Welcome back to Girl Reporter Fridays, where I channel my inner Lois Lane to bring you the most interesting stuff from my Google Reader. This week there's tabloid drama, Lewis Carroll whimsy, fugly prom dresses, and more!- Life & Style sunk quite low (even for a tabloid) when they twisted this stylist's words to criticize 3-year-old Shiloh's boyish clothing. There's a lot to be said about gender and clothing here.
- As a longtime Lewis Carroll fan, I was delighted by this article on fashion taking inspiration from Alice.
- Did you see any coverage of the 60s-inspired Rochas show? I adored the hair!
- I thought Jezebel's post on the joke of the violent woman was incredibly insightful.
- Also on Jezebel, Dodai's commentary on the Anthro catalog is never to-be-missed.
- More Jezebel, but I just had to share: prom dresses have always had a bad rap as fugly, but I can't believe it's come to this.
- I loved Feministing's "In Praise of Johnny Weir."
- Will you be watching the Oscars this Sunday? This article provides an interesting lens through which to view the fashion.
Happy Friday and thanks for reading!
Sorry but you're really bottom-dragging here, Gertie. Trash the post, and return to fashion for women. Please.
ReplyDeleteDigs,
ReplyDeleteWow, if you don't want to just don't read it. As Gertie said, she finds it interesting so there's no need to be rude about her own personal tastes.
Love it! Prom dresses are always an interesting little fashion niche. On one hand, you're right that they're often hideous and the one that you showed there is no exception, but at the same time, if there's ever going to be a time in your life when you can act on your urge to wear a turquoise lame ruched ruffled floor-length gown from crazyland, prom would be it! Make these mistakes when you're 17 and don't know any better, because you're certainly not going to welcome that dress when it comes to you as a bridesmaid gown :D It's only when the prom fashion starts becoming indistinguishable from stripper fashion that I really start to bristle.
ReplyDeleteAll that being said, I had the bestest dress ever for my prom- a 1950s green and white number that I bought from the Goodwill back in early 90's before the cool kids were shopping for vintage and you could still get that stuff for cheap. I'll have to show it to you because I think you'd be able to appreciate it :)
I have been a lurker on Gertie's site for a while and I have to say that I love all of Gertie's posts, including the "Girl Reporter" set. A lot of those links are to posts about fashion for women, she's just introducing to us other people's thoughts, not just her own. I was motivated to (finally) comment, Digs, because your comment does not seem to be consistent with the atmosphere of positivity and respect for others that Gertie tries to maintain in both her posts and her comments section.
ReplyDeletehaha the jezebal article on prom dresses was right on... and what IS the deal with those prom garters?!?
ReplyDeleteI can't believe all the crazytalk over Shiloh's wardrobe and haircut. The kid is old enough to have some choice in what she puts on in the morning, and obviously she gravitates towards less girly outfits. Her parents aren't forcing her into it, and it's certainly not harmful. Jeeze. It also really gets me that when people were up in arms over Suri Cruise wearing heels and lip gloss, the argument was that she shouldn't be "allowed" to dress like that, whereas Shiloh is being "forced" - as if a little girl would never choose not to dress like a princess!
ReplyDelete(Also, another thing a think is crazytalk? A certain comment on this post. How rude.)
You think those prom dresses are bad. My daughter received a catalog in the mail a few weeks ago and it was chuck full of crazy dresses. They were high on tacky and very low on style.
ReplyDeleteI just started my daughters prom dress on Monday. I am still is muslin mode. You'll love this, my daughter picked red silk with tiny white polka dots. So cute.
I made my prom dresses in high school. I still look back and cringe. I hope she wont do the same when she is my age.
Thanks for your Girl Friday post. It's nice to change it up.
Kathi G
Oh! Well I just checked out nearly all of those links! Keep posting about what you want to post about Gertie, after all that's what blogs are for- and most of us seem to like what you're into!
ReplyDeleteI love your Girl Reporter posts! Shiloh's look- it does make me question my ideas on gender appropriate clothing. I don't have any children, but if I had a daughter I would probably encourage her to dress more femininely. I would want my kid to be who they want to be, but I would also want her to be proud of her girly-ness, ya know? But I think the main question should be, why does this magazine feel it is their job to "out" celebrities as bad parents based on paparazzi pictures of their kids?
ReplyDeleteI bet there's another reason for Shiloh's haircut... like bubblegum stuck in it or a game of barbershop gone wrong. My sister had a similar haircut due to her best friend cutting a chunk out of it when she was four.
ReplyDeleteoh, thank you....this is the kind of critical thinking about fashion and culture that I devour, but that I think is disturbingly absent from the blogosphere. Excuse me as I dig into these juicy articles!!! xoxo
ReplyDeletegreat articles, gertie! i really look forward to your girl reporter posts after a long week of work, life, etc.
ReplyDeletethanks for all you do!
Thank you for this kind of article, Gertie.
ReplyDeleteComing from a different culture, my knowledge of tabloids habits is not very good (although this kind of press has rapidly grown in France these last years), and I don't have any idea of what really is a prom night or a prom dress (except of course through series I used to watch as a kid, which I don't consider as a reliable source of information), so I actually find it quite interesting!
Do all high-school girls go to the prom? Do they usually dress in such a poofy, shiny, tacky way or is it just a marginal behaviour? Do they all read 'seventeen' or take its advice quite seriously? I might certainly be called naive, but well, it's sort of clothing/cultural anthropology to me (ok, in a very light and funny way)!
I love Gertie Girl Reporter and look out for it every Friday. It's not just about the selection of articles that have caught Gertie's eye, but also the wide range of comments - many of which are most articulate and thoughtful - that come in their wake. Sometimes I start out with a really clear-cut view of where I stand and soon realise that things aren't so straightforward. What I love about this blog is that it isn't a 'cosy echo chamber' like some Anonymous put it the other day - quite the reverse sometimes. If the sewing community wants to put a new spin on the word 'neutral colour', then so be it; language is a living thing and it evolves constantly. If Gertie wants to explore gender stereotypes within the media and world of fashion, I'm interested in hearing what people have to say.
ReplyDeleteWhat this blog has been to date is a place where people express their opinions gracefully and with respect for others. May that always continue...
Being in France, like Carlotta, I don't know who half the people you talk about are, but I still like to read your weekly article because it's like a window into US society from a woman's point of view, and I find this very interesting. I agree that the Rochas collection is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThank you, ladies! I appreciate your feedback. I know the Girl Reporter features aren't for everyone, which is why I do it as a second post on Fridays (when I do it). So hopefully there's something for everyone to read!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the supportive comments. I got a little teary! You guys are the best. :)
P.S. I think a see a prom dress post in my future!
Thank you for posting this! I've NEVER been so offended by a magazine cover in my life - as though a 3 year old deserves to be poked fun at on the cover of a national magazine! It's a good thing she's too young to know it - but regardless, take the piss out of the parents not the kids!
ReplyDeleteOn a happier note - prom fashion can be rad if you keep it vintage! There's alot of prints happening in prom fashion lately that make the dresses look more like beach wear that I don't like - I prefer classic colours like gold or pink, and lots of tulle!!!