The Divine Dame Dench

I've just seen "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and come away with renewed adoration and admiration for the wonderful Judi Dench. Only the Grinch would not love her, of course. Throughout her long stage, television and movie career she has played everything from a Bond girl (007's boss M) to Queen Victoria and emerged victorious. At age 77 she has let herself age without letting herself go. So she's a little pouter-pigeon in shape; so she's got lines and bumps, hair as white as snow and a bit of a widow's hump (she is one after all). But have you seen that smile? Do you feel her enthusiasm for life and that self-deprecating sense of humor whenever she's interviewed? And who cuts her hair in such a perfect pixie? I'm going to London in the fall; maybe I can discover her hairdresser in time.

In the "Best Exotic" Judi's character is a bit timid yet determined. She has the most empathy of the great ensemble of characters (and character actors) but not without having paid a price— the realization she was never in charge of her own life. Not for a moment in the film (and I suspect real life) does she stare mournfully into a mirror bemoaning a few extra pounds or give up teatime in favor of a brisk jog in the 110 degree Jaipur weather to sweat off a few inches. She dresses comfortably (could there be elastic in those pants?) but still stylishly. In real life she does not shy away from cleavage or best exotic jewelry. If seeing Judi Dench on the screen or in a photograph is enough to make me want to know her, isn't the image we project likewise what makes people interested in knowing us?

Still true today to her 1968 self

I Spy... a Trend or Two

This summer's trends are rising to the top like freshly churned cream. Who gets to decide what we must wear anyways??? Nevertheless, as I see them and in no particular order of deliciousness:

The High-Low

A little whimsical, a little cockeyed— this trend has no blueprint. If it looks good— and you feel comfortable— wear it.

Photo Print

Wear then hang on the wall.

Color Blocking

As easy as one-two-three

Neon

Not only for nail polish; I just like this photo.

Nautical (now and forever)

Classy and classic— this summer's nautical is a little more relaxed.

Long Sundress

Still a favorite as the secret is out— dresses are cooler than pants.

Patterned Pants

Maybe not cool, but they sure are cool.

Espadrilles

Espadrilles have gone beyond basic to embrace pattern, trim, ballet and driving moc shapes.

Retro Swim

I really did have a bathing suit that like this when I was ten. That is not me.

Blue Work Shirt

The chambray shirt is everywhere— paired with pants, shorts or skirt, as a jacket, over a sundress. All shades from dark denim to faded near-white. The fit is easy and should look like you've had it for-evah.

Clunky Sandals

There's a fine line between chunky and clunky of course, and one can lead to a sprained ankle.

Narrow Belt

Further proof that one should never throw out a belt. Narrow is back; neon makes it newer.

Bold Necklace

And it's neon!

Friendship Bracelets

Bet you can't wear just one. Note neon nails and clutch.

Straw Tote

The bigger the better it would seem

Clutch

Hold onto this trend, or you might lose your keys.

While the idea is not to sport neon nails with friendship bracelets with a photo print long sundress while carrying a wicker tote, while sporting a bold necklace and wearing crazy sandals... it can be done. Summer is time to get a little crazy— or does Houston heat just make that easier? 

And speaking of cream floating to the top, when was the last time you had a Root Beer Float? Or a Coke Float? Or a Dr. Pepper Float? Or whatever floats your boat? Says Summer to me.

Daughter Knows Best?

"Mom, don't you think you're a little old for that?"

If you're a daughter, please listen up. If you are the mother of a grown daughter, listen closer. There is something going on between you. I would say it's been happening since Eve, but Eve doesn't seem to have had any daughters.

Call it the inevitable shift as every generation overtakes the last in terms of what's new. It could be payback for all those years of wearing Mother's taste to needing her approval not to mention credit card. I see it happening time and again.

Setting: the Lovely Boutique where I work
Principal player: customer old enough to have a grown, opinionated daughter
Scene: customer plops bag of clothing items on counter for return
"My daughter told me I'm too old for this." or "My daughter told me this is too young for me." 

What's happening here? Otherwise smart, savvy, stylish women are having their confidence co-opted by savvy and stylish grown daughters.

And I have a theory why. It's not that Mom really is too old for the article of clothing or said clothing is not really too young for Mom. I believe daughters have the idea that what's good for them can't possibly be good for their mothers.

