the buzz log
Topshop Till You Drop: New Store in NYC
While Michelle Obama may be rocking the "fashion for the masses" look in London, the British store Topshop hit the streets of New York to launch its American invasion (in a good way). Those who love a trend but hate to spend had already formed a line five blocks long to check out the store opening. Those not in line got online to search for "topshop" and "topshop online."
Think of the British import as a higher-priced Forever 21 with an English accent. The supermodel Kate Moss, who could easily fit into toothpick-sized outfits, has lent her star power for a Topshop clothing line. Let's hope it's more generously shaped for the American bod.
The blog Racked dubbed the openig of the London retailer "Topshopocalypse," and live blogged the event, which included a three-hour wait to get in, the arrival of a Topshop Vespa, and "an abrasive British woman yelling 'shop, shop, shop.'"
The advent of a new store for the chic and cheap works for these recessionary times. The New York Times noticed that many shoppers have been trading down from pricey stores to cheaper ones with traditionally blander looks. (Yes, you, Talbot's.) The frenzy around the new store suggests that lower price does not have to come at the cost of high fashion. Recessionistas, rejoice.
Filed under: Fashion
New Season, New Shoes
The footloose and toe-free are searching for all kinds of sandals for spring. Sandal searches suit a range of personalities. There are the decidedly unsexy imports from Germany (we're looking at you, Birkenstocks). Then there are the high and hot ones Fergie sports so effortlessly. We've noticed a surge in look-ups on "gladiator" style sandals, for those foot-centered "soles" preparing to do battle. For everyone else, there's always Crocs.
Here, the top searches for sandals...
Top "Sandal" Searches
Seeing Spots
The Grammy Awards got rave reviews, and not just for the tunes. Searches on the rapper M.I.A. are still huge after she performed at the event nine months pregnant and on her due date. Her outfit — never coming to a maternity store near you — consisted of sheer black fabric accented with an oversized polka dot print (barely) covering her belly.
The New York Times pointed out that even though the rapper appeared on stage with "four of the most popular rappers in music, most eyes in the arena were surely on her for much of the performance." Well, yah. Polka dots plus a pregnant belly — you do the math.
The look isn't just for gestating rappers. None other than queen of red carpet style Sarah Jessica Parker was recently spotted sporting a dotty frock. So we can assume that dots are safe for the most on-trend fashionista. There is something classic yet modern about the polka print. Searches on the spot-on look have soared in the last few months, with dotty look-ups for everything from "polka dot pillows," to "polka dot cakes" to, of course, "polka dot bikini."One reason for the renewed interest in a print that's been around since forever in fashion: It's happy. And in these hard times, instead of dressing to impress, we're dressing not to depress. A throwback to better days? Or maybe they're just darn cute.
Top Polka Dot Searches
Filed under: Fashion
Addressing the Inaugural Dresses
Now that Americans have had the inaugural address, it is time for a peek at the inaugural dresses.
The search for what to wear to the inaugural balls has taken women (and men) to high-end designers, boutiques, consignment shops, and personal closets.
Web-wise, the site Dressregistry.com received a lot of buzz for its empathetic and techwise approach to avoid the gaffe of duplicating dresses, and allowed gawkers an advance peek.
What may be out of style: lavishness (or garishness, depending on one's take). Given the current economic and political climes, the 10 official balls themselves have, according to USA Today, been "toned down from past inaugurations." (And some non-official gatherings have had to slash ticket prices or be nixed altogether.)
Accordingly, some people followed suit in second-hand ensembles, although fresh designer duds will also make the rounds. Here's a look at what celebrants have thrown together for the 2009 inauguration, and the behind-the-scenes fashion dramas leading up to this day:
• WWMW (What Would Michelle Wear)? Glamour called chain store White House Black Market the "inaugural dress HQ," when Michelle Obama wore a $148 cotton dress on "The View" last summer. The First Lady did don another chain store buy for the swearing-in ceremony (J. Crew gloves), but she opted for designer Isabel Toledo's yellow dress and coat for the rest of the outfit. What evening attire should be launched a thousand sketches, but the field may have narrowed to Narciso Rodriguez.
• Panic Dressing Room. The inauguration date was known months, if not years, in advance, but panic shopping can still be the best—and decisive—high. Washington, D.C., shops benefited from rushed weekend sales. One BCBG manager did profess himself befuddled with procrastinating fashionistas: "I feel like there's been a lot of poor planning...Why is this so disorganized?"
