Flowers--in Gardens and on Fabrics

Image Credit: Musee Christian Dior Collection, Granville


I've always liked florals. When I was a young girl, I relished going to the fabric store to choose what my mom would use for a pattern I had picked out. She and my grandma made me dresses, tops, skirts, and even pants, and most of the time I chose fabric with a flower print. Those were the days!

A recent exhibit in France showed how gardens influenced the designer Christian Dior: "Fashion historian Florence Muller gathered drawings, photographs and paintings by Manet, Monet, Renoir and others for an exhibition on Dior and Impressionism, at the Dior Museum in Granville, the designer's hometown."

One look at the photo above gives you an idea of Dior's attention to detail and his love of beauty found in nature.

Walk Away from the Dressing Room

Image Credit: Disney Clips

I just had to re-post this article from the Style section at the Huffington Post about when to leave the dressing room. It was only the other day that my friend Stacy was trying to justify purchasing a pair of pants that would be "just right if they would shrink a bit in the waist." Oh, Stacy. How many times have we talked about not being able to customize the shrinking process of your dryer? This and other magical thinking is described well by the Post. I suggest making a copy of this article and taking it with you when you shop.

More Wardrobe Wisdom from Tim Gunn

Photo Credit: Ingrid Abramovitch

I've been re-reading Tim Gunn's excellent book, A Guide to Quality, Taste, and Style. It's hard not to use my highlighter pen on every page as he doles out one pearl of wisdom after another. Here is what Gunn has to say about items that don't fit:

"There is no reason to have something taking up space in your closet that does not make you feel good. These items must go. Clothes do not exist to humiliate their owners. Please do not force garments into performing psychological tasks for which they were not designed. Furthermore, please be kind to yourself. They don't fit. Toss 'em."

If you need help with this process, please give me a call! 680-2640.

Dustin's Shoes

Photo Credit: Colehaan.com

I received a number of questions about the chukka boots Dustin wore in my previous post. They are made by Cole Haan and would be a great, versatile addition to any man's wardrobe. These boots look super sharp with jeans (in most any color) and chinos.

A Well Dressed Guy

It was with some surprise that Shannon answered "yes" when I asked permission to use her husband's photo in my blog. She claims Dustin is "not a fashion person at all" so was happy to see him making an effort today. I applaud Dustin's choice of colored jeans instead of the usual blue jeans, and his terrific chukka boots (chosen by Shannon). This outfit is a great alternative to khaki pants and a white button down shirt.

Fashion Terms and Clothing Definitions

Image Credits: Top, Diane von Furstenberg; Bottom: H & M

As a Santa Barbara wardrobe consultant, I get a lot of questions about terms used in fashion and clothing. So every once in awhile I'd like to define the ones that seem most perplexing or simply the most silly.

Here is how Tim Gunn describes surplice:

   A loose, draping neckline of two or more pieces of fabric that cross one another. The result is a soft V-neck. (The wrap dress usually features a surplice neckline.)

Wardrobe Basics for Men

Go here to read my column on page 8 in Carpinteria's Coastal View News.  A Wardrobe Wisdom gift certificate for your partner or male friend can make a big difference in his life (and possibly yours)!

Fit and Flare

Photo Credits: top 3, Nordstrom and 4th, Anthropolgie

This dress can be your new best friend.  If you are curvy, it highlights your waist and flares over your hips. If you have no waist, it gives you an hourglass figure. If you have a tummy, it floats over that area. As a dress lover, I am thrilled about this trend.

Good Times with Gina and Claudia

My cousin, Gina, is visiting from Germany. Consequently,  I have found myself in A LOT of vintage stores. She and her friend Claudia, who owns All Things Vintage in Oakland, CA, recently went nuts at the shops in Carpinteria. Gina and Claudia increase my appreciation for vintage clothing. Claudia points out details, such as the way seams are sewn and the placement of pockets. We are having a terrific time as you can see in the photo above.

Gina will be here another week. She's a decorative artist so I am putting her to work. She has already worked on one of my lamps, and is going to refurbish my chandelier. I have a rather long list.

The Thoughtful Dresser

I cannot urge you enough to read this insightful book by Linda Grant. Here is an excerpt, ending her chapter about some exuberant clothing styles following World War II:

"Out of suffering comes the demand for pleasure. To love clothes is to embrace life in all its joyous variety, even if all you ever do is turn the pages of a magazine and long for fairyland, crave couture ballgowns you will never own. We all need daydreams. One lipstick alone can go a long, long way."

The Thoughtful Dresser "celebrates the pleasure of adornment and is an elegant meditation on our relationship with what we wear and the significance of clothes as the most intimate but also public expression of our identity."

View from the Rear

 Hall of Mirrors, Versailles

The following passage from Henry James' novel, The Europeans, struck a chord with me:

Charolotte's sister, Gertrude, had been fussing with Charlotte's scarf.

"Charlotte, by a movement of her elbows, corrected the laxity that had come from her companion's touch. 'Well, some day you must do it for me. It doesn't matter now. Indeed, I don't think it matters,' she added, 'how one looks behind.'

'I should say it mattered more,' said Gertrude, 'Then you don't know who may be observing you. You are not on your guard.'"


I always stress upon my Wardrobe Wisdom clients the importance of looking in a mirror, from every angle, before leaving the house. Think of all the people throughout the day who only see you from behind! If my friend Terri had heeded my advice, she would not have run throughout the airport with the hem of her skirt tucked into the waistband of her skirt in back. Worse, no one told her about her exposed backside until she had seated herself on the plane. Though this story never fails to make me laugh, she was mortified.

Where Have I Been?

Image Credit: geology.com

Somehow I missed the launch of a marvelous feature in the Huffington Post, United States in Style. It is so cool! Columnist Anya Strzemien described the feature this way: "I'm fascinated by all things American.  And because I also love style, I've become obsessed (there's really no other word to describe it) with documenting the styles that are indigenous to different regions of this country--whether it's hair bows and madras pants in the South, cowboy hats and bolo ties in Colorado, Vans and Ray-Bans in the California valley or sailor bracelets and cable-knit sweaters in Connecticut. The clothes we wear not only tell the story of who we are and where we come from, but where we are headed." Now that I am dialed into this terrific element of Huffington Post Style, I have binged on the videos and am hungry for more. Enjoy!