Marie Claire articles from January 2008

Marie Claire archives from January 2008

Happy new whatever ...(THE FRONT)
January 1, 2008... JANUARY IS ALL about fresh starts. Whose resolutions haven't included eating better, exercising more, or reading the classics? Maybe this year you'll change jobs or move to a more exciting city. Arguably, there's nothing like having a baby to...

Our kind of gal.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... I am thrilled with November's issue! Thanks for a great magazine. I look forward to getting mine every month. --BILLIE PARHAM Bladenboro, NC

It was a joke!(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... I have always admired MC's balance of contemporary fashion and attention to current news features on international women's issues. So I was disappointed to read "8 Things We Won't Ask You to Be Thankful for This Month" (November 2007). Number...

Reader of the month (because she cares).(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... I want to praise Marie Claire and Hearst Magazines for placing the recycling logo on all of your magazines, I even recycle the tags on my new clothes. It's amazing to see such a large corporation with a huge influence on women doing something...

Build a better marriage.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... In "I Married a Total Stranger" (November 2007), Anjali Mansukhani moved to the U.S. for the man her parents arranged for her to marry. Thanks for this article, I never thought I would ever have an arranged marriage, much less marry a guy from...

Striking a chord.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... In "Out of Sight, Out of Sound" (November 2007), Rebecca Alexander shared her story of going deaf and blind by age 30. Your magazine is such a great mix of fun and real-world issues. I specifically wanted to thank you for the article on...

Getting the shot: here's lookin' at us! Our shoot with soul singer Joss Stone (p. 126) became an episode of VH1's hot new reality show.(ON LOCATION)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] PICTURE THIS: Forty miles north of L.A., at a remote airstrip, a motley crew of media types gathers under a 104-degree sun. While Marie Claire Senior Fashion Editor Zanna Roberts, seasoned photographer Russell...

Online shop till you ... too spent from the holidays to think about shopping? Us, neither! Twenty-five readers will win a $200 gift certificate to shopbop.com, where you'll find Marc Jacobs exclusives, Vena Cava dresses, and more.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

What our editors are buying: they've seen it all and made their picks--our fashion departments must-gets.(SHOPPING)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ZANNA ROBERTS, SENIOR FASHION EDITOR CALVIN KLEIN NUBUCK EAST/WEST BAG "Love at first sight. This hot pink is cool, not sickly sweet, a breath of fresh air in my mostly black wardrobe. And the extra-long...

How to wear the new ... ladylike look: lose the pearls! Update prim basics with shiny leather gloves, shoes, and bags.(SHOPPING)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... $59.50 Express; express fashion. com for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $160 J.Crew; jcrew.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $138 Banana Republic; bannarepublic.com. [check] EDITOR'S PICK [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $29 MNG...

How to wear the new ... khaki: prep-school khaki has graduated from casual to runway.(SHOPPING)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $135 Lacoste; lacoste.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $395 Lavender Label Vera Wang; holtrenfrew.com for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A desert-inspired palette suits her adventurous spirit. $295...

Splurge vs. steal: the seriously sharp pencil skirt is sultry siren meets cool librarian.(SHOPPING)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pair longer hems with heels--or knee socks! $1300 SPLURGE J. Mendel; jmendel.com for stores. $4010 SPLURGE Fendi; (800) FENDI-NY for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $860 SPLURGE Prada; (888) 977-1900...

Why do these ballet flats cost $538?(SHOPPING: DECONSTRUCTED)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Modern girls in a hurry can't get enough of the ballet slipper's elegant mobility. These luxe Lanvins may leave you flat-broke temporarily, but you'll wear them for a lifetime. SOLE SEARCH: The sole is made of tough leather for...

Too cool for ballet school: the ballet slipper is newly embellished--and flat-out fabulous.(10 BEST SHOES)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... $20 JCPenney; (877) FIND-JCP for stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $270 Belle By Sigerson Morrisson; (212) 941-5404. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $345 Hogan; (888) 60-HOGAN. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $695 Giuseppe Zanotti Design;...

Too hot to handle: red can coax a radical statement out of the most classic bag.(10 BEST BAGS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $1750 Tod's; (800) 457-TODS. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $1300 Longchamp; longchamp.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $45 Worthington by JCPenney; jcp.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $1125 D&G; (800) 979...

