Blog Archives

FOR BRIDES ONLY: 2018 Trends in Wedding Gowns

3/30/2018

NOTHING IS NEW
The fall 2018 New York Bridal Fashion Show is over and reports are coming in on the latest trends revealed. But don’t hold your breath … there are no real new and wonderful innovations. In 2018 nothing about the basic shapes of dresses is going to change and, as the cliché goes, the difference is in the details. The details and ideas have all been around, but they’re used in a different way.

SHAPES
Ball gowns are still going strong but the embellishments vary. Not as many mermaid gowns were shown in articles about the 2018 trends, and the styles, as I saw them, tended to be softer and more flowing. There is more going on with the upper body and sleeves this year.

♥ Slip Dresses
The 90’s slinky, curve-skimming slip dress is back, a silhouette which is effortlessly sophisticated.

Photos: Kurt Wilberding; Maria Valentino/ MCV Photo
Justin Alexander Blush /Hayley Paige Theia

♥ Corsets and Exposed Boning
Tons of designers showed new gowns with corset tops and/or exposed boning, bringing an antique trend to the forefront of bridal fashion again. The photo is an example of both the corset and tiered style in one dress.

◄ Monique Lhuillier

♥ Watteau-back gowns
The Watteau-back is a style I’ve seen before but never knew the name of until this year. The back of this gown is reminiscent of the 18th century-style long cape with fabric draping from the shoulder to the floor. The modern version drapes from the lower line of the back, making it another good choice for brides who don’t want a cathedral-length veil or heavy train. Some are removeable for the reception.

Alexandra Grecco Amsale Randi Rahm

♥ Wedding-Worthy Pants
If you're eloping, looking for a chic bridal shower ensemble, or just aren't into dresses, jumpsuits and pantsuits are comfortable, figure flattering and totally of the moment. Some have detachable trains.

Romona Keveza Monique Lhuillie Rime Arodaky
Photos by Maria Valentino/ MCV Photo; Greg Finck

SLEEVES and SHOULDERS
Some of the biggest new trends are in sleeves, capes and capelets, and bows, both large and small.

♥ Capes and Capelets
For the bride who isn’t into veils or wants a change for the reception, the removeable capes or caplets fit the bill. These have been around for a while but they are big this year.

Marchesa, Mark Zunino, Monique Lhuillier Love Find Company

♥ Split Sleeves
Although the split sleeve has been in style a while, it hasn’t made as much of an appearance on the bridal runway until this year.

Photos by Maria Valentino/ MCV Photo
Inbal Dror Galia Lahav Pronovias

♥ Bell Sleeves
Designers of wedding gowns picked up other ready-to-wear fashion, such as the high-lo hemline and bell sleeve. Although retro, a vintage style gown isn't required to make the look work.

Theia Rime Arodaky Mark Zunino

♥ Arm Warmers
This was a new one for me. Kim Fusaro, https://www.glamour.com/gallery/wedding-dress-trends-2018, states “We’re not sure how else to describe the stand-alone sleeves we saw again and again on the 2018 runways during Bridal Fashion Week. In some collections, the arm warmers were attached to the dress.” On most of the gowns, she continues, they were detached i.e. freestanding on the arms.
Inbal Dror Monique Lhuiller Victoria Kyriakides

♥ Edgy Jackets
Jackets covered in studs were seen in several collections, creating a “rocker-chic” vibe which can change from wedding to reception. Often combined with boots.
Monique Lhuiller Monique Lhuiller

NECKLINES
There seem to be more higher, modest necklines although the plunging front and back are still in full force. For the bride who wants something higher, it will be easier to find in the 2018 fall collections.

Photos by Maria Valentino/ MCV Photo; Kurt Wilberding
Hayley Paige Alexandra Grecco Maggie Sottero

♥ Halters
A halter puts the emphasis on the face and bares the shoulders instead of the bosom. They have an elegant look, and flatter more body types than the plunging neckline and other bare parts. They also offer more support for bustier brides.

Photos by Maria Valentino/ MCV Photo; Kurt Wilberding
Reem Acra Lakum Mark Zunino

♥ High Collars
There has always been a demand for covered chests and more modest gowns. This year the high collars give serious high-fashion vibes to that look. Fashionistas encourage statement earrings and a windswept updo.

