ebay fined £30m for selling fakes

The Thoughtful Dresser, ie me, is opposed to fakes. I know that some fakes are made in the same factories by the same people who make 'genuine' Marc Jacobs, and that there can be a fine line between fake and authentic when a designer like Prada claims that a bag is made in Italy, when everything but the attachment of the handle is done in China.

Nonetheless, if you buy a fake you are doing so in the knowledge that it is likely to have been made by child labour and the the revenues used to fund drugs and terrorism. Be it on your own head, as my mother used to say.

I would be quite happy to buy a second-hand Chanel or Hermes bag on ebay, and the only thing that's stopping me is that I can't be certain it's not a fake. Now ebay has been ordered by a French court to pay 38.6 million Euros to LMVH, which owns Vuitton as well as much else:

In a statement, eBay said big luxury goods labels had a hidden agenda and were using fakes as a "stalking horse". "It is clear that eBay has become a focal point for certain brand owners' desire to exact ever greater control over e-commerce. We view these decisions as a step backwards for the consumers and businesses whom we empower every day."

The group, which saw around $60bn worth of goods sold across its platforms last year, says that as a host for independent vendors, it has a limited responsibility and capacity to regulate what is sold. But luxury goods groups have accused eBay, which earns a commission on sales, of facilitating forgeries and fakes by providing a marketplace for vendors who knowingly sell counterfeit items.

The site is also facing other lawsuits worldwide: the New York jeweller Tiffany & Co has sued the site for turning a blind eye to sales of counterfeits, describing it as a "rat's nest" of fake goods. It also faces action from L'Oreal in the UK and five other European countries.

It's certianly true, as Dana Thomas demonstrated in her excellent book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lustre, that luxury goods manufactuers do indeed want to control distribution of goods. Did you know you can't buy a Chanel bag online anywhere, not even at Neiman Marcus' website? But it's also true that you have to be very savvy indeed to work out who is and who is not selling fakes on ebay. My own tip is always to buy from people who selling from their own wardrobe, and never from anyone who is selling multiples of the same thing.

Weddings...what not to do!!!!

So Saturday was my husband's cousin's wedding. This is the high brow affair that I received 4, no I am sorry, make that 5 invitations to for events to include the wedding, this is the same event that required all of the guests to dress in black tie.

I am not sure what your weather was like in the part of the country you are from but I can tell you in NJ it was hot, steamy hot I might add. So when we boarded the chartered bus to take us to the ceremony and then on to the reception I was unaware as were most, if not all the guests that this would be the last time I had the pleasure of air condition for the rest of the night. Yes you read right no air conditioning in the middle of the summer in NJ at a black tie wedding. Can you say inconsiderate?????

So there we were in the first 2 rows reserved for family sweating our buts off wilting with each passing reading, song and sermon. At one point I wasn't sure if the maid of honor would make it through since between the heat and her SCREAMING 2 year old she was clearly not herself.

Now I ask you, if you are planning to have your ceremony in a church where there is no air wouldn't you at least have fans??? Something to help circulate the air while 200 people sit for an hour????

Once outside of the church the 90 degree weather felt like a breath of fresh air. We were teased yet again when we boarded the bus to the Country Club. We exited the bus signed the guest book picked up our table assignments only to then be confronted with a huge tent OUTSIDE where the reception with a 4 course meal was being held. Men were removing their jackets at an alarming rate. We were truly all melting.

As the reception got underway the couple did not circulate to meet and greet those that had come to share their day; no they were with their friends and for a good part of the time they weren't even together, I noticed at one point my husbands cousin (the groom) was standing alone awkwardly for nearly 15 minutes no one came to save him ...did I mention there were 9 attendants on each side.... nor was he seeking out others to mingle with. I must say it was a very odd wedding.

We did enjoy good food and good drinks with family so all was not lost, I guess. The following morning there was a brunch being held at the parents house, and you guessed it.... it was held outside. I must say I have had more then my fill of the NJ great outdoors while dressed in dressy clothes.

Below are some photos fro the event, I have a ton but I think if you have seen one picture of me and my family sweating you have seen them all. So what was the worst wedding you ever went to and why???

