Fashion State of Emergency

To all my New Orleans homegirls...I wish you and your family a safe drive and safe return. If you can't reach me on my cell please text me.

Hurricane season in the Big Easy is usually pretty familiar. You pack a few hot outfits, drive to Houston and shop for more hot outfits. Katrine is a little different. As I packed yesterday I found myself more focused on taking care of our business and staff that I didn't pack to not return to my favorite Prada shoes and Jimmy Choo boots. In fact I really didn't stop and dress to travel...let's put it this way - by the time I got to work I was sporting a fabulous black lace Loy and Ford tank with dark Serfontaine jeans cuffed to mid calf with 4" studded Prada wedges. I walked into the store, looked at the girls then looked at myself in the mirror. Leave it to me to make a fashion statement during a state of emergency without planning it.

Speaking of state of emergency...while watching the weather chanel one our fashion news guru's made a list of what to bring with you. In the middle of the statement was none other than a raincoat. What I'd like to know is who will be the brave soul to sport the raincoat during a catagory 5 hurricane? Will there be a fashion show between road advisories and the local weather? Maybe I should have brought my rainboots just in case.

I certainly don't want to make light of a very grave situation. We are all going to have a long storm ahead of us. Hopefully, as we creep in traffic, gas up our cars and board up our houses we can be thankful that there won't be any tickets given out by the fashion police.

Ageless Fashion

On a recent night out with the girls I realized something. Or maybe not. Or...o.k. I'll get to the point. Does fashion actually have an age? If you're fifty and wear a size 4 can you get away with wearing Jessica Simpsons new found fashion statement - that being Daisy Dukes? Why is it when you're fifteen you use fashion to look older? And why is it that mags put women into catagories for age appropriate fashion? Shouldn't it be about how you feel about yourself?

I had to ask because while walking with the girls we conjured up a few whistles, comments, and even a "please join our barbeque" party. Without naming names and downloading copies of our drivers licenses we are all different ages. If you can't tell the difference neither can the fashion police.

For those of you looking for some more bootyliscious copy stay tuned. I'm back in the saddle in the Big Easy and will continue the never ending booty quest. And by the way... there is more discussion about the Dove ads on Darren Barefoots blog. Check it out.

Bootyliscious West Coast Style

The last time I posted I had rounded up a few booty pics from NYC. This last weekend I was in San Fran and ventured out to check out the fashion scene with a new found friend. First of all, can we discuss how fashion is affected or not by the new Dove ads? Don't pretend you haven't noticed. They are absolutely everywhere. Bus stations, mags, billboards... Perhaps you are the ad. Perhaps you don't eat to NOT be the ad. Does it really matter if you can barely fit into a designer jean?

I often have discussions with up and coming and high profile designers and question their reasoning for the 0-8 size scale. In most cases the answer is "that's what the buyers want to order". So, what about the customer? My customers come into our stores everyday and try on hundreds of jeans in all sizes, and what I've learned is there is no one booty alike. They come in all shapes and sizes. I love the Dove ads because the airbrushed, double shot espresso lovin models that are usually featured aren't what physically walks in the door to shop everyday. Don't get me wrong. There are people who can wear a size 0, but trust me when I say they have insecurities about what their booty's look like just like someone that wears a size 14.

Once we learn to accept our size and love ourselves for that "shake what your mama gave you" then maybe we'll accept the Dove ads of the world for what they really are...us.

What is your best tip for looking hot in your favorite jean? I'm petite with a long inseam so I've learned that low rise jeans with a slight boot cut make me look ( or so I think) a little taller. My favorite jean line is Serfontaine and Rock and Republic.

Booty Call...Should I Answer?

Seriously...should I? Should I give in to the tempation that everytime I pass a mirror I have to turn my head ever so slightly to make sure the same booty that poured in to the Serfontaine jean in the morning was still able to pass the "other woman test."
You know what I mean. All women do it. I actually had to sit here and ask myself...did my mother teach me to notice every womans booty that I come across during the day along with how to tie my shoe. It could be walking down a sidewalk, in an elevator, grocery store. The point is as a woman we like to make sure ours is better, rounder, firmer, younger...you know what I mean. That's the whole point in buying a jean. You torture yourself in the fitting room of your favorite boutique by trying on 30 pairs of jeans only to look at your booty 145 times. If the booty doesn't look perfect the sales associate won't be ringing up that $230 sale. What happened to good ole shoe shopping? Here are a few bootyliscious pics from a recent trip to Times Square. You be the judge.