Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'fashion'

Oh, Mrs. O! What Will Michelle Wear Inaugural Day...

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:01:00 EST

The fashion-obsessed have turned their attention to speculation about the dress Michelle Obama will don for the festivities. Will it be from her favorite Chicago designer, Maria Pinto? Or a couture favorite like Narciso Rodriguez? Whatever gown she picks will become history.

Retailers Struggle To The Finish

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:22:00 EST

Retailers are hoping to salvage a dismal fourth quarter by turning these final days of 2009 into a shopping marathon. Most retailers are trying to catch your eye the old-fashioned, low-tech way: with discounts.

Holiday Style On A Budget

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

The economy is bleak, but fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi says your style shouldn't be. Host Liane Hansen talks to Mizrahi about how to have great holiday style on a budget. Part of Weekend Edition's Eco-Nomical series, a multimedia guide to saving money and the environment this holiday season.

FHA Loans May Hold Key For Would-Be Homeowners

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:38:00 EST

A program created in the 1930s to help pull the country out of the Great Depression has come back in fashion. The Federal Housing Administration is now insuring nearly a third of the nation's home loans. But some people are calling FHA loans the "new sub-prime."

Fashion Wholesaler Suffers Through Recession

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

A new series, "Scenes from a Recession," begins Tuesday. It features regular people talking about the economic crisis. We begin with a visit to a clothing wholesaler.

Michelle Obama Changing Image Of Black Women...

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:43:00 EST

More black faces are showing up in fashion magazines these days, and some are calling it the "Michelle Obama Effect." For the latest entertainment news, NPR's Tony Cox speaks with Allison Samuels, national correspondent for Newsweek magazine.

Foreclosures Revive Home-sharing

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:22:00 EST

With the rise in foreclosures, many people are going back to an old-fashioned way to save on housing: sharing. One newly married couple decided to try the measure after one spouse was laid off. Vermont Public Radio's Nina Keck reports.

Bad Economy Means Business For Thrift Stores

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Thrift shops have seen a business boom in this tanking economy. These stores offer high fashion at a fraction of the cost of designer stores. Donna Speigle, owner of The Snooty Fox, says sales are up 17 percent at her eight stores in the Cincinnati area.

Obamas' Place In History, Fashion Sense Ignite Blogosphere

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

Just a little over a week ago, voters elected Democratic Sen. Barack Obama as the country's next president. In this week's BackTalk, hear more perspectives about Obama's win. Also, find out how a recent segment on Michelle Obama's sense of style has some voters playing fashion police. Also, listeners weigh in on the gay marriage debate brewing in California.

Love It Or Hate It: The Fashion Sense Of Michelle Obama

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:41:00 EST

Politicians aren't known for their cutting-edge fashion sense and most First Ladies have leaned more towards traditional, conservative styles. But future First Lady Michelle Obama might just be an exception to the usual blandness of Washington fashion. Whether you love or hate her style, she's certainly making waves. Washington Post fashion writer Robin Givhan, hairstylist Anthony Dickey, and historian Catherine Allgor explore the style sense of the country's next leading lady.

Obama Hip-Hop: From Mixtapes To Mainstream

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:05:00 EST

This election season, hip-hop artists flocked to their mixing boards in unprecedented fashion in support of Barack Obama. Rapper Young Jeezy and professor Mark Anthony Neal discuss the impact of an African American president-elect on hip-hop.

Jim White's Tiny Desk Concert

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:22:00 EST

Jim White is a storyteller first and a musician second. It's a kind of storytelling rooted in his own unusual history: He grew up in Florida in a deeply Pentecostal community and fell in love with the white gospel music he heard. But from there, White took a surprising path to becoming a full-time musician. He was a professional surfer, a boxer, a fashion model in Milan and a cab driver in New York City. White's travels recently took him to Washington, D.C., where he stopped by the offices of NPR Music for this live performance.

The Modern Vampire: Bloodthirsty, But Chivalrous

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EDT

A new generation of vampire heroes is dominating best-seller lists, movies and TV. The modern-day vampire gentleman is eerily alluring in all the old-fashioned, bloodsucking ways but reins in his baser instincts in an impressive display of control.