HEM LINES

♥ Hi-Lo Hem Lines
These hemlines continue to appear in the collections but they seemed more predominant in around 2016. Personally, I don’t see the style as particularly attractive on most women, but the Rime Arodakys appeal to me.

Photos: Dan Lecca
Gila Lahav Rime Arodaky Rime Arodaky Rime Arodaky

♥ The Shorter The Better ▲
The short wedding hemline lets a bride show off their legs and lots of skin. Designers played around with length, from cutesy tea-length to mini to even short jumpsuits. This trendy style gives serious attention to a gal's legs. It may not be in the “one fits all” category.

EMBELLISHMENTS
Again, nothing is new, and a bride can find the same kinds of embellishments that have been available for years if that is what she wants: lace, pearls, sequins, feathers. If she wants to be trendy, the biggest embellishment is the bow. Photos by Maria Valentino/ MCV Photo; Kurt Wilberding
Ines Di Santo Amsale Lakum

♥ Bows In General
Bows have been a stable embellishment for wedding gowns for years.

This year, designers are doing all sizes and shapes, delicate and statement pieces, often descending from one shoulder or as a traditional train. Also the new butt bow, although how you sit in them is a question. Some on them are detachable for just that reason.

♥ Cascading Shoulder Bows And Butt Bows
Not new but cascading from shoulder is one of the new variations on a old theme. First year from shoulder cascading down arms or in back.

Naeem Khan Berta Bridal Viktor and Rolf
Photos by Maria Valentino/ MCV Photo; Kurt Wilberding

COLORS
More and more colors are becoming available in design wedding gowns, but this year the pink trend appeared on the runway in every hue, from bright pink to blush to splashy deep pink, and in nearly every collection shown. Also black, and white with black accents, made an appearance.
Alyne by Rita Vinieris

THE CASUAL SPORTY LOOK
The final trend is called the casual or sporty look. Designers incorporated the sporty everyday look into their bridal collections, including pants, relaxed jumpsuits and even jerseys. I'm not against that ... In fact, I like comfort, but I like it where "sporty" is appropriate. My personal opinion: YUCK! Plus it looks like everyone can see through it.

Sources
https://www.jlmcouture.com/search/node/Bell%20sleeves
https://www.theknot.com/content/bridal-fashion-week-fall-winter-2018-wedding-dress-trends
https://www.glamour.com/gallery/wedding-dress-trends-2018\
https://www.brides.com/gallery/wedding-dress-trends-fall-2018
https://www.bhldn.com/bride-spring-preview-wedding-gowns/?cm_sp=LEFTNAV-_-SUB_CATEGORY-_-BRIDE_SPRINGPREVIEW_GOWNS&mrkgcl=1143&mrkgadid=3257057654&rkg_id=h-8d0efea9b3a99d789ee9260fa7cc9f18_t-1516478089&cm_mmc=Google-_-National+-+DSA-_-Dresses%2Fbridal+dres
https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/wedding-dress-trends
https://www.pouted.com/46-fabulous-wedding-dresses-for-muslim-brides-2016/
https://www.vogue.com/article/fall-2018-bridal-trends
https://www.marthastewartweddings.com/612415/catherine-deane-wedding-dresses-spring-2018
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5052665/The-biggest-bridal-trends-2018-according-deisngers.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3288431/Are-worst-wedding-dresses-ever.html
https://www.elitereaders.com/20-worst-wedding-dresses-ever/
http://www.refinery29.com/2017/02/137999/worst-wedding-trends-2017
https://www.brides.com/gallery/wedding-dress-trends-spring-2018
https://home.lauren-elainedesigns.com
https://www.jlmcouture.com/hayley-paige/bridal/spring/2018

0 Comments

THE RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE OF ANTS: on Experimental Design by Mark Twain

3/23/2018

0 Comments

MARK TWAIN
Mark Twain, born Samuel Langehorne Clemens in 1835, was a famous American humorist and novelist who came to be considered a national treasure. He captured world attention through his stories about boyhood adventure, the Mississippi River, his travels in the west, and humanist commentary.

