Category Archives: Fashion

It should come as no surprise that my favorite Spice Girl is Posh. More than that, the woman who brought Posh to life, Victoria Beckham, has long been an inspirational force in my world, and because of that she earns her first Dazzler of the Day honor. Over the years she’s been the butt of many jokes, and through it all she has held her head high, retaining her own sharp sense of humor (often underestimated) as well as a keen sense of fashion that has served her own line quite well. For some reason, it’s not her performances as Posh or her domination of the designer scene, or even her husband David and all his underwear poses, that has moved me most about Ms. Beckham – it came, oddly enough, in her appearance with the original band that brought her such glory in their reunion at the London Olympics. They arrived by Mini Cooper and each ended up riding around the arena alone, hair and dresses trailing in the wind. It reminded me of their original, indisputable sense of girl power, coupled with the years of hard-won experience, and watching them all ride solo but part of their own singular tribe touched me in a surprising way, all to the pulsing drama of ‘Spice Up Your Life’. 

If you were a Spice Girl, which Spice Girl would you be?

My answer is easy and obvious: Posh.

All the way. And not just because of David Beckham.

Marking her debut as Dazzler of the Day, Victoria Beckham earns the honor for her fashion line, and for staying somehow above the fray of celebrity downfalls and difficulties that too often plague former members of girl groups and boy bands. Ms. Beckham has turned her love for fashion into a viable career, punctuated by an elegant sense of timeless style married to a very modern angle. Sparse, severe, and chic to the east thread, Beckham surprised the fashion world with her consistent excellence. She hides behind that never-caught-smiling cool visage, but I sense a sly humor underneath it all. That in itself is a dazzling feat.

PS – David Beckham.

A number of years ago writer Brian Centrone asked me to contribute a couple of photos for a compilation on Erotica he was putting together, and of course I happily complied. Today he is crowned as Dazzler of the Day, in part due to the recent release of his latest work ‘Dress You Up’ – which is a collection of a dozen stories designed to illuminate how fashion informs and instructs who we are. Now that sounds like something I can understand and appreciate. You can order your copy at this link.

Dress You Up is an anthology like no other. The twelve diverse stories in this collection speak to the multiple ways in which fashion is more than just the clothes we wear. There will be no frivolous yarns about fashion here—those tales can be found in other closets. This Capsule Collection of Fashionable Fiction illustrates how the clothing and accessories we wear or covet often reflect past memories, present challenges, or future hopes and dreams. The stories focus on themes such as trauma and healing, perception and identity, love and loss, hopes and dreams. Ultimately, these stories help us understand how fashion can shape who we are or who we want to be. Edited by Brian Centrone (Salon Style: Fiction, Poetry & Art and Southern Gothic: New Tales of the South<) and illustrated by Stephen Tornero, Dress You Upwill dazzle and delight readers as much as it will touch and move them. {Purchase here.}

My FaceBook pal Sue made the brilliant suggestion that La Verne Ford Wimberly be named Dazzler of the Day, and I always honor brilliant suggestions. Wimberly more than deserves this little honor, thanks to her celebrated dedication to cheering up her fellow church-goers with a selfie each and every Sunday for the past year. When all of us have been stuck at home and unable to safely attend church services, Wimberly offered a glimpse back into the fabulous normality of donning your best Sunday clothes and sharing that with the world. Such a simple gesture, such a powerful effect, and such a dazzling collection of outfits! 

Anything that started with someone’s job at the circus is going to be a good story, and if it involves underwear and swimwear at the end, so much the better. Such is the magnificent tale of Patrick Allen Wood, our Dazzler of the Day, who began his noble quest with a job at the circus, and ended up crafting something for everyone. Unable to find properly-fitting clothing, he took it upon himself to make his own, resulting in the skills and self-honed talents that eventually translated to his current work creating swimwear and underwear. And what wonderful work it is – fabrics and patterns and styles that are as timeless as they are cutting-edge, Wood crafts garments that are wearable works of art. Best of all, he models them himself – and the best designers are those who walk the runway in their own work. Check out his website here.