More Mid-Century, Courtesy Talbots

This neckline and shape, classic early 60's!  Cotton/silk, $79.50.
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Mid-Century Mania - Channeling the Style

But first, a disclaimer...

Though I've been somewhat over this ground before, I just wanted to reiterate that despite my recurring infatuation with some elements of mid-century style and fashion (and the TV show Mad Men), I am in no way nostalgic for or advocating a return to the sexism, racism and retrograde gender roles of that era.  I grew up during a time when roles for women were still limited either by laws or tradition, when women sometimes couldn't get a credit card (let alone a mortgage) in their own name, and when it was considered just the natural order of things for men to be paid more, for pregnant women to be fired once they started to show, for a "career woman" to be seen as a sad oddity, for women to be taught that they were nothing without a husband and children, for divorcées or never-married women to be viewed with suspicion and hostility.  One of the reasons that I like Mad Men is that it doesn't tiptoe around those issues or the blatant sexual harassment that many women encountered on a daily basis, and I'm glad the show is drawing a younger audience as well, as I think it's something that younger women need to understand.  For a feminist take on the show, see Feministing's Mad Men Mondays here.  (h/t Sidewalk Chalk.)

Nor am I hoping that girdles, garters, starched petticoats or corset-like bras stage a comeback.  Une femme is all about The Comfortable and if it hurts, pinches, chafes, digs in, gives you a rash, or keeps you from standing/sitting/walking/moving in a normal way, I say chuck it.  The kind of constrained femininity required by some of those fashions is beyond what most of us are willing to endure on a daily basis.  

So without squeezing oneself into some Heavy Artillery underpinnings, here are some ideas to inject a bit of that mid-century style and glamour into a modern wardrobe. (I'm going to tackle the more mainstream looks in the first post or two, then hit the Bohemian Beat in a separate entry.) 

1.  They Don't Call Them Classics For Nothing...

• Chanel-style "lady" jackets worn over a sheath dress or straight skirt. If they match the skirt or dress, all the better.  This one from Talbot's works with jeans (add a brooch or three to invoke mid-century), but would also look great with a grey sheath dress.

• (Casual) Levi's 501's cuffed and worn with penny loafers or saddle shoes.  (Like the ones from Cole Haan, right.)
• (Casual) A button front blouse knotted at the waist.
• Ankle length, straight slacks (trousers), fitted, in solid or prints.
• A shirtwaist dress with a fuller skirt
• A crewneck cardigan, just-below-the-waist length and fitted.  Bonus points if you wear draped over the shoulders.  Double bonus points for a sweater clasp.
• A fitted v-neck sweater over skirt or slacks
• A beaded sweater.
• Bonus points if sweater color matches skirt or slacks

2.  Les Bijoux (I've focused on mostly pearl jewelry, as that's what I most remember my mother, grandmother and other women wearing.  Diamonds and other gems were more often reserved for evening wear or more dressy occasions.)

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  Brooches!  These shown from Beladora 2.  (Links here, here and here. Use discount code PSEU for a 10% discount on these or any other items at Beladora or Beladora 2.)

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  If that shorter single or double strand of pearls has been languishing in your jewelry box, time to pull them out.  Don't be afraid to wear both a strand of pearls and a brooch (see pic at top of post).

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  Earrings:  for daytime, forget the dangles or the itsy bitsy studs.  Fewer women had pierced ears back then, and clip earrings were the norm.  Hair was often worn up or pulled back from the face, so earrings were meant to be seen. 

Earring links here, here , here and here. (Don't forget your discount code PSEU for 10% off, and remember that a jeweler can convert clips to posts or the reverse.)

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  Remember, that by mid-century style rules, Matching is Good.  So go ahead and wear those matching earring/necklace/bracelet sets.
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  Wristwatches - small, bracelet watches.  If leather, keep straps thin and watch face small. 
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   Charm bracelets.  Single or multiple charms. Need I say more?

3.  Scarves

• As an accent, smaller scarves were worn tied simply and snugly around the neck.

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  Larger silk squares underneath coats or sweaters for warmth.  Tie ascot style to channel Equestrienne Betty. 

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  Larger silk squares would also be worn over the hair and tied under the chin to protect the elaborate hairdos.  Best worn in close proximity to a '57 T-bird, top down, natch!