A keen observer of human nature, he wrote probing commentaries on man’s faults, humorous but delving into the depths of human behavior, and was the first and foremost American realist and humanist.

READINGS IN ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Ever since I was a kid, Mark Twain has been one of my favorite authors. I can’t tell you have many times I read “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and the imaginative thinking it inspired.

Unfortunately, when I was young I never read much about Twain’s studies in human behavior, so when, as a professional architect and urban planner, I took a management class which included reading the book “Readings in Organization Behavior and Human Performance." I found there a piece by Mark Twain which I still cherish and want to share with no offence intended to anyone or their religious preferences..

ON EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN by Mark Twain

"I constructed four miniature houses of worship and placed them in a row.
●a Mohammedan mosque,
●a Hindu temple,
●a Jewish synagogue,
●a Christian cathedral.

I then marked l5 ants («fourmis») with red paint and turned them loose. They made several trips to and fro, glancing in at the places of worship, but not entering. I then turned loose l5 more painted blue; they acted just as the red ones had done. I now gilded 15 and turned them loose.

No change in the result: the 45 travelled back and forth in a hurry persistently and continuously visiting each fane, but never entering.

This satisfied me that these ants were without religious prejudices -- just what I wished; for under no other conditions would my next and greater experiment be valuable.

I now placed a small square of white paper within the door of each fane.
● Upon the mosque paper I put a pinch of putty,
● Upon the temple paper a dab of tar,
● Upon the synagogue paper a trifle of turpentine,
● Upon the cathedral paper a small cube of sugar.

First I liberated the red ants. They examined and rejected the putty, the tar and the turpentine, and then took to the sugar with zeal and apparent sincere conviction.

I next liberated the blue ants, and they did exactly as the red ones had done. The gilded ants followed. The preceding results were precisely repeated. This seemed to prove that ants destitute of religious prejudice will always prefer Christianity to any other creed.

However, to make sure, I removed the ants and put putty in the cathedral and sugar in the mosque. I now liberated the ants in a body, and they rushed tumultuously to the cathedral.

I was very much touched and gratified, and went back in the room to write down the event. But when I came back the ants had all apostatized and had gone over to the Mohammedan communion.

I saw that I had been too hasty in my conclusions, and naturally felt rebuked and humbled. With diminished confidence I went on with the test to the finish. I placed the sugar first in one house of worship then in another, till I had tried them all.

With this result: whatever place of worship I put the sugar in, that was the one the ants straightway joined.

This was true beyond a shadow of doubt, that in religious matters the ant is the opposite of man, for man cares for but one thing; to find the only true Church; whereas the ants hunts for the one with the sugar in it."

From Mark Twain, "On Experimental Design " in Scott W.K. and L.L. Cummings, Readings in Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, Irwin: Homewood, Ill., p.2, (l973)
.

0 Comments

THE PRINCE WHO WANTED TO BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ... BUT WASN'T: Greatest Love Stories Ever Told Series

3/16/2018

4 Comments

When I consider "The Greatest Love Stories", I never think of them in terms of contemporary settings. My instincts and preconceived ideas lead to the conclusion that such stories are myths, legends, ancient history, or fictional.

First, because there are many contemporary love stories – nearly everyone has or knows one -- but we only hear about those involving celebrities. Second, because the more contemporary the event, the more people there are with personal knowledge who will leak or, more important, write about the truth or a version of the truth. Details and differences of opinion make situations overly complex. Third, given enough time, everyone knows how the story ends.

Case in point is the story of Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson, which is considered by many as one of the greatest contemporary love stories. After all, Prince Edward gave up the throne of England to marry the woman he loved because the monarchy would not accept her as queen.
When I started my research, I expected this love story to have a somewhat happy ending in spite of the many sacrifices made -- but nothing in life is what it seems.

WALLIS SIMPSON
Bessie Wallis Warfield was born in June of 1896. Her father, who came from an affluent and distinguished family, died shortly thereafter, and for the first few years, she and her mother were supported by her father's wealthy bachelor brother, the post master of Baltimore. Then, they moved in with her mother's recently-widowed elder sister, until they could get an apartment, and later a house, of their own.

