So while I was trolling around for items that would make Great Stuff fodder, I found these shoes on sale at Anthropologie, and I couldn’t decide whether I could actually recommend them. On first blush, I think they’re adorable, maybe paired with an empire-waist dress for a nice party. But on closer inspection, I started to wonder: Where do those ribbons fasten in the back? Do they have to be tied tightly, since they look like they’re the only thing that holds the T-strap up and apparently are also the only thing that keeps this shoe from being a glorified mule? And the overly practical side of me says those ribbons would drag on the ground and get dirty if they weren’t tied exactly right. (Also, in the photo below, I don’t like the vertical seam running up the inside of the heel.)So I sent the photo below to a few friends of mine whose opinions I trust, and the results were a mixed bag. One said: "I can’t decide if I love them or hate them. I think I hate them." Another said they were cute, "but in a Mariah Carey ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You" sort of way," and she’d wear them, but not to work. And while one friend said they weren’t impressed, my separated-at-birth soulmate Sharyn said: "I think they’re gorgeous." The mother of two then added: "Where I’d wear them, now that’s another story."So: What do you think? Until I can figure out a way to get a poll tool added to the blog, I’ll be happy to settle for your posted comments below. Also: When did Anthropologie begin selling $400 shoes?

If you’re thinking about getting Dad something a little more inspirational for Father’s Day, a few ideas are after the jump.The official line: Gucci Pour Homme II has notes of violet leaf, bergamot, pimento, black tea, myrrh, tobacco leaves and olive wood. My interpretation: The fresh, light scent (not one of those "choke your co-workers" versions) evokes San Diego days under a friendly sun — not Arizona’s punishing summertime rays — and the cleanness of Flex shampoo, which I once spent a month searching for because it provides the same psychic snap. Eau de toilette spray ($50-$65) is sold at Nordstrom, Chandler Fashion Center and Scottsdale Fashion Square.

I remember the first time I felt bamboo sheets — much softer and more forgiving than cotton, almost silky like a fine jersey. Imagine the effect now that the material’s being used by C-IN2 in underwear like this army trunk ($24)! (Other styles include briefs and longer trunks.) The cut is flattering, the waistbands are comfortable … if I had the cash, this brand would make up my entire skivvies collection (but I like the cotton ones best). The C-IN2 Web site links to dozens of online retailers, some of which offer discounts (FreshPair.com sells these bamboo trunks for $18).

Switching from a billfold to a much thinner card-holder makes your backside less bulky but leaves your cash free to migrate all over your pockets. Time for a money clip! Instead of the magnetized version, I’m prone to the traditional models like this "Dad"-engraved sterling silver clip ($85) by Tiffany & Co., which is available only online at the Tiffany web site. The store at Scottsdale Fashion Square stocks a half-dozen or so other sterling designs — the classic 1837, Return to Tiffany, Atlas and my favorite, the Tiffany Plaid — for $95 to $275.

I think he had me at "fuzzy frogs": Mark Simonson of Gilbert writes: "In the early ’80s when I was growing up, my mother found some bright orange fabric with fuzzy frogs and flies all over it. She thought it was pretty sweet at the time, so she decided it would look good as a necktie. Don’t you agree? This hideous but sexy tie, which doesn’t match anything on the planet, has been the conversation piece whenever I have risked wearing it in public."Simonson can look on the bright side, though: "I feel fortunate to have it … who else can look down at their neckwear and pet fuzzy little amphibians?" (I gave you a close-up a left.)Do you think this is the worst of the lot? Take a look at the other contenders after the jump — and leave your comments!(And remember: You’ve got only one more day to enter your own ugly tie for a chance to win 14 new ones from designers including Ermenegildo Zegna, Kenneth Cole, Nautica and Ike Behar. The instructions are at the end of this post.) The perils of the novelty tie! John Frederick writes: "My Australian-born wife bought me this tie for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. I wore it faithfully on the flights" — he’s a pilot — "and happily while at the Games, but what on Earth do I do with it in Arizona? All my friends laughed every time they saw me wear it. My wife even laughs at it now and said I could do with a new one."How did Leonard Frederick of Chandler end up with so many heinous floral ties? (Another of his entries is further down.) "I don’t know how long I wore this one I purchased in the early ’90s," he wrote. "Until I realized it didn’t suit much of anything." John Pecoraro of Tempe stopped by with two possibilities for the Ugly Tie Contest. The one at left he found at a vintage clothing store in California — it’s from 1947 and handpainted. (He also bought a similar one that has a woman wearing, ahem, a bit less.) The one at right he bought when he was student-teaching and needed a green tie, and this was the only one in the store.Leonard Frederick’s other floral fantasy. "Back in 1980 I bought this tie for a family reunion," he wrote. "Now look how it fits." (The crop doesn’t let you see how short it is now.)John Frederick’s second entry — also a floral! — has matching suspenders, too. (To see the full effect, click here.) "My daughter from Oregon sent it … to me for Father’s Day several years ago," he says. "She thought they were wonderful so I couldn’t disappoint her and wore them often." Thane Walton of Mesa entered all three of these ties. Of the one on the left, he says: "Can you believe I actually purchased this for my engagement photo in 1981? Luckily for me the photographer vetoed it." The center tie: "Sometime in the ’90s I saw this and wore it with pride for about three years before my senses caught up with me." The one on the right: "I thought all the various color schemes would match anything I had."Click here to enter our Ugly Tie Contest for a chance to win more than a dozen new ones from makers like Nautica, Bird Dog Bay, Ike Behar and Ermenegildo Zegna. (Photos and descriptions of the prize ties are on the form, too.) The deadline is June 8. I’ll continue to post the entries; the winner also appears on the cover of our Arts & Life cover on Sunday, June 17 (aka Father’s Day).

