Dress Like a Leader

I am inspired by Christine Lagarde’s personal style, more than I have ever been inspired by the appearance of any other woman in a powerful position. She's figured it out.

The Most Fashionable Woman in Finance

Dressing All the Way to the Bank

How to Dress Like Christine Lagarde

Dressing Like a Leader

Images of Christine Lagarde’s style from DuckDuckGo

Other articles of interest:

Perfect the Art of a Work Uniform

Royal Inspiration

From Spain’s Queen Letizia to the Duchess of Cambridge to Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, I enjoy watching the styles (and evolution of styles) of women who occupy some of the highest public positions in their lands.

Here are some links:

Queen Letizia:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/brands/best-spanish-brands/

http://www.queenletiziastyle.com/blog

Duchess Catherine:

http://www.elle.com/fashion/celebrity-style/news/g8421/kate-middleton-style/

plus a blog I've watched for many years:
http://katemiddletonstyle.org/

https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/the-official-prince-william-catherine-kate-thread.642321/

Queen Maxima:

http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/805847/Queen-Maxima-fashion-moments-style-photo-pictures-The-Netherlands-Royal-Family

Princess Victoria:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/crown-princess-victoria-sweden-style-best-fashion-looks/

Queen Rania:

https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/queen-rania-of-jordan.412054/page-2

Overall:

https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/royalty-fashion-thread.904519/

“We Wear Culture”

Google has recently launched an Arts and Culture project, focused on fashion. I'll be able to lose myself for hours!

  

This photo of a 1974 Pierre Cardin outfit evokes a timeless look I would love to wear on the streets of any “cultured” major city in the world! 

But I especially want to wear it in this room!

An Enduring Youthful Appearance

The beauty benefits of a daily routine that I established in my early teens are evident. Now that I’m in my sixties, I surprise many of my peers who look much older than I when often they’re younger than I am — although I definitely see how much older I look as each year passes.

On the “needs improvement” side, I don’t drink enough water; instead I drink tea all day long. I need to exercise more. This week I am beginning a new routine, to maintain the health of my body. My body is beginning to let me know that it is aging. I am grudgingly changing habits in this regard.

But strictly for beauty’s sake, here is a quick compilation of a few of my rules for looking fresh and youthful at any age. As others occur to me, I’ll add them:

Keeping Your Youthful Appearance for Life

 • Do not remove more eyebrow hairs than absolutely necessary. Be very careful when you pluck, and only go for obvious strays. Full eyebrows are a sign of youthful beauty — no matter the current fashion. Over-tweezed brows result in sparse to bald eyebrows — sometimes when you're in your thirties, and definitely by your fifth decade. The resulting bald eyebrow look signifies neither youth nor beauty. Maybelline makes the current eyebrow gel I’m using, although unlike the Revlon product that I have used, I need to apply it lightly, let it dry (critical step) and then apply a second coat for the most natural results.

• Begin to moisturize skin and prevent sun damage from a very early age. I started when I was twelve years old. Cleanse and tone skin, then apply a natural moisturizer from the decolletage upward to the forehead. Upward, feathery light strokes are best.

• Eye cream is only applied with the ring finger, beginning at the outside of each eye. Lightly massage the “crow’s feet” area in a circular motion then smooth the cream under the eye towards the nose, then up and over to the outside area. Using your ring finger provides a gentle touch that helps you avoid harming the delicate skin around your eye area.

• Apply sunblock to the backs of hands daily to avoid hands that age and spot before their time. I use this SPF 50 sunblock stick first thing every day.

• Take care of your teeth! Strictly adhere to basic dental practices. I don't floss, but use The Doctor's Brushpicks once or twice daily. My dentist approves, and I prefer using them to flossing.

• Wear very good shoes and carry a very good handbag. Quality, high end shoes and purses are a worthwhile investment. No more than two of each are necessary. Think of cost per wear.

• Look for well made costume pieces to supplement a basic collection of high quality jewelry.

• Generally, it is preferable to be overdressed for an occasion. Underdressing can cause more problems, such as not meeting a dress code, while there is normally no issue when you exceed a dress code.

