Product, Fashion Watch: September 2008

Gelaskins: Art meets life
I figured it was high time that I wrote about some products that are currently tickling my fancy at the moment. I know there are a bunch of PC users out there (I myself use one at my "work" office, and still have one in my home office) - but I have to admit that I'm a bit of a MAC junkie. I am not writing this to incite a war of which platform is better, or which has a better cost. I simply like the gadgetry, I'm addicted to my iBook and my nano and will soon purchase an iPhone (waiting for 2nd gen) - in January, I'll be replacing my home PC with an iMac and will also purchase the iPod touch when it's realeased next week and likely get a new iPod classic - because I am a junkie (a junkie for the genius bar when I have an issue I cannot solve, a junkie for the pristine stores and smell of new technology, a junkie for the brain of Steve Jobs...) but, I digress. My tendency is to purchase white Mac products, because they look "clean" to me. While Mr. Clean magic erasers do a fine job of keeping my gadgets close to pristine, I have often struggled to find that perfect "thing" to cover my addictive little indulgences. But, now I have. Gelaskins, available at www.gelaskins.com, are a very thin (< 2mm) protective cover for your iPhone, iPod, laptop and RAZR made with premium grade 3M vinyl and adhesive technology. Patented micro-channels within the adhesive allow for a bubble-free application. Each GelaSkin has an ultra-clear, scratch resistant coating for maximum durability and photo quality finish.
Designed by artists, these are by far the coolest and most elegant creations I've seen - form and function, without the bulk. Finally, I can protect my hardware, and do it with style.

The Elegant iPod Touch
Some of you may have noticed that I mentioned the "iPod Touch" up above - and some of you may not of heard of this new little techno-gadgetry dreamed up by those wonderfule little wizards at Apple. Set for release on September 28th, the new iPod Touch from Apple is in a class by itself. It's like an iPhone, only without the phone. It's a music player, though not your best choice if that's what you're looking for. It's a wonderful video player and Web browser, despite certain limitations. Most important, it's beautiful, and I bet it sells like crazy, even at $299 for an 8-gigabyte version and $399 for 16GB.

The Touch screams out for comparison to the iPhone, which costs the same as the 16GB version but offers half the storage. The new iPod has the same general appearance, with a similar 3.5-in. display, but is shorter, noticeably thinner, and features the iPod's trademark polished metal back. Its basic software is the same as the iPhone's, though tweaked in some interesting ways. And Wi-Fi is the only wireless option. That means no voice service, but also no commitment to pay AT&T (T) at least $1,400 over a two-year contract.

Although it's called an iPod, for music, the iPod Classic, at $249 for 80GB, is much more capacious, and the newly video-enabled Nano, $149 for 4GB, is much cheaper. Besides, devices optimized for one function—playing music—do it better than the most elegant multipurpose product. The lack of dedicated volume-control buttons on the Touch is especially annoying.

The chief attraction of the Touch is the Web browser which technology is shared with the iPhone and is by far the best on any handheld device. None of the others let you magnify or shrink the contents of a large Web page by spreading or pinching your thumb and index finger, or drag a page just by touching the screen. But the Touch shares a major defect with the iPhone: the inability to play Adobe (ADBE) Flash, which prevents many videos and Web pages from displaying properly, or at all. This would be easy to fix if Apple would just do it.

Wi-Fi can also be used to download music, but not videos, directly from the iTunes store. (The same capability has been added to the iPhone.) And the Touch can view a selection of videos from YouTube. But the iPhone's weather and stock-price applications have been left off the new device. And with no phone service, there's no text messaging, other than resorting to Web-based chat programs.

E-mail is a much bigger omission. You can use the browser to reach Web services such as Hotmail, but they are hard to navigate on the small screen. The iPhone's mail application, while not great, is much better than this. Apple apparently believes you should buy an iPhone if you want real e-mail.

