pretty in everything but pink

No white before labor day. No colors at a funeral. No black and brown. Never wear too much of one color...

...Except, now you can wear a winter white. And sometimes a little bit of color at funerals is appropriate. And just the right shades of brown and black work magically together. And monochromatic is in, so different hues of one color can be stunning...

These ever-changing rules can be incredibly daunting for many women. Which is why, over the years, so many political ladies have clung to Wife Wear. Wife Wear was the idea that women who stood next to their husbands to show public support should always wear pink.

How the idea took off, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe women were supposed to look soft next to their husbands in order to make them appear even more powerful. Or maybe someone decided women looked better in pink and began to use it as a campaign strategy.

OR maybe some women-important women-we'll call them Mitsy, Tipper, Cricket, and Birdy, were sitting around one afternoon playing poker. They'd just finished off their second bottle of wine and the money- and secrets- were just beginning to flow. However, in three hours they had to be ready for a benefit (think: black tie, political, face-time).

Mitsy looked at her watch and, with a sigh, threw down her cards and said she had to go home to start getting ready for the gala. And Cricket, who rolled her eyes and sighed right back, asked her why, in the world, did she need three hours to get ready? And Mitsy, unaware of Cricket's frustration, said she could get ready in an hour and a half, but she needed at least three hours- just in case- because she always had such a hard time picking out an appropriate outfit.

That's when Birdy got an idea: What if, instead of fussing over what color was most appropriate for the benefit, and what their husbands should wear to ensure they didn't clash, and what they would each wear to make certain they complemented one another, they all decided to wear pink. As long as their husbands didn't wear red they wouldn't clash, and the four of them would look like a cohesive group of best (and influential) friends.

And that's how Wife Wear became a simple solution for women.

However, Michelle Obama is not going to stick to the code created by the women before her. She recently gallivanted around Europe in bright colors, creating quite a buzz. Apparently, Euros were shocked to see the First Lady stepping out of her pink uniform.

But, that's just the image she wants to create: it might be a little shocking, but she's doing it her own way. Maybe from her style a new set of rules will be created, or maybe all the rules will be abolished.

Her rebellious attitude might make things harder for poor old Mitsy, but for those who aren't so politically minded, it will make it a little less frustrating when the government interrupts regular programming. President Obama might be doing the talking, but Michelle will be keeping it interesting. What color will she wear next?

Generation-Y Not?

"So much time, and so little to do! Strike that, reverse it." Willy Wonka

While I've come to this conclusion many times, it's never been more evident than now.

It is almost impossible for me to sit still.

I began to learn this early on, when I couldn't just sit and watch a movie. Or, when I would be in class and I had to be working on something else, making a to-do list, or making my friends signs (you know, middle school) while the teacher was speaking. My hands had to be busy.

But, after last night, it became evident that this afflicted not only me, but my friends as well.

While we were watching "Made of Honor" I looked around and noticed:

Allyson was doing homework
Megan was watching "Gossip Girl" on her headphones (while still watching the movie, mind you)
Jordan and Jamie were online shopping
And Mandy was looking for an apartment for next year, while also looking for a puppy, while simultaneously looking for an apartment that allowed puppies...

...and of course, we were all texting the entire time as well.

Apparently, none of us can simply watch a movie. We have to be doing something else.

And it's not just us, it's all of Generation Y. We're addicted to being busy, a desire we generally fulfill through electronics.

Right now, 15- to 24-year-olds use, on average 5.5 electronics at all times (think: checking email, TV on, talking on the phone while texting, music on...), whereas those older than 40 generally max out at 1.7 electronics.We have grown up with so many outlets through which we can busy ourselves, that we've now mastered the ability to use them all at once. Why would I simply sit in class when I could, instead, text my friends, check my email, work on another assignment, apply for a job and still listen to the professor?

There are so many obligations in a single day, while still being expected to keep a steady social life, get eight hours of sleep, exercise, make healthy meals and maintain good hygiene...I can't waste time doing nothing in class (especially if we've all mastered the ability to successfully multitask and retain the wealth of knowledge that professors bestow upon us).

Woe is us, right?

Well, maybe not.

While there may be an excessive amount of pressure on our generation to accomplish a large number of tasks in a single day, it is apparent we have the resources to do so. Sure, a lot is expected of us, but at the same time, we have the ability to do almost anything on our phones, which fit in our pockets.

So, maybe a lot is expected of Generation-Y'ers, but a lot has been given to us too. All of our senses are maxed out the majority of the day, which can be exhausting, but that just allows us to fall asleep a little faster at night. And that, my friend, allows us to get those eight hours of sleep.

(short) skirting the issue

I keep waiting for them to fall...

Actually, I really keep hoping they don't fall.

Because I, personally, love the short skirt. And even if the flappers lost their short hemlines, I'm not trying to hide my knees.

Though, I don't mean to hate on the longer skirts, I do love the maxi dress and the knee length skirts, however, I like to have the choice (freedom of speech, religion and fashion, ya know?).

However, it seems that this time George Taylor's theory that the hemline drops when the economy drops may not be true.

This season, Alexander McQueen and Phillip Lim mastered the shorter frocks on the runway. And even Diane Von Fursternburg's maxi dresses were sheer (not so conservative).

Maybe fashion doesn't follow economic trends, but instead predicts them (think Ouija board). They say that hemlines drop when the economy drops, but maybe the economy drops when hemlines drop. So really, short spring skirts means the economy must be rising.

Maybe we're all so aware of the theory that we see the shorter skirts, assume the economy must have risen (blissfully unaware) and we go out and purchase them. Thus, stimulating the economy and in fact, the economy rises at the same time the short skirts hit the streets.

Well, maybe that's a stretch (a long skirted stretch) but, between the Dow Jones' jump of 500 points yesterday and the 72 degree weather today, the short skirts were out in full force.

I'd like to think it's also a sign of a soon-to-be-booming economy that Michael Jackson is planning to auction nearly 2,000 pieces of his estate, for which he expects to earn $10 million to $20 million. I mean, short skirts and a single silver sequined glove?

It seems like things must be getting better.

Or maybe, Michael Jackson's just a little lost in Neverland.