'Mall-Rat Curls'? What the heck?

Do you recognize the women to the right? The picture is straight out of 1993 - well, it is Mariah Carey.
Now according to Christopher Turner, 'even the 'mall-rat curls' and ho-hum dress couldn't keep Mariah down'.

Now, I'm not a fan of either Mariah or Christ-o-pher Tur-ner, but I would like to know one thing.... who the heck is he and what gives with the 'mall-rat curls'. Is he just another in a long list of self appointed fashion guru's put on this earth and the pages of magazines and the internet - telling women how they should and shouldn't look, discouraging personal style and directing all women to be as he approves? These guys make me ill.

Which brings me to a funny conversation I had last week with a close friend of mine. She says 'don't you find it funny how the balding, paunchy, poorly dressed, un-kept, bad breathed men are always the pickiest, opinionated, jerks when it comes to women?' I couldn't agree with her more. She also shared what most of us already know - 'us girls are just way too hard on ourselves' - we should really be more like most men and not give a shit.

But, why is that the case. What gives the guy, with a paunch hanging over his pants (which are likely sliding down his butt) and the ketchup stain on his shirt (which is missing a button and looks like the dog slept on it last night) any right to comment on, condemn or voice his opinion

(which is usually something like....'hummm, she a bit on the porky side for me, I like my women a whole lot thinner and better dressed than that one') about the women he encounters.

Now, just for the record - I happen to really like shaved headed guys. I encourage any man who has thinning hair he is fretting about to just get rid of it. Either go super short or take it all off baby. There's this hot older guy, in our gym who....... yeah, you know the rest of the story.

Back to these so called fashion experts. Who the heck are they to say that 'skinny jeans look good on every body type? And, 'you need to have a least a few pairs in your closet'. For what? To take up extra hanger room, jammed in beside other 'got to have, clothes that never look good on this body'. I'm here to tell you, this year's fashion statement 'skinny jeans' do NOT look good on every body type! Oh, and 'Average' is NOT 5'8" 108lbs, size 2/4! Check the stats baby - that's a 12 year old girl and even then, likely not the average.

So, what are we going to do about it? Just rant away, complain to ourselves. No way girlfriend.
Here's what I propose:
#1- the next time you are standing beside 'hiding the fact that I'm loosing my hair' with the paunch and he makes a comment about another women not being up to his standard - ask him just what the standard acceptable is for a man who needs to loose 50lbs and either shave that comb over or get implants.
#2 - develop your own style. Who gives a shit if it's on the runway this year - do you like it, does it look good on you, does it say 'I'm one hot mama'?
#3 - kiss the postman. Why? I don't know, it gets your mind off being pissed at 'potbelly-guy'.
#4 - as my friend Sylvia would say 'don't be afraid to be beautiful!'
#5 - join a group of Hot Cherry Review shoppers and come on out for an evening of trying on those new fashion statement clothes - try before you buy! (email us with your contact info and we'll let you know when it's happening)

In closing, a wee remark to buddy Chris-to-pher (likely a fashion faux pas himself) - I kinda like Mariah’s 'mall rat curls' - better to have curls than no hair at all!

The case for getting things gone and red boots

It will come as no surprise to regular readers and those who know me personally, when I say 'I love ebay'!

My story of the day starts with a horse race that I can't attend. I thought I could but circumstances beyond my control are not allowing me to. I currently own 4 tickets to this major race event. A few hours ago, I owned 6. Sold 2 of them on ebay. With any luck, I'll sell the other 4. The other thing I like about eBay, is PayPal.

So, I've sold a few things and bought many on eBay, using PayPal to complete my transactions. I can say (knock on wood) that I have been very happy with the outcome. eBay has an interesting system of 'self policing' wherein the users of the auctions are encouraged to leave feedback about those they are dealing with. This is public record. Any one can check your 'score' and decide for themselves if they want to 'deal' with you or not.

eBay doesn't stop there. Say for example that my ticket sales go south, that the winning bidder decides that they don't want the tickets and won't pay. I can file a grievance with eBay and leave the negative feedback so that other bidders won't be caught. The winner of the auction can do the same, if for example, I do not ship after they have paid.

On the subject of payment. By using PayPal, you are able to protect your investment. If my winning bidder pays and I don't ship, PayPal will launch their own investigation and if the matter can not be resolved, they will refund the bidder the money he sent to me. It makes dealing online a whole lot easier and safer.

