Baby It's Cold Outside

Photo of model courtesy of www.Elle.com

"There is no such thing as too cold.  No.  It's not too cold.  You are not dressed properly.  That is all."  I was working for a well-known luxury fashion brand at the time, and this is how my boss curtly replied to my complaint that it was too cold outside.  She represents the brand well--she's one of those women that just oozes luxury.  Plus, she's Russian.   Those two points alone make her an expert on the subject of dressing for cold weather.

She was right.  I knew she was right, as I shivered beside her on the street walking home from a long day at work.  I shivered in my wool vintage coat and plunged my ungloved hands in my pockets.  And she glided with ease, wearing a chic black shearling number and smooth leather gloves, proclaiming,  "There is no such thing as too cold."

So if you are complaining now that it is too cold, or even if you are wondering if it is even possible to look chic and still be warm, think of my Russian boss.  Everyday Glamour Chicks, (E.G.C.'s), do not complain that it is too cold outside.  They dress properly.

Here are the stay-warm yet chic, E.G.C. tip list:

• Warm ultra-thin undershirts can be worn under almost anything.  Wolford makes an ultra-thin bodysuit, called the Buenos Aires, that is perfect for this.  Warning:  It's very expensive!  You can find much cheaper undergarments very easily on the internet.


• When wearing a skirt or dress, opt for wool tights.  Again, Wolford makes incredibly warm and durable tights in Merino wool that do not itch.  (They are knit with cotton hitting your skin.)  Of course they are very expensive but this is worth every cent.  You might never wear pants in winter again, because these tights are so warm.


• Knits in cashmere & merino wool are the warmest.   (Ok, so besides Alpaca, but you get my point.)  Experts are always spouting on about spending more money on your cashmere, but I disagree.  I see nothing wrong with going with more moderate price points.


• A good warm coat is worth spending more money on.  We all know this.


• Find a scarf and a hat that co-ordinate well together.  They don't have to match.  This advise is so easy and obvious, yet how many times have you seen scarves and hats that look like an after-thought?  Or like little lost orphans?


• If all else fails, do some jumping jacks.  Awww, just kidding!!

Keep it E.G.C.!!!

The Secret to Great Style

Photo of Edie Sedjwick & Andy Warhol courtesy of www.Fabsugar.com

I think it is safe to say that we all know great personal style when we see it.  The mark of great style is a kind of quiescent fierceness.  And those who posess it have the uncanny ability to knock your socks off while somehow managing to make it all look as easy as pie. 

What is more difficult is knowing how to achieve that quiescent fierceness for oneself--how to be an Everyday Glamour Chick, (E.G.C.).  Great style boils down to two plain, straightforward secrets.  The secrets to great style are obvious and simple, yet powerful.

1. Never forget the Golden Trifecta --Shoes, Handbags, and Hair.  Get these things tight, (yes, tight),  and you're 80% there.  Look around you.  Most people get the clothes right but then get lazy about the Golden Trifecta.  Yes, good shoes, handbags, and hair will cost you a pretty penny.  No, I will not sugar-coat things and tell you that Aldo is just as good as Manolo Blahnik.  It's not.


2. Fashion is fun but it's better to forget about that for a minute and wear things that suit you.  People will assume that you are original.  They will ask you where you buy your clothes and try to copy you.  And the correct response to this is, "Oh, this old thing?  It's nothing!".  This response will further cement you as a style genius.  Meanwhile, you can laugh to yourself, knowing the truth, that it doesn't take a genius to wear things that suit you.  What if Marilyn Monroe traded in her curvy sheath dresses for Twiggy's A-lined mini dresses? Ridiculous!  But we see Marilyn types trying to be like Twiggy every day.

So, I've established it.   The two plain, straightforward secrets to slammin' personal style.  The rest is gravy, baby.  I invite you to follow Everyday Glamour to discuss the gravy.

Tim-BERRRRRRR!!

Photo courtesy of www.Film.com

When models fall down on the runway, it's called Catwalk Smashup.  When Everyday Glamour Chicks, (E.G.C.'s), fall down on the street it's called Stilletto Dive .  Oh, it's just par for the course.  And don't even think about considering flats!  I have a better idea.  Keep your heels on and learn how to fall down gracefully.

Step 1:  Make sure you fall down in slow motion.  Everything looks better in slow motion.  So will you.