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Scarves yet again

I have a mini-obsession with scarves at the moment. Last week I bought a Gucci scarf on ebay for £37. It arrived in a condition as close to new as I could make out, having been bought in Gucci's Bond Street shop, by a woman in Bayswater selling designer accessories and buying designer baby clothes (wonder what the story is there?) I've seen a sample of Jaeger black winter coat which I'm pretty much decided on buying. Around the neck of which one of my growing collection of scarves will be worn to keep black away from the face.

The designer scarf is an interesting phenomenon. I am not crazy about vintage Hermes designs, with their bridles and horseshoes, but other designers have some brighter ideas. I bought scarves by Dior and Lacroix at Le Bon Marche in Paris last Autumn and have worn them constantly. Not to mention the winter staple, the Etro I got in Hong Kong. Compared to the designers' other accessories they are quite inexpensive, given that they ought to last a lifetime and aren't subject to our old favourite, wardrobe shrinkage. I see that Vogue is predicting the return of the scarf, even suggesting one should knot it under the chin, like our dear Queen. As if.

Scarves really are a good bet to buy on ebay. If you carefully vet the seller, they're unlikely to be fakes, more probably an unwanted present, bought by a weary husband at duty free.

Interesting thoughts on eccentric glamour

To claim it, think of the basic elements of your personal style. Let’s call them your style constants. Whether it’s a glossy, jet-black ponytail, a saucy beauty mark, a nuclear explosion of natural red curls or a penchant for livid-green tango shoes, every gal needs a repertoire of well-chosen style constants. Simultaneously communicating and defining your unique identity, these flourishes are unaffected by fleeting trends or the whims of fashion. They are the glamorous foundations that will remain with you through thick and thin (literally and figuratively).

Now take your style constants and punctuate them with a jolt of the unexpected: a rhinestone bucket bag, a pair of mariachi slacks, a vintage Pucci poncho. Et voilà! Eccentric glamour is the happy result.

Do today’s celebs possess eccentric glamour? No! Red-carpet glamour is the antithesis of eccentric glamour. Hiring a stylist who scrounges free frocks on your behalf from top designers does not really qualify as “creative expression”. And today’s celebs are, for the most part, much too chicken, too risk-averse, too scared of those what-were-they-thinking pages in weekly magazines to indulge in eccentric glamour.

and then some categories

Morning walk

for the past two weeks, i've been working as a freelance writer for bda, a company i interviewed at way back in february or march -- a job that pleases me immensely, considering the, uh, rather bumpy history i've racked up with bda since then. 

i used to cab it from the somerset mrt station to bda's office on kim yam road, but taking a page out of french women don't get fat, i decided to start walking to and from the office daily -- a good fifteen- to twenty-minute walk, twice a day.

i seem to have made a good call. for one thing, my ass is getting smaller and i lost two inches off my waistline after two weeks. 

plus, there is so much to see on my way to work -- and i love all of it. the first time i walked to the office, i loved being surprised by all these little things. now i love that they have become familiar to me, fitting neatly into a regular routine that i've established for myself.

first is the skate park beside the somerset mrt station...

followed by a real park.

across the street is killiney road, with its strip of little restaurants and shops. my favorite is freshly baked by le bijoux (ang haba ng pangalan, diba), where i grab a hot-out-of-the-oven muffin (chocolate banana is my favorite) on my way to work if i've had to skip breakfast at home. they also make great focaccia, which i've only caught on my way home once -- they're usually closed by the time i get out work by seven.

i thought this sign was horrifically painted until i saw the lovely stencil graffiti underneath it. 

the area my office is in is called river valley, so named for the major thoroughfare which is river valley road. it is probably one of the most expat-infested areas in downtown singapore, and is just about fifteen minutes away from orchard road, which means bleeding expensive prime real estate. 

the condos whisper "my company pays for this" in a cornucopia of foreign languages and accents as i stroll by. my walk to work in the morning involves a large number of white mommies, yayas with prams containing white babies, and some really nice landscaping. these pretty flowers are from the urbana condo at the corner of river valley close and killiney road.

turning right into kim yam road brings me into what seems to be singapore heritage country. aside from a few apartment buildings, most of the real estate on this road is in the form of restored or preserved colonial shophouses, which i love. most of them are rented by small companies for whom funky office space is a must (like bda) or galleries. one of the galleries i pass daily has this menagerie standing guard at the door.

