The T-shirt is the most basic as well as one of the most widely-owned clothing items. A recent poll in America revealed the following about this much-loved basic:
- 91% of respondents admit to owning a favourite T.
- 34% say white is the colour of their favourite T-shirt, nearly double the votes received for blue and black, respectively at second and third place.
- 62% claim to own more than ten T-shirts amounting to 1.5 billion T’s or a line-up that could circle the globe 34 times.
- Gender preference indicates that 70% of men and 54% of women have more than 10 T-shirts.
- 79% of 18-24 year olds have more than 10 T-shirts with 19% of this group owning more than 30.
- The number one reason for the love affair with the T – comfort.
 
 
What’s hot about the knot

- The neck tie originated from a silk scarf traditionally worn by Croatian soldiers which, in time,
  become known as a cravate.
- The English developed neckwear thick enough to cushion a sword thrust.
- At one point in history, merely touching a man’s tie knot was a cause for a duel.
- British ties usually had stripes running from top left to bottom right while the stripes on American ties
  have always run from top right to bottom left.
- Shih Huang Ti, the first Chinese emperor wore a tie as long ago as 210 B.C.
- Americans spend more than $1 billion every year on buying a staggering 100 million ties.
- A good quality silk tie requires approximately 110 silkworm cocoons.
- The city of Shengzhou in China is among the world’s biggest tie producers with about
  200 million ties being made every year.
- It is possible to buy a bulletproof tie that can even stop a 9mm bullet.
- A person who collects ties is known as Grabatologist.
- The neck tie constitutes the most popular father’s day gift around the world.
- The Bola tie is the official tie of Arizona, USA.
- Al Pacino won the Tony Award for the best supporting actor in the play “Does a tiger wear a necktie”?
- The American tie industry slumped by 10% in 2002 due to the popularity of “dress down days”.

Thanks, SSAFW

Ooh, topical question! I suppose the best way to answer this question is by asking one in return! If you bought a fake for any reason except for the price difference — what do you expect to get from the deal? Would you buy a fake for any other reason than price?

Thinking honestly — I can’t think of any reason other than ‘making a saving’ for buying a fake bag. After all, surely one of the biggest problems with buying a fake bag is the knowledge that it won’t be made of the same quality material or build? If it doesn’t fall apart within the first 4 — 6 weeks, then you’re lucky. I’d be awfully surprised to find your luck extending much beyond two to three months at most. Even if the bag doesn’t literally fall to pieces, the appearance of it will change hugely. Edges will fray and tear, stitches will pull and shred and the general appearance of the bag will dull, the leather losing it’s rigidity and ability to hold the shape it’s supposed to! S

o the bag that you bought for $150 as opposed to $600 has given you about three to four months use before it is starting to look embarassing, quite frankly! Now, maybe you could buy three of the same bag, save $150 and have something you wouldn’t feel to ashamed to be seen with for up to a year. Just bin the old ruined one, change your bag for a new one each quarter and you’re away.

But that sort of puts you onto the timescale where the authentic designer handbag is just starting to be broken in. It’s gaining suppleness, the leather trims are starting to age and patina, going that gorgeous golden honey color that indicates quality leather.

The bag has a used and loved look about it without any of the nasty signs of wear and tear that an inferior version will have. And this is one of the biggest reasons for the price being what it is.

Quality.

Quality of build and quality of materials used.

Authentic designer handbags are built to last — sometimes they’ll last a lifetime and beyond, making it a family heirloom that’s passed down from daughter to daughter. It is very common for Hermes Birkin and Kelly bags to be in a family for decades — being used and loved all the time.

Some of the newer Louis Vuitton lines, such as the Suhali, can be expected to outlast just about anything else. It’s the quality of the leather you see!

Another good reason for buying authentic and not a fake? You.

Yes — you! You’re important. You don’t think so? (Well, I think you are, even if no one else tells you so!) You deserve something to be proud of, something that stands you out in a crowd and says

“Hey — Look at me, I’ve got taste AND class!”

That’s what an authentic designer handbag will shout for you — no need for you to get a sore throat all the time.

I wonder what a fake shouts out about you?

Careful now – it might be rather rude!!!

Copyright :: Rufus Steele — 2005 Rufus Steele is the author and creator of the Louis Vuitton website 1st 4 Louis Vuitton.

Is the briefcase extinct now that all-in-one gadgets like the Blackberry have come into fashion?

In an online poll, the Financial Times found that 82% of voters still preferred paper to PDA.