As a small child 10 years old As a young woman

Wallis' uncle paid for her to attend the most expensive girls' school in Maryland, where she was at the top of her class. Although not classically beautiful, she was always immaculately dressed and pushed herself hard to do well. She also loved breaking the rules and shocking people with brash behavior.

In 1916, she married Earl Winfield Spencer, Jr., a U.S. Navy aviator. He turned out to be an abusive drunk, and after several long, unavoidable separations, they divorced in 1927. Her second husband, Ernest Aldrich Simpson, a shipping executive, divorced his first wife and married Wallis in July, 1928, and they moved to England.

First Wedding Earl Spencer, Jr. Second Wedding Earnest Simpson

Through a friend, Wallis met Thelma, Lady Furness who was, at the time, the mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne. In 1931, Lady Furness introduced Wallis to the prince at a party.

It was not love at first sight. They exchanged a few polite words, and didn't have anything to do with each other for the rest of the party. Over the next several months, Wallis and her husband ran into Prince Edward at other parties, and eventually he became their friend.

PRINCE EDWARD
Prince Edward, later King Edward VIII, was born Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David [Whew!] in June of 1894 to the Duke and Duchess of York [the future King George V and Queen Mary], their first child and heir to the throne. He was followed by four brothers [one of whom died at 14] and a sister.

As a Child About 12 As Young Man About Age 23

According to biographers, he feared his strict father and believed his parents were cold and distant. One biographer said that "…as an unloved child, Edward had an overwhelming need to be dominated and to adore."

At the age of 12, he was shipped off to the Naval College at Osborne and then attended Dartmouth. He later wrote that during those years he wanted desperately to be treated like every other boy his age. [Francis Wilson May 25, 2011, from book Behind Closed Doors.]

Denied a military commission during WWI because he was heir to the throne, he argued his case with the Secretary of War. Ultimately, he was commissioned in a position under Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force. Although stationed far from the front, he did witness some of horrors of war and gained the respect of the common Brit simply because he wanted to be there.

By the age of twenty-three, Edward had the reputation of being a playboy who preferred married women. Mrs. Winifred (Freda) Dudley Ward was his mistress for 16 years. He also had a long term relationship with Viscountess Thelma Furness, the sister of a friend of Wallis Simpson.

In 1931, the prince met Wallis and Ernest Simpson at one of Thelma's parties, but was not particularly impressed. Four months later, they met again at another party. Seven months after that, he was invited to the Simpson's house for dinner. The Prince and the Simpsons became good friends, and they exchanged invitations for two years, until 1934 when Thelma Furness took a trip to the United States. It's not clear if Thelma asked Wallis to look after the prince while she was gone, or Wallis suggested it. Each said, later, it was the other's idea.

THE PLOT THICKENS
During her absence, Prince Edward invited Wallis and Ernest on a cruise. Ernest had prior commitments, but Wallis accepted. She wasn't alone with him, of course, and even her own Aunt Betsy was among the group. Chaperones or not, that was when their friendship crossed over the line to love. The fling was kept under wraps, but when Thelma Furness returned to England, she had been replaced by Wallis.

According to Ann Seeba, author of the biography "That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor", Wallis Simpson was a flirt and "thought she could control the ardor of the Prince of Wales. After all, the last thing she [Wallis] wanted was to risk losing her easy-going husband Ernest. And, gosh, Prince Edward could be tiresome, telephoning her at home two or three times a day and dropping by so often that she was actually starting to miss her other friends."

Ernest, himself, considered the affair as a coup and had reaped economic and social rewards, such as being admitted into the Prince's mason's order. He and Wallis both expected Edward to become King soon and knew the affair would have to end.

The royal family abhorred Wallis, particularly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Duchess of York and wife of the prince's brother Albert, who moved in the same social circles as Wallis. There are indications that at one time Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was romantically interested in Edward, even that she was in love with him.

It's hard to guess whether or not Wallis understood what the Prince was really like. For years, he suffered from undiagnosed anorexia nervosa — an illness often related to a wish to remain eternally childlike, exemplified by his letters in his teens to his mistress Freda.

Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen ties the Prince's dependence on a mother figure, and some of his other quirks, to typical characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome. Several other people who were close to Prince Edward [such as Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, Lord Wigram, and the Archbishop of Canterbury], believed he was abnormal psychologically and possibly physically. More important, the Royal Family's doctor, Lord Dawson of Penn, believed his moral development had been arrested in his teens.

His fixation on Wallis was more likely his mental condition than true love. Regardless, Edward became obsessed and showered her with clothes, jewelry, and other expensive gifts. He also expected her to devote all her time to him. Instead of calling it off, she tried, with no luck, to manipulate him to back off a little by taunting him and reducing him to tears in front of others. As the emotional drama escalated, with the royal family and public opinion in the mix, Edward retaliated with emotional blackmail and warned if she left him, he would kill himself. [Somehow, this isn't sounding like a great love story to me!]

THE KING GEORGE V DIES
Just to complicate matters, King George V died in January 1936, and Prince Edward became King Edward VIII of England. Rather than becoming bogged down by royal responsibilities, Edward ignored them and continued to court Wallis. His major focus, instead of being on ruling, was on how to make Wallis queen … although she was still married to Ernest. King Edward VII

At one point, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and the Archbishop of Canterbury agreed that marriage between the king and Simpson could not be allowed but, eventually, negotiated an agreement with Ernest to divorce Wallis. [That didn't make a lot of sense, but there were a zillion details involved.]

Edward was King of England for 326 days. During this time, he threatened to abdicate unless Wallis could be queen. Wallis begged him not to abdicate and to just let her go. According to biographers, she had no desire to be queen and wanted Ernest back.

The whole thing became an international scandal. Everyone crucified Wallis and called her every ugly name in the book. It was clear the royal family, the public, and the Church of England would never allow Wallis Simpson, a woman divorced twice with both ex-husbands still living, to become queen. For her protection, Edward sent her to France. After one year, Edward VIII abdicated, giving up not only the crown but his privileges as a member of the royal family. He was exiled from England. He married Wallis Simpson in France on June 3, 1937, in a subdued ceremony which was not attended by anyone in the royal family.

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Shouldn't a Great Love Story either end in tragedy [as did most great love stories in myths, legends, and ancient history] or Happily Ever After?

Yeah, well, that's the problem with contemporary stories. TMI. Like I said, we know how the story ended.

Their wedding day 1937

In spite of being exiled from England, Prince Edward was granted the title Duke of Windsor by his brother, King George VI, but the Duchy and title dissolved upon his death in 1972.
After Wallis and Ernest divorced in 1937, Wallis continued to correspond with him, even on her honeymoon. It was clear he had been the love of her life, and she regretted losing him.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor remained married for the rest of their lives [thirty-six years], but whether or not it was a happy marriage is highly debatable.

They lived in France, traveled some, and commuted between France and New York, entertaining in both locations and participating in charitable events. During World War II Edward was appointed as governor of the Bahamas, which Wallis considered a punishment.

Biographer Seeba paints a dreary picture of the last thirty years of their marriage. "Their lives were defined by each other, the past, and aesthetics: decorating, shopping, holding formal dinners, being noticed by the newspapers. They were bitter toward the royal family, and Wallis was eternally frustrated that she no longer held the interest of people at high levels of society, government, or the arts."

“Nothing else in his [Prince Edward's] life gave him any sense of achievement other than his marriage to Wallis,” Sebba writes. “For her, the slavish devotion was at times claustrophobic, and she was not afraid to show it. But love is impossible to define and in their case especially so."

"Few who knew them well described what they shared as love." Bummer!

Resources
http://www.express.co.uk/news/history/631457/The-Queen-Mother-Wallis-Simpson-BBC-drama-Royal-Wives-at-War
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2023590/The-truth-Mrs-Simpson-Why-Wallis-wanted-marry-king.html
http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2012/02/american-girl-the-wallis-simpson-story-told-differently-067223
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VIII
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis_Simpson
http://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/745232/The-Crown-Netflix-King-Edward-marry-Wallis-Simpson-abdicated
http://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/745232/The-Crown-Netflix-King-Edward-marry-Wallis-Simpson-abdicatedhttp://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/745232/The-Crown-Netflix-King-Edward-marry-Wallis-Simpson-abdicated
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2016/12/20/the-worlds-greatest-love-story/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2023050/Was-Wallis-Simpson-woman-New-evidence-speculates-sexu
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wallis-simpson-intersex-doctor/story?id=15546967

4 Comments

AND F.D.R. SAID, "LET THERE BE LIGHT … ONE HOUR EARLIER!"

