The Petite Shopper

Andrew Regan asked:


When it comes to buying jewellery, it can be tempting to simply follow the latest trends. Whether it’s elaborate, dangly earrings or chunky rings that are in fashion, it’s important to choose pieces that are not only in vogue but also those that flatter your particular personal attributes. Luckily, the natural versatility of many pieces of jewellery means that it’s simple for men and women to work this season’s look to their innate style - you just have to know what rules to follow.

Jewellery trends for women this Spring/Summer 2007 concentrate on ornate brooches, big bold earrings, metallic jewellery and charm bracelets. Furthermore, purple is set to be this season’s jewellery colour, but yellow gold and black jewellery are also set to be big. However, in the presence of such imposing jewellery pieces and styles, it’s crucial to remember the cardinal rule of jewellery wearing: adopt only one statement piece; or, more specifically, make sure you don’t let your jewellery pieces compete with one another. Actress Salma Hayek is a prime example of how to wear statement pieces of jewellery, as she tends to wear just one prominent piece as opposed to many. Conversely, Betty from the hit TV show Ugly Betty is a definite example of how not to wear statement pieces of jewellery!

Moreover, make sure you pay attention to your face shape and hair style when buying earrings this season. Large earrings should only be worn by women who have long, slender necks; this type of neck is also ideal for wearing long, dangly earrings - another key aspect to this season’s earring fashion. Women with more petite necks, on the other hand, will find it best to adapt to this season’s jewellery trends by wearing smaller earrings.

While layering jewellery is all the rage with today’s fashion trends, it’s important to first establish whether you have the correct body shape for this particular jewellery look. For instance, big cocktail rings are back in fashion once again - but if you have short fingers, make sure you avoid wearing more than two rings on one hand. Additionally, stay away from rings that eclipse your hands.

Ultimately, it’s vital not to let your jewellery clash with the clothes you’re wearing. This season’s ornate brooches are worn on the left-side, 15cm below the shoulder - but if you’re adopting the brooch look, don’t choose to wear a sparkly piece with your animal print top. Instead, pair bright brooches with your more sedate pieces of clothing, to inject a cheeky twinkle into a sophisticated outfit. Moreover, keep diamond brooches away from demin or leather jackets - and wearing a brooch with a casual knitted jumper or a tracksuit top is just asking for an appearance on What Not to Wear!

Metallic colours are also a prominent feature of jewellery in Spring/Summer 2007 - experiment wearing metallic necklaces with high-necked and low-cut dresses. Just remember not to wear too much metal - a metallic bag and a silver dress won’t take too kindly to your new metallic pendant.

Finally, don’t ignore this season’s feminine jewellery; with flowers, butterflies and a variety of pretty shapes being featured by many jewellery specialists, you’ll be able to pair these pieces with a range of delicate summer dresses and summer clothing. What’s more, if you’re going on holiday, don’t be afraid to take some throwaway accessories with you - fake jewellery is just as credible as real jewellery and will save you the hassle of worrying about losing your most expensive item!



ELISHA

Gen Wright asked:


During the spring of 2005, the dynamic brother and sister duo Osi and Dotan Shoham established Gypsy 05 clothing. It all started when this duo began to produce dresses in a solar-powered factory in Hollywood. The materials were made up of organic cotton and rich vegetable dyes. Gypsy 05 clothing reflects your lifestyle from daytime to night time with the comfort it gives, for both women and men. Why search for perfect dog days summer outfit when you can have it in a snap with the Gypsy 05 cotton maxi dress?

When wearing a Gypsy 05 maxi dress it should not be dowdy and boring. You must wear it with confidence like a super star. The Gypsy 05 maxi dress is simple, elegant and great for daytime or evening. This hot maxi dress has been featured in People, Life & Style Magazine and US weekly as worn by stars like Lauren Conrad, Christina Aguilera, Hayden Panettiere and Denise Richards. The eco friendly Gypsy 05 long maxi dress is cut with a V-shaped neckline, with twisted straps, and a low back. The dress is made from organic fabrics, natural dyes and manufactured in that infamous solar-powered factory. The dress length reaches the floor with an elastic band attached within the bustline. We we’re still curious to know if the designer used it’s celebrity fan base to reach it’s current popularity, or if it really is popular because of it’s eco friendly tendencies. Either way, fans of the Gypsy 05 maxi dress are influenced by either the ethics of the company or simply the mere beauty of it all.

