Breakfast for Girly Champions :: Croissant Scrambled Egg Sandwich

Back when I worked in an office that was next to Pax Wholesome Foods, I would order a yummy scrambled egg sandwich on a croissant for a late breakfast. So to continue that luxury, here is the recipe for making this breakfast at home:








Ingredients for scrambled eggs on a croissant:
1 croissant (I get mine from Silver Moon Bakery)
2 eggs, preferably organic
a bunch of spinach on the stem
cheddar cheese
salt
1 slice butter
1 rubber spatula

Cut the croissant in half, so that you have a top and a bottom. Scramble your eggs in a bowl by mixing them very quickly with a fork, sprinkling salt to taste into the egg mixture. A few dashes. Maybe 5 (I have normal blood pressure). If you have a gas stove, turn onto low heat (if electric, turn on as the first thing you do). Cut a thin slice of butter and spread on the warm/hot pan. Should not bubble or turn brown, but should spread. If turns brown, your pan is too hot. Shave the cheddar into the egg mixture to taste. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, turning the heat up just a bit.

Stir, or scramble, the eggs with the rubber spatula, making sure to clear all sides from the top and bottom of the pan. Repeat this motion until done. You want to scramble the egg mixture gradually so that the cheese has time to melt. Place the bunch of spinach into the pan, and continue stirring, or scrambling. Continue scrambling (and remember, this is not a frantic motion - it's a nice turning of the mixture in the pan - be nice to the eggs) until the eggs are to your satisfaction. The sooner you remove them from the heat, the runnier they will be. Leave then in the pan long, and you will have dryer eggs.

Gingerly scoop the eggs onto the awaiting croissant bottom, and cover with its top. Put on a plate, grab a glass of milk, and voila!

Go Jeff Terrell! We

Go Jeff Terrell! We're Listening!

David and I just tuned in to FOX 101, the radio station of the Kansas City Chiefs. We can't tell if we're helping him or hurting! When we tuned in, the commentators were saying to watch for Jeff Terrell. And we were. Then he got in, and they called him a "hero" from the last game because he completed all 5 of his passes (he's a contending quarterback just out of Princeton - here are his college stats), to finish at the 1 yard line with a hand-off and a touch down. The only score Kansas City had for that game.

So we tune in, and he went from "hero," "young lad," "ivy league (I think they were trying to give some flack about being from an Ivy League school). He handed off the first pass, a ton of yardage was gained (and I heard the first excitement from the commentators for Kansas City in the whole game), but then he stumbled or tripped or something and we cringed too much to hear the rest. Alright, he threw an interception. I could hear the loud speaker guy announce the interception in the stands, and I could hear the echo in the stadium, and I about died for Jeff. BUT, the 53 yard run or so was the best play of the season for The Chiefs, according to the commentators, and Jeff set it up they said. So there.

We're still listening, hoping that Kansas City gets the ball back and hoping that they put Jeff back in the game. Gaw. This is nerve wracking. But he's made it this far, so good for him!

He's back in. 2 complete passes. 2 out of the 3 complete passes of the whole game and we're in the 3rd quarter.

Feedback from the commentators:
"This Princeton tiger getting hot!!" after he made the next 2 complete passes.
"Two good throws. Another slam. Another to Jeff Webb - why not?" Three straight completions.
"We'll take whatever they can get. And a first down. Getting in a rhythm. Young Jeff Terrell."

Commentators are sounding pleased. They keep calling this "Harvard 3, Princeton 0" because it's a Harvard quarterback vs a Princeton quarterback.

The Red Dot

From "The Red Dot" episode of Seinfeld

Office Cleaning Lady: "When I was a little girl in Panama, a rich American came to our town and he was wearing the softest most beautiful sweater. I said to him, "what do you call this most beautiful fabric?", and he said "they call it cashmere". I repeated the words "cashmere, cashmere". I asked if I could have it, and he said "No. Get away from me." Then he started walk away. But I grabbed onto his leg screaming for him to give me the sweater and he dragged me through the street. And then he kicked at me with the other foot and threw some change at me. Oh, but I didn't want the change Georgie. I wanted the cashmere."

