A View From The Top

Just because you may be classified as White does not mean a white bra under your white top is invisible. A white bra under a white top is just as bad as a red bra under a white shirt - it stands out! Same thing, if you have brown skin and may be categorized as Black on a survey does not mean a black bra is invisible under a light top. I just watched a Caucasian woman walk into my building in a white button-down and a gleaming white bra underneath. She seems to have just come back from lunch with an African American woman wearing a pink tee shirt with a black lacy bra underneath. I am viewing them from a third-story window, sans binoculars. Please please PLEASE ladies! Invest in some skin-colored bras. There are no white or black people on this earth, that is why bras are made in colors such as mocha, french nude, chocolate, apricot, peach, beige, candle, taupe and caramel. We are more the colors of drinks from Starbucks than the shades of a dalmatian's coat!

Tuesday Tip: The Skin You’re In

Often women change their skincare routine with the weather. It is true that the heated air in buildings in the winter cause our skin to be dryer, as does the cold winds that slap our skin as we scurry from car to office. Summer usually comes with humidity, offering constant moisture to our skin. Even with these changes, it isn’t always necessary to be so drastic in changing your regimen. Sweat does not equal moisture. We often switch to stronger cleansers and moisturizers geared toward oily skin to keep moisture at bay and prevent our makeup from slipping. Often women go without moisturizer all together, finding it the culprit for shiny summer skin. Everyone needs a moisturizer, be your skin an oil slick or the Sahara. Moisturizer is a protective barrier for your skin to fight against the elements, also known as free radicals. Free radicals come from environmental pollutants, the sun, makeup, most anything that touches your face. Moisturizers with antioxidants (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Kinetin, White Tea, etc.) will create a shield to prevent free radicals from attacking your face, reducing elasticity, fine texture and health. Another reason moisturizer is needed is that when the skin feels over-dry, it fights back by producing oil. The body creates oil as a natural protectant. The more detergent-like cleansers, alcohol-based toners and harsh exfoliants you use on your skin to fight oil and acne, the more your skin will produce oil. Try a week using a vary lightweight gel or oil-free moisturizer and see how much happier your skin will be. In summer we still need moisture and to protect our skin. If you have very dry skin in the winter, it is pretty likely that come summer your skin is not oily, just sweaty. Try switching your moisturizer for a lighter consistency, but don’t change anything else for a week. Often times all that is needed is a small change to have your skin adjust to the changing seasons. Also consider a makeup primer (I have used and loved ones by Smashbox and Paula Dorf – both available at Sephora). Primers will help your makeup adhere to the skin in the most humid and steamy of days, without yanking precious moisture from your skin. And finally, EVERYONE needs sunscreen. No matter your skin color, your age, how well you tan. You can get sun damage in the short trip from your house to your car. A minimum of SPF 15 is required for all faces to keep them healthy, elastic and glowing. If you are fair, consider a moisturizer with a higher SPF and look into foundations and powders with sunscreen (Bare Minerals cosmetics have a natural SPF of 20,Almay carries SPF 15 foundations, Guerlain has a foundation with SPF 30). The SPF in your foundation will not replace your moisturizer, but provide an added barrier against the environment. Here’s a test to show how skin is affected by free radicals. Cut an apple in half. Leave one side bare, on the other side put a coating of your favorite antioxidant-rich facial moisturizer. Let it sit for 30 minutes. You’ll see that the moisturized side stayed the same color and texture, while the uncovered side turned brown and mushy. Think about your day – walking the dog, gardening, walking from the parking lot to the grocery store or your office building, the recycled air in your office or on a plane… so many opportunities to wreak havoc on your skin. Our hands and our faces show our age first because those are the two parts of the body that are exposed to the elements on the most regular basis. Women who regularly moisturize their face and wear sunscreen look younger than their non-protecting peers. Obviously tanning isn’t good for your skin. If you must have that “healthy” glow, consider some of the new self-tanners on the market. Jergens has one that is a gradual tan – less likely to get streaks and orange palms and builds up to a great tan. In small doses Mystic Tan and the other spray tans can offer a natural looking glow and color to your face and body. And if you must be a sun worshipper, toss the baby oil and grab some SPF 15 sunblock – you will still get color while out on the beach, you just won’t be basting like a Thanksgiving turkey. Reapply often – a tan may look great, but nothing looks better than healthy skin. Sun damage may cause loss of elasticity and moisture to the face, it can also exasperbate stretch marks, increase the number of freckles and moles on the skin, increase wrinkling, cause loss of elasticity to other body parts too (who wants to encourage sagging breasts?) and make you look older than your years. For suggestions on great products with sunscreen in them, check out this link provided by the Skin Cancer Foundation: http://www.skincancer.org/aboutus/documents/SealList.pdf When you consider what makes you beautiful, consider if that beauty trick or regimen will help you stay beautiful ten years down the line. Proper care of your skin will help you feel great, look your best and keep yourself healthy. Trust your skin – if it’s dry in winter, it can still be thirsty in summer, even if it causing your makeup to dribble off your chin. Even if you seem to have great healthy skin now, invest in a daily sunscreen to keep that skin looking healthy. You only get one body, treat it well. It will outlast your favorite books or handbag and even your dearest friend. Give it the respect and pampering that it deserves.