3/9/2018

0 Comments

When your alarm goes off Sunday morning, day after tomorrow, the time will be 6:00 am … but really, it will only be 5:00 am. Or is it 7:00 am? We haven’t even changed the clocks yet, and I’m already reeling. It is Clock Confusion Time again.

Does anyone else struggle with this phenomenon? I believe if it weren't for the jingle we all learn about springing forward and falling back, we'd be even more befuddled than we are.

SHARE YOUR ANECDOTES
If you have a story (real, written, or read) about Daylight Saving Time, make a comment and share with the rest of us.

My bedside clock doesn't get it. I purchased it when the time change was still the last weekend in October. It was programmed to automatically change the time in the fall and spring. It still does that, but now a week earlier. But it makes a good excuse for being late … or is that just in the spring?

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
Note that the correct term is "Saving Time" not "Savings Time", abbreviated DST. The period runs from 2 am on the second Sunday in March to 2 am to the first Sunday of November.

I'm always taken off guard when the time comes around to change the clock. What are your thoughts on Daylight Saving Time? Do you like it or dislike it? Find it hard to adjust? Do you know the purpose and history of Daylight Saving time?

WHERE DID THIS COCKAMAMIE IDEA COME FROM?
Most of the stories (myths, legends) one hears are either incorrect or only part of the history, and the idea actually goes way back.

● The general idea of daylight saving was first suggested (indirectly) by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, while US ambassador to France, for the purpose of saving resources. While Ben often gets the credit, he really didn't propose anything about setting the clock differently. He only suggested rising at dawn would get more out of the sunlight hours ... essentially, a change in sleep schedule.

● Modern daylight saving was first proposed in 1895 by George Vernon Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist. His shift-work job gave him leisure time to collect insects, and he valued after-hours daylight. He presented a paper to the Wellington Philosophical Society which generated considerable interest, but never went anywhere.

● In 1908, Englishman William Willett wrote a pamphlet called “The Waste of Daylight.” His proposal was considered by the British Parliament, but the bill didn't pass. Willett died in 1915, on standard time, without success.

● In April, 1916 Austria and Germany adopted Daylight Saving Time as a wartime measure to conserve electricity. Other countries in Europe followed suit, including Britain. The US accepted the idea in March 1918, as a wartime measure, not for the benefit of farmers, as some people believe.

● After WWI ended, Woodrow Wilson ceded to popular demand and repealed Daylight Saving in the US.

● WWII brought Daylight Saving back to the fore in 1942, when FDR mandated the measure, known as "War Time" throughout the United States. This time, it stuck for most of the country.

For years, different cities and states in the U.S. started and ended their daylight saving time on different dates, creating chaos throughout the country. Congress passed a law in 1966 which set a standard for Daylight Saving Time with the period beginning on the last Sunday in April and ending on the last Sunday in October. The law gave the states the option of remaining on standard time year round.

Arizona—with the exception of the state's Navajo Nation— and Hawaii did not wish to participate. The overseas territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands didn't participate. However, some local variations persisted.

● In 2005, Bush signed a law moving the Daylight Earning Time back to the first weekend of November, a measure designed to help cut down on the number of children injured or killed in automobile accidents while trick-or-treating after dark on Halloween.

One source claims that one of the reasons for extending into November was to encourage voter participation. Proponents rationalized more voters would go to the polls if it were still light when they returned from work. I hadn't heard this one before. No doubt the law identifies the reason, but rumors live happily on.

SO, ARE WE HAPPY?
Not everyone supports Daylight Saving Time—I don't think the term "Daylight Earning Time" ever kicked in.

The states of Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are reported to be looking into opting out of DST. In 2014, a bill was introduced in Kentucky to go to DST year round.

