Toe Liberation
Summer has officially arrived! Okay, not really, but it’s trying, and this past week has seen some annual milestones: bye-bye scraps of blue toenail polish leftover from last year, hello fresh paint job; all my linen and sleeveless out from deep storage; the first toughen-up-the-feet outing in my Chacos.
So, other than celebrating what I’m calling Toe Liberation Day, the purpose of this post is to outline my thinking on how many pairs of shoes a person needs: one per lifestyle segment, per season. My summer wardrobe is so simple, here’s what it looks like:
Leisure: My flip-flops. I wear them around the house, never for driving, and with swimwear.
Casual: My everyday shoes. My Chacos have black, brown, and khaki straps; they go with everything.
Business: I really don’t need business shoes. But I suppose if I did, I would probably wear the vintage ivory patent sandals (they are really more dressy social).
Social: Here’s where I was really having the problem. Summer social events around here are bridal showers and outdoor parties; the Chacos would be okay but didn’t suit my sensibilities, poky heels stick into the grass, and I don’t wear backless shoes. The solution? My new wedges. They’re even comfortable!
But I do think it good to let shoes rest a day in-between wears. What about these for a second pair of Chacos?
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Conversations in the Blogosphere
The post of a wounded turkey.
Conversations in the blogosphere occur in the comments. That might seem obvious, should go without saying, but bear with me a moment. This little conversation that took place over at Verbal Croquis exemplifies the kind of treatment I have become accustomed to in the fashion blogosphere.
But recently I have been venturing outside the fashion blogs and into the “mom” blogs. (Because I want to be nice, I will not be providing links in this section of the post. Sorry.) This is the kind of reception I’ve been getting:
POST
Commenters 1-6: Great post. Go you! You’re the next great super-novelist.
Commenter 7 (Rebecca): Nice post. You & I have alot in common. I’ve been wondering (insert intelligent question)?
Commenters 8-10: Unbelievably great post. Go you! You’re the next great super-novelist.
Author: Never seen or heard from in the comments.
How much fun is that?
I’m counting on my true friends to tell me if I’m out of line here.
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Carnivale of Couture: Let’s Talk About Leg Warmers!
The Fashionable Kiffen’s invitation:
What item/style/look do you wish would become a trend? Or what trend from the past would you like to resurrect?
I’m so glad you asked! I have been so hoping that somebody would resurrect leg-warmers. How about you knitting ladies? It seems all the stylish young ladies in my circle are ready to wear them, but we are all waiting for someone else to go first.
Back in the ’80s, when I had to wear pantihose to work everyday, and they had to show, I wore leg-warmers to and from the car, just to keep my legs warm and dry. Now that pantihose are out of favor with many people, what better way to stay warm and express creativity and style than a skirt and leg-warmers? (A skirt and boots?)
Maybe I should have turned this post in to last week’s Carnivale.
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It’s a Wrap
In keeping with my new tradition of posting pictures of what I plan to wear to events, here is the blouse I am planning to wear, with brown linen pants, to church on Easter. Originally from Ann Taylor Loft, I found it at Salvation Army this week for $3 American. It is silk, with polyester lining, and a side zipper. This is what it looked like when I pulled it out of the washer, with one little exception: I sewed the wrap neckline in place.
Other fixes for wrap necklines:
- The most obvious, wear something under it. That would be a topic for an entire post, if inspiration struck.
- Turn the top around.
- My personal favorite, and this really does work, a straight pin. Simply slip in a pin vertically. I have never been poked! (But, of course, I wouldn’t do it when I would be working with babies.)
What I love about this blouse, besides the fact that I have nothing remotely like it, is that it is a perfect fit with my limited color palette. It goes with everything!
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Refining the Idiom
This post was inspired by The Fashionable Kiffen, who is hosting next week’s Carnivale of Couture, by the way.
idiom: A style of artistic expression characteristic of a given individual …
Steps to Refining Your Personal Style idiom:
- Identify your fashion personality.
- (Optional) add a nod to your husband’s style.
- Define your preferred level of embellishment.
- Do the 100 things about my style project.
- Decide on your uniform templates.
Everything else about what makes clothes look good on you goes on top of this foundation. If you obey your own idiom, you’ll never have to wear “the face”, the “these-are-not-my-clothes-can-I-take-them-off” face.
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White Pants Season
With the advent of white pants season upon us, is my grimace a smile or a cringe? I don’t know yet which side of my fashion personality, comtemporary or functional, will prevail; whether I will buy white pants or not. But enough about me …
I smile because white pants look fresh and feminine this season. They are practical because they are a summer neutral, and they make the season’s brights pop.
But, ugh, the cause of the cringe: ladies, I just don’t want to wonder what kind of underwear you are wearing, and whether I am seeing skin through your thin pants. Please! Right now, today, try on your white pants from last season. Be honest, are they decent? If they are linen or light-weight cotton, they should be lined. If they are denim, they should be thick. If in doubt, throw them OUT!