It seems that those who choose to use a filofax/paper method of organisation do so because they do not trust technology enough. Loss of data and machine malfunctions causing one to miss appointments will inevitably lead to the return to paper.

There is also the emotional aspect of paper records. The fact that a physical archive can be referred back to, as well as the individual quirkiness & sentimental value lent by stationary and handwriting.

Those who prefer the PDA enjoy the unique benefits of built-in spell-checkers, internet connectivity and the ability to retrieve mail. An all-in-one business solution; an office-in-your-pocket.

Confidence in PDA technology seems driven by the mantra, “back up, back up, back up.” While many PDA users choose to backup their address books and calendars onto another system such as their PC, a large number of users still revert back to the old reliable paper & ink.  

Having just found, read and chuckled about the following article, it’s with a sigh of relief that I can say, “I’ve yet to meet a client as cutting as this…”

My Personal Shopper Is The Worst

By Christine Vesper
November 9, 2005 | Issue 41•45

I called up Alexa at Bergdorf’s Sunday night and told her I needed gloves, a hat, an evening dress, two coats,12 sweaters, a couple hair accessories, a slouchy belt, and some stockings, because I threw my old ones out by accident. I needed a new watch, too—something modern and new but traditional and in platinum—but I just called up Enrico for that, because he knows my hands.

Well, Monday morning rolled around, and then it was Monday afternoon, and I still didn’t have my purchases. When Alexa finally showed up, I understood why she’d taken so long—she had clearly gone out of her way to hand pick the most hideous pieces from the most hideous collections, carefully ensuring, while she was at it, that several of the items were not even in my size. (I’m a Versace 6, a Marc Jacobs 4.)

I don’t understand what was going through her head when she chose that J. Mendel evening dress. Basic black? I’m not trying to buy an evening dress that I’ll be able to wear for years to come, thank you.

I may as well have a colorblind Mongoloid doing the job for me. And her voice. That awful, mousy little mumbled falsetto. “Enunciate!” I said. “It’s no wonder you’re living in a fifth-floor walkup.”

And La Perla bras? Completely off the mark. I told her I wanted sexy, not a bra for my grandmother. If that’s her idea of sensuous lingerie, it’s no wonder she can’t keep a man committed to her.

I try to be forgiving to the poor girl, because I know that it must be hard to be so unattractive, but some of these items go beyond the pale. The Be & D handbag looked like something an insane person would carry. And when I asked her to pick up my dry cleaning, she acted like I was the one out of line. Two words. Service. Industry. Thank you.

I could perhaps have humored her if she came back with two or three gaudy cashmere sweaters. Taste is, after all, subjective. That she brought me 12, however, is more than I should have to endure. I took the sweaters to spare myself the hassle, but Lord knows they’re going to be sitting in the back of my closet unworn ten years from now.

I should have gone with that homosexual with the harelip, Chi-Chi.

I could fire her, but then I would have to go through this incredible bore every afternoon when I go to Bergdorf’s. Besides, it’s more than I can do right now. I’m up to my ears in planning next season’s winter formal. This is a disaster.

Maybe I can just hand the Be & D to a homeless person. They might be thrilled. Wait, Janice Goldman’s daughter adores Be & D. I’ll give Janice the bag next time I see her in the park, pretend this never happened, and just pray that Marie Elaine has fared better.

I know I’m not alone in my pain and I also know there are millions of People-Who-Are-Not-Like-Me who actually buy and wear them.  My clients are not allowed to wear them. That would reflect badly on me.

I have ranted, I have raved, raged and screamed. Clicked my tongue in disgust. Given the beady eyeball. Fantasised about flash-mobs in which Croc-wearers are bombarded by all manner of cooking ingredients or spray paint.

But I thought I was over it. I have not really noticed them lately. Perhaps as a form of self-protection, denial had kicked in and I’d just refused to see them actually happening.

But on Sunday, the rage overcame me again and ruined my perfect day. I’d been peacefully sitting, enjoying the serenity of a lunch on a beautiful day with gorgeous, hilarious company when these foul things stomped all over my happiness:

Is this an attempt to make the ugly Croc cuter? Are we now going to see ugly renditions of other shoe styles moulded into sickly fluorescent plastic clogs with holes in them?

Oh I don’t know how much longer I can take it!!!

There’s an -ology for everything, but what about the most important -ology of all: Shoeology? Read on to find out what your work shoes reveal about your personality!

