Photo Credit: wsj.com
I appreciate what fashion designer Rachel Roy (above) had to say recently in a Los Angeles Times article: "You just have to be aware of what makes you happy, and it's the same for clothes. . . if I want to feel a certain way, I will start with what to put on my body, and it helps get me there. And I think that's the great thing about fashion, that it can elevate your mood and then your confidence and then hopefully your intelligence."
I also applaud Roy's designs for plus-size women (below) instead of ignoring this demographic like most of the fashion world. Her Rachel Roy Curvy line debuted this spring at Macy's.
Photo Credit: wwd.com
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!
Photo credit: pbs.org
Last night I discovered a delightfully quirky program called "Tales from the Royal Wardrobe". PBS states that in this show, "Dr. Lucy Worsley, Chief
Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, will peek under the robes of Kings
and Queens past and present, asking what their chosen garments reveal
about their reigns, what message they were trying to project with their
selected attire and how their majesties’ sartorial choices influenced
the fashion of the day."
My younger daughter and I got a kick out
of the obvious glee Dr. Worsley had in describing what royalty wore
and why. Most of all, we loved watching Dr. Worsely dress up in royal
attire and glide around like a queen or king or just a fancy lady. We learned about whalebone undergarments, codpieces, and the symbolism found in Queen Elizabeth's gowns. Great fun!
Photo Credit: Damon Winter, New York Times
I had a good time reading this article from the New York Times, as it reminded me about the fun, playful side of fashion. The writer, esteemed fashion critic Guy Trebay, experimented with wearing "fresh from the runway," clothing by designers who really push the envelope. He makes several good points in this article, reflecting on how clothes can transform the way we feel. I especially enjoyed what he says toward the end of his piece:
You would hardly guess it from all the conformist stuff that fills the fashion magazines, runways and Instagram feeds, but playfulness, experimentation and instruction are also the job of fashion. What interests me most about Oscar Wilde’s famous line — “Fashion is a form of ugliness so absolutely unbearable that we have to alter it every six months!” — is its reference to temporality. Walking around Manhattan in what constitutes the style of this precise moment, I felt so squarely rooted in the present that I momentarily let go of my habitual anxieties about the future. Within six months, something just as interesting as the stuff I wore will roll around. Designers will see to that.
Image Credit: publicradiointernational.org
I've been listening attentively to the series "Owning It" on Public Radio International. Each story is inspiring, as are the women who are starting businesses out of nothing in sometimes very challenging circumstances. Bravo to these women--from a yoga teacher in Africa to two mothers in Prague making handbags-- and to PRI for covering important topics like this.
Photo credit: telegraph.co.uk
Dita Von Teese, today's "paragon of pinup style," has confused me. But I've always appreciated the care she takes to present herself as well-groomed and confident. Her new book, "Her Beauty Mark," just hit the shelves, and I read a bit about her views on beauty in Sunday's Los Angeles Times.
Here is my favorite part of the feature, when Von Teese is asked about her view that "beauty is duty":
"I look at it [beauty] as natural as brushing my teeth. And it doesn't have to talk a lot of time. I can narrow it down to a few little things, like having my lips on, and my hair pulled back in a neat chignon. I choose little things that make me feel better and give me confidence."
What are the "little things" that you regularly do to make you feel your best? These "little things" can make the difference between us having so-so and terrific days.
Photo credit: goodreads.com
Somehow I am only now becoming acquainted with fashion observer, writer, and critical commentator Cintra Wilson. Now that I know about her, I am eager to read all of her books, especially her new one: Fear and Clothing. Here is part of a review of the book which made me want to read it right away:
Acting as a kind of fashion anthropologist, she documents and decodes
the sartorial sensibilities of Americans across the country. Our fashion
choices, she argues, contain a riot of visual cues that tell everyone
instantly who we are, where we came from, where we feel we belong, what
we want, where we are going, and how we expect to be treated when we get
there.
I agree with her 100%: What we wear matters.
Photo credit: Clintonkelly.com
Clinton Kelly's new makeover show will premier next month. I just checked out a preview clip here and have mixed feelings about it. TV programs that are supposed to seem unscripted yet appear rehearsed annoy me. And a program all about how to attract a partner seems so retro to me. Still, I like Clinton Kelly and am hoping to like his new show when I see an entire episode. He definitely knows style and how to dispense good advice.
Yesterday my younger daughter and I stopped by De Marcos Fashion Academy, at 120 West Mission Street in Santa Barbara. We were captivated by the original full-length gowns in the store window, and were curious to see what was going on in the Academy. (I'd been in and met Ms. De Marcos once before; go here to read a past blog post.)
