Posted on 10/07/2004 3:27:41 AM PDT by BigWaveBetty
I'm praying retailers are dead wrong. Wasn't a fan of the poncho in the 70's and my heart hasn't grown any love for them in 2004.
Please excuse the insult if you like them but they do nothing for me. And I've never seen a poncho that says, I'm the one, we'll look gorgeous together, buy me! Plus those annoying little fringes inevitably drag in the onion dip when I'm at a party trying to get a little nosh.
Hey! You got onion dip on my fringies! Well you got poncho fringies in my onion dip! *We pause to ponder the possibilities...*
The hostess and I let out a simultaneous Nahhhhhhh! Nothing good ever comes from combining poncho fringies and onion dip. However, the dog, trying to nip at the onion scented fringies did become my best friend.
Now from the experts on ponchos:
Apparel retailers across the country have been begging for something new, a fresh look that every woman doesn't already have in her closet.
This summer they got one: the poncho.
Crocheted with airy holes, off-the-shoulder or down to the knee, the '70s-era accessory has made a big-time comeback and is a hot product for clothing retailers headed into the fall shopping season.
Teenagers are wearing ponchos. So are their mothers and grandmothers. There aren't many fashion trends that can claim such reach.
Adding to the poncho's appeal, it disguises less-than-buff arms and comes in a friendly one-size-fits-all.
"Women got tired of everything being so body-conscious and bare," explains David Wolfe, creative director with the Doneger Group, a consulting firm that advises retailers on fashion trends.
Retailers from top to bottom have embraced the once utilitarian cover-up. At the low-end, Wal-Mart has them displayed front and center in refurbished apparel departments. At the high end, Neiman Marcus is showing a striped cashmere poncho in brown, black and gray for $245.
In between, Marshall Field's is offering a black open-knit poncho for $29.99, while Target is featuring a cheap-chic, flower-adorned pink version for $12.99.
The women's apparel industry certainly could use a boost. Sales of women's clothing fell 6 percent in 2003, the third consecutive year of declines, a reflection of the recession, lower-priced foreign imports and a lack of hot items.
Sales of women's clothing were flat through the first half of 2004, but they could jump 4.5 percent by year-end, predicts Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with NPD Group. If so, it would be the best showing in five years. Continue the Poncho Pitching
Here are some examples, some good, some bad, some just plain ugly.
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Kinda like Effin' has to tell us that he's not a flip flopper all the time.
Have yourself a good day, also.
Cheers.
Thank you for the Psalm.
Amen.
Welcome. Have a great weekend.
From The Dose, via Mo1:
John Kerry chokes on an oyster cracker and dies. He goes to hell where the devil is waiting for him. "I don't know what to do here" says the devil.
"You're on my list but I have no room for you. But you definitely have to stay here, so I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I've got three folks here who weren't quite as bad as you. I'll let one of them go, but you have to take their place. I'll even let YOU decide who leaves."
John Kerry thought that sounded good so he agrees.
The devil opened the first room: in it was Ted Kennedy in a large pool of water. He kept diving in and surfacing empty-handed, over and over. Such was his fate in hell.
"No!" John said. "I don't think so! I'm not a good swimmer and I don't think I could do that all day long!"
The devil led John to the second room: in it was Jane Fonda with a sledgehammer and a room full of rocks. All she did was swing that sledgehammer, time after time after time.
"No, I've got a problem with my shoulder. I would be in constant agony if all I could do was break rocks all day!" commented John.
The devil opened the third door. In it, John saw Bill Clinton, lying on the floor with his arms staked over his head, and his legs staked in spread-eagle pose.
Bent over him was Monica Lewinski, doing what she does best.
John Kerry looked at this in disbelief for a while and finally said, "Yeah, I can handle this!" The devil smiled and said, "OK, Monica, you're free to go!"
