Women love the push-up bra, so why are designers determined to make us hide our best assets, asks Hannah Betts
Nowadays, fashion and frontage do not mix.
As the owner of a 32E bosom, I was once informed that the Vivienne Westwood clothes I was eyeing up were for women who want to look as if they have breasts, not for those already in possession of them. On another occasion, a designer stared at my unclothed form and stuttered: "Hourglass!" in tones one might use to utter the word "paedophile". Most mortifying of all was the moment an Armani tailor waved her hand dismissively across my chest, before pronouncing: "These are not Armani!"
And now Vogue has joined in. Fashion director Lucinda Chambers makes it clear that a girl's best assets are worse than last season: they are over, over, over, and must be disguised at all costs.
In the latest edition she tells a full-chested writer who wants to know how the new spring look will work for her: "You need a minimiser bra." She brooks no negotiation. "Marks & Spencer does a brilliant one. This isn't the Eighties. It isn't a pay and display moment. Hasn't been for ages. Even Roberto Cavalli didn't put any breasts out there. Dolce & Gabbana? Elegant, quiet, ladylike cocktail dresses."
A boyish physique has long been the ideal in the lush, homoerotic environs of high style. But, of late, a glossy sub-genre has flourished in which flat-chested fashionistas scorn their well-endowed sisters, or urge them to "hide and disguise" in - ye gods - bandeau tops. Gucci and Jil Sander are mad for them this spring.
So why is it that British women - 3,000 of them - have nominated the push-up bra as the greatest fashion invention of all time? In a survey conducted by Debenhams, the cantilevering brassière scored a hefty 20 per cent of the vote, well ahead of more sophisticated stalwarts such as the stiletto and Hepburn's little black dress. With the strapless bra at number eight and the grisly chicken fillet at 15, it is safe to say that paying and displaying one's assets remains a pressing popular concern.
Breasts, one may infer, represent the difference between the haute and the high street. Where flat chests are chic and classy, so heaving bosoms are judged trashy, de trop.
This should come as little surprise. Throughout history, breasts have been the playthings of class. During the Renaissance, when Elizabeth I was wont to draw attention to her sexagenarian assets, the chic bosom demanded small and perfectly formed Diane de Poitiers-style orbs. Less than a century later, the upwardly mobile breast required the more lavish proportions of a Barbara Villiers or Nell Gywn. Victorian breasts were modest, Edwardian embonpoints; Twenties bosoms were flattened, Forties appendages were recrafted as missiles.
Currently flesh is déclassé. The fashion world is still agog at the spectacle of the voluptuous and braless model Lara Stone jiggling down Prada's spring/summer catwalk. Ms Stone is apparently a 33C, a rack that could be considered pneumatic only within the most concave milieu.
Where Hollywood once boasted sweater girls, now it favours bee stings. Even Eva Herzigova, she of the uplift that bellowed "Hello, Boys", has learnt to put them away. A straining cleavage has become the benighted preserve of the glamour model and aspiring Big Brother starlet.
However, fashion has yet to curtail Nature. Over the past 10 years the average bra size has swelled from a 34B to a 36C. Marks & Spencer reveals that a quarter of the bras it sells are a D cup or larger - a statistic that has doubled in three short years. Its sizing now extends to a J cup. Bravissimo, which specialises in lingerie for the bigger breasted, has three K-cup styles.
Learning to dress such breasts is going to be essential for the well-endowed woman who does not wish to take herself off to a nunnery (and a habit would not prove a good look). All the established Trinny & Susannah maxims will apply - subtle V-necks, soft tailoring, cinched waists, finding precisely the right level of support.
More important will be a sea-change in attitude. Just as diminutive breasts denote no lack of sex appeal, so more sizeable assets should cease being considered in inverse proportion to one's style, class, or expanse of brain. We have nothing to lose but our minimiser bras.
LET YOUR CUP OVERFLOW… IN STYLE
• Get yourself fitted. Rigby & Peller has proved the answer to many a big girl's prayers. Brigitte Razet is European fit specialist for life-changing American brand Le Mystère and is frequently to be found at Harrods (lemystere.com).
• Know your styles: balcony designs are particularly useless or unflattering for the larger bust. Experts recommend "falling" into your bra. Slot your arms through the straps and bend from the waist, letting your breasts drop into the cups. The cups should contain the entire breast, and you should centre your nipple in the fullest part. Hand-wash bras to prevent loss of support.
• V-necks, nipped-in waists, tailoring - all the old chestnuts work best. Think Jessica Rabbit proportions: an imposing bust offset by a clingy pencil skirt.
• Know which retro looks work for your shape. Hello Fifties wasp waists and Forties tailoring. Goodbye Sixties smocks and Twenties drop waists.
• This season, Vogue recommends: subtle prints, tuxedo jackets, the Fifties silhouette, Gucci or Jil Sander bandeau tops, a Lanvin black-belted coat dress and an Antonio Berardi jumpsuit.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tips for newbies on the fashion show scene
Going to your first fashion show can be intimidating. Quick's Lesley Téllez interviewed F!Dluxe's David Ninh about how to prepare for Fashion at the Park at NorthPark Center.
OK, first question: What should you wear?
Dallas weather can be so fickle, but I am going to assume it will be warm and toasty. Try to look polished! Ladies, a colorful dress will make you stand out and ensure you get snapped by roving photographers. Dressy jeans with a flirty top and cropped jacket are also acceptable. Guys, please take it up a notch and attempt to sport a casual blazer, or at least a nice button-down or light sweater.
Anything special you should bring? A notebook to jot down notes, perhaps?
