tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post4398013797146947467..comments2024-03-23T16:46:47.415-04:00Comments on Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing: Charles James Was Apparently Rather InsufferableGertiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04314542159287533507noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-38642194008415543952011-06-21T14:11:34.109-04:002011-06-21T14:11:34.109-04:00My sentiments exactly about this article in Nostal...My sentiments exactly about this article in Nostalgia. I actually wrote in to Vogue about it and they published my letter in the July Issue. Title: Cheerless Charles. Exactly!<br /><br />~MichelleThe Red Velvet Shoehttp://www.theredvelvetshoe.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-61365305778292289172011-04-12T13:25:51.509-04:002011-04-12T13:25:51.509-04:00Ha ha, I'm so used to thinking of sewing that ...Ha ha, I'm so used to thinking of sewing that I couldn't figure out why all the Vogue outrage...then I realized you guys didn't mean Vogue Patterns magazine ;)<br /><br />Incidentally, the author may not have been politic about her wealth, perhaps to the point of being callous, but I don't think saying you have money makes you elitist.glaylahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16306722669866865877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-63820852733805886232011-04-09T17:24:50.637-04:002011-04-09T17:24:50.637-04:00I agree and feel the same way about 90% of Vogue a...I agree and feel the same way about 90% of Vogue articles - I try to stick with just looking and not reading. The "real world issues" they try to tackle (i.e. growing up in a rich influencial family, but dealing with an alcoholic parent while attending and Ivy League school) are relatable to maybe 1% of the population.Kristen Elmerhttp://kristenelmer.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-332367853372515892011-04-08T11:59:52.219-04:002011-04-08T11:59:52.219-04:00Probably the majority of the luminaries of history...Probably the majority of the luminaries of history -and in all endeavors- were known to have abysmal social skills and weren't popular with their contemporaries. Less noted were their equally horrid grooming habits. For example, not only did Da Vinci rarely change his clothes even sleeping in them, that the rare occasion in which he removed his boots resulted in removing several layers of skin. Most of the geniuses we laud today were routinely ostracized and deprecated by their colleagues. It is only with the distance of time that personal patina wears away for us to perceive them out of the context of their day. In short, as was Charles Worth, so were many others.kathleenhttp://www.fashion-incubator.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-28443618201028794842011-04-07T23:51:49.423-04:002011-04-07T23:51:49.423-04:00I'm reading that Vogue right now, and must say...I'm reading that Vogue right now, and must say that this month's articles are really not good. I thought the editor/pro b-ball player article was completely useless, and I really like articles about sports! I barely looked over the Charles James article because it looked kinda catty. I may be one of those rare people who reads articles in Vogue more than I look at the fashion spreads. I think it is because the spreads are styled in such a "high fashion" way that in my opinion, only celebrities and models will be able to a) walk in public looking like that b) have a chance affording those clothes. I know Vogue inspires many people, but for me, looking at the prices on each page mostly inspires me to turn the page! <br /><br />I only got my Vogue subscription because it was free (traded in miles for mags), but even free, I does not thrill me to see a textbook-size mag show up every month. I know it is not their focus, but as an article reader, I feel like Vogue misses the chance to write some deeper and better-researched articles. For example, when I read their portraits of government-related women, I always feel it would've been better had it been deeper, less surface and with more context. I definitely won't get a new subscription for Vogue, even for free.fangaroninoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-49166086371490307482011-04-07T23:40:51.051-04:002011-04-07T23:40:51.051-04:00I had no idea that so many other people had that l...I had no idea that so many other people had that love-hate relationship with Vogue. Yay, Sisters!mtbluestockingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-28067501402753160952011-04-07T23:20:05.285-04:002011-04-07T23:20:05.285-04:00You've totally sold me on that article - now I...You've totally sold me on that article - now I want to read it for myself and see if it icks me. I know that feeling of which you speak. Vogue is complicated. Somehow, though, I still keep reading.K.Linehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15350615302797686048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-18402447852432436082011-04-07T21:18:11.712-04:002011-04-07T21:18:11.712-04:00I'll pick up the March & September issues ...I'll pick up the March & September issues - they're the only ones worth my money! I must confess I scour them with a magnifying glass for the construction of the (very) rare piece that catches my eye. I end up using it more as a this-is-just-art-and-not-reality education for my DDs who are 8, 11, and 13.<br /><br />I'm sorry Charlie was such a snark, but his dresses are divine! I, too, would LOVE to see how they're put together!