Workout Wears Out its Welcome

 
The New York Times recently reported that athletic wear has hit a setback. This would be the Lulemon/Athleta/Lucy etc. segment of the retail apparel industry aka the Dressing Down of America. I read the news with glee as I am not a fan of never getting dressed.

Sadly the trend is not what's in trouble. The young are still loving that barely disguised athletic wear can be worn to the office, although I'm not sure what office (dot com? start up?). It's pretty clear we as a civilization care less and less about getting dressed, let alone dressed up.

What's happening is that shoppers are realizing Old Navy's $15 yoga pants are really just as good as Lulemon's $98 pants, and that nobody can tell the difference. The high end merchandise isn't selling like it used to, and latecomers entering the market are deciding to divest.

Five years ago when I signed on the dotted line for a gym membership, I picked up 4 t-shirts, 2 pairs of yoga pants and a hoodie at Target. They're not worn out (or worn out).

Does spending the big bucks on workout gear kind of force you to wear it all the time just to get your money's worth? In that case, let's hear it for cheap gym stuff. Save your money so you can buy some real clothes.

It could happen again...

A Wedge of Heaven

Carmen Miranda liked a nice wedge...

What says comfort, can be dressed up or down and is a classic (but not a salad)? That's right! The wedge. No icebergs need apply.

In the land of footwear, the wedge is a triple hitter. It's comfortable, classic and can have real style. You don't usually get all three in one shoe.

One piece of material serves as the heel and sole of the shoe, with the heel cut thicker to form a wedge shape. This style dates back to ancient Greece but was made popular in modern times by Italian shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo in the 1930s, using cork and wood for the wedge because of a leather and rubber shortage. WWII caused a worldwide shortage (those materials obviously needed in the war effort), and wedges became even more popular. 

A Ferragamo wedge

Fashion being the cyclical beast that it is, wedges turned up again in the '70s, especially styles by the brand Kork-ease. Forty years later, Kork-ease were revived along with the Boho look.

A Kork-ease wedge

Wedges continue in footwear of all kinds. From dress-up/dress-down sandals to flexible walking shoes that owe a lot to the popularity of Yoga and athletic wear.

The answer to "Why?" is simple: they are comfortable and (more) safely give the wearer that added height to lengthen the leg. Many women with arch problems swear by wedges as the only shoes they can comfortably wear all day long.

So what's not to love? 

A Delicious Find

This was discovered quite by accident by my nephew while going through a trove of family holdings (not all treasures). My mother drew it around 1928. She would have been 21 and studying at the Chicago Institute of Art.

Oh so true! Don't we just feel that Spring means new things? In this case it looks like Spring 1928 was very new. Check out the shorter skirts on the "latest model", who is being eyed by last year's model's beau. Legs— the latest thing! To tell the truth, I rather die for what 1927 is wearing too.

I never think of my mother as a young woman who doodled (well) and cared quite this much about fashion. Don't you wish you knew your mother when?

And So Life Begins...

March 1956

Sixty years ago this month marks the first day of the rest of my life. I purchased the March issue of Glamour magazine and nothing was ever the same.

Why did I buy it? It wasn't the cover. That pageboy hairstyle would look terrible on me even if I could achieve it. I certainly didn't care what famous men expected of women (unless one of them were Elvis Presley), and I didn't need to know what-to-wear-with-what to junior high. Something prompted me to plunk down 35 cents not for a movie magazine.

I had found something I could aspire to, something to believe in. It's always been a wonder that a magazine— put together by many people— can have its own voice. Glamour spoke to me like a wise older friend, and I listened.

I was hooked. Every month I would show up at the drugstore the day the next issue was due on the shelf. I never took out a subscription for fear it might arrive late.

I thoroughly read and re-read each issue. I didn't keep them, but I have re-bought them all. I may have been ebay's earliest best customer. It took years, and I spent way too much on 58 piles of printed paper, now brittle with age. Even today, before I carefully turn a page, I can tell you what will be there.

Reading Glamour was not just an escape from high school. I knew one day I would move to New York and be that "girl with a job". Glamour was the travel guide before the trip. You know it will be a different experience when you get there, but it helps to have the lay of the land. And Glamour had NYC written all over it.

Yes, yes, you may have read before that indeed I did move to New York in September 1964. Shortly thereafter I got a job at Glamour magazine, where I worked for almost 25 years. Still can't believe my good fortune.