Bring a digital camera to record all the action on and off the runway. Since Fashion at the Park's shows feature merchandise that is available in the stores, you can take pictures of what you like and go buy it from the store that day.
How important is hanging out in the tent where they serve the champagne?
Believe me, the champagne flows before the shows. It's never-ending. Keep in mind you can't take it in the tent during the show. Sorry!
What's your best overall advice for someone who's never been to a fashion show before?
Indulge in all the fabulousness, but don't overdo it. And don't be tacky and hit on the models roving around at the tent after the shows. Feel free to holler and cheer because the night shows tend to be more high-energy and can get a bit rowdy.
http://www.dallasnews.com/
OK, first question: What should you wear?
Dallas weather can be so fickle, but I am going to assume it will be warm and toasty. Try to look polished! Ladies, a colorful dress will make you stand out and ensure you get snapped by roving photographers. Dressy jeans with a flirty top and cropped jacket are also acceptable. Guys, please take it up a notch and attempt to sport a casual blazer, or at least a nice button-down or light sweater.
Anything special you should bring? A notebook to jot down notes, perhaps?
Bring a digital camera to record all the action on and off the runway. Since Fashion at the Park's shows feature merchandise that is available in the stores, you can take pictures of what you like and go buy it from the store that day.
How important is hanging out in the tent where they serve the champagne?
Believe me, the champagne flows before the shows. It's never-ending. Keep in mind you can't take it in the tent during the show. Sorry!
What's your best overall advice for someone who's never been to a fashion show before?
Indulge in all the fabulousness, but don't overdo it. And don't be tacky and hit on the models roving around at the tent after the shows. Feel free to holler and cheer because the night shows tend to be more high-energy and can get a bit rowdy.
http://www.dallasnews.com/
Friday, February 15, 2008
Suited for the occasion
Rockets center Yao Ming, like most NBA players, is familiar with Turner Sports reporter Craig Sager's sense of fashion, which is, in a word, eclectic, and his pace of acquisition, which is, in a word, constant.
At any given time, Sager's 30-foot by 10-foot walk-in closet in his suburban Atlanta home contains a rotating cast of 100 suits, 100 sports jackets and perhaps 200 ties — so many choices that his wife, Stacy, has to make do with closet space in their children's bedrooms.
And so Yao should have realized the potential for the unexpected when he suggested to Sager, after an interview in Yao's hometown of Shanghai several years ago, that they go clothes shopping.
"Ninety percent of silk comes from China," Sager said. "So we go to a suit shop with all this raw silk. But it's boring — all blacks and grays."
In another part of the store, however, several brightly colored bolts caught Sager's eye.
"What's that?" he asked.
Yao stared at him.
"That's the women's section," he said. "Those are for dresses."
"Well, that's what I like," Sager replied. "Let's go over there."
And so they did, which is how Sager acquired a raspberry-colored Chinese silk sports jacket that now resides in his closet, awaiting its next appearance from courtside at an NBA game on an HDTV screen near you.
"You know that look Yao has in the commercials, like he's saying, 'What's with this guy?' " Sager said. "That's the look he gave me."
The raspberry coat isn't the only item in Sager's closet with a Houston connection. Houston, in fact, looms large in Sager's sartorial legend.
At least four times a year, Sager flies to town to visit brothers Hank and Ali Taghi, whose family owns the A. Taghi men's clothing store in the Galleria area. Sager shops at practically every stop on the road, but the Taghis are his go-to guys for special occasions like the playoffs and the NBA All-Star Game.
It was Hank Taghi, in fact, who sold Sager perhaps the most famous suit in NBA television history — a silver and black reflective silk Armani number so riveting that Turner Sports officials made Sager change it during All-Star Saturday in 2001 in Washington, D.C.
"It cost, maybe, $5,000," Sager said. "It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. And they only let me wear it for a couple of hours."
The suit, which now hangs in a place of honor at an Atlanta sports bar, inspired the deathless quote from Charles Barkley that summarizes the more extreme reactions to Sager's fashion sense.
"I don't have anything against black people, white people or any kind of people," Barkley said. "But when you start letting pimps interview people, that's where I draw the line."
Barkley was joking — sort of. Fortunately, Sager enjoys the jibes from such noted fashion critics as Shaquille O'Neal, who said Sager's outfits are "horri-awful — horrible and awful combined;" TNT analyst and former Rockets player Kenny Smith, who describes Sager as "the Liberace of the NBA;" and fellow ex-Rocket and current ESPN analyst Jon Barry, who, informed that Sager shops in Houston for clothes, said, "That's interesting. I thought he made them himself."
Such comments, however, send Hank Taghi, whose current and former client list includes Hakeem Olajuwon, Barkley, Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and others, scurrying to his customer's defense.
"Craig likes fun, colorful things," Taghi said. "He wears them well. Some people can't wear strong colors. They can't handle things that stand out. But some carry it very well. You have to have a strong personality to carry it off."
With the 2008 All-Star Game events taking place this weekend in New Orleans, Sager began preparing several months ago for his weekend ensembles. When he came to Houston last week to work a Rockets game on TNT, his first stop was at A. Taghi to pick up his All-Star coat — a navy blue crushed-velvet number with cream piping assembled for the Houston store by a London tailor.
"It's my Ringo Starr look," Sager said, referring to the fashion style preferred by the former Beatles drummer in the band's late 1960s incarnation.
More specifically, it's probably what Ringo Starr would wear if Ringo owned a New Orleans riverboat.
With the velvet jacket, Sager will wear off-white pants, a white shirt with medium blue stripes and a tie that matches navy blue pleats with royal blue fabric studded with about a half-carat of diamonds.
