Link Love: Small and Big Screen Fashion

“A great fashion moment in film is when someone wears something that is supposed to look good, gives onlookers ineffable joy and, finally, so utterly suits the character.” I very much enjoyed Hadley Freeman’s refreshing take on the 10 greatest men’s movie fashion moments.

The internet is full of rave reviews about Maggie Gyllenhaal’s wardrobe in The Honourable Woman. I haven’t yet seen the series, but this is making me even more curious.

From Dynasty, Miami Vice and Seinfeld to Ally McBeal, That Girl and Scandal, Popsugar brings us 50 TV Shows That Changed the Way We Dress.

Fab Links from Our Members

L’Abeille had fun browsing this sometimes hilarious compendium of comments made by husbands about their style blogger wives’ outfits.

Aquamarine found this article reporting that the skinny jeans trend is over interesting but unlikely, as she is still seeing lots of skinny jeans everywhere. 

This post is targeted to knitters, but Diana thinks the advice on how to take measurements is very helpful for understanding fit for ready-to-wear knitwear too.

Milehighstyle (Linda) recommends that fellow petites look at WhoWhatWear’s suggestions for brands that have the petite girl’s back.

Joy wants to share this New York Times interview with Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton. She enjoyed reading “about this quiet genius thrust into the spotlight rather than seeking it”.

Angie lets us know that Sally provides helpful dressing tips for TV appearances and presentations. She also thought Sylvia looked great on safari in Namibia.

Laurinda enjoyed this fun look at 2014 Emmy dresses, aka: how fashion imitates cocktails.

A discussion around “Deliberately Sexy” in the forum left T musing about other people’s reactions to our style preferences. Some styles are socially more acceptable than others as this girl found out when she did an experiment.

Vildy is very interested in how Anuschka of Into Mind develops a colour palette, especially because she uses more colours than most people do.

Deborah not only adores Rick Owen’s clothing but also his philosophy about fashion and style. She relates very much to what the designer shares in this article about wearing a uniform, and also enjoyed some of the author’s thoughts about consumerism and fast fashion.

Facial Makeup Strategies

Observing my clients, friends and family, I’ve noticed that women use a wide range of different strategies for their facial makeup. Some women wear foundation or BB cream, bronzer, concealer and powder on a daily basis. Others stick to foundation and power. Some wear tinted moisturizer and powder. Others wear tinted moisturizer, or a light dusting of facial powder and leave it at that. And some women don’t use any cosmetics at all. Everyone has a preference based on their skin type, lifestyle and the desired visual effect.

I didn’t use any facial cosmetics until my mid-thirties. I was satisfied with my facial skin au natural. For extra outfit polish at work I’d wear a little blush, mascara, eyebrow pencil and lipstick. These days my facial skin tone is less smooth than it used to be, so for the last ten years I’ve been using a tinted moisturizer to even things out. It’s a very light coverage that does not cover skin blemishes all that effectively, but I feel a lot more polished when I wear it.

I might be in the minority, but I don’t want to even out my skin tone completely, like one can do with heavier products like foundation, bronzer and powder. I think the blemishes that remain visible look natural and match my skin elsewhere. I’m not sure how I will feel about this level of light coverage as I get older, but for now, this is my preference. 

I’m not fond of facial powder for two reasons. First, my dry skin does not need further drying out. And second, I prefer the look of shiny skin. To my eye shiny skin looks more healthy. In fact, I often pop a little jojoba oil over my tinted moisturizer to create more shine. I make an exception when we take photos for an outfit post, because facial powder really helps to combat the shiny reflections caused by harsh light.

Over to you. Do you use cosmetics to even out the skin tone on your face? If so, what do you use? There is no right and wrong here. Facial cosmetics strategies are nothing more than an individual preference.

Weekly Roundup: Dark Red Booties

The resurgence of dark red is going down well with my clients and our forum members. Here I’ve put together an assortment of dark red booties in a variety of shades across varying heel heights, styles and price points. Some of the options are available in alternative colours if dark red is not your thing. 

Remember that you don’t need to repeat dark red in your outfit when wearing dark red boots.They work well when worn like a neutral. But wearing a dark red belt, bag, eyewear or lippie with dark red boots might make the outfit feel a little more pulled together.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Karen’s Summer Style: Tonal Floral & Subtle Stripes

It gives me great pleasure to bring back my client Karen, who has generously shared her style with us a few times before. Karen is 73, and looks more elegant, graceful, poised and chic each time I see her. I told her that recently, and she said, “oh good heavens, Angie!”, and laughed and laughed. Karen smiles and laughs a lot, and when she does, her stunning glass green eyes sparkle like diamonds. Yes, Karen is a beautiful woman, but her inner beauty, positive attitude, and dry sense of humour make her style shine even more brightly. 

