“You can be too rich and too thin, but you can never be too well read or too curious about the world.” Tim Gunn
Tim Gunn’s latest bookGunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work is a unique amalgam of etiquette guide, pet peeves, personal memoirs, and dishy tales of the divas and the don’ts of the fashion world. Says Ada Calhoun, who collaborated with Gunn, “Our operating framework was a trusted teacher’s office hours. Tim tried to think of what he’d tell students who came to him for advice on how to get along in the world,” and this he certainly does, with an abundance of personal anecdotes, so many, in fact, that you will come away from this book feeling as if he had told you his entire life story.
Gunn’s Golden Rules contains 18 ‘rules’, starting with Make it Work and ending with Carry On. Gunn gives his opinions on a range of social niceties, from holding doors to gift giving, with plenty of real life examples to back them up, including examples of his own social gaffs plus those of others, including many well-known players on the world fashion stage.
Gunn shares his wisdom from the classroom when he tells of many of his experiences as an educator, both at Parsons, where he worked for over 20 years, and at the Corcoran College of Art in Washington DC, where he held his first teaching position, plus his work on the American reality television series, Project Runway, and as Chief Creative Officer for Liz Claiborne, Inc.
One intriguing recurring theme is Gunn’s discussion of what a shy person he is, and how he has been able to Make it Work and live life successfully, despite his shyness. If you are a shy person, withdrawn and reserved, and dreaming of normalcy, I recommend you pick up this book, if only to read of Gunn’s experiences on that topic, so you too can Make it Work.
“I hear this a lot as an excuse for why people don’t take chances or don’t succeed in getting the job they want or the relationship they desire: ‘I’m so shy. I get very nervous.’ ‘I’m shy by nature!’ I say. ‘I’m withdrawn. You have to learn how to engage. If I did, anyone can.’’
This is coming from a man who threw up in the school parking lot on the way to teach his first class (fellow teachers, good story, I assure you). I was nervous on my first day of teaching, but not that nervous.
On the subject of Project Runway, Gunn certainly dishes, and throughout it all the love and respect he has for each of the designers, the way a teacher loves and respects his students (oddballs included), consistently comes through. This is no mere behind-the-scenes exposé. Gunn shares what did not work in the workroom and on the runway (and what did work), all as examples to back up the rationale behind his Golden Rules.
Woven throughout Golden Rules are intimate stories from Gunn’s personal life, ranging from his childhood as the son of J. Edgar Hoover’s ghostwriter, to a teenage suicide attempt, to his love life in adulthood. Of the many insights contained in this book, some of my favorites include:
How becoming a television personality later in his career has served to keep him grounded in reality, and prevented him from becoming a drama queen.
The striking resemblance J. Edgar Hoover bore to Vivian Vance at one point, and the surprise of meeting of Vivian Vance on a visit to Hoover’s office in 1961, while at the same time, Hoover himself was absent.
Martha Stewart’s bizarre prohibition on Diet Coke in her television studio.
His experiences and point of view on being closeted, coming out, and being a positive gay role model today.
Descriptions of the Vogue offices, and the tale of how he was almost sued by Anna Wintour.
Above all, Gunn’s message is one of kindness and consideration. As he says on the subject of holding doors for people in public places (and not only women), “It has to do with noticing our fellow human beings and saying, ‘I recognize that you’re on this planet, and I don’t want a door hitting you in the face.’”
Ada Calhoun, who helped Gunn write this book sums up her experience working with Gunn quite sweetly, “Friends keep asking me what Tim is like in person. The truth is that he is kindness and generosity personified.” After reading Gunn’s Golden Rules, I believe it.
My two favorite rules?Rule 8, Physical Comfort is Overrated, and Rule 13,Know What to Get Off Your Chest and What to Take to the Grave.
Before you all click away to order your copy of Golden Rules, take a look at this video of Gunn and Christian Siriano of Project Runway having a walk-off. The walk-off is amusing, but for me, the real high point of this film is when Heidi Klum has Gunn doubled over in laughter as she tickles him. The man’s laughter is adorable.
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Sources:
Gunn, Tim. (2010) Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making it Work. Gallery Books: New York.
This week, I’m pleased to bring you a useful review of Patrik Aspers new book,Orderly Fashion: A Sociology of Markets(July 2010, Princeton University Press). It was written by Joseph H. Hancock, II who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fashion, Design & Merchandising, Drexel University. He has a twenty-year retailing background (The Gap Corporation, The Limited, Inc., and the Target Corporation) and a PhD from The Ohio State University. He is currently authoring an Introduction to Fashion textbook for Berg Publishers and a work on contemporary fashion for Texas Tech University Press.
