<![CDATA[I am Fashion]]> http://fashionratty.com/feed/9b4d5afb9191e8a51574df8a7c7f6de9 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:19:00 +0000 iRatty Engine http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[Ctrl BG: A Shortcut to Financial News 11/21]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/80b128b0172325d9b0d85d7637f5e5e5 http://fashionratty.com/article/80b128b0172325d9b0d85d7637f5e5e5 It's been another exciting week! Almost comparable to that week in September/October, except no major banks collapse (yet) and there were no big mergers. The DOW finally broke the 8000 point after hovering around it for a month, on Wednesday, tumbling 5.1% in a day to yet another more than 5 year new low. The downward momentum continued into Thursday, until it finally went back up to 8000 levels towards the end of Friday.

The week started off with Pandit's speech at Citi, announcing their plan to cut 52,000 jobs (yike!) and cut expenses by 20%. Citi's share began falling as investors worry that these measures will not be able to revive Citi from its current situation- they lost $20.3 bn in the last year and some don't expect it to be profitable in 2009 as they worry about Citi's exposure to credit card/mortgage losses and toxic debt. On Thursday, Prince Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia announced that he was boosting his shares in Citi from 4% to 5%. That didn't give other investors much confidence (not everyone's Buffet), as Citi shares broke the $5 point that day (a 13 year low). This is a very dangerous level to be at, because many institutional investors are not allowed to own shares below $5 and this could trigger a wave of selling before year end. On Friday Pandit assured employees that he would like to keep the company together and does not wish to spin off its Smith and Barney brokerage unit (their crown jewel I guess?). Still, there are rumors of them finding a merger partner or raising capital in the future. Citi is also pressing members of Congress to put back the ban on short selling, as they claim that it is hurting their stock price. Citi's stock price ended $3.77 on Friday, down from $20 a month ago and $30 a year ago!

Following the lead of Golman and UBS, other Wall Street banks are being pressured to foregoe execute bonus this year. JP Morgan also announced that they will be cutting 10% of their workforce.

The other big driver this week was the auto industry. Discussions started looking bleak on Wednesday (and thus the huge drop on concerns of an even deeper recession if the auto industry collapses), as Congress members continue to bicker with the Big 3. I'm not too sure about the details (cars just don't interest me that much), but it sounds like they're concerned about whether taxpayer's money is going to waste since the auto industry was already not competitive before the this financial crisis and they want to see a sound plan to change them into healthier companies before they come to their aid. I believe the catch phrase of the week is, "You show us the plan, and we'll show you the money." Makes sense to me. They will be meeting again in December for the Big 3 to prove to American that they are worth saving. Oh and they seemed to have came up with a good source of where the $25 bn will come from too. Instead of from TARP, it will come from the money already approved in July to help make more environmentally friendly cars. They will give them this money in advance and the Big 3 will slowly pay back this amount into this pool of funds. Makes complete sense to me. That way, we're not creating extra debt.

Speaking of politics, Bernanke has not been very popular recently. His abrupt change of the use of TARP surprised many, leaving them to wonder what exactly they voted for. His annoucement that he doesn't plan to use the rest of the $350 bn of TARP until Obama's administration comes on board, making one question whether he's given up already. Claiming twice in the last week that the government's efforts have succeeded in stabilizing the financial system does not make it true- especially given the crazy market movement this week.

Another major factor contributing to the drop this week is the Fed slashing its outlook for the economy through 2009. They lowered the 2008 GDP forecast from 1-1.6% to 0-1.3% and forecasts that the economy could shrink by 0.2% in 2009. They also raised their unemployment projections sharply higher to 6.3% to 6.5% for 2008 and 7.1%-7.6% for 2009. In addition, the consumer price index also fell by 1% in October, the biggest drop since 1947, suggesting deflation. Many expect this recession would last longer than the middle of 2009. This is gloomy enough news to send anyone running.

