the reasons why jewelry is such a popular gift from husbands to wives is that the men can simply point and purchase. Shoes are a bit more complicated since they involve remembering the recipient’s size. (I do know a man who buys his wife shoes for her birthday, but, then, he’s a very smart lawyer who can remember that she’s a size 7.5 and likes anything from Charles Jourdan.)
Shoes are a profound accessory for additional reasons. They represent the foundation, literally speaking, of the self. They support us as we go to and fro in our daily lives, and can facilitate or impede that movement. It may seem that ease and comfort would be the desired attributes here, but not necessarily. In movement, as with other endeavors, difficulty can have its advantages. Sometimes a careful, high-heeled step can empower, while a fast, sneakered walk can diminish. Does one want to be regal or ragtag? Shoes are the costumes not just of the feet but of the persona that inhabits them.
Since I am not alone in my shoe fetish, I have concluded that shoes are emblematic of something more than themselves. They are an index to civilization. After all, at its origins, the shoe had no pretensions beyond protection of the foot from the vagaries of temperature and terrain. In medieval times, foot coverings were mostly rags and strips of leather, sometimes abetted by a thick wooden overshoe, the patten, which raised the wearer above the mud and muck. With so much else to face — plague, famine, mud — people back then weren’t in the best position to pay attention to their shoes.
But society has evolved, and shoes along with it. To those who find an interest in shoes to be frivolous, my response is: “Get out of the Middle Ages!” One of the signs of the Renaissance, that rebirth of learning and culture, was the advent of a life for shoes. The era saw the introduction of the chopine, the platform shoe, to which the 1970s owes so much of its tacky charm. In the 1500s, two-part shoes appeared, with stiff soles, supple leather tops, and heels that were attached rather than added as secondary parts. If you want to see true shoe mania, check out the footgear in the court of Louis XIV. The Sun King was a fashion nut, and “Louis heels” became the rage, at first more for men than women. Louis decreed that only aristocrats could wear talon rouges (red heels), in a Louboutin-ish move avant la lettre. Eventually, women followed Louis’ lead and exaggerated the form, taking the heels to greater and greater heights. At one point, women’s heels were so high that wearers had to balance themselves with canes, Given that hair was also big and dresses cumbersome, one can imagine that simple activities — walking from room to room, no less going to the bathroom — would have been an ordeal.
You can feel a revolution brewing just looking at the shoes that followed from Louis XIV’s fashion mania. Marie Antoinette is said to have gone to the guillotine in two-inch heels — even in the face of death, she couldn’t abide wearing flats. Napoleon banned high heels, presumably owing to their aristocratic associations, though also, possibly, to avoid looking like a pigmy in proximity to a fashionable lady. In America, Puritans condemned heels as seductive accessories of the devil (the heel said to resemble a cloven hoof), and decreed that any woman wearing them should be tried as a witch.
Nowadays, shoes are less linked to class, politics, and religion — though vestiges of these things linger. If you wear Birkenstocks, let’s face it, we know all we need to know about you. You can get a nice-looking pair of shoes for peanuts at Payless, but a shoe aficionado can tell that they’re cheap at a glance and put an end to your upwardly mobile aspirations. Better to go to Loehmann’s or the DSW sales rack, where you may find a pair of Manolos drastically reduced, even if a size too small. Most women will weather serious pain — if not guillotining or burning at the stake — if the shoes are nice enough.
Some people (mostly men) don’t understand what other people (mostly women) see in shoes, so let me explain for the uninitiated.
To begin, shoes are, despite being subject to fashionable trends, timeless accessories in their connection to a portion of the anatomy that remains largely unchanged once it has reached maturity. (This is not counting the half-size increments that occur with the birth of a child and that, in my case at least, appear to reverse themselves as time passes. Twenty years after my last child was born, my foot has begun to inch back to its original size; I figure that if I can tough it out to the age of 90, I will fit into the shoes I wore to my junior high school dance.)
The point here is that, unlike the body’s torso and that even more unforgiving arena, the face, which remind us of time’s sickle whenever we look in the mirror, the foot does not rub our nose in our mortality. As a result, shoes can be purchased without putting the aging body into view, a fact capitalized on in shoe stores where the mirrors reach only to mid-calf. In this, shoes have a kinship with jewelry, another item that doesn’t take physical change into account. One of the reasons why jewelry is such a popular gift from husbands to wives is that the men can simply point and purchase. Shoes are a bit more complicated since they involve remembering the recipient’s size. (I do know a man who buys his wife shoes for her birthday, but, then, he’s a very smart lawyer who can remember that she’s a size 7.5 and likes anything from Charles Jourdan.)
