Emmanuelle's October Look

Welcome to new readers who have come here via Halle Tecco's unexpectedly kind article, "The 20 Best Fashion Blogs for Professional Women," in Forbes magazine.  It's happened before that some mention of Rags sends traffic my way and catches me unprepared!  There will be an outfit post come Tuesday.

Early readers of Rags, will know that I have a manikin in my living room.  She stands in all her resin glory wearing one of her two wigs, a velveteen shirt that's too little and too loud for my tastes, and several of the beautiful fall leaves I collected from the magnolia tree next door!

If THIS troubles you, let me explain.  For a week she was bottomless.  This seemed to trouble my husband mightily, even though she's not very anatomically correct.  I wanted to put leggings on her, but once I removed the skirt she had been wearing, I realized that I would have to cut a hole in the leggings to make it work  (if you look close, you can see the flesh colored metal rod that supports her).  I don't wear leggings very often, but I didn't want to ruin either of the two pair I own.  I came home one day to find her sporting men's "Fruit of the Loom" and THAT bothered me, even though it has been just fine with Jeremy Scott this season.

The "fig" leaf was our compromise.



She's a couple of sizes smaller than I am, but I shop for her as well as myself.  For several years, she wore a snakeskin vinyl dress that fit nicely with our decor.

She's been known to startle visitors.  And when one of our grand-daughters asked her older sister why we had her in our living room, sister patiently explained that she was grandpa's adult doll.  :)

Postcard from London

 

One of the unexpected delights of keeping a fashion blog has been meeting bloggers from all over the planet.  I now correspond  with bloggers in South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Italy, Germany and Great Britain. Imagine my delight when I entered and then WON The Ruby Slipper Journeys first giveaway. When I met Emily, she was in Guadalajara snapping photos of her outfits, as well as the sights.  Originally from Canada, she was packing her bags in Mexico, to study Urban Studies in London. 

It took a bit for my prize to arrive.  But last Monday, there was the envelope with this picture postcard tucked inside.  And this gorgeous necklace of seed beads.  Here's how she described it on her blog:

"This necklace was hand-made by artisans in the North of Jalisco (the state that Guadalajara is located in) and is a typical example of the intricate beadwork of the region. It also features the Mexican national colours: red, white and green, and a few more colours too. I wore it once (think of this as a baptism!) to the 200th anniversary celebrations, and now it's time for this necklace to go to some other country. Or maybe it will stay in Mexico, we shall see!"

I haven't worn it yet, but you can bet my mind is busy working on the possibilities.  And for those of you who don't believe in giveaways, this is the second one I've won this year.  The first was from a new literary blog, LitDrift, which the writers among my readers might want to check out.  That prize was a copy of Tim W. Brown's novel Walking Man:

"The novel documents the life and times of Brian Walker, publisher of the zine Walking Man.  Through a fateful encounter between his foot and a yuppie's BMW, Brian becomes the most famous zine publisher in America and an ardent defender of pedestrian rights.  Meanwhile, he must juggle the ambitions of his sexy actress girlfriend with his own soaring celebrity.  Written in the spirit of scandalous tell-all biography, the novel satirizes so-called "alternative" culture while it fondly recollects the 80s and 90s zine scene."

Thanks, Emily, for making me feel like a winner!

A Panel of Poets

Day two of the festival featured our keynote speaker, John Mark Eberhart, Lindsay Martin Bowen, and the 'reincarnation of Richard Brautigan,' Carl Rhoden, discussing the Power of Poetry. In many cultures, poetry carries spiritual weight (Rumi, anyone?); in others, political weight. In South America, the audience often times can complete the words of a recited poem.

In the USA, poetry has been co-opted by advertising.  Think of jingles you first heard at age 4-5; you can recite them still.

Knowing it would be another long day, I dressed comfortably again.   The early morning light was tricky and I never did get the jeans to look like the deep rich brown that they are.  Paired with a deep purple and a handknit scarf.  You can't see the little do-it-yourself acorn earrings I've been wearing in several outfits now.  I'll feature them in an upcoming DIY post.

