We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Gibson Girls: The Perfect Antidote to Fashion Week Futurism

by Jamie Johnson from Vanity Fair

Working people (including those jobless) often dream about the rich and what it is like to be fabulously rich. Well, I'm sure that they are folks just like us in many ways.

This article shows their concern about dressing well and their search for ever better ways to present oneself fashionably to the public. The author says that good taste can also be found by looking into the past.
...the greatest expression of style and beauty that I encountered last week did not appear in a designer’s collection or at an ultra-exclusive industry celebration; instead, I found it during an overnight trip to Seven Hundred Acre Island, along coastal Maine. It was among the patrician members of the understated Down East community that I first heard the story of fashion’s historically famous “Gibson Girl,” and saw the iconic images featuring her classic good looks and traditional feminine style.
There, you see, you can be well dressed too by looking into past fashions. And you don't need to travel to exotic places to find them. Simply go to your nearest Goodwill or used clothing store and I'm sure you'll find many interesting and attractive articles of clothing from the past.