The Gypsy 05 long maxi dress comes in a wide variety of gorgeous colors; almost every color in the rainbow! The hottest two colors to get this long and stylish gown in are cantaloupe and plum. Cantaloupe is Gypsy 05’s word for the color yellow, and plum would be a deep shade of purple. The Gypsy 05 maxi dress in yellow was worn by Hayden Panatierre. This dress is stunning on it’s own but it can also look great with a white wrap, a long gold pendant and a gold bangle or two. The Gypsy 05 maxi dress in purple was seen on Christina Aguilera, who wore hers with a gray colored wrap cardigan sweater.

The maxi dress should not be too long or too wide when worn by shorter women. That is something that definitely must be avoided; for a petite physique, an overload of fabric can cause a fashion disaster. Never make your skirt look baggy on yourself and always keep the fittings up top, around the bust area. Add some accessories like patent platforms, wedges or feminine toe-covered sling backs for added height and added style! Luckily, you can avoid all these potential fashion disasters by choosing the Gypsy 05 maxi dress, which is tailored and cut to fit petite women and tall women alike. Consider offsetting your dress with long, visible jewelry as well as the trendy shades and bags.



BURTON

Louise Coulson asked:


Your jewelry can enhance your appearance or be a distraction. If you chose your jewelry based on your size, face shape, hair length, skin tone, and the occasion you are working in the right direction. If you base that choice on your own personal style you can create your own best look.

Skin Tone

If it you have blue undertones, you have a cool tone. You probably look better with mauve blush and burgundy or plum lipstick. The colors you use in your clothing are blues or blue-based. You look best in silver or platinum.

If the undertones of your skin are yellow or warm, your blush would be in tones of peach and your best lipstick colors are brownish tones or corals. You look best in gold.

Either skin tone can look good with pieces using both silver and gold. You can also chose pearls with shading that will complement your skin. A pearl with pinkish or silver shading will be beautiful on you. For a warm toned skin, you might want to look for a coral or golden tone on your pearls.

Size

One of the most obvious points is that wearing huge jewelry can overwhelm a petite woman and a tiny pearl necklace can be lost on a large woman. However, that petite woman may be able to wear one large piece as a statement if she limits her jewelry to that one piece of accents that huge bracelet with tiny earrings. If she wants a larger look for necklace, the petite woman can wear a series of chains that will give more presence without a chunky or heavy look.

The larger woman may be able to wear a tiny pair of earrings if they are of brilliant design or in a fabulous color or rare gemstone. She would look best in larger pieces or sets, but outrageously large pieces will not necessarily be the best look for the larger woman.

Face

If your face is oval, you can wear a wide range of shapes, sizes and styles of earrings. If you have an oblong, square, triangular or heart shaped face, the combination of your hair style and your earrings can help enhance your face

The width of your face as well as your jaw width can be enhanced or camouflaged by wearing the right earrings. If you have a very wide jaw, having earrings that end just at the jaw will not look good. Your wide square jaw will look good with a longer sleek earring. If your jaw is narrow, you can wear an earring that is a little wider and ends just at the jaw to balance your face.

If your face is very round, you may also want to wear the elongated earring rather than a hoop, which will just make your face look more round. If your forehead is slightly narrow, a larger earring will just bring more weight to the bottom half of your face. You would do better with a button or cluster type of earring.

Trends

Trendy jewelry can be fun and it is frequently sold as affordable fashion jewelry or costume jewelry. Wearing fashion jewelry even with last year’s outfit can make your look quite contemporary. You do, however need to coordinate the trend with your own personal style as well as your stature. If the trend is toward huge rings and your hands are small or fat, they are not likely to look good on you, so you might want to participate in another of the current styles like a large bracelet or chandelier earrings.

Personal Style

Consider your own personal style first when choosing your jewelry. If you need a set of pearls and your personal style is formal, casual or bohemian, you can see that your choice can be affected. A more formal person can wear a string of pearls or simple chain with post earrings. A person who has a more bohemian personal style may choose vintage jewelry or ethnic jewelry while staying appropriate to her outfit. A casual outdoor type might want to keep her jewelry close fitting and sturdy to work well with her lifestyle.

It is good, if possible to work with your body type, current trends and your coloring, but the key is still to chose jewelry you enjoy wearing and jewelry that suits your personal style. You always seem to look best in what you really love to wear.



ERWIN

J Tillotson asked:


Every year fashion changes. Sometimes a style from years back gets re-vamped with a modern twist – remember puffball skirts? – or a popular style gets updated. It can be difficult keeping up with what’s hot and what’s not, which is where blogs come in handy, keeping you in the know as to what’s going on in the world of celebrity fashion.

