Get Adam Lambert’s Idol Necklace
A few people have written in and asked where they could get the jewelry that Adam Lambert wore on American Idol. I didn’t pay much attention at the time, and even would have assumed that it had been odds and ends that he has had for a long time. However, the contestants on American Idol have people who help them decide what to wear, and I recall that they revealed a wardrobe department during one season. Whether he brought them at home or acquired them later, I found out that.
The 
Rocker Jewelry as seen on Adam Lambert on Idol(click there) is carried by Tattoo Apparel, and was designed by Gasoline Glamour. The spikey pendant with pewter settings, and a 1/4″ wide silver plated chain was featured when Lambert sang “Whole Lotta Love,” from Led Zeppelin. He also wore a Gasoline Glamor design on the movie music episode, where Quentin Tarantino was the celebrity mentor and Lambert sang, “Born to Be Wild.”
If you would like to be Adam Lambert for Halloween this year, the necklace runs normally in the $140.00 range, but Tattoo discounts it and offers it for $118.95. If you want the “exact one,” this is it. I think it would also be the ticket for a witch costume. Some may argue that I shouldn’t mention Halloween, but should encourage people to buy it and put it away for posterity so they can sell it as a valuable vintage item years down the road. Well, you be the judge of that.
If you have any other fashion questions, leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer it or track something down.
modern fashion | Comments (7)Michael Jackson, Shoe Designer
You can not go anywhere and not hear about the untimely death of Michael Jackson. Many will wistfully remember his early days at Motown, and recall perhaps wearing a single glove to school. The later years of his career were obscured by public relation nightmares, that seem to have affected his reputation in the United States more so than the rest of the world. His lie served as a cautionary tale about lost childhoods, and also the loneliness that lurks at the top.
A little known fact about Michael Jackson is that he was also a shoe designer. He shares a US Patent for gravity defying loafers with Michael Bush and Dennis Thompson. You may recall incredible dance moves, where he tilted so far forward that you attributed it to his unworldly sense of balance and his slim frame. Actually, the moves were attributed to a special hinge that was an integral part of the shoe. There was a small slot in the stage where they could hook on, or maybe several spots. Since he choreographed things to a “T,” it definitely was not a problem finding the mark. The move was popularized in his early 90s Smooth Criminal video and subsequent performances.
There was an earlier patent that was for a personnel restraint tract which someone would attach work cleats too. This was something that was used for developing what was underneath the stage.
This little known trivia about his life may be one of those things, when the dust settles, and the jokes end, that he may be remembered as an innovator for.
Rest in Peace, Michael Jackson.
Body Painters Can Stay In The Closet Thanks to Directv
It’s that time of year again. Direct TV is starting to advertise the NFL Sunday Ticket package. For the uninitiated, it gives you unlimited access to watching every single NFL game that ever was, even if it is blacked out in your market. If you live far away from your home team, or just have to see it all (200 games!), then that is the antidote for what ails you.
Something disturbing always happens during football season, and that is usually both a major lapse of fashion sense, as well as a lapse in one’s general well being. It involves standing outside in freezing weather, and if you are a male of the species, being shirtless and painting yourself with absurd numbers and logos. It seems like that would be the surefire way to deter any of the ladyfolk from coming anywhere near you. Ever. Even so, the trend still rages on. I is not everyone doing it, but just those few groups that make everyone else stand and point.
If you want to be “that guy” without the fashion police bearing down upon you, I suppose that the NFL Sunday Ticket is going to help you paint and display in the privacy of your own home. Then, of course, it will make you a closet painter and some unsuspecting gal will have the shock of her life once she starts her life with a guy. She will have had no inkling about the mild mannered gent, and then one day, she is home from work or exercise class unexpected and walks in to the shock of her life.
Don’t be a closet painter. If you must, then please tell the lady in your life before you get serious, lest she consider it a deal breaker. Perhaps, as an alternative, maybe that could just be your private thing, and you do it in the “Man Cave.” In other words, it is an unspoken rule that the den or tv room is your private sanctuary during games where none shall pass.
I like to plan ahead, but am not thinking about what I will be watching on television in the fall. However, for those of you that are in mourning over the demise of the Red Wings, you may want to rush the seasons a little bit and just get on to the next sport. There is no better time than the present, I suppose, to think about it.
Made in the USA: What It All Means
Not all products require a country of origin label. However, those that do, including those under the jurisdiction of the Wool Products Labeling Act and the Textile Fiver Products Identification Act, are often a subject of this blog. I just received a newsletter form MadeByYankees and it hits upon the FTC standards for labeling an item Made in the USA:
Though many products do not require labeling‚ if a company chooses to label‚ they must adhere to the guidelines issued by the FTC. First and foremost if a product is labeled or advertised as Made in USA‚ either expressly or implied‚ it must be “all or virtually all” made in the USA. “ ‘All or virtually all’ means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is‚ the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content.”3 This definition
seems simple enough but wait. Read on….
I did some more research on what “negligible foreign materials meant, and that took me back to the FTC wesbite HERE
In this analysis, raw materials(18) are neither automatically included nor automatically excluded in the evaluation of whether a product is all or virtually all made in the United States. Instead, whether a product whose other parts and processing are of U.S. origin would not be considered all or virtually all made in the United States because the product incorporated imported raw materials depends (as would be the case with any other input) on what percentage of the cost of the product the raw materials constitute and how far removed from the finished product the raw materials are.(19) Thus, were the gold in a gold ring, or the clay used to make a ceramic tile, imported, an unqualified “Made in USA” claim for the ring or tile would likely be inappropriate.(20) This is both because of the significant value the gold and the clay are likely to represent relative to the finished product and because the gold and the clay are only one step back from the finished articles and are integral components of those articles. By contrast, were the plastic in the plastic case of a clock radio that was otherwise all or virtually all made in the United States found to have been made from imported petroleum, the petroleum is far enough removed from, and an insignificant enough input into, the finished product that it would nonetheless likely be appropriate to label the clock radio with an unqualified U.S. origin claim.