Notice the moccasins!  A gift from my husband.  After Thursday's attempt to boot shop, I told him I wanted THE pair of buckskin, shearling-lined moccasins I'd seen on sale at Cabela's.  He drove me there.  They still had the inexpensive pair.  HE insisted I try these, with the more plush lining.  I had to agree that they were comfortable, but so much money for a pair of moccasins?  He pointed out the sole, rubber, which meant that I could wear them outside the house and not just as slippers. 

It seems he had a $50 gift card, a reward for fishing gear he bought earlier this year, and credit on his Cabela's card, which in an amazing piece of shopping, he applied to these moccasins.  We walked out with a pair of Uggs (I know, I know) for $30.  He is pleased and I have my winter flip-flops.

Raspberries

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Probably should have posed with the arms down to show the excellent cowl neck on this raspberry velveteen tee by J. Jill.  I've paired it with a simple pair of cords and loafers for a long, but comfortable day of greeting authors and readers to our third annual Literary Festival.   

This is our third year of featuring over 40 Kansas City area authors.  The head honcho of the event is a former student and now colleague, who has organized over 100 science fiction conventions nationwide.  One presenter was another former student, Alan Spencer, who has begun to make a name for himself writing zombie fiction.

I can't take credit for either the science fiction or the horror writer.  I write literary fiction myself.  But I do beam to think that I've spawned baby writers.




















I posed with our grandfather clock to tell the story of my sweater.  This handknit mohair sweater was one of the FIRST thrift store items I bought in 1988 (before most style bloggers were born?).  Every time I wear it, I receive compliments on it  though I've worn it as a robe and had to spend hours picking cockleburrs from it after one particularly interesting Sunday afternoon ramble. 

I think it's beauty is that it's hand-knit and made to last.

Shoe Marathon

This ensemble seemed like a good idea in the planning stages.  The chunky sweater has bright flecks of color in it and the temperatures were right to wear it all day.  As the day wore on, it slipped sloppily off my shoulder.  Once again, I felt the need for a wide brown belt and boots.

So, wearing these Steve Madden wedges, I stopped in the few free hours after grading 100 papers and before the Literary Festival should begin to shop for NEW shoes for the first time in two years.  Boots were the top priority.   I found a pair of grey suede wedges immediately and snapped them up.

Then, at Designer Shoe Wearhouse I trudged up and down every aisle, my feet aching with every step.  And though I had boots on the brain, the Minnetonka moccasins began to look very comfy.  I left empty-handed.

Even enhanced, you can't see the flecks of color in this sweater...



Does anyone have advice on shopping for boots?

"Remember the Ladies"

I love the look of a belted blazer.  And while I liked the look, even with my skinny belt, I didn't end up wearing it this way for a day of teaching students about the correspondence between John and Abigail Adams.  Abigail suggested that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention "Remember the Ladies."  John, in a mocking tone, did not think it possible THEN, but fully anticipated it might become an issue later.

In fact, we looked at Thomas Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration of Independence that evening too.  In dismay, the students noted that an entire paragraph addressing the status of slaves had had to be removed...and thus, we have the saga of American history.

Several of the "founding fathers" anticipated the "identity politics" of our day.

The blazer is so very soft. The day I tried it on in Savers, a male clerk called out across the store how well it fit. THAT had never happened before...

Under the blazer, I wore a chambray camp style blouse by Cabela's and a new, shorter denim skirt.

The macrame button necklace was a thrift store find from last year. And I'm tired of my trusty round-toed clogs and want a pair of boots so bad...

I removed the belt from the blazer before I headed off to campus.

The feather flower is a vacation souvenier from the Corn Palace in Nebraska.  I think it must be made of pheasant feathers.  Ordinarily, it serves as a living room decoration.

