Thursday, March 28, 2013

Bit-O-Inspiro 34


I was very intrigued by the beauty of, Lee Radziwill, younger sister to 60's style icon, Jackie Onassis, in the article mentioned in the above Bit-O-Inspiro. In my fashion, her interview was a unique bird's eye view into fashion's past from her vantage point. 

Sunday, March 17, 2013

à la mode: Retro Remix

If you remember, READing Your Style post, Survey of Historic Costume (Part 1), I shared some fashion history on clothing worn in the 60's. The 60's, unlike the "Silent Generation" before them, was a time when young people demanded to be heard, and was a time of many social protest movements. The Feminist Movement began during this time in history; traditional values were being questioned; the roles of women were changing; and some feminist supported dress reform as they saw clothing as symbolizing oppression. The Mods, Rockers, Hippies, and punks became prominent style tribes and their clothing certainly made their own statements to the rest of society. The great debate in fashion during this time was skirt lengths and the craze over miniskirts.



March is Women’s History Month, and there is no one more perfect than Grace Coddington to show how the 2013 Spring Collections have revisited the 60’s with looks inspired by the decade, as she was model during the time. The revival of 60’s flair in this particular decade is appropriate because women, each year, continue to make longer and longer strides in the way of developing their voice in society (i.e. Vogue, March 2013, reports that media outlets have declared 2013 the year of the woman as a record number of women take congressional office)



In my fashion, nothing represents the vigor that is in a woman more than a pointy shoe. To me, a strong way to channel that certain alluring presence of a woman is through the pointy flats worn throughout the spread. Regardless of the skirt length, these shoes compliment any women’s look by drawing a certain feminine line for one's body. These pointy flats mimic that strength and dominance of a woman wearing her highest pointy heel stilettos, but the fact that they are, indeed, flats makes for a more down-to-earth, practical, and approachable lady. 



To me what’s most striking about the woman who wears these types of flats is the way they elongate the women’s legs and defines the womanly contours of her limbs (they do this on most all women I've encountered and seen). No matter what size your leg, they certainly will make them thinner looking, and even more deity-like. When worn with a frock that shows off those legs, and styled right, they make the women more light-on-air (i.e.. pages 3 and 4).


In my fashion, pointy shoes on a women make the statement, “I am a girl, but I don’t throw like one.” They say, "I'm on the ball, and I keep on my toes." When you think of a smart person, they are referred to as very "sharp", and when you see a pointy-shoed women, I am immediately struck by her intelligence in wearing a shoe that gives such a sleek and slimming effect. If you find a pointy flat that has a clacker-heel, depending on how hard you walk, the sound as you walk demands attention with each step. Look at the last look of the spread: the armor-esque Balenciaga tweed suit is strong, and sexy with her midriff showing; then, your eyes lead down her black legs all the way down to the point of her pointy black flats! In my fashion, such an exclamation point!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Preserving Style: Super Good

In my fashion, it is a travesty that it seems to cost more to be "healthy" than it does to be "unhealthy", but I digress. Now, I firmly believe in the notion that when one looks good one feels good; but we can’t feel good if we stuff our faces with foods that aren't good for our health because I also find it true that, in the end, we are what we eat! Most of us have a list of reasons as to why we would rather eat a box of Skittles than eat a bag of unsalted peanuts, or a Twinkie rather than a banana, but in times of a needed snack I find that it’s better to think of the benefits your body will reap by eating more nutritious (and yes, more expensive) fruits and vegetables in place of the pastry we eat everyday at 3:30 pm. I am not a fan of totally clearing out our diet of all sugars and fats, but just think if your diet included more nutrient rich foods than not. As logic would have it, your body would feel so much better knowing its getting nutrients it really needs rather than feeding into the monster that tells your brain, “Eat something DEEP FRIED."


