Thursday, November 7, 2013

How I love thee, let me count the ways. I sob when I listen to "Where are we Now"  from BOWIE"S latest album, The Next Day! The rest sounds amazing. Must get it

Along with this, always ahead of the curve, stars in new ad campaign for Louis Vuitton
 Enjoy
utube

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

SCHOOL DAYS

OK, where was I? Oh yes, school days in my history of fashion. In the 50's all the girls had to wear skirts and dresses to school, if you can imagine! Not school uniforms but just couldn't wear pants.  We were always dressed up for school. Mum was such a fashionista she always had me perfect. Not sure how long I stayed that way at school as I loved recess and playing on swings and playing marbles and baseball. Actually jeans were part of greaser sub culture in the 50's and just starting to become popular among teenagers.
I remember these clothes. I remember this book bag. There were no backpacks yet really. They were invented by Dick Kelty in 1952 but they didn't really become popular until the 70s when hiking became a more mainstream sport.
The dress I have on in first picture was pink cotton and I loved it. The knit dress  I adored as well and can remember it. I still have the little black velvet belt on the other dress, I wasn't aware of any sort of fashion at the time but I was being groomed.
Hair! I was beginning to realize that my curly hair wasn't always what I wanted and in next photo was the beginning of me trying to straighten my hair.















favorite dress
















all dressed up

straightening bangs
















So much more but tired. Will continue tomorrow

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

ONE MORE THING !

Somebody stop me! Just one more thing to make the point about teeth and that the quirks are good. What would Madonna, Laura Stone and Lauren Hutton be without their signature gap? I'm just sayin.

   
















     

















 
















Photos:necessarybeauty.blogspot.com,fabsugar.com,fabpop.com

TEETH, TEETH, TEETH !

The "fixing teeth" thing from last post! Let's be clear by "fixing", I don't mean looking after your teeth. I have always said, that is the most aging thing that people ignore, as they age. I am in favor of yearly check ups at the dentist and regular cleaning by a professional. Taking good care of your teeth is NOT what this blog post is about.
 In my opinion, people who,for no good reason and when their teeth are healthy but just a bit quirky,  have them ,what they consider "fixed", make a big mistake. It takes away part of their personality and in my opinion, appeal. There are certainly exceptions and when your teeth are a real distraction or very crooked or really look bad or are not healthy, then yes, veneers can be extremely helpful and restore a person's confidence and make them look better. I don't think that is what is happening in the majority of cases.
 There is no bigger fan and admirer of David Bowie than I am. I have even  designed a line of knit clothing for him and inspired by him. I cried like a baby listening to "where are we now" from his latest album, but I was bummed when he had his teeth"fixed". Like his eyes, those little bit fang like teeth gave him that unique edge. He was so good looking anyway, I just didn't think it was better. It's not bad and this is only my opinion. The article I take this photo from said it was a big improvement, but I do not agree.
 This the way I feel about Ricky Gervais. He has the same kind of teeth and I love them.

















Does anyone out there agree?
photo : au.lifestyle.yahoo.com

I think it is very important, and part of overall health and for sure, style to look after your teeth. Like I said, you should whiten them and have them kept up every year. be careful not to whiten too much as that is a big "no no" as well. If someone has these unnaturally white teeth then that is all you see which is not good either. I would love your thoughts out there?
      
Have to do a post on "fixing teeth" before I go on with my history in fashion.
Ricky Gervais- Love your teeth just the way they are!! Don't "fix"










Photo: ryanseacrest.com

Back to history of fashion today with "School days"  in the 50s

Monday, November 4, 2013

Let's get the Skinny on Skinny. 
I think fashion, style and beauty are separate things. I am talking fashion

