Well, season 3 is done. I was happy to see Jeffrey, Michael and Uli make it to the finale. My favorite this year was Jeffrey, which is not a surprise because I loved Santino's design last year -- they both have that free, rebellious, I don't give a sh*t, but I have something to prove attitude and it shows in how they push the boundaries of clothing design.

I recall Santino saying in an interview, "fashion is arbitrary". By it's definition, the clothing industry is about trends and the arbitrariness of "taste" or style, and it shows some times in the judges choices. Think back to last year's finale and Chloe's show. This season had a much more satisfying outcome than season 2. I hated Chloe's drapery and upholstery look of last year and they lost credibility with me after that.

Jeffrey took the prize in season 3. I was in his corner this season, but I really also loved Uli's stuff at the finale. Maybe it's my love of tropical weather. Or could be hearing my wife's reactions to her dress on a previous show. I keep forgetting real people have to want to wear these things. :) Here's some photo montages of their shows at Fashion Week in Bryant Park:

Jeffrey's collection:

I loved Jeffrey's collection with the exception of the short blue evening dress and the black and white robe. The progression of the red polka dot pieces in the beginning and the conclusion of the green and white striped pieces at the end were rockin'. I could see wearing that stuff if I wanted to look good and different when I was out.

Uli's collection:

At the finale, I wanted Uli to win. She kicked ass with that collection and her music was terrific. There was something light and airy about it all -- like after the darkness of Jeffrey, her stuff suffused that tent with a happier vibe. Her design was not only cohesive to me, but it looked fantasticly flattering on the models. Every model looked so cute, comfortable and sexy. If I were a woman, I'd want those clothes in my back.

I can think of these two in terms of how they might do commercially on their own, i.e. continuing to sell their own designs rather than working for someone else. To take a more accessible market, I'd make the analogy between their high fashion collections and the low-end chain stores. Jeffrey could be Urban Outfitters and Uli would be the Gap or Banana Republic. They each serve a market well. Urban Outfitters is, well... more urban and style conscious in a rebellious, hipster kind of way. Banana is comfort and style in an elegant sort of way. They're two different markets, but each narrowly serves the desires of different types of people well. Actually, they may also serve the same people shopping with different types of occassions or moods in mind.

I guess what I'm saying is that they both have strong talents that have markets to serve, and I'd love to see them both succeed. Anyway, you can find more of Jeffrey Sebelia's work on Cosa Nostra, and Uli doesn't have a site of her own unfortunately. Great season.

I'd come a cross an article in a magazine a while ago offering suggestions about how to make a vintage t-shirt, you know the kind that's soft, worn out and super thin to the point of being nearly threadbare because it's 10 years old? I couldn't remember all the tips, so I culled a few off the web. Here are the suggestions (each is a separate tip). The technique is basically find a way to distress the fabric without destroying it.

Wash the fabric repeatedly with any of the following methods:

• Machine wash with hard objects such as load of tennis balls, sandpaper, rock salt
• Hand wash with sand, rocks or try using Dryer Balls
• Soak it in water, salt and vinegar
• Bleach and wash repeatedly

American Apparel is apparently also selling tshirts in different weights. Seek out the paper thin ones. If you are looking for information on fading tshirts, preshrunk.info has a method for doing that.