Talk to a fashion executive about ecommerce, and he will inevitably cite the challenges of creating an online shopping environment on par with his flagship stores. Online shopping may be convenient, he will say, but customers will be denied the ability to try on a garment for fit, to feel the texture of a python bag, to be surrounded by the products, architecture, music and personnel that make up the store experience.
It’s no surprise, then, that many apparel retailers, particularly those that fall in the luxury category, have invested heavily in bringing elements of the in-store shopping experience to their websites. While shopping on Burberry Outlets Online, you’ll be encouraged to connect to a personal shopper through live chat to address your questions. At Saks.com, you’re invited to zoom in on photographs of products and watch videos of clothing worn by models to get a better sense of fit and movement. J.Crew recently collected its shoes and handbags under one category to replicate the in-store experience of browsing, while Valentino.com has its own store soundtrack.
Given the above, I was somewhat surprised when Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer of Burberry, said in interviews earlier this month that the company was investing not in replicating more of its store experiences online, but bringing the Burberry.com experience to its stores — specifically, the 27,000-square-foot flagship Burberry recently opened on Regent Street in London.
The flagship, by Replica Burberry Shoes’s description, has seamlessly integrated technology throughout. Full-length screens wrap the store, transitioning between audio-visual content displays, live-streaming hubs and and mirrors. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips have been attached to certain clothes and accessories so that when a customer approaches one of the screens in a fitting room, specific content — say, information about a bag’s stitching and craftsmanship, or a video showing how a skirt was worn on the catwalk — will appear.
I followed up by phone with Bailey earlier this week. In addition to the new store, we discussed why Burberry didn’t serve up any new digital tricks for its Spring/Summer 2013 collection show, and how customization and other emerging trends are shaping Burberry’s business. Check out an edited transcript of our talk, below.
You spoke in several earlier interviews about your desire to carry the Burberry.com experience to the Regent Street store. That surprised me. Nearly every other retailer is trying to do the opposite.
We put so much energy and design, and created all these unique experiences on Burberry.com, but we didn’t have any physical version of them — Burberry Acoustic, for example, or our heritage archive, or Burberry Bespoke, or even our beauty and fragrance division. So what we did was the exact opposite of the way people build physical spaces. We started looking at Burberry.com and making the experience you have there very rich, one that shows the whole world what Burberry is about. We wanted, when you walked into the Regent Street store, to feel exactly the same atmosphere, [for you to be] able to engage with it in the same way that you might be able to engage online. That meant silly as well as tangible things. We installed several hundred speakers and built a stage, as well as an in-and-out satellite link so we could stream live shows in, and stream out live gigs, all of which emulates the Burberry Acoustic site.
We also did a lot of residential seating around the space, so you can sit down and relax as might you at home with your laptop or iPad.
What kind of impression do you want people to have about Burberry’s brand when they leave the store for the first time?
That they were able to experience lots of different things, also [that they found it] entertaining. For example, throughout the store we have a couple of hundred of screens, some of them are huge, and then there are a couple hundred little screens around the store that has content specifically designed for the environment it’s in. And every hour or so — we’re figuring out timing about it still — we’ll basically change the whole store to one thing, have this kind of rainstorm we’ve done with people clicking their fingers, and all of a sudden we’ll dim the lights throughout the whole space and every video screen will suddenly turn to this video we’ve created. Everybody just stops and stares at the screen; we turn the sound up a bit, it becomes entertainment, makes people smile and stop, and then they go back to what they were doing. I think it’s about more than just shopping, exploring.
Is the experience you created in Regent Street something you plan to bring to other stores?
Regent Street is really a one-off even just because of scale of store, but there are definitely elements of what we’ve done in Regent Street that we’ll take to different stores around world.
Customization and personalization seem to be two key themes emerging from Burberry as of late, particularly with Burberry Sale Handbags and the RFID/custom content experience you’re using in the store. Is that fair to say? What’s driving that?
