Friday Fashion Edition

Good morning, afternoon, evening, fine readers...

Today we delve rather superficially into pop culture and fashion. Sure to be a fascinating ride :smirk: so let's get moving.

Sports
The US Open is underway and tennis actually seems to be taking a back seat to the fashionable stylings of Maria Shriekapova (I mean Sharapova) and Roger Federer. Showing off the finest in Nike couture, Sharapova's little red dress was so exciting to her that she cut her warm up short just so she could put it on! To quote, "When you feel good about what you're wearing and you feel good about putting it on, yeah, you know what it's like. Put on a nice outfit and some makeup and you're the bomb." Indeed.

As for Federer, one could question the wisdom of patent leather and men not to mention patent leather and men and tennis but the Fed pulls it off somehow and as for his $800 haircut... well worth the money, I say! He definitely looks twice as good as John Edwards.

Rafael Nadal's hemlines have been rising with each passing slam and frankly, though I am not sorry to see more leg, I'm a bit sad to see the capri pants go. Maybe they're too constricting with the knee injury.

As for who's winning... All the usual suspects but I was bummed to see Baghdatis lose so early to Mirnyi. At least Henman made it past the opening round. Announcing his retirement seems to have lifted a weight from his shoulders so I say freedom is the best fashion! Of course, by the time you read this he may be out.

Film
Last night I was unfortunate enough to see Becoming Jane. This movie was bad in every way and it didn't help that the volume was so low I could hear the air conditioner at the movie theater over the film. The acting was dreadful, the story dull, and the directing deplorable. This is one of the worst movies I've seen in a while and I watch some pretty crappy movies. That I even titled this section "film" is a bit of an insult to the word.

I wonder if the director hated Anne Hathaway as she was so poorly lit she looked like Casper and often appeared to have a poodle on her head, but perhaps he was just angry at her abominable accent. I keep waiting for Hathaway to break out and be the next Julia Roberts but she won't if she keeps doing junk like this (and Havoc). I think The Devil Wears Prada was meant to do it for her. Too bad she was completely eclipsed by Streep and Blunt.

But this is supposed to be the fashion edition so let me just say - why don't those fabulous designs of the early 1800s make a return? Everything else comes back (much to my dismay). Those empire waist dresses hide a multitude of sins without being too tentish. I know we've been swinging on the trapeze for the last few seasons and the backlash has begun, which is fine because have you noticed how those super a-line swingy things actually only look good on really thin girls? Any bit of girth only serves to make them MORE voluminous. Not good.

Anyway, back to Becoming Jane... though Austen had some very attractive attire, one can only hope that she was not this horribly insipid in real life. Thank God she's dead and doesn't have to witness what they've done to her.

TV
It has come to my attention that nearly every one of my intelligent girlfriends watches America's Next Top Model. I will save my reality TV discussion for another post but... Wow. What am I missing? Someone, please enlighten me! Tyra Banks makes me green (with nausea, not envy) so I've avoided this show like the plague.

What I will not be avoiding is Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. I can't wait to see Master Gunn work his magic with real people instead of whiny wannabe fashion designers. He makes me wish I was a gay man so I could marry him. And speaking of gay marriage...

News
Don't you love how I put the actual news last as if somehow what's really going on in our world is less important? Let's just say, "last but not least."

This might lose me some readers but I am a big advocate for gay marriage rights (to the extent that we went to Massachusetts to get legally married because we wanted a license from a state that a) allowed same-sex marriage and b) (obviously) did not have a constitutional ban against it). So, it definitely made my evening to read that a Polk county, Iowa judge struck down their ban and ruled in favor of same sex marriage. This could all be overturned on appeal but I say bless his little activist judge heart! It really irks me that the Evangelical Right would have no problems using the court to overturn gay rights and Roe v Wade but cry foul when they rule like this. But that's another post entirely. When will I ever get to these things, I wonder!

Also, speaking of all things gay... Senator Larry Craig might resign today. This is a shame. How come Republican senators can have affairs and see hookers and that's ok but God forbid they be gay? We all know the answer to this but urgh... I know we are all hypocritical to some extent but really, these so-called Christians take the cake. And when did tapping your foot become the international sign for bathroom sex? Clearly I missed something.

Okay... before this post becomes something akin to War and Peace (only less entertaining), I bid you adieu. Happy Friday, good people.

Sartorially yours,
Ms. P

ps. Yes, I posted another picture of the bean and no, it has nothing to do with fashion. Or does it?!