So, I sold my first pair of tickets - yippy - and bought myself a pair of really wicked 'Chinese red' high boots. Don't know what's gotten into me this year, but I have this thing for red. Not the muted red... the really hot red! (btw, if you have someone in your household, ie. your significant other who wonders where something, such as a wicked pair of hot red boots came from.... here's a great response 'I got them at a wicked price, through a second hand vendor - aren't they cool!' - not one word is a lie and you've got a clean conscience and a cool pair of boots)

I'm not alone with this fascination for hot Chinese red btw. According to this month's LouLou Magazine, red is the hippest colour of the fall. (I'm also becoming addicted to this mag, despite the fact that it is a 'Rogers' production, thanks in part to my 'Girly Friend' - Lanny - who is very tolerant when I borrow her copy and don't give it back for almost a month)

I opted for the tall version of hotness, though, I was torn. Also shown and seemingly 'hot' for this season are the ankle boots. I
think you might have to have a certain type of leg for these types of boots (aka long, thin, not athletic), so I went with what I know... tall is good (left). There is of course an even shorter version of the ankle book, which would look amazing with jeans. Justifying multiple pairs of boots in the same colour though, is a bit more of a challenge. Wait..... there's the 'case for black'! (back to the significant other and their questions - why do you need multiple pairs of the same colour boot? 'Why dearest, they are not the same style of boot. I can't wear the booties with a skirt and don't the tall ones just spell 'sex'?')

Want to find these cool finds? Let me know or check back in later today and when I find the links for you.

I've decided that my next post should be about Halloween - the best holiday (it should be National and a day off work). I'll cover last minute costumes, where to get the gear you need and some places to hang out for a wicked good time.

As always, your suggestions, comments and cool finds are welcome here! Have a rockin' Cherry Day.

What a guy needs

Okay guys….. this one is for you.

We’ve devoted a huge amount of time to the wants, needs and must haves of all the ‘hip chicks’ and yes, we’ve neglected the ‘other gender’ almost completely. Just the way it happens sometimes.

Well, not any longer, today we are going to give our favorite ‘eye candy cool guys’ some cherry time. I came to the realization some time ago, that it can be pretty tough being a guy and dressing cool. Face it, men just don’t have the fashion attention spotlight on them. It doesn’t mean that they don’t like to dress to impress by wearing cool clothes and this year’s must have shoes, it does mean they simply do not have the kind of access women have.

It doesn’t stop at being an access issue either. Men don’t do ‘trendy’ the way women can and do and that’s where we come in. Not only for the cool guys, but for all of the ‘hip chicks’ that shop for the men in their lives.

When I want to weigh in on issues pertinent to men, I go to the one source that is all knowledgeable – AskMen.com. The site reads like most other ‘men’s’ sites – a bit provocative and a bit long on sexuality. Mixed in are articles on health and fitness, travel, relationship, gaming, cars and yes, some fashion.

I was able to find one article talking about the latest trends in men’s clothing. Some of their insight I could agree with, but this one trend they reported on, still has me wondering who? I don’t think I know a male that would dress like this, let alone citing it as a fashion trend. You make your mind up.

I do agree with the consensus that men’s fashion is a bit of a yawner. You have your black, grey, blue or brown business casual/business/dress pants. You have your brown, grey, blue, black casual cords, you have your black and blue jeans. There is good news though. This year, companies such as ‘the Gap’ have come out with textured pants for guys. Paired with a nice t-shirt, under long sleeved shirt, they work really well. Top it all off with a nice thigh length leather jacket and a great pair of shoes (no not sneakers) and the look is together and ‘different’.

A friend of mine likes the new look and I can’t blame him. The textured cords and jeans work well on most men while allowing for a bit of individuality. He's pictured to the left - these pants really work well - light grey with the darker grey accent. (yes he knows I'm using his picture!)

Another friend of mine is a shoe horse. In particular he seems to really like sneakers. He pairs them with the jeans, shirt over shirt look, loosely fitting on his 6’3” frame. I’d love to see him change it up now and again for a trendy pair of casual loafers and a bit dressier in the shirt department.