Tuesday Tip: Getting the Brush Off

So your hair is not looking it’s best. Split ends? Lackluster locks? Breakage? Hard to manage? Well take a look at your brush. Does it look like what your hair feels like? Most times than not we are using either the wrong type of styling tool or one that is way past it’s prime. The past couple of days my hair has been really nice to me. It has been doing what I want, has felt so silky and looks very shiny. Was it the new shampoo? Was it my diet? No, it was that I replaced my brush. I have hair just past my shoulders that is wavy. Like many, I use a round brush with my hair dryer to straighten my hair and give it fullness. Like many, I have tried almost every type of brush on the market to get the best results – vented, ceramic, metal, plastic bristles, rubber-tipped bristles, boar bristles, paddle… you get my drift. I have found the best results, the least amount of frizziness and the most shine from a boar bristle brush. Boar bristles are softer than plastic, help impart a sheen to the hair strand and are less likely to break the hair. However like human hair, boar bristles react to the heat of the dryer. They melt, curl, split and frizz over time. Eventually they barely run through your hair, but work almost as a Velcro roller sitting under the hair as the dryer passed over it. This causes frizziness, lack of tension causing less straightening power. You don’t need to break the bank and buy a Mason Pearson, I buy the $9.99 Goody brushes at Target. I find that if I replace it every three months, I maintain healthy hair. I was shopping with my mom and she was complaining about flyaways, little hairs that stick up in the humidity and wind and ruin the polish of her French Bob. I asked her what kind of brush she uses to dry her hair, “Oh I have this round metal brush. It gets the hair dry really quickly.” She admitted that said metal brush also had sharp plastic bristles that scratched her scalp if she got too close to the skin. Well gee, let’s make your dryer even hotter and more damaging, and let’s use sharp little tools to scrape through your hair. Might as well use a Brillo pad on your ‘do. I suggested she switch to a boar bristle. A week later, I asked if she had gotten a new cut – her hair looked amazing. Nope, it was all in the brush. Before you invest in yet another heavy-duty conditioner or shine serum, consider your styling tools. They may be the culprit to less than stellar hair. A few tips: Curly hair doesn’t necessarily need to be brushed, even when wet. A brush will separate curls, causing frizziness. If you do have tangles that cannot be removed by your hands in the shower during the conditioning rinse, invest in a very wide-toothed comb. I find wood combs to be more gentle to the hair shaft. If you are using a metal brush to have your hair dry faster, invest instead in an ionic hair dryer. Don’t know why, but the ionic dryers get the hair dry faster and are less damaging than more heat. If you have straight hair and want to brush it when dry, invest in a brush with a padded base for the bristles. Your scalp will thank you, and you will be less forceful when brushing, reducing split ends. If you are straightening wavy hair, consider a boar bristle brush. You may find your hair to be shinier, softer and have more body. The 100-strokes every night rule for brushing is proven to be bad advice. The more you brush your hair, the more you damage it. Try to brush and comb your hair as little as possible, and on lazy days, let your hair air-dry. You get vacations, your hair deserves one as well!

