READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 11)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 19: GLOVES

Vogue, March 2013, "On the Prowl", shot by Steven Klein

CHAPTER 20: HANDBAGS

Vogue, June 2013, "Golden State", shot by Camilla Akrans

Preserving Style: Beauty At Any Age (Feet)

The following "Beauty At Any Age" advice comes from the May 2013 Issue of InStyle Magazine

Put Your Best Feet Forward

We cram them into spike heels, force them to support our body weight plus handbags, and catwalk them mercilessly over concrete. It’s a wonder we can hobble around at all by the end of the day. Here’s how to undo the damage, starting now. 

20s – At this age, your feet are pretty forgiving. But if the heels you’re slipping into are open-toe, you need SPF. And since feet at any age can have especially dry skin, adopt this twice weekly routine, says N.Y.C. podiatric surgeon Hillary Brenner: Before bed, soak feet in warm water and Epsom salts. Rub a pumice over rough spots, then smooth on a moisturizer with exfoliating alpha-hydroxy acid. Cotton socks will lock in moisture. Try these: Earth Therapeutics pumice stick, $3; earththerapeutics.com. Eucerin Intensive Repair foot cream with AHA, $6; drugstore.com.

30s – Maturing feet lose cushions of fat—and tolerance for heels. Think “only two to three hours in stilettos,” says N.Y.C. podiatrist Jackie Sutera, who notes that tall or too-tight shoes are also more likely to cause corns now. Lining pumps and oxfords with rub-reducing pads can help, as will lotions with salicylic acid (to wear away layers of dead skin) plus humectants to draw in moisture. Try these: Foot Petals Killer Kushionz, $13; footpetals.com. Cerave Renewing SA Cream with salicylic acid, $23; at drugstores.

40s – Years of polish add up to discolored nails. Also on the rise in this decade: fungal infections and calluses. To fix the nail ick, file the tops (not tips) of nails, then apply the polish below, with moisturizing vitamin E and fungus-fighting tea-tree oil. Break down calluses with a cream containing urea. It dissolves keratin, which holds the top layers of skin cells together, says N.Y.C. dermatologist Bruce Robinson. Try these: LCN Urea 10% foot spray, $26; lcnboutique.com. Dr.’s Remedy Enriched nail polish, $17 each; remedynails.com.

50s and Over - Along with brown spots clotting your toes (sun damage!), you may notice deep cracks in your heels as waning estrogen levels dry out skin everywhere, says N.Y.C. dermatologist Debra Jaliman. Blast away spots with lightening agents such as hydroquinone or licorice extract. To mend cracks, Dr. Jaliman swears by the buffer below, followed by a liberal slathering of a lotion with shea butter or avocado. Try these: Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum with hydroquinone, $60; murad.com. Emjoi Micro Pedi, $40; target.com.

Pedi Cures: Step into your doctor’s office for the big guns in foot repair

1) Botox for sweaty feet: A dermatologist or podiatrist injects feet about 20 times to paralyze sweat glands, helping to reduce the 8 onces of sweat some women produce daily. Cost: About $1,200 for both feet; results last six months.

2) Chemical Peel: To zap brown spots and smooth lizard-like skin, podiatrists offer trichloroacetic acid to slough off your foot’s outer layer, says Dr. Brenner. Cost: About $600

3) Fat injections: The filler Juvederm—FDA-approved for facial lines—is also used by dermatologists and podiatrists to pad the balls of the feet, reducing calluses. Cost: About $1000 per foot; results last six months.

4) Liposuction: It’s the best way to get rid of “cankles,” the fat that can make ankles look nearly as wide as calves, says N.Y.C. dermatologist Howard Sobel. Cost: About $2,500 for both ankles.

à la mode: 5 Days, 5 Looks, 1 Girl - Jane Herman Bishop

DAY 1

Oddly enough, I find I am not the type of person who likes to wear jeans to work, or too often as a matter of fact. With my personality and career mindedness, I am the type of person who enjoys dressing up in dress slacks and blazers on a daily to appear most professional and appropriate. 

DAY 2

But Vogue contributor and cofounder of JeanStories.com, Jane Hermon Bishop, has me rethinking the notion I have for jeans. In my fashion, she almost gives me a new outlook on jeans as a whole. The way she puts her outfits together, the jeans she wears are almost camouflaged for what they are. 

