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<channel>
	<title>JEWELRY INFORMATION AND TIPS</title>
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		<title>Find the best online pharmacy</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/find-the-best-online-pharmacy.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/find-the-best-online-pharmacy.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:20:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alcohol Dependence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Buy Tramadol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dizziness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drowsiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drug Addicts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kidney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing Opportunities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medical History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Pharmacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Order Tramadol Online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pharmacist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnant Women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Privilege]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Renowned Chemist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security Protocols]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tramadol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Upset Stomach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vertigo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.silverglategood.com/?p=84</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Order tramadol online without prescription can be cheaper than those purchased from a large pharmacy, and convenience to have them sent to their door instead of having to queue for hours waiting to capture the attention of the pharmacist is a temptation that many consumers can not resist. But like all good things, many [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="http://ordertramadolonlinewithoutprescription.co/">Order tramadol online without prescription</a> can be cheaper than those purchased from a large pharmacy, and convenience to have them sent to their door instead of having to queue for hours waiting to capture the attention of the pharmacist is a temptation that many consumers can not resist.</p>
<p>But like all good things, many people choose to abuse of online marketing opportunities, they have created. Some companies have chosen to offer <a href="http://buytramadolwithoutprescription.co/">Buy tramadol without prescription</a>, and bypass security protocols essential to increase the prices of their medicines so that consumers are paying heavily for the privilege of buying their homes, while businesses pocket the profits happy.<br />
<span id="more-84"></span><br />
Before you start taking this <a href="http://tramadolonlinepharmacy.co/">Tramadol Online Pharmacy</a>, you should tell your doctor your medical history. Especially tell your doctor about the case of problems with kidney or liver. Tell your doctor of any allergies or if you have a history of drug or alcohol dependence, drug addicts. Some people may experience varying levels of drowsiness or dizziness, it is extremely important to avoid driving or other work that must be very careful. For pregnant women, it is strongly recommended that the drug is consumed only if recommended by your doctor.</p>
<p>Side effects of this drug include drowsiness or mild levels of vertigo. Some people may experience an upset stomach if they consume this product. As with any medication, you should buy tramadol from a renowned chemist and consume only the instructions of a physician second.</p>
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		<title>How to Apply Online for a Credit Card</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/how-to-apply-online-for-a-credit-card.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/how-to-apply-online-for-a-credit-card.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:53:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amount Of People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amount Of Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Application Process]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Browsing The Internet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Convenience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Card Application]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Card Companies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Card Offers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exploits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Find A Job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Find Job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gas Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homework]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Long Distance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Php]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Possibilities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reputations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Using Internet Technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.silverglategood.com/?p=80</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One thing to keep in mind when browsing the Internet for your application is to do good research. It is not enough that you are looking for a website. You should aim specifically for credit card companies that have good reputations. It must be sufficiently reliable to make an offer to apply for a credit [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One thing to keep in mind when browsing the Internet for your application is to do good research. It is not enough that you are looking for a website. You should aim specifically for credit card companies that have good reputations. It must be sufficiently reliable to make an offer to <a href="http://www.credit-land.com/1018/1018_page_13372_32278.php">apply for a credit card online</a> for possible exploits.</p>
<p>These companies of <a href="http://www.credit-land.com/">online credit card offers</a> have credit card online the available options because of the huge amount of people trying to make their credit cards. The application process can be difficult when you&#8217;re done at the office. The application can be very large and small offices will have difficulty. So this option to apply online for a credit card has been developed.<br />
<span id="more-80"></span><br />
There are several things you can do on the Internet. Using Internet technology, you can easily do your homework, make long distance calls, find a job, do business and make your purchases. Even using a credit card can be done online. The opportunities and possibilities are endless. All you have to do is use it.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.credit-land.com/1018/1018_page_13372_32278.php">online credit card application</a> is definitely a good alternative for people to enjoy the convenience offered by technology. With this option, you should not take the car to go to several banks and offices to apply and obtain a credit card. It will definitely save gas money. You can also save a huge amount of time that there is no need to wait in long lines with other candidates.</p>
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		<title>The facts on cash advances</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/the-facts-on-cash-advances.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/the-facts-on-cash-advances.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:58:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cash Advance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cash Advances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cash Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Risk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Score]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Scores]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Creditworthiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dead Sharks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emergency Source]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loan Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loan Sharks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Low Interest Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mafia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Many Names]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People With Bad Credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Source Of Funds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tangible Assets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Lenders]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.silverglategood.com/?p=76</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cash loans have many names and many uses. Whether it is check payday loans, post-dated loan, loans, deferred deposit check or a series of exotic terms, cash advance all have the same basic characteristics. Cash advances are an emergency source of funds to consumers with credit scores rather than provide 620th Credit scores are used by lenders to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Cash loans have many names and many uses. Whether it is check payday loans, post-dated loan, loans, deferred deposit check or a series of exotic terms, <a href="http://www.paycheckworld.com/">cash advance</a> all have the same basic characteristics. Cash advances are an emergency source of funds to consumers with credit scores rather than provide 620th Credit scores are used by lenders to determine the creditworthiness of the consumer for almost 50 years. If your credit score 620 or below is considered you are financially unstable traditional lenders to consider a greater credit risk. Lines of credit or loans at low interest rates can be very difficult if you belong to this category of credit risk.</p>
<p>Before the advance of the subprime industry went into effect, were the people with bad credit who wanted to borrow money thrown in essence &#8220;to the sharks, they could not borrow money from a friend or relative. Wear has become an industry in which the dead sharks, mostly members of the Mafia, which customers can borrow money from illegal interest rates and ridiculously high, failure to loan sharks charging exorbitant demand, which could lead to loss of limbs or even pay for their lives. Today, advances from the Fund are a better alternative for high risk drinking in a desperate cash shortage. Even your credit is good that even out of the race of a loan can be disqualified if your income is unreliable or few tangible assets.</p>
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		<title>Technicolor Yawn</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/technicolor-yawn.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/technicolor-yawn.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:55:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cashmere Sweater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kirkwood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rainbow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shoes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sushi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Times Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tiny Photo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yawn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wendybrandes/xcOx/~3/JZ-iLIlbpTA/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[	

					
						
I used to have a tie-dyed cashmere sweater. It made me look like a rainbow had thrown up on me. Only one tiny photo of it exists.
With Gigi the dog in 2003.
I got rid of the sweater long ago, but I thought of it as soon as I saw these s...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<div class="entrybody" readability="32">
<p>I used to have a tie-dyed cashmere sweater. It made me look like a rainbow had thrown up on me. Only one tiny photo of it exists.</p>
<div id="attachment_6899" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6899" title="wendyturken" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/wendyturken.jpg" alt="wendyturken Technicolor Yawn" width="126" height="208" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">With Gigi the dog in 2003.</p>
</div>
<p>I got rid of the sweater long ago, but I thought of it as soon as I saw these shoes by Nicholas Kirkwood for Erdem.</p>
<div id="attachment_6900" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><img class="size-full wp-image-6900" title="kirkwood" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kirkwood.jpg" alt="kirkwood Technicolor Yawn" width="300" height="400" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">$1,195 at Saks. Click to shop.</p>
</div>
<p>If I had the sweater and the shoes, I’d go to Pop-Tarts World in Times Square for some Pop-Tart sushi.</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6901" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6901" title="poptarts" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/poptarts.jpg" alt="poptarts Technicolor Yawn" width="450" height="300" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Pop-Tart sushi photo from Serious Eats. Click for a review.</p>
</div>
<p>Then I really would vomit a rainbow, but at least I’d be dressed to hide it.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png" alt="Related Posts with Thumbnails" title="Technicolor Yawn" /></p></div>
</div>
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		<title>Quick Draw McGraw</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/quick-draw-mcgraw.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/quick-draw-mcgraw.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:31:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artistic Impression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Courtroom Sketch Artist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dress Designs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fashion Show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food Bowl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gorgeous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lighting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Likeness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Dress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[One Eye]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Price Tags]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seizure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sneezes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Terrible One]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tongue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work Of Art]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wendybrandes/xcOx/~3/I8Y4FtfFs1c/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[	

					
						
On Monday, gorgeous designer/blogger Stacy of taffetadarlings was over at my place cutting patterns for her new dress designs while I put price tags on my jewelry ahead of my sample sale. (You can still contribute money to Stacy’s Sep...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<div class="entrybody" readability="37">
<p>On Monday, gorgeous designer/blogger Stacy of taffetadarlings was over at my place cutting patterns for her new dress designs while I put price tags on my jewelry ahead of my sample sale. (You can still contribute money to Stacy’s September fashion show via Kickstarter; lots of expenses need to be covered. Lighting is big bucks, as we just found out.) While we were working, Gigi the dog had a violent and extended sneezing fit. She looked terrible: one eye was squinty, one was wide open, her tongue was hanging out the side of her mouth and she seemed dazed. As the sneezes continued, Stacy and I started to fear she was having a seizure so it didn’t seem appropriate to whip out a camera and take her picture. However, after the sneezing stopped, and Gigi righted herself and wandered off to the kitchen to inspect Henry the dog‘s food bowl as if nothing had happened, we regretted the lack of a photo. So here is my artistic impression of Gigi’s sneezing attack. Stacy tells me it’s an excellent likeness!</p>
<div id="attachment_6871" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6871" title="gigidrawing" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gigidrawing.jpg" alt="gigidrawing Quick Draw McGraw" width="467" height="312" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">My work of art.</p>
</div>
<p>You can see for yourself by comparing it to this photo of a non-sneezing Gigi taken years ago.</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6874" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><img class="size-full wp-image-6874" title="dogs0012_r1" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/dogs0012_r1.jpg" alt="dogs0012 r1 Quick Draw McGraw" width="240" height="320" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Gigi and me, back in the day.</p>
</div>
<p>Next career: courtroom sketch artist!</p>
<p><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png" alt="Related Posts with Thumbnails" title="Quick Draw McGraw" /></p></div>
</div>
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		<title>Scenes From a Sample Sale</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/scenes-from-a-sample-sale.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/scenes-from-a-sample-sale.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:53:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cecilia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cleopatra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exclamation Point]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friend Elizabeth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friend Kevin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Godric]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gorgeous Friend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hmmm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Necklaces]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Notion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Omg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pamela]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peeps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scrabble]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[True Blood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wendyb]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wendybrandes/xcOx/~3/yMqrADlatts/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[	

					
						
I had a great time at my joint sample sale with my designing friend Zang Toi today. All my peeps stopped by. Gorgeous blogger Pamela of Market Publique treated herself to an asterisk ring.

Click Pamela to buy your own asterisk ring.
My...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<div class="entrybody" readability="38">
<p>I had a great time at my joint sample sale with my designing friend Zang Toi today. All my peeps stopped by. Gorgeous blogger Pamela of Market Publique treated herself to an asterisk ring.</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6827" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6827  " title="pamela" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pamela.jpg" alt="pamela Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="415" height="553" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Click Pamela to buy your own asterisk ring.</p>
</div>
<p>My gorgeous friend Elizabeth was all like, “OMG!”</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6830" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6830  " title="elizabeth1" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/elizabeth1.jpg" alt="elizabeth1 Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="415" height="553" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Click Elizabeth to pre-order the OMG rings on Kickstarter.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6831" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><img class="size-full wp-image-6831  " title="elizabeth2" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/elizabeth2.jpg" alt="elizabeth2 Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="491" height="369" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth, WendyB and the Cleopatra necklace.</p>
</div>
<p>Gorgeous blogger Tina of The Occasional Cook is a big True Blood fan like me. For us, OMG stands for “Oh my Godric!”</p>
<div id="attachment_6833" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6833 " title="tina" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/tina.jpg" alt="tina Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="415" height="553" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Tina is wearing her vampire stake and Little Woolf necklaces.</p>
</div>
<p>Cecilia was all about my Cleopatra necklace.</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6834" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="0"><img class="size-full wp-image-6834  " title="cecilia" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cecilia.jpg" alt="cecilia Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="415" height="553" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Cecilia.</p>
</div>
<p>My friend Kevin had the most fun because he invented Swear-Ring Scrabble. I’d already pointed out that the various sets could be mixed and matched to create new words, but Kevin is the new champion.</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6835" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6835  " title="kevin1" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kevin1.jpg" alt="kevin1 Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="415" height="553" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Kevin started out with the basic NYC set.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6836" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6836   " title="kevin2" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kevin2.jpg" alt="kevin2 Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="442" height="332" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">New York &#8212; exclamation point!</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6837" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="0"><img class="size-full wp-image-6837   " title="kevin3" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kevin3.jpg" alt="kevin3 Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="442" height="332" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Go!</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6838" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6838  " title="kevin4" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kevin4.jpg" alt="kevin4 Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="491" height="369" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">I haven&#8217;t the foggiest notion about what Kevin will come up with next.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6839" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6839  " title="kevin5" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kevin5.jpg" alt="kevin5 Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="491" height="369" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Hmmm. Does this mean he likes True Blood too?</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6840" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><img class="size-full wp-image-6840  " title="kevin6" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kevin6.jpg" alt="kevin6 Scenes From a Sample Sale" width="491" height="369" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Don&#8217;t get coy now, Kevin!</p>
</div>
<p>Anyone who wants to challenge Kevin in Swear-Ring Scrabble can go to Kickstarter to order the new OMG, NYC and LOLZ ring sets, as well as the original F@#! set. I’m now fully funded on Kickstarter but I still want to place more rings in loving homes before my funding time is up!</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who came to the sale. It means so much to me when y’all turn out  to support me. Thanks especially to Zang for having me again and to my  unpaid helpers: Stacy, GeorgeB and BarbaraB.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png" alt="Related Posts with Thumbnails" title="Scenes From a Sample Sale" /></p></div>
</div>
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		<title>Get Bejeweled … And I’m Not Talking Computer Games</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/get-bejeweled-%e2%80%a6-and-i%e2%80%99m-not-talking-computer-games.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/get-bejeweled-%e2%80%a6-and-i%e2%80%99m-not-talking-computer-games.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:08:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amazon Account]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bejeweled Game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clothing Designs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Computer Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dot Co]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Game Bejeweled]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hotmail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Independent Fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jewelry Designs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kickstarter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lady Gaga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lolz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Omg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Persuasion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Striken]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Talking Computer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Target Goal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zang Toi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wendybrandes/xcOx/~3/x7ML56pL3qQ/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[	

					
						
Drag yourself away from playing that addictive Bejeweled game and get bejeweled for real, and for less. Today many of my jewelry designs are on sale on my website. Check it out. Tomorrow, I’ll be at Zang Toi’s studio having my last ...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<div class="entrybody" readability="47">
<p>Drag yourself away from playing that addictive Bejeweled game and get bejeweled for real, and for less. Today many of my jewelry designs are on sale on my website. Check it out. Tomorrow, I’ll be at Zang Toi’s studio having my last summer sale. If you’re in New York, stop by. You’ll also get to see Zang’s beautiful clothing designs.</p>
<div id="attachment_6791" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6791 " title="zanginvite" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zanginvite1.jpg" alt="zanginvite1 Get Bejeweled … And I’m Not Talking Computer Games" width="477" height="518" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Click to RSVP via Facebook.</p>
</div>
<p>Last, but not least, I’m still taking pre-orders on three new swear-ring designs on Kickstarter through September 12. People asked me to add the NYC rings I wore to a Lady Gaga concert to the Kickstarter page, so I did. Here’s what they look like.</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6793" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6793 " title="gagahands" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gagahands1.jpg" alt="gagahands1 Get Bejeweled … And I’m Not Talking Computer Games" width="614" height="461" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">The GaGa rings aren&#8217;t for sale!</p>
</div>
<p>The NYC rings are $315 for the set, including shipping anywhere in the world. You can also pre-order the OMG ($300) and LOLZ ($400) swear rings through Kickstarter, plus you can purchase the original F@#! swear rings and other pieces. To order on Kickstarter, you need to use an Amazon account. You won’t be charged until my Kickstarter project is done on September 12, so don’t worry about paying immediately. Your purchases through Kickstarter will finance the production of the new designs. If I don’t meet my $7,000 target goal, there won’t be any new rings (to find out more about Kickstarter’s all-or-nothing fundraising, read my post on Independent Fashion Bloggers)! I’m only $585 away from my target, but even after I hit $7,000, I want to sell as many additional ring sets as possible, because it’s more fun to see the rings on your beautiful fingers than to have them sitting in storage.  Need more persuasion? Gorgeous blogger ENC of Observationmode points out that swear rings are good for the lazy or  laryngitis-striken: “Now all you have to do is show your fist to anyone  with whom you wish to  communicate when you’re rendered speechless or  can’t be bothered to open  your mouth.” Click below to order.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran/widget/card.jpg" border="0" alt="card Get Bejeweled … And I’m Not Talking Computer Games" width="290" height="445" title="Get Bejeweled … And I’m Not Talking Computer Games" /></p>
</p>
<p>If you have any questions, holla at me at wbjewelry at hotmail dot com.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png" alt="Related Posts with Thumbnails" title="Get Bejeweled … And I’m Not Talking Computer Games" /></p></div>
</div>
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		<title>Selecting Arteriors Home Lighting</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/selecting-arteriors-home-lighting.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/selecting-arteriors-home-lighting.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Aug 2010 15:24:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aluminum Materials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arteriors Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atmosphere]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ceiling Lights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chandelier]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contemporary Lighting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design Elements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Different Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Friends And Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grayce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hanging Lamps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minimalist Approach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Modern Furniture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Outdoor Lighting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Progress Lighting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Effects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[That Suits Your Needs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Style]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Utilitarian Design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.silverglategood.com/?p=71</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The contemporary lighting is the latest trend in progress and the lighting and the use of materials. Most of the devices covered in this style have a very minimalist approach to design. With the use of steel or aluminum materials. There is also an effort to create a device that creates the atmosphere desired sub-still [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The contemporary lighting is the latest trend in progress and the lighting and the use of materials. Most of the devices covered in this style have a very minimalist approach to design. With the use of steel or aluminum materials. There is also an effort to create a device that creates the atmosphere desired sub-still in all, with a more utilitarian design from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/laylagrayce">Layla Grayce</a>.</p>
<p>You can make the atmosphere of your house very special, totally outrageous or even intimate with the help of ceiling lights. Some hanging lamps also come with special effects that are sure to impress friends and family.<br />
<span id="more-71"></span><br />
Wrap yourself in the end, it is important to determine the overall style of the house before buying a lamp. And &#8216;possible to combine different styles, creating a more unique look. However, this must be done with art. If there is furniture and decor that match the style of the group you choose, you may not work well in the room. The design elements of the <a href="http://www.laylagrayce.com/Departments/Shop-by-Brand/Arteriors.aspx">Arteriors Home</a> must be present in the room. For example, a pendant lamp can be used in a modern room in traditional style, since there are at least some elements in modern furniture. In general, it is preferable to match a pendant or chandelier with the table or supply hovers above.</p>
<p>To find a home light unit that suits your needs, please visit <a href="http://www.laylagrayce.com/Departments/Shop-by-Brand/Layla-Grayce-Lee-Furniture.aspx">Lee Industries Furniture</a>. You&#8217;ll find a wide selection of light outdoor lighting, ceiling lights and outdoor wall.</p>
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		<title>Looking for Leather Shorts?</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/looking-for-leather-shorts.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/looking-for-leather-shorts.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Aug 2010 03:05:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black Leather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ebay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gold Shorts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Juicy Couture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kickstarter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leather Shorts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc By Marc Jacobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc Jacobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phillip Lim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Purple Shorts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Red Leather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rokit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Size 6]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tibi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[True Religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vagabond]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Widget]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wendybrandes/xcOx/~3/Nu6OTHhCeRQ/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[	

					
						
