Seduction II, in Poetry

A fragment of T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Robert Herrick's Delight in Disorder might illustrate what, for some men, is seductive. Do they?

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

And I have known the arms already, known them all—
Arms that are braceleted and white and bare
[But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!]
It is perfume from a dress
That makes me so digress?
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
And should I then presume?
And how should I begin?
. . . . .

Delight in Disorder

A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in cloathes a wantonnesse:
A Lawne about the shoulders thrown
Into fine distraction:
An erring Lace, which here and there
Entralls the Crimson Stomacher:
A Cuffe neglectfull, and thereby
Ribbands to flow confusedly:
A winning wave (deserving Note)
In the tempestuous petticote:
A careless shoe-string, in whose tye
A see a wilde civility:
Doe more bewitch me, then when Art
Is too precise in every part.

Seduction

“Women always get it wrong.” my husband informs me. And yet, miraculously, the human race has managed to survive and prosper. He assures me that seduction isn’t about fishnet stockings, high heels and face paint (I’ve never been overly fond of the Dynasty image of women, myself).

The Fashion Institute of Technology (or FIT) in New York currently has an exhibit called simply, Seduction. While every era seems to have its own ideas about clothing and physical attraction, are there any prevailing themes that we can discover? Is seduction strictly subjective to each individual? Is it as much about what we conceal as what we reveal? Tell me, what IS seductive in or on a woman?



























Corset circa 1903


























Jane Régny evening dress circa 1931, France


























Red organza evening gown, circa 1950

























John Galliano for Christian Dior, black leather circa 2000, France

























Sárka Sisková evening dress circa 2008, Czech Republic

Glittering Trees

All the trees in our neighborhood are crusted with ice that glitters in the sun. This one was calling softly to me from across the street. A line from Lucy Maud Montgomery's poem A Winter's Day describes it best:
A glistening splendor crowns the woods.

Winter Berries

I'm working from home today because we have a lovely winter mix of snow and freezing rain, but I couldn't resist taking a picture of these berries crusted with snow.

A Little Spring in Winter

For among these winters there is one so endlessly winter that only by wintering through it all will your heart survive.
Rilke

Every year when the first frost hits, I usually dump out my herb pots and store them in the shed. This year, the lavender was still going strong, so I decided to see if they could last the winter. I've been waking up to lavender blooms every morning, which makes the weather predictions that much more bearable.

Tout le Monde

When I was in high school, my girlfriends and I listened incessantly to Kate Bush, The Smiths and Depeche Mode. We didn't know anyone who wore a babushka. We also didn't know anyone named Kashka from Bagdad or anywhere else for that matter. We didn't blog, twitter, flickr, peek or google, and we certainly hadn't heard of instant messaging.

But today ... today my sister Carol shared this wonderful video with me on Facebook, and I find that tout le monde is at my fingertips.

Predictions for 2009

I spend more than my share of time around the blogosphere, and I’ve noticed a few trends emerging that I think will gain some steam this year, both online and in analog. Here are a few to consider;

Sincerity is back. Irony was declared dead after the 9/11 attacks, and while it will never entirely die in a free country such as ours, it’s woven into the American psyche as an escape from taking ourselves too seriously. But we now have a counter-balance to an overload of irony in the 1990’s. Unlike the pretension of the 1980’s, we don’t waste time talking about things we don’t actually care about. If we want to discuss art, poetry or culture right out in public spaces, it’s because we like it and that’s who we are. Expect to see more sincerity in 2009.

Shopping Hiatus. Blogger friends at Simple Lovely are only one example of people going on a financial ‘cleanse’ for anywhere from three weeks to three months. The idea is to reset your spending metabolism and learn more responsible spending habits. Getting out of the habit of spending freely also gives you perspective on the difference between ‘want’ and ‘need.’ Which leads me to …

Simplifying and organizing. ‘Editing’ every room in the house is all the rage. People are also downsizing and buying smaller houses, if they’re buying houses at all. You’ll see lots of yard sales this summer as people try to make room for only the things they really love or need.

On the rare occasion when we do buy this year, more of it will be handmade or vintage. To add to this, when we buy commercial goods, we’ll be buying from companies that are notorious for doing good in the world. Whether it’s about having a positive environmental impact or helping the poor in Senegal, we want our dollars to not only get us nifty products, but also cast a vote for being responsible citizens of the world.

Facebook. Everyone you’ve ever met is on Facebook (except for my husband, but we’ll save that for another time). It can be a bit jarring, having people from every chapter and facet of your life talking to you. But when you’re commenting on a friend’s wall, let’s remember that you have professional colleagues and future bosses who will be seeing every single word. So let’s keep the drunken sailor talk to a minimum, shall we?

What trends do you predict for 2009?

What Do You Wear When You Want to Feel Special?

My dear friend Leann and I were having dinner together one night when she asked me, "What do you wear when you want to feel special? You know, when you're just hanging around the house." This sort of question is not uncommon in our many years of friendship, the sort of question I might normally have a quick answer. I looked at her and blinked. I had nothing. But I do now. She gave me this lovely mohair shoulder shrug from pipsqueak-chapeau. Something to make you feel special at home, at work, at the ballet ... thank you, Leann.

How to Survive the Cold Winter

As winter has finally hit Central Ohio and record lows are hitting the whole country (it is -4º today!), it’s time to retreat indoors and even enjoy the retreat a little. Here are a few things that inspire me this week.

The Pantry: Its History And Modern Uses. A beautifully illustrated history of how the nature of the 19th century pantry began to change and evolve in the 20th and 21st centuries as American homemakers began to cook more, bake more, buy more, and stockpile more just as architects were designing and building homes that did not have pantries. The idea of an historical look at pantries is fascinating to me because food technology has so radically changed over the last century, as have our culinary tastes.

Cleopatra’s Nose. This collection of essays from the biographer of Colette and Isak Dinesen compiled from 20 years at the New Yorker will delight you. Judith Thurman writes with wit and interest on all of her topics, which include designers Elsa Schiaparelli and Rei Kawakubo, and Madame de Pompadour. Other subjects include Coco Chanel, Diane Arbus, even Cleopatra. While her focus is often on fashion, she doesn’t write about it as silly and meaningless. She gives fashion the full respect it is due as a multi-national indicator of social, economic, and cultural shifts in the American imagination with lasting significance.

A Well-Kept Home. If you’re planning a serious spring cleaning as I am, this book will take you back to gentler and slower-paced days when more natural methods were used to run and clean homes, reflecting on the traditional way that earlier generations cooked, cleaned, decorated, groomed and gardened. You might also be inspired to make bitter orange marmalade, light a wood fire, or prune rose bushes.

Artists Journals vary as much as artists do. Some might consist of tidy white pages with soft little sketches on them while others provide an orgy of colors and textures. Unlike works created for more public consumption, journals can provide a more intimate exploration of ideas and interests. If you want your creativity to take flight, this book is for you.

The brilliant novels of Jane Austen always give me the impression that she never wrote a bad line. Creating screen versions of her characters, with their sharp wits and quick tongues, would seem like no small task. But this collection by the BBC delivers flawless performances and stunning scenery in each and every adaption of Austen’s books.

If you're a fan of Latin music, Havana Holiday must be added to your music collection immediately. Warning: this music may give you the urge to jump on a plane and head to Havana.