October 19, 2006
Dressing for whomever; Ugly Betty’s, and why we love the new Gramercy
Park Hotel
The Three Tomatoes are in a
little bit of a “ this and that” kind of mood. So we’ll try to string a thread through today’s
missive, but don’t count on it.
Who do we really dress for?
Let’s start with The Three Tomatoes poll results
from last week -- you know those silly little questions we ask you to vote on every week. Well up until last week, we
were really taking your poll answers as the gospel. But who knew you’re just responding as good little politically correct
girls. When we asked you last week “who do you dress for” (men, other women, or yourself) the overwhelming
majority of you said, you dress for yourself. But then again, it was one of the questions that should have had an “all of
the above” with qualifiers option. Like, when The Three Tomatoes dress for
“ourselves” we’re usually wearing sweat pants with really comfy stretch waist bands, baggy tee shirts, and shoes we can walk in.
Then there’s dressing for guys, which is kind of an oxymoron since it’s really the “un” part that most
interests them, or the “what did you pay for that” part. And when we really wear that knock ‘em dead, wow
kind of outfit, it’s other women’s comments we appreciate most. Like, “wherever did you get those fabulous
shoes”. But we do aspire to that “dressing for ourselves” kind of confidence.
Martini cheers to those of you who do.
Our new TV Heroines
Which brings us to refreshing new images of women on TV. (See,
there is a thread of sorts here.) We love Ugly
Betty, and the fantastic young actress with the great name who plays her, America Ferrara. Betty is the
“anti-Paris Hilton/Lindsey Lohan”. She’s plump. She wears braces.
She’s from an ethnic family in Queens. She wears all the wrong clothes and she’s the assistant to the editor
of a Vogue type fashion magazine. In a world of shallow, superficial, insecure people, Betty has brains, great values, a good
heart, and the confidence to stand up for what’s right. We love her. We love the
show. Wouldn’t it be great if young girls aspired to be “Ugly Betty’s” instead of trashy bubble
heads? And that brings us to another favorite this season and that is Callie on Grey’s Anatomy.
(She’s kind of an Ugly Betty who grows up and goes to medical school.) While anorexic-looking, whiny, indecisive
Meredith is dumping the really good guys like Finn (Dr. McVet, who by the way, she does not deserve), Callie stands out from the self-absorbed
crowd. She knows who she is, and she knows what she wants. And this week, it was Dr.
McSteamy. Way to go Callie. And of course, we’ve saved the best for last, Candice
Bergen’s “Shirley Schmidt” on Boston
Legal. Classy, smart, sassy and definitely a woman who is not a kid. And every guy on the show wants
her! Now that’s a tomato.
Three Reasons to love the new Gramercy Park Hotel
What we love most about the new Gramercy Park Hotel is the story circulating that Paris Hilton was banned and quoted unnamed parties as
saying "the likes of Paris Hilton and her ilk are not welcome here." What we loved second is that they didn’t ban us
from the beautiful new Rose Bar just off
the lobby. (Although in the name of full-disclosure, we were with some people who had some “juice” so to speak.)
And the third thing we loved is the ambiance of this brilliantly renovated legendary New York City hotel. GHP
is the latest endeavor of Ian Schrager, Studio 54 fame and creator of the concept of “boutique” hotels. He has
created an amazing experience in the Gramercy Park Hotel, which he calls the antithesis of hip (maybe that’s why we got past the
door.) It’s plush, lush, glamorous, and welcoming (as long as you’re not named Paris). The lobby
and Rose Bar each have wood burning fire places, old world, but comfortable furnishings (including a pool table in the Rose Bar) and incredible
art. The hotel interior was designed by Julian Schnabel, a contemporary painter whose canvases grace the walls along with those of
Jean-Michael Basquiat, Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol. Oh, and did we mention the great cocktails?
Like the Long Berry we had in the Jade
Bar, a great concoction with way too many ingredients to remember and the perfect after dinner drink. So put on your glam
clothes, call for a reservation in the Rose Bar, and revel in the experience.
So here’s to dressing up for whomever, smart sassy women, and glamorous
cocktails. (And you thought we couldn’t tie all together.)
If you'd like to comment on this week's email, visit our blog or email us tomato@thethreetomatoes.com.
'til next week,
The Three Tomatoes
Copyright©2006. The Three Tomatoes. All rights
reserved.