This is taken from what is probably my favorite episode of Seinfeld. It stuck with me primarily for two reasons. First because my mother is Panamanian and it's rare that the country gets a shout out unless someone on the nightly news is talking about Pineapple Face. Second, I remember this one so well because I felt the same way about cashmere when I was younger.

Cashmere meant twin sets and pearls, long drives in the countryside and friends named Muffy and Chipper. I still remember how happy I was when I got my first twin set for Christmas many years ago. In my mind I imagined that the soft fibers had been hand trimmed using manicure scissors from the soft underbelly of a Himalayan goat (no older than three) who had been raised on a diet of butter and Mozart from infancy. I still love the stuff.

Perusing my junk mail box I saw a coupon from The Gap. Because I haven't completely weened myself from over shopping, I went to the site and low and behold, saw several nicely priced cashmere sweaters. Before I could click "proceed to checkout," I started wondering. Just when did cashmere get so inexpensive anyway? Is there a difference between the $89 sweater from The Gap and the $300 model at Neiman's?

It turns out the answer is yes and no depending on what you buy. Cashmere has apparently become big business and free trade means that with import restrictions a thing of the past China has flooded the market with the woolly stuff to satisfy demand for luxury at low prices.Upscale and mid-level retailers typically buy from the same markets.

Some cheap cashmere is actually deceptively labeled, containing fiber blends or wool from goats of Outer Mongolia instead of Inner Mongolia. Apparently, the Outty goats have coarser hair.

More expensive doesn't necessarily mean better. What you want to look for in quality cashmere is density. The denser the better. Second, you want a high ply or number of strands used to make the weave. Last, quality cashmere is made from long soft fibers, not short rough ones. First, the denser the cashmere, the better quality it is. Second, the higher the ply - the number of strands used - the more luxurious the piece of clothing. Third, the optimum fibres to have are those that are soft and long, as opposed to short and rough: long fibres pull together to make a stronger yarn, and are therefore more durable. Lastly, the best weavers are usually in Italy so if that ballet neck sweater you're fondling meets all these critera, then you've probably got gold in your hands that will last for ages if properly cared for.

Something else to think about is the effect that the cashmere frenzy has had on the environment. Even though the cashmere itself is a natural product. The availability of cheap cashmere means that overgrazing of the delicate farmlands in China has become a problem.

So back to that Gap sweater. I haven't ordered yet. The website gives very little detail about the origin of the cashmere so I'll have to hold off before using that coupon,

Photos: Wikipedia, Neiman Marcus, The Gap

Two Beautiful Fall Coats from The French Connection

L to R: "deliver" coat $268.00 & felt bow tie jacket $268.00

I love love love the first coat. It's the happy medium for the woman like me who can't quite commit to wearing a cape for fear of being called "Black Zorro" by her friends. I also think it would go nicely with anything from skinny jeans to a knee length dress or skirt.

One would have to be a bit more cautious however with the felt jacket. The balloon sleeves and generously sized neck bow are downright poetic but on the wrong person the jacket could go from chic to big-dumb-mustard-clown in the blink of an eye.

Project Runway's Nina Garcia on Style

My family and I just moved back to the US from a two year stint in Luxembourg. Because of that, I am not current on the goings-ons on most television shows.

One show that I really missed watching when I was away was Project Runway. The UK counterpart (called Project Catwalk was a bit dull by comparison and when they replaced Elizabeth Hurley with Kelly Osbourne in the second season, it became even less watchable, if you can imagine that.)

All this to say that I really don't know how people feel in general about ELLE magazine fashion director Nina Garcia. I vaguely remember her being a bit of a cold fish on the show but not nearly as bitchy as Michael Kors.

Well like most everyone with a pulse on a hit reality show, Nina has a book on style hitting the shelves soon. Now, I have a not-so-secret addiction to these books so I'm already poised to add this one to my holds list at the public library. I ran across this excerpt at Gawker that I thought I'd share. There's no new information here but it looks to be a fun read, I just hope that it has loads of photographs.