New Neighbors

Lauren at Sparrow & Urchin recently wrote a post explaining how hard it was to watch a house you've lived in be torn down.  On our block, at least two houses have changed hands during this recession.  Without ever meeting them, we have mixed feelings about our new neighbors across the alley because we know the story of what happened to the previous neighbors.  Foreclosure with all it's attendent ripple effects on a family.

For several weeks, I thought a bachelor working man lived there because of the clothing that was hung out to dry.  Then, two Sundays ago, this appeared. 

Immediately, I knew there was a woman of the house somewhere.  Why?  because the load was color coordinated!  The following Sunday, this appeared:

These loads of drying laundry tell me several things.  The people who wear these clothes are more substantial than ourselves, but already I admire them~~for the frugality of drying clothes.

I have lobbied for years to have a clothesline, because I love the smell of sun-dried sheets. 

My handy husband has been willing to do so many things for me, has drawn the line at having a clothesline.  He thinks it's tacky and so we pay the power company for his opinion.

Fashion Memories: Go-Go boots

The Christmas of 1965, my sister and I received a pair of go-go boots.  Ours were only ankle high and as kids who think their lives depend on the latest "hot" item, I was slightly disappointed.  I wish mine came up 8-10" as I knew my classmates would be wearing after the holidays. 

This photo gets the height and the flat heel right, but our 6th grade fashion code would insist on all white.  None of this 4-color stuff as depicted at left.

Ungrateful little brat that I must have been, I walked to school in my skirt and my naked legs, three blocks through the snow and the cold.  Wearing my ankle boots, I admired my classmates until...

Sometime during the second week, I noticed red chapped rings begin to appear about 8-10" up their pre-pubescent little legs.  The loose fit of the boot had rubbed a raw spot on their pinkish-purple shins.  I couldn't gloat.  The red rings looked serious and painful.   In the third week, the go-go boots began to disappear.   I could wear my ankle highs with impunity, and felt belatedly grateful for the foresight of my mother.

I've searched in vain for a photo like the boots I received, but this comes closest.  There was a zipper on the inside of the ankle.  I think they were made of vinyl,  though the ones I thought I wanted were leather and featured a zipper up the back. 

Wikipedia jogged my memory:

"The idea of a woman's mainstream fashion boot was revolutionary. Before the introduction of go-go boots, women's boots were generally worn during only inclement weather, rugged activities, or horseback riding, but not as street shoes.

"This new style of footwear was designed for to complement the shorter hemlines of the new, modern look. Go-go boots drew attention to the legs, accentuated the simple A-line silhouettes but also offered some modest coverage for the less daring but fashion-minded women.

"André Courrèges is often cited as the originator of the fashion go-go boot: a low-heeled, calf-high boot made of white plastic with a clear cut-out slot near the top was featured as part of the "Moon Girl" look featured in his Fall 1964 collection.

"Manufacturers began mass-producing runway knock-offs in contemporary colors and materials. These knock-offs were extremely popular with teenagers, who could be seen wearing go-go boots on both the street and television dance shows. They were often seen worn by "Dolly Birds" in London during the 1960s. The boots usually had a zipper in the back although some styles featured the zipper on the side or with no zipper at all.

"Girl dancers on the TV shows, "Hullabaloo" and "Shindig" also wore the short, white boots. As such, those came to be called Hullabaloo Boots and Shindig Boots.

"Nancy Sinatra's 1966 number-one pop hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" helped popularize go-go boots, and the Space Age boots worn by Jane Fonda in 1968's science fiction film Barbarella were a nod to their erotic past.

"Other designers (including Mary Quant) designed their own versions of go-go boots. As hemlines rose, so did the height of the boot, and the heel height dropped proportionately, culminating in a pair of thigh-high garter boots designed by Yves Saint-Laurent which clipped up underneath the tiniest of skirts.

"Fashion trends progressed and as women's trousers and maxi-length skirts where only the foot showed became popular, legs were de-emphasized. By the early seventies, go-go boots were referred to simply as boots, and the emphasis shifted to the height of the heel and the development of the platform."

I'll bet any of my readers over 45 had a pair.  Am I wrong?

A Little too Bold?