Well, these are just a few ideas for adding some mid-century style to your mix.  Do you have some mid-century pieces that you wear regularly?  Or ideas you'd like to try?

On deck: Eveningwear, Bags and Shoes!

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French Women... [insert stereotype here]

Isabelle Huppert, 57. Photo from New York Times here.

Going through my e-mail Thursday morning, I saw that the lovely Rubiatonta had sent me a link to a NYT article entitled "Aging Gracefully, the French Way," and my interest, bien sur, was piqued.  I didn't have a chance to read the entire article (actually, two articles) and all of the fascinating reader responses in the comments section until later that night and throughout the next day. 

The article itself is mostly a re-hash of much of what has already been written about French Women™ including some truths (e.g. they pay more attention to skin care than makeup), some gross generalizations, stereotypes, and more than a few "bon" mots that almost made me spew cafe-au-lait all over the monitor.  (This snorter for example: "And even the average Frenchwoman — say, shopping along the Rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré or enjoying a leisurely lunch on the Left Bank, or strolling through the Luxembourg Gardens..." This is the equivalent of saying the "average" American woman shops on Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive, enjoys an extended lunch at a posh restaurant and then goes for a stroll in Central Park.)  Several of the commenters including some French women or people currently living in France, pointed out the ridiculousness of these examples and the fallacies of many of the generalizations within the article, so I won't fisk everything in there.  (I find that "lifestyle" and "trend" writers in the NYT tend to be from a rarefied, privileged demographic and assume everyone leads the same kind of upper-class lives that they do.)

As une femme americaine who has visited Paris three times in the last four years and tried to pay close attention to the women there, I do see some overall differences between the women of our two countries, even taking the broad diversity of both places into account.  Yes, les femmes d'un certain age in Paris and the few outlying areas we've visited do tend to wear less makeup than their counterparts here.  No, one doesn't see the freakish, sometimes scary results of overdone plastic surgery while walking through the more upscale arrondisements that one might encounter in Beverly Hills (though some commenters observed that the obviously Botoxed face is becoming more common in Paris).  I did see exceptions in Paris, but generally women over 40 don't try to dress like teenagers or 20-something celebrities. Nor does one see legions of women teetering around on stilletto heels.  True, the occasional high heel is seen, however low heels or flats dominate as is often noted, Parisian women do a lot of walking and climbing of stairs on a day-to-day basis. While generally well put-together, not every woman you pass on les rues is stylish or chic.  Frump is evident in Paris too, though you don't see women schlepping around in baggy sweats or oversized tee shirts bearing the logo of a local radio station or a picture of their grandchild.

And yes, *overall* the women in Paris were thinner than a comparable cross-section of American women, but not all Parisiennes are whippet-thin.  While we're on the (inevitable) topic of weight, the assumption that staying slim is a primary component aging well, repeatedly voiced in the article and comments, has limits.  While I'm not advocating that we abandon healthy habits and moderate portion sizes, especially as our metabolisms slow with age, I've also known women who maintain a fashionable gauntness through unrelenting deprivation, only to look haggard, tired and worn.  And how much joie de vivre can we experience when we're always hungry? Do I even need to say that smoking to keep weight down (which French women are reputed to do in large numbers) plays havoc with the skin, not to mention health, or that the reducing "pills and creams" mentioned in the articles are dubious at best?

I say all of the above as a general admirer of French women and style, just to be clear.

But I think the major difference is cultural.  There was a bumper sticker from a few years back, "Change How You See, Not How You Look" and I think the French see women over 40 or 50 very differently than our culture does.  The French are very comfortable with The Feminine (and I mean that more in the grand metaphysical sense rather than just "femininity") and don't stop seeing or valuing women once they reach a certain age.  Though I think it's slowly changing, women in the US seem to have an expiration date and are often culturally invisible after that point.  Duchesse once spoke of the concept of "granny goggles" in relation to hair stylists and older women; I sometimes think our culture wears granny goggles, and this spills over into how women see and treat themselves.  Here in the US, where so often beauty = youth, women go to great lengths to look youthful in the hope of looking beautiful and often wind up looking neither.  Or they give up entirely on trying to look their best or even thinking of themselves as attractive, as women.  Some mentioned in the article's comments section that French women's relentless drive to stay attractive and keep weight off stems from wanting to keep their husbands out of the arms of a mistress, in a culture that tends to be more tolerant of such things.   Perhaps in some circles that's true.  But I also think there's something to be gained from the attitude of valuing ourselves no matter what our age, taking care of our physical selves, not allowing ourselves to become drab and invisible, but rather using our appearance as a form of expression, and allowing our inner radiance to shine through.

