This quote hangs in my office. I read it every day. For me it expresses the very definition and value of inspiration. I guess I could argue that nothing inspires me more than inspiration. Sometimes I gather so much inspiration – images, photos, tear sheets, books, notes – that it overwhelms me, making me feel disorganised, unfocused and like I’ll never have enough time in my life to put it all to use. But I can’t resist it – if I see something that moves me I want to remember it, archive it, file it away for when I need it...
You may feel that you never have to see another picture of Lauren Bacall in your life, but I for one never get tired of looking at her. Most actresses of her generation were dressed by costume designers and film studios in a glamorous yet cliché “movie star” kind of way, and her on set and promotional photographs convey that. But I am most interested in her more candid, personal photos, especially the ones with her children...
There is that constant current of melancholy in most photographs of Joan Didion that sometimes makes me question why I am such of fan of them. At best she looks subdued, while in the most extreme she looks tortured and hopelessly sad. In her older years it’s as if that sadness within her came to express itself physically in the lines on her face and the thinness of her body. Yet because she has so honestly shared her sorrows with us, I feel protective and empathetic towards her.
And then there is her style, which is restrained and unselfconscious, but so elegant nonetheless. It looks easy to dress that simply, but it actually takes a lot of discipline to so precisely narrow down what works for you and even more discipline to stick with it. To me she represents the very best of intelligent, courageous and chic American women.
Last post on Jerry Hall. Hope I haven’t bored you. There are just too many great photos not to share.
So obviously the last chapter is the one of her with Mick Jagger. Although I love the stylized perfection of her and Bryan Ferry, I am also moved by the more natural quality of her style in her years with Mick, compounded by their obvious love for each other. It’s plain to see that this was a happy relationship and a happy family, at least for a time...
During her modeling years in the 70’s and 80’s Jerry Hall embodied American high-gloss glamour at it’s very best. ..
Although I was alive at the time, I regret not being old enough to witness Jerry Hall and Bryan Ferry walking the world as a couple in the mid 70’s. The combination of her overt glamour and his understated cool puts them at the top of my most stylish couples list. ..
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. ..
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.
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.”..