When you start interacting and engaging in a very authentic way with social media, you also have to look at the way you do things. Things need to be quicker, more personalized; there needs to be a dialogue, rather than the industry standard of working always in this way and on this calendar. You need to question everything that you can. We did this show yesterday; you can literally buy all the outerwear off the runway immediately, deliver in six to eight weeks, that sort of thing.
As for RFID: People are interested in what goes behind products now. You can show so much more on the web through video and text and moving imagery. So what we wanted to do, for example, is if I try on a trench coat and approach one of the mirrors that we’ve enabled with RFID, content comes up on the screen that shows how we’ve made that trench coat, what it looked like on the runway. We’re putting stories behind clothes and fashion.
Let’s talk about show. We’ve gotten used now to Burberry unveiling something totally new digitally every season — 3D live streams, post-show shopping, tweetwalk, animated tweetwalk — that gets a lot of press. So far as I’m aware, you didn’t do anything of that sort for this show. How come?
This time we did do a lot of personalization with the show. For example, we invited people personally with their names to watch the show, and when people came in to show space, they immediately got an email from me saying, ‘Welcome, I hope you enjoy the show.’ We tried to make it a little more intimate, a little more personal.
I’ve never thought that we have to check a box every season to do something new, something that was newsworthy. It’s more for me that we’re doing things authentically. The tweetwalk was something I wanted to do because it was something I felt. On the runway everything is perfect, glossy and finished, audience looks pretty amazing, but then backstage as with everything, there’s usually a bit of chaos. It was fun to show that real life as well. That’s what social media or Twitter is about; I like those contradictions.
We’ve talked about integrating digital in-store, customization, live streaming — what digital trends do you see impacting Burberry’s business going forward?
I think connecting everything. There are so many different platforms, so many different forms of communication; how do we make sure they’re all coming together in some way, that they’re not all sitting alone?
Monday, November 26, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
My List: Michael Kors in 24 Hours
6:15 A.M. First, I feed my cats, Bunny and Viola. They are feline alarm clocks. I named them after my madcap great-aunts. They turn into gymnasts and start leaping over us and jumping over our heads. I can't remember the last time I set an alarm at home. Then I grab the newspapers. I read a lot of papers — too many. But I grew up waiting for the paper to be delivered, and I still am that way. I can hear it drop at the door, and the day begins. I actually like to crawl back into bed after I've fed the cats, who aren't hungry. My husband, Lance [LePere], is a better sleeper than I am, so he's probably still asleep at that point, in most instances. And I'll kind of do my overview, just scan everything and see what's going on in the world. If there are things that I really want to read intently, those I save for the end of the day.
9:15 A.M. We don't even make coffee; that's too much for us. I am so boring. Every day I have a bialy with a little bit of butter on it delivered from Murray's Bagels, and I don't drink hot liquids at all, but I'm iced tea obsessed. So every day, no matter what the weather, it's a large iced tea with three Splendas. Those three Splendas make all the difference. And lemon. Maybe on the weekend I might combine breakfast and lunch and get a little salmon on the bialy, but that's about it. I definitely have a fashion uniform — that is an understatement. It is always something black and knitted with a crewneck. And then either dark jeans, white jeans, olive cargos, or chinos. The shoe changes. It can go from a black crocodile Tod's driving loafer to a black New Balance sneaker that I have custom-made for me — all black on black on black. I probably have a good 15 pairs of New Balance in black, and I don't always wear black. In the summer I'll go to this dusty putty color. That's my summer shoe. I've also found someone to custom-make crocodile Chucks. No one would know to look at it that I'm having fun with accessories, but I am. I change my color of aviator. That kind of indicates my mood. Like, the silver aviator if I'm feeling nasty, an olive aviator if I'm feeling sporty, and black if I don't want to think about it. I have about 60 pairs.
10:15 A.M. The only thing that's always the same in my workday is that it is never the same. The only thing that stays consistent is that lunch out is not part of the Michael Kors day. The minute I walk in the office, my assistant will show me e-mails we have gotten, what phone calls have come through and slap another iced tea into my hand so I can feel like an Olsen. The iced tea is always there. I think when I quit smoking, the cup in my hand became my new cigarette, so to speak.