Mom on My Mind

credit: email from Estée Lauder
for Mother's Day 2015

This week's horoscope from Ron Brezsny spoke to me:

In what ways do you most resemble your mother? Now is a good time to take inventory. Once you identify any mom-like qualities that tend to limit your freedom or lead you away from your dreams, devise a plan to transform them. You may never be able to defuse them entirely, but there's a lot you can do to minimize the mischief they cause. Be calm but calculating in setting your intention, Aquarius! P.S.: In the course of your inventory, you may also find there are ways you are like your mother that are of great value to you. Is there anything you could do to more fully develop their potential?

Since this is a style blog, I won't talk about my mom’s most cherished qualities, including her kindness, infinite love, generosity, communication abilities, and compassion — on this page it's things related to fashion.

In terms of style, mom was my idol. I always adored my mom's style when I was a girl, and tried to learn everything I could about being an elegant woman from her — even though she and Aunt Eleanor (her stylish sister) were self taught. As she grew older, though, her choices became identifiably “old ladyish,” as her go-to outfit became one of her many designer jogging suits. That's something I hope to avoid, although I suppose that my Eileen Fisher skirted leggings could come to be viewed as the old lady staple of my generation.

I have four pairs of skirted leggings in my wardrobe,
and take two when I travel.

Mom knew quite a bit about personal style, and many of the practices she taught me, and advice she gave (and lived) hold true today. I'm grateful that she emphasized how important it was for me to cleanse and moisturize my face properly from an early age, although I've expanded the treated area to include my neck and chest area (everything visible above a bikini top). She routinely reinforced the importance of good grooming, dental hygiene and proper posture, while always encouraging me to feel good about myself. My siblings and I detested our semi-annual dentist visits, but we have good teeth as a result. Mom always made a point of complimenting me, no matter how awkward a phase I was in, about my beautiful features. So when my teeth were far too big for my face, she'd emphasize my bone structure and good skin, and tell me I'd “grow into” my teeth. It worked! I'd examine my skin and cheekbones, and forget about how goony I looked (whether or not I wore my cat-eye glasses with their ultra-thick lenses).

Lucky me!

I remember shopping trips to J.L. Hudson Company and B. Siegel in downtown Detroit, and outings on foot (three kids and a baby in the stroller) to our local Winkelman's and Himelhoch stores. Mom was frugal, but insisted on quality. A “value shopper” she knew when items would be marked down and waited for the sales. Often, the purpose of our trips were to make an installment payment on something she had in layaway, but we always browsed the latest fashion displays in the designer rooms. I've learned from her to identify what I want from the high end fashion pieces early each season, then wait for the inevitable 40-60% off sale. If I miss it because of this, I don't care. I don't really need any new clothing; when something actually is a “must have” I will pay for it.

Here are some photos of my elegant mother, at age 27 to 32.

What do you remember about your mother's style?

A New Option in Travel Clothing

I've had multiple travel related chats lately with my friend Sheri, by phone and various electronic messaging apps. She'll embark on a year-long travel adventure in a couple of months, with only the allowable carry-on sized backpack and one personal item that includes her camera gear and MacBook. 

I wish Sheri and I were able to sit and chat in person here in Monteriggioni, in the Chianti district!
We're limited to electronic and telephone communications until September, when I'll join her in Barcelona.

That's a wardrobe planning challenge that I hope to never face. It would be a nightmare for me to limit what I wear for one year to so few pieces! However, I enjoy helping her figure this out, so in the process I've discovered a few new travel pieces to try for myself.

Merino wool clothing from Icebreaker is lauded as itch-free, stink-free, and comfortable in all climates. Despite having no need for any new clothing, I purchased their Villa dress (in a shade of lavender that they call "Abyss") on a 40% discount web sale to take with me to Andalusia in late May. It will be hot during the day, so I'll be able to test (and hope to refute) my assumption that wool is too warm to wear in such conditions. Here's the dress:

Image from icebreaker.com website, cropped.

