When it comes to keeping warm in the cold winter months, but remaining fashionable, no one does it quite as well as the Scandinavians. In the popular capital city of Stockholm winter temperatures reach an average low of -4°C and they can often be hit by snow blizzards and strong winds. The key to the Swede’s fashionable survival is opting for stylish yet practical clothes, one of the most popular clothing brands that provides these attractive solutions is North Face. Women’s North Face jackets offer a covetable range for winter that are made from intelligent and modern fabrics and come in a range of styles and colours, and therefore it is no surprise that it is favourable with the Scandinavians.
It is well known that Scandinavians opt for quality and style in both their choice of clothes as well as the way they decorate their home. Take for example the brand Acne, a very popular Swedish clothes range that is currently becoming better known over in England, and the continuously favoured home improvement brand IKEA. The themes that occur in Scandinavian brands such as these are probably a direct result of their society, for example a clean finish and block colours reflect their attraction towards safety and their appreciation of modesty. Equally the cold climate requires practical clothing as does their tradition of travelling by bicycle, which is also becoming more popular in England thanks to the Boris bike scheme and the ever-growing attention on global warming. It is because of these fundamental lifestyle choices that North Face is very popular in Northern Europe.
Functionality, good quality and a clean finish are all essential features of well loved Scandinavian design and it is due to these requirements that North Face is popular in the Nordic countries. Like Acne and IKEA, North Face encompasses all the assets that the Scandinavians appreciate, especially in their range of winter coats.
Although England’s climate is less extreme than Scandinavia’s, when the cold winter hits it would be advisable to do as the Swedes do, keep it simple, affective yet stylish. It often appears as though English people engage in a half hearted effort to keep warm in winter and as a result do not compare in the style stakes to their Scandinavian neighbours. The Scandinavians certainly prove that practical does not need to mean unfashionable, in fact it is quite the opposite, to look well prepared, warm and wrapped up is the best way to makes others awe-inspired. Brands such as North Face make it easy to look fashionable but remain warm in the winter months. North Face is favoured by those who require a practical yet fashionable look and they never fail to provide exactly what your wardrobe needs to keep life easy.
Judging from the heavy snow fall last year there is good reason to believe that this winter will not be too different. When the snow hits, and it has been predicted that this winter it certainly will in both England and Northern Europe, snow boots are the only footwear to suffice. The only waterproof alternative to snow boots are wellington boots but when the temperature drops you will find that your feet will get cold very easily, whereas snow boots are well insulated, waterproof and consistently fashionable each winter. If you are going skiing this winter they really will instantly glamorise any outfit and keep you warm like no other footwear. Additionally a chunky snow boot will work to make your legs look slimmer. Snow boots are also a good choice for more practical reasons, rather than just aesthetics, because the temperature of your feet will affect the temperature of the rest of your body so investing in a pair of snow boots will mean you can get on with your day without suffering from the cold. Snow boots are another Scandinavian winter essential and they often have a special shelf to leave them on outside so that they don’t bring the snow into the house. So this winter say ‘ja!’ to the Scandinavian way and embrace winter fashion in style.
This article has been brought to you by GO Outdoors
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Article source: http://www.catwalkfashion.co.uk/cold-weather-fashion-hotting-up/
At this year’s Afro Hair Beauty show in London there was an outrage at a stall selling and promoting skin lightening products with many women protesting that such products are unsafe, offensive and their use should not be encouraged.
Yet such products seem to sell like hot cake, especially in Africa, even when numerous warnings regarding their negative effects on skin have been discussed. There are some skin lightening products that are not banned and which continue to be advertised.
The issue of concern here is why women believe that being of a lighter skin tone will somehow increase their beauty. A combination of low self-esteem and a false belief that light skin and lustrous long hair equal beauty, success and attractiveness is recipe for disaster.
The 26-year-old Melissa bleaches her entire body and she says: “I was always considered too dark and I hated it. While on campus, a friend told me about these products and managed to get me some, it costs me a fortune but I did not like being the darkest in school or in my family.”
Aisha was given a skin lightening product to get rid of her acne and spots. When she applied it, she received numerous compliments as her skin looked brighter and beautiful. The spots have since cleared but she wants to retain her attractiveness. So, she continues using the cream.