Workwear's new perks: beautiful tailoring and boss-lady bags and shoes.(10 BEST FASHION: UNDER $100)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] 1. DRESS, $89, MNG by Mango; (415) 956-3705. 2. NECKLACE, $95, Rock Paper Scissors; rpsthings. com. 3. CARDIGAN, $59.50, American Eagle Outfitters; ae.com. 4. BLOUSE, $68, Banana Republic; banana...

marieclaire.com.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Your 2008 forecast: You will get the body and life you want. Join the Marie Claire Power Up Your Life Challenge and start a 12-week success plan, created by The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels (marieclaire.com/...

Would you let a kid style your outfit? Sure, if the kids is 7-year-old fashion prodigy Geordy Noppe-Brandon.(STYLE CHALLENGE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * BY NOW, WE HAD ASSUMED that the real style hounds were all jaded, black-clad urbanites, swilling Cosmopolitans. Then we heard about Geordy Noppe-Brandon, A 7-year-old with a passion for fashion--and the eye of a...

Keep it simple: streamline your beauty routine with a makeup-bag overhaul and a pared-down regimen.(beauty)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT: Gucci green lizard bag, $2290; Bourjois Eyeshadow in 07 Noir Emeraude (applicators shown below), $14; Shiseido Automatic Lip Crayon in LC3 Rose, $22; Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in...

Make over your makeup: new season, new reason to rethink your treasured tools. Here's what to cherish, what to chuck!(BEAUTY)(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... Most women wouldn't be caught dead without an It bag--but don't think twice about loading it up with petrified mascara, a foundation with an expired SPF, and lipstick so tired they can't read the name on the label. Who cares? Your skin, for...

How much is too much? Over-bleaching, over-tweezing, over-botoxing ... The craze in upkeep has women so hooked, doctors and industry pros are now turning them away.(BEAUTY)
January 1, 2008... SOMETIME IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, between collagen injections and the Fraxel laser, it became not only accepted but expected that celebrities would plot--and implement--their expensive antiaging strategies well before the first sign of a line....

Are you a tanorexic? Why, despite guaranteed wrinkles and cancer risks, would 30 million Americans visit tanning salons each year? Because many of them are addicted--literally--to UV.(BEAUTY)(ultraviolet rays)
January 1, 2008... HUMOR WRITER DAVID SEDARIS was going for the laugh when he dubbed his aggressively sun-kissed sister a "tanorexic" in his 2000 memoir, Me Talk Pretty One Day, as if her greatest affliction were vanity. Now part of the modern lexicon, the term...

Winter-proof your skin: don't flake out just 'cause the temperature's dropping. We asked the experts for the most effective skin-savers to keep you glowing till spring.(BEAUTY)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHETHER YOU HAIL from Seattle or St. Louis, certain seasonal adjustments are no-brainers. You swap the light trench for the woolly overcoat, stow the window screens, and top up the antifreeze in the car. So why, when...

Hilary cuts it off: never one to shy away from a challenge, Hilary Swank transforms herself yet again--this time for charity. Here, she spills her secrets for always looking the part ...(BEAUTY SNOOP)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] * ACTRESS HILARY SWANK'S transformations in Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby resulted in two Oscars and megastardom. Her most recent makeover is a more personal affair: She lopped off and donated almost 10...

"What I love about me": women from Hanover, home of Dartmouth College in the swing state of New Hampshire, register their thoughts on beauty.(BEAUTY ROAD SHOW)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HANOVER, NH More than 70 percent of Hanover's women hold bachelor's degrees. Statewide, 2008 female primary voters outnumber males by about 20 percent. Unlike most other states, New Hampshire conducts...

What does your look reveal about you? Dr. Amy Wechsler, MC's resident dermatologist and psychiatrist, analyzes 23-year-old legal assistant Abby French.(BEAUTY SHRINK)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HAIR AW: Her hair is overdyed. Clearly, she can't tolerate her natural color, even for a second. In her mind, she's a platinum blonde. AF: It's true--I usually feel my best in this color. My natural dirty...