Our natural instinct in our over-indulgent world is not to think of kale, or edamame, or sweet potatoes as a scrumptious and filling mid-morning snack, but reshaping our brains to think that by eating them and fortifying your body for our pending old age should make you feel better about not eating that sugary Danish. Think about building a house: Building a house out of mud that's at your immediate disposal will hold for a while, but sometime down the line, it rains—then what? But if you invest the time and energy to go out of your way to buy some bricks, and cement, you will be ready for anything when it really counts! In my fashion, thinking like this is a lot better than thinking about how I wish my apple will turn into a cupcake (which won’t happen). Be glad you are preparing your body for the strength to lead a long life.


I found a great article in Better Homes and Gardens about how some foods deemed Superfoodsare easy to grow for ourselves at home. Because the entire world is working to take our money, a good idea to help our our dietary budget would be to take it upon ourselves to do it ourselves. Better Homes and Gardens shared the six below fruits and vegetables that we can easily grow ourselves at home, and how they benefit our body. I'm going to try my hand at growing some goji berries!

Sweet Potatoes: Why they are super: one large tuber contains nine times the daily recommended vitamin A. High levels of potassium, fiber, and other vitamins make them heart-healthy.
Get growing: Grow from cuttings or “slips.” Create your own slips from store bought potatoes, or buy from garden retailers. Go to BHG.com/PotatoSlips to see how to make sweet potato slips. Sweet potatoes love heat, so plant in the garden only when the soil temp tops 60 degrees F. Beauregard and Georgia Jet are quick to mature, so they’re better for Northern gardens. Choose bush types like Vardaman or Porto Rico if you have limited space.
Test Garden tip: cure sweet potatoes by storing at 85 - 90 degrees F for two weeks after harvest. This makes them sweeter.

Edamame: Why it’s super: An excellent source of protein, edamame (the Japanese name for young soybeans) also is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
Get growing: Edamame is a warm-season crop, so plant seeds in your summer garden when soil is 60degreeF or warmer. The crop matures in 902-100days.
Test Garden tip: Edamame has a narrow harvest window—about one week. When the pods are plump and still green, pick the entire crop. Boil the pods, then eat or freeze. Soybean varieties Butterbeans and Envy are suitable for both Northern and Southern Gardens.


Blueberries: Why they’re super: Loaded with antioxidants, blueberries are also rich in vitamins C and K.
Get growing: Blueberries grow well in average soil, as long a it’s not alkaline (pH above 7). Older varieties need pollinators, nut new types such as Peach Sorbet are not only self-fertile, they’re also compact and attractive in the landscape.
Test Garden tip: If your soil is alkaline, grow blueberries in containers. In the North, move pots to a shed or garage in winter.




Kale: Why it’s super: One cup of chopped kale delivers five times your daily vitamin K requirements and nearly three times your daily vitamin A needs. All that, with only 33 calories!
Get growing: Kale is none of the hardest cool-season crops, tolerating hard freezes in fall and winter after other greens have frozen out. All varieties are edible and nutritious, including ornamental kale. Try Red Bor—it’s both attractive and productive.
Test Kitchen tip: Fresh kale can be tough to chew. To tenderize it for a salad, cut the leaves into small pieces and massage them in a bowl for a minute or two. Some cooks sprinkle them with salt, then massage.



Goji Berries: Why they’re super: The berries of this traditional medicinal plant pack plenty of vitamin A and antioxidants.
Get growing: Goji plants are easy to grow and hardy in Zones 4-10. Prune as needed to control size.
Test Kitchen tip: Let the berries dry until they are wrinkly like raisins. Eat as a snack or a salad topper.






Kiwis: Why they’re super: A single kiwifruit—with just 50 calories—supplies 85 percent of your daily vitamin C requirements.
Get growing: Kiwis need sturdy structures to climb. The hardiest, Arctic Beauty, survives in Zones 3.
Test Garden tip: Most kiwis require a male pollinator plus a female vine. No room for the two? Try Issai, a self-fertile type hardy to Zone 5.