The point of this blog is not to trash larger women. There are tons of super sexy, confident high fashion women who are large so don't get the wrong impression, ok. I love everyone who loves fashion whatever your size.  In today's world it is so much easier to be larger, anyway, as everyone is more confident doing their own thing. I am making an observation, while saying that magazines editors and designers should be able to choose who they want to best show their clothes. Business is tough and they should be allowed to show their collections on whomever. Some designers are choosing to use plus size models and that is their right. They are making that decision from a business standpoint and  I suppose  they feel that it will help their particular demographic. I am just saying that since the 50s it has been more  common to see thin models as the designers want the clothes to hang . They feel they show better
 This is a delicate subject and I will indeed  try to be delicate, while telling the truth as I see it, as far as  the fashion business goes. This is only my opinion and would love to hear yours.
 As long as I can remember the iconic figures of  movies and magazines were slim. It was always sought after in my world. It was never analyzed and debated to the point it is today but still desired if you loved clothes. It is very hard to stay thin and you have to have a real passion for fashion to even bother trying. People do try though
 Marilyn Monroe was and still is probably the most gorgeous woman ever. She had the magic of being super sexy but childlike at the same time. Even though many say she was bigger than models today,which is true, she was still slim. These were the 50s. Elizabeth Taylor, the same.  Granted they were not as thin as those to follow. They were gorgeous and sexy but not necessarily fashion icons.

                    

 
Next came Audrey Hepburn and to me this was the birth of real fashion, in the movies. Then of course there was Jackie and her iconic style. I mean Elizabeth and Marilyn were gorgeous and huge sex symbols but didn't say "fashion" like Audrey and Jackie. They were also very thin. The clothes looked incredible on them, because they were both stunning, and the great hair, but, in a large part because they were thin and the clothes just hung off them like on a coat hanger. They were not at all unhealthy. They were just thin. I don't think it is a dirty word at all and I do think clothes look amazing on their slim figures. I am not talking about desirability, I am talking about fashion. Decide for yourself.





 If you wanted to look like these women, and everyone did, it seemed a good idea to try and stay thin. That is not to say that larger women are not attractive or don't look good in clothes. They are and they do but I can't think of iconic, larger fashion women of this period that wore their clothes quite as well, can you? I have a ton more to say on the subject. I just don't think thin is a dirty word. Thin or large is, in most cases, a choice, right?
To be continued................
THE SIXTYS

photos: biography.com, fanpop.com, pictify.com, voanews.com,emiliciastyle.blogspot.com,fanpop.com, southofmain.com,wwd.com, glogster.com, dtlalifestyle.com




Sunday, November 3, 2013

After every third post on my history in fashion, I will break it up with a current fashion post. I have something to say about skinny models and young models. You know what? I am going to try to justify the decision of magazines and designers to hire these models. not to promote poor health but to understand their thinking. This is my opinion
In defence of skinny, tomorrow. Tune in. I'll explain the picture of Karl Lagerfeld  as well!!
Photos: style.com
















I have never agreed that we only have this one life to live as I have lived many lives on this earth. Sometimes my life is so different now that I don't even recognize who the younger me really was.
We are going to move from the baby years now. My parents , Lillian and Johnny were so in love and life was simple in my youth

me

















Mum and Dad


  I will be referencing my mum and dad in my style evolution because both, but especially Lilly played a pivotal role, as you will see from the photos. If this isn't right out of the movies from the 50s', don't know what is.
 So young and in love were they!



























Friday, November 1, 2013

 I am not sure where my mum got her love of fashion, coming from the country and all, but she had an amazing sense of style from the get go. Now, folks did dress up a lot more for work and kids for school and play, in the 50's but we did even around the house. I mean, I am reading comics and have little pony tail, turned up jeans and loafers. Amazing! Outside playing in tam and full canvas jacket and pants to match. This was the way it was all the time and my mum held down a full time job. She was the original womens' lib. She was a trail blazer for sure and this was my role model for "doing it all" and for attention to detail in fashion.
 This was not just our family but most families in the 50's. Cool time! We were more fashion that most because of mum
  Mum's influence on my sense of style, as you can see, began very young. Here I am  on my bike and look at the outfit; adorable bathing suit and hat, just in the back yard; doll carriage parade that I won and at the exhibition held each year. Look at the adorable dress I am wearing. Crazy, when you think of it today.

 Early years   Lilly and me
me
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me