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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I'm not watching, I just can't. I know I'll throw something and break the TV.
Bush is losing this debate. I am dying here.
However, he is winning on the health care/malpractice issue.
Kerry sure looks smug.
Oh, and he isn't losing because his ideas are wrong, he's losing because he isn't quick enough to counter Kerry's accusations. I'd like to take on the Smug One. He'd be singing in the girls choir by the end of the evening.
Bush is a good man. He is doing the right things. He just isn't smooth like Kerry. I hope people see through the illogic of Kerry's answers, because believe me, you're knee deep in illogical answers on the Kerry side.
OMG! I can't believe you think Bush is losing! He ROX!
Kerry's sweating, he's confusing the audience, he's negative...I could go on. I think he SUX!
Kerry's not got one positive word to say - I agree with you there and I think it will hurt him. Bush is actually doing a better job on the economy than he did on the Iraq questions. That makes me very happy that he's doing better in the last 10-15 minutes.
In lieu of risking an aneurysm over Kerry's lies, I figured I either could watch Mel Gibson in "What Women Want" for the 15th time on TBS, or just fire up the computer and pretend to plan a trip, so I'm doing the latter. Found a great B&B in Bath, England!
Bush is kicking his *ss now and for the last half hour. He's blistering Kerry. I feel better now.
That's the impression I've gotten from clicking on a few posts. That's good, but you know the MSM will report tomorrow that "most consider that Kerry won the second debate, though perhaps not as handily as he slaughtered Bush in the first ..."
I think Bush won it. Yes, even after I thought he was losing it for the first 30 minutes. He really settled in and I think he spoke as a real person that people could relate to.
Kerry stayed too negative and became ponderous and really foundered on moral issues. Bush was clear on moral issues and scored points because he spoke to the inherent goodness of we average Americans. Kerry was also way to smug as the debate went on - he knows all, is all, will do all better than Bush - I don't think he convinced a lot of undecideds. Of course, that's just my take.
I thought he was GREAT! I was worried sick all afternoon. What a relief.
I flipped it back on with about a half hour left to go. Bush certainly had picked up the pace from the time I clicked it off.
I still am not feeling good about this.
And I forgot to add: I hope to HELL the SwiftBoat Vets come out with another good ad soon. That's what we need is some more hard hitting stuff from a disinterested 3rd party.
Ol' Crusty's spewing right now - and they say Mt. St. Helen's is going to have a big blow.
Rottenbottom looks hideous on "Is Larry King Alive." Her face looks like a luggage rack.
LOL! That's what I've been doing this whole past week trying to avoid all the nattering nabobs on TV!! I'm trying to narrow down B&Bs in Levanto, Italy or Cinque Terre.
For any of you who haven't discovered this tactic...it works!
Oh, and I must add: I thought the audience questions were great (of course, Charlie Gibson gets kudos for selecting them). No sandbags like the pony-tail guy looking for a "daddy president".
Mom taped it back together and placed it closer to the house. I hope if they come back, they don't notice the bumper sticker on her car......
Outrage of the Night: The final question! How is President Bush forced to defend himself against self-identified "mistakes," while Kerry is given a free shot to attack his opponent in the rebuttal? This is absolutely outrageous, specifically with its place as the last question of the night. As it is, Bush's comeback on Kerry's $87 billion vote was great.
I thought Bush did great but all the pundits I saw were brutal to Bush, except for Fred Barnes who said he tied at worst. Mort said Kerry won but that he told a lot of untruths...how can you win by lying.
I thought Kerry looked dreadful...he was pale and his face was wrinkly and he kept up with the tongue thing...yuck...and he only mentioned "my war service" once...
No way did Bush lose this one; no way was Kerry "better than last time- last time he hit a homerun, this time a grand slam" per Hillary who showed up in the robin egg blue spring colored suit-makes sense, it is autumn so Hillary drags out the spring wardrobe....
Set up a videocam.
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