Datebook: Wednesday, August 16th

Magazines are a problem.

Take “Elle” for example. This month the magazine is 560 pages chockfull of great ideas that will never happen. Oddly enough, the table of contents is on page 114. The 113 pages before are all ads. And not typical ads. These are ads for Prada, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Gucci. There are no prices listed for any of the products and sometimes you aren’t quite sure what is being advertised so you have to read the small print at the bottom of the page to see you need to explore Chanel.com. The magazine makes no pretense that is purely and simply an advertiser’s showcase.

I’m not sure how we started getting this magazine. I don’t recall ordering it or paying for it. But I realized this month I can live without knowing “How to wear Skinny Jeans and Platforms—the 12 pieces you must buy now”, and “Take off 10 years—it’s all about your neck” (okay, maybe I will read that before I pass this copy to my daughter)—they hide a few articles amongst the gloss. For the most part, we never see people dressing like the models in these magazines. This month the ideas seems to focus on boots with fur, tent-like dresses, military type blazers and jackets—all worn together, and when you go to the Elleshops-- on approximate page 350 (they don’t use actual page numbers) you finally get prices—satin dress with pleats (I know, it looks like it sounds) 1500.00, cotton and wool twill cape 895.00, studded pump 1125.00…

In July, my daughter and crew went to New York for the weekend to shop and take in some culture—(they walked by the MOMA on their way to shop on 5th and Madison avenues). This was a power shopping weekend by the girls who had saved birthday and graduation money, and whatever else could be squeezed from the ATMS (Automatic Teller Moms).

This is now the story of the shorts.

The shorts were in a small shop on Madison. The shorts could have been on page 15 of “Elle”—probably teamed with Nina Ricci pumps, torn fishnets (this also seems big this fall) and a metal and velvet necklace probably found at Neiman Marcus. The shorts were linen and beige and from a distance of 15 inches looked a bit like khakis I’ve seen in the windows of Old Navy. The shorts were tried on and, truthfully, looked great although they were short and low cut.

“Should I get them?”
“They’re cute. They look nice on you. It’s your money,”
She hesitates and I get a clue there is an “issue”
“They’re expensive,” she says.
Oh. Expensive.

I have to put this is regular everyday perspective. These are shorts, they are not associated with skating. This is a hard process for me, I’ve decided money related to the “real world” and money for “skating” is a right brain-- left brain concept. No one in their right brain would pay what we pay to coaches, dressmakers, ice rinks, boot-makers. This is counterbalanced by our left brain that questions an occasional 12.00 Cosmopolitan, buying shoes not on sale, or taking the car to Jiffy Lube without a 4.00 coupon.

“How expensive?”
“Well, about half a punch card at the rink.”

And there you have it. Having magazines that deliver ads for things we don’t really buy (oh yes, we might have a real Louis Vuitton tucked away, a Christmas present from 18 years ago, but it is not the fur trimmed number on approximate page 46 that sells for $15,000.) and putting kids in skating totally skews their perception on value.

She bought the shorts. A treat. A splurge. (Truthfully, a toned body in size 0 shorts, who could resist. If they had them in my size I would have tried them on for her and her horror would have prevented the sale but they only had to size 6).

Later, I checked the price tag in the hotel room (on sale at priceline.com) and stifled a groan.

They were tiny. They were like a potholder in my hand.
They cost more than ½ of punch card—they cost at least a sleeve of a waltz dress.
My left brain makes me smile back at her. She is relieved and asks,

“What shoes should I wear with them?”

Somewhere in the back of my brain I want to say ‘your skates are the only thing that could match them au couture’ but instead I hear myself say, “I saw these cute little sandals in “Elle”….

Mombo #9