Manolo says, our own Miss Plumcake has been interviewed for the long article on the rise of the “Fatshionistas”, the super fantastic big girl!

And as always, she makes the Manolo laugh out loud.

“One of the things that makes me insane is that somehow the fashion industry decided there can only be one fat chick receiving favorable media attention. We’re fat, we’re not the Highlander. There can be more than one,” says Rhiannon Gammill, an Austin, Texas-based writer who now blogs for Manolo for the Big Girl. “I want the woman who can say ‘This is who I am, you don’t have to like me and you don’t have approve of me, but I’ve been to this pony show before and this time I’m getting what I want. I’ve got one voice, two chins, and more style than should be allowed by law and I’m not apologizing for any of it’ and then, I don’t know, puts her cigarette out on her arm.”

Please, you must go read the whole thing.

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Manolo says, it is hard to believe but, on this very day four years ago the Manolo began his humble shoe blog.

At that time, there were hardly any other fashion blogs on the web, and now, four years later, there are dozens, and scores, and hundreds, and perhaps thousands of the fashion blogs, many of which are devoted entirely, or in part, to those most marvelous of accessories, the shoes.

And the Manolo is so happy to have played his small, tiny part in the development of the blogosphere, and likewise, so proud of his little corner of joyfulness and shoes.

Still, the Manolo is naturally much prouder of the wonderful and talented peoples who have elected to help the Manolo write the various blogs which compose the Manolosphere: Never teh Bride at the Manolo for the Brides and Manolo for the Home, Izzy Gallant at the Manolo for the Men, Spirit Fingers at Ayyyy!, Mr. Henry at the Manolo’s Food Blog, Raincoaster and Glinda at the Teeny Manolo, Plumcake and Francesca at the Manolo for the Big Girl, with Twistie writing on the weekends, and now blogging wonderfully in the Spanish language, Diable, Diablese, and Patri at the Manolo Moda blog.

The Manolo remains convinced that there is no group of bloggers anywhere who are as consistently entertaining, or as wonderfully funny, as these amazing peoples. That they have chosen to share their talent through the medium of the Manolo’s blogs is counted by the Manolo as being among the greatest honors of his life.

Of the course, the greatest of all the meager honors accumulated by the Manolo, are the affection, attention, and generosity of the readers who visit this space, and who, more than anything else, have made this blog the success that it is.

The Manolo cannot possibly repay this debt of kindness, he cannot possibly tell each of his readers how much this has meant to him. All he can do is say to them, and to you, thank you, the thousand times, thank you.

You are indeed most super fantastic!

Manolo says, the Manolo has recently discovered and become completely obsessed with the website Square America, the site devoted to the American snapshot, as collected and organized by Nicholas Osborn.

The shot shown above is from the On The Street , which is described as the collection of,

37 photos taken by the professional photographers who staked out the streets of major cities and tourist spots and took candid snapshots which they would then attempt to sell to their subjects, promising them “Natural pictures of you in motion.” For the most part hastily shot and incredibly poorly printed these photos are nevertheless are invaluable record of streetlife from the 30s through the 50s.

Here is yet another picture from the Square America site.

This one is from the collection entitled “On Beauty (And Its Discontents)”, described as,

Almost 85 photos on the idea of feminine beauty. Expect pin-up girls and beauty queens, mirrors, make-up and more!

But these two photos are but the small part of the enormous and endlessly fascinating collections that await those who visit Square America.

Manolo says, over at the Teeny Manolo there is the fantastic contest in which you may enter for the chance to win many wonderful products from Stila Cosmetics.

Hurry! Go now and enter!

Manolo says, the Manolo pleased to announce, at long last, the arrival of the Fabbies, the first awards devoted entirely to the fashion blogs.

The Fabbies are the first-ever, blogger-organized awards to recognize the top Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle blogs from around the world.

Various prestigious blog awards have existed for some time, but they repeatedly snubbed the Lifestyle Blogosphere, deliberately ignoring the growing power, influence and prestige of this group of bloggers. So, in typical entrepreneurial style, three bloggers decided to take action: The Manolo of Manolo’s Shoe Blog, Tina Craig of Bag Snob, and Lesley Scott, Fashiontribes…with crucial assistance from Christina Jones of eBeautyDaily and Sam Francois of Papierdoll.

One of the best features of the Fabbies is that it’s a democracy. Rather than a few judges determining which blogs are “best” in 12 different categories (which showcase the impressive breadth and depth of the Lifestyle Blogosphere), it is the real experts – the blog readers, fans and supporters – that determine the winners with their votes, highlighting the deliciously freewheeling spirit of blogging.

There will be the big nomination ceremony this Thursday, which will be live-streamed.

But, while you are waiting, go now and preview the nominees, and perhaps cast your vote for your favorites.