Ways to Ruin a Wardrobe

So you have the flattering pants, the well-constructed tops that fit your personality. You have bought the list of must-haves and have brought color and style to your closet. Even with all this transformation, there are ways to totally ruin your new look, practically bringing you back to square one: The Black Shoe Syndrome A soft floaty floral sundress. The breeze running through your hair, a warm day on the shore. A delicate pearl bracelet accents your wrist, a simple clutch in your hand, black leather loafers with a chunky heel on your foot. Halt! The wrong shoe can totally destroy your image. We often get lazy with our footwear. We have favorites that are comfortable, nondescript, seem to go with everything. Time and time again I see a woman’s outfit completely destroyed by accessorizing with the wrong shoes. Chunky boots with a feminine dress, sneakers with nice jeans and a sweater, scuffed white sandals with a dress, rubber flip flops with a polished outfit. Take all of your Beyond Hope shoes (you know which ones – the ones that are torn, smelly, scuffed beyond repair, completely dated and disgusting) and toss them. Goodwill won’t even want these puppies, why are you still wearing them? Then the Semi Shoes – the jelly shoes, the ratty Keds, the flops from the drug store and those Chinese slippers – if you must keep them, they are not allowed to leave your property. Nothing looks trashier than a pair of cheap and tattered Semi Shoes. Then take all your Great But Shoes and take care of them – pull out the shoe polish kit (or invest in one), get the shoes resoled, reheeled, put in new inserts and then get some shoe trees to help them stay properly shaped, aired out and fresh. Next, plan outfits down to the footwear. Often we buy a new dress or outfit but do not consider the shoes. Come time to don the new outfit, we are left to scrounge up some foot covering that will pass for appropriate. I do not own a single pair of navy pants in my closet. Why, I look great in navy and it’s a hot color this season. The reason is I don’t own any shoes that look right with navy, and I wear it so rarely I cannot justify buying a pair of shoes for one pair of pants. To remind yourself, make a list of your shoes and take it with you when you go clothing shopping. If the outfit is for a special occasion (wedding, party, dance), take the shoes you plan on wearing with you to the mall. This will help you shop for what you have and not leave you in a pinch trying to look chic in black loafers. I have a fantastic pair of strappy black heels – they look and feel great. I usually buy dresses that are complimented by black strappy shoes so that I don’t get stuck at the last minute. A few shoes to have in your closet just in case Black ankle or calf-high boots with a 2” heel (great for suits, jeans and trousers) Tan or beige colored strappy heels in a neutral fabric like silk or crepe (for dressy pants, most dresses and skirts and linen and summer weight trousers in the warmer months) A classic black leather pump (for suits, pants and dark dresses) A pump, t-strap or wedge in tan or a light neutral (for pants, dresses, skirts, non-black dresses) A pair of delicate heels in a muted metallic – soft gold, pewter or bronze are great (for nights out on the town or a floaty sundress that doesn’t seem to match anything. Also great way to take a suit from career-friendly to cocktail party appropriate) A pair of flats in a cheery color or print (for those days you can’t stand to wear heels – cute with capris, skirts, trousers, peeping out from a jean hem) A thong or slide-style of heeled sandal in a neutral color like brown, beige or cream. A wood heel will help it transform from day to night with ease (for most everything in your wardrobe come the warmer months) If you have the right footwear, you can get away with a simpler outfit. Your outfit will go from okay to amazing if you ensure your footwear compliments your clothes. That Darn Coat Picture it – a wedding at an historical mansion overlooking the country side. You walk in to a room full of beautifully dressed people. A butler in a crisp tuxedo asks to take your coat and you gracefully shimmy out of your orange parka, making sure not to rumple your silk dupioni gown. What’s wrong with this picture? It’s the coat. We are so worried about being well dressed, but we ruin the whole look with a warm but trusty friend. Easy way to fix that – in vest in a ¾ or 7/8 length wool coat. These coats go from thigh to calf length. Single or double breasted, robin’s egg blue or safe and secure black, this coat can be worn to work, the grocery or a formal affair without ruining your image. End of every season, have your coat professional dry cleaned and kept in a closet covered with an old sheet or a garment bag to prevent dust attaching