Photo Credit: Christina House for the Los Angeles Times
When I first read the headline in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times, I thought it was a joke. Then I was delighted to learn that there is a real day at Disneyland, Dapper Day, devoted to dressing well. For a day, this truly was the happiest place on Earth (for folks like me!). Go here to read the entire article.
"Many saw themselves as tastefully appointed insurgents rebelling against a world in which jeans and golf shirts are acceptable at the office, celebrities have to be reminded to cover themselves when appearing on the red carpet and the attire in airport terminals looks better suited to a track meet than to air travel."
A great number of the dapper dressers were in vintage, and they mentioned that they like dressing that way all the time. For a lot of the women, "It's just as comfortable coming in a dress as jeans and a T-shirt." This reminds me of the day I cruised around Universal Studios with my family for hours in a knit dress and sandals. I felt cool and at ease all day.
I was so happy to see a beautifully dressed woman at Trader Joe's recently. Since I had just come from the gym, it was uncomfortable to tell her that I really was a wardrobe consultant (my workout clothes are nice, but I am sure my hair was crazy and I was makeup free). Anyway, Karen graciously allowed me to take her photo and even asked for my business card. I like her simple cardigan over her pretty abstract print dress, her great shoulder bag, and her cute shoes. Bravo, Karen!
According to Style Bakery, the top ten trends this season are cut-outs, warm weather leather (?!), black and white, bright colors worn monochromatically from head to toe, florals, grunge, Asian influences, sheer inserts, stripes (a personal favorite of mine), and long shorts (hooray!).
Go here to see the looks and read the details about these trends. Then you can decide which ones you will play around with. I am always happy to wear florals and like some of the cut outs, too though I will skip the grunge look (again).
I love the pink lace dress pictured here from Talbots but have no occasion on which to wear it--yet. The lovely blue floral dress is also a favorite of mine (from Anthropologie).
One of the many beautiful sweaters at Anthropologie
More than once I have been going through a client's closet and we have discovered some holes in the sweaters. This is always so distressing. I still recall taking my gray cashmere sweater set off of a shelf and finding it riddled with holes. That was a very sad day.
However, your sweaters can be repaired by expert Elena Vera, of Art Reweavers in Santa Barbara. She can be found at 208 West Valerio Street and her phone numbers are 805-563-0932 and 805-452-4546. This referral comes with the advice that you remain patient when trying to reach Elena. Do not give up after the first try is unsuccessful (or even the second or third try!). Your perseverance will be rewarded with sweaters that look like new.
Many of my friends, especially those who live in cool climates, are amused when I tell them I have put away my winter clothes. This changing out of wardrobes is a ritual I go through twice a year, and I think it's invaluable.
I find that going through my clothes in the fall and spring helps me edit out things I have not worn. It also reminds me what I have loved wearing and why. When I bring out the "new" clothes, it is like seeing familiar friends. Of course I do not have two entirely different wardrobes. I am not a movie star after all! Instead, I put away my heavier wool sweaters and dark colored skirts, dresses, and tops in the spring. Around September, I get out these clothes and put away my linen, light cotton, and brightly colored clothing, including my shorts, bathing suits, and cover ups.
Make sure that the clothing you store is clean and is put away in breathable bags or boxes. I like to put cedar in with any wool items.
Go here to read about the benefits of packing away clothes, according to Apartment Therapy.
My family gave me a Kindle for my birthday this month. At first I was less than excited since I favor old-school books, hardback or paperback. But after using it for a few weeks, I am quite attached to my Kindle. The book I am currently reading on it is wholly entertaining: A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff. This novel's protagonist is a vintage clothing store owner, and the plot revolves around her relationships with men, a dying woman, and her parents. Any lover of vintage clothing will be enamored with this book, since the author clearly knows her sartorial history and goes into great detail about the garments. She also understands the feelings people have for their clothing and how what we wear, or want to wear, affects us. According to my Kindle, I am 85% finished with the book. I will be sad when the story ends.
I would have happily helped Gwyneth with her closet project if only she had asked! Nonetheless, she did get some expert help and then shares the experts' tips with others. Go here to read her latest Goop newsletter on getting a closet edited and organized.
There is just one piece of advice I question, concerning when or when not to hang items. I think all sweaters should be neatly folded instead of hung and using some tissue helps to prevent wrinkles. This goes for knit dresses and skirts as well since they can lose their shape, stretch out, or retain the shape of the hanger if they are not folded neatly.
My monthly column in the Carpinteria Coastal View news covers dressing up for costume parties. I also have some advice on what to wear to sporting events beyond team jerseys. Go here to read it (on page 21).
Credit: Bodenusa.com
I cannot get enough of Tim Gunn and his wardrobe wisdom. Reading The Fashion Bible was an educational experience, and I have been going over the notes I took while I read.
Clients and friends often ask me what they can wear instead of sweat suits on casual, errand running days. I like Gunn's definition of grocery shopping as a "public activity." Isn't this really what most of our activities are? He asks, "If you are not moved by respect and enthusiasm for your fellow humans, imagine running into someone you want to impress. Won't you feel better in that scenario if you aren't completely rumpled?"
He understands that women want to be comfortable and insists this does not have to mean wearing pajamas or sweat suits all day. Instead, he suggests a "soft dress. . . [which] is one piece instead of two, and all you have to do is throw it over your head rather than step into legs." Gunn also suggests items with some stretch, such as a knit top or T-shirt (that fits well!), and jeans. Having a cardigan or jacket handy pulls your outfit together and allows for a change in weather.
Like, Gunn, I find it depressing to see women (and men) dressed sloppily. I support his desire for people to "invest in comfortable, attractive, all-American sportswear, and leave the sports-wear to the world of sports."
Credit: Musee Galliera
Yet another reason for me to return to Paris! There is an exhibit at the Hotel de Ville, which "gives visitors an opportunity to admire some exceptional examples of haute couture dresses or outfits, chosen from among the most beautiful pieces in the Galliera museum collections."
Click through this slide show and prepare to be awestruck.
Today I was asked to accompany a friend to Eye & Vision Care. She needed a new pair of glasses and wanted help choosing flattering frames. Since my family goes to Eye & Vision, I know that the opticians there are superbly qualified to select frames that will look great on various face shapes. Thank goodness they are so good because I am usually looking at frames with dilated eyes and need all the help I can get.
My friend has dark blond hair and brown eyes so I suggested tortoise shell or warm toned frames which would go well with her features. Since she has a full face, I steered her toward the more square framed glasses, as opposed to rectangular ones which were too small and the round ones which made her face look larger. Then Barbara, an optician, stepped in and suggested some frames. My friend tried on a number of them until she found the ones that felt and looked fantastic.
I have found some great-looking and reasonably priced reading glasses (I have them scattered around my house) at the UCSB Bookstore, Eye and Vision Care, Lewis and Clark, and Indian Summers.
Johnny Depp is extremely attractive to me, despite his grungy look and his round face/round glasses look. Apologies to those who are mystified by his appeal (including my daughters and most of my friends).
Image Credit: J.Crew Factory website
I relished a recent article in The New York Times about the shift in men's fashion awareness, written by Guy Trebay. For me it was a thrill to read that, "At the very least, there has been a course correction. A generation raised on the insult-to-the-eyes that was casual Fridays has suddenly discovered a novel new uniform: the suit."
Trebay's writing is hilarious and clever ("the-insult-to-the-eyes")!!! I also appreciated this phrase: "if you’ll forgive the use of a lint-covered term from the cultural sock drawer." And I loved the following sentence, not only for his take on the average man's fashion sense today, but because his writing is wonderfully descriptive: "Thus the frumpy Dockers and the men’s version of mom jeans and the oversize shirts billowing like jibs have been bagged up and shipped to Goodwill."
Somehow I had hitherto been unfamiliar with the term "saggers." This word refers to one of the biggest fashion eyesores ever: baggy jeans pulled down very low, revealing the wearer's boxer shorts. If Trebay is correct, and more men really are moving toward a desire to wear clothes that fit well and are attractive, perhaps this term will soon be obsolete. Hallelujah!
Image and photo credit: Title 9's website
It just kills me to see women wearing ill-fitting and underperforming exercise bras. My mind goes back to the many sports I played throughout my childhood and through college, before the age of well-designed athletic bras. Boy did I suffer!
Though there is nothing like trying on several bras in stores to find out which styles and size suit you best, I highly recommend your giving Title 9 a call. You can order from this company online as well, but their stellar phone service representatives will not be satisfied until they are certain they have found the right bra for your size, shape, and type/s of exercise/s you do. They are true experts.
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