Last week I took my first foray into the art of mixing prints. It was a small start–a patterned jacket combined with a patterned scarf, inspired by a look Marlene Dietrich first wore in the 1930s. The outfit itself is not one I would normally wear, though. It’s a bit serious for my lifestyle and personality. …
Print-Mixing 101 with Marlene Dietrich
“Glamour is assurance. It is a kind of knowing that you are all right in every way, mentally and physically and in appearance, and that, whatever the occasion or the situation, you are equal to it.” ~ Marlene Dietrich Class is in session. Marlene Dietrich–Head Professor of Glamour–is leading the class with her stunning polka-dot print …
Leaping into Feminine Fashion with a Rebellious Spirit
Lessons of Feminine Fashion from Truman Capote Did you ever read the book Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Maybe you saw the movie? They were two very different presentations of the world Truman Capote created, but they both had a very feminine rebel at their core in the form of Holly Golightly. As I work through this month of …
Breton Stripes Kick Off “April in Paris” Month
Nothing says Spring like a Breton top. Each year, this long-sleeved striped shirt returns to clothing stores and catalogs as faithfully as pink blossoms pop out of the tips of tree branches. The design of it is somehow linked deep down in our minds to Spring. Because it’s such an iconic piece for the season, I’ve chosen it to begin this …
Simple Accessories Create a Timeless Style
My family tree is not scattered with royalty and millionaires — at least none I’ve been able to find yet. But I am lucky to be able to look back as far as the 1920s to see what some of them looked like. Even they, with their coal mining and farming incomes, they pulled off some …