Shoes are a profound accessory for additional reasons. They represent the foundation, literally speaking, of the self. They support us as we go to and fro in our daily lives, and can facilitate or impede that movement. It may seem that ease and comfort would be the desired attributes here, but not necessarily. In movement, as with other endeavors, difficulty can have its advantages. Sometimes a careful, high-heeled step can empower, while a fast, sneakered walk can diminish. Does one want to be regal or ragtag? Shoes are the costumes not just of the feet but of the persona that inhabits them.
2011年12月5日星期一
If it's retro, it's hot for the holidays
Urban Outfitters is bringing back Polaroids and Super 35 mm movie cameras.
Toys "R" Us is rerunning a television ad it aired in the '80s.
And retailers from Zappos to Forever 21 are stocking up on clothes and accessories from the 1960s and '70s.
Shopping has gone retro — again — this holiday season, with Lincoln Logs at Kohl's and turntables at Target. Macy's is stocking a cotton-candy machine with old-fashioned flair, while JCPenney is whipping out the Whoopee Cushion.
"It's retro-a-rama out there, to use a retro phrase," said Kit Yarrow, a professor of business and psychology at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. "People are looking for a safe haven these days, and anything retro feels warm and safe in these roller-coaster times."
Yarrow recently received an invitation to a 1970s-themed party that came with ideas on how to dress for it.
"What struck me," she said, "is the suggestions are exactly what's in stores today: maxi dresses, flowing skirts, gobs of jewelry, platform shoes and tight pants."
In retail, everything old can be new again. That includes nostalgia.
"There is never a time when we have no retro products," said Brooke Hyden, the style expert for Zappos.com. "But the trends right now are really drawing from the past, so we have an especially large collection this season. The '70s look is so hot right now, and we have a lot of Boho-'70s looks, 1970s ponchos, Mad Men-inspired dresses, and 1980s Fair Isle sweaters."
Hyden said people are particularly nostalgic around the holidays.
Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at the NPD Group, a marketing research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y., explained part of the appeal.
"Parents love to harken back to the simpler times of their childhood," he said, "and share the memories with their children."
But it's no passing fad, said Colleen Chapin, founder of Houston-based Hometown Favorites, an online store founded in 1996 to sell hard-to-find candy and other foods from decades past. Business has grown each year, Chapin said, first with baby boomers as key customers. Today, she added, more people in their 30s and 40s are ordering.
The music industry is selling nostalgia like never before, said Fred Allred, owner of AllRecords at 3211 Edloe in the Highland Village area. He has recently gotten in stock boxed gift sets, compilations or reissues for the Beach Boys, Ray Charles and Billy Joel.
"You listen to something you haven't heard in a long time, and it takes you right back," Allred said.
Kohl's has an array of retro clothes and such products for kids as miniature retro-style kitchens and the Morgan Cycle Retro Tricycle, spokeswoman Andrea Glatfelter said.
At Macy's, some gifts combine nostalgia with new technology, said spokeswoman Melissa Goff. For example, the Nostalgia Electrics Retro Series Cotton Candy Machine is shaped like a 1950s jukebox.
Toys "R" Us decided to bring back its 1980s TV ad as a way to create an emotional connection with parents and their kids and remind parents of their own feelings about Toys "R" Us products when they were children, said company spokeswoman Adrienne O'Hara. The commercial includes the Toys "R" Us jingle from that era.
Music and nostalgia are made for each other, Yarrow said.
"Our brain processes music differently than any other stimuli," she said. "We primarily ‘feel' music memories whereas we primarily ‘think' other kinds of memories. Marketers can get a ‘rub-off' effect by pairing the emotion created by retro music with new products."
Toys "R" Us is rerunning a television ad it aired in the '80s.
And retailers from Zappos to Forever 21 are stocking up on clothes and accessories from the 1960s and '70s.
Shopping has gone retro — again — this holiday season, with Lincoln Logs at Kohl's and turntables at Target. Macy's is stocking a cotton-candy machine with old-fashioned flair, while JCPenney is whipping out the Whoopee Cushion.
"It's retro-a-rama out there, to use a retro phrase," said Kit Yarrow, a professor of business and psychology at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. "People are looking for a safe haven these days, and anything retro feels warm and safe in these roller-coaster times."