This is the first in a series of four posts about Karen’s Summer style. Karen recently had a major lifestyle shift that has affected her wardrobe choices. She now spends five months of the year in Arizona, and the rest in Seattle, which means that she no longer needs a large cold weather wardrobe full of cozies, toppers and weatherproof footwear. She lives most of the year in much milder temperatures, and is thoroughly enjoying dressing for warmer and drier weather. 

Now that she is retired, Karen wears casual clothes almost exclusively. But she bats for Team Dressy, so it’s important for her to add a dressy component to her outfits so that they feel like her. She is also extremely polished, wearing makeup and toenail polish, and styling her hair every day. 

Tonal Floral - Side

Tonal Floral - Stairs

It’s been particularly fun working with Karen over the last few years because she’s had some significant style epiphanies. First, it took her a while to get used to fluid and oversized fit tops because she was convinced that they made her look bigger than she was. She firmly believed that tailored fits were the best way to go. But with a little encouragement from me, Karen started to wear more tops with a roomier fit – as long as she creates significant structure in the rest of the outfit.

Now Karen can’t imagine wearing anything but a fluid or oversized top because it looks the most current and flattering! And of course, you can’t beat the comfort level. The gauzy white cotton shadow stripe sweater here was orphaned for a while because it was too fluid. Now that Karen loves fluid fit tops, she wears it all the time. 

Tonal Floral - Sunglasses

Second, after wearing solid bottoms for most of her life, Karen recently realized that she loves to wear patterned jeans and pants. These grey floral NYDJ’s straight leg jeans that she bought at the Rack are a great example. Karen seldom wears skirts and dresses, so having a larger variety of jeans and pants is important. These straight legs look best rolled at the hem to create a little structure with the fluid top. 

And third, Karen has embraced tonal pattern mixing. This outfit, which is one of Karen’s favourites, is unexpectedly made up of three patterns. The effect is subtle, but they are patterns nonetheless. The breezy striped Summer linen scarf keeps Karen cool and covered. It also adds outfit interest, a little more structure around her long neck, and an extra dose of chic. 

Tonal Floral - Close

Tonal Floral - Full

Clarks silver grey studded low wedge gladiators finish off the look. They are Karen’s second pair of exactly the same sandal because they’re versatile and insanely comfortable. She’s also carrying a large cream wallet as a handbag, which she sometimes does instead of carrying a tote or satchel. Earrings, watch and eyewear are all Karen needs in the jewellery department. 

This outfit is completely ageless and current. Karen is in her seventies, and continues to enjoy fashion and style every season. She is a HUGE inspiration to me. We have a lot of fun choosing the trends we want to incorporate into her look, and finding the pieces that fit the bill. Cherry picking the trends and manipulating them into a look that works for who we are is part of what makes fashion fun, and it’s very empowering at any age.

Tonal Floral - Black & White

Fab Finds: Bags in Dark Red

Dark red isn’t a colour that works well for me personally, but I have been giving it a lot of love recently since it was so popular when I posted a selection of fab finds in dark red. Today I am focusing on handbags. This is a great way to wear the colour in a smaller dose and away from your face if you think it doesn’t work well with your complexion. Also, leather seems to work particularly well in dark red.

  • J.Crew Shelby small satchel: This satchel is a good size because it's slightly smaller than a regular satchel which can feel a little big. It's a brilliant shade of deep cherry red. Structured but soft.
  • Anastasia Clutch: A moody maroon clutch adds a sleek angular dimension to your outfit. It also adds a sense of visual ease because it's small, and makes less of a statement than a large bag.
  • Zara Mini Shopper With Pocket: A stiff and structured shopper in bordeaux. It's also quite small, and doubles up as a crossbody.
  • French Connection So Fresh Clutch: If solid dark red is not your thing, throw in a little dark red pattern.
  • Banana Republic Gemma Burgundy Box Clutch: A wine red parcel of patent is as great with a dressy ensemble, as it is with faded and distressed jeans with heels.
  • ARCADIA Italian Patent Leather Satchel: A formal structured satchel that's practical for the office. Fits an iPad.
  • French Connection 'Elite' Hobo: I'm re-recommending this style because it looks and feels like a designer bag at a fraction of the price. A soft and comfortable shoulder bag that holds quite a bit, but lies flat against the body. Semi-structured.

Dark red comes in all sorts of variations, so think cherry, burgundy, bordeaux, maroon, claret and oxblood. Sporting dark red booties is another way to wear the shade in a subtle way, and you’ll see that roundup later this week.