President Barack Obama spent more than two private hours with injured victims and families at University of Colorado Hospital on Sunday evening before saying in a televised address that it will be the "good people" and the heroic acts that will be remembered in the theater shootings -- not the alleged gunman.
Solemn, flanked by ashen-faced Colorado politicians and Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates, Obama spoke to reporters at the hospital for about nine minutes before taking off for a series of campaign events on the West Coast.
He quoted a passage from the Bible's book of Revelation that says, in part, that God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more."
Obama said he came to the victims and the families "not so much as president as I do as a father and as a husband."
The nightmarish, surreal story of what took place in Century Aurora 16's theater 9 resonates, Obama said, because people can easily imagine themselves in the families' shoes.
"We can all understand what it would be like to have someone that we love taken from us in this fashion,Christian Louboutin Outlet Sale Christian Louboutin Shoes Free Shpping!" he said.
Obama didn't mention the alleged gunman, James Eagan Holmes, by name, saying that though there was a lot of attention on him now, eventually that notoriety will fade.Find christian louboutin platform pumpss at ShopStyle.
"In the end, after he has felt the full force of our justice system, what will be remembered are the good people who were impacted by this tragedy," Obama said.
Jordan Ghawi, brother of victim Jessica Ghawi, tweeted after the meeting: "Sat down with President Obama. He has been incredible. He too has agreed not to mention the shooter's name."
The victims' families gathered at the hospital, and Obama reportedly moved from cluster to cluster, speaking to them mostly about happy memories of those killed. His visit ran about an hour longer than planned.
"The staff kept trying to drag him out, and he wouldn't be dragged out," Gov. John Hickenlooper said.
Sunday's trip was the second time Obama has traveled to Colorado this summer because of tragedy. He visited Colorado Springs at the end of June to thank volunteers and firefighters who fought the devastating Waldo Canyon fire.
The president, who is in a tough race with GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, will continue to suspend election politics, including television ads,cheap Christian Louboutin Sale for women online, in Colorado through this week.
Romney on Sunday praised Obama's handling of the tragedy, saying visiting families was the "right thing."
Obama told a story of Allie Young, 19, who was shot in the neck, and her friend Stephanie Davies, whose quick thinking, he said, likely saved Young's life.
After Young was shot, Davies pulled her out of harm's way and held her fingers to her friend's neck to slow the bleeding, Obama said.
Young apparently told Davies to flee, but she refused, staying with Young and pulling her out of the aisle until the shooting stopped.Welcome To Red Bottom Shoes Christian Louboutin Pump Online Store. There Are A Lot Of Cheap Christian Louboutin Pumps On Sale.
Aurora Police Chief Oates, who was with the president during his three-hour trip, appeared to choke up at that detail.
"Because of Stephanie's timely actions, I just had a conversation with Allie downstairs, and she is going to be fine," Obama said. "As heartbreaking as it is for the families, it's worth us spending most of our time reflecting on young Americans like Allie and Stephanie, because they represent what's best in us,I have not make a research whether it is a truth that each woman loves buy christian louboutin? and they assure us that out of this darkness a brighter day is going to come."
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2012年7月18日星期三
Clinton Fends off Shoes, Tomatoes & Charges of Collusion with Muslim Brotherhood
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's motorcade faced a barrage of tomatoes, shoes, and protesters in her visit to Cairo, Egypt, July 16.I have not make a research whether it is a truth that each woman loves buy christian louboutin? Some Egyptian protesters charged that the U.S.christian louboutin platform pumps discount Black Rolando Patent-Hidden Platform Pumps occupy the lead position of elegant women's hearts in a classical way. government had supported the Muslim Brotherhood in the Islamic nation's recent presidential election, though it's unclear if the Obama administration did provide support for any party.
Clinton traveled to Egypt with a Santa Claus-sized sack of gifts for the ruling government,authentic Gucci Shoes for Women, such as Sandals, including the Obama administration's commitment to “relieve up to one billion dollars in Egypt’s debt” and a new $60-million “U.S.-Egypt Enterprise Fund.” Clinton also promised the Obama administration was “ready to make available $250 million in loan guarantees to Egyptian small-and-medium-sized businesses.”
But it's unclear whether the elected leaders — President Mursi and the Parliament — or the military are the "government" leaders who will enjoy the U.S. taxpayer largesse. Mursi was the Islamic-allied Muslim Brotherhood's presidential nominee, and the Egyptian parliament — abolished by the military in February — is dominated by a coalition of parties allied to the Muslim Brotherhood and even more fundamentalist Salafist parties. Before the elections, the military — which held sway under the Mubarak and previous Egyptian governments — reserved many government powers to itself.
The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamic party known in Egypt as a charitable organization, but one which has a history in Egypt of violently opposing government dictators. The Brotherhood was actively courted by both the Soviet KGB and the U.S. CIA in the 1950s and 1960s, though it's unclear if either holds any sway over the party in Egypt at this time.
Clinton's message in Cairo expressed a willingness to work with the government, implying she wanted more power for the elected leaders and less for the military. “I have come to Cairo to reaffirm the strong support of the United States for the Egyptian people and for your democratic transition," Clinton said, adding she had engaged in “constructive dialogue” about “how the United States and Egypt can work together in a spirit of mutual respect and mutual interests.”
Clinton and the Obama administration were late-comers in backing Egyptian popular elections, expressing repeated support for the Mubarak dictatorship over the years. In November 10, 2010, just five weeks before the Arab Spring uprising began in Tunisia, Clinton said of the Mubarak regime: “The partnership between the United States and Egypt is a cornerstone of stability and security in the Middle East and beyond, and we look to Egypt for regional and global leadership on a wide range of issues. This is a relationship rooted in mutual respect and common interests and a history of cooperation and a shared vision for the future. ...Shop for cheap Christian Louboutin Shoes,christian louboutin pumps,in particular, I wish to commend the personal commitment of President Mubarak.”
Even after the “Arab Spring” came to Egypt in January 2011, Hillary Clinton was still claiming, "We want to continue to partner with the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people."
Likewise, President Obama said in a January 26, 2011 YouTube interview that Mubarak had been "an ally of ours on a lot of critical issues," and that “President Mubarak has been very helpful on a range of tough issues in the Middle East.” Obama made these remarks even as protesters were demanding an end to the Mubarak dictatorship and were being beaten and doused with tear gas canisters marked “Made in America.”
The Obama administration was clearly taken by surprise on the issue of the Arab Spring in general, and of Egypt in particular. Even as late as February 1, 2011, after it became more than clear that Mubarak was on the way out, President Obama said little of substance in a national address on Egypt.Complete your look with designer Christian Louboutin Women Shoesfrom Barneys New York. Obama focused his remarks toward describing how he had discussed with Egyptian dictator Mubarak how Egypt is a “long-time partner of the United States” and pleaded for non-violence by both the military and the protesters.
Clinton traveled to Egypt with a Santa Claus-sized sack of gifts for the ruling government,authentic Gucci Shoes for Women, such as Sandals, including the Obama administration's commitment to “relieve up to one billion dollars in Egypt’s debt” and a new $60-million “U.S.-Egypt Enterprise Fund.” Clinton also promised the Obama administration was “ready to make available $250 million in loan guarantees to Egyptian small-and-medium-sized businesses.”
But it's unclear whether the elected leaders — President Mursi and the Parliament — or the military are the "government" leaders who will enjoy the U.S. taxpayer largesse. Mursi was the Islamic-allied Muslim Brotherhood's presidential nominee, and the Egyptian parliament — abolished by the military in February — is dominated by a coalition of parties allied to the Muslim Brotherhood and even more fundamentalist Salafist parties. Before the elections, the military — which held sway under the Mubarak and previous Egyptian governments — reserved many government powers to itself.
The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamic party known in Egypt as a charitable organization, but one which has a history in Egypt of violently opposing government dictators. The Brotherhood was actively courted by both the Soviet KGB and the U.S. CIA in the 1950s and 1960s, though it's unclear if either holds any sway over the party in Egypt at this time.
Clinton's message in Cairo expressed a willingness to work with the government, implying she wanted more power for the elected leaders and less for the military. “I have come to Cairo to reaffirm the strong support of the United States for the Egyptian people and for your democratic transition," Clinton said, adding she had engaged in “constructive dialogue” about “how the United States and Egypt can work together in a spirit of mutual respect and mutual interests.”
Clinton and the Obama administration were late-comers in backing Egyptian popular elections, expressing repeated support for the Mubarak dictatorship over the years. In November 10, 2010, just five weeks before the Arab Spring uprising began in Tunisia, Clinton said of the Mubarak regime: “The partnership between the United States and Egypt is a cornerstone of stability and security in the Middle East and beyond, and we look to Egypt for regional and global leadership on a wide range of issues. This is a relationship rooted in mutual respect and common interests and a history of cooperation and a shared vision for the future. ...Shop for cheap Christian Louboutin Shoes,christian louboutin pumps,in particular, I wish to commend the personal commitment of President Mubarak.”
Even after the “Arab Spring” came to Egypt in January 2011, Hillary Clinton was still claiming, "We want to continue to partner with the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people."
Likewise, President Obama said in a January 26, 2011 YouTube interview that Mubarak had been "an ally of ours on a lot of critical issues," and that “President Mubarak has been very helpful on a range of tough issues in the Middle East.” Obama made these remarks even as protesters were demanding an end to the Mubarak dictatorship and were being beaten and doused with tear gas canisters marked “Made in America.”
The Obama administration was clearly taken by surprise on the issue of the Arab Spring in general, and of Egypt in particular. Even as late as February 1, 2011, after it became more than clear that Mubarak was on the way out, President Obama said little of substance in a national address on Egypt.Complete your look with designer Christian Louboutin Women Shoesfrom Barneys New York. Obama focused his remarks toward describing how he had discussed with Egyptian dictator Mubarak how Egypt is a “long-time partner of the United States” and pleaded for non-violence by both the military and the protesters.
2012年6月27日星期三
Lean yet loose collection for Raf Simons
There was a slightly disingenuous feeling in the air at the spring-summer 2013 menswear collection of acclaimed designer Raf Simons.
The 44-year-old Belgian has, of course, recently taken the creative helm of fashion powerhouse Christian Dior, following John Galliano's unceremonious departure last year.
That Wednesday's show was much bigger than last season's, sprawling over two floors, might lead some to think that the added interest wasn't just for the menswear.