This year, the main fashion trend is prints, prints and more prints. Abstract, geometric, bold, colourful prints to make you stand out in a crowd, or pretty, floaty and floral to bring a touch of summer to your wardrobe. If dresses aren’t your thing, go for straight-leg, high waisted jeans in a skinny fit, or trousers in an ultra-wide leg. Shoes should be ballet flats or colourful sandals – such a relief from cramming your feet into Ugg boots all winter!

In the world of accessories, the natural, ethnic look comes into its own. Team plastic jewels with large wooden beads for an up-to-the-minute necklace, and couple with huge earrings. Belts, headbands and scarves are very much in demand, with the bold colours of the season being carried on here. But be careful not to clash! Another must-have is the big bag. Tote bags in particular are hot, as are any bags made to carry gadgets such as mobile phones or laptops.

If you can’t afford the latest clothes, shoes or accessories, make the most of what you already have by updating your hair and make-up. Posh Spice has done it again – the ‘Pob’ is this season’s hair ‘do’ – an elegant graduated bob (shorter in the back, tapering down to a point to frame your face) which suits almost every face shape. If you are blessed with an oval face and don’t fancy having bits of hair hanging in your eyes, thank Natalie Portman and Kirsten Dunst for bringing in the short, boyish look. For longer hair; the choppy, messy, incredibly stylish razor cut is back, in various formats. Go for face-framing layers around the ears, and experiment with natural-hold gels and waxes for texture. If you prefer one-length hair to choppy layers, the sleek, straight look is also going to be popular this year. Dig out those straighteners and flatten those curls.

Makeup comes in two accent colours this year: blue and lilac. The ‘cats eye’ look is coupled with a dramatic use of colours on the lid. Try Bourjois Petite Guide to Style in Fleur Bleue for a dark smoky look. Eyebrows are heading away from the pencil-thin line and towards the more natural, 80’s style. But keep them tidy; you want Brooke Shields not Noel Gallagher.

Fashion for men in 2008 is just as daring, if not quite as bright. The ultimate fashion item for men this spring is the cardigan. Muted shades of beige, grey, and the ever-present black are the colours to go for, and they suit everyone. But if you want to make a bold statement, check out the print that’s in this season; plaid. Either bold print trousers or on a belt, plaid is ‘in’ this spring.

And for the warmer weather, don’t forget the humble shorts. Short shorts are popular for men this season, especially when combined with shirt, tie and jacket. but don’t go too overboard with the colours; khaki, off-white and black are the safest combinations for this relatively new look.

Black is one of this season’s colours; go for summery clothing such as short sleeves and shorts in light materials, and avoid the gothic ensemble of heavy materials and baggy trousers. Or, if you dislike wearing dark clothing, opt for the other ‘in’ colour; pink. Salmon, baby or even bright fuschia, traditional styles are given a modern twist in varying shades of pink. Again, stick to relatively traditional clothing when wearing this somewhat flamboyant colour, and you won’t go far wrong.

So what should you avoid in 2008? Fashion faux pas include wide belts, tiny bags, baby doll dresses and bare legs. Solid colours are a no-no, as are metallic ensembles. A little bling is fine on accessories, but try to avoid looking like you’ve wrapped yourself in tinfoil. In your make-up bag, throw out all those coloured eyeliners and clear lipglosses and avoid the smoky-eye look during the day.

For the latest on high street fashion and current celebrity trends, visit Osoblog. Shop online for this season’s bags, shoes and mobile phones, and turn your high street into a catwalk!



DANA

caraibes_cate asked:


i’ve checked the Gap’s petite guide and it said “your Gap size = your Gap petite size,” but their size guides indicate that a regular size 4 corresponds to a petite size 6.
ok obviously i’m talking strictly about the numerical sizes, not the size of the clothing itself… i know the clothes themselves are smaller, but i’m talking about sizes in Regular department and Petite department.

FRANKLYN

Henry Allen asked:


1.History and business model:

Amazon was founded in 1994, spurred by what Bezos refers to as his regret minimization framework, his effort to fend off late in life regret for not staking a claim in the Internet gold rush.1 It is common lore that Bezos wrote its business plan while he and his wife drove a 1988 Chevrolet Blazer from Fort Worth, Texas to Bellevue, Washington,although this story is largely apocryphal according to early employees of the company.original research?