Street style photos of les femmes fantastiques from Paris and environs by the gorgeous Tish from A Femme d'un Certain Age. Used with permission.

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Mid-Century Mania - Themes

When I talk about mid-century style, I'm generally referring to the years between the early 1950's and the mid 1960's.  Yes, there were considerable shifts of fashion and style within that span of time, but when I look back at pictures from that era, certain themes in mainstream fashion are consistently present.  Some of these run distinctly counter to current trends (as evidenced, for example, by contemporary disdain for anything too "matchy-matchy"), and some seem to be finding their way back into fashion in modern incarnations (sheath dresses, full skirts, red lipstick, kitten heels).

If you are drawn to these iconic looks and are thinking of adding some elements of classic mid-century style to your mix, here are the buzzwords you'll want to keep in mind: structured, fitted, coordinated, matching, polished, streamlined, tailored, refined, appropriate to the occasion, smooth (thanks in no small part to often armour-like girdles underneath), feminine, petite (I'm thinking accessories here), demure, contained, colors (black was rarely worn by women during the day), prints.  These are overall themes, not hard-and-fast rules.

Back to drawing from the amazing costuming in Mad Men, Francine, on the right above, is a great illustration of some of these.  The colors in her jacket, top, and pants are coordinated. (I remember that even when my mother and her friends wore more casual separates, they were often purchased as a "set," which these days would risk looking dowdy.) I have to admit I adore this outfit and would be tempted to wear a version of it today. Look at the dainty wristwatches, and Betty's understated pearls and charm bracelet.   Some women did wear bigger, bolder costume jewelry, but smaller, more ladylike adornment was the norm at least among my parents' cohort, and I was often warned off of anything "too gaudy."  (Moth, meet flame.) 

This was, after all, my mother's style icon.

Bags and shoes were supposed to match each other, and matching to one's outfit was even better. Below, note the green dress, bag and shoes.

(Yes, that's dried blood on Joan's dress.  If you haven't seen the show, I'm not going to spoil it but I will say that it's not hers.) Look at that tiny purse on the seat next to her.  There's a scene during the first season where one of the other women in the office comments on Joan's "huge pocketbook"; compared to today's luggage-sized bags it looks almost miniature.

Many mid-century style themes appear dated to our modern sensibilities, or will at least until the fashion pendulum swings back in that direction.  I don't think modern women will ever go back to the confining clothes, rigid shapewear, and strict rules about what can be worn with what, and when and where, but I do think some of these elements I listed above will continue to catch on, if only as an antidote to the anything-goes-ism that has seemed to dominate fashion for the last few years.  And even if not, if certain mid-century (or any other era's) styles really float your boat, my .02 says wear them. Just not all at once, lest you risk looking as though you just stepped out of a time capsule.

Are there some looks you love that feel out of date?  Do you wear them anyway?  If so, do you consciously style them look more modern?

Next up, some specific ideas for incorporating elements of mid-century style into a modern wardrobe.

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Mid-Century Mania - Mad for Plaid

Since last week, une femme has lauded the return of certain elements of "mid-century" style (while presenting some others as cautionary tales) and promised to show how to incorporate some elements of 1950's and 1960's style into a modern closet.  For this series I'm going to feature mostly pieces either currently or soon to be available from mass retailers, but don't forget to check out your favorite vintage store or e-tailer. 

As with any "revival" or fashion trend, the trick for les femmes d'un certain age is to avoid getting too literal.  Don't wear the look head-to-toe, and avoid the more cliché/costume-y elements (no poodle skirts or pillbox hats unless your style is more theatrical and dramatic). 

I've used some stills from Mad Men as reference points, as I think they get it mostly very right with the costuming, hair and accessories.  But I'll also self-indulgently throw in some old family photos from time to time, because I'm just having to darn much fun going back through these.

I remember a lot of plaids and plaid-like prints from the 1960's, and they remain a favorite of mine.  Skip the bright lumberjack plaids, schoolgirl tartans or baggy, "grunge" look.  Go for darker, more subtle colors or neutrals, in feminine styles. 

