1.09.2008

I Specialize in Specificity

I have very distinctive tastes. I know what I like. I also know what I don't like. For the things I am not familiar with I am willing to try. (Except chitlins.) But for those things I have already attempted, I worked hard to determine whether or not I like them. Yes, this is the attractive way to call me picky. I categorically reject that term. I have STANDARDS. Get some.

I asked my dad to buy 100% cranberry juice. Specific. He buys cranberry juice cocktail. 27% juice. Yuck. The rest is sugar and water, I know it is. I don't even want to look at the label. I tasted it. So not the same. When you have 100% juice (which isn't even more expensive because the generic brand is actually quite delightful) you will never want to go back. Give it a shot. I also asked him to buy B.igelow English breakfast tea. I'm delighted he got this one right. I know you're calling me bratty but when I'm not specific with him when I send him to the store he brings back the wrong thing and it will sit in that cabinet until one of us throws it away after it has passed its expiration date.

I also asked for P.rogresso chicken noodle soup. (He once got store brand chicken noodle soup and it was the most salty, disgusting bowl of soup I've ever had in my life.) He got the 99% fat free kind. That scared me. My mother has shooed me from 'diet' food all my life. I tasted it tentatively. It was actually good. Score! While we're talking about things that are good for you, A.ldi's brand Fit&A.ctive actually tastes like normal food. My mom bought something to give it a try and just kept trying it and almost everything I've had from that line was yummy.

Would you like to know something wonderful? Miss B told me to go to Banana R.epublic to check out their sale. I went to the mall with only that in mind. I got a cute gray pencil skirt with gold metallic threading throughout and 2 front pleats from J. Cre.w since it was on the way. Then I hit Banana. I went for the pants and bought an adorable red dress. Originally $138, now $44. And... wait for it. Wait for it. A gray wool suit. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. The holy grail. I love gray suits. For men and women. If you are a man and want to make me drool all over you, you will wear a gray suit. Preferably with a gorgeous striped shirt or a fabulous color like PURPLE or anything that pops. An actual color, not black or white. Drooling right now. Pardon me while I wipe my mouth.

Ladies and gentlemen. You must buy QUALITY pieces when selecting work wear. They should be pieces you can wear for years. That means you need not skimp on quality. It does not necessarily mean you have to spend a lot of money. If you need further convincing, calculate the cost per wear. The number of times you will wear it divided by the cost of the item. Let's say I wear this suit 10 times. I spent $97 on it. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT!!! $97 FOR A WOOL SUIT FROM BANANA, ORIGINALLY $226. That alone should make you grab it off the rack and run like you stole it. BUT should you need additional help, if I wear it 10 times (and I plan to wear it far more than that including mixing and matching the pieces with other pieces already in my wardrobe.), it will cost me $9.70 per wear. How can you beat that? That's right. You can't! Sigh. I'm in heaven right now. I also went to MadM.ex for lunch. Drool. Pause. Sigh. Pause. Love. More drooling. And tonight? A new episode of Project Runway. Can life get better? I think not.

24 comments:

1969 said...

That is a great day and yes....a gray suit is always fierce with purple or that cute raspberry color.

Tonight,I get to see Prince Christian the Small!!!!

who? said...

I'm not so picky when it comes to food, but I will toss anything I think is nasty.

I don't wear suits often. Only when I go to those oft-failed job interviews... and never with a purple shirt (I don't even think I own one besides a t-shirt with The Joker on it)... but I feel where you're coming from with the "work wear".

Erica C. said...

I love suits. I also agree that when it comes to work wear there can be no half stepping.

I'm eagarly waiting for my shipment to come from the GAP. I invested in the perfect white classic dress shirt. Got one in black too! Now I have all the right basics!

Good post!

Chris said...

and this has been "how dress for work...FAAHBULOUSLY" with Jameil, LOL

Southerner in Suomi said...

Plus the cranberry cocktails is almost see-through it's so watered down. And that's no good when I add my Grey Goose. Lol.

Jameil said...

1969... yay on both accounts!!!

cc... food is muy importante. i live to eat NOT eat to live. food is life. don't say oft-failed. you sound so pessimisstic. life is too short for that.

ec... oooooh. sign me up for those, too! if only i needed these things for work. my job is much more casual particularly for those who work weekends and overnights.

chris... *insert high pitched in living color voice* "hahaaaaaaaaaa THANKYOUVERYMUCH!!!!!"

v... right?! i'm not so much w/the vodka but truly cocktails ain't gettin it w/the semi-cran.

