Rockin’ the Casbah

Style is universal. Style is how you move through the world. It is the thumbprint that you leave, how people remember you. My hobby is style. I love to be surrounded by beautiful things, I love to carry and wear things that look and feel wonderful. Don’t we all?

I recently found Hijab Style, a style blog for Muslim women who wear hijab. It’s straight outta London and it rocks! Hijab is Arabic for “cover” and is the head scarf worn by Muslim women. It can also refer to the modest Muslim style of dress. Muslims differ as to how hijab dress should be enforced, but the blogger for Hijab Style is a fierce Muslim fashionista who shows us how to blend high style and modesty. The writer writes extensively and knowledgeably about contemporary fashion, contemporary Muslim women and the crossroads where they meet.

The blog features sections on evening wear, featuring hijab-friendly western designers such as Max Azria, Valentino, and Giambattista Valli. Sections on office wear feature items from Topshop and Ralph Lauren. There is coverage of Jakarta Fashion Week, street style from Dubai, and shout outs to Islamic clothing lines that explode with color and whimsy. My favorite items are the show stopping BQ sunglasses, which are described as a “new brand of shades with a chic twist on tradition.” BQs claim to be the “first sunglasses especially tailored for the piously dressed women in the Persian Gulf.” They appear to be a stylized mash up of racing goggles and a superhero mask.

This blog is fun and extraordinarily eye-opening; I could spend hours there. I'm not trading in my jeans or sundresses, but I gained a new perspective on Muslim women and the liberating aspects of the hijab. Check it out here.

All quotes from Hijab Style blog.

The Steal

Recently enjoyed a weekday off. Visited the local Salvation Army to look through racks and racks of discarded togs for something special. I waded through dozens of oversized tweed jackets, worn out woolens, gaudy tropical prints, and dainty floral prints that reminded me of 1980s “made for TV” flicks starring Jaclyn Smith and the starlet-of-the-month as a psychotic babysitter.

The store was also overrun with discarded exercise videotapes, “Pocono Village” shot glasses, and a variety of outdated technology like cassette players, VCRs, CRTs, and analog TV sets. I was looking for an uber-bargain - a unique piece to brag about that would stoke envy in the hearts of cheapskates everywhere.

The furniture department was crammed with oversized floral sofas, and an occasional treasure from the bygone era of “real” furniture - an armoire or desk from the 1940s or early 1950s. That’s where I found the most unbelievable deal, a distressed black leather jacket, stashed away from greedy little hands (like mine). Zip front, faux fur lining for warmth. Hip length, perfect fit. $15!! The jacket would have cost at least twice as much at Buffalo Exchange or any of the other trendy resale shops downtown. I was ecstatic!

I love scouring second-hand stores - the thrill of the hunt, the unknown. Philadelphia lost many thrift stores over the past two decades (Village Thrift, Goodwill, other neighborhood shops) and treasures are harder to find in the stores that still exist. The hunt requires diligence, hours devoted to pushing through racks of droopy cottons, shabby silks, and scratchy acrylics to uncover the timeless Chanel skirt, the BCBG Max Azria blouse, the impeccably tailored Harris Tweed men’s business suit. Vintage stores often get their wares from the same Salvation Army that you visited last weekend, but they spend time and money having their purchases cleaned and pressed, then neatly hung in the shops.

So now I’m waiting for the temperatures to dip into the 40s to show it off. I will probably wear it with jeans, cords, and the pencil skirt that I just ordered from Boden USA. Woo-hoo!

The Chuck Report

Now available -- trimmed down Chucks!

$150 will buy the new white leather Chuck Taylor designed by the artist Terence Koh for the Converse 1 HUND(RED) line. Less rubber, styled more like the shoes that boxers wear in the ring. Minimalist, stripped down, they make a entirely different statement - delicate, not tough. Jazz, not hip hop. Peaceful posse, not gang wars. The NY Times quoted Mr. Koh as seeing the shoe as "a perfect round white pearl."

Judge for yourself. These shoes will be available beginning November 21 at Opening Ceremony, 35 Howard Street, New York. The design is appealing, and will likely sell well. I am partial to the traditional style (and the traditional price), but Christmas is coming and I've been pretty damn good ...

Click here to see Mr. Koh and his new design.

