She’s Got The Look

With the advent of the new Sex And The City Movie, all the newspapers are abuzz with women of a certain age.  Articles from the Wall Street Journal to local newspapers are discussing the “untapped” market of women over 35.  Can you believe 35 is considered old?  Is seems that once you graduate out of the 18-34 marketing category, corporations and marketing firms consider you dead.

Well, with unmistakable timing, a new reality series called She’s Got The Look is America’s Next Top Model for the over 35 set.  She’s Got The Look is looking for a women with beauty, but more importantly, a relatable personality with depth that comes with maturity.  Ten women will compete for a contract with Wilhemina Models and a photo spread in Self magazine.

Judges include:

Sean Patterson, President of Wilhemina Models, Inc.

Beverly Johnson, The first African-American supermodel to appear on the cover of VOGUE.

Robert Verdi, whom you may recognize as the host of shows such as Surprise By Design and Fashion Police.

Photo Source

As you can imagine all sorts of fashionistas turn out, from a man in the process of becoming Trans-gender to a leopard-print, body suit wearing diva.  Each hoping to have “The Look”.

She’s Got The Look airs Wednesday, June 4th at 10:00pm on TV Land.  To read more about this show and to view some great sneak peaks, click here.  I’m really interested in your opinion on this. 

I think it’s smart of TV Land to recognize that women over 35 aren’t dead and we still do care about what we look like.  I hope that a show like this encourages women to take better care of themselves and inspires them to follow their passion at any age.  We’ll see…

Any 35 or over gals want to weigh in? 

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Chi-Town Review

Hey everybody.  I just returned from the Windy City and had a great, time.  Soon after I arrived on Friday, my friends and I went to a movie theater downtown for a sold out screening of SATC.  At the theater, women where streaming in with their Louboutins and dressed to the nines at 4:00 in the afternoon no less.  I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself how excited everyone was.

Before the show, one group of twenty-something ladies caught my attention.

 

This lady however, didn’t appear to get the memo.

Once in the movie, the theater was buzzing in anticipation.  I wish I could have taken more pictures, but I think my friends were a little embarrassed that I was approaching strangers to take their pictures.  But back to the movie. Once the music began, all the women started cheering and clapping.  It was pretty amusing.  My girlfriend said, “This is like Star Wars for women!”.   Then after an emotional roller coaster ride during the movie (I should have brought some extra make-up) the women once again cheered and clapped when the credits started to roll.

My verdict of the movie is that it was a lot of fun, but some parts of the story line were a little ridiculous and I was a bit disappointed with Carrie’s storyline.  (We can talk about the movie for those of you who have seen it, by leaving a comment.  So those of you who have not seen it, beware.)

The next day was filled with a lot of walking and shopping.  But with Chicago’s 10% sales tax, I had pretty tough criteria for my purchases. 😀

Lastly, I had to show you this funny store front that I came upon Sunday.  It’s for a city worker uniform shop.  It reminded me of photos that  Life In The Fashion Fast Lane features.  Apparently with the recession, this shop couldn’t afford a mannequin with all her appendages.

Well, the City was a blast, but it’s time to get back to work.  If you have any suggestions for a “Fashion Lesson” or theme for “Fashion Sensei Says…”, feel free to leave me a comment.

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Shopping My Way Through Memorial Day…

Well not the whole weekend.  Saturday I spent the whole day doing yard work and cursing at my bushes for becoming so over grown.  I have two particular bushes that I detest and told my husband not to be alarmed if he sees me wrapping a chain around both bushes and attaching the other end to my car and driving down the road to remove them. 

But I digress…

Sunday I had a lovely time shopping.  I found a fantastic purple patio dress from Gap that I just may live in all summer.  The dress comes in several shades and is very flattering.  I also added a lace racerback tank with my dress as my “girls” no longer ride as high as this 20 year old model. Best of all, my shortie friends can join in the fun because it comes in petite too!

I plan on taking this dress with me to Chicago this weekend, but I discovered that it’s going to be cold.  So now I need to go find a blazer to go with it.  Too bad I forgot that H & M’s Friends and Family was this weekend.  I have to say, I owe you all an apology.  I have had that coupon for the past several weeks, but wanted to give it to you just before the sale date, so you wouldn’t forget.  Instead, I forgot.  Sorry about that.  H&M did have quite a few really cute pieces though, so check them out nonetheless.