Tonight's ensemble will feature a peach, pink and teal jacket, light teal shirt and pants and a brown-and-light-blue polka-dot tie.
In two weeks, he'll be back to pick up a carnation-colored linen sports jacket and a few more items to take him through the regular season. And he'll probably return in April or May to stock up before the playoffs.
"I can't wear the same thing in the playoffs. Barkley would kill me," he said. "We have to come up with something new. The players elevate their game. I have to elevate mine. I don't want to wear something that I wore in November in Cleveland to a playoff game in Houston."
Sager, who set his fashion style by wearing Nehru jackets to high school in the 1960s, receives a clothing allowance from Turner, but it's not enough, he said, to make it through one trip to A. Taghi's. He doesn't know how much he spends on clothes annually, adding, "I should be on a budget. But I'm not."
Sager clearly enjoys the attention and the occasional ridicule that his style inspires among players but said, "I don't dress for TV. I dress for me.
"My first job in TV, I showed up wearing a blue and yellow seersucker suit. The director said, 'Ooh, that's not good for TV,' but I wore it anyway. You've got to have fun with it."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5543366.html
At any given time, Sager's 30-foot by 10-foot walk-in closet in his suburban Atlanta home contains a rotating cast of 100 suits, 100 sports jackets and perhaps 200 ties — so many choices that his wife, Stacy, has to make do with closet space in their children's bedrooms.
And so Yao should have realized the potential for the unexpected when he suggested to Sager, after an interview in Yao's hometown of Shanghai several years ago, that they go clothes shopping.
"Ninety percent of silk comes from China," Sager said. "So we go to a suit shop with all this raw silk. But it's boring — all blacks and grays."
In another part of the store, however, several brightly colored bolts caught Sager's eye.
"What's that?" he asked.
Yao stared at him.
"That's the women's section," he said. "Those are for dresses."
"Well, that's what I like," Sager replied. "Let's go over there."
And so they did, which is how Sager acquired a raspberry-colored Chinese silk sports jacket that now resides in his closet, awaiting its next appearance from courtside at an NBA game on an HDTV screen near you.
"You know that look Yao has in the commercials, like he's saying, 'What's with this guy?' " Sager said. "That's the look he gave me."
The raspberry coat isn't the only item in Sager's closet with a Houston connection. Houston, in fact, looms large in Sager's sartorial legend.
At least four times a year, Sager flies to town to visit brothers Hank and Ali Taghi, whose family owns the A. Taghi men's clothing store in the Galleria area. Sager shops at practically every stop on the road, but the Taghis are his go-to guys for special occasions like the playoffs and the NBA All-Star Game.
It was Hank Taghi, in fact, who sold Sager perhaps the most famous suit in NBA television history — a silver and black reflective silk Armani number so riveting that Turner Sports officials made Sager change it during All-Star Saturday in 2001 in Washington, D.C.
"It cost, maybe, $5,000," Sager said. "It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. And they only let me wear it for a couple of hours."
The suit, which now hangs in a place of honor at an Atlanta sports bar, inspired the deathless quote from Charles Barkley that summarizes the more extreme reactions to Sager's fashion sense.
"I don't have anything against black people, white people or any kind of people," Barkley said. "But when you start letting pimps interview people, that's where I draw the line."
Barkley was joking — sort of. Fortunately, Sager enjoys the jibes from such noted fashion critics as Shaquille O'Neal, who said Sager's outfits are "horri-awful — horrible and awful combined;" TNT analyst and former Rockets player Kenny Smith, who describes Sager as "the Liberace of the NBA;" and fellow ex-Rocket and current ESPN analyst Jon Barry, who, informed that Sager shops in Houston for clothes, said, "That's interesting. I thought he made them himself."
Such comments, however, send Hank Taghi, whose current and former client list includes Hakeem Olajuwon, Barkley, Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and others, scurrying to his customer's defense.
"Craig likes fun, colorful things," Taghi said. "He wears them well. Some people can't wear strong colors. They can't handle things that stand out. But some carry it very well. You have to have a strong personality to carry it off."
With the 2008 All-Star Game events taking place this weekend in New Orleans, Sager began preparing several months ago for his weekend ensembles. When he came to Houston last week to work a Rockets game on TNT, his first stop was at A. Taghi to pick up his All-Star coat — a navy blue crushed-velvet number with cream piping assembled for the Houston store by a London tailor.
"It's my Ringo Starr look," Sager said, referring to the fashion style preferred by the former Beatles drummer in the band's late 1960s incarnation.
More specifically, it's probably what Ringo Starr would wear if Ringo owned a New Orleans riverboat.
With the velvet jacket, Sager will wear off-white pants, a white shirt with medium blue stripes and a tie that matches navy blue pleats with royal blue fabric studded with about a half-carat of diamonds.
Tonight's ensemble will feature a peach, pink and teal jacket, light teal shirt and pants and a brown-and-light-blue polka-dot tie.
In two weeks, he'll be back to pick up a carnation-colored linen sports jacket and a few more items to take him through the regular season. And he'll probably return in April or May to stock up before the playoffs.
"I can't wear the same thing in the playoffs. Barkley would kill me," he said. "We have to come up with something new. The players elevate their game. I have to elevate mine. I don't want to wear something that I wore in November in Cleveland to a playoff game in Houston."
Sager, who set his fashion style by wearing Nehru jackets to high school in the 1960s, receives a clothing allowance from Turner, but it's not enough, he said, to make it through one trip to A. Taghi's. He doesn't know how much he spends on clothes annually, adding, "I should be on a budget. But I'm not."
