Style Annoyances

1. "Boyfriend [insert garment name]" boyfriend jeans, boyfriend jacket. wtf?? and wtf does it even mean? no hip or chest allowance? I dont know!

2. When "Pants" became "Pant"

"the executive pant"

i hate that, too.

lol pant

As far as I can tell, "boyfriend" means it won't fit, will at the very least be too big for you and at the most be cut specifically to accentuate that it wasn't made for the kind of person you are (ie not man-shaped). Honestly. Why don't you just wear his class ring wrapped in dental floss to make it fit while you're at it.

lol.

The Boyfriend Codnom

or just wear his fucking jeans

/shirt

i started that campaign early on with ryan. stealing certain comfy tshirts he didn't wear much, outdated things. i have quite a collection now.

"boyfriend" garments are made for and sold to the unboyfriendable, right? this much seems implicit.

http://bedzine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/au0252.jpg

that boyfriend pillow's shirt is awful. and shouldn't it be in pajamas anyway? realistically.

That is the most depressing thing I've ever seen.

My style annoyances are many.

But the most pressing right now is - cap sleeves, WTF? On women of A Certain Age, the upper arm is one of the least attractive sights in the universe. Is it too much to ask, to get clothes that cover it? Especially in the larger sizes which us fatties require. Why do they even *make* clothes over size 16 that don't have proper sleeves?

Because people over a size 16 get hot too? I dunno, I know that's not really the answer, and you're right that cap sleeves can be deadly to arms. But not everyone who takes a 16 in the body has heavy arms, for instance.

I have probably a hundred hundred style annoyances but TBH that's style for ya. If there weren't several million people in this city making what I think are poor style choices, we would all look just alike.

While I was ambilvelant about flip-flops before I now loathe them working around students. The slapping sound makes me want to bitch slap.

Also, I'm not fond of the ruffle-front shirts I'm seeing around. I did buy a cute blouse that's nipped in the waist with some flounce at the bottom. But that's as close as I get to ruffles.

the funniest thing about katie holmes' boyfriend jeans is that she clearly has a longer inseam than tom

That pillow upthread is a horrible thing.

Why do they even *make* clothes over size 16 that don't have proper sleeves?

wtf? some women who wear 18+ probably don't hate themselves and don't feel like they owe it to the world to hide their arms.

speaking of katie holmes, nicole kidman's lips look terrible.

Whether or not I hate myself is not the issue. I do not like showing my upper arms, and never have - even when I was slender. I simply wish for clothing which does not cut off and provide a strong horizontal band at the thickest part of my arm. Is it self loathing to want clothes which are flattering rather than uglifying?

my style annoyance is that k8 masonic boom has not been banned from this board yet

Oh c'mon, people wanted Ed to stay. And if you're going to ban anybody, I've got several other suggestions first.

laurel you cant ban me just because i wear flannel shirts

it can be frustrating for me shopping for t-shirts because i like a small fit, and it's hard to find something in between a baggy "men's" fit and a gay boy fit, which can cut the sleeve area a little short.

xp It would have worked if it weren't for you pesky kids.

white-framed sunglasses

tapered jeans on girls with fat thighs/big hips/treetrunk legs

hipster pants/jeans on girls with enormous muffins

dresses that look like multi coloured potato sacks

Sigh.

#1 and
#2 are favorites of mine. But that's why it's "style" and not "crime" or "punishable by exile and/or suggest-ban".

lol me too, Laurel. thick girls keep rockin slutty jeans, plz!

i don't think they look slutty - my problem is that i think they make the wearer look like they trying so hard to be trendy/hipster/whatever, i.e. "i don't care about anything except wearing whatever is the most up to the minute fashion", which i find unattractive. altho i don't actually believe that this is how laurel looks in them.

it's just a general impression i get when i'm out and about in hipsterville san francisco (and also used to see a lot in wellington, NZ)

lol horseshoe

ummm... my friend jess used to wear things that didn't fit her. i was happy for her if she was happy with it, which she seemed to be.

then she went to college and lost all the weight! which i guess was good for her wardrobe

- kitten heels
- flared jeans/trousers
- maxi dresses (esp. when halter-style)
- toe rings/ankle bracelets
- coach logo bags
- unwashed/uncombed hair (always shocked by how many women have oily, tangled bedhead in the a.m.)
- flip flops (esp. when bejeweled, tasseled, etc)

...to name but a few.

