Fashion; Some bits on forthcoming books

(If you're not interested in fashion, skip the beginning.)

We went shopping yesterday with my wife (and, of course, Kauto, but he didn't actually know what was going on - at least I think so). It was the last day of the sales and the shops had lowed the prices even more, some even up to 70 %.

We both like shopping around and we're both interested in fashion - I think that I'm even more into it than Elina, even though we both can also react against it, if it doesn't suit our tastes. There's something relaxing in spending the money in something you don't really need. I know that this is deeply unecological - but then again, more than half of our clothes come from flea markets and second hand boutiques.

Yesterday we visited also Hennes & Mauritz, the big Swedish chainstore that sells almost-high fashion to teenagers and those who still want to be teenagers. I was both shocked and pleased to notice that almost none of the clothes Karl Lagerfeld designed for H&M were sold. They were in 50 % discount!

I had tried the Lagerfeld slacks when they came out, but they were a huge disappointment and couldn't think of anyone wanting to wear them. They looked like crappy jeans (and too tight at that), but they were slacks nevertheless. It seemed that they couldn't be able to decide which one they wanted to do.

Now I tried a sweater and a white shirt, but they weren't any better than the slacks. They didn't fit very well, especially the sweater was too loose, there were unnecessary tricks in the collar of the shirt and the front looked like a servant's vest. I said to Elina that these couldn't be designed by Lagerfeld himself. "It's probably been done by an apprentice or a summer worker. Karl just said: Ja, das ist verrry Gut."

It was nice after this to find a very nicely cut black jacket at Zara, with over 50 % discount. I had been looking for one, even though I have over 20 jackets... Most have come from second hand stores, though.

***

I'm listening now to Blues Section, the most famous Finnish psychedelic/acid/freakbeat band from the late sixties. Quite nice, actually. It's Sunday, but I'll have to work a bit: we'll have to have the manuscript of "Eemu, Ukri, Amelie" revised by Monday. It's a book on rare first names and it's an updated edition of an earlier book with the similar theme.

I was mentioned in Helsingin Sanomat today! They had the traditional lists of the forthcoming books and my movie history book was there. Even though it was mentioned by its working title alone ("Elokuvan historia/"The History of Cinema"). (It will be "The White Heat: The Introduction to the History of Cinema".) There is already a book with that title and I can imagine Peter von Bagh, the writer of the book, getting pissed off. I just hope he won't send any letters to the editor...