Sparkling Red said...

I had no idea people were so cool with 100% cran. I have drunk the stuff because it is healthy, but I find it difficult to unpucker my mouth for half an hour after. Too sour for me!

Anonymous said...

Isn't that a man thing though when it comes to food shopping? Unless you give me specifics, I'm buying the joint that cost less. So I don't think you're bratty. I think you're smart :)

Adei von K said...

you know what? I actually prefer cranberry cocktail! I tell Drew to get CVS brand cranberry juice and he can keep the ocean spray 100% for himself.

GET IT gray suit!!! That is AWESOME! Gray and any color is great!

Wait, i'm not feeling gray and green. that sounds like 'sea-sickness'

So...Wise...Sista said...

But why the Tim Gunn voice all up in my head as I read this??

the joy said...

Cran juice, ick. Too bitter for me straight off. I love crans though, and crasins.

Embrace the picky! If you have your heart and tongue set on something, that's what you should have.

Yay PR!

Tasha said...

I'm with you, you can't go cheap on work clothes. For most people, that's what they wear most often, so it has to be able to stand up to wear. Umm, can we see a picture of this suit?

Eb the Celeb said...

Charcoal grey and deep purple together are to die for... both my fAV colors...

you really racked up... i dont like how either of those places clothes fit on me... the only place where i have to get double digits in sizes and then somewhere its still sagging...

Liz Dwyer said...

Ooh yes, more PR tonight! You need to be a guest judge on there.

I can't bring myself to go to Banana since that little incident back in June when my husband tried to return those earrings. But those are some STEALS! Love it!

Anonymous said...

Im stuck in rehearsal ... no project runway ... but Bravo is good for reruns ... I feel ya on specificity ... oh how I feel ya! and amen on buying quality pieces ... thats my life mission is to help women understand the importance of such!

Rashan Jamal said...

STANDARDS - Get some.

That would make a good commercial. Ain't nothing wrong with knowing what you want.

Is the throat ebola all the way gone now? I hope so.

You sure drool a lot. LOL

the joy said...

ps, we watched pr the other night and every time TG came on, my cousin said, "make it work..." just like him. EVERY time. heeelarious.

Jameil said...

red 100% is fab. i usually get the cran-raspberry. its a bit easier when its mixed with something else. the tartness is delightful!!

funky... precisely! thank you dahling.

stace... that's because you water down everything you drink. fyi what you had at my house was 100%. if you do gray and green it has to be jade, not that pale sickly green which i can't stand anyway.

wise... hahahahaaha. love it.

joy... not picky. i just understand my tastes. craisins are just ok to me.

tasha... yes you may! i will take a picture of me in it so you can get the full effect.

eb... mmmm. i love light grey too. any shade any shade. my workout body likes the dresses best. i had to leave the pants b/c there's no reason for me to buy a 6 when the 4 is just a tad too large in the waste but too tight in the hips.

liz... make that happen!! jameil as guest judge. i thought abt you in j. crew actually. i thought that was the store. banana! bah. i forgot i was supposed to be boycotting. lol. pitiful!!

cali... i'm so havin to watch the am replay b/c of course i fell asleep and refused to get up.

rj... isn't my whole blog a good commercial? lol. the throat ebola is mostly gone. wooo!! drooling keeps the face lubricated.

joy... lol. the first episode they overdid that.

Unknown said...

SEE?!? Told you!!! The sale there is CRAZY!!!

I'm planning on getting some things this weekend!!

Momisodes said...

*sigh*....I love Banana sales. I used to live across the street from one on Miami Beach and they always had my size...I should have lived there forever just for that...

"Specialize in Specificity" and "Chitlins"----ROFL!!! Me too for both :-)

Adei von K said...

i knew it was 100%. its not replusive to me or anything... and also, that was the only thing in your house besides water and milk and oj. juice please!

Jameil said...

b... go girl, go!!

sandy... drool! you should've stayed for idk the BEACHES and the FOOD!! man i love that place.

stace... if you wanted something else, you should've mentioned it. those are the only 4 things I drink! There was some lemonade, too but I would've had to make it. closed mouth don't get fed!!

dreamyj said...

way to go bargain shopper! i too love gray suits. take photos and post.

yet another black guy said...

oh you make me so jealous, and i don't even wear gray skirt suits lol!