rag trade

Sporty Edition: Olympics Opening Ceremony is a Global Fashion Show

• At the Olympics' Opening Ceremony, the American team wore Polo Ralph Lauren blazers and "poorly-made" newsboy caps. The French wore light gray blazers and dark sneakers with white soles. The Spanish wore red suits and straw hats. What were the Russians thinking? Are those smocks/dress shirts/tee shirts? [NYT]
• Some spectators couldn't stand Team China's "tomato-and-scrambled-egg uniform." [WSJ]
• Venezuela's color-blocked tracksuits were "like the goofy dad who shows up underdressed to a parent-teacher conference." [LA Times]
  
• Tennis pro Maria Sharapova's accessories collection to launch this fall. [Globe and Mail]
• Advancements in sneaker testing. [NYT]
  
• Black is never out of season. Did you know? "It's really amazing," says Sunday Styles' Bill Cunningham. "Here we are, first week in August and the New Yorkers are all in black clothes--well, not all, but you know what I mean." [NYT]
• We will all be scraggly during the recession. Hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai tells WWD: "Some women may opt to do their color at home... Consumers may also go a little longer between their hair appointments." [WWD]
• We will also have babies. From a baby shower at Anna Wintour's house on Thursday night: "'This isn't the first time in history that the number of pregnancies have gone up in a recession;' explained one (non-pregnant) party guest, 'Everything is just too expensive right now. Sex is free.'" [Style.com]
• What credit crunch? In the past three months, more stores have opened in London. One explanation, in light of our sad economic state, is that shoppers are willing to purchase a few "high-end investment pieces" instead of raiding H&M and the like. [Telegraph]
  
• Tuques are in. In the eighth grade, we called them "condom hats." [Fashionista]
• Victoria Beckham's line not coming to New York Fashion Week. [Fashion Week Daily]
  
• Christian Louboutin wore Converse to his interview, got the idea for his trademark red soles after coloring one of his drawings with an assistant's red nail polish, and is into hunting. He also says, "I'm not a fascist. I would never oblige people to wear high heels if they don't like it." He sounds like fun! [Telegraph]
• Cat fancy! Feline fashion is in. [AP]
• Teens weigh in on back-to-school fashion. They're into skinny jeans, boat shoes, and layers. What happened to looking awkward? [Salt Lake City Tribune]
• San Francisco Fashion Week cancelled. [SF Gate]
• The Times of London profiles the owners of Sisley cosmetics. "Some people tell us they prefer to use one of our creams rather than go to a restaurant on a Saturday night." The world keeps burnin'. [Times Online]