Beauty
Flaming June: A Woman As Hard to Look Away From As Is Her Creator's London House
Frederic Leighton conveys the weight of Flaming June's body and suggests the pulse of living flesh beneath gauzy veils of fabric. The vibrant colors of gown, scarves, and hair blaze against cool white stone, and the reflection of the bright midday sun on the shimmering sea in the background evokes a sultry atmosphere brimming with sensuality. more »
Clothes Encounters: Where were the modest plaid skirts, bow-tied blouses, and shiny loafers my girl friends and I wore to high school?
Rose Madeline Mula writes: Something was definitely wrong with this picture. Earrings, nose rings, eyebrow rings, bizarre hair-dos, purple nail polish ... on the boys. Even weirder, one of them was actually wearing a bathrobe and slippers. I swear. The others sported second-skin-tight bicycle shorts or kaleidoscopic, ridiculously baggy pants obviously stolen from Barnum & Bailey. more »
Lady in Red: Perhaps Adjust Your Wardrobe and Alert Chris de Burgh To Re-release His Song
"Recent research suggests that red is an aphrodisiac for men viewing women. Men viewing women on a red background or in red clothing find them more attractive and sexually desirable, intend to spend more money on them, and choose to sit closer to them." One experiment situation: "Imagine that you (are interested in casual sex with a guy. You) decide to join a dating website because you have heard that it is a good way to find a guy (for this type of relationship). The website allows you to post one picture, and you decide to take a picture of yourself using your cell phone." more »
Carla Fernández, The Barefoot Designer at the Gardner
This first fashion exhibition at Boston's Gardner Museum explores the development of a new language in visual design that Fernández has built over two decades. She uses a method called "the Square Root" based on the Mexican tradition of making clothing from squares and rectangles. more »