Okay, I've been working on shortening my skirt length.  This cordoroy skirt was purchased weeks ago.  I liked the color, I liked the length, but as is my usual routine in thrifts--I didn't try it on first.  Imagine my surprise to realize first that it was streeeeeeeeeetch cordoroy AND that it had a slit up one leg!
Look at that round little behind!

Without any of my internet girlfriends to consult so early in the morning,  I decided I would add a pair of tights and blunder on!
Initially, I had styled this with the shirt tale of the denim shirt on the outside.  But then I tucked it in, wondering if it would stay.

























Believe it or not, I have never before worn a denim shirt, or a vest, or a jeans jacket--so the denim shirt was a breakthrough too.  The accessories were pretty simple--the quail wishbone on a hemp string and a leather heart on a second hemp string.












This was the day I began to crave a pair of knee high Frye boots....

"Common Sense"

Here's that khaki shirt again, but this time with a SHORTER pinwale cordoroy skirt.  I started with the Bandolino shoes, but decided they made my size nines look too big or school marmy.  Switched to these Steve Madden wedges...which are fine to start the day, but my foot slides into the toe by the afternoon.

And added a jacket of sage green boiled wool.  The tag inside this jacket says "Alexandra Bartlett" and it was NEW in the thrift store.  I've picked up several of these unlined boiled wool jackets over the summer.
The closure on the jacket is a single tooth looking piece of amber.

On this day in American literature, we discussed the narrative of Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Paine's "Common Sense."  I struggled to find a modern day parallel for Paine's little pamphlet which fired up the American colonists after the French & Indian war to declare their independence from the mother country.

For the Civil War, Uncle Tom's Cabin might be one.  Allen Ginsburg's long poem "Howl" might deserve some credit for the 60's.  But I wonder if literature in the age of television, and the internet, and iPods has the power to unify (or divide) a nation toward change.  

I'm off to the lake this weekend to ponder the problem.  No internet access for commenting purposes.

Skirts as Dresses

I've seen other bloggers, usually those on self-imposed shopping quarantine, try this trick.  It looks better I think with the black maxi than with the mustard midi, but either one might work if you added the right accessories.  The belt loops on the skirt at left bug me though.

What do you guys think?  Could I get away with this in the classroom?  And what would you add to complete the look?

A Burst of Color: Mustard

After all the denim, gray, and khaki of September, I was determined to add some color in October.  This mustard skirt is still in that midi length I want to leave behind, but I was proud of myself for breaking out of the doldrums and colleagues noticed!

I added this obi belt, another thrift store find, with a standard cream colored tee and a DIY wool bead necklace.  The morning light is becoming tricky though.

I waited until the afternoon to snap the accessories photos.  I ordered the wool beads from a seller going out of business at Etsy.  If I remember rightly, the beads were made by an autistic child.  I've been playing with them most of the summer in various combinations and configurations.  I really wanted a choker, but they are ITCHY next to the skin. 

The copper ring was a gift from my high school boyfriend.  It's inlaid with a dark sort of wood.  For years, I've avoided wearing it thinking that it turned my finger green, but on this day--it didn't. 

Hedge Apples and Osage Oranges

I mentioned in a previous post that I've been working on the brightness factor, especially on weekends.  I don't think I've worn this chartreuse color since my psychedlic middle school years, but when I found this BRAND NEW Land's End tee in a local thrift, I grabbed it.  Lately I've been noticing lots of brand new merchandise in thrift stores.  I might attribute it to over-buying on a shopper's part if there were just one item, but often I find multiples of the same item sporting the original tags.  I questioned the clerk about this while checking out.  He said 'we try to make everything look new', so he was clueless, but I'm wondering if some of us thrifters aren't benefitting from the fallout of the H&M debacle last year.

Twice in the past month, I've carried a pair of shoes to the checkout in local thrifts only to be told they were "change outs."  I gather that this means a shopper wears one pair of shoes into a store, finds a pair she likes better, then parks her "old" shoes on the rack and walks out without paying.  In the first store, the clerk would not ring them up because there was no price noted on the item.  When I asked what would happen to the shoes, she shrugged and guessed they would throw them away?  The irony was too much.

