For Pat Summitt

I wore orange today for Pat Summitt. The University of Tennessee women's basketball coach was recently diagnosed with early onset dementia. Pat is one of the best loved women in all of basketball. She has amassed an astounding record and has shown incredible integrity in all of her dealings. She has devoted a lot of time and energy to fund raising for charities. Her players love her. Her Lady Vol fans love her. The people who don't support UT but know of her love her. She is a thoroughly good and kind person. The least I can do is to join the many thousands who are wearing orange today for Pat.

This could be your closet. Today my closet looks about as much like this as does my bathroom. These closets are wonderful things and I would love to have one. I have a small walk-in that I don't have to share. But it is small. And it is totally disorganized. The pictured stuff wouldn't fit into my closet. I intend to have a little word game about this problem.

Closet=where I store my clothes.
Wardrobe=my clothes if I have paid attention to Clinton and Stacey.
Clothes=what is in my closet now.
Dressed=clothing on my body, just any old thing.
Dressed and ready=ready to go out the door, clothes, make-up, hair,    jewelry, bag, etc.
Fashion=what the people who write the magazines say is what to wear.
Style=a combination of some fashion and what looks good on me.
Accessories=the things added to the clothes to make them look better
Accessorize=the things I add to the clothes to make them and me look better.
Must haves=things the advertisers want us to buy.
5 Basics of my fashion= fit, comfort, usefulness, cost per wear, and how it looks on me.
Fit=does it fit me or some idealized model close to my size?
Comfort=does the fabric feel good, have enough give, clean well, maintain shape, etc.?
Cost per wear=did I pay too much to get my use from the item?
How it looks on me= my mirror tells me and if not that, then the camera?
Usefulness=I don't and won't have a fur coat, faux or otherwise. I find them hot and I don't care about what the stylists say. I won't pay a lot of money for a scarf when I don't use them very much. I might pay out good money for a well fitted pair of shoes. I look for things I can use for layering, for dressing up or down other things, etc. If I purchase something, I want either good cost per wear or I want it to enhance the usefulness of something else.

Right now I have a large group of clothes, not a wardrobe. I had never thought about organizing the clothing I have into a wardrobe until the blogging about fashion and sewing came to my attention. Now I am going to try to improve my closet with cubes and storage items, and I am going to try to improve my wardrobe using the five basics I've come up with. Fall should be fun this year.

Questions and more questions

I saw on the internet that push up bras like this one are being marketed to young teens. Why?

I saw on the internet that a 10 year old girl is in French Vogue in provocative  poses. Why?

I saw on the internet that a 6 year old girl from Toddlers and Tiaras routinely does dances that simulate the sex act. Why?

I don't consider myself a prude. I don't consider myself to be closed minded. But these questions are just the beginning of some things I have no understanding of. For instance, in a movie named "Pretty Woman" a few years ago, Julia Roberts was outfitted with over the knee boots and mini skirts to play a street walker. Now the designers show these things regularly and so called "Stars", especially the reality show ones wear them. They are obviously trying to get people (or more to the point, men) to look at them and think they are "Hot". Now the rag mags regularly show celebs in various states of undress. And the celebs are going out that way. Hair extensions, boob jobs, liposuction, and other forms of plastic surgery have made it possible to look just about any way to get someone to ogle. It has become the method of choice for a lot of no talent folks to get their 15 to 30 minutes. But children. Children. The little girl wants to do that her mom says. I'll bet that when she was a baby she didn't say, "Mom, I want to dress in lewd clothes and shake my groove thang." Children are being offered such folks as Britney, a Kardashian, Miley, etc. in totally skimpy things and are led to believe that this is the way for a teen to dress to be noticed. It worries me.

I'm looking forward to the fall fashions

Roberto Cavalli has always been one of my go to guys when I want to look at beautiful fabrics and for the most part, he doesn't disappoint. However. Here. Yes the fabrics are pretty. But the look of winter pajamas is just sticking with me. I am  not able to look at this piece as fashion.

Maybe because of the fact that a lot of kids are back in school, or because of the offerings in the stores, or because of the fact that I get bored easily, I'm interested in Fall fashions. This summer has been another really hot one and continues to be hot and muggy for us here in the foothills of the Smokies. But, I am not enjoying the bright colors I loved in the early Spring. I know I have a tendency to need change to keep from being bored. And I know I don't want to go entirely to dark colors. But when I look outside at the unrelenting sun and see the back yard is a dust bin yet again this year, I long for the cooler, darker days of Fall and Winter. It seems a rest for the eyes. So when I say I love the Cavalli fabrics, I do love this one. It is a darker color in a way and yet it has the lightness of  a cool fabric.

I have been attempting to get a handle on the sewing I want to do for Fall. I have many patterns that will have to be adjusted to fit a large chest. I'm not so good at adjusting and I've never had to before so this will be an interesting learning experience. I plan to post some of the fabrics. Maybe some hints as to types of garments will help. Anyway, I'm keeping the really bright colors for next Spring. What fun it's going to be to dig them out then.

This heat is killing me

I am well aware that there are a lot of places in the country that are much hotter than here. We are in the mid to upper 90's with a fair amount of humidity. I just can't seem to handle this very well. When I go out, I come home sweaty and exhausted. My honey works in this heat. I just don't know how he does it. Anyway, I haven't taken much in the way of fashion pics lately. I have been wearing the same things a lot because they are cool and not much accessorizing. So I found a couple of things to show and discuss instead. I pretty much am lazy when it comes to remembering

the names of designers but I can't forget a look. There are a

lot of  bloggers who are remaking clothing into things that

are wearable for them. I think that this designer had the

same idea. However there seems to be a problem. I think

the designer used all of the leftover pieces.

As much as I have always loved Versace, I really think the cut of this dress emphasizes what the wearer doesn't have. Otherwise it is a really cute dress. I'd love it in a regular sleeveless version much better.