Sager clearly enjoys the attention and the occasional ridicule that his style inspires among players but said, "I don't dress for TV. I dress for me.
"My first job in TV, I showed up wearing a blue and yellow seersucker suit. The director said, 'Ooh, that's not good for TV,' but I wore it anyway. You've got to have fun with it."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5543366.html
London Fashion Week: Vivienne Westwood
The high priestess of punk, Dame Vivienne Westwood, who has vowed to vote Conservative at the next election, could not resist a political statement at her first catwalk show in London for 10 years.
She opened her Red Label collection at London Fashion Week with a male model wearing "Guantanamo Orange" underpants and a girl carrying a placard protesting for the rights of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
Star models included the daughter of actor Ray Winstone, Jaime, in a plaid micro-mini and the socialite Alice Dellal, in hot pants with her hair half-shaved in a punk tribute to Dame Vivienne.
The collection covered looks from Miss Marple to Miss Moneypenny, and models with teased "Penelope Tree" hair and platform shoes.
Dame Vivienne took her bow in a pencil skirt, platforms and a blouse covered with protest badges.
"It feels like being at home," she said.
Luella Bartley's collection - inspired by living in Cornwall and tales of witches, fairies and pixies - saw trapeze-line coats, knitted pixie hats with mismatched tweed suiting and delicate, ribbon-trimmed frocks in flower-fairy pastels.
In the front row her cool customers - Lily Allen, Kelly Osbourne, Alexa Chung, Emilia Fox and Rod Stewart's daughter, Kimberly - wore her short, strapless prom frocks.
London-based Erdem Moralioglu, winner of the 2007 £50,000 British Fashion Council Enterprise Award, proved the investment in his talent was well-placed.
The 30-year-old designer created his own spectacular fauna and flora prints, woven by specialist mills on Lake Como.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
She opened her Red Label collection at London Fashion Week with a male model wearing "Guantanamo Orange" underpants and a girl carrying a placard protesting for the rights of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
Star models included the daughter of actor Ray Winstone, Jaime, in a plaid micro-mini and the socialite Alice Dellal, in hot pants with her hair half-shaved in a punk tribute to Dame Vivienne.
The collection covered looks from Miss Marple to Miss Moneypenny, and models with teased "Penelope Tree" hair and platform shoes.
Dame Vivienne took her bow in a pencil skirt, platforms and a blouse covered with protest badges.
"It feels like being at home," she said.
Luella Bartley's collection - inspired by living in Cornwall and tales of witches, fairies and pixies - saw trapeze-line coats, knitted pixie hats with mismatched tweed suiting and delicate, ribbon-trimmed frocks in flower-fairy pastels.
In the front row her cool customers - Lily Allen, Kelly Osbourne, Alexa Chung, Emilia Fox and Rod Stewart's daughter, Kimberly - wore her short, strapless prom frocks.
London-based Erdem Moralioglu, winner of the 2007 £50,000 British Fashion Council Enterprise Award, proved the investment in his talent was well-placed.
The 30-year-old designer created his own spectacular fauna and flora prints, woven by specialist mills on Lake Como.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Surf and Snow Mag launching for women's boardsports
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 27 December, 2007 : - - Orlando, Fla – SurfandSnowMag.com, a division of JBS Works, Inc., today announced that it has launched its online magazine for females who love and live the "board culture" of surfing and snowboarding.
The new SurfandSnowMag.com is a non-subscription-based online magazine that offers its readers surf reports, snow reports, the latest surf fashion and gear, snowboarding fashion and gear, feature stories, industry news, music, surf and snowboarding videos, and so much more.
Julie Brockmeyer Stine, Publisher of SurfandSnowMag.com, wanted to develop a free online publication modeled after traditional print publications catering to females who enjoy many of the same things. “Surfing and snowboarding are such crossover sports for so many, and I thought it made sense to include both sports in this online publication.
Whether you like to surf, like to snowboard, or do both, clothing brands and music are just a few of the commonalities between the two sports, “ Stine commented. “There are so many print and online surfing and snowboarding publications that cater to males only. Although women read Surfing, Surfer, and Snowboarding magazines, it’s because their reading choices targeting female surfing and snowboarding are so limited.
It's virtually, if not literally, impossible to find women’s fashion and beauty articles in a men’s surfing or snowboarding magazine. "I would speculate that the male readership of those publications would decline dramatically, if not cease to exist altogether if that occurred,” she added.
Revenue dollars will be generated by limited, non-invasive, unobtrusive online ads. There will be no pop-up ads or ads that you have to view first in order to read an article on SurfandSnowMag.com. “As an online marketing professional, it doesn’t make any sense to provide obstacles that impede the visitor's experience on a Web site.
The more difficult you make the experience for the visitors navigating your site, the less inclined they'll be to return. I want it to be a win-win for the viewers and advertisers of SurfandSnowMag.com,” Julie Brockmeyer Stine stated.
http://www.globalsurfnews.com/news.asp?Id_news=32069
Media’s role in conflict situations
MANILA, Philippines—Some 50 members of the media, including two Inquirer reporters, were humiliated by the police for doing their job—informing the public about the revolt led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim in Makati City on Nov. 29.
After the police subdued the revolt at the Manila Peninsula hotel, broadcast and print journalists were rounded up at gunpoint, handcuffed and herded like cattle to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
The authorities were incensed that the journalists did not heed the order to vacate the hotel. Had the journalists heeded the order, the public would not have known what was happening inside the hotel. Foul deeds are often committed far from the prying eyes of the media.