then there's the temple. all i know of it is that there is a giant gold buddha at least two storeys high, it smells of incense at certain times of the day, and that bda brings its paper waste there for recycling.

oh, and that it has very traditional chinese carvings on the perimeter wall.

after the temple comes a construction site whose middle-aged indian guard gives me a huge smile and a hearty "good morning" every time i pass.  then i reach the home stretch of my morning walk, which i daresay is the prettiest part of the whole exercise.

seeing this every day for two weeks has always gotten my day off to a great start. 

i consider myself extremely lucky -- because this is going to be my morning walk to work for as long as i'm in singapore. 

because this week, i'm officially on board as bda's new full-time writer.

See London before you die

I have some friends staying with me and I sent them off yesterday on a tour of the East End of London with my old mate Harry Jackson who is a London Blue Badge guide. He is a specialist in the East End, Brick Lane and Jewish London as well as all the usual sights. If you're coming to London, I highly recommend checking hiom out at his site. My friends have been raving about how good he was.

If you've read Monica Ali's novel, and want to see the real thing, Harry's your man.

Mao and make-up

Was it only Monday evening, when, after an overnight flight (in economy) from Toronto, and three hours sleep at home, I met Tina Craig of the Bag Snobs on her last night in London and we got through two bottles of Veuve Cliquot and four ginger martinis at Momo? And possibly a bit to eat.

So much information was transmitted during the four or five hours that some of it is still sinking in (what she told me about her grandmother's experience of Mao's Cultural Revolution remains in sharp focus, reminding me that I really must get round to reading Jung Chang's Wild Swans, about fifteen years after it first came out - the author, I can attest from spending a weekend with her and her husband, a lover of Issey Miyake's flawless dresses.)

What I noticed about Tina was that despite the largest number of make-up brushes I have ever seen outside the professional collection of the make-up artist, the impression of wearing no make-up at all was accomplished by the finishing touch being just lip-gloss.

And I have come to the conclusion the lipstick can be ageing,* at least in the summer. A little lipgloss in a colour close to your lips' own natural shade, as Tina was wearing, is fresh, natural and takes years off you. I'm currently using Chanel's Aqualumiere, in Bubble Plum for evening and Freeze for day.

* Unless you are one of those women whose skin tone allows you to get away with a slash of deepest red. Which I am unfortunately not.

Friday Hodge Podge

Hodge Podge Friday is a bit late today…. I had a meeting at my Downtown office this morning followed by an industry exam for some professional credentials I am trying to obtain. So before I knew it the day got away from me.

Thank you for all the support concerning my Thursday post, the friend I was speaking of has been progressively becoming more negative and I luckily don’t see her all that often; we talk because our husbands are good friends. My husband was shocked at her demeanor as well. Again thanks for the love and support!

So the hubby has been out of town most of this week for business and the kids have been relatively good, actually Lauren has been great Jackson well he puts me through my paces.

My mother came over on Wednesday to see me and the kids, in previous posts I have talked about the lack of help my mom provides even though she is right down the street and how she is really missing out on being a grandma. Well in true Gran form she came over with gifts then became a bit irritated when the kids would not go to bed or stay in bed, her comment as she was leaving maybe I shouldn’t come over at night since it seems to be such a circus. Well I guess she will never come over because it is always a circus!!!!

Dan and I will be attending that swanky black tie only wedding that I have blogged about; you know the wedding for that ungrateful bride from the bridal shower!!!! Since Dan is on the west coast so he is flying tonight to meet me in NJ in the morning. We have our old sitter coming to stay with the kids this weekend, so it will be nice to have Dan all to myself even if we have to go to some stuffy wedding.

Finally I received great news this afternoon, my daughter was accepted into the Spanish Immersion program. Meaning she will go through 1st through 6th grade learning Spanish. She will be a fluent speaker! Her school day will be half Spanish and half English. I believe that math, science and health will be in Spanish and the rest of the subjects in English. The stats on this program are great and I am so very happy that she has been accepted. Also her brother will be automatically accepted, as they like to keep families together.

