Street Style: What You Can Learn From It

 So many women think that so-called "street style" is only for the young, avant-garde, artsy-looking New Yorkers who are looking to stand out and turn heads on a busy street.  However, street style is interesting because it shows us fresh ways to style our clothing, not replicate a complete look.
If you look at the street style photos on this page, you will find that there is a fashion tip, or fashion lesson in each one of them, sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle.
For instance, the photo above may not look particularly daring, but note the way her scarf is tied (perfect!), the way the 3/4 length sleeved coat works in colder temperatures when paired with a heavy sweater, and ow that bright pink cheers up an otherwise somber outfit.  In fact, if nothing else, street style photos can convince you that a pop of bright color that is not necessarily found already in your outfit will make a real difference in its fashion quotient. Below, just jeans, but that bright red mini-bag and bright red nail polish makes a huge difference.

 Below, if you are over 40, lose those too short wide pants and opt for black pants that are straight-legged or skinny. Keep the cream layered on top and add a wonderful fringed shawl in a print on a cream background. Perfectly elegant. Skip those shoes, too.

 The power of color really shows on a rainy day.  There ought to be a law that umbrellas can only be made in the brightest colors possible.

 Below, forget the outfit on the left with the weird ripped-hem peplum (or whatever that is) and look at the classic outfit on the right.  When is the last time you wore a simple white shirt with jeans and then put a great red coat or blazer over them? So fresh looking!

 This look will work for anyone over 40; layer the tops, grey over bright (hot pink would look good), skinny jeans, and instead of boots with sky-high heels, go for flat boots and still tuck in your jeans.  Lose the white purse; try one in another bright color.

 Below, a wonderful look for almost anyone.  Black shoes and tights lengthen your legs forever.  A skirt a bit longer (if you aren't in love with your thighs) would work just as well. The lady-like bag gives the whole outfit a polished look even though it's just a sweater over a skirt!

 Above, the lesson here is mixing navy blue with sky blue and black.  Try this look with a longer skirt, tights and medium heeled black pumps. Gorgeous.
Below, the pink coat is beautiful; the color-blocked bag updates the classic outfit.

 Above, the lesson: black jeans with a black jacket, black boots, black bag and a light shirt or sweater. Make sure your black jeans have no holes if you are over 40.  

Below, a bright jacket over all-black is gorgeous! Make those shorts a pencil skirt or a pair of black jeans and you have a winner. If you are over 40, use self-tanner on your bare legs or wear a pair of thin tights and forego the peep-toes (which usually aren't very comfortable anyway).

Street style is exciting, eccentric, and fun! Add those qualities to your own wardrobe by studying the latest photos. Two great street style blogs are Streetpeeper and also Caroline's Mode.

Four Beautiful Women Over 40

 

Just a short post to celebrate the beauty of these four women who are all over 40. First, above, Nicole Kidman is still gorgeous and drop-dead sexy  no matter what color her hair is (I personally prefer her in red).

S. Epatha Merkerson (Law and Order) is a beautiful woman.  I love her dimples and the sprinkling of freckles that she doesn't try to hide. And what a smile! She is 60; can you believe it! By the way, she is not the thinnest star either, but she still looks great.

Above, Kim Basinger. Enough said. She's 59 years old. Yes, in this picture.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is 44 years old and absolutely stunning despite health problems and possibly marital problems.  
All four of these women prove that you do not have to let a stressful life show on your face no matter what your age.  It is not too late to get enough sleep, take nutritional supplements, exercise, lose weight, and wear makeup.  Don't think of private trainers, chefs, $800 haircuts, expensive make-up. None of that really matters. What matters is that you exercise whether you have someone to train with or not.  That you eat healthfully, even if you eat out or cook for yourself. Get your hair cut by someone who cares what you look like. And drugstore makeup is wonderful these days. Experiment and you can find something that will work for you!

Losing Weight; Getting Fit

 Yes, it has been quite a while since I posted; in fact, it has been approximately 4 to 5 sizes ago!  Since January, I have been dieting and trying to get healthy, and I have succeeded somewhat.  I told myself that I was not going to go back to this blog until I had lost enough weight that I was happy with the way I looked!
I have currently lost approximately 33 pounds and I feel great!  I have gone from wearing a size misses 12 (sometimes 10) to wearing a size 4 in pants (occasionally a 6 in some brands).  I feel on top of the world!

 The weight loss was precipitated by my son who wants me to be able to climb mountains and be around while my grand-daughter, who is 4, is growing up.  One of the great motivators was his purchase of a scale which showed not only weight but the amount of water, body fat (cringe), bone density, muscle mass and a few other factors.  My fat percentage was way out of line with my weight and small bones.  I looked forward to weighing on his scale once a week to see if I had lost fat percentage (and I kept an eye on muscle I might be losing, too), and then looked forward to telling my son the proud results.  When he left in July for his post in Bulgaria, I continued.  It doesn't hurt that I live in a townhouse with 4 floors and am constantly running up and down the stairs all day. Because of the stairs, my thighs are hard as rock and I can see daylight between them.  Now I want arms just as hard!