- unwashed/uncombed hair (always shocked by how many women have oily, tangled bedhead in the a.m.)

yes! although some women pull that off like the pert plus woman

and it looks like they came from swim practice or something

You can make that ANY logo bags, really. Never underestimate the annoyance power of a knock-off Dooney & Burke.

Anything Vera Bradley (those quilted paisley & calico schmattes all the city girls carry)

Leggings

i am genuinely mystified by this. doesn't it affect how you're perceived at work? to be clear, i am not talking about going a couple of days with unwashed hair pulled back into a ponytail. i'm talking about visible grease and weird stick-uppy bits and snarls and such on women who are clearly going to an office job.

xpost

oh, god - dooney & burke.

i'm guilty of the toe ring! it's just a plain band, and i haven't really taken it off in about 6 or 7 yrs, so i don't even notice it.

i'm pretty much anti any kind of screaming designer label.

2. When "Pants" became "Pant"

― Bright Future (sunny successor), Thursday, September 11, 2008 1:06 PM (5 days ago)

everything is singular in fashion, totally maddening. eyebrow, panty, sleeve, everything. platonic, even: "the lip is going to very full and cinematic"

i probably shouldn't be posting to this board

speaking of katie holmes, nicole kidman's lips look terrible.

She's getting close to drag queenish.

also guilty of leggings under dresses/above-the-knee skirts

my hair pretty much always looks messy and greasy no matter what i do. 10 minutes waiting for a train in the summer = sweat & hair grease. i'm not purposely trying for it.

also along the lines of "pant"..."the statement xxx"

obviously worst case scenario, the statement pant

coach logo bags

Coach so debased their branding when they started vaguely imitating Gucci, et al. So sad. I used to love their stuff, now they just look like a slightly cheaper version of overything else.

How can one hate kitten heels? It's not as if they're made from real kitten you know?

She'd probably prefer them if they were.

bell, i have to stress that what i mentioned is above and beyond normal.

xpost - actually, laurel, if you need a new pair i have a kitten i can lend you!

my annoyances: the way 99% of girls in their late teens/early twenties dress, ie american apparel fugliness

Laurel, kitten heels are fantastic! I agree with you on the rest though.

Also not digging toe rings (or belly things, ankle things). Sorry, J.

Oh Lauren, nevermind. What's your kitten issue then?

i can see how the "i'm 19 and therefore can carry off any shitty looking item of clothing because i'm 19" look would be annoying. but to me it's "annoying".

This isn't an everyday thing, but I'm annoyed that no one "does" their hair anymore. For special occasions, even, the ponytail has somehow become a "style", apparently, as I have seen women in formal gowns and glittery heels whose hair looked like they were going to the gym.

Hairpins are available at your local drugstore, you skumbeldy slatterns.

i used to wear all manner of stupid crap when i was 19 but at least it was with a modicum of originality and flair. the american apparel thing is idiotic looking, lazy and repeated endlessly.

PLASTIC HAIR CLIPS, those spring-loaded kind. I hate plastic hair accessories.

i've been discussing the kitten heel issue with laurel. i think my dislike of them stems to the early 2000s, when they suddenly became the default heel and appeared in all sorts of cheap, ugly permutations.

i know i'm being challopsy here but it's just got to stop.

you guys are so annoyed today

I don't really mind any of the things on Lauren's list except when they're worn to work. I would advise any daughter of mine that toe rings are potentially dangerous as are flip flops on city streets or other unpredictable places and I think anklets are far too girlish but, hey, people are gonna wear what they want.

bell so 100% OTM re american apparel fugliness

which is the american apparel "thing"

haha, sunny - you are so otm.