Orderly Fashion: A Sociology of Markets is divided into seven chapters and five appendices. Stockholm University sociology faculty member, Patrik Aspers believes that there has been little research conducted from a social science perspective (5). This book attempts to give the reader a sociological perspective of the fashion industry. The author has obviously neglected to engage in American scholarship on fashion and consumer science that is oversaturated with this sort of work. Had he read Dr. Susan Kaiser’s (1996) landmark book, The Social Psychology of Clothing: Symbolic Appearances in Context, or any issue of the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, he would have known that he was not a pioneer in this area.
At first, the text appears to be a new perspective on how the fashion system operates and is an ordered structure. The goal of the author is to “zoom in on branded garment retailers…to investigate order in relation to their activities in markets. It is the order of the branded garment retailers (BGRs) and the markets in which they operate that is the central empirical object of this study (1).” Aspers believes that fashion markets must work in an orderly fashion in order to survive and prosper. His idea is to connect the various organizations involved in the fashion process such as manufacturers, retailers and consumers. However, after many struggles to move through his misuse of retailing and business terminology and the lack of background information on each of the mass fashion retailers used in the “Introduction” of the text, it becomes apparent that the author really does not understand how the various aspects of the fashion industry work, nor that each company has its own corporate cultural characteristics and thematic concepts of order.
Additionally, his thesis statement is not well defined nor specifically designated to his final outcome. Aspers states that he is focusing on “large and medium-sized branded retailers in the global fashion industry, such as C&A, Gap, H&M, Macy’s, Old Navy, Topshop, Next, French Connection UK, Marks and Spencer, and Zara, as well as smaller retailers (2).” Clumping such a group of stores together as a single-type or entity clearly indicates that the author may not understand retail store categories. Retailers like Macy’s cannot be explicitly identified as a “branded retailer” in the same spirit of the Gap – these stores are not the same! It appears Aspers would like to create a well-defined ordered thematic ideal of how fashion works. But in order to do this he must realize that most vertically integrated manufactured based specialty retailers such as Gap Inc., (who also owns Old Navy, which the author does not mention) cannot easily be lumped into the same category as a full-line department store like Macy’s. Aspers clearly needs to make these differentiations in the “Introduction” to keep the reader from thinking he does not know what he is writing about – this does not happen. And many readers, like this reviewer may not be able to overlook the lack of definitions in this section.
Aspers focuses his study on the retailers of Great Britain, Sweden and the manufacturers of India and Turkey (2), but does not include the United States – which is the largest retailed nation in the world. This becomes confusing as Apers previously mentions the retailer Macy’s, which has no branches in Great Britain or Sweden. His reasons for the exclusions of the United States are the demands for production of a larger scale and because the United States puts a lower emphasis on fashionable clothes than that of Great Britain and Sweden (2). But what the author immediately does not do is define fashionable, and the differences between styles for each of the countries, until the next chapter. Additionally, to compare the entire United States to Britain and Sweden is like comparing an apple to an orange. It becomes clear that Aspers has never traveled to the United States and if he has, he does not grasp American fashionable styles. Or that regions of the United States have fashion centers that are much larger than those of Great Britain and Sweden, such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles whose volumes in fashionable style outweigh that of both those countries. There is no comparison.
Although this is Aspers second book on fashion (his first book was Markets in Fashion in 2006), it reads like a dissertation written without academic mentoring by someone who was versed in discipline of fashion studies or that understood how the retailing and manufacturing industry worked. This text is a futile attempt by a non-fashion scholar to re-invent the wheel of scholarly theory while neglecting what has already been done. It ignores previous works of how fashion operates, without truly understanding fashion and the detailed nature of the business of retailing. While the target audience for this text is scholars engaged in sociology, fashion, and retailing, I would suggest that a reader predispose themselves to other books that might give them a better understanding of fashion systems and how they work. Such books would include:
Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray
Holly Golightly in Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Orlando in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando
Scarlett O’Harain Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind
Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Dorian Gray in Gustave Flaubert’s The Picture of Dorian Gray
Rupert Psmith in the novels of P.G. Wodehouse
Lady Brett Ashley in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises
Darling Daintyfoot in Jean Genet’s Our Lady of the Flowers
A wonderful property of literature and other art forms is that textiles — fragile under the best of circumstances — may be preserved in alternate mediums. Greek, Roman, and Ancient Egyptian statues may be studied for information on what people wore in eras almost impossible to find fragmented remains of clothes, much less full ensembles, as can paintings and literature. Though literature removes the visual aspect of fashion, it can supplement readers with information not gleaned from sculptures and pictures: how fabric moved; how heavy and cumbersome (or light and airy) it was; what necessary undergarments created the ultimate silhouettes. Most valuable, perhaps, is that literature is able to synthesize the mise en scène of a particular country, era, class, time of day, and personal circumstance, explicitly emphasizing the relationship of fashion with these other variables. Though not impossible, conveying this complex set of relationships is more challenging in fine arts, where the visual language may be forced to reduce information to simplified symbols, to be absorbed and interpreted by a viewer in a moment.