Ever since I wrote about leather shorts in April, I’ve been getting blog traffic from people searching for the phrase “where can I buy leather shorts.”
I like to be helpful so I’ve been keeping an eye out for interesting vintage...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<div class="entrybody" readability="43">
<p>Ever since I wrote about leather shorts in April, I’ve been getting blog traffic from people searching for the phrase “where can I buy leather shorts.”</p>
<p>I like to be helpful so I’ve been keeping an eye out for interesting vintage options. Here they are. Click the photos to shop.</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6766" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="3"><img class="size-full wp-image-6766" title="redleathershorts" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/redleathershorts.jpg" alt="redleathershorts Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="377" height="376" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Red leather, 24&#8243; waist, $234 at Vagabond NYC.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6767" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="3"><img class="size-full wp-image-6767" title="blackfringeshorts" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/blackfringeshorts.jpg" alt="blackfringeshorts Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="234" height="425" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Black leather shorts with fringe, size 6/8, $165 at Marion Mercer.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6768" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="3"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6768" title="goldshorts" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/goldshorts-300x273.jpg" alt="goldshorts 300x273 Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="300" height="273" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Escada gold shorts, size 4, $202.50 on sale on eBay.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6769" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="3"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6769 " title="bronzeshorts" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bronzeshorts-200x300.jpg" alt="bronzeshorts 200x300 Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="200" height="300" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">&#8217;80s bronze shorts, size 10, $98 at Nasty Gal.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6771" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="3"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6771 " title="purpleshorts" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/purpleshorts-300x280.jpg" alt="purpleshorts 300x280 Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="300" height="280" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Purple shorts from The Limited, size 2, $22 on Etsy.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6772" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><img class="size-full wp-image-6772" title="yellowshorts" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/yellowshorts.jpg" alt="yellowshorts Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="430" height="512" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Yellow suede shorts, $49 on Etsy.</p>
</div>
<div id="attachment_6773" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="3"><img class="size-full wp-image-6773" title="tanshorts" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/tanshorts.jpg" alt="tanshorts Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="398" height="410" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Tan shorts, 27&#8243; waist,  £25.00 at Rokit.</p>
</div>
<p>Just to give you some inspiration, here’s gorgeous blogger Marian Kihogo in her vintage orange leather shorts.</p>
</p>
<div id="attachment_6774" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-6774  " title="orangeleather3" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/orangeleather3.jpg" alt="orangeleather3 Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="432" height="576" />
<p class="wp-caption-text">Click for more Marian.</p>
</div>
<p>If  you’re looking for new leather shorts, you have lots of options including ones from True Religion, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture, Joie, Phillip Lim, Tibi, Theory, Topshop, The Row and Alice + Olivia.  And, if you’re wondering what to wear with your leather shorts, there’s only one reasonable choice: my latest swear-ring designs! Pre-order them now on Kickstarter by clicking the widget.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran/widget/card.jpg" border="0" alt="card Looking for Leather Shorts?" width="290" height="445" title="Looking for Leather Shorts?" /></p>
<p>Maybe it’s time for Nair to do a “Who wears leather shorts?” commercial.</p>
</p>
<p><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png" alt="Related Posts with Thumbnails" title="Looking for Leather Shorts?" /></p></div>
</div>
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		<title>Jewelry and Cats!</title>
		<link>http://www.silverglategood.com/jewelry-and-cats.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.silverglategood.com/jewelry-and-cats.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:52:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ankle Bracelet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Antique Gold]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Antique Style Jewelry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquamarine Earrings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquamarines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art Deco Style]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blue Colour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cabachons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cluny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cupids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gold Necklace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High Maintenance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iolite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lampwork Beads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Light Aqua]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rhinestones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robin Weber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sterling Silver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water Sapphire]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://jewelrytrends.blogspot.com/2010/08/jewelry-and-cats.html</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The title reflects the state of my life at the moment:  jewelry and cats!  Cluny and Cuervo are adapting to life in the city; I had almost forgotten what high-maintenance cats they are! (I wouldn't have it any other way).  Cuervo will come and sit on ...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" readability="28">
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcRevtpjUI/AAAAAAAACOs/D445PGaevrQ/s320/aquamarine-bracelet-h1.jpg" alt="aquamarine bracelet h1 Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505388289385401666" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><span>The title reflects the state of my life at the moment:  jewelry and cats!  Cluny and Cuervo are adapting to life in the city; I had almost forgotten what high-maintenance cats they are! (I wouldn&#8217;t have it any other way).  Cuervo will come and sit on the floor and look up at me when I&#8217;m working; he can do this for 15 minutes without moving.  If I talk to him briefly without getting up, he will start talking to me &#8211; and he&#8217;s anything but brief.  He doesn&#8217;t need food or water or even a treat usually; he wants to play!  He wants to run around in circles after a furry &#8220;mouse&#8221; that has been attached to a long rope, and no, he cannot play by himself, I must twirl it around or run with it.  If I persist in working, he will walk away and then come back dragging the rope from his mouth and drop it at my feet. Cluny wants to be petted or brushed constantly or at least talked to; luckily both cats do love their naps!</span><br/><span>  I have been able to make jewelry though.  Above is an </span>aquamarine bracelet<span> made from some great new aquamarines I&#8217;ve just gotten in.  The aquamarines are a beautiful blue colour with almost no inclusions at all.  The bracelet above also has some of Robin Weber&#8217;s gorgeous lampwork beads.  Below are some </span>aquamarine earrings<span> made with the same aquamarines!</span><br/><span>  Below the earrings are a </span>lapis bracelet<span> and an </span>ankle bracelet<span> made with sterling silver and iolites (also known as water sapphire).  I&#8217;m trying to find all the pretty iolite that I can, but it is hard to come by.</span><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcRkTAZWKI/AAAAAAAACO0/fjwLx2OWNQw/s320/aquamarine-earrings-b1.jpg" alt="aquamarine earrings b1 Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505388384758618274" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcR4X6tN7I/AAAAAAAACPE/DmKp-Zyr50A/s320/lapis-jewelry-d2.jpg" alt="lapis jewelry d2 Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505388729674315698" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcRuw9-0sI/AAAAAAAACO8/ZonmYJcAfqY/s320/ankle-bracelet-a8.jpg" alt="ankle bracelet a8 Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505388564600246978" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><span>On to the antique style jewelry: below, an art deco style pendant with rhinestones hangs from a crystal and gold necklace.  The next necklace features a gold cameo studded with light aqua rhinestones.</span><br/><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcROa3ImPI/AAAAAAAACOk/6clfKme7xjE/s320/antique-style-necklace-k.jpg" alt="antique style necklace k Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505388008910133490" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcRC6LUqjI/AAAAAAAACOc/b6x3NkfWwpU/s320/cameo-necklace-d.jpg" alt="cameo necklace d Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505387811157879346" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><span>Below is another gold cameo in an unusual shape surrounded by four vintage opal cabachons on gold filigree.  The light pink and opal lined beads that make up the necklace are a perfect complement to the opals.</span>
<p><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcQ8Bta52I/AAAAAAAACOU/n8jBJTfiDYw/s320/cameo-necklace-e.jpg" alt="cameo necklace e Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505387692920858466" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcQ0C_L2KI/AAAAAAAACOM/AqAjNfw86KQ/s320/antique-style-necklace-m.jpg" alt="antique style necklace m Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505387555824851106" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><span>A necklace with two cupids and aqua rhinestones on some of my favorite antique gold filigree.  The clasp is an old favorite: a crouching cat pawing a ball of yarn.</span><br/><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcQs_txq2I/AAAAAAAACOE/B_IsRzjq1us/s320/antique-style-necklace-l.jpg" alt="antique style necklace l Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505387434687441762" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><br/><br/><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcQgYpYwjI/AAAAAAAACN0/cx5NSkQNfjs/s320/antique-style-necklace-i.jpg" alt="antique style necklace i Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505387218041618994" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><span>Above, a modified cross shape with clear and pink Swarovski stones dangles Swarovski beads with vermeil accents.  Below, a vintage swirl has a vintage opal cabochon in the center and has little Swarovski dangles.</span><br/><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TMoOFY5DH3E/TGcQZr55F0I/AAAAAAAACNs/9iCnAH7mXrk/s320/antique-style-necklace-h.jpg" alt="antique style necklace h Jewelry and Cats!" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505387102952036162" border="0" title="Jewelry and Cats!" /><br/><span>FREE SHIPPING with any purchase totaling over $50.00; low $1.95 shipping with purchases under $50.00.</span>
</p>
</div>
</div>
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<p>Designer Jeremy Scott says you can!</p>
<div id=\"attachment_7049\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"2\"><a href=\"http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-7049\" title=\"jeremyscott\" src=\"http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"306\" height=\"464\" /></a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeremy Scott\'s Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
<p>The dress says “Fashion” on the back. You can follow Jeremy Scott on Twitter <a href=\"http://twitter.com/ITSJEREMYSCOTT\" >here</a>.</p>

<a href=\"http://www.linkwithin.com/\"><img src=\"http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png\" alt=\"Related Posts with Thumbnails\" /></a>&#13;
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<p>Designer Jeremy Scott says you can!</p>
<div id="attachment_7049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16"><img class="size-full wp-image-7049" title="jeremyscott" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg" alt="" width="306" height="464" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jeremy Scott's Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
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<a href="http://www.linkwithin.com/"><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png" alt="Related Posts with Thumbnails" /></a>&#13;
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<p>Designer Jeremy Scott says you can!</p>
<div id="attachment_7049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16"><img class="size-full wp-image-7049" title="jeremyscott" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg" alt="" width="306" height="464" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jeremy Scott's Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
<p>The dress says “Fashion” on the back. You can follow Jeremy Scott on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/ITSJEREMYSCOTT" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

<a href="http://www.linkwithin.com/"><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png" alt="Related Posts with Thumbnails" /></a>&#13;
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<p>What timing! Right after <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/one-size-does-not-fit-all-deal-with-it/" target="_blank">my post about how sample sizes, by definition, don’t fit the vast majority of people</a> right off the rack, <a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html" target="_blank">Tia from The Quest for “it” posted about the sample sale</a> I had with my designing friend Zang Toi last month. Conveniently, she took a picture of Zang personally altering a red-cashmere dress sample on me. I’m so bad! I should be selling at these events, not buying, but Zang is impossible to resist.</p>
<div id="attachment_7037" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html"><img class="size-full wp-image-7037 " title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/zangandwendy.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="419" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">That's black lace on the side. Courtesy The Quest for "it"</p></div>
<p>That’s SiSi, Zang’s assistant, in the left corner of the photo. She was taking notes about the alterations.</p>
<p>This is typical of my experience with Zang’s samples. I can often get myself into them, but I can’t flounce out the door that second. In fact, Zang has offered to loan me samples for events but I can’t take him up on it because the samples don’t fit me as is. We do lots of alterations when I am buying: taking in, letting out, hemming lengths, shortening sleeves, removing sleeves, reshaping necklines and so on. The initial fit of the sample depends on the shape of the model who wore it on the runway. Do all of you know about model fittings? Gorgeous blogger Tricia of <a href="http://www.fashionherald.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Herald</a>, who has walked in fashion shows, brought that up yesterday in the comments, noting, “Not even models will fit all runway and showroom samples, which is why there are fittings before shows.”</p>
<p>The tightest Zang sample I ever put on — I couldn’t zip it, walk in it or breathe in it — had been altered for an actress. She was much thinner than any of the models, so if she’s trying to be “model-thin,” she’s doing it wrong. As for my new dress, Zang took it in at the bust, let it out at the waist, and tapered it all the way down. Even if some of you are my height, weight and dress size, the dress might not fit you because it’s tailored specifically for me. So don’t ask to borrow it! I hope to wear it to Zang’s show during Fashion Week if the weather is cool enough for cashmere.</p>

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<p>Did you know the world revolved around voluptuous <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/" target="_blank">Mad Men</a> star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/" target="_blank">Christina Hendricks</a>? Neither did I! Fortunately, I read New York Magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/christina_hendricks_struggles.html" target="_blank">The Cut blog</a>, which alerted me to the fact via a story about Hendricks that ran in the <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/08/27/christina-hendricks-designers-won-t-give-me-dresses-for-award-shows-because-i-m-a-size-14-86908-22517639/" target="_blank">The Daily Record</a> of Scotland. The Record quoted her as saying:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about  me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m  still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_7021" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><em><em><a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7021" title="joan" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/joan.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="328" /></a></em></em><p class="wp-caption-text">Christina Hendricks in character. Courtesy AMC.</p></div>
<p>Wait a minute. I’ve been out of school a long time but I seem to recall that the earth revolves around the sun and not an actress. So I better explain why a pretty, talented lady like Hendricks (who wore <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4082759/Christina-Hendricks-perfect-Emmy-dress" target="_blank">Zac Posen</a> to the Emmys on Sunday) can’t always get the loaner dress of her dreams. It’s not size-ism, despite what the Hendricks quote implies. It’s logistics.</p>
<p>The designers only have small sizes available because sample sizes are made to fit runway models. And here I will acknowledge that, yes, models are taller, thinner and more beautiful than the typical person. It’s part of the job requirement. Learn to deal with it. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your insecurities whether you’re an actress or an accountant. Not only will there always be people that are taller, thinner and more beautiful than you, there will be people who are younger, more experienced, smarter, more charming, better connected and/or — unless you are billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_billionaires" target="_blank">Carlos Slim</a> — wealthier. That’s reality.</p>
<p>Anyway, the runway samples are made to fit models who show off the clothes to store buyers and fashion editors, enabling the designers to get orders and press.  Look up “sample” in any dictionary. It’s defined as  “a portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen.” The samples represent the styles that may then be ordered in a variety of sizes.</p>
<p>People who happen to be model-sized or close can borrow the samples that represent the style.  Lucky for them. Not so lucky for the rest of us including Hendricks, whose measurements, according to The Record, are 39D-30-39. But is the fact that she’s out of luck so awful? (I’m out of luck as well. Samples are too tall for a 5’4″ woman.) For the hell of it, let’s suppose that all designers decided to make all runway samples 39D-30-39 and only hired models of that size. That would <em>still </em>exclude the majority of people. Some of us would be smaller, some of us would be larger. We have to accept the fact that we are not all the same size and never will be. (For more on the challenges of sizing, read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html" target="_blank">New York Times Magazine story</a> and the many excellent posts that <a href="http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/welcome-visitors-from-the-new-york-times/" target="_blank">Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion-Incubator</a> has done on the topic.)</p>
<p>Then, you might be wondering, why don’t designers make a range of sample sizes? Refer back to the definition of “sample.” It defeats the purpose of making a specimen or representation if you’re making the entire line.  Why should designers invest enormous amounts of time and money to make 12 versions (that number assumes they’d do U.S. sizes 0 – 22, and doesn’t take into account differences in height) of each style, including styles that might never be ordered by stores. And this would all be just in case Christina Hendricks wants to borrow one for free?</p>
<div id="attachment_7022" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://nymag.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7022" title="CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="602" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Hendricks on the cover of New York Magazine this year.</p></div>
<p>Let’s look at how this would work with jewelry. A good sample size for a ring is a 6. It’s an average size that’s likely to fit at least one finger on many women, so a customer can get an idea of what the ring would look like once it is made in her size.  Most (but not all) of my female customers fall between a 5 and an 8 when it comes to ring sizes. I do rings in quarter sizes, so to cover sizes 5 through 8 — while discriminating against my poor 4 3/4 and 8 1/4 ladies — I would have to do 13 sizes of each style in order to have a ring ready to go for nearly anyone who walks in the door. That could easily cost me $100,000 per style.  Ridiculous! That’s why I just do a single ring for people to view and order in their own size.</p>
<p>I would love to get a ring on Christina Hendricks. If she tries on my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226" target="_blank">gold-and-diamond Borgia poison ring</a> in sample size 6 and it fits her, I’d be glad to loan it to her for an evening. I haven’t seen a single episode of Mad Men, but I liked her two-episode arc on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, so why not?</p>
<div id="attachment_7023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226"><img class="size-full wp-image-7023" title="bigBorgia Gold Ring_Zoom" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bigBorgia-Gold-Ring_Zoom.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Borgia poison ring shown open and closed. Click to shop. </p></div>
<p>If the sample doesn’t fit her, I’d be delighted to custom-make a ring in her size. Of course, she’d have to pay for that. If I started making free rings for everyone who wanted them, I’d go broke in less time than it is taking me to write this post. Duh! Everyone wants free stuff! Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, having a dress/purse/ring seen on a celebrity doesn’t always translate to big sales. Press is good for overall brand recognition, but there are times it doesn’t move a single unit. If you’re not going to be compensated for your work by the customer AND the customer isn’t guaranteed to generate sales, does it seem like a smart idea to start making special things and giving them away to every person who thinks the world revolves around him or her? If common sense isn’t providing the answer to you right now, you might want to reread my posts <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Manufacturing)</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/03/get-smart-about-custom-work/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Custom Work)</a> about the costs of production.</p>
<p>Remember, I’m just talking about sample sizes and loaners here. If Christina’s complaint was, “I walk into stores and they don’t have my size,” I wouldn’t be writing anything like this because that is a legitimate complaint and entirely different from the sample size issue. I’m not saying that women of a certain size shouldn’t have access to great clothes. They should. Support the designers who do offer a wide range of sizes! My designing friend <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/category/zang-toi/" target="_blank">Zang Toi</a> has customers of all sizes and ages. They choose from his tiny runway samples and he makes their pieces to order.  Stacy Lomman of <a href="http://taffetadarlings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">taffetadarlings</a> took the unusual step of pre-selling her samples in order to raise money for her first show via Kickstarter (you can still contribute <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401920628/luanch-a-label-at-ny-fashion-week-hot-new-designer" target="_blank">here</a>). She’s currently fitting the dresses to the models. After, she’ll resize the dresses to fit the people who bought them. A few dresses will have to be made from scratch, costing her extra money. But, if her models were 39D-30-39, the same thing would be happening. Repeat after me until you learn it by heart: one size does not fit all, bitches!</p>
<p>What could Christina Hendricks do to get around her free dress problem? I’d recommend that she stops worrying about freebies and instead becomes a valued paying customer. Any designer is more inclined to whip up special pieces for reasonable prices for customers with good track records. It’s great to have a working relationship with a designer, as my  customers can attest, and I’d say the same of buying clothes from Zang and  Stacy. It’s not as if the free-dress phenomenon (which I’m not against because, as I said, it is good for branding) is an ancient tradition that must be respected. My Facebook friend <a href="http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeffrey</a>, a fashion-industry veteran, notes, “I sold many dresses to many of  the Dynasty and Dallas girls  way back when —and yeah we gave them a  deal but it was by no means free.” Gorgeous blogger Madeleine of <a href="http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In New York Paris Tomorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109203,00.html" target="_blank">another retailing vet</a>, says, “Sad days for indie shops: we used to SELL these things, and the shoes and  the bag and the jewels. Still trying to understand the Swag Parties for  the Emmys etc … and … we didn’t give deals (although friends  could borrow our own pieces).”</p>
<p>Finally, for those who can afford it, buying is every bit as glamorous than borrowing, if not more so. As Jeffrey points out, “Elizabeth Taylor wore her own jewelry, her own clothes,  had no stylist  and was still every inch a star.”</p>
<div id="attachment_7024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/widgets/mediaViewer/image?id=4250822"><img class="size-full wp-image-7024" title="liztaylor" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liztaylor.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="411" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Oscars in 1970. Burton bought her the 69-carat diamond she's wearing.</p></div>
<p>Christina is probably closer than any other actress today to having Liz-style va-va-voom, and I enjoy seeing her on the red carpet. I hope she continues to find plenty of gorgeous dresses to wear, even if they’re not always free.</p>
<p>Remember, y’all, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisterhood_of_the_Traveling_Pants_%28film%29" target="_blank">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a>, in which one pair of jeans magically fits four girls although they have completely different measurements, is fiction! In real life, one size does not fit all. It doesn’t matter if a sample is a 0 or a 14 — it still won’t work for everyone. That’s the simple truth, not a personal attack. We’re living in a world without magic: no unicorns, good witches or supernatural denim. But, hey, at least we have <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/07/its-official-my-new-hero-is-antoine-dodson/" target="_blank">Antoine Dodson</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/05/a-devastating-day-for-eyebrow-lovers/" target="_blank">Sam Waterston’s eyebrows</a>. What!? Those things seem magical to me!</p>
<p>UPDATED TO ADD: I like the cartoon <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/08/31/stuff-no-one-told-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. It reminds me of some of the issues I raised above.</p>
<p>
</p>
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<p>Baskin-Robbins brought back my favorite ’70s ice-cream flavor, <a href="http://news.baskinrobbins.com/baskin+robbins/baskin+robbins+news/baskin+robbins+flavor+pink+bubble+gum.htm" target="_blank">Pink Bubblegum</a>, for the month of August. My goal this weekend was to get a scoop before it was too late.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_7006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-7006 " title="ice cream" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ice-cream.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goal achieved!</p></div>
<p>That is one craving I will never have again. Did this stuff always taste so bad? Damn! I still ate the whole scoop even though I cringed at every bite. (My attitude towards food is like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes" target="_blank">the old joke</a>: “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible … and such small portions.”) I felt so queasy after the ice cream that I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to take an outfit picture, so you’ll have to settle for a <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/08/outfit-post-vintage-ungaro-dress-from-frock/" target="_blank">picture of the exact same outfit in 2009:</a> the vintage Ungaro dress, the gold Louis Vuitton shoes and my Gloriana necklace.</p>
<p>Blame Baskin-Robbins!</p>