Kampala-based hairdresser Daisy, 35, started using skin lightening products and within a year she began to suffer patches, a burning sensation, leaving her skin badly damaged.
This obsession with light skin can be linked to colonisation. The white man’s dominance translated into light skin being associated with power and authority. The success of women like Halle Berry and Beyonce who are considered to be light skinned and the introduction of western films, soap operas and imagery into African culture have all contributed to the bleaching phenomenon.
Now women aspire for light skin, which may not be natural to them. In countries like India, some beauty products are top sellers because there is a belief that men prefer fairer girls, this has not skipped consciousness in Uganda either.
Numerous singles ads of men looking for women illustrate how rife the ‘colour complex’ is. Men asking for fair or light skinned ladies and some men emphasising the fact that they themselves are light skinned, perhaps in the hope that this will increase their eligibility is a common occurrence.
But instead of spending on bleach, so as to fit into a made-up ideal of beauty, buy yourself a pair of shoes, a new lipstick or an outfit to show off your figure.
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ebony and ivory
written by Betty Long Cap , November 30, 2011
Samira Sawlani, you hit a sensitive note on both sides of vanity. White women lie in tanning beds or bask too long under the sun to get darker while black women bleach their skin to get lighter. Both directions are self-destructing as women age.
In my haste I blame men. “Love does not alter when it alteration finds.” Shakespeare
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Season 2, Episode 13 of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills had us all kinds of excited because we got to see Adrienne Maloof’s buzzed-about shoe collection. Although she’s no stranger to business ventures (her family owns the Palms Resort in Vegas and the Sacramento Kings), we were stoked to see what Adrienne could come up with on her own.
As the other RHOBH ladies teased, it was a little hard to get a peek at Adrienne’s shoes because the models were sashaying down the runway in some gorgeous, long dresses. So who made the dresses that hid the Maloof hoof? The gowns were created by fashion designer Kevan Hall. His name might not sound familiar, but you’ve probably seen his work before. Here’s what we know about talented designer:
Hall is a Detroit native who studied design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and received the Peacock Award for “Outstanding Fashion Design.” In 1988, he and his wife launched Kevan Hall Couture, a collection which “melded a more relaxed couture look with sensible pricing that pleased retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, I. Magnin, and other fine stores nationwide,” according to Hall’s official website.
Just married: Ruth and Stuart Bonsall
Her father wasn’t available to walk her down the aisle — but far from missing
the most important day of his daughter’s life, he conducted the service
instead.
Article source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/woman/fashion-beauty/katie-holmes-sandler-is-cute-as-a-girl-16084081.html
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
“Adrienne’s Fashion Show”
November 28, 2011
RUN AWAY! RUN! YIP YIP! (realitytvgifs.tumblr.com)
Listen, I am a fan of cooking shows: I love me some Top Chef (even when they’re indulging in obvious stereotypes about Texas and snubbing Houston because we wouldn’t pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars to film here even though we have the most interesting and diverse culinary scene in the state BUT WHATEVER) and I loved Iron Chef back when it was weirdo Japanese Iron Chef and you’d get things like The Chairman talking about how snail juice is referred to as “lady sweat,” WHICH, NO IT IS NOT and also GROSS, but my least favorite part of any of those shows is watching other people eat. Boring. So boring. Is there anything more boring? No, there is nothing more boring. It’s boring even when those eating are VanderPumps, tasting fancy food for the fancy Vanderwedding. And yet here we are. Lisa and Pandora and Pandora’s Fiance and Grandpa Ken and “Kevin” eat a bunch of fancy food that seem to involve a great deal of sweet potatoes, and drink ridiculous cocktails made mostly of dry ice, and make fun of Taylor for the way she ate cotton candy that one time, and ooh and aah over the tacky tacky $15,000 Vandertations, and I didn’t think there was a way to make Lisa Vanderboring, but they managed to do it, so well done, Producers.
