Nov 17

2015

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I ♥ Your Style: Florence Arthaud

Screen Shot 2015-11-17 at 12.31.22I was looking at my friend Didier Malige’s instagram earlier in the year and I noticed a photograph he posted mourning the tragic loss of Florence Arthaud, the french sailor who, among her many accomplishments, broke a world record in 1990 as the first woman to sail solo across the Atlantic. At first it was her most excellent tomboy style, her athletic body and her natural beauty that caught my eye. But as I sought to learn more about her, her character and female pride impressed me equally.

VOILE - 1986 arthaud (florence) - (fra) - fonds n/b April 1979, France --- French sailor Florence Arthaud during preparations for the Double Transat boat race, abord the boat Biotherm at the Port Camargue. | Location: Port Camargue, France. --- Image by © Henri Bureau/Sygma/Corbis arthaud

After her epic trans-atlantic crossing a reporter said to her, “Florence, you’re a real man” to which she confidently responded, “I don’t feel like a man at all. I’m sure I am more delicate in my navigating, more sensitive. I think women project in me their desire for liberty. I have always sailed in order to be free, to feel completely free; on the sea I am totally independent, alone.” ..

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Nov 10

2015

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Farm Fashion: Tweed that’s not twee

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While I’m a fan of men in tweed jackets virtually anywhere I see them, as a woman I always felt that wearing tweed in the city was just too rustic a look for me. I indulged my attraction to them once or twice – I remember picking up a brown and cream herringbone one at the flea market about ten years ago, but it just sat there in my closet untouched until I admitted defeat and gave it away. Now that I live in the countryside however, I am free to move full steam ahead in my enthusiasm for tweed. For my 40th birthday last year, Christopher gave me a custom-made hacking jacking. Slightly intimidated by the expense, I went fully classic – a black and grey Harris tweed in a slightly feminized version of a traditionally masculine style. She is a thing of beauty – my jacket, that is – beautiful shape, perfect fit, well-considered details. But I am now craving something less conventional to add to the mix – maybe an oversized mens-style jacket with the sleeves rolled up? Or perhaps something even more fitted and feminine and stylised? When I’m on the farm I’d like something roomy enough that I can throw on over a sweater and drive in comfortably. But then when I join my husband to go on the occasional shooting weekend, I love the thought of channelling the more retro girly shapes from the 1930’s – matching jacket and skirt with maybe a bit of a hairstyle and some makeup. You get the look, right? As I want something authentic and non-fashion-y I’m determined to find something at a vintage shop. We’ll see what I come up with.

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Sep 12

2012

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I ♥ Your Style: Princess Diana, part 2

I most personally relate to Princess Diana when she was newly married. Her style was still classic English but she was just starting to elevate her look a bit with a puffed sleeve shoulder, oversized sunglasses, a rather large hat, or bolder patterns. There is also a bohemian feeling in her clothes at this moment (inevitably left over from the 70’s) that fades out later on in her life. But it’s the softness of her look during this time – her shaggier hair, her relaxed body language, her shy but sincere smile that moves me the most...

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Aug 03

2012

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I ♥ Your Style: Jerry Hall, part 1

Continuing with my interest in classic American beauty, I’ve been looking at lots of pictures of Jerry Hall recently. I just love how she transformed her girl next door looks into total high fashion glamour.  For her, it has always been and will always be all about the hair and make-up. The way I see it, this worked for her because she never went too far out there with the clothes. One of my favorite 70’s looks is a woman in jeans and a t-shirt with big hair and glossy makeup. Jerry Hall took part in defining that iconic look and then stuck with it through subsequent decades. She had a brief, more decorative period in the 80’s (didn’t everyone?) which was genius in its own way, and I will share that with you in a future post.

But for now I want to start at the very beginning of Jerry’s career, when she met legendary illustrator and photographer Antonio Lopez. ..

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Jun 27

2012

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I ♥ Your American Style: Ricky Lauren

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As you know, I always have a style icon lurking in my head.  Whether real or fictional, alive or dead, man or woman, having someone to inspire me always makes getting dressed more fun. Lately I’ve been obsessing over women with classic American style, particularly from the 70’s. The simplicity of casual sportswear with a bit of grooviness like oversized sunglasses, flared jeans or muted colors make American style look sexier than it has in other decades. My latest discovery in this vein is Ricky Lauren. I have seen some of these pictures before, but never have they spoken to me so clearly.

 

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May 30

2012

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I ♥ Your Headscarf Style: Jackie O

Ever since I cut my long hair to shoulder length, it’s been a total crapshoot as to how it dries naturally. The simple summer solution I’ve found is to wrap a headscarf around it while it’s drying – it keeps the roots nice and flat and amps up the waves at the bottom. So just this past weekend, I walked out of my bedroom with my Chanel camellia print scarf tied in a do-rag on my head, when my tweenage daughter with much disdain in her voice said, “Ugh Mom, if you’re going to wear that again at least let me make it look less nerdy.”..

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May 18

2012

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I ♥ Your Style: Donna Summer

Donna Summer was a defining force in my childhood. Most Saturdays, around mid to late morning, my mom would pull out her favorite record and blast in through the house. We’d all bop around singing to the music as we did our chores or relaxed in our rooms, until a song would come on that we’d be so excited by that we might even meet in the front hall and have a little family dance off. For real. This was the 70’s, and it was very hard to resist the energy of disco music.
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