Step 2:   Have bouncy, shiny, happy hair.  When you're on your way down, in slow motion, hair becomes the focal point.

Step 3:  Land softly.  Meaning, on your ass.

Step 4:  Once down, get up slowly, give a wry smile, and giggle ever so lightly.  Giggles are more feminine than guffaws.  And hysterical laughing just makes you look crazy.

Eau de "Je Ne Sais Quoi"

I gaze upon this photo of Carine Roitfeld, Editor-in-Cheif of Vogue Paris, and I think to myself, "How chic this woman is."  And I marvel at the effortlessness of it.  I feel the need to break her style down into its component parts, to distill the essence of it.  I want to bottle it.  I could contemplate her expert use of optical illusion, how she enhances her already slim figure with the right shaped dress, (slim & tapered), the right proportions, (hitting the waistline and knees just so), her clever use of print, (a larger floral print on top that draws the eye upward).  I could expound at length on how this woman uses style as an expression of her identity.  But all that's beside the point.  Because she's French.  The woman could make a burlap sack look good.  Carine Roitfeld has what those Frenchies call "je ne sais quoi", or what I like to call....Everyday Glamour.

Photo of Carine Roitfeld courtesy of www.IWantToBeARoitfeld.com

My readers tell me they liked my last post, How To Be Glamorous Every Day, so I've decided to milk this for what it's worth and expound on the concept of Everyday Glamour ad nauseam.  Aren't you thrilled, my dolls?

If the Hollywood Glamour Girl, (H.G.G.), is the picture of glossy, digitally-modified, polished, shellacked, red-lipsticked perfection, then her naughty cousin, Everyday Glamour Chick, (E.G.C.), is the antithesis and couldn't give two shits what you think, thank you very much.  What camp do you think Ms. Roitfeld exists?  I'll give you a hint....She ain't gonna be graceing the cover of In Style Magazine anytime soon, I'll tell you that much.  E.G.C.'s are unruly, irreverent, and sexy as hell.  In other words, they have je ne sais quoi.

 

 

 

 

Photo of Carine Roitfeld courtesy of www.IWantToBeARoitfeld.com

 

As many of you already know, I have a penchant for lists.  They are handy, that's why.  Inspired by the book, What French Women Know:  About Love, Sex, and Other Matters, By Debra Ollivier, I have come up with a list of traits that will help you cultivate some je ne sais quoi of your very own.  (Ok, I've distilled some of her points to the most shallow extreme and related them to personal style.  Ms. Ollivier's book is much more sophisticated--it's the bomb.  Definitely a must read.)



Photo of Carine Roitfeld courtesy of www.Maydele.com

How to Have Je Ne Sais Quoi:

1.  Less is More--Or like Ms. Ollivier likes to say, "..When Less is More, you often get More with Less."  It's better to repeat the same fabulous outfit many times over than have a lot of crap outfits.  Ms. Roitfeld, for example, can be spotted wearing the same pair of killer lace-up Alaia heels, the same lace skirt, the same necklace, over and over again, maybe in slightly different incarnations, but basically the same, like a broken record.  But unlike a broken record, one never tires of her style.  Also, although her uber-expensive designer clothes always have interesting details, she somehow maintains the look of simplicity.  She doesn't overdo it.  It's one of those Frenchie Jedi-style tricks.  It's the Art of  Detailed Yet Simple...or How Not to Look Like Fashion Roadkill. 

2.  Show some "Joie de Vivre"--Unlike the yellow, happy, smiley-faced American version of happiness, which is really just Prozac generated self-involvement, Joie de Vivre is the simple joy that comes from appreciating all the wonderful little things in life--mainly food, beauty, and hot men.  Devour life, enjoy the day, and also feel free to flirt with men.  Actually, flirting is your duty as a woman.  And by the way, this doesn't make you into some desperate tart trying to get your mack on.  It just means you're a l'il saucy, that's all.  So go ahead--smile at that homeless guy on the corner who asks you to marry him every morning on your way to work.

3.  Ugly can be pretty--The French call it "Jolie Laide", which means, "Ugly Pretty".  Basically it all boils down to this formula:  Unique=Sexy.  Which means, Normal=Boring.  Play up your assets, appreciate your own quirky particularities, and it's a sure formula for Impelling Sexiness and Je Ne Sais Quoi.  So listen up all you buxom, blond, bimbo cheerleaders named Buffy, ok?  Honey, you're not all that!  Yawn!