We had a long break, sunny, what with the new code and everything. Extra helpings of annoyance all around, today!

i was always envious of this girl i worked with, who had long long long strawberry blonde hair and used to do cool stuff with it - not necessarily formal styles, just cool and unusual styles. i have no creativity or dexterity in that area, and can't even french braid my own hair :(

plz explain the american apparel thing?

the american apparel thing is not wearing a single clothing item that is not made of primary colored cotton-spandex

I want to get my hair set at the salon every week.

AA stock has been doing well recently.

pics? xpost

aw, bell labs. it sounds like you need a vacation from New York.

basically this
http://www.shamelessmag.com/media/uploads/2007/09/american-apparel.jpg

Haha. . .

wow gold reflective leggings

i do, horseshoe! haha

oh that is a truly AWFUL look!

btw, my awful new job is at women's clothing store; it's all basic cotton stuff, but all v v boring. and the staff discount is only 31%!!! wtf!!

my annoyances: the way 99% of girls in their late teens/early twenties dress, ie american apparel fugliness

― bell_labs, Tuesday, September 16, 2008 2:44 PM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

it's true, i def prefer this on guys. but i love leggings.

i kind of love those yellow thigh high socks

better minus stripes though

man i think american apparel is to this board what indie rock is to ILM

xxpost

yeah, me too. i think leggings look nice both there and more generally but then nothing really annoys me.

everyone secretly loves it?
(xp)

general dislike for the young and unselfaware combined with the narcissism of small differences

im so glad i have ILM blocked

it's just boring. why would you want to dress like everyone else at that age? you don't have an office job yet, you can dress however you want!

general dislike for the young and unselfaware those with the bmi to make a ginormous orange muscle t and stirrup pants look at all hot combined with the narcissism of small differences

― gr8080 (max), Tuesday, September 16, 2008 2:10 PM (3 minutes ago)

nope, just boredom, and fugliness, as i said.

yeah. i should speak for myself i guess.

though i appreciate the assumptions about my bmi! classy

I love stretchy, pull-on knitwear, for wearing at home as pajamas. Other than that...it's not really clothing, and you're not really dressed when you wear it.

it's just boring. why would you want to dress like everyone else at that age? you don't have an office job yet, you can dress however you want!

― bell_labs, Tuesday, September 16, 2008 3:13 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

agreed. i mean mix some of it in, i think, but yeah. also gr80 is otm

uh i mean max

i make no assumptions about your bmi, i'm talking about 19 year olds.

ok, i did see a girl wearing those AA gold leggings out one night, with short blue shorts and some top, and i was pretty much in love. she had the right look tho.

you're saying i don't like when other people wear american apparel because i don't have the bmi to pull it off. which is a fucked up thing to say for a number of reasons, but also comepletely incorrect w/r/t why i am hating on it.

Okay, this is the annoyances thread. Several of us have already hated on things that others like, it's okay, it can go by the wayside. Now we're in argument limbo and we have totally broken the stream of consciousness that was going so nicely. Back on track, kiddos.

uh not really

AA clothes are ott & unflattering but their audience is people who look good in anything because they're young. the ugliness of the clothes is some kind of dare, i think.

xp

Trademark Tiffany jewelry, undoubtedly a graduation present from the parents

the lack of classy-looking (non heeled) oxford lace-up shoes for women that (1) do not have lug soles or (2) are not nurse/factory workin' shoes.

i just want some classy, lean (not point) black leather oxford shoes. i have had many pairs of these over the years and now i can't find any.

w/r/t AA, i don't really know that it's a body issue as much as a style issue. i think their audience is people who want to look like that, not people who just want to show off their boobs. it's just such a calculated, monotonous look.

the ugliness of the clothes is some kind of dare, i think.

Yes but this is OTM re the bulk of avant-garde fashion and even some mainstream designs, I'm convined: "I'm so attractive I can afford to MAKE myself ugly, whereas you who are mortal must work like dogs to be presentable at all."

ugly is very subjective.

it's just boring. why would you want to dress like everyone else at that age?

lol teenagers

i do think some people tend to dismiss things they find ugly as being shocking just for the sake of it. but what one person finds hideously attention-whoring, another person may just find pretty.

don't be so silly; people don't think for themselves. fun thread.

to the thread i would like to contribute fake accoutrements/embellishments such as pockets that aren't really pockets and pre-rolled shirt sleeves that don't really roll down.

good day to you.