10:30 A.M. I'll start with, say, a phone interview, then I could jump into a review looking at jewelry samples and then into looking at prints that we are working on for the women's collection. I think that kind of changing my head all the time, after over 30 years, is what keeps me interested and excited. If it was formulaic, I would probably be bored.
5:00 P.M. On workdays I've got to have two pieces of Ghirardelli dark chocolate for a jolt. I think I'm being good, but I'm not.
7:30 P.M. We usually go out. We go to the theater a lot. That is truly my favorite escape. We do not go fashiony, we go the opposite and pretend that we are theatrical folks. We go to Joe Allen on 46th Street and sit at the same table. I always have a Caesar salad and a hamburger. When I was in Paris, we ate dinner literally four nights a week at Joe Allen in Paris. I think Marc Jacobs and I, between the two of us, we were in Joe Allen every night. And if we don't go to the theater, most instances we'll go directly from the office to dinner. We stay in the Village for the most part. We love I Sodi, the Little Owl, Cafe Cluny, or Gene's for that old-school Village feeling. During the week we never, ever cook. If we watch TV, then it's something that I can just take my brain out for, like RuPaul's Drag Race (it kills us — we die laughing), Restaurant: Impossible, or Fashion Police. I never have a cocktail at home. Going out to dinner, absolutely. I'll have a Ketel One on the rocks, and if I'm having Italian food, I will have white wine, like a Gavi, and never red wine. I wear black and drink white.
12:30 A.M. I sleep in black Michael Kors briefs, but my bed is white. I can't sleep on a sheet that's colorful; it freaks me out. I need the pillows all situated in different spots. I'm one of those people who wake up in the morning with all the pillows on the floor and the covers gone.
Michael Kors Outlet
8:00 A.M. If I do yoga, my instructor will come to the house. If I'm going to the gym, I'll do Pilates. If it's nice out, I'll walk over to the river and take, like, a month to walk down to the Battery and back. I never shower before any of it. I shower after, and if I'm not working out, then it's the last thing I do before I leave the house. I'm pretty low maintenance, I would have to say. I'm chamomile shampoo from Klorane. I have used it my whole life, and I think it's every blond's best friend. I use Kiehl's moisturizer, Jergens tinted moisturizer for the face (it stretches the tan whenever we can't get out of town), a little bit of lip balm from Creme de la Mer, and I'm out the door.9:15 A.M. We don't even make coffee; that's too much for us. I am so boring. Every day I have a bialy with a little bit of butter on it delivered from Murray's Bagels, and I don't drink hot liquids at all, but I'm iced tea obsessed. So every day, no matter what the weather, it's a large iced tea with three Splendas. Those three Splendas make all the difference. And lemon. Maybe on the weekend I might combine breakfast and lunch and get a little salmon on the bialy, but that's about it. I definitely have a fashion uniform — that is an understatement. It is always something black and knitted with a crewneck. And then either dark jeans, white jeans, olive cargos, or chinos. The shoe changes. It can go from a black crocodile Tod's driving loafer to a black New Balance sneaker that I have custom-made for me — all black on black on black. I probably have a good 15 pairs of New Balance in black, and I don't always wear black. In the summer I'll go to this dusty putty color. That's my summer shoe. I've also found someone to custom-make crocodile Chucks. No one would know to look at it that I'm having fun with accessories, but I am. I change my color of aviator. That kind of indicates my mood. Like, the silver aviator if I'm feeling nasty, an olive aviator if I'm feeling sporty, and black if I don't want to think about it. I have about 60 pairs.
