Possess Your Style is going on a little break for the next few weeks. We’ll return to your inbox on August 17th.
Monthly Archive for July, 2009
iTunes has revolutionized the way we think about, listen to and interact with music. If you don’t have an mp3 player, iPod or otherwise, stop reading go out and buy whatever will work best for you – it will change your life. I promise you. You will become the best DJ you’ve ever known. But, beware play a playlist for a friend and they may never look at you the same again. Style is about more than the clothes in your closet, it’s about the music you listen to, the restaurants you dine in, the neighborhood you choose to live in, and so on … the list is endless.
Back to the music you listen to – some believe that “you are what’s on your playlist”. For the uninitiated, a playlist is a group of songs a person can tailor to his own tastes or moods picked from her larger library music. Recently the San Fransisco Chronicle reported that experts have weighed in on the subject and have found that our digital music libraries are a reflection of our personalities. Experts or no, you can tell a lot about someone by the playlists on their iPods. Music libraries, and playlists in specific, give you a window into someone’s innermost thoughts almost like a diary. You best believe that the recruiting partner at your law firm who loves Jay-Z and works out to “Show Me What You Got” every morning, has a club outfit (she may only get there 1x a year, but she goes). Don’t be surprised if the mod girl who works at your favorite coffee shop loves the sauve stylings of crooner Michael Buble (pronounced Bu – blay). Or that your work BFF secretly wishes WHAM! would re-unite.
The first time an acquaintance grabbed my iPod to scroll through my playlists I was absolutely mortified because my music library is definitely reflective of my style which is multi-facted (and like the partner who works out to Jay-Z, not necessarily all parts of it are for public consumption). But, I love music and my confidence in my musical tastes (similar to my confidence in my sense of style) far outweighed my fear of comments from the peanut gallery. Lesson learned? Unless you are DJ, don’t hand your iPod over to just anyone.
Summer has become synonymous with vacations for many of us. The state of the economy may mean that long weekends have co-opted two week Summer vacations, but going away is going away no matter how long the trip. Post 9/11 travel has certainly become an exercise in patience, but don’t let the new security measures prevent you from traveling In Style. Since most airlines are now charging a minimum of $15 per checked bag (unless you’re taking an international flight), taking everything but the kitchen sink is no longer an option for most of us. You can dress comfortably and still be a stylish member of the friendly skies, the Greyhound set, or the Amtrak hoi polloi. Choose a neutral color pallet for your trip (i.e., black, white, cream, etc.) and pack coordinating items, casual as well as dressy. Take the time to mix-and-match your outfits before packing to make sure that your coordinating items do in fact coordinate. Be strategic in your packing, really think about what you’ll need while away versus what you think you might want. Use your accessories – jewelry, purses, clutches, scarves and shawls – to dress up or dress down your outfits. No one but you is going to be focused on whether or not you wore that pink tunic two days ago. Shoes? Shoes are always tricky. They can take up lots of room, but that one special pair can really make an outfit come to life. My general rule of thumb is to pack one heel and one flat and then coordinate outfits around the shoes. For the days you are actually in transit, opt for a great pair of jeans, a long skirt/dress or slacks over sweats. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes that you can take off easily (if traveling by plane and you don’t have socks on, bring an extra pair in your carry-on to put on when you go through security); and dress in layers on top to insure that you’re equipped for the various temperatures you’re bound to encounter while traveling. It is always great to have a shawl to keep you warm – it can also provide just the right pop of color to your neutral ensemble. The perfect way to complete your stylish travel look is a great tote bag. Use one that’s big enough to carry your essentials on board (toiletries, make up, jewelry and possibly that extra pair of shoes); if you check your bags, your clothes may get lost in space but you will arrive at your destination with the most important items in tow. This way whatever travel drama you encounter, and hopefully there will be none, you will arrive at your final destination perfectly attired and you can focus on having fun and getting into the spirit of things!
It took until July for the dog days of Summer to finally arrive, but it’s here!! Waking up to sunshine makes me smile. But, with hot weather comes perspiration. Admit, you sweat. We all do. Some of us have genetic dispositions that mean we only sweat when we’re at the gym or when it’s 95 degrees and we’re sitting on a beach with no umbrella and no breeze. But I think we’ve all suffered from overactive arm pits at one point or another. Those genetically pre-disposed not to sweat are few and far between.
Sweating allows the body to regulate its temperature. Evaporation of sweat from the skin surface has a cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation of water. Hence, in hot weather, or when the individual’s muscles heat up due to exertion, more sweat is produced. Sweating is increased by nervousness and nausea and decreased by cold. Ok, so it’s natural but pit stains don’t look so natural when spreading out from underneath a beautiful blouse, dress or shirt.
Aside from resorting to botox injections directly into your armpits, there’s very little one can do to stem the flow of perspiration. However, my grandmother and many ladies like her back in the day, relied on something called dress shields. Some were attached to slips and some were arm contraptions that provided a barrier between your skin and your clothing. While not necessarily glamorous, they worked.
With the ensuing heatwave, two clients in the past week asked me to help them figure out how to prevent pit stains. Like Hollywood Fashion Tape, dress shields are something you should have in your arsenal just in case. There should be no shame in your game! I’m partial to Fashion Forms, but there are a ton of brands on the market. There is absolutely no need to worry about having pit stains this Summer!