Have scarf will travel

Why We Shop (Again)

 
This is not the first time I've attempted to explain why we women who love to shop, love to shop. If you hate shopping for shopping's sake you may stop reading now.

I've long said I would walk ten miles to a good sale, but it takes a mental mule team to get me to the gym. I actually reward myself after a workout with a spin through Marshall's or TJ Maxx, both located in the same strip mall as the gym. If you don't recognize me, I am in workout gear and trying to hide from you.

The other day at TJ's I spotted this love of a dress in the Runway section. It was both naughty and nice and reminded me of a prom dress I once had that was pink and white checked gingham trimmed in black lace. A hand-me-down from my older sister (the dress not the boy).

The spotted dress was by the oh-so-Boho brand Free People, and the price was a reasonable $129.95. Reasonable IF I had a reason to buy it; IF I had a place to wear it; IF I wasn't far beyond the expiration date for wearing it.

None of that mattered compared to the pure joy of seeing it hanging there. The thoughts that ran through my head were (in random order): I wish I had that dress 45 years ago... I wish I knew someone who could wear it... that could have been Rose's tea dress from Downton Abbey... my mother might have worn it around the time she got her HAIR BOBBED (an event recorded in her teenage diary in capitals).

So I took a picture. Because I couldn't stop looking at it, and I had to get home.

We shop sometimes to discover the unknown, to dream a little bit, to remember happy times, to appreciate someone's vision. None of those are reasons to, but they may be reasons why.

Dream dress fleshed out

"Je Suis Iris Apfel"

 
Iris Apfel had a stellar week in Paris. As the New York Times says, "Paris may never be the same". She went to the shows; she was wined, dined, entertained and shown off. You all know about Iris. If you don't please copy and paste the following to catch up:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/t-magazine/iris-apfel-dior-paris-fashion-week.html?_r=0

Part of this grand event is Iris in Paris at Le Bon Marche on the Rive Gauche. This exhibition and pop-up shop honoring her and curated by Iris herself runs from February 27 to April 16. Cut and paste and be sure to click on the videos:

http://www.lebonmarche.com/evenements/iris-in-paris.html

Apfel... Eiffel... April in Paris... let's go!

Daisy Do

  
Kate Spade knows it. Iris Apfel wears it for her. The New York Times declares it to be. This is the year of the daisy. That cheapest of cheap flowers to decorate your first apartment ($1 a bunch at the old florist above the Sheridan Square subway stop) is now the freshest symbol of Spring 2016.

Daisies are forever the '60s to me. What would Twiggy be without daisies? Or Mary Quant without that stylized daisy logo? There is something innocent, simple and unpretentious about a daisy. The '60s were anything but. There was that whole putting-daisies-in-guns thing...

Today everyone is going daisy crazy. Dolce and Gabbana show daisies for little and big girls. Giambattista Valli thinks daisies are ducky. Anthropologie delivers a dress from Mia Farrow's 1968 closet.

Sweet Dolce and Valli of the daisies

Rosemary's daisies

Daisies can be graphic and direct or unapologetically feminine. Black and white is a cool combo. A pop of daisy yellow is always happy. As long as there are no daisy smiley faces, I'm happy.  Daisy Duck is forever, but there is a daisy don't— please, no Daisy Dukes.

Why I'll Miss Edith Most of All

At the end, my favorite Downton Abbey character is the one I least liked in the beginning. Edith Crawley was a loser— the middle sister who was neither beautiful, clever or intellectual.

Early Edith

She couldn't hold a candle to the patrician, flawless Mary or the kind, forward-thinking Sybil. She knew it; you could see it in her face. You would feel sorry for her if she wasn't such a sourpuss.

Oh happy (wedding) day

Fast forward six seasons and 13 years in the story. "Downton Abbey" concludes with Edith marrying an accidental marquess (making her more royal than her own family). She's the owner of a successful woman's magazine (and capable of pinch-hitting as editor) and able to be a happy mother at last. She survived being jilted at the altar, falling in love with a married man who then disappeared, leaving her pregnant. The lovely Sybil died in season three, and Edith had to put up with Mary's snipes almost until the end.

Working gal

For Edith the new fashions of the '20s turned a not naturally pretty woman into one who was stylish and attractive, which in turn gave her character self-confidence. Ah, the power of clothes! And not only the clothes themselves, but how they make you feel when they feel right.