Michael Kors Handbag Outlet
10:00 A.M. The car picks us up at home. I'm definitely a man who loves his tote collection. I've learned not to carry a big one because I'm bringing things I don't need. I have an L.L.Bean leather tote from the '40s that's small and really beaten-up and that I was very fortunate to find while I was vintage shopping here in New York. As soon as I saw it, I was like, Oh, my God. I can just throw my sunglasses in there, if I have papers I have to bring back and forth to the office, and you know, really not much else. I'm not one of those people who sit in the car talking on the phone. The car is my moment to kind of zone out before I jump into the day. And in New York, it's great for people-watching. I count Michael Kors handbags on the street.10:15 A.M. The only thing that's always the same in my workday is that it is never the same. The only thing that stays consistent is that lunch out is not part of the Michael Kors day. The minute I walk in the office, my assistant will show me e-mails we have gotten, what phone calls have come through and slap another iced tea into my hand so I can feel like an Olsen. The iced tea is always there. I think when I quit smoking, the cup in my hand became my new cigarette, so to speak.
10:30 A.M. I'll start with, say, a phone interview, then I could jump into a review looking at jewelry samples and then into looking at prints that we are working on for the women's collection. I think that kind of changing my head all the time, after over 30 years, is what keeps me interested and excited. If it was formulaic, I would probably be bored.
Michael Kors Outlet Online
1:30 P.M. Lunch, however, is unbelievably formulaic. I have either sashimi every day or a salad from Chop't. Four pieces of salmon, four pieces of tuna, and then I'll have maybe a spicy tuna roll, and that's lunch. If it's a really lousy day, like one of those days that you never want to get out of bed, then I'll say 'To hell with it' and have a hamburger. It's always delivered in, and it's always in the office. I probably eat lunch out, truly, four times a year. And I'll always have four large iced teas a day. I'm caffeinated. By the time the afternoon comes, it's kind of like, you know, telling the drunk at the bar it's last call so, like, cut down on the caffeine, and then we switch to ice water and lemon when five o'clock rolls around.Christmas Michael kors Handbags Outlet
2:15 P.M. Every day, no matter what, there is going to be a minimum of two design meetings. And there is always going to be something like deciding on models or reading copy for the catalog. I look at all of it. Or my display team will ask if I want to take a look at the new mannequins for Rockefeller Center. It's a lot. I don't know what to do with what I call a gray day. I either need to be on a beach passed out with a Jackie Collins novel or I need, like, a day that is jammed with too much information and too many tasks. Our wedding day last year was our dream day. We stayed with friends in Southampton. We both had massages. We had caviar for lunch — gobs of it. We went to the beach and got married barefoot. Then we went to see The Help in East Hampton and afterward went out for pizza at Sam's. Give me beach, give me a movie I can cry at with someone I love, and within that day have my favorite junk food and my favorite indulgent food.5:00 P.M. On workdays I've got to have two pieces of Ghirardelli dark chocolate for a jolt. I think I'm being good, but I'm not.
7:30 P.M. We usually go out. We go to the theater a lot. That is truly my favorite escape. We do not go fashiony, we go the opposite and pretend that we are theatrical folks. We go to Joe Allen on 46th Street and sit at the same table. I always have a Caesar salad and a hamburger. When I was in Paris, we ate dinner literally four nights a week at Joe Allen in Paris. I think Marc Jacobs and I, between the two of us, we were in Joe Allen every night. And if we don't go to the theater, most instances we'll go directly from the office to dinner. We stay in the Village for the most part. We love I Sodi, the Little Owl, Cafe Cluny, or Gene's for that old-school Village feeling. During the week we never, ever cook. If we watch TV, then it's something that I can just take my brain out for, like RuPaul's Drag Race (it kills us — we die laughing), Restaurant: Impossible, or Fashion Police. I never have a cocktail at home. Going out to dinner, absolutely. I'll have a Ketel One on the rocks, and if I'm having Italian food, I will have white wine, like a Gavi, and never red wine. I wear black and drink white.
12:30 A.M. I sleep in black Michael Kors briefs, but my bed is white. I can't sleep on a sheet that's colorful; it freaks me out. I need the pillows all situated in different spots. I'm one of those people who wake up in the morning with all the pillows on the floor and the covers gone.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Burberry scarf outlet sale
It’s unfortunate that the scarf is so overlooked by men today. When the temperature drops it only makes sense to throw a scarf on, yet so many men do themselves a disservice by either forgetting their neckwear, or putting on a threadbare scarf that barely keeps the cold out, and detracts from their outfit.