Anything that sounds like it won't make sense usually looks amazing. The uptown with the downtown. The soft with the hard. The casual with the elegant. Trust me, it works. Unpredictable is far more interesting than predictable. It is what is going to make you look different and interesting, which is the hallmark of a stylish woman. Mixing it up is not about looking staged. It is supposed to be personal. Keep those items that are uniquely you....Style is about these imperfect mixes and these unusual juxtapositions, it takes time and trial to perfect the mix. It can't look staged, it has to look effortless.

The Quest for the Perfect Wardrobe II

I'm still going through boxes of clothes, trying to narrow down my wardrobe into something more manageable. This is much more difficult than I anticipated for several reasons. First of all, anyone looking at my clothes packed away not so neatly in those boxes would think that they belonged to a lunatic. A hundred conflicting crashing prints, patterns and fabrics with nothing tying them together. Piles of clothes with the tags still hanging on reminding me of how foolish I have been with my spending. Things that don't fit, never fit and never will fit. It was enough to give me a massive headache. I am committed to the concept of a "capsule" wardrobe but I feel now like I don't even have to basics to build from. I shoved my box into a corner and was ready to leave it out on the curb when I read this post today by fashionista-ta in the "French Wardrobe" thread on TFS:

• Segregate in one closet a capsule wardrobe for the coming season. Wear it and see how it works for you. If you find gaps, go "shopping" in your storage area to fill them.
• Include a couple items you haven't worn or haven't worn much, and give yourself an assignment to see if you can integrate them. If it's not possible, that may pave the path to the next step ...

Hallelujah! It makes sense. Instead of fretting over how to incorporate my flimsy summer clothes into my wardrobe, I'll just focus on Fall instead. It sounds like such a small thing but it has really helped me to focus. I know I already have dresses covered but I think investing in a good quality cashmere sweater or two, a coat and some nice slacks will head me off in the right direction.

Laser Hair Removal :: 7th Appointment w Pictures!

In response to several readers' comments that their American Laser Center technicians are not nice, I thought it a good idea to introduce some of the ladies from my American Laser Center office. Just to show that they do exist. Now, I understand that not everyone's technicians are going to be nice. Believe me. I'm just showing the ones that I happen to know.

Yesterday, for my 7th appointment (I have finished my 6 appointments and am now 1 appointment into the 2 years of free appointments), I road my bike down at 9:15am in the morning. The office is at 59th street, so I had to book it down Central Park West with my new Nutcase bike helmet and actually showed up on time at 9:30am!

Emily was my technician, and as usual, it was a gab fest. She's a surfer; had a policy to stop coloring her chestnut colored hair, but couldn't deal with the gray and sun damaged orange, so colored it for her brother's wedding; had a brother that got married this summer just like me; is a gemini (I think) just like me; is obsessed with curly hair products just like me except that she really has curly hair; and on and on.

Emily is pictured here with the laser gun (the laser part is only about 2" big on the tip - see it in the middle?), wearing her protective green goggles, standing next to the terribly cold bottles of ultrasound goopy jell, that for me, is truly the worst part of the whole experience. With a wooden stick, she spreads it on the area she's going to laser, and then places that laser gun down on my leg or whatever, presses the trigger, the laser shoots through to the hair follicle, and she moves to the next inch on my leg and repeats.

And now meet Claudia. Claudia is the super nice manager who takes all of my calls, even my first one after my first appointment when I said: "I have the red dots on my legs! What do I do!!" and Claudia calmly said: "Did you take a hot shower?" and I said: "Yes..." and she said: "Well, put the after laser lotion on and call me if they don't go away." And of course they went away.

Claudia is seated at her desk, where she schedules appointments, consults with clients, and many more activities. She's always considerate and a joy to see. She even let me keep my bike in her office for safe keeping during my appointment.