Within a written narrative, an author has space to develop characters and settings: personality, gender roles (how constrictive / seductive women’s gowns were communicates volumes), class (fabrics vary according to a person’s wealth), aspirations (class deception is commonly exploited with the use of clothes), sexual preference (homosexuals are often marked as such by a flamboyance of appearance that’s slightly out of step with current fashion)…. Though fashion historians often concentrate on the nitty-gritty details of garment descriptions — which is absolutely valuable — this information should contribute to the overall character development and plot structure of a novel as well. In the hands of a competent writer, dress details will not distract a non-fashion reader, but only add depth to what is already taking place.
The course of events in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, for example — war, displacement, poverty, the helpless role of women — lead directly and naturally to the memorable scene where Scarlett converts her destroyed mansion’s drapes into a fashionable dress and hat with which to impress and seduce Rhett Butler (thereby securing new wealth). (The dress from the original film, by the way, is in dire need of restoring.)
Scarlett O'Hara in drape dress, Gone with the Wind
This dress has become so iconic that costume designer Bob Mackie specifically spoofed it, within Carol Burnett’s 1976 general farce “Went with the Wind” (which I strongly encourage you to watch in its entirety):
Carol Burnett Show, Went with the Wind
As I hope you can see, Mackie left the curtain rod in, used drape ties with tassels for a belt, and left the contrasting fringe exactly where it would’ve been on the curtain, drawing attention to Scarlett’s desperation and deception sooner rather than later — taking Margaret Mitchell’s initial use of fashion one step further.
Presenters will be dissecting the relationship between fashion and literature in an upcoming Drexel University conference (at which I will be presenting): Fashion in Fiction: The Dark Side of Fashion. If you will be in Philadelphia October 8-10, please drop me a line (see my Profile for email address)!
Feel free to add your own best-dressed characters in fiction in the Comments….
The March of Time 75th Anniversary September 1st – September 10th Presented by the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York and HBO Archives Free with MOMA admission; Film screening only, adults $10, student (with ID) $6.
In the spring of 1935 a remarkable short-subject film series called The March Of Time premiered in American movie theaters. Released every four weeks to a monthly audience that by 1938 totaled more than 20 million in the United States and millions more abroad, its 20-minute films addressed issues never before touched upon in the American cinema. A cross between confrontational journalism and docudrama, The March Of Time series was provocative, amusing and sometimes outrageous. It was banned in Germany, Italy, Japan and the Soviet Union, and censored widely even in democratic societies. Miraculously, the series survived in the United States for 16 years—from 1935 through 1951.
A product of Time, Inc., publisher of Time, Life and Fortune magazines, The March Of Time first aired in March 1931 as a CBS radio series, in which the news of the day was dramatized using professional New York actors. Regulars included Art Carney, who portrayed Franklin Roosevelt; Agnes Moorehead, who played Eleanor Roosevelt; Dwight Weist, who played Hitler; and Orson Welles, who performed from time to time in a variety of parts. The creator was Roy Larsen, originally the circulation manager at Time and later the publisher of Life. Larsen decided to adapt the radio series for motion picture production and hired Louis de Rochemont—a veteran newsreel cameraman and producer—to do so.
The most unusual feature of the films in The March Of Time series was the re-creation or staging of events that had taken place, but had not been photographed by newsreel cameras. De Rochemont argued that he had the same right to clarify news events with staged scenes as a re-write man on a newspaper had with words to make sense out of a reporter’s notes. He used both professional and amateur actors to impersonate famous people on the screen, and then blended the staged scenes with newsreel footage. By 1940 the series was so well known that it was parodied by Orson Welles in his production of “Citizen Kane,” including an imitation of Westbrook Van Voorhis, the “Voice Of Time.”
