Fashioning The Yankees.

The victorious Yanks from today's Times.

I've always heard the same thing from the men in my life when I've asked, "How come you are so obsessed with baseball?" They inevitably say to me, "Well, it's like you and fashion. I will never be obsessed with that, but you are. That's just the way it is." A little research has shown that not every Yankees fan is not obsessed with fashion. In fact, put pinstripes on a uniform, and some of the boys go gaga for it. I've found many devoted sites cataloging the uniform changes over the team's tenure, right down to the number of pinstripes on the legendary Bambino's shirt.

An authentic facsimile of the team's 1988 batting practice jacket.

Die hard fans of the Bronx Bombers (and today who isn't?) can get authentic reproductions of the team's past wears. Want a copy of Joe DiMaggio's jersey from 1938? Or, a reproduction of a Yank's road jersey from 1918? Look no further than Mitchell and Ness of (beat down, sad today) Philadelphia. They specialize in historically accurate copies of The 2009 World Series Champion's uniforms from every era past and present.

Mickey Mantle circa 1951, and the reproduction of his jersey that can be yours.


An authentic copy of a wool team jacket from 1927.

So, now I know that I'm not the only person with my eye on the uniforms during the games. I don't know if we should attribute that to my fashion-o-philia though, they really do make those boys' butts look good. I'm just saying...

Passionate Kisses.

I've been a bit obsessed with formulating a fashion uniform of my own lately. I'm sick of wondering if I'm on trend or off, if I'm in or out, if I'm with it or over it. It's exhausting, so I have something brewing in the frontal fashion lobe of my brain. I'm going with a formula that's timeless and girly with a tomboy edge. I'm still working out all the details of the execution, but I know one thing for sure, I'm going bold with the lipstick. I've always loved the idea of doing the drop-dead red mouth on the daily, but I've been intimidated. I've never worn lipstick regularly, but I am always so struck by how pretty a red lip can be with a minimal face of makeup. It's so feminine, but almost assertively so. There is no mousing around with a poppin' pair of lips. You declare womanhood with a red pout. It's such a force of nature. As long as you keep the eyes simply and lightly lined and just brushed with some mascara, you will not be overdoing it. You'll look classic, not crass. At least, that's what I'm hoping. What's my signature shade going to be? I'm going with the Queen, baby!

Poppy King, The Lipstick Queen! She's a brilliant business woman with a passion for all things lip-related and I feel good about spending my hard-to-come-by bucks on her great cosmetics. She started her own lipstick company out of her home when she was just a High School grad and has built her business into a $2 million a year operation. Even in this dismal economy her sales are up, way up, 34% up! That's big. Why? Well, let her tell you...



It is always so inspiring to me to see entrepreneurial women making a killing in the business world. She's a dynamo. Her story is a success to pattern yourself after and her products are thoughtfully, well-made. There are no gimmicks, no over the top over-promises, no crazy bee ess, just color-filled pencils, sticks, glosses, and pots that provide great shades in lasting formulas. Need to know more? Poppy'll give you a lipstick lesson.



I'm choosing the Red Sinner, because I'm that badass. Or, maybe I'll pick up Sinner and Saint so I can choose my level of badassness on a day to day basis. Either way, this is going to be fun...

You've Come A Long Way, Baby.

Every time I travel by plane, I spend most of the flight, well, sleeping. When I don't have my eyeballs stowed neatly in their overhead compartments, I'm usually scoping out the flight attendants. Being an avid fan of subcultures and a very curious observer of the human species, I'm particularly partial t0 stealthily spying on flight attendants (Does that sound as creepy as I think it does? It's innocent, I swear!). I think they fascinate me because they hold this very particular place in popular culture. They are so many things at once: They serve food, make sure their "guests" are comfortable with tiny pillows and rough blankets, they calm jangled plane nerves, smile super big, and wear uniforms complete with codes of dress concerning makeup, hair, manicures, and accessorizing. Also, in a "we're going down!" pinch, they should be able to save your life. I'm wrapt by the multi-tasking of it all and have much respect for the flight attendants among us. I have even more respect for them when I watch this 1960s era commercial and see just how much sexism and objectification they have dealt with over the years.



Could you imagine this being the commercial advertising your airline? I mean they are practically offering you her "services" for your next overnight flight. Air strip? Look like a girl? Oh, dear. Thank god for feminism. I wonder what will look this ridiculous in years to come...

Nurses' Whites.

I've always been a little obsessed with our culture's obsession with nurses. Those caring, maternal figures, all dressed in their white uniforms, are ubiquitous pop symbols. It seems that their capacity for good is always matched with a certain propensity for bad behavior. We've all got mommy issues, I suppose.

There's a few new nurse centered shows popping up on network teevee these days (the best of which is definitely Eddie Falco's caregiver-and-taker turn as Nurse Jackie) and it got me thinking. Why white, nurses?

My obvious guess would be that it exhibits cleanliness and sterility, but it turns out that white was the color of choice for the medical profession before the current scientific evidence of germs was even in existence. Nursing as a profession came out of the practice of nuns caring for the sick. Nuns dress their virginal selves in innocent white, which the nurses adopted. The other founding reason for the whites is that they were bleachable. Stain removal of bodily fluids is a bitch, so the best way to get the guts out (sorry folks, it's true) is to bleach everything back to pristine white. Color fades, but white can be soaked in Clorox and made to look like that gunshot gusher in the ER was never wheeled through the halls on your rotation. That's why the whites. Now go watch Nurse Jackie.

All the photos accompanying this post are from The Center For Nursing History's photostream on Flickr. It is a pleasure to browse.