I Vanderlove her. (realitytvgifs.tumblr.com)
Meanwhile, Brandi and Kyle are getting their nails done. Together. Without backup or tasers. There’s a bunch of noise about how they both want to get past Game Night, and move forward and blah blah blah, and Brandi has a fabulous idea! She’s going to host a party at her Malibu home where she hires Andy Dick a porn star to come teach the ladies how to perfect their, um, oral skillz. Kyle, who Brandi of all people should remember was offended by a 4-year-old’s penis, is shockingly not down with this idea. PUN TOTALLY INTENDED. And somehow, despite all the sharp instruments lying around and their nails being filed into points, Brandi and Kyle manage to get out of the manicurist’s without anyone getting cut.
For your cringey scene of the episode, Taylor and Russell go lie to their marriage therapist for a while. After basically telling Taylor to GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN, SISTER, the therapist talks near Russell’s “anger,” without ever getting into hitty or shovey specifics. Taylor pouts and insists that they clearly love each other, and the therapist is all, “Do you, though? Do you really? Don’t you think you’d be better off if you didn’t?” But Taylor, bless her cocker spaniel-brained heart, she continues to insist that they are really good together! When they don’t hit hate each other! And Russell who suddenly seems to have rediscovered the cameras, which I’m certain has nothing to do with Camille’s Big Tea Party Revelation, and everything to do with wanting to save his marriage, sits and glares at the therapist before suddenly announcing that he has a Very Important Meeting, OK goodbye. Savin’ ur marriage, ur doin’ it rong.
La Maloof has designed her own line of shoes? And this is the first we’ve ever heard of it? And she’s now going to host a backyard shoe fashion show to show off these shoes of which we’ve never heard so as to raise money for a lady empowerment charity? OK, sure. To this end, we have the obligatory hostess stressing out over the preparations scene, the obligatory “there’s a vaguely famous person associated with this event” nod, and the obligatory limos pulling up in driveway, people getting out of limos and people greeting the host montage.
Russell decides to escort his wife to the shoe fashion show, because this is obviously something that is very relevant to his interests, and not because he is a controller who is desperately attempting to manipulate his image. The superhappy couple talk vaguely about Taylor possibly seeing Camille tonight and Russell is all, So what, who cares, she’s a lying liar who lies. This is very convincing! Also convincing: when the limo picks up Kyle and Mauricio, and the topic of Camille is brought up and everyone is all, “I MEAN, WHO EVEN KNOWS WHAT CAMILLE WAS TALKING ABOUT! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHE EVEN SAID! I CERTAINLY DIDN’T HEAR HER SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SPOUSAL ABUSE BECAUSE WHY WOULD SHE? HA HA HA HA HA! NOPE, I HEARD NOTHING.” Way to play it cool, everyone!
Once at the backyard shoe fashion show, Camille happens to exit a door that Taylor was standing behind. At first, Taylor’s tiny cocker spaniel brain screams at her, “FLEE! FLEE, YOU FOOL! YIP! YIP YIP!” But to her credit, Taylor greets Camille and makes some vague noises about how they will talk later, because they save the crazy fights for the private parties neither of them want to upstage La Maloof’s big fancy Night of Loafers or whatever.
Meanwhile, the moment Lisa, Grandpa Ken and The Sultan arrive, La Maloof immediately grabs Lisa and shoves her into a nearby room to harangue her for not asking La Maloof to host Pandora’s Vanderbachelorette party. Lisa explains, Vandereasonably, that they happen to have another family friend who also owns his own casino — because who isn’t friends with multiple Las Vegas casino owners? — and he offered to host Pandora’s and Pandora’s Fiance’s Vanderbachelor/ette parties. Lisa would never dream to Vanderpose on La Maloof, and ask her to host 20 shrieking girls for 3 days. That’s Vanderidiculous. LA MALOOF IS STILL OFFENDED. HOW DARE LISA NOT COME TO HER AND DEMAND LA MALOOF HOST HER DAUGHTER’S BACHELORETTE PARTY. WHY WON’T LISA JUST VANDERMIT SHE’S VANDERONG?
And then the fashion show happens, but HA HA, all the dresses are super long and no one can see the shoes, and everyone is like, The hell? I thought this was a backyard shoe fashion show? And then Lisa makes a funny about La Maloofs Mahoofs and how she’s going to start her own line of VanderPumps, and then she and I, we high five because we are best friends, the end.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs on Bravo Mondays at 8 p.m.