Don't even think about using the Touch's Wi-Fi for a Skype-like phone service. Programmers often figure out how to add applications, as they have to the iPhone. But Apple has made sure hackers won't turn the Touch into a phone. It has neither an audio input jack nor Bluetooth wireless, so there's no way to connect a microphone.

With the Touch, you're also getting about half a personal digital assistant. You can download your calendar from Microsoft Outlook, but you cannot edit or add appointments, nor can you get updates over Wi-Fi. Contacts are a different, happier story: You can add, delete, or edit those synced with Yahoo! or Outlook.

Apple's marketing mavens are very clever folks, and I'm sure that all of the decisions about what to include and what to leave off result from careful calculations. The omissions I've described probably won't make a dent in the soon-to-be explosive sales of the Touch. Still, it's a shame Apple has delivered such a beautiful and well-conceived piece of hardware with locked-down software that makes it far less useful than it could be. That's A-OK with me, I'll part with my precious dollars to sport this fine piece of technology anyway =). Visit www.apple.com/ipodtouch for a product demonstration.

Matthew Williamson: Spring 2008
OK - on the catwalks. Spring 2008 is ready for review, so I'll take a look at one of my favorite designers. I should note that the photos are from www.style.com. Apparently, Matthew Williamson's Spring show began with a performance by Prince. I'm not sure how this was masterminded, but apparently his company has also recently experienced a bit of a windfall in the form of cash from a pair of investment funds.



Williamson's lines always have a notable Indian influence - it might be the drape of the fabric, reminiscent of how a sari might drop to the ground, or sinuously hug a woman's curve, or one may observe it in the intricate detailing of beading and embroidery. It would seem rather than go for the overt tone, Williamson has turned toward more Navajo influences versus Mumbai, but don't let this fool you into thinking that craftsmanship or influence has swayed - it's in the subtlety of the detail. More than anyone, Williamson seems to know how to work a bead and needle, and he demonstrates it here. This collection seems slightly more subdued, but there are still some surprises, and it was nice to see him play with fabrics and his technique of tie-dye once again. I have long been a fan of his butterfly cuts, and his long dresses in general - while the butterfly cut is absent for Spring 2008, the long dress doesn't disappoint with gorgeous draping and deep v-cuts and sumptuous shows of back, Williamson knows how to make sexy subtle and delicate.

Product: MOTOROKR S9
We've seen Becks sporting one on the field, the MOTOROKR S9 is a Bluetooth® stereo headphone which can connect to a compatible Bluetooth enabled phone or iPod® Adapter. According to the Motorola website, the headphone enables you to seamlessly stream music and manage calls. One of Motorola’s most lightweight headsets, MOTOROKR S9 is durable, water resistant and sweat resistant. Easy controls, wireless simplicity and behind-the-head comfortable wearing style make them a necessity for staying connected and listening to tunes whatever you’re doing. Escape the wires with Motorola’s MOTOROKR S9 wireless Bluetooth stereo headphones.

I may have to check these out - light and durable is pretty important to me, especially when I'm out on a trail or doing something physically strenuous. While I don't exactly see myself rocking a pair of these in the commute in the car, or while sitting at a desk, I could see myself donning them on a climb or a hike. No more wires, no worries of shock through one ear, and no worries of losing a blue tooth device because it simply isn't secure enough on one ear to stay in place.

Beauty Product: Origins Calm to Your Senses

People are always asking me what scent I am wearing. While it is generally a combination of different oils (never perfumes - or very, very rarely), one of the products that absolutely gets the most attention is the Lavender and vanilla concoction made by Origins called "Calm to Your Senses." While the company has an entire line devoted to the scent, I generally stick to the body souffle. Apply liberally after bathing, and keep a small amount in a portable container to moisterize my hands or arms throughout the day.

