Maybe Emme's got it right.

Maybe Emme's got it right. The new fashion is the old fashion. Do we look back in time for comfort, to a time when the world around us seemed more sure, more stable, more comfortable? Will this drive the new fashion trends? Or do we just keep blazing a trail into our future? One thing is for sure. The changes that are occurring in our economic lives and in our political lives are coming about faster than they have in living memory. Brace up. Work hard and be happy. ......and turn your collar up!

Black Friday Sales Rise 3%

Preliminary reports are starting to come in. Black Friday was not as bad as first thought. Read this article by Lauren Coleman-Lochner, on Bloomberg.

U.S. ‘Black Friday’ Sales Rise 3%, ShopperTrak Says

U.S. consumers spent $10.6 billion on holiday purchases yesterday as shoppers anxious for bargains flocked to stores.

Sales rose 3 percent from the same day last year, Chicago- based research firm ShopperTrak RCT Corp. said today in a statement. The increase was highest in the South, with a gain of 3.4 percent over 2007 and smallest in the Northeast where sales jumped 2.6 percent.

On the way to a better world

I've been keeping an eye out for the signs of up coming fashion. Fashion trends that reflect the new austere circumstance national economies both here in the US and around the world are beginning to reflect. That's right, its here everybody. The tipping point has tipped and the future trends in fashion and the way we live and consume are morphing into new designs and new patterns. Will the fashion be a more rugged stoic appearance that bear down on reality or will the new looks take on a playful, more fanciful why should we care attitude? Time will tell.

Here's an article from Cosmoworlds, shedding a little light on the subject. CIFF Trends: On the way to a better world! (CIFF: Copenhagen International Fashion Fair, Feb 5-8, 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark)

Coats 30% Off at New York and Company Through Dec. 1

The Lowdown: Now through Dec. 1, get 30% off coats at New York and Company, meaning you can get yourself bundled up for the winter without spending a bundle, natch. It doesn’t hurt that New York and Company coats are totally cute and stylish.

Black Friday - data is coming in

The Black Friday news is not really telling us anything we did not already know. Money is tight and the consumer-retailer drama unfolds. Will the retailers drop their prices low enough to get shoppers to spend? I think further price reductions are coming. Merchant inventories are high and they are worried. The early signs are coming in and they are not good. Prices must come down further. I will be keeping an eye out for good deals from merchants and good-deal reports from other blogs. Stay tuned.

Shoppers still turn out
Across the Area

Black Friday

Grace Leong - DAILY HERALD

Who Could Resist a Deal on a $46,000 Jacket?

Kenneth Cole Men's Coats from $93

American Eagle Better World Gift Cards

American Eagle today announced the AE Better World holiday gift card program to benefit the company's three premier charity partners, Jumpstart, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Student Conservation Association. Ten percent of the purchase price of each AE Better World gift card will be shared equally among the three organizations.

Beginning today through December 24*, the AE Better World gift card is available in AE stores across the United States and Canada, as well as online at www.ae.com. Specially designed packaging will include information about AE Better World and the details about the organizations benefiting from the purchase of the gift card.

"American Eagle Outfitters is a model of corporate philanthropy and Jumpstart is proud to be a partner and beneficiary of the AE Better World gift card campaign," said James Cleveland, president of Jumpstart.

"We applaud American Eagle Outfitters for partnering with charities in this way," said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America president and chief executive officer, Judy Vredenburgh. "This is an example that there are many ways to support the Big Brothers Big Sisters network and to make a difference in the lives of children, improving their odds for succeeding in school and in life."

"We are so pleased to have the on-going support of American Eagle Outfitters," said Valerie Bailey, executive vice president of the Student Conservation Association. "We are impressed by the creative ways that the organization taps the good hearts of its customers and reaches out to organizations that care about making this a better world."

*While supplies last.

Clot Pea Coat

Hat tip to L&F for this fashion find. Not clear though.....SoHo only?

Reporter, Jenn Breckenridge, writing for Greenloop, posts this article:

Top 5 Eco Winter Coats: North American Designers Bring It For Winter 2008

BLACK FRIDAY....GET READY

J.C. Penny
JCP 17.62, +2.48, +16.4%) today announced that its Black Friday sale will offer the largest, most desirable gift selection at the most compelling Black Friday prices ever offered in the Company's history. With more than 400 Black Friday specials - an increase of 20 percent over last year - customers will find a broad array of stylish, high-quality gifts - at the Company's most affordable prices - for every person on their shopping list, making JCPenney the shopping destination for customers this Black Friday.

Hammacher Schlemmer

There is a certain art pertaining to the description one can give to a piece of outerwear. Some merchants do this work better than others. From time to time on this blog I will showcase some of the more talented descriptions I run across. Here's one from the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog. They work hard at it and they are good.

The Gentleman Rancher's Leather Jacket.Made from 100% nubuck top-grain leather, and favored for its lightweight, supple hand and durability, this leather jacket is suitable for clearing brush or semiformal gatherings. Lighter than most leather apparel, the jacket has a relaxed cut without excessive bulk, resulting in a fit that ensures freedom of movement when hauling branches. The coat drapes to the mid hip like a blazer and has a suit coat's notch lapel and tail vent--ideal for business casual attire. The tanning process not only lengthens the life of the leather and enhances its color, but also gives it a lush, pebble-grained texture that is buffed to create a slight nap for a velvet-smooth surface. The jacket has a breathable polyester and mesh lining that prevents overheating. With four interior pockets, one exterior breast pocket, and two deep hand pockets. Marble button front and elbow patches. Imported. Men's sizes M (36-38), L (40-42), or XL (44-46). (3 1/3 lbs.)

Item 75453 ................... $299.95

On Sale is the new black.

Black Monday is approaching and every retailer in America is acting like the start of an old fashion horse race. No starting gate and a lot of pent up energy. Every where you look online you see the same two words: ON SALE. It would take to0 much time to show them all. Take your pick and see for yourself.

And don't forget, go through your coat closet this year and clean it out. There is an organization in your area that will collect donated winter wear for the needy. Please give.......and then go shopping.

500 YEARS OF DUFFLE

Think European winters and freezing cold. Think 500 years ago in the countryside of Belgium. Germany to the north, France to the south and England across the channel to the west. Hills dense with ancient black forests and cities bustling with the utility and the wealth of a landed gentry and laboring peasant class. Clothmaking is the new technology and competition for the best looms on the continent drive burgeoning cottage industries. From this time in history the cloth know as duffel was made.

Duffel, named in the mid 1500's, after a fashionable township in central Belgium, is a coarse, thick nap, woolen cloth. Popular for its superior warmth and rugged durability.

The finest made duffel country coats, even today, still have traditional wooden buttons and leather loops. The duffel coat is an apparel tradition that has surely stood the test of time. Still rugged, still fashionable, still warm and all the while, still good looking.

Above are a few MrJacket online sightings.

OVERSTOCK.COM $30 COATS & JACKETS

MORE GREAT DEALS on the internet. Overstock.com is sweetening the holiday shopping season with this deal on winter coats and jackets for both women and men.....and kids. Check it out.

Winterize you pet - FASHION HOUND

Bill Ward is a writer for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota, Star Tribune. Hey Bill, is it cold up there?

Something for the Summer Winters

MrJacket finds another find. For all of you out there that go south for the winter or have given up winters all together. Here's a good looking web site for you....and all jackets are on sale 20% off. A SWELL deal!