But if anyone's attention did wander, it was pulled back by the disturbing syncopated music that opened the collection — an array of lean yet loose silhouettes.
The unsettled feeling in the music lent itself immediately to the garb.
Moody models with long asymmetrical fringes filed out in seven dark, lean and near-identical two button suits.
It would have been a case of deja vu — had it not been for the subtle variations, such as color tone, the positioning of pockets, and sneakers versus patent leather shoes.
As the collection progressed, Simons seemed to loosen up a little, allowing printed elongated T-shirts a dash of color, and on-trend white boxy shirts a floral collar flourish.
The color must have been infectious. The floral prints soon spread their way from collars to cover the entirety of several joyous day coats.
On the happy note this strong collection thus came full circle. The only drawback: the girly touches might not be a big hit with buyers.
The 44-year-old Belgian has, of course, recently taken the creative helm of fashion powerhouse Christian Dior, following John Galliano's unceremonious departure last year.
That Wednesday's show was much bigger than last season's, sprawling over two floors, might lead some to think that the added interest wasn't just for the menswear.
But if anyone's attention did wander, it was pulled back by the disturbing syncopated music that opened the collection — an array of lean yet loose silhouettes.
The unsettled feeling in the music lent itself immediately to the garb.
Moody models with long asymmetrical fringes filed out in seven dark, lean and near-identical two button suits.
It would have been a case of deja vu — had it not been for the subtle variations, such as color tone, the positioning of pockets, and sneakers versus patent leather shoes.
As the collection progressed, Simons seemed to loosen up a little, allowing printed elongated T-shirts a dash of color, and on-trend white boxy shirts a floral collar flourish.
The color must have been infectious. The floral prints soon spread their way from collars to cover the entirety of several joyous day coats.
On the happy note this strong collection thus came full circle. The only drawback: the girly touches might not be a big hit with buyers.
2012年5月30日星期三
Jeffrey Campbell Play
The new season is full of excitement when it comes to accessories and Jeffrey Campbell's spring 2012 shoe collection is all about bringing variety to the fashion scene. Model Jessica Mercedes rocks the new JC Play Fresh to Death collection for the camera lens of Claire Oring, showing off the uniqueness of each and every shoe design included in the collection.
A girl can never have enough shoes, so if you're a true 'shoeaholic', you're going to have a difficult time staying away from the collection as it features various shoe designs that are meant to combine style with comfort and style with edginess, characteristics that have a certain uniqueness that makes heads turn.
Apparently, the designer doesn't aim to bring to the fashion scene the latest trends in shoe design, but rad shoes that will turn you into a trendsetter. These designs have a certain 'je ne sais quoi' that go from day to evening and that can match women with various personalities and styles. Bringing the perfect balance of super-chic sneakers and edgy high heels, JC Play's Fresh of Death spring 2012 collection is definitely worth all of your attention, whether you're all about casual or ladylike styles.
The sneakers signed by JC have a certain deluxe allure attached given not only through the shape of the designs but through the colors and fabrics used in the manufacturing process. Juxtaposing vintage with contemporary details, the designer managed to achieve various super stylish sneakers to suit women from day to evening. From the Flavia metallic sneakers to the Homgicon($80), the Billie Vin, the Teramo sneakericon($206) and the bright Venice sneakericon($214) in turquoise or pink combo, each design has something special that makes it attract attention, making every shoe a perfect choice for 'style & comfort-junkies'.
Thrill-seekers have the opportunity to experiment with JC Play's super fab high heel sandals that are sexy yet casual-chic and that will surely make heads turn. The interesting, edgy color choice and sole design of the Zumba and Fonda heels are perfectly balanced by the vintage chicness of the Smoosh sandals, so explore the new collection and pick your new JC favorites!
Lara Pulver's nude scenes in Sherlock have helped the episode to become the most-watched show on the BBC iPlayer so far this year.
The programme - the first edition of the series screened on New Year's Day - drew around 100 complaints from viewers who were offended by the nude scenes.
But new figures released by the BBC show the programme was way ahead of all others in the period from January to April of this year.
The episode, called A Scandal In Belgravia, featured Lara as Irene Adler, filming one notable scene entirely naked except for her high heel shoes.
New figures show it was seen 2.5 million times on the iPlayer - 600,000 more than the next most popular show, which was the third instalment of the drama series. Sherlock proved to be a massive draw in general, taking all of the top three places in the most-watched list.
Another controversial show, the Top Gear India Special, came fourth. It led to the Indian High Commission sending a letter to the BBC expressing concern about the portrayal.
The BBC responded to the complaints about Sherlock saying the nudity had been carefully discussed "to ensure it was appropriate for a pre-watershed audience".
A girl can never have enough shoes, so if you're a true 'shoeaholic', you're going to have a difficult time staying away from the collection as it features various shoe designs that are meant to combine style with comfort and style with edginess, characteristics that have a certain uniqueness that makes heads turn.
Apparently, the designer doesn't aim to bring to the fashion scene the latest trends in shoe design, but rad shoes that will turn you into a trendsetter. These designs have a certain 'je ne sais quoi' that go from day to evening and that can match women with various personalities and styles. Bringing the perfect balance of super-chic sneakers and edgy high heels, JC Play's Fresh of Death spring 2012 collection is definitely worth all of your attention, whether you're all about casual or ladylike styles.
The sneakers signed by JC have a certain deluxe allure attached given not only through the shape of the designs but through the colors and fabrics used in the manufacturing process. Juxtaposing vintage with contemporary details, the designer managed to achieve various super stylish sneakers to suit women from day to evening. From the Flavia metallic sneakers to the Homgicon($80), the Billie Vin, the Teramo sneakericon($206) and the bright Venice sneakericon($214) in turquoise or pink combo, each design has something special that makes it attract attention, making every shoe a perfect choice for 'style & comfort-junkies'.
Thrill-seekers have the opportunity to experiment with JC Play's super fab high heel sandals that are sexy yet casual-chic and that will surely make heads turn. The interesting, edgy color choice and sole design of the Zumba and Fonda heels are perfectly balanced by the vintage chicness of the Smoosh sandals, so explore the new collection and pick your new JC favorites!
Lara Pulver's nude scenes in Sherlock have helped the episode to become the most-watched show on the BBC iPlayer so far this year.
The programme - the first edition of the series screened on New Year's Day - drew around 100 complaints from viewers who were offended by the nude scenes.
But new figures released by the BBC show the programme was way ahead of all others in the period from January to April of this year.
The episode, called A Scandal In Belgravia, featured Lara as Irene Adler, filming one notable scene entirely naked except for her high heel shoes.
New figures show it was seen 2.5 million times on the iPlayer - 600,000 more than the next most popular show, which was the third instalment of the drama series. Sherlock proved to be a massive draw in general, taking all of the top three places in the most-watched list.
Another controversial show, the Top Gear India Special, came fourth. It led to the Indian High Commission sending a letter to the BBC expressing concern about the portrayal.
The BBC responded to the complaints about Sherlock saying the nudity had been carefully discussed "to ensure it was appropriate for a pre-watershed audience".
2012年5月28日星期一
Which of these women is happiest with her body?
As women finally start to embrace their curves Stephanie Bell finds that bigger can be better.
Is the tide finally starting to turn on society’s obsession with thinness? For years we have been bombarded with images of heavily air brushed impossibly skinny models held up in glossy magazines as the female ideal.
The size zero debate which raged globally in the fashion industry a few years ago did leave a stigma, making it not so hip to be super skinny anymore.
Criticism of celebrities with waif like frames is increasingly creeping into the media with Kate, the new Duchess of Cambridge, the subject of constant speculation about her health and comments about her weight.
Angelina Jolie's recent Oscar appearance had Twitter ablaze with criticisms of her thin frame with one user saying her arms looked like they were ready to snap in half.
In March, Israel took the unprecedented step of banning models from advertisements or fashion shows if they measure less than 18.5 on the body mass index (BMI).
It is part of an effort to promote health for women of all sizes, and to stop glorifying the ultra-thin.
“Beautiful is not underweight,” said Rachel Adato, one of the creators of the bill.
The lack of body diversity in the media has been blamed on the soaring number of children and young teens suffering from eating disorders.
The reality is that most “normal” people are not naturally skinny.
According to a recent survey, the average UK woman weighs 11 stone and is a size 14 and it looks like we are finally starting to embrace and celebrate those natural curves.
We talked to three real women who have very different body sizes about how their weight impacts on their happiness and self esteem and found some surprising responses.
‘Even big ladies can look great’
Donna Wilson (44), a beauty administrator from Belfast, is married to Alan (45), a maintenance engineer, and they have four children, Kerry-Ann (24) Curtis (20), Jordan (19) and Corey (16). She is size 20. She says:
I’ve never been thin. When I was a teenager I would have been a size 12. My weight went up when I had my children and at one stage I was actually heavier that I am now. I did go up to a size 28 but I lost four stone about four years ago although I have put two or three stone back on.
I can’t say I wouldn’t like to be a bit slimmer and I know I could do with toning up for my health but I am happy with how I look.
I love going out for meals and I love socialising. I like to enjoy life and so I don’t let my weight get me down or stop me from doing things.
I love fashion and I love shopping, when it comes to clothes I am a bit of a shopaholic. I always try to make the best of what I’ve got and yes, sometimes I do feel sexy. I love the High Street boutiques, River Island, Next and Dorothy Perkins as they all do my size and I like stylish clothes. I can pick up a nice maxi dress in River Island or leggings in Topshop which I wear with a long vest. I might have the big knickers on underneath to hold my belly in but if I feel good in something then it makes me happy and confident.
Is the tide finally starting to turn on society’s obsession with thinness? For years we have been bombarded with images of heavily air brushed impossibly skinny models held up in glossy magazines as the female ideal.
The size zero debate which raged globally in the fashion industry a few years ago did leave a stigma, making it not so hip to be super skinny anymore.
Criticism of celebrities with waif like frames is increasingly creeping into the media with Kate, the new Duchess of Cambridge, the subject of constant speculation about her health and comments about her weight.
Angelina Jolie's recent Oscar appearance had Twitter ablaze with criticisms of her thin frame with one user saying her arms looked like they were ready to snap in half.
In March, Israel took the unprecedented step of banning models from advertisements or fashion shows if they measure less than 18.5 on the body mass index (BMI).
It is part of an effort to promote health for women of all sizes, and to stop glorifying the ultra-thin.