MOMA will screen this unique event at various times from September 1st to September 10th. Film topics include “American Culture,” “A World At War,” and “Beauty and Fashion.”
Program #2, “Beauty and Fashion,” will screen on Thursday September 2nd at 4:00PM and Friday September 10th at 7:00PM in MoMA’s T2 theater.
The 4 titles being shown are:
1. American Beauty (1945, 18 minutes) – the beauty routines, spas, exercises and hairstyles that women obsess over as they strive to maintain their looks in preparation for their soldiers returning from World War II.
2. The Male Look (1950, 16 minutes) – a lighthearted look at men and the women who dress them throughout their life. This episode features footage of the “Eve Dresses Adam” exhibition from the Met Costume Institute.
3. Beauty at Work (1950, 18 minutes) – Print, runway and store modeling in New York City; the beauty regimes and modeling agencies, along with several supermodels of the 50’s (Lisa Fonssagrives, Anita Colby) and other major players in the industry.
4. Fashion Means Business (1947, 17 minutes) – Examining the garment industry – the dresses and designers, companies, mass market appeal and influences. Go Inside: Martin’s Department Store, Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, the Women’s Wear Daily offices, the design houses of Lelon, Lanvin, Piguet, Fath, Dior, Teller, Carnegie, Valentina and Jean. Also featuring accessories designers, a Vogue photo shoot, the Garment District, the ILGWU, and the New York fashion shows of Claire Potter and Nettie Rosenstein.
Click here for a PDF version of the complete program guide.
*The first person to email Monica will receive two FREE tickets to the “Beauty and Fashion” screening on Friday, September 10th at 7pm.*
FILM SCREENING Date: Friday, September 17th Time: 8pm Location: Observatory (Brooklyn, NY) Admission: $10
Presented by Phantasmaphile
Special screening of BEYOND BIBA: A PORTRAIT OF BARBARA HULANICKI (November Films), about the fashion icon and mastermind behind BIBA, once the world’s most decadent and innovative clothing store. BIBA remains one of the most evocative names in British design history; it pioneered a new style, mixing the contemporary with Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the golden age of Hollywood, dressing itself in the richly luxuriant colors of a bygone time.
Barbara Hulanicki will always be remembered for BIBA, the shop that changed the face of UK fashion in the 1960s and 70s. A phenomenon in the truest sense of the word, BIBA would leave an indelible mark on the minds and wardrobes of the customers who ventured through its doors.
Just as Barbara was a key ingredient in the cultural explosion that occurred in London during the 1960s, she also found herself at the birth of the incredible regeneration of Miami Beach in the late 1980s and 90s. This is where she still resides, and continues to work as one of the most respected interior designers in the United States.
The film provides an invaluable glimpse into Barbara Hulanicki today. A rare insight into the woman herself, her memories of her father’s murder, the impossible glamour of Biba, the impact of her husband Fitz on her life, her thoughts on modern America and her refusal to give up and live in the shadow of the past. The film focuses on these elements, and more, to create an all access portrait of an overlooked and elusive artist.
Over the past 3 yearsWorn Through has focused on providing educational, fun, and useful content about fashion history and culture. Now we’d love to hear from you!
We’re requesting our readers complete the following survey in order to gain valuable feedback on the blog. With your feedback, not only will we be able to maintain the things you enjoy about Worn Through, but we’re also excited to work with your suggestions to make improvements! We’ve developed a very brief survey that takes less than 5 minutes to do.
Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to participate. To show our appreciation, two individuals who participate will be selected in a drawing to win a fabulous fashion book sent to you for free!
We’re so excited to read the responses and continue to grow Worn Through.
“THE GOLDEN AGE OF COUTURE: PARIS & LONDON 1947 – 1957″ Through September 12 The Frist Center [Nashville, TN]
This exhibit transports visitors to the most glamorous fashion houses of Paris and London in the years after WWII. It celebrates an important decade in fashion history that began with the launch of Christian Dior’s famous New Look in 1947 and ended with his death in 1957.
“PATTERN, COSTUME AND ORNAMENT” Through September 12 The Birmingham Museum of Art [Birmingham, AL]
Works by artists Fred Wilson, Odili Donald Odita, Jeff Donaldson, Carrie Mae Weems, and others will reveal how African-American artists incorporate design and decoration into their work for a variety of reasons. Among the works on view will be a Nick Cave Sound Suit, a beaded and sequined Haitianflag, AFRICOBRA founder Jeff Donaldson’s family portrait, and a Gee’s Bend quilt.