Even Berkshire Hathaway was not immune to this market turbulence. On Wednesday, Berkshire plunged over 12%, its worst day since 1987's market crash. They've been getting a lot of bad press lately, with declining earnings in their insurance operations and stocks. They had 9 straight days of decline after they published their third quarter earnings report. Goldman Sachs and General Electric, Buffet's most recent purchases, also went below the price he got them for. Some suggested that he needed a new crystal ball. But on Friday, it Berkshire bounced by 16%, to $90,000. This week, Berkshire also got over $1 bn for its shares in Anheuser-Busch, a brewer, as the acquisition of it by InBev was formally completed. Buffet says he's not worried. Incidentally, Berkshire also significantly boosted its shares in ConocoPhillips this quarter, indicating that he's bull on oil.

On Friday Obama finally decided on the next Treasury Secretary- Timothy Geithner, the current president of the NY Fed Reserves. This appointment was welcoming news to Wall Street as it rallied back up into the 8000 levels. I'm not going to go into his history but he's had a LOT of experience and is widely seen as a good candidate for the job.

Overseas, Iceland finally got a $10.2 bn loan on Thursday, from the IMF, Dutch, British and the Nordic countries. And did you know that we still had pirates in this day and age? Earlier this week, it captured the Sirius Star, which has an oil cargo of about $100 mn worth. Apparently piracy is still very prevalent these days, there has been a record of 199 since the beginning of the year- most prominently in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia. On Thursday, an Indian navy warship sank a Somali pirate vessel. It's like the Pirates of the Caribbean in modern times!
]]> Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:32:00 +0000 citi shares shares citi week stock price friday pandit revive citi pandit price Ctrl BG: A Shortcut to Financial News 11/21 <![CDATA[Gossip Girl, Last Season?]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/a9dcbbdc13fc1db614d8fc94c59df6a1 http://fashionratty.com/article/a9dcbbdc13fc1db614d8fc94c59df6a1 It's a bit of a late rant, but I've had it on my mind for a looong time now and I simply must just get it out of my system. Remeber the episode this season when they went to visit Yale?
Serena had on this pink and white striped blazer that is just absolutely gorgeous. The design is classic and preppy, while the color and stripes is pretty and flirty. And I REALLY wanted it. Like seriously. I immediately went online and looked up Gossip Girl websites trying to figure out where I can get myself one of those (which frankly, is not one of my fortes). Finally, I found it labelled as a Ralph Lauren blazer. Doh! I should've known. It is so obvious now, I wonder why I spent so much time searching for it to begin with.
Of course, I then hurried onto the Ralph Lauren website, crossing my fingers that it'll be from the RL label that is within my price range- and I couldn't find it! Not deterred, I told myself I'll stop by the RL store next time and ask if the sales person has it. Before I got myself there though, I showed it to my cousin who is positvely a RL expert and he told me that it was a blazer from last season. You have no idea how disapopinted I was (AM!). WHY would they style the characters of such a hot TV series in last seasons clothes? It doesn't make sense. Isn't the whole point of such publicity for labels is to convince viewers to buy these clothes? How did they think we can buy it when it's not even available?
Speaking of which, it reminds me of the second episode of this season (which aired in September) when Blair was coming back from the Hamptons with "the lord." She was in THE orange Marc by Marc Jacobs dress of SS08, which is so completely recognizable I was surprised they chose this dress at all. I'm sure a LOT of thought was put into their outfits by a hoard of stylist, so I don't know what they were thinking.
Because it has been publicized as such a stylish and trendy hot TV series (which I LOVE), I expect to see the latest fashions and style. I was sorely disappointed in these two instances. I am sure there are lots of other instances I haven't caught yet. Maybe the sponsors are getting cheap. Or am I expecting too much?