The scarf is a combination of form and function, but finding one that works for you needs a bit of forethought.
The scarf is a combination of form and function, but finding one that works for you needs a bit of forethought. Is this something for a cold day at the office, or a breezy night out? Does wool scratch and bite at your neck, or do you love the feel of good soft cashmere?
So before you head out into the cold, check out my Guide to Scarves, and figure out just what you need to help survive the season with this oft overlooked on fashion accessory.
Wool Scarf
The gold standard in scarves, a wool Burberry scarf bloomingdales in cashmere or merino is something every man ought to own. With soft, understated patterns and colors, it never overpowers your outfit; but merely accents it in the just the right way. If it strikes you, feel free to get one in your college colors and show some pride for the old alma mater.
This is great scarf for everyday wear, no matter where the day might take you. It pairs best with your winter coat, or even with a thick knit sweater and jeans; above all the key here is to add bulk to your look without overwhelming it. Tie it in an overhand knot or a French knot if you need it a bit closer to the neck.
A wool scarf in cashmere or merino is something every man ought to own.
Cotton Scarf
A lightweight scarf that offers less protection than cashmere against the elements this is still a great scarf to have. It’s the perfect scarf to go with a blazer in the cool winds of autumn; a great cotton scarf is indispensable as summer turns to fall.
If the weather doesn’t warrant heavy winter wear yet, consider adding a cotton scarf to your outfit. A cotton scarf with a subtle check can add a much needed bit of vitality to your everyday suit. Tie it in a French knot around your neck, and you’re set.
Knit Scarf
A broad category that includes any Burberry scarf outlet sale, cotton or wool. To clarify, we’re talking about the clunky knit scarves that your grandmother specializes in. It’s warm, there’s no doubting that, but it can sometimes be difficult to put together an outfit that includes this piece.
A knit scarf in a French knot is the perfect compliment to a simple sweater, and offers just the right amount of warmth for the early winter. Younger men can pair a chunky knit scarf with an oversized t-shirt and ratty jeans for a sort of bohemian-chic look. This scarf is often all about the style of knit and its bulk, so use it as a contrast to a clean cut ensemble, not at the final straw in an outfit that already makes you look like an Eskimo.
A knit scarf in a French knot is the perfect compliment to a simple sweater.
Silk Scarf
From the Hermes knockoff for sale on the sidewalk to the white silk piece in the back of your closet, the silk scarf is the ultimate triumph of form over function. Not warm enough for the cold weather, the silk scarf still has its place and purpose.
A blue patterned scarf can be knotted around your neck for a nautical look for trips to the beach. Not feeling the summer regatta look? A black or white silk scarf adds a brilliant touch of class to any suit, making it ready for a night out. This is a more formal scarf, and should always be paired with an outfit of equal stature, or dressed completely down; never in-between.
A black or white silk scarf adds a brilliant touch of class to any suit, making it ready for a night out.
Keffiyeh
The Keffiyeh is an Arab headdress that’s been co-opted by many youthful ‘in the know’ types as a neckpiece. A more youthful piece, you shouldn’t really try this look unless you’re the kind of guy who has a monthly budget specifically allocated to ironic sunglasses and skinny jeans.
Depending on where you wear it, and how, people will either think you’re expressing support for Palestine or are just coming back from an indie concert, so beware of the stigma attached to this simple bit of checked cloth. Also, it’s a trend, and one that as we write these words, and is quickly on its way out the fashion door.
Summary
Every scarf fills a different role and need:
Wool Scarf: A great workhorse scarf for the cold weather, there’s no situation where this scarf doesn’t fit in.
Cotton Scarf: The perfect autumn scarf, the cotton Burberry pants lil wayne can really liven up an outfit.
Knit Scarf: A clunky offering that’s best for lazy Sunday walks or as an accessory for a Boho chic outfit.
