zara

I'm checking out Zara online, following JenLi's advice. More specifically, I'm checking out Zara's "Trends" for "Fall Winter 05" (a little late, perhaps). They've marked out four style categories for each--I don't know, audience type? There're "Women," "Basic," "TRF," and "Men." And though admitting this makes me feel decidedly ignorant, I can't for the life of me recall what TRF is supposed to stand for. Trail Riders Fellowship? Texas Renaissance Festival? Teachers' Retirement Fund? It's a jpop band name as well, though I can't remember what that stood for, either. Thanks, Google websearch. It's been interesting.

Anyway I'm clicking through the different style types. For Women they've got "Bohemian Chic," "New Military," "British Countryside," and "City Romance." I'm staring at "Bohemian Chic" wondering whether whoever wrote these really thought about the way the title is supposed to correspond with the actual design. "University Dreams" (under "Basic") strikes me as a lot more bohemian than "Bohemian Chic." And I'm really not seeing the city romance in "City Romance." Maybe if they transferred "Romantic Blacks" (from "Basic") over. And left "City Romance" to melt back into "British Countryside." Which, by the way, reminds me of my "Library Chic" idea. Seriously, somebody out there should start up a line called "The Librarian." Librarians are way underrated.

Oh, for "Basic," they've also got something called "Bucolic Return." Of the two drawings, I'd say that maybe the hat and coat on the right would remind me of the countryside (it's a stretch, but maybe if it were a very fashionable countryside, in Europe, where it rains a lot and leather is remarkably dirt and water resistant). I hate the word "bucolic," though. It always makes me think of some kind of dire illness. Like colic, but without as much hope for survival.

And then there's the lady on the left, in her long black coat and slacks. She makes me think of a vampire. I can imagine all sorts of scary things about her way of life. She probably keeps blood packets in her clutch.

If you're in the mood for a laugh, though, take a look at the men's collection. I couldn't stop with the gut-busting laughter. While all the women are long and pencil-thin, the men are squat and two-dimensional. Somewhat rectangular, like graham crackers. They also look like a failed experiment with Photoshop.

And...yes. I just felt like getting this all out. Maybe I'm a little too amused about this.

Happy Lunar New Year!