“ART BY THE YARD: WOMEN DESIGN MID-CENTURY BRITAIN” Through September 12 The Textile Museum [Washington DC]
This exhibit will showcase the work of groundbreaking women designers through the display of textiles together with preliminary drawings and collages, ceramics and period furniture. The art of textile design changed radically after World War II as Britain was transformed from a country devastated by war into an optimistic consumer society. Three women designers were pivotal in this artistic revolution: Lucienne Day, Jacqueline Groag and Marian Mahler. Incorporating dramatic saturated colors and bold motifs inspired by artists like Alexander Calder and Joan Miro, these young designers transformed the market by inspiring elegant yet affordable product lines that brought the world of contemporary art into everyone’s homes.
It’s been a little while since I posted anything on film costume history. To that end, here are some tasty tidbits on Claudette Colbert and her costumes for the 1934 version of Cleopatra. Speaking to the often difficult task of costuming a mega-star Like Colbert, writer Leon Surmelian explained what happened in an article for a fan magazine in 1938:
“The toughest spot he [costume designer, Travis Banton] ever found himself in was when Cecil B. De Mille started shooting ‘Cleopatra,’ and Claudette Colbert refused to wear the gowns made for her. De Mille had his own staff at Paramount and Banton was in no way responsible for the dresses La Colbert didn’t like. He hadn’t designed them. When shooting starts on a picture of such magnitude, a delay of a few hours would cost the producer thousands of dollars. You can imagine the state of affairs when Cleopatra-Colbert did not choose to go on the set. Banton was called in to design an entirely new wardrobe for her, and the very next day he had the first dress ready. In fact, from day to day he produced the various items of one of the most extravagant wardrobes in the history of movies, while the cameras recorded scenes of ancient Egypt as conceived by De Mille.” (Surmelian, Leon. “Studio Designer Confesses.” Motion Picture. December 1938. 56(5): 67.)
It seems Ms. Colbert had specific ideas about how she should look in this film, and being something of a perfectionist her motives reveal some of her own insecurities. Author Annet Talpert explains this incident, and Colbert’s habit of being difficult (as well as a slightly different version of the story):
“During the making of Cleopatra, she insisted that Travis Banton bare as much of her bosom as possible. Though she had one of screenland’s best figures, she thought her waist was too thick, and she wanted Banton to place all the emphasis above her middle. By calling attention to her chest she also reasoned that it would divert attention from here unusually short neck. Banton gave in to her demands, but the day before shooting began she refused to wear the costumes she’d approved. Banton went back to the workroom. In 24 hours he had the first elaborate costume ready for filming.” (Tapert, A., The Power of Glamour: The Women Who Defined the Magic of Stardom, New York: Crown, 1998. 177)
“Banton wasn’t the only one who had problems with her. ‘She once slapped a fitter at Western Costume who kept insisting her costume fit properly,’ says Leonard Gershe. ‘Claudette knew it wasn’t exactly right and finally got exasperated with her. The woman had treated her as if she was stupid, which was a mistake . . .’ Edith Head, Banton’s successor at Paramount, suggested she find another costume designer who would be more willing to give in to her demands. Colbert brought in Irene who was then a fashion designer with her own salon and designed for Colbert off-screen.” (Tapert, A., The Power of Glamour: The Women Who Defined the Magic of Stardom, New York: Crown, 1998. 177)
Despite these difficulties, the final product got quite a bit of coverage in the popular press, and Shadowplay suggests the designs had an effect on fashion trends:
“Already De Mille’s ‘Cleopatra’ opus is starting fashion trends. Around Hollywood, clips of burnished gold in Lotus flower motifs are worn on filmy lace evening gowns. An Egyptian collar effect is seen here and there. And most interesting of all, the winged bandeaus worn by Claudette Colbert promise to replace the tiara as an evening headdress.” (Whitney, Diane. “Designer’s Say Shorter Skirts!” Shadoplay. July 1934 3(5): 16.)
I’m happy to report that a costume from Cleopatra is currently was on view (along with many others) at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art until August 15. In case you missed it, BAM’s Blog has a lovely overview.
(Claudette Colbert in title role of Cecil B. DeMille’s film Cleopatra. sources from, chuckpalahniuk.net, this image was also published in Life Magazine, Jan 01, 1934)
If you’ve not seen the film, I highly recommend it, it’s opulent and over-the top (watch a clip here at TCM). The costumes are especially beautiful to watch in motion.