Yarrow recently received an invitation to a 1970s-themed party that came with ideas on how to dress for it.
"What struck me," she said, "is the suggestions are exactly what's in stores today: maxi dresses, flowing skirts, gobs of jewelry, platform shoes and tight pants."
In retail, everything old can be new again. That includes nostalgia.
"There is never a time when we have no retro products," said Brooke Hyden, the style expert for Zappos.com. "But the trends right now are really drawing from the past, so we have an especially large collection this season. The '70s look is so hot right now, and we have a lot of Boho-'70s looks, 1970s ponchos, Mad Men-inspired dresses, and 1980s Fair Isle sweaters."
Hyden said people are particularly nostalgic around the holidays.
Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at the NPD Group, a marketing research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y., explained part of the appeal.
"Parents love to harken back to the simpler times of their childhood," he said, "and share the memories with their children."
But it's no passing fad, said Colleen Chapin, founder of Houston-based Hometown Favorites, an online store founded in 1996 to sell hard-to-find candy and other foods from decades past. Business has grown each year, Chapin said, first with baby boomers as key customers. Today, she added, more people in their 30s and 40s are ordering.
The music industry is selling nostalgia like never before, said Fred Allred, owner of AllRecords at 3211 Edloe in the Highland Village area. He has recently gotten in stock boxed gift sets, compilations or reissues for the Beach Boys, Ray Charles and Billy Joel.
"You listen to something you haven't heard in a long time, and it takes you right back," Allred said.
Kohl's has an array of retro clothes and such products for kids as miniature retro-style kitchens and the Morgan Cycle Retro Tricycle, spokeswoman Andrea Glatfelter said.
At Macy's, some gifts combine nostalgia with new technology, said spokeswoman Melissa Goff. For example, the Nostalgia Electrics Retro Series Cotton Candy Machine is shaped like a 1950s jukebox.
Toys "R" Us decided to bring back its 1980s TV ad as a way to create an emotional connection with parents and their kids and remind parents of their own feelings about Toys "R" Us products when they were children, said company spokeswoman Adrienne O'Hara. The commercial includes the Toys "R" Us jingle from that era.
Music and nostalgia are made for each other, Yarrow said.
"Our brain processes music differently than any other stimuli," she said. "We primarily ‘feel' music memories whereas we primarily ‘think' other kinds of memories. Marketers can get a ‘rub-off' effect by pairing the emotion created by retro music with new products."
2011年12月4日星期日
Zduriencik looking for offense, key help
Two things you can count on as baseball's annual Winter Meetings play out this week at the luxurious Hilton Anatole hotel just north of downtown Dallas: There'll be plenty of rumors and news coming out of the Big D ... and Mariners.com will be there to keep you informed.
The meetings open Monday, when agents and front-office brass from all 30 Major League clubs converge under the same roof to wheel and deal for four straight days, culminating with the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday morning.
There will be no shortage of hot topics this year, with Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes topping the available free-agent list and an interesting international market emerging, with Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish and Cuban refugee outfielder Yoenis Cespedes expected to become available shortly.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik has said he'll at least look into Fielder's situation as agent Scott Boras begins playing out that scenario. Zduriencik certainly is on the hunt for offensive help -- whether at designated hitter, left field or third base -- and Seattle also is in the market for a veteran starting pitcher, left-handed reliever and backup shortstop.
Not all those needs will be filled at the Winter Meetings, but Zduriencik and his team will surely set the wheels in motion on several fronts.
Manager Eric Wedge will hold a press conference Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. PT and we'll bring you his thoughts as he prepares for his second season at the Mariners helm.
In a new feature, Mariners.com will post a video interview with Zduriencik as he answers some of your own reader questions one day during the Meetings.
And Mariners fans should be interested in the Rule 5 draft on Thursday morning as Seattle has the third selection before the Meetings break up and everyone heads home.
It'll be four straight days of Hot Stove talk and questions. Let us know who you'd target if you were in Zduriencik's shoes. What position upgrade would be your biggest priority? Is this the time to trade Brandon League for offensive help, or do you hang on to your All-Star closer?
Knowing Mike Carp can fill one of the roles, would you rather sign a veteran left fielder or a proven DH, and who would you pursue? Do you put all your eggs in the Fielder basket and be willing to wait and see how that played out while other free agents go off the board, or do you try to fill multiple needs with smaller moves? Are you OK with the kids at third base or is that a position of need?