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Vogue April 2006 Cover: Jennifer Aniston as Art
Due to the popularity of my previous Vogue cover art critique, I thought, “better late than never”, and decided to do this one.
Ms. Jennifer Aniston is the epitome of clean, outdoorsy, natural beauty; if I may say so, the kind of beauty men understand and appreciate most.
Notice how the cover artist(s) used repetition for emphasis:
- Line shape: The arch is the predominant line present in this star’s facial features. Notice how the hair is positioned to repeat the arch of the eyebrow and emphasizes the diagonal curve of the jaw. The drape of the neckline of the dress is a similar curve.
- Surface sheen: How else to pick up and emphasize the metallic glittery quality of the golden hair but with the golden strands of –since I didn’t actually buy the magazine this time, I know not what– repeating the texture of the hair. Her skin even appears to sparkle. (Speaking of sparkle: if only I could smile naturally like that for pictures, you people might actually see my face. Alas, glare is my normal pose for the camera.)
Do try this at home:
- Line shape: Choose hairstyle, neckline and construction details to be worn near your face that repeat the lines of your facial features you wish to emphasize. Also be aware that you may be calling attention to lines you’d rather weren’t noticed. Think flippy-outy hair next to neck wrinkles. Shudder.
- Surface sheen: Think of your skin and hair in terms of shiny or matte, and wear fabrics and metals which repeat the natural reflectivity (many people are combinations). Think prom dress vs. mother-of-the-bride dress.
One other thing: if availability decreases desirability, how can wearing a sheer dress be a benefit?
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What to Wear: Easter
Okay, I can’t put it off any longer. My apologies to those who have dropped by already, asking the question “what to wear on Easter”, but I honestly wasn’t certain what approach to take. I’m not all that traditional, I don’t wear many dresses, not to mention that I usually work in the nursery on holidays. All that said, I’d like to give just a few examples of how to translate traditional Easter expectations into your own personal style idiom.
Traditional for Easter: a street-length dress in an “easter egg” color, often a spring floral.
- High Fashion: Perhaps you would choose an all white dress or ensemble.
- Deep or Intense Personal Coloring: How about a bold dark + white print?
- Conservative in Embellishments: If you want to step it up a notch, try putting pearls with any outfit you choose.
- Always Wear Pants: Although I don’t always wear pants, because I will be sitting on the floor, my plan is to wear linen pants with a silk floral blouse.
- Triangle Silhouette: A two-piece dress or coordinate equals a dress. An ordinary skirt & blouse does not.
- Since Rules Are Made to Be Broken: How about going for the secretary look? Prim blouse + high-waisted skirt with big belt = a look palatable to almost anyone.
One other thing: many of us have an underlying expectation of a new outfit for Easter. That’s great, but not strictly necessary. I have seen trend-setters in my circle wearing just an ordinary dress, one that I have seen them wear many times before, to church on Easter. They probably realize it isn’t a fashion show, and don’t want to shift the focus to themselves by making it one.
So, what about you? What are you going to wear? And what would Charlotte wear?
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Update to Outfit Number 2
Last Tuesday I posted what I planned to wear to various commitments over the weekend. Outfit Number 2, to be worn to the Parenting Conference, looked kinda boring in the picture (of course, without a face, all of them were missing something). I wore this shirt instead.
(My daughters and I have a practice of exchanging $1 for “hand-me-downs”, that is, items that make their way permanently from the wardrobe of one of us to another. We also share freely. This shirt did not come to us originally from Abercrombie & Fitch, but from a thrift store; it was worn by a 14-year-old girl last summer with a cargo skirt and a little boys’ clip-on tie. But, alas, the fit is no longer what it once was, and it is mine now. )
Some thoughts about how this print relates to my face:
- The print here is all vertical. My face has a predominantly vertical appearance and I have straight, naturally multi-colored hair.
- The stripes here are soft. My eyebrows and lips have a less-defined appearance, and my hair is muted. (The navy jacket I wore with relates to my eyes: dark and boldly defined by dark-rimmed glasses.)
- The white-space relates to the facial space around my features.
- There are two separately scaled elements in the print: the small to medium red stripe, relating to my features, and the minute stripe grouping, relating to the multi-colored character of my hair color.
(Reference for this section: The Triumph of Individual Style, by Carla Mason Mathis and Helen Villa Connor)
By the way, I got lots of compliments on the brocade Converse!
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Carnivale de Couture: Fashion Confessions
Designer Ella’s invitation:
What is your fashion confession, either a long ago faux pas, or today’s guilty pleasure?
I confess I am not all that glamorous.
I confess I don’t have all the what-to-wear answers. You knew that. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I knew that.
I confess I’ve never watched Sex and the City. Could somebody please post Cliff Notes?
