Whew. That’s a lot of work.

Santa, we realized, usually gets a bonus for his efforts– a plate of cookies and a glass of milk at nearly every stop. Not so Santa’s helpers. They don’t even get to ride in the sleigh.

So a few years back we decided to reward them ourselves, with Christmas cookies and hot apple cider.

Soon we discovered that many of Santa’s hardworking helpers appreciate the treat and so our December cookies and cider Saturdays have become a PlainClothes tradition.

Now folks are even asking for our cider recipe. So here it is, Steve’s own (to give credit where credit is due) Christmas cider concoction.

If you’re in our neighborhood this holiday season, stop by and try it.

Christmas Cider Concoction
1/2 gallon unfiltered apple cider
2 teaspoons brown sugar
peel of 1 orange
6 cinnamon sticks
15 cloves

Put all ingredients in a pot of appropriate size and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and serve.

Up close his creations are magnificent– boldly executed, finely detailed, and wonderfully, often shockingly, imaginative.

Step back and look again. These are not clothes many women would wear. Instead they are meant for the rapacious female creatures of nightmares– powerful, preying, sinister and at the same time mesmerizingly beautiful and seductive.

Savage Beauty is a tour de force of McQueen’s remarkable imagination and well worth seeing. But be forewarned, there is nothing happy here.

As a hobby, she began to knit, then to design hats and sweaters to be knitted. Before long she discovered there were quite a few women anxious to knit up her creations in exchange for the flexibility of working from home, so she built up a cottage-industry–  by women, for women– to produce her designs.

But the small number of pieces that can be made in this way, individually and by hand, and the high cost of the resulting products dictated that Joan Vass’ quirky, handmade, limited-edition pieces could only reach a fortunate few. So, in 1984, she joined forces with a large South Carolina knitting company to produce a distinctively Joan Vass collection of practical, wearable, knitted cotton separates under the label Joan Vass USA.

We were then scouring the market prior to opening PlainClothes. Just as we do now, we were looking for clothes with style, quality, wearability and a fresh point of view; clothes that will help us simplify our complicated lives.

Eureka. That’s just what Joan Vass USA was– the right clothes at the right time. We bought the collection immediately and enthusiastically in time for the PlainClothes opening. To our delight the collection became a mainstay of the wardrobes of many women who shopped with us in our early days and remained so for several years.

Eventually Joan Vass USA became so popular that freestanding shops were opened across the country. We are happy to have found Joan Vass and introduced her to our customers long before that happened.
Designer Joan Vass died on January 6, 2011. Ave atque vale.

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? After all, for decades his family’s mill near Milan has produced, slowly and painstakingly, luxurious fabrics sought out by the creme-de-la-creme of fashion designers.

Sewn in Italy from its own fabrics, the Barbera men’s and women’s collections reflect the style, elegance and uncompromising craftsmanship that as consumers we have come to expect as the hallmark of things Italian.

Of course, not everyone thinks like Barbera. There are cheaper, quicker ways to operate: less expensive fabrics aren’t necessarily bad, and low-wage workers in third-world countries do need jobs, too. Business, after all, is business. And just between us, who needs a Ferrari when a Cinquecento will get you there?
After heated debate the Italian Parliament has passed a bill spelling out what’s required for a clothing maker’s garment to qualify for the “Made in Italy” label: whereas there are four stages in the production process, two must be completed in Italy.

Yes indeed, that’s an improvement over no requirements at all, but barely. For Barbera and others whose efforts have helped to give the “Made in Italy” label its current dominance over the world of snob appeal, what a disappointment. They worry that without stringent rules the label will lose its cachet.

That may be the way of the world, but we hope not. As you know, we have a soft spot for anyone who is determined to make his product the best, and we cheer those folks on any way we can, so, to no one’s surprise, we will be showing you the Barbera Women’s Collection for Spring 2011. Not just made in Italy, but made entirely in Italy.

Case in point, cotton… that fiber we use to dress men, women and children in everything from diapers to denim jeans to men’s elegant evening shirts. Shockingly, the price of cotton has nearly doubled since this time last year. Suddenly it’s no longer politically incorrect to be singing “I wish I was in the land of cotton”, at least into the ear of your broker.

So, what happened? Basically, when the economy took a dive so did the demand for cotton which caused many growers to change to crops for which demand stayed high. Result? Less cotton.

Then, too, this year’s floods and droughts have been unusually brutal worldwide. Result? Less cotton.

But surprise, surprise: the economic climate has begun to improve and demand for cotton has bounced back much more quickly than anyone predicted. Result? Prices have skyrocketed. Suddenly cotton costs more than it has since Reconstruction. (If you don’t know what that is, you must not be a Southerner.)

Textile and clothing manufacturers are having to hunker down and figure out ways to cope. Most likely we’ll soon be seeing fewer 100% cotton fabrics and more blends instead. And don’t be surprised if you see synthetics suddenly being touted as “new” or “better than ever”.

Remember the last time synthetics were center stage? It was the ’70s, the heyday of the polyester leisure suit. Do you suppose that’s what’s ahead? A new and updated synthetic microfiber suit from Brooks Brothers or Ralph Lauren, maybe?

Ouch. We hope not. But we do look forward to seeing what kind of new ideas emerge from this crisis. And we’re not just whistling “Dixie”.