Gadgets: Hottest 'it' accessories amongst women

October 26, 4:06 PMNY Fashion ExaminerRuby Charles

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The iPhone and the Jil Sander plum booties.

Gadgets have become the new "it" accessory among women. It is not just a phone... 
 

Ladies, we all know why we love gadgets particularly, smartphones. This is not news. We love gorgeous, new-to-the-market products, including tech products. The more they refine these tech toys and further their capabilities, the more we become obsessed. How many of us had the Blackberry or the iPhone on our Birthday, Christmas, or Valentine's Day wish lists instead of jewelry or, my usual, shoes? 

Smartphones have become the new "it" accessory which explains why the "it" bag has become an obsession of the past. Tara Subkoff, one of the designers behind the Imitation of Christ line, incorporated cell phones in the IOC runway show. Models were instructed to whip out their phones coming down the runway. It was a powerful message that spoke to the IOC woman. An innovative tactic thought of by Tara Subkoff for the IOC show; the image was invoking. It was invoking of a powerful and independent woman. The image of being on the phone while looking fabulous suggests that you lead an amazing life and it is a busy and most coveted one. You are in control, a goal that is important to most women.

You know the scene. You gather with a couple of your girlfriends or female colleagues for lunch or some industry event or show and you come to that null in conversation. You glance around and one of your gal pals is aggressively messaging on her blackberry. A few moments pass and you all end up checking mail, striking up text conversations, or twittering on your smartphone. You all think it is work but it really is not. With everyone's new "it" accessory in hand, you do not want to be the one without the newest, latest, and sleekest. I see evidence of this everyday.

I once went out for drinks with one of my closest friends and her friend and the conversation quickly centered around smartphones. Her friend commented on how having a sidekick and not having upgraded to a blackberry by now is so "archaic". This conversation took place in the spring. We can easily include the iPhone on the list of cell phone upgrades since the iPhone is the hottest phone to carry right now. The developers at Apple have tweaked and ironed out the kinks from the first iPhone release.

A recent experience: I hung out with my cousins this past Saturday (we are a family of women) and the three subjects of conversation were (1) fashion - leggings, the dislikes of adding a belt to a coat, and shoes; (2) politics; and (3) our smartphones. We gathered around my cousin's dark wood kitchen table which seats 10 and gabbed about our Blackberry Pearls, Storms and iPhones. It was a telling few hours. Everyone was excited about their cell phones.

But is it a surprise? Women are just as excited about the flat screen tv as men. We just cannot slip it into our handbags and flash them on the subway as we do when we lay our handbags confidently on our laps, cross our legs to display our shoes, or vigorously message on our smartphones. Like an engagement ring, we get a new phone and we need to make sure our fingernails are polished with a current color - plums, neutrals, or, my new color, a turquoise call thunderstorm.

And, contrary to what our male counterparts may believe, we do know how to tap into all the functionality on our gadgets. Hmph!

Additional smartphones worthy of purchase: the Samsung Instinct; the HTC Touch Diamond; and perhaps the Sony Xperia X1 once it is released to the US market. Let's stay tuned.