“Beautiful is not underweight,” said Rachel Adato, one of the creators of the bill.
The lack of body diversity in the media has been blamed on the soaring number of children and young teens suffering from eating disorders.
The reality is that most “normal” people are not naturally skinny.
According to a recent survey, the average UK woman weighs 11 stone and is a size 14 and it looks like we are finally starting to embrace and celebrate those natural curves.
We talked to three real women who have very different body sizes about how their weight impacts on their happiness and self esteem and found some surprising responses.
‘Even big ladies can look great’
Donna Wilson (44), a beauty administrator from Belfast, is married to Alan (45), a maintenance engineer, and they have four children, Kerry-Ann (24) Curtis (20), Jordan (19) and Corey (16). She is size 20. She says:
I’ve never been thin. When I was a teenager I would have been a size 12. My weight went up when I had my children and at one stage I was actually heavier that I am now. I did go up to a size 28 but I lost four stone about four years ago although I have put two or three stone back on.
I can’t say I wouldn’t like to be a bit slimmer and I know I could do with toning up for my health but I am happy with how I look.
I love going out for meals and I love socialising. I like to enjoy life and so I don’t let my weight get me down or stop me from doing things.
I love fashion and I love shopping, when it comes to clothes I am a bit of a shopaholic. I always try to make the best of what I’ve got and yes, sometimes I do feel sexy. I love the High Street boutiques, River Island, Next and Dorothy Perkins as they all do my size and I like stylish clothes. I can pick up a nice maxi dress in River Island or leggings in Topshop which I wear with a long vest. I might have the big knickers on underneath to hold my belly in but if I feel good in something then it makes me happy and confident.
2012年5月14日星期一
Regal fashion essentials
Seems we’re not waiting for a rainy day to flaunt our wet weather gear. The wettest April on record may have dampened demand for summer fashions but sales of waterproofs have gone through the roof. Online retailer Very.co.uk have revealed sales of umbrellas have soared by 48 per cent, waterproof jackets by 64 per cent, and wellies a whopping 78 per cent.
ROX the jeweller have announced the appointment of top Scottish fashion designer Marc Ross as creative director.
Marc, 27, trained with Vivienne Westwood and has designed for stars including Cheryl Cole and Jessie J. He joins the brand in a new position responsible for all creative aspects of the business, ranging from branding and visual concepts to the design and development of the ROX Silver collection.
Marc has also designed a new bespoke uniform for ROX’s 60 sales consultants – a dress with a strong focus on silhouette and a structured neckline, designed to allow staff to model necklaces for their customers.
On June 29, the hotly anticipated Red Carpet Manicure collection is launching on QVC. Spotted on the nails of international music sensation Rihanna at the Grammy awards, the world’s first at-home gel polish range is causing a sensation among celebrities and beauty fans everywhere.
ROX the jeweller have announced the appointment of top Scottish fashion designer Marc Ross as creative director.
Marc, 27, trained with Vivienne Westwood and has designed for stars including Cheryl Cole and Jessie J. He joins the brand in a new position responsible for all creative aspects of the business, ranging from branding and visual concepts to the design and development of the ROX Silver collection.
Marc has also designed a new bespoke uniform for ROX’s 60 sales consultants – a dress with a strong focus on silhouette and a structured neckline, designed to allow staff to model necklaces for their customers.
On June 29, the hotly anticipated Red Carpet Manicure collection is launching on QVC. Spotted on the nails of international music sensation Rihanna at the Grammy awards, the world’s first at-home gel polish range is causing a sensation among celebrities and beauty fans everywhere.
2012年5月13日星期日
How to find a job that suits you
It's the time of year when spirited young women and men graduate from the joyous, beer-soaked, afternoon-napping-allowed world of college and enter the soul-crushing, coffee-soaked, afternoon-napping-frowned-upon world of work.
I kid, of course — graduates, you'll love the real world! (No, you won't. … Return to school immediately. … I haven't had fun in 20 years.
As most of you know, the first post-graduation step is to get the throw-up off the shoes you rented for your graduation ceremony. The next is to get a job, which is unfortunate because there aren't quite as many of those as there used to be.
I consulted with job search experts and business owners to come up with some pragmatic tips for young job seekers — not the "add some zazz to your resume!" or "make sure to wear a power tie" type of advice. Concrete, sensible stuff that fits the modern business world.
Tom Walter is head of a company called Tasty Catering and co-author of the coming book "It's My Company Too!" He said the vast majority of companies that are hiring are smaller ones with fewer than 500 employees. Yet many college graduates are still being taught job search and interview approaches tailored for large, monolithic corporations.
I kid, of course — graduates, you'll love the real world! (No, you won't. … Return to school immediately. … I haven't had fun in 20 years.
As most of you know, the first post-graduation step is to get the throw-up off the shoes you rented for your graduation ceremony. The next is to get a job, which is unfortunate because there aren't quite as many of those as there used to be.
I consulted with job search experts and business owners to come up with some pragmatic tips for young job seekers — not the "add some zazz to your resume!" or "make sure to wear a power tie" type of advice. Concrete, sensible stuff that fits the modern business world.
Tom Walter is head of a company called Tasty Catering and co-author of the coming book "It's My Company Too!" He said the vast majority of companies that are hiring are smaller ones with fewer than 500 employees. Yet many college graduates are still being taught job search and interview approaches tailored for large, monolithic corporations.
2012年5月8日星期二
Getting organized at home: Organizing shoes in the closet or bedroom
Shoes come in many colors, shapes, and sizes, but they all have one thing in common, they all come in pairs. Often we can find one shoe but we cannot find the other. Finding a pair of shoes can become a source of frustration but does not have to be. Organizing your shoes in the bedroom or closet can be fun and rewarding and eliminate the frustration of missing shoes. Even in the smallest space, places can be found to organize and store shoes.
When space is limited, it is best to have accessible only the shoes that you will be wearing in any given season. Unless you have an extraordinarily large amount of shoes, two groups of shoes should be sufficient for dividing.
Separate your summer shoes from your winter shoes. Shoes that are not being worn for a season can be easily stored in many different ways. An easy way to keep pairs of shoes together in the off season is to put them in zipper plastic bags. They come in all sizes. Find the size that works for the sizes that you are storing. You can store the shoes in many different boxes. Find the box that is the right size to tuck away in the top of a shelf or under the bed box. Make sure you measure the space, especially if you are planning to purchase a box for your shoes. Shoes that will not be worn for a season can be put away where they are not easily accessible.
When space is limited, it is best to have accessible only the shoes that you will be wearing in any given season. Unless you have an extraordinarily large amount of shoes, two groups of shoes should be sufficient for dividing.
Separate your summer shoes from your winter shoes. Shoes that are not being worn for a season can be easily stored in many different ways. An easy way to keep pairs of shoes together in the off season is to put them in zipper plastic bags. They come in all sizes. Find the size that works for the sizes that you are storing. You can store the shoes in many different boxes. Find the box that is the right size to tuck away in the top of a shelf or under the bed box. Make sure you measure the space, especially if you are planning to purchase a box for your shoes. Shoes that will not be worn for a season can be put away where they are not easily accessible.
2012年5月6日星期日
Howard Dean: Women, Latinos "terrified" of GOP
"Women are terrified of what the Republicans are talking about. They're talking about basically stripping away their ability to have insurance pay for their birth control pills," Dean said on "Face the Nation." "Latinos are terrified of the Republicans, because they seem to have a total tin ear when it comes to the basic needs of treating people with dignity.
"For Michele Bachmann to go on there and claim that women are going to vote for Mitt Romney is perfectly ridiculous," Dean said, referring to the Republican congresswoman who also appeared on "Face the Nation" Sunday.
Dean also suggested that "the average American thinks that Mitt Romney doesn't care about them. Here's a guy who's building, during a campaign, a mansion in Malibu with an elevator for his car," Dean said to Bob Schieffer. "He had a Swiss bank account and he invests in the Cayman Islands. I don't think we've ever elected a president who has invested in the Cayman Islands as a tax dodge before.
"This candidacy is a shipwreck", Dean said, "and for Michele Bachmann to go on there and claim that woman are going to vote for Mitt Romney is perfectly ridiculous."
Responding to Bachmann's charge that President Obama will be running on a record of "broken promises," Dean defended the president, saying he has been successful in both the economy and foreign policy.
"For Michele Bachmann to go on there and claim that women are going to vote for Mitt Romney is perfectly ridiculous," Dean said, referring to the Republican congresswoman who also appeared on "Face the Nation" Sunday.
Dean also suggested that "the average American thinks that Mitt Romney doesn't care about them. Here's a guy who's building, during a campaign, a mansion in Malibu with an elevator for his car," Dean said to Bob Schieffer. "He had a Swiss bank account and he invests in the Cayman Islands. I don't think we've ever elected a president who has invested in the Cayman Islands as a tax dodge before.
"This candidacy is a shipwreck", Dean said, "and for Michele Bachmann to go on there and claim that woman are going to vote for Mitt Romney is perfectly ridiculous."
Responding to Bachmann's charge that President Obama will be running on a record of "broken promises," Dean defended the president, saying he has been successful in both the economy and foreign policy.
2012年5月3日星期四
Christian Louboutin - the man, the shoes, the colour red
Not only am I an absolute shoe affectionado, I also just shared the same air space as shoe maestro Christian Louboutin himself. I didn't love him enough before then I shoe-ly do now, he was quietly contained, charming, and passionate. His love of shoes, design, and the female form came across with every word he spoke.
20 years of the red sole
I'm at the Design Museum in London for a preview of Monsieur Louboutin's landmark show. It is 21 years since he opened his first shop, close to Notre Dame in Paris, and 21 years since he introduced the iconic red sole which was to be his trademark. In true style, he is wearing a red jumper today; as his coined phrase goes 'Red is for luck. Red is for love. Red is for passion. Red is for Louboutin soles'.
I'm given 30 minutes to fall head over heels in love with a man that I already have an undiluted love for; he has me at three. I'm charmed by his raw love of designing. He tells us that being the best know shoemaker in the world was never on the agenda for him, it wasn't in his master plan. Becoming the creator of every woman's favourite footwear was simply a by-product of Christian Louboutin pursuing his own passion. All he ever wanted to do was to make pretty things for beautiful women and by god did he get his wish.