I will have many stories and pictures from this weekend I am sure. Hope everyone has a great weekend and I will see you Monday!

A man and his jeans

Harry's post below reminds me of a dear friend who went out to buy a pair of jeans, his old ones having suffered that perennial problem, wardrobe shrinkage, and returned home empty handed. He had tried on his usual jeans in his usual size, 34 waist, but found they were too small. Why didn't you get the next size up, I asked him?

Because they're 36 and I'm 34, he said.

Well, I pointed out, obviously if the 34 are too small, you're 36.

No, he said. I'm 34.

As if it was his date of birth or star sign, or the colour of his eyes, something fixed and static in the universe.

He hired a personal trainer.

About a dress

Regular readers will know my wearying search for new dresses. I had a crushing disappointment yesterday, with a dress I had first seen back in February, and which I believed, on the basis of the press sample I had been shown, to be empire line. It turned out to be a smock.

However, just before I went to Toronto I found in H. Nicks, a very good collection of summer dresses by Nicole Farhi and bought one of them, the downside being that it's linen, and all that that entails. But they must be on sale now.

Above is a shot from the SS08 catwalk show which will give an idea. The one I bought is the shape illustrated above, but actually, a nicer fabric. Quite low cut but a top underneath fixes that.

Ang sagot... na hindi

tanong: ako ang trabahong inalok kay deepa. ano ako?

sagot: ako ang trabahong inoohan niya na tinanggihan rin niya pagkatapos ng isang linggo para tumanggap ng ibang trabahong biglaang inalok sa kanya.

bwahahahahaha!

kaloka!

overnight

gonna overnight tonight before de big day tmr!!! XD~ ah... these whole week of my holiday feels GREAT. cuz i've been going out since last fri to today tis fri. i've nv stayed home =X~! i love it but apprently my mum does not. so.. gotta enjoy while it lasts. Xb! rmb to come tmr and support all of us!!! =)

-Lirin

Shopping For Jeans

I've been thinking ( 0r rather, reminiscing ) about jeans, which I must confess is something I've not done much before. The following is what has surfaced .

My friend Pete, at the age of 15, first introduced me to the concept of the Levis 501 ( or was it 601?) and the cold bath 'shrink to fit' ritual. I was amazed. And impressed ( and he had the first Who album).

I never followed suit. I obviously wasn't serious enough. I think my first jeans were Lee. And then a couple of modish short-lived brands. And then some Wranglers. At one stage some OshKosh dungarees ( well, I was running a wholefood cafe).

In the mid 70's , when I rediscovered clothes that fitted I came across Fiorucci  jeans. And they did sizes to every inch; not just 30, 32, 34, but 30, 31, 32. Best fitting jeans I ever owned.

Then I remember some Pepe jeans fitted well. But the rest is all a bit of a  blur of indifferently fitting Levis, Wranglers, Lee Cooper. I sort of took my eye off the sartorial ball ( otherwise known as reaching middle-age).

A few years ago I started to make a bit more of an effort and came across some Paul Smith velvet jeans. They didn't fit as well as the Fioruccis , and my sons weren't entirely convinced of their appropriateness, but I liked them. And then some Valentino black denim ( but I had to remove the back pocket label- just a  bit too flash for my liking)

Currently my badly fitting Levis are consigned to gardening duty. But I do have two pairs of jeans that fit, and I'm happy to wear.

I am told that 7 For All Mankind were a fashionable label last year, which is when I bought them. I was visiting friends in the USA and said that I wanted some new jeans. A modest ambition. So the charming Ms T took me to Barneys LA. Well, that's what I call shopping. The terribly nice young assistant asked what I was looking for. They appeared to have countless brands and styles. I said I wanted dark blue denim, straight leg, and no extraneous ornamentation.He delivered six pairs for me to try. I chose the ones that I felt fitted best, which was confirmed by my shopping companion. It was only then that I looked at the label ( and the price). They have subsequently prompted the occasional compliment.

My second pair were purchased more recently, from Uniqlo, the Japanese retail brand with a couple of branches in London. A completely different experience, close to being challenging, and certainly quite hard work. Primarily because this is a youthful shop. But it's quite utilitarian in design so one doesn't feel that it is a completely alienating environment. They have  a wide range of styles, but, of course no help from the assistants.  I persevered , and came away with a well fitting pair of straight leg jeans with no contrived fading or rips. They also have no branding, which for me is a plus. And, another plus, they were very cheap.