Therese is also watching American Horror Story, Fringe and Saturday Night Live.
Article source: http://blog.chron.com/tubular/2011/11/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop/
DALLAS, Nov 30, 2011/ — In a statement released today, Speedo confirmed that it has secured full FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation) approval for a world first concept to revolutionise the sport of swimming – a cap, goggle and suit …
More here:
Speedo Unleashes Groundbreaking Racing … – FashionWindows Blog
DALLAS, Nov 30, 2011/ — In a statement released today, Speedo confirmed that it has secured full FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation) approval for a world first concept to revolutionise the sport of swimming – a cap, goggle and suit …
Go here to see the original:
Speedo Unleashes Groundbreaking Racing System Trilogy … – Blog
The designer Rabia Z. Matt Crossick / The National
The 2012 Spring/Summer collection of the Dubai-based fashion designer Rabia Z is a fitting tribute to the UAE’s 40th anniversary.
Called “Traditions. Today. Tomorrow. Chapter 1: Arabia – The Mukhawara Collection”, the creations pay homage to the long, traditional dress frequently worn by Emirati and GCC women.
“I wanted to do something to revive it [the mukhawara] and I was inspired by the embroidery that was often very intricate and used to be done by hand,” says Rabia Zargarpur. “Although, I didn’t use any embroidery in my collection, I used instead the patterns as prints in the same place around the neck, the arms, the wrists.”
Using the traditional embroidered motifs of flowers and geometric shapes, Zargarpur deployed screen-printing techniques to trim her mukhawara-inspired kaftan jumpsuits, draped tops and pants – complete with matching shaylas.
“I remember wearing mukhawaras as a child,” she says. “It’s generally something worn at home for Eid and I think children love them because the embroidery is so elaborate and they don’t often get to wear such colour with glitter and sparkles.
“Back then there was a lot of gold thread used and the crystals were overdone – over time they have become much prettier.”
Reminiscent of traditional Emirati couture and fashioned into a modern ready-to-wear range, Zargarpur used a bold palette of indigo blue, parrot green, citrine and deep ruby fuchsia for her latest collection. Much like her childhood mukhawara, she’s designed some of the line in silk, while also incorporating cotton, stretch linen and hints of denim.
Having made her prêt-a-porter debut on the UAE fashion scene in 2007, the Emirati-Afghani designer fast made a name for herself creating “modern and modest” clothing for women. Having lived and studied in the US, showcasing her latest range in New York’s West Village last November 16 took the story full circle.
“People, especially in New York, where they didn’t know what a mukhawara was, really loved it!” she says. “When they talk about Emirati women, it’s always ‘Wow, they are such fashionistas’ because they are well known for their sense of style and their amazing accessories – the beautiful bags, the jewellery, the shoes.
“Having lived away for more than half my life and then coming back [to the UAE], I, of course saw a huge change in the fashion. Emirati ladies are more boldly expressing their style than ever before – they are much more on-trend,” she says. “Girls are fashion conscious from a much younger age, too – so different from the past, where for me it was ‘Wow, a mukhawara!’ and it was much more of a tailor culture.”
With hopes of her new collection finding favour with young fashion-conscious Emiratis and expatriates, Zargarpur also has a sentimental reason for wanting the line to do well.
“My grandmother always wore them, until she passed away,” recalls the designer. “She would always wear ‘mukhawaras for the house’, with very light embroidery and without bright, bold colours and crystals. I know there are still older women who wear that today.”
Zargarpur says her younger 23-year-old sister likes wearing mukhawaras. “When it comes to Eid, she will still go out and make a couple of mukhawaras for herself. In non-traditional hot pink with polka dots, for example, but still with the embroidery and crystals.”
Rabia Z, as she’s known in the industry, has full confidence of the mukhawara’s place in the UAE’s fashionable future, similar to its important contribution to the style archives of the past.
Its resurgence into mainstream and haute fashion was confirmed upon a recent trip to see some exclusive clients in the capital.