How could daughter and mother— a generation apart— be united in an article of fashion? Is what's good for the gosling really good for the goose? How can the next generation make its mark when you can't tell them apart at forty paces? I don't believe any daughter sets out consciously to sabotage her mother's fashion choices. I do think there may be an underlying current of this being her playing field now and please take your place on the sidelines.

I'm not talking about an intervention to save mother from looking like mutton dressed as lamb. We should all be thankful for that. Short shorts, midriff tops, frou-frou ruffles and cheap baubles have an expiration date, and every wise woman should know hers.

What is age-specific about a tunic paired with crisp, dark skinny jeans? Printed palazzo pants with a neat fitted top? A covered-up jersey dress that nevertheless shows off a toned and trim figure? Colored denim worn with a striped t-shirt?

On the other hand, why is this otherwise smart and savvy woman caving to non-peer pressure? She spent considerable effort deciding what to purchase only to have her daughter send it marching back from whence it came. Are daughters the new bullies?

We could be living in one of the few periods of fashion history where the lines of demarkation are blurred. Toddler to grandma to everyone between can wear variations of the same look. Diane von Furstenburg and Stella McCartney have designed for GAP Kids. We can all enjoy wearing vintage, though propriety tells you not to wear your high school pleated skirt even if it fits. But your daughter can wear it. So how is youth to make its mark? By not letting you make yours?

The last thing a mother wants is to break the bond forged over so many shopping trips, tears shed or even arguments endured over what to wear. At this point her daughter may truly have become her friend for life, and friendship is a gift to treasure. Now is not the time to open old wounds over a few articles of clothing. Besides, she thinks, there might be signals a mother can miss that a daughter can see! Perhaps the daughter is saving her clueless mother from sartorial embarrassment?

Well, I don't know the answer. It's never happened to me as I have a son. I do have some words for daughters: You have the power, so use it wisely.

By the way, Happy Mother's Day.

The Princess Principle

Princessing isn't all fun and games

Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday" played a princess who wished she were a commoner. Nine out of ten American three-year-old girls seem to wish they were princesses. We live in an age of the Princess Phenomenon, and even mothers are baffled how it happens. 

"I don't know; she just woke up one day, and there it was", said one mother of her little princess-in-tow I met on a shopping trip. Princess Little was decked out in a cheesy-Halloween-costume-quality princess dress, neatly accessorized with one of mom's necklaces and an evening bag. She was cute as a button and terrified me. There but for some lipstick and blush was Jon Benet Ramsey all over again. Moments later in walks another princess with mother and baby sister as entourage. This princess was wearing a crown. The mothers smiled in helpless agreement. I could swear the two princesses were giving each other the eye as to "who wore it best". I sensed Princess Little felt eclipsed by that crown.

In my childhood the princess either spent an inordinate amount of time in a tower waiting for Prince Charming to climb up her hair or worried herself sick how to outsmart the hideous Rumplestiltskin. We wanted to be nurses, ballerinas or airline stewardesses— not princesses. Cinderella had to suffer a lot, but at least she proved you could grow up poor with mean stepsisters and still snag the prince.

Blame Disney, perhaps. In trying to be egalitarian, the Disney corporation has developed princesses for almost every race and cultural persuasion. Officially they are Ariel, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Belle, Rapunzel, Aurora, Cinderella, Tiana, Mulan and Snow White. Coming soon to the list may be the red-headed Scottish princess Merida. They are merchandising block busters, netting 4 billion dollars in global sales "touching every aspect of girls' lives around the world".

I wonder how the princess experience will touch the lives of those around her in years to come— family, teachers, friends and potential Prince Charmings. This could be interesting to watch.

Gregory Peck would be worth giving up the throne

This Old Thing?

So nice I bought it twice

Why is it that the thing you loved last year this year seems so— well— last year? My love affair with fashion is forever. My closet bores me quickly.

That's not to say I don't wear an exciting new purchase to death for a few weeks, combining it every which way from Sunday. Then it either becomes a "go to" piece or gets lost in there. Usually the latter. Not to say I don't have some real favorites. Recently I re-bought (at much greater cost than the original) a treasured silk dress by Christopher Deane (no longer in business) that the cleaner ruined. Some things are worth more than rubles.

What I'm talking about is the general malaise of "I have nothing to wear" with a closetful of clothes staring back at you. To paraphrase Hoagy Carmichael, "It's the newness of you that excites me".

The following tricks have been known to stave off boredom while skirting the issue of breaking into the piggy bank or contemplating true credit card debt. Plus one idea that will knock your socks off. Do we have any venture capitalists reading?

