Stylish Person of the Week

In the spirit of the magnificent Bill Cunningham, I will be featuring a photo each week of a fashionable person I've spotted. Since I live in Santa Barbara, most of the folks will be photographed here. But you never know; I may be in your neighborhood one of these days so dress sharp!

I saw this woman in line at Folio, one of my favorite gift stores. My apologies for the poor lighting and blurriness of this photo; my next shot will be taken out of doors. Christa Lyons was flattered when I asked to take her photo. She is an artist which may explain her flair for fashion. Her shoes ( black and tan stiletto booties) caught my eye first, but Christa's whole ensemble is smashing. See how she dresses up a canvas at www.paintingsbychrista.net.

Dolly Parton Style

Tom Ashbrook, host of NPR's On Point, recently interviewed Dolly Parton. WOW!  Go here to listen to the interview, see photos, and read an excerpt from her book, Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You. 

My daughters were surprised to learn that I was a Dolly fan, knowing only about her big hair, made-up face, and skin-tight outfits. They knew I do not gravitate toward country music and prefer an understated, natural look. Like many people, my girls were not aware of Dolly's huge talent and generous heart, and did not know why she presents herself the way she does. After listening to the interview,  they have nothing but awe and admiration for her. 

During her talk with Ashbrook, Dolly mentioned the "town tramp" when she was a little girl, and how she marveled at this woman's style and looks. Dolly said she was "the prettiest thing" she ever saw and was inspired to look just like her. She said she feels comfortable and at her best when she is heavily made up, wearing form-fitting ensembles and her flamboyant wigs. I admire her greatly for knowing what makes her feel comfortable and for taking the time to look that way. I wish every woman had such a strong sense of herself and what makes her feel good. Dolly's prodigious song-writing talent and philanthropy makes her a role model in my book. 

You can get a peek at her performing a song with Stephen Colbert (who had a huge crush on her as a boy) here. 

Samantha Chang--Worth the Splurge!

I saw this silk " Angel" kimono. Ethereal!

Somehow, whilst doing a little gift shopping for others last weekend, I found myself making a couple of purchases myself.  Lingerie designer Samantha Chang was at Purrmission Lingerie that day, showing her exquisitely beautiful undergarments and loungewear. In this photo, she is holding one of her most popular items: a silky smooth slip which also comes in black and white. We talked about the importance of good undergarments and what a difference they make in the appearance of an outfit. I would consider this slip a wardrobe staple.

I appreciate the fine workmanship of her designs and how well they fit. I love the color combinations she used, such as burgundy and navy in a lovely lace camisole. Chang is a true entrepreneur with a fine talent for creating delicate, feminine, wearable pieces. I suggest you check out Chang's designs for yourself or someone special.

Isabel Toledo

Photo credit: vivafashionblog

Isabel Toledo is a Cuban-born designer who has been on the fashion scene since introducing her first collection in 1985. She is an original, designing distinctive, often architectural clothing making deliberate choices to live a certain way with her artist husband, Ruben Toledo. Her book, Roots of Style, Weaving Together Life, Love, and Fashion was an eye-opening read. This piece from Harper's Bazaar, offers a nice snapshot of Isabel Toledo and her husband.  I learned a great deal about how Toledo lives as an artist,  and how her dedication to her craft has paid off. This book also gave me insight into what goes into creating a clothing collection from the ground floor up.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book which go way beyond fashion:

Fashion design moves forward when people think for themselves and dress their own minds and moods.

A person with true style is displaying a fertile and thinking mind. 

(This is what Wardrobe Wisdom is about!) People with style dress in harmony with their inner, most authentic selves. 

Clothing can help the wearer give voice to her emotions, whether she is feeling vulnerable, sensual, confident, powerful, or playful. Choices in color, texture, materials, and the cut of our clothes can all add up to a composite portrait of our inner psychological makeup. 

Fashion is much more than just clothes. It's about finding and defining yourself, and communicating your personality and individuality to other people through your outward appearance. 

If you can stay in love and keep your enthusiasm for what you choose to do with your life, you are living well indeed. 

Creativity stalks every profession. It is just waiting to happen. 

[Couture garments] are masterpieces of engineering and craft that are not always evident from the outside, but created for the wearer's ease and comfort as well as the splendor of the total effect. 

It is far easier sometimes to find an exquisite dress for a special occasion than it is to figure out your daily look.

Intelligent clothes earn a place of honor in your wardrobe, because these are the items you reach for again and again.

A great design has no expiration date. 

She offers profound fashion and life advice throughout the book, but the conclusion is especially brilliant and useful.

Doing it Right

Tom Ford seems to do everything right. His designs are clean and exquisitely tailored. Ford's first film, "A Single Man," was moving and brilliantly done. He is pictured here, demonstrating how a tuxedo should be worn. We can assume he has well-cut tuxedo trousers that break at the perfect point on his perfect black shoes. So if you men receive an invitation calling for black tie, follow Tom Ford's example and do it right. For those of you who want to get the complete story on formal wear, in meticulous detail, go to The Black Tie Guide.

Rolling Stones Style

2012 marks the Rolling Stones 50th anniversary!  From the New York Times comes this slide show about the Stones' evolving style over the years/decades. Go here to listen to and read a recent interview with Mick Jagger on National Public Radio. He is pretty darn charming.

For Denim Lovers

Photo Credit: Joachim Baan


If you have been reading my Wardrobe Wisdom blog or know me personally, you know how much I love denim. So it was a thrill to read about an upcoming exhibit devoted to this versatile, ever-popular material. Unfortunately, the exhibit is at the Centraal Museum in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, you can read all about it here, where I learned "Across various themes, the exhibition shows new work by renowned artists, combined with national and international loan pieces – showcasing both craftsmanship and innovative technology." I hope this exhibit finds its way to the US before too long.

How to Be Beautiful

Photo Credit: Ari Seth Cohen at advancedstyle

How refreshing to receive beauty tips from mature, lively, grounded women instead of from cosmetic companies or twenty something models in magazines. Go here to learn what a couple of 101-year old women have to say about beauty. I printed out their quotes and put them over my bathroom sink so I can read them each day.

Siblings with Style

Thank you again, Natalie Smith, for sending me your latest fashion articles from Foothill Technology High School's newspaper. The one I am linking to here covers the way some siblings dress, along with great photos.

I am reminded of the way my brother and I dressed in high school. I was pretty preppy and so was he for a time in the eighties. We are pictured in my blog post from Tuesday. Since we attended different schools in Newport Beach,  we did not compare styles on campus like the siblings in this article. That would have been fun!