20 years of the red sole
I'm at the Design Museum in London for a preview of Monsieur Louboutin's landmark show. It is 21 years since he opened his first shop, close to Notre Dame in Paris, and 21 years since he introduced the iconic red sole which was to be his trademark. In true style, he is wearing a red jumper today; as his coined phrase goes 'Red is for luck. Red is for love. Red is for passion. Red is for Louboutin soles'.
I'm given 30 minutes to fall head over heels in love with a man that I already have an undiluted love for; he has me at three. I'm charmed by his raw love of designing. He tells us that being the best know shoemaker in the world was never on the agenda for him, it wasn't in his master plan. Becoming the creator of every woman's favourite footwear was simply a by-product of Christian Louboutin pursuing his own passion. All he ever wanted to do was to make pretty things for beautiful women and by god did he get his wish.
2012年5月1日星期二
Occupy Detroit protesters holding rallies throughout city today
Occupy Detroit protesters are planning a series of rallies today in several Detroit locations.
They planned to begin at noon at Clark Park in southwest Detroit and then walk to schools, a bus station, and the McNamara Federal Building in downtown Detroit before ending at Grand Circus Park, the site of the group's encampment last year, at about 3:45 p.m., organizers said.
Organizers say as part of today's protest, they will call for a single-day strike, urging people not to work or purchase anything for an entire day.
The Occupy protesters are part of a national movement dedicated to fighting income inequality and exposing what they say is an excessive influence of Wall Street and corporations.
While police have arrested Occupy protesters in other cities, there have been no reported confrontations with police or arrests made in Detroit.
Today's protests coincide with others planned across the country and are being staged on May 1, a day that traditionally has seen demonstrations by labor or immigrant groups. The May 1 rallies are rooted in an incident in Chicago in 1886 called the Haymarket affair, which saw clashes between labor activists and police.
They planned to begin at noon at Clark Park in southwest Detroit and then walk to schools, a bus station, and the McNamara Federal Building in downtown Detroit before ending at Grand Circus Park, the site of the group's encampment last year, at about 3:45 p.m., organizers said.
Organizers say as part of today's protest, they will call for a single-day strike, urging people not to work or purchase anything for an entire day.
The Occupy protesters are part of a national movement dedicated to fighting income inequality and exposing what they say is an excessive influence of Wall Street and corporations.
While police have arrested Occupy protesters in other cities, there have been no reported confrontations with police or arrests made in Detroit.
Today's protests coincide with others planned across the country and are being staged on May 1, a day that traditionally has seen demonstrations by labor or immigrant groups. The May 1 rallies are rooted in an incident in Chicago in 1886 called the Haymarket affair, which saw clashes between labor activists and police.
2012年4月25日星期三
Zoe Saldana: I Was "Dying Inside" as a Teenage Dancer
Zoe Saldana has the honor of being the first woman to grace the cover of Cosmopolitan for Latinas -- a major accomplishment for the 33-year-old actress.
"People think of Latina women as being fiery and fierce, which is usually true. But I think the quality that so many Latinas possess is strength," the Avatar actress says in the magazine's premiere issue. "I'm very proud to have Latin blood."
PHOTOS: Zoe Saldana and 12 other style stars to watch in 2012
A beaming Saldana models a $2,295 Dolce & Gabbana dress and $1,245 Christian Louboutin shoes on the cover, in addition to a $120 Gerard Yosca cuff and $240 Alex Monroe earrings. The actress -- who split with Bradley Cooper in March after a three-month courtship -- also opens up to the magazine about why she gave up dance in her teens.
"I had to quit ballet because it felt like a part of me was dying inside. It takes a lot of courage to face up to things you can't do because we feed ourselves so much denial," she tells Cosmopolitan for Latinas. "In dance, you use every part of your body except your voice. I wanted to start acting because I wanted to use my voice."
VIDEO: How Zoe Saldana helped provide Haiti relief
Saldana -- who is currently filming the untitled Star Trek sequel -- next appears in The Words, alongside her ex Cooper, 37, and Olivia Wilde, 28.
"People think of Latina women as being fiery and fierce, which is usually true. But I think the quality that so many Latinas possess is strength," the Avatar actress says in the magazine's premiere issue. "I'm very proud to have Latin blood."
PHOTOS: Zoe Saldana and 12 other style stars to watch in 2012
A beaming Saldana models a $2,295 Dolce & Gabbana dress and $1,245 Christian Louboutin shoes on the cover, in addition to a $120 Gerard Yosca cuff and $240 Alex Monroe earrings. The actress -- who split with Bradley Cooper in March after a three-month courtship -- also opens up to the magazine about why she gave up dance in her teens.
"I had to quit ballet because it felt like a part of me was dying inside. It takes a lot of courage to face up to things you can't do because we feed ourselves so much denial," she tells Cosmopolitan for Latinas. "In dance, you use every part of your body except your voice. I wanted to start acting because I wanted to use my voice."
VIDEO: How Zoe Saldana helped provide Haiti relief
Saldana -- who is currently filming the untitled Star Trek sequel -- next appears in The Words, alongside her ex Cooper, 37, and Olivia Wilde, 28.
2012年4月22日星期日
Baddourah plans to become a middle-roader on city spending habits
The new shoe leather District 3 representative on Columbia City Council plans to be a moderate on the city’s spending practices, or, as he puts it, “just a good balance.”
Restaurateur Moe Baddourah said he sees himself as being fiscally somewhere between departing Councilman Daniel Rickenmann and former Councilwoman Anne Sinclair. Rickenmann is viewed as having been more hawkish on spending cuts while Sinclair, who stepped down in 2008, more pragmatic.
“I’m more in the middle … more of a moderate fiscal conservative,” Baddourah, who stressed his business experience during the campaign, said Friday. “I’m not going to tell you I’m conservative and am going to vote to cut services to save money.”
One absolute on which Baddourah said he is unwilling to budge is voting to use revenue from the city’s water and sewer system for anything other than improving its crumbling pipes and pumps.
Answering with the one word, “no,” he was adamant that he would not vote to divert money from upkeep and replacement into other city functions such as police and firefighters, as council has for years.
In a runoff last week, Baddourah trounced Daniel Coble, son of former longtime mayor Bob Coble, by 14 percentage points, or 440 votes. Baddourah seized 14 of 22 precincts, doing especially well in the more conservative ones that were newly redrawn by council into District 3 from Columbia’s eastern edge.
Baddourah said he was surprised by the size of his victory. “I really fought hard for this race; a lot of hours; three pairs of shoes,” he said of the estimated 6,000 doors he said he knocked on along every street in the district that stretches from the USC area and Shandon and dips south and east into portions of what until this year was District 4. Some doors he returned to two or even three times, bring the total to 8,000, by his count.
Baddourah acknowledged that he largely will be an observer his first months in office, seeking to understand the intricacies of municipal finance as council prepares to adopt the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 – the date he and new at-large Councilman Cameron Runyan, who’s replacing Rickenmann, take office.
“I really want to learn,” Baddourah said. Starting in January when the city begins grappling with the 2013-2014 budget, “I’m really going to get my hands dirty.” In the interim, he said he will not be a no-way, no-how councilman on increases in city spending.
“Ask me in a year and I’ll tell you if I’m Daniel Rickenmann or Anne Sinclair,” he said, chuckling.
Rickenmann, twice elected citywide, could not be reached Friday.
Former District 3 representative Sinclair said Rickenmann’s “hardline” approach to fiscal conservatism has “mellowed” in his time on council.
“If you take how Daniel is now and compare him to me, I think there would be a lot of similarities,” Sinclair said.
Learning and understanding how the city spends money and handles its finances is a slow process because of the complexities. The political reality of working with six other council members also tends to temper campaign rhetoric that offers simple solutions, she said.
“The new representatives are going to have to do a lot of listening to their fellow council members as well as to the staff,” Sinclair said, citing her experience during five terms on council.
Critics such as former Councilman Kirkman Finlay III say council is tilting back toward spending habits that once saw spending grow to the point that Columbia had two years of operating in the red before it corrected its course. Last year, council authorized a 2 percentage point increase in a franchise fee that all utility customers pay as a way of buoying the struggling bus system. Now, council is considering the size of its next increase in water and sewer rates.
Finlay, who supported Baddourah’s race and gave the candidate’s staff political advice, said the nation’s sluggish recovery also helped Baddourah. “I think the times are his ally.”
“I think his win is massively impressive,” Finlay said. “The fact that he overcame the ‘Legacy Bob Coble Machine’ is amazing.” Finlay, who lost a 2010 race for mayor and now is a candidate for the S.C. House 75 seat, said he did not realize how much the change in the district’s boundaries would help Baddourah. “I completely underestimated that.”
Restaurateur Moe Baddourah said he sees himself as being fiscally somewhere between departing Councilman Daniel Rickenmann and former Councilwoman Anne Sinclair. Rickenmann is viewed as having been more hawkish on spending cuts while Sinclair, who stepped down in 2008, more pragmatic.
“I’m more in the middle … more of a moderate fiscal conservative,” Baddourah, who stressed his business experience during the campaign, said Friday. “I’m not going to tell you I’m conservative and am going to vote to cut services to save money.”
One absolute on which Baddourah said he is unwilling to budge is voting to use revenue from the city’s water and sewer system for anything other than improving its crumbling pipes and pumps.
Answering with the one word, “no,” he was adamant that he would not vote to divert money from upkeep and replacement into other city functions such as police and firefighters, as council has for years.
In a runoff last week, Baddourah trounced Daniel Coble, son of former longtime mayor Bob Coble, by 14 percentage points, or 440 votes. Baddourah seized 14 of 22 precincts, doing especially well in the more conservative ones that were newly redrawn by council into District 3 from Columbia’s eastern edge.
Baddourah said he was surprised by the size of his victory. “I really fought hard for this race; a lot of hours; three pairs of shoes,” he said of the estimated 6,000 doors he said he knocked on along every street in the district that stretches from the USC area and Shandon and dips south and east into portions of what until this year was District 4. Some doors he returned to two or even three times, bring the total to 8,000, by his count.
Baddourah acknowledged that he largely will be an observer his first months in office, seeking to understand the intricacies of municipal finance as council prepares to adopt the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 – the date he and new at-large Councilman Cameron Runyan, who’s replacing Rickenmann, take office.
“I really want to learn,” Baddourah said. Starting in January when the city begins grappling with the 2013-2014 budget, “I’m really going to get my hands dirty.” In the interim, he said he will not be a no-way, no-how councilman on increases in city spending.