Don't wear everything new all at once.
Did you score big on your last shopping trip? Avoid the temptation to wear it all the next day. Portion it out a little bit— the necklace one day, the blouse another, the pants yet another. Goes for everything new except underwear.

Keep the tags on.
Besides insuring an easier return if you develop buyer's remorse, leaving the tags on a garment gives you that extra pleasure of snipping them off when you first wear it. Sort of like cutting the ribbon on a present. Kinda.

Buy yourself a gift card.
When you are feeling flush (bonus, birthday, tax refund, extra-paycheck-in-the-month) purchase a gift card to your favorite store. It shouldn't expire (check if not certain) and will be at the ready when discipline or guilt might keep you from the checkout counter.

Discover the pleasures of thrift shopping.
Call it vintage or thrifty or just Goodwill, if you are lucky enough to have decent second-hand options in your area, by all means explore them. Money spent there is like eating celery, right? You use more calories chewing than the celery contains. There are almost 30 outlets across the country of my favorite, Buffalo Exchange. One in Houston is the repository for someone with a Marc Jacobs fix in my size, thank you very much. I've visited thrift shops in Palm Beach and Manhattan for stellar pickings and am the ecstatic recipient of a friend's adventures at her favorite thrift shop in the Hamptons. Thank goodness we do not wear the same size.

Drumroll please...
Here's the idea that I am waiting to see happen. Why can't we fashion-obsessed rent clothes? Yes I know there are rent-a-handbag sites and rent-a fancy-dress places, but I'm talking Rent a Wardrobe. In this day and age of food trucks and meals-on-wheels, not to mention the Bloodmobile, why can't a van drive up to our doors on a regular basis to let us choose and borrow a wardrobe for a week or two or a month (with option to buy of course)? A brilliant idea, no? I even have a name for it: the Fashionvan or— if housed in a permanent building— the Stylibrary. You would pay an annual fee (for cleaning bien sur) and a rental price per piece factored into length of your loan.

Then all I would permanently need in my closet would be that black skirt, black pants and little black dress the fashion mavens keep talking about. I can see hangers swinging already.

A Mission Statement

All together now...

This post will be short and sweet.

Those of you reading who are "of a certain age" (and that age is just the one you are certain you are not getting any younger, be it 40, 50, 60 or 70), let's make it our mission to embrace our best, ignore (or camouflage) the rest, keep fashion in our hearts and— for heaven's sake— wear it with a smile.

It should be Our Mission to the young 'uns that looking great doesn't have an expiration date, smile lines and their cousins— crow's feet— are the results of a long and happy life. Every scar, wrinkle or jiggle tells your story, and I bet it's a good one.

Thanks to a beautiful woman who visited the Lovely Boutique Where I Work and asked if she should wear a short-sleeved top at her age.

Men Don't Make Passes...

The unforgettable Ms. Parker 

I hated Dorothy Parker from a young age. Long before I learned about the Algonquin Round Table or who she was, I knew she wrote, "Men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses". I was ten and had just gotten my first nasty pair.

Glasses should not have come as a surprise. My mother told me childhood friends called her "Four Eyes". My older sister's eyes were so bad she was put in "Sight Saving" class in elementary school. By fifth grade, although I had memorized the school nurse's eye chart (F E L O P Z D was the tough line), it became apparent to all that glasses were my destiny.

Few photos exist of me in glasses. I always took them off for the camera. As a teenager I never wore them on dates (except when the lights went down at the movies). I begged for a pair of prescription sunglasses and wore them way past sundown. Yet I was always afraid to wear contact lenses. My Aunt Sally had tried unsuccessfully for years. Plus the thought of putting something in your eye...! By the time I got up the courage it was 1982, soft lenses had been perfected, and I was lucky enough to have a really patient nurse-practitioner for a teacher.

Flash forward thirty years. I have not been able to wear contacts for almost six months due to a lingering eye infection. I fear I'm known at the Lovely Boutique where I work as "the lady with the short red hair and glasses". My nice earrings are getting dusty in the jewelry box as I now only see fit to wear little studs. I have bought six pairs of eyeglasses since October (including the all-important prescription sunglasses). Instead of being grateful I can SEE, I am grumbling and ashamed of myself at the same time.