When I went to prom, I thought it was a good idea to wear a light pink cummerbund (it matched my date’s dress) with a white tux. I would redo that now.Seeing this, I realize it could have been a lot worse.Kelly Thiel of Minot, N.D., made her prom dress out of Mike and Ike labels — she peeled the layers off and ironed them onto satin. Even her headband is made out of candy. "I will forever be a Mike and Ike fan and I will never forget my senior prom," she wrote. (After eating 200 boxes of Mike and Ikes, I think the resultant lifelong diabetes will help with that.)Years from now, when her poor date is asked about his senior prom picture, he will have to preface it with, "Well, before you see it, you need to know about this crazy girl I took to prom…."The color *is* kind of cute on her, though.

Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard’s nude pictorial in the July issue of Playboy has raised all sorts of fuss — is the magazine celebrating the female athlete or exploiting her sexuality? (My main issue: How did she end up looking like this? With that makeup, hair and posing — that jawline! — from the neck up the poor woman looks like a drag queen, not a beautiful female athlete. I think it’s because instead of trying to make the most of her athletic features, they tried to spackle a "Girls Next Door" facade onto it. The body is amazing, but they manage to Frankenstein on a "butterface." Considering she can look like this, Playboy really messed up this cover.)Fox Sports columnist Michael Rosenberg talks all around the point without actually making one, even saying "Somehow — even when she poses for Playboy — her athletic feats give her innocence" that make it OK for readers to pick up the magazine.I’m reminded more of Mark Simpson, the writer who coined "metrosexual," and his more recent nomenclature: "sporno," the recent hypersexualization of sporting figures. In Out magazine he wrote: "Sportsmen, like porn stars, are by definition show-offs, but more particularly because it means more money, more power, more endorsements, more kudos. It acknowledges the consumerist, showbiz direction that sport is moving in and engorges and inflates their career portfolio to gargantuan proportions."He was talking mostly about how European soccer and rugby players have begun showing up in sexed-up ads for Calvin Klein underwear (Freddie Ljundberg), Dolce & Gabbana (Italian soccer stars) and the Dieux de Stade calendar (and its making-of video), but you can see its influence creeping into America when skier Jeremy Bloom poses for Equinox fitness like this and swimmer Michael Phelps ends up on French fashion magazine layouts wearing his Speedo. (And David Beckham … a category unto himself.) Poor Jim Palmer had no idea what he was starting back in the early ’80s…

The Fredericks are back with one more entry each in our Ugly Tie Contest. Do you think these are the worst of the lot? The other contenders are after the jump. (And remember: You’ve got only three days to enter your own ugly tie for a chance to win 14 new ones from designers including Ermenegildo Zegna, Kenneth Cole, Nautica and Ike Behar. The instructions are at the end of this post.)But on to the newest ugly entries:The perils of the novelty tie! John Frederick writes: "My Australian-born wife bought me this tie for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. I wore it faithfully on the flights" — he’s a pilot — "and happily while at the Games, but what on Earth do I do with it in Arizona? All my friends laughed every time they saw me wear it. My wife even laughs at it now and said I could do with a new one."How did Leonard Frederick of Chandler end up with so many heinous floral ties? (You can see another of his entries after the jump.) "I don’t know how long I wore this one I purchased in the early ’90s," he wrote. "Until I realized it didn’t suit much of anything." John Pecoraro of Tempe stopped by with two possibilities for the Ugly Tie Contest. The one at left he found at a vintage clothing store in California — it’s from 1947 and handpainted. (He also bought a similar one that has a woman wearing, ahem, a bit less.) The one at right he bought when he was student-teaching and needed a green tie, and this was the only one in the store.The latest contender in our ugly tie contest: Leonard Frederick of Chandler’s floral fantasy. "Back in 1980 I bought this tie for a family reunion," he wrote. "Now look how it fits." (The crop doesn’t let you see how short it is now.)Does this count as double? John Frederick of Chandler’s entry has matching suspenders, too. (To see the full effect, click here.) "My daughter from Oregon sent it … to me for Father’s Day several years ago," he says. "She thought they were wonderful so I couldn’t disappoint her and wore them often." Thane Walton of Mesa entered all three of these ties. Of the one on the left, he says: "Can you believe I actually purchased this for my engagement photo in 1981? Luckily for me the photographer vetoed it." The center tie: "Sometime in the ’90s I saw this and wore it with pride for about three years before my senses caught up with me." The one on the right: "I thought all the various color schemes would match anything I had."Click here to enter our Ugly Tie Contest for a chance to win more than a dozen new ones from makers like Nautica, Bird Dog Bay, Ike Behar and Ermenegildo Zegna. (Photos and descriptions of the prize ties are on the form, too.) The deadline is June 8. I’ll continue to post the entries; the winner also appears on the cover of our Arts & Life cover on Sunday, June 17 (aka Father’s Day).