So, when you see something with the Made in the USA label, you can be assured that it has for all intents and purposes, been made in America. There are, from time to time, violations in which the Federal Trade Commission monitors. In 1999, Abercrombie & Fitch was noted for its failure to list the country of origin for a wool product advertised in their catalog, and sold it in their store.
Historical Fact: Garments that were labeled Made in the USA beginning in 1996 must comply with FTC regulations. A variation on the label is a “Assembled in the USA” label which means the item was manufactured in the United States using parts of a foreign source, or a large amount of foreign materials.
Made in Usa, Japan label: There is also some confusion over a label that states “Made in Usa, Japan.” There is in fact a province or area called Usa in Japan. These garments started appearing in the United States in the 60s, imported from Japan. Usa is a real place that has been there for centuries but it has caused confusion.
When you are out and about, watch those labels. It will probably make you more conscious of just who is making your clothing, or exactly what is going into them, if you are attempting to support as many American made products as possible.
fashion history, made in the usa | Comment (0)Sizing Notes for 70s menswear
It might be very tempting to occasionally trade in your double breasted suit, and with 70s elements always seeming to pop up everywhere in fashion, you are probably tempted to try it. But for you, a modern imitation will not do, you want the real thing. There are a few tips to consider when shopping for 1970s wear online or in a shop
- Do not be surprised if a size on all platform shoes are not printed inside. Usually they are, but occasionally the ink has faded with time or it wasn’t there to begin with. Always try them on. If you cannot, and are shopping online, follow the lead of the ladies. Gals are more accustomed to measuring the inside of a similar pair of shoes of a similar pair and choosing “new to you” shoes that way. Look at what the platform shoe essential is at the basic level. Is it a loafer, a sandal, a boot, or and measure comparable shoes accordingly.
- The arm holes on most trendy blazers and suit coats were cut higher and smaller than modern suit coats. If you have a slim build, you may find that 70s jackets may flatter you well. If you don’t, or broad shoulders, you may want to see if the next size up fits you better. Remember, though, that the fit in many things is supposed to be slim and your size regular size may indeed fit. You just have to get used to the cut. Most clothing was not made to be baggy with miles of “ease” room.
- Not everything was poly. Polyester was a big staple of the 70s, but if you have an aversion to it, there are plenty of other choices. Wool and other classic fabrics were still used in abundance. The idea that people have is that if it was wool in the 1970s, it must be boxy and plaid. Some of the other popular cuts were actually available in wool.
Dress That Man is a site that I had stumbled by quite some time ago, and can’t believe I have yet to mention in the “Daily.” The 1970s are alive and well and expressed in fashion at the site. Hipsters, Rockers, and Halloween party attenders alike can find something to love. Browse the aisles and try on a pair of sky high platform shoes or a shirt. Of course, you can’t really “try them on,” you have to know your size.
1970s, vintage clothing | Comment (1)Makeup for Manly Men
In the past, mens cosmetics fell into three different categories. The first was the Halloween category. Pastes and pancake makeup were relegated towards creating a ghoulish look that certain time of year. I would consider Gene Simmons in the first category. After all, he is a bit scary. The second category is just simply male skincare. Lotions, creams, and aftershaves just got a little more fancy. The third category was corrective, though it was hardly tapped into. There are guys out there that have suffered major burns or other disfigurements and chose to camouflage it a bit, at least for photo opportunities. For the most part, however, guys just live with it. Perhaps that is the slightly more manly way to deal with things. Oh, I almost forgot. There is also makeup that you would wear daily if you were a Punk Rocker, and that isn’t a stereotype.
Now, there is the Men Pen. On the site, one of the front page quotes is: “There’s nothing gay about covering up a zit when you go out!” Sure, but is the average guy going to go with it? This sort of mens makeup has been used for years on the stage and in film, but I still wonder if it will truly catch on. To my surprise, there were more comments that seemed to be from average guys, rather than only guys that were models or were into the club scene. There was a Gent named John who uses it to cover up a big scar on his face he has had since he was a kid.
One Gent named Kyle said: I discovered The Men Pen works great for covering Tatoo’s (sic) I have a tatoo (sic) on my arm and It can’t be seen at work. I can actually hide it using The Men Pen. Thanks much. At $17.95, I guess it is a BIT more economical than tattoo laser removal. I wonder if it is a similar item to what was used to cover up Angelina Jolie’s many tattoos for the Tomb Raider movies.
One Gent, Kevin, commented that he ran out after a year. Maybe guys should take a cue from ladies and dispose of it every six months, and get a new one at that time, because of bacteria. He probably will find he has to cover up acne less using a clean Men Pen. Just a thought.
What are your thoughts on products such as the Men Pen? Do you think that its something that works for a niche, or do you think it is going to catch on? Some people believe that something like this is just a “gateway” and a slippery slope to men wearing a complete foundation application and curling their eyelashes. I don’t really think that’s the case. I am also wondering if this isn’t just the same makeup that is made for ladies, just in a format that is a bit more manly? I would have to do a little more digging to find out.
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