Inconspicuous Consumption

What can be said when we need a magazine with the name REAL SIMPLE to help us to have at least the illusion that we can manage just fine with a lot less? Real Simple was started in 2001, in a period when people seemed engulfed in buying more and more stuff. About a decade before that, there had been a mini-backlash against conspicuous consumption, but there was no heart in it. Now the push to Less is More not only has heart, it has teeth.

And there the magazine is now, staring at you, simply; mocking you as you wait on the checkout line, because if you need a magazine to tell you how to live simply, you’re too far gone.

It is not just a Gift to be Simple. It is now a necessity.

When is a Glamour Don't... a Don't?

Glamour Magazine's Dos & Don'ts feature has been a popular part of the magazine for many years and has amused or helped (or both) readers to pinpoint fashion mistakes that could easily be avoided. Photos of people wearing outfits that are either hit or miss --either by an inch or a mile-- make it easy to see where any of us can go wrong when trying to get dressed.

So after looking at their feature as presented on the MSN home page, we were a little puzzled. The latest online offering, as seen on MSN, seemed to be missing something and looked a little, incomplete http://www.glamour.com/fashionbeauty/slideshows/2008/07/dos_donts_denim . It most likely was an oversight but someone should have been paying closer attention.

There is a "Do" visible on Glamour's home page that is not present on the MSN page. This final shot is crucial to presenting a balanced piece. It may seem like a quibble but it does make a difference as far as sensitivity goes. If you visit Glamour Magazine's page of the Do's & Don'ts feature, you will see a final "DO" shot that balances the total picture, shot #13. http://www.glamour.com/fashionbeauty/slideshows/2008/07/dos_donts_denim?slide=13