The company began operating as an online bookstore under the name Cadabra.com (as in abracadabra), a name that Bezos quickly abandoned due to its sounding like “cadaver”. While the largest brick-and-mortar bookstores and mail-order catalogs for books might offer 200,000 titles, an online bookstore could offer many times more. Bezos renamed his company “Amazon” after the world’s most voluminous river.

The company was incorporated in 1994, in the state of Washington, began service in July 1995, and was reincorporated in 1996 in Delaware. The first book ever sold by Amazon.com was Douglas Hofstadter’s Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought.Amazon.com had its initial public offering on May 15, 1997, trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol amazon at an IPO price of US$18.00 per share (equivalent to US$1.50 after three stock splits during the late 1990s).

Amazon’s initial business plan was unusual: the company did not expect to turn a profit for four to five years. In retrospect, the strategy was effective. Amazon grew at a steady pace in the late 1990s while many other Internet companies grew at a blindingly fast pace.

Amazon’s “slow” growth caused a number of its stockholders to complain, saying that the company was not reaching profitability fast enough. When the Dot-com bubble burst and many e-companies went out of business, Amazon persevered and finally turned its first profit in the fourth quarter of 2002: a meager US$5 million, just 1¢ per share, on revenues of over US$1 billion, but it was important symbolically.

The firm has since remained profitable: net income was US$35.3 million in 2003, US$588.5 million in 2004, US$359 million in 2005, and US$190 million in 2006 (including a US$662 million charge on R&D in 2006). Nevertheless, the firm’s cumulative profits remain negative. As of September 2007, the accumulated deficit stood at US$1.58 billion.

Revenue continued to grow thanks to product diversification and international presence: US$3.9 billion in 2002, US$5.3 billion in 2003, US$6.9 billion in 2004, US$8.5 billion in 2005, and US$10.7 billion in 2006. On November 21, 2005, Amazon entered the S&P 500 index, replacing AT&T after it merged with SBC Communications.

Time Magazine named Bezos its 1999 Person of the Year in recognition of the company’s success in popularizing online shopping

Merchant partnerships

The Web sites of Borders (borders.com, borders.co.uk), Waldenbooks (waldenbooks.com), Virgin Megastores (virginmega.com), CDNOW (cdnow.com), and HMV (hmv.com) are powered and hosted by Amazon. Until June 30, 2006, typing ToysRUs.com into a browser would similarly bring up Amazon.com’s Toys & Games tab; however, this relationship was terminated as the result of a lawsuit.4.

Amazon.com powers and operates retail web sites for Target, the NBA, Sears Canada, Sears UK, Benefit Cosmetics, Bebe Stores, Timex Corporation, Marks & Spencer, Mothercare, Lacoste and Bombay Company now defunct. For a growing number of enterprise clients, currently including the UK merchants Marks & Spencer and Mothercare, Amazon provides a unified multichannel platform from where a customer can interchangeably interact with the retail website, standalone in-store terminals, and phone-based customer service agents.

It also powers AOL’s Shop@AOL service via Web Services technology.

The company’s global headquarters is located on Seattle, Washington’s Beacon Hill. It has offices throughout other parts of greater Seattle including Union Station and The Columbia Center.

2.The Product lines:

Amazon has steadily branched into retail sales of music CDs, videotapes and DVDs, software, consumer electronics, kitchen items, tools, lawn and garden items, toys & games, baby products, apparel, sporting goods, gourmet food, jewelry, watches, health and personal-care items, beauty products, musical instruments, industrial & scientific supplies, groceries, and more.

The company launched Amazon.com Auctions, its own Web auctions service, in March 1999. However it failed to chip away at industry pioneer eBay’s juggernaut growth. Amazon Auctions was followed by the launch of a fixed-price marketplace business called zShops in September 1999, and a failed Sotheby’s/Amazon partnership called sothebys.amazon.com in November. Although zShops failed to live up to its expectations, it laid the groundwork for the hugely successful Amazon Marketplace service launched in 2001 that let customers sell used books, CDs, DVDs, and other products alongside new items. Amazon Marketplace’s main rival today is eBay’s Half.com service.

Beginning August 2005 5, Amazon began selling products under its own private label, “Pinzon”; the initial trademark applications suggested the company intended to focus on textiles, kitchen utensils, and other household goods.In March 2007, the company applied to expand the trademark to cover a larger and more diverse list of goods, and to register a new design consisting of the “word PINZON in stylized letters with a notched letter O whose space appears at the “one o’clock” position.” 6. The list of products registered for coverage by the trademark grew to include items such as paints, carpets, wallpaper, hair accessories, clothing, footwear, headgear, cleaning products, and jewelry.