4.  Keep it a bit "Au Natural"--No, no, you don't have to stop shaving your pits and burn your bras.  Don't worry.  Just ease up a little on the hairspray.  Stop fretting about looking so damned coiffed all the time.  Let go a little.  Embrace a smidge of messiness.  And while you're at it, aging is not the end of the world.  It's much better to age gracefully than to resemble an evil wax doll who looks startled.  Just look at Ms. Roitfeld.  Her hair is basically a thick curtain, and her face is natural--not Botox'd and Restylane'd into oblivion!

5.  Speaking of letting go a little...--"Art de Vivre" is basically the art of letting up on yourself.  Go ahead, be a fuck up.  Perfection isn't very fun anyway.  Let your house get messy.  Ever notice how tiring it is to be constantly cleaning your house?  Wouldn't you rather be saving up your energy for bonking your man?  I can proudly say that right now my home looks like a bomb hit it.  Oh yeeeaaaahhh!

6.  But don't let yourself go either--Oh god.  This is one of the most annoying Frenchie things.  They never fall away to a cartload.  Non.  This is because mumu's and mom jean's are not E.G.C.  And never will be.

There you have it.  Pure, homogenized, pasteurized, and packaged--Eau de Je Na sais Quoi!!

Photo of Carine Roitfeld at Paris Fashion week courtesy of www.IWantToBeARoitfeld.com

How To Be Glamorous Everyday

 

Helmut Newton photo courtesy of www.thehotandcool.blogspot.com

Everyday Glamour Chicks, (E.G.C.'s), not only look the part, they also act the part.  Cultivate these behavioral styles and you too can be an E.G.C.!

1.  Be mysterious. If someone asks you, "How are you?", the correct response is, "I'm fine.", not "I have a bit of a sore throat and I'm a feeling really tired.  I've been so stressed lately, I thought maybe I'm coming down with mono.  I dunno.  It's not like I've been kissing anyone lately..."  A bit of distance, and a bit of mystery are absolutely required if you are to cultivate an air of glamour.  This is why your family and friends will never, ever see you as glamorous.  It is impossible, because to them, you are not a mystery.  You are just good 'ol Sally.  Nothing is more worrisome than if your man calls you "glamorous".  Liar!

2.  Always look happy. Even if you are not.  Glamorous people are always seen laughing with their heads tilted back, all teeth exposed, top and bottom, while simultaneously holding a glass of champagne.  Even though you're not supposed to drink while taking Prozac, glamorous people do it all the time.

3.  Have white teeth. It is imperitive that your teeth be white since you will be baring them while laughing, (with your head tilted back, remember?)

4.  Go out and be seen. Glamorous people are very social animals.  They are always out and frequent the hottest city spots.  They have very little time for Facebook and blogging.  Uh oh.

5.  Talk to strangers. Talk to everyone.  Be careful though--you must simultaneously maintain an air of mystery!  To do this, exchange witty banter with the cute Mediteranian guy who sells you coffee on the corner of Lex and 78th street.

6.  Speaking of coffee, you must drink it black. Glamorous people do not drink coffee with milk and sugar.  And never from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.  The cups aren't chic, that's why.

7.  Don't smoke. Smoking is no longer considered glamorous--that is soooo 90s!  Now if you smoke it makes you look as glamorous as if you pay your rent from Bingo winnings and you have a son called "Rabbit" who works hard in a factory but dreams of making it big as a rapper.

8.  Travel a lot. If you can't make it to Barbados this year, at least make a trip to the Jersey Shore.  You can exchange witty banter with the lifeguard.

9.  Have a lot of sex. Glamorous people not only have more sex than the average Jane, they have it with more partners.  But be careful!  Glamorous people don't just do it with anyone.  They are selective.  Glamorous people only have sex with people who are capable of  exchanging witty banter, have white teeth, and have a foriegn accent.

9.  Never be afraid to be yourself. Glamorous people don't worry whether you approve of them or not.  They are themselves fully, whether you like it or not.  They are never watered down and boring, like my last post, Jacket Required, which was an absolute snooze-fest.  Oh god.  Or like Matching's Just Wrong, My Friend, which was a bitchy snooze-fest.  Or like Packing Right, Packing Light, which my mother calls "trite".  Oh, and they do not care in the least that you think that their fur jacket is too poofy.

Keep it E.G.C.!!