So now you've met some of the girls in my office. Seriously, if you are in Manhattan (nyc), you should go to this office. It's the 59th street and Central Park South office. Tell Claudia I sent cha. ;) If you go, you'll have celebrity sitings because they are right next to the Essex hotel. The first time I went, I saw Gene Hackman. Yesterday, I saw all of these US Open tennis players with their tennis racquet's - dark and handsome ones.

Here are some quick pictures from my bike ride home, which I took through the Park up the Inner Drive going up the East side:

I took this picture while riding with my iPhone and listening to Tunes in one ear. Taking that picture was very dangerous. Do not try this at home.


I was going to climb the big hill at the top of Central Park, but I spotted these police dogs training in the ball fields! So I had to stop and take a bazillion photos.

Laser Progress Reports

Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #8 for shedding and rates of loss
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #7 for pictures of nice technicians
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #6
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #5.5 for Bikini
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #5
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #4
Laser Hair Removal :: Appointment #3.5
Laser Hair Removal :: The Second Zap
Laser Hair Removal :: The First Followup
Laser Hair Removal :: The First Zap
Laser Hair Removal :: War of My Legs Part 1


Disclaimer: FashionMista, nor its author, are qualified to give medical advice and cannot be held responsible for anything that may occur. Should you have a medical concern, please consult your physician.

Update on the Proposal Front

So. It has been declared by friends, namely Literary Mista, over Vynl-tinies at the new Vynl at W. 84th and Columbus (it's actually between W. 84th and W. 83rd), that I am in a No Movement Zone, or a Waiting Zone, or something much more clever that the martini wiped from my mind. Literary Mista is one of the original creators of the I Will Propose To This Man Damnit, so she is tracking every move. And the truth is, here are the movements thus far:

• I have been banned from David's laptop. I had shut down my laptop and jumped on his to check something, and David jumped up to clear his History, asking what was I doing on his computer. This is not his normal reaction when I get onto his computer.
• If I get in a nit-picky fight with him, which is only when I haven't eaten, the new card he gets to play is: "I've been shopping for you, and it's been fun. So, stop being mad."
• There was a secret phone call David took while we were vising his family in Columbus. He claims it was to arrange buying Ohio State football tickets, which are very hard to get. The call came in on his brother-in-law's phone, and David took it outside, into the 99 degree humidity for 15 minutes. And took notes. Which I was not aloud to look at. Coincidence?

Alek Wek Opens Up About Exploitation in Modeling

Wek recounts the event in her soon to be published autobiography.

The calendar in question was made for Lavazza Italian coffee and showed the beauty against a giant coffee cup. Her flawless dark brown skin was to represent espresso. According to Fashion First, although she thought the images were beautiful she was uncomfortable with the manner in which her image was exploited. She says:

I can't help but compare them to all the images of black people that have been used in marketing over the decades. There was the big-lipped jungle-dweller on the blackamoor ceramic mugs sold in the Forties; the golliwog badges given away with jam; Little Black Sambo, who decorated the walls of an American restaurant chain in the 1960s; and Uncle Ben, whose apparently benign image still sells rice...

When asked by Vogue, the company CEO Ennio Ranaboldo defends the image which he saw artistic.

I think she raises a really interesting point. I remember when I first started seeing Alek in magazines. If my memories are correct, she was usually photographed alone and with rather exotic treatments. Never cast as straight forward beauty, she was usually regarded as some "exotic other." In fashion speak, this meant lots of feathers, body paint, sand, and usually a animal skin or two thrown in for good measure. When she finally appeared on the cover of Elle, I nearly fainted from delight.

Of course, the entire modeling industry is about exploitation but at the same time, I always hated reading mini-bios on Wek that made it sound like she tanning goat hides when the fashion world "discovered" her and put her on display. Iman got the same treatment when she first emerged. I actually remember someone telling me in all seriousness, that Iman was discovered while riding on the back of a giraffe in Africa (never mind which country.)

I'm interested to see what the response (if any) will be from the fashion industry with both Alek and Naomi's recent comments entering the blogosphere. Something tells me it will be business as usual, but I am pleased to see more people speaking out about these issues.