What is there about glasses— my glasses at least— that so irritates me? My husband looks way better in glasses than without. He morphs from Michael Caine to John Lennon to Cool Italian Art Director with his choice of eyewear. There are many women I know who look great in glasses, and some I couldn't tell you if they wear them or not. I've even gotten many compliments on my wardrobe of frames. I probably can see better with glasses as well— none of this one-eye-for-near-one-eye-for-far stuff. And if I want to thread a needle, I just take them off instead of squinting. Glasses hide my non-existent eyebrows and my tres-existent bags. Am I being all too human in wanting what I can't have? Persistent or stubborn in the goal to get back into contacts?

I do have another eye doctor appointment next week.

Dorothy, glasses would have hidden your bags...

What's Not to Like?

Why does this shirt tick me off?

Plenty as it turns out. We all have 'em— pet peeves in fashion that is. I'm not apologizing. In fact, it makes shopping that much easier as I zip through the racks easily eliminating items that contain mine.

A pet peeve is not the same as hesitating to try a new shape or a new color. I know shocking pink looks terrible on me, but I still like it. Not choosing it is not a pet peeve, it's a wise but sad realization that the color does nothing for me. Thus I have lots of shocking pink notebooks, throw pillows and always pick the raspberry jelly beans. But I digress. Pet peeves tend to stick around, and if you have some they've probably been with you a long time. Sometimes there is no reason for your dislike; you just do. Other times if you have learned by past experience that gathered backs on ballet slippers will irritate your feet, finding them on otherwise charming ballet slippers will break out the peeve.

For no other reason than this seems like a good time to catalog them, here are mine:

> One breast pocket on a any shirt. Really? A kleenex on ONE side? (see above)

> A designer logo on anything other than a lipstick. And that means any designer, even Chanel. (see above)

> Button-downs that don't really button all the way to the top. (see above)


> Buttons that don't really button anything. A "decorative button" is a contradiction in terms.

> V-neck t-shirts. Just not a fan.

> Belt loops sewn in such a way that they can't be easily unattached from the waistband.

> Elastic waistbands (unless 100% integral to the design). Enough said.

> Sleeves that have the option to roll up complete with strap and button. This is like wearing suspenders and a belt. I'll take my chances rolling my sleeves, thank you.

> Polyester that looks like silk and is priced like silk.

Feel free to tell us yours.

Building Blocks

Block and white and color all over

Who knew getting dressed could be this much fun? Color blocking is my new favorite dressing game, and it's so easy even the color blind can do it. Suddenly all those rules about what color goes with what don't seem to apply. For me today that meant a navy silk kimono jacket, magenta knife-pleated skirt, chartreuse cami, and apricot leather belt.

Here are some tips for having your own block party:

> You can easily block all brights, all pastels or all neutrals. Mixing block families is trickier.

> Your goal is not to reinvent the rainbow— three blocks minimum but four should be enough.

> Black and white are not colors in this game. Black and white and a color is not color blocking.

> The most successful color blocking looks random and unexpected. Good old red, white and blue is not really "it".

> Shades of a color is not color blocking. You have to spin all over the color wheel.

> Adding a print adds about 40 years to this look. But stripes seem to work.

> You can tiptoe into color blocking by having an accessory (shoes, bag, belt, tights) in color.

> Keep jewelry to a minimum. You don't want to look too perfectly refined. Think tousled hair with an evening gown.

> As with everything fashion, wear it as if you own it.

Little Things Mean a Lot

Shopping with Coco in your pocket would be nice

Oh to step into a store and walk out fully clothed head to toe in the most ravishing, perfect outfit. Well, it ain't gonna happen. A) We tend to buy pieces piece-meal, hoping the bits will come together and B) there is rarely such a thing as 100% perfect right off the selling floor.

I've mentioned before how important is a little nip and tuck at the tailor. The shoulders, nape of the neck, under the arms. We are all different creatures, and unless you are Anna Sui's house model, you may have to consider altering that Anna Sui dress. Your salesperson should be able to advise you what alterations are reasonable. Anything involving a zipper is not, and taking in is a heck of a lot easier than letting out. But let's face it— much of our shopping is of the self-service variety. The days of a little chanteuse to advise are long gone. So you are stuck with having to consult your tailor to determine the feasibility of making it work. But if it can... do it without regret.