I just stopped in at Republican HQRS for my county and they don't have any Bush signs. Another order will be in in a couple of days. I then asked for a great big Bush sign that I could hang from my deck - I live on a busy thoroughfare which has lots of 5 o'clock traffic so people are often "camped" outside the house. Anyway, they said that they are taking names for the giant signs and aren't sure they'll get anymore of them but I can buy them for either $110 or $170 at Bush's website. They have been very slow to get signs.
I then asked them if they would be calling people to get out the vote right before the election and they told me that no, they don't do that. People don't like to get phone calls. I told them that we called in 2000 - they said they weren't part of that effort. I remember they were, and that we called from a local business.
Sheesh! Who runs these offices? It took them 5 mos to return my call from March stating I wanted a yard sign. I swear, why don't they get people in there who can get something done?
Huh! the motivation level needs checking, it seems.
The idea is to call registered Republicans to encourage them to vote, and make sure they have a way to the polls. I can't believe anyone at GOP HQ can't grasp that concept! Yikes.
Volunteers are holding down the fort in those offices.
When I left my Co. Hdqtrs this afternoon the gal who was scheduled to be there from 3:00 to 6:00 was reading a novel. The volunteers here are willing to keep the door open but they've long ago burnt out on calling. I had to hire people to make calls last night to locate spots for Bush (and some other candidates) yard signs.
I heard discussion among the delegates at the Convention about yard signs. The solid states don't get nearly as much material as the swing states do. This couldn't be the answer to your delemia since Illinois is still in play. But I had a discussion with a woman from Texas who said their County Central Committee had to purchase signs because NONE were allotted to them. She told me (smiling) that her yard signs were probably in Iowa.
Huh...guess that's why all I see are dim yard signage - you guys got all ours.
The upside is that we don't have to listen to the commercials - ad naseum.
IA cheers.
IG - I know they're manned by volunteers. Heck, if I knew they needed someone, I'd have volunteered. This was my third trip in there. If they'd just send a newsletter 3 mos before the election stating what/where they needed help, I'd have volunteered - for anything. I'd have given money, too, to help pay for the newsletter, in addition to what I've given to the RNC/BUSH-CHENEY campaign.
I'd come over and make calls for you -- whataya need?
This afternoon I heard a new lie (howler!) from some Dem talking head. I was at my client's office and had the TV on in the other room, so I don't know who it was.
John Gibson and his guests were talking about John Kerry bringing "allies" on board in Iraq. This guy practically shouted:
"Just this week Jacques Chirac said he had been prepared to contribute troops to Iraq as war loomed, BUT THEN PRESIDENT BUSH GRIEVOUSLY INSULTED HIM! He then refused to cooperate...it was President Bush's fault that France didn't join!"
Have you EVER heard such a thing?! Now I'm sure they're just making it up as they go...I feel like I'm living in a novel by Lewis Carroll ("If it was so, it might be; and it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't.").
I have heard (read) that one, and yes, we're moving through the looking glass.
All I can say is, "Stay safe, guys. Things may not be as they seem."
Cheers, TO.
Here's something that occurred to me a little while ago: if Al Gore had been elected in 2000, how much higher would the "victims of terrorism" tally - both in the U.S. and abroad - be?
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I could never put into words exactly what repulsed me about Edwards until you nailed it.
Puppy wetting = something else for me to have to clean up
I'll watch...I'm nervous as that proverbial cat and the rocking chairs...but I'll watch.
The media is really stressing me out. They're letting Kerry get away with murder. When the Cambodia lie was revealed, Kerry sent his spokesman on some talk show to say "Senator Kerry has addressed that and he was IN THE AREA". But Kerry had NOT addressed it. That was the first time they backtracked on that story. The media allowed the "tell it now and then call it old news" strategy
to work. The MSM didn't write about it. I think Kerry's doing the same thing now with that obscure quote I keep hearing from this week when Kerry said he knows France and Germany won't contribute in Iraq. Why wasn't that huge news???
My stomach is in knots...just read on Drudge that Hillary is going to be in the audience tonight and will be in Spin Alley afterwards to plug for Kerry....
This debate is less than 15 minutes old and I'm already fuming. I'm going to turn the channel to HGTV. I just can't take it.
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