DAY 3

For the sake of her blog, Jane wears jean every day, and her Day 4 look is one I adore because she isn’t wearing jean pants, but a jean jacket. She’s not particularly confined to wearing jean pants everyday but she was able to incorporate her love of the fabric elsewhere on her person. Plus with her Dries Van Noten pants almost look like jeans with a floral pattern on them, so the look is even more intriguing in that way. I also love a pointy shoe if you remember from my à la mode post "Retro Remix".

DAY 4

Her Day 5 look is a classic look that still passes as professional. It’s so basic, but the clean, crisp look of her tan jacket mixed with her clean white patterned blouse, and clean dark blue denim is a look I am sure no one would look away from. A clean look is always admirable, in my fashion. Although I do have a certain admiration for her ripped jeans in her Day 1 look. 

DAY 5

Paired with her black sweater with the small Christmas tree designs on the sleeve, and that colorfully patterned hood, I am attracted to the adolescent look especially with her canvas shoes. It’s another clean look, despite the rips in her pants. She is my inspiration for Casual Fridays at work.

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 10)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 17: COATS

Vogue, August 2013, "Status Update", shot by Mikael Jansson

CHAPTER 18: HATS

Vogue, August 2013, "Bonjour Brooklyn", shot by Boo George

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 9)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 15: ATHLETIC WEAR

Vogue, June 2013, "The Kate Effect", shot by Mario Testino

CHAPTER 16: SWEATERS

Vogue, July 2013, "A Sporting Chance", shot by David Sims

Preserving Style: Beauty At Any Age (Legs)

The following "Beauty At Any Age" advice comes from the March 2013 Issue of InStyle Magazine

How to Score Amazing Legs

Whether or not a mini in your 40s is advised, there’s plenty you can do right now to feel better about your thighs, knees, and calves.

20s – Commit to sunscreen to have the legs of a 25-year-old at 40. Using sunblock can even help prevent spider veins by protecting capillaries. To ensure that legs look their best, choose a moisturizer with SPF, then follow with a self-tanning lotion for safely bronzed skin. And keep on jogging, says dermatologist Jeanine B. Downie. “Exercise in your 20s sets the shape of your legs as you age.” TRY THESE Eucerin with SPF, $10; drugstore.com. Victoria’s Secret self-tanning lotion, $15; victoriassecret.com.

30s – Skin cells are starting to turn over more slowly, so stay smooth by upgrading your moisturizer to one with lactic or glycolic acid says dermatologist Anne Chapas. Pregnant? Wear compression tights from morning until night , beginning at four months. “They increase circulation to ward off spider veins.” (Wear the hose after age 40 for the same reason.) TRY THESE Rejuvahealth sheer black-dot pantyhose, $70; rejuvahealth.com. Amlactin moisturizing body lotion, $16; cvs.com.

40s – For most women, the uncutest of dimples have arrived by now, whether they appeared at 30 or were brought on later by a sedentary lifestyle. Weight-train to build muscle, and for smoothing in the short term, seek out firming treatments with caffeine or antioxidants (like Nivea’s Q10). For a more permanent solution, check out the sidebar for in-office procedures. TRY THESE Nivea Skin-Firming Cellulire Serum, $16.; drugstore.com. Bliss Fat Girl Slim Lean Machine with cream, $145; blissworld.com.

50s and Over - If sag has become a drag, look for a tightening serum or cream with hyaluronic acid to help temporarily firm the outer layer of skin, says Dr. Chapas. (The one pictured contains peptides to improve elasticity.) Do lifts and squats for toned muscles, and never underestimate the power of cosmetic camouflage. The spray-on leg makeup below helps hide veins and cellulite. TRY THESE Skinceuticals Body Tightening Concentrate, $75; skinceuticals.com. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs , $13; at drugstores.

Bigger Fixes: WHAT THE DOC CAN DO FOR…

CELLULITE: The most effective remedy, says Dr. Downie, is Cellulaze. Doctors use an optic laser to cut through fibrous bands that trap pockets of fat under the skin. Plan on $3,500 to $7,000 per procedure (for results that last two years), with downtime from four days to a week. 

CANKLES: Exilis, a radio-frequency device, actually melts fat and tightens skin around the ankles. Plan on six $350 sessions, with results that last several years.