There are a few situations that we have a tendency to let pass. They are, however, really important. So hold your nose and take your medicine:

1) Hem your pants to the right length. That means making a decision what shoes you will wear with what pants. Especially jeans. You just can't wear the same jeans with flats that you would wear with boots. Since we wear jeans a lot you may indeed need multiple pairs. I know what you're thinking: It was hard enough to find one pair that fit, now I need two??? Skinny pants need to be hemmed right to the ankle with no break. Bootlegs can have a little break. Flares or wide legs should just miss hitting the ground. You can wear your skinnys cropped, but unless you are supermodel height your legs will look stubbier.

2) Change the buttons. Manufacturers have to cut corners, and buttons are the first to go. I have seen the cheapest buttons on even the most beautiful shirts and blouses. Bonus points if they are self covered; don't change them. But seriously consider trading off the ugly plastic for some real mother of pearl or a less doodad-looking button if that's what you've been given.

3) Hem the sleeves. I know, I know. It's so easy to just turn them under. You've spent $200+ for a blazer, and you won't fork over another $20 to have sleeves hemmed to the right length? Seriously, I think doing this is the mark of a grown-up.

4) Replace the belt. Another cost-cutting trick: give the consumer a dreadful cheap bit of plastic for a belt and call it a day. Leather is expensive. Belts cost real money. But they last forever! And you can't say that about everything.

It's Fun to be Brad

Brad: so far so good

If you only know Brad Goreski as Rachel Zoe's sweet but somewhat beleagured assistant on two seasons of her oh-so-addictive Bravo reality show, his just published autobiography ("Born to be Brad— My Life and Style, So Far") may not be on your radar.

If on the other hand you got to know him on this year's "It's a Brad Brad World", also on Bravo, you too may have been charmed as was I. More than showing Brad as every girl's dream of a best friend, the tv show revealed a young man who bloomed slowly, worked hard, was luckily in the right place at the right time and —most important— was smart enough to hear opportunity knocking and brave enough to rip open the door.

"Born to be Brad" is a quick, mostly happy read. Because we know Brad is now well on his way to a successful career in his dream-come-true vocation, we can make it through his childhood of "being different" in a small Canadian town. Fortunately Brad had family (and at least one teacher) to encourage him. His grandmother bought him Barbie dolls (that his father trashed), and he sewed costumes in the basement with his mother. It took a while to make it through drug, alcohol and bad fashion addictions. At 34 he's been sober for ten years and is a strong proponent of "one day at a time". He writes with gratitude, humility and good humor.

Now how could this also be a fashion book, you ask? Well, it is. If there's one thing Brad insists is the secret to looking good, it's to value yourself. You're worth it, and money has little to do with that. In parts labeled "Listen", "Look" and "Leap" and chapters such as "Playing dress up isn't just for kids" and "You are the new black", Brad dispenses fashion advice of the sort we can never hear enough:

"Comfortable doesn't mean lazy."
"Your bathing suit is not an outfit."
"It's called winter white for a reason."
"Step outside of your comfort zone and don't get locked in a uniform."

There are books to read, videos to rent, artists to know, a playlist to mend a broken heart— even a pie recipe. I particularly liked his 10 tips on how to be a good assistant. Because one doesn't start at the top.

 

Who Doesn't (Still) Love Audrey?

Audrey in 1962  from The Fashion Style of Audrey blog

She's always, there, in the background of my life. If I try hard I can hear her voice, that cultured inflection of many cultures. I can see her movies in my mind and remember those public events in her life, not the least of which was notice of her death in 1993.

Today's New York Times has an article about Connie Wald. At age 95, with a lifetime of amazing events under her very stylish belt, she has surely become a Woman We Love— more on her another time. What brought Audrey to mind today was that Connie Wald was her BFF, and Googling the two of them produced this amazing blog called The Fashion Style of Audrey:

thefashionofaudrey.tumblr.com/

I'm still not sure who did it. English may or may not be his or her first language. References to Audrey can be uber-respectful, referring to her as  "Mrs. Audrey Hepburn". Someone has taken the time to post many, many photographs of her looking fabulous both on the red carpet and on the grass at home. This is probably the 2012 techno equivalent of my sketching every costume change in "Sabrina" while watching a VHS tape. I thank the poster. A day with Audrey is a day with sunshine no matter the weather.

Evolving... yet again

Not going to see red

I have more fashion lives than a cat. Whether it's the influence of fellow bloggers or true Reflection on Self, I find I am tossing (or at least pausing to decide on) more quirky residents of my wardrobe. This time the semi annual purge is casting a wider net. Not only am I ditching the worn out and never worn (ie bad buys), I am remembering what I felt the best in this past season and aiming to repeat that feeling the next.