Manolo says, the Manolo’s friend Linda Grant is having the contest…

Here is what you have to do. You simply need to dream up a Thought for the Day – a sentence or a two, an idea, an aphorism – about fashion, clothes, style. Do not be intimidated by the brainy observations that I have run so far. ‘A good handbag makes the outfit’, a perfect piece of sartorial wisdom, was dreamed up by my mother who left school at 14, and the family motto, ‘There’s only one thing worse than being skint and that’s looking as if you’re skint,’ by my immigrant grandfather who never even learned to speak English.

Go and submit your favorite fashion aphorism.

Manolo says, Plumcake has excellent advice for any girl who would be super fantastic: find your own sexy.

Manolo says, there is hope for the Manolo’s modeling aspirations.

Manolo says, the Manolo reminds you that the Manolo’s hard-working blogger peoples have assembled the Holiday Shopping Guides to assist you in finding that perfect something for your beloved someone.

Miss Plumcake has gone with the Rock ‘n Roll theme with her One for Me, One for Thee style list.

If you are looking for things for the kitchen, the erudite Mr. Henry has opined on small appliances and cookware.

At the magnificent Ayyyy! blog, the Manolo’s friend Spirit Fingers has given us her gift suggestions for the men and for the womens, and the home.

Darling Francesca, from the Manolo for the Big Girl, provides us the with the gift guide to end all gift guides, with dozens of ideas for every mood and event.

Isidore Gallant at Manolo for the Men has recommend ties and cufflinks and Frenchback boxers for the fancy man in your life.

At the Manolo for the Brides, Never teh Bride’s list is all about the luxury items.

Twistie has provided us with the list full of kitchenware and cookbooks to satisfy the maker of the Christmas goodies.

The Good Glinda provides us with the list for the parents who must buy something for everyone.

And, of the course, there are always plenty of interesting things to be found at the Manolo’s Basement of the Bargains.

Manolo says, Ayyyyy! It is the fabulous Suzy Menkes interviewing Donatella Versace!

At first watching, you will not be able to pay attention to what they are saying. You will just revel in detail: the accents, the hair styles, the candles! It is all beyond magnificent and odd and wonderful.

At the second watching, when you are less distracted and can listen closely, you will realize that here are two smart women taking about interesting things.

P.S. From the Lauren Goldstein Crowe at the Fashion, Inc.

Manolo says, finally, Manolo’s good friend, the writer Linda Grant, has entered the blogosphere!

Here is the excerpt from one of her first posts, entitled appropriately, Why Clothes Matter.

Brood on this. There are only a few minutes every day when we are not clothed: in the shower, changing from one set of garments to another, having sex – these times of total nakedness are far less significant than the overwhelming hours in which we are dressed. Clothing begins in the first minute or two of our lives and we will be clothed in the grave, whether it is a suit placed on our corpse by an undertaker, or a linen shroud.

Writing about clothes, let alone thinking about them, is considered to be light-weight, trivial, empty-headed. Fashion is for those devoured by greed and consumerism. To be serious is to barely conscious of what you wear.

Enough of the sneering, already. Clothes are important.

Indeed, the Manolo could not have put it better himself.

You must go now and read this new blog, as Linda is not only the great writer, but she is the person of discernment and taste and knowledge.

Manolo says, Manolo’s very good friend Linda Grant, author of the wonderful piece in the Guardian about the declining standards of dress and comportment, has returned to add more to our very vibrant discussion of this important topic.

I would like to thank those of you who responded so positively to my Guardian piece about declining standards of dress. I believe that dressing appropriately for the occasion is simply a question of good manners, as well as to give ourselves the pleasure of wearing whatever in our wardrobes is best, just as we vary our diet, adorn our homes with nice things, and enjoy a beautiful view. In the past, even the most impoverished families, had garments that they called their ‘Sunday best’ clothes which they wore for special occasions. The dumbing down of dress is in part a product of prosperity, for when a pair of jeans can cost as much as an evening gown, who knows who is expensively dressed?

The morning the article came out, a friend reminded me that at her brother’s wedding, a few years ago, one guest arrived at the reception in shorts. Now the bride and groom were theatre folk, not actors, but a writer and a director, and one sensed that this minor celeb simply felt that the happy couple were simply not important enough to get dressed up for. The true star among the guests, Hugh Laurie (of ‘House’) and his wife were dressed entirely appropriately for a July wedding, she in a hat. As someone in the comments remarked – class, you’ve got it or you haven’t.

Two people who have class are Tizzy and her husband, who, unable to celebrate their wedding anniversary at an expensive restaurant, went to an ordinary one and dressed up anyway, he in a tie and she in a cocktail dress bought on the clearance rack for $9.99. Mr and Mrs Tizzy understand the notion of a memorable occasion. I thought of them last night at a glittering event held here in London, the private view of the new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum on the Golden Age of Couture. For standing in front of me as we listened to a speech by Ines de la Fressange, once a Chanel model, was a woman who had chosen from her entire wardrobe to wear at this event – jeans and a t-shirt. Mr and Mrs Tizzy, despite their modest income, would, I know, have nonetheless found the prefect outfits to have attended such an occasion. To be well-dressed comes not from the bank balance, but what is inside your own head.