Take your bad vibes and negative thoughts with you....

Do you have that one friend or relative that has nothing positive to say about anything? I know I do, that person would be my mom but I have learned to handle it so as not to let it bring me down. Don't get me wrong I am not Miss Ray of sunshine all the time but I like to be around positive upbeat people that was not the case Saturday night.

I mentioned Monday that Dan and I went to dinner Saturday night with some friends, we don't see these friends often but we do keep in touch via email. We arrived at dinner happy and full of energy I personally left exhausted and irritated.

The wife of the friend we had dinner with was pretty much a negative Nellie about everything! Kids.... negative, neighborhood they live in ...negative.......her family....negative. It was very frustrating. At one point we were discussing work and the question was raised if you were to be paid let's say 170k a year but had to work like 70 hour work weeks would you accept the job? Her eyes light up like a Christmas tree and she replied absolutely. I asked well what about when you have kids? Sure I would! She responded wouldn't you? No I replied she was shocked why not? She asked. Well there is this thing called family and I would be missing out on them; she does not have kids but they are talking about it another negative topic. She was like no way I would do it in a heartbeat her husband a huge proponent of them having a family was shocked as well. The conversation continued and at one point the wife said well you work fulltime and you must put in a lot of hours so I am curious why would you not take the job? My response was something like this.

I do work and I am in a position with a lot of responsibility but I have a strict rule that my family comes first and I make that clear to my staff, I also encourage them to think the same way. I always see work as important but it is not the be all end all; it is simply a vehicle to provide for your loved ones. I further went on to tell her that I leave the office everyday at 4pm so that I can have those precious few hours at night with my kids instead of the sitter. She scoffed and said that I could be limiting myself since I choose to leave work early. Which by the way I don't because I arrive at 7:30am. I assured her that I am one of these people who do not wear a badge of honor by being in the office 10 hours a day and that I am a huge believer in working smarter not longer.

Suddenly it hit me, not only have I had to defend my decision to not stay at home over the years; but I am now having to defend my working hours (or lack there of) outside the home. I was very frustrated add to that frustration the fact that every topic that night was one of negative comments I was done!! My thought at that moment please take your bad karma and vibes with you I don’t want them here in my happy place!!!!!!!

The work not work discussion was not an easy one and I have had plenty of family discussions both behind my back I am sure as to why I am working and the rest of my families wives don't. Because of our decision for me to work I have heard things like…. well your kids are sick all that time but that must be because they are in daycare…. or if you were home you could go to playgroups and socialize with other mothers like you... don’t you feel bad you are not the one home with your kids …..the list goes on.

I think I am doing a damn good job raising my kids; they are happy, healthy, well adjusted and well behaved kids. It really frustrates me to constantly defend my life choices to people, especially those who aren’t happy with anything in their lives. I don't ever call out others on their choices to stay home or not. I may have my feelings on the subject for certain people or situations I am aware of but I certainly would not hurt someones feelings or a friendship by forcing my views on them and it drives me nuts when people who are not in the same boat (meaning they don’t have kids) make blanket statements.

Sorry this has become more of a rant then a good blog post, please let me know your thoughts I want to hear from both sides because I think both are valid.

Jeans and the Older Male

Should they or shouldn't they?

It's a question that others have asked.

I actually don't think it's an age thing. But rather a 'looking ok' thing.

Some chaps have never looked anything but a bit baggy or disheveled in jeans. Arguably they were ill-advised to have ever worn them in the first place. But as we ourselves get baggier that's an awkward look to live with. Because it accentuates loss of youth, when scruffy was perhaps the order of the day, or even a post-modern signifier of something. But if you once looked ok in jeans there is a fair chance you still might.

Apologies to 'The Thoughtful Dresser' readers for another music reference, but I saw Bruce Springsteen ( soon to be 59) recently. He has shown no desire to change the way he looks, with denim much in evidence. And he looked entirely sound. Well, sound enough to have a fair number of considerably younger women swooning ( as shown on the giant video screens). But if he hadn't been so energetic, skipping ( yes, skipping) about the stage for two and a half hours, and been quite so trim, then arguably he wouldn't have looked so good.