That means no ruffles, frou-frou, frills, fullness or funkadelic. I've suddenly discovered that less is more, but only if that less is really, really good stuff. What it meant last year was purchasing a long black cashmere cardigan, a beautiful black bag, some interesting pieces of statement jewelry (decidedly not from Claire's Accessories) and rich fabrics in offbeat colors. I still felt creative, not cookie cutter. I want to steer far far away from eccentric, artsy old lady. I used to fear that Red Hat Society look of pull-on 100% polyester. Now that I know it will never happen, I cringe at looking— on the other hand— like a style spectacle.

You've seen that woman. She thumbs her nose at what is thoughtfully tasteful because she knows she can get away with it. She travels in packs and may end up in Bill Cunnigham's photo essays in the New York Times. Her look is admirable but not admired.

One of these women is actually a man

So now that I've paired down and chyrsalised, what do I do with all those empty hangers?  

Men We Love: Ralph Lauren

Lord Lauren in my book

How could we not love Ralph Lauren? Not only did he show a fantastic collection for Fall 2012 last week, he introduced the runway with the theme from Downton Abbey. I understand the audience applauded. Remember, that was before the show. As long as he has been designing it seems Ralph Lauren has never made a misstep. He may have repeated some a few times, but when you are waltzing as beautifully as he, who cares?

First and foremost Ralph, if I may call him by the familiar, loves women. He is not trying to change us or hide us. He understands that we love a bit of dress-up, make-believe or let's-pretend. The New York Times review of the collection was the highest praise I've ever seen them give a designer. They practically annointed him as royalty. Which he is of course. Yes, I know he doesn't design everything, but he has to sign off on it. And if he has a dream, it gets made.

Ralph with the beautiful Mrs. Lauren

It's well-known that Ralph Lauren, far from to-the-manor-born, started life as Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx. He began his haberdashery career as a salesman for a glove manufacturer, then designed ties for a necktie company. In 1967 he founded Polo, whose roots were in the Preppy-English-tweedy look. By the '80s his "empire" included womenswear, children's wear and home goods. If you've ever had the pleasure of visiting a Ralph Lauren emporium, you are taken on a journey of his creating that is a dreamscape of history, art and commerce. His genius has never been as an innovator, but in evocatively reinterpreting lifestyles that may or may not actually have existed. Ralph Lauren more or less perfects the eras he brings to life.

He has been married to the same woman, Ricky, for 47 years, has three beautiful children who have no apparent faults (though daughter Dylan has quite the sweet tooth). He has a daughter-in-law who was a model and niece of a president and is improbably now named Lauren Lauren. He has a gi-normous classic car collection, and I don't know how many homes. Perhaps Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey is filmed) belongs to him as well. I deny him nothing. He deserves it all. He makes me that happy.

Was this Ralph's best collection yet?

To the Third Power

As easy as 1, 2, 3...

Somewhere along the way I learned that three items will make an outfit. A blouse and skirt won't do it, but a blouse + skirt + JACKET or a blouse + skirt + VEST or a blouse + skirt + STATEMENT BELT... you get the idea. So if in life three is a crowd, then in fashion three is key.

This occurred to me as I tried to work a beautiful silk embroidered Chinese jacket with a pair of coral skinny jeans. The pants picked up some of the embroidery on the jacket, so it worked without being too matchy-matchy. I had the au courant black velvet bedroom slippers lined up. It didn't look thoughtful enough until I threw on a double strand of plastic buttons that I bought for 25 cents at a garage sale eons ago. From a distance those buttons look like a rainbow of beautiful bakelite beads. Up close they are, of course, buttons, but the hues and shape transforms them into jewelry. That "third thing" made the outfit.

Try it sometime. When you've got two things you love, but they aren't singing well together, add a third something. Remember that if the third is an accessory it needs to carry the tune as well.

Madame Predicts the Future of Magazines

Gone but not forgotten and coming soon

Do we see a trend here? Just as Mark Twain remarked "The reports of my death are grossly exaggerated", I would like to predict that magazines are not dead yet. But they are evolving. And while it's unlikely we will see a full-blown rebirth of beloved lifestyle magazine Domino, last week Domino announced a "special newsstand edition" to be published this spring at the cover price of $10.00. And they are already planning issue number two. As is Style.com, whose second magazine about the fashion shows in New York, Paris, Milan and London will be out shortly. They are already offering one-year subscriptions @$11.99 for two issues.

