April 2009

What is it with the Apprentice? It’s like a caricature of women in business – either they are are more aggressive than a Rottweiler with PMT or they are so over-emotional they’d give Gwyneth Paltrow a run for her money doing an Oscar’s acceptance speech.

Everytime a new series turns up, it seems the women follow some kind of un-written script and immediately slot into one of these stereotypes. Once they have done that, you have to cringe through the first few tasks where they then begin arguing, b*tching and incompetently muddling their way through. Ultimately loosing the battle of  Men ‘V’ Women. Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not obssessed with winning said battle but if we do loose, I want to loose for the right reasons.

My worry is that those who believe everything their TV tells them might believe that this is actually a true representation of women in business and that just isn’t true! Women have incredible strengths, tolence and a huge range of  talents. However as a young woman in business,  it can sometimes be extremely difficult and that is without some of your colleagues making some crack about you being cold-hearted, ruthless and ineffective. Of course, on top of this you then add the fact that I’m not only a young woman but that I’m very tall as well and that has people immediately making assumptions and shoving me into a box that not only doesn’t fit but that I can’t seem to ever escape.

So, being seen as professional woman was already sometimes challenging and then, as if she is the poster child of my worst nightmare, along came 6ft tall Debra Barr.  She is very quickly proving to be the sterotype incarnate of exactly what everyone expected and for me, the epitome of everything I abhor about the worst of women in business. It’s almost like she feels that she must ‘act like a man’ (as she must see it) and overly develop traits often more associated with a city trading shark. Throughout this series, she has shown little talent for anything other than an aggression and shown herself to be a cold person who domineers, bitches and lies her way through tasks.

Any tall woman will tell you that she is endlessly tagged as aggressive, dominant and scary – and that’s just from walking into the room yet alone when you open your mouth and prove to have a both a mind and an opinion. Many people seem to find extreme height in women a truly intimidating force and men in particular seem to find it threatening.  Now, combine that pre-conception with the traits that Debra has shown in Series  5 and you have a walking, talking thorn-in-the-side every tall woman out there, and most definitely those in business.  There is no finesse, no kindness, no sublety,no yield, no grace…

Consider some of the most successful women in business, Anya Hindmarch, Sahar Hashemi, Kelly Hoppen or Linda (LK) Bennett and none of them seem to have anything in common with women like Debra. Whereas I am not disputing that businesswomen do need to possess a tenacious, determined nature and that there are times when the stereotypically more ‘male’ traits, such as aggression and ruthlessness,  are indeed required, I think it gives the wrong message to young women today as to how they should be in business to succeed.

What people are saying about Debra:

Paula (Fired in Episode 4): “”The thing with Debs is which is why I do respect her and I do kind of like her is she absolutely doesn’t give a t**s”.
(Hmm I’m don’t usually find that an endearing or likeable trait!)

The Guardian: Debra would be the offspring of series two finalists Michelle Dewberry and Ruth Badger, should their genes ever be spliced

Even more than usual this week, Aidy Chiles’ follow-up - The Apprentice - You’re fired – was far better than the programme itself. The likeable, articulate, quietly amusing Paula came out with one of the best comments of the show so far – asked if the endlessly self-grooming, self-adoring Debra Barr was tall, Paula demurely but devastatingly replied ‘oh yes, she’s about 6 foot….. 7 with her mouth open.’ Just so

Daily Star: Apprentice b*tch Debra Barr is in pieces at being dubbed ‘Jigsaw’ after the demonic doll in horror flick Saw. Show hopefuls reckon her pale, moon-shaped face and chiselled features make her a dead ringer for the film’s monster.

Star of US hit Gossip Girls, Blake Lively, was recently quoted in an interview for Allure Magazine saying that she finds having a large frame (Er.. Sorry, I wasn’t aware a size 4 qualified as ‘Large’) often makes her feel masculine and like a transexual:

“I feel like a tranny a lot of the time. I don’t know, I’m … large? They put me in six-inch heels, and I tower over every man. I’ve got this long hair and lots of clothes and makeup on. I just feel really big a lot of the time, and I’m surrounded by a lot of tiny people. I feel like a man sometimes.”

Seriously Blake, sweetheart, get over yourself and stop looking for both sympathy and PR. You’re only 5ft10, you’re as thin as a catwalk model and you’ve had a whopping boob job. If I were you, I’d take some of that hard-earned cash and get yourself a good therapist.

As far as the Amazona team’s concerned, you’re no role model for young women today if you even think that, let alone say it in an interview.

Delaila jewellery is one of the most inspiring success stories of young British design in recent years. The creator of this super-cool brand is Laila Aitken.  Quite literally growing up in the fashion industry, her mother was the owner of Samson and Delilah, a landmark clothing store that catered to such celebrities as Marvin Gaye, Alice Cooper and David Bowie, for their onstage wardrobes.

