Continue to Stare

I haven't always believed in the phenomenon known as "tights," in fact, when I was younger I refused to wear them at all. In recent years I have seen the light and have become a firm believer, even while most people around me are still skeptical. I lived in London for three and a half months. Of course I took my collection of tights with me but I soon found that I needed more. Tights are a fashion staple in London. Yellow, Blue, Black, Green, Red, Grey, Purple . . . Although I love seeing the bright colors on others, my style has kept me to colors such as grey, black and plum and I wear them whenever I can.

Returning to the "Dark Ages" of fashion in Utah has been interesting. Okay, it's true that fashion trends spread more rapidly today so I may be exaggerating a bit about the dark ages, but despite the Internet, international chains, TV, magazines, etc. it still takes a while for some states to catch on. One of my first Sunday's back from London I went to Church wearing a black lace pencil skirt, a tie-neck, polka-dot blouse and plum tights.

It was obvious that people just weren't ready for meat. People stared. I didn't mind. A few brave ones got up the courage to comment: "Your outfit is . . . um . . . (awkward pause while the girl tried to find the right word and then she just settles for) fun." I smiled and thanked her laughing inwardly because, honestly, I'm not a huge fashion risk taker but these people were looking at me like I had gone mad. I love to dress up but most of my pieces are classic.

Last week I wore this ruffle sleeved plum dress with grey tights and yellow heels.

Again, I got stares. As I was leaving a class a couple girls began snickering as I walked past. "Nice outfit . . ." they laughed. I just smiled and rolled my eyes.

Yesterday I committed two "fashion crimes." 1 - tights with shorts and 2 - tights with open-toed heels. (Que - Utahans gasp)

Katie Holmes in shorts with tights. So, my shorts weren't quite this short, I had to go to work and then down to BYU . . . I chose a pair of city shorts (definition: city short = tailored shorts) and paired them with black tights and open-toed, patent leather red heels.
Despite the controversy over open-toed shoes with tights, I like the look . . . as long as the tights are opaque and there is no seem at the toe of the tights.

Some examples of tights:

Colored tights AND open-toed heels! . . . imagine that.

Tights don't have to be "edgy." They can be pretty, feminine and classy. So, my friends who laugh and mock, continue to stare. Maybe you'll learn something. Give it a try. Leave the dark age of fashion. Enjoy tights while you can because we all know that it is only a matter of time until the trends change and you'll have something new to stare at.

On Quoting Shakespeare . . .

If you cannot understand my argument, and declare ``It's Greek to me'', you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger; if your wish is farther to the thought; if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool's paradise -why, be that as it may, the more fool you , for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then - to give the devil his due - if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then - by Jove! O Lord! Tut tut! For goodness' sake! What the dickens! But me no buts! - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare.

Bernard Levin

Gilmore-isms

LORELAI: This building is one component of a thirteen million volume collection housed in more than ninety different libraries. It’s the oldest library in the United States and the largest academic library in the world. Breathe, breathe.

RORY: I’m a failure. I am stupid. I am uniformed and ignorant and… I can’t even think of a second synonym for uninformed. I suck. Thirteen million volumes? I’ve read like, what, three hundred books in my entire life and I’m already sixteen? Do you know how long it would take me to read thirteen million books?

LORELAI: But honey, you don’t have to read every one of them. Tuesdays with Morrie? Skip that. Who Moved My Cheese? Just stuff you already know.

RORY: Okay, but every kid coming to Harvard is inevitably reading books, and different books, and I want to be able to converse intelligently with each of them and I can’t do that unless I read books, at least a few from every genre and sub-genre.

LORELAI: Okay, come on. I’m getting you out of here.

RORY: I sleep too much.

LORELAI: No you don’t.

RORY: I’ve been frittering away my whole life.

LORELAI: You don’t fritter.

RORY: Did I mention I suck?

This past Christmas I recieved the first season of the TV series Gilmore Girls from Santa. I loved the series when it was still running new episodes and I still love it now. Gilmore Girls is an art, or rather, the dialoge of Gilmore Girls is an art. If you don't believe me sit down and watch an episode and see how many witty references there are. In fact, each season comes with a little booklet called "Glimore-isms" which defines each reference made in the season. My family laughs because when I get my Gimore Girls fix I sit with my "Glimore-isms" booklet in hand waiting to learn about each new reference. Some I get, such as the more recent popular culture or political references, and some I have no idea about. I'm addicted. I bought my sister the second season for her birthday. It wasn't entirely selfish, she mentioned she wanted it. I finished it within a week. Give it a try, I think you'll fall in love with Gilmore Girls just like I did.