The trend setter in this catagory might be Anthology, a "magabook" (souped-up oversized paperback) out of California that has just released its sixth quarterly issue, selling for $12.00. Each issue is lifestyle/personality driven with more text and expanded captions. I call it "aspirational journalism" because the stories profile real people and their actual, not-tricked-up homes as well as offbeat places to travel and the usual crafty projects and cookery. Everyone is young and attractive and seems to buy her clothes at Anthropologie. The magazine is printed on quality stock and is nicely designed. This one won't land in the trash all that soon.

Many moons ago when I was part of the then very healthy publishing world, we would receive complaints that the magazine had "too many ads". We all chortled as that meant not only that we all had jobs. It's long been cost-inefficient to send you a magazine as a subscriber. The price of postage and wood pulp was staggering even then. I can only wonder what it is today. It was the ads that paid the bills. And the more subscribers the more a periodical can charge for its ads. I cringed when I saw the blow-out postcard for Entertainment Weekly, 52 issues for $10.00!!! but signed on immediately.

Likewise one-shots of magazines are not new. Generally they repackage old material in a themed manner or use up extraneous stories that have already been photographed and/or written. But this limited release of special titles is a new wrinkle, and I'm loving it.

Weak for Fashion Week

Marching at Marc (Jabobs)

Bad pun aside, I love Fashion Week. Or more precisely I love Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York. I couldn't care less about Milan. Paris and London are too remote, but New York— ah!

This is the city where I happily toiled within the sphere of the fashion industry (women's magazines) for nearly forty years and loved it to bits. Madison Avenue and Fifth may be chic; Soho may be trendy, but Seventh Avenue was the heart and soul of it all. I truly enjoyed dodging rolling racks of garments on the street at lunchtime while trying to score at one of many "sample sales" (read: let's unload the unsold goods) being held in creaky loft warehouses off Seventh. There would just be time to grab a hot dog off a street vendor while running back to work. I'm living proof that you can eat the occasional New York City hot dog and survive.

Back to Fashion Week. The hoopla is a fairly new phenomenon. "Press Week", as it was known then, began in 1943 as a showcase for American designers to present their wares to the media. "New York Fashion Week" really got going in 1994 when shows were held in tents in Bryant Park (otherwise known as "behind the library") which backs up on Seventh Avenue. Mercedes came on board in 2009. Bryant Park meanwhile turned trendy (and perhaps demanding), so the tents moved up to Lincoln Center in 2010. Yes, I did get to go to some shows in Bryant Park— not because it was my job but because the magazine got tickets and there were extra. Yes, it was exactly as you might imagine— an hour and a half of shuffling in, getting seated and w-a-i-t-i-n-g for 10 minutes of prancing models and blaring music. Yes, it was theatrical and magic. For those few moments I really felt a part of that most incredible city, where you can feel such a stranger and so welcome all at the same time.

When Fashion Week rolls around, I do sort of wish I were still there. Like eyeing a pastry shop's treats when the store is closed, I get my fix by of-the-minute commentating and streaming video. I can see—online— the shows of designers I've never heard of and those who would never actually invite me. I can pass judgement on their efforts just as I start planning next season's wardrobe.

It's always bizarre that as we're itching to shed our winter clothes for spring we're asked to think about next winter's clothes. Likewise in the heat of late summer, just as stores are displaying their new fall selections, we get to ponder what to wear in the heat of next summer. Maybe that does make sense after all.  

Was I Wooed by Jason Wu?

Jason Wu for Target: cute but no bulls eye

Did Jason Wu win me over? The quick answer: Not really.

For those of you living under a rock (or maybe legitimately on another continent) the latest collaboration between Target and a Famous Designer is with Jason Wu. For the past five years mass market retailer extraordinaire Target has hosted guest designers as part of its GO International promotion. They have ranged from Anna Sui to Jean Paul Gaultier to Missoni. Now we have Jason Wu, the young designer who rose quickly to prominence after designing Michelle Obama's inauguration ball gown.

Jason Wu's look is pretty tame compared to— say— Jean Paul Gautier. He designs riffs on the Pretty American Girl (think less vintage Zooey Deschanel). I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit waiting for the February 5 launch date. Sunday morning came. We really needed milk for breakfast. Target opens at 8 AM. They sell milk as well as designer fashion. Why not check it out?