 Strappy Red Satin

At the office, this is a dead giveaway—you want to be anywhere but where you are. Preferably with some tall, dark, handsome man or with friends that make you laugh so hard you snort. You know you’re smarter than your boss and so does your boss’s boss. When you walk into a meeting with “The Boys,” you take full advantage of being able to keep them off balance, straddling the line between attraction and fear.

Boot Seasoned

You can’t wait for the temperature to drop or the night air to have a chill. You watch the Weather Channel in summer in hopes of a freak cold snap. You love the sound the zipper makes as it crawls up your calf. To you, these boots are sexier than any teetering toe strap and pencil thin heel, especially since you can actually walk in them. Correction—you can stride in them. Confidence is so sexy, especially in a boot.

Preppy Spoken Here

“I am Ivy League. I’ve had boyfriends named Biff, Cliff, and Chet. My sport of choice is brunching at the club. I have had at least one postgraduate degree, earned because I felt I hadn’t devoted enough time to that area during my double major undergrad. When I decide to have children, they will be scheduled—from conception to delivery and all the activities from than point forward. My sense of humour is so dry, on the rare occasion I laugh, I become parched. Please pass the imported sparkling mineral water, crystal glass, crushed with ice and a twist of lime. Not a slice, a twist.”

Faithfully Dull

Far from bewitching, these are the shoes found in offices everywhere. They are the loyal companions of the pantsuit, from the smallest cubicle to the snobbiest of boardrooms. You don’t particularly like being average height, so you found the perfect solution: The shoe version of white noise—always there, serving the purpose of adding three inches, but going mostly unnoticed. Stand tall, little lady—everyone else thinks you are.

 The Pain Inflictor

Their piercing presence instills fear in the hearts of men everywhere. They may have their power ties, but you know what really takes command of a room—a wickedly pointed toe flowing down from an equally sharp heel. It gives you a little adrenaline rush every time you glance down and see that point jutting forth from beneath your perfectly tailored trouser. Look out world, look out boys! It’s irrelevant that your toes want to file for divorce every time you slide these killers on, because you wouldn’t trade them for the world. After all, ruling the world is your goal and these are the shoes you’ll be wearing when you conquer it.

Whatever your work shoes reveal about you, take Karn’s advice: “Live a big life. And wear cute shoes.”

What message do inappropriate shoes convey in a work environment?

Find out about surprising footwear faux pas which you may not have considered,

by watching Karen Loxton from Famous Fox

on CNBC Africa

DSTV Channel 290

Tuesday 9 October at 6:45 am

Morning Business Edition

“Appropriate footwear for the office”

with Peter Ndoro and Leigh Roberts

Woke up cold one tuesday,
I’m looking tired and feeling quite sick,
I felt like there was something missing in my day to day life,
So I quickly opened the wardrobe,
Pulled out some jeans and a T-Shirt that seemed clean,
Topped it off with a pair of old shoes,
That were ripped around the seams,
And I thought these shoes just don’t suit me.

Hey, I put some new shoes on,
And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody’s smiling,
It so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And I’m running late,
And I dont need an excuse,
’cause I’m wearing my brand new shoes.

Woke up late one thursday,
And I’m seeing stars as I’m rubbing my eyes,
And I felt like there were two days missing,
As I focused all the time,
And I made my way to the kitchen,
But I had to stop from the shock of what I found,
A room full of all my friends dancing round and round,
And I thought hello new shoes,
Byebye them blues.

Take me wondering through these streets,
Where bright lights and angels meet,
Stone to stone they take me on,
I’m walking to the break of dawn.

Take me wondering through these streets

 Celebs looking fab with their red handbags

There’s a red bag for everyone! So many great styles to choose from, all utterly gorgeous and envy-making! 

While this trend suits anyone of any age, it may be advisable to keep this one for the ladies…

Unless you approach wearing metallics with the right amount of subtlety, it’s easy to come across as cheap and cheesy.

So how does one keep something as bold as wearing metallics, subtle?

First, there are different types of metallic to consider.

There are your mirror shiny, check-your-reflection metallics, which can be a challenge to wear without appearing over-bling-ed:

There are über-shiny coloured metallics, which I have never seen anyone pull off without looking trashy:

And then there are the muted, softer metallics which are brushed and can look elegant:

 For shoes, it’s probably worth investing a little extra on good quality, because once your metallics are scuffed, the only place for them is the trash. It’s also important to keep them clean after wearing them. Wipe off any marks or dust to avoid the same trashy feel as scuffs.

When choosing handbags and belts, feel the fabric and decide whether or not it feels cheap and may begin to peel.

If you wear metallic jewellery that is already quite flashy, skip the metallic clothing altogether.