“Ask me in a year and I’ll tell you if I’m Daniel Rickenmann or Anne Sinclair,” he said, chuckling.
Rickenmann, twice elected citywide, could not be reached Friday.
Former District 3 representative Sinclair said Rickenmann’s “hardline” approach to fiscal conservatism has “mellowed” in his time on council.
“If you take how Daniel is now and compare him to me, I think there would be a lot of similarities,” Sinclair said.
Learning and understanding how the city spends money and handles its finances is a slow process because of the complexities. The political reality of working with six other council members also tends to temper campaign rhetoric that offers simple solutions, she said.
“The new representatives are going to have to do a lot of listening to their fellow council members as well as to the staff,” Sinclair said, citing her experience during five terms on council.
Critics such as former Councilman Kirkman Finlay III say council is tilting back toward spending habits that once saw spending grow to the point that Columbia had two years of operating in the red before it corrected its course. Last year, council authorized a 2 percentage point increase in a franchise fee that all utility customers pay as a way of buoying the struggling bus system. Now, council is considering the size of its next increase in water and sewer rates.
Finlay, who supported Baddourah’s race and gave the candidate’s staff political advice, said the nation’s sluggish recovery also helped Baddourah. “I think the times are his ally.”
“I think his win is massively impressive,” Finlay said. “The fact that he overcame the ‘Legacy Bob Coble Machine’ is amazing.” Finlay, who lost a 2010 race for mayor and now is a candidate for the S.C. House 75 seat, said he did not realize how much the change in the district’s boundaries would help Baddourah. “I completely underestimated that.”
2012年4月19日星期四
Life after Yoculan tough for UGA, coach Jay Clark
Suzanne Yoculan reflects on her early years as Georgia’s gymnastics coach and laughs. She is best-known today for her 10 national championships at UGA, but she was known for a lot of other things when she started out in the mid-1980s.
“I used to throw shoes across the room,” Yoculan said incredulously. “I would take my shoe off and wing it across the room at a girl because I was mad at her for something. I’m not kidding. I learned a lot those first few years.”
Yoculan shared that experience to illustrate how much there is for young coaches to learn. Yoculan points out that her successor, Jay Clark, also is a young coach and is having to learn on the job. For that reason, she said, fans need to be patient with him.
“He hasn’t taken his shoe off and thrown it across the room,” Yoculan quipped, “so already he’s doing better than I did.”
Clark, Yoculan’s lead assistant for 17 years, Clark took over as head coach three years ago. In that span, the Bulldogs had the gall not only to fail to win a national championship — they won five in a row before Yoculan stepped away — but they didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships that first year.
But this year the team is back in the hunt. Georgia (17-5) is ranked No. 5 in the nation and is one of 12 teams that will compete for the national title at Gwinnett Arena.
The Bulldogs are seeded fifth and will compete in the second semifinal session with six other teams at 6 p.m. Friday. Georgia, No. 1 Florida, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Oregon State and No. 12 Ohio will compete for three of the six spots in Saturday’s championship meet (4 p.m.).
No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Utah, No. 10 Stanford and No. 11 LSU will compete in the first session at noon. The individual competition will be held Sunday.
“We feel really good about our situation,” said Clark, whose team won the Auburn regional to advance to the championship meet. “We’re not going to ‘out-difficulty’ anybody; we know that. We’re not going to do some of the crazy big skills you’ll see some of the other teams do. But we’re going to concentrate on being a super-clean team. Hit every handstand; stick all our landings. Every year that’s what decides championships.”
Florida and UCLA are favored. Georgia has competed with seven of the other 11 teams in the field and went 6-5 against them. The losses came against Florida, Alabama and Utah.
Georgia is led by senior Kat Ding, the reigning NCAA uneven-bars champion who ranks 15th in vault. Chelsea Davis (ninth) and Gina Nuccio (16th) are nationally ranked on bars, Shayla Worley is fourth on balance beam and 21st in all-around.
Yoculan, who led Georgia to the championship rounds in 23 of her 26 seasons, likes what she sees in this team.
“I used to throw shoes across the room,” Yoculan said incredulously. “I would take my shoe off and wing it across the room at a girl because I was mad at her for something. I’m not kidding. I learned a lot those first few years.”
Yoculan shared that experience to illustrate how much there is for young coaches to learn. Yoculan points out that her successor, Jay Clark, also is a young coach and is having to learn on the job. For that reason, she said, fans need to be patient with him.
“He hasn’t taken his shoe off and thrown it across the room,” Yoculan quipped, “so already he’s doing better than I did.”
Clark, Yoculan’s lead assistant for 17 years, Clark took over as head coach three years ago. In that span, the Bulldogs had the gall not only to fail to win a national championship — they won five in a row before Yoculan stepped away — but they didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships that first year.
But this year the team is back in the hunt. Georgia (17-5) is ranked No. 5 in the nation and is one of 12 teams that will compete for the national title at Gwinnett Arena.
The Bulldogs are seeded fifth and will compete in the second semifinal session with six other teams at 6 p.m. Friday. Georgia, No. 1 Florida, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Oregon State and No. 12 Ohio will compete for three of the six spots in Saturday’s championship meet (4 p.m.).
No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Utah, No. 10 Stanford and No. 11 LSU will compete in the first session at noon. The individual competition will be held Sunday.
“We feel really good about our situation,” said Clark, whose team won the Auburn regional to advance to the championship meet. “We’re not going to ‘out-difficulty’ anybody; we know that. We’re not going to do some of the crazy big skills you’ll see some of the other teams do. But we’re going to concentrate on being a super-clean team. Hit every handstand; stick all our landings. Every year that’s what decides championships.”
Florida and UCLA are favored. Georgia has competed with seven of the other 11 teams in the field and went 6-5 against them. The losses came against Florida, Alabama and Utah.
Georgia is led by senior Kat Ding, the reigning NCAA uneven-bars champion who ranks 15th in vault. Chelsea Davis (ninth) and Gina Nuccio (16th) are nationally ranked on bars, Shayla Worley is fourth on balance beam and 21st in all-around.
Yoculan, who led Georgia to the championship rounds in 23 of her 26 seasons, likes what she sees in this team.
2012年4月9日星期一
The Invaders
It wasn't anything new for Curtis to smack Linda June around, especially when he'd been drinking. This seemed like too much, Eric thought, even for them. Eric came up behind Curtis as he stood over Linda June all balled up on the couch. When Curtis cocked his hand back, Eric grabbed it. Curtis spun around and landed a haymaker on Eric's temple that sent him flying into the kitchen table. The sounds of Linda June's screaming prompted the neighbors in the trailer park to call the police. They wouldn't get there soon enough to stop what would happen next.
"I'm going back to that bedroom to get my pistol." Eric picked himself up off the floor. "When I come back you better not be here."
"If you bring that pistol in here, by God, you damn well better use it." Curtis didn't have to say "or else." Everybody in the room knew what he meant. And they knew that he meant it.
Eric staggered back to the bedroom. When he came back through the hall with his pearl-handled .38 revolver, he hoped Curtis would be gone. He wasn't surprised when he saw Curtis standing in front of the couch with his hands balled up at his sides, his nostrils flaring. "Get out of here, Curtis." Eric had the gun pointed right at Curtis's chest. Curtis didn't say a word. He lunged for the gun.
When the police finally arrived at the trailer on Vineyard Street, Eric was sitting peacefully at his kitchen table. In one hand he held the telephone to his ear. With his other thick, red hand he gripped a nearly empty glass. On the table next to the pearl-handled pistol was a bottle of Wild Turkey.
"The police are here. I need to go," Eric said into the receiver.
"What do I do, Eric?" my father asked on the other end of the line. Not much had changed since Eric and my grandmother had split up. He still looked after her with whatever little money he had. He still bought my sister and I birthday and Christmas gifts. And he still called my dad first whenever he got in a pinch.
"Just call Don," Eric replied. "Tell him to give you a horse. He'll understand."
Eric hung up the phone, knocked back what was left in the glass, then stepped over Curtis's body as he made his way to open the door for the police. The year was 1983. Eric Boatright was 59 years old. He was about to be arrested on a charge of murder in the first degree.
I visited my hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the Grade III $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The Southwest is an important prep race for April's Grade I $1 million Arkansas Derby, which itself is an important prep for the Kentucky Derby.
Hot Springs, a town Garrison Keillor called the "loose buckle on the Bible Belt," has a colorful history. On the Friday before the race, I took in some of that history at the Gangster Museum of America on Central Avenue. The folks who work there wear fedoras and pinstripes but have accents like Cooter from The Dukes of Hazzard. It was jarring at first, but once I finished the tour it was easy to imagine all of Bathhouse Row in downtown Hot Springs bustling with redneck wise guys — the way it was from Al Capone's first trip there in 1920 until 1967, when the Arkansas State Police shut the doors on the last of the town's illegal casinos.
The first thing they tell you on the Gangster Museum of America tour is that Hot Springs has always been neutral territory. The Native Americans originally used the "valley of the vapors" as a place where warring tribes could fish, trade, and bathe in the hot waters without conflict. Gangsters, too, used Hot Springs as a refuge from violence. A popular vacation spot for hoods from New York to New Orleans, the unwritten rule was that when mobsters visited Hot Springs, everyone left their beefs behind. Rival gangsters could fish, bathe, and shoot dice side-by-side without fear of catching a bullet in the head.
For nearly a century, Hot Springs, Arkansas, was what they called a "wide-open town." There had been out-in-the-open illegal gambling in Hot Springs in one form or another for nearly a hundred years. Free-flowing booze and a half dozen major casinos made Hot Springs a larger gambling destination than Las Vegas, and a popular spot for mobsters to lam it. When the FBI finally caught Charles "Lucky" Luciano in 1936, after a nationwide manhunt, they found him taking a stroll down Bathhouse Row with the chief detective of the Hot Springs Police Department.
"I'm going back to that bedroom to get my pistol." Eric picked himself up off the floor. "When I come back you better not be here."
"If you bring that pistol in here, by God, you damn well better use it." Curtis didn't have to say "or else." Everybody in the room knew what he meant. And they knew that he meant it.
Eric staggered back to the bedroom. When he came back through the hall with his pearl-handled .38 revolver, he hoped Curtis would be gone. He wasn't surprised when he saw Curtis standing in front of the couch with his hands balled up at his sides, his nostrils flaring. "Get out of here, Curtis." Eric had the gun pointed right at Curtis's chest. Curtis didn't say a word. He lunged for the gun.