“I started seeing them [mukhawaras] again when I went to visit the Royal Family at the palace in Abu Dhabi.” she says. “I saw very beautiful, simpler versions being worn at home and it really inspired me how the tradition was being kept.”
rduane@thenational.ae
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Article source: http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/fashion/emirati-fashion-designer-keeps-tradition-alive
Backyards are a wonderful place to have a barbecue or a swing set or a charity fashion show and shoe line premiere party. You know, like any old Thursday afternoon in Beverly Hills. But it wouldn’t be a Housewives fashion show without a stupid fight, would it?
Last night’s episode was a little boring, wasn’t it? Yeah, it was. Know why? Cause it was about Adrienne Maloof, mostly. There is nothing wrong with that. Ms. Maloof is a rather wonderful creature who is worth $300 million dollars or something and wears gold in her hair and has diamonds on the soles of her shoes. But she’s kind of like a normal. She’s like a real actual human that you could be friends with in real life. We all have that one friend who is just rich as fuck and they’re normal and invite you over their house for lavish parties and fly you out to Vegas on a whim and give you their six-months-old iPhone because they wanted the white one so they just bought one when it came out and now they don’t need the old one and you carry some clamshell Razr bullshit from like 2004 so, here, you could really use this. That’s what Adrienne is like. And I kind of love her for it. She is like the only normal housewife who just wanted to be on this fancy show, not because she needs the money or fame, but because that was the only way she could realize her childhood goal of having a shoe line. Yes, Adrienne is normal, if that is normal.
Yeah, Adrienne has a shoe line which I was all excited to call Maloof’s Hoofs until Lisa Vanderpump totally went and said it first. I hate that bitch. No, I don’t. I love her. I love her like you love a Joan Collins book during a layover in some state that has a caucus. Adrienne does not love her though, and they got in a fight. A stupid fight. Actually, it was a normal fight. It was a War of the Muggles. So, Adrienne has this charity event that is also a fashion show for some man who is meant to be on reality TV because he spells his name Kevan with an A. Not even Kevin Lee, the Mickey Rooney character in Breakfast at Tiffany who is now a wedding planner, spells his name with an A.
Adrienne has this charity fashion show that is for charity and is for fashion, but is also for shoes. Her shoes. The spangled soles that she has dreamed about as the poorest child in the Billionaire’s School where she was raised. She was the 1.1%, but she was a girl with a dream and that would not get her down! She made shoes. Now she would display these shoes in her back yard, because all great innovations in footwear are unveiled next to the pool and beside your child’s sandbox. That is how the world works. If you are a Maloof.
Then at the fashion show, everyone showed up. Kyle arrived wearing this ugly lime green thing that her sister Kathy bought at the McDowell Fashion Institute and School for the Blind yard sale and gave to Kyle as a joke but she wore it anyway. Then Brandi showed up with her friends Teri and Mari and all eyes were on Brandi. Get it?! Ha. OK, I have to admit that I kind of like Brandi these days. She’s about as classy as Snooki’s wardrobe, but she means well. She had that manicure with Kyle and she has her head squarely on her shoulders and was getting along well with Kyle and letting their past fights just wash away and start over. It’s kind of like when you’re drinking and you start to feel a little queasy and you just need to go to the bathroom and get the barf over with so you can go back and enjoy the rest of the night. They have already barfed, now they need the rest of the night.
They’re sitting there getting their nail on (sorry, for a minute I thought I was Sherri Shepherd) and then Brandi is like, “I want to have all the girls over and teach them how to give BJs.” That is the problem with Brandi. She’s a good kid, but she is just trashy on the inside. It’s like she’s Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and she’s trying her best to be a rich person, but at any second the hooker will come right out and scare all the boring white people with its nasty shenanigans. Oh, Brandi, don’t go changing. (Also, last night, I had a dream that I was hanging out on the beach with Brandi and Kyle and it was totally awesome. This shit is really taking over my entire brain.)
The fashion show, yes. So, Brandi, Cari, and Mari were there, and so was Kyle and her gorgeous husband MMmmmm, and so was Camille Grammer with her best gay Howard Bragman (also her publicist and bear of some note). Oh, and so was Taylor. But remember, Camille and Taylor have mad beef because Camille was all like, “You say you got yo’ ass beat. Where the scars, yo?” and Taylor was all like, “Boo-hoo. Look at my lips. I hate you!” Taylor is all pissed at Camille and Camille comes out of a meeting in the ladies room (I’ll be back real soon, uh oh, uh uh oh) and turns the corner and there is Taylor, dressed like she’s going to a Halloween party as “slutty Morticia.”
