Paula Young, "America's Choice for Beautiful Hair," offers a full line of Sarah Palin Style Wigs and Hair Pieces... for those who have an urge to look just like Alaska' governor.
Oddly, some of the biggest fans of Sarah Palin wigs are Orthodox Jewish women, according to BusinessWorld Online. It has nothing to do with politics. Orthodox Jewish women wear wigs for religious reasons, and they like her look. They're also willing to pay $700 or more for that look.
After I posted about the "pantyhose garment with spare leg" yesterday, several people pointed out prior art, which to my mind calls into question the validity of the patent.
In the comments, Dumbfounded noted: "In a 1987 Judge Dredd story, the father of child serial killer P.J. Maybe shows off a design for trousers with a third leg, 'in case one wears out'. The spare leg was kept tucked in a pocket when not in use."
And then Chuck recalled that in the first News of the Weird paperback (1989), he included an anecdote from the Wall Street Journal about a Japanese worker who had invented six-day underwear with three leg holes.
I tracked down the WSJ article in question. It ran on Oct. 16, 1987 and described a creativity contest at Honda Motor Co. in which workers were encouraged to design whimsical new products, one of which was indeed underwear with three leg holes: "The garment is supposed to last for six days, with the wearer rotating it 120 degrees each day--and then wearing it inside out for three days."
Other products from the contest included:
musical bath slippers
a hot tub installed in the back of a car
a fig tree that dances to the music of Karen Carpenter
a toothbrush with built-in toothpaste
a child's motorized sled that climbs back uphill by itself
a pillow with an internal alarm
and a rickshaw pulled by a manikin made of papier-mache and plaster (designed to resemble Honda's 81-year-old founder, Soichiro Honda)
A hosiery item including a panty member having three absorbent crotch members provided therein, each absorbent crotch member having a pocket formed therein; and three leg portions secured to the panty member in a manner such that an absorbent crotch member is positioned between any two leg portions, each leg portion having a leg insertion opening in connection with an interior of the panty member.
In use the wearer inserts her legs into two of the leg openings in the conventional fashion of donning a pair of pantyhose. The remaining unused leg portion is then gathered and the toe end tucked into the pocket of one of the absorbent crotch members. If a run or hole develops in one of the leg portions being worn, the leg of the wearer can be easily and rapidly removed from the damaged leg portion and placed into the undamaged spare leg portion. The damaged leg portion is then gathered, folded and tucked into a pocket of one of the absorbent crotch members as wearer to select and use any two of the three leg portions for use.
All Weird Universe readers, male and female, are expected to add this to their wardrobes.
Can you sing as fast as Carmen Miranda does in this tune, "Rebola a Bola," from WEEKEND IN HAVANA?
I found the Portuguese lyrics and had Google translate them. The eccentric result is to be found after the jump: original line in Portuguese followed by English "translation."
Instructables.com offers a step-by-step guide for making your very own identity-preserving balaclava. Why would you want this? They point out:
the main reason that cold-weather facial attire is somewhat socially taboo is because it generally obscures the identity of the person wearing it. Despite all of the progress our society has made towards accepting and treating all people fairly, we are still yet to escape the notion that a person in a balaclava (or ski mask) is generally up to no good. The "Identity Preserving Balaclava" is my solution to the social stigma associated with the identity concealing effect of the average balaclava.
So how long before Chuck gets to post about a stupid criminal who tries to rob a bank wearing an identity preserving balaclava? (via Boing Boing)
Posted By: Alex - Fri Feb 20, 2009 -
Comments (13)
Category: Fashion
A lovely bathing fashion from 1930. I wonder what reaction you'd get if you hung out at the neighborhood pool wearing one of these. From Popular Science, Aug 1930:
When the first wearer recently appeared on the Los Angeles beach, the startling, round eyeholes of the mask might have suggested to a fanciful observer the appearance of a feminine Martian or a lady robot. Despite its oddity, the mask serves the practical purpose of protecting the eyes and ears in diving. Celluloid eyepieces keep out the water. The lower portion of the mask covers half the swimmer's face, leaving the nose and mouth uncovered. It may be turned up when not needed.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 28, 2009 -
Comments (6)
Category: Fashion
Wooden Bathing Suits. These two girls are wearing bathing suits of wood. They are the latest novelty for use on the bathing beaches. Fashioned of thin spruce, they are said to be practical as costumes and also are sufficiently buoyant to encourage a timid swimmer to take a plunge. So far, none of them has warped or cracked.
eFootage.com has video footage from 1932 of "lovely ladies" modeling and swimming in the wooden suits.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 19, 2009 -
Comments (14)
Category: Fashion
Once you have experienced the 1968 film PSYCH-OUT, you will be unable to return to your square, plastic, uptight lifestyle. Just the sight of Jack Nicholson's fake ponytail alone will trip you out!
Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.