When the police finally arrived at the trailer on Vineyard Street, Eric was sitting peacefully at his kitchen table. In one hand he held the telephone to his ear. With his other thick, red hand he gripped a nearly empty glass. On the table next to the pearl-handled pistol was a bottle of Wild Turkey.
"The police are here. I need to go," Eric said into the receiver.
"What do I do, Eric?" my father asked on the other end of the line. Not much had changed since Eric and my grandmother had split up. He still looked after her with whatever little money he had. He still bought my sister and I birthday and Christmas gifts. And he still called my dad first whenever he got in a pinch.
"Just call Don," Eric replied. "Tell him to give you a horse. He'll understand."
Eric hung up the phone, knocked back what was left in the glass, then stepped over Curtis's body as he made his way to open the door for the police. The year was 1983. Eric Boatright was 59 years old. He was about to be arrested on a charge of murder in the first degree.
I visited my hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the Grade III $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The Southwest is an important prep race for April's Grade I $1 million Arkansas Derby, which itself is an important prep for the Kentucky Derby.
Hot Springs, a town Garrison Keillor called the "loose buckle on the Bible Belt," has a colorful history. On the Friday before the race, I took in some of that history at the Gangster Museum of America on Central Avenue. The folks who work there wear fedoras and pinstripes but have accents like Cooter from The Dukes of Hazzard. It was jarring at first, but once I finished the tour it was easy to imagine all of Bathhouse Row in downtown Hot Springs bustling with redneck wise guys — the way it was from Al Capone's first trip there in 1920 until 1967, when the Arkansas State Police shut the doors on the last of the town's illegal casinos.
The first thing they tell you on the Gangster Museum of America tour is that Hot Springs has always been neutral territory. The Native Americans originally used the "valley of the vapors" as a place where warring tribes could fish, trade, and bathe in the hot waters without conflict. Gangsters, too, used Hot Springs as a refuge from violence. A popular vacation spot for hoods from New York to New Orleans, the unwritten rule was that when mobsters visited Hot Springs, everyone left their beefs behind. Rival gangsters could fish, bathe, and shoot dice side-by-side without fear of catching a bullet in the head.
For nearly a century, Hot Springs, Arkansas, was what they called a "wide-open town." There had been out-in-the-open illegal gambling in Hot Springs in one form or another for nearly a hundred years. Free-flowing booze and a half dozen major casinos made Hot Springs a larger gambling destination than Las Vegas, and a popular spot for mobsters to lam it. When the FBI finally caught Charles "Lucky" Luciano in 1936, after a nationwide manhunt, they found him taking a stroll down Bathhouse Row with the chief detective of the Hot Springs Police Department.
2012年4月8日星期日
'Stepping Out' at the Barefoot Gallery
Barefoot and shoes. Two words that shouldn't technically make an appearance in one sentence, but they can certainly be in one place. How does this make sense? With an exhibition of shoe paintings at the Barefoot Gallery, of course! Kay Beadman's collection of paintings based on the intricacies and nuances of the shoe, Stepping Out, is on show at the Gallery till April 22, and is a treat not to be missed.
From strappy sandals to towering jewelled stilettos that appear capable of handicapping you for life, shoes from all walks of life are part of the series of paintings that are a mix of the two and three dimensional.
Kay Mei Ling Beadman, an English born half-Chinese with a half Sri Lankan partner (international artist indeed!), admits to a fascination with shoes. And it's not just because she has an X chromosome. “Shoes can tell you such a story,” she points at a shoe with a towering heel and an impossible strap.
“For example, I got this from a friend who borrowed it from another friend just so I could paint it, and just looking at the shoe I could tell the owner was not very given to practicality and sense.” She laughs. “But those two words never really go with shoes, do they?”
The exhibit is almost a homage to the different makes of shoes that women fall in love with all over the world. For example, there are beaded sandals from Hong Kong, which she admits to being terrified of using as a model to paint as she was scared of getting paint on them-they cost over 10000 USD! A well worn leather slipper has the lighter mark of a footprint on it.
Again, a story. 'Dorothy Grew Up' is a trio of paintings in vibrant red; strappy red shoes reminiscent of the ruby slippers but somehow more adult and sophisticated, a wine glass, and a miniature wooden toy captured in still life. It seems almost timeless; a quality the artist stresses is what makes a shoe so fascinating.
“ I realize that I may be accused of being sexist with the theme!” she laughs, “but I can assure you that was the last thing on my mind. It's just that women's shoes are always so fascinating, and there are a great many details to capture, whereas with men's footwear-well they're great, but you can't really paint them to the same effect, now can you?”
The paintings capture footwear that are owned and worn by real people. “I bought, borrowed, begged! These shoes all exist and they all have character-which is what I tried to capture here.” The artist currently lives in Hong Kong, which she admits made things easier when it came to finding the right fit of shoe, so to speak. “Hong Kong is a fashion capital. So it was very easy for me to find shoes that I wanted to paint. Sometimes friends would bring shoes to my studio and command me to paint them! They didn't always make the cut, but some of them have and they're some of the best pieces.”
The paintings are up for sale as well. Kay grins as she recalls an instance when a friend wanted to buy a painting solely because the shoe in question was a depiction of a Louis Vuitton. “There are some of us who do buy shoes for practicality, but that's very rare. For women, shoes are like a status symbol.
They can show your social standing, and they can determine exactly how confident you are!” For Kay herself, shoes are not something she wants to be painting for the rest of her life. She painted these especially for Barefoot, a location she fondly calls the “perfect place for my work”.
The exhibits are vibrant in colour, and Kay thanks Sri Lanka for changing her visual perspective. She worked mainly with darker colours before, an attribute she pinpoints to having grown up in England.
She started visiting the island almost a decade ago, when she met her partner, and says that her colour palette was transformed. Nowadays, vibrant colours are what Kay is known for.
'Stepping Out' is certainly good enough reason to step out of your home this weekend-or any day of the week, and head over to the Barefoot Gallery. The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
From strappy sandals to towering jewelled stilettos that appear capable of handicapping you for life, shoes from all walks of life are part of the series of paintings that are a mix of the two and three dimensional.
Kay Mei Ling Beadman, an English born half-Chinese with a half Sri Lankan partner (international artist indeed!), admits to a fascination with shoes. And it's not just because she has an X chromosome. “Shoes can tell you such a story,” she points at a shoe with a towering heel and an impossible strap.
“For example, I got this from a friend who borrowed it from another friend just so I could paint it, and just looking at the shoe I could tell the owner was not very given to practicality and sense.” She laughs. “But those two words never really go with shoes, do they?”
The exhibit is almost a homage to the different makes of shoes that women fall in love with all over the world. For example, there are beaded sandals from Hong Kong, which she admits to being terrified of using as a model to paint as she was scared of getting paint on them-they cost over 10000 USD! A well worn leather slipper has the lighter mark of a footprint on it.
Again, a story. 'Dorothy Grew Up' is a trio of paintings in vibrant red; strappy red shoes reminiscent of the ruby slippers but somehow more adult and sophisticated, a wine glass, and a miniature wooden toy captured in still life. It seems almost timeless; a quality the artist stresses is what makes a shoe so fascinating.
“ I realize that I may be accused of being sexist with the theme!” she laughs, “but I can assure you that was the last thing on my mind. It's just that women's shoes are always so fascinating, and there are a great many details to capture, whereas with men's footwear-well they're great, but you can't really paint them to the same effect, now can you?”
The paintings capture footwear that are owned and worn by real people. “I bought, borrowed, begged! These shoes all exist and they all have character-which is what I tried to capture here.” The artist currently lives in Hong Kong, which she admits made things easier when it came to finding the right fit of shoe, so to speak. “Hong Kong is a fashion capital. So it was very easy for me to find shoes that I wanted to paint. Sometimes friends would bring shoes to my studio and command me to paint them! They didn't always make the cut, but some of them have and they're some of the best pieces.”
The paintings are up for sale as well. Kay grins as she recalls an instance when a friend wanted to buy a painting solely because the shoe in question was a depiction of a Louis Vuitton. “There are some of us who do buy shoes for practicality, but that's very rare. For women, shoes are like a status symbol.
They can show your social standing, and they can determine exactly how confident you are!” For Kay herself, shoes are not something she wants to be painting for the rest of her life. She painted these especially for Barefoot, a location she fondly calls the “perfect place for my work”.
The exhibits are vibrant in colour, and Kay thanks Sri Lanka for changing her visual perspective. She worked mainly with darker colours before, an attribute she pinpoints to having grown up in England.
She started visiting the island almost a decade ago, when she met her partner, and says that her colour palette was transformed. Nowadays, vibrant colours are what Kay is known for.
'Stepping Out' is certainly good enough reason to step out of your home this weekend-or any day of the week, and head over to the Barefoot Gallery. The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
2012年3月31日星期六
Syria finds its Marie Antoinette
The Syrian opposition somehow got hold of emails detailing her extensive purchases – such as handmade furniture, expensive jewelry, ornate candlesticks, a pair of Christian Louboutin patent-leather pumps with towering heels for $1,230, a custom dining-room table with seating for eight.
After 12 previous rounds of sanctions, these purchases persuaded the European Union and Turkey to finally get tough. “It is perhaps this that persuaded us to toughen the sanctions,” said French foreign minister Alain Juppe.
Her credit cards, and those of the other womenfolk in the Assad family, have been blocked in the EU and they, with the exception of Asma, are barred from traveling there.
Asma, British-born but of Syrian descent, is a British citizen and can still travel there, however. She just can’t spend any money. A look at her purchases indicated that this might be a real hardship.
The Guardian posted online some of her shopping trophies. Not that she was totally profligate. She boasted of her agent getting a 15 percent discount on a $3,445 glowing red Ming Luce vase. Just what one needs, along with a silver fondue set and a gold-leaf mirror decorated with butterflies, to ride out a revolution.
Only twice do her purchases indicate any sense of danger – a bulletproof twill blazer and bulletproof barn coat for her husband.
The woman is no dummy. Born in England, her father was a London cardiologist. She graduated from a prestigious college with a degree in computer science and went on to a successful career as an investment banker.
