I couldn’t believe my luck when I found out that I had the opportunity to speak to top New York stylist and author, Kendall Farr, about her new book “Style Evolution: How to Create Ageless Personal Style in Your 40s and Beyond”. I was a huge fan of Kendall’s first book “The Pocket Stylist” and thought that nothing could top it. But Kendall’s second book is even better than her first. It covers the hot topic of how to create an ageless personal style without feeding into our culture’s obsession with looking young.

We spoke for over an hour and it was utterly delightful. Kendall is eloquent, warm, down to earth, a good listener and nothing short of absolutely fabulous. I have transcribed the highlights below. I didn’t record the conversation, so this is a reconstruction from my notes and memory.

Angie: What do you love most about your job?

Kendall: I love it all but I really like that it’s varied. One day I’m on a set, the next day I’m shopping, consulting with clients, or writing notes for a new book. It’s great.

Angie: Your first book, “The Pocket Stylist” was a huge success and caters to women of all age groups. What motivated you to write your new book, “Style Evolution”, which targets women who are 40 plus?

Kendall: Need! Where are the clothes for real women? What can we wear that looks cool and takes age out of the equation? Why is everything sleeveless, capped sleeved or puffed sleeved? The fashion industry needs to develop clothing for the strong and bold woman who looks remarkable in simple and clean designs. At a certain age, we need to accentuate what needs to be accentuated, and cover up what needs to be covered up. Clothing with a little more coverage in the right places goes a long way. You don’t need to expose lots of skin to look youthful. Michelle Obama is the epitome of what I’m talking about. She is a great visual template and role model for this age group at the moment. Also, this is not just a book for women who are over the age of 40. It’s book a woman in her mid thirties can use as she starts to figure out how she can evolve her style and look grown-up.

Angie: What is ageless style?

Kendall: The goal as you get older is to look effortless, sophisticated, current and cool. It’s about not looking too young or like you’ve given up. A woman with ageless style looks individual and plugged-in to what is current, BUT she interprets things her own way. She has a good understanding of what the trends are and makes the right ones work for her. She looks grown-up AND youthful. The heart and soul of the book lies in the trend section. There you’ll see how little it takes to actually look current. Choose flattering shapes for your body and look for interesting fabrics. Buy fewer, better things and embrace the power of clothing. It’s an important social currency. And make sure you keep shopping the unbelievable sales we’re having.

Angie: Which are your favourite and least favourite trends?

Kendall: Hollywood as a style influence is the worst trend. It’s an unreal place and there are too many middle aged actresses copying the style of twenty year olds and few embodying ageless style. On the upside of trends, fashion is finally abandoning the look of the girly girl and moving back to stronger and more graphic lines on the body. We have the reworked 80’s influences and the recession to thank for that. I like that there is more structure and the return of the waist, soft trousers, big bangles and statement necklaces.

Angie: Which women do you believe embody great ageless style over the age of 40?

Kendall: Women like Catherine Deneuve, Julianne Moore, Vera Wang, Helen Mirren and Ellen Barkin get it right. And of course Michelle Obama.

Angie: What is one thing every woman over 40 can do right now to create an ageless personal style?

Kendall: Before you reevaluate your wardrobe, get a great haircut and add colour. Then go out and get a professional bra fitting. After that, reexamine your footwear collection. I have a philosophy about hair and heels. If those current elements are in place, your style quotient is on the way up. If they are not, it doesn’t matter how good the stuff in-between is, it’s not the best picture. And if you can’t wear heels, go for a comfy one inch wedge. If you can’t do that either, do the best that you can for your fussy feet, but pay attention to wearing good footwear. If you can, go for a tame yet strong looking simple gladiator sandal, either heeled or flat, in a nude or metal for Summer. It does wonders to transform last year’s outfit.

Angie: Which are your favorite wardrobe items to purchase? Any retail weaknesses?

Kendall: Accessories, accessories, accessories. I love handbags and I am a shoe addict. I also have the magpie gene. I love shiny things. I just purchased two fabulous coin necklaces from H&M for $12. You’ve gotta go take a look!