I love this plaid cape from the Talbot's Fall Look Book.  Keep the bottom half narrow for balance.

I'm dying over the plaid trousers that Betty Draper wears here. 

I'm guessing we'll see more of these come fall, but don't go for baggy.  Pants like this will be tricky, and you'll want to avoid looking as though you hit the sale rack at the golf shop. They should be well tailored, and slim, something along these lines:

This McQ is a nice option for jackets.  Skip the baggy pants that go with.  For a full-on 60's look, this would be worn with a matching skirt, but you can pair with solid dark grey trousers, or even denim. Wear the collar down, add a brooch, and I'd almost be tempted to hem the sleeves to bracelet length, but that's just me.

Keep an eye out once the fall clothes start hitting the racks.  Fall is traditionally "plaid season."  Look also for overcoats, skirts and dresses in plaid, windowpane and houndstooth prints.

For me, plaids are "comfort food" clothing, though I've had a hard time in recent years finding items that don't feel stodgy.  What do you think?  When it comes to plaids, do you "love 'em or leave 'em?"

More Mid-Century Mania to come...still a lot of ground to cover!
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Dressing Your Truth - The Videos

Example of Type 4 makeover.  No, this isn't me. ;-)

After reading through Carol Tuttle's book, Dressing Your Truth and determining that I was a Type 4, I was curious to see the specific clothing, hair and makeup recommendations for this type.  For a fee of $297, users are given web access to several hours' worth of videos that mostly have been filtered by type.  (I was offered a complimentary Type 4 video course to review.)   Having now looked at all of the videos, some a twice, here are my thoughts.

The Good:  Carol's approach is very body and age positive.  There's no talk of bad body parts that need to be camouflaged or hidden, and the emphasis is always on looking one's best, not necessarily younger or thinner.  It's all about accentuating the positive, and letting one's own unique self come through.  Carol comes across as very approachable and supportive, and many of the videos have a fun, laid-back quality.  In the clothing video, the styles shown were very clearly illustrative of the ideas being presented, and seemed to be chosen with that intent.  The videos on hair color and style were helpful, especially in explaining how cut and color can show stillness or movement, and not just in the obvious sense. In the makeup section, brows are emphasized, which I think is something a lot of women overlook. Carol presents the ideas in each video in a clear and linear fashion.

What didn't work for me:  The first several videos seemed to just recap what was in the book.  Per Carol, this is because some people are more visual learners, and the images shown to represent each type help present the concepts to those types of learners.  Navigating the videos was difficult due to the page layout and a quick scrolling feature. Navigating the website in general isn't always clear and obvious.  This is supposed to be redesigned and fixed in the next couple of weeks.   I found some of the clothing shown looked a bit dated and dowdy, but again, seemed to have been chosen more to illustrate some of the styles and design features for each type.  In the makeup videos, there was little shown that I didn't already know (re: how to apply) and the makeup line that Carol sells was repeatedly pitched.  According to Carol, Type 4's should stick to cool colors, which I take with a grain of salt as I've done color analysis many times and always come out as warm.  (But some of the colors in the palette card I received in the mail were warmer and right in line with some items already in my closet.)

Overall: I think women who are starting at square one, or maybe starting over style wise would get the most value from the videos. If you've been wearing the same three outfits for years, or are perhaps re-evaluating your look to return to work, or have a closet full of clothes that feel like they belong to someone else, the videos could be very helpful.  For women who have a clearer sense of their style, or are more conversant in style/fashion concepts, some of the material might be too elementary, and you can probably glean what you'd need from the book.  There are also online "live" sessions and chats, and discussion forums at DressingYourTruth.com .

Reading the book and watching the videos has helped me add some more pieces to the puzzle.  It's helped remind me to trust my own instincts when it comes to what I like and feel most at home in.  Many thanks to Carol Tuttle and Dressing Your Truth for giving me the opportunity to review the book and video programs, and to learn a bit more about myself in the process!

For more information, check out the website at http://www.dressingyourtruth.com/ .

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Mid-Century Mania - Revisiting Hairstyles

While une femme did voice some predictions regarding the return of "mid-century" style, please don't read those (necessarily) as recommendations.  Some of these we'll leave to the kids.