Small but crucial detail: his jeans fitted.

They don't always . My last two pairs of Levis have been highly unsatisfactory in that department. I bought them whilst in blokeish mode- find the right size, and then a cursory try on, because sometimes a bloke feels too inhibited to be parading around the store being , for want of a better word, vain. Mistake.

As you get older the fit becomes  both more problematic and more important. So to get it right you may actually have to apply yourself. And do that thing called shopping.

More on that anon.

How to turn a clutch into a shoulder bag

More instructions here

Pic and Toilet issue

i'm very spottable here. 2nd pic: look at Fad, servin juice wif a spastic face =X. elephant me. XD












i have an issue wif toilets. *looks at loaths list on left* i hate it when de hooks are too high behind de cubicle door as i have to tiptoe in my full bladder to hook my bag =_= (or maybe i shld grow taller) exp: Marinasq loos

i hate it when it STINKS. exp: MRT loos, Plaza sing basement loos. u cld practically smell de crap ard de food area(near anderson's icecream booth).

i hate it when de auto flushes start when i'm halfway thru my yellow glory. u get wat i mean? *WOOSH* ass gets wet and u can't stand up quickly unless u want ur pee to destroy ur newly bought heels&stink up ur feet. exp: The grand cathy loos & Plaza sing loos

i hate it when there are no toilet rolls. i seriously dun understand how other girls pee WITHOUT toilet paper. wat u do? jus wear ur panties wif pee drippin from down there???? @_@!! i'm sry but i can't stand ittttt XD exp: city link loos.

AHHH... they shld create some portable toilet bowls for me XD catch phrase: "Pee anywhere, anyhow, anytime" 1st 100 customers gets 3 toilet rolls free. haha.

sigh. i hate u.

The Leonard Cohen suit hommage

Truly, a sharp-dressed man (Harry F. take note)

Hats off to Lenny

Still doing it. And still doing it in style.

Leonard Cohen has just played a few dates in the UK. The Guardian reviewed one of his shows: Tonight, in his suit and hat, he resembles a senior 1920's mobster, only with a guitar instead of a tommy gun. When he and his similarly attired band open with the Italian-flavoured Dance Me to the End of Love, we could almost be at a mafia wedding. The hat is gracefully doffed to acknowledge applause.'  Read on.

Leonard Cohen grew up in Montreal. His father was a tailor. He once said in an interview that he has always worn suits ( I guess that's when he's not in a Buddhist monastery or on a Greek island). And , yes, he has always looked, and been, stylish.

He is now 73. He hadn't played live for a long while. He told the Manchester audience: 'It's been 15 years since I stood up on stage. Fourteen years ago when I was 60 - a young kid with a crazy dream....'

It's a bit late in life for me to have a new one , but I think maybe he makes  a good candidate for a role model.

Happy birthday Elina koh

Elina's chalet!





















HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELINA KOH. haha our class had fun there. luffed, crapped, joked. had an issue wif someone thou but we just kept quiet (for elina sake). if not, i tink we'll all "lala" de person. hahaa! alot of fun stuff! XD [grp pictures will be up once i get em]


went Shomi huse today wif Tama deary.(she lives 2 busstops away from me LOL!)

thks Mizu and Shomi for de trouble =))) greatly appreciated =D

Brandy and Whiskey. SUPER CUTE. kept lickin us and Brandy kissed me on de lips. @_@~ (dog food smell. ._.)

yepyep~

sneak peek

SNEAK PEEK (not really thou)
Tama & Muffin head.










Rikel, Jojo & Ariki. Mizu and Zean silly faces LOL.











there are more pics but not gonna put em up as it's spoilers whahaha~

Tis Saturday, 7pm, Cho chu kang, behind lot1 at de baskball court. =)

akai chi

Pee pee playin my DS. thks Mizu for de stickers XD! and act cute Teddy. LOL.





had a curtain change aft many many yrs. from stooopid cars to light blue sliver feathers. WEEness! XD






My neice? haha~ 3 white pigs.