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style icon(s): french vogue editors

November 21, 2013

Do you have dark skinny jeans or pants? Do you have a blazer? How about a scarf? Boots? Congrats, you have the wardrobe of a French fashion editor! It's been a while since we've had a style icon post - and this one is a really a package deal, starting with the queen bee of French fashion editors: Carine Roitfeld.

Carine was editor-in-chief of French Vogue until she left in 2011, when she was succeeded by her fashion director, Emanuelle Alt, below.

Alt and her team (she's most often seen with Geraldine Saglio and Capucine Safyurtlu) have a very similar style and seem to travel in a pack.

french vogue editors traveling in a pack.png

The hallmarks of the French Vogue editor style are: skinny pants (and apparently legs to match!), navy, black, neutrals, blazers and jackets, scarves, and high-heeled boots or pumps. Nothing too trendy, nothing too colorful.

What I also find interesting is that although many people attending these shows take the opportunity to dress to the nines (read: outlandishly), these women wear what appears to be a daily uniform and manage to look more chic than the rest put together. How very French of them! Apparently, not even pregnancy can keep them from their favorite silhouette!

A wardrobe of mostly neutrals is not for everyone, but it does make getting dressed a lot easier. I just had a conversation with a friend who had recently traveled to Europe for 10 days. She said she only brought neutrals and never worried about what to wear.

What do you think - do these French girls look boring or chic?

For more mindful closet style icons, click here.

uniform dressing

September 19, 2013

My goal is to help people have an organized, streamlined closet that makes getting dressed easy. One surefire way to acheive this by having a uniform. To most people that might sound like an awful idea, wearing the same thing all of the time. But if it's what you love and feel good in, it's just going to free up brain space for other more important decisions. That reason is exactly why many schools have recently instituted uniform policies - to keep distractions to learning to a minimum. While a uniform can be restrictive to creativity, it also doesn't have to be as boring or unfashionable as a pleated skirt and white blouse. Let's look at a couple of examples.

Ironically, two of the women who do it best are two who the media have painted as mortal enemies: Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie. Jennifer Aniston even talked about it recently in Glamour Magazine: "I pretty much have my uniform. A boyfriend jean, a wedge, a tank top. At night, I change the tank top to black and add some chains. Even on the red carpet, it has to be comfortable. I usually try to get some form of a T-shirt that looks like a gown. Like a longer tank top. A tank top, but with glitter on it."

Both women always look comfortable, like they actually walk in their shoes, not just from hotel to car to red carpet. Both women wear mostly neutrals: Angelina - grey, black, and nude; Jennifer - white, denim, and khaki. Both women have what would be considered "classic" style: Angelina - more of a sophisticated classic, and Jennifer - a girl-next-door classic. Both women favor clean lines and little embellishment for evening. And most people would agree that these two women have good personal style (except for maybe the odd leg pose here or there).

Do you like these women's style? Would you change it up more or could you ever do a uniform? If so, what would it be?

(P.S. I don't recommend googling "Angelina Jolie nude flats". Just don't.)

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review: the ellements of personal style

September 9, 2013

You all know that I believe before you can really assess your wardrobe or add to it, it's necessary to define your style. Sometimes it's helpful to see how others have achieved this, even if their style is 180 degrees away from yours. Here's a book that does just that: The Ellements of Personal Style by Elle Magazine editors Joe Zee and Maggie Bullock.

This book is different from other instructional fashion books because there are no lists of "must-haves" or discussions of body types. Instead, this book focuses on the personal style of 25 "icons". There are a few that I'm not entirely convinced by - Ashley Green? Lea Michele? I doubt that these young starlets have really solidified their personal style (maybe Joe Zee knows something I don't) but aside from them, the majority of the women profiled are true fashion icons.

Each profile includes short bios, interviews, and intimate photos of the icons' closets, homes, and wardrobes. For each, there is a moodboard of an outfit with accessories in her style, a "fashion obsession", a "style study" of a few of her real life outfits, and a list of her favorite shops.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Anjelica Huston: Iconic Simplicity

"Black and white is a good background for embellishment."

Dita von Teese: Pinup Precision

"Her taste in vintage began in high school, as a matter of economics. 'I went to a vintage store and thought, Oh, I can make that look like a Westwood if I pinch in the waist and pad out the hips. That was my goal - to get that look for less.' "

Charlotte Gainsbourg: Utilitarian Chic

"'My parents gave me this idea that you sort of find a uniform that fits you and feels comfortable,' she says - once you find it, you stick with it for years."

dvf dacy gillespie st louis personal stylist.jpg

Diane von Furstenberg: Relaxed Glamour

"My mission in life is to empower women. I do it through fashion, through mentoring, through philanthropy."

PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN SHEARER/WIREIMAGE.COM

Milla Jovovich: Free Spirit

"...she dresses a bit like a child who happens to have an exceedingly well-stocked costume cupboard, following her heart instead of the trends and gleefully embellishing. 'Simplicity is hard for me' ".

There are many more great women profiled, such as Erin Wasson, Christina Hendricks, Yvonne Force Villareal, and Janie Bryant - check it out and tell me what you think!