I'll have what she's wearing

Edith's fashion breakthrough was never part of the narrative, as opposed to Sybil's hobble skirt or Mary's bob. Edith began spending more time in London, away from the country house. Big city style must have rubbed off on her.

Lovely Laura

The "real Edith" is the very pretty 29-year-old Laura Carmichael. She had only two small movie roles (one as a maid) before landing the Downton gig. I hope they told her Edith would shine in the end. Why else would one play a frownie-face for six seasons?

Charlotte Rampling and the Wardrobe Malfunction

Charlotte

I'm not going to pick apart the Oscars and what everyone wore because, well, it's yesterday's news and who really cares? I'll just add my thoughts that this year there was too much of less.

Charlotte Rampling is outspoken about not using a stylist and wearing her own clothes to various events. I half-expected her to show up in a white shirt and black trousers from her closet. She would have looked stunning, while making a not altogether viable statement that the Oscars aren't important. They are, but fleetingly. So I was interested in what she was wearing.

The camera panned to Charlotte in the audience after a clip from her Oscar-nominated part in "45 Years". She was wearing a simple jewel-neck, brocade long-sleeve sheath (to the floor with a slit as seen), peppered with some tasteful beading (though I'm not a fan of those patch pockets). She looked regal and very Charlotte while still honoring the spirit of the occasion.

My husband said, "She's falling out of her dress". What? Charlotte Rampling falling out of her dress? Never! What was he talking about? Thanks to the remote, he scrolled back a few seconds and showed me. Yes, indeed, the lady sitting behind Charlotte in a white gown was certainly falling out of her dress.

I don't know who she was. No picture to show you. Her dress was cut so low and the bodice so narrow that from the camera's angle she looked uncomfortably close to a wardrobe malfunction. 

Charlise

And she was not alone. Many women, Charlise Theron and anonymous others, chose to bare more and cover less. There were side-boobs and indelicate decolletage, not to mention Sarah Silverman sort of covered by a stiff strapless gown a la Frida Kahlo's back brace.

Sarah

There were definitely many women lovely to look at, but there were too many shouting, "Look at me!"

And the Oscar Goes to... Toni!

Grace Kelly, l955

Because it was a school night, I was never allowed to watch all of the Oscars. The year Grace Kelly won hers for "The Country Girl" was the first. Once the precedent was set, it was Oscars ever after.

I always had a hard time staying awake to the end. They seemed longer and even more boring at times back then, but I was determined to make it. Not only were (and still are) the best awards held back till last, I had to see how the home permanent turned out.

For several years (no exact data available) Toni Home Permanents were a sponsor of the telecast. An announcer for the product would introduce a pretty young model who was going to have her hair permanently waved with a Toni home permanent during the Oscars!!! There was real excitement in his voice. The model looked like a lamb being led to slaughter.

I'd never had a permanent, home or any other. My mother and sister both hated their unruly curls. My hair was stick-straight and something to be envied. But even then I sensed the transforming power of Change.

We were treated to the work-in-progress during commercial breaks. The poor girl tried to keep a smile on her face though she was done-up in hideous rod curlers. After all the awards were given, the results would be shown to the nation, most of which had turned off their tvs and gone to bed.

I had to see for myself and pleaded for "one more minute". Sure enough the victim would be revealed in all her curly 1950s-style glory. She looked relieved. I hope she went to an after-party and not straight home.

Cheerio, Downton Abbey

Downton, the early years

Not aloha, shalom, salut or ciao— this is goodbye. After six seasons (that's six real years not the tv version of "seasons"), Downton Abbey will bid us adieu on March 6. At this writing there is one episode left. Wisely, PBS doesn't wish to conflict with the Oscar ceremony on February 28. They know their audience.

Downton Abbey will be missed on so many levels. Not only do I adore a good soap opera, this was History Come Alive. What I really loved, of course were the fashions.

Life imitating art

Note I am not calling them costumes. From the beginning the cast of Downton Abbey (especially the upstairs ladies) have worn original period garments, shored up or tweaked if necessary but honoring their integrity. This could not have been an easy task. Fabrics, especially delicate silks and embroidery, just don't hold up. That's one reason so little 1920s clothing remains. As the period was gossamer and fleeting, so it seems were the clothes.

