Fashion And Why It Matters (No BS - It Really Does)

The headlines from the latest Fashion Week in Europe on my AP phone app read.  "Young Designers Energize In Milan," "Giorgio Armani Gets Last Word In Milan: Diaphanous, " "Milan Designers Engage In Season-Bending," and "Marni Obliterates Minimalism."  I don't understand half of it.  It barely registers in my brain while at the same time that I am aware that fashion shows have become a form of entertainment for the masses.  Once the domain of the rich, these designer showcases are now available for ordinary people to see thanks to greater media coverage and the universality of the Web.  And , like it or not, these circus shows affect all of us. 

The word "fashion" comes from the Latin word "factionem" or "group of people acting together."  Literally, it means "a making or doing" (source:  www.etymonline.com).  So it was always about what other people were doing, being aware of  how those outside oneself looked.  Perhaps it started as a survival technique when primitive humans needed to see if a neighbor was carrying a weapon, but first impressions were always made based on what one was wearing.  "Does Ogg have a dagger concealed in his tunic" evolved into "doesn't Madam Oggitha look lovely in that tunic?"  And while whether seasonal fashion trends are positive or negative may be debatable, the fact is that what appears on the runway, or what is in "fashion" runway trickles down into what we all wear. 

One of the most influential fashion writers of the 1950's and 60's, Eugenia Sheppard, said, "To call fashion 'wearable' is the kiss of death.  No new fashion worth its salt is wearable" (Sheppard, New York Herald Tribune, January, 13, 1960).  How ironic, because designers have become all too aware that they can make mega money by emulating major designers.  Mainstream retailers such as Macy's, Sears, Target, QVC, and The Home Shopping Network now work with trend-setters to modify clothes which appear on the stick-figure models so that the average Size 14 woman can wear them with pride, or at least with minimal embarrassment. 


My daughter conforms to fashion trends because her friends do (and they care about it because their parents do).   At age 7, Diva wants, though fortunately does not crave, acceptance from her peers  I don't want to concern myself with what is "in,"  but to some degree need to because I do not exist in a vacuum.  Despite the fact that I am a stay-at-home mother, I am still seen on the blacktop and around town.  I dress "fashionably" soas not to embarrass my daughter and because the stores only sell certain types of clothes, garments certainly influenced by those far-away runway designers.  

Just as those celebrities who sit along the runway are entertained, so am I but on a local level.  Some of the moms in my affluent town will soon be sporting the latest designer clothes now draping the models in Milan.  These women will be traipsing over to their expensive hair salons to keep up with the latest trends,spending hundreds of dollars on their hair/nails/clothes.  And they'll soon be strutting on the blacktop at dismissal time for their peers and the progeny of those peers (my daughter's friends) to see.  I was amused, a few years ago, to see one of our local crossing guards manning her corner decked out in a fur coat and stilettos .  Again, her only job was to help kids cross a busy street!  She could have been dressed in jeans and a down jacket to do that job.  Whether the fur was real or not, whether the stilettos were designer or knock-offs doesn't matter.  She felt the need to don the latest fashion.  It was just another example that what happens in the world of Fashion trickles down and affects us all.

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My Product Review for today is:   Vintage Seltzer

I'm not a fan of drinking  plain old water, so this stuff adds a pop of flavor and bubbles while still giving the body much-needed H20. Obviously it has no calories or sugar.  Honestly, it's not any better than my local supermarket's brand, but again, seltzer itself is a nice alternative to water.  My kids are not allowed to drink sugary soda, so this is what my son prefers to drink. Add a splash of juice for a tad more flavor or mix it with wine for a spritzer.  But don't pour it into your water bottle and then close the lid - it'll pop open. 

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Here's a Recommendation:  Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse

When I mentioned to my dentist that I was waking up in the wee hours of the morning parched to get a sip of water, he said this was called dry mouth (or xerostomia) and it can be one of the byproducts of the sweating caused by hot flashes.  It's problematic from a dental perspective because saliva helps prevent tooth decay by limiting bacterial growth and washing away food particles.  He suggested Biotene.  Swishing it before bedtime relieves nighttime dry mouth so there's no need to drink water in the wee hours.

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TTFN (that's Tigger for "Ta-Ta For Now")!  Please come back in a day or so for more!