To sock or not to sock, the mannequin's main question, back on April 23, 2009

I think this was a window at Nordstrom, downtown Portland. Well, I know it was downtown, and I'm pretty sure that I took this sort of photo at Nordstrom because I walked past it to get to the homebound bus after being out and about, maybe at a movie at the Fox Tower or ushering at what was then the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Anyway, the socks and/or lack of socks caught my attention. Here's what I found online about those words in the window: Moschino Cheap and Chic (women's secondary line, created in 1988)



The socks fascinated me, especially these mint green ones worn with what look to be brown suede high-heeled sandals.



Are these made of raffia, maybe decorated only with it? I don't know much about fashion, but I'm certain that these sock-less mannequin feet and ankles are much more comfortable than any human feet would be in these. In other words, I don't much like the cut of the toe opening or the height of the heel. I wonder if, back in 1972 when I wore particularly outrageous platform shoes with hot pants and mini skirts; I wonder would I have felt limber enough and in balance enough and strong enough to have worn them?



The angle of the mannequin's foot makes these shoes look abusive to the ball and the arch of the foot, but I am once again fascinated with these socks. I can just imagine the pains taken by the window dresser with each sock, perfected until satisfaction flooded that person's mind. Yep, that's what I believe happened here as well as with the mint green socks in the top photo. Much more rewarding to sock, for sure!

About Moschino itself: Moschino is an Italian luxury fashion house, specilialized ready-to-wear, leather and fashion accessories, shoes, luggage, perfume etc., founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino.

Something different, from October 25, 2008.

I wanted to post something different, completely different from basketball and my neighborhood. So, here it is, a store window display at Brooks Brothers, downtown Portland, on SW Morrison near Pioneer Courthouse Square. TriMet's MAX Red and Blue Lines traverse Morrison westbound at this particular point. What I like, in particular about this photo, is the story the three windows tell, in image and text.

The leftmost window features the word "Before ..." and a mannequin ironing a dress shirt, complete with a can of spray starch.

The center window features the words "Say good bye to your iron." and a galvanized trashcan stuffed with an ironing board, iron, and at least one unironed dress shirt.

The rightmost window features the words "The Brooks Brothers Miracle Non-Iron Dress Shirt 3 for $199" and a chrome-plated clothing rack loaded with more than ten dress shirts, hanging equidistant from one another.

From my side of the street, reflected in the windows and seen at the bottom of the photo, between the petunia planters and the stone curb across the street, you'll find among those gray bricks one of the rails that the MAX wheels rest on as the cars roll along--the perspective precludes the other rail's appearance in this photo. Trust me, the neither the rails nor the curb wave as the so wonderfully do here!

Framed for Christmas, No. 11

Inspiration for all last-minute shoppers, a beautiful store window. I took this photo on December 6, 2007.

On display, No. 1

Seen on SW 10th Avenue, across the street from the Central Library