“I Mean…What?!?” – Abe Gurko

Who doesn’t look forward to the Paris shows? Oh…I see. Well then, let’s focus on the people like me who are very interested in what the great French houses are doing for the season. As the Paris shows wind down World Fashion Week (my new favorite term), I look forward to that large mug of coffee while perusing Women’s Wear Daily, style.com and Cathy Horyn’s review in The New York Times. I love that WWD glides over hot messes and style.com’s willingness to sift out the nugget of gold from the muck…except in the case of Maison Martin Margiela…yikes. But… Read More »

Wonders will never cease and change is not likely at The New York Times Sunday Styles. On several occasions I have been astonished at the out of touchness, the irrelevance, and some of the people they take to A Night Out With. It’s shoc…king! Yesterday we have three ditties that I found dubious at best. First off, there was a piece on the new Harvard Yard men’s collection. Excuse me, I reported on that over three weeks ago. Now granted, the Times Style is not a fashion rag and need not be as topical as would a fashion trade publication.… Read More »

Don’t ask me why I am doing this entry about vintage advertising. Really? You want to know? Here’s the train of thought. I received an email about a new underwear company that ties in each purchase of underwear to a charitable organization. I know, doesn’t socially conscious underwear sound tragic? It does to me. Sure, I like helping whenever I can, but my underwear is not going to support anything but what it is designed for, if you get my drift. So, I started googling around underwear world and came upon a few vintage ads for underwear. Since we now… Read More »

Many of you must know by now that I have coined the phrase “fotz”. There ‘s many applications to this term. But, what, do you ask, is FOTZ? Etymology: What started out as a sarcastic reference to something that is or someone that “thinks” they are fascinating. So, it went from fascinating to fotzinating to fotzy balloons to fotzy to the currently, most used…fotz. Here are a few good examples. Bing is fotz. What Madonna wore to the Costume Institute Gala was fotz. George Bush was fotz…still probably is. Most Republicans are fotz. Susan Boyle’s first makeover was fotz. People… Read More »

Of all the people on Earth, The New York Times Style section felt the need to ask an uninteresting person to share their Woodstock (or lack thereof) experience on this, the 40th anniversary of the pivotal, generation-changing event. Elsewhere in The Times, Gail Collins did a fantastic Op-Ed piece on Woodstock. Then again, I’d read her grocery to-do list. But, The Sunday Style section would not live up to the oxymoron title I have bestowed upon it without at least one article worthy of a mention in I Mean…What?!? Today we have a writer, a proud Baby Boomer (zzz), who… Read More »

Guy Trebay wrote an interesting article in The New York Times Style (?) section yesterday. The essence of the story is that men with bellies are on trend, sporting “the Ralph Kramden”. Though it’s called It’s Hip To Be Round, I think the better title is Belly Up. He explores several reasons why this might be the case, and as much as I enjoyed the article because the topic is top of mind (I have been belly conscious my entire life), what he doesn’t address are the critical health issues related to having a belly. As a fat kid, I… Read More »

Ahhh, The Sunday New York Times Style section. My secured ticket to an I Mean…What?!? And it rarely disappoints these days. No matter how lame some of the articles in The Times Style (remember, this an oxymoron) can be, I will never stop reading it because the Sunday Times is everyone who’s anyone’s ritual. And now with these commentaries, it’s my new, improved ritual.… Read More »

Anyone who knows me from childhood will tell you that I developed my own language, mostly words and expressions to describe things, people or activities that I found somewhat nonsensical. Now, I just say I Mean…Whaaaaat?!?! a lot, which captures the essence. One word is “okeedeer”. This is really just “OK, there”, but with a sardonic twist. Here’s a for instance. Say, The New York Times Style features a fashion spread of men’s clothing, shown on a heavily tattooed model, who looks like a wanna-be beatnik. We know he is a wanna-be, because he is in fact a model, rather… Read More »

There’s nothing better than starting the day with a fresh pot of coffee, my 24-inch MAC (daddy) and all the news of the world. By the end of the first cup, I have read through the top stories of The New York Times, Huffington Post, and the New York Post (loves me my Page Six). Then I segue with my second cup through the Daily Beast, The Guardian, Style.com and a slew of blogs to get me ready for cup three, ’cause by then I have determined what item(s) annoyed me most and then start writing. Today, like every other… Read More »

One would have to be living under a rock not to know that I have taken issue with The New York Times Style section as of late. I have accused it of being not style conscious enough, behind the trend curve in its reporting, not fierce, old news, and under fabulous. And today is not any different. There are two stories that bugged me to no end starting with the lead article about “marijuana”.… Read More »