As soon as it arrived, I tried it on alone, and then as a top layer over a turtleneck and leggings. The wool feels like a heavy cotton knit, and it really does not itch.  Next, I scrunched it into a quart size ziploc bag, and left it there for three days.

They're not kidding when they claim that it packs to nothing!

Happily, the dress emerged unwrinkled, unscathed, and ready to wear. I can't wait to wear it!

In addition, I discovered two items that I've decided are "must haves" for my future travels. They include what I hope will be the perfect pair of navy pants, and what seems to be the optimal choice for a personal item carry-on bag. I haven't purchased these yet, and will write about them in another post.

Looking Back at my October 2013 Cruise+ Wardrobe

Last September, I wrote about planning my wardrobe for 25 days of varied climates and venues in Europe, including 7 days sailing the Aegean Sea, and linked to my polyvore packing list. In that post, I featured a couple of jersey tunics by Calvin Klein that were long enough to be dresses on me, and looked great with leggings. They seemed perfect for travel. Alas, they disappointed me, and will not be worn again by me, unless for a sedentary occasion. The fabric, a lightweight jersey of 95% polyester and 5% spandex, just did not breathe. My very light sweating (from walking moderately for a couple hours) caused awful odors to develop in both tops. I mean, truly stinky body odor. This is not normal for me, and my body did not smell. My companions will attest that neither I nor my clothing become malodorous after a day's activities. It's also not normal for other similar poly-spandex jersey blend clothing I own. For example, TravelSmith's Voyager Knit garments are also made of 95% polyester and 5% spandex, but the fabric breathes and stays fresh. Quite a sorry surprise to lose two travel tops that are so easy, versatile, and flattering. It's even more unfortunate that Calvin Klein's fabric buyers don't test usability and breathability.

I intended to wear my long navy stretch lace Tommy Bahama dress to our formal dinner on the cruise, but discovered that it was too long while I was getting dressed for that dinner! I had hemmed it, but not measured correctly. Quickly, I changed into a different outfit, wearing my vintage Janice Wainwright jacket with a metallic skirt. Certain that my cashmere split pashmina would prove versatile, I was surprised that it went unused -- no occasion to wear it occurred. Of course, if I didn't take my silk travel blanket, I could have used the pashmina while flying to stay warm.

In February, I finally got around to making a retrospective packing list that only included the items I wore. Note that the two tunics (with arrows pointing to them) were excluded from the rotation after one wearing, but I did wear them once each.

The weather was cool and comfortable in Amsterdam, our first destination. Istanbul, however, suffered a rare spell of bitterly cold temperatures and freezing rain during our visit. That didn't deter us; we braved the elements and toured historical venues, warmed up in hamams, and enjoyed local food, culture and sights in and around Sultanahmet.

On the Hippodrome in Istanbul
Shoes: Naot "Nau Mai" • Black jeans by NYDJ
Black cardigan by August Silk • T-shirt by Splendid
Vintage Bally handbag (coat, scarf, umbrella not shown)

On our fifth day in Istanbul, it warmed up a bit as we boarded the Seabourne Odyssey for a 7 night cruise that ended in Athens. Cesme, our second stop, was cool but comfortable, it was hot in Ephesus, and nearly perfect temperatures spoiled us throughout the Greek Islands. Athens was a bit too warm and humid for my taste. Finally, in London, we stayed at the Marriott in Kensington, which is well located but the rooms are tiny. After our excursions in unpleasantly cold and rainy weather,  we were grateful for the executive lounge, afforded by my Marriott status. It was great to drop in and warm up with a fresh "cuppa," plus their thoughtful selection of foods and other beverages.

On the steps to the Acropolis, in Athens. I purchased the navy pebbled leather handbag in Istanbul.
Dress: Voyager Knit Seamed Jersey Dress in navy (my favorite travel dress!)
Sandals: Orthaheel "Tide" in navy (best flip flops in the world!)