Taylor’s reaction was the best. She made this face like she wanted to disappear into the wall, like she wanted to just teleport right out of that spot like Nightcrawler from the X-Men. Just “BAMPF” away and avoid the whole thing, but Camille saw her and there was nothing she could do, so her face just made these slight retractions while the rest of her body stayed right there in that very spot. “Oh HI!” St. Camille said like she has no problem at all, “I didn’t see you there.” Oh, Camille Grammer. I love her so damn much. She handled it just right. Either there was no guile in her voice or she had it so well disguised that you would never know it. Taylor on the other hand was her usual handbag of nerves. “Oh, Uh. Hi, Camille. I, uh, didn’t know you’d be here. We, oh excuse me. Uh, We have to talk. But not now. Oh no, not now. Another time. Uh, bye.”
Camille just floated away on a cloud, her feet never touching the ground. “Goodbye, Taylor. We shall speak later,” she said with perfect composure and diction. Who ever thought that Camille Grammer would be the living depiction of grace.
The Camille/Taylor run in was sort of a let down, and the confrontation I really wanted never happened. Lisa and the doddering man she drags around with her, Ken, brought their super rich friend Mohammed to the party. He’s the one who is suing the Armstrongs for “grift in the first degree” which is a crime and lawsuit that I just made up entirely. He has some sort of trouble with them due to shady business dealings on someone’s part and both Taylor and Russell were at the party, but there was no throw down with Mohammed. That is so sad. I wanted him to walk up to Russell and be like, “Where is my money? Pay up now!” But no, everyone is way too classy for that. This is a charity fashion show and shoe unveiling in someone’s backyard, after all!
Speaking of Russell and Taylor, how awful was that marriage counseling session? First of all, they went to Charles Sophy, who is some sort of “doctor of Osteopathy.” For those of you who don’t know Osteopathy has nothing to do with bones (just ask Sally Field and Boniva) it’s like some sort of medical discipline that has to do with the harmony of the body or some shit. It’s holistic medicine. It sounds like something that hippies or Canadians would use. I’m not going to say that it’s not real medicine (it’s not) but going to an Osteopath to fix your marriage is sort of like going to an alchemist to get rid of your schizophrenia; it’s like going to a phrenologist to get career advice; it’s like going to a unicorn to ask it to bring your dead mother back. It’s just not a good idea. It’s just silly. There are actual professionals who are Doctors of Marriage who will help you. Some of them even work at shelters for abused women. Just saying.
When I saw Russell and Taylor walk into that room with three chairs I knew, I just knew, it was going to be some sort of marriage counseling and my eyes couldn’t stop rolling. They just circled and circled around in my head like a ping pong ball in a Solo cup and then they just plopped right out onto the floor and blinked at me like it was a scene from Beatlejuice. I mean, really, people? Putting your therapy on television is always a bad and stupid idea, so shame on you, Russell and Taylor. And shame on you Bravo for airing this. Remember when they were all, “We’re going to re-edit the season now that Russell is dead,” knowing that people would be watching to see how they handled it during episode one, but now that it’s like episode 13 they’re like, “Fuck it, no one cares anymore. Just show him in fucking therapy.” Man, it was an ordeal to watch.
I couldn’t even focus on what they were saying because it was just a bunch of platitudes and silliness and empty words. It was two people talking about their relationship like it was a PowerPoint presentation. “If we can’t figure out how to be together, we have to figure out how to not be together in the most successful way.” What? “We just want to move forward and have a clean slate.” Huh? “He gets angry and beats me and that makes me want to divorce him.” Say what? She never said that. It might not be true, but that is the one thing that wasn’t said. Oh, man, this season is taking a dark, dark turn. It’s like the opening scenes in Sleeping with the Enemy but Taylor is never going to put that damn wig on and go to a small town. It’s just all going to end horribly with a black murky death, but not of Taylor faking her drowning so she can get away. No, something worse. Something far, far worse.