Surely, police and military officials knew who the bona fide members of the media were. Many of them covered at one time or another the Philippine National Police, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of National Defense, and Malacañang.
The authorities also knew the police and military intelligence agents who passed themselves off as journalists during the siege. Understandably, the police did not touch these agents.
ON NOV. 29, MORE THAN 30 journalists were arrested, handcuffed and transported to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.
Twelve of the journalists were from ABS-CBN, detained as “witnesses and suspects,” according to the police. Others were told they would be released as soon as their identities were verified.
Our head of news gathering, Charie Villa, went immediately to the Peninsula hotel to identify our people; yet, she was told they would still have to be arrested and brought to Bicutan. We believe this move sets a dangerous precedent and erodes our nation’s democracy.
There are two points I’d like to make about the role of media in conflict situations like the Peninsula siege. First, our democracy rests on the principle that the people have a right to know. Section 7, Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution recognizes “the right of the people to information on matters of public concern.”
Law enforcement and government officials must be accountable to the public, and our history has shown there is no better means to do that during crisis situations than live television coverage.
Times of uncertainty
In a 2004 national survey by ABS-CBN, over 90 percent of adult Filipinos said that during any major event, they looked for news, with 87 percent turning to TV to make sure they were informed. After the 2007 elections, that increased, hitting 92 percent in Metro Manila, according to Pulse Asia.
The clamor for information increases during times of uncertainty, highlighted during nearly a dozen coup attempts and withdrawals of support in the last two decades: in 1986 and 2001, military moves turned into successful people power revolts; while failed attempts were televised during Edsa Tres, the Oakwood mutiny and the Peninsula siege.
Since these three failed, it obviously doesn’t follow that television coverage automatically means success. During all these, 1986 excluded, ABS-CBN reported in a similar and consistent fashion, spurred on by the public’s right to know. In performing our duty, we accepted the risks, including overturned and burned vehicles and the mauling of reporters (not by the police but by a sector of the public we serve).
Need to be informed
While the State has the right to protect itself, the public has the right to know—and as we have seen, the Filipino has always made a choice. Focus group discussions conducted by ABS-CBN between Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 reflect that. The participants expressed an overwhelming sentiment that they wanted to be kept informed, saying live television coverage should continue.
We believe this is critical because an uninformed public makes any democracy unstable. It is in this light that media should be considered partners in promoting democracy rather than the other way around.
It is important that the public has the information it needs to make an informed decision because that is the foundation of our democracy. Yet, by arresting our journalists, authorities effectively shut down ANC’s live coverage of the post-siege situation at the Peninsula hotel.
Censorship
They tried to confiscate videotapes and equipment from reporters, photographers and cameramen. The police violated their own definition of the “crime scene” by approaching our transmission facilities outside the Peninsula to try to confiscate our videotapes and stop our coverage. This is effectively censorship—at a time when the conflict had all but been resolved. To date, they still have at least one videotape and two radios owned by ABS-CBN.
The second point, which has clear ramifications for the future, is the role journalists play in conflict situations like Edsa, Oakwood and the Peninsula.
On Dec. 5, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno called the Peninsula a “crime scene” and said that journalists violated two laws during the siege. He cited Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code, which has to do with “resistance and disobedience of persons in authority” and Presidential Decree No. 1821 for “obstruction of justice.”
Chilling effect
These statements have far-reaching consequences because now every journalist reporting on a conflict situation has to worry that he or she may be arrested and charged. Beyond that, if the journalist can be charged so can news organizations. This is no longer a threat but a reality and creates a “chilling effect” for working journalists, who can now be charged like common criminals.
Yet, we believe that the law covering the presence of journalists in conflict situations is very clear and supercedes any legislation cited by the interior secretary. Section 4, Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that “no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press.”
“Was there an arrest? Yes,” said Puno. “Were they charged? No. Why was there an apology? Because all of us feel bad about the way the incident materialized. We are unhappy that our friends in media had to suffer inconvenience.”
Trivialized
In one move, the government trivialized and dismissed a violation of the Constitution as an “inconvenience.”
While we understand the position of the Philippine National Police (PNP), by its own admission, it is using “SOPs” created in 2006. PNP Memorandum Circular No. 2006-09-01 tells the police what to do with perpetrators, hostages and witnesses.
It has no provisions for journalists, who are part of the landscape in conflict situations. This may be the first time these rules were used. It is also the first time that the PNP has been the lead agency in a political conflict situation, which is how many journalists would characterize the event, not just a “crime scene” complete with overtones of bank robberies and murder.
Every other coup attempt or passive withdrawals of support in the past 21 years were handled by the Department of National Defense. Perhaps this is part of the reason why the rules were changed in the Peninsula siege.
Hold the line
We journalists are by no means perfect. Some of us can be arrogant at times and that is how we have been portrayed by the police in this instance. But the reason we need to hold the line is simply because if we give in, we would have contributed to weakening our democracy by depriving the public of the information it wants and needs.
Having reported from numerous combat zones in Southeast Asia and around the world, I am very aware of the risks we face as journalists. In Indonesia, I barely survived a crossfire between government troops and protesters.
In Aceh, my team and I were detained but that’s to be expected given the authoritarian regime then. In East Timor, Pakistan, India and China, despite the dangers and restrictions, you calculate the risks and always make sure the odds are high that you will survive to tell the story.
Ludicrous
What I have learned from experience is that every situation is different, and what you do depends on the system of government i.e. you would not make the same decision under a democracy that you would under a dictatorship.
Every journalists’ and news organizations’ assessment of risk varies. That is why I find it slightly ludicrous for the PNP to quote the ethics manuals of the CBC, BBC and ABS-CBN to bolster its point that all journalists should have left when requested—that there is a one-size-fits-all response.
