The New York Times: On Sharing a Closet

From The New York Times:
The Great Divide:Wardrobe diplomacy. 

Tips on the perfect closet and, more importantly, how to share it with your husband!
http://nyti.ms/OzW2Gs

My current business look

My current business look by michele-i featuring a pencil skirt

Silk blouse
$580 - veryeickhoff.com

Valentino pencil skirt
$650 - farfetch.com

Prada narrow shoes
yoox.com

Giorgio Armani shoulder handbag
luisaviaroma.com

Lisa Freede bracelet
intermixonline.com

Pippa Small earrings
$5,180 - net-a-porter.com

Stila eyeshadow
stilacosmetics.com

Chloé fragrance
$69 - pret-a-beaute.com

Buy Charbonnel et Walker Champagne truffles (135g) and other Chocolate...
$15 - chocolatetradingco.com

A MIXED BAG: Pre-Fall to Winter 2012/2013

I am in a quandary. Next season’s trends are not exactly making my heart sing. I’m seeing far too many unwearable outfits for everyday and very few for professional women! What are we supposed to wear?

Interestingly, I have noticed a new phenomena occurring in the fashion industry, which may contribute to the lack of attention to professional women and the perplexing mixed bag we have for this season.  Challenged by brands like Zara that produces new merchandise on a weekly basis, designers and luxury brands have added to their calendar “Transitional” collections.

So, instead of two collections, we now have four: fall/winter; cruise/resort; spring /summer and pre-fall. Chanel shows six collections a year!

Financially speaking these additions have been a real commercial success. Proof that novelty has the power of attraction.

One thing for sure, this season’s trends are influenced by both the distant and immediate past but they are all over the place. However, two trends stand out as this season’s markers: the return of the peplum and the 3-piece ensemble.

Here is a snap review of what to expect in the stores. I’ll let you untangle the puzzle and decide for yourself what works for you!

Baroque: All things ornate with lavish latticing on suits and coats. (Not my cup of tea.)

Borrowing from the boys. Very IN. From over-sized jackets to Oxfords.

Colors: Bright!!! Oranges, purples, hot pinks, greens.

Details: The feminine silhouette of the peplum is back again.

Dresses: Simple, elegant, close-fitting, ¾ sleeves, below the knee hemline. Safe bet for professional women and YES, perfect choice to wear from work to dinner.

Fabrics: Solid colors for elegance and chicness to embellished Gothic.

Faux-fur Collars (or any other fabrics): Ideal for quickly updating a dress or coat before dashing out the door. (Saw these all over Paris a couple of months ago.)

Gothic: who says 'noir' was boring? Rethink this!

Handbags:  Structured to hobo.

Hemline: Asymmetric, mini to maxi.

Leather: Mixed in with other textures, like tweed. (I did like Vince’s suede leggings!)

Makeup: Cherry lips, strong eyebrows.

Military style: Luxurious fabrics and more fitted silhouettes give it a fresh appeal.

Pant Suits: The three-piece look is big! With a twist. Narrow pants just below the ankle with matching short dress and jacket.

Ripped: Everything! Hem skirts and sleeves are unfinished. (Seems like designers are creating trends that lower the cost of manufacturing!)

 Silhouette: Fitted to boxy.

Shoes: Super high platforms to knee-high boots, the hottest item on the runways. 

Trousers; A la Marlene Dietrich, front pleated and flowy.  

That’s a wrap! Have fun shopping!

A bientôt

Michele

An excellent professional women's dress. 

Colors to watch this fall. 

Are We Image Obsessed?

  The mirror, it seems, has become our worst enemy rather than our best

   friend. Research indicates that at least 80% of women over 18 are

   unhappy with what they see. The main focus of dissatisfaction is the

   size and shape of their bodies, particularly their hips, waists and

   thighs.

   This has led me to think about this matter and air my views in this

   newsletter.

   It does not help that we cannot watch TV, pass billboards, or read

   magazines and newspapers without seeing slender, beautiful people. So

   much so, that we are subconsciously brainwashed into believing this is

   the norm and that we should look like these people too.

   To make matters worse, the majority of celebrities, females in

   particular, almost always look perfect. Not a hair out of place, not a

   wrinkle to be seen and breasts and bottoms fixed where they should be

   rather than heading south, as they tend to do in the rest of us.