*(Image via Vogue.com, John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images)
Conference Registration for the 2010 International Textiles and Apparel Association Conference in Montreal is now open. ITAA suggests that you first go to http://www.itaaonline.org/www/default/index.cfm/annual-conference-2010/ and download the written instructions for completing your ITAA registration. The link to the conference registration site is found on the same page. When you first open the conference registration site, be sure to click on the button that says “REGISTER.”
Don’t forget to make your hotel reservation on or before September 26, 2010 in order to be included in the ITAA room block. Remember, that if active members do not book rooms at the Hyatt Regency (registration will be checked against Hyatt rooming list), the member will be charged the “staying offsite” higher rate. The link to the lodging page is http://www.itaaonline.org/www/default/index.cfm/annual-conference-2010/lodging/
The September/October issue of the ITAA Newsletter is now online. Yes, it is early but ITAA needs to concentrate on the 2010 conference details. The September/October issue of full of information members need and want to know. Read it at http://www.itaaonline.org/www/default/index.cfm/publications/itaa-newsletter/.
ITAA Newsletter Editor
Applications are being accepted for the position of ITAA Newsletter Editor. Responsibilities of the Newsletter Editor include all aspects of preparation of six issues of the ITAANewsletter, including communicating with VP of Publications and the Executive Director, pre-screening submitted articles from ITAA members for appropriateness of publication, working with the Book and Media Review Committee Chair in generating articles, reminding council and board members of upcoming planned article submissions, requesting and preparing member publication citations for annual reporting in the newsletter, and preparing reports for Council. The newsletter is formatted and distributed by ITAA’s Executive Director.
Qualifications include being an active or reserve member of ITAA, having strong organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines, and skills for effective and supportive communication with members of ITAA.
The term of Newsletter Editor is for three years and begins September 1, 2010. Upon approval by Council, the Newsletter Editor may serve a second consecutive term. To apply, send a letter of application, curriculum vita, a list of three references with contact information, and a letter from the candidate’s unit administrator indicating what, if any, administrative support will be provided by the Newsletter Editor’s institution to Nancy Miller, 205 Stone, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402 by August 31, 2010. For questions contact Nancy at njmiller@uncg.edu.
It’s that time of year again in the northern hemisphere: summer is fading into autumn, and school is starting up after a three-month break. American retailers are hopeful for a strong back-to-school season (bts) this year (for many, bts is second only to the Christmas season for keeping them in the black). One of my favorite things about teaching is the annual excuse to go shopping for new fall additions to my wardrobe (not that I need an excuse to go shopping). There is something about fall that makes it festive. The new collections, the September issue of Vogue, the start of the a new school year, the changing of the seasons: This time of year is all about new beginnings for so many of us, whether you work in fashion, have school-age children in your life, or are a student or teacher, yourself.
Personally, having spent most of my life in the classroom, is it any wonder that I measure the years of my life in academic years? When teaching, a January to December calendar sometimes appears to me like two halves of two calendars awkwardly attached to each other like two bookends back-to-back in the center of a shelf of books. Therefore, August is when I crack open a fresh planner (I love my smartphone, but I also love my ink and paper that do not have to be plugged in every couple of days to recharge) and I start a brand new year. And what does a brand new year need? Brand new style, of course.
I took myself back-to-school shopping in anticipation of the start of the new term next week (my syllabi, lesson plans, and powerpoints are ready, and so are my school supplies, how are yours?), and this week I discovered a pleasant little perquisite for both students and teachers: the fashionable student/educator’s discount. I have received the odd 10 to 15% discount at bookstores, and even a local toy store (and not just for educational toys!, but I digress), but there are a handful of fashion retailers who offer discounts to teachers and students. So, in the spirit of back-to-school, here are a few of those discounts, for you, or the students and educators in your life.
Most, but not all, of these discounts are available only in-store. Some retailers require some sort of identification to prove that you are a student or educator. A business card was sufficient for my purchases this week. Some places take me at my word. Expect establishments to vary, and plan to ask wherever you shop, as these discounts are not always widely advertised.
Have I missed any? If you know of others not to be missed, please leave a comment.
*
(July 2010, Princeton University Press). It was written by Joseph H. Hancock, II who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fashion, Design & Merchandising, Drexel University. He has a twenty-year retailing background (The Gap Corporation, The Limited, Inc., and the Target Corporation) and a PhD from The Ohio State University. He is currently authoring an Introduction to Fashion textbook for Berg Publishers and a work on contemporary fashion for Texas Tech University Press.
, or any issue of the 
(2005) by Grant McCracken
(2009) by Joseph Hancock
*
, New York: Crown, 1998. 177)