Which brings me to another issue with men’s clothing. The shirts. It never ceases to amaze me how many of the almost same shirt a man can have. (their defense of course is, ‘they are all slightly different in cut, texture and colour of white’ – where’d they get that from?) A business associate of mine loves to wear French cuffs. With his suit or as a stand alone shirt. A nice little extra that allows a shirt to stand out and say, ‘I am different’. Try to find one though, my husband took an entire day of shopping to find one that wasn’t white or pale blue.

In closing I just want to touch on one other little issue guys. Your underwear. You know how you notice how bad panty lines look – well, you have them too. If you are wearing pants that tuck a bit in the bum, pay attention to this detail. Boxers are nice under dress pants but for goodness sakes, make sure they don’t all bunch up. Good fitting underwear are important not only for your comfort but for the overall look as well. (if they fit well too, you won’t be adjusting near as much either!)

Do you have a men’s clothing story for us? We are all ears and pictures are very good too.

So, I leave you with this, also from that ‘magazine of authority for men’ advice from an article on ‘how to be a man again’- doing these things apparently will make all the difference. ‘Rent a muscle car, catcall chicks on the street, go to a monster truck rally, eat a heart-attack meal, wear your 2001 Baltimore Ravens Super bowl t-shirt, break a bone, get in a bar fight, grow a beard, cut down a tree, take apart your care engine, sit down in front of the TV for a 48-hour SPEEDtv marathon wearing track pants’.

Hot-ness for today

Continuing the trend of the week..... what have we learned today.

There are a couple of really cool and interesting events happening both this coming weekend and next week. Geared for cool hip chicks.

It is l'Oreal Fashion Week time of year again. The event kicks off next Monday, October 16th and runs until the 21st. For information, tickets, schedules check out their site at

http://www.lorealfashionweek.ca/

As all hip chicks know, October is breast cancer awarness month. If you live in the Ottawa, Ontario region, this weekend, you have a chance to make a difference and a contribution. Oh, did I mention and have some fun?

The Lifestyle Event for Women^TM
Sunday, October 15th
Brookstreet

Blossom is a showcase of woman-owned and woman-managed businesses in the areas of fashion, accessories, catering, wellness, image, fitness, and more. Learn about entertaining, health, wealth, home décor, and image transformation. Shop for beautiful clothes, accessories to complement fall fashions, jewelry from some of Canada's hottest designers, or that original gift you've been looking for -- all while supporting breast cancer research. Click here for schedule information, tickets and details about the venue. Grab your girlfriends and spend a Sunday afternoon doing something fun.

Boots made for a Hot Cherry

As promised yesterday, here are some of my fav online places to find the great shoes and boots of the season. Some are Canadian, others are located elsewhere in the world.

Before you begin clicking and shopping, there are a few things to remember about buying online.

1) Always ask questions before you commit to purchase - sometimes it is too late afterwards.
2) Use sizing charts and if in doubt ask seller for insole measurements or compare measurements with existing shoes you have and like the fit of.
3) If in doubt about the size, cheat - find the shoe style in a store and try it on. 9 times out of 10 you will be able to get a better price shopping online - so check out both options.
4) Check the cost of shipping. Sometimes you will find a very low price on a pair of shoes/boots only to find out the shipping is through the roof.
5) Boots almost always fit true to size, though check the circumference of the calf. Different styles of shoes fit differently.
6) If you are buying pointy toe varieties, many retailers suggest buying a 1/2 size up - your choice.

Here are some links to check out -

for Authentic Italian designer shoes and boots give these guys a look - they are located online and in Toronto, Ontario

for a bit of everything, try The Valley Girls Shoe Closet - they have a very large online selection and some very decent pricing

yet another site, with a bit of everything, Foot Fashion Frenzy has an online store and ship out of Toronto, Ontario - there shipping costs are very good as well.

Oh and a tidbit for Canadian Readers - if you have the time and energy - check out Winners Stores. Their shoe orders appear out of nowhere though, so you have to be committed to checking often. Don't wait for the hot styles to go on sale either - they sell out quickly. The nice thing about Winners is that if you find a better deal elsewhere they will give a full refund (with receipt and tags) within 10 days - no questions asked.
Also, with Winners, if you find a flaw in the article you want no matter how small, ask for a discount - they will almost always give one to you. Find a store near you and pre-shop online at www.winners.ca

For US readers, Winners is a TJX Company - aka TJ Max.

Feel free to share your shoe/boot shopping leads and tips - post your comments today!

Good luck and good shopping.