She married Bashir in December 2000, and the couple have three children. But her husband’s tight cocoon of family members and fellow Alawite tribesmen, plus that unlimited expense account, seems to have divorced the entire Assad clan from what was happening in the Arab street.
According to an email obtained by The Guardian, she sought a friend’s opinion of a pair of $4,900 shoes with crystal-encrusted 6-l/4-inch heels. The friend replied, perhaps presciently, “I don’t think they’re going 2 B useful anytime soon unfortunately.”
May we suggest a good pair of running shoes instead? Better for beating the mob to the airport.
After 12 previous rounds of sanctions, these purchases persuaded the European Union and Turkey to finally get tough. “It is perhaps this that persuaded us to toughen the sanctions,” said French foreign minister Alain Juppe.
Her credit cards, and those of the other womenfolk in the Assad family, have been blocked in the EU and they, with the exception of Asma, are barred from traveling there.
Asma, British-born but of Syrian descent, is a British citizen and can still travel there, however. She just can’t spend any money. A look at her purchases indicated that this might be a real hardship.
The Guardian posted online some of her shopping trophies. Not that she was totally profligate. She boasted of her agent getting a 15 percent discount on a $3,445 glowing red Ming Luce vase. Just what one needs, along with a silver fondue set and a gold-leaf mirror decorated with butterflies, to ride out a revolution.
Only twice do her purchases indicate any sense of danger – a bulletproof twill blazer and bulletproof barn coat for her husband.
The woman is no dummy. Born in England, her father was a London cardiologist. She graduated from a prestigious college with a degree in computer science and went on to a successful career as an investment banker.
She married Bashir in December 2000, and the couple have three children. But her husband’s tight cocoon of family members and fellow Alawite tribesmen, plus that unlimited expense account, seems to have divorced the entire Assad clan from what was happening in the Arab street.
According to an email obtained by The Guardian, she sought a friend’s opinion of a pair of $4,900 shoes with crystal-encrusted 6-l/4-inch heels. The friend replied, perhaps presciently, “I don’t think they’re going 2 B useful anytime soon unfortunately.”
May we suggest a good pair of running shoes instead? Better for beating the mob to the airport.
2012年3月30日星期五
Titanic exhibit explores historic ship’s story, local connections
It has been nearly 100 years since Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg, claiming more than 1,500 lives.
The ship, touted as “practically unsinkable,” left port at Southampton, England, April 10, 1912. It stopped in France and Ireland before it set off on its maiden voyage to New York City. The White Star Line, which owned Titanic, knew that the sheer size of the ship wouldn’t make it one of the fastest passenger ships, so they settled for making it the most opulent. Cruising on Titanic meant spending a week in luxury, especially for first-class passengers.
The ship was traveling at top speed through waters the crew had heard were especially icy. The ship hit an iceberg at 11:39 p.m. April 14. It sunk at 2:20 a.m. April 15, 1912.
In observance of the disaster, the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum has created an exhibit chronicling the ill-fated vessel and some of the lives lost.
The event captured the imagination of the world. There have been movies, Broadway plays and books about what could have happened that night. Those of a certain age may remember a time when no one knew where the wreckage lay at the bottom of the ocean. Explorers didn’t find it until 1985.
This year James Cameron is re-releasing his Oscar-winning movie, “Titanic,” in 3-D. One cruise ship company is offering a Titanic Memorial Cruise that will stop in each port and offer lectures about the disaster and a memorial service at 2:20 a.m. April 15 over the site of the wreckage.
Volunteer Jeff Danner, who sort of looks like Capt. Edward Smith who went down with his ship, has been researching Titanic for six or seven months.
“Day by day by day, I was just amazed,” he said of what he learned.
Titanic was one of three Olympic-class ships – with Britanic and Olympic – built around the same time. More than 3,000 people worked for four years to build Titanic – the size of the ship was unlike anything anyone had seen before.
“Nothing had ever approached something like this,” Danner said.
But there are local connections to Titanic.
John Bertram Brady, 41, was traveling in first class when the ship went down. He was from Pomeroy, Wash., and his body was never recovered.
The ship, touted as “practically unsinkable,” left port at Southampton, England, April 10, 1912. It stopped in France and Ireland before it set off on its maiden voyage to New York City. The White Star Line, which owned Titanic, knew that the sheer size of the ship wouldn’t make it one of the fastest passenger ships, so they settled for making it the most opulent. Cruising on Titanic meant spending a week in luxury, especially for first-class passengers.
The ship was traveling at top speed through waters the crew had heard were especially icy. The ship hit an iceberg at 11:39 p.m. April 14. It sunk at 2:20 a.m. April 15, 1912.
In observance of the disaster, the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum has created an exhibit chronicling the ill-fated vessel and some of the lives lost.
The event captured the imagination of the world. There have been movies, Broadway plays and books about what could have happened that night. Those of a certain age may remember a time when no one knew where the wreckage lay at the bottom of the ocean. Explorers didn’t find it until 1985.
This year James Cameron is re-releasing his Oscar-winning movie, “Titanic,” in 3-D. One cruise ship company is offering a Titanic Memorial Cruise that will stop in each port and offer lectures about the disaster and a memorial service at 2:20 a.m. April 15 over the site of the wreckage.
Volunteer Jeff Danner, who sort of looks like Capt. Edward Smith who went down with his ship, has been researching Titanic for six or seven months.
“Day by day by day, I was just amazed,” he said of what he learned.
Titanic was one of three Olympic-class ships – with Britanic and Olympic – built around the same time. More than 3,000 people worked for four years to build Titanic – the size of the ship was unlike anything anyone had seen before.
“Nothing had ever approached something like this,” Danner said.
But there are local connections to Titanic.
John Bertram Brady, 41, was traveling in first class when the ship went down. He was from Pomeroy, Wash., and his body was never recovered.
2012年3月26日星期一
Why Are Designer Shoes So Damn Expensive All Of A Sudden?
Any dedicated observer of shoe culture knows that over the last decade or so, something very strange and concerning happened to designer shoes: they got really fucking expensive. In the early 2000s, a pair of Pradas or YSLs could be had at full price for around $400. In this clip from Season 4 of Sex and the City, Carrie laments the loss of a pair of Manolos that cost $485, which is implied to be a staggering sum. At the most recent Barneys Warehouse Sale, many of the sale prices were higher than that. One struggles to name a consumer item whose price has inflated more dramatically in recent years than the designer shoe (and it's not like $400 is "cheap," as baselines go, to begin with). Basic designer pumps now often hit in the $700-$900 range. Even newer designers, like Brian Atwood and Camilla Skovgaard, feel justified in pricing some of their offerings at over $1000. Christian Louboutin's zippered heels will set you back nearly $1600. Anything with embellishment or exotic leather might top $2000. What. The. Fuck?
First of all, no, you're not imagining things.
"The observation is correct, the prices have shot up dramatically," says Daniella Vitale, chief merchant and executive vice president of Barneys New York. "We still open up at $395 in designer ballet flats" — Fendi, FYI — "and Rochas has a loafer at $395, but I would say that those are really becoming the anomaly."
Barneys' average designer shoe price is now $770, a situation even the store admits is "concerning." The C.E.O. of Christian Louboutin claims his company's shoes have risen in price because the cost of raw materials has gone up by "30 to 40 per cent" in the last 18 months. George Malkemus, C.E.O. of Manolo Blahnik, says the price hikes are unwise.
"When a young lady says to me, ‘I went shopping for shoes and the average price point was $900' — $900 used to be a coat," says Malkemus. "I think that people may have taken advantage of the notion that ‘It's all about accessories right now.' When [designer] ready-to-wear priced itself out of the realm of most consumers, shoes and bags were still affordable. Now, what's happened is the shoe people and the bag people sort of lost control of that, and they are scaring off a certain consumer."
First of all, no, you're not imagining things.
"The observation is correct, the prices have shot up dramatically," says Daniella Vitale, chief merchant and executive vice president of Barneys New York. "We still open up at $395 in designer ballet flats" — Fendi, FYI — "and Rochas has a loafer at $395, but I would say that those are really becoming the anomaly."
Barneys' average designer shoe price is now $770, a situation even the store admits is "concerning." The C.E.O. of Christian Louboutin claims his company's shoes have risen in price because the cost of raw materials has gone up by "30 to 40 per cent" in the last 18 months. George Malkemus, C.E.O. of Manolo Blahnik, says the price hikes are unwise.
"When a young lady says to me, ‘I went shopping for shoes and the average price point was $900' — $900 used to be a coat," says Malkemus. "I think that people may have taken advantage of the notion that ‘It's all about accessories right now.' When [designer] ready-to-wear priced itself out of the realm of most consumers, shoes and bags were still affordable. Now, what's happened is the shoe people and the bag people sort of lost control of that, and they are scaring off a certain consumer."
2012年3月25日星期日
All Business: Sharp Suits
It began – as so many things do in fashion – on the Prada catwalk, way back when during the January menswear shows.
Whereas Miuccia Prada's recent seasons have seen her blokes kitted out in technicolor floral bri-nylon, lurex cardigans and stack-soled wedges, this time we saw suits... and suits... and suits. Grey, black, single and double-breasted, some with natty astrakhan collars, some seemingly sans trousers (but with flapping boxers and over-the-calf City Boy socks). It was all about the suit – but they were suits that could be worn anywhere and by just about anybody. Prada wasn't the only one proposing that men be permanently suited and booted for winter: the power of this label is in epitomising what's making fashion tick at any one moment. Hence Italian cohorts Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana proffered a parade of braid-embroidered gabardines, Tomas Maier's Bottega Veneta showed sleek, single-breasted styles and Christopher Bailey at Burberry Prorsum put a new twist on the Sloane Ranger with jewel-toned corduroy and whipcord two-pieces (Mellors flat-cap optional). Even Roberto Cavalli's usually navel-gazing, flesh-flashing catwalk was buttressed with Savile Row quality tailoring, give or take the odd odd chartreuse tux.
Is this really so surprising? The suit, after all, has been the linchpin of the male wardrobe for about two hundred years. What's rare is to see fashion designers embracing that conservatism with quite so much gusto.
The Italians, of course, have a tailoring tradition to rival Savile Row's – although their craftsmen dotted about Rome, Milan and Florence cannot compare with the world's only true "disguisery" (the wonderful plural noun for a group of tailors) on "The Row". But the suit reigned supreme during Paris fashion week too, Lanvin's muscular and full-shouldered, Louis Vuitton's sleek in camel and grey, and leather-bound at Stefano Pilati's final menswear show for Yves Saint Laurent (Raf Simons showed that over in Milan for his penultimate Jil Sander collection, too).
