Earth Hour

On March 29 at 8pm, will you be sitting in the dark? I will be, and so will the Blue Man Group, Nelly Furtado, Fall Out Boys, the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Cubs, the cities of Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco, Honolulu, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver...and oh, millions of other people across the world.

If you're not sure why, then you might be in the dark a little prematurely.

It's Earth Hour - an hour where we all turn off the lights and see what can happen when we collectively make the effort to use less resources.

Earth Hour was created by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia just last year, and its effects were amazing. In its inaugural year, Earth Day involved only Sydney, yet it had the effect of taking 48,000 cars off the road for one hour. The event this year is global, and I can't wait to see what the impact is.

If you want more information or need any suggestions of what to get up to in this hour, check out the Earth Hour web site. My suggestion: share a candlelight feast with someone special, of nibblies like my favourite - baguette, brie, olive tapenade and a glass of wine. Snog a little, laugh a little, maybe even indulge in a game of candlelit Scrabble.

Whatever you end up doing, enjoy...and know your actions are helping.

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Short break

Hello wonderful ModernGear TV readers and watchers!

We have to take this week to heal from a family tragedy, but will be back soon.

Thank you for visiting, and please do come back as we promise we've only just gotten started on sharing new developments, fashion, trends and news you can use, with all of you.

The GOODIES GIVE-AWAY contest draw will take place as planned, on Monday March 31, so stay tuned and sign up now if you haven't yet! Instructions at the right.

Take good care. Click here to read rest of story...

ModernGear Women: American Vintage label

*** I precede this blog post with an apology for the wonky font changes throughout - it seems to happen when I cut and paste and I can't figure it out! Continue on, and I promise where it's bold and huge, I'm not yelling...it just seems so!

This weekend I came across a great label in a store called Blue Windows in Long Beach, CA. It's American Vintage and I thought, "Great! I can heap praise on a great U.S.-based line and take a break from waxing poetic about all things European..."(because I also saw the most amazing Malene Birger dress that will be coming up this week in a post)...however, I am reporting, ironically, that the line is from France. Figures.

I can't seem to get past the first few pages on the web site to view the Spring/Summer 2008 collection and would really love to, but I did find a web site selling the line, and you can see their collection here. I have no idea what language that is but the city appears to be Hellerup, which is in Denmark.

Here are a few of my favourites from that e-retail web site - don't think it's Spring/Summer 2008, but I think you'll get an idea of why I like it.

Keep in mind, I really have no idea what they're saying, or what currency the prices are in (or really, frankly, what season this is from - hey - it's still on the web site though)...

Løs kjole med overskårende ærmer
Pris 599,-

Tynd bomuldsskjorte med små læg
Pris 829,-
Super fin skjorte i tynd bomulds kvalitet fra American Vintage. Skjorten er rundhalset og har en enkel knap i udskæringen og fine rynk henover brystet. Den lækre skjorte er tæt siddende øverst henover skuldre, men sidder løst og har vidde fra brystet og ned. Den har 3/4 lange ærmer. Skjorten er fantastisk at bruge både til hverdag eller hvis du skal på cafe´ med små fine shorts eller stramme jeans til.

Langærmet t-shirt/kjole med bælte

Pris 599,-
Ekstra lang T-shirt/kjole med bånd i taljen fra franske American Vintage. T-shirten er med v-udskæring og lange ærmer.En fin T-shirt, der er rigtig god til lag-på-lag looket.

Smalt tørklæde
Pris 229,-
Et helt vidunderligt og underspillet tørklæde, der kan vikles adskillige gange rundt om halsen. Tørklædet har synlige og grove syninger for enderne og kan dresse ethvert outfit op og gøre det super cool.

Langærmet T-shirt
Pris 429,-
Ekstra lang, T-shirt med ekstra lange ærmer i lækkert, blødt og tyndt stof fra American Vintage. Udskæringen er rund, og syningerne er grove og tydelige. En perfekt T-shirt til lag-på-lag looket. En uundværlig basisvare.

I love this line's tissue-soft, lightweight cotton...we've seen it before, particularly in the shape of this lilac tee, out of lines like Splendid and C&C California, and LA Made - three of, I might add, my favourite American lines that you can look forward to reviews of soon!

Oh, and in case you were wondering I did check ebay and all I could find was one listing. Here are the pics:






They just look so comfy, and yet stylish. I would wear these pieces with jeans and a pair of ballet flats, or maybe calf-length leggings and flip flops for the summer.

The piece that caught my eye in Blue Windows was a blouse cotton, a dove grey, whisper light tunic, with buttons on the left of the chest...that's all I can remember about it at the moment but I am headed back there tomorrow to try it on and investigate a little more. I am sure the pictures above are from a Fall/Winter collection, so hopefully I can get on to their web site soon or someone can send me images of the pieces...I am sure they are absolutely lovely...
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Press releases

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Fresh Media Hits

The Vancouver Sun
Fashion briefs
Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2008

VIDEO BLOG FOR THE FASHIONISTAS: Fashion lovers, here's another website to add to your everyday roster: Tamara Komuniecki, a Canadian lifestyle, trend, spa and style writer, recently launched moderngeartv.com, a site dedicated to covering everything from fashion designers to product reviews. Komuniecki's blog includes both regular posts and short video stories.