Those are the kind of talks going on in Zduriencik's suite at the Hilton Anatole this week. Go ahead and start your own discussion right here and then check back over the next four days and we'll let you know what the latest word is from Dallas.
The meetings open Monday, when agents and front-office brass from all 30 Major League clubs converge under the same roof to wheel and deal for four straight days, culminating with the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday morning.
There will be no shortage of hot topics this year, with Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes topping the available free-agent list and an interesting international market emerging, with Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish and Cuban refugee outfielder Yoenis Cespedes expected to become available shortly.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik has said he'll at least look into Fielder's situation as agent Scott Boras begins playing out that scenario. Zduriencik certainly is on the hunt for offensive help -- whether at designated hitter, left field or third base -- and Seattle also is in the market for a veteran starting pitcher, left-handed reliever and backup shortstop.
Not all those needs will be filled at the Winter Meetings, but Zduriencik and his team will surely set the wheels in motion on several fronts.
Manager Eric Wedge will hold a press conference Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. PT and we'll bring you his thoughts as he prepares for his second season at the Mariners helm.
In a new feature, Mariners.com will post a video interview with Zduriencik as he answers some of your own reader questions one day during the Meetings.
And Mariners fans should be interested in the Rule 5 draft on Thursday morning as Seattle has the third selection before the Meetings break up and everyone heads home.
It'll be four straight days of Hot Stove talk and questions. Let us know who you'd target if you were in Zduriencik's shoes. What position upgrade would be your biggest priority? Is this the time to trade Brandon League for offensive help, or do you hang on to your All-Star closer?
Knowing Mike Carp can fill one of the roles, would you rather sign a veteran left fielder or a proven DH, and who would you pursue? Do you put all your eggs in the Fielder basket and be willing to wait and see how that played out while other free agents go off the board, or do you try to fill multiple needs with smaller moves? Are you OK with the kids at third base or is that a position of need?
Those are the kind of talks going on in Zduriencik's suite at the Hilton Anatole this week. Go ahead and start your own discussion right here and then check back over the next four days and we'll let you know what the latest word is from Dallas.
2011年12月1日星期四
Shoes Made from a CT Lexus Hybrid?
The name "Lexus" automatically evokes images of sleek lines, a luxurious ride, and a motor
that purrs like a kitten. But the luxury auto manufacturer has recently made a foray into
the realm of women's footwear...kind of.
Lexus recently challenged four innovative designers to create wearable, fashionable works
of art from a dismantled Lexus CT hybrid (a car that's already 90% recyclable). Among the
creations, which included, “The Valve Collection” aka a bracelet made of valve lifters,
crank bearings, and hose clamps; and the “Nomadic Sanctuary” trench coat, shorts, and
clutch, which are constructed of floor mats and leather seat covers, we found “The Luna
Shoe” by Alejandro Ingelmo. This wedge with a space-age edge was constructed of armrest
leather trim and clear plastic tubing!
The shoes along with the other pieces will be on display today and tomorrow at the Art
Basel Miami Beach in Miami, Fla., and will be sold at a private auction during the event.
All proceeds will benefit the Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund.
But if you can't make it to Miami (the ShoesTV team will be there in spirit!) you can check
out the pieces in Vogue's January 2012 issue where they will be used as part of a six-page
advertisement.
that purrs like a kitten. But the luxury auto manufacturer has recently made a foray into
the realm of women's footwear...kind of.
Lexus recently challenged four innovative designers to create wearable, fashionable works
of art from a dismantled Lexus CT hybrid (a car that's already 90% recyclable). Among the
creations, which included, “The Valve Collection” aka a bracelet made of valve lifters,
crank bearings, and hose clamps; and the “Nomadic Sanctuary” trench coat, shorts, and
clutch, which are constructed of floor mats and leather seat covers, we found “The Luna
Shoe” by Alejandro Ingelmo. This wedge with a space-age edge was constructed of armrest
leather trim and clear plastic tubing!
The shoes along with the other pieces will be on display today and tomorrow at the Art
Basel Miami Beach in Miami, Fla., and will be sold at a private auction during the event.
All proceeds will benefit the Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund.
But if you can't make it to Miami (the ShoesTV team will be there in spirit!) you can check
out the pieces in Vogue's January 2012 issue where they will be used as part of a six-page
advertisement.
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