July 2008: The Body Issue

We’ve all had that department-store moment when the racks of choices narrow sharply to a few meager items that don’t seem to fit. It’s times like these when I get frustrated. I deal with that frustration by asking salesclerks questions with no good answers.

Like the philosophical: “Where are the bras for women with breasts?”

Or the surreal: “Are these cups for sorbet?”

It seems that most clothing doesn’t fit most people most of the time. And really, it’s often the features that make us unique that can be the most difficult to fit.

deborah hyde, west bloomfield

Her story: Artist Deborah Hyde has been developing and creating original art quilts for more than eight years. “I always enjoyed sewing, and … I decided to combine my work in art with my sewing skills to produce unique fiber pieces by innovating on a technique called ‘watercolor quilting,’ ” says Hyde, who took art classes at Wayne State University, as well as courses at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, and various sewing and quilting classes.

(SUNG TO THE CHILI’S BABY BACK RIBS TUNE)

by karen buscemi

I have to issue an apology.

Sort of.

Over the years, the subject of boobs – especially artificially enhancing them – has been a topic of fodder for this column. I’ve been a staunch believer in learning to love what you have, feeling that going for the “upside-down cleavage smiles” that fake boobs produce was a bad idea. Especially when those boobs were constantly paraded around (even to the grand opening of a local library) in the deepest V-necks to make the most of the money spent.

I’ve changed my mind. Sort of.

10 local women share their secrets for loving the skin you’re in.

by claire charlton and stephanie fenton

Body: Confidence

Let your qualities shine

Brazilian-born Christina Kammuller, 52

Former principal dancer of the Brazilian Guaira Ballet Theatre and owner of Christina’s Adult Ballet in Keego Harbor, shares her perspective about body confidence.

How does one achieve a sense of body confidence? “My perception of 

THE DAY MY BODY TOOK CONTROL

by noël rozny

The rash rose up from my spine and fanned out across my ribs like its own fleshy mountain range.

“What is it?” I asked the doctor, peering over my shoulder as he gingerly examined the red splotches that seemed to be multiplying by the minute.

“Looks like you’ve got shingles,” he told me, whipping out his prescription pad. “We don’t usually see these in people your age. Are you under a lot of stress?”

FINDING A BRA THAT ACTUALLY FITS

by cindy murphy

My mission: to find a bra to wear under a sweater, one with a low, square-cut neckline. Bra-shopping isn’t always an easy task.

My short, athletic stature makes it difficult to find clothes that fit well. Add small-breasted into the mix, and I was not very excited about this mission.

Added height is nearly unobtainable. Short, and you’re always gonna be short. But breasts? You can buy those! Increase this, reduce that, nip, tuck, pull, push, uplift, separate, suction, duct tape. If that isn’t enough, there are bras that give the same effect.Wonderbras, I imagine, often leave one to wonder where the objects of all the wonderment went once they’re unfettered.

SOIL ON THE HANDS HELPS REALIGN PRIORITIES

by michelle borst

Gone are the days of stopping by McDonald’s for a No. 1 value meal with a diet Coke, or ordering a large pizza with pepperoni and mushroom, or eating ice cream out of the container while watching my favorite Tracy/Hepburn movie.Well, at least for me those days have gone.With all the stress of my daily, hectic life, I’ve experienced a medical condition that requires a major change in my lifestyle, primarily in my diet.

WE’RE ALL JUST ONE HAIRCUT AWAY FROM RESEMBLING OUR MOTHERS

by maggie hathway | photo for illustration by jupiter unlimited

Recently I cut my shoulderlength hair short. And then, because the cut was looking a little too John Kerry and Jimmy Carter – shorter again until my longest hair was an inch and a half. It wasn’t a disaster, except to my husband and son, who found the haircut reminiscent of the short hair I had following chemotherapy a few years ago. Overall, though, it wasn’t a disaster, and I received my share of compliments from obligated friends and family. But it was also not as cute as I had expected.

by claire charlton

We know Fara Warner as a business journalist and the author of The Power of the Purse: How Smart Businesses Are Adapting to the World’s Most Important Consumers – Women (Prentice Hall, 2005. $29.99). But we didn’t know her whole story – such as what’s on her bookshelf. So we caught up with Warner, 41, of Ann Arbor, to find out what books have shaped her.

SHOPPING, DINING AND PAMPERING IN WINDSOR

by sandra dalka-prysby | photos provided by the windsor business improvement association

Note: All prices in this section are in U.S. dollars according to the exchange rate at press time. Go to http://finance.yahoo.com to see the current exchange rate.

Only in detroit do we look south to canada. Few cities offer such easy access to an international jaunt. Summer is a great time to see all the thingswindsor has to offer, including an impressive scenic waterfront, great festivals, and an eclectic assortment of restaurants, lounges and shopping.