Think fast: you're spiffy in a jiffy with these time-saving, multitasking wonders.(10 BEST BEAUTY)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] CLOCKWISE FROM 12 O'CLOCK GET CHEEKY: Flush cheeks and lips with one fab color. Benefit Rush Hour, $20. WHITE LIGHTENING: Preserve your pearly whites anywhere. Rembrandt Whitening Touch Up Pen, $12.99. ...

Obsessions & confessions with ying.(BEAUTY)(perfumes and cosmetics)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... I look like The Fly in my SpaCific Essentials Lights Out Sleep Mask, but I won't travel without it. The shape contours to my face, allowing for blinking and peaceful REM sleep. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PRECIOUS PERFUME While I covet...

Splurge vs. steal: who doesn't need a five-star spa treatment in January? But you can also try these at home.(BEAUTY)(personal care products )(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $85 SPLURGE TERME WAILEA HYDROTHERAPY Grand Wailea Resort Maui, HI grandwailea.com SUPER-SOAKER Unwind in one--or all five--of the luxurious dipping pools, each with a different therapeutic ingredient,...

Work now, have babies later.(MC BULLETIN)(mothers who give birth later in life have higher salaries)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HEY, YOU, EATING pizza at your desk for the fourth night this week: There's good news from Elizabeth Gregory, author of Ready: Why Women Are Embracing the New Later Motherhood. She has found that it may actually be...

No shirt, no service.(Abercrombie & Fitch's topless models)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ABERCROMBIE & FITCH, the retailer known for its bare-chested beefcake aesthetic, loves abs so much it has topless male models greeting customers at its flagship store in NYC. But apparently there s a limit: Last...

For cryin' out loud.(celebrities )(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Gratuitous tears, once the domain of televangelists and best actresses, have popped up all over the boldfaced world. MC looks at who's weeping, and why [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TARA CONNER, MISS USA First for winning the crown, then...

29 days of beatings, torture, and confinement: ZARAH GHAHRAMANI tells her story.(Q&A)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN 2001, 20-YEAR-OLD Iranian Zarah Ghahramani spent 29 days in Tehran's Evin prison for participating in student protests against her country's fundamentalist government. In her new book, My Life as a Traitor, she...

Craigslist has lost its innocence.(website tied to murder)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Craigslist, we thought we knew you. Your communal, hippie vibe and San Francisco roots made us feel like we could open our door to the stranger coming over to buy our old II Then a few months ago, we heard the worst thing so far: a murder...

Citizen queen.(MORE THAN A PRETTY FACE)(Queen Noor of Jordan)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Name: QUEEN NOOR OF JORDAN Age: 56 Notable Quote: "In America, there's a sense that anything's possible. It's a luxury, that blind faith and idealism, that sense of 'I can do something about my life.'" THE IRAQ...

"My boss plays favorites!" Got a workplace worry? Take it to the coach.(THE CUBICLE COACH)(Column)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: Dear CC: My boss gets on my case about things that she totally lets slide when her "pet" is the one doing them. How can I make her see the darker side of her golden boy? A: You mean, mentioning the two...

Judy Greer.(OBJECT OF OUR AFFECTION)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... HER SHTICK: Scene-snatching sidekick AS SEEN IN: 13 Going on 30, Elizabethtown, Arrested Development WHY SHE'S ON OUR MINDS: After playing a bridesmaid in the rom-com 27 Dresses, the number two finally gets a number-one role in ABC's...

Television: midseason premieres: as they compete for TiVo space with those fall shows you never got around to watching, it's decision time: What to save, and what to delete?(CULTURE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COP SHOW (WITH A TWIST!) SKIP: NBC's plodding Life, about an L.A. homicide detective--who was wrongly imprisoned!; CBS's cheesy Moonlight, about a handsome, charismatic private investigator--who quenches his...

Music: your monthly crib sheet. Take that, music snobs ...(CULTURE)(sound recordings)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Kate Nash Made of Bricks (Geffen) Nash topped the U.K. charts with her sprightly piano and deadpan lyrics ("You said I must eat so many lemons/ 'cause I am so bitter/I said I'd rather be with your friends, mate/'cause they are much fitter")....