Pale or white jeans. Polo Sport. Tommy Bahama. Juicy Couture. Fake tan. Booth tan. Football shirts. The plastic recycled mardi gras beads worn with American football shirts at pro games, by skeevy women. Polo shirts that are not some form of Lacoste. Dolce and Gabbana. With Lauren on the kitten heels for the same reasons.

OK for me: leggings under both of the dresses I got this week at Top Shop. The only problem I have with AA is: owned by a clystermeister.

juicy is a big ew.

My biggest problem wrt AA isn't the recycled 80's fashion, it's how much like bad porn their advertising looks. It just skeeves me out every time I see one of their ads on the back of the Onion.

i know but it's oddly fitting for the onion. it's like, really?

i think i've kind of warmed up to (normal, black) leggings (though not for myself) but i still prefer the cleaner line of tights. those ones with the lace on the bottom are hideous though, and the ones that go all the way down to the ankle just seem kind of pointless.

lol AA is definitely the indie rock of ILS because it doesnt come up without turning into an argument

btw linds its not that i dont get what youre saying, or necc disagree, its just that... havent 19 yr olds dressed same-y and ugly since forever and ever?

also i own hell of american apparel Ts

i don't know, when i was 19 i dressed stupidly (as i said) but it was more of an over-the-top trying too hard stupid, deciding i was going to dress up like a maoist schoolgirl, not just slopping around in spandex.

i'm sure it was annoying in it's own way

Okay I just think their clothes are really expensive for how lazy they are, both to wear and to style. Cotton jersey is not the only fruit of the loom, little Brooklynites! Also, stand up straight and comb your hair and come see me when you've had a sandwich.

max otm

dudes will blap am.app girls

i think you might be right max. i guess this is just the trend now.

bell, Maoist schoolgirl sounds kinky hott. Did you wander 'round with a little red book and re-educate boys or is that just my depraved mind at work?

"dudes" will blap anything. who cares. women's fashion is not for appearing blappable.

i didn't have a red book but i wore a red armband!

fwiw i find that AAs shirts fit better & last longer than regular hanes Ts

i actually really want a few things from AA.

"dudes" will blap anything. who cares. women's fashion is not for appearing blappable.

― bell_labs, Tuesday, September 16, 2008 9:25 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

no ONLY for appearing blappable. sometimes it's just a coincidence.

it drives me crazy when men don't understand WE'RE NOT. DOING IT. FOR YOU!

seems to me that part of the AA thing is decidedly not looking like you care too much, ie not wearing fussy, tailored "old people" clothing (not that i have a problem with tailored old people clothing).

they're like "yeah, i can roll out of bed, not comb my hair, wear sally jessy raphael glasses and slap on a unitard and still rock the boulevard while you have to pin and comb and tuck and TRY: ha ha oldsters, you lose."

ps i also like AA tshirts. they're soft and plain and come in good colors.

but i am of the belief that the "trying" is part what makes an outfit work, so i am clearly out of touch with youth of today. (ie, old)

Def, Amanda. But the funnier part is: do the yoof of today ALWAYS think that they're the first ones to not try? I guess so. These days I like pinning and tucking.

this conversation is kind of funny. reminds me of my grandmother when i was in HS, asking me why my pants could fit 2 of me.

dudes wtf are u on about, the ones who wear american apparel are trying the hardest

i feel like i live in a different universe from the rest of you

well it's the old trying to look like i'm not thing

PS -- no matter how long i spend trying to make it look like i didn't try, with respect to my hair? never works. i just don't have the head for it.

i want more information on Maoist schoolgirl outfit! <3

Yeah, max, but in NYC that's compared to wearing clothes that have to be ironed. Or dry-cleaned. Or tucked in. Or that even have fasteners as opposed to pulling over the head. Obviously people who sport the AA look are trying SOMEthing, but it's in opposition to y'know THE MAAAAN and probably high-fashion and uncomfortableness and waistbands and starch and polish.

i dunno. this conversation is making me feel like this:
http://www.lmn.tv/images/movies/stills/LMN_Move2192_long_lg.jpg

horseshoe: it was a grey mao collared shirt, grey skirt, grey kneesocks, black utilitarian boots, and a red armband. plus i had a black bob at the time.

please note that i have no idea what a maoist schoolgirl actually would have dressed like.

also i am actually wearing (fake) pearls today

ya see the chicks who wear AA that i know tend to be pretty fashion-aware and not particularly 'rebellious' but hey when the clothes are that popular youll get all kinds

lechera sotm

bell, did you ever work with somebody named 'Duke'?

