More than a decade ago, in the midst of the casual dress-code arrival, Newsweek magazine posed the question: “Are we becoming a nation of slobs?” Today, flip-flops show up at weddings and at the White House, track suits go to gallery openings and short shorts are common on commercial flights.
It appears the magazine saw the down-and-out look coming. Has it gone too far? Robert Verdi, host of E! Entertainment cable network’s “Fashion Police,” thinks so. “People are just too casual,” he said.
Verdi had some observations on fashion direction. Dresses are most important this spring. You should have one, along with something in a floral pattern, he said.
Metallics are still hot in accessories, including watches. It’s kind of a Madonna, Cindy Lauper retro, he said.
And on celebrity: “Everything in our society is about becoming famous. Everybody wants to be a star.” It is what reality television is all about, he said. In the old days, he said, people knew who you were because of what you wore. Today your clothing tells people who you want to be.
– Knight Ridder Newspapers