Here’s a look at my purple dress and some options to go with it for warm or cooler weather. (click on image for shopping details)

 

I also took a swing by the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale.  I have been on the hunt for a pair of black capris and I was thrilled to discover a line of pants called Claudia Ev by Tribal Contour Waist Capris.  These pants are perfect for someone with an apple shape.  The pants taper in around the lower thighs and knees to show off an Apple’s thin legs, and then have a slight flare at the calf for proportion.  Here’s what I liked the best, I have a butt!  The stitching on the rear has a sort of rounded heart shape at the top to give the appearance of a round bottom.  Something all apple shapes need.

The Tribal pants also boast a “flatten it!” feature that is supposed to minimize your tummy, however, I didn’t notice a dramatic effect.  But every little bit helps in the battle of the bulge.  Oh, and I almost forgot, they are on sale!  (Click on the picture for shopping details.)

Keep an eye out for more sales as stores are unloading all their spring lines.  To get your shopping motors running, I received word today that Blue Fly is offering an extra 10% off today only.  Happy hunting!!

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Blow Dryer Blues

So I tend to burn up blow dryers at least once a year.  One actually caught fire on me once.  After the fourth hairdryer in 3 years I decided it was time to make an investment in a quality professional grade dryer.  I spoke with a hairdresser who recommended a BaByliss, which is the brand that she uses for her clients.

Off the the Beauty Supply store I went.  The BaByliss Pro TT 5000 was around $150, a major investment for someone who had never paid more than $30 prior to that.  The dryer seemed nice; it came in a crocodile embossed hard case.  That’s good right?

It worked like a dream for about 4-6 months.  The tourmaline feature made my hair smooth and silky.  But soon after that, it wasn’t working as well.  Around nine months it started getting really hot and vibrating.  Then some 4 weeks later, I heard something break inside and the damn thing broke.  My $150 hair dryer broken? Really?! 

So I thought maybe it was a fluke, I paid the $15 for shipping to send back the old dryer and accept a new replacement.  Well, wouldn’t you know it, it’s making that vibrating noise again and I heard a loud pop this morning.  It still works, but only on a low setting without heat.  What is that going to do for me?

Now ladies and hairdressers alike, I am apealing to you for some advice for a really good blow dryer.  I have really thick long hair so I want something durable, quiet and with a long warranty.

I have been reading various reviews for other hairdryers, but would really like to hear from someone who has used their product for over a year.  Whad’ya say?  Can you help?

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Marshalls Shoe Megashop

Recently I was approached by a marketing firm to visit Marshalls new Shoe Megashop.  As a bonus, I was given $50 to purchase some new shoes.  Needless to say I was in.  Who wouldn’t want $50 to get some new shoes?

So I went yesterday afternoon to see what I could find.  Coming in to this assignment, I was expecting something new and exciting about the new Shoe Megashop.  When I arrived, I was a little disappointed.  I was expecting something a little more welcoming and pleasing.  What I found, was a bit of a mess.  All of the shoes are arranged by style, not size and not all of the shoes in boxes are displayed. Rather than it being a relaxing browse for some fantastic shoes, I did a lot of digging.

I started from the back of the “shop” and worked my way to the front of the store.  In the rear of the department, I found the sale, children’s and men’s selections. In that section, I didn’t find anything that  I was interested in so I proceeded to the front of the store. 

I soon discovered, that they do not carry size 10 1/2 and very few size 11.  There were however, a great selection of sizes 6-8.  I had a friend come with me who is a size 11 and she soon left me to walk around the store because they didn’t carry her size. 

As I moved along toward the front of the department, the styles of shoes improved.  I found brand names such as Cole Haan, Born, Nine West, Anne Klein, KORS by Michael Kors and BCBGGirls.  The black Patent Leather pumps that I found from Cole Haan were really cute, but they were irregular and still $69.99.

As I forged on, I came upon a sale wall displayed by size and found some cute gray Ombre pumps for only $20.  But even in size 11 they were too small.  Then I found some really cute Etienne Aigner gladiator style flats with rectangular stones marked down to $20.  For that price, they were keepers.