Silk Scarf: Great for nights out, for watching regattas, or other situations where being warm isn’t as important as looking good.
Keffiyeh: A difficult choice that’s best left to the hipsters.
The scarf is a combination of form and function, but finding one that works for you needs a bit of forethought.
The scarf is a combination of form and function, but finding one that works for you needs a bit of forethought. Is this something for a cold day at the office, or a breezy night out? Does wool scratch and bite at your neck, or do you love the feel of good soft cashmere?
So before you head out into the cold, check out my Guide to Scarves, and figure out just what you need to help survive the season with this oft overlooked on fashion accessory.
Wool Scarf
The gold standard in scarves, a wool Burberry scarf bloomingdales in cashmere or merino is something every man ought to own. With soft, understated patterns and colors, it never overpowers your outfit; but merely accents it in the just the right way. If it strikes you, feel free to get one in your college colors and show some pride for the old alma mater.
This is great scarf for everyday wear, no matter where the day might take you. It pairs best with your winter coat, or even with a thick knit sweater and jeans; above all the key here is to add bulk to your look without overwhelming it. Tie it in an overhand knot or a French knot if you need it a bit closer to the neck.
A wool scarf in cashmere or merino is something every man ought to own.
Cotton Scarf
A lightweight scarf that offers less protection than cashmere against the elements this is still a great scarf to have. It’s the perfect scarf to go with a blazer in the cool winds of autumn; a great cotton scarf is indispensable as summer turns to fall.
If the weather doesn’t warrant heavy winter wear yet, consider adding a cotton scarf to your outfit. A cotton scarf with a subtle check can add a much needed bit of vitality to your everyday suit. Tie it in a French knot around your neck, and you’re set.
Knit Scarf
A broad category that includes any Burberry scarf outlet sale, cotton or wool. To clarify, we’re talking about the clunky knit scarves that your grandmother specializes in. It’s warm, there’s no doubting that, but it can sometimes be difficult to put together an outfit that includes this piece.
A knit scarf in a French knot is the perfect compliment to a simple sweater, and offers just the right amount of warmth for the early winter. Younger men can pair a chunky knit scarf with an oversized t-shirt and ratty jeans for a sort of bohemian-chic look. This scarf is often all about the style of knit and its bulk, so use it as a contrast to a clean cut ensemble, not at the final straw in an outfit that already makes you look like an Eskimo.
A knit scarf in a French knot is the perfect compliment to a simple sweater.
Silk Scarf
From the Hermes knockoff for sale on the sidewalk to the white silk piece in the back of your closet, the silk scarf is the ultimate triumph of form over function. Not warm enough for the cold weather, the silk scarf still has its place and purpose.
A blue patterned scarf can be knotted around your neck for a nautical look for trips to the beach. Not feeling the summer regatta look? A black or white silk scarf adds a brilliant touch of class to any suit, making it ready for a night out. This is a more formal scarf, and should always be paired with an outfit of equal stature, or dressed completely down; never in-between.
A black or white silk scarf adds a brilliant touch of class to any suit, making it ready for a night out.
Keffiyeh
The Keffiyeh is an Arab headdress that’s been co-opted by many youthful ‘in the know’ types as a neckpiece. A more youthful piece, you shouldn’t really try this look unless you’re the kind of guy who has a monthly budget specifically allocated to ironic sunglasses and skinny jeans.
Depending on where you wear it, and how, people will either think you’re expressing support for Palestine or are just coming back from an indie concert, so beware of the stigma attached to this simple bit of checked cloth. Also, it’s a trend, and one that as we write these words, and is quickly on its way out the fashion door.
Summary
Every scarf fills a different role and need:
Monday, November 5, 2012
How to Choose a Scarf?
It’s unfortunate that the scarf is so overlooked by men today. When the temperature drops it only makes
sense to throw a scarf on, yet so many men do themselves a disservice by either forgetting their neckwear,
or putting on a threadbare Burberry scarf outlet sale that barely keeps the cold out, and detracts from their outfit.
The scarf is a combination of form and function, but finding one that works for you needs a bit of
forethought.