The New York Daily News asked, "Which designer is the subject of rumors within his own company that

his latest stint in rehab was just a cover while he healed from

cosmetic surgery?" And Gawker responded with this before-and-after shot.

And follows up with the question: "Have we really reached the point where a drug relapse is less embarrassing than a face-remodeling?"

John Pecoraro of Tempe stopped by with two possibilities for the Ugly Tie Contest. The one at left he found at a vintage clothing store in California — it’s from 1947 and handpainted. (He also bought a similar one that has a woman wearing, ahem, a bit less.) The one at right he bought when he was student-teaching and needed a green tie, and this was the only one in the store.Do you think his ties are the worst of the lot? The other contenders are after the jump.

The latest contender in our ugly tie contest: Leonard Frederick of Chandler’s floral fantasy. "Back in 1980 I bought this tie for a family reunion," he wrote. "Now look how it fits." (The crop doesn’t let you see how short it is now.) His competition is after the jump.

Does this count as double? John Frederick of Chandler’s entry has matching suspenders, too. (To see the full effect, click here.) "My daughter from Oregon sent it … to me for Father’s Day several years ago," he says. "She thought they were wonderful so I couldn’t disappoint her and wore them often."

Thane Walton of Mesa entered all three of these ties. Of the one on the left, he says: "Can you believe I actually purchased this for my engagement photo in 1981? Luckily for me the photographer vetoed it." The center tie: "Sometime in the ’90s I saw this and wore it with pride for about three years before my senses caught up with me." The one on the right: "I thought all the various color schemes would match anything I had."

Click here to enter our Ugly Tie Contest for a chance to win more than a dozen new ones from makers like Nautica, Bird Dog Bay, Ike Behar and Ermenegildo Zegna. (Photos and descriptions of the prize ties are on the form, too.) The deadline is June 8. I’ll continue to post the entries; the winner also appears on the cover of our Arts & Life cover on Sunday, June 17 (aka Father’s Day).

Online merchant YOOX sent me a message that they were selling some classic clothing from Gucci, and out of curiosity’s sake I logged on just to see. Most of it was handbags and other leather goods, but I was equal parts delighted and horrified to see this blouse as an example of past Gucci designs.And somebody bought it the first day, too. Let’s hope it was a fashion archivist of some sort, maybe for the Arizona Costume Institute, because that top is seriously ugly.I may not like Tom Ford’s hubris, but you’ve got to give the man credit for taking a company known for items like this blouse and turning into a sexy brand.

It’s coming up on Father’s Day. Have you started thinking about gifts yet?

High-end ingredients at a lower price: The Every Man Jack grooming line launched this spring at Target stores with everything from face wash to body soap to this shave cream (which, like the rest of the products, is $4.99 and now occupies prime real estate in my shower organizer). The low-froth formula — Signature mint or fragrance-free Sensitive — keeps the focus on your face, not the foam, to let you see where the razor’s actually going, and moisturizes with squalane.

The right shoe to wear with cargos (or those trendy plaid Bermudas) while scuffing around on the weekend? Converse Chuck Taylors! The Make Mine Red campaign lets you personalize a pair of CT canvas slip-ons ($60) from tongue color to lining, and even put your name on the back or side. Converse will donate 15 percent of proceeds to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, and your shoes will be delivered in three to four weeks. Make ‘em at the Converse web site.

And now, a conversation at a prosecco tasting in Chandler a few weekends ago. He: "Those are cool sunglasses. Can I try them on?" Me: "Sure — I just want them back." She: "I like the sides, with the wooden accents." Me: "Actually, that’s leather." He: "Who makes them?" Me: "Perry Ellis." She, to he: "They look really good on you." He: "They must be expensive." Me: "Not particularly. They’re like $50." He and she: "Really?!" Me: "Really. Can I have them back now?" (He and she never asked: They’re available at Macy’s stores, and similar styles are also at the Perry Ellis web site.)