Back to this damn shoe party where there were no shoes. Lisa was there too. Yes, Lisa took some time out from her busy party planning schedule with Kevin Lee, the singing Cheez Doodle that is dressed up in a costume from the “Smooth Criminal” video. Kevin Lee shows up with the ugly Pandora’s Box invitation for Pandora’s wedding and Lisa and everyone is just mooning over it. Her husband, Ken, is there mooning too, but he’s just quiet and clutching that dog and doddering around where everyone shoves him. I’m beginning to get a little worried about Ken. Is he entirely healthy? His spark seems gone. What happened to Ken?
Anyway, after the invite, Kevin Lee takes them into the kitchen where Kevin Wizard, the son of Mr. Wizard who is now a mixologist and a constant source of disappointment to his father, is making frozen vodka cocktails with dry ice and magic. Science can do amazing things!
Speaking of Pandora’s wedding preparations, we can now get to the big fight of the episode. Yes, it’s the Adrienne vs. Lisa “You won’t have your bachelorette party at my hotel” fight. I’m just going to say that this is the singular stupidest fight in Housewives history. This is such a stupid fight. Adrienne has her gold extensions in a twist because Lisa’s old friend who owns the Hard Rok Cafe Casino and Hotel offered to throw Pandora a lavish Vegas Bachelorette party and Adrienne is pissed Lisa wasn’t all, “No, I can’t. I’m friends with Adrienne and if I have to ask outrageous favors, I should ask her.” That’s so stupid. You don’t tell a friend who just offered you a giant gift to hold on a minute so you can go to your other rich friend and ask her if she will give you a better gift so, thanks but no thanks. That’s just not how the world works.
What is Adrienne’s deal? Does she just want her hotel on the show more? Does she just want to lord over everyone else how much more richer she is than everyone? Does she have an intense need to be even rich people’s rich friend? If I was her and someone was like, “Lisa’s daughter is having her bachelorette party somewhere else,” I’d think, “Good, now I don’t have to shell out for it and listen to 20 shrill girls scream and cackle for an entire weekend.” Stupid fight. The best was when Adrienne was like, “We’ll be there that weekend too,” and made a little grimace to be like, “The jig is up, sister. We’re going to get that screen time whether you like it or not.” Adrienne, this is not a fight. Move on!
In classic Beverly Hills Housewives fashion though, they totally buried the lede. The real fight here is about Lisa’s wine (she has a wine? Is she Ramona in disguise?) and how she wanted the Palms to carry it but they don’t. You can watch it above. I think that’s what all this tension is about, not favors and children and parties. That is all a mask. That is all a mask for some business deal gone awry or a favor that was never fulfilled.
And out in the back yard, while this fluffly kerfuffle is going on, gowns are parading down the runway, covering up Adrienne’s shoes, keeping the real reason for the party under wraps. That is why we love these ladies. We come for the shoes, but you can’t quite see them. They only come in little glances, little peeks out from a fluttering hem, little toe jabs when they fight or run into each other at parties or forgive each other or have their counseling on camera. Just little flashes, little blinding glittery bits that we tune in for, and each week we get one, if even just a little sparkle.
That reminds me, know who wasn’t at the party? Kim Richards! She was not there at all. She wasn’t even mentioned. She was just totally ignored. Where was Kim? Where is Kim, always? At home. She was in the Sad Valley Ranch so far away curled up on the couch with her boyfriend Pumice. They were snuggled up on the couch and she was feeling warm and snuggly like a belly full of apple cider and she just didn’t want to go anywhere. She rubbed her face up on her rocky boyfriend and could feel the chafe on her cheek. Yes, it was a little painful, like kissing with lots of stubble, and left a burn afterwards, but it was better than the pain of going to another of those damn parties, of the stabs and pains of all of those women looking at her and judging her and thinking she wasn’t good enough. No, she was just happy right where she was.