I had better success with the second pair.  This clerk made up a price, $.99.  I walked out with the pair I'm sporting in this photograph.  Brand new Aetrex Mary Janes, in a stone colored suede!  These are $135.00 shoes.   Perfect for the classroom.

The swapping behavior gives me pause.  It has never occurred to me to "shoe lift" from a thrift, but those who do MUST be strapped.  A sign of our times.  I grudge that behavior less than clothing manufacturers who destroy clothes.

The fruit pictured in these photos comes from hedge trees.  These trees are planted in thick rows around fields all over Kansas.  They are there to prevent top soil from blowing away, but every fall they drop these "chartreuse" fruits to the ground.  The Osage Indians, indigenous to the area, gave them the alternate name.

The color looks like something highway workers might wear, huh?

TAGS

Several weeks ago, Sewing Pixie "tagged" me and then, before I could put my reply together, Cloud of Secrets tagged me too!  Here are my belated responses-

1) What's your favorite fashion accessory?

For most of my adult life, I've been a "plain Jane."  I've been working to change that with more accessories, although my growing collection still seems fairly limited.  So, I would have to say my camera is currently my favorite fashion accessory.   It's a Sony Cybershot, with HD, panorama, and paparazzi modes and for the past six months, I've "worn" it nearly like an accessory, dangling from my left wrist.

I like it better than a mirror for "objectivity" about any look because it produces a record rather than a fleeting glimpse.  I can critique the photo, as well as the look.  Often what "feels" right won't look as 'put together' as I think it does.

2) Who's your fashion role model?

There are a number of stylish women I work with, but admiring their style is not quite the same as being a role model.  I admire the styles of 1940's female film stars:  sometimes flowing gowns, or long sleek skirts with fitted jackets--the emphasis on the waist.  I like Marlene Dietrich's androgynous style...

short answer:  don't yet have one.

3)  What do you always carry with you?

My camera for one.  My smokes for another (embarassed to admit).  And a heavy ring of keys.  I'm a landlady as well as an instructor and am often called upon to open locked doors.  This list used to include a composition style notebook, used as a journal.  While I still keep it, I no longer feel so compelled to carry it with me everywhere I go.

4)  How would you describe your style?

Thrifted, eclectic, practical, comfortable.  On Chictopia, it says "classic with funky touches."  But thrifted has been the main theme since 1988.  That's when I returned to the midwest from Montana with FULL responsibility for three small children.  My budget as an adjunct instructor at three colleges was very limited.  I began to shop thrift stores out of necessity and now, even though I can afford far more expensive clothing, thrifting remains my preferred form of shopping. 

I like the serendipity of thrifting.  I never know on any given thrifting outing what might strike my fancy, hence my style is eclectic, often combining elements of a variety of looks.

It's almost always practical.  By this, I mean that the care of it must be realistic.  Most of my items can be tossed in a washing machine and will stand up to repeated washings.  Only a few pieces require dry cleaning and in recent years, I have tried to do most of this myself as well.  Even fewer pieces require ironing.  There is nothing I love more than the scent of starched and ironed blouse...but realistically, I tend to iron in spells.  Roughly 4 times a year.  I will sometimes find interesting, but complicated pieces in thrift stores.  I've gradually learned to pass these up, as I know I won't care for them properly.  This practicality may be passing too.  As a single mother, my time as well as my money was limited.  Then as the matriarch of a blended "tribe" my time was limited.  Now in my empty nest years, I have more time to devote to the care of clothing.

Comfortable is a big one.  Teachers need clothing that moves and will present well through the sometimes long hours of a teaching day.  Additionally, it must withstand the scrutiny of students' gaze...

5)  What's your favorite?  Jeans, sunglasses or heels?

Jeans.  I own probably 8 pair in denim, a couple in cordoroy.  My husband and I wear the same size jeans! 

