Does anyone out there remember YM? I'd beg my mom to buy it for me at the grocery - pleading for those glossy pages behind broken glasses and stringy hair. I didn't have access to any of the clothing I wanted to wear or to any of the glamour I wanted to exude - I was, afterall, fully immersed in the depths of my pre-teen awkwardness - but I remember being absolutely enthralled by the photos and layouts of my YMs. I'd think 'that's interesting the way she's wearing those pants', or 'hmmm, I'd like to try an eye like that'. It was my first kiss of fashion and the intrigue and admiration for the fantasy of it all has definitely stayed with me through the years.

My favorite YM (and incidentally my first) was the 'supermodel issue'. We're talking pages and pages of Cindy, Claudia, and Nadia stomping the runway for Versace and posing for Herb. They even showed images of the girls all deconstructed backstage after a fashion show and candids of them with no makeup and 'real' clothing. Because I read (and re-read) every word printed in that issue I can actually remember finding a tiny tidbit about 'Model Habits'. Most of what made the list were platitudes about drinking lots of water, being rested, being on time, yada yada... and although I've forgotten most of the others, I will never forget this one: 'Models love oversized clothing because it lets them feel smaller'.

Now if you remember, models of this time were a little curvier than the models of today. This was before Kate Moss had been discovered and when voluptuous was still fashionable. The supermodels of that time were tall and thin - but they weren't waifs. I too am no waif and I think there's a reason I can still recall those words though I read them more than 20 years ago. I love my body and I love how I look, but sometimes I'm overwhelmed by my stature and it feels really good to just let my clothing 'hang'. Not cling, not cup, not squeeze - just hang. It feels cool. It feels elegant. And this is what it looks like.