Laila was influenced by many cultures living alternately in Pakistan, Italy and America growing up. When she settled in Florence her long love of daring fashion took root. As a buyer for small boutiques and vintage sellers she was inspired to step out on her own and create extraordinary pieces of jewellery, defining her adventerous concept of style. On a cruise, in 2006, she launched her line and was an immediate success.

To produce her show-stopping designs, Laila chose the Italian factory responsible for producing much of Chanel, Gucci and Marc Jacobs jewellery collections. Her pieces, which regularly grace the pages of Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire, are created from materials that include plexiglass,  gold, rhodium and Swarovski crystal. What’s even better for tall girls, is that we are the perfect canvas for these statement pieces!

Delaila collections can be found in upscale jewellery establishments all over the world such as Harvey Nichols in Dubai, Hong Kong and London, Erickson Beamon and Liberty.
You can get yours at credit-crunch friendly prices at Amazona Style right now as all Delaila jewellery is currently on sale - up to 50% off!

*Look out for more Cool Britannia posts as we celebrate the best of British Young Designers*

I’m young, free and single and I live in London (which my Welsh grandmother once described as ‘the place where everyone has always gone to have alot of sex with different people before they get married’).  I think I am at least vaguely attractive and I’m no psycho bunny-boiler – I know the rules of this sport. However, despite ONLY  joking to my housemates about hanging up my g-string and retiring from the game as there were no suitable opponents, it seem the universe may have taken me seriously.  Apart from one ‘game’ last December, I’ve been on the bench for over a year.

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Everyone says you don’t get ‘Something for nothing’ n this world and that ‘if it seems too good to be true, it probably is’. Well, maybe it’s the recession, maybe it’s the millenium or maybe it’s just a full moon but over at Amazona Style, if you sign up to their newsletter you get £10.00 off every pair of shoes you buy (up until 16th April). What’s even better is that the discount applies to all sale shoes too so you can get many styles for over 50% off! Bargain!

Once signed up for the newsletter, you won’t be bombarded with useless emails. Amazona Style will only contact you when they have something to tell you, whether it’s new stock arriving or another great offer like the current one. We hear in the future they plan to run some great offers like free postage, prize draws and even a brilliant payday offer where one style will be only £25.00 - but only for a day!

If I were you, I’d head over to Amazona Style and sign up - seems like money for nothing to me!

When 90210 came back to our screens, any fashionista worth her salt knew that the stars of the show would be the ones to watch in the style stakes. Red carpet events are covered with young, tanned beauties in the latest designer trends with long flowing hair and even longer legs. Ok, so you can’t exactly get that look whilst moseying around London in the rain, but we can give you a headstart. The girls over at 90210 love Dogeared jewellery and we’ve got a couple of beauties that you should fall in love with right now! Checkout the Guardian Angel necklace- it’s there to have your back when the going gets tough! Even better, it’s now on sale for £36.00, reduced from £49.00!

Other fans of the brand include the Desperate Housewives, tall girl favourite Tyra Banks, High School Musical cutie Ashley Tisdale and The Hills hottie Lauren Conrad. To jump on the bandwagon and bring a little Dogeared magic to your life, go to Amazona Style and pick your favourite!

It’s official: children born in the summer are taller and have stronger bones than their winter classmates. Well, I’d like to say a big thanks to my parents for having me in March. Heaven knows what size I’d have been if they’d have got cosy in Autumnal months!

Latest research has concluded that by the time they are 10, summer children are an average of 0.5cm taller and have almost 13cm more bone area than winter kids, British researchers said after studying 7000 children.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Dr Ted Weaver said vitamin D exposure had a big impact on baby size, which continued into height and health in later life.

Dr Weaver said ante-natal screening for vitamin D was becoming increasingly important, particularly for Muslim women who are shielded from the sun by their burkas.

Born on Tuesday at Monash Medical Centre in Australia,  after one of the state’s sunniest periods, Alasdair Duell measured 54cm -well above the 50cm average for newborns and enough for East Bentleigh parents Megan Fisher and Ken Duell to dream of a future as an AFL ruckman or big-serving tennis star.

Six years ago I was in New York when I saw my first Victoria’s Secret store on a stroll through the South Street Seaport.  For a farm girl from the rural Welsh Borders,  this store had a kind of mysterious, un-attainable air about it. It was something I had heard of on US shows or had caught of glimpse of when the press mentioned their legendarily glamorous annual catwalk show.  The VS models were astoundingly attractive with their eviably fit figures and phenomenal busts (how can you be supermodel slim AND have boobs? It’s just not allowed!!). I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first went in - bras in every shape, size, fabric and colour. It was the epitome of glamour. I’d never been anywhere like it.

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