DC's Fashion Night Out

DC and fashion are rarely used in the same sentence together.  Our somber government culture pushes itself on to DC fashion choices - especially color.  The one color guaranteed to drive Washington women wild is navy blue.  At one point, even I had to ask "Do I really need ANOTHER navy blue blazer?" 

While not as star-studded as New York City's Fashion Night Out, in Georgetown there were lots of fashionistas stomping around in their high heels and hot outfits with the boyfriend in tow, who was wearing something nice for a change. You could tell by the fidgeting.

Even the second-hand shop was open and I got a fox stole. The rest of the evening was spent trying to imagine how I would wear it during the upcoming cooler months. I might even have to knit something to help show off the new purchase. What a fun idea to have all the clothing stores open and parties everywhere. Thank you, Anna Wintour. 

The sidewalks in Georgetown were clogged with people waiting in line to get in to some store or other. But the sidewalk itself seemed to be a party venue. People were having fun in place. The coffee house at Wisconsin and P streets had a jazz trio playing cool blues, a great backdrop to small, extravagant purchases. The best events are always the ones that fire the imagination, anyway. DC's Fashion Night Out certainly did that. Can't wait for next year!

Imagine - A Note to Bailout Bimbos

Imagine a radical shift in the U.S. economy such that everything is paid for up front. That businesses have cash on hand for payroll, people have the money before they buy a car, and no one uses credit.

I understand the wails of the financial industry: our economy does run on credit. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe we need to shift our mind sets to saving first.

Something I've noticed about saving for something before you buy it: you don't want to pay as much. Even if you have the full amount that you might have borrowed.

We are in for a tough transition, folks.

And the Bailout Bimbos are Paulson and Bernanke for thinking the United States Congress would just hand them $700 billion dollars without accountability.

AOL Time Warner and What's Wrong With America

Yes, I'm still going on about this. AOL Shopping had a pictorial warning older women not to dress too sexily. Cougar, indeed. My initial anger has given way to deeper thoughts 'on this crisis.' (Don't you love that phrase? Will anybody give me $700 billion dollars now?)

Patriotic American electrons are being manipulated, in the form of the Internet, to tell women that they have to buy certain clothes. It's all part of the media machine telling the public to consume, consume, consume.

Remember after September 11? We were not advised to enlist, nor to become a paramedic, but to buy, buy, buy. We have built a culture and an economy based on relentless consumerism. What a surprise it didn't last.

I will be denounced as naive for observing that content is being skewed to sell things. It began so long ago.

But after the financial collapse on Wall Street, hasn't the message filtered down to AOL Time Warner web site staff? Americans can no longer buy-buy-buy. In fact, we will have to stop buying whether we want to or not.

Dress Like A Cougar!! - AOL Shopping Bad Advice

AOL Shopping has a whole pictorial dedicated to How Not To Dress for older women, accusing older women of being "cougars" for sexy dressing. Its admonitions failed - I want to be a cougar. I now want a velour track suit. I never wanted one before. I want to wear excessive gold jewelry and have big hair - all cougar-like signs, apparently.

Oh, and by the way, what's wrong with being a cougar? I'm supposed to hide my sexuality now? To sell clothes?

This is all power-based. As the ultimate glass ceiling is being battered during our Presidential election season, the media machine AOL/Time Warner backlash is against older women expressing self-confidence and power. It's a shame-based strategy. The message is "you will be held up to ridicule if you express your sensuality, even if you do reach the impossible size six. So nothing you do is good enough. Here, buy this."

What a pleasant way to control older women! Like the age-old technique of telling women how fat they are unless they buy your clothes/shampoo/cigarettes, AOL Shopping has a list of items older women shouldn't wear. And how convenient! There are links to things you can buy to wear instead.

This AOL pictorial has made me turn a corner - watch out Juicy! And you, too, Miss Twenty-Something.

Thong + Silk Skirt + No Slip = Obvious

For God's sake, who taught you how to dress? This particular fashion offender was at 17th & M NW today around Noon. If you've never actually worn a skirt before, talk to someone who has!