Riding Knickers

Whenever my husband is walking out the door in a questionable outfit, I tell him, "Please don't identify your wife as the founder of Wardrobe Wisdom." This plea is met with a chuckle and I feel a bit uneasy for the rest of the day.

The week before his birthday, a package arrived. When I asked him what it contained, he said, "Oh, it's a gift from Maryellen that I picked out." Minutes later he emerged from our bedroom, modeling his knew biking pants. Now, I have never been a fan of spandex riding shorts. Still, they are fantastic-looking compared to what met my eyes: black knickers. My husband fancies himself a retro-bike rider, and says he and his friends will ride their vintage bikes together, sporting their knickers and pocket watches. What on earth? When will they do this? On Halloween? How many guys are in his wacky riding club? My mind was filled with many more questions.

Yet in the end, I just sighed heavily and said I was glad I had kept my name when we got married. HELP!

Men on the Street

Bill Cunningham, my favorite photojournalist from the New York Times, shows how men are dressing in diverse ways as they head to work. His new "On the Street" video has great examples of different looks, from snazzy suits, to neat pants and vests, to white pants (!), and everything in between. I loved it!

Hats On

Bill Cunningham from the New York Times features hats in one of his recent video slideshows. He states that the streamlined, unembellished hats represent the simplified, paired-down fashion sensibility for these times.

Enjoy!

Thank You, Clinton Kelly

When I tell people what I do, they often respond, "You are like Stacy on What Not to Wear." Yes, I am sort of like Stacy, but I don't have a Clinton. I wish I did!



Stacy London's sidekick, Clinton Kelly, has an extraordinary new book called "Freakin' Fabulous" The subtitle to the book tells the reader what to expect: "How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else." With an irreverent sense of humor, often directed at himself, Kelly offers many of the same tips he gives to people on his show regarding how to dress. He covers the importance of fit first: "When a garment clings to some area of your body, it's like that body part is screaming, 'Look at me! Look at me! Do you see how I refuse to be constrained?' I, for one, don't want everyone staring at the 10 squishy pounds that have settled around my navel. That's why I avoid spandex muscle tees."

Kelly goes on to describe the concepts of proportion and appropriateness by giving detailed explanations and examples. His tips are spot on and his writing is just hilarious. I am delighted that he goes beyond clothing to tackle the subjects of proper speech, thank you notes, table manners, and how to be a polite guest anywhere. As a former English teacher, I am appalled by the way people talk and write nowadays. I am also appalled at the lack of civilized behavior I witness on a daily basis. I guess I am appalled quite often!

This book has it all since Kelly even provides recipes in his chapter "How to Eat." He stresses ways of making quality, delicious food and how to serve and eat it properly. My hope is that Clinton's vast audience and fan base will read his book and take his advice to heart. Imagine how much more pleasant our society would be!

White House/Black Market

When my friend Loren started working at the White House/Black Market in Paseo Nuevo Mall, in Santa Barbara, I dropped in more frequently. I was always impressed with the good quality of the clothing and the helpful saleswomen. On July 23rd I invited my Wardrobe Wisdom clients to an evening of shopping, refreshments, and a talk about wardrobe basics at the store. We had a swell night!

Most of the questions I fielded had to do with accessorizing. I talked about how such things as scarves and an interesting necklace can finish an outfit, making it look pulled-together and chic. I was happy to find some simple yet unusual silver hoop earrings that would go with any outfit. I was also taken with some fun patent leather, crocodile embossed wallets.

Of course, what I liked most was a darling denim jacket (above) that fit me perfectly. I am such a sucker for denim. But, taking my own wisdom to heart, I left it at the store since I already own two denim jackets. Such restraint!

Do You Have a Boredrobe?

One of my very fashionable (and linguistically gifted) Wardrobe Wisdom clients, Lorrie Thomas, of Web Marketing Therapy, coined a new term "boredrobe." Perhaps you have a boredrobe: a closet filled with neutrals, lacking any color. Or maybe your wardrobe is full of color but contains no current styles. A boredrobe can be a closet comprised of solids with no prints. On the other hand, some women go nuts with color then never vary it. I recently read an article about a woman whose entire wardrobe, every garment, every pair of shoes, every accessory, was turquoise. Now that is an extreme example of a boredrobe--if not to her than to everyone else!

If you feel a sense of boredom when you open your closet, it is time to take action. First, assess what you have that you truly like, that fits you, and that makes you feel great. Then think about how to liven those items up. Do you need to add color, accessories, something hip and fun, more texture, or some combination of the above? Look through magazines, identifying styles and outfits that appeal to you. When you shop, try to find similar looks, and try one or two out at a time. It can also be inspiring to look at online catalogs of stores you like, or stores where you know others, whose looks you admire, tend to shop.

I would be interested in knowing if you have a boredrobe and how you plan to turn change it. I am always happy to offer some tips!

A Sucker

How did it happen? How did I let an unbelievably pushy vendor at Paseo Nuevo talk me into parting with $50? Did my powerful hunger place me in a weakened state? Am I so vain that I responded to his incessant "You are beautiful!" exclamations? What happened?

On any given day, I dismiss offers to massage my hands, spritz my face with perfume, curl my hair, etc. with a quick and firm, "No thanks," while walking briskly away. Yesterday was an entirely different matter.

While my daughters looked on in speechless amazement, I let Mr. Pushy talk, talk, talk, and ended up buying some face cream I did not really need. When we finally walked away, my eldest stated, "You know, Mom, he probably calls every lady 'beautiful.'" So true!

What Wardrobe Wisdom could I glean from this unpleasant experience? I gained some insight into how my clients get talked into clothing that does not fit or flatter them. Regularly I hear, "Oh, this saleswoman told me I looked great, so I bought it." or "The saleswoman kept telling me how good the color looked on me, so I got the dress and the blouse." My clients regret paying money for things they realize don't suit them, and resent being lied to by sales staff. The Mr. and Miss Pushies out there prey upon any hesitation shown by a shopper and overwhelm him or her with compliments to close the sale. This is shameless and unethical.

What we as consumers can do, whether someone is hawking clothing or face cream, is think about our taste, style, budget and know what we do and do not need at any given time. Such knowledge increases our confidence and serves us well when the vultures appear. Oh, we should also always remember to eat before we shop. Always!