What I packed and wore for three weeks in multiple European urban climates plus an Aegean Cruise:

6 pairs of shoes:

• black leather ankle boots from Naot
• burgundy and black leather Naot "Nau Mai" mary jane flats
• navy blue leather Naot "Architect" ballet flats
• bronze metallic leather Cole Haan ballet flats
• Orthaheel's navy blue "Tide" flip flop sandal
• Teva "Dozer III" all terrain shoe/sandal

Did I mention that Naot is my favorite brand of shoes and boots? Their comfort is unmatched for me; I can walk a dozen miles on cobblestones and rough surfaces in Naot shoes without sore feet or aching body parts. At home in Hawaii, I own eight or nine different colored pairs of Orthaheel's "Tide" sandals, because they provide support not found in ordinary flip flops. Orthaheel's flip flops keep me out of pain that I would otherwise experience wearing flat "slippahs" in Hawaii. Six pairs of shoes is considered "over the top" by many travel experts; indeed, there are a lot of shoes to pack! But, the flip flops and the Cole Haan ballet flats take virtually no space. I wore the boots while flying, since they're the bulkiest. So essentially, from my perspective, I only had to worry about packing three pairs of shoes.

2+ purses:

• vintage gold metallic quilted leather Bally bag with chain and leather strap
• vintage black and brown leather Balley shoulder bag
• red wristlet wallet with iPhone pocket
• zippered travel wallet by Eagle Creek (not shown) that holds all travel documents

Coat, jackets, overshirts and cardigan sweaters:

• my trusty classic black wool wrap coat by Ralph Lauren
• black silk shawl / wrap
• black silk knit open front cardigan sweater
• navy, green and camel paisley "Jamevar Jacket" from TravelSmith
• navy and white zip blazer by Jones New York
• open cardigan sweater in neutral textured knit
• lightweight navy blue long open cardigan sweater
• vintage wool jacket with embroidered faux scarf by Janice Wainwright
• sheer printed long silk overshirt from Shanghai Tang
• sheer black long silk overshirt by DKNY with tabs to roll up the long sleeves

Tops, tunics and dresses:

• 3/4 sleeve black cotton knit tunic by Ralph Lauren
• black tab sleeve top by Splendid
• black cotton scoop neck "Hannah" t-shirt by Pickwick & Weller
• black cotton and modal v-neck t-shirt by Splendid
• white cotton scoop neck "Hannah" t-shirt by Pickwick & Weller
• eggplant/plum cashmere turtleneck sweater
• navy cotton knit long sleeve v-neck shirt
• navy & cream stripe 3/4 sleeve cotton knit shirt
• orange linen sleeveless tunic
• apricot/orange textured silk tank from Citron
• 2 jersey tunics by Calvin Klein
• 2 Voyager Knit seamed jersey sleeveless dresses, in eggplant and navy

Pants, shorts and skirts:

• slim black ponte pants from Eileen Fisher
• black straight leg jeans from NYDJ
• navy cotton trousers
• navy cotton bermudas
• khaki bermudas
• flowing skirt of bronze metallic fabric
• reversible ankle length silk chiffon skirt (black/brown print or white dots on black)

Accessories:

• my everyday 18" chain necklace with celtic pendant
• 47-inch (120 cm) Misaki long faux pearl necklace
• Antica Murrina 18" multicolor glass bead necklace
• Swarovski ruby crystal heart necklace
• blue beads and freshwater pearls multi-strand necklace
• Alexander McQueen pink petal skull scarf in silk chiffon
• Alexander McQueen red floral skill scarf
• bathing suit and sarong
• 7 pairs of underpants, 2 bras and 2 sports bras (black and nude)
• nightgown
• yoga/sleepwear

It certainly isn't a minimalist packing list, but I managed well with a 25" checked bag and my 22" roll-aboard, along with the matching tote bag filled to the brim with my electronics and in-flight essentials. My luggage from Eagle Creek is described in this post; after more than three dozen challenging trips over the past ten years, these bags are holding up beautifully.

The separates I packed "interoperated" well, giving me a variety of options, so I am pleased with my choices overall. There are a few pieces that didn't travel well, or that I didn't feel great in, notably the navy stretch cotton trousers by Ralph Lauren. I'll keep my eyes out for navy travel pants that I love as much as my Eileen Fisher black slim ponte pants. Any suggestions are welcome.