Image Source: In Style and Gossip Girl online
]]> Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:34:00 +0000 season marc jacobs dress dress time online gossip girl online looong time gossip girl websites hot tv series Gossip Girl, Last Season? <![CDATA[FW08 Winter Hats]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/7731d82a363581585e658d87e2c15808 http://fashionratty.com/article/7731d82a363581585e658d87e2c15808 Besides the classic newsboy cap, the beanie and the beret, the latest winter hat twist to hit the scene this season are these half hoodies.
I first caught sight of them at Marc by MJ (left) and I thought, "whoa it looks like an oversized turtle neck- without the shirt part," and I didn't know what to think of it. In fact, to be honest I still don't. I thought maybe it is an Marc by MJ abberation and I should just ignore it. But no. It seems to be creeping up a lot more lately on both Shop Bop and Barneys. I mean, it's kind of neat in that it is like attachable hoodie you can put on any outfit you want and it serves as both a scarf and a hat. And with the looser kinds, I guess it does look a bit cool (or not as weird as I initially thought it was). But I think the show a little fringe rule applies here too (I can see myself burrow inside the hood, if I ever got this, with a dark hole as my face). What is everyone's consensus on these?
While I am undecided about the loose hoodies above, I am however very decided about these tighter hoodies. I don't like them. It looks like those ski masks people put over their heads, where you can only see their eyes, except here they widened the hole a bit so you can breathe. It just looks weird- especially as an accessory to an outfit it is not part of. If the model doesn't look that great in this... what are our chances?
Other hats of note. I just couldn't resist putting up this Sophia Costa floral knit beret (left). Even though at this point I have to admit that I am not a beret girl, I must say I love this hat. It just looks so artistic and pretty. I can totally see this on Gossip Girl. And speaking of morphing hat and scarf, I thought I'd throw in this Eugenia Kim combo (right). I think it works! Especially since the design is so simple but feminine. I imagine it would be very convenient to just grab this before you head out the door into the winter cold!
And for something a bit more conventional, I am in love with these two winter hats. The first one is a newsboy cap (left) with a twist, literally. The cap is designed to be on the side. Then there is this Mischa Lampert hat (right) which is simply adorable. Especially with the furry balls at the end. It's so festive! Plus, your ears will definitely be warm!

Image Source: Barneys and Shopbop
]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:12:00 +0000 cap classic newsboy cap winter hat twist twist hat newsboy cap mischa lampert hat winter hats hats FW08 Winter Hats <![CDATA[Winter Berets]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/540d27f027dbc1703891b25b68e1a408 http://fashionratty.com/article/540d27f027dbc1703891b25b68e1a408 It snowed this weekend! Luckily, not the scary blizzard painful kind of snow (not yet anyway), but the movie kind, where they gently flurry down and then disappear as it hits the ground. As pretty as it is though, it is also deceivingly cold. In fact, it is officially freezing out there! A great time to bring out your winter hats to protect your ears from coming off.
I was actually excited this year, because I wanted to try wearing out my white popcorn beret (left) which I just bought from Urban Outfitters. I figured that it was very wintery and cute, plus since it is so loose, it won't give me hat hair (or less of it anyway). Apparently I only got it half right. The first two times I wore it, 2 of my friends told me that I looked like a cancer patient... the rest were too polite to comment. Of course I defended myself and told them that they don't know what they're talking about, but if I were to be honest with myself, I do kind of look like a cancer patient. Because unlike the models on top where the beret just sits atop their head, when I wear it, I pull it all the way down to my eyes and ears (such that no fringe escapes) and am fully bundled up from head to toe- hey it's cold out there! Unfortunately, as a result, one cannot see that I have any hair at all and I effectively do look like cancer patient. White was also an unfortunate color choice. The cute popcorn probably look like tumors on me too.
I'd like to think that this "effect" only applies to unstructured berets like the ones above and that if I got a more structured one, like this one from Eugenia Kim, I would look much better, because I'm totally in love with this hat. I love the little buckle and I love the subtly textured tones of purple. It is dark enough to match with many things, but there's still some color to stand out amongst the black hats around.I have a feeling that it might not provide as much coverage and warmth as the ones above, but it looks so pretty!

Or am I just deluding myself into thinking that it will look better?
Maybe I should just stick to a classic newsboy cap that looks good on everyone- maybe in red.