Mrs. Meyer's Cleaning Products :: Heavenly

I am so overcome with the Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Geranium room freshener, that I had to blog about it. I sprayed the room freshener version onto the couch yesterday, and after I've collapsed onto the couch to type this (after David and I just rearranged the bedroom), the fresh smell of geranium drifts up, and I'm in a geranium heaven.

You know what Mrs. Meyer's is good for? Presents. I'm giving them to David's sister for housing us in her house for week when we visited. But I have to premise it with: "This is not a hint to better clean your house. Your furniture smells fine, and your house sparkles. I just think that these cleaning products are wonderful and happy, and that they would make you happy too." Sound ok?

Which stores carry Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, you ask? I first found the lavender and geranium at Gourmet Garage when our apartment was overcome with mystery smells and in need of a good scrubbing. Unimpressed with and tired of Fabreeze (not to mention David doesn't like the smell), I splurged on geranium Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day room freshener, the lavender surface scrub, and the geranium hand soap for the bathroom. But for David's sister, I'm ordering from Amazon to have them shipped directly.

Yum! I'm telling you, you'll want to drink it is smells so good!

Here's what I'm buying online, and giving as the thank you present:

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Surface Scrub, Lemon Verbena
She likes to clean with actual lemons and baking soda, which is super effective because I tried it, so this is for days when she doesn't feel like mixing her concoction.

Learn more about Mrs. Meyer's lemon surface scrub from Amazon >

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Shower Cleaner, Geranium
Amazon didn't have the room freshener, but his sister does have a brand new beautiful bathroom, so I'm getting the daily shower cleaner.

Learn more about Mrs. Meyer's geranium shower cleaner from Amazon >

There's loads more in Amazon, so sniff around! (couldn't resist the pun)

Tim Gunn's Guide to Style

Tim Gunn teams with Veronica Webb to give style advice. This is what Tivo was made for.

Venus Williams to Design Line for Steve & Barry's

According to Brandweek, Venus Williams will follow in the footsteps of Sarah Jessica Parker and design a line of lifestyle and activewear for mall retailer Steve & Barry's. The collection will be called EleVen. The collection will hit stores sometime in November and, like all Steve and Barry's items, nothig in the collection will cost more than $20. The line is named for the street on which Venus and her sisters grew up in California.
I'm curious to see what Venus comes up with. Unlike most celebrities that lend their names to collections, Venus did attend design school though I've never really admired her personal style.

Picture Source: LSA

Tracy Reese Handbags

I've always admired Tracy Reese's feminine dresses and separates but I'm really feeling her new handbag collection. There's none of that "it" bag pizzazz here, just well constructed leather bags (some with contrast stitiching and faux ivory handles) that transistions easily from day to evening. These are classically styled everyday bags that won't go out of style as soon as you bring it home. I especially have my eye on the 'Pilar' double handle tote bag. Fortunately several of these are on sale now at Nordstrom.com

Moschino: A Second Look

Several days later and I'm still thinking about this ad. I'm not sure what Peter Lindberg was going for with this image (it certainly is thought provoking) but I still don't like it.

It's one of those things...tough to grasp at first but then over time it slowly becomes clearer.

Initially I just thought it was because of it's gimmicky approach (there are also versions of this ad featuring White and Asian models though neither of those ads has a nude model in them.)

Then I was irked by the segregation of the models by race. It is so rare to see Black and Asian models in major ad campaigns so what it the point of placing them in fashion ghettos instead of mixing them together?

Next, I was bothered by the nude model. Now, I'm used to seeing naked ladies in fashion magazine ads but I didn't notice, until I looked at all three ads again at TFS, that this ad is the only one with a happy grinning naked lady surrounded by sourpuss expressions.

Everything is deliberate in fashion photography. You can't convince me otherwise. So why bright red? Why are all the models nearly the exact same skin color? I have a huge family and you'd be hard pressed to find two people in it that are the same shade of brown. So who made that casting decision? I can picture someone at an agency going through a stack of cards, rejecting models that weren't "black" enough. Don't get me started on the wigs. I have a teeny-weenie afro myself so it's not that afro itself that bugs me, it's just the why this?