The scarf is a combination of form and function, but finding one that works for you needs a bit of
forethought. Is this something for a cold day at the office, or a breezy night out? Does wool scratch and
bite at your neck, or do you love the feel of good soft cashmere?
So before you head out into the cold, check out my Guide to Scarves, and figure out just what you need to
help survive the season with this oft overlooked on fashion accessory.
Wool Scarf
The gold standard in scarves, a wool scarf in cashmere or merino is something every man ought to own.
With soft, understated patterns and colors, it never overpowers your outfit; but merely accents it in the
just the right way. If it strikes you, feel free to get one in your college colors and show some pride for
the old alma mater.
This is great scarf for everyday wear, no matter where the day might take you. It pairs best with your
winter coat, or even with a thick knit sweater and jeans; above all the key here is to add bulk to your look
without overwhelming it. Tie it in an overhand knot or a French knot if you need it a bit closer to the
neck.
A wool scarf in cashmere or merino is something every man ought to own.
Cotton Scarf
A lightweight scarf that offers less protection than cashmere against the elements this is still a great
scarf to have. It’s the perfect scarf to go with a blazer in the cool winds of autumn; a great cotton scarf
is indispensable as summer turns to fall.
If the weather doesn’t warrant heavy winter wear yet, consider adding a cotton scarf to your outfit. A
cotton scarf with a subtle check can add a much needed bit of vitality to your everyday suit. Tie it in a
French knot around your neck, and you’re set.
Knit Scarf
A broad category that includes any knit Burberry scarf bloomingdales, cotton or wool. To clarify, we’re talking about the
clunky knit scarves that your grandmother specializes in. It’s warm, there’s no doubting that, but it can
sometimes be difficult to put together an outfit that includes this piece.
A knit scarf in a French knot is the perfect compliment to a simple sweater, and offers just the right
amount of warmth for the early winter. Younger men can pair a chunky knit scarf with an oversized t-shirt
and ratty jeans for a sort of bohemian-chic look. This scarf is often all about the style of knit and its
bulk, so use it as a contrast to a clean cut ensemble, not at the final straw in an outfit that already
makes you look like an Eskimo.
A knit scarf in a French knot is the perfect compliment to a simple sweater.
Silk Scarf
From the Hermes knockoff for sale on the sidewalk to the white silk piece in the back of your closet, the
silk scarf is the ultimate triumph of form over function. Not warm enough for the cold weather, the silk
scarf still has its place and purpose.
A blue patterned scarf can be knotted around your neck for a nautical look for trips to the beach. Not
feeling the summer regatta look? A black or white silk scarf adds a brilliant touch of class to any suit,
making it ready for a night out. This is a more formal Burberry scarf cheap, and should always be paired with an outfit of
equal stature, or dressed completely down; never in-between.
A black or white silk scarf adds a brilliant touch of class to any suit, making it ready for a night
out.
Keffiyeh
The Keffiyeh is an Arab headdress that’s been co-opted by many youthful ‘in the know’ types as a
neckpiece. A more youthful piece, you shouldn’t really try this look unless you’re the kind of guy who has
a monthly budget specifically allocated to ironic sunglasses and skinny jeans.
Depending on where you wear it, and how, people will either think you’re expressing support for
Palestine or are just coming back from an indie concert, so beware of the stigma attached to this simple bit
of checked cloth. Also, it’s a trend, and one that as we write these words, and is quickly on its way out
the fashion door.
Summary
Every scarf fills a different role and need:
: A great workhorse scarf for the cold weather, there’s no situation where this
scarf doesn’t fit in.
: The perfect autumn scarf, the cotton scarf can really liven up an outfit.
: A clunky offering that’s best for lazy Sunday walks or as an accessory for a Boho
chic outfit.
: Great for nights out, for watching regattas, or other situations where being warm
isn’t as important as looking good.