A note about bouffant hairstyles: some of the comments noted that few women would take the time to style hair this way on a daily basis.  That made me realize how much things have changed in the last fifty years regarding how some of us deal with our hair.

When I was young, my mother went to the "beauty parlor" once a week for a shampoo/set and style.  In between, she didn't touch her hair, other than to wrap toilet paper around the "do" to sleep in, and in the mornings pull various pieces back into place, re-backcomb those bits if necessary, and spray into sculptural submission. C'est tout.  Women who didn't go to the salon weekly would set their own hair with rollers, which were put in with the hair wet, and would dry over a few hours (originating that convenient excuse, "I can't see you tonight; I'm washing my hair"). Often women slept in their rollers or pin curls. By the time I reached my teen years, blow dryers and hot steam rollers were the norm, and straighter, more natural (for me, anyway) hairstyles had come into vogue so I was spared sleeping in rollers or backcombing.

Here are some pics of my mom's 50's and 60's hairdo's.

Circa 1958.  Mom looks pretty groovy here with those aviator shades.  I'm guessing this look was done with pin curls and a little backcombing.  Her hair wasn't naturally curly.

Above, 1964.  I don't remember her being this blond, but you can see the beginnings of The Helmet.  (That's me center front with the scowl.)

Mom in the center, probably 1965, at her most bouff'd.

This picture wasn't labeled, but I'm guessing 1967 or '68.  This was the hairdo that she wore some version of for most of the rest of her life. (No idea whose baby that is.) Once curling irons became available in the early 70's, she learned how to recreate this look at home, and the weekly salon visits dwindled to a monthly color and cut. 

Some variations of the bouffant included the infamous beehive, the French Roll (see Audrey above right and worn most memorably and elegantly by my second grade teacher) and the flip, which tended to get longer and more pronounced as the 60's progressed.  My mother-in-law says that the popularity of bouffant and beehive hairstyles is often blamed for the demise of the millinery trade in the early 60's, as hats became difficult to wear the more gravity-defying the hairstyles.  I tend to think it was just changing times and increasing informality.  After all, men stopped wearing hats regularly about this time too.

You won't find une femme adopting the bouffant style anytime soon.  Back in the 80's we did the spiky Big Hair that required nothing more than a blow dryer and industrial strength mousse, but that was enough for me.

The other trend I'll take a pass on are the full skirts.  Aside from having worn this style the first time around,

this silhouette now creates fullness where I least need it.  (But I'd kill to find some sunglasses like those again.)

Next chapter, some ideas to incorporate "mid-century" style elements into a modern wardrobe.

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Mid-Century Mania - Part 1

Saturday afternoon I was thumbing through the July Vogue, and came across this fashion editorial featuring Ewan McGregor and Natalia Vodianova.  It's truly one of the more stunning and visually engaging shoots I've seen from Vogue in quite a while.

My first thought was, "Belle de Ville is going to ADORE this!"  only to discover that she was already on it.

My second thought was "YESSSS, kitten heels!"  (It appears the rumors of their resurrection have not been exaggerated.)

My third thought was to remember how while watching the first season of Mad Men I'd predicted to le monsieur that the next major fashion shift would be a return to 50's-to-early-60's silhouettes .  While it looks as though I may have been right, this likely was one of my stopped clock moments based on the cyclical nature of fashion rather than any kind true insight.

So before I let another opportunity for prognostication pass untapped, here's what the tea leaves are telling me regarding the return of elements of 50's-60's style, aside from kitten heels, smaller structured bags, and longer, fuller skirts:

1.  Bouffant hairstyles. More demure than the Full Amy Winehouse, but complete with backcombing and spray.  Or else the voluminous tousled Brigitte Bardot sex-kitten look.  We've already seen a bit of this on the runways and red carpets but I'm guessing it will take hold on a wider basis, and not just for evening.  Bouffant hair styles might not be as stiff and helmetlike as in the past, but like clothing, will be more structured. 

2.  Simple pearl jewelry, including single strands, pearls stud earrings, and especially brooches, will see a resurgence.

3.  Twinsets will suddenly have caché.

 

4.  Stores featuring "Danish Modern" furniture will spring up like mushrooms in every strip mall with a vacancy.  IKEA will be hip again.

