Do you love shoes?

Who doesn't love shoes? This weekend I went shopping with a friend for winter shoes. She was looking for gym shoes, work shoes, boots. I was just looking for new shoes! We went to the shops on 34th, there is a block that has about a dozen shoe stores in a row, and they all happened to be having sales. Bingo!!
Let me let you in on a little secret... there is this store called something like Shoe Bargain or Shoe Mania - whatever the name is it's sounds a little sketch. My friend and I went in looked around and were highly unimpressed with the selection and prices. Who wants to pay almost $200 for boots that will be out of style next season? So as we were on our way out the door, I spotted the staircase and a little sign that said "Bargains upstairs". We headed up and what do we find... Cheap, cheap, cheap shoes! Most of them were summer shoes, sandals and whatnot. But they had a huge variety of gym shoes for half off or more. My friend walked out with a pair of purple roos for $17 and I got a pair of white and pink Pumas for $30!!! If you're looking for good deals - go there and look no further!

What are fashionistas blogging about?

Black Friday!
But what is Black Friday you ask? It's the day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year, the day millions of people hit-up their favorite retail locations to find the best deals for the holidays. Its the official start of the Christmas shopping season and it continues to get bigger and bigger every year.
This year on the Internet there have been leaks of sale suppliments you usually find in your newspaper Thanksgiving morning. People are getting the deals out ahead of time.
Other bloggers are offering personal feelings of their own about Black Friday and the week leading up to it. Some are suggesting ways to spend less but using what you have got. Others are all about charting the best places to spend spend spend. If you try a google blog search, you'll see hundreds of blogs talking about this day.
In terms of the fashion world, what do you think of Black Friday? Do you shop the deals or avoid the crowds? Do you wake up at 4 for the early bird specials or stay out till midnight for the late owl deals?

Week of Nov. 14 Trends

Fashion Trend: Jackets of every shape, size and color are all over this fall. Materials vary as well, but the most popular seems to be velvet.
You can pick up a velvet jacket at Old Navy for just $34, or $59 at Anne Taylor Loft or at Express for $118.
It's all about the style you want. Do you want a jacket that is short, coming to the middle of your back? Or do you want one a little longer, meant to hit at the top of your pants? What about a jacket even longer?
There are jackets in black, pink, teal, plum, gold, burgundy, brown.
Then there are the different types of ways to close the jacket. Some have ties, others buttons, still others a zipper.
Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Makeup Trend: While lip plumpers have been around a couple months now, we haven't written about them yet! The style now is full lips, so for all you small lipped women, a simple plumper can do wonders.
Sephora has a number of different brands on sale such as: Lip Fusion, Lip Venom, Fat Kiss, Plump, CITY Lips. Prices vary with the cheapest at $15 and the most decadent at $40.
Unsure about buying a whole tube of the stuff? Sephora let's you test their products so go in and give it a whirl. Caution: it's meant to enhance the size of your lips so you will feel a little tingling/burning sensation with certain products.

Suggested Abercrombie letter

The Fashion Forum talked about this Girlcott and here is what we've come up with: instead of boycotting Abercrombie and Fitch, we suggest a more influential means - writing a letter. Not good at composing a letter? Feel free to copy and paste the letter below and send it along, or use it as a springboard to write your own!


November 15, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

I’m writing in regards to the ‘Girl-cott’ that is being launched against your company, and the t-shirts that inspired the movement. I agree with the messages this girl-cott is sending but disagree with the method. Threatening to stop all purchases from your company, I don’t believe will relay the true and necessary message.

Many fashions these days degrade women, turning us from human beings to objects. T-shirts with sayings such as “Who needs brains when you have these,” only aid the degradation of women in society. Today, with the increase in abuses against women and in the number of women who have a negative body image, it is so important to build up the dignity and natural beauty of everyone. Fashion is one area that can do that with a couple easy choices in the clothing line and marketing schemes.

When choosing new products to sell in your stores, I hope you will consider the positive impact you can have, and pick products that will aid the image of women.

Sincerely,

Girlcott

Maybe you've heard about this already but... a group of girls in PA are calling for a girl-cott against Abercrombie and Fitch for their t-shirts that degrade and objectify women. They were on the Today Show, Fox's Hannity and Combes, and featured in an article in the Chicago Tribune already. Now people are blogging about them and joining the fight.
We as women, who have long sought to be placed on a more equal footing with guys don't need shirts that have 'who needs brains when you have these?' emblazoned across the chest. We need to stand up and tell Abercrombie and Fitch we will not buy your clothes when they are made only to objectify us!
Check back here for more details on the girl-cott.

November meeting

This months's speaker will be Elizabeth Heil, a graduate student at Columbia University, where she is studying Arts Administration. She will be talking about the image of beauty portrayed through art over the centuries. Elizabeth worked for 7 years as a curator in the Vatican Museum and has an undergrad degree in art history.
For more information please contact us at nyfashionforum@yahoo.com or leave a comment on this post.