the j

My favorite J. Peterman travel case, just like the one Kay Francis

carried in One Way Passage, 1932. So romantic.

I was a huge fan of the
J. Peterman Company
way before he was
parodied on Seinfeld as
Jacopo Peterman by
John O'Hurley, who
played Elaine Benes' boss.
Even though Seinfeld
brought the company moderate success, it filed for bankruptcy in 1999. Certainly not because of me, one of their bestest customers. Funny thing, John O'Hurley, became a major investor and helped resurrect the J. Peterman Company in 2001. Is this a case of life imitating art, or what?

The real J. Peterman is a retail
and catalog entrepreneur from
Lexington, Kentucky. (Not New
York, like Seinfeld lead you to
believe.) He has written a book
about his company's trials, the
influence of Seinfeld, and more
called Peterman Rides Again.


So, all this to say, I am happy to again find the delightful catalog in the manor mailbox. The products are accompanied by entertaining, exotic descriptions, as well as artwork, for each item with quirky names, like the "Victor Lazlo Shirt" or "Flowers for Mrs. Oglethorpe". I'm sure Mr. Peterman won't mind if I share with you a little excerpt from his latest catalog.


1947.
Paris had a new president.
Optimism was in the air.
So was spring.
And there were never enough polka dots to go around. Since you
may have just commandeered the entire city supply. Not just little
dots. Big ones. Paris was still in its coming out party mode. And you
were there, on the grandest boulevard in the world, to make sure
the party continued.
Look, isn't that Le Fouguet's? Wonder if they still serve those
great champagne cocktails?
Found the original at a vintage boutique in the Right Bank. It
looked lived in. And enjoyed. Champs-Elysees Dress (No. 2663)
When the world still needed a hug. And so did you.
.
.
How's that for a description of a polka dot dress?
.
If I happened to be writing for the company, my dream
job, by the way, (do you hear that, Mr. Peterman?) I would have
to call this little polka dot number the "Demendante Dress".

.

thank you, jerry seinfeld

It's almost envelope licking season. I'm still an old fashioned kinda
girl when it comes to Christmas cards. I like to send the real classic
paper kind out to family and friends. I've pared my list down some,
but still mail out about 60 cards.

This time of year, when I lick the envelopes, I'm reminded of the
Seinfeld episode "The Invitations". You remember the one, when
George Costanza convinces his fiancee, Susan Ross, to go with the
cheapo wedding invitations, and she actually dies from licking too
many of the toxic envelopes.

The funny thing is, back in 1996, I spent an entire week with stuff
spread out on the dining room table, putting together a scrapbook of
WT's vintage family photos. Now, mind you, I'm not really a
butterflies and flowers kinds of scrapbooker. I stick with black paper
albums and classic black photo corners, like in my photo, above.
Anyway, every afternoon that week, I was busy licking and sticking
corners in the scrapbook. By four or five o'clock every afternoon, I
felt incredibly dizzy and sick.

On Thursday night that week, "The Invitations" episode of Seinfeld
aired. I was an addict and watched Seinfeld religiously, never
missing a show. Afterwards, I turned to WT and said, "Oh my gosh,
it's licking those stupid corners, that's making me sick!" Sure enough,
the next day, I used a swab instead of licking, and felt completely fine.

Thank you, Jerry Seinfeld, I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving
my life. Like Susan, I might have ended up a casualty of stationery
products.


For all you Seinfeld fans out there, click [HERE] for the Seinfeld Dictionary.
.