Shopping & Fashion Blog

ashion has certainly come a long way from the top hats and petticoats era of the past. Clothes today have become a great combination of aesthetics and function. One might think that because of the progress that we have maid in the area of clothing, we would not look back at our past. Reality, as always, has a way of denying what we all think. Today, we all see a resurgence of popular fashion styles from the past. It seems that old school fashion is coming back. First of all, what is old school fashion? Well, it constitutes of fashion coming from 1970s-1980s. Old school fashion is being brought back by fashion conscious young adults and teenagers today. Old school fashion is not only determined by the clothes. Old school fashion is evident in accessories, hairstyles and even in the attitude of the youth today. The question, however, is why? Why is old school fashion coming back?

There are a variety of reasons why people are bringing back old school fashion. First of all, this fascination with the past has started with television. Do you realize that the people who are bringing back old school fashion are the ones who grew up watching reruns of such shows as Happy Days? We are also the same generation who enjoy watching TV shows based on the past such as That 70’s Show.
Come to think of it, we have been exposed so much to old school fashion in other media. Think of the movies: we are the ones who enjoyed watching movies of old shows like Starsky and Hutch, Charlie’s Angels and other movies which have been resurrected from the old death of camp TV to the new life of the cinema. Well, the media certainly brought about the old school fashion revival. It was the spark that created the fire. The question, however, is what fuels the flames? The truth is, people like old school fashion. It looks good and helps them reconnect with a past which was not as complicated as the world today. The reason why old school fashion is constantly gaining popularity is the fact that once it was reintroduced into society, people found that they actually liked it.
Old school fashion is also very popular because of the fact that there’s just something about it that is so sexy. Old school fashion was designed to show of the beauty of the human body. Fitted shirts and pants, cool patterns and designs, these are the trademarks of a past which young people have not experienced.
Another reason why people think that old school fashion is so cool is the fact that, combined with today’s technology of comfortable fabrics, old school designs can be pretty showy and yet casual at the same time.
So why is old school fashion coming back? Well, some people would see it as a metaphor for us trying to reclaim a past that never really belonged to us. It can also be a metaphor for trying to extract the best things out of the past. You see, when old school fashion was brought into this century, we never really brought all of the bad memories with it. Old school fashion could either be a great example of recapturing the beautiful past or it could be a bad metaphor for selective amnesia. You decide.

Thoughtful gifts for employees express appreciation for a job well done.

What did you give your employees for the holidays last year? Mugs? Turkeys? Nothing?

According to a Lands’ End Corporate Sales Employee Gift Survey, 58 percent of employees believe their employers expend minimal time and effort selecting their holiday gifts. Among the most thoughtless gifts respondents said they had received: a ruler, a can of prunes, a lottery, ticket and an eraser.

In contrast, the right holiday present “shows that your employees are valuable assets to you,” says Vicki Spina, a consultant in Palatine, Ill., and author of Success 2000: Moving into the Millennium with Purpose, Power & Prosperity (John Wiley & Sons, 1997).

Hilary Kleese, marketing manager for Lands’ End Corporate Sales in Dodgeville, Wis., agrees: “It’s an opportunity to show employees how you feel about them and the work they’re doing. In an employee-driven market, it’s important for managers to take opportunities to retain employees.”

Of course, many managers are busy enough during the holiday season with buying gifts for their families, let alone their employees. And most companies don’t offer any guidance. “In the absence of well-defined gift-giving guidelines, managers are left to muddle through holidays, birthdays and a host of other gift-giving occasions,” says Sherri Athay, co-author of Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts For Every Occasion (Stellar Publishing, 1996) and co-owner of Present Perfect Gift Consultants in Hyde Park, Utah.

So how can managers tangibly express their appreciation?

MAKIN’ A LIST, CHECKIN’ IT TWICE

Thoughtful gift giving requires preparation. Just like Santa, make a list of the employees you want to present with gifts and then brainstorm. “Shop early. You’ll save time, money and frustration,” recommends Darcie Conran, national sales manager in Minneapolis for the corporate gifts and incentives division of Dayton’s, Hudson’s and Marshall Field’s department stores.

“The main problem is managers don’t know the people they’re buying for,” says Spina. “They don’t know what their employees want.” How can you discover your employees’ hobbies, interests and preferences?

Observe employees’ work spaces. “What kind of things do they have on their desks?” asks Spina. Pictures of sailboats or a golf calendar?

Enlist help. Conran recommends “asking co-workers or assistants” for suggestions.

Listen to what employees do on the weekends. Do your employees attend hockey games? Rent movies? Garden?

Pay attention at company functions. “If you have company picnics, get to know the employees’ spouses and children. You’ll learn a lot about people just from that,” suggests Spina.

Note where employees vacation. Do they go skiing in Colorado? Boating on Lake Michigan? Sightseeing in New York? “The real key is getting to know your employees beyond the workplace. Know the things that are going to be meaningful to them,” recommends Gerry Hodges, regional HR team leader at Schreiber Foods in Smithfield, Utah. Hodges annually exchanges gifts with the employees who report to him. “You can show by the gift that you’ve done some research into the kinds of things they would like.”

Ask the employees themselves. Larry Athay, co-author of Present Perfect, suggests that HR professionals survey employees for suggestions. “If the supervisor is asking directly, it’s awkward. The employees may be afraid of offending the supervisor. But if they can respond in anonymity,” such as through an HR professional, they can hint at what they would like to receive.

WHAT NOT TO GIVE

“A manager wants to be very careful not to unwittingly give an inappropriate gift,” cautions Cynthia Yates, author of The Complete Guide to Creative Gift-Giving (Servant Publications, 1997). Thus, avoid gifts that are too intimate, such as perfume, toiletries or cosmetics.

Clothing is not appropriate, says Spina, except for work-related items such as a sweatshirt embroidered with the company logo.

“Avoid anything that seems sexist or racist,” warns Yates. “In other words, don’t give the guys in the office expensive pen-and-pencil sets and give the women new coffeepots.” In fact, it is best to avoid gender-specific gifts completely. “There’s too much chance for misunderstanding.”

Gag gifts and cards with lewd jokes are obviously inappropriate. “Bad gifts are anything that embarrasses the recipient, such as a singing telegram,” says Sherri Athay.

Other gifts to avoid include tobacco, alcohol and any foods an individual abstains from for health or religious reasons.