to it. This way your coat is ready to wear come next season. If you buy the right coat, it will be a wardrobe staple for many years. I See London… Nothing is tackier than seeing a woman’s undergarments. There may be women gallivanting all over this country purposely showing bra straps and g-strings, but that does not mean it is okay. A beautiful dress can look like a garbage bag if the wrong underpinnings are chosen or visible. Nothing makes a rear look less desirable than having VPL (visible panty lines) and even though your bra straps are the same color pink as your halter top, it doesn’t make it okay to have them on full display. Invest in some thongs. Mesh ones in a skin tone to wear under white and light bottoms, cotton ones under jeans and skirts, frilly ones for special occasions. If you are uncomfortable with thongs, many companies have made no-show briefs and boyshorts in great disappearing fabrics like microfiber. As for the little bits peeking out over your jeans, well many companies have created “lowrise” undergarments specifically for this problem. Do invest in several pairs, and while you are at it toss all the ratty, stained and stretched out pairs in your drawer. What would your mother think if you were in a car accident wearing them? As for bras, first go get a fitting. You may be surprised at what size you truly are. Then invest in some “specialty bras” – a strapless (I have one that has detachable clear straps that is great under sheer tops), a convertible (can go from regular to halter or racerback) and a skin colored bra (your white bra under your white tee shirt is NOT invisible). You would never see a fashionista with a bra strap showing… EVER. Unless you have the body, the budget and the wardrobe of Britney Spears, you should not be attempting to dress like her. Bag Lady How do men survive on this planet without purses? We women stuff our bags with wallets, planners, tissues, cosmetics, pens, snacks and reading material. Men sit on a piece of leather and seem to handle things just fine. It seems that the larger our purse, the more we “need” to cram into it. Our purses are overflowing, marred with ink, stretched beyond capacity, misshapen and have a coating of crumbs and goo at the bottom of the lining. Zippers are busted from stretching over junk, straps fraying from the weight. Yet we tote them around with our elegant outfits, always at the ready come a spill or a sneeze. Let’s take a lesson from the hairier, Adam’s apple sporting sex. We do not have to have the whole world in our hands, or our purse for that matter. If you need to carry books, computers or snacks for the kids then a separate bag is appropriate. Invest in a messenger bag out of microfiber that cleans easily and holds all your possessions without making you look like a vagabond. As for your daily purse, invest in one that is simple, has a sturdy shape and is large enough for your necessities, but small enough to force you to find other homes for your junk mail and baggie of Cheerios. To not have to change your back with every outfit, invest in a classic shopper-style bag that looks great slung over a shoulder or being held in your grip by it’s handles. It should have a zipper or flap to keep it closed, and a few inside pockets to help organize your stuff. This is a bag that can be your day-to-day carry-all, should look crisp enough for work but hold everything for a day at the mall. For special occasions, invest in a black silk or crepe clutch and another clutch or small bag with an orate pattern, design or embroidery. The black will go with most outfits, the funky/creative one will spice up all-black outfits and be more festive. Also consider one in a light colored glazed leather or pretty embroidered fabric – this will work with your lighter colored pieces. The Dreaded Scrunchie Why have a full head of hair if all you are going to do is throw it up in a clip or elastic? It may seem carefree and easy, but a messy updo only makes you look lazy and fearful of fashion. With a proper haircut, you can keep your hair out of your eyes, stay cool but look polished. Most often women wear their hair up like this because they don’t have the time to properly style their hair. Again with a good cut you can get away with less prep time. For summer I asked my stylist to cut my hair to accommodate wave. In a pinch I can wash my hair in the evening, spray it with a curling mist and let it air dry as I sleep. When I wake I have relatively pretty curls and waves that only need three minutes with a curling iron to get them acceptable. There is no point in having a head of hair if you are going to constantly put it up. Pony tails are for teens and the gym and butterfly clips should be left to separating hair for a good blow-out. Invest in a good cut, and be brave enough to let your hair down!