Angie: Any final savvy style tips?

Kendall: Never stop having fun with fashion. Who wants to stop having fun with her clothes at any age, right?

Thank you Kendall for imparting your wisdom. I’m positively tickled to have made your acquaintance and hope that you sell millions of copies of your new book. I look forward to meeting you for tea the next time I’m in New York.

And on that note ladies, go get your copy of Style Evolution. It’s killer.

Clamdiggers and walk shorts make my must-have list for Summer 2009 as a warm weather go-to alternative to pants and jeans. One specific variation on this theme that deserves more attention is the utilitarian cargo clamdigger.

Their look is uber relaxed when offered in fabrications like crinkle cottons, terry cloth and twills. This makes them work with casual flats and sandals. But sometimes the vibe of the cargo clamdigger is a little smarter when offered in fabrications like silk and linen-rayon blends, making them work well with a dressier sandal or heel. Both are good looks on the right body type.

Unfortunately, this animal is hard to wear. It’s best on inverted triangles, racy rectangles and some adorable apples because straight-ish upper legs are a prerequisite. Stay away from the look if you don’t want to draw attention to your thighs, which means “no” for pretty pears and “be careful” for hourglasses. This does not mean that you have to be super slim to wear the style. It’s a question of having thighs that aren’t curvy at any size. I hope that makes sense.

The cargo clamdiggers worn with flats are casual. The style on the left from Banana Republic is dressy, which is why it’s shown with dressy heeled sandals (but they would work with cute flat sandals too). I like the vibe of the dressier cargo clamdigger best and I’ll stick to basic clamdiggers for casual and smart casual dressing until I find a suitable pair. If not this season, then next year will do.

This weekend Macy’s is knocking an additional 25% of the prices of clearance items. I know people find Macy’s overwhelming, but I take all my clients there because the prices are good and they have a better selection of dresses than any other department store in the United States. If someone needs a dress, it’s the first place we go.

Of course, you can just shop online to avoid the crowds.

This post is earlier than usual because sale fever is ahead of time this year (I attribute that to our tough economic climate). You know the drill, below is a list of must-have items that cuts across all body types, age groups and budgets. It’s a question of finding the right style at the right price, AND, wearing it an appropriate and flattering way that works for you. So no “but”s or “I can’t”s unless you’re vehemently opposed to the aesthetic of the trend. Here we go:

• White bottoms: As the most logical and cost effective Summer bridging piece, white jeans, pants, walk shorts, clamdiggers, skirts or frocks are a no-brainer. If bright optical white is not your thing, try a variation like off-white or cream.
• White items: Think white or cream for tops, jackets, cardigans, camisoles, accessories, footwear, spectacles, sunglasses and watches. It screams “Summer is here”.
• An assortment of cardigans: Tailored V-necks with elbow length sleeves are especially flattering, but unstructured cascading cardigans have their place too. They work well over sleeveless tops, add coverage when needed and are super comfy, versatile, relaxed and practical.
• Day dresses: If you stick to pants and shorts most of the time, challenge yourself to mix it up and wear frocks. It’s the best solution in hot weather.
• Walk shorts and clamdiggers: These are your “go to” Summer jeans or pants.
• Leggings: I’ve tried to encourage adoption of this look and it’s been well received on our forum. I hope you give it a bash.
• Denim jacket: Great in either white, faded or dark denim blue, it’s the perfectly timeless casual cover-up for dress and skirt ensembles.
• Gladiators, or thong sandals: If I can wear this item, anyone can. Gladiators are my edgy preference, but pretty thong sandals are just as fab.
• Metallic shoes: The ideal Summery neutral. Whether it’s wedges, ballet flats or sandals, a metallic ped is flop proof in warm weather.
• Banded tops: Time to give the defined waistline a break and go for something unexpected. The right banded top has worked on all my clients so far. Stretch yourselves if there isn’t one hanging in your closet.

This list is deliberately more daring than last year’s list because it’s good to keep our wardrobes evolving. I’ve left off non-neutral shoes, handbags and accessories, assuming that you already have these covered. Summer is here – let’s get those wardrobes in shape.