Image Source: Urban Outfitters and ShopBop
]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:29:00 +0000 cancer patient white popcorn beret white hat hair beret hair urban outfitters cold hat Winter Berets <![CDATA[Make It Silver]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/34e2c9f0272c17d16611213d35d3142a http://fashionratty.com/article/34e2c9f0272c17d16611213d35d3142a
I like simple things, you may have noticed, and when it comes to jewelry I believe simplicity rules all. And while I do like a bit of gaudiness (that post will come later), I am mostly a strong believer in things that are simple - and silver.

The other day I went into George Jensen just to look (with my jaw on the ground). Their items have always caught my eye, they're just very elegant - there is no other way to put it. You can opt to wear their pieces for everyday, or as a focal point for an outfit. The brooch above is beautiful, it has a sense of both old and new.


The setting of the ring above was one of the first I had seen, it came out around two years ago. After George Jensen came out with this design, Tiffany's was quick to follow (but in my opinion not nearly as unique as Jensen's).


Add something with a little more sparkle. Jensen's designs are very smart, often times there is a choice to pick from to add to a piece of jewelry.

So instead of buying multiples of something next time, find one thing that you think is exotic. Those are the pieces that you'll wear over and over again.

These beautiful photographs were in W's Spring Jewelry edition, 2006.

Image source: George Jensen, W Magazine


]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:00:00 +0000 jewelry edition jewelry beautiful photographs beautiful george image source simple pieces strong believer Make It Silver <![CDATA[Ctrl BG: A Shortcut to Financial News 11/15]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/8b6325239d680e1c311f9c6ce9d5abdc http://fashionratty.com/article/8b6325239d680e1c311f9c6ce9d5abdc This week was actually quite eventful.

It started off with China announcing a $600 billion fiscal stimulus plan effective from now until 2010, to be spent on infrastructure and social projects. Even this Asia powerhouse is not imperious to the global economic downturn, they are expecting growth to slow down to 8-9% as opposed to the double digit growth in the last 5 years. On the plus side, at least they're able to and are doing something to increase the liquidity in their economy.

Over in Europe, things are not so positive. Latvia a small European country, part of the former Soviet Union, just took over their second largest bank, Parex, last weekend. Are they going to be the next Iceland?

Back in the US, American Express got approved to become a bank holding company on Tuesday (just like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley). This way, they'll have better access to capital both from deposits AND from the government, which is probably a good move since consumer loans is expected to hit next and Amex has a LOT of business in that (obviously).

The latest bank in the spotlight is Citigroup. The good news is that on Tuesday, they joint the ranks of Bank of America and JP Morgan to refinance mortgages to help people stay in their homes. The bad news is that Citigroup will be laying off 10% of their workforce (which may add up to 40,000 layoffs!) and doing some serious cost cutting. People are also not very happy with their (relatively) new CEO Vikram Pandit. He lost the Wachovia deal to Wells Fargo and the share price has gone down from $50 last year to $9 on Friday. The board is now questioning whether he's up for the job after all (granted it really wasn't his fault that Citi is in such deep trouble, he was just called in to fix Chuck Prince's mess). He is expected to be making a huge speech about all this on Monday.

On Wednesday, Paulson announced that they were changing their strategy for the use of the $700bn bailout- now known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds. Instead of buying up bad mortgage debt, they are now going to use the remainder of the funds to directly inject capital into financial institutions. They realized that given the current situation, the original plan was becoming cumbersome and it was just easier and more efficient this way to directly inject capital in order to stabilize the financial system and get lending going, which right now they seem to have achieved (temporarily anyway). But then the question becomes, at which point do they stop giving capital injections to anyone who asks?