6)  What inspired you to blog about fashion?

I had kept a previous blog on writing.  I tried to do annual series there.  One year, I blogged about the variety of tenants I've dealt with over the years and probably have enough material for a book.  In the first year of the recession, I did a series on "stay-cations," or day trips in Kansas.  I discovered my little town more thoroughly.  Then, for a year, I kept a frugality blog.  I felt I'd exhausted the possibilities and didn't have enough readers to warrant the effort.

I only discovered fashion blogs in April of 2010.  Initially, I took them to be exercises in narcissism, but as I kept reading, and discovering a wider variety of fashion blogs, I grew fascinated.  In July, I began with a timid post or two, because I had a new camera.  I began thinking I wanted to do "think pieces" about fashion, about the invisibility of middle age.  Et voila, you have Rags!

7)  What is your favorite fashion store?

Thrift stores!  The Kansas City area has 30+ thrift stores.  On any given weekend, my husband and I will select a part of town and thrift all the stores in that one area, usually hitting 3-4 on an outing.  My favorite in the area would be Maj-R-Thrift, run by the Ozanam Center, which benefits social services for foster children and exceptional children in our area.  The women's clothing is sized and sorted by color.  They run great sales.  My second favorite would be Savers (or Value Village), but we shop them all.  Some stores are better are some items than others.

8)  What is your favorite fabric in clothing?

I love the way silk feels, but denim is probably the staple followed by a good simple cotton in blouses.

9)  Who are your favorite designers?

I am only just becoming aware of the distinct styles of different designers.  I'm a bit embarassed to admit this as in the realm of literature you can often hear me admonishing students who recommend a book they like, without remembering the author's name, that they need to credit the AUTHOR.

10)  Who or what inspires your style?

Recently a number of bloggers.  I like to see what other thrifters are able to put together with their finds MORE than what can be accomplished by dropping a load of money.  The key element is personal creativity.  I would have to say too that color found in nature influences my style.

11)  Would you choose to buy something high quality or make it yourself if you could?

While I own a sewing machine, it has been stored away so long, I am certain it is due for a lube job.  My sewing skills are very basic, too basic to DIY most garments.  I DO buy high quality--at thrift stores via careful, discerning shopping.

Because I've taken so long to answer these questions, I think I'll pass for now on tagging other bloggers with these questions.  

Of Sunflowers & Seed Pods

Kansas is known for it's sunflowers.  They grow wild along nearly every road way in the state, though this year they have been mowed down in many places, because for many people the pollen from yellow flowers creates terrible sinus problems.  I've heard a legend that they were carried west on the wheels of wagon trains...

I found these in the back yard of the vacant house next door.

 

And in the front yard of the house next door, my husband pointed out these seed pods...from a magnolia tree.

 

I doubt that the bright red of these seeds lasts very long, but their color and their shape captured my DIY imagination.

A Meditation on Color Squash

As this posts I am in my mid-term swamp.  I will have graded over 100 papers in my second round and hostessed our annual Literary Festival before I return to "regular programming."  While I'm snapping daily outfit photos, none of my October ensembles will be posted until October 17.  In the meantime, take a gander at the color and variety of this humble veggie.

 

 

 

Can you believe the textures and colors here?  And Historia, if you stop by, I want that recipe for Pumpkin Lasagna!

A Surprise

For weeks, I've been gently trying to suggest to my husband that he snap a few more candid outfit shots for me.  He seems willing enough, but it hasn't happened.  I haven't worried about it too much, as I've heard these husband/wife fashion blog teams described as "hetero-normative."  I have to confess that I love Kendi Everyday's beautiful photographs.  It is so obvious that the photographer loves her!

Imagine my surprise, when my husband spotted the pile of pumpkins in the previous post.  Imagine my greater surprise, when he suggested he snap a photo or two or three of me...because I was dressed in complimentary colors!  (I've been practicing with brighter colors on weekends, screwing up my courage to wear it to campus).  So, I don't look very polished here, but I was just so pleased that he offered!

