Calvin Klein was born November 19, 1942, in the Bronx, New York.  He was raised in the borough’s Mosholu Parkway section a middle-class Jewish community of first and second-generation immigrants.  In 1968 Klein launched his own clothing company that was inspired by the style of New York’s urban youth.   We can’t forget the uproar caused by his jeans ad with a 15 year old Brooke Shields. 

Here are some Calvin Klein Shoes for fun.

Mackenzi $88 at Zappos

Cristy $138 at Zappos

 From Calvin Klein Collection   Zahra $670 at Endless

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So, Hubby, the kids, and I attended the inaugural year of Steamcon 2009 which was held October 23-25 at the Seattle Airport Marriott.

For a first-year convention, there were certainly a few hiccups, but most of those were a product of the small venue combined with unexpectedly large turnout. When planning a 1st-year event, the only numbers you can rely on are numbers for similar events, in this case, a normal first-year estimate would be in the neighborhood of 400 attendees. Over 1300 attended, and that is not including the number of people who showed up but were unable to get one of the extremely limited number of available day-passes.

Day-pass hopefuls roped a line around a large area of the atrium pool and waited hours for the chance at receiving a badge that would allow them to attend panels, workshops and gaming tables.  I suspect many without badges wandered the halls anyway and just soaked up the general atmosphere.  Can I even over-emphasize how important it was to pre-register?

Final reminder to self: Don’t forget to pre-register for next year at the earliest opportunity. Even with the convention organizers new hunt to locate a larger venue suitable for next year’s convention, it will likely continue to grow in size, so early registration will be vital!

Now, with that out of the way, was it fun?

Hell yeah!

This was absolutely worth finding a way to squeeze the price of registration and the two separate ticketed events out of our rather tight 2009 budget.  Admittedly, being able to get the room on bonus points helped out immensely.

So, hubby and I attended Steamcon as a sort of unplanned 18th anniversary gift to ourselves (though, what does it tell you that we both realized we had this anniversary coming up…. 2 days after it was past?).

Anyway, the kids were with us on Friday only as we got settled into our rooms (Grandma & Grandpa were working Friday, so we had a big family hotel adventure that day & evening), learned the layout of the hotel, checked out the vendor room, and bopped from panel to panel; generally getting a feel for the people and event as a whole. We dressed in steam for the entire event; shopping from our closets since our budget is closely controlled this year. An eclectic personal wardrobe made this less of a challenge for me than it might for others; vests, skirts, ruffled shirts, even a long cavalry-style coat made the trip to Seattle - just in case.

We were also able to spend time with friends we had not seen for years - a wonderful added bonus.

Highlights of the weekend:  Chatting with author Tim Powers while waiting in line at the coffee shop, watching my daughters get dragged onstage by Abney Park lead-singer ‘Captain Roberts’ with the sweeping phrase “Check out the awesome” in reference to their age and outfits,  wearing feathered hats without feeling even a wink self-conscious, and of course, just wandering around among all of the amazing and creative people.

(Abney Park’s Dread Captain Roberts…pardon the blurry focus, it was dark & a bit of a distance shot)

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, the one thing most Steampunks have in common is a do-it-yourself attitude that takes many forms but which also tends to cross-over with a Victorian aesthetic.  So, these are not cheap Halloween costumes people are wearing; they are truly one-of-a-kind fashion statements.

So, without further ado, just a few of the fabulous and fun people - and outfits - from Steamcon 2009:

(These ladies were so hot; it completely put to lie the idea many modern fashion designers have that you must be a skinny stick-figure to make clothing look good and that curvy women aren’t a worthwhile designer type.  I posit that it’s the impeccable tailoring and fit to an individual’s body-type that makes all of the difference…something that we are unfortunately lacking in today’s ready-to-wear culture.  Lazy fashion designers who can’t fit a gal with curves are also a bit of a personal peeve. Could you tell?)

(Check out those Fleuvogs!)

These are actually Born’s - here’s a detail:

And a close-up of those spats:

There were simply too many amazing outfits and people to show you in a single article. But, if you are interested in seeing more from me or others - particularly if you love boots and spats, I am posting all of my photos in an album on Shoeblog’s Facebook page for your enjoyment.

