"Mom" brings home the metal

A few weeks ago we giddily reported that 41-year-old Dara Torres had qualified for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team through a performance at trials that could only be called phenomenal.

We promised ourselves that we'd follow her Olympic story down to the minute, and then, well, something happened.

Okay, golden boy Michael Phelps happened.

And while Mr. Phelps ... uh, can we have a moment, please? ... mmmm, Michael Phelps ... okay, we're back ...

Anyway, while Mr. Phelps was racking up gold after gold, our Dara was quietly gathering some hardware of her own: three silvers, to be exact. One of them was for the 50-meter freestyle, which she lost to a 25-year-old by 0.01 seconds.

Although the top prize eluded her this time around, we think that's pretty darned impressive for a fortysomething dynamo whose teammates took to calling her "mom."

So, good on you, girl! See you in 2012?

Happy Birthday to...

... Madonna!

Yes, the Material Mom turns the big 5-0 today, and what an amazing half-century it's been for one of the biggest pop icons ever.

Let's not forget that when we first met the feisty Bay City, MI, native, it was 1982. To put that into perspective:

• Cell phones were the size of Cadillacs
• The Soviet Union was at the height of its power
• Michael Jackson's Thriller was just being released
  
• We were taking our fashion cues from Flashdance, Dallas and Dynasty

We could go on and on, but you get the point. Trends have come and gone, but Madonna has managed to hold our fascination for over 25 years, with no end in sight.

Cheers to you, girlfriend!

Take it easy, Chef

Yesterday was a sad day for South Park fans everywhere, when we got the news that Isaac Hayes, the inimitable voice of eternally wise and endlessly groovy Chef, passed away at age 65.

What more is there to say, except...

You're never too old for Girl Power!

Granted, sports isn't really "our thing" here at Getting Underneath, but we just encountered an Olympic story that should make every female stand up and cheer.

Yesterday American swimmer Dara Torres—a 41-year-old mom—proved she's still got it by qualifying for her fifth Olympic games at the U.S Trials.

Oh, yeah, and she also won the 50-meter and 100-meter finals, blazing past swimmers half her age.

Oh, and that 50-meter finish? New U.S. record, people.

And she's just getting started. "I can't sit here and lie and say, 'Oh, I'm just glad I'm going,' " she told the press after the competition. "I want a medal."

If guts has anything to do with it, she's sure to walk away with one.

SJP heading back to the big screen

If watching Sex and the City at your local metroplex a few times just whetted your appetite for more Sarah Jessica Parker, here's some good news: Word has it that Ms. P will star in a screen adaptation of Karen Quinn's bestselling novel The Ivy Chronicles.

According to BuzzSugar,

The story follows "Ivy Ames, an Upper East Side woman who, after losing her high-powered job and getting divorced, starts over again in a less ritzy downtown apartment." After all this, Ivy turns her attention to helping children. Aww! Oh, but wait—lest we get all Sally Struthers here, Ivy "starts a business to help upper-middle-class women get their children into elite kindergartens."

Sounds like fun, and we're looking forward to SJP taking on a role that lets her indulge her mommy side. Stay tuned for more details!

Celebrating a style legend

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the day fashion lost an icon and a country lost a beloved monarch: Princess Grace of Monaco, née Grace Kelly.

New Yorkers take note: From October 15 through 26, the Principality of Monaco invites you to join in A Celebration of Grace, a series of citywide events dedicated to the memory of this extraordinary lady.

Among the festivities scheduled are an exhibit at Sotheby's, window displays at Saks featuring Grace-inspired fashions, and various events highlighting the rich culture of Monaco. Estée Lauder has even created a signature shade of lipstick to mark the occasion: Princess Grace Coral, inspired by the shade she wore at her historic 1956 wedding to Prince Ranier of Monaco, which will be available exclusively at Saks.

In the meantime, visit the Celebration of Grace website to learn more about Grace's extraordinary journey, from society debutante to Hollywood icon to royal princess to revered humanitarian.

Waiter! A round of cosmos for my girls!

After a couple of false starts, it looks like Sex and the City has finally cleared the last hurdle on its way to becoming a feature-length film.

Variety reports that all four actresses--Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis--have now signed on for a flick to be written and produced by long-time series contributor Michael Patrick King. No word yet on which actors from the series will be reprising their roles, but since shooting is scheduled to begin this fall, we can expect the cast to be filling out pretty quickly.

Welcome back girls. It's been way too long.

Happy Birthday to...

...the House of Dior!

This week, the glitterati of the fashion and entertainment worlds converged on Versailles to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the House of Dior. And host John Galliano had an anniversary of his own to celebrate--his 10th anniversary as the couture house's head designer.

As Lisa Armstrong from The Times of London reported,

1947 was a busy year for Christian Dior: he invented The New Look--that wasp-waisted, full-skirted, fabric-gobbling, unashamedly nostalgic silhouette that had some denouncing him as an antipatriot. Most women loved it. And love it still.
...

Nowadays a model is lucky if her career lasts 18 months. Flailing designers are signed up and spat out of fashion houses in two seasons. Galliano has held down the job as head designer at Dior for the fashion equivalent of eternity. He was appointed the year that Tony Blair became Prime Minister. The difference is that ten years on there is no obvious successor to Galliano. His appointment, which was held to be something of a risk at the time, has turned out to be a critical and commercial smash.

So we're pleased to wish a very happy birthday to the House of Dior and a happy 10-year anniversary to its leader Galliano. We're all looking forward to many more years of fabulousness to come!

Happy birthday to...

... the timelessly fabulous Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926).

“If I'd observed all the rules, I'd never have got anywhere.”