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New fashion ads focus on the humdrum and downright homely

Forget glamour. Grit is the latest gimmick on Madison Avenue. A new wave of ads from such companies as Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi's, and The Gap are meant to depict life as it really is. Some show banal shots of everyday existence, others zoom in for close-ups that are out-and-out ugly.

Nike, for instance, is running a photo of a veiny foot topped with a hairy ankle that even a podiatrist would have a hard time admiring.

What's going on? It seems consumers are going through a phase. They're tired of clichéd depictions of oh-so-pretty perfection, says an article in Vogue.They want things to look "honest." And they're fascinated with the trivial details of day-to-day life. That, after all, is why they love "Seinfeld," says Vogue.

Will it work for jewelry and watches? We'll see.

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