Jessica Simpson's capelet

It's a shrug rather than a capelet and I'd say that it's definitely knit.

Elizabeth

Who on earth is Jessica Simpson when she's at home????

Darned if I know. probably some TV person ( was going to say "twit", but manners overcsme me!LOL)

Gillian

Time for another glass of wine lol

Twit is a perfect word to describe her. I think she's a singer, but I've never heard her sing so I can't say if she's any good. I know she's a pretty blonde and from what little I've heard about her, she's not the brightest bulb on the tree. Apparently she's made some major gaffs on TV, but that's just something I've read in a gossip column in the newspaper so for me it's hearsay. Oh yes, I think she's married to a cute guy who's in show biz too. They have a TV show, but I have no idea what time or channel.

Lucille

If any, or what you say is accurate - I am glad to not know her lol

She's married to Nick Lachey, who is or was in a boy band, IIRC, perhaps Backstreet Boys? The show they are/were on is/was called "Newlyweds" and was one of those 'reality' shows that pretends to present the minutiae of a celeb's life. If you've seen the ads for Pizza Hut's Buffalo Chicken Pizza, you've seen Jessica Simpson. She's the ditzy blonde.

Karen E., who clearly hangs out _way_ too much at alt.gossip.celebrities!

Never heard of them either!!

Gillian, not just a GOW, but part of the "over-the-hill" gang!!

Homer Simpson's mother? Mother in law?

Cheryl

"Gill Murray" wrote

Your instincts are right on. Dawne

Lord woman. What do you do when you're in the supermarket line-up if you don't read the tabloids? Talk to people, I suppose?

She's the type of woman who confirm the plausibility of every dumb blond joke you ever heard.

Actually what I find interesting about this is the copyright issue, because I assume it was designed by someone. Making clothing is somewhat different than designing for cross stitch, and clothing designers contend with 'knock-offs' all the time. A basic style could be modified fairly easily without coming into contention. However, when you get into the business of publishing patterns as 'Jessica Simpson's capelet' wouldn't things get a bit dicier? I did a bit of research re JS and knitting, and she was also linked to a shawl. Now it looked almost exactly like the ones kids were wearing back in the 60's, so it was hardly an original style, but it was labelled as Jessica Simpson's shawl. Not quite the same thing because it was such a generic sort of shawl, really. And can companies market products using a celebrity's name without paying a royalty?

Dora

I know that Lion Brand recently had a free pattern on their site that they said was very similar to the poncho that Martha Stewart was wearing when she was released from prison. There are two things here: 1)it was designed to achieve a "look" rather than being exactly the same thing and 2) they weren't selling it. Instead, it was available for free, their hope, of course, being that most people would purchase the yarn that the pattern was written for. I'd guess that it would be very hard to sue a company for either copyright or endorsement issues under such circumstances. But that's just my speculation.

Elizabeth

Simpson's

Simpson's

celebrity's

Well, even with needlework designs, copyright is a lot easier to complain about than it is to enforce. However, I think it is something knitting designers and celebrities, should start watching, because there are a couple of examples lately where a design has been linked with a celebrity and has sold like hot cakes. Where the cropped cardigan JS wore differs, of course, is that it is a fairly distinctive design and a bit more complicated than a poncho. I suppose one might do a passable job in acrylic yarn. (sniff)

What's next? Britney Spears phentex slippers?

Back to leafing through Vogue Knitting. Dora

I sometimes read the headlines, will look presently when I have to go to the stupidmarket - mostly I stand in line and make quite sure that no Tom, Dick or Harry jumps the queue, at least not ahead of me. Then I do a bit more than talk. My finest hour was after I had my knee done and I had a walking stick to wave - you can bet that man has never jumped a queue again, he was terrified. lol

And I thought dumb blonde jokes were lies. I consistently alter them to dumb male blondes when they land in my email box.

I would say definitely not, they would be in big trouble. She will have been paid for them to specifically mention her name.

OOOhhh - I loooove that one lol

I don't think Lion Brand assumes that anyone would think Jessica Simpson designed the capelet--I think it is more in the sense of Capelet, as worn by Jessican Simpson. I did notice the Martha Stewart poncho leaflet, when it hit the stores, was called "Homecoming Poncho". They likely thought that there was a possibility in this case that people might think Martha had designed it, so billed it with a more generic term to avoid legal entanglement (maybe even from Martha's company.) Dawne

However,

research

something

distinctive

Thanks to aol, I get a daily update on popular culture, and apparently the woman is pregnant, so I might be a bit off. Baby clothes worne by Britney's spawn! Dora

thought

That isn't exactly what I meant. There are 2 issues, 1 that a company like Lion Brand should not be able to appropriate a design that is not generic. The sweater/caplet or whatever was designed by someone and I didn't mean to imply it was JS. However, the company can get around that by changing details. Knitting design is a bit easier to copy in that way than needlework/embroidery design.

The second issue is appropriation of a celebrity name without permission in marketing. And as you noted, there are ways around that too. Perhaps the sweater with a few changes like a simpler lace pattern, would be known as the 'Newlywed'(sp?) sweater after the tv show. Still, people in conversation and in thought associate the sweater with the celebrity.

I just found it interesting as a marketing trend with overtones of legal issues. Dora

I think it is an endorsement and as such paid for. It must be pretty much cut throat business just as 'product placement' in movies is all important and very well paid.

I find it hard to believe the Stewart poncho went without paying Martha, just as this one (the Jessica Simpson one) must surely be paid for. If not, think of all the endorsements basketball players etc have had, why pay them and not other 'stars' ?