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<p>The front-page story in WWD today is “<a href="http://bit.ly/cqJiR6" target="_blank">Advertisers Go Social: Brand-Blogger Linkups Marketings’ New Rage</a>.”  Gorgeous blogger Jennine (of <a href="http://the-coveted.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Coveted</a> and <a href="http://heartifb.com/" target="_blank">Independent Fashion Bloggers</a>) is quoted extensively in the article. I’m glad the story highlighted Jennine’s “<a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/07/23/the-ifb-fair-compensation-manifesto/" target="_blank">IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto</a>” and her criticism of the <a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/08/17/how-do-bloggers-benefit-from-the-coach-poppy-project/" target="_blank">Coach Poppy ad campaign</a>, in which 334 bloggers were convinced to put Coach branding all over their blogs for free. Jennine has been a leader in helping bloggers understand that they need to get paid properly for advertising like any other media outlet does, rather than acting like total brand <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">hos</a> in return for a little free <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">merch</a>. She told WWD:</p>
<blockquote readability="3">
<p><em>“We don’t want blogging to evolve into this thing where bloggers are so starstruck by brands that they lose all objectivity — then they’re not the great thing people came to them for in the first place. Freebies may be OK, but we can’t just work for freebies and try to pass off promotional things as editorial content because it’s not fair to the readers, ourselves or the companies.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>You know what else isn’t fair? I didn’t get a photo credit in this story! The stunning photo of Jennine that WWD snagged from her blog was taken by me.</p>
<div id="attachment_6986" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.wwd.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-6986  " title="jenninewwd" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jenninewwd.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="606" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">My photo of Jennine, scanned from WWD. Woot!</p></div>
<p>Admittedly, Jennine ran back and forth setting up the shot herself, then stuck the camera in my hand and told me to press the button, but I think I did a pretty good job of that.</p>
<p>Speaking of companies and branding issues, I recently got an offer that was easy to refuse. Sears has hired itself a stylist named Francesca Mills to shill for its new shoe website. <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=134456" target="_blank">Marketing Daily says</a>:</p>
<blockquote readability="5"><p><em>“The retailer hopes its microsite, hosted by  fashion stylist Francesca Mills, will blend the feeling of blogs, social  media and commerce with more engaging — and even useful — commentary.  For example, a well-known mom blogger runs down the ins and outs of  back-to-school shoe shopping.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Sears apparently thought its shoes and my <a href="http://www.wendybrandes.com" target="_blank">limited-edition fine jewelry</a> were a match made in heaven, so I got an email from the company exclaiming that, “We would love to start new a relationship with you!” The offer didn’t seem to involve any money, just  “… sneak peeks and content every other week prior to its release. These will include up to date video and lookbook content so you can review it first and spread the word. You’ll be first to hear about contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways from Sears.”</p>
<p>I would have just deleted this mess without responding except for this bit of hilarity:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“We’ve been following your amazing fashion advice on your blog, and we think it’s great! You are always on top of the latest trends at the best prices and you understand your audience well. I absolutely LOVE your letter rings. I just bought ‘NYC’ for a friend of mine.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As those of you who have been reading my blog regularly know, the NYC rings are exclusively available for pre-order on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. Three* sets have been pre-ordered by my regular customers, none of whom work for Sears. I replied:</p>
<blockquote readability="3"><p><em>“How exciting to find that you’re a fan of my NYC rings! But I’m  concerned that your order didn’t go through, seeing as they’re only  available in one place and I don’t see your purchase reflected. If you  want to try again, please click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As you might have guessed, I didn’t get a reply or a ring order. Sears doesn’t think my participation in its branding campaign is worth the $315 a set of rings costs. The most I’m worth is, apparently, the chance to learn about a giveaway of God-knows-what. As enticing as that opportunity is, I’m going to have to pass on it because I’m not stupid. But thanks for thinking of me, y’all!</p>
<p>Those of you who really want to buy the NYC rings can click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>. Plenty of other jewelry is available too. Your orders/pre-orders will help me pay for manufacturing three new ring styles overseas. I’ve passed my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/jewels-of-the-month-new-swear-rings-for-pre-order/" target="_blank">initial fundraising goal of $7,000</a>, but that only covered two ring styles: OMG and LOLZ. I’ve since added NYC to the mix and that means I need to raise at least another $3,000 to cover what’s now a $10,000 factory minimum. The rings won’t come till late in the fall, so think ahead and order them as holiday gifts! To learn more about why I need to manufacture overseas and why it costs so much to make relatively inexpensive goods, read <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">this post from January</a>.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_6990" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran"><img class="size-full wp-image-6990   " title="gagahands" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gagahands2.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="332" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click to order NYC. GaGa rings are not for sale.</p></div>
<p>*<em>Only one pre-order for the NYC rings is reflected on Kickstarter because people who have ordered several different items can’t select multiple rewards on the Kickstarter page. I keep track of those orders behind the scenes.</em></p>

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<p>What timing! Right after <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/one-size-does-not-fit-all-deal-with-it/" target="_blank">my post about how sample sizes, by definition, don’t fit the vast majority of people</a> right off the rack, <a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html" target="_blank">Tia from The Quest for “it” posted about the sample sale</a> I had with my designing friend Zang Toi last month. Conveniently, she took a picture of Zang personally altering a red-cashmere dress sample on me. I’m so bad! I should be selling at these events, not buying, but Zang is impossible to resist.</p>
<div id="attachment_7037" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html"><img class="size-full wp-image-7037 " title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/zangandwendy.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="419" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">That's black lace on the side. Courtesy The Quest for "it"</p></div>
<p>That’s SiSi, Zang’s assistant, in the left corner of the photo. She was taking notes about the alterations.</p>
<p>This is typical of my experience with Zang’s samples. I can often get myself into them, but I can’t flounce out the door that second. In fact, Zang has offered to loan me samples for events but I can’t take him up on it because the samples don’t fit me as is. We do lots of alterations when I am buying: taking in, letting out, hemming lengths, shortening sleeves, removing sleeves, reshaping necklines and so on. The initial fit of the sample depends on the shape of the model who wore it on the runway. Do all of you know about model fittings? Gorgeous blogger Tricia of <a href="http://www.fashionherald.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Herald</a>, who has walked in fashion shows, brought that up yesterday in the comments, noting, “Not even models will fit all runway and showroom samples, which is why there are fittings before shows.”</p>
<p>The tightest Zang sample I ever put on — I couldn’t zip it, walk in it or breathe in it — had been altered for an actress. She was much thinner than any of the models, so if she’s trying to be “model-thin,” she’s doing it wrong. As for my new dress, Zang took it in at the bust, let it out at the waist, and tapered it all the way down. Even if some of you are my height, weight and dress size, the dress might not fit you because it’s tailored specifically for me. So don’t ask to borrow it! I hope to wear it to Zang’s show during Fashion Week if the weather is cool enough for cashmere.</p>

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<p>Did you know the world revolved around voluptuous <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/" target="_blank">Mad Men</a> star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/" target="_blank">Christina Hendricks</a>? Neither did I! Fortunately, I read New York Magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/christina_hendricks_struggles.html" target="_blank">The Cut blog</a>, which alerted me to the fact via a story about Hendricks that ran in the <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/08/27/christina-hendricks-designers-won-t-give-me-dresses-for-award-shows-because-i-m-a-size-14-86908-22517639/" target="_blank">The Daily Record</a> of Scotland. The Record quoted her as saying:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about  me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m  still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_7021" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><em><em><a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7021" title="joan" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/joan.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="328" /></a></em></em><p class="wp-caption-text">Christina Hendricks in character. Courtesy AMC.</p></div>
<p>Wait a minute. I’ve been out of school a long time but I seem to recall that the earth revolves around the sun and not an actress. So I better explain why a pretty, talented lady like Hendricks (who wore <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4082759/Christina-Hendricks-perfect-Emmy-dress" target="_blank">Zac Posen</a> to the Emmys on Sunday) can’t always get the loaner dress of her dreams. It’s not size-ism, despite what the Hendricks quote implies. It’s logistics.</p>
<p>The designers only have small sizes available because sample sizes are made to fit runway models. And here I will acknowledge that, yes, models are taller, thinner and more beautiful than the typical person. It’s part of the job requirement. Learn to deal with it. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your insecurities whether you’re an actress or an accountant. Not only will there always be people that are taller, thinner and more beautiful than you, there will be people who are younger, more experienced, smarter, more charming, better connected and/or — unless you are billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_billionaires" target="_blank">Carlos Slim</a> — wealthier. That’s reality.</p>
<p>Anyway, the runway samples are made to fit models who show off the clothes to store buyers and fashion editors, enabling the designers to get orders and press.  Look up “sample” in any dictionary. It’s defined as  “a portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen.” The samples represent the styles that may then be ordered in a variety of sizes.</p>
<p>People who happen to be model-sized or close can borrow the samples that represent the style.  Lucky for them. Not so lucky for the rest of us including Hendricks, whose measurements, according to The Record, are 39D-30-39. But is the fact that she’s out of luck so awful? (I’m out of luck as well. Samples are too tall for a 5’4″ woman.) For the hell of it, let’s suppose that all designers decided to make all runway samples 39D-30-39 and only hired models of that size. That would <em>still </em>exclude the majority of people. Some of us would be smaller, some of us would be larger. We have to accept the fact that we are not all the same size and never will be. (For more on the challenges of sizing, read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html" target="_blank">New York Times Magazine story</a> and the many excellent posts that <a href="http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/welcome-visitors-from-the-new-york-times/" target="_blank">Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion-Incubator</a> has done on the topic.)</p>
<p>Then, you might be wondering, why don’t designers make a range of sample sizes? Refer back to the definition of “sample.” It defeats the purpose of making a specimen or representation if you’re making the entire line.  Why should designers invest enormous amounts of time and money to make 12 versions (that number assumes they’d do U.S. sizes 0 – 22, and doesn’t take into account differences in height) of each style, including styles that might never be ordered by stores. And this would all be just in case Christina Hendricks wants to borrow one for free?</p>
<div id="attachment_7022" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://nymag.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7022" title="CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="602" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Hendricks on the cover of New York Magazine this year.</p></div>
<p>Let’s look at how this would work with jewelry. A good sample size for a ring is a 6. It’s an average size that’s likely to fit at least one finger on many women, so a customer can get an idea of what the ring would look like once it is made in her size.  Most (but not all) of my female customers fall between a 5 and an 8 when it comes to ring sizes. I do rings in quarter sizes, so to cover sizes 5 through 8 — while discriminating against my poor 4 3/4 and 8 1/4 ladies — I would have to do 13 sizes of each style in order to have a ring ready to go for nearly anyone who walks in the door. That could easily cost me $100,000 per style.  Ridiculous! That’s why I just do a single ring for people to view and order in their own size.</p>
<p>I would love to get a ring on Christina Hendricks. If she tries on my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226" target="_blank">gold-and-diamond Borgia poison ring</a> in sample size 6 and it fits her, I’d be glad to loan it to her for an evening. I haven’t seen a single episode of Mad Men, but I liked her two-episode arc on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, so why not?</p>
<div id="attachment_7023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226"><img class="size-full wp-image-7023" title="bigBorgia Gold Ring_Zoom" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bigBorgia-Gold-Ring_Zoom.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Borgia poison ring shown open and closed. Click to shop. </p></div>
<p>If the sample doesn’t fit her, I’d be delighted to custom-make a ring in her size. Of course, she’d have to pay for that. If I started making free rings for everyone who wanted them, I’d go broke in less time than it is taking me to write this post. Duh! Everyone wants free stuff! Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, having a dress/purse/ring seen on a celebrity doesn’t always translate to big sales. Press is good for overall brand recognition, but there are times it doesn’t move a single unit. If you’re not going to be compensated for your work by the customer AND the customer isn’t guaranteed to generate sales, does it seem like a smart idea to start making special things and giving them away to every person who thinks the world revolves around him or her? If common sense isn’t providing the answer to you right now, you might want to reread my posts <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Manufacturing)</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/03/get-smart-about-custom-work/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Custom Work)</a> about the costs of production.</p>
<p>Remember, I’m just talking about sample sizes and loaners here. If Christina’s complaint was, “I walk into stores and they don’t have my size,” I wouldn’t be writing anything like this because that is a legitimate complaint and entirely different from the sample size issue. I’m not saying that women of a certain size shouldn’t have access to great clothes. They should. Support the designers who do offer a wide range of sizes! My designing friend <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/category/zang-toi/" target="_blank">Zang Toi</a> has customers of all sizes and ages. They choose from his tiny runway samples and he makes their pieces to order.  Stacy Lomman of <a href="http://taffetadarlings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">taffetadarlings</a> took the unusual step of pre-selling her samples in order to raise money for her first show via Kickstarter (you can still contribute <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401920628/luanch-a-label-at-ny-fashion-week-hot-new-designer" target="_blank">here</a>). She’s currently fitting the dresses to the models. After, she’ll resize the dresses to fit the people who bought them. A few dresses will have to be made from scratch, costing her extra money. But, if her models were 39D-30-39, the same thing would be happening. Repeat after me until you learn it by heart: one size does not fit all, bitches!</p>
<p>What could Christina Hendricks do to get around her free dress problem? I’d recommend that she stops worrying about freebies and instead becomes a valued paying customer. Any designer is more inclined to whip up special pieces for reasonable prices for customers with good track records. It’s great to have a working relationship with a designer, as my  customers can attest, and I’d say the same of buying clothes from Zang and  Stacy. It’s not as if the free-dress phenomenon (which I’m not against because, as I said, it is good for branding) is an ancient tradition that must be respected. My Facebook friend <a href="http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeffrey</a>, a fashion-industry veteran, notes, “I sold many dresses to many of  the Dynasty and Dallas girls  way back when —and yeah we gave them a  deal but it was by no means free.” Gorgeous blogger Madeleine of <a href="http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In New York Paris Tomorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109203,00.html" target="_blank">another retailing vet</a>, says, “Sad days for indie shops: we used to SELL these things, and the shoes and  the bag and the jewels. Still trying to understand the Swag Parties for  the Emmys etc … and … we didn’t give deals (although friends  could borrow our own pieces).”</p>
<p>Finally, for those who can afford it, buying is every bit as glamorous than borrowing, if not more so. As Jeffrey points out, “Elizabeth Taylor wore her own jewelry, her own clothes,  had no stylist  and was still every inch a star.”</p>
<div id="attachment_7024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/widgets/mediaViewer/image?id=4250822"><img class="size-full wp-image-7024" title="liztaylor" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liztaylor.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="411" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Oscars in 1970. Burton bought her the 69-carat diamond she's wearing.</p></div>
<p>Christina is probably closer than any other actress today to having Liz-style va-va-voom, and I enjoy seeing her on the red carpet. I hope she continues to find plenty of gorgeous dresses to wear, even if they’re not always free.</p>
<p>Remember, y’all, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisterhood_of_the_Traveling_Pants_%28film%29" target="_blank">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a>, in which one pair of jeans magically fits four girls although they have completely different measurements, is fiction! In real life, one size does not fit all. It doesn’t matter if a sample is a 0 or a 14 — it still won’t work for everyone. That’s the simple truth, not a personal attack. We’re living in a world without magic: no unicorns, good witches or supernatural denim. But, hey, at least we have <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/07/its-official-my-new-hero-is-antoine-dodson/" target="_blank">Antoine Dodson</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/05/a-devastating-day-for-eyebrow-lovers/" target="_blank">Sam Waterston’s eyebrows</a>. What!? Those things seem magical to me!</p>
<p>UPDATED TO ADD: I like the cartoon <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/08/31/stuff-no-one-told-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. It reminds me of some of the issues I raised above.</p>
<p>
</p>
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<p>Baskin-Robbins brought back my favorite ’70s ice-cream flavor, <a href="http://news.baskinrobbins.com/baskin+robbins/baskin+robbins+news/baskin+robbins+flavor+pink+bubble+gum.htm" target="_blank">Pink Bubblegum</a>, for the month of August. My goal this weekend was to get a scoop before it was too late.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_7006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-7006 " title="ice cream" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ice-cream.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goal achieved!</p></div>
<p>That is one craving I will never have again. Did this stuff always taste so bad? Damn! I still ate the whole scoop even though I cringed at every bite. (My attitude towards food is like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes" target="_blank">the old joke</a>: “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible … and such small portions.”) I felt so queasy after the ice cream that I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to take an outfit picture, so you’ll have to settle for a <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/08/outfit-post-vintage-ungaro-dress-from-frock/" target="_blank">picture of the exact same outfit in 2009:</a> the vintage Ungaro dress, the gold Louis Vuitton shoes and my Gloriana necklace.</p>
<p>Blame Baskin-Robbins!</p>