The biggest supporters of DST are always the commercial and retail interests, and there is no substantial body of evidence that the practice saves energy. Some suggest that more gasoline is used during this period. Since the time period coincides to a large extent with school summer vacations, it would be hard to find that conclusive. The anecdotal material on the results of daylight saving time is abundant.

● A man, born in Delaware just after midnight DST, managed to get out of being drafted into the Viet Nam war by arguing that standard time, not DST, was the official time for his state of Delaware for recording births. Under standard time, he was born the prior day and that day had a much high draft lottery number. He wasn't drafted.

● To maintain their published schedule, Amtrak does not allow trains to leave a station before the scheduled time. When the clocks are set back by one hour, Amtrak trains that are running on time have to stop and wait one hour. In the spring, the trains lose an hour and have to make up the lost time and arrive at the station on schedule.

● On the day when DST springs forward an hour, patrons of pubs become disgruntled about losing an hour of drinking time. There are been riots in bars when they have to shut down early, particularly in Athens, Ohio, home of Ohio University.

● In September 1999, with the West Bank on Daylight Saving Time while Israel had just switched back to standard time, a terrorist bomb attack was thwarted by the terrorists' lack of understanding of DST. The timing on the bombs, set to go off to kill two busloads of civilians, was misinterpreted by the terrorists planting the bombs in Israel. They went off an hour earlier than expected, killing three terrorists instead of the intended victims.

Don't miss my murder mystery entitled "THE LAST WEEKEND IN OCTOBER". Would you believe it involves Daylight Saving Time?

Sources
http://www.webpronews.com/daylight-saving-time-an-interesting-history-2014-10
http://highlandstoday.com/hi/local-news/daylight-saving-or-standard-time-20140928/
http://www.webpronews.com/daylight-saving-time-an-interesting-history-2014-10
Bhttp://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/
http://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-daylight-saving-time|
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_in_the_United_States

0 Comments

MAD FOR PLAID

3/2/2018

0 Comments

MARCH IS “MAD FOR PLAID” MONTH
I Googled the observance day and found that it's a month for celebrating everything plaid. That’s about it. Not much to write a blog about.

But then I remembered when I was in Scotland, a guide told us the Clan plaids were really the product of the 19th mercantile industry; an advertising ploy. What a buzz kill. I assumed most people don’t know that, so I suddenly had something to write about. Something short and sweet.

Never gonna happen! Digging up the origins of traditions and languages is never short and sweet. And never believe what a tour guide tells you.

IF YOU’RE SCOTTISH …
“Plaid” Means A Blanket
Let’s be clear about what I’m talking about. In North America we often – mistakenly, according to some -- use the term plaid to mean tartan. The word plaid -- derived from the Scottish Gaelic word plaide, which means blanket – is a tartan cloth worn over the shoulder as a kilt accessory or a plain blanket such as one would put on a bed.
Wearing the Plaide

The earliest written use of plaid is in a 1510 entry in the account of the diocese of Dunkeld, referring to an expense of two shilling for dying four ells of “pladis”. An ell was a length of 37.2 inches.

According to Danny Lewis, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/, the word “Plaid only replaced tartan once the patterns became popular with British and American textile manufacturers who would recreate fabrics resembling tartans, but without centuries of symbolic meaning embedded in their clothing.”

“Tartan” Means A Weaving Pattern
The word tartan means a woven fabric made of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors; alternating bands pre-dyed threads woven with warp and weft at right angles to each other. This creates a distinctive pattern of squares called a sett.

In North American we not only use the word plaid instead of tartan, but it no longer applies only to woven cloth, only the pattern of colors.

EARLIEST ORIGINS
Even though evidence of the Celtic tartan dates back to the 3th century, the oldest example of a tartan fabric goes back at least 3,000 years. It was found buried with the remains of “Cherchen Man,” a 6 foot tall mummy of Caucasian descent found in Turkestan in the western Chinese desert. The man was found buried wearing a red twill tunic and tartan leggings, the earliest example of tartan ever discovered.