Fashion Briefs
Michelle Magnan, Joanne Sasvari, Calgary Herald; For The Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Video Blog for the Fashionistas

Website - Fashion lovers, here's another website to add to your everyday go-tos.

Tamara Komuniecki, a Canadian lifestyle, trend, spa and style writer, recently launched moderngeartv.com, a site dedicated to covering everything from fashion designers to product reviews.

Komuniecki's blog includes both regular posts and short video stories.

Her most recent video blog is all about Gumdrops, an accessories store in Vancouver that sells funky rainwear, such as boots and coats.

"I subscribe to over 20 daily style and trend e-newsletters, without exaggeration," said Komuniecki in a press release.

"Ironically, though they say they're informative, I find I still have to do a lot of digging to find out any real information after reading each e-mail."

Komuniecki digs to find out things like who the people behind the product are, how they came up with the idea, and how the product is made.

Her goal is to do the sleuthing so that her followers don't have to.

For Komuniecki's take on the gear you need for modern living, check out moderngeartv.com.

© The Calgary Herald 2008

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Video - Gumdrops, the Wet Weather Boutique

I recorded this story back in October, 2007 when I was confident that ModernGear TV would start soon, so the reference to "Fall on the West Coast" was current at the time. The thing about this story is that it's still, and will always be, 100% relevant to the location!

The story, you see, was on a so-smart-I-wish-I-had-thought-of-that-idea store called Gumdrops. Once you've seen the video below, I think you'll be as excited about rain as I am! I attended the boutique's opening night bash and was so taken with the concept, its execution and its owner that I also pitched a story and got the assignment for the Globe and Mail Style section. (You can read the story by clicking on its picture, below the video.) It's also a testament to the 'hip factor' and the unique idea that it was also published online in the G&M's Report on Business. You can click on the picture to read it if you're interested, but my first opening ranks as one of my favourite to write so far:

Shanda Jerrett could barely wait for Vancouver's infamous yearly rains to begin. While locals got in a last few holes of golf under grey skies or ran the Grouse Grind before its trails got too mucky, she was overseeing the details for a brand new, unique retail store - Vancouver's first wet weather boutique.



















It rains in Vancouver...no kidding. I for one never, ever minded this and I minded
it even less than that when I finished recording this story and walked out with my spanky new rock-and-roll-inspired rainboots! The purchase wasn't without some guilt, though...I'm a low-paid freelancer, after all, and if I bought everything wrote about, I'd end up broker-than-broke...(though well clothed and shod). So, I did another video that centred around my guilt, for the Shopping Confessions video contest.



I actually showed the video to my husband when it was done - I mean, the boots weren't doing me much good under my bed, were they?! I think almost any woman can identify with this...and I did hope to win the grand prize of $10,000 to help offset the purchase!

Actually, if you have a little secret purchase or bad shopping habit you'd like to get off your chest, the eBillme Shopping Confessions contest is back! You can win $1500 in cash and prizes every single month this year, and at the end of the year, the best video will win the grand prize of $15,000! (Almost makes you want to be bad, doesn't it?!)

Back to Gumdrops and my purchase...I have never gotten so much attention from a pair of boots in my life! Every time I wear them out, countless people stop and ask me where I got them, compliment them - and I'm talking men and women, from the very young to the very old! It's amazing how such a thing - a rubber boot worn in the rain - can actually spread a little sunshine.

And hey! No matter where you're reading this from, you too can spread the sun (soon) - Gumdrops' e-commerce site will be active soon, so from wet climates around the world (and even if you get no rain), you can soon get your hands on the best boots, coats, doggy gear and umbrellas too, for men, women, children, and man's best friend.

Contact info:

Gumdrops
2029 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Ph: 604.733.1037
gumdrops.ca



































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ModernGear Women: Crazy for Casch Copenhagen

Hold me, for I'm about to swoon...I've just spent altogether too much time on the web page for Casch Copenhagen, collections from Gro Abrahamson (my new favourite designer), and then on Travelocity, checking out flights for Copenhagen. And then on e-mail with my husband, bringing up the possibility of a move there. Well okay, that last one is an exaggeration, but as a lover of things European and having made this new discovery, I can't say that won't ever happen.

A glance at Casch Copenhagen's Fall/Winter 07-08 lookbook might have you contemplating a move as well...











This line is, as are so many of my Euro faves, infinitely wearable, flattering, feminine, hip AND classic. The best word to describe the model's look is ingénue. I just love the pieces I've chosen and would love to own any of them.

One of my favorite online shopping sites, Active Endeavors, has this little beauty called the Lesley, for $288:

I LOVE the mod inspiration and would wear this with black tights and white patent go-go ankle boots I saw in a shop while scouting Danish mid-century furniture. Yes, white, to set off the contrast stitching...yuh-mer.

I'm not likely to get over my love of (obsession with?) European design, but as it turns out I might not have to book the international movers so quickly. Instead of relocating myself to Denmark, when the baby weight is gone then I'll at least make the move to a store that carries the line, credit card in hand. Maybe I'll see you there...In case anyone wants to beat me to the punch (and because I couldn't button it up over the baby belly right now if I tried), please let me borrow it some day? I'll be a size 2 again soon. Click here to read rest of story...