Style annoyance #9834789456031458! People who can't walk in their shoes!

This mostly means women, and it mostly means heels. As flip-flop season comes to an end, the aural relief from the slap slap sloppy slap will become visual torture as we watch women young and old totter, waddle, and stalk like football players along the sidewalks of Manhattan.

hm, i don't think i've ever met a duke.

Laurel so OTM. I saw the most fetching creature the other day - nice figure, pretty face, well dressed - and it made me almost want to cry as I watched her trudging inelegantly down the street in her heels. I've seen more grace in a stevedore.

bell,

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTbx6nL9BIdnMAz1GjzbkF/SIG=12n30np0n/EXP=1221689639/**http%3A//images.ucomics.com/images/doonesbury/strip/thecast/duke2.jpg

Duke

ps -- that judith light pic is from a classic lifetime movie starring her and jack wagner with..get ready...a bob.

which brings up style annoyance #324: men with bobbed hair. UNSIGHTLY.

Even on Prince Valiant? ;)

haaa ok i get it.

I might be someone who doesn't know how to walk in heels.

I typed a whopping great post about not being able to find slim cut tees anywhere (Surmounter otm) and iPhone Safari fucking crashed on me.

aww Jack Wagner is on bold and the beautiful now. at the moment his character has knocked up his wife's aunt who, on the insistence of his wife and ex-wife (who is also his wife’s mom,), he had taken on a day trip to Catalina as a last hurrah since her body was rejecting the heart transplant she had after she accidentally shot herself in a struggle to get a gun away from her brother who she had found innocently showing it to the woman he was stalking when trying to explain how he hadn’t really meant to shoot his niece’s grandmother and set up his dad to take the fall but, you know, daddy didn’t pay him enough attention to him as a kid so after she got shot in the heart he ended up shooting himself in the ER next to a note to sis on a nightstand saying USE ONE HEART -->. Mostly Jack Wagner’s character sits around on this old creaky boat drinking scotch, smoking cigars and thinking about all of the related women he can knock up.

I think you guys have it backwards with 19 y/os. Wouldnt the AA wearers be the ones trying to fit in? Wouldnt the rebellious ones be wearing anything but?

OK, you've made your point, big man Elmo Argonaut. The cootie girl has no right to talk about clothes. Go ahead and ban the old woman because she doesn't fit in with your idea of stylishness. Old women should be seen and not heard - no wait, they shouldn't even be seen.

What do you think you've accomplished, by making me feel small? I hope it's made you feel better to make me feel worse.

Trademark Tiffany jewelry, undoubtedly a graduation present from the parents

― Laurel, Tuesday, 16 September 2008 20:30 (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Anything with a trademark on, fullstop, although jewelry is particularly egregious. I am always put off from buying anything that incorporates a logo or branding. and some people always have to do it somewhere. Vivian Westwood has lost out on selling me several jumpers because of their stupid insistence on embroidering a logo on the chest.

Logos inevitably make me think that the item is a knockoff.

Please direct me to heel-walking instructions. I think I should strive for more hotness this fall.

i really love logos plastered all over shit, one of my favorite 00s looks

lol im just being contrarian at this point

There's no way anyone would be that way on ILx

I am always put off from buying anything that incorporates a logo or branding. and some people always have to do it somewhere.

actually this is why i buy stuff at AA sometimes, because at least they sell blank clothes with no designs or logos or anything. i even bought some lol indie t-shirt online and it ended having some lame-ass graffiti-style logo on the back, which they didn't show on the website.

i should not be posting on i love style btw

If you think that, you are probably quite stylish.

i thought of this last night on the train --

one reason i don't like the whole AA aesthetic in general (though i like their plain tshirts) is the similarity to 80s mall favorites UNITS. remember that place? you could go in there and get like a jersey top and skirt and a little bandeau thing that you could use as...a belt! a headband! a neck thing! it was hideous. it was all stretch and elastic and totally unflattering.