Michael Stahl-David could tell you about his new movie--but then he'd have to kill you.(TWO-MINUTE DATE)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'M NOT VERY into pop culture," admits 25-year-old unknown Michael Stahl-David. "By the time my family bought a TV to watch me on The Black Donnellys and got it to work, the show was off the air. In fact, I still...

Movies: friends don't let friends miss these stellar new flicks.(CULTURE)('Be Kind Rewind,' 'Taxi to the Dark Side,' and 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly')(Movie review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Be Kind Rewind When two of our favorite guilty pleasures, Mos Def and Jack Black, team up with winsomely trippy Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), hilarity is inevitable. Black and Def...

Books: put on your blinders at Borders and head right to these gems.(CULTURE)('People of the Book,' 'They Did It With Love,' and 'The Delivery Man')(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (Viking) For time's sake, we're going to commit heresy and compare a Pulitzer winner's latest novel to a-IV show. You know how the best dramas have great episodes and that...

The culture pyramid: your entertainment diet for January.(CULTURE)(books, movies, television programs, and videos)(Movie review)(Sound recording review)(Television program review)(Brief article)(Book review)(Video recording review)
January 1, 2008... GUILTY PLEASURES (partake sparingly) Eastern Promises on DVD.Viggo + full-frontal nudity + slow-too button = one helluva night. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Pipe in the bliss through your earbuds with Natasha Bedingfield's latest pop...

Him Her Him Again The End of Him (Scribner).(THIS MONTH'S PICK)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THIS MONTH'S PICK: HIM HER HIM AGAIN THE END OF HIM (SCRIBNER) BY: Patricia Marx, magazine scribe and former Saturday Night Live writer SYNOPSIS: A whip-smart American student falls for a pretentious...

Sexy mama: blissfully married, with a baby on the way, Christina Aguilera is downright giggly about the future question is, is she still dirrty?(Interview)(Cover story)
January 1, 2008... WHEN I ARRIVE at L.A.'s L'Ermitage Hotel for my meeting with Christina Aguilera, a towering security guy named Bob is sizing up the location. In the Dirrty Girl's universe, things aren't left to chance. She is, after all, a radical talent with...

How I learned to stop hating my mother: why did my mom love Stoli more than me? After 30 years of disappointments and accusations, I picked up the phone to find out.(RELATIONSHIP)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT ABOUT ME?" I spat at my mother as she sat frail and broken in a wheelchair, her legs too wasted to carry her emaciated body. It was Christmas of 1999, and my father, two brothers, and I were at a...

From mutilation to salvation: millions of young women around the globe are still being subjected to a shockingly primitive surgery that leads to lifelong health problems--if not death. But in a faraway corner of Kenya, one survivor is fighting for change. MC's Jan Goodwin met the woman who's setting an example for the world.(AFRICA REPORT)(Agnes Pareyio)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S THE MOST UNEXPECTED of chorus lines. More than 100 young girls sway in unison, patting their boobs, butts, and groins in turn, as they sing enthusiastically: "These are our private parts. No one should touch...

The blame game: ever since her daughter went missing, Kate Mccann has been accused of everything from bad mothering to murder. She's not the first mom to come under such fire. Why do we always suspect the worst?(LETTER FROM LONDON)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] EVERY SUNDAY, BRITISH physician Kate McCann walks to church in the tiny town of Rothley, Leicestershire, hand in hand with her husband, Gerry. She keeps her eyes directed at the ground, ignoring the whispers and...

It's time to exercise your power: sure, you're super-busy--some days you can barely keep up with your e-mail. We totally get that. But let's face it: You need to vote. Not enough of us are doing so. (A whopping 35 million eligible women didn't vote in '04!) Here, everything you need to know to get in gear this year.(ELECTION '08)
January 1, 2008... 5 myths about the election--busted Think you've got the election all figured out? Brace yourself. Political expert MELINDA HENNEBERGER, author of If They Only Listened to Us: What Women Voters Want Politicians to Hear, sets the record...

The best boutique in town.(EYE ON THE WORLD)(Ghazni, Afghanistan)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GHAZNI WAS ONCE a dazzling capital of the Turkish empire; now it's a decaying mud-walled city. Located on the trade route between Kabul and Kandahar, one of the most dangerous highways in Afghanistan, the region is...