5.  Cars with tail fins will reappear on the scene and be ultimately wildly popular. They won't be the behemoths of yesteryear, but I'm envisioning a hybrid or even an electric convertible with fins and a continental kit. (Please, please, please M/Mme Auto Designer!!!)

6.  This one I'm absolutely certain of: coffee drinkers will rediscover The Percolator.  I mean, look at the lines on this baby!  Hipsters everywhere will laud the "dusky" (read: slightly burnt) taste of the resultant brew.

Later this week, how une femme might interpret and incorporate mid-century style.

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Typecasting

There's a joke that goes, "There are two types of people: those who believe there are two types of people and those who don't."

Categorizing, describing, and labeling are an integral part of how I process and apply information.  Give me a Venn diagram or a map (I am a total map geek and can spend HOURS poring over maps) or a decision tree or a table and I can figure out how to order my world.  Where is x in relation to y?  What qualities do a and b have in common, and where do they diverge?   What are the parameters of c?  I may eventually decide that something doesn't fit into a neat box, but I need to to start by referencing those boxes before I can get to d ≠ e, f. or g. 

When it comes to achieving great style, it's been my observation that there are two types of people: those who figure it out on their own, and those who need a map.  I'm in that second category.  Those of you dear souls who have been reading this blog for a while have observed my quest to develop, define, categorize, label and ultimately order my style universe.  If I can define it, I can refine and continually create it.

The work I've done with professional Image Consultants Imogen and Karen has helped immensely; I have a much better idea of the cuts, shapes, colors and textures that are most flattering for my particular body.  But even with this valuable knowledge, that feeling of Hitting the Style Sweet Spot, where my inside self and outside appearance feel seamlessly aligned, was still hit-and-miss.  And when I do hit that alignment zone, it's frequently when I'm wearing colors or styles that aren't supposed to work for me. 

So when I received a note from a publicist offering a free copy of the book "Dressing Your Truth: Discover Your Personal Beauty Profile" by Carol Tuttle to review, the book's title hooked me and I accepted. Carol Tuttle is not trained as an image consultant, but as an alternative therapist she approaches style and beauty from an "inside out" perspective.  Carol believes  there are four types of people. :-)  Her program is based on four Energy Types, and the book walks you through descriptions of of each Type and how to determine your dominant Type.  (Per Carol, we all demonstrate aspects of all four Types, but one will predominate.)  It sounds a little "woo woo," and maybe it is, but sometimes it's the woo woo stuff that takes us where we need to go. When I read the chapter on Type 4 energy, the descriptions of this type REALLY resonated, and the key words for Type 4 style aligned with what I've always been drawn to instinctively.  Simple, bold, clean, structured: that's my energy and that's what I gravitate to and feel best in.  It also jibes with my aversion to visual clutter, and the fact that I don't feel myself in ruffles or lots of embellishment or pastels or floral prints, even though I may get compliments when I wear them. 

I always knew this at some level, but now I feel as though I have confirmation, and a formula that will help me to more consistently hit that Sweet Spot.  I do believe that great style incorporates both the physical and the mental/spiritual aspects of ourselves, and this book focuses on and is strongest when addressing the latter.  (Carol also ascribes some specific physical aspects to each type; I'm intrigued but not wholly convinced.)  Another aspect of Carol's approach I found very positive was that it's not about trying to achieve a cookie-cutter, plastic, media-sanctioned beauty, like many other books on style and beauty or daytime TV makeovers targeted at we femmes d'un certain age. If you struggle to get your style to sync up with your personality or express who you really are, Dressing Your Truth might be the road map you've been looking for.

Full disclosure:  The book will help you identify which of the four Types you are, but does not give specific fashion or beauty advice for each type.  An online course is available for $297, which consists of several hours worth of videos demonstrating clothing, makeup, hair style/color, and accessories by type.  To sign up for the online course, you first need to determine your type, as outlined in the book.  I was also offered an opportunity to take the online course, which I'm currently working through and will review in a follow-up post. 
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More (future) temptation from Talbot's...

I hope to be back to a more normal posting schedule soon.  In the meantime, here are some more pretties from Talbot's fall look book....

I love a "topper!"  This one will be available in many colors including one called Brandy, which I'll be very interested to see. 

Laceless oxfords!  As Austin Powers would say, "yeah, BABY!"

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