Analogue Chic

Archive for the ‘Style’ Category

…for the Elderly and Beautiful. You know who you are.

This was my reward for the end of my first year at fashion design school. Once again, Hubby and I were by far the youngest people in the theater (that was also the case at Midnight in Paris, for some reason). What can I say—we have diverse taste! And we adore older British actors: Judi! Maggie!! Bill Nighy!!!

So, if Slumdog Millionaire did not convince you to inject some color and flowy cotton into your summer wardrobe, Best Exotic should do the trick.

The costuming was divine, and such a no-brainer for women of a certain age and/or shape. The colors, cuts and styling are perfect for summer, and can be translated for work, play and special events.

Judi Dench sports some very elegant, cool and comfortable ensembles throughout the film, mostly consisting of a long tunic-like shirt known as a kurta, paired with wide-leg pants, and topped with a scarf or shawl. She also carries a simple cloth bag as a clutch. And she doesn’t forget her hat when she’s going out in the sun.

Images via They’ve Been Framed, The Urban Hunter, and the L.A. Times

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It was my first moment of freedom since starting fashion design classes last September — literally, since I had just finished my last exam online for Fashion History that morning. Can you see the trace of delirium in my smile?

My Mr. had sweetly planned a date for us: dinner and a movie. More on that later…

: scarf – thrifted; similar here

: sunglasses – Naturalizer, via Marshalls

: chambray shirt – Banana Republic, last year

: beaded tee – thrifted, Diane von Furstenberg; similar here

: scarf print pants – Gracia on 7th Avenue, NYC (this print not available online – FYI their sizes run very small.)

: sunflower yellow platform wedge sandals – Target, last year

: straw handbag – thrifted, made in Italy; similar here

Please welcome my newest guest writer, Bethany! – Allie

Fashion: Sometimes new, sometimes old, often reinvented, it’s ever-changing. A current trend that is showing up on red carpets and runways is the peplum.

What’s that, you ask? A peplum is a flared ruffle that’s attached to the waistline of a dress, blouse or jacket. No, this resurgence is not a Victorian Era or Pretty in Pink takeover. Today’s peplum sports a modern tweak.

Clutch Purse- Black Dress -Taupe Dress- Lace Jacket- Lace Top- Image

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I had a chance to go to New York City for purely social reasons (rather than school) a couple of Saturdays ago. I got tickets to Fusion, which is the annual Parsons vs. FIT fashion show competition (more on that later… Parsons won, btw.). My husband came with, and we met up with some of my classmates to discuss the competition.

Besides the interesting and out-there fashions on the runway, I noticed some really fun outerwear ensembles on our way from Grand Central to 7th Avenue.

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Golly, is fashion having an Iris Apfel moment, or what? (You can read my tribute to her style verve here. And more background here.)

She launched her jewelry line on the Home Shopping Network last year, and currently has a collaboration with MAC cosmetics.

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Totally inspiring decor in the waiting room at Rapid Lube on South Street in Danbury.

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For my friend Geoff's birthday party.

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*As in, sour/tangy, not the euphemism for a promiscuous woman…

Acid yellow-green with deep plummy purple.

This color combo was being rocked hard by South Asian girls this week.

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            Ralph Lauren ad, 2009 via Psychology Today

Airbrushing. False advertising. Negative body image. The Barbie Effect. We are all too familiar with the links between these concepts, and have all heard how the modeling and advertising industries are mostly to blame for the rise in eating disorders in youth.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA), there is a connection. The AMA recently released a statement bashing the use of photo editing, citing the above Ralph Lauren ad for whittling down a model’s waist so much, her head was bigger!

Why are airbrushed photos the defining standard of beauty, particularly for Western society? Why isn’t beauty based on what each individual defines as beauty?

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Via Advanced Style.

You all may recall my experiment with skirts and dresses earlier this year. Around that time I had a chat with a reader who wanted to re-incorporate skirts into her wardrobe, but wasn't comfortable leaping into it fully. I encouraged her to try it, and start with just one skirt-day per week.

I just received this note from her:

"I have been wearing skirts.  EVERY DAY.  At work (I'm a part-time preschool teacher), at home or trampling in the woods, I now feel more comfortable wearing skirts than pants.  Many thanks for inspiring me with your posts on the subject earlier this spring.  I feel like I've been transformed.  One of my co-workers (in her early sixties), whom I never saw in anything other than pants, has now started wearing skirts too.  On the street, if you see a woman in a skirt or dress, she's usually young.  Older women can get so resigned to wearing the same old thing all the time.

…Yes, fashion can be very powerful.  What we wear sends a message to others whether we realize it or not.  Thank you for the encouragement to go against the nap by wearing skirts.  I feel both more feminine and more comfortable."

Amazing. I am humbled.