Madame Predicts...Nothing New

That's right, from my perch on high (reading the fashion press and trolling upscale and mid-scale shopping meccas around town), I see nothing new for spring-summer 2019 (or sprummer as I call it).

Spring is a state of mind here in Houston and increasingly in the rest of the world. One day is winter; the next day is summer, then back to winter, then summer again with spring maybe at 3 AM for an hour or two.

What to wear is all about how you relate to the season of the day and where you are going. At the Lovely Boutique Where I Work, it's summer somewhere. Our offerings are all colorful versions of the classics we sell, but what to wear to work?  I caught myself almost choosing a linen shirt with velvet pants the other morning.

So let's just forget about spring.

If you liked your wardrobe from last summer, well—hurrah—I don't think you'll be tempted to buy anything new. I see the same mix of Boho, sleek chic, athletic wear, menswear, and quirky retro.  This is not meant to be worn together; it's more a choose-your-own-adventure. Pick your path and play along. All the players are staying true to their thing: Etro, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Armani, etc.

Etro

Ralph Lauren

Gucci

Armani

 
If there is something you missed finding—the right sundress or jumpsuit or wicker basket bag—you'll have another chance this year. None of the trends appear "out", a reprieve if you will. In truth it's been a very long time since we worried about what's in/what's out. Like super-permissive parents, fashion seems afraid to tell us "no". I worry what that can lead to.

You say you got nothing from this post? That's kind of the point. Despite the fluctuations in temperature, the azaleas are still budding. Next summer will soon be this summer, and I'll look the same.

That might not be a bad thing.

Now where can I find a version of these Chanel pants?

Dressing the Wife

 
There once was a how-to fashion book called "Wife Dressing: The Fine Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife", published in 1959 and written by Anne Fogarty, a popular American designer. The book has some timeless advice, but that title is rough. Some book titles, like fashion, don't wear well.

This post is about the movie, "The Wife". Glenn Close plays a stoic, long-suffering wife of a famed author about to receive his Nobel Prize. He's not much of a prize himself, a philandering egomaniac who is something of a big baby. Glenn Close does a terrific job, never crossing the line into melodrama and pity.

I didn't realize there was more to "The Wife" than all this suffering, which is why it took me so long to see it. Glenn Close is up for an Academy Award, and she deserves it. Her wife has a story to tell, which is revealed even more in her eyes than words in the screenplay.

I had been told, "Michelle, you'll love the clothes.", but I don't spend the bucks and fight the crowds at the multiplex just to see nice clothes. They were, however, lovely. 

Joan's clothes hint at the steely person inside. From practical plaid flannel pajamas to a classically formal gown for the Nobel ceremony, Joan is a woman of few frills but impeccable taste.

Everything is of the best quality.  She wears a "good cloth coat" to Stockholm as she thought fur would be ostentatious—the movie takes place in 1992 when we did wear fur—but it's the most luscious camel wool coat ever. She knows the power of a good scarf. She knows enough to keep an ethnic jacket free of extraneous adornment. An important part of her look is cropped but softly styled silver hair, restrained makeup and fine accessories. Her jewelry is either unobtrusive or an artistic piece possibly from a museum shop.

 
These are clothes chosen by a woman who likes nice things but doesn't want to stand out. You get the feeling an afternoon of shopping would not be her idea of a good time, especially as she turns down that very suggestion.

The movie has more than a few surprises which I won't reveal. Here's one I will. The actress who plays the younger Joan in flashbacks is Glenn Close's own daughter, Annie Starke. Now that is perfect casting.

The Older Model Bandwagon

Turning silver to gold...

Along with diversity in general there has been a real effort to cast older models who are relatable to ordinary women.

I do love a fantasy supermodel, a Maye Musk or Carmen Dell'Orefice. Too often, however, older models look like a second thought. I can hear the (young) art directors thinking, "Oh let's put her in the shot but keep her matronly and don't let her smile" or "Let's get some garishly outlandish older woman because everyone loves a character."

The fashion industry has been notoriously stupid for ages. I remember having navels airbrushed from two-piece swimsuit photos back in the '60s. That was only just after we stopped whittling down already skinny models at the waist.

I still want some fantasy in my fashion. If a model is too young, I just  mentally lop off her head when considering the clothes. I can determine if they will be right for me.

I do love to see someone who is not only older and beautiful but could be a woman I work with, volunteer with or am friends with. I saw an example today, looking at me from the window of Dress Barn, next to the Dollar Store in a strip mall. I usually pass by Dress Barn grateful there are other stores to shop. I'd never been inside.

Reflecting the window...and me?

I was stopped by a poster of an older woman with long grey hair.  Her expression is candid; she's thinking of something. She's also decidedly wrinkled and freckled, like me. The poster is huge, probably six feet high. She's beautiful, but she's also real, and what she tells me is I can still wear a leopard knit top with jeans and push up the sleeves. Why the hell not?

The "she" in the photo is Roxanne Gould, a 60-year-old native Californian. Dress Barn—sizes range from 4-24—is using a diverse group of models in a campaign promoting they are "more than just a name".

  
The tall (5'11") Roxanne joined her model mother in a Bayer Aspirin shoot at age 3 and has been modeling since. She spent 9 years in Europe as a popular, dependable model, but her career really took off when she stopped dyeing her gray hair and let it go natural. She's found more success than she ever did as one of a barrel-full of pretty girls.

Pretty, sure, but...

  
I truly believe the key to happiness as we get older is accepting ourselves. I'll never look like Roxanne, but I love looking at her. Those two sentences have got to be the ying and yang of woman.