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<p>The front-page story in WWD today is “<a href="http://bit.ly/cqJiR6" target="_blank">Advertisers Go Social: Brand-Blogger Linkups Marketings’ New Rage</a>.”  Gorgeous blogger Jennine (of <a href="http://the-coveted.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Coveted</a> and <a href="http://heartifb.com/" target="_blank">Independent Fashion Bloggers</a>) is quoted extensively in the article. I’m glad the story highlighted Jennine’s “<a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/07/23/the-ifb-fair-compensation-manifesto/" target="_blank">IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto</a>” and her criticism of the <a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/08/17/how-do-bloggers-benefit-from-the-coach-poppy-project/" target="_blank">Coach Poppy ad campaign</a>, in which 334 bloggers were convinced to put Coach branding all over their blogs for free. Jennine has been a leader in helping bloggers understand that they need to get paid properly for advertising like any other media outlet does, rather than acting like total brand <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">hos</a> in return for a little free <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">merch</a>. She told WWD:</p>
<blockquote readability="3">
<p><em>“We don’t want blogging to evolve into this thing where bloggers are so starstruck by brands that they lose all objectivity — then they’re not the great thing people came to them for in the first place. Freebies may be OK, but we can’t just work for freebies and try to pass off promotional things as editorial content because it’s not fair to the readers, ourselves or the companies.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>You know what else isn’t fair? I didn’t get a photo credit in this story! The stunning photo of Jennine that WWD snagged from her blog was taken by me.</p>
<div id="attachment_6986" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.wwd.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-6986  " title="jenninewwd" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jenninewwd.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="606" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">My photo of Jennine, scanned from WWD. Woot!</p></div>
<p>Admittedly, Jennine ran back and forth setting up the shot herself, then stuck the camera in my hand and told me to press the button, but I think I did a pretty good job of that.</p>
<p>Speaking of companies and branding issues, I recently got an offer that was easy to refuse. Sears has hired itself a stylist named Francesca Mills to shill for its new shoe website. <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=134456" target="_blank">Marketing Daily says</a>:</p>
<blockquote readability="5"><p><em>“The retailer hopes its microsite, hosted by  fashion stylist Francesca Mills, will blend the feeling of blogs, social  media and commerce with more engaging — and even useful — commentary.  For example, a well-known mom blogger runs down the ins and outs of  back-to-school shoe shopping.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Sears apparently thought its shoes and my <a href="http://www.wendybrandes.com" target="_blank">limited-edition fine jewelry</a> were a match made in heaven, so I got an email from the company exclaiming that, “We would love to start new a relationship with you!” The offer didn’t seem to involve any money, just  “… sneak peeks and content every other week prior to its release. These will include up to date video and lookbook content so you can review it first and spread the word. You’ll be first to hear about contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways from Sears.”</p>
<p>I would have just deleted this mess without responding except for this bit of hilarity:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“We’ve been following your amazing fashion advice on your blog, and we think it’s great! You are always on top of the latest trends at the best prices and you understand your audience well. I absolutely LOVE your letter rings. I just bought ‘NYC’ for a friend of mine.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As those of you who have been reading my blog regularly know, the NYC rings are exclusively available for pre-order on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. Three* sets have been pre-ordered by my regular customers, none of whom work for Sears. I replied:</p>
<blockquote readability="3"><p><em>“How exciting to find that you’re a fan of my NYC rings! But I’m  concerned that your order didn’t go through, seeing as they’re only  available in one place and I don’t see your purchase reflected. If you  want to try again, please click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As you might have guessed, I didn’t get a reply or a ring order. Sears doesn’t think my participation in its branding campaign is worth the $315 a set of rings costs. The most I’m worth is, apparently, the chance to learn about a giveaway of God-knows-what. As enticing as that opportunity is, I’m going to have to pass on it because I’m not stupid. But thanks for thinking of me, y’all!</p>
<p>Those of you who really want to buy the NYC rings can click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>. Plenty of other jewelry is available too. Your orders/pre-orders will help me pay for manufacturing three new ring styles overseas. I’ve passed my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/jewels-of-the-month-new-swear-rings-for-pre-order/" target="_blank">initial fundraising goal of $7,000</a>, but that only covered two ring styles: OMG and LOLZ. I’ve since added NYC to the mix and that means I need to raise at least another $3,000 to cover what’s now a $10,000 factory minimum. The rings won’t come till late in the fall, so think ahead and order them as holiday gifts! To learn more about why I need to manufacture overseas and why it costs so much to make relatively inexpensive goods, read <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">this post from January</a>.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_6990" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran"><img class="size-full wp-image-6990   " title="gagahands" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gagahands2.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="332" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click to order NYC. GaGa rings are not for sale.</p></div>
<p>*<em>Only one pre-order for the NYC rings is reflected on Kickstarter because people who have ordered several different items can’t select multiple rewards on the Kickstarter page. I keep track of those orders behind the scenes.</em></p>

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<p>What timing! Right after <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/one-size-does-not-fit-all-deal-with-it/" target="_blank">my post about how sample sizes, by definition, don’t fit the vast majority of people</a> right off the rack, <a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html" target="_blank">Tia from The Quest for “it” posted about the sample sale</a> I had with my designing friend Zang Toi last month. Conveniently, she took a picture of Zang personally altering a red-cashmere dress sample on me. I’m so bad! I should be selling at these events, not buying, but Zang is impossible to resist.</p>
<div id="attachment_7037" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html"><img class="size-full wp-image-7037 " title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/zangandwendy.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="419" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">That's black lace on the side. Courtesy The Quest for "it"</p></div>
<p>That’s SiSi, Zang’s assistant, in the left corner of the photo. She was taking notes about the alterations.</p>
<p>This is typical of my experience with Zang’s samples. I can often get myself into them, but I can’t flounce out the door that second. In fact, Zang has offered to loan me samples for events but I can’t take him up on it because the samples don’t fit me as is. We do lots of alterations when I am buying: taking in, letting out, hemming lengths, shortening sleeves, removing sleeves, reshaping necklines and so on. The initial fit of the sample depends on the shape of the model who wore it on the runway. Do all of you know about model fittings? Gorgeous blogger Tricia of <a href="http://www.fashionherald.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Herald</a>, who has walked in fashion shows, brought that up yesterday in the comments, noting, “Not even models will fit all runway and showroom samples, which is why there are fittings before shows.”</p>
<p>The tightest Zang sample I ever put on — I couldn’t zip it, walk in it or breathe in it — had been altered for an actress. She was much thinner than any of the models, so if she’s trying to be “model-thin,” she’s doing it wrong. As for my new dress, Zang took it in at the bust, let it out at the waist, and tapered it all the way down. Even if some of you are my height, weight and dress size, the dress might not fit you because it’s tailored specifically for me. So don’t ask to borrow it! I hope to wear it to Zang’s show during Fashion Week if the weather is cool enough for cashmere.</p>

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<p>Did you know the world revolved around voluptuous <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/" target="_blank">Mad Men</a> star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/" target="_blank">Christina Hendricks</a>? Neither did I! Fortunately, I read New York Magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/christina_hendricks_struggles.html" target="_blank">The Cut blog</a>, which alerted me to the fact via a story about Hendricks that ran in the <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/08/27/christina-hendricks-designers-won-t-give-me-dresses-for-award-shows-because-i-m-a-size-14-86908-22517639/" target="_blank">The Daily Record</a> of Scotland. The Record quoted her as saying:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about  me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m  still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_7021" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><em><em><a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7021" title="joan" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/joan.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="328" /></a></em></em><p class="wp-caption-text">Christina Hendricks in character. Courtesy AMC.</p></div>
<p>Wait a minute. I’ve been out of school a long time but I seem to recall that the earth revolves around the sun and not an actress. So I better explain why a pretty, talented lady like Hendricks (who wore <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4082759/Christina-Hendricks-perfect-Emmy-dress" target="_blank">Zac Posen</a> to the Emmys on Sunday) can’t always get the loaner dress of her dreams. It’s not size-ism, despite what the Hendricks quote implies. It’s logistics.</p>
<p>The designers only have small sizes available because sample sizes are made to fit runway models. And here I will acknowledge that, yes, models are taller, thinner and more beautiful than the typical person. It’s part of the job requirement. Learn to deal with it. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your insecurities whether you’re an actress or an accountant. Not only will there always be people that are taller, thinner and more beautiful than you, there will be people who are younger, more experienced, smarter, more charming, better connected and/or — unless you are billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_billionaires" target="_blank">Carlos Slim</a> — wealthier. That’s reality.</p>
<p>Anyway, the runway samples are made to fit models who show off the clothes to store buyers and fashion editors, enabling the designers to get orders and press.  Look up “sample” in any dictionary. It’s defined as  “a portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen.” The samples represent the styles that may then be ordered in a variety of sizes.</p>
<p>People who happen to be model-sized or close can borrow the samples that represent the style.  Lucky for them. Not so lucky for the rest of us including Hendricks, whose measurements, according to The Record, are 39D-30-39. But is the fact that she’s out of luck so awful? (I’m out of luck as well. Samples are too tall for a 5’4″ woman.) For the hell of it, let’s suppose that all designers decided to make all runway samples 39D-30-39 and only hired models of that size. That would <em>still </em>exclude the majority of people. Some of us would be smaller, some of us would be larger. We have to accept the fact that we are not all the same size and never will be. (For more on the challenges of sizing, read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html" target="_blank">New York Times Magazine story</a> and the many excellent posts that <a href="http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/welcome-visitors-from-the-new-york-times/" target="_blank">Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion-Incubator</a> has done on the topic.)</p>
<p>Then, you might be wondering, why don’t designers make a range of sample sizes? Refer back to the definition of “sample.” It defeats the purpose of making a specimen or representation if you’re making the entire line.  Why should designers invest enormous amounts of time and money to make 12 versions (that number assumes they’d do U.S. sizes 0 – 22, and doesn’t take into account differences in height) of each style, including styles that might never be ordered by stores. And this would all be just in case Christina Hendricks wants to borrow one for free?</p>
<div id="attachment_7022" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://nymag.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7022" title="CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="602" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Hendricks on the cover of New York Magazine this year.</p></div>
<p>Let’s look at how this would work with jewelry. A good sample size for a ring is a 6. It’s an average size that’s likely to fit at least one finger on many women, so a customer can get an idea of what the ring would look like once it is made in her size.  Most (but not all) of my female customers fall between a 5 and an 8 when it comes to ring sizes. I do rings in quarter sizes, so to cover sizes 5 through 8 — while discriminating against my poor 4 3/4 and 8 1/4 ladies — I would have to do 13 sizes of each style in order to have a ring ready to go for nearly anyone who walks in the door. That could easily cost me $100,000 per style.  Ridiculous! That’s why I just do a single ring for people to view and order in their own size.</p>
<p>I would love to get a ring on Christina Hendricks. If she tries on my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226" target="_blank">gold-and-diamond Borgia poison ring</a> in sample size 6 and it fits her, I’d be glad to loan it to her for an evening. I haven’t seen a single episode of Mad Men, but I liked her two-episode arc on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, so why not?</p>
<div id="attachment_7023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226"><img class="size-full wp-image-7023" title="bigBorgia Gold Ring_Zoom" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bigBorgia-Gold-Ring_Zoom.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Borgia poison ring shown open and closed. Click to shop. </p></div>
<p>If the sample doesn’t fit her, I’d be delighted to custom-make a ring in her size. Of course, she’d have to pay for that. If I started making free rings for everyone who wanted them, I’d go broke in less time than it is taking me to write this post. Duh! Everyone wants free stuff! Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, having a dress/purse/ring seen on a celebrity doesn’t always translate to big sales. Press is good for overall brand recognition, but there are times it doesn’t move a single unit. If you’re not going to be compensated for your work by the customer AND the customer isn’t guaranteed to generate sales, does it seem like a smart idea to start making special things and giving them away to every person who thinks the world revolves around him or her? If common sense isn’t providing the answer to you right now, you might want to reread my posts <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Manufacturing)</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/03/get-smart-about-custom-work/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Custom Work)</a> about the costs of production.</p>
<p>Remember, I’m just talking about sample sizes and loaners here. If Christina’s complaint was, “I walk into stores and they don’t have my size,” I wouldn’t be writing anything like this because that is a legitimate complaint and entirely different from the sample size issue. I’m not saying that women of a certain size shouldn’t have access to great clothes. They should. Support the designers who do offer a wide range of sizes! My designing friend <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/category/zang-toi/" target="_blank">Zang Toi</a> has customers of all sizes and ages. They choose from his tiny runway samples and he makes their pieces to order.  Stacy Lomman of <a href="http://taffetadarlings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">taffetadarlings</a> took the unusual step of pre-selling her samples in order to raise money for her first show via Kickstarter (you can still contribute <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401920628/luanch-a-label-at-ny-fashion-week-hot-new-designer" target="_blank">here</a>). She’s currently fitting the dresses to the models. After, she’ll resize the dresses to fit the people who bought them. A few dresses will have to be made from scratch, costing her extra money. But, if her models were 39D-30-39, the same thing would be happening. Repeat after me until you learn it by heart: one size does not fit all, bitches!</p>
<p>What could Christina Hendricks do to get around her free dress problem? I’d recommend that she stops worrying about freebies and instead becomes a valued paying customer. Any designer is more inclined to whip up special pieces for reasonable prices for customers with good track records. It’s great to have a working relationship with a designer, as my  customers can attest, and I’d say the same of buying clothes from Zang and  Stacy. It’s not as if the free-dress phenomenon (which I’m not against because, as I said, it is good for branding) is an ancient tradition that must be respected. My Facebook friend <a href="http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeffrey</a>, a fashion-industry veteran, notes, “I sold many dresses to many of  the Dynasty and Dallas girls  way back when —and yeah we gave them a  deal but it was by no means free.” Gorgeous blogger Madeleine of <a href="http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In New York Paris Tomorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109203,00.html" target="_blank">another retailing vet</a>, says, “Sad days for indie shops: we used to SELL these things, and the shoes and  the bag and the jewels. Still trying to understand the Swag Parties for  the Emmys etc … and … we didn’t give deals (although friends  could borrow our own pieces).”</p>
<p>Finally, for those who can afford it, buying is every bit as glamorous than borrowing, if not more so. As Jeffrey points out, “Elizabeth Taylor wore her own jewelry, her own clothes,  had no stylist  and was still every inch a star.”</p>
<div id="attachment_7024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/widgets/mediaViewer/image?id=4250822"><img class="size-full wp-image-7024" title="liztaylor" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liztaylor.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="411" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Oscars in 1970. Burton bought her the 69-carat diamond she's wearing.</p></div>
<p>Christina is probably closer than any other actress today to having Liz-style va-va-voom, and I enjoy seeing her on the red carpet. I hope she continues to find plenty of gorgeous dresses to wear, even if they’re not always free.</p>
<p>Remember, y’all, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisterhood_of_the_Traveling_Pants_%28film%29" target="_blank">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a>, in which one pair of jeans magically fits four girls although they have completely different measurements, is fiction! In real life, one size does not fit all. It doesn’t matter if a sample is a 0 or a 14 — it still won’t work for everyone. That’s the simple truth, not a personal attack. We’re living in a world without magic: no unicorns, good witches or supernatural denim. But, hey, at least we have <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/07/its-official-my-new-hero-is-antoine-dodson/" target="_blank">Antoine Dodson</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/05/a-devastating-day-for-eyebrow-lovers/" target="_blank">Sam Waterston’s eyebrows</a>. What!? Those things seem magical to me!</p>
<p>UPDATED TO ADD: I like the cartoon <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/08/31/stuff-no-one-told-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. It reminds me of some of the issues I raised above.</p>
<p>
</p>
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<p>Baskin-Robbins brought back my favorite ’70s ice-cream flavor, <a href="http://news.baskinrobbins.com/baskin+robbins/baskin+robbins+news/baskin+robbins+flavor+pink+bubble+gum.htm" target="_blank">Pink Bubblegum</a>, for the month of August. My goal this weekend was to get a scoop before it was too late.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_7006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-7006 " title="ice cream" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ice-cream.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goal achieved!</p></div>
<p>That is one craving I will never have again. Did this stuff always taste so bad? Damn! I still ate the whole scoop even though I cringed at every bite. (My attitude towards food is like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes" target="_blank">the old joke</a>: “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible … and such small portions.”) I felt so queasy after the ice cream that I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to take an outfit picture, so you’ll have to settle for a <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/08/outfit-post-vintage-ungaro-dress-from-frock/" target="_blank">picture of the exact same outfit in 2009:</a> the vintage Ungaro dress, the gold Louis Vuitton shoes and my Gloriana necklace.</p>
<p>Blame Baskin-Robbins!</p>

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<p>The front-page story in WWD today is “<a href="http://bit.ly/cqJiR6" target="_blank">Advertisers Go Social: Brand-Blogger Linkups Marketings’ New Rage</a>.”  Gorgeous blogger Jennine (of <a href="http://the-coveted.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Coveted</a> and <a href="http://heartifb.com/" target="_blank">Independent Fashion Bloggers</a>) is quoted extensively in the article. I’m glad the story highlighted Jennine’s “<a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/07/23/the-ifb-fair-compensation-manifesto/" target="_blank">IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto</a>” and her criticism of the <a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/08/17/how-do-bloggers-benefit-from-the-coach-poppy-project/" target="_blank">Coach Poppy ad campaign</a>, in which 334 bloggers were convinced to put Coach branding all over their blogs for free. Jennine has been a leader in helping bloggers understand that they need to get paid properly for advertising like any other media outlet does, rather than acting like total brand <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">hos</a> in return for a little free <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">merch</a>. She told WWD:</p>
<blockquote readability="3">
<p><em>“We don’t want blogging to evolve into this thing where bloggers are so starstruck by brands that they lose all objectivity — then they’re not the great thing people came to them for in the first place. Freebies may be OK, but we can’t just work for freebies and try to pass off promotional things as editorial content because it’s not fair to the readers, ourselves or the companies.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>You know what else isn’t fair? I didn’t get a photo credit in this story! The stunning photo of Jennine that WWD snagged from her blog was taken by me.</p>
<div id="attachment_6986" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.wwd.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-6986  " title="jenninewwd" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jenninewwd.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="606" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">My photo of Jennine, scanned from WWD. Woot!</p></div>
<p>Admittedly, Jennine ran back and forth setting up the shot herself, then stuck the camera in my hand and told me to press the button, but I think I did a pretty good job of that.</p>
<p>Speaking of companies and branding issues, I recently got an offer that was easy to refuse. Sears has hired itself a stylist named Francesca Mills to shill for its new shoe website. <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=134456" target="_blank">Marketing Daily says</a>:</p>
<blockquote readability="5"><p><em>“The retailer hopes its microsite, hosted by  fashion stylist Francesca Mills, will blend the feeling of blogs, social  media and commerce with more engaging — and even useful — commentary.  For example, a well-known mom blogger runs down the ins and outs of  back-to-school shoe shopping.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Sears apparently thought its shoes and my <a href="http://www.wendybrandes.com" target="_blank">limited-edition fine jewelry</a> were a match made in heaven, so I got an email from the company exclaiming that, “We would love to start new a relationship with you!” The offer didn’t seem to involve any money, just  “… sneak peeks and content every other week prior to its release. These will include up to date video and lookbook content so you can review it first and spread the word. You’ll be first to hear about contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways from Sears.”</p>
<p>I would have just deleted this mess without responding except for this bit of hilarity:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“We’ve been following your amazing fashion advice on your blog, and we think it’s great! You are always on top of the latest trends at the best prices and you understand your audience well. I absolutely LOVE your letter rings. I just bought ‘NYC’ for a friend of mine.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As those of you who have been reading my blog regularly know, the NYC rings are exclusively available for pre-order on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. Three* sets have been pre-ordered by my regular customers, none of whom work for Sears. I replied:</p>
<blockquote readability="3"><p><em>“How exciting to find that you’re a fan of my NYC rings! But I’m  concerned that your order didn’t go through, seeing as they’re only  available in one place and I don’t see your purchase reflected. If you  want to try again, please click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As you might have guessed, I didn’t get a reply or a ring order. Sears doesn’t think my participation in its branding campaign is worth the $315 a set of rings costs. The most I’m worth is, apparently, the chance to learn about a giveaway of God-knows-what. As enticing as that opportunity is, I’m going to have to pass on it because I’m not stupid. But thanks for thinking of me, y’all!</p>
<p>Those of you who really want to buy the NYC rings can click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>. Plenty of other jewelry is available too. Your orders/pre-orders will help me pay for manufacturing three new ring styles overseas. I’ve passed my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/jewels-of-the-month-new-swear-rings-for-pre-order/" target="_blank">initial fundraising goal of $7,000</a>, but that only covered two ring styles: OMG and LOLZ. I’ve since added NYC to the mix and that means I need to raise at least another $3,000 to cover what’s now a $10,000 factory minimum. The rings won’t come till late in the fall, so think ahead and order them as holiday gifts! To learn more about why I need to manufacture overseas and why it costs so much to make relatively inexpensive goods, read <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">this post from January</a>.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_6990" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran"><img class="size-full wp-image-6990   " title="gagahands" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gagahands2.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="332" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click to order NYC. GaGa rings are not for sale.</p></div>
<p>*<em>Only one pre-order for the NYC rings is reflected on Kickstarter because people who have ordered several different items can’t select multiple rewards on the Kickstarter page. I keep track of those orders behind the scenes.</em></p>

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<div id="attachment_7049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16"><img class="size-full wp-image-7049" title="jeremyscott" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg" alt="" width="306" height="464" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jeremy Scott's Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
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<p>Designer Jeremy Scott says you can!</p>
<div id="attachment_7049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16"><img class="size-full wp-image-7049" title="jeremyscott" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg" alt="" width="306" height="464" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jeremy Scott's Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
<p>The dress says “Fashion” on the back. You can follow Jeremy Scott on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/ITSJEREMYSCOTT" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