: A difficult choice that’s best left to the hipsters.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Millennial madness A shocking Chinese account of Chairman Mao’s great famine
IN 1959 an 18-year-old student named Yang Jisheng was summoned home from his boarding school in central China by a friend who told him that his father was starving to death. Mr Yang returned immediately to his village, just in time to see his emaciated father before he died. The young idealist, already a member of the Communist Youth League, grieved deeply, but never thought to blame the government. “Compared with the advent of the great communist society,” he writes, “what was my family’s petty misfortune?”
For more than two decades, Mr Yang believed the official version of Mao Zedong’s disastrous economic experiment known as the Great Leap Forward, that it was caused by natural disasters. Even after he became a senior reporter for Xinhua, the official news agency, and learnt how the party manipulated and manufactured news, he remained a true believer. Only as China opened up in the 1980s did Mr Yang start to question what he had been told. The killing of demonstrators in Beijing in 1989 was a rude awakening. “The blood of those young students cleansed my brain of all the lies I had accepted over the previous decades.” And so he set out to shake off the deception and shake up the system that he had spent his life supporting.
The result is “Tombstone”, a shocking account of what are known euphemistically in China as the Three Years of Economic Difficulty. Frank Dikotter’s excellent book on the same subject came out two years ago, but this is the first detailed analysis of the famine written by a Chinese author who lived through it. Published in Chinese in Hong Kong in 2008, the book is now coming out in English for the first time. The original 1,200 pages have been condensed, and are all the punchier for it.
The Great Leap Forward was the high point of ignorant Maoist folly. Chairman Mao said in 1957 that China could well overtake the industrial output of Britain within 15 years. People left the fields to build backyard furnaces in which pots and pans were melted down to produce steel. The end product was unusable. As farmers abandoned the land, their commune leaders reported hugely exaggerated grain output to show their ideological fervour. The state took its share on the basis of these inflated figures and villagers were left with little or nothing to eat. When they complained, they were labelled counter-revolutionary and punished severely. As the cadres feasted, the people starved. Mr Yang calculates that about 36m died as a result.
After he retired, he used his contacts to gain access to restricted documents in archives all over China, claiming he was researching the history of grain policy. Some archivists were aware of what he was doing, but chose to turn a blind eye.
He picked “Tombstone” as a title chiefly to honour his father, and also the millions who died. He jokes darkly that the book could end up being his own tombstone too. Yet, despite it being banned in mainland China, Mr Yang continues to live freely in Beijing, editing a reformist magazine.
The system has not died either, though it still jealously guards its own interpretation of history. Mr Yang’s book is a blood-soaked case study of what happens when a regime with no checks and balances collides with an ignorant ideological fervour. Chinese schoolbooks, however, prefer to gloss over the period completely.
“Tombstone” is meticulous in its research and exhaustive in the detail it accumulates for the reader: of villages strewn with corpses, of widespread cannibalism, and of the violence that exploded as one man’s millennial vision was unleashed. It also stands as a warning to modern supporters of the one-party state, who praise the ability of an autocracy to get things done. Even if today’s policies are less harsh, Mr Yang shows, the possibility of unchecked brutality is ever present. Nowadays the Communist Party is not causing widespread famine. But the same kiss-up, kick-down hierarchy persists, where every official is slave to his immediate superior and a dictator to his subordinates. Targets of the one-child policy, for instance, must be met, regardless of the human toll and future danger. Conversely, the truth about big problems around the country, such as the environment or corruption or food safety, must be covered up.
How much longer can this last? The government’s monopoly on information once afforded it a monopoly on truth. But information now floods in, especially via the internet. Mr Yang’s book is part of a broader attempt at last in China to discuss the history of the 1950s and 1960s. Chinese newspapers have begun publishing articles about the Great Leap Forward. Chinese microblogs have discussed openly what happened, though none as frankly as Mr Yang. History is slowly becoming a topic of discussion and an issue on which ordinary Chinese do not have to follow official propaganda slavishly. During recent anti-Japanese riots, a surprising number of people went against decades of government propaganda to complain about the crudity and stupidity of the protests. If the party can no longer control the past, who knows if it can still control the future?
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