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Is it just me, or have many designers forgotten the meaning of the phrase ‘Ready to wear’ during the Spring-Summer 2010 runway shows?  I know the runway is about drama, but more actual wear-ability in RTW lines would be nice to see.

Am I being too judgmental?

Perhaps I am in the minority here, but, I am willing to take the risk of being called  ‘unfashionable’ (or worse) when discussing the footwear that made it’s appearance at this week’s Louis Vuitton RTW runway show.

(Photos c/o style.com & nymag.com)

Called “terrific—modified clogs, moccasins and penny loafers, with kitten heels and feathery tufts” by Cathy Horyn at the New York times - I must, respectfully and vociferously, disagree!

We are, after all, speaking of these shoes:

And, painfully, all of these:

About the only thing I liked on the runway was the playful beaded take on the classic LV monogrammed bags (Which, if you take off that over-sized, fringe tassel, is kind of adorable):

Let me be clear on this.

I love that Marc Jacobs is unpretentious and playful with fashion.  Really, I do.

And, the idea of LV embracing MJ and adding a bit of play into their line is a nice idea - in theory.

But, please……..Let’s hope designers and fashion houses remember that we regular people need to do more than look at our fashion. We need to be able to wear it, too.

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Cowboys represent the Old West and western clothing is recognized for it’s uniqueness.  Western wear is recognized around the world.  (My dad lived in Spain for a while and was known as the “big cowboy”.  He never goes anywhere without his hat or boots.) 

Cobblers in Coffeyville, Kansas are credited with producing the first “cowboy boot.”  They featured pointed toes, reinforced arches and higher heels.  These features all had a purpose that were useful to the cowboy.  By 1880 western wear had been refined to the point that they haven’t changed appreciably since.  Below is a photo, circa 1920, of cowgirls who performed in Wild West rodeos and shows.   Are they the cutest things ever?

I believe there is a big difference between western wear and cowboy wear.  I agree with Trainingheels and her issue about wearing cowboy boots.  There are, however, ways to wear cowboy boots and not look like a complete goober. 

If you are going to wear cowboy boots, don’t look like the girls above. I think the best way to pull off the Cowgirl boot is to wear what real cowboys and girls wear now, not in 1920.    I would be reluctant to buy cowboy boots that are sold in a department store.  They never look right.   I have yet to meet a true cowboy who would wear Old Gringo boots in public.   So, what do today’s cowboys wear? 

My favorite.  Justin Roper $95 at Zappos.  Never, never, never tuck your pants into these.  Never, never, never wear these with a skirt.  You will look like a goober.

If I were to buy a pair of cowboy boots today, I would probably pick the boots below.  Why?  The lizard skin is gorgeous, the toe isn’t extreme, I could wear them to New York with bootcut jeans and not look like a complete goober.  Trainingheels wouldn’t make TOO much fun of me.  I hope.

Dan Post Teju Lizard boots $310 at Shoebuy.com

Sam Lucchese, Tony Llama, and Joe Justin dominated the boot industry by 1880.  They still have a presence.  A boot from any of these makers will last forever.   In order to compete in the fashion industry Lucchese introduced a line called Charlie 1 Horse by Lucchese.  They have done some fun stuff by introducing slides with the same craftsmanship as their boots.  They are a well made slide.

Wingtip slide $175 at Zappos    Other colors are available at Shoebuy for about $180.

One last Charlie 1 Horse.  

Stiletto Bomber $294 at Zappos

This is a boot I have to think about. I can’t decide if they are good or not good.

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Several people I have talked to have serious crushes on over the knee boots.   So c’mon, let’s look at boots!

First up, Georgina Goodman Crystal Boot $826 at Endless Clearance

Versace $1240. at Saks Fifth Ave

Prada OTK Boot $1400  at Bergdorf Goodman

Henry Beguelin Scrunched OTK $1400. at Bergdorf Goodman

Two Lips Kitty Kat $102 at Zappos There are four colors.  Black, tan, purple and grey.

I am seeing this silouette a lot in stores right now.  Type Z Riderz $98 at Zappos

You can’t have over the knee boots without including Pleaser USA

Legend 8899 $74.00 at Zappos

With over the knee boots, it seems the higher the heel the more into stripper territory they get.  Personally, I think they look hot, as in temperature, hot.  My 23 year old son just laughed when I asked his opinion.  He still won’t say why he is laughing.

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