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<p>What timing! Right after <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/one-size-does-not-fit-all-deal-with-it/" target="_blank">my post about how sample sizes, by definition, don’t fit the vast majority of people</a> right off the rack, <a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html" target="_blank">Tia from The Quest for “it” posted about the sample sale</a> I had with my designing friend Zang Toi last month. Conveniently, she took a picture of Zang personally altering a red-cashmere dress sample on me. I’m so bad! I should be selling at these events, not buying, but Zang is impossible to resist.</p>
<div id="attachment_7037" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html"><img class="size-full wp-image-7037 " title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/zangandwendy.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="419" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">That's black lace on the side. Courtesy The Quest for "it"</p></div>
<p>That’s SiSi, Zang’s assistant, in the left corner of the photo. She was taking notes about the alterations.</p>
<p>This is typical of my experience with Zang’s samples. I can often get myself into them, but I can’t flounce out the door that second. In fact, Zang has offered to loan me samples for events but I can’t take him up on it because the samples don’t fit me as is. We do lots of alterations when I am buying: taking in, letting out, hemming lengths, shortening sleeves, removing sleeves, reshaping necklines and so on. The initial fit of the sample depends on the shape of the model who wore it on the runway. Do all of you know about model fittings? Gorgeous blogger Tricia of <a href="http://www.fashionherald.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Herald</a>, who has walked in fashion shows, brought that up yesterday in the comments, noting, “Not even models will fit all runway and showroom samples, which is why there are fittings before shows.”</p>
<p>The tightest Zang sample I ever put on — I couldn’t zip it, walk in it or breathe in it — had been altered for an actress. She was much thinner than any of the models, so if she’s trying to be “model-thin,” she’s doing it wrong. As for my new dress, Zang took it in at the bust, let it out at the waist, and tapered it all the way down. Even if some of you are my height, weight and dress size, the dress might not fit you because it’s tailored specifically for me. So don’t ask to borrow it! I hope to wear it to Zang’s show during Fashion Week if the weather is cool enough for cashmere.</p>

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<p>Did you know the world revolved around voluptuous <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/" target="_blank">Mad Men</a> star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/" target="_blank">Christina Hendricks</a>? Neither did I! Fortunately, I read New York Magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/christina_hendricks_struggles.html" target="_blank">The Cut blog</a>, which alerted me to the fact via a story about Hendricks that ran in the <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/08/27/christina-hendricks-designers-won-t-give-me-dresses-for-award-shows-because-i-m-a-size-14-86908-22517639/" target="_blank">The Daily Record</a> of Scotland. The Record quoted her as saying:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about  me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m  still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_7021" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><em><em><a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7021" title="joan" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/joan.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="328" /></a></em></em><p class="wp-caption-text">Christina Hendricks in character. Courtesy AMC.</p></div>
<p>Wait a minute. I’ve been out of school a long time but I seem to recall that the earth revolves around the sun and not an actress. So I better explain why a pretty, talented lady like Hendricks (who wore <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4082759/Christina-Hendricks-perfect-Emmy-dress" target="_blank">Zac Posen</a> to the Emmys on Sunday) can’t always get the loaner dress of her dreams. It’s not size-ism, despite what the Hendricks quote implies. It’s logistics.</p>
<p>The designers only have small sizes available because sample sizes are made to fit runway models. And here I will acknowledge that, yes, models are taller, thinner and more beautiful than the typical person. It’s part of the job requirement. Learn to deal with it. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your insecurities whether you’re an actress or an accountant. Not only will there always be people that are taller, thinner and more beautiful than you, there will be people who are younger, more experienced, smarter, more charming, better connected and/or — unless you are billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_billionaires" target="_blank">Carlos Slim</a> — wealthier. That’s reality.</p>
<p>Anyway, the runway samples are made to fit models who show off the clothes to store buyers and fashion editors, enabling the designers to get orders and press.  Look up “sample” in any dictionary. It’s defined as  “a portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen.” The samples represent the styles that may then be ordered in a variety of sizes.</p>
<p>People who happen to be model-sized or close can borrow the samples that represent the style.  Lucky for them. Not so lucky for the rest of us including Hendricks, whose measurements, according to The Record, are 39D-30-39. But is the fact that she’s out of luck so awful? (I’m out of luck as well. Samples are too tall for a 5’4″ woman.) For the hell of it, let’s suppose that all designers decided to make all runway samples 39D-30-39 and only hired models of that size. That would <em>still </em>exclude the majority of people. Some of us would be smaller, some of us would be larger. We have to accept the fact that we are not all the same size and never will be. (For more on the challenges of sizing, read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html" target="_blank">New York Times Magazine story</a> and the many excellent posts that <a href="http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/welcome-visitors-from-the-new-york-times/" target="_blank">Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion-Incubator</a> has done on the topic.)</p>
<p>Then, you might be wondering, why don’t designers make a range of sample sizes? Refer back to the definition of “sample.” It defeats the purpose of making a specimen or representation if you’re making the entire line.  Why should designers invest enormous amounts of time and money to make 12 versions (that number assumes they’d do U.S. sizes 0 – 22, and doesn’t take into account differences in height) of each style, including styles that might never be ordered by stores. And this would all be just in case Christina Hendricks wants to borrow one for free?</p>
<div id="attachment_7022" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://nymag.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7022" title="CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="602" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Hendricks on the cover of New York Magazine this year.</p></div>
<p>Let’s look at how this would work with jewelry. A good sample size for a ring is a 6. It’s an average size that’s likely to fit at least one finger on many women, so a customer can get an idea of what the ring would look like once it is made in her size.  Most (but not all) of my female customers fall between a 5 and an 8 when it comes to ring sizes. I do rings in quarter sizes, so to cover sizes 5 through 8 — while discriminating against my poor 4 3/4 and 8 1/4 ladies — I would have to do 13 sizes of each style in order to have a ring ready to go for nearly anyone who walks in the door. That could easily cost me $100,000 per style.  Ridiculous! That’s why I just do a single ring for people to view and order in their own size.</p>
<p>I would love to get a ring on Christina Hendricks. If she tries on my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226" target="_blank">gold-and-diamond Borgia poison ring</a> in sample size 6 and it fits her, I’d be glad to loan it to her for an evening. I haven’t seen a single episode of Mad Men, but I liked her two-episode arc on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, so why not?</p>
<div id="attachment_7023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226"><img class="size-full wp-image-7023" title="bigBorgia Gold Ring_Zoom" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bigBorgia-Gold-Ring_Zoom.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Borgia poison ring shown open and closed. Click to shop. </p></div>
<p>If the sample doesn’t fit her, I’d be delighted to custom-make a ring in her size. Of course, she’d have to pay for that. If I started making free rings for everyone who wanted them, I’d go broke in less time than it is taking me to write this post. Duh! Everyone wants free stuff! Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, having a dress/purse/ring seen on a celebrity doesn’t always translate to big sales. Press is good for overall brand recognition, but there are times it doesn’t move a single unit. If you’re not going to be compensated for your work by the customer AND the customer isn’t guaranteed to generate sales, does it seem like a smart idea to start making special things and giving them away to every person who thinks the world revolves around him or her? If common sense isn’t providing the answer to you right now, you might want to reread my posts <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Manufacturing)</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/03/get-smart-about-custom-work/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Custom Work)</a> about the costs of production.</p>
<p>Remember, I’m just talking about sample sizes and loaners here. If Christina’s complaint was, “I walk into stores and they don’t have my size,” I wouldn’t be writing anything like this because that is a legitimate complaint and entirely different from the sample size issue. I’m not saying that women of a certain size shouldn’t have access to great clothes. They should. Support the designers who do offer a wide range of sizes! My designing friend <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/category/zang-toi/" target="_blank">Zang Toi</a> has customers of all sizes and ages. They choose from his tiny runway samples and he makes their pieces to order.  Stacy Lomman of <a href="http://taffetadarlings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">taffetadarlings</a> took the unusual step of pre-selling her samples in order to raise money for her first show via Kickstarter (you can still contribute <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401920628/luanch-a-label-at-ny-fashion-week-hot-new-designer" target="_blank">here</a>). She’s currently fitting the dresses to the models. After, she’ll resize the dresses to fit the people who bought them. A few dresses will have to be made from scratch, costing her extra money. But, if her models were 39D-30-39, the same thing would be happening. Repeat after me until you learn it by heart: one size does not fit all, bitches!</p>
<p>What could Christina Hendricks do to get around her free dress problem? I’d recommend that she stops worrying about freebies and instead becomes a valued paying customer. Any designer is more inclined to whip up special pieces for reasonable prices for customers with good track records. It’s great to have a working relationship with a designer, as my  customers can attest, and I’d say the same of buying clothes from Zang and  Stacy. It’s not as if the free-dress phenomenon (which I’m not against because, as I said, it is good for branding) is an ancient tradition that must be respected. My Facebook friend <a href="http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeffrey</a>, a fashion-industry veteran, notes, “I sold many dresses to many of  the Dynasty and Dallas girls  way back when —and yeah we gave them a  deal but it was by no means free.” Gorgeous blogger Madeleine of <a href="http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In New York Paris Tomorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109203,00.html" target="_blank">another retailing vet</a>, says, “Sad days for indie shops: we used to SELL these things, and the shoes and  the bag and the jewels. Still trying to understand the Swag Parties for  the Emmys etc … and … we didn’t give deals (although friends  could borrow our own pieces).”</p>
<p>Finally, for those who can afford it, buying is every bit as glamorous than borrowing, if not more so. As Jeffrey points out, “Elizabeth Taylor wore her own jewelry, her own clothes,  had no stylist  and was still every inch a star.”</p>
<div id="attachment_7024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/widgets/mediaViewer/image?id=4250822"><img class="size-full wp-image-7024" title="liztaylor" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liztaylor.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="411" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Oscars in 1970. Burton bought her the 69-carat diamond she's wearing.</p></div>
<p>Christina is probably closer than any other actress today to having Liz-style va-va-voom, and I enjoy seeing her on the red carpet. I hope she continues to find plenty of gorgeous dresses to wear, even if they’re not always free.</p>
<p>Remember, y’all, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisterhood_of_the_Traveling_Pants_%28film%29" target="_blank">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a>, in which one pair of jeans magically fits four girls although they have completely different measurements, is fiction! In real life, one size does not fit all. It doesn’t matter if a sample is a 0 or a 14 — it still won’t work for everyone. That’s the simple truth, not a personal attack. We’re living in a world without magic: no unicorns, good witches or supernatural denim. But, hey, at least we have <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/07/its-official-my-new-hero-is-antoine-dodson/" target="_blank">Antoine Dodson</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/05/a-devastating-day-for-eyebrow-lovers/" target="_blank">Sam Waterston’s eyebrows</a>. What!? Those things seem magical to me!</p>
<p>UPDATED TO ADD: I like the cartoon <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/08/31/stuff-no-one-told-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. It reminds me of some of the issues I raised above.</p>
<p>
</p>
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<p>Baskin-Robbins brought back my favorite ’70s ice-cream flavor, <a href="http://news.baskinrobbins.com/baskin+robbins/baskin+robbins+news/baskin+robbins+flavor+pink+bubble+gum.htm" target="_blank">Pink Bubblegum</a>, for the month of August. My goal this weekend was to get a scoop before it was too late.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_7006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-7006 " title="ice cream" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ice-cream.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goal achieved!</p></div>
<p>That is one craving I will never have again. Did this stuff always taste so bad? Damn! I still ate the whole scoop even though I cringed at every bite. (My attitude towards food is like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes" target="_blank">the old joke</a>: “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible … and such small portions.”) I felt so queasy after the ice cream that I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to take an outfit picture, so you’ll have to settle for a <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/08/outfit-post-vintage-ungaro-dress-from-frock/" target="_blank">picture of the exact same outfit in 2009:</a> the vintage Ungaro dress, the gold Louis Vuitton shoes and my Gloriana necklace.</p>
<p>Blame Baskin-Robbins!</p>

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<p>The front-page story in WWD today is “<a href="http://bit.ly/cqJiR6" target="_blank">Advertisers Go Social: Brand-Blogger Linkups Marketings’ New Rage</a>.”  Gorgeous blogger Jennine (of <a href="http://the-coveted.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Coveted</a> and <a href="http://heartifb.com/" target="_blank">Independent Fashion Bloggers</a>) is quoted extensively in the article. I’m glad the story highlighted Jennine’s “<a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/07/23/the-ifb-fair-compensation-manifesto/" target="_blank">IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto</a>” and her criticism of the <a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/08/17/how-do-bloggers-benefit-from-the-coach-poppy-project/" target="_blank">Coach Poppy ad campaign</a>, in which 334 bloggers were convinced to put Coach branding all over their blogs for free. Jennine has been a leader in helping bloggers understand that they need to get paid properly for advertising like any other media outlet does, rather than acting like total brand <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">hos</a> in return for a little free <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">merch</a>. She told WWD:</p>
<blockquote readability="3">
<p><em>“We don’t want blogging to evolve into this thing where bloggers are so starstruck by brands that they lose all objectivity — then they’re not the great thing people came to them for in the first place. Freebies may be OK, but we can’t just work for freebies and try to pass off promotional things as editorial content because it’s not fair to the readers, ourselves or the companies.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>You know what else isn’t fair? I didn’t get a photo credit in this story! The stunning photo of Jennine that WWD snagged from her blog was taken by me.</p>
<div id="attachment_6986" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.wwd.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-6986  " title="jenninewwd" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jenninewwd.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="606" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">My photo of Jennine, scanned from WWD. Woot!</p></div>
<p>Admittedly, Jennine ran back and forth setting up the shot herself, then stuck the camera in my hand and told me to press the button, but I think I did a pretty good job of that.</p>
<p>Speaking of companies and branding issues, I recently got an offer that was easy to refuse. Sears has hired itself a stylist named Francesca Mills to shill for its new shoe website. <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=134456" target="_blank">Marketing Daily says</a>:</p>
<blockquote readability="5"><p><em>“The retailer hopes its microsite, hosted by  fashion stylist Francesca Mills, will blend the feeling of blogs, social  media and commerce with more engaging — and even useful — commentary.  For example, a well-known mom blogger runs down the ins and outs of  back-to-school shoe shopping.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Sears apparently thought its shoes and my <a href="http://www.wendybrandes.com" target="_blank">limited-edition fine jewelry</a> were a match made in heaven, so I got an email from the company exclaiming that, “We would love to start new a relationship with you!” The offer didn’t seem to involve any money, just  “… sneak peeks and content every other week prior to its release. These will include up to date video and lookbook content so you can review it first and spread the word. You’ll be first to hear about contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways from Sears.”</p>
<p>I would have just deleted this mess without responding except for this bit of hilarity:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“We’ve been following your amazing fashion advice on your blog, and we think it’s great! You are always on top of the latest trends at the best prices and you understand your audience well. I absolutely LOVE your letter rings. I just bought ‘NYC’ for a friend of mine.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As those of you who have been reading my blog regularly know, the NYC rings are exclusively available for pre-order on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. Three* sets have been pre-ordered by my regular customers, none of whom work for Sears. I replied:</p>
<blockquote readability="3"><p><em>“How exciting to find that you’re a fan of my NYC rings! But I’m  concerned that your order didn’t go through, seeing as they’re only  available in one place and I don’t see your purchase reflected. If you  want to try again, please click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As you might have guessed, I didn’t get a reply or a ring order. Sears doesn’t think my participation in its branding campaign is worth the $315 a set of rings costs. The most I’m worth is, apparently, the chance to learn about a giveaway of God-knows-what. As enticing as that opportunity is, I’m going to have to pass on it because I’m not stupid. But thanks for thinking of me, y’all!</p>
<p>Those of you who really want to buy the NYC rings can click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>. Plenty of other jewelry is available too. Your orders/pre-orders will help me pay for manufacturing three new ring styles overseas. I’ve passed my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/jewels-of-the-month-new-swear-rings-for-pre-order/" target="_blank">initial fundraising goal of $7,000</a>, but that only covered two ring styles: OMG and LOLZ. I’ve since added NYC to the mix and that means I need to raise at least another $3,000 to cover what’s now a $10,000 factory minimum. The rings won’t come till late in the fall, so think ahead and order them as holiday gifts! To learn more about why I need to manufacture overseas and why it costs so much to make relatively inexpensive goods, read <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">this post from January</a>.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_6990" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran"><img class="size-full wp-image-6990   " title="gagahands" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gagahands2.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="332" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click to order NYC. GaGa rings are not for sale.</p></div>
<p>*<em>Only one pre-order for the NYC rings is reflected on Kickstarter because people who have ordered several different items can’t select multiple rewards on the Kickstarter page. I keep track of those orders behind the scenes.</em></p>

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<p>Designer Jeremy Scott says you can!</p>
<div id="attachment_7049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16"><img class="size-full wp-image-7049" title="jeremyscott" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg" alt="" width="306" height="464" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jeremy Scott's Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
<p>The dress says “Fashion” on the back. You can follow Jeremy Scott on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/ITSJEREMYSCOTT" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

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<p>What timing! Right after <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/one-size-does-not-fit-all-deal-with-it/" target="_blank">my post about how sample sizes, by definition, don’t fit the vast majority of people</a> right off the rack, <a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html" target="_blank">Tia from The Quest for “it” posted about the sample sale</a> I had with my designing friend Zang Toi last month. Conveniently, she took a picture of Zang personally altering a red-cashmere dress sample on me. I’m so bad! I should be selling at these events, not buying, but Zang is impossible to resist.</p>
<div id="attachment_7037" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html"><img class="size-full wp-image-7037 " title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/zangandwendy.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="419" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">That's black lace on the side. Courtesy The Quest for "it"</p></div>
<p>That’s SiSi, Zang’s assistant, in the left corner of the photo. She was taking notes about the alterations.</p>
<p>This is typical of my experience with Zang’s samples. I can often get myself into them, but I can’t flounce out the door that second. In fact, Zang has offered to loan me samples for events but I can’t take him up on it because the samples don’t fit me as is. We do lots of alterations when I am buying: taking in, letting out, hemming lengths, shortening sleeves, removing sleeves, reshaping necklines and so on. The initial fit of the sample depends on the shape of the model who wore it on the runway. Do all of you know about model fittings? Gorgeous blogger Tricia of <a href="http://www.fashionherald.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Herald</a>, who has walked in fashion shows, brought that up yesterday in the comments, noting, “Not even models will fit all runway and showroom samples, which is why there are fittings before shows.”</p>
<p>The tightest Zang sample I ever put on — I couldn’t zip it, walk in it or breathe in it — had been altered for an actress. She was much thinner than any of the models, so if she’s trying to be “model-thin,” she’s doing it wrong. As for my new dress, Zang took it in at the bust, let it out at the waist, and tapered it all the way down. Even if some of you are my height, weight and dress size, the dress might not fit you because it’s tailored specifically for me. So don’t ask to borrow it! I hope to wear it to Zang’s show during Fashion Week if the weather is cool enough for cashmere.</p>