This question is especially interesting with the current fiasco in the auto industry. The big 3 are now desperately lobbying for a $25 billion financial aid package to save them from filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy, which means liquidation and going out of business. This would potentially indirectly lead to millions of job losses, due to its huge supply chain. Obama and the democrats are all for it, but some of the Republicans are more reluctant. I can actually see where they are coming from. Bailing out the banking industry is one thing, since banks are a huge part of our economy and will still be around in 50 years time. The auto industry on the other hand, is a dying industry. American cars are simply not globally competitive enough to survive on the long term. They are not as luxurious as European cars, they are not as cheap as Chinese cars and they are not as endurable and gimmicky as Japanese cars. They would slowly go out of business anyway. The current economic situation is just speeding up the process. I'd invest in a Chanel flap bag because I know that it will still be elegant and classic 20 years down the road, but I wouldn't spend the same amount of money on a Coach bag, even if it is limited edition and super luxed up. But I guess the $25 billion will buy us more time to "prepare", so it doesn't add to oil to the current fire. They are also quibbling about where this money should be coming from. The Democrats want it to come out of the TARP money (which makes sense, especially given the "new" strategy) and Bush wants to widen the budget deficit. I believe they're hoping to approve the package this week in the lame-duck session (if anyone is interested in why it is called the lame-duck session, as I was, check it out here).

The G20 also had a meeting on Saturday to discuss the world economy. There weren't any specific guidelines, but they agreed to join their efforts to achieve common objectives, like to improve the regulations and functioning of the financial markets. It's a start. And the power of 20 is definitely more powerful than that of one.
 ]]> Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:38:00 +0000 directly inject capital capital huge industry news auto industry huge supply chain tarp money money Ctrl BG: A Shortcut to Financial News 11/15 <![CDATA[Wedding Gifts]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/fd529536b93a10fd717d0448e9f9792d http://fashionratty.com/article/fd529536b93a10fd717d0448e9f9792d So next weekend, it is my first cousin's wedding in Sydney. He is the first in my "generation" to get married, so it's kind of big news. Unfortunately I cannot make it to his wedding because I can't take any days off and frankly, there didn't seem to be any point to fly 36 hours to and back for the weekend and spend 12 hours there (as much as I LOVE the excellent seafood in Sydney). So in my stead, I was thinking of sending them a gift. This is my wedding first wedding gift, so here are a few of my ideas (for a couple who has everything, and did not register in any stores- they really should!):
My first thought was to turn to Disney, because they absolutely ADORE Winne the Pooh. Unfortunately I googled up the story and it turns out that there is absolutely no romance in Winnie the Pooh (for maybe 5 seconds, I thought maybe Pooh and the Piglet were a couple, but the I realized that Piglet was a boy- as I'd originally thought), so it didn't seem appropriate to give them a Pooh snow globe. So I'm left with the two snow globes above- you can even personalize the plate! I'm thinking Cinderella, since Mickey and Minnie are an acquired taste. Unfortunately they don't sell these at the store and the delivery cost is the same as the actual globe!
So I tried looking for other super cute couply stuff to get. I quite like this block building photoframe (left). Very clean and meaningful of a relationship, no? And if cutesy is not their thing, there is always a simple personalized silver frame to fall back on (right).
If they actually needed more knick knack around the house, I thought these rabbit design kitchen ware were kind of cute (left). And I love these modern looking vases (right)!
And a bit outside the box, there is this cute pair of pillow cases with a bride and groom (left)! Isn't it adorable? Has anyone seen the pillow cases of a couple and it's connected with a string? That is super cute too. Or more practically, you can always get them stock certificate for shares in Tiffany or other companies. They apparently sell them framed on gift.com.

Maybe I'll go back to the globes. You'd think it should be easy to find super sweet couply gifts online....apparently not. Any other cute wedding gift ideas? What do people generally give to other people on their weddings? Tips on what to write inside the card would also be appreciated. Is it congratulations and best wishes? I remember vaguely on Gilmore Girls that it is congrats to the groom and best wishes to the bride?

Image Source: Disney and Gifts.com
]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:34:00 +0000 cute pair pooh snow globe cute pooh gift ideas ideas gift absolutely adore winne globes Wedding Gifts <![CDATA[Weak In The Knees]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/07fa490d2fb20e57eb2c33e9a049d232 http://fashionratty.com/article/07fa490d2fb20e57eb2c33e9a049d232 I'm in love.