If you are a Black woman in her mid-30s like me, then no doubt you remember when Mattel came out with the first Black Barbie doll. I got one for Christmas that year. My mom bought it under protest because she hated how the doll was styled. Guess what she looked like...I wonder what my mom would say about this ad, 27 years later.

Jezebel Tallies it Up

I found this interesting. Jezebel has done an informal tally of the merchandise featured in several women's fashion magazines in September. Here are the results for the second installment, which pulls out the 10-key on September's Elle and Vogue phonebooks.

Vogue
Apparel: $825,764 (Most expensive: $61,000 Dolce & Gabbana beaded dress. Least expensive: $48 Splendid cotton shirt)
Accessories: $350,569 (Most expensive: $44,600 De Grisogono watch. Least expensive: $38 Wolford velvet leggings)
Beauty: $103 (Most expensive: $50 Lancome Destiny Cube. Least expensive, $25 Lancome Le Crayon Kohl Oriental Duo)
Other: $6921 (Most expensive: $1,830 Gothic armchair. Least expensive: $20 Mary Mulcahy napkins)
Total Shit: $1,183,357

Elle
Apparel: $263,368 (Most expensive: $5290 Carolina Herrera Wool Coat. Least expensive: $25 Isaac Mizrahi for Target shirt)
Accessories: $301,116 (Most expensive: $6,400 Betteridge equestrian brooch. Least expensive: $7 socks by Ralph Lauren)
Beauty: $364 (Most expensive: $188 Dermaquest Peptide serum. Least expensive: $6 Prada face wipe)
Other: $73,001,215 (Most expensive: $73 million Mark Rothko painting. Least expensive: $15 old-school telephone)
Total Shit: $73,566,063 ($566,063 without painting)

Gavin Douglas

At 24 years old Gavin Douglas is already one of London's most promising new designers. He taken home a slew of honors including Fashion Fringe and the Young Avant-Garde Designer of the Year Award.

His Spring/Summer collection was inspired by a London exhibition titled "The Black Victorians" which was lauded for its mix of historic detailing and modern sensibility.

Looking at his Fall collection, all I can think of is future/sex ala Sean Young in Blade Runner. I love the mix of fabrics and color in his collection. Everything is here: leather, feathers, silk...it's like a space aged bordello. The complete opposite of anything I'd actually buy but so so pretty to look at.

Selected pieces available at Yoox

Chocolate Fondue for the Soul

When you've had a long day, or a long number of days in a row with a quick Saturday and Sunday in between which most of the time consists of putting away miles of piles of clothes and hitting the pet store before it closes, you just need to make yourself some chocolate fondue.

It's surprisingly easy. I just did it while washing the dishes. And I'm eating it while I compose this. All without an official chocolate fondue pot. And if you wait to do it when you have friends over, then you might as well never do it, because we all know that plans change and someone forgets to get the main ingredient - heavy cream.

How To Make Chocolate Fondue - Mista Style
Ingredients (for 1 person)
2 wrapped blocks of unsweetened chocolate (it's really 4 if you break them apart...Baker's is a good brand)
1 mound of white, granulated sugar
1 pint heavy cream
5-7 dashes salt
1 little sliver of butter (not margarine, it will interfere with the melting of the chocloate)
strawberries, banana, fruit of your choice
loaf of Angel Food cake
1 regular old cooking pot
1 wooden spoon
1 fondue fork (optional and recommended to get that fondue feeling)
note: after researching the differences between types of sugar (granulated, raw, brown), I have determined that all sugar is bad. So, for this recipe, it is not recommended to use honey to replace the sugar, or to replace the sugar at all. It is this cook's feeling that the chocolate concoction stirs best with the granulated sugar.

Over very low heat (gas is best) ie low flame, spread the butter on the bottom of the pot. Unwrap the chocolate and place in pan. Swirl around to get it going and to coat the bottom of the pot with chocolate. Cover with lid, but allow room for air to get in. Do dishes or some other activity close by so that you can stir the chocolate as it melts with a wooden spoon until creamy.