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<p>Did you know the world revolved around voluptuous <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/" target="_blank">Mad Men</a> star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/" target="_blank">Christina Hendricks</a>? Neither did I! Fortunately, I read New York Magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/christina_hendricks_struggles.html" target="_blank">The Cut blog</a>, which alerted me to the fact via a story about Hendricks that ran in the <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/08/27/christina-hendricks-designers-won-t-give-me-dresses-for-award-shows-because-i-m-a-size-14-86908-22517639/" target="_blank">The Daily Record</a> of Scotland. The Record quoted her as saying:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about  me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m  still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_7021" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><em><em><a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7021" title="joan" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/joan.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="328" /></a></em></em><p class="wp-caption-text">Christina Hendricks in character. Courtesy AMC.</p></div>
<p>Wait a minute. I’ve been out of school a long time but I seem to recall that the earth revolves around the sun and not an actress. So I better explain why a pretty, talented lady like Hendricks (who wore <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4082759/Christina-Hendricks-perfect-Emmy-dress" target="_blank">Zac Posen</a> to the Emmys on Sunday) can’t always get the loaner dress of her dreams. It’s not size-ism, despite what the Hendricks quote implies. It’s logistics.</p>
<p>The designers only have small sizes available because sample sizes are made to fit runway models. And here I will acknowledge that, yes, models are taller, thinner and more beautiful than the typical person. It’s part of the job requirement. Learn to deal with it. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your insecurities whether you’re an actress or an accountant. Not only will there always be people that are taller, thinner and more beautiful than you, there will be people who are younger, more experienced, smarter, more charming, better connected and/or — unless you are billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_billionaires" target="_blank">Carlos Slim</a> — wealthier. That’s reality.</p>
<p>Anyway, the runway samples are made to fit models who show off the clothes to store buyers and fashion editors, enabling the designers to get orders and press.  Look up “sample” in any dictionary. It’s defined as  “a portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen.” The samples represent the styles that may then be ordered in a variety of sizes.</p>
<p>People who happen to be model-sized or close can borrow the samples that represent the style.  Lucky for them. Not so lucky for the rest of us including Hendricks, whose measurements, according to The Record, are 39D-30-39. But is the fact that she’s out of luck so awful? (I’m out of luck as well. Samples are too tall for a 5’4″ woman.) For the hell of it, let’s suppose that all designers decided to make all runway samples 39D-30-39 and only hired models of that size. That would <em>still </em>exclude the majority of people. Some of us would be smaller, some of us would be larger. We have to accept the fact that we are not all the same size and never will be. (For more on the challenges of sizing, read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html" target="_blank">New York Times Magazine story</a> and the many excellent posts that <a href="http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/welcome-visitors-from-the-new-york-times/" target="_blank">Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion-Incubator</a> has done on the topic.)</p>
<p>Then, you might be wondering, why don’t designers make a range of sample sizes? Refer back to the definition of “sample.” It defeats the purpose of making a specimen or representation if you’re making the entire line.  Why should designers invest enormous amounts of time and money to make 12 versions (that number assumes they’d do U.S. sizes 0 – 22, and doesn’t take into account differences in height) of each style, including styles that might never be ordered by stores. And this would all be just in case Christina Hendricks wants to borrow one for free?</p>
<div id="attachment_7022" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://nymag.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7022" title="CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="602" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Hendricks on the cover of New York Magazine this year.</p></div>
<p>Let’s look at how this would work with jewelry. A good sample size for a ring is a 6. It’s an average size that’s likely to fit at least one finger on many women, so a customer can get an idea of what the ring would look like once it is made in her size.  Most (but not all) of my female customers fall between a 5 and an 8 when it comes to ring sizes. I do rings in quarter sizes, so to cover sizes 5 through 8 — while discriminating against my poor 4 3/4 and 8 1/4 ladies — I would have to do 13 sizes of each style in order to have a ring ready to go for nearly anyone who walks in the door. That could easily cost me $100,000 per style.  Ridiculous! That’s why I just do a single ring for people to view and order in their own size.</p>
<p>I would love to get a ring on Christina Hendricks. If she tries on my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226" target="_blank">gold-and-diamond Borgia poison ring</a> in sample size 6 and it fits her, I’d be glad to loan it to her for an evening. I haven’t seen a single episode of Mad Men, but I liked her two-episode arc on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, so why not?</p>
<div id="attachment_7023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226"><img class="size-full wp-image-7023" title="bigBorgia Gold Ring_Zoom" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bigBorgia-Gold-Ring_Zoom.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Borgia poison ring shown open and closed. Click to shop. </p></div>
<p>If the sample doesn’t fit her, I’d be delighted to custom-make a ring in her size. Of course, she’d have to pay for that. If I started making free rings for everyone who wanted them, I’d go broke in less time than it is taking me to write this post. Duh! Everyone wants free stuff! Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, having a dress/purse/ring seen on a celebrity doesn’t always translate to big sales. Press is good for overall brand recognition, but there are times it doesn’t move a single unit. If you’re not going to be compensated for your work by the customer AND the customer isn’t guaranteed to generate sales, does it seem like a smart idea to start making special things and giving them away to every person who thinks the world revolves around him or her? If common sense isn’t providing the answer to you right now, you might want to reread my posts <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Manufacturing)</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/03/get-smart-about-custom-work/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Custom Work)</a> about the costs of production.</p>
<p>Remember, I’m just talking about sample sizes and loaners here. If Christina’s complaint was, “I walk into stores and they don’t have my size,” I wouldn’t be writing anything like this because that is a legitimate complaint and entirely different from the sample size issue. I’m not saying that women of a certain size shouldn’t have access to great clothes. They should. Support the designers who do offer a wide range of sizes! My designing friend <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/category/zang-toi/" target="_blank">Zang Toi</a> has customers of all sizes and ages. They choose from his tiny runway samples and he makes their pieces to order.  Stacy Lomman of <a href="http://taffetadarlings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">taffetadarlings</a> took the unusual step of pre-selling her samples in order to raise money for her first show via Kickstarter (you can still contribute <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401920628/luanch-a-label-at-ny-fashion-week-hot-new-designer" target="_blank">here</a>). She’s currently fitting the dresses to the models. After, she’ll resize the dresses to fit the people who bought them. A few dresses will have to be made from scratch, costing her extra money. But, if her models were 39D-30-39, the same thing would be happening. Repeat after me until you learn it by heart: one size does not fit all, bitches!</p>
<p>What could Christina Hendricks do to get around her free dress problem? I’d recommend that she stops worrying about freebies and instead becomes a valued paying customer. Any designer is more inclined to whip up special pieces for reasonable prices for customers with good track records. It’s great to have a working relationship with a designer, as my  customers can attest, and I’d say the same of buying clothes from Zang and  Stacy. It’s not as if the free-dress phenomenon (which I’m not against because, as I said, it is good for branding) is an ancient tradition that must be respected. My Facebook friend <a href="http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeffrey</a>, a fashion-industry veteran, notes, “I sold many dresses to many of  the Dynasty and Dallas girls  way back when —and yeah we gave them a  deal but it was by no means free.” Gorgeous blogger Madeleine of <a href="http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In New York Paris Tomorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109203,00.html" target="_blank">another retailing vet</a>, says, “Sad days for indie shops: we used to SELL these things, and the shoes and  the bag and the jewels. Still trying to understand the Swag Parties for  the Emmys etc … and … we didn’t give deals (although friends  could borrow our own pieces).”</p>
<p>Finally, for those who can afford it, buying is every bit as glamorous than borrowing, if not more so. As Jeffrey points out, “Elizabeth Taylor wore her own jewelry, her own clothes,  had no stylist  and was still every inch a star.”</p>
<div id="attachment_7024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/widgets/mediaViewer/image?id=4250822"><img class="size-full wp-image-7024" title="liztaylor" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liztaylor.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="411" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Oscars in 1970. Burton bought her the 69-carat diamond she's wearing.</p></div>
<p>Christina is probably closer than any other actress today to having Liz-style va-va-voom, and I enjoy seeing her on the red carpet. I hope she continues to find plenty of gorgeous dresses to wear, even if they’re not always free.</p>
<p>Remember, y’all, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisterhood_of_the_Traveling_Pants_%28film%29" target="_blank">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a>, in which one pair of jeans magically fits four girls although they have completely different measurements, is fiction! In real life, one size does not fit all. It doesn’t matter if a sample is a 0 or a 14 — it still won’t work for everyone. That’s the simple truth, not a personal attack. We’re living in a world without magic: no unicorns, good witches or supernatural denim. But, hey, at least we have <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/07/its-official-my-new-hero-is-antoine-dodson/" target="_blank">Antoine Dodson</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/05/a-devastating-day-for-eyebrow-lovers/" target="_blank">Sam Waterston’s eyebrows</a>. What!? Those things seem magical to me!</p>
<p>UPDATED TO ADD: I like the cartoon <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/08/31/stuff-no-one-told-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. It reminds me of some of the issues I raised above.</p>
<p>
</p>
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<p>Baskin-Robbins brought back my favorite ’70s ice-cream flavor, <a href="http://news.baskinrobbins.com/baskin+robbins/baskin+robbins+news/baskin+robbins+flavor+pink+bubble+gum.htm" target="_blank">Pink Bubblegum</a>, for the month of August. My goal this weekend was to get a scoop before it was too late.</p>
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</p><div id="attachment_7006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-7006 " title="ice cream" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ice-cream.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goal achieved!</p></div>
<p>That is one craving I will never have again. Did this stuff always taste so bad? Damn! I still ate the whole scoop even though I cringed at every bite. (My attitude towards food is like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes" target="_blank">the old joke</a>: “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible … and such small portions.”) I felt so queasy after the ice cream that I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to take an outfit picture, so you’ll have to settle for a <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/08/outfit-post-vintage-ungaro-dress-from-frock/" target="_blank">picture of the exact same outfit in 2009:</a> the vintage Ungaro dress, the gold Louis Vuitton shoes and my Gloriana necklace.</p>
<p>Blame Baskin-Robbins!</p>

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<p>The front-page story in WWD today is “<a href="http://bit.ly/cqJiR6" target="_blank">Advertisers Go Social: Brand-Blogger Linkups Marketings’ New Rage</a>.”  Gorgeous blogger Jennine (of <a href="http://the-coveted.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Coveted</a> and <a href="http://heartifb.com/" target="_blank">Independent Fashion Bloggers</a>) is quoted extensively in the article. I’m glad the story highlighted Jennine’s “<a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/07/23/the-ifb-fair-compensation-manifesto/" target="_blank">IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto</a>” and her criticism of the <a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/08/17/how-do-bloggers-benefit-from-the-coach-poppy-project/" target="_blank">Coach Poppy ad campaign</a>, in which 334 bloggers were convinced to put Coach branding all over their blogs for free. Jennine has been a leader in helping bloggers understand that they need to get paid properly for advertising like any other media outlet does, rather than acting like total brand <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">hos</a> in return for a little free <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">merch</a>. She told WWD:</p>
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<p>You know what else isn’t fair? I didn’t get a photo credit in this story! The stunning photo of Jennine that WWD snagged from her blog was taken by me.</p>
<div id="attachment_6986" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.wwd.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-6986  " title="jenninewwd" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jenninewwd.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="606" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">My photo of Jennine, scanned from WWD. Woot!</p></div>
<p>Admittedly, Jennine ran back and forth setting up the shot herself, then stuck the camera in my hand and told me to press the button, but I think I did a pretty good job of that.</p>
<p>Speaking of companies and branding issues, I recently got an offer that was easy to refuse. Sears has hired itself a stylist named Francesca Mills to shill for its new shoe website. <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=134456" target="_blank">Marketing Daily says</a>:</p>
<blockquote readability="5"><p><em>“The retailer hopes its microsite, hosted by  fashion stylist Francesca Mills, will blend the feeling of blogs, social  media and commerce with more engaging — and even useful — commentary.  For example, a well-known mom blogger runs down the ins and outs of  back-to-school shoe shopping.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Sears apparently thought its shoes and my <a href="http://www.wendybrandes.com" target="_blank">limited-edition fine jewelry</a> were a match made in heaven, so I got an email from the company exclaiming that, “We would love to start new a relationship with you!” The offer didn’t seem to involve any money, just  “… sneak peeks and content every other week prior to its release. These will include up to date video and lookbook content so you can review it first and spread the word. You’ll be first to hear about contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways from Sears.”</p>
<p>I would have just deleted this mess without responding except for this bit of hilarity:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“We’ve been following your amazing fashion advice on your blog, and we think it’s great! You are always on top of the latest trends at the best prices and you understand your audience well. I absolutely LOVE your letter rings. I just bought ‘NYC’ for a friend of mine.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As those of you who have been reading my blog regularly know, the NYC rings are exclusively available for pre-order on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. Three* sets have been pre-ordered by my regular customers, none of whom work for Sears. I replied:</p>
<blockquote readability="3"><p><em>“How exciting to find that you’re a fan of my NYC rings! But I’m  concerned that your order didn’t go through, seeing as they’re only  available in one place and I don’t see your purchase reflected. If you  want to try again, please click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As you might have guessed, I didn’t get a reply or a ring order. Sears doesn’t think my participation in its branding campaign is worth the $315 a set of rings costs. The most I’m worth is, apparently, the chance to learn about a giveaway of God-knows-what. As enticing as that opportunity is, I’m going to have to pass on it because I’m not stupid. But thanks for thinking of me, y’all!</p>
<p>Those of you who really want to buy the NYC rings can click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>. Plenty of other jewelry is available too. Your orders/pre-orders will help me pay for manufacturing three new ring styles overseas. I’ve passed my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/jewels-of-the-month-new-swear-rings-for-pre-order/" target="_blank">initial fundraising goal of $7,000</a>, but that only covered two ring styles: OMG and LOLZ. I’ve since added NYC to the mix and that means I need to raise at least another $3,000 to cover what’s now a $10,000 factory minimum. The rings won’t come till late in the fall, so think ahead and order them as holiday gifts! To learn more about why I need to manufacture overseas and why it costs so much to make relatively inexpensive goods, read <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">this post from January</a>.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_6990" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran"><img class="size-full wp-image-6990   " title="gagahands" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gagahands2.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="332" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click to order NYC. GaGa rings are not for sale.</p></div>
<p>*<em>Only one pre-order for the NYC rings is reflected on Kickstarter because people who have ordered several different items can’t select multiple rewards on the Kickstarter page. I keep track of those orders behind the scenes.</em></p>

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<div id="attachment_7049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16"><img class="size-full wp-image-7049" title="jeremyscott" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg" alt="" width="306" height="464" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jeremy Scott's Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
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<p>What timing! Right after <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/one-size-does-not-fit-all-deal-with-it/" target="_blank">my post about how sample sizes, by definition, don’t fit the vast majority of people</a> right off the rack, <a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html" target="_blank">Tia from The Quest for “it” posted about the sample sale</a> I had with my designing friend Zang Toi last month. Conveniently, she took a picture of Zang personally altering a red-cashmere dress sample on me. I’m so bad! I should be selling at these events, not buying, but Zang is impossible to resist.</p>
<div id="attachment_7037" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html"><img class="size-full wp-image-7037 " title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/zangandwendy.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="419" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">That's black lace on the side. Courtesy The Quest for "it"</p></div>
<p>That’s SiSi, Zang’s assistant, in the left corner of the photo. She was taking notes about the alterations.</p>
<p>This is typical of my experience with Zang’s samples. I can often get myself into them, but I can’t flounce out the door that second. In fact, Zang has offered to loan me samples for events but I can’t take him up on it because the samples don’t fit me as is. We do lots of alterations when I am buying: taking in, letting out, hemming lengths, shortening sleeves, removing sleeves, reshaping necklines and so on. The initial fit of the sample depends on the shape of the model who wore it on the runway. Do all of you know about model fittings? Gorgeous blogger Tricia of <a href="http://www.fashionherald.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Herald</a>, who has walked in fashion shows, brought that up yesterday in the comments, noting, “Not even models will fit all runway and showroom samples, which is why there are fittings before shows.”</p>
<p>The tightest Zang sample I ever put on — I couldn’t zip it, walk in it or breathe in it — had been altered for an actress. She was much thinner than any of the models, so if she’s trying to be “model-thin,” she’s doing it wrong. As for my new dress, Zang took it in at the bust, let it out at the waist, and tapered it all the way down. Even if some of you are my height, weight and dress size, the dress might not fit you because it’s tailored specifically for me. So don’t ask to borrow it! I hope to wear it to Zang’s show during Fashion Week if the weather is cool enough for cashmere.</p>

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<p>Did you know the world revolved around voluptuous <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/" target="_blank">Mad Men</a> star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/" target="_blank">Christina Hendricks</a>? Neither did I! Fortunately, I read New York Magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/christina_hendricks_struggles.html" target="_blank">The Cut blog</a>, which alerted me to the fact via a story about Hendricks that ran in the <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/08/27/christina-hendricks-designers-won-t-give-me-dresses-for-award-shows-because-i-m-a-size-14-86908-22517639/" target="_blank">The Daily Record</a> of Scotland. The Record quoted her as saying:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about  me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m  still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_7021" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><em><em><a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7021" title="joan" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/joan.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="328" /></a></em></em><p class="wp-caption-text">Christina Hendricks in character. Courtesy AMC.</p></div>
<p>Wait a minute. I’ve been out of school a long time but I seem to recall that the earth revolves around the sun and not an actress. So I better explain why a pretty, talented lady like Hendricks (who wore <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4082759/Christina-Hendricks-perfect-Emmy-dress" target="_blank">Zac Posen</a> to the Emmys on Sunday) can’t always get the loaner dress of her dreams. It’s not size-ism, despite what the Hendricks quote implies. It’s logistics.</p>
<p>The designers only have small sizes available because sample sizes are made to fit runway models. And here I will acknowledge that, yes, models are taller, thinner and more beautiful than the typical person. It’s part of the job requirement. Learn to deal with it. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your insecurities whether you’re an actress or an accountant. Not only will there always be people that are taller, thinner and more beautiful than you, there will be people who are younger, more experienced, smarter, more charming, better connected and/or — unless you are billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_billionaires" target="_blank">Carlos Slim</a> — wealthier. That’s reality.</p>
<p>Anyway, the runway samples are made to fit models who show off the clothes to store buyers and fashion editors, enabling the designers to get orders and press.  Look up “sample” in any dictionary. It’s defined as  “a portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen.” The samples represent the styles that may then be ordered in a variety of sizes.</p>
<p>People who happen to be model-sized or close can borrow the samples that represent the style.  Lucky for them. Not so lucky for the rest of us including Hendricks, whose measurements, according to The Record, are 39D-30-39. But is the fact that she’s out of luck so awful? (I’m out of luck as well. Samples are too tall for a 5’4″ woman.) For the hell of it, let’s suppose that all designers decided to make all runway samples 39D-30-39 and only hired models of that size. That would <em>still </em>exclude the majority of people. Some of us would be smaller, some of us would be larger. We have to accept the fact that we are not all the same size and never will be. (For more on the challenges of sizing, read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html" target="_blank">New York Times Magazine story</a> and the many excellent posts that <a href="http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/welcome-visitors-from-the-new-york-times/" target="_blank">Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion-Incubator</a> has done on the topic.)</p>
<p>Then, you might be wondering, why don’t designers make a range of sample sizes? Refer back to the definition of “sample.” It defeats the purpose of making a specimen or representation if you’re making the entire line.  Why should designers invest enormous amounts of time and money to make 12 versions (that number assumes they’d do U.S. sizes 0 – 22, and doesn’t take into account differences in height) of each style, including styles that might never be ordered by stores. And this would all be just in case Christina Hendricks wants to borrow one for free?</p>
<div id="attachment_7022" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://nymag.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7022" title="CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="602" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Hendricks on the cover of New York Magazine this year.</p></div>
<p>Let’s look at how this would work with jewelry. A good sample size for a ring is a 6. It’s an average size that’s likely to fit at least one finger on many women, so a customer can get an idea of what the ring would look like once it is made in her size.  Most (but not all) of my female customers fall between a 5 and an 8 when it comes to ring sizes. I do rings in quarter sizes, so to cover sizes 5 through 8 — while discriminating against my poor 4 3/4 and 8 1/4 ladies — I would have to do 13 sizes of each style in order to have a ring ready to go for nearly anyone who walks in the door. That could easily cost me $100,000 per style.  Ridiculous! That’s why I just do a single ring for people to view and order in their own size.</p>
<p>I would love to get a ring on Christina Hendricks. If she tries on my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226" target="_blank">gold-and-diamond Borgia poison ring</a> in sample size 6 and it fits her, I’d be glad to loan it to her for an evening. I haven’t seen a single episode of Mad Men, but I liked her two-episode arc on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, so why not?</p>
<div id="attachment_7023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226"><img class="size-full wp-image-7023" title="bigBorgia Gold Ring_Zoom" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bigBorgia-Gold-Ring_Zoom.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Borgia poison ring shown open and closed. Click to shop. </p></div>
<p>If the sample doesn’t fit her, I’d be delighted to custom-make a ring in her size. Of course, she’d have to pay for that. If I started making free rings for everyone who wanted them, I’d go broke in less time than it is taking me to write this post. Duh! Everyone wants free stuff! Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, having a dress/purse/ring seen on a celebrity doesn’t always translate to big sales. Press is good for overall brand recognition, but there are times it doesn’t move a single unit. If you’re not going to be compensated for your work by the customer AND the customer isn’t guaranteed to generate sales, does it seem like a smart idea to start making special things and giving them away to every person who thinks the world revolves around him or her? If common sense isn’t providing the answer to you right now, you might want to reread my posts <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Manufacturing)</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/03/get-smart-about-custom-work/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Custom Work)</a> about the costs of production.</p>
<p>Remember, I’m just talking about sample sizes and loaners here. If Christina’s complaint was, “I walk into stores and they don’t have my size,” I wouldn’t be writing anything like this because that is a legitimate complaint and entirely different from the sample size issue. I’m not saying that women of a certain size shouldn’t have access to great clothes. They should. Support the designers who do offer a wide range of sizes! My designing friend <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/category/zang-toi/" target="_blank">Zang Toi</a> has customers of all sizes and ages. They choose from his tiny runway samples and he makes their pieces to order.  Stacy Lomman of <a href="http://taffetadarlings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">taffetadarlings</a> took the unusual step of pre-selling her samples in order to raise money for her first show via Kickstarter (you can still contribute <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401920628/luanch-a-label-at-ny-fashion-week-hot-new-designer" target="_blank">here</a>). She’s currently fitting the dresses to the models. After, she’ll resize the dresses to fit the people who bought them. A few dresses will have to be made from scratch, costing her extra money. But, if her models were 39D-30-39, the same thing would be happening. Repeat after me until you learn it by heart: one size does not fit all, bitches!</p>
<p>What could Christina Hendricks do to get around her free dress problem? I’d recommend that she stops worrying about freebies and instead becomes a valued paying customer. Any designer is more inclined to whip up special pieces for reasonable prices for customers with good track records. It’s great to have a working relationship with a designer, as my  customers can attest, and I’d say the same of buying clothes from Zang and  Stacy. It’s not as if the free-dress phenomenon (which I’m not against because, as I said, it is good for branding) is an ancient tradition that must be respected. My Facebook friend <a href="http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeffrey</a>, a fashion-industry veteran, notes, “I sold many dresses to many of  the Dynasty and Dallas girls  way back when —and yeah we gave them a  deal but it was by no means free.” Gorgeous blogger Madeleine of <a href="http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In New York Paris Tomorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109203,00.html" target="_blank">another retailing vet</a>, says, “Sad days for indie shops: we used to SELL these things, and the shoes and  the bag and the jewels. Still trying to understand the Swag Parties for  the Emmys etc … and … we didn’t give deals (although friends  could borrow our own pieces).”</p>
<p>Finally, for those who can afford it, buying is every bit as glamorous than borrowing, if not more so. As Jeffrey points out, “Elizabeth Taylor wore her own jewelry, her own clothes,  had no stylist  and was still every inch a star.”</p>
<div id="attachment_7024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/widgets/mediaViewer/image?id=4250822"><img class="size-full wp-image-7024" title="liztaylor" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liztaylor.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="411" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Oscars in 1970. Burton bought her the 69-carat diamond she's wearing.</p></div>
<p>Christina is probably closer than any other actress today to having Liz-style va-va-voom, and I enjoy seeing her on the red carpet. I hope she continues to find plenty of gorgeous dresses to wear, even if they’re not always free.</p>
<p>Remember, y’all, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisterhood_of_the_Traveling_Pants_%28film%29" target="_blank">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a>, in which one pair of jeans magically fits four girls although they have completely different measurements, is fiction! In real life, one size does not fit all. It doesn’t matter if a sample is a 0 or a 14 — it still won’t work for everyone. That’s the simple truth, not a personal attack. We’re living in a world without magic: no unicorns, good witches or supernatural denim. But, hey, at least we have <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/07/its-official-my-new-hero-is-antoine-dodson/" target="_blank">Antoine Dodson</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/05/a-devastating-day-for-eyebrow-lovers/" target="_blank">Sam Waterston’s eyebrows</a>. What!? Those things seem magical to me!</p>
<p>UPDATED TO ADD: I like the cartoon <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/08/31/stuff-no-one-told-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. It reminds me of some of the issues I raised above.</p>
<p>
</p>
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<p>Baskin-Robbins brought back my favorite ’70s ice-cream flavor, <a href="http://news.baskinrobbins.com/baskin+robbins/baskin+robbins+news/baskin+robbins+flavor+pink+bubble+gum.htm" target="_blank">Pink Bubblegum</a>, for the month of August. My goal this weekend was to get a scoop before it was too late.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_7006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-7006 " title="ice cream" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ice-cream.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goal achieved!</p></div>
<p>That is one craving I will never have again. Did this stuff always taste so bad? Damn! I still ate the whole scoop even though I cringed at every bite. (My attitude towards food is like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes" target="_blank">the old joke</a>: “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible … and such small portions.”) I felt so queasy after the ice cream that I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to take an outfit picture, so you’ll have to settle for a <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/08/outfit-post-vintage-ungaro-dress-from-frock/" target="_blank">picture of the exact same outfit in 2009:</a> the vintage Ungaro dress, the gold Louis Vuitton shoes and my Gloriana necklace.</p>
<p>Blame Baskin-Robbins!</p>

