Sep 15 2008
Sorry, Wrong Demographic
I received this large and high-quality catalog the other day.
It didn’t have many pages but what it did have was airbrushed images of what is probably a teenager dressed in Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Manolo Blahnik and suchlike.
I’m a bit old school so I’ve heard of Versace and Valentino. The only reason I know about Manolo is because of the show “Sex and the City.”
Long-time readers who recall that I don’t have a TV may wonder at this reference to a popular show.
Well..back when I traveled, I had access to cable and I’d occasionally watch this show. I wasn’t that interested in the show when it seemed to be all about well..Sex in (New York) City, Shoe Lust and high-powered neurosis.
I had vestigial curiosity about the show because I remembered that star use to be one of the gawky leads in the teenage show “Square Pegs.”
“Square Pegs” ran waaaaay back 1982-1983. A bit too realistic as I was a gawky teenager at the time.
So Sarah Jessica Parker no longer plays gawky and goes on to play some fashionista writer who is looking for love in all the wrong places and writing about it.
Hmm….I’m not seeing any parallels here, are you?
I became more interested in “Sex and the City” when I caught a few episodes that showed the complexity of male-female relationships and how people can definitely shoot themselves in the relationship foot, Manolos notwithstanding.
But back to this catalog. It was from some store called Barney’s.
OK. I have heard of them. I’m not sure how I got on their distribution list. I am guessing that they DO NOT have a marketing relationship with LL Bean.
The prices were waaaay outside what I’d pay for clothing. I admit to liking some of the dresses. There was long black velvet Armani – just a little over $10K.
I’d need to work harder on my back muscles for that dress – both literally (showed a lotta back) and figuratively (work a lotta hours!)
Some dresses were just a bit too..fashionable for me. There was one short pale pink dress that looked like a decaying prom dress from the 1950s.
Which isn’t to say that I don’t want to look good. I’ve seen how clothes can make both women AND man.
I may have a rich fantasy life but have no particular desire to live this particular fantasy.
I’m still wondering how I got on this Barney List. Freaky.
I think the woman (girl?) in the YSL “Fly Fishing” dress is reeling (Har. Har. Har.) from the price of the dress and shoes.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Yesterday I was researching jewelry (for a character! I swear!) and surfed to the Tiffany site. The $19,000 diamond bracelet was, well, lovely. I would wear it. But I would also have to sell my soul to afford it.
I left that site so fast, you would have thought someone caught me looking at porn at work…
On our first date my ex husband tried to impress me with the brand of shirt he was wearing. He pointed out the logo on his shirt pocket & I was all, “What’s Warmani?” He explained that it was ARMANI and that the little W/crown thing in front of the word “Armani” was their logo. Why the heck didn’t I know right then on the first date?????? Totally wrong demographic. :-0
I saw part of Sex and the City once & just didn’t really get it. But then, I get exasperated watching Seinfeld too, even though I really enjoy listening to that guy do stand up.
Wow. And I complain about spending a couple hundred bucks on a suit I will wear until it falls apart. Do people really buy those clothes? Where do they wear them? I don’t think I would take the dogs walking in them. Or go to a movie – I wouldn’t even wear them to go out to dinner…
Well I hope she’s over 18. LOL!
I get on crazy mailing lists all the time. It happens. I think that store is in NYC.
As for the prices and such, save your money but don’t be afraid to indulge in one nice outfit for yourself if it strikes you.
Oh, and check your email
Christine: Hey, no need for excuses for “Window Shopping”! Tiffany has some nice designs that is for sure. Actually, I am guessing they have nice designs based on the fact that a Tiffany solitaire seems to be the engagement ring of choice for many women and I’ve seen a couple! Platinum, of course!
I don’t have too much jewelry lust. These days I make my own stuff and of course I have the 24k stuff that Asians and basically any culture that has to have pure gold – portable money.
Jill: Hahaha! That’s a cute story, “Warmani!!” On the one hand it’s cute that he wanted to impress you but on the other hand, why this need to impress you..with clothing??
I don’t know what the Armani logo looks like off the top of my head, either.