When chocolate has melted, pour in half a mound of sugar - just enough to sweeten the unsweetened chocolate. On top of the sugar, sprinkle in 4 dashes of salt. Stir. The mixture may lose its creamy consistency and get gloppy. I think that's the sugar caramelizing. Next, pour in the heavy cream, a little at a time, until creamy again. You will add more cream than you think. Taste. Pour in a little more sugar in, plus two more dashes of salt. Stir.

You should be done. With your fondue fork (or regular fork), dip in a sliced piece of strawberry or banana, and say goodbye to daily thoughts. There is only time now for chocolate.

If you drop a piece into the pot, you must kiss the person on your left. If that person is not on your left but in bed because you are making this at midnight, then go find them and treat them to a kiss of warm chocolate.

If you really want an official recipie, I grabbed the ingredients for chocolate fondue here. But there are lots more through Google. Or try this search if you spell recipe without the ie at the end. Oh gosh. Which is right.

Jil Sanders

I know that some people will probably find this collection uninteresting but I love the non-trendiness of it. Raf Simons is well regarded for his somewhat avante-gard menswear collection, so I was curious to see what he would do at Jil Sanders. This represents everything I look for in clothing these days, sleek silhouettes and incredible detailing. I'm all about this type of conservative chic. I think Style.com put it best when they celebrated its beautifully disciplined... purity of form.

Size Does Matter

Top to Bottom: Balenciaga Weekender ($1,962), Givenchy Patent Large Nightingale ($1,695), Marc by Marc Jacobs Delancy Tote ($698), Mulberry Large Mabel ($1,495.)

Vogue may have made a push for small clutch type bags this fall but personally, I will never be able to give up big bags. The bigger the better in fact. I actually feel naked if I'm not toting around an extra large piece of leather. I view it as a form of protection.

I come from a long line of suitcase sized bag carriers. My mother kept everything imaginable in her purse: wigs, makeup, notepads, the occasional piece of flatware, and even full sized condiments ("never leave the house without your lipstick and a bottle of your favorite hot sauce" was her motto.)

I, on the other hand, was greatly influenced by repeated viewings of "Let's Make a Deal" as a child. The part when host Monte Hall would go into the audience and offer $100 to the first woman able to pull a random item (be it a toothbrush, can of hairspray, or sewing kit) out of her bag became my obsession. Since then I've always had a list of essential items cluttering up the inside of my bag "just in case" I run into someone in need.

I've never run into Mr. Hall on the street but if you see me and are in desperate need of a lint brush, I'm here to help.

Naomi Speaks Out About Discrimination in Modeling Industry

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has lambasted top fashion magazines for avoiding black models in favour of fair-skinned beauties.

The London-born supermodel targeted Vogue in particular for its almost exclusive use of pale-skinned models.

"Black models are being sidelined by the major modelling agencies," Campbell said in an interview reported in The Times.

"It is a pity that people don't appreciate black beauty."

The 37 year old plans to set up a new modelling program in Kenya in an effort to bring greater balance and diversity to glossy magazines.

Campbell is a regular visitor to the Kenyan coast, where her former boyfriend Flavio Briatore owns a hotel.

She has reportedly been impressed by local beauties and sees a market for African faces on the world stage.

Cambell first appeared on the cover of Vogue in 1987 when she was 17 years old — and was one of the first to gain the tag 'supermodel'.

It has been more than five years since she graced the magazine's cover, and she now believes Vogue is reluctant to use black models.

"Even myself, I get a raw deal from my own country in England," she said during interviews at Briatore’s hotel.

"Only white models, some of whom are not as prominent as I am, are put on splash pages.

"I don't want to quit modelling until I find that black models get equal prominence and recognition by the world media and information instruments."

She's not saying anything that the rest of us haven't been complaining about for years but I'm glad she's speaking out. It's sad that there were more Black high-profile models working 15 years ago than there are now.

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