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-7527011100811750272011-04-07T20:26:38.035-04:002011-04-07T20:26:38.035-04:00Yeah, I can't read Vogue anymore either. (I...Yeah, I can't read Vogue anymore either. (I'm also just flat-out uninterested in contemporary fashion <i>period</i>, so that probably contributes as well.) I could take one elitist article a month, but the addition of Plum Sykes was just too much. Also, their "affordable" monthly selections are not to this broke college student.Annienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-64241767473211794582011-04-07T20:03:13.855-04:002011-04-07T20:03:13.855-04:00I think basing your opinion of an artist on his pe...I think basing your opinion of an artist on his personality is a little silly at best. This isn't junior high school. His work has nothing to do with his personality. He cranks on about his better-known contemporaries the same way that a counter-culture fashionista might gripe about mainstream trends. <br /><br />He's not my favorite designer, but I won't be changing my opinion of his work unless I can handle it myself and find the quality working. I believe in letting someone's work speak for them, not some bitchy old client who hasn't spoken to him in 50 years.Stephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08235341738044433500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-41211670903690833202011-04-07T19:57:53.862-04:002011-04-07T19:57:53.862-04:00I read somewhere on the net that Vogue magazine wa...I read somewhere on the net that Vogue magazine was for women about whom books will be written, and I would have to agree. (I'm thinking of Princess Di and the Kennedy females here. I doubt Vogue targets the Mother Theresa demographic.)<br /><br />In Vogue's defense, I don't think they try to portray themselves as a reference for the non-elite woman. To my mind, "In Style" and "Lucky" are far worse in that they try to appeal to the average middle-class woman, but still promote items that are far beyond most budgets or just plain reason. (I just picked up an old issue of "Lucky" and found a white cotton v-neck T-shirt for a mere $138. Please.)<br /><br />As for James, it's unfortunate that geniuses often get a pass for being jerks, but time dulls a multitude of sins. Beethoven wasn't exactly known for being a sweetie-pie, but you'll have to pry my CD of The Emperor Concerto out of my cold dead hands. I'm sure that if I had known him personally, I'd feel differently.Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-28076034996545221072011-04-07T18:38:22.303-04:002011-04-07T18:38:22.303-04:00Incidentally, I gave up reading "Vogue" ...Incidentally, I gave up reading "Vogue" years ago -- too many articles on plastic surgery and the latest stratospherically expensive diet and exercise fads of the day.<br /><br />But I have never faulted "Vogue" for not having "affordable clothing." That's not what it's about. It attempts to present an ultimate fantasy, the pinnacle of fashion. If you want accessibility, you buy "Lucky."<br /><br />I happily figured out long ago that "Vogue" and I didn't care about the same things and we happily parted ways.<br /><br />The editorial content relating to subjects like fashion and art usually used to be pretty good, except for the time Kennedy Frasier had to formally retract certain libelous, outrageous things she wrote about the painter Lucian Freud and his daughters. (Whether they were true, who knows?)atelierflounoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-12982740072921145182011-04-07T18:28:26.154-04:002011-04-07T18:28:26.154-04:00"M.E. Hecht. Hecht worked with James starting..."M.E. Hecht. Hecht worked with James starting in 1955, saying without a discernible hint of irony that her 'youth, money, and willingness to try anything once' made her the ideal James client. (Darling, your elitism is showing.)"<br /><br />What exactly is elitist (or rather, obnoxiously elitist) about her description? This woman must be in her seventies and she's giving a straight assessment of her status at the time. Why does she need to cloak her statement in phony, disingenuous irony? If she wasn't a mannequin, but a normal customer, she must have been part of the moneyed classes to have been a James client. Darling, forced egalitarianism is just as bad as elitism.<br /><br />Is it really surprising that there are bitchy people in the superficial world of fashion?* As Francesca said, it's risky to engage in hero worship. Too often one's paragons turn out to have feet of clay. <br /><br />BTW, I am not a Dior fan, and some say that Balenciaga should have gotten credit for "The New Look."<br /><br />*Unfortunately, there are seriously nasty, vicious people in just about every field; the more competitive, the worse the ugliness is. Given a choice, I think it's better to have an idea of how the world really works, instead of empty gushing over someone's genius.atelierflounoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-68310902966097978522011-04-07T17:55:55.528-04:002011-04-07T17:55:55.528-04:00It's better to admire the work and not get too...It's better to admire the work and not get too caught up in what sort of person he was. I often feel icky after I read Vogue, too, but Harper's Bazaar is even worse.Roseana Autenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00870728109065192288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-65177982213113049392011-04-07T17:55:23.579-04:002011-04-07T17:55:23.579-04:00I agree that Vogue promotes an aesthetic detached ...I agree that Vogue promotes an aesthetic detached from the average American woman-even one who cares about and likes fashion. The snootiness of the mag also sometimes makes me feel bad for reading it (the April letter from the editor wishing Grace Coddington a snarky happy birthday is a case in point). That said, I like Vogue as much for its outragousness as much as I like its fashion.Crystinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17418551352451980801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-63388284592655061582011-04-07T17:49:35.719-04:002011-04-07T17:49:35.719-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.WISEAPPLEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919857081318303721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-9810886169056551162011-04-07T17:49:32.363-04:002011-04-07T17:49:32.363-04:00For me, Vogue is like the Playboy of fashion. And ...For me, Vogue is like the Playboy of fashion. And I didn't buy it for the insightful articles either...HollyShttp://www.HollyStormDesigns.