As I was browsing, I also found these sandals by Ellen Tracy for $39.99.  They are right on trend and I can see these being a fantastic compliment to a lovely patio dress for the summer.

To complicate matters, I discovered a beautiful silver metallic wedge from Nine West that I really liked too.  That conundrum was soon rectified though, because they weren’t very comfortable (a little too narrow).

While I was shopping, I decided to get the opinion of three other women.  All three were very happy with the selection that Marshalls offered and did not have any trouble finding their size.  As you may guess, they were between a size 6- 9 so there was more to choose from. 

So my verdict for Marshalls Megashop?  For me personally, it was a C.  I think they had a pretty good selection of brand names, I just wish they had a better selection of sizes.

I am very thankful though for the two pair of shoes that I did find, so a LOUD thanks to Marshalls! 

If you are interested in finding a Marshalls Megashop near you, please click on this link for further information.

 

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Hold On One Second Sweetie…

Last week Senator and Presidential hopeful Barack Obama called one of our local reporters Peggy Agar “sweetie”.  Here’s a look at what happened…

 

While some have dismissed this comment as playful (one woman on a local radio show thought it was cool), others have found it a bit offensive.  I for one was a little surprised to hear such a familiar tone taken with a complete stranger.  I found it condescending. 

Let me be clear this is by NO MEANS a political commentary.  (So all you Obama-bots and Hillary-heads step off.)  I am focusing on the sexist comments of a man to a woman.  I’m sure that Mr. Obama was without mal intent. But that doesn’t excuse it.

As a woman whose previous life was in the a very conservative and male dominated corporate world of commercial insurance, I dealt with this sort of language all the time.  I had my boss hit on me and a co-worker tell me that he had a sex dream about me.  In response to such behavior, women face a tricky situation.  You grin and bear it, otherwise, some women feel that they will be labeled a “feminazi” or not a team player, or you firmly let the offender know that his banter or behavior is inappropriate. 

I had a conversation on a similar topic with my girlfriends a couple of weeks ago, and one friend is struggling with a man new to supervisory duties, who treats her like a “woman”.  By that I mean, he opens doors for her (including the car door at one point) and talks to her differently than his male reports.

I’m really interested to know your experiences and how you dealt with them.  What do you think about using familiar language (honey, sweetie, babe) in a formal or business situation?  Have you ever been reprimanded for using these sort of endearments with male inferiors in business?  What is the line?

 

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Fashion Lesson #14 Signature Style

When you think of Anna Wintour’s style what do you think of first?  I think of her bob haircut. (It’s reported that she has had the cut since the age of 14.)  Karl Lagerfeld? Fingerless gloves and white starched high-collared shirts.  Finally, when I think of Coco Chanel, I think of pearls and the Little Black Dress.

So when it comes to your style, what is your signature look?  Is it an old locket that your mother gave you that you never take off?  Smartly tailored shirts? Killer heels?  When someone thinks about you, what comes to their mind first?  My only hope is that it is not overly sprayed hair, tapered acid washed jeans and blue eye shadow.

There’s a difference between a signature look that evolves with you over the years and just sticking with something that looked good on you two decades ago. 

For me it has been long hair.  I’ve cut my hair over the years, but I seem to look best when I wear it long and usually with a lot of layers.  I also have a necklace that I have only taken off a handful of times over the past 5 1/2 years.

My suggestion for “discovering” your signature style is to think about what you love most about yourself or is meaningful to you.  Do you have killer legs?  Wear skirts or some wicked heels.  A swan-like neck?  Think of making necklaces your signature look.  If you were blessed with a tiny little waist, you could make belts your signature style.  If you have lovely delicate hands, keep your fingernails well groomed and polished; ditto for feet.  Another accessory that just about all of us can pull of is a hat.  As we saw at the London premier of Sex And The City, hats come in all shapes and sizes; there’s something for everyone.

  

 

So while you are going about your day today or when getting ready this weekend, think about your signature style or lack there of.  What do you want others to know about you when they see you?

 

Click on images for photo sources.

