Hey!

[bjarvis]

I've been thinking of ordering some new shirts. Fortuitously, the JC Penny catalog arrived in the post this afternoon.

Women's wear is on pages 2-77. Men's wear is pages 78-85.

Do I detect a slight shopping imbalance?

Comments

[excessor.livejournal.com]

I suppose that depends on the section from which you plan to order. Remember, ruffles are no longer in fashion.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

No ruffles, check. Hmm... found something here for you. You'll never be able to say I didn't buy you something nice.

[jss]

Is it a Christian Siriano original?

did someone say "catalog[ue] shopping"?

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

ah, but twas ever thus in catalogue-land.

the sterling James Lileks (of The Gallery of Regrettable Food fame) recently dug up a Sears Catalog 1973 and is putting the more cringe-worthy pages up, one week at a time. It's good for a giggle.

a) yes, brian, I realise that you were only 7 at the time. You'll find clothes similar to those you prolly wore back then.

b) WARNING: both Polyester Double-Knit and Colours Not Observable In Nature will be found on these pages.

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

Project Runway needs to get crackin' on some designs for men. I'm just sayin'.

[jss]

I agree, and for more men than just Tiki Barber.

Re: did someone say "catalog[ue] shopping"?

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

I'm used to seeing an imbalance in the number of pages dedicated to women's vs men's wear in catalogs, but I'm more used to seeing 2:1 up to 4:1. This is the first time I had ever noticed a 10:1 ratio.

kent4str points out that International Male's ratio is more like 1:25 so I suppose I balances out. Or rather, it would if I was 20 years younger and had a body like an IM model.

Re: did someone say "catalog[ue] shopping"?

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

does anyone actually wear International Male stuff? other than the models (who are paid to do so) and Borat (who's playing the body-sling for laughts), that is?

You could also go to KoalaSwim, where there are even LESS likely to be female models. They're all biological men (this is abundandly clear), but they have no hair south of their earlobes, at all.

but it's amusing to look at, for the fantasy lingerie aspect, and to get an acute attack of the giggles. You won't see THIS stuff in JC Penney's catalogue.

of course, I've been photographed wearing nothing but gloves and pearls and panda-ears, so who am *I* to point fingers and laugh?