On May 16, 2007 Amazon announced its intention to launch its own online music store.The store launched in public beta September 25, 2007, selling downloads exclusively in MP3 format without digital rights management.

In August 2007, Amazon announced Amazon Fresh, a grocery service offering perishable and nonperishable foods. Customers can pick up orders or have them delivered to their homes. Delivery is initially restricted to residents of Mercer Island, Washington, a wealthy suburb of Seattle.

3.Website:

A popular feature of Amazon is the ability for users to submit reviews to the web page of each product. As part of their review, users must rate the product on a rating scale from one to five stars. Such rating scales provide a basic idea of the popularity and dependability of a product.

The review feature is an important and highly influential function for customers and one of the main reasons for amazon.com’s success at selling books. As with book reviews anywhere, the buyer must beware that all reviewers have bias. Under normal circumstances, reviews give the reader at least a modest basis for evaluating a given book.

Because it is an open forum, the reader can benefit from a variety of perspectives. However, the anonymity of web reviewers increases the chances of abuse in the form of self-praise, praise from friends, or malicious criticism. This situation was confirmed in 2004 when the origin of reviews was accidentally made public on an amazon site, and some authors openly confirmed their glowing reviews of their own books.

Amazon provides an optional badging option for reviewers, e.g., to indicate the “real name” of the reviewer (based on a credit card) or to indicate that the reviewer is one of the “top” (most popular) reviewers. Some books have well over one thousand reviews (e.g. Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged), but many books, especially new ones, have none.

The U.S. site generally has the most reviews, but other country sites offer the perspectives of other reviewers. A review posted on one site is not necessarily visible on another site.

Search Inside the Book is a feature which allows customers to search for keywords in the full text of many books in the catalog.The feature started with 120,000 titles (or 33 million pages of text) on October 23, 2003. There are currently about 250,000 books in the program. Amazon has cooperated with around 130 publishers to allow users to perform these searches.

To avoid copyright violations, Amazon.com does not return the computer-readable text of the book but rather a picture of the matching page, disables printing, and puts limits on the number of pages in a book a single user can access. Amazon is planning to launch Search Inside the Book internationally. Additionally, customers can purchase access to the entire book online via the Amazon Upgrade program, although the selection of books eligible for this service is currently limited.

According to information in Amazon.com discussion forums, Amazon derives about 40% of its sales from affiliates, whom they call “Associates.” An Associate is an independent seller or business that receives a commission for referring customers to the Amazon.com site.

Associates do this by placing links on their websites to the Amazon homepage or to specific products. If a referral results in a sale, the Associate receives a commission from Amazon. Worldwide, Amazon has “over 900,000 members” in its affiliate programs. Associates can access the Amazon catalog directly on their websites by using the Amazon Web Services (AWS) XML service.

Amazon was one of the first online businesses to set up an affiliate marketing program.AStore is a new affiliate product that allows Associates to embedded a subset of Amazon products within, or linked to from, another website.

According to the Internet audience measurement website Compete.com, Amazon attracts approximately 50 million U.S. consumers to its website on a monthly basis.

4.Noteworthy events:

In 2002, Amazon became the exclusive retailer for the much-hyped Segway Human Transporter. Bezos was an early supporter of the Segway before its details were made public.

On June 21, 2003, Amazon coordinated what was at the time one of the largest sales and distribution events in e-commerce history with the sale of over 1.3 million copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, since beaten by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with a sale of over 2 million copies preordered in 2007.

On July 16, 2005, Amazon celebrated its 10th anniversary by telecasting a worldwide live concert hosted by Bill Maher and artists such as Bob Dylan and Norah Jones.

5.Donations:

In 2001, Amazon was one of the first online stores to begin accepting donations to the Red Cross on behalf of 9/11 victims. For several days the company dedicated its entire home page for this cause.citation needed

In 2004, Amazon launched its Presidential Candidates feature, whereby customers could donate from US$5 to US$200 to the campaigns of U.S. presidential hopefuls, resurrecting the Amazon Honor System for the purpose. The Honor System was originally launched in 2001 as a way for Amazon customers to “tip” their “favorite Web sites and to buy digital content on the Web,” Amazon collecting 2.9% of the payment plus a flat fee of US$0.30. It has never been shut down, but had fallen into relative disuse.

At the end of 2004, with the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Amazon set up an online donation channel to the American Red Cross using the Honor System, waiving its processing fee. As of January 3, 2005, over 162,000 individuals had donated over US$13.1 million in this way.