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icon: kate young

May 3, 2013

These style icon posts are so much fun to do. It's fun to collect images and do the research on women who have, for the most part, not only achieved style nirvana, but have carved out the careers and lives they want from the craziness surrounding them.

Kate Young made an appearance in my inspiration binder around 2007. She started her career in fashion as an assistant at Vogue and then moved on to styling fashion shoots, fashion shows, and celebrities. Some of the celebrities she dresses are Michelle Williams (remember Michelle's gorgeous yellow Oscar dress in 2006? That was Kate), Natalie Portman, and Rachel Weisz.

Kate Young's own personal style is extremely specific and falls almost into the "uniform" category. Her signature is her platinum blond hair. She sticks to black and white for the most part, lots of stripes, and a red lip for night. Like most stylists who are serious about their jobs, she doesn't seem to want the attention on herself, but on her client or her work.

Recently, Kate collaborated on a collection with Target. For the most part, it's a little girly for me, but having said that, look at how Kate edges it up (above). She can do no wrong!

Want to read (or watch) more about Kate Young?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/fashion/kate-young-a-stylist-in-her-busy-season-up-close.html?_r=0
http://www.refinery29.com/kate-young
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fash-track/most-powerful-stylists-kate-young-300037
http://intothegloss.com/2011/11/kate-young-stylist/
http://youtu.be/ZxUaxz6o7G4
http://youtu.be/lc969eCrtCw

diane von something

April 24, 2013

Over the weekend, I had a chance to hang out with my friend Elise and her boyfriend John. Elise was wearing a cute long sleeve printed dress with a great cut - fitted through the bodice, with a waist tie and a flared skirt. When I commented on it, she said "thanks, it was given to me by a neighbor." We continued talking about it, how it had a great print (white tulips on navy) and how it looked very modern, not at all like a costume-y 60's dress. Then Elise's mom chimed in and to be honest, I don't remember what she said. All I know is that at some point she said the words
"Diane von Furstenberg".

Me: so, are you telling me that dress is a vintage Diane von Furstenberg?
Elise's mom: yes!
Me: Elise, why didn't you tell me it was a Diane von Furstenberg??!
Elise: who's Diane von Furstenberg?
Me: ....(jaw on floor)

I honestly don't know which was more shocking to me, that the dress was a vintage DvF or that Elise didn't know who she is!

Diane von Furstenberg in her iconic wrap dress with Mr. Pop Culture himself, Andy Warhol

So, to review:

Diane von Furstenberg became a fashion designer when she was engaged to be married to the Prince of Furstenberg and said to herself that she didn't want to be known only for marrying a prince. Their marriage didn't last, but her career as a designer did. Von Furstenberg invented the wrap dress and it became such a phenomenon that she was featured on the cover of
Newsweek magazine.

Because the wrap dress was such an important influence in women's fashion, it is now part of the collection in the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Von Furstenberg took a break from designing, returned in 1997, and has continued producing successful collections since then.

Based on the information found here, it looks like the dress Elise has is from a very early DvF collection, probably late 60's or early 70's. Apparently the umlaut got dropped sometime during the mid to late 70's. Since DvF is famous for her prints and flattering dress cuts, it's not suprising that it still looks so relevant. Regardless of whether you know who Diane von Furstenberg is or not, you have to agree that Elise looks adorable in her dress and that her neighbor has fabulous style.

icon: christene barberich

April 18, 2013

Christene Barberich started out working for magazines like Gourmet and The New Yorker, but in 2005 she struck out on her own and founded the fashion website Refinery 29, one of my daily reads. As I've seen her featured on her own site and interviewed on others (including the New York Times), I've developed quite the fashion crush on her.

image via refinery29 — image via refinery29

Christene is an example of someone who has refined her style over time. Her style is completely unique and very fashion forward, but not trendy. It's not a style you can date, as in "that's so 2007".

The components of Christene's style are a creative use of print and pattern, chunky necklaces, vintage mixed with modern, and cool shades. She also appears to prefer a specific silhouette with long voluminous coats over cropped pants or midi-length skirts and dresses.

Christene mentions her love of thrifting and monthly closet de-clutterings often, which only intensifies my crush on her.

As someone who got married in her backyard, I love this photo from her city hall wedding.

Christene's style is a lesson in wearing what you love and what works for you, even if it might be something that would be a "don't" on some fashion lists. Aside from fashion, I'm inspired by the way Christene speaks in interviews about forging your own path through life and career, creating a vision, and making it happen.

icon: helen goldman

April 11, 2013

I grew up in Mobile, Alabama, but my mother is from Los Angeles, and we visited her family often. I always thought everything and everyone in L.A. was so glamorous and even kept notebooks of all of my observations.

One of the things that made L.A. so glamorous was my grandmother, Helen Goldman. As early as I can remember, when she asked me what I wanted for my birthday, my answer was always "a shopping trip with you". We'd usually go to the Bullock's in Westwood
(which is apparently a Target now?!)

My grandma was the first person I knew who had a distinctive personal style. She only wore navy, black, white, and accents of red. She wore blue and white button down shirts. Every day, she either wore a silk scarf or a beautiful necklace. She rarely wore prints or any other colors besides her staples. Her style was simple and classic.

My grandma passed away in 2007, but hopefully a tiny bit of her fashion sense lives on in me.

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