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Darlings!

This is a new section here: The Fashion Perpetrator Loves. This section is dedicated to the taste-makers that not only rock but also greatly influence your truly.

So here is my first post for the FP Loves…Section: The Style Sample blog. Not only this is a smart online designer and online marketer, but girlfriend is also pretty stylish, knows how to put a fab outfit together and best of all, share her cute looks with the world! (Really, what is not to love?).

Here is one of my favorite looks.  She shows how to wear a bustier in 3 different styles (and a bustier is not an easy piece to put together without risking looking tramp-ish).

This is yet another resource for the “find-your-style-in-the-middle-of-all-that-is going-on” which seems to be increasing in popularity nowadays.

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts…

I am simply delighted with Simon Doonan new book Eccentric Glamour: Creating an Insanely More Fabulous You. For those of you who may not be familiar with him (and shame on you for that!), he is the creative director for Barneys New York, writer of the Simon Says column on The New York Observer and other published books, he also has a monthly column on In Style Magazine and has been a invited judge on one of America’s Next Top Model reality TV show (yeap, that is the one hosted by Tyra Banks).

This book is sooo good I am really devouring it! Finally there is someone caring the torch for the discovery of genuine style. The “say no to ho” philosophy he explains in the book is hilarious but so true: I am also relieved that a style maker is also fed up with this “tidal wave of porn chic that threatens to engulf the western civilization”.  To him, women and (brave) men should develop their own brand of eccentric glamour by magnifying all that is already unique and idiosyncratic about them.

Although I personally think that this goes without saying, Doonan actually reminds us in a very quirky manner that they way we dress actually speaks on our behalf before we even utter a word. So if you dress like a ho…people will look at you and assume you are one! Pretty obvious huh? However all you need to do is look around and see that a lot of women seem to want to dress like a hooker or stripper…So, say no to ho and ensure you are sending the message you want through your appearance. That is the book’s main message.

Other Interesting fashion books:

• Beautiful People, the
• Confessions of a Window Dresser: Tales from a Life in Fashion
• Kings in Their Castles: Photographs of Queer Men at Home
• Rooms to Inspire: Decorating with America’s Best Designers
• When I Knew

In the spirit of the big holiday this week, let’s pause here to give our fashionable thanks to a woman who have spoken their mind and created of the most iconic brands in fashion: Coco Chanel. I have listed some of her legendary quotes below. We shouls also be VERY thankful of all we have at all time, but I think that already goes without saying.

So, let’s enjoy Mademoiselle a bit:

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.”

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”

“Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.”

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.”

So, there is this email circulating the internet (I have received it twice within 10 days) stating that a bunch of large retail chains will be closing a number of stores anytime soon, therefore it is advisable to avoid giving store gift cards this holiday season. Not only the receiver may have to drive longer to find a store that has not been closed, but if one of these chains files for chapter 11, they would be without a gift altogether – gift cards do become void under bankruptcy. For those of you who would still give your loved ones the option of choosing what they want, American Express gift cards (or Visa for this matter), are much better bets.

And although I did not hear it from the horse’s mouth, here is the info I received listing all retailers that are really suffering during these economic messes-up times.

Ann Taylor closing 117 stores nationwide A company spokeswoman said the company hasn’t revealed which stores will be shuttered. It will let the stores that will close this fiscal year know over the next month.

Eddie Bauer to close more stores Eddie Bauer has already closed 27 shops in the first quarter and plans to close up to two more outlet stores by the end of the year.

Cache closing stores. Women’s retailer Cache announced that it is closing 20 to 23 stores this year.

Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines closing 150 stores nationwide. The owner of retailers Lane Bryant , Fashion Bug , Catherines Plus Sizes will close about 150 underperforming stores this year. The company hasn’t provided a list of specific store closures and can’t say when it will offer that info, spokeswoman Brooke Perry said today.

Talbots, J. Jill closing stores. About a month ago, Talbots announced that it will be shuttering all 78 of its kids and men’s stores. Now the company says it will close another 22 underperforming stores.. The 22 stores will be a mix of Talbots women’s and J. Jill , another chain it owns. The closures will occur this fiscal year, according to a company press release.

Gap Inc. closing 85 stores. In addition to its namesake chain, Gap also owns Old Navy and Banana Republic . The company said the closures – all planned for fiscal 2008 – will be weighted toward the Gap brand.

Foot Locker to close 140 stores. In the company press release and during its conference call with analysts today, it did not specify where the futu re store closures – all planned in fiscal 2008 – will be. The company could not be immediately reached for comment.