The same week, Amazon created similar channels for the British, Canadian, French, German, and Japanese Red Cross organizations via its international sites. Over 7,000 Britons donated more than US$350,000; 900 Canadians over US$56,000; 660 French over US$23,000; 2,900 Germans over US$145,000; and 1,900 Japanese over US$66,000.

Amazon reactivated its Red Cross donation channel when Hurricane Katrina struck at the end of August 2005. As of September 8, over 98,000 payments had been made totaling over US$10.7 million.

6.Patent use:

The company has been controversial for its alleged use of patents as a competitive hindrance. The “1-click patent”is perhaps the best-known example of this. Amazon’s use of the one-click patent against competitor Barnes and Noble’s website led the Free Software Foundation to announce a boycott on Amazon in December 1999.The boycott was discontinued in September 2002.

On May 12, 2006, the USPTO ordered a reexamination of the “One-Click” patent, based on a request filed by Peter Calveley. Calveley cited as prior art an earlier ecommerce patent and the Digicash electronic cash system.

On February 22, 2000, the company was granted a patent covering an Internet-based customer referral system, or what is commonly called an “affiliate program”. Reaction was swift and negative. Industry leaders Tim O’Reilly and Charlie Jackson spoke out strongly against this patent and O’Reilly published an open letter to Bezos protesting the 1-click patent and the affiliate-program patent, and petitioning him to “avoid any attempts to limit the further development of internet commerce”.

O’Reilly collected 10,000 signatures with this petition. Bezos responded with his own open letter. The protest ended with O’Reilly and Bezos visiting Washington D.C. to lobby for patent reform.

On February 25, 2003, the company was granted a patent titled “Method and system for conducting a discussion relating to an item on Internet discussion boards”.

7.Chris Benoit DVD:

In late June 2007, shortly after the death of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, Amazon displayed a special note on search results pages for the term “WWE” “Tragic news from the WWE. Wrestler Chris Benoit and his wife and son have been found dead in their Georgia home, and police are investigating the situation as a possible murder-suicide.”

The caption was then followed by a photo and a link to purchase the Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story DVD. Amazon.com later removed the offending message after widespread complaints in the professional wrestling community

8.The Humane Society of the United States v. Amazon.com,Inc:

Amazon continues to carry two cockfighting magazines and two dog fighting videos although the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) contends that the sale of these materials is a violation of U.S. Federal law. The Humane Society of the United States has filed a lawsuit against Amazon. The HSUS is actively advising supporters to write Amazon requesting the removal of the offensive materials.

This writing campaign gained momentum in August of 2007 after the much publicized dog fighting case involving NFL quarterback Michael Vick.Some supporters are also calling for a boycott of Amazon until the animal fighting materials are removed from sale.



TAMMI

Elaine asked:


I’m 5′0 and 95 pounds… need to find suits to look professional! I tried Banana Republic’s size 00 petite and even that is big. Any suggestions for online stores? And no, please do not reply to say “you are too skinny.” My problem is finding a suit, not my weight. Thanks!

ABDUL

Carl Pantejo asked:


“Prosperity: The eternal flow of all that’s good in life…”

By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo, Copyright January 2008

(Author “My Friend Yu – The Prosperity Mentor,” Copyright August 2007. Pantejo - Y.N. Vurce Publishing.)

*Below is the sixth episode in a series of real life events experienced by the author. The only deviations from the truth may be the names of people and places. These stories are also incorporated in “My Friend Yu – the Prosperity Mentor: Book II,” Pantejo - Y.N. Vurce Publishing. Release Date: Mid 2008.

- The Other Side of the Coin -

I’m sitting here at my laptop, drinking my favorite (meaning: currently available) Thai beer, listening to my favorite old Rock songs, and watching Nueng prepare dinner. It always amazes me how she can prepare banquets fit for Thai Royalty every night on our tiny, one skillet, propane tank “stove.” Today, as usual, she went to the market, shopped for fresh food, and is now cooking dinner for us.

She also remembered to buy anything I needed for the rest of the day and for tomorrow’s workday (i.e., beer, phone card, breath mints, etc.)

Wow. And to think, three short months ago I was miserable! I was dealing with the lying, cheating, very expensive, and now, “ex-girlfriend.”

Living with Nueng, I naturally compare her to the ex.

There’s no comparison.

In fact, they are total opposites in almost all respects! It’s like I’m finally experiencing “the Other Side of the Coin” – the Good Side.