Ed, I agree about visible logos, but in fact the "trademark" Tiffany jewelry is just designs that are so well known to come from Tiffany's that what looks like a silver bracelet of some design is actually a calling card. Cf the entire Elsa Peretti collection, and those mesh-like silver bracelets.

La Lechera, OTM.

I remember UNITS well although I was in fifth/sixth-grade when I shopped there so hope I can be forgiven.

Just in case anyone cares, the things I find helpful for walking in heels go something like this:

* Plant your feet in a straight line, crossing over the other slightly when you take a step. This will make your hips do things, that's okay: you just have to go with it.
* Think about taking slower steps, but longer ones...let the leg swing through the whole arc with the extra length of the heel -- your legs are effectively longer than you're used to, so slow down the individual steps.
* Stand up straight, pick up your ribcage and ELEVATE. It'll put your center of gravity in a better place over your feet.

aww Jack Wagner is on bold and the beautiful now.

!!

does he have anything to do with either of the illustrious fashion houses on the show?

WELL...His hatred for Stephanie led him to take over Forrester Creations with Clark and his mom Jackie as the designers and Donna (Brooke's sis now married to Eric) as their lead model. The Forresters started a new fashion house called Forrester Originals. Finally, Nick was sick of running a fashion house purely out of spite so he bought Spectra for his mom (from Sally who is sunjing herself somewhere in the mediterranean and sold Forrester creations back to Eric with the proviso that he must divorce Stephanie, which he did. Now Nick (Jack Wagner) is a stay at home dad to his son Jack who shares DNA with Brooke but was given birth to by Taylor (long story).

well. i certainly have missed a lot.

the producers promised they were going to go hardcore drama for their 25th year and they werent lying.

dudes wearing shirts with button-down collars and leaving the collars unbuttoned... I'm sure thiscan be done in a stylish way but usually it looks lazy/clueless

Dudes wearing shirts fresh from the packet that they have not ironed first so they have three creases across their chest.

you've got to wash them first, no? my brother claims most garments are sprayed with some bug spray to protect them on their way from china or wherever and that shit is carcinogenic. maybe being plastic wrapped = no need for spray.

I heard formaldhyde. I usually wash but have occasionally been nasty and worn clothes straight from the rack.

Hmmmm I know with books, the books are in cardboard cartons, and then on pallets wrapped in plastic wrap, and they're stacked inside shipping containers. Before the container doors are shut, some kind of smoky insecticide is tossed in there and allowed to dissipate with the container locked up. I don't think you could say that much (any?) of it gets on the books, though. Garment packaging must be at least as thorough.

Hmm these people seem very concerned about methyl bromide, even if the clothes are sealed in plastic bags, cardboard cartons, and shrink-wrapped.

They also recommend washing before wearing...I wonder what they think of the chemicals used in dry-cleaning....

yeah i think thats what he was talking about. ive always washed new clothes before wearing just because I figure 10 other people have tried it on before I bought it. Also, during my short stint working on the floor in Sears, someone taking a dump in the changing rooms wasnt a rare thing.

Not a bad idea as apparently methyl bromide is toxic to humans. And uh ew? about dressing rooms.

But if I can be a tiny bit cynical: that website suggests that some people are more "chemically sensitive" than others and MAY be affected by a piece of clothing IF it was stored on the bottom of a pallet (since MeBr is heavy and sinks) and IF the plastic wrap didn't protect it well enough. And they close with "People must demand that their governments stop allowing these ecologically disastrous practices. It really is the responsibility of everyone. Never stop demanding a healthy world." which makes me wonder: would they prefer Asian insect pests that we don't have yet on this continent? Oh no wait, they want you to buy their clothes that are entirely domestically grown, harvested, and manufactured. And ugly. And expensive.

i think we should just wash them

id also like to point out it was no part of my job, nor has it been part of any job i have held, to be on poop patrol or control.