You will find that I will often recommend Origins products, largely because the company carefully selects and meticulously extracts pure, natural essential oils, balances their many complex components according to their specific functions and mixes them up with some savvy science to create their Skin Care, Sensory Therapy and Bath and Body products. They believe that wellness and beauty are interconnected and therefore their holistic approach goes beyond physical appearance to touch, scent and surround every aspect of your being and well-being. Inside and out. They consider your moods, your emotions, your lifestyle and your state of mind. Their sensory products are simple alternatives to many of the things you’ve come to rely on to relax, have sweet dreams or get a burst of go-power. They also believe that taking serious care of yourself should be enjoyable - something you look forward to. So as serious as their products are, they're also pleasing to use.

Fashion in 2007

Dakota Fanning is Everywhere

Tom Ford, GAP, Karl Lagerfeld and now Marc Jacobs, the 12 year-old starlet is landing top modeling contracts that A-list actresses and veteren cat walkers like Kate Moss would certainly covet.

I Don't Care What Anyone Says, I Like Rachel Zoe
Rachel Zoe gets a lot of flack in the press, but I am a fan of her work. Anyone who pays attention to her cleintelle can see an immediate difference (for the "not as good") when they are no longer working with her. The best example is Jessica Simpson who dropped Zoe for stylist Jessica Pastor shortly after Dukes of Hazzard came out. Jessica went from sexy chic/boho casual to Texas housewife meets Holly Golightly faster than you could blink a false eyelash. With more misses than hits, her sense of style has become more forgettable than enviable. This is not because Ms. Simpson knows what to put on (or what not to), but all due to a change in her stylists. Anyway, W magazine ran an article on Ms. Zoe. You can read the full article by clicking here.




Here's an excerpt from the article: Shopping with Rachel Zoe, the pixie-size celebrity stylist who says she hates the term "celebrity stylist" and instead wants to be referred to as "just a stylist," is a dizzying, even exhausting, experience. Five minutes into a visit at What Comes Around Goes Around, a vintage-clothing shop in New York's SoHo, she has swooned, kvelled and plotzed over any number of items. On this brisk November afternoon, she's searching for goddess dresses for the spring 2007 Jimmy Choo and Judith Leiber advertising campaigns she'll be styling; outfits for public appearances by her clients Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton, and Nicole Richie (the last of whom will hire a rival stylist a little more than two weeks later); and, of course, pieces to fit her own rail-thin frame. Each swoon, kvell and plotz is accompanied by a different, wildly effervescent superlative.

Spring Fashion 2007

Spring 2007 is coming faster than we can imagine. With February rolling in, expect retailers to start marketing their newer lines. Watch the video below as a refresher of things to come.




There's also a great link at you tube with a collage from the Style Chanel. Click here to view.

Charis and J Product Watch
We are both addicted to Origins Youthtopia Skin firming cream with Rhodiola. This product is absolutely AMAZING. With a slight floral fragrance, silky feel, and fantastic results...Charis and I don't see switching to another face cream anytime soon. You can use it alone, but works best with the White Tea Skin Gaurdian. We used the product once a day (usually at night since we both like to use stuff with sunscreen during the day).

Apply one pump of White Tea Skin Gaurdian to a fully cleansed face (Don't forget toner if your skin is oilier). This product creates a protective bubble around skin so skin won't age before its time. (It's also good for all skin types). Then, apply a small finger-tip of Youthtopia, which helps empower skin to rebound from damaging stress, retrieve its youthful buoyancy and reduce the look of lines and wrinkles.



Remember - facial products are not hand lotions, by using your fingertips (and not rubbing the product into the palms of your hands - and then on to your face), you will be applying the product where it's intended and get more stretch of the precious ounces that you receive when buying facial creams. If used properly (once nightly and correct application without overuse), we found that Youthopia ($47.50 / 1.7 oz) when used with White Tea Skin Gaurdian ($49.50 / 1.7 oz) can last upwards of 2 months. Stop by your local Origins store to ckeck it out or purchase at Origins Online Store.

Don't Forget - Remembering Dr. King


"We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community; men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other, only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force. For all this, there are no final answers.

Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.

But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.

Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.

What we need in the United States is not hatred. What we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another. " Robert F. Kennedy, excerpt from "The Mindless Menace of Violence"