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<p>The front-page story in WWD today is “<a href="http://bit.ly/cqJiR6" target="_blank">Advertisers Go Social: Brand-Blogger Linkups Marketings’ New Rage</a>.”  Gorgeous blogger Jennine (of <a href="http://the-coveted.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Coveted</a> and <a href="http://heartifb.com/" target="_blank">Independent Fashion Bloggers</a>) is quoted extensively in the article. I’m glad the story highlighted Jennine’s “<a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/07/23/the-ifb-fair-compensation-manifesto/" target="_blank">IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto</a>” and her criticism of the <a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/08/17/how-do-bloggers-benefit-from-the-coach-poppy-project/" target="_blank">Coach Poppy ad campaign</a>, in which 334 bloggers were convinced to put Coach branding all over their blogs for free. Jennine has been a leader in helping bloggers understand that they need to get paid properly for advertising like any other media outlet does, rather than acting like total brand <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">hos</a> in return for a little free <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">merch</a>. She told WWD:</p>
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<p><em>“We don’t want blogging to evolve into this thing where bloggers are so starstruck by brands that they lose all objectivity — then they’re not the great thing people came to them for in the first place. Freebies may be OK, but we can’t just work for freebies and try to pass off promotional things as editorial content because it’s not fair to the readers, ourselves or the companies.”</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>You know what else isn’t fair? I didn’t get a photo credit in this story! The stunning photo of Jennine that WWD snagged from her blog was taken by me.</p>
<div id="attachment_6986" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.wwd.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-6986  " title="jenninewwd" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jenninewwd.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="606" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">My photo of Jennine, scanned from WWD. Woot!</p></div>
<p>Admittedly, Jennine ran back and forth setting up the shot herself, then stuck the camera in my hand and told me to press the button, but I think I did a pretty good job of that.</p>
<p>Speaking of companies and branding issues, I recently got an offer that was easy to refuse. Sears has hired itself a stylist named Francesca Mills to shill for its new shoe website. <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=134456" target="_blank">Marketing Daily says</a>:</p>
<blockquote readability="5"><p><em>“The retailer hopes its microsite, hosted by  fashion stylist Francesca Mills, will blend the feeling of blogs, social  media and commerce with more engaging — and even useful — commentary.  For example, a well-known mom blogger runs down the ins and outs of  back-to-school shoe shopping.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Sears apparently thought its shoes and my <a href="http://www.wendybrandes.com" target="_blank">limited-edition fine jewelry</a> were a match made in heaven, so I got an email from the company exclaiming that, “We would love to start new a relationship with you!” The offer didn’t seem to involve any money, just  “… sneak peeks and content every other week prior to its release. These will include up to date video and lookbook content so you can review it first and spread the word. You’ll be first to hear about contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways from Sears.”</p>
<p>I would have just deleted this mess without responding except for this bit of hilarity:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“We’ve been following your amazing fashion advice on your blog, and we think it’s great! You are always on top of the latest trends at the best prices and you understand your audience well. I absolutely LOVE your letter rings. I just bought ‘NYC’ for a friend of mine.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As those of you who have been reading my blog regularly know, the NYC rings are exclusively available for pre-order on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. Three* sets have been pre-ordered by my regular customers, none of whom work for Sears. I replied:</p>
<blockquote readability="3"><p><em>“How exciting to find that you’re a fan of my NYC rings! But I’m  concerned that your order didn’t go through, seeing as they’re only  available in one place and I don’t see your purchase reflected. If you  want to try again, please click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As you might have guessed, I didn’t get a reply or a ring order. Sears doesn’t think my participation in its branding campaign is worth the $315 a set of rings costs. The most I’m worth is, apparently, the chance to learn about a giveaway of God-knows-what. As enticing as that opportunity is, I’m going to have to pass on it because I’m not stupid. But thanks for thinking of me, y’all!</p>
<p>Those of you who really want to buy the NYC rings can click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>. Plenty of other jewelry is available too. Your orders/pre-orders will help me pay for manufacturing three new ring styles overseas. I’ve passed my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/jewels-of-the-month-new-swear-rings-for-pre-order/" target="_blank">initial fundraising goal of $7,000</a>, but that only covered two ring styles: OMG and LOLZ. I’ve since added NYC to the mix and that means I need to raise at least another $3,000 to cover what’s now a $10,000 factory minimum. The rings won’t come till late in the fall, so think ahead and order them as holiday gifts! To learn more about why I need to manufacture overseas and why it costs so much to make relatively inexpensive goods, read <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">this post from January</a>.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_6990" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran"><img class="size-full wp-image-6990   " title="gagahands" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gagahands2.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="332" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click to order NYC. GaGa rings are not for sale.</p></div>
<p>*<em>Only one pre-order for the NYC rings is reflected on Kickstarter because people who have ordered several different items can’t select multiple rewards on the Kickstarter page. I keep track of those orders behind the scenes.</em></p>

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<p>Designer Jeremy Scott says you can!</p>
<div id="attachment_7049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16"><img class="size-full wp-image-7049" title="jeremyscott" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg" alt="" width="306" height="464" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jeremy Scott's Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
<p>The dress says “Fashion” on the back. You can follow Jeremy Scott on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/ITSJEREMYSCOTT" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

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<p>What timing! Right after <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/one-size-does-not-fit-all-deal-with-it/" target="_blank">my post about how sample sizes, by definition, don’t fit the vast majority of people</a> right off the rack, <a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html" target="_blank">Tia from The Quest for “it” posted about the sample sale</a> I had with my designing friend Zang Toi last month. Conveniently, she took a picture of Zang personally altering a red-cashmere dress sample on me. I’m so bad! I should be selling at these events, not buying, but Zang is impossible to resist.</p>
<div id="attachment_7037" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html"><img class="size-full wp-image-7037 " title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/zangandwendy.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="419" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">That's black lace on the side. Courtesy The Quest for "it"</p></div>
<p>That’s SiSi, Zang’s assistant, in the left corner of the photo. She was taking notes about the alterations.</p>
<p>This is typical of my experience with Zang’s samples. I can often get myself into them, but I can’t flounce out the door that second. In fact, Zang has offered to loan me samples for events but I can’t take him up on it because the samples don’t fit me as is. We do lots of alterations when I am buying: taking in, letting out, hemming lengths, shortening sleeves, removing sleeves, reshaping necklines and so on. The initial fit of the sample depends on the shape of the model who wore it on the runway. Do all of you know about model fittings? Gorgeous blogger Tricia of <a href="http://www.fashionherald.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Herald</a>, who has walked in fashion shows, brought that up yesterday in the comments, noting, “Not even models will fit all runway and showroom samples, which is why there are fittings before shows.”</p>
<p>The tightest Zang sample I ever put on — I couldn’t zip it, walk in it or breathe in it — had been altered for an actress. She was much thinner than any of the models, so if she’s trying to be “model-thin,” she’s doing it wrong. As for my new dress, Zang took it in at the bust, let it out at the waist, and tapered it all the way down. Even if some of you are my height, weight and dress size, the dress might not fit you because it’s tailored specifically for me. So don’t ask to borrow it! I hope to wear it to Zang’s show during Fashion Week if the weather is cool enough for cashmere.</p>

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<p>Did you know the world revolved around voluptuous <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/" target="_blank">Mad Men</a> star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/" target="_blank">Christina Hendricks</a>? Neither did I! Fortunately, I read New York Magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/christina_hendricks_struggles.html" target="_blank">The Cut blog</a>, which alerted me to the fact via a story about Hendricks that ran in the <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/08/27/christina-hendricks-designers-won-t-give-me-dresses-for-award-shows-because-i-m-a-size-14-86908-22517639/" target="_blank">The Daily Record</a> of Scotland. The Record quoted her as saying:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about  me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m  still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_7021" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><em><em><a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7021" title="joan" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/joan.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="328" /></a></em></em><p class="wp-caption-text">Christina Hendricks in character. Courtesy AMC.</p></div>
<p>Wait a minute. I’ve been out of school a long time but I seem to recall that the earth revolves around the sun and not an actress. So I better explain why a pretty, talented lady like Hendricks (who wore <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4082759/Christina-Hendricks-perfect-Emmy-dress" target="_blank">Zac Posen</a> to the Emmys on Sunday) can’t always get the loaner dress of her dreams. It’s not size-ism, despite what the Hendricks quote implies. It’s logistics.</p>
<p>The designers only have small sizes available because sample sizes are made to fit runway models. And here I will acknowledge that, yes, models are taller, thinner and more beautiful than the typical person. It’s part of the job requirement. Learn to deal with it. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your insecurities whether you’re an actress or an accountant. Not only will there always be people that are taller, thinner and more beautiful than you, there will be people who are younger, more experienced, smarter, more charming, better connected and/or — unless you are billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_billionaires" target="_blank">Carlos Slim</a> — wealthier. That’s reality.</p>
<p>Anyway, the runway samples are made to fit models who show off the clothes to store buyers and fashion editors, enabling the designers to get orders and press.  Look up “sample” in any dictionary. It’s defined as  “a portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen.” The samples represent the styles that may then be ordered in a variety of sizes.</p>
<p>People who happen to be model-sized or close can borrow the samples that represent the style.  Lucky for them. Not so lucky for the rest of us including Hendricks, whose measurements, according to The Record, are 39D-30-39. But is the fact that she’s out of luck so awful? (I’m out of luck as well. Samples are too tall for a 5’4″ woman.) For the hell of it, let’s suppose that all designers decided to make all runway samples 39D-30-39 and only hired models of that size. That would <em>still </em>exclude the majority of people. Some of us would be smaller, some of us would be larger. We have to accept the fact that we are not all the same size and never will be. (For more on the challenges of sizing, read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html" target="_blank">New York Times Magazine story</a> and the many excellent posts that <a href="http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/welcome-visitors-from-the-new-york-times/" target="_blank">Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion-Incubator</a> has done on the topic.)</p>
<p>Then, you might be wondering, why don’t designers make a range of sample sizes? Refer back to the definition of “sample.” It defeats the purpose of making a specimen or representation if you’re making the entire line.  Why should designers invest enormous amounts of time and money to make 12 versions (that number assumes they’d do U.S. sizes 0 – 22, and doesn’t take into account differences in height) of each style, including styles that might never be ordered by stores. And this would all be just in case Christina Hendricks wants to borrow one for free?</p>
<div id="attachment_7022" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://nymag.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7022" title="CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="602" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Hendricks on the cover of New York Magazine this year.</p></div>
<p>Let’s look at how this would work with jewelry. A good sample size for a ring is a 6. It’s an average size that’s likely to fit at least one finger on many women, so a customer can get an idea of what the ring would look like once it is made in her size.  Most (but not all) of my female customers fall between a 5 and an 8 when it comes to ring sizes. I do rings in quarter sizes, so to cover sizes 5 through 8 — while discriminating against my poor 4 3/4 and 8 1/4 ladies — I would have to do 13 sizes of each style in order to have a ring ready to go for nearly anyone who walks in the door. That could easily cost me $100,000 per style.  Ridiculous! That’s why I just do a single ring for people to view and order in their own size.</p>
<p>I would love to get a ring on Christina Hendricks. If she tries on my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226" target="_blank">gold-and-diamond Borgia poison ring</a> in sample size 6 and it fits her, I’d be glad to loan it to her for an evening. I haven’t seen a single episode of Mad Men, but I liked her two-episode arc on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, so why not?</p>
<div id="attachment_7023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226"><img class="size-full wp-image-7023" title="bigBorgia Gold Ring_Zoom" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bigBorgia-Gold-Ring_Zoom.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Borgia poison ring shown open and closed. Click to shop. </p></div>
<p>If the sample doesn’t fit her, I’d be delighted to custom-make a ring in her size. Of course, she’d have to pay for that. If I started making free rings for everyone who wanted them, I’d go broke in less time than it is taking me to write this post. Duh! Everyone wants free stuff! Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, having a dress/purse/ring seen on a celebrity doesn’t always translate to big sales. Press is good for overall brand recognition, but there are times it doesn’t move a single unit. If you’re not going to be compensated for your work by the customer AND the customer isn’t guaranteed to generate sales, does it seem like a smart idea to start making special things and giving them away to every person who thinks the world revolves around him or her? If common sense isn’t providing the answer to you right now, you might want to reread my posts <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Manufacturing)</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/03/get-smart-about-custom-work/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Custom Work)</a> about the costs of production.</p>
<p>Remember, I’m just talking about sample sizes and loaners here. If Christina’s complaint was, “I walk into stores and they don’t have my size,” I wouldn’t be writing anything like this because that is a legitimate complaint and entirely different from the sample size issue. I’m not saying that women of a certain size shouldn’t have access to great clothes. They should. Support the designers who do offer a wide range of sizes! My designing friend <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/category/zang-toi/" target="_blank">Zang Toi</a> has customers of all sizes and ages. They choose from his tiny runway samples and he makes their pieces to order.  Stacy Lomman of <a href="http://taffetadarlings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">taffetadarlings</a> took the unusual step of pre-selling her samples in order to raise money for her first show via Kickstarter (you can still contribute <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401920628/luanch-a-label-at-ny-fashion-week-hot-new-designer" target="_blank">here</a>). She’s currently fitting the dresses to the models. After, she’ll resize the dresses to fit the people who bought them. A few dresses will have to be made from scratch, costing her extra money. But, if her models were 39D-30-39, the same thing would be happening. Repeat after me until you learn it by heart: one size does not fit all, bitches!</p>
<p>What could Christina Hendricks do to get around her free dress problem? I’d recommend that she stops worrying about freebies and instead becomes a valued paying customer. Any designer is more inclined to whip up special pieces for reasonable prices for customers with good track records. It’s great to have a working relationship with a designer, as my  customers can attest, and I’d say the same of buying clothes from Zang and  Stacy. It’s not as if the free-dress phenomenon (which I’m not against because, as I said, it is good for branding) is an ancient tradition that must be respected. My Facebook friend <a href="http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeffrey</a>, a fashion-industry veteran, notes, “I sold many dresses to many of  the Dynasty and Dallas girls  way back when —and yeah we gave them a  deal but it was by no means free.” Gorgeous blogger Madeleine of <a href="http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In New York Paris Tomorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109203,00.html" target="_blank">another retailing vet</a>, says, “Sad days for indie shops: we used to SELL these things, and the shoes and  the bag and the jewels. Still trying to understand the Swag Parties for  the Emmys etc … and … we didn’t give deals (although friends  could borrow our own pieces).”</p>
<p>Finally, for those who can afford it, buying is every bit as glamorous than borrowing, if not more so. As Jeffrey points out, “Elizabeth Taylor wore her own jewelry, her own clothes,  had no stylist  and was still every inch a star.”</p>
<div id="attachment_7024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/widgets/mediaViewer/image?id=4250822"><img class="size-full wp-image-7024" title="liztaylor" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liztaylor.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="411" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Oscars in 1970. Burton bought her the 69-carat diamond she's wearing.</p></div>
<p>Christina is probably closer than any other actress today to having Liz-style va-va-voom, and I enjoy seeing her on the red carpet. I hope she continues to find plenty of gorgeous dresses to wear, even if they’re not always free.</p>
<p>Remember, y’all, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisterhood_of_the_Traveling_Pants_%28film%29" target="_blank">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a>, in which one pair of jeans magically fits four girls although they have completely different measurements, is fiction! In real life, one size does not fit all. It doesn’t matter if a sample is a 0 or a 14 — it still won’t work for everyone. That’s the simple truth, not a personal attack. We’re living in a world without magic: no unicorns, good witches or supernatural denim. But, hey, at least we have <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/07/its-official-my-new-hero-is-antoine-dodson/" target="_blank">Antoine Dodson</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/05/a-devastating-day-for-eyebrow-lovers/" target="_blank">Sam Waterston’s eyebrows</a>. What!? Those things seem magical to me!</p>
<p>UPDATED TO ADD: I like the cartoon <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/08/31/stuff-no-one-told-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. It reminds me of some of the issues I raised above.</p>
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<p>Baskin-Robbins brought back my favorite ’70s ice-cream flavor, <a href="http://news.baskinrobbins.com/baskin+robbins/baskin+robbins+news/baskin+robbins+flavor+pink+bubble+gum.htm" target="_blank">Pink Bubblegum</a>, for the month of August. My goal this weekend was to get a scoop before it was too late.</p>
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</p><div id="attachment_7006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-7006 " title="ice cream" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ice-cream.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goal achieved!</p></div>
<p>That is one craving I will never have again. Did this stuff always taste so bad? Damn! I still ate the whole scoop even though I cringed at every bite. (My attitude towards food is like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes" target="_blank">the old joke</a>: “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible … and such small portions.”) I felt so queasy after the ice cream that I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to take an outfit picture, so you’ll have to settle for a <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/08/outfit-post-vintage-ungaro-dress-from-frock/" target="_blank">picture of the exact same outfit in 2009:</a> the vintage Ungaro dress, the gold Louis Vuitton shoes and my Gloriana necklace.</p>
<p>Blame Baskin-Robbins!</p>

