Your Mom’s Hot Topic

In junior high, Hot Topic was where I’d cobble up loose change to buy a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt. I’d tentatively walk around the daring clothing and accessory choices that I was far too self-conscious to buy. Even at the counter, I’d avoid eye contact with the pierced, dyed cashier out of guilt for sullying the “goth” store with my boring suburbia look. I understood that Hot Topic was a haven for the misunderstood who got to express themselves through a dark collective of clothing, make-up, music and attitude. And I respected their commitment to a style aesthetic, even though I didn’t totally understand it.

But since 2007, Hot Topic’s been revamping (or “unvamping”) its trademark dark and alternative milieu in favor of pop culture.

First, they overhauled the store’s layout. Good-bye vampire lair, hello H&M knock-off.

Image source BuzzFeed

Then, they carried clothes WITH COLOR(!) more suitable for a hipster rave than an episode of “Goth Talk.” Geez, they even gave Perez Hilton his own clothing line.

Image source NYMag.com

And the final nail on the non-coffin: the Twilight Hot Topic Tour.

Image source FanPop.com

Last month, the chain was acquired by the same corporation that owns Talbots. Today, the typical Hot Topic customer probably looks like this:

Image source LATimes.com

I guess junior high me wouldn’t feel self-conscious going into this store today… but she also probably wouldn’t actually want to.

Posted by Michelle

Rewind to 1950 with the Future Mrs. Wes Welker

Image by Nancy Lane via
Boston Herald

You can chalk it up to a major case of jealousy (I have always wanted to be a professional athlete or rock star’s girlfriend), but I think Wes Welker’s soon-to-be-wife comes across as a vapid, materialistic, one-dimensional Stepford Wife in a recent Boston Herald article. In prepping for the Super Bowl, the future Mrs. Welker (I’m not bothering to learn her name) trots around Scoop on Newbury Street, on the hunt for red, white and blue clothing to wear in Indianapolis for the big game.

Yes, I get that it’s a fashion story, so clearly the focus is on the clothes. But exclusively wearing your fiancé’s team colors bypasses the role of supportive/loyal girlfriend and steamrolls right into I-live-and-breathe-only-for-you territory. What’s even scarier than her Super Bowl wardrobe plans is Mrs. W’s willingness to disclose the behaviors that keep her little 5’9’’ nugget happy at home — cooking his favorite foods, driving 27 miles every Wednesday to buy him frozen burritos, letting him run the remote and “keeping chit chat to a minimum.” My brain is actually exploding right now; this chick is a 2012 edition of the classic Stepford Wife!

The icing on the cake is her thoughts on little girls’ and little boys’ childhood dreams’. In a woefully inaccurate blanket statement, she says, “Every little girl’s dream is to get married and every little boy’s is to play in the Super Bowl and win.”

Listen up, little girls: If you dream big enough, work at Hooters and meet a football player, I guess dreams really do come true.

Posted by Amelia

Handmade Shoes in 20 Minutes

As you’ve read in previous m. blog posts, I love shoes. But as much as I love shoes, I really love shopping. Any kind of shopping—grocery, jean, special occasion, furniture, you name it—excites me. (Ok, I lied, I hate bathing suit shopping, but that’s about it.)

Anyways, while on my recent honeymoon to Italy, I promised myself and my new husband that I would not shop. That’s right, folks, I solemnly walked passed the dozens of boutiques surrounding the Spanish Steps and looked the other way while strolling the Champs Elysees in order to keep my word.

But then I found a shopping opportunity that I simply could not–and would not–pass up…

Handmade shoes in 20 minutes. Yes, the azure waters along the Amalfi Coast were gorgeous as were the oceanside cliffs that we walked up and down every day to get to our hotel, but one of the highlights of my time in Positano were the shoe shops.

Now, I’m not talking about an ordinary shoe shop where you go in and try on shoes. These were shops that only sold custom made sandals…and they were all over the village! Here’s how it works: You tell them (or in my case point and say “Grazie”) what style sandal and color leather you like and then they measure your foot with ready-made soles. Forty-five Euro and 20 minutes later, you have your very own ready-to-wear custom-made sandals.

In light of the (amazing) situation, I behaved myself by only buying two pairs of custom-made sandals. Perhaps there is a such thing as self-control? So if you’re headed to Positano, I recommend shoe shopping…oh and maybe some sightseeing too!

Safari, Positano

Posted by Alyssa

Google Goes From Geek To Chic

You might be hesitant to put your wardrobe into the hands of some nerds out in Silicon Valley. But trust me, Boutiques.com by Google is the coolest thing to happen in fashion technology since the invention of Jimmy Choo’s “Zap” sandals.

The site is a collection of hundreds of virtual boutiques categorized by trend (“Mad About Mad Men”), by celebrity (“Ashley Olsen”), or by blogger (Rumi “Fashiontoast” Neely). You can even build your own boutique and amass a following of enviable fashionistas.

Thanks to the genius of Google, Boutiques.com utilizes “visual search technology” to give buyers exactly what they ask for. Code writers and stylists actually collaborated to maximize the effectiveness of Boutiques.com as a style aggregator.

On November 17, at a swanky party in New York City, Google launched the site. No, I didn’t get an invite, but I did live the night vicariously through the Twitter feeds of lucky attendees.

Billionaire nerds have long dated fashion models, so I guess it was only a matter of time before High Tech met High Fashion…I can’t wait to see how this one plays out!

Posted by Hunter

Make Smart Shopping Decisions in 2010 with this Year-Round “When to Buy” List

Is there a particular month when you should buy furniture? A wedding dress? A television? According to the Lifehacker article, “The Best Times To Buy Anything, All Year Round,” there is! Everyone loves a deal, but when should you expect to get more bang for your buck on your purchases? Lifehacker scanned the Internet for the best times to buy almost anything, ranging from candy to tools to houses, and compiled a comprehensive list for budget-conscious shoppers.

Here are a handful of items you should buy based on the Lifehacker’s month-by-month guide:

Winter: air conditioners and gas grills

• January: bicycles and sporting goods, linens and bed sheets and digital cameras
• February: chocolates (after February 14, of course!)
• March: luggage, boots and winter wear

Spring:

• April: used cars and vacuum cleaners
• May: party supplies
• June: gym memberships

Summer:

• July: furniture
• August: laptops
• September: lawn mowers and decent wines

Fall:

• October: jeans and cookware
• November: candy (after Halloween, naturally!) and home theatre equipment
• December: wedding dresses

The List was compiled through various research methods (i.e. consumer reports and financial analysis) and common sense. For instance, Lifehacker discovered December was one of the least popular months for weddings — making it a great time to buy a wedding dress. Due to seasonal sales, vacuums are a good buy in April because of spring cleaning and laptops in August because of back to school. Other factors include the need to make space for new products, technological updates making last season’s item “outdated” and retailers having a surplus of particular goods. It should be noted that some items, such as videogame consoles, are at a fixed price and usually don’t change until an updated version is released.

But while it’s hard not to buy something (such as a new pair of Chanel boots…right, mm/c girls!?) that’s been reasonably marked down, is it worth saving $100 on an air conditioner purchased in January? You certainly wouldn’t want to install it in Boston this time of year and storage isn’t always available in small apartments. So in order to take full advantage of the list, you must weigh the pros and cons and decide for yourself whether it’s a smart buy or a not buy.

Regardless, for all those budget-conscious shoppers out there, this list should serve as a useful guide for shopping wisely. Enjoy!

Posted by Justin