Coach Update—In Case You Missed It

Coach Duffel Bag

Tired of gaudy logos?  Looking for effortless, timeless style?  Missing the classics?  Get your shoulders ready for this!

The NY Times recently reported that five of Coach’s classic bags (including the duffel, which was discontinued in 1997) are being reintroduced on June 15.  Not by Coach, mind you—gaudy is still the reigning queen over there—but by Net-a-Porter. Net-a-Porter sells super-pricey bags from Mulberry, Alexander Wang, and Proenza Schouler among others, but compared to those four-figure pricetags, shelling out for a classic Coach isn't so painful.

They Say It's My Birthday!

Today is my birthday and I’d like to start the celebrations with a thank you to the woman who made it all possible—my fabulous mother.  Besides the heaping helpings of love, attention and good southern food that she gave me, she instilled in me a love of fashion and a strong sense of self.

My mom made her own fashion statements.  She was a gorgeous woman with great style who taught me a lot about clothes, especially how to choose and wear flattering items.  I thought she was a glamorous as Lena Horne or Eartha Kitt.  She wore velvet coats in the 1940s, sumptuous suede jackets in the 1950s, miniskirts in the 1960s, and outrageous jumpsuits in the 1970s.

She was my style icon—no one else comes close.  She had class, soul, and attitude.  Here is a photo of her from the late 1940s when she was in her early 20s.  Love you, Mom!

Those Were The Days

The 1970s—the decade that keeps repeating itself like a bad burrito.  Saturday night disco fever, bodacious bad-ass blaxploitation heroes and she-roes, and hippie trippy muses have no doubt influenced this season’s fashions.  Look around at the racks of bell bottom pants, flowy maxi dresses, asymmetrical hems, and shelves of platform shoes in your favorite boutique before you tell me that you don’t hear Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell” playing in your head.  Tie dye, hot pants, spandex, glitter—it’s still here! 

In the spirit of that endless 70s season, and especially for those who survived it, I’d like to rekindle some 70s pop culture memories.  Do you remember when you first heard (or saw):

Music:
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon
Good Times – Chic
Heart of Glass – Blondie
Rebel, Rebel – David Bowie
Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas
One Nation Under a Groove – Funkadelic

TV:
The Partridge Family
Starsky & Hutch
The Gong Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Charlie’s Angels
Ike and Tina Turner performing “Proud Mary” on Soul Train in 1970

Movies:
Network
Shaft
Superfly
Dog Day Afternoon
Taxi Driver
Woodstock

They say if you remember it, you weren't really there...

…And the Right To Bare Arms

I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!  No, seriously, why are you afraid to let me see them?  Tattoo regret?  Third eye growing out of the forearm? 

I’ve had enough of women hating their arms and staying covered even during the steamy summer months.  Arms have been incredibly useful throughout our evolution.  They connect our hearts to our hands.  We use them to carry overflowing laundry baskets, cradle infants, lift grocery bags, caress lovers.  Our arms are symbols of our strength yet we treat them like naughty stepchildren.  We hide them, bind them.  I recently heard about arm “girdles” and had to wonder about the wearers’ levels of vanity or insanity. 

There is advice everywhere for women who want to hide their arms.  I hear women engaged in arm-bashing.  “Oh, I don’t wear sleeveless dresses any more,” seems to be a more common refrain for women over 30.  We need to adopt the men in Speedos’ devil-may-care attitude and let it hang, droop, and jiggle.  Jiggly arms are not important, and worrying about them keeps us from reaching true fabulousness.

Dancing your booty off at a wedding could mean removing your camouflage cardigan.  And guess what--your arms will be on display.  But check this out, nobody is gonna be looking at them.  They’ll be looking at your ecstatic smile as you lose your inhibitions to the groove line.  Will you keep the sun from smiling on your arms while playing beach volleyball?  When you’re gardening?  Toddlers won't care if your arms are toned or flabby as long as you give them frequent snuggles and kisses. 

If you really want to change the shape of your arms, I can recommend some exercises.  But if you want to engage in more self-love, raise your hand.  Notice that your arm is attached.

You Were Born This Way, So Work It!

Look fab every single day!  My philosophy is that life is too short to be a frump. We have a limited number of years on the planet and a fleeting amount of time to be glam.  Be a sexy, daring head turner now!  When you’re 97 no one is gonna care, but if you’re 27, 37 even 57 you want to look good--everyday.

There are two keys to this concept: accept and love the skin that you’re in, and dress to show off your best parts.  And, yes, you do have best parts.  Here are some tips will take you a long way into the fierce zone.

• Dress for the body that you’re in NOW.  You were born with a basic body type (hourglass, triangle, inverted triangle, diamond, and rectangle--more on this to follow), and you’ve got to celebrate and adorn it.  You can change your hair color, change your eye color, get lipo, but your basic body type doesn’t change!

• Buy clothes that make you feel like a rock star. You know, that outfit or article of clothing that makes you feel sexy, smart, and confident every time you put it on.  Buy things that always make you feel that way!

• Consider your lifestyle when making clothing choices.  Every diva does different things and your clothing choices should reflect that.  You probably don’t need a closet full of business attire if you’re a personal trainer.

• Buy clothes that are a good investment; buy the best quality you can afford.

• Step away from the “final sale” racks!  Those 90% markdowns hanging limply in a back corner at Macy’s are there for a reason--bad designs, outdated styles, uncomfortable fabrics, hideous colors…stop me if I‘m wrong.

• You can wear anything you want as long as it is proportioned to your body.  If it isn’t, get a good tailor or buddy up to a seamstress.

Ever wonder about your body type and how to play up your best features?  Keep reading--by the end of this post you’ll have the info you need to look simply amazing. 

Hourglass - perfectly proportioned as defined by the shoulder to hip ratio, with a well-defined waist.  However, no two hourglass figures are alike.  One could have a longer torso, a higher bustline, or a larger bust size.  If you’re an hourglass you want to show it off, but be sure that you don’t cut yourself in half with belts.  Proportion and balance are important for your frame.  You can look stunning in tailored pieces such as a fitted blazer with an A-line or pencil skirt. 

Triangle - also known as the pear shape. Upper body smaller than the bottom.  You can balance your figure by adding volume on top.  Think about a blouse with ruffles at the neck.  Add bold eye catching jewelry, or an ethnic print scarf.  (Just don’t do it all at once.)  And don’t shy away from skinny jeans!  Just pop on a gorgeous flowy tunic in a favorite print or color to reach your fabulousness.

Inverted Triangle - has wider shoulders, more ample bust, slimmer on bottom than on top.  Your friends probably envy your shoulder line and sexy cleavage.  Consider a little more volume on the bottom.  Patterns, light and bright colors on the bottom are also cool.  Rock a hot pink pleated skirt, or one in a zebra print. 

Diamond - may also be known as the apple shape.  A rounded figure with a fuller bust and mid-section--usually has great legs!  First thing you want to do is show off those limbs, so raise your skirt hem to the knee and buy some sexy heels.  If you want to look taller and slimmer, look for a monochromatic color scheme.  If you want to draw attention away from your belly, look for blouses and jackets that fall below it.

Rectangle - not as curvy, has a somewhat boyish shape.  Stock up on belts; you’re gonna look great in them!  You can also wear those sweet little form fitting jackets with details at the middle.  Check out wrap tops that tie at the waist; empire waists are also good bets.  Drawstring pants can also create volume at the hips, capris will show skin. 

It's easy to be glamorous once you accept that you're already pretty.  I hope that I've pushed you in that direction!  So, get busy and start working it!