All these codes provide guidance—the philosophy of the organization—but in the end, the judgement call and the decision to stay or to go rest with the journalist. We balance the fear for personal safety with the duty to report the truth.
Masquerading as journalist
The police claim we were being used because they said some Magdalo soldiers changed clothes and put on press passes. Everyone tries to use us, including the police and military intelligence agents who were pretending to be journalists. During the crisis, we did not report that because we did not want to compromise their work, but their presence increased the danger for us. Those agents could have easily told their superiors who were the real journalists and who were only masquerading as members of the media.
We categorically state that at no instance did any journalist “obstruct justice” at the Peninsula. Mere presence and reporting the news are not obstruction of justice. Recordings made by the police of our live coverage are now being used by authorities as evidence against those it charged in court.
PNP got news from media
The police even acknowledged that there was a failure of communication within their organization. They mobilized only after they were “informed” of the event through TV and radio coverage. It is clear the police benefited from us doing our job. We cannot be both obstructing and helping justice simultaneously.
Our fear is that the arrests of journalists may herald more dangerous times ahead. In recent years, many developments have eroded press freedom in our country. In 2003, there were more journalists killed in the Philippines than in Iraq, and today—despite pressure from the international community—the extrajudicial killings of journalists and leftist leaders continue with virtual impunity.
Intimidation tactics, indirect pressure and libel suits have been used to attempt to control journalists. In 2006, Proclamation No. 1017 severely curtailed press freedom after authorities threatened to shut down news organizations and stationed tanks outside TV networks.
Last year, Freedom House, an international group, which conducts an annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, downgraded its rating of the Philippines from free to partly free.
Insult
Given this context, the arrests of journalists is extremely alarming, especially since it has now been elevated as policy by Puno, who warns journalists that the police would do it again. To add insult to injury, after authorities apologized for the arrests, they began to publicly question the motives of our journalists.
Officials maligned us by implying we were working with Trillanes’ group despite the absolute lack of evidence for these statements. Now, they say they will look at the franchises of television networks. All this only points out that the attempts to intimidate and harass journalists continue.
While it is inconvenient for law enforcement officials to have to contend with media in conflict zones, it is a necessity guaranteed by the Constitution and a check and balance of a vibrant democracy.
On Nov. 29, the journalists who chose to stay and report on the Peninsula siege displayed tremendous courage and risked their safety for the public they serve. A colleague from the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines captured the spirit of our thoughts: “if someone else can deliver the truth better, we would give way. If we chose to leave at the request of the PNP, then we would have to swallow the PNP version of the truth because we chose to give up the access we already had.”
That would be a disservice to the public we all serve.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view_article.php?article_id=109414
After the police subdued the revolt at the Manila Peninsula hotel, broadcast and print journalists were rounded up at gunpoint, handcuffed and herded like cattle to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
The authorities were incensed that the journalists did not heed the order to vacate the hotel. Had the journalists heeded the order, the public would not have known what was happening inside the hotel. Foul deeds are often committed far from the prying eyes of the media.
Surely, police and military officials knew who the bona fide members of the media were. Many of them covered at one time or another the Philippine National Police, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of National Defense, and Malacañang.
The authorities also knew the police and military intelligence agents who passed themselves off as journalists during the siege. Understandably, the police did not touch these agents.
ON NOV. 29, MORE THAN 30 journalists were arrested, handcuffed and transported to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.
Twelve of the journalists were from ABS-CBN, detained as “witnesses and suspects,” according to the police. Others were told they would be released as soon as their identities were verified.
Our head of news gathering, Charie Villa, went immediately to the Peninsula hotel to identify our people; yet, she was told they would still have to be arrested and brought to Bicutan. We believe this move sets a dangerous precedent and erodes our nation’s democracy.
There are two points I’d like to make about the role of media in conflict situations like the Peninsula siege. First, our democracy rests on the principle that the people have a right to know. Section 7, Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution recognizes “the right of the people to information on matters of public concern.”
Law enforcement and government officials must be accountable to the public, and our history has shown there is no better means to do that during crisis situations than live television coverage.
Times of uncertainty
In a 2004 national survey by ABS-CBN, over 90 percent of adult Filipinos said that during any major event, they looked for news, with 87 percent turning to TV to make sure they were informed. After the 2007 elections, that increased, hitting 92 percent in Metro Manila, according to Pulse Asia.
The clamor for information increases during times of uncertainty, highlighted during nearly a dozen coup attempts and withdrawals of support in the last two decades: in 1986 and 2001, military moves turned into successful people power revolts; while failed attempts were televised during Edsa Tres, the Oakwood mutiny and the Peninsula siege.
Since these three failed, it obviously doesn’t follow that television coverage automatically means success. During all these, 1986 excluded, ABS-CBN reported in a similar and consistent fashion, spurred on by the public’s right to know. In performing our duty, we accepted the risks, including overturned and burned vehicles and the mauling of reporters (not by the police but by a sector of the public we serve).
Need to be informed
While the State has the right to protect itself, the public has the right to know—and as we have seen, the Filipino has always made a choice. Focus group discussions conducted by ABS-CBN between Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 reflect that. The participants expressed an overwhelming sentiment that they wanted to be kept informed, saying live television coverage should continue.
We believe this is critical because an uninformed public makes any democracy unstable. It is in this light that media should be considered partners in promoting democracy rather than the other way around.
It is important that the public has the information it needs to make an informed decision because that is the foundation of our democracy. Yet, by arresting our journalists, authorities effectively shut down ANC’s live coverage of the post-siege situation at the Peninsula hotel.