Outlet Mall Shopping

Yesterday I visited a major outlet mall in my area. Over a mile of stores – some with great bargains, some with great piles of crap. There have been many stories about discount stores – how some of the product is not on sale, the clothes are made specifically for the outlet and are not the same quality that the brand name usually delivers, etc. After all that, you find designer duds for less, when is it worthwhile to spend, when should a bargain be passed by? Fit If it doesn’t fit well for $300, still doesn’t fit well for $150 and even for $65, don’t buy it. Just because it’s a great bargain does not make the fit any better. Shoes that are too tight or too big, jackets that pull at the back, pants that would be lovely if you just lost 15 lbs., no matter the bargain these items should just stay on the rack. If the jacket’s sleeves are too long, the skirt’s hem at an awkward length, the shoulders a bit too big, these things can be altered easily by a tailor. You must be in love with the piece and find multiple places and ways to wear it to justify the tailor expense. I found a cream silk linen suit at a discount store – the suit fit perfectly except for a broken zipper and too long of sleeves and legs. I bought the suit for $65, regularly $350, and for $40 had the zipper and hems all modified. I have worn the suit to work, to religious events and as separates for three years. That purchase was worth the added tailoring expense. Style Often times the items at the discount store are there because they are leftover from last season. When it comes to classic pieces like suits, dresses and knits, this is not a problem. A blue merino v-neck is lovely almost every year, and more lovely when 50% off. The problem comes with the trendy p[pieces. If Lindsay, Mischa, Nicole or Chloe was wearing it last spring, it’s a good chance that piece is passé now. Pass on the embellished jeans, the metallic leather bags, the rainbow-hued sunglasses and most other accessories. Just because it’s on sale does not mean it is a good buy. When it comes to scouring outlets, your best deals are the ones that will last through more than one season. Sweaters, suits, outerwear, cocktail dresses, leather goods and most shoes are great bargains if you find quality and value in the same item. Name Brands Just because you found a pair of Manolo Blahniks for $100 at the Saks Fifth Avenue outlet does not mean they need to be purchased. Do they fit your current style? Are they comfortable? Are they current or classic? We have all seen the label whores – those women with a Coach purse, Jimmy Choo shoes that JLo wore last year, Baby Phat jeans, a Bebe tee with the rhinestone logo, Chanel sunglasses and a Pucci scarf in her hair. These items weren’t bought for the quality or the style. They were bought because a stranger could spot the brand a mile away. She looks trashy, obvious and victimized by fashion. None of these are appealing. Labels do not suddenly make you well dressed or well liked. If you can find a Furla bag for 40% off and it suits your style as well as lifestyle – then go for it. If you are buying a bag purely because it’s Prada and you don’t like the style, size or fabric... well you have become a label whore. Don’t buy that jacket just because it’s designer. Pretend that it is an unknown label – do you still like it? Do you still find it attractive and necessary? If not, put it back on the rack. That goes for ill-fitting designer duds, last season’s “It Bag,” obvious logo advertising (if it’s that obvious, it will be that obvious from last season – not worth your time or money) and damaged designer goods. Damaged Goods Many discount retailers sell the irregulars from a label. Some irregulars can barely be seen by the naked eye – may be an incorrect dye lot or the wrong buttons sewn on a jacket. Some may work in your favor – pants cut too short or sleeves that are too long or too narrow. Often times these stores received the garments that were damaged in production, transit or through many jaunts to the fitting room. Broken zippers, missing buttons, fabric snags are all defects that can easily be repaired or covered up if the price and style is right. However there are other defects that are not worth the purchase, no matter how low the price. Runs in nylon, stains, button holes at the wrong height, linings that do not align with the trouser, two pieces stitched together from two different dye lots. Even if it is Versace, it will look like Gallo Clothing on you if it is this defective. Buying in Bulk I used to be a huge fan of buying in bulk – find a tee shirt you love, buy it in eight colors and three of white and black. Flattering trousers? Buy one in every color. I then found that my wardrobe was like one big uniform… one big boring uniform. Mixing basics with fun pieces offers versatility, ease but individual style. At outlet malls, buying in bulk is a good idea. Yesterday I was at the Banana Republic outlet and found high quality stretchy tees in tons of colors - $9.99 each. I bought one in black, one in white, one in gray and one in red. These shirts can be worn with jeans on weekends, with a little skirt for happy hour with the girls or under a suit for work. I found a great pair of wool trousers at Off Fifth, bought them in brown, gray and black. They were so standard and fit so amazingly well (and were only $39.99 each) that it was worthwhile to buy every color I liked. I knew with my work and lifestyle I would find regular use for such trousers. Another time I found a pair of really cute studded pointy heels from NYLA. They were 75% off and tres cute. I decided to buy them in hot pink, ivory and black, thinking that if they fit well, they would get much use. I was imagining sparkly tops and designer jeans with the ivory, a sexy power suit with the black, and envisioned an outfit a la Carrie Bradshaw for the pink. I took them all home, have worn the pink ones multiple times, and have barely touched the other two. I don’t wear designer jeans with sparkly tops on a regular basis, and don’t own a single chic black power suit. Those two shoes have barely seen the light of day. Consider your current lifestyle when considering to buy in bulk – items that look too familiar may not be worn and too many of the same thing may make them all too boring to regularly wear. Also, if you don’t wear red patent stilettos now, you probably won’t after purchasing a pair. In conclusion, don’t buy just because of a label, or just because of an amazing price. Less money for an item is still money, and money should be spent carefully. Be willing to take the time to find quality purchases, not pick up every shiny bauble that sort of resembles what Gwen or Jessica wore last Spring. Fashion is not about the specific item, but the allover look. A Louis Vuitton bag or a pair of Chanel sunglasses will not make you a fashionista, the pairing with appropriate and complimentary pieces is what takes you from being a label whore or a fashion victim to fashionista status.