Wardrobe Mysteries Linger (store owner says it did not happen) NYT

[Nambe]

Source:

... Consider also the $4,902.45 charge at Atelier New York, a high-end men’s store, presumably for Ms. Palin’s husband, Todd, the famous First Dude.

Karlo Steel, an owner there, said he had gone through the store’s receipts for September, twice, and found no sales that matched that amount, nor any combination of sales that added up to the total. Because the store carries aggressively directional men’s wear, he caters to a small clientèle and knows most of his customers by name, as well as the history of their purchases.

When The Caucus called Mr. Steel back to ask him to also check August sales just in case, Mr. Steel said he found one purchase that came close to the amount in the campaign finance reports but said that he knew who that customer was and it certainly was not Mr. Palin. Neither was it Jeff Larson, the Republican consultant who showed up in campaign finance records as the one who footed the initial bill before being reimbursed by the R.N.C. ...

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/wardrobe-mysteries-linger/

[Lance_Boyle]

1. Maybe it was for Tawd's business partner, again. n/t

[TrogL]

2. So what was the money spent on? Hookers?

[Democat]

3. Let's keep this scandal alive as long as possible!

Send out the investigators to find out what's really going on with this shopping spree.

And every day before the election there should be a new story about Palin's $150,000 shopping spree.

Every day!

[gratuitous]

17. I think the American people deserve to know

Was the First Dude buying clothes from terrorists? Or anti-American haberdashers? Are his shorts unreal? We deserve answers to these burning questions, and we need them now so that the American people can make an informed choice.

What is the First Dude covering up? Are his aggressively directional clothes pointed in the right direction? And how can the American people evaluate any unsupported claim of properly directional supporters if we don't have every last scrap of information? Are they hiding something?

God damn but the jokes just write themselves, don't they? There are going to be a lot of comedians experiencing mixed feelings on November 5.

[On the Road]

4. "Aggressively Directional Men’s Wear"?

What the hell is that?
:wtf:

[Critters2]

7. I wondered that, too. What the hell does that mean?

Is there gently directional men's wear?

[Javaman]

10. kevlar underwear with a GPS. nt

[MilesColtrane]

35. Not sure, but I think there's a ball gag involved.

[HopeHoops]

9. Sounds like it involves red leather body suits and face masks

Maybe that's where Sarah got that jacket!

[Uncle Joe]

12. I believe it's sort of like the SNL skit when Jim Belushi stuffed everything down his pants

including the paper towel dispenser in the men's room in the hopes of impressing the ladies.

I could be wrong about this.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Magnetized codpieces?

[GinaMaria]

30. This might help

http://web.mac.com/ateliernewyork/iWeb/Site/YOHJI%20YAMAMOTO%20FW%202008.html

The term may be a play on the term 'fashion forward'. From the few items I looked at, the clothing seems unstructured (in a traditional tailored sense), exagerated (see the phantom of the opera like cape) and metrosexual (for lack of a better word). Too trendy to ever be worn on a campaign trail, but who knows. Anything is possible with the McInsane campaign.

This seems really odd. Take a look at the clothes. They scream NY club scene to me. WTF is going on?


On Edit:
Here's the link for the page with the capes :eyes:

http://web.mac.com/ateliernewyork/iWeb/Site/YOHJI%20YAMAMOTO%20FW%202008.html

[Wanet]

5. What is "aggressively directional" men's wear?

Expensive?

[Wanet]

11. following some research on ask.com

It appears to be a fancy way of saying "the latest fashion"

[TankLV]

26. Maybe it makes his tiny pecker bigger and point to the right or left...

I've seen the "up front and center" undies in a few ads...

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. "Aggressively directional men's wear"

WTF is that? Pants that accommodate a "directional" codpiece?

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Which side do you dress, Mr. Palin???

[Critters2]

13. LOL!!

Directional! :rofl:

[On the Road]

14. Maybe That's It!

You have a choice between aggressively to the left or aggressively to the right.

[pitohui]

16. the store owner is not under oath and has a duty to protect his clients

if it was my store, i'd say the say thing, even if it was a lie

the only way i would admit who my customers are is if i had permission from them OR i was under oath

otherwise if britney or palin or i don't care who all shops in my store, they are going to get the privacy they expect, right?

in other words, i don't see how you can take the store owner's word for this as he would be expected to say "no" whatever the true answer

we all got mad when victoria's secret accidently leaked some of the customer list and what people bought and we're not even celebs and nobody cares! how much more so is it to be private in this case

[Nay]

18. Maybe investigators will need a warrant, but certainly the govt auditors

are within their legal rights to question receipts that don't seem legit. If the Pubs didn't buy clothes there, then the receipt was fraudulently submitted for reimbursement. This is a quick way to get fired or arrested. It's grand theft.