Original Fashion Police, Mr. Blackwell Dies At 86

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:32:00 EDT

Before the fashion police were everywhere, there was only one: Mr. Blackwell. He began his annual worst-dressed list back in 1960 — targeting the fashion faux pas of the famous. Mr. Blackwell castigated Britney Spears for her "bra-topped collection of Madonna rejects." And for Bjork: "She dances in the dark — and dresses there, too." Still, he said he admired the celebrities on his list. Richard Blackwell was 86, when he died Sunday in Los Angeles.

Sara Jenkins: Simple Mediterranean Cooking

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:15:00 EDT

For her new cookbook, Olives and Oranges, chef Sara Jenkins found inspiration in the memories of her childhood, when she traveled across Italy, Spain, France, Lebanon and Cyprus. She has fashioned her cooking style around recollections from that childhood abroad.

In Claxton's Death, A Photo Pioneer Lost

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:58:00 EDT

Photographer William Claxton got his start taking photos of jazz musicians in natural settings instead of smoky lounges. His 1967 film Basic Black was considered the first fashion video. He died Oct. 11 from congestive heart failure.

When TV Changed Politics: Adlai Stevenson Vs. Ike

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:55:00 EDT

Adlai Stevenson, who tried to "talk sense to the American people," was an old-fashioned intellectual who believed in long speeches and the power of words. But in 1952, Stevenson faced Dwight Eisenhower on a new battleground — television — and lost.

Liquor Stores: The New Department Stores

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:13:00 EDT

With the economy in a slump, liquor stores in the San Francisco Bay Area are offering department store fashion at a reasonable price.

Can Your Clothes Keep You From Voting On Election Day...

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

"What you wear to the polls on Election Day could prevent you from voting." E-mail chains making that claim have been circulating lately, prompting some voters to ask, just what can you wear to the polls? Doug Chapin, an election expert at the Pew Center, and Gracia Hillman, a Commissioner with the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission, discuss the fashion laws of voting.

Debate Watching Isn't Just For Politicos

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:09:00 EDT

Three experts — a political science professor, a fashion writer and a TV critic — weigh in on what they'll be watching for in Friday's presidential debate. Opinions range from substance to style to wardrobe. Also: guidelines for a debate-watching drinking game.

Cold War Kids: Pondering Personal Politics

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:54:00 EDT

Cold War Kids' sophomore effort, Loyalty to Loyalty, is based on the work of a little-known philosopher named Josiah Royce who was calling Nietzsche out in the early 1900s. The art-pop band straddles the line between both philosophies in atypical rock fashion.

McCain's Former Brazilian Flame Tracked Down

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

We reported last week that political candidates in Brazil changed their names. Several Brazilians are running under the name Barack Obama. Now John McCain gets equal time. His memoir "Faith of My Fathers" recalls his liaison with a Brazilian fashion model. It happened 51 years ago, when he was in the Navy. He never named her, but Brazilian reporters tracked her down. Maria Gracinda Teixeira says McCain was romantic and a "good kisser."

All Eyes On Palin's Glasses

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

It took a couple of women running for America's highest offices to turn campaigning into a fashion statement. Hillary Clinton had her pant suits. Now, Sarah Palin's clear rimmed, titanium eyeglasses are all the rage. In just the last ten days, the Japanese manufacturer has gotten 9,000 orders for them. It normally makes just 12,000 of that style each year. The company's owner adds that he has the same taste in politics as Palin.

Is Fashion Week An Economic Indicator...

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:52:00 EDT

Conventional wisdom holds that during economic downturns, hemlines drop and colors darken. Simon Doonan, fashion writer and Barney's creative director, talks with Renee Montagne about fashion week as an economic indicator.

What Is She Wearing... Fashion Laws Of Politics

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:17:00 EDT

Americans are not only scrutinizing presidential candidates for their positions on the issues. There are also lots of opinions about the sense of style embraced by the candidates' wives and other women on the campaign trail. A fashion reporter and former congresswoman discuss the style of would-be first ladies Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain.