Shopping vs. Buying

Image Credit: saveamericascinemas.org


From Isaac Mizrahi's book How to Have Style:

"Go to stores and look, but don't look at price tags and don't buy a thing. Go to a store's or designer's website and look at photos. Pick up a fashion magazine or two and clip photos and ads that speak to you. Spread your images out and study them while shopping in your closet."

Mizrahi says that by shopping, looking, evaluating, and giving your own closet a critical once over, you will discover what you truly want, need, and will wear most often without spending a penny. Then you can make a list of what you need and shop, little by little, to complete your wardrobe. Good advice!

"The Seams"

Photo Credit: theseams.orghttp://www.theseams.org


Listening to NPR's "The Seams" podcast is one of my favorite pastimes. In this episode, I learned about current Irish fashion labels as well as Ireland's notable history in weaving wool into beautiful sweaters and tweeds fabrics. Margaret O'Leary is a well-known designer who started out knitting sweaters and now has a complete line of women's clothing and several boutiques. I remember coveting her lovely, unique sweaters when I worked at Patty Montana in Santa Barbara many years ago. I hope you will give "The Seams" a listen; you will not be disappointed!

Wardrobe Wisdom

From the brilliant, kind, classy, and wise Tim Gunn:

"Fit is the most neglected aspect of how we dress; that is, most people wear clothes that are too big, too small, or a combination of both."

Clothing should not pinch, bunch up, pucker, gap, or droop anywhere. If it does, consult a tailor or get rid of it!

Time to Weed

Photo credit: howtostartagardeneasy.com

The first day of spring on March 21 is just around the corner and is an ideal time to go through your closet and do some weeding. Remove any garments that don't fit you currently, need tailoring to fit well, or are too worn out to wear in public (the latter can be discarded or demoted to gym or garden or dog walking activities).

I did this over the weekend and filled a bag with fall and winter (by Santa Barbara standards) clothing and shoes that I had not worn in 2 years. I plan to bring them to my cooking group on Friday night to see if my friends are interested in anything. If I had planned ahead, I could have suggested we set aside some time on Friday to do a real swap, where each person brings gently worn clothing, shoes, and accessories they no longer wear. Maybe we can do this next time. Weeding is liberating!

The Thoughtful Dresser

Image credit: goodreads.com


The Thoughtful Dresser, by Linda Grant, is one of the best books I've read about clothing and its importance in our lives. I cannot recommend this book enough. Though Grant does not suggest we keep every article of clothing we've ever owned, she acknowledges the role they play in telling our stories:

"If you were to gather together all the clothes you have every owned in all your life. . . you would have your autobiography. The clothes we wear, they comfort and protect us; they allow us to be who we want to be. They tell others what we want them to hear. We come to understand whether or not we can depend on them."

Say "yes" to Pantyhose

I am not the first one to endorse wearing pantyhose, given the always-casual dress code in Santa Barbara. However, as Kate Middleton has shown us, wearing sheer, non-shiny, natural-looking nylons results in a chic, pulled-together look. I wrote about Kate's nylons in a past blog post, and am surprised she has not influenced more women to wear pantyhose. Take a look at how great my friend looks in her sheers, which her young daughter called " odd ballet tights."

Size and the Modeling World

Photo credit: mtv.com

France, Italy, Israel, and Spain have passed laws designed to make the modeling world healthier. The laws include requirements that models to provide doctors' notes,  proving they are healthy and not "dangerously underweight." Has this led to designers waking up and making clothing for women who are not toothpicks? No, but I am encouraged. Go here to listen to a story about a British clothing line whose contract for models includes a clause that they will eat a lunch during the shoot. This clause is a result of having models refusing to eat for many hours and then being very fatigued and unable to do their job properly.

A Stickler for Details

Photo credits: itvnews.com

I sure have enjoyed watching "Downton Abbey" and feel sad about it being over. The storytelling was wonderful, the cast was terrific, and of course the clothing, which evolved along with the times, caused me to me swoon.

Reading about the show's historical advisor, Alistair Bruce, in a Los Angeles Times article made me appreciate the care that went in to making "Downton Abbey" so special and precise. And I sympathize with him getting riled up about "slouchy, modern-day posture." Bruce elaborates: "If only we could take one lesson out of this otherwise terrifyingly starched era and just stand up straight. . . All men would be more handsome and all women more beautiful."

Sunday Wardrobe Wisdom

This week's wisdom is from Stacy London, in her book, "The Truth about Style" :


The goal should always be to look good for your age, not to look as if you are chasing your youth.


I can't resist adding this from Gloria Steinem, when she was told she looked good for her age: "This is what forty looks like."

People should dress the way they want. Any rules for age or shape are silly. If you walk out the door feeling good about yourself, that’s what counts.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/631214

People should dress the way they want. Any rules for age or shape are silly. If you walk out the door feeling good about yourself, that’s what counts.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/631214

People should dress the way they want. Any rules for age or shape are silly. If you walk out the door feeling good about yourself, that’s what counts.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/631214

People should dress the way they want. Any rules for age or shape are silly. If you walk out the door feeling good about yourself, that’s what counts.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/631214

People should dress the way they want. Any rules for age or shape are silly. If you walk out the door feeling good about yourself, that’s what counts.
Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/631214

I Love a Pretty Dress

I suppose I am officially out of the clothing doldrums now. Bodenusa is one of my very favorite online sites, and its new spring collection,  especially the dresses, has left me tingling all over. Go have a look here.