The un sexiest generation ever! Somewhere between the free-love '70s and "friends with benefits," a curiously chaste breed emerged. Frustrated David Kamp reflects.(ZEITGEIST)
January 1, 2008... AT THE HEIGHT of the first dot-com boom, a former boss of mine famously boasted that raising funds for his Internet startup was "as easy as getting laid in 1969." It was a fantastic quote, but ugh, the icky imagery it summoned: face-painted...

Horoscope: January brings world domination for lucky rams like Sarah Jessica Parker, workplace woe for Virgos like Beyonce.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) This month, Pluto will enter your sign for the first time in 230 years, triggering an overhaul of your ambitions, your happy-hour crew, even your underwear drawer. We'll spare...

Fashion fresh start: set out on a style adventure this spring by exploring with the new khakis or exquisite florals.(women's clothing and accessories)(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] put it in NEUTRAL Start your year by shifting gears: GO the cool, khaki route. Radical versions of classic trenches and safari styles are on a roll THIS PAGE: Coat, $575, Helmut Lang; tank, $65, DKNY; shorts,...

Wild flower: Joss Stone: the maverick R&B star seems a natural fit for the new, edgy, free-spirited florals. We're not talking garden-variety ...(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dres s, $3250, Etro; necklace, $158, Gara Danielle. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS PAGE: Top, $228, Rebecca Taylor. OPPOSITE PAGE: Dress, $275, Plenty Frock! by Tracy Reese; white bracelet, $475,...

Hang loose in lightweight anoraks.(101 ideas)(women's clothing)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Jacket, $350, Liz Claiborne; sweater, $88, Worthington by JCPenney; skirt, $78, Gianni Bini; bag, $325, DKNY; scarf, $8.80, Forever 21. Jacket, $128, The Limited; dress, $109, Mae and Jac; scarf, $20, Aldo. ...

Feel-good knits for at-home chilling.(101 ideas)(knit clothing)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sweater, $168, Banana Republic; dress, $64, Simply Vera Vera Wang; rings (worn throughout), $100, Marcia Moran at Supplements New York. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Sweater; $88, Gap; glasses, $300, Chanel. ...

Khaki is a staple for all seasons.(101 ideas)(clothing)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cape, $148, Banana Republic; turtleneck, $200, Diesel; jeans, $42, Fire; shoes, $75, Marc Fisher. Trench, $159, Ann Taylor Loft; top, $39, Nautica; pants, $298, Ellen Tracy; scarf, $110, Weekend by MaxMara. ...

Power up your life! Are you ready to change your life for good? Welcome to the smart woman's guide to becoming slim, strong, motivated, and focused in 12 short weeks. Start here, then boost your success at marieclaire.com.(MARIE CLAIRE CHALLENGE)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] YOUR TRAINER: We called in Jillian Michaels, the smart, tough-love trainer from The Biggest Loser, to bring you lasting results. Once overweight (155 pounds at age 13), she slimmed down with the ideas she offers...

The 15 tests every woman needs: the smartest way to take control of your health is to get these lifesaving tests on schedule. Tear out this guide--and check off each screening as you get it--so you'll never miss an important test again.(HEALTH)(medical tests)(Table)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HIGH-RISK RULES Start testing sooner if you're at above-average risk for these medical conditions: LOW BONE DENSITY: Get a bone scan every two years starting now if you've taken a glucocorticoid drug...

I swore off sex for a month: when I told my boyfriend I wanted to give up sex for 30 days, he hooted with laughter. But the process was anything but funny.(ROAD TEST)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "So when you say 'no sex' for 30 days, what does that mean, exactly? I'm on the phone with Ian Kerner, Ph.D., author of Sex Detox, which suggests stepping away from the hot stuff for a month to revive a sex life...

An opinionated guide to January.(Calendar)
January 1, 2008... The Good... 1 THE GOLDEN GLOBES Because celebrities are funnier when drunk. 2 MUDDY NAIL POLISH We dig the gray-lilac nude recently seen on the Narciso Rodriguez runway. Bye-bye, Ballet Slippers! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 THE...