Wickes is going out of business. Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its stores, Wickes, a 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month.

Goodbye Levitz / BOMBAY – closed already. The furniture retailer is going out of business. Levitz first announced it was going out of business and closing all 76 of its stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910 when Richard Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon , PA. In the 1960s, the warehouse/showroom concept brought Levitz to the forefront of the furniture industry. The local Levitz closures will follow the shutdown of Bombay .

Zales, Piercing Pagoda closing stores. The owner of Zales and Piercing Pagoda previously said it plans to close 82 stores by July 31. Tod ay, it announced that it is closing another 23 underperforming stores. The company said it’s not providing a list of specific store closures. Of the 105 locations planned for closure, 50 are kiosks and 55 are stores.

Disney Store owner has the right to close 98 stores. The Walt Disney Company announced it acquired about 220 Disney Stores from subsidiaries of The Children’s Place Retail Stores. The exact number of stores acquired will depend on negotiations with landlords. Those subsidiaries of Children’s Place filed for bankruptcy protection in late March. Walt Disney in the news release said it has also obtained the right to close about 98 Disney Stores in the U.S. The press release didn’t list those stores.

Home Depot store closings ( E. Brunswick , Rt 18 just put up their closing sign). ATLANTA – Nearly 7+ months after its chief executive said there were no plans to cut the number of its core retail stores, The Home Depot Inc. announced Thursday that it is shuttering 15 of them amid a slumping U.S.economy and housing market. The move will affect 1,300 employees. It is the first time the world’s largest home improvement store chain has ever closed a flagship store for performance reasons. Its shares rose almost 5 percent.The Atlanta-based company said the underperforming U.S. stores being closed represent less than 1 percent of its existing stores. They will be shuttered within the next two months.

CompUSA (CLOSED) clarifies details on store closings. Any extended warranties purchased for products through CompUSA will be honored by a third-party provider, Assurant Solutions. Gift cards, rain checks, and rebates purchased prior to December 12 can be redeemed at any time during the final sale. For those who have a gadget currently in for service with CompUSA, the repair will be completed and the gadget will be returned to owners. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9834177-7html

Macy’s – 9 stores.

Movie Gallery – 160 stores as part of reorganization plan to exit bankruptcy. The video rental company plans to close 400 of 3,500 Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video stores in addition to the 520 locations the video rental chain closed last fall.

Sprint Nextel – 125 retail locations. New Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse appears to have inherited a company bleeding subscribers by the thousands, and will now officially be dropping the ax on 4,000 employees and 125 retail locations. Amid the loss of 639,000 postpaid customers in the fourth quarter, Sprint will be cutting a total of 6.7% of its work force (following the 5,000 layoffs last year) and 8% of company-owned brick-and-mort ar stores, while remaining mute on other rumors that it will consolidate its headquarters in Kansas . Sprint Nextel shares are down $2.89, or nearly 25%, at the time of this writing.

J. C. Penney, Lowe’s are scaling back.

Ethan Allen Interiors: The company announced plans to close 12 of 300+ stores in an effort to cut costs.

Wilsons The Leather Experts – 158 stores.

Pacific Sunwear Will close its 154 Demo stores after a review of strategic alternatives for the urban-apparel brand. Seventy-four underperforming Demo stores closed last May.

Sharper Image: The company recently filed for bankruptcy protection and announced that 90 of its 184 stores are closing. The retailer will still operate 94 stores to pay off debts, but 90 of these stores have performed poorly and also may close.

KB Toys posted a list of 356 stores that it is closing around the United States as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. To see the list of store closings, go to the KB Toys Information web site, and click on Press Information.

Dillard’s to Close More Stores. Dillard’s Inc. said it will continue to focus on closing underperforming stores, reducing expenses and improving its merchandise in 2008. At the company’s annual shareholder meeting, CEO William Dillard II said the company will close another six underperforming stores this year.

Ok, so you may be asking your self (I am sure asking my self) why would someone think about such a frivolous blog at this point in time? Shouldn’t I be more concerning with all the AWFUL layoffs plaguing our economy? Shouldn’t I be waiting to hear from our President-Elected first? or perhaps I should be sitting tight somewhere in South Florida waiting for this nightmare to pass.

Well, I understand the question and the concern, but see this as a 21st century escapism…You don’t have to agree, you don’t have to buy into it but just use the mindless frivolity of fashion related information to relief your stress At least this is what I do and that is what I am offering now to you, my blog reader (yes, all 3 of you ;o).

Please, allow me to present this as a modern day panis et cirsence (sic?) and come along for the ride…you may as well enjoy it.