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<p>The front-page story in WWD today is “<a href="http://bit.ly/cqJiR6" target="_blank">Advertisers Go Social: Brand-Blogger Linkups Marketings’ New Rage</a>.”  Gorgeous blogger Jennine (of <a href="http://the-coveted.com/blog/" target="_blank">The Coveted</a> and <a href="http://heartifb.com/" target="_blank">Independent Fashion Bloggers</a>) is quoted extensively in the article. I’m glad the story highlighted Jennine’s “<a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/07/23/the-ifb-fair-compensation-manifesto/" target="_blank">IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto</a>” and her criticism of the <a href="http://heartifb.com/2010/08/17/how-do-bloggers-benefit-from-the-coach-poppy-project/" target="_blank">Coach Poppy ad campaign</a>, in which 334 bloggers were convinced to put Coach branding all over their blogs for free. Jennine has been a leader in helping bloggers understand that they need to get paid properly for advertising like any other media outlet does, rather than acting like total brand <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">hos</a> in return for a little free <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ho" target="_blank">merch</a>. She told WWD:</p>
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<p>You know what else isn’t fair? I didn’t get a photo credit in this story! The stunning photo of Jennine that WWD snagged from her blog was taken by me.</p>
<div id="attachment_6986" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.wwd.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-6986  " title="jenninewwd" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jenninewwd.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="606" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">My photo of Jennine, scanned from WWD. Woot!</p></div>
<p>Admittedly, Jennine ran back and forth setting up the shot herself, then stuck the camera in my hand and told me to press the button, but I think I did a pretty good job of that.</p>
<p>Speaking of companies and branding issues, I recently got an offer that was easy to refuse. Sears has hired itself a stylist named Francesca Mills to shill for its new shoe website. <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&amp;art_aid=134456" target="_blank">Marketing Daily says</a>:</p>
<blockquote readability="5"><p><em>“The retailer hopes its microsite, hosted by  fashion stylist Francesca Mills, will blend the feeling of blogs, social  media and commerce with more engaging — and even useful — commentary.  For example, a well-known mom blogger runs down the ins and outs of  back-to-school shoe shopping.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Sears apparently thought its shoes and my <a href="http://www.wendybrandes.com" target="_blank">limited-edition fine jewelry</a> were a match made in heaven, so I got an email from the company exclaiming that, “We would love to start new a relationship with you!” The offer didn’t seem to involve any money, just  “… sneak peeks and content every other week prior to its release. These will include up to date video and lookbook content so you can review it first and spread the word. You’ll be first to hear about contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways from Sears.”</p>
<p>I would have just deleted this mess without responding except for this bit of hilarity:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“We’ve been following your amazing fashion advice on your blog, and we think it’s great! You are always on top of the latest trends at the best prices and you understand your audience well. I absolutely LOVE your letter rings. I just bought ‘NYC’ for a friend of mine.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As those of you who have been reading my blog regularly know, the NYC rings are exclusively available for pre-order on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. Three* sets have been pre-ordered by my regular customers, none of whom work for Sears. I replied:</p>
<blockquote readability="3"><p><em>“How exciting to find that you’re a fan of my NYC rings! But I’m  concerned that your order didn’t go through, seeing as they’re only  available in one place and I don’t see your purchase reflected. If you  want to try again, please click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>As you might have guessed, I didn’t get a reply or a ring order. Sears doesn’t think my participation in its branding campaign is worth the $315 a set of rings costs. The most I’m worth is, apparently, the chance to learn about a giveaway of God-knows-what. As enticing as that opportunity is, I’m going to have to pass on it because I’m not stupid. But thanks for thinking of me, y’all!</p>
<p>Those of you who really want to buy the NYC rings can click <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran" target="_blank">here</a>. Plenty of other jewelry is available too. Your orders/pre-orders will help me pay for manufacturing three new ring styles overseas. I’ve passed my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/jewels-of-the-month-new-swear-rings-for-pre-order/" target="_blank">initial fundraising goal of $7,000</a>, but that only covered two ring styles: OMG and LOLZ. I’ve since added NYC to the mix and that means I need to raise at least another $3,000 to cover what’s now a $10,000 factory minimum. The rings won’t come till late in the fall, so think ahead and order them as holiday gifts! To learn more about why I need to manufacture overseas and why it costs so much to make relatively inexpensive goods, read <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">this post from January</a>.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_6990" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1848144075/omg-pre-order-rockin-rings-from-jeweler-wendy-bran"><img class="size-full wp-image-6990   " title="gagahands" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/gagahands2.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="332" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Click to order NYC. GaGa rings are not for sale.</p></div>
<p>*<em>Only one pre-order for the NYC rings is reflected on Kickstarter because people who have ordered several different items can’t select multiple rewards on the Kickstarter page. I keep track of those orders behind the scenes.</em></p>

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<p>Designer Jeremy Scott says you can!</p>
<div id="attachment_7049" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="2"><a href="http://www.forwardforward.com/fwd/DisplayProduct.jsp?d=F&amp;s=C&amp;c=Sep+01&amp;n=n&amp;product=JSCT-WD16"><img class="size-full wp-image-7049" title="jeremyscott" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/jeremyscott.jpg" alt="" width="306" height="464" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jeremy Scott's Style Batwing Dress, $418 at Forward by Revolve.</p></div>
<p>The dress says “Fashion” on the back. You can follow Jeremy Scott on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/ITSJEREMYSCOTT" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

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<p>What timing! Right after <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/08/one-size-does-not-fit-all-deal-with-it/" target="_blank">my post about how sample sizes, by definition, don’t fit the vast majority of people</a> right off the rack, <a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html" target="_blank">Tia from The Quest for “it” posted about the sample sale</a> I had with my designing friend Zang Toi last month. Conveniently, she took a picture of Zang personally altering a red-cashmere dress sample on me. I’m so bad! I should be selling at these events, not buying, but Zang is impossible to resist.</p>
<div id="attachment_7037" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://www.thequestforit.com/the_quest_for_it/2010/08/zang-toi-wendy-brandes-sample-sale.html"><img class="size-full wp-image-7037 " title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/zangandwendy.jpg" alt="" width="314" height="419" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">That's black lace on the side. Courtesy The Quest for "it"</p></div>
<p>That’s SiSi, Zang’s assistant, in the left corner of the photo. She was taking notes about the alterations.</p>
<p>This is typical of my experience with Zang’s samples. I can often get myself into them, but I can’t flounce out the door that second. In fact, Zang has offered to loan me samples for events but I can’t take him up on it because the samples don’t fit me as is. We do lots of alterations when I am buying: taking in, letting out, hemming lengths, shortening sleeves, removing sleeves, reshaping necklines and so on. The initial fit of the sample depends on the shape of the model who wore it on the runway. Do all of you know about model fittings? Gorgeous blogger Tricia of <a href="http://www.fashionherald.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Herald</a>, who has walked in fashion shows, brought that up yesterday in the comments, noting, “Not even models will fit all runway and showroom samples, which is why there are fittings before shows.”</p>
<p>The tightest Zang sample I ever put on — I couldn’t zip it, walk in it or breathe in it — had been altered for an actress. She was much thinner than any of the models, so if she’s trying to be “model-thin,” she’s doing it wrong. As for my new dress, Zang took it in at the bust, let it out at the waist, and tapered it all the way down. Even if some of you are my height, weight and dress size, the dress might not fit you because it’s tailored specifically for me. So don’t ask to borrow it! I hope to wear it to Zang’s show during Fashion Week if the weather is cool enough for cashmere.</p>

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<p>Did you know the world revolved around voluptuous <a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/" target="_blank">Mad Men</a> star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0376716/" target="_blank">Christina Hendricks</a>? Neither did I! Fortunately, I read New York Magazine’s <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/christina_hendricks_struggles.html" target="_blank">The Cut blog</a>, which alerted me to the fact via a story about Hendricks that ran in the <a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/08/27/christina-hendricks-designers-won-t-give-me-dresses-for-award-shows-because-i-m-a-size-14-86908-22517639/" target="_blank">The Daily Record</a> of Scotland. The Record quoted her as saying:</p>
<blockquote readability="2"><p><em>“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about  me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m  still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<div id="attachment_7021" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><em><em><a href="http://www.amctv.com/originals/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7021" title="joan" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/joan.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="328" /></a></em></em><p class="wp-caption-text">Christina Hendricks in character. Courtesy AMC.</p></div>
<p>Wait a minute. I’ve been out of school a long time but I seem to recall that the earth revolves around the sun and not an actress. So I better explain why a pretty, talented lady like Hendricks (who wore <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/4082759/Christina-Hendricks-perfect-Emmy-dress" target="_blank">Zac Posen</a> to the Emmys on Sunday) can’t always get the loaner dress of her dreams. It’s not size-ism, despite what the Hendricks quote implies. It’s logistics.</p>
<p>The designers only have small sizes available because sample sizes are made to fit runway models. And here I will acknowledge that, yes, models are taller, thinner and more beautiful than the typical person. It’s part of the job requirement. Learn to deal with it. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your insecurities whether you’re an actress or an accountant. Not only will there always be people that are taller, thinner and more beautiful than you, there will be people who are younger, more experienced, smarter, more charming, better connected and/or — unless you are billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes_list_of_billionaires" target="_blank">Carlos Slim</a> — wealthier. That’s reality.</p>
<p>Anyway, the runway samples are made to fit models who show off the clothes to store buyers and fashion editors, enabling the designers to get orders and press.  Look up “sample” in any dictionary. It’s defined as  “a portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen.” The samples represent the styles that may then be ordered in a variety of sizes.</p>
<p>People who happen to be model-sized or close can borrow the samples that represent the style.  Lucky for them. Not so lucky for the rest of us including Hendricks, whose measurements, according to The Record, are 39D-30-39. But is the fact that she’s out of luck so awful? (I’m out of luck as well. Samples are too tall for a 5’4″ woman.) For the hell of it, let’s suppose that all designers decided to make all runway samples 39D-30-39 and only hired models of that size. That would <em>still </em>exclude the majority of people. Some of us would be smaller, some of us would be larger. We have to accept the fact that we are not all the same size and never will be. (For more on the challenges of sizing, read this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html" target="_blank">New York Times Magazine story</a> and the many excellent posts that <a href="http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/welcome-visitors-from-the-new-york-times/" target="_blank">Kathleen Fasanella of Fashion-Incubator</a> has done on the topic.)</p>
<p>Then, you might be wondering, why don’t designers make a range of sample sizes? Refer back to the definition of “sample.” It defeats the purpose of making a specimen or representation if you’re making the entire line.  Why should designers invest enormous amounts of time and money to make 12 versions (that number assumes they’d do U.S. sizes 0 – 22, and doesn’t take into account differences in height) of each style, including styles that might never be ordered by stores. And this would all be just in case Christina Hendricks wants to borrow one for free?</p>
<div id="attachment_7022" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://nymag.com/"><img class="size-full wp-image-7022" title="CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/CHRISTINA-HENDRICKS.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="602" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Hendricks on the cover of New York Magazine this year.</p></div>
<p>Let’s look at how this would work with jewelry. A good sample size for a ring is a 6. It’s an average size that’s likely to fit at least one finger on many women, so a customer can get an idea of what the ring would look like once it is made in her size.  Most (but not all) of my female customers fall between a 5 and an 8 when it comes to ring sizes. I do rings in quarter sizes, so to cover sizes 5 through 8 — while discriminating against my poor 4 3/4 and 8 1/4 ladies — I would have to do 13 sizes of each style in order to have a ring ready to go for nearly anyone who walks in the door. That could easily cost me $100,000 per style.  Ridiculous! That’s why I just do a single ring for people to view and order in their own size.</p>
<p>I would love to get a ring on Christina Hendricks. If she tries on my <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226" target="_blank">gold-and-diamond Borgia poison ring</a> in sample size 6 and it fits her, I’d be glad to loan it to her for an evening. I haven’t seen a single episode of Mad Men, but I liked her two-episode arc on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, so why not?</p>
<div id="attachment_7023" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://wendybrandes.com/pro-detail.php?colid=28&amp;collect=true&amp;id=226"><img class="size-full wp-image-7023" title="bigBorgia Gold Ring_Zoom" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bigBorgia-Gold-Ring_Zoom.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Borgia poison ring shown open and closed. Click to shop. </p></div>
<p>If the sample doesn’t fit her, I’d be delighted to custom-make a ring in her size. Of course, she’d have to pay for that. If I started making free rings for everyone who wanted them, I’d go broke in less time than it is taking me to write this post. Duh! Everyone wants free stuff! Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, having a dress/purse/ring seen on a celebrity doesn’t always translate to big sales. Press is good for overall brand recognition, but there are times it doesn’t move a single unit. If you’re not going to be compensated for your work by the customer AND the customer isn’t guaranteed to generate sales, does it seem like a smart idea to start making special things and giving them away to every person who thinks the world revolves around him or her? If common sense isn’t providing the answer to you right now, you might want to reread my posts <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/01/get-smart-about-manufacturing/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Manufacturing)</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/03/get-smart-about-custom-work/" target="_blank">Get Smart (About Custom Work)</a> about the costs of production.</p>
<p>Remember, I’m just talking about sample sizes and loaners here. If Christina’s complaint was, “I walk into stores and they don’t have my size,” I wouldn’t be writing anything like this because that is a legitimate complaint and entirely different from the sample size issue. I’m not saying that women of a certain size shouldn’t have access to great clothes. They should. Support the designers who do offer a wide range of sizes! My designing friend <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/category/zang-toi/" target="_blank">Zang Toi</a> has customers of all sizes and ages. They choose from his tiny runway samples and he makes their pieces to order.  Stacy Lomman of <a href="http://taffetadarlings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">taffetadarlings</a> took the unusual step of pre-selling her samples in order to raise money for her first show via Kickstarter (you can still contribute <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/401920628/luanch-a-label-at-ny-fashion-week-hot-new-designer" target="_blank">here</a>). She’s currently fitting the dresses to the models. After, she’ll resize the dresses to fit the people who bought them. A few dresses will have to be made from scratch, costing her extra money. But, if her models were 39D-30-39, the same thing would be happening. Repeat after me until you learn it by heart: one size does not fit all, bitches!</p>
<p>What could Christina Hendricks do to get around her free dress problem? I’d recommend that she stops worrying about freebies and instead becomes a valued paying customer. Any designer is more inclined to whip up special pieces for reasonable prices for customers with good track records. It’s great to have a working relationship with a designer, as my  customers can attest, and I’d say the same of buying clothes from Zang and  Stacy. It’s not as if the free-dress phenomenon (which I’m not against because, as I said, it is good for branding) is an ancient tradition that must be respected. My Facebook friend <a href="http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Jeffrey</a>, a fashion-industry veteran, notes, “I sold many dresses to many of  the Dynasty and Dallas girls  way back when —and yeah we gave them a  deal but it was by no means free.” Gorgeous blogger Madeleine of <a href="http://innewyorkparistomorrow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In New York Paris Tomorrow</a>, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109203,00.html" target="_blank">another retailing vet</a>, says, “Sad days for indie shops: we used to SELL these things, and the shoes and  the bag and the jewels. Still trying to understand the Swag Parties for  the Emmys etc … and … we didn’t give deals (although friends  could borrow our own pieces).”</p>
<p>Finally, for those who can afford it, buying is every bit as glamorous than borrowing, if not more so. As Jeffrey points out, “Elizabeth Taylor wore her own jewelry, her own clothes,  had no stylist  and was still every inch a star.”</p>
<div id="attachment_7024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/widgets/mediaViewer/image?id=4250822"><img class="size-full wp-image-7024" title="liztaylor" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/liztaylor.jpg" alt="" width="413" height="411" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at the Oscars in 1970. Burton bought her the 69-carat diamond she's wearing.</p></div>
<p>Christina is probably closer than any other actress today to having Liz-style va-va-voom, and I enjoy seeing her on the red carpet. I hope she continues to find plenty of gorgeous dresses to wear, even if they’re not always free.</p>
<p>Remember, y’all, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisterhood_of_the_Traveling_Pants_%28film%29" target="_blank">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</a>, in which one pair of jeans magically fits four girls although they have completely different measurements, is fiction! In real life, one size does not fit all. It doesn’t matter if a sample is a 0 or a 14 — it still won’t work for everyone. That’s the simple truth, not a personal attack. We’re living in a world without magic: no unicorns, good witches or supernatural denim. But, hey, at least we have <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/07/its-official-my-new-hero-is-antoine-dodson/" target="_blank">Antoine Dodson</a> and <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2010/05/a-devastating-day-for-eyebrow-lovers/" target="_blank">Sam Waterston’s eyebrows</a>. What!? Those things seem magical to me!</p>
<p>UPDATED TO ADD: I like the cartoon <a href="http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2010/08/31/stuff-no-one-told-me/" target="_blank">here</a>. It reminds me of some of the issues I raised above.</p>
<p>
</p>
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<p>Baskin-Robbins brought back my favorite ’70s ice-cream flavor, <a href="http://news.baskinrobbins.com/baskin+robbins/baskin+robbins+news/baskin+robbins+flavor+pink+bubble+gum.htm" target="_blank">Pink Bubblegum</a>, for the month of August. My goal this weekend was to get a scoop before it was too late.</p>
<p>
</p><div id="attachment_7006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" readability="1"><img class="size-full wp-image-7006 " title="ice cream" src="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ice-cream.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Goal achieved!</p></div>
<p>That is one craving I will never have again. Did this stuff always taste so bad? Damn! I still ate the whole scoop even though I cringed at every bite. (My attitude towards food is like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes" target="_blank">the old joke</a>: “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible … and such small portions.”) I felt so queasy after the ice cream that I couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to take an outfit picture, so you’ll have to settle for a <a href="http://wendybrandes.com/blog/2009/08/outfit-post-vintage-ungaro-dress-from-frock/" target="_blank">picture of the exact same outfit in 2009:</a> the vintage Ungaro dress, the gold Louis Vuitton shoes and my Gloriana necklace.</p>
<p>Blame Baskin-Robbins!</p>

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              [4]=>
              object(SimplePie_Item)#556 (2) {
                ["feed"]=>
                *RECURSION*
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                  string(7) "






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                  ["attribs"]=>
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                  ["xml_lang"]=>
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                          ["attribs"]=>
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