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-64914644209570836082011-04-07T16:24:47.294-04:002011-04-07T16:24:47.294-04:00I agree, I agree, I agree! I sometimes buy vogue l...I agree, I agree, I agree! I sometimes buy vogue looking for inspiration in terms of the beautiful fashion but more often than not I end up flipping agressively through the pages thinking "are these people really so shallow?" I also get an "icky" feeling so I'm actually not surprised that they would publich such an article as the Charles James one. In their high-fashion circles it seems they norm to passingly acknowledge great talent and then take a swipe at them. How catty.the Vintage Seamstressnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-66522184405760396542011-04-07T16:12:15.028-04:002011-04-07T16:12:15.028-04:00i really dislike vouge. it seems like their articl...i really dislike vouge. it seems like their articles are meant for women who don't existand definately are not me. its not a nice magazineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-31468258765203244532011-04-07T13:21:27.500-04:002011-04-07T13:21:27.500-04:00Ah, Vogue! I read it cover to cover each month fo...Ah, Vogue! I read it cover to cover each month for over 20 years before my first baby was born. I loved it so, but I can relate to your "icky" feeling. I think it has to do with getting lost in the magazine, then looking around at the real world after closing it. The escapism is fun for a while, but the thought that so much energy and resources are put into the frivolity of it all is unsettling.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03265763475632104771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-73998512278305065442011-04-07T13:04:54.112-04:002011-04-07T13:04:54.112-04:00I purchase the odd issue of Vogue usually the Sept...I purchase the odd issue of Vogue usually the September and March. I used to have a subscription but I don't have enough time to read it consistently these days. I just take Vogue for what it is - glossy, often ispirational photos of clothing, shoes and accessories that I'm not likely to ever see in person, let alone own, but that I still like to look at. It's kind of a guilty pleasure I guess. Vogue as a fashion magazine is at the head of its class in my opinion. But fashion magazines as a whole promote materialistic, sometimes elitist and exclusionary and certainly idealized notions of beauty. If we condemn Vogue I think we must condemn the whole class of them.Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15785997940771459983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-15915446838896819202011-04-07T13:03:15.422-04:002011-04-07T13:03:15.422-04:00Honestly, Vogue makes me ill. I get my high fashi...Honestly, Vogue makes me ill. I get my high fashion fix on Style.com during the shows, and then read more mass market magazines like Lucky and Marie Claire for my vapid entertainment fix. Or sometimes Elle.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13601058450235437995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-28420311363964232552011-04-07T12:54:48.824-04:002011-04-07T12:54:48.824-04:00I publicly confess to enjoying Vogue. Though I ce...I publicly confess to enjoying Vogue. Though I certainly share everyone's opinion of its excess of attitude. But c'mon, I really enjoy the fantasy and Grace Coddington is great. Plum Sykes, meh, and a terrible trashy writer to boot. Hamish Bowles, what a caricature! But who ever bought Vogue for the articles?There's a joke there somewhere. And if you haven't watched The September Issue -- do. Best moment for me is when Candy Pratts Price calls Anna Wintour "the pope" of fashion. It's a kick! The James gowns are dreamy!Erzulimojohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01475371609166418042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-43183615047006410562011-04-07T12:47:46.821-04:002011-04-07T12:47:46.821-04:00"Sometimes reading Vogue makes me feel icky, ..."Sometimes reading Vogue makes me feel icky, and this was one of those times."<br /><br />Yeah, this. Except, in my case, I'd replace "sometimes" with "almost always." I tried subscribing a couple of years ago, mainly due to the fact that I was studying photography at the time, but eventually I couldn't justify buying it even for the pictures. <br /><br />Regarding the designer - I have to say, it doesn't really bother me. With the exception of finding out someone is a genuinely terrible person (i.e. bigot, criminal of some serious description), I don't find it too hard to keep the business and the personal separate. Revealing these details about the guy seems a bit too gossip-y and in rather poor taste.ms. modistehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17538521450859920972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-4537537199010009542011-04-07T12:39:17.434-04:002011-04-07T12:39:17.434-04:00I have to agree, Vogue makes me feel icky, too. E...I have to agree, Vogue makes me feel icky, too. Even if I became a multi-millionaire tomorrow (don't I wish), I'd never spend $5,000.00 for a top just because it has a designer name. I can look at a picture and make it for a FRACTION.<br />Even with that said the dresses are works of art.Paulahttp://www.learnhowtosewnow.comnoreply@blogger.com