We began our time with the Crawleys in 1912 and are leaving them in 1925. That was an amazing 13 years in the world and for women. Victoria had been dead since 1901, but women were still encased in corsets, their skirts hitting the ground. Those clothes were pretty to look at, but I never gave wearing them today a second thought. Not so with the fashions of 1925.

Hats off to Mary

No one but Sybil...

Cora, not showing off

Each character's personality is reflected in her clothing. Mary is gorgeous no matter what she wears. Interestingly she seems to get harder as the era's silhouettes loosened. Sybil, who dies young, shows her spunk by being first to model Poiret's "new look". Although young for a matron, Cora remains tasteful as she adopts to newer fashions. Isobel is fashionable and age appropriate, while her friend (yes they are friends) Violet barely changes her style (likewise her opinions).  Then there's Edith (more on her another time) who became a successful working gal and woman-of-the-world. Was it the clothes? The more styles relaxed the more she came out of her shell.

Isobel not baring arms

Violet not budging

Edith, who are you wearing?

Those in service had uniform changes through the years. We even see more of them in "street clothes" in the later episodes. Did modern conveniences mean they had more time off? And those clothes are predictably understated and practical as befitting a limited budget. If you only had one "good dress" it wasn't going to shout.

Daisy, blending into the furniture

Only Mrs. Patmore never seems to change or change frocks. All that cooking, baking and meddling has kept her from aging.

Mrs. Patmore, preserved

Alice and the Sage Green Sweater

Long lost love?

 
Alice and I became friends the first week of freshman year in college. She was older (almost 20!) and had spent a year at another school before transferring and starting over. She was worldly to my naive. She had her own apartment! I lived at home. She smoked and drank! I didn't do either.

Alice never fell over backwards when a boy called or asked her out. She skillfully juggled all the boys buzzing around her. Perhaps she enjoyed my innocence and rapt fascination with her sophisticated life. More likely she realized I could use some sisterly guidance. We did what many good girlfriends do; we exchanged clothes.

I switched a goldenrod-yellow cardigan for her sage green pullover. My sweater wasn't new. I'd bought it the year before, straight from the pages of August 1959 Glamour. I wore it that senior year, marking time till I could escape the horror that was high school. I was happy to give up my sweater in favor of Alice's. For one thing yellow wasn't a good color on me (but looked great on her). I loved Alice's sweater, and the sage was far more flattering (looked good on her too). Besides, that sweater may have held a little Alice ju-ju.

Alice decided to leave school at the end of that first semester. She'd fallen in love and was ready to get on with her life. Before she left we exchanged sweaters back. It was my idea, which in retrospect was a stupid one. I was probably punishing her for leaving me, though I was the one who suffered.

I've never given up looking for that sweater. I've bought numerous garments in close proximity to the color. My bedroom is even painted a restful shade of soft sage. I quickly gave away the goldenrod cardi and never missed it.

Alice loved photography and took a favorite picture of me. I think she captured an 18-year-old's blank canvas of a face.

Alice, if you're out there, please know I've never forgotten you— or your sweater.

What's a Granny to Do?

Can a granny dress "granny-style"? I mean, if you are actually granny-age can you wear this look and still be ironic as opposed to Iron Lady?

Meryl and Margaret

What is it? Granny-style emulates the classic staples of any well-dressed granny's wardrobe, but today's young women have grandmothers who could be my age, and I don't dress like that. Granny-style is really what my mother and grandmother wore: fur coats, structured handbags, pleated skirts, brooches, ladylike but sensible shoes.

Gwyneth as Margo

There's a bit of granny-style in Gwenyth Paltrow's character from the  Royal Tenenebaums.  The new movie Carol, set in 1952, oozes Granny-style. A pair of gloves left on a counter sets the story in motion. Granny-style is ladylike, everyday formal— clothes you don't think about once they have been perfectly put together.

Cate as Carol

I'm all for the return of dresses and skirts. A young woman at the Lovely Boutique Where I Work told me she doesn't wear trousers or jeans anymore. I didn't question her reasons; she seemed pretty happy with the decision. As a WOACA I may have a problem with the look of my bare legs, but I still like feeling femme in a skirt or dress.

It's the other stuff— the pearls and polka dots of my mother's granny-hood, the full coverage cardis and pastels of my grandmother's. Wouldn't it be far better to choose what you like (this fun granny cardigan perhaps) without naming it a style?

"A rose is a rose is a rose". Gertrude Stein— now that's a granny to emulate!

Gertrude in Granny/Boho/Menswear