- Stark Contrasts -

First off is appearance. All my life I preferred dark-skinned women. The ex was the first fair-skinned woman I’d been with in a very long time. When I first met her, her pale, white skin didn’t attract me at all – mainly because I’m a Falang (Thai: foreigner).

I guess it’s true what they say about beauty and preferences: 1) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and 2) People usually prefer the opposite of what they see everyday.

For example, Asia is predominantly populated by brown skin people, but white skin is almost always preferred over dark skin.

Anyone who has spent time in Asia (Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.) has noticed how the local people, especially children and women, scurry around trying to avoid the sun. Every form of skin whitening product (e.g., soap, shampoo, ****** cream, body lotion, deodorants, anti-perspirants, etc.) is available – and wildly popular – in all Asian stores.

You see, in Asia, white skin is considered more beautiful than dark skin – the total opposite of most Western countries. The reason for this? My guess would be the implied Economic and Social status: In Asia, dark skin instantly conjures up visions of poor, uneducated, farm people toiling away in the hot sun; while their rich, whiter skinned countrymen have wealthy relatives, are college educated, and work indoors, away from all tanning rays.

In contrast, most Westerners seek out dark skin (both for themselves and their mates). They go to the beach and pay exorbitant fees at the Tanning Salon. In the United States especially, tanned skin implies that you are financially well off enough to spend a lot of time outside in the sun, playing volleyball, golf, or tennis, etc.

For the same socio-economic reasons, a similar dichotomy of opinions exists about body type: Westerners prefer slim figures, while Asians prefer people with a little “meat on their bones.” In other words, in Asia, being thin is associated with poverty, while a little fat means you have enough money to eat well.

Nueng has beautiful, brown skin – the kind of skin that most tourists look for in places like Hawaii, Guam, or Bali. Nueng is about 5’ 5”, where the ex was barely 5’ 1” tall.

Nueng’s athletic body is strong and sexy, reflecting her upbringing “up country” – the region northeast of Bangkok where the people are identified as “Isaan.” Isaan Thai’s are regarded as hard working and fun loving; satisfied with a simpler lifestyle than their sophisticated Bangkok counterparts. They are also darker skinned.

Traditional Isaan life requires a lot of daily physical labor, labor that surpasses the exertion required for most American farms

Juxtaposed with Nueng, the ex was petite, ultra-feminine, and fragile. She came from a city in Laos and was not used to much manual labor. I can still remember her complaining about going up and down the stairs of my townhouse.

- Domestics –

Nueng comes from a large family: three “Pee Chia” (Thai: older brother/s), two “Luk Chai” (younger brother/s), and one “Nong Sao” (younger sister). With no “Pee Sao” (older sister) to help her and her mother in their big family’s house chores, Nueng learned early how to cook, clean, wash clothes, and look after her younger siblings.

She was industrious too. At age 7, Nueng would come home from elementary school and then clean the house of a neighbor until late into the evening. This was done for 60 baht per day (the equivalent of $1.70). As an adult, she was the breadwinner for her and her lazy, “no-job, no-money” boyfriend. She would wash and iron other people’s clothes, cook at a local food stand, and serve drinks at a local pub – while keeping up with her own housework and cooking.

Needless to say, I’ve never lived so contently and cleanly since I’ve been in Thailand. Our townhouse is always spotless. My clothes are always fresh smelling and expertly pressed. And, as mentioned before, I enjoy home-cooked meals fit for a king almost every night (with the exception being when I take her out for dinner on the weekends).

Comparison time again.

The ex-girlfriend was pretty lame at domestics. I was the one who routinely washed the clothes and did the dishes. I ALWAYS did the ironing. I cleaned the condominium we lived in when we met (and then cleaned the townhouse we moved into before breaking up).

Working 50-60 hours a week AND doing all the housework, laundry, and bill paying left me chronically exhausted.

What did the ex-girlfriend do all day while I was working? I’m not really sure, but I’d guess most of her day was spent sleeping, watching T.V., or cavorting with her friends; or, as I found out later, maybe even sneaking in a secret date with one of her other men.

I’m not a chauvinist. In fact, like most Falangs in Thailand, I habitually share in all domestic responsibilities. It’s just that I was always so tired working long hours, THEN coming home to “work.” And after a few months of “hinting,” I realized that domestic work was not the ex’s forte.

The resentment slowly grew. Finally, I threw subtly out the window, semi-feigned anger, and basically told her to get off her lazy **** and help me.

This tactic only worked for two or three days. Then it was back to the old routine of cleaning up after her and scrambling every morning for something appropriate to wear to work; finally ending up doing the laundry by myself – again.