 

 

Keep in mind that he hasn't been practicing with our new camera all summer!  And take note of my bag;  I haven't carried a purse in twenty years, but I'm starting to work on that.

Clyde's Rebirth Giveaway

Don't know if I've met the deadline for this or not, but I have a story about Merl.  She was the first Etsy merchant I contacted to make an item to order.  I wanted something similar to a feather necklace Haiku Ambulance had sported one day.  She asked my price and I shot her a figure.  And then, I didn't hear anything.

I figured I'd offended her by low-balling the value of the beautiful item, but regular readers here know that I'm a bit of a tightwad.  Low and behold, after Fashion Week, she contacts me again!  I hadn't offended her; she'd been busy with Fashion Week.

In the end, the subject was dropped because Haiku's necklace was made from heirloom feathers!  Somehow I figure I owe Merl an apology or an order or better yet, some heirloom feathers.

Check out her gorgeous lookbook.

A Second Childhood

I wonder sometimes at this late blossoming interest in fashion.  I mentioned to Reva recently that I've been pouring over the jewelry displays in my local thrifts and though I often find items I like, I will seldom trouble the clerk to show an item to me.  But this item, essentially a tourist souvenir, captured my fancy.

I will wear this and I will pass it on one fine day to a great grandchild who will think of it as a treasure.

My husband found this item on a recent pre-Christmas scouting trip and insisted I snap his photo.

He's just an overgrown kid, but he seems to understand my need to paw through bins of old costume jewelry.  Any suggestions where I might find jewelry shopping like that?

The Pink Machine

I've stumbled across Pink Pony entries at several respected fashion blog sites I read this past month.  At the first one, I left a heartfelt note about my mother's experience with this twenty years ago.  By the second and third, I belatedly realized that I was in the middle of a "pink-washing" campaign. 

Urban Dictionary defines pinkwashing this way:  The act of using breast cancer to guilt consumers into buying a product which, if it had not been for the advent of aiding the cure for cancer, they would not have bought.  The "think before you pink" campaign defines it as "corporations trying to boost sales by associating their products with the fight against breast cancer.  Pinkwashing is a form of slacktivism--a campaign that makes people feel like they're helping solve a problem, while they're actually doing more to boost corporate profits."  An eye-opening  history of the Pink Ribbon can be found here.

The campaign brought to mind some pink items I saw on a recent trip to Cabela's.  My husband was shopping for fishing gear so these "feminine" poles were the first thing to catch my eye.  I suppose if buying a female companion a pink pole would convince her to fish with you, I have no problem with that.

In the TOY department, I snapped this.

Sigh.  I lived in Montana long enough to thoroughly understand the Second Amendment and the historical reasons that our right to bear arms is both protected and controversial.  I am not an advocate of strict gun control measures, but this seemed a touch ridiculous.

Finally, in the Guns & Ammo department, I snapped this:

The kindly clerk even asked me if I wanted to hold it.  I grinned and declined.  In fact, I am a pretty good marksman, but it is solid training and practice that makes a person a good marksman.  I can't imagine that a person who takes sporting seriously would EVER use such a gun.  In fact, if I saw a person packing one of these, I would quickly RUN the other direction.  The clerk said I would be surprised to know how many they actually sell.  In the interest of full disclosure, these pink products are NOT a part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I don't avoid pink.  In fact, I am likely to appear in it during the winter months, but I am certainly not going to buy any product because of these campaigns.  Our local Sunday paper was printed on pink paper.  It featured ads for pink TicTacs, pink dog food, pink batteries, pink tampons, pink WetOnes, and pink "living gloves."  This article provides some guidelines on surviving Breast Cancer Awareness month:

• How much money from my purchase will actually go to the cause?
• What is the maximum amount that will be donated?
• How much money was spent marketing the product I want to buy?
• What organization will get my donation, and what types of programs do they support?
• What is the product manufacturer doing to assure that its products are not contributing to causing breast cancer?

I'm wondering what ridiculous pink items my readers might have come across this month.