[jmowreader]

19. Aggressively directional men's wear? Hmm...

I found the Atelier New York website and looked at the clothes they offer. It's all this Milan Catwalk stuff...if you don't wear eyeliner on a daily basis you won't want these clothes.

I think the "aggressively directional" line means "we know the three customers who would buy this item."

[FatDave]

25. Sure doesn't sound like anything you;d find in "real" America.

Sounds pretty damn fruity if you ask me.

[jmowreader]

27. I don't think I'd call it "fruity"

No self-respecting gay man would be caught dead in these clothes. This is more "look at my unique style" shit--and it WOULD be unique style, since no one but you would wear this stuff.

After looking at the clothes on this site (http://www.ateliernewyork.com), I can safely say SOMEONE ripped off the GOP--they did NOT buy clothes for a political candidate's husband at this store.

[FatDave]

28. Kee-rist!

That is some awful stuff. And I haven't seen men that skinny since I saw The Machinist. Seriously, these guys ain't gettin' their money's worth at the Chinese buffet. So skinny they have to wear snow shoes in the shower. The wind would blow them away if there was enough surface area for it to grab. Somebody should make them an aggressively directional sandwich.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. Maybe it was for Sarah's jock straps

[earth mom]

21. ROFL!

:rofl:

[bemildred]

22. Maybe a "wardrobe malfunction" would work.

http://www.queerty.com.nyud.net:8090/wp/docs/2008/07/malfunction.jpg

[starroute]

23. "Aggressively directional" usually refers to sound effects

Googling mainly turns up references to things like movie soundtracks and surround sound. "If you've been content with 2-channel Surround for your DVD viewing, let me tell you, you are definitely missing a full half of DVD's potential. The opening scenes of The Blues Brothers, in the prison, are aggressively, and I mean aggressively, directional; in the scene where Jake and Elwood are trapped by Carrie Fisher in the sewer, the dripping of the sewer is all around you and when she shoots that machine gun at Jake and Elwood, it's amazing."

Oh, here's a fashion reference: "Yet off the catwalk, the collection is neither intimidating nor aggressively directional. Instead Freud has delivered a truly wearable, urbane and pleasurable ready to wear wardrobe for the new Biba customer."

And here it is used about Beckham's hair: "A bigger disappointment, for aesthetically minded soccer fans, was that Beckham's tresses - normally the beau ideal of the soccer world's array of aggressively directional haircuts - were just tired. His previous dos have included a frosted fauxhawk, blond cornrows and a confection of rooster's peaks, but on Saturday Beckham's hair was, like his game, neatly prostrate and minimally styled. Mere gel, in soccer, is a letdown."

So -- are we all suitably illuminated now? (And don't tell me what a fauxhawk might be. I really don't think I want to know.)

[LynnTheDem]

24. Theft? Fraud? Does the RNC care what's done with their donors' money?

Do republican donors care?

I would...but that's just me.

[GinaMaria]

29. There's something fishy about the accouting here

What are they hiding? and how bad is it that they would rather take heat for clothing expenses than what it really is?

[zelta gaisma]

31. Oh I know ! I know!

aggressively directional men’s wear <---- clothes a dominatrix makes her bottom-boy wear ?!

ok feel free to ignore me I haven't had enough coffee yet and that phrase sent my mind straight into the gutter where it giggles chortles and dies laughing.

[GinaMaria]

32. Web site. See for yourself

http://web.mac.com/ateliernewyork/iWeb/Site/YOHJI%20YAMAMOTO%20FW%202008.html

aggressively directional men’s wear

The term may be a play on the term 'fashion forward'. From the few items I looked at, the clothing seems unstructured (in a traditional tailored sense), exagerated (see the phantom of the opera like cape) and metrosexual (for lack of a better word). Too trendy to ever be worn on a campaign trail, but who knows. Anything is possible with the McInsane campaign.

This seems really odd. Take a look at the clothes. They scream NY club scene to me. WTF is going on?


On Edit:
Here's the link for the page with the capes :eyes:

http://web.mac.com/ateliernewyork/iWeb/Site/YOHJI%20YAMAMOTO%20FW%202008.html

[Neshanic]

33. Only one person could pull this off...MUGATU!

[yellowcanine]

34. So if they did not spend the money where it said on the finance report, where was the money spent?

This doesn't help McCain campaign at all. Looks as if there are some unexplained expenditures.

[karynnj]

36. Could it be a timing problem?

Where the purchase was in August, but the bill was submitted to the campaign in September.

[Overseas]

37. K&R -- more lies they cannot explain. //nt