This time we learned about the upcoming fashion show in Santa Barbara, on September 5, 2015. I'm looking forward to Santa Barbara Fashion week, and am eager to see the designs by De Marcos' students. I know De Marcos is looking for local businesses to help sponsor this exciting event. For more information, go here.
I picked up Stacy London's The Truth about Style book again today and was reminded of her down- to-earth advice and her wise insights into style.
Here she is writing about her make-over with a survivor of breast cancer but her advice is for everyone:
"Style is the first thing to do when we're sick. But when you're ready, you can use style to feel better on the road to recovery as a part of recovery. Style is a source of strength when you feel weak. "
During her work with another client who is risk-adverse, she advises:
"The less fear we have of failing, the more open we are to the possibilities of the unknown. Style is a great way to practice taking chances. With style, you can easily flirt with failure. You start again with a clean slate every single morning."
It's useful to re-read books from my Wardrobe Wisdom library; I become inspired to dress my best everyday, and to help others do the same.
Photo credit: classiq.me
When I look at fashion magazines, I notice that certain designers' clothing appeals to me every single time. Carolina Herrera (above) is one of my favorite designers, with her beautiful, feminine dresses and lovely, classic styles (below). So I was so happy to read an interview of her and to learn that she is smart, witty, and down to earth. I appreciate what she had to say about style: "Style is a combination of many other things: It's the way you move, your taste in books your taste in a house. It's the things you do that are different when everybody else is doing the same thing."
Image credit: Harpersbazaar.com
Photo credit: livelovecreateinspire.wordpress.com
Iris Apfel has a recognizable face, even if her name is not known by everyone. You cannot miss her trademark over sized eyeglasses and necklaces. The new documentary, Iris "portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art and people are life's sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment." Go here to see the trailer and learn more about this woman who Booth Moore, Los Angeles Times fashion critic, calls" "a tsunami of style. . . She's an encyclopedia of fashion history who can recall designer names and stores like that."
Photo credit: Diorandimoviecom
A few years ago I watched the exceptional film "Valentino: The Last Emperor" and enjoyed it immensely. Now there is another film about a fashion designer, "Dior and I" made by the same filmmaker, Frederic Tcheng. I am so eager to see this film about Raf Simons, who took over the helm of Christian Dior in 2012. Go here to read an interview of Tcheng and here to watch a preview of "Dior and I."
Image credit: Parnassusbooks.com
I found this interview with photographer Nigel Barker, very interesting. He has insightful things to say about the modeling world's limited definition of "beauty," and how that world is changing.
More can be learned about Barker's new book, Models of Industry, here, on one of my favorite book/reading websites, Parnassusbooks.com.
Photo Credit: dinnerpartydownload.org
I've expressed my admiration for Tim Gunn before on this blog. He is an expert on fashion and clothing, and is consistently polite, charming, intelligent, and gracious any time I have seen him on TV or in the press. All of these qualities are on display here, where he is interviewed by Charlie Rose.
Photo credit: aleksandrinavezilka.wordpress.com
Go here to read an article from Elle magazine in which Hollywood costume designers offer advice on what it takes to dress well. In short, it's all about tailoring and foundation garments. Oh, and wearing turbans.
Photo credit: thestyleceleb.com
This interview on American Public Media's Marketplace program caught my ear this week. Kai Ryssdal spoke with fashion designer Tory Burch about her business and her philosophy behind the Tory Burch brand. I liked hearing about her foundation and how she seems focused on growing her business sensibly.
On Saturday I had fun at my favorite local bookstore, Chaucer's in Santa Barbara. Four books on my two favorite topics made their way home with me: Stacy London's The Truth about Style, How to Tie a Scarf 33 Styles published by Potter Style, The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz, and SB cooking expert Pascale Beale's Spring cookbook.
I'd been wanting to purchase London's 2012 book since it was published. I loved watching her "What Not to Wear" show with Clinton Kelly, mostly agreeing with her style advice and her insistence that paying attention to one's appearance can affect one's life in deep ways. In her new book, London states her intentions: "My book doesn't only deal with how to dress well, and why you should, but it examines why you don't We all put obstacles in our own path toward personal style. If we understood why we constructed these practical and emotional obstacles, we might move beyond them to healthier, happier perceptions of ourselves and, ideally, a better sense of self-esteem." Bravo, Stacy!
I'll let you know how I'm finding the book as I read, and I am quite certain I will have some insightful Stacy quotes to share.
Photo from Clinton Kelly's website: http://clintonkelly.com
Of course he has a blog. And it is quite wonderful which is no surprise. Go here to check it out. I love that man.
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