 

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Fashion Sensei Says…

Wearable Art…

Check out the new Gap Artist Edition T-Shirts

Photo Source: Highsnobiety

 

Sale Away…

Here are some noteworthy sales going on this weekend…

Ralph Lauren 40% off Private Sale  *Bonus* Today only type in MAY15 and get an additional 20% off!

Hayden-harnett Private Sale check it out soon.  The sale ends tomorrow!

 

What’s Your Body Type?

Are you still unsure what body type you are?  InStyle.com has an interesting tool where you can input your measurements.  Not only will you see your body type, but InStyle offers some wardrobe suggestions to fit your body.

 

 

Patios Have Never Looked So Good…

Try out this season’s versatile patio dress. (click on images for shopping information)

 

Pump It UP!

 

Get Carried Away…

Check out the Sex And The City store for all sorts of SATC swag including lingerie.

P.S. I was interviewed by the Detroit Free Press today about Sex And The City and what I’ll be doing when the movie comes out on May 30th.  I’ll let you know if my interview makes the cut!

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America’s Next Top Model Finale

And America’s Next Top Model is….

Whitney Thompson of Atlantic Beach Florida.

Photo Source

A big surprise to me.  I really though Anya was going to win.  The representative from Cover Girl was fawning over her at the photo shoot with comments like “You model from your toes up!”

I think it’s a positive and interesting choice all at once.  The ANTM gals haven’t become big stars as the show suggests.  There are rumors that top modeling agencies and designers don’t like to be “told” who will be the next “it” girl.  So maybe Tyra and the show have decided to change direction a bit.  Neither girl did well in their commercial and Anya was a real disappointment in the final cat walk.

Was it just me, or did anyone else think that final runway show in Rome was only staged for the show?  Other final runway shows seemed to be actual shows by the designer.  This one just had Versace clothes, not a Versace show per se.

What do you think about the choice?  I also found an interesting link of pictures of the past contestants and some pre-show photos of Whitney when she was a bit slimmer (or really sucking it in).  Click here.

 

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Costume Institute Gala At The Met: Superhero meets Superstar

There’s so much to talk about surrounding the Costume Institutes’s “Superhero” show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The fashion of those who attended, the fabulous and the strange) and news out about a new Diane von Furstenberg collection.

First up the fashion.  Two weeks ago we had the Fashion Sensei Says…Nerd Alert Edition and I told you about the “Superhero’s” show.  Today I thought you may like to see some of the fashion from those who attended the gala.

Editor of the style bible Vogue, Anna Wintour, wore a gown from Chanel Haute Couture.  The gown looks a little bit like a cross of Princess Leia and a Tauntaun ( I didn’t know the actual name of this animal from the movie, so don’t put me under suspicion.  I had to look it up).

This dress worn by Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann in Chris Benz, with the designer himself looks nothing like a cartoon or superhero.  It’s just an high fashion example of the geometric trend so popular right now.  I love it.

Here are some other noteworthy gowns from the gala.  (Click on the image for an enlargement.)

And some of the more unusual ensembles…

We can’t forget about the guys… *sigh*

 

Finally, I wanted to tell  you about some interesting news about a new Diane von Furstenberg collaboration.  While reading Indian Rose Fashionista‘s site, I learned that DVF will be designing a new collection based on Wonder Woman, set to come out this holiday season.

“For this holiday season, von Furstenberg has collaborated with Warner Bros. Consumer Products on behalf of DC Comics and created a capsule collection of ready-to-wear, small leather goods and footwear that loosely takes its cues from the superheroine.” [WWD.com]

I’m really anxious to see the full collection, but here is a sneak peek…

Photo Source: WWD, nitro:licious

In honor of the new collection, Linda Carter(Wonder Woman herself) is shown here at the Costume Institute’s “Superhero’s” Gala with some wicked WW cuffs.

Naomi Watts has a little bit of Wonder Woman with the star on her dress and Pegasus rolled up in one with this dazzling pleated gown.

But I think the woman most worthy of a superhero title that night goes to Christina Ricciin Givenchy Haute Couture and Bulgari jewels.  This dress is just stunning.  It’s sort of Wonder Woman meets the new millennium.

For more behind the scenes click here for a video from Style.com.

Photo Source: Style.com 

 

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