Post | 10/13/2008 1:00 am

Liz Smith Presents Fashion's Simon Doonan in an Anti-Hockey-Mom Mood

Liz Smith
Pretty soon, dear wOws, we won’t have Sarah Palin to kick around any longer and then – what will we do? Well, maybe we will have the governor who will then be the veep. In that case I don’t want to miss a few fond words about this phenomenon who has so enlivened, enraged and enchanted the 2008 election, either before she goes home to Alaska or moves into the White House.

And now not my words, but the words of a fashion arbiter who has become a celebrity himself. I do mean Simon Doonan, the fashion maven of Barney’s on Madison Avenue in New York City. 

Recently our Etceterist told us all about how a well-known Washington socialite has been advising Sarah Palin on how to dress. Well, that was fascinating but now comes the man who helped make Barney’s famous – Simon, and following is a bit of what he wrote in last week’s New York Observer:

“Sarah Palin and I are opposites. We have nothing in common. Simply put: I believe in the power of style; she is a veritable anti-fashion crusader.

“While La Palin herself is a snappy, pulled-together kind of a chick – expertly applied maquillage, sculpted tight black silk shantung suit – her utterances vehemently discourage and disallow any stylish expression among the rest of us. It’s that typical beauty queen mentality: I’m the glam ruler and y’all are my earnest-but-dowdy serfs. According to the Republican candidate, we, her subjects, are a homogenous nation of ‘hockey moms and Joe Six-Packs.’  This relentlessly panache-free vision of the United States is gruesomely uninspiring, to say the least.

“In Sarah Palin’s America, there are no Diana Vreelands, hip-hop queens, Janis Joplins, Zelda Fitzgeralds, Gwen Stefanis, Edie Sedgwicks, Annie Oakleys or Babe Paleys. There is a chilling absence of stylish daring. In its place are hockey moms, masses and masses of hockey moms — all attired, one imagines, in those denim dresses, worn over turtlenecks, Uggs in winter, Crocs in summer. Holiday-themed sweaters


“My America, I am happy to report, is bursting with swaggering boulevardiers and fashion-lovin’ divas. My ‘Main Street’ is filled with showoffs who live to gird up their loins with a stylish garter or two.

“ … So, gosh darn it, style mavens of America, show Sarah Palin what you’re made of! Go shop! Go feed the economy! Go gussy up! And, for God’s sake, take a hockey mom with you.”

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The Wine Warrior

As far as I am concerned, Sarah Palin is a dirtbag. Can’t stand her. Hope she is sued by the former brother-in-law, thrown out of office, indicted or all three. She is dreadful, the pits, genuine piece of squirrel/religious-wacko MERDE. Sarah Palin: Get Lost you lying, moose slaughtering, racist, hick-fest, total dummy creepazoid.

Let me know if I’ve minced words…I try my best to amp them up.

By The Wine Warrior on 10/13/2008 2:10 am
Christina

The Wine Warrior ..
Whoa.. She really makes you blood-boiling mad, that Palin-person, doesn’t she? Can’t say I blame you, I -living in Sweden - am afraid of her too.
I’ve been looking for an appropriate thread to post something - I guess this is as good a place as anywhere.

Here’s something I got in my mail box the day before yesterday, I’m gladly sharing it with all you smart people here!!!
Enjoy (or don’t)!!

I’m a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight…..(hope I’m not offending anyone)

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re “exotic, different.”
* Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you’re a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you’re well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you don’t have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
* If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you’re very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.
* If you’re husband is nicknamed “First Dude”, with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

By Christina on 10/13/2008 5:16 am
georgia fatwood

Good job, Christina! Thank you! I appreciate that you take time to peer into our little fishbowl and help clear things up….please let us hear more from you about your view of all this…thank you…

By georgia fatwood on 10/13/2008 9:17 am
Jane Cougar Melonhat

Georgia, tracked you down to say good-bye. Gave this place another chance but … nope, doesn´t do anything for me anymore. It was great meeting you and there will always be this special place in my heart that belongs to you - after all you´re my godmother. Stay the way you are and take care. Jane

By Jane Cougar Melonhat on 10/13/2008 9:23 am
Brooklyn Gal

Jane,
Just curious,
It is the comments from people here?
Is it the editorial selections of the threads posted?
A combination of both?
And who gets to inherit your wonderful avatar :) ?

Really, we could use more sane reactions here.

By Brooklyn Gal on 10/13/2008 9:38 am
georgia fatwood

Oh, Ms. Melonhat, say it isn’t so!
I checked back on your posts and just want to tell you that you’ll always have your green card here in our hearts…
We need all the foreign correspondents we can get…especially when so many of us don’t seem to be able to see the forest for the trees…
Please keep your credentials and your cat hat here and drop in from time to time….You’ve certainly captured our imagination and it might be helpful to all of us to know what you have found lacking here…I would guess that you find the hateful comments dispiriting….
What will I tell my granddaughters? They always want to “see” you…Love, gf

By georgia fatwood on 10/13/2008 9:47 am
Eener Atrebor

Well, this is genuinely sad. I haven’t been here for too long, but what I’ve read from you, I’ve liked and been entertained. The world needs more civility! I, for one, shall miss you…

By Eener Atrebor on 10/14/2008 1:44 am
Christina

georgia fatwood
Glad to be of assistance!
I really can’t take any credit for the text - only for posting it here!
I do believe though, it makes you think about things a great deal more.
God help us all if - I tremble with fright - McShame/Palin gets elected..

By Christina on 10/13/2008 10:19 am
Donna Taylor

Christina-

Great post!! If only these simple words & comparisons could be seen on many more sites & papers, maybe people could understand this election and campaigns much better. In so many of our daily lives, things are broken down in these terms, so why not comparisons of candidates!!

By Donna Taylor on 10/13/2008 10:45 am
Jeannot Kensinger

Christina , this is just absolutely the best post.
I am counting the days till election.
I am too old to have so much stress.
If these two make it to the W.H. then we can just as well give up on America.

On a personal note.My grandson is now in Sweden, he has Asperger Autism and I have to tell you
that he has improved 100 percent while being educated there.
Here he fell between the cracks.

By Jeannot Kensinger on 10/13/2008 10:58 am
Christina

Jeannot Kensinger
I’m so hapy for you, that your grandson is doing better - and we’re helping!
I hope he does “improve” (for lack of a better word) even more. I’ll be sending good thought to him, wherever he is in this country.

By Christina on 10/13/2008 11:39 am
Barbara Taylor

Eliminate the negative - It’s still clear to me, our country is made up of kinds of people. Oh that’s right, “The Melting Pot”, that’s America, struggling to get along with people different from us.

By Barbara Taylor on 10/13/2008 11:02 am
Dona Howlett

Christina,
Thank you for sharing. I’m going to copy and paste and send out to all on my address list.

By Dona Howlett on 10/13/2008 3:09 pm
Christina

Dona
I haven’t been able to reply until today, due to work..

I’m glad you copied and pasted and sent to all on your address list.
I hope as many as possible will do the same.
Thank you!

By Christina on 10/16/2008 2:19 pm
The Wine Warrior

Excellent Christina!!

By The Wine Warrior on 10/13/2008 11:08 pm
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