For A-List Living on D-List Dimes......

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Fashion Soup For The Soul



Is there such a thing as a truly selfless act?  I have asked myself this question many times over and have found that I can argue both sides eloquently, efficiently and tooth ‘n nail.  Yes, I admit, if you could all tune into hear the voices in my head, even just for a few moments, you would be highly entertained.  As with most Sunday’s, I spent this past one laminated to my couch stroking my hangover and feeding my pickled brain with a hefty slice of reality TV.  The program of choice was a recap on the first year of married life of the Royal darlings – Will and Kate.  I lost an hour of my life watching their toothy grins shake hands and kiss babies from all sorts of walks of life.  I learned about all their different philanthropic endeavors and commitments to human rights, what’s more, I learned that LK Bennett pumps do indeed a Princess make.  Yet while various different media moguls were lauding this pair as the new Mother Theresa duplicated and incarnate I had to wonder – are they really partaking in these charitable enterprises for no other reason than the good of mankind or is it because their beady eyed publicist in the background has told them to do so?

The same could be said for so many celebrities.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think Angelina Jolie looks great in the myriad of different Muslim veils we’ve seen her in – not least because they cover her husband-stealing face – and I applaud her for saving the children of so many fallen countries.  But it’s hard to be convinced that these acts of kindness, which we are all encouraged to support, are completely genuine when there’s a camera capturing their every stunning angle.

But then again, for us lay people, the same could also be true.  I strive to be a good person.  I genuinely want to be a beacon of angelic-like virtuity with a high moral fiber that people enjoy being around - and if I can do so while looking like Heidi Klum above, so be it.  I’ve often benevolently given to numerous Goodwill Stores (yet, I’ve always managed to get a copy of the tax receipt).  I helped an old lady across the street recently (but, I told everybody about it).  I raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (in exchange for being trained for a marathon – go team!).  So at the end of the day, is an act ever truly selfless if you are getting something out of it?

Indeed, often my Catholic guilt gets the better of me when I over-analyze these situations and I contemplate ways in which I can better my soul.  I’m guessing Katie Holmes is on the same search for morality (in a Scientologist kind of a way) as she is now teaming up with Tommy Hilfiger to launch a new charity collection this Spring.  The Promise Collection will support the Millennium Development Goal which is dedicated to halving poverty by 2015.

Ever the Doubting Thomas, my suspicious little mind is of course calculating Katie Holmes’ gain from this but, when I saw the bold color palettes and animal prints this collection has to offer God dammnit – who cares!!!  My wallet is on a perpetual diet in order to afford whatever I deem as my most desireable duds so if there’s the opportunity for me to get a little fashion soup for the soul while I’m doing so why the hell not?! 

So perhaps such thing as a selfless act does not exist but I guess as long as nobody gets hurt in the way.....who am I to pass judgement?  And on that note, pass me my credit card bill - I need to figure out how much of Katie's collection I can afford.......all in the name of solving world poverty, of course......;)


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