VEINS: The gold standard for treating spider veins is sclerotherapy, says Luis Navarro, director of the Vein Treatment Center. Docs inject a chemical compound that irritates the lining of the vein, causing it to collapse and disappear. You’ll need two to four injections, costing about $500 each. For larger varicose veins, you may need endogenous laser ablation, in which a laser fiber is inserted to destroy the vein. The price tag can be as much as $5,000 for both legs, but it may be covered by your insurance.

READing Your Style: Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible (Part 8)

As we know, the Fall/Winter 2014 Collections are well on their way, and in my fashion, thinking about the direction of fashion, it is so interesting to me to see how our ideas of what is "fashionable" change throughout time. As I mentioned in my February Editors's Letter, clothes in this 2014 year seem to be more about expressing a certain intelligence. Minimalism is the trend once again, and while one may think that minimalism is about pairing down, and dressing more simple, the concept of minimalism is really about giving the illusion of simplicity. A look can be minimal while being quite assembled and thought about, and that's the trend I am seeing going into 2014, and forward as we can now start to prepare our wardrobes for Fall.

The reason I decided to bring back Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible posts this month is to shed some light on fashion history, and churn ones mind about where our favorite pieces of clothing originated. As we all know here on #IMFblog, I find it fascinating to think about how pieces of clothes have developed throughout time, and why we are attracted to certain styles of dress. Strong style is dependent upon one's knowledge of how to use our looks to enhance our power to choose where we want to go in life. Hopefully these excerpts get you to taking more interest in being sartorially strategic and inspiring.

CHAPTER 13: HOSIERY

Vogue, January 2014, "More is More", shot by Craig McDean

CHAPTER 14: SHOES

Vogue, June 2013, "Golden State", shot by Camilla Akrans

à la mode: 5 Days, 5 Looks, 1 Girl - Stella Greenspan

As evident by last year’s MET Gala Exhibition, Punk: Chaos to Couture, the rebellious nature of the punk aesthetic has evolved into so many interpretations since its beginnings in the last 60’s and early 70’s. In my fashion, punk in general terms means having the courage to be who you are and express yourself either through your clothing, attitude, actions, or beliefs, despite the feelings other may have towards you. Exuding a “punk” attitude says a lot about your strength in character and how you think. It makes for an intriguing personality for people to have to try to understand, and appreciate. 

DAY 1

When it comes to dressing for business, if you prefer a more hard rock inspired edge in the clothes you wear, it can be hard to incorporate that punky edge while still appearing professional enough to climb one’s corporate ladder. I myself have always enjoyed a more grungy, edgy look myself since middle school wearing beat up Chuck Taylors (which I still have), black clothes, and holes in my pants, but now, as an adult chasing a higher salary and executive leadership, my grungy looks are best saved for my weekends, and at home.

DAY 2

But sometimes, going to work, I like to add a bit of punk into the mix in my own ways. I believe Stella Greenspan, Fashion Assistant to Creative Director Grace Coddington, is a great example of how to do that. As one can see in her Day 1 look, there is something delightfully offbeat and hard edged about her considering her mid calf length leather skirt, teal stockings, and deconstructed leather shoes, all by Balenciaga. Unlike a lot of the smiling, gleaming Vogue girls who wear upbeat playful colors and patterns, Stella prefers to wear darker colors, and still looks as gleaming and smiley as any other Vogue girl. I love that she is able to wear dark colors, leather, and varsity jackets that are unconventional for the office, but the fact that she adds pops of color and crisp white collared shirts qualify her looks as professional attire. 

DAY 3

All of her looks are youthful, functional, appropriate for work, and say that this girl sees the beauty of the dark side. There are many variations to a girl’s personality, and a girl doesn’t have to be girly, flirty, and colorful to be beautiful. Her Balenciaga shoes are my favorite aspect to her looks for she wears them with each look, and there are so many qualities to them, that say so much about Stella in and of themselves. She inspired me to be comfortable wearing my big black Nike boots to work as long as I can balance the look out with some really tailored pants, and an interesting crisp collared shirt like her Day 4 look. 

DAY 4

I adore her Day 3 evening look and her Balenciaga skirt. The fact that she plays with the stripe effect from the skirt with her scarf and her sweater is genius, in my fashion. Along with the vintage jacket with all those zippers, and the leather shoes, it all culminates into a rough and tumble look that is still girly, flirty, and polished, and positively Vogue. 

DAY 5