Forever Chic Endorses...

Here's a fun little exercise, courtesy of Wende. If you were a celebrity (not saying you're not already a celebrity...but...ya know), what products or companies would you lend your name to, without fundamentally changing who you are at this very moment?

(Disclaimer: I bear no responsibility in case you have a negative experience with any of the following.)

ForeverChic endorses...

1. Clothing/Footwear Retailers:

Nordstrom, RevolveClothing.com, Tobi.com, Bluefly.com, Shopbop and Zappos

These six are the gold standard of retail, as far as I'm concerned. (Note that five of the six are exclusively online outlets...take THAT, brick and mortar!) Nordstrom made the list because their customer service (both in-store and online) is top-notch and shopping in their stores is always a pleasant experience. Similarly, Zappos and Tobi made the list mostly because of their out-of-this-world customer service (after you buy something at Tobi, a real person sweetly emails to ask how you're enjoying your purchase. It's the cutest thing ever. As for Zappos, well, their commitment to customer service is well-documented.)

2. Other retailers:

Trader Joe's

Not that Trader Joe's advertises at all, but if they ever decide to , I hope they would call me first. I think my grinning mug would fit quite nicely in one of their Fearless Flyers.

3. Consumer products:

Blinc Kiss Me Mascara, Supersmile toothpaste, OPI nail polish

All are products that I use and love. All are pricey compared to drugstore versions, but you get what you pay for. (note to self: replenish supply of Supersmile.)

4. Companies/brands:

MAC, Netflix, Costco

Sure, MAC makeup is known for being popular among drag queens, and plenty of people have a beef with Netflix, but together, these companies allow me to watch movies and TV shows on my computer while sporting flawless eyeshadow. And that, my friends, is as good as gold.

As for Costco...well, there's something vaguely distasteful and uniquely American about buying a metric ton of M&Ms at one time (along with 88 pounds of dog food and a cartful of books you'll never read), but Costco treats it workers extremely well and passes savings onto consumers without resorting to thuggish tactics like Wal*Mart does. Also, their hot dogs (Hebrew National) are delicious. And I don't even eat beef under normal circumstances.

Honorary Mentions:

C&C California

My love affair with elbow-sleeve C&C tees is well-documented, but many of the company's styles are pedestrian and uninspired. If they could add more interesting, flattering styles while maintaining the current quality of their duds, I would be more eager to associate myself with their brand.

Craigslist and Etsy

Neither of these sites seem to advertise, and the idea of a celebrity lending their name to either is a rather confounding idea. But I will say this: I love to buy and sell shit; Craigslist and Etsy make it quick and easy to buy and sell said shit, and for that I adore them. Even if 90% of the offerings on Etsy are precious, useless doodads that should never see the light of day.

Cats

I love cats! I love dogs, too. But cats! They're so furry and warm. But cats get lots of bad press. They need to reinvent their image. Refine their message. Redirect the conversation. If any domesticated animal needs a celebrity endorsement and slick advertising campaign, it's cats.