Friday, March 1, 2013

EDITOR'S LETTER: March 2013

Earlier this year, I had gone to get my eyes checked out so I could get a new prescription for my eyes. As you can see below, I certainly had a dilemma in deciding on a new style of frame to get for my face (I am really digging the old 70’s style transparent, wide frames you see teens where in your parent’s old yearbook photos). When I first found that I needed glasses for my eyes in 7th grade. I was mortified to know that I even needed glasses because I felt glasses would make me look even dorkier than I already was. Don’t get it twisted, I wasn't a “dork” per se, but I certainly wasn't one of those kids who hated school. When I first got glasses I carried my glass’ case around with me everywhere I went, for if there was ever a time when I felt I could get away without wearing them, those babies came off my face! I never knew I’d really need them more than ever as I found how much I enjoyed photography and fashion as I grew into adulthood.

Please help me decide which frames you think best on my face, would ya! Post a comment below, or let me know on Instagram, @inmyfashionblog!
Now, I would say I have grown out of my adolescent insecurities (yesterday was my birthday by the way), and I wear my glasses more often, and I am less vain that I was about them before, I might add. Being a fashion enthusiast, my eyes are my most valuable tool; I must take care of my eyes! People see me with my sunglasses on all the time (yes, even indoors—don’t judge me; see “Matthew 7:1”), and I wear them so often because 1) they protect my eyes against the harsh sun rays and the effects of the weather; 2) they serve as blinders do for a race horse in that they really help my scatter-brain focus more on what I NEED to be focused on; 3) They keep me from making unnecessary eye contact (I have a nasty habit of staring). Sunglasses are incredibly useful for me, and I always find sunglasses that fit comfortably over my normal eye-seeing glasses for those times when I don’t have on my contact lens (I love the glasses that older people with sensitive eyes use for driving; quite stylish if you find the right pair).

Please help me decide which frames you think best on my face, would ya! Post a comment below, or let me know on Instagram, @inmyfashionblog!
These past few months I have been thinking a lot about how I see myself in the future. As Anna Wintour says, “Fashion is about change,” and I always figured since I was younger that the way I am today is not indicative of whom I will be in the future. I have been listening a lot to Joel Osteen Devotionals on my Daily Bible App on the my new Samsung Galaxy phone I purchased this year (an excellent phone for those considering a new one) and he talks an awful lot about how God wants to release a flood of His power into all of our lives—a power which brings more good than we could ever imagine. He preaches that God will do this for each and every one of us, if only we would just believe that He will. Joel says that if you think overflow, you will receive overflow, but you can’t always be thinking about the mediocrity of your present life, and expect to receive abundance in your future. I am a witness to this fact everyday and I testify this truth through what I wear by representing myself the best I can EVERYDAY, even on weekends!

Please help me decide which frames you think best on my face, would ya! Post a comment below, or let me know on Instagram, @inmyfashionblog!
This month, I challenge you to dress as though you expect to be going somewhere fabulous, and that the future holds unimaginable prospects for you in that you must look your best for that time once you have reached your destination. As Coco Chanel has said, “One must always look nice for destiny.” In my fashion, as I said in my last Serious Style post, Dancing to the Beat of OUR own Drum, as the Law of Harvest would have it, when you dress with an overwhelming positive energy, your energy will transfer to those that you interact with, and people generally will try to match that energy that you are putting out. Not to say this is the case always but, in most instances, I have found that people treat other people better when the person they are talking to exerts a level of respect and positive energy within themselves. If you notice, people are quite shallow and rarely believe anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes. So, in my fashion, it’s your job to establish to others what you are all about, NOT the other way around, which is why I feel it is so important to dress impeccably, everyday. Only YOU determine your fate!

Please help me decide which frames you think best on my face, would ya! Post a comment below, or let me know on Instagram, @inmyfashionblog!
This month I want to examine how we look at ourselves, how we take care of ourselves, and how we can better prepare ourselves for our future-selves that are going to have much more going for ourselves than we do now, no matter what our current situation is. How long a life you live is dependent upon how satisfied you are in life. I say never settle in life, because everyday has a new victory ahead. Trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional. Keep Positive!