Looking back, I’d always hoped that she (the ex-girlfriend) would change. I mean, I didn’t want a “maid,” but an equal, fair sharing of the housework would have made my life so much easier. I guess I was asking the ex to do something she wasn’t accustomed to (or even capable of).

Now, with Nueng, I hardly lift a finger at home. She even scolds me if I try to do something she feels is “HER RESPONSIBILITY.” What a change! I’m not fatigued all the time anymore. Nueng does her thing while I’m at work, so we can enjoy good, quality time together when I come home. What a change, indeed!

Yes, living in “The Flow” is wonderful. My days are filled with laughter, smiles, love, and beauty.

I thank the Original Substance (God) everyday that Nueng and I decided to end our old relationships and begin anew…

(Continued in “Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (7) - Living Well: Friendship, Fidelity, Finances, and Family”)

“Until next time, find ‘The Flow’ and jump in!”

Your Friend in this Intrepid Journey called Life,

Carl “J.C.” Pantejo

Note: If you want to read more about overcoming heartbreak, unconditional love, exorcising past personal demons, and the Illusive Secret of Happiness, please read the following articles:

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’: From Heartbreak to Happiness”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (2): Coincidence or Synchronicity: FROM RELAPSE TO MIRACLES…”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (3): LOST AND FOUND - Kindred Spirits and Mistakes made in Haste.”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (4): LOST AND FOUND – Meant to Be?”

“Experiences from ‘The Flow’ (5): “The Stray”

“How Dare She! Out of Desperation I Learned How to Forgive”

“Remember Who You Are!”

“Need to Heal Your Broken Heart? Read on. Overcome Heartbreak and Learn the Illusive Secret of Happiness.”



(By Carl “J.C.” Pantejo and published internet-wide, keyword: [title of article] or “Carl Pantejo”)

Pantejo@ynvurcepublishing.com



GERARD

Aygen I asked:


See i’m only a 100 lbs and my waist is about 29 inch and my hips only 33, so where can a girl like me get cute **** looking skirts and jeans?

DONN

James Philips asked:


Lacoste is one of today’s most popular label of fashion items. It is known throughout the world as a French apparel company that designs and markets a wide line of high end fragrances, clothing, footwear, tennis shirts, watches, eyewear, and leather goods. What is most noted about Lacoste is its green crocodile logo, aside from its high quality products and accessories.

Lacoste was founded in 1933 by a French tennis player named Rene Lacoste. He first introduced his own creation to the public when he wore his very own shirt in the 1926 U.S. Open Championship. His design was described by most reports as a white shirt featuring short sleeves made of a knitted fabric which he calls as the “jersey petit pique”. He described his jersey design as the very first light version of performance sports clothing.

Rene Lacoste was named “The Alligator” by the American Press since 1927. The reason behind this naming was the bet made about the use of a suitcase made of alligator skin. Rene actually wore his self created jersey in the 1927 Davis Cup, but without any related name available in his native language, he was then named as “le crocodile” in French.

The new nickname suited him for one reason - Rene Lacoste showing his tenacious behavior while on the court. It was his friend, Robert Georges, who decided to create a logo for Rene, then drawing him a crocodile. That image was embroidered by Rene himself on one of his tennis blazers.

After retiring from the world of tennis, Rene established his fashion company in 1933 with the help of one of his successful friends, Andre Gillier. Gillier, at that time, was the president and owner of one of the France’s knitwear manufacturing companies. With their efforts, they started to create and distribute a line of tennis shirts that were revolutionary inspired. The crocodile logo is embroidered on the shirt’s chest, and this what considered by Rene Lacoste as the first model of his brand name. He also designed and manufactured shirts for the sailors and golfers, and it was in 1951 that he began producing colored sportswear.

In 1970, under the management of Rene’s son, Bernard Lacoste, the company started to produce a variety of other fashion items. Included in their lines are perfumes, sunglasses and eye glasses, shoes, watches, shorts, and leather-made items. All of which were able to establish a name in the fashion industry mainly for their high quality. The quality and style of these products were made even more stronger with the coming of Christophe Lemaire, a French designer who had been contributing his efforts and time in creating the best fashion lines of Lacoste. More than 50 million of Lacoste products were sold under his management, as reported.

Today, Michael Bernard’s brother and collaborator, manages Lacoste. The company has been licensing its trademark to a number of fashion and sports companies around the world, including the Pentland Brands and Samsonite. The main office is located in Paris, but they delegate their products internationally.



DILLON