Couch dress!

February 15, 2006 11:38 AM

Pantalaine has been making plural clothing since 1950? Imagine sweatpants with arm attachments, or even better, a couch dress.
posted by mrgrimm (26 comments total)

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Aaaaand, their factory floor is in the middle of the woods. Heh.
posted by Gator at 11:43 AM on February 15, 2006

you do know this is a mcsweeney's parody, right? because i don't see it mentioned in your post.
posted by Hat Maui at 11:52 AM on February 15, 2006

I'd custom fit it.
posted by If I Had An Anus at 11:53 AM on February 15, 2006

here's the issue it's from.
posted by Hat Maui at 11:54 AM on February 15, 2006

SUPER SWEATS
Ask about our American flag styles

God shed His Grace on thee.
posted by billysumday at 11:56 AM on February 15, 2006

This issue of McSweeney's really bugged me. You can't put it on your shelf, and none of the concepts really went anywhere. It was like a long, boring SNL sketch with no punchline. OK, clothes with extra sleeves. Pictures of red cars & fish. And the point is? It was the most pretentious, unfunny, annoying thing I've ever paid for. A close second: the issue with the elaborate cover to hold a comb, not referenced or explained anywhere in the issue.
posted by designbot at 11:58 AM on February 15, 2006

Wait - you are angered by McSweeney's pretensiousness yet you subscribe? Isn't that, like, their thing?
posted by billysumday at 12:04 PM on February 15, 2006

where did he say he subscribes?
posted by Hat Maui at 12:34 PM on February 15, 2006

Strange, not especially funny either. But they do get extra points for the freaky models.
posted by fenriq at 12:38 PM on February 15, 2006

See also the all-too-real slanket, nouvie and chillow.

Chillow is pretty far from the post, but I love it's name. Chillow, dude!
posted by lalochezia at 12:57 PM on February 15, 2006

I <3 the slanket!
posted by jazon at 1:00 PM on February 15, 2006

I loved #18. It was like getting lots of little presents in the mail. And pretentious or not, McSweeney's is the only publishing company I can think of doing anything remotely interesting with printing and packaging.
posted by lunalaguna at 1:21 PM on February 15, 2006

designbot - I agree that the mailing issue was pretty lame, but the comb one? Who doesn't need a comb with "Timothy" on it, all fancy-like? And as far as I can tell, there isn't necessarily any reason behind any of the packaging other than "Wow, we could totally do an issue like ____".
posted by sluggo at 1:23 PM on February 15, 2006

It just bugs me that they go through all the trouble to set up this elaborate, beautiful packaging and high-concept stuff, and then can't be bothered to spend an extra 15 seconds coming up with a reason for it.

Like this Pantalaine thing. OK, they obviously spent hours and hours coming up with concepts, sewing materials, getting models together, shooting photography, laying out a fake sales flyer, putting this website up… But why? The captions are boring; the parody unconvincing; the target ambiguous. It's such a jokoid. The only thing you come away with after reading it is, "Huh, I wonder why they spent so much time doing that."
posted by designbot at 2:10 PM on February 15, 2006

What I enjoy is the fact that they faked the Google map disclaimer -- that address is actually quite mappable.

Like them or hate them, you have to admire McSweeney's attention to detail. (Disclosure: I like them.)
posted by gohlkus at 2:16 PM on February 15, 2006

gah, never mind. strike that last comment completely. There must have been a glitch at Google at the exact wrong moment for my unfortunate attempt at a comment.
posted by gohlkus at 2:17 PM on February 15, 2006

The captions are boring; the parody unconvincing; the target ambiguous. It's such a jokoid. The only thing you come away with after reading it is, "Huh, I wonder why they spent so much time doing that."

My thoughts exactly. I figured it was a joke, but not very funny, so I hoped it was true. I didn't see the McSweeney's connection. I've read a few things off the site, but don't pay them much attention.
posted by mrgrimm at 2:31 PM on February 15, 2006

I barely even glance at my McSweeney's(ses?) anymore when they arrive in the mail -- it seems like all they're doing lately is trying to get me to subscribe to their sister publications. (Wholphin, and that other freaking thing with the art print postcards...) Maybe I'm getting too old for the coy/snark.

I still love The Believer, though.
posted by Kloryne at 2:46 PM on February 15, 2006

Not funny on any level? Reminds me of "If I have to explain, you still won't understand"
posted by Cranberry at 3:09 PM on February 15, 2006

Uh, with that couch dress .... where's the other person? Or is this why Mona Lisa was smiling?
posted by dhartung at 3:57 PM on February 15, 2006

I barely even glance at my McSweeney's(ses?) anymore when they arrive in the mail -- it seems like all they're doing lately is trying to get me to subscribe to their sister publications. (Wholphin, and that other freaking thing with the art print postcards...) Maybe I'm getting too old for the coy/snark.

I still love The Believer, though.

And you're still subscribed? Wow, I thought Apple had it easy.
posted by blacklite at 5:22 PM on February 15, 2006

The couch is the other person. Sentient couch sold separately.
posted by Gator at 5:48 PM on February 15, 2006

This falls wholly outside what I find to be even mildly amusing. *shrug* Maybe it's me.
posted by Ynoxas at 8:51 PM on February 15, 2006

I loved that issue.
posted by cytherea at 9:25 PM on February 15, 2006

Oh my God, double princess fantasy dress!.. Soooo sweeeeeet!
posted by The Monkey at 9:36 PM on February 15, 2006

To paraphrase one of the characters in Achewood, McSweeney's appears to approach humor with a labcoat and tongs.
posted by quite unimportant at 12:42 PM on February 16, 2006