 Below, you see a photo taken (with my darling Cluny) in the summer of 2012, just before we went to Paris.  The rest of the photos here have been taken in the last month. Below, the jeans are a size 10; above the jeans are size 4.

 One wonderful change has been in my face; I feel as though my face looks younger and my double chin has all but disappeared.

The only downside: I've had to buy a new wardrobe! It's amazing how many wonderful pieces I have don't fit any more! Even my beloved cashmere sweaters swallow me!  But it's a small price to pay for being healthy.
More on how I actually accomplished this in my next post. I did NOT adhere to any paid diet, but did this on my own with the help of one online app.

Beautiful Women Over 50

Everyone needs role models, not just young children and teen-agers. I have different role models for different qualities: spiritual role models, intellectual role models, and among others, role models whom I look up to for their beauty and youthfulness. These role models are beautiful older women who are aging gracefully. They eschew both the "grandmotherly" look and the "I'm a teenager look", and are comfortable in their own skins. I look for their beauty tips and secrets whenever I can find them.

Catherine Keener is a beautiful woman over 50 whose sparkling personality makes her seem much younger, as does her gorgeous long, straight hair, and fresh make-up.

Barbara Hershey is 63 years old! She has not succumbed to the trend of so many over 50 women to cut her hair. Note her fresh makeup with ample brows (very youthful looking).

Goldie Hawn may have overdone the sun at one time, but it's hard to tell now. The over 60 grandmother looks gorgeous and as glamorous as ever by playing up her big, blue eyes, softening her blond haircolor, and wearing a color that absolutely makes her glow!

Jaclyn Smith still looks angelic.Soft. long hair a lighter color than it was 30 years ago brightens her face.  Her round, flushed cheeks and bright eyes make her look well-rested and younger than her age. She is an excellent role model for graceful aging.

Susan Sarandon is on everyone's list for a beautiful woman over 60.

Jane Seymour cut her long, long hair to a slightly shorter length and went from stick straight to pretty waves and a lighter color which soften her face.

Geena Davis's smile is her signature. White teeth and minimal make-up give her a natural beauty.

Jerry Hall has been a favorite of mine since the 1970s.  She looks unbelievable!

I believe that Mary Steenburgen is one of the few women who is actually better looking now than she was 30 years ago. She credits her good looks to loving and being loved, always important, but I'm betting a good skincare regimen helps as does her great haircut, winsome smile, and slender form!
Who would you add to this list of beautiful women over 50?

Off to Artomatic

Off to Artomatic on Saturday! Artomatic is a wonderful even where an entire office building is taken over (this year in Crystal City) in order to display work from artists using different media. The art we saw was so interesting we only made 2 floors of the 8!  But we were rewarded with fabulous and interesting works and installations.  The wonderful part of Artomatic is that any artist who pays $110.00 can have a space to showcase his/her art, so even artists who have never shown before get a chance to display their work.
    Dress had to be very casual since we walked for hours; comfortable shoes a must!  My shoes are by Blowfish, very comfortable criss-cross wedge sandals. Casual Old Navy tee, and Land's End pants in khaki (flat front, side zip with no pockets).  Bag is Prada quilted navy tessuto with chain straps.

Gucci watch. Cluny Grey gemstone necklace featuring aquamarines, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and 14 karat gold-filled accents. My favorite necklace is this Portuguese cross, a Christmas present from my husband when we were in Portugal. 

Perfume: Fracas

Nail Polish: Essie, A-dor-a-bal

Lips Are IN!!

Body parts, just like clothes, go in and out of style (yes, there was a time when it was popular to be very small-breasted).
Right now, lips are in, so a few words of warning are in order.
I should say "big" lips are in. Think Angelina Jolie. No argument whether they are real - it doesn't matter - she looks gorgeous. So if you are trying all the lip plumpers on the market or considering going for those fat or silicon injections, keep a sense of proportion. If you've ever seen pictures of Angelina when she was a little girl, then you know that she was born with full lips (that or she began getting injections at a very young age). If you opt for the injections, think carefully about the lips that your face will carry. Angelina's face is strong, the lines appear as if she were a carefully chiseled piece of sculpture. Her large eyes balance her lips. Is this you?

However, if your face is like Lisa Rinna's, forego the overplumping. Lisa Rinna has a great face - not perhaps as young as Jolie's nor as chiseled. Her lips make you look a second time at her face - in shock. If you go to a plastic-surgeon and say that you want lips like (fill in the blank), then you may end up a trifle overdone.
Remember that the key word here is proportion.
A second warning: don't go for someone else's lip shape: enhance your own and you will look the best.
Updates: check out Bath and Body Works online for their great supply of Wexler products.
Also, for those of you looking for a new coat this fall season, check out Kim Cattrell's classic camel shawl coat. This is the look to aim for: classic, easy-going, flattering.

Finally, AVOID BLUE EYE SHADOW!!!




















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