According to the textile historian E. J. W. Barber, the Hallstatt culture of Central Europe, which is linked with ancient Celtic populations and flourished between the 8th and 6th centuries BC, produced tartan-like textiles. Other finds have been made in Europe and Northwestern China.

SCOTTISH TARTANS
The earliest documented tartan in Britain, known as the "Falkirk" tartan, dates from the 3rd century AD. It was uncovered at Falkirk, Scotland, near the Antonine Wall. The fragment of tartan cloth was stuffed into an earthenware pot containing almost 2,000 Roman coins.

So this pattern of weaving has existed in Scotland since the third century, and I assume it was used, along with others, through the centuries. The original goat-like sheep of ancient Scotland provided the fibers from which wool fabrics were made. The sheep were black, brown, or white. Thus, the early tartans were made of combinations of these colors.

Presumably, weaving skills were passed down from mother to daughter, and over time a particular design came to be associated with a specific district and possibly with an individual clan. Eventually, these local patterns became synonymous with the regional clans scattered throughout Scotland. At some point, weavers began to dye yarn, which resulted in new or at least brighter patterns. Even then, the dyes, which come from local and accessible plants and minerals, likely determined the colors and still identified the wearer of a tartan to the district.

This picture, derived from a 1631 wood cut, shows Scottish soldiers wearing tartans
Unknown Scottish soldiers in service of Gustavus Adolphus, 1631, jpeg: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5042497 ▼

SCOTTISH CLAN TARTANS
IT’S ALL POLITICS
Like everything, it’s all politics. Clan tartans as we know them today are thought not to have existed in Scotland before 16th century. In 1703, Martin Martin wrote A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, in which he noted the tartans could be used to distinguish inhabitants of different regions.

That was the beginning of a more formal recognition of a clan association with a particular tartan.
At that time, tartan designs were produced by local weavers for local tastes using the dye materials of the local area. The patterns and colors were the choice of the weaver and people picked and wore those based on personal preference.
▼ Black Watch Plaid

During the Scottish Rebellion of 1745, tartan was used in the uniforms of the leading Scottish military troop, The Royal Highland Regiment, or the Black Watch. The green and dark blue patterns became strongly associated with rebellion. However, depictions of the Battle of Culloden in 1746 show the monarchy’s forces battling against the clans-men, all wearing different tartans.

David Morier's An incident in the rebellion of 1745.

After Scottish forces were defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the monarchy adopted the Dress Act of 1746, banning tartans (except for British military uniforms) for nearly a century. By the time the law was repealed, tartan kilts and plaides were no longer the ordinary dress of the highlands. The tartan kilt was, however, adopted as the symbolic national dress of Scotland, which revived interest in tartans and one’s Scottish heritage.

Below is the Logan Plaid, my heritage on my mother's side of the family. Older version to the right, new plaid to the left.

THE BOTTOM LINE
According to Wikipedia – who agrees with my tour guide after all – the clan tartans date no earlier than the beginning of the 19th century. They are an invented tradition.

And speaking of “bottoms”, the topic of “underwear beneath the kilt” -- so often a cause for humor -- is a relatively modern development. In the past men wore nothing. This is still true of several Scottish regiments, apart from some sentries and dancers, on whom the kilt might fly up. [I supposed the men in the photograph didn't care.] Most other people wear shorts or pants, according to personal taste.” http://www.kinnaird.net/tartan.htm

Sources
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brief-history-plaid-180957342/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan
https://psmag.com/social-justice/that-plaid-tho
https://startupfashion.com/fashion-archives-history-plaid/
http://www.kinnaird.net/tartan.htm
http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/tartan-pattern-book/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaid
http://www.ancient-wisdom.com/chinacherchen.htm
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/plaid
https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2015/10/plaid-tartan.html

0 Comments

FOR BRIDES ONLY: 2018 Trends in Wedding Gowns

THE RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE OF ANTS: on Experimental Design by Mark Twain

THE PRINCE WHO WANTED TO BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ... BUT WASN'T: Greatest Love Stories Ever Told Series

AND F.D.R. SAID, "LET THERE BE LIGHT … ONE HOUR EARLIER!"

MAD FOR PLAID

Author R. Ann Siracusa

Archives

Categories