Yeah, the fashion and lifestyle stuff in Sex and the City wasn’t all that intriguing to me. While I did watch a few of the Seinfeld episodes (enough to know the famous ones like “Master of your domain”) I found the show annoying in the extreme. What’s the word for them? Mensches? Whine-whine-whine. The show was actually pretty good – well written and acted but eh, not my thing. I was more into “X-Files” or “CSI”
Skipper: I don’t mind (relatively speaking) paying a couple hundred bucks for a good classic suit. Not that I need to wear any these days! But these suits I have – still good to go! Gabardine. One navy, one black.
I did like the first off-the-shoulder dress but eh, where would I wear it and I’d need to get some specialized support garments or something. I was bummed with LLBean discontinued their “Freeport” business casual line. It was an experiment but I got some nice dresses (black silk sheath) that were affordable.
I don’t go to “events” that require Barney clothing.
Ricardo: I have no idea how old the model is. She’s probably at least 18 but..modeling is a strange industry.
I do have some nice outfits but nothing close to $1K. Yeesh. I know your attitude changes as you income changes so who knows, when (!!) I’m richer, maybe I’ll indulge in some lovely outfit. But currently I am pondering yet another Polartec fleece jacket. LLBean.
Checked and responded!
I once bought a 28,000 dollar sweater because the sales lady told me I looked like Charles Bronson in it.
Who is Charles Bronson???
Speedy!! How long ago did you buy this sweater? I mean, you’re tall, light, handsome and bearded and Bronson (was) shorter, darker, and mustached. Then there’s the whole menacing thing.
“Magnificient 7″ ?? “Death Wish” ??
If you bought it recently, it made you look pretty much like an Anti-Speedy.
Didn’t that first gal sing backup for Robert Palmer?
A long time ago, about 1987, I was out with a young lady who mentioned, more than once, that she lived in a particular part of town. I’d no idea what she was trying to say until well after we’d quit going out (it was a rather well-to-do part of the city … the fact she was renting an apartment apparently was OK).
Looking back, she was like that.
Sorry I may be the voice of materialist-ism but I loved “Sex and the City†and I really LOVE the store Barneys and all LABELS. Not that I can afford them, and not that I own much of them…..My wardrobe mostly consists of really comfy pajamas from Target
But if I had the money? I would wear all things Gucci, Chanel, Prada and Jimmy Choo. (ect)
Yeah, that model on the cover probably is 15, but that is also a fabulous dress.
delmer: Nah. I don’t think she was even an IDEA when Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” video came out. I think that was the song? I can certainly visualize the one I am guessing you mean!
Hmm.sounds like that young lady back in 1987 was what, Burrough-dropping (as opposed to Name Dropping) or neighborhood-dropping? I’ve heard how NYC (via “Sex and the City” and other NYC centric shows/movies) has nice neighborhoods sharply defined within what, blocks! And having a closet-sized “home” in a good address is better than say, 700 square feet (I’ve lived in 650 with room to spare) in whatever defines “bad” part of town maybe 3 blocks away.
I’m trying to imagine you going out with such a lady. Doesn’t seem to match up to who you are now. But then again, I only see you in polo shirts, shorts, tee shirts and Lycra.
Meleah: Liking nice stuff isn’t bad – I certainly upgraded my stuff as I earned more money. But if the nice stuff is making you unhappy (debt, tied to self-worth) nguh!
Usually the labels are nicer – better material, cut, sewing. I do like that first top dress, simple sheath styles work very well with my shape. I’ve seen some of your clothes – you have a very nice sense of style and quite the figure for clothing.
I’d rather pay more and have clothing last than get more stylish but cheaper clothing. Hence my big focus on LLBean (which also has fantastic customer service). I’m small but not miniscule so I usually have to spend more money to get dressier clothes. I try to stick with classic lines.
I did see some photos of dresses by Valentino – all “Valentino Red” eeeeee!!! But where would I wear these things? I do have “I’m a pretty girl in a pretty dress” fantasies but ya know, boot cut jeans, boots, tank top and hoodie and sharing consummate love with a man in jeans, boots and whatever shirt looks good on him? DANG.