When I arrived shortly before 9, the line (there had been one) was gone. What was left were a few garments in odd sizes swinging on practically empty racks and some women milling around to catch any returns from the fitting room or castoffs from others' shopping carts. It was civilized behavior if a little sad.

Why were we all hanging around these bits of polyester? Did they really look different from anything currently available at Forever Twenty One? Does wearing Jason Wu for Target automatically make you a cognescenti of fashion? Because Target annointed Jason Wu, does that make him a player?

My problem with Target's concept is that quality of fabric and construction is noticeably absent. A shoddy garment is not any better with a designer label. A prime example of major disappointment in this area is the ongoing collaboration between Target and John Derian, an artist whose skill lies in charming decoupage under glass. The Target version had his decoupage printed on plastic. I have nothing against plastic or printed designs, but why should John Derian be involved in this?

For the same reason I question why Jason Wu— or any designer— wants to be associated with Target or H&M or Walmart. Do they need egos stroked (or coffers filled) that much? As for us, why do we still gravitate en masse to the label— even if it's hidden inside.   

Elementary, My Dear Elle

A plethora of peplums

Far from withering after the defection of their top fashion editor, Nina Garcia, Elle magazine has emerged intact and on point in their coverage of fash with dash. They actually gave us several pages in the February issue of really useful information— how to wear four key silhouettes of Spring 2012.

They are:

the peplum top

the knife-pleat skirt

the boxy jacket 

the maxi skirt 

This is news you can take to the store or your closet. I will share what I've learned without subjecting you to photos of tempting $2,095 Marc Jacobs handbags or those items labeled "price upon request"

Add some pep

The peplum hasn't made a real appearance since the '50s. As a stand alone blouse or jacket the peplum makes a flip fashion statement that is more flattering than one might expect.

Key to the look:

DO wear with an elongated pencil skirt or slim pants

DON'T wear with a maxi skirt or shorts

DO carry a classic lady-like bag (in a bright color)

DON'T wear with a backpack

DO wear with a wedge, platform or ankle strap shoe

DON'T wear with a kitten heel

(lady-like bag but tough shoe— who knew?)

ALWAYS pair with a rhinestone collar

(uh-oh— shopping trip)

Sharp as a knife

The knife-pleat skirt is another lady-like look from the archives. Keep it simple, for the most part. You can kill two fashion birds by making it a knife-pleat maxi skirt, but different keys will apply.

Key to the look:

DO wear a simple, long sleeve blouse or classic cardigan

DON'T wear a ruffled blouse or tiered tank

DO carry a lady-like Kelly, bowler or doctor bag

(that lady-like bag is already getting some use)

DON'T lug a messenger bag

DO wear a simple pump, ballet flat or Oxford shoe

DON'T sport a platform heel

ALWAYS pair with statement earrings

Think inside the box

The boxy jacket is probably in your wardrobe already in the form of your well-loved jean jacket or motorcycle jacket. The newest ones are— yet again— reminiscent of the '50s.

Key to the look:

DO wear with short, high-waisted shorts (uh...maybe not) or skinny ankle jeans

DON'T wear with a knee-length circle skirt or flared pants

DO tote a tote or hobo bag

DON'T wear a long shoulder-strap or Kelly bag

DO wear a bootie, chunky heel or sneaker

DON'T wear those ballet flats

ALWAYS pair with a soft blouse underneath

To the max

The maxi skirt swept in a season or two ago and appears to have staying power. Pick your own era or foreign nation to emulate.

Key to the look:

DO wear a Western button-down, t-shirt or motorcycle jacket

DON'T wear a bow blouse

(Little House on the Prairie is not the idea)

DO carry a clutch, cross-body or hobo bag

(Hobos and motorcycles are both showing up often this spring)

DON'T carry your Kelly bag

DO wear a cowboy-shaped shoe or gladiator sandal

DON'T wear a Mary Jane or ballet flat

ALWAYS wear with a statement belt*

*ALLWAYS IN FASHION urges you never throw away a belt unless it's just plain worn out as belt styles come and go in and out of fashion. They really take up little space and truly are an item for which you can "shop your closet".

There you have it. It would seem that Opposites Attract and one should Do the Unexpected. I'm going to feel quite frumpy at times as I wear ballet flats with almost everything. Perhaps I will be energized to switch handbags more often.

Thanks to Elle for sharing. I should have these keys memorized by the time the doors open to Spring 2012.