   Does this create a negative or positive impact on us ordinary mortals?

   Are we able to differentiate the star from the individual? Are we

   envious?

   It seems so, when you examine the statistics. According to the American

   Society of Plastic Surgeons’ (ASPS), 2011 Statistical Report, there

   were, 307,000 breast augmentations, 182,000 nose reshapings and 182,000

   liposuctions among other cosmetic procedures.

   In 2010, almost 219,000 plastic surgery procedures were performed on

   13-to-19-year-olds. Teens rely on the knife to correct ill-shaped

   noses, protruding ears, too large or too small breasts, too big or too

   flat butts, and so on. Young Asian women go as far as having plastic

   surgery to westernize their appearance.

   Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against plastic surgery. Especially

   for adults who take the time to do in-depth research about their

   surgeon’s history and professionalism and the consequences of their

   proposed surgery.

   To what extent is all this related to our actual physical defects

   rather than the perception of our physical defects? We all have

   imperfections. But the issue is that we believe our defects stand out

   and everybody immediately notices them. Not true. The sad thing is that

   we are our harshest critics.

   How much is the media to blame? In my opinion, a lot. It is the media

   that creates and continues to magnify and exploit the celebrity

   syndrome. Thanks to the media, we have become accustomed to extremely

   rigid and uniform standards of beauty.

   These high standards are simply unrealistic and out of our reach. The

   truth of the matter is that the current median ideal of slenderness for

   women is achievable by less than 5% of the female population.

   Most of us cannot afford to have a personal make-up artist, hair and

   fashion stylist, yoga teacher or Pilates instructor. If we could, we

   too would look fabulous every time we walked out the front door.

   So what to do? Make the mirror your friend! Accept your body for what

   it is, zoom in on what is good and make the most of it.

   A Bientôt,

   Michèle

Shop 'Till You Drop (With Caution!)

I know, I know. We all want to stay on point with our budgets in these tough economic times. But, there are some great bargains out there and, if you are careful, you won’t break the bank! Here are my tip offs and of course, as always, a few words of caution!
 
Tip Offs

• If shoes are your weakness, the best deals are at Glory Chen and Joy Chen. If you like avant-garde shoes, hunt carefully as there are some at 50% off.
•  Bottega Veneta’s spring/summer collection is already 50% off as is TUMI’s and they have great travel bags.
•  MaxMara and Giorgio Armani begin their sales the second week of June.
•  Price tags still a bit high for you? Then, head for the department stores for more affordable price points, as many are liquidating their spring/summer 2012 collections to make room for the next season’s trends.

OK. So you’ve been really disciplined and have been waiting for the sales to make the most of your budget, but buyer be AWARE!

  
Shoe by Glory Chen

Words of caution
 
Shop for now.  Shop for items that fit you now and do not buy too-tight jeans thinking you’ll lose a little and it’ll fit!
 
Think like me.  Buy fewer pieces but all high quality. In Europe almost everyone looks good even when they wear the same clothes repeatedly. The reason? Because they are of good quality. I was brought up this way too, so it doesn’t bother me at all to wear the same clothes year after year. However, I do take the opportunity to freshen up my wardrobe during the sale seasons and suggest you do the same.
 
Remember that size does matter. Don’t pay attention to the number on the label, just buy what fits and looks good on you.
 
Don’t rush. Give yourself enough time. Window-shop and ask the sales person to hold the items you like. Then return for a second look AND try them on again.
 
Test. Whether you are shopping for dresses, trousers or T-shirts, comfort is supreme. Take a test drive. Walk around, swing your arms back and forth and make sure the garment falls back into place. I suggest that if you can, sit on a chair in front of a mirror to see what other people see! (I’m thinking mini skirts…!)
 
Trust your inner voice-1. You may come across the ‘It” piece that everyone else has, but if it doesn’t meet your needs just walk on by.
If you have to try too hard to make it work, forget it. You’ll never wear the piece.
 
Cost per wear. Buy high-end items that you will wear more often. The more you wear them, the less expensive they’ll turn out to be.
Don’t buy an item just because it’s on sale! Don’t panic or be afraid to lose a good deal.
 
Trust your inner voice-2. Dare to be a little adventurous. Shake up your wardrobe by adding a few elements that you would not otherwise acquire.
 
Finally, remember to always check the store’s return policy!
 
A bientôt,
 
Michele