Censorship
They tried to confiscate videotapes and equipment from reporters, photographers and cameramen. The police violated their own definition of the “crime scene” by approaching our transmission facilities outside the Peninsula to try to confiscate our videotapes and stop our coverage. This is effectively censorship—at a time when the conflict had all but been resolved. To date, they still have at least one videotape and two radios owned by ABS-CBN.
The second point, which has clear ramifications for the future, is the role journalists play in conflict situations like Edsa, Oakwood and the Peninsula.
On Dec. 5, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno called the Peninsula a “crime scene” and said that journalists violated two laws during the siege. He cited Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code, which has to do with “resistance and disobedience of persons in authority” and Presidential Decree No. 1821 for “obstruction of justice.”
Chilling effect
These statements have far-reaching consequences because now every journalist reporting on a conflict situation has to worry that he or she may be arrested and charged. Beyond that, if the journalist can be charged so can news organizations. This is no longer a threat but a reality and creates a “chilling effect” for working journalists, who can now be charged like common criminals.
Yet, we believe that the law covering the presence of journalists in conflict situations is very clear and supercedes any legislation cited by the interior secretary. Section 4, Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that “no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press.”
“Was there an arrest? Yes,” said Puno. “Were they charged? No. Why was there an apology? Because all of us feel bad about the way the incident materialized. We are unhappy that our friends in media had to suffer inconvenience.”
Trivialized
In one move, the government trivialized and dismissed a violation of the Constitution as an “inconvenience.”
While we understand the position of the Philippine National Police (PNP), by its own admission, it is using “SOPs” created in 2006. PNP Memorandum Circular No. 2006-09-01 tells the police what to do with perpetrators, hostages and witnesses.
It has no provisions for journalists, who are part of the landscape in conflict situations. This may be the first time these rules were used. It is also the first time that the PNP has been the lead agency in a political conflict situation, which is how many journalists would characterize the event, not just a “crime scene” complete with overtones of bank robberies and murder.
Every other coup attempt or passive withdrawals of support in the past 21 years were handled by the Department of National Defense. Perhaps this is part of the reason why the rules were changed in the Peninsula siege.
Hold the line
We journalists are by no means perfect. Some of us can be arrogant at times and that is how we have been portrayed by the police in this instance. But the reason we need to hold the line is simply because if we give in, we would have contributed to weakening our democracy by depriving the public of the information it wants and needs.
Having reported from numerous combat zones in Southeast Asia and around the world, I am very aware of the risks we face as journalists. In Indonesia, I barely survived a crossfire between government troops and protesters.
In Aceh, my team and I were detained but that’s to be expected given the authoritarian regime then. In East Timor, Pakistan, India and China, despite the dangers and restrictions, you calculate the risks and always make sure the odds are high that you will survive to tell the story.
Ludicrous
What I have learned from experience is that every situation is different, and what you do depends on the system of government i.e. you would not make the same decision under a democracy that you would under a dictatorship.
Every journalists’ and news organizations’ assessment of risk varies. That is why I find it slightly ludicrous for the PNP to quote the ethics manuals of the CBC, BBC and ABS-CBN to bolster its point that all journalists should have left when requested—that there is a one-size-fits-all response.
All these codes provide guidance—the philosophy of the organization—but in the end, the judgement call and the decision to stay or to go rest with the journalist. We balance the fear for personal safety with the duty to report the truth.
Masquerading as journalist
The police claim we were being used because they said some Magdalo soldiers changed clothes and put on press passes. Everyone tries to use us, including the police and military intelligence agents who were pretending to be journalists. During the crisis, we did not report that because we did not want to compromise their work, but their presence increased the danger for us. Those agents could have easily told their superiors who were the real journalists and who were only masquerading as members of the media.
We categorically state that at no instance did any journalist “obstruct justice” at the Peninsula. Mere presence and reporting the news are not obstruction of justice. Recordings made by the police of our live coverage are now being used by authorities as evidence against those it charged in court.
PNP got news from media
The police even acknowledged that there was a failure of communication within their organization. They mobilized only after they were “informed” of the event through TV and radio coverage. It is clear the police benefited from us doing our job. We cannot be both obstructing and helping justice simultaneously.
Our fear is that the arrests of journalists may herald more dangerous times ahead. In recent years, many developments have eroded press freedom in our country. In 2003, there were more journalists killed in the Philippines than in Iraq, and today—despite pressure from the international community—the extrajudicial killings of journalists and leftist leaders continue with virtual impunity.
Intimidation tactics, indirect pressure and libel suits have been used to attempt to control journalists. In 2006, Proclamation No. 1017 severely curtailed press freedom after authorities threatened to shut down news organizations and stationed tanks outside TV networks.
Last year, Freedom House, an international group, which conducts an annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, downgraded its rating of the Philippines from free to partly free.
Insult
Given this context, the arrests of journalists is extremely alarming, especially since it has now been elevated as policy by Puno, who warns journalists that the police would do it again. To add insult to injury, after authorities apologized for the arrests, they began to publicly question the motives of our journalists.
Officials maligned us by implying we were working with Trillanes’ group despite the absolute lack of evidence for these statements. Now, they say they will look at the franchises of television networks. All this only points out that the attempts to intimidate and harass journalists continue.
While it is inconvenient for law enforcement officials to have to contend with media in conflict zones, it is a necessity guaranteed by the Constitution and a check and balance of a vibrant democracy.