• Signed, Sealed...But Not Yet Delivered? Even the best-tailored plans, however, can meet with snafus. CNN spoke to one woman whose Oleg Cassini gown got held up by security.
• Codes of Sartorial Conduct. Los Angelenos were duly warned about 10 official balls' dress code, thanks to the Los Angeles Times. The paper also asked its more famed residents on their duds, including Shepard Fairey, the street artist who designed the Obama poster. With more than one event, he'll be switching it up between a jeans jacket over a Clash T-shirt to a Marc Jacobs in slate gray with a bow tie.
• This Old Thing vs. The Latest Thing. More frugal-minded attendees paid it forward by shopping at Washington, D.C.-area charity shops. (Granted, frugal can mean $2,000 for a Chanel outfit that originally sold for $12,000, but every sawbuck counts these days.) Some die-hards will still wear outfits designed for the occasion, as this San Francisco Chronicle slideshow reveals.
• Green Fashion vs. Wild Kingdom. Recycling was the order of the evening for the Green (as in environmental) Ball. On the other end of the political spectrum, Huffington Post reports that the cold weather brought out the minks, sables, chinchillas, vintage monkey fur, and raccoon.
• Hat's On. The only other remaining question: Will Aretha Franklin's church lady hat make a repeat performance?
Filed under: Politics, Fashion, Presidents
Mad Hatters
The new "it" accessory for fall could be cool-weather practical as well as stylish. We're talking the hat, which may be restored from mere head-covering to the status of fashion statement. Searches for fanciful "hats" and practical "caps" have been off the hook the last 30 days.
Brand Loyalty
Coming off an online surge in demand for "olympic hats," political pride might explain the recent 9,600% spike for "usa baseball hats." Are you on team Obama? Then there's a hat for you, or at least a Search for one with
"obama hat" (+6,300%) "free obama hat,"
and "obama hat styles." Fewer of McCain's crowd prefers hats (but thumbs up on shirts and buttons).
Speaking of loyalty, where better to show your love for sports than a team logo on your brim. College pride leads with "ucla hats" (+4,200%). Team spirit is also showing in searches for "nba hats," "college hats," "nfl hats," "mlb caps," "ohio state hats," and "notre dame hats." As fans approach the sprint towards the World Series, demand is high for "boston red sox hats," "yankees hat" and "san diego padres caps." Let's hope you all don't get stuck in a room together.
Manly Gear
Gentleman, we've got some hats for you, too. "Fedora hats" leads the well-lidded retro vibe, in the top 10 of all hat searches. Then there are also classic picks like
"pork pie hats,"
"mens straw hats,"
"top hats,"
and
"indiana jones hats." Other manly gear includes "hard hats,"
"truck caps,"
"stetson hats,"
"safari hats,"
and
"cowboy hats."
(Yes, we're getting a Village People vibe, too).
Head Turners
Searches for the hatted range from the vague
"cool hats" and
"stylish hats,"
to the more specific and popular
"Gucci hats,"
"kangol caps,"
and
"custom embroidered hats."
But if you're looking for something a little more on trend, you can "buy new era caps," especially the "chris brown hats" that have spiked a whopping 4,400% online. The musician just put out a line of caps for New Era of his own design. According to People magazine, the hats feature "cartoon-like characters and lettering aimed for the young and stylin."
If all the above don't get you going, there's always "pirate hats." Arg.
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford 400 | Breakout! |
| 2 | Indonesia Ferry | Breakout! |
| 3 | Jordan Chandler | 3481% |
| 4 | Evan Chandler | 2322% |
| 5 | American Music Awards | 1841% |
| 6 | John F. Kennedy | 1529% |
| 7 | Turkey Stuffing Recipes | 1361% |
| 8 | Liam Hemsworth | 1172% |
| 9 | Lou Dobbs | 1142% |
| 10 | Hendrick Motorsports | 888% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Friday | +340 | 1290 |
| 2 | NFL | +489 | 670 |
| 3 | Jennifer Lopez | +451 | 515 |
| 4 | New Moon | -67 | 250 |
| 5 | American Music Awards | +236 | 249 |
| 6 | UFC | -36 | 239 |
| 7 | Miley Cyrus | +66 | 169 |
| 8 | Hulu | -11 | 154 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
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