Thursday 1 March 2012

Burda April preview

I realized that when I wasn't looking, Burda did NOT take me on safari this year. And I'm all packed, cleft stick, pith helmet and anti-snake venom!!
Now for me, this is an issue. It's one of my favorite features of the year and certainly more useful than the Pippa Middleton look-alike wedding dress. But yes, now here it is, April already, and I'm stuck with something they're calling "Aloha." Alohaaaawhat? Now I know that Stella McCartney has been showing us summer pyjama sets in loud, unwearable prints and surely we'll all be diving into that easy jumpsuit after the pool, but I'm sorry, it just doesn't replace safari. As I'm sure some of us know, Hawaii is actually inside the US border.

But Burda remains keen on  their Italian Dolce Vita feature. (This might not be obvious to North Americans or Antipodeans, but Burda is a German mag and to Germans, Italy translates as hols, fun, sex and freedom from being... German. It does not mean Uncle Vinnie snoring on the porch after Sunday lunch.)
On the theory that there is a hidden Gina in all of us longing to wear vulgar, obvious, too-tight, come-hither outfits that would make Michael Corleone send us back indoors "to get dressed!" you could squeeze yourself into that skirt above, or just wear a big necklace over a...uh...handkerchief?

Now I'm actually happy to see these choices because in contrast to the Vogue team, to whom I was wedded for thirty years, at least Burda imagines that we are not all alike, hopping from office to carpool to charity meet. Some of us have other lifestyles, even if it means we're looking for business while walking dilapidated streets, idly cuddling puppies, waiting for Aunt Sophie to finish ironing our sheer chiffon...uh... blouse? The business that will get you is your business.

I finished the fur coat, now known as the Narnia Muskrat Love Coat, appearing soon, and am looking for some fun spring projects. I might mix the pastel-mood ordered up in Elle recently with Burda's new take on that Philip Lim two-tone shirt up front:

4 comments:

  1. Too funny! I didn't realize about the safari; now I'm kind of sad since I also think those patterns were somewhat useful. I misread your "nania muskrat" as "Nana Mouskouri" fur coat; too muc discussio on Greece at the moment. Glad yours is just muskrat, anyway! Oh, and DH is begging to go to Italy in summer, be rid of our German-ness etc. You're so right!

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  2. Thanks for a good giggle! I went beyond the "official preview" via the links on the pattern review message board and saw a couple of patterns I really liked in this issue including sailor pants. So I am hopeful that it will be more than "Sophia Lauren does Hawaii!"

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  3. great post! I'm missing the safari too :)

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  4. I have to see the NARNIA MUSKRAT LOVE COAT! What a marvelous description. I'm becoming more and more of a Burda appreciator over time - putting out x number of fashionable patterns each month must be quite a job and they do it so well I reckon we all tend to take it for granted. That said, I don't have much call for a sheer chiffon hanky top either!

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