EVENTS
St.
John Spring Collection 2000 Showcase
Informal
modeling to show off the line's special occasion spring
styles, including bridal party attire.
Nordstrom-Washington
Square, 9700 SW Washington Square Road, 620-0555,
ext. 1550. 11 am-3 pm Friday, March 24. Free.
Kitty
Princess Anniversary Fashion Show in Memory of Elizabeth
Nelte
No
other Portland clothing shop represents the city's
D.I.Y. aesthetic quite like Kitty Princess Boutique.
Formed five years ago by thrift-score madams Paige
Taylor and Elizabeth Nelte, the small shop has survived
the yuppification of Belmont and the tragic death
of Nelte last year to bone cancer. Celebrate the life
and times of Kitty Princess at this fashion show featuring
vintage fashions, hair-dos by Salon 220 and entertainment
by Sister Caravan Dance Troupe and DJ T*1*11.
3356
SE Belmont St., 233-2567. 8 pm-midnight Saturday,
March 25.
|
St.
John Spring Collection 2000 Showcase
Informal
modeling to show off the line's special occasion spring
styles, including bridal party attire.
Nordstrom-Washington
Square, 9700 SW Washington Square Road, 620-0555,
ext. 1550. 11 am-3 pm Friday, March 24. Free.
"Pet fashion."
It's hard to believe the phrase exists. In rural Wisconsin
where I grew up, nobody had tiny, yappy pooches who
paraded around in argyle sweaters and sun visors.
The dog tuxedos and ballerina tutus (!) available
at PetSmart stores today would have been the laughingstock
of the county. The local hunting dogs were admired
for their heartiness and retrieving skills, not for
sitting pretty in vests. I always assumed that people
who outfitted their pets--er, animal companions--were
lonely old ladies who sent Christmas photo cards featuring
armloads of caped and bonneted Scotties.
But try as I might, animal fashion is getting harder
to ignore. A few glitzy accessories arrived in my
mailbox, signaling just how far the trend has gone.
TWINKLE ULTRA FINE HORSE GLIMMER
That's right. The body-glitter blitzkrieg has
hit the jodphur-and-polos set. Think of it as My Pretty
Pony for grown-ups. Show Shimmer, the Bend company
responsible for this non-toxic, oil-free glitter gel,
notes on the label that the glimmer "instantly adds
sparkle to mane, tail, body and legs. Great for people,
too." Since I haven't yet convinced my dad to buy
me a dapple-gray, I doused my own mane and body with
the copper-colored potion. It does shimmer nicely
on the dance floor, and it's virtually odorless and
rinses off with water (or you can brush it out), but
it's not as fine as most humans-only body glitter.
The products are tops with horse-show types, though
not all competitions allow it. The gel is also safe
to use on pets, but you have to wonder if shimmery
poop is the end result. Glimmer colors range from
gold to emerald, and Twinkle Toes ultra-fine hoof
polish is also available ($11.95-$17.95). You can
find the outrageous stuff in "high-end feed stores,"
and locally at Mary's Saddle & Tack, 21375 SW
Tualatin Valley Highway, Aloha, 649-5353, and Culpepper
& Co., 1108 NW Frontage Road, Troutdale, 669-8609.
For other area stores or more information, call (877)
445-4883.
MOODY DOG COLLAR
I have to admit, this is one of the cutest things
ever. Sure, Locutus (of Borg), the Chihuahua who road-tested
this snazzy, zebra-striped, cowhide collar, is damn
adorable, but this choker would make a pit bull seem
cuddly. The collars are studded with pewter settings
and silver hardware (including a loop for ID tags),
but the main draw is the mood stone in the center
that changes color based on your pet's body temperature--I
mean mood.
A handy chart helps you interpret five possible results.
Red-brown, for example, indicates "nervous, soul-searching,
introspective, tense, lackadaisical, forlorn." The
opposite end of the spectrum is black, suggesting
your dog is "flabbergasted, persnickety, bamboozled,
disgruntled, cranky, smart aleck." Every color on
the chart also corresponds to your dog's advice to
"pet me/feed me/take me for a walk." If the stone
is black, however, "Don't even think about petting
me; however you are welcome to feed me and take me
for a walk."
For the record, Locutus was all over the map during
the couple of days he sported it, but ultimately he
seems to be a well-adjusted animal citizen. The collars
are available in a variety of cat and dog sizes and
styles, including cheetah and Dalmatian patterns:
$27-$45 (plus shipping) at www.moodypet.com or (888)
671-5663.
Of course, barking, growling, whining and tail-wagging
are free and reliable indicators of an animal pal's
feelings, but if Scout or Marshmallow has to sport
a collar anyway, why not pick a cool one? OK, so there
is something sort of odd about a dog wearing the hide
of a cow colored like a zebra. If you love cows as
much as you love Fido, it's not for you. Then again,
they do make fetching chokers for people...
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Willamette Week | originally
published March 22,
2000
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