Style annoyance: ankle boots with peep-toes. What the hell?

ugh, the hair thing i was bitching about upthread? i saw the worst (best?) example of it at brunch yesterday. an otherwise really done-up girl came in with total cavewoman hair. like, there was a giant tangle sticking off the top of her head; pieces in the back were sticking together; etc. wtf! you care enough about your appearance to keep your french manicure immaculate and like to show off your large coach tote bag, but you can't be bothered to run a comb over your head?? come on - even your boyfriend cares enough to mousse up his fauxhawk!

I wonder if Fancypants Manicure has her hair DONE, blown-out, etc and can't be arsed to touch it herself? That's obv not true of Everywoman on the train, though, so it can't be the full answer.

You know what? Peep toe boots, as a hypothetical, are fine with me. Fine-grain leather stilettos are obv not made to keep you warm or enable walking, so it's ridic to claim "THEY DON'T EVEN KEEP YOUR FEET DRY" because fashion boots were never meant to keep your feet anything but pointy.

But since PTBs have apparently been adopted by the far-flung-est tacky tack-meisters, most of them look awful. I'm sure it's possible to make versions that don't.

I just think they look bizarre and rather silly. Even the high-fashion type in InStyle.

I hate handbags. They are one of my 'style annoyances'. They're ugly. They're unnecessarily large. And the ones with tiny straps or handles are just impractical.

Even more, I hate being on a crammed tube journey and then seeing women carrying a massive handbag AND a purse. Why can't it just be one or the other? Why can't one just go IN the other? Esp aggravating cos so many of the handbags look deflated and empty. What exactly are they used for if a purse is being carried separately? How many extra people could be crammed on a rushhour tube if all the superfluous handbaggage were removed?

Mind you I think it's just that I don't 'get' handbags. Maybe if I understood, I, too, would be inclined to carry an unweildy, awkward large handbag in addition to a purse. Errr, messenger bag? I don't own a purse. Or a handbag, obv.

Other style annoyances: tops that are too long to be t-shirts but too short to be dresses and <A href="http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=hipster+headbands&btnG=Search+Images&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&sa=2";>hipster headbands</a>.

durr, way to use bbcode, dumdum
you get the idea anyway

What do you recommend instead of handbags that wouldn't be unnecessarily large? I find I need mine to hold at least one hardcover book and some Tupperware with my lunch in it and possibly the minimum items for an overnight stay (toothbrush, contacts, clean shirt, etc).

why, that sounds like a job for a nantucket basket!!!

lol j/k

dunno, stick with it if it works for you. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from them if they like them, it's just I personally don't. and at least you're getting use out of all that space in them, unlike so many of them I see on transit that are just limp sacks. I actually get little tingles of happiness if I see someone pulling a massive book from their handbag.

well, not really tingles, but y'know. I feel like maybe being an ass about handbags isn't justified, in those cases.

Wait - I don't understand the distinction you're making between handbags and purses - aren't they the same thing? Unless you're British and mean purse as in small wallet type thing?

actually, good point. I've always considered purses to be smaller, basically just something with enough space for various cards, keys, mobile, and makeup.

handbags, well, for the sake of what I've said on this thread I guess I mean things like this and this and this

so yeah I guess purses/handbags can be pretty interchangeable, I just got carried away with being annoyed and didn't clarify. it still doesn't make sense why anyone would need to carry two purses/handbags, though. I mean I get that people are going to carry handbags and purses and I don't see how else they'd get their stuff around either... mostly I just don't understand why anyone would need to carry two of them.

i would put handbag and purse together, but tote in a different category. purse + tote, ok. handbag + tote, ok. but purse + handbag seems odd. i think stuff like wallets, lipstick, etc. goes in purse while books/shoes/lunch/water bottle/etc. go in a tote.

^ Yes.

on a related note, i understand the frustration of people w/ too many bags on the train. i am in search of a purse that looks nice but can function as a tote because it is quite a hassle to carry around 2 bags all day. i have not found anything too my liking, though, and it is annoying.