my article and response!

Sarah Palin's glasses spark a new fashion craze

11:44 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 10, 2008

BY BLANCA CANTÚ / The Dallas Morning News
bcantu@dallasnews.com

Sarah Palin’s popular one-liners aren’t the only things getting attention for the new vice-presidential candidate.

Customers around the country are trying to get their hands on a pair of Kawasaki eyeglasses like the ones Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wears. Dallas boutique Image Eyewear on Oak Lawn is one of the few retailers where customers can find a pair. (DMN-Video/editing: Blanca Cantu)
09/09/2008


Her glasses – model 704, No. 34 gray of the Kazuo Kawasaki eyewear collection – have sparked quite the craze among consumers who want to sport the Palin look, men and women alike.
Sue Hanson of Denton spotted the rimless titanium frames on John McCain’s vice-presidential pick last week when she accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention. 
Ms. Hanson searched for a pair online and discovered that she could get her very own at an Oak Lawn boutique, Image Eyewear.
“I got a little obsessive about it,” Ms. Hanson said.
Jeff Brown, the store’s owner, said his phone has been ringing nonstop from people around the country looking to get in on the latest fashion trend.  Even other optical retailers have called wanting to know how they can add the collection in their stores.
“The exposure she has given to them is phenomenal,” Mr. Brown said.
The lightweight titanium frames retail at $375 and come in several colors.  The governor’s lenses were customized and are called the “SP” shape.  No word on whether that has anything to do with Gov. Palin’s growing popularity.
Anyone interested in getting a pair like Gov. Palin may have to wait.  As of Tuesday morning, Kawasaki was all out of No. 34 gray, Mr. Brown said.  Supplies may be replenished by the end of the week.
The outcome of the election could determine the staying power of this latest trend. 
Mr. Brown has his own prediction: “I expect it to be a very successful frame.”

My response:
Letter to the Editor
Dear Blanca Cantu,
I found your article ‘Sarah Palin’s glasses spark a new fashion craze’ to be quite amusing. While I have not yet personally fell for the so-called ‘craze’ I do find the glasses to be rather appealing, especially on her. It appears to me that many of the newspaper articles responding to Sarah Palin have been negative lately, which is why I took a personal interest in your article. While you never state your personal political views regarding Sarah Palin you do not bash her, or speak negatively on her family. It seems like everything I try to read has some sort of remark on Sarah Palin and her family and her responsibilities. I, personally, condemn Sarah Palin for her ability to raise a family of five and be the governor of Alaska. However, this is beside the point; it is so interesting to me that someone who is receiving quite a bit of bad publicity is actually beginning to start a new fashion trend. As a matter of fact, it is hard to believe that anybody running for office is starting a new fashion trend. One does not usually coincide fashion with politics. However, it is not just the celebrities who are scrutinized and examined according to their outfits. Everybody in the public eye is trying to be as fashionable as they know best. Especially in politics because who is going to want their next President to be a frumpy looking man or woman wearing sweat pants and an over sized t-shirt? The people who are going to be running our country are representing us, and, as Americans, we want those people to be looking clean, fashionable, and classy. Also, it’s amusing that it is not just merely the general public who are craving the new glasses Sarah Palin has made fashionable, even other members of office are following the trend; as you said, McCain’s vice presidential pick was spotted sporting the frames just last week. Clearly, politics affects us in more ways than just maintaining and running our country. For example, you mentioned a woman named Susan Hanson who has claimed that she “got a little obsessive about it”. She found online that she could get her very own pair at a boutique called Oak Lawn image eyewear. I can’t believe that, in your article, you stated that the owner, Jeff Brown, of the boutique has remarked that his phone has been ringing nonstop because the item is such a hot bid and everyone wants a pair for themselves. Also, it’s amazing that people who currently want to get a pair are having a hard time finding them because they are being taken as soon as they hit the shelves. It will be very interesting to find out if the glasses really are “SP” after Sarah Palin. If people are searching online and calling stores to find pairs of glasses similar to Sarah Palin, than she must be making a deep impact on American citizens, and she isn’t even our Vice President yet!