Then there was a knock at the door. Kim got up to answer it (it’s so hard for a rock to move quickly) and there was a chauffeur there in a coat and hat and a black town car idling in her stumpy driveway, butting its bumper out into the quiet suburban street. “Ms. Richards, I’m here to take you to the party,” he said. Oh, how many times men had showed up at her door in their cars to take her to parties and how many times she had gone. That is one thing they used to say about Kim Richards: she never misses a party. She stood there for a minute, holding the door in her hand and looking down at her jeans, her undone hair drooping a bit over her head. She looked back into the house and thought about what she could throw on at the last minute and what excuse she could feed Pumice to run out the door again. But then she turned back to the chauffeur, “Know what…what’s your name?” she asked. “Kevin.” “Know what, Kevin. I don’t think I’m going to make it tonight.” She reached into her pocked and fished out a rumpled $20. “Here, just. Just tell them I was sick, OK?” “Sure.” he said.
She closed the door behind him and saw the headlights flash through the window in the front door and reflect on the bare wall. He was gone. It was all gone. Another night on the couch. She fell right back into the nook that her body had carved out of the couch and it was still warm. Another episode of House Hunters International was about to start and that is all Kim wanted, to sit there and watch. To make her little escape. “Can we move to the next place they visit?” she asked Pumice with a silly grin on her face. “Of course we can!” she said. “I just want to move. I just want to go.”
Article source: http://gawker.com/5863374/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-shoes-and-fits
New Plus Size Fashion For American Women
(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 29, 2011 ) United Kingdom — Award winning plus size clothing chain Evans has launched a beautiful range of plus size fashion for women in the USA in time for Winter. Shoppers will find clothing in sizes 10-28 and lingerie in 34-46, cup sizes B to H, all at evansusa.com.
Whether a plus size shopper needs trousers or maxi dresses or shoes and accessories, she can find it all at evansusa.com. Plus size jeans come in all styles from skinny to straight leg to wide leg and the wide fit shoes and wide calf boots are designed to fit the shape of a plus-size ladies foot.
The benefit of shopping for plus size fashion online at evansusa.com is that fashion lovers can sit in the comfort of their home and order their new season clothing online without having to brave the cold and the rain.
The website has been designed so it is simple to navigate. To find a specific item of plus size fashion at evansusa.com, customers can scroll through the drop down menus in the top bar. Categories are divided into tops and tunics, dresses, knitwear, jeans and denim, leggings and jeggings, coats and jackets and trousers. Each category is further divided into sizes and colour, making it really simple for shoppers to find what’s on their shopping list.
If a woman is looking for plus size fashion for work, a holiday or wants sales items it’s simple to click in the apparel tab in the top bar and go through the relevant link in the drop down menu. It is possible to find the item you need within minutes.
The new Winter range has been carefully though of to make sure there are outfits for all types of events so it’s possible to be stylish all day long. Evans has plus size leisurewear, well-fitting lingerie and shapewear, trouser suits, plus size jeans, going out and casual tops and party dresses and jumpsuits.
All of the plus size clothing for women at Evans has been designed to flatter a plus size figure so customers can feel confident with what’s in their shopping basket.
The items have been modelled on real women to guarantee a fabulous fit. Whether ladies are an apple shape, a busty shape, a pear shape or have an hourglass silhouette, they will find something to enhance their best assets. The aim is to make plus size women proud to show off their figure in the new plus size fashion at Evans.
If a customer needs style advice or inspiration about new-in items they can sign up for the Evans newsletter and receive updates from Evans style advisors. All new subscribers are automatically entered into a grand prize draw with a chance to win a $1000 spending spree to spend on new season fashion at evansusa.com.
If a shopper needs inspiration about new products that may suit them, they can see what other ladies have bought by visiting the Evans Facebook page. Customers are invited to comment about their experiences of shopping at Evans and the Evans team post messages about what’s popular that week. It’s a real community spirit!
About Us:
Evans is a plus size ladies fashion retailer with over 300 evans stores around the UK and Ireland and now expanding passion for plus size fashion to the US with Evansusa.com.
Evans has special expertise in designing, fitting, styling and an intuitive understanding of our customers’ view on body image. Shopping online with us is easy and can be done from the comfort of home, any time of day.
Contact: Carina Sullivan, email: carina.sullivan@evans.co.uk
Visit: Evans Website: http://www.evansusa.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Evans
Press Release Courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/vM84jB
Article source: http://www.emailwire.com/release/75351-Evans-Launches-Gorgeous-New-Plus-Size-Fashion-For-American-Women.html