Ch-Ch-Ch Changes

One of the stores that I've ignored for years, Ann Taylor, is changing its stripes. Ann never really spoke to me -- it was a bit too conservative. I like items that are conceived with attitude and born to make a statement. Ann did business suits well. They did khakis and noncontroversial casual wear well. Their look worked well with lawyers, accountants and other glass-ceiling busters.

More recently Ann heard that glamor is not a bad word. A new design team revived their offerings for women who want a bolder, more high style look with modern colors like espresso, port and plume. I was surprised to find the interview suit of my dreams on their website; a suit that would get my narrow little foot in the door of More magazine as a contributing editor. (Ok, so I daydream a lot.) The jacket is black and gray herringbone tweed with an oversized notch lapel that would showcase a graceful neck and beautiful face, and a nipped-in waist with a peplum hem. It is paired with a matching pencil skirt. They also carry the perfect platform pump to wear with the suit.

The website boasts a collection of LBDs in various styles -- sleeveless, strapless, sweater -- all sexy and slim to the body. I found a lipstick red puffer jacket that is perfect for nights out that definitely raises one's fierce quotient. The coolest thing that I found on their website is a black pencil skirt adorned in a cascade of black grosgrain ribbon ruffles. Ann Taylor? It looks more like Jason Wu.

They're getting there. Shoe booties. Boyfriend jackets. Stilettos. Ruffled cardigans. Nice stuff! Many of these items are now closet staples for the average fashionista. Ann's prices are moderate for some, pricey for others. But window/website shopping is free, and now that they have my attention, they'll see me at "clearance" time.

The Eyes Have It

I dipped my toe into the eyeliner river a couple of months ago - it seemed like to right thing to do. I wanted to jazz up my look and accentuate a positive feature. Over the years I had tried lots of powders and pencils to give my eyes depth and pump up the lashes. Powders disappeared after 30 minutes; pencils ended up caked in the crease of my eyelid or a smudge on a tissue. Most recently I used L’Oreal’s HIP (high intensity pigmented) liner pencils which hung tough for about four hours then evaporated.

I have oily skin and limited time and patience. I was about to give up on smoky come-hither eyes when I heard about Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner. Bobbi Brown lipstick is almost always in my make-up bag and I love her color palette. The cosmetics are expensive, but I was willing to give the eyeliner a go.

I popped into Macy's, and at the Bobbi Brown counter I found some of prettiest colors I’ve ever seen for eyes; most of them are beautiful on darker skin tones! I bought caviar ink, a deep black/brown, but I also recommend jet black, indigo ink, granite ink, and black plum ink. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth bringing lunch from home for couple of days.

Here’s what’s fabulous about it – it lasts through a sweaty two-hour workout. It’s water-resistant and grease-resistant. It’s easy and quick to apply with the right brush. Now, here’s the key – don’t spend $25 for their ultra fine brush. Go to the drugstore and get a brush for $5. I recommend Sonia Kashuk for Target’s angled eye shadow brush.

Get the right tools, get the right look.

Marvelous Every Day

I have marvelous friends. I’m lucky to be surrounded by super smart, kind, funny women who are living their lives unapologetically. They are accomplished artists, philanthropists, communicators. They have rolled up their sleeves and plunged into community work. They are committed to family and personal connections that keep them grounded and whole. The best part is that they are one hell of a lot fun to hang out with.

However, this group of fierce, fabulous women have one fatal flaw -- they don’t see themselves as the fashionistas that they truly are. These women are bad! They have class, soul, style! They are self-assured, colorful, classy. They are sporting great haircuts with fresh, sexy color. They are draped in colorful scarves, unique ethnic pieces curated from their travels. Pieces that ensnare me like a butterfly net. They rock waterfalls of necklaces and spirals of bracelets, making statements in silver and gold, turquoise, amethyst, opal.

They represent a rainbow. I see gorgeous ebony faces framed by silver halos showing how bohemian chic is supposed to be worn. I see vivacious, statuesque blonds with attitude wearing well-loved pieces that prove that what’s on the outside is as important as what’s on the inside. These ladies are never inappropriate, never boring, never stuffy.

My sisters! Embrace your fabulousness -- unleash it to the world! Let it inhale your vibrancy, your perennial chic. You are the bright lights in my life, and it’s time to shine a little brighter -- to yourselves. A couple of days ago my friend Lynda said, "I have to look marvelous every day." And she does. So do you.