So what does the suit represent in the menswear landscape of today?
Power on the one hand and conservatism on the other. Mere months before The Iron Lady nabbed Meryl Streep an Oscar for her depiction of Margaret Thatcher, it feels as if this could be fashion's return to Wall Street's "Greed is good" Eighties ethos. These suits may be relatively sombre, even staid at times, but they scream "money" in a way a sweatshirt never could. A suit today can be the perfect sartorial palimpsest for rebellion; a language of dress every man understands but which can be utilised to say something revolutionary.
That's the way the American designer Thom Browne has always looked at the suit, using its "rules" to fight against the conventions still evident in male fashion. Browne's suit, less skinny than shrunken, single-breasted with trousers cropped high on the ankle, has dominated male style for the past half-decade. "My goal for my collection is to be provocative and to make people think," says Browne. That's the purported aim of much flamboyant modern menswear, the difference with Browne's work being that the basis for these experiments are classic grey wool suits that could have been worn by bankers in the fifties. Turn a blind eye to the attention-grabbing "skorts", beaded kaftans and tulle puffs Browne often favours: it's the proportions of the suit that are the most controversial and interesting thing.
Browne's combination of an ultra-trad base with subtly radical details finds echoes throughout menswear today. It's there in a poplin men's shirt by young London label Palmer//Harding, tucks and spiral pleats giving it a third dimension; and equally in Lucas Ossendrijver and Alber Elbaz's cross-breeding of a down jacket and officer's greatcoat at Lanvin.
"The mix between tradition and newness is the story of this collection," said Elbaz backstage. And, for many men, raised on Casual Fridays and sportswear as everyday wear, there is a newness in the tradition of the suit, full stop.
The omnipotence of the suit for autumn/winter 2012 is part of fashion's standard flash-in-the-pan seasonal volte-face, but men are universally reclaiming the classic suit as a means of dressing up for the everyday. "What we're seeing more and more of is younger customers buying into suiting," says Adam Kelly, buying manager of men's formalwear at London's Selfridges. "The look is in no way just about workwear or occasionwear any more – I think British guys in particular just have an increasingly vested interest in looking sharp." The cold hard facts back that assertion: at Selfridges, suiting sales to date have increased 28 per cent on last year. "I look for something classic and timeless in dress," says Constantin Bjerke, the dapper founder and CEO of media website Crane.tv, who buys his suits from London's Turnbull & Asser. "A well-cut, beautifully-detailed and constructed suit will last a lifetime and always look stylish."
Nick Lazarus, a treaty underwriter with Hiscox in the City, concurs that in his clothes he seeks "an emphasis on quality and not visual impact. Save the odd unfortunate incident, I have never really been one to stick my head above the parapet on account of an outlandish wardrobe".
Those characteristics – stylish, timeless, quality – are endlessly assigned to suits, especially in the bespoke bracket. The latter is suiting at its most traditional, time-consuming and expensive – ready-to-wear (or, as tailors often disparagingly term it, "off the rack") cannot compare to bespoke, where a pattern is drafted to a customer's individual measurements. Savile Row tailor Richard James describes the bespoke process as "indulgence... time spent considering fabric,working on style, discussing small but important details to devise a unique suit that not only fits you perfectly and makes you feel great, but is also something you helped create". Even made-to-measure is a poor substitute in the eyes of the tailoring trade. "It's not quite the same as having someone actually take a set of measurements and alterations for your figure. You can't improve on the fittings... distilling the pattern down till it actually fits," says Ritchie Charlton, managing director of Hayward of Mount Street. Charlton has been in the tailoring trade for three decades, working at high-profile establishments including Kilgour French Stanbury and the tailoring workrooms of Her Majesty's choice dressmaker, Hartnell, under former Christian Dior designer Marc Bohan in the early 1990s. In short, he knows his stuff – today, his custom-made, four-figure suits clothe dedicated followers of style, rather than fashion, including Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and perennially pin-neat photographer Nick Knight. When asked about seasonal changes in bespoke, Charlton shrugs his shoulders and responds "there are seasons as far as the weather goes". But he does concede that "bespoke tailoring moves with men's fashion... a young guy who comes into the shop, generally he's going to want a neater, shorter-fitting jacket at the moment than perhaps he would have wanted in 2002."
That's possibly one of the most seductive things about suiting: the subtlety.
Whereas Miuccia Prada's recent seasons have seen her blokes kitted out in technicolor floral bri-nylon, lurex cardigans and stack-soled wedges, this time we saw suits... and suits... and suits. Grey, black, single and double-breasted, some with natty astrakhan collars, some seemingly sans trousers (but with flapping boxers and over-the-calf City Boy socks). It was all about the suit – but they were suits that could be worn anywhere and by just about anybody. Prada wasn't the only one proposing that men be permanently suited and booted for winter: the power of this label is in epitomising what's making fashion tick at any one moment. Hence Italian cohorts Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana proffered a parade of braid-embroidered gabardines, Tomas Maier's Bottega Veneta showed sleek, single-breasted styles and Christopher Bailey at Burberry Prorsum put a new twist on the Sloane Ranger with jewel-toned corduroy and whipcord two-pieces (Mellors flat-cap optional). Even Roberto Cavalli's usually navel-gazing, flesh-flashing catwalk was buttressed with Savile Row quality tailoring, give or take the odd odd chartreuse tux.
Is this really so surprising? The suit, after all, has been the linchpin of the male wardrobe for about two hundred years. What's rare is to see fashion designers embracing that conservatism with quite so much gusto.
The Italians, of course, have a tailoring tradition to rival Savile Row's – although their craftsmen dotted about Rome, Milan and Florence cannot compare with the world's only true "disguisery" (the wonderful plural noun for a group of tailors) on "The Row". But the suit reigned supreme during Paris fashion week too, Lanvin's muscular and full-shouldered, Louis Vuitton's sleek in camel and grey, and leather-bound at Stefano Pilati's final menswear show for Yves Saint Laurent (Raf Simons showed that over in Milan for his penultimate Jil Sander collection, too).
So what does the suit represent in the menswear landscape of today?
Power on the one hand and conservatism on the other. Mere months before The Iron Lady nabbed Meryl Streep an Oscar for her depiction of Margaret Thatcher, it feels as if this could be fashion's return to Wall Street's "Greed is good" Eighties ethos. These suits may be relatively sombre, even staid at times, but they scream "money" in a way a sweatshirt never could. A suit today can be the perfect sartorial palimpsest for rebellion; a language of dress every man understands but which can be utilised to say something revolutionary.
That's the way the American designer Thom Browne has always looked at the suit, using its "rules" to fight against the conventions still evident in male fashion. Browne's suit, less skinny than shrunken, single-breasted with trousers cropped high on the ankle, has dominated male style for the past half-decade. "My goal for my collection is to be provocative and to make people think," says Browne. That's the purported aim of much flamboyant modern menswear, the difference with Browne's work being that the basis for these experiments are classic grey wool suits that could have been worn by bankers in the fifties. Turn a blind eye to the attention-grabbing "skorts", beaded kaftans and tulle puffs Browne often favours: it's the proportions of the suit that are the most controversial and interesting thing.
Browne's combination of an ultra-trad base with subtly radical details finds echoes throughout menswear today. It's there in a poplin men's shirt by young London label Palmer//Harding, tucks and spiral pleats giving it a third dimension; and equally in Lucas Ossendrijver and Alber Elbaz's cross-breeding of a down jacket and officer's greatcoat at Lanvin.
"The mix between tradition and newness is the story of this collection," said Elbaz backstage. And, for many men, raised on Casual Fridays and sportswear as everyday wear, there is a newness in the tradition of the suit, full stop.
The omnipotence of the suit for autumn/winter 2012 is part of fashion's standard flash-in-the-pan seasonal volte-face, but men are universally reclaiming the classic suit as a means of dressing up for the everyday. "What we're seeing more and more of is younger customers buying into suiting," says Adam Kelly, buying manager of men's formalwear at London's Selfridges. "The look is in no way just about workwear or occasionwear any more – I think British guys in particular just have an increasingly vested interest in looking sharp." The cold hard facts back that assertion: at Selfridges, suiting sales to date have increased 28 per cent on last year. "I look for something classic and timeless in dress," says Constantin Bjerke, the dapper founder and CEO of media website Crane.tv, who buys his suits from London's Turnbull & Asser. "A well-cut, beautifully-detailed and constructed suit will last a lifetime and always look stylish."
Nick Lazarus, a treaty underwriter with Hiscox in the City, concurs that in his clothes he seeks "an emphasis on quality and not visual impact. Save the odd unfortunate incident, I have never really been one to stick my head above the parapet on account of an outlandish wardrobe".
Those characteristics – stylish, timeless, quality – are endlessly assigned to suits, especially in the bespoke bracket. The latter is suiting at its most traditional, time-consuming and expensive – ready-to-wear (or, as tailors often disparagingly term it, "off the rack") cannot compare to bespoke, where a pattern is drafted to a customer's individual measurements. Savile Row tailor Richard James describes the bespoke process as "indulgence... time spent considering fabric,working on style, discussing small but important details to devise a unique suit that not only fits you perfectly and makes you feel great, but is also something you helped create". Even made-to-measure is a poor substitute in the eyes of the tailoring trade. "It's not quite the same as having someone actually take a set of measurements and alterations for your figure. You can't improve on the fittings... distilling the pattern down till it actually fits," says Ritchie Charlton, managing director of Hayward of Mount Street. Charlton has been in the tailoring trade for three decades, working at high-profile establishments including Kilgour French Stanbury and the tailoring workrooms of Her Majesty's choice dressmaker, Hartnell, under former Christian Dior designer Marc Bohan in the early 1990s. In short, he knows his stuff – today, his custom-made, four-figure suits clothe dedicated followers of style, rather than fashion, including Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and perennially pin-neat photographer Nick Knight. When asked about seasonal changes in bespoke, Charlton shrugs his shoulders and responds "there are seasons as far as the weather goes". But he does concede that "bespoke tailoring moves with men's fashion... a young guy who comes into the shop, generally he's going to want a neater, shorter-fitting jacket at the moment than perhaps he would have wanted in 2002."
That's possibly one of the most seductive things about suiting: the subtlety.
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