Loeffler Randall captured my heart early last year when I saw a sunshine yellow ruffled bikini. This Fall she has me tied around her finger with her seemingly simple looks, but plays with my emotions with her excruciatingly incredible detail. Yes, her designs are so absolutely amazing that it hurts.



I don't know what to do with myself. Look at how immaculate everything is. And this dress below, Loeffler, you had me at the pleats (and then she added ruffles).


Who knew something as ordinary as black and white could result in the above.
...and then there are her shoes.


All I can do is lust after these treasures, as my paycheck will probably let me buy around... perhaps a sleeve of that pink dress (not even). So I turned to Etsy, my online heaven of everything crafty and creative, and found this lovely little designer, LEMONSTORY by Kimenna. Pleats and ruffles, ruffles and pleats all over again - at a more affordable price. My heart is hurting, but my love endures.


Image Source: Loeffler Randall, LEMONSTORY by Kimenna, Shopstyle, Eluxury, Basic Boutique, Shop Goldyn, Saks Fifth Avenue,
]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:36:00 +0000 loeffler loeffler randall love endures love dress pleats ruffles pink dress excruciatingly incredible detail Weak In The Knees <![CDATA[MINT Jodi Arnold]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/2b6e4762393a8602ee73369bf59f7878 http://fashionratty.com/article/2b6e4762393a8602ee73369bf59f7878 Remember this absolutely darling gray and yellow block dress from this summer?
Well the makers of it, MINT Jodi Arnold, are having an online sample sale taking 60% off more genius pieces from today until November 14th. Frankly, we get a lot of emails about these online sample sales etc and we usually whiz pass them, just because there are so many and because they're not always designs that we endorse. But MINT caught my eye (because it reminded me of the block dress above) and I spent a bit more time looking into it and I LOVE the collection.
Especially these two dresses which are absolutely refreshing, youthful AND flattering to wear too. They are just so different from the dresses on the racks in stores, one is artsy, pop and cool (left), while the other is feminine and romantic (right).
Then they have more usual designs with a twist. I am loving the asymmetrical shoulder of the gray dress, this model does not do the dress justice. And this sequins dress is very reminiscent of the FCUK dress from last year, but the neckline jazzes it up.
The silhouette of this strapless dress with the folds at the bodice is just darling. The thin gold belt also brings a bit of the holiday spirit to it. And I just love the details on the collar of this coat!

So if anyone is interested. From now until Friday is a good time.

Image Source: Mint
]]> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:20:00 +0000 mint jodi arnold mint yellow block dress block dress gray dress designs usual designs gray thin gold belt MINT Jodi Arnold <![CDATA[The New Perspective]]> http://fashionratty.com/article/4a506b2afe2dd662a6f304701b957e36 http://fashionratty.com/article/4a506b2afe2dd662a6f304701b957e36
I never used to like Mango. I could never find anything that fit properly and just didn't understand the craze (everyone in my high school wore something by Mango). But today I've gained some new found respect for the store. I ventured into the store as a last resort trying to desperately find a dress for a wedding. I came out surprised and happy, it was absolutely perfect. I couldn't believe it: I actually found something I liked, and I liked it a lot.


And while Mango has been around forever, it seems so new to me and I'm finding numerous pieces that I preparing to purchase. You see, I'm stubborn and once I don't like something, I hardly ever go back. But good job, Mango. You changed my mind.


These two dresses are beautiful! Especially the first one. I love those frills on the neckline! You could definitely make it casual by adding a pair of skinny jeans and converse/flats. You could also just wear it with a pair of pumps for the evening. And in winter...tights with legwarmers and boots! I just loved the silver dress, ever so elegant and very simple.

Image source: Mango, Mango Shop
]]> Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:19:00 +0000 mango shop mango dress silver dress skinny jeans pair fit properly image source store The New Perspective