On Nov. 29, the journalists who chose to stay and report on the Peninsula siege displayed tremendous courage and risked their safety for the public they serve. A colleague from the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines captured the spirit of our thoughts: “if someone else can deliver the truth better, we would give way. If we chose to leave at the request of the PNP, then we would have to swallow the PNP version of the truth because we chose to give up the access we already had.”
That would be a disservice to the public we all serve.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view_article.php?article_id=109414
Sunday, December 16, 2007
A Clothes Encounter In The Business World
Do you ever wonder where all the dress rules have gone? Depending on when and where you are on any given business day, the words "distant past" might come to mind. It's difficult to decide if people don't know what to wear to work or if they have lost sight of the relevance of appearance to professional success.
The Queen of England is reported to have told Prince Charles, "Dress gives one the outward sign from which people can judge the inward state of mind. One they can see, the other they cannot." Clearly, she was saying what many people are reluctant to accept; that people judge us by the way we dress. In all situations, business and social, our outward appearance sends a message.
Try going to a busy restaurant at lunchtime. Look around you at what people are wearing and see if you don't make judgments about who they are, their line of business, their personalities and their competencies. Think about how you feel when you are dressed in your usual business attire as opposed to casual dress. Your choice of business apparel speaks to your professional behavior and credibility. It is important to understand how to dress for business if you wish to promote yourself and your organization in a positive manner,
How you dress depends on four factors: the industry in which you work, the job you have within that industry, the geographic area in which you live; and most importantly, what your client expects to see.
Professional Dress for Men
In men's clothing, fashion does not change significantly from season to season but business attire is about being professional and not about being fashionable. It's about presenting yourself in a way that makes your clients feel comfortable and confident with you. Dressing for success is still the rule. The professional businessman should keep in mind these few points when deciding what to wear to work.
Choose a conservative suit in navy, black or gray either pinstripe or solid. The quality of the material speaks as loudly as the color and can make the difference between sleaze and suave.
A solid white or blue dress shirt with long sleeves offers the most polished look. The more pattern and color you add, the more the focus is on your clothing, rather than your professionalism.
Ties should be made of silk or a silk-like fabric. Avoid the cartoon characters and go for simple and subtle if you want to enhance your credibility.
Socks should be calf-length or above. Make sure they match not only what you are wearing, but also each other. A quick glance in good light before heading out the door can save embarrassment later in the day. Check for holes as well if you'll be going through airport security and removing your shoes.
Shoes should without question be conservative, clean and well polished. Lace-up shoes are the choice over slip-ons or flip flops. Don't think for a minute that people don't notice shoes. Many people will look at your feet before your face.
Belts need to match or closely coordinate with your shoes. Once again, quality counts.
Keep jewelry to a minimum. In a time when men sport gold necklaces, bracelets and earrings, the business professional should limit himself to a conservative watch, a wedding band and maybe his college ring.
Personal hygiene is part of the success equation. Freshly scrubbed wins out over heavily fragranced any day of the week. Save the after-shave for after hours, but never the shave itself.
The finishing touch for the business man is his choice of accessories: briefcase, portfolio and pen. When it comes to sealing the deal, a top of the line suit, a silk tie and a good pair of leather shoes can lose their affect when you pull out the ball point pen you picked up in the hotel meeting room the day before.
Professional Dress for Women
When women entered the workplace in the 1970's and 1980's in greater numbers than ever before and began to move into positions which had traditionally been held by men, many of them believed that they needed to imitate male business attire. The result was women showing up at the office in skirted suits or coordinated skirts and jackets with tailored blouses finished off with an accessory item that looked very much like a man's tie. Happily those days are gone. While the business woman may now wear trousers to work, she does it out of a desire to appear professional and at the same time enjoy the flexibility and comfort that pants offer over skirts. Her goal is no longer to mirror her male colleagues.
The same overall rules apply to women's work attire as apply to men's. Business clothing is not a reflection of the latest fashion trend. A woman should be noticed for who she is and her professional skills rather than for what she wears. Her business wear should be appropriate for her industry and her position or title within the industry.
Start with a skirted suit or pants suit for the most conservative look. A skirted suit is the most professional. With a few exceptions, dresses do not offer the same credibility unless they are accompanied by matching jackets.
Skirts should be knee-length or slightly above or below. Avoid extremes. A skirt more than two inches above the knee raises eyebrows and questions.
Pants should break at the top of the foot or shoe. While Capri pants and their fashion cousins that come in assorted lengths from mid-calf to ankle are the latest trend, they are out of place in the conservative business environment.
Blouses and sweaters provide color and variety to woman's clothing, but they should be appealing rather than revealing. Inappropriate necklines and waistlines can give the wrong impression.
Women need to wear hose in the business world. Neutral or flesh-tone stockings are the best choices. Never wear dark hose with light-colored clothing or shoes. Keep an extra pair of stockings in your desk drawer unless the hosiery store is next door or just down the street from the office.
Faces, not feet, should be the focal point in business so chose conservative shoes. A low heel is more professional than flats or high heels. In spite of current fashion and the sandal rage, open-toed or backless shoes are not office attire. Not only are sandals a safety hazard, they suggest a certain official agenda.
When it comes to accessories and jewelry, less is once again more. Keep it simple: one ring per hand, one earring per ear. Accessories should reflect your personality, not diminish your credibility.
Business attire is different from weekend and evening wear. Investing in a good business wardrobe is an investment in your professional future. For those who think it's not what you wear but who you are that creates success, give that some more thought. Business skills and experience count, but so does personal appearance and that all-important first impression.
© 2005, Lydia Ramsey. All rights in all media reserved.
Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, e-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site http://www.mannersthatsell.com
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