Chunky Jewelry and Other Trends We're Still Deciding On

We are very open-minded at Quintesse... for the most part.  We try to look at things that change without judging them too quickly.  This way we don't have to back peddle when we realize that we've changed our minds about something that we made a snap decision about earlier.  We find that snap judgments happen either because we thought we didn't like something just because we hadn't ever seen it before, or because we liked something just because it was shiny and new.  Mood and other factors effect our ability to reason upon first view and we see things in black and white.  Even when it's a Miu Miu dress.  It happens to us all.  This can be particularly hard when things are larger than usual, unusually colored, appear to be something different than they are, or are something we can't see ourselves using or doing.  Pretty much covers anything having to do with fashion, no?

In fashion, designers are people who make things that strike you as unusual.  That's their job.  Designers like Anya Hindmarch create change purses that look like candy, Gareth Pugh and Philip Treacy create hats that look like birds in cages, Monika Jarosz makes bracelets and bags out of invasive species, Kobi Levi created shoes that look like musical instruments and animals, and Franc Fernandez makes dresses that look like meat.  And it's not always the shock value that makes things unusual, it's also scale, color, perspective, texture and a host of other factors that leave the first impression.  So it can be really hard to make your brain slow down and absorb before making a "like" or "dislike" decision.  We are going to put it out there that we have gotten pretty good at squashing our first reactions in order to process.  Here are some things we have refrained from passing judgment on (and some we have).



Chunky Jewelry:  Left picture: We don't like the vast majority of this uber-scaled costume jewelry.  It seems almost purposefully designed to make the jewels look fake.  Most have no flash when light hits them and we gotta think that by now we have the technology to give a bit of sparkle to these giganto gems.  The colors are also generally poorly assembled unless you are willing to pay good money for a very high-quality piece (which we highly recommend).  Say "no" to the combination of big earrings and a big necklace unless you are going all-in and making your whole outfit obsessively out-there a la Iris Apfel.

Right: Make sure to scale big jewelry with your outfit.  Kate Moss, who arguably looks good in anything, makes this necklace work because the colors are slightly offset from her outfit and the fabric in her trench-styled top is simple.  No earrings helps create balance.


The Kardashians:  They could go back to living life in anonymity and we would be very happy. We think they are beautiful, but somewhat foolish and puppeted people. We know they have lives that people envy, which is why they have flourished, but enough already. They should stop designing.  Period.








Skinny Jeans:  When skinny jeans hit the scene we were initially repulsed. Why would anyone go back to the days of Jordache when you had to zip your fly using a coat hanger. Our founder avoided even trying these on until about three years ago when she took some family that had come to town shopping on Michigan Avenue. She bought three pairs. The stretchy fabrics make it so that the jeans move with you instead of fighting (or biting) you, so contrary to one of the reasons we resisted, they are quite comfy. The other reasons we avoided them for so long were, "I am too old for that level of shape hugging," and "This bod is not meant for those jeans." Wrong on both counts. Since you're only as old as you feel, we decided our attitudes were built on ageism and skinny-ism and we don't support "isms" of any kind here. We do applaud the acceptance of curvaceousness, and we respectfully ascribe this acceptance to the above, so get out there and do those jeans proud!


Yoga clothing: Nope. We have no idea how this became a "thing" and we are awaiting its demise.  We've, however, been waiting so long that we are now resigned to seeing men in it.  Sigh...

Everyday Dresses: Yep.


We particularly like the long sock look on the right.  Try this one Friday for date night.










Fringe, Faux Fur, and Feathers

We will give a hearty and enthusiastic YES to all three, but we qualify our "yes".  Fringe, faux fur, and feathers are awesome in sophisticated designs.  Their unruly use in ready-to-wear, however, is very hit and miss.

 Yes.







Yes.



















Yes.














Yes.  And, yes, this is an earing!























No. To all of the following.

The A-Line

I am a devout practitioner of the A-line.  This slightly swingy, thigh-flaw-hiding style of dress and skirt is my friend.  It makes me feel good even when I ate the pasta and skipped running for two weeks.  It is a darn, cryin' shame that the style seems to go in and out of fashion so quickly in recent decades, having been a standard throughout the 1940's and 50's.  I would've thought that the style would enjoy a more "standard" or "foundational" role in women's wardrobes like the chemise, or Capri pants, or even the little black dress.  But, alas, the A-line comes and goes without predictability like a travelling salesman.

While I admit that the style works better in certain fabrics, I think it is perennially underutilized in patterned dresses and skirts.  I think the style stands up well to block patterns and florals, as well as solids and textured fabrics. The fabric, of course, needs to have a bit of rigidity to hold the "A" out a bit, otherwise it would be a poorly cut swing style, so weightier woven fabrics and slightly stiff crepes work nicely.  I'd like to see the A-line come into it's own as, not just a style, but a movement.  Gently feminine but bold and strong, it seems to me that the A-line fits well with the modern woman and her mission to be a provider, a leader, and a team player.

Whenever it is "in" I buy 3 dresses and 4 skirts in the A-line style and wear them constantly; touting this style's forgiving nature and directing people to stores in hopes that I can single-handedly make the style stick.  The last time, I was foiled by the emergence of the skinny pant, before that it was work-out chic, and before that, the pant suit.  I see the pattern now, however, that we move away from the "A" whenever styles go more body-hugging.  Next time, I'll be ready.

Afficionados and Fair Weather Fans

O.M.G.! I love September.  The weather is perfect for sweater sets, the kids are back in school, and the wind starts to turn crisp and cool so I can break out my hound's tooth fall jacket and switch over to bootie shoes from my sandals (so I can stop getting pedicures).  But, of course, the best thing about September is a Vogue the size of a telephone book.  New York's, not Toledo's.  Unlike other so-called devotees who hunt down a copy as soon as it is available on the stands or who savagely tear the plastic from the tome the minute it arrives in the mail, I wait.  I wait until September to relish and savor each page in the month it's meant to be read.  September.

Similar to other devotees, I do have a September issue ritual.  Mine entails drawing a hot bath, pouring a glass of the good stuff, locking the door behind me and sinking into a steamy world of sexy poses and artful still-lifes.  I will consume the pages with fervor until the water gets cool, step out of the bath, refill the tub with hot water and get back in and continue until the bath is cool again.  Repeat as necessary.

Unlike most fashion mag consumers, I don't just look at the pages to decide whether I like the fashion or not.  I study it like a med student studies an anatomy text.  I analyze each page like a chef tests for flavors in a dish.  I look for answers to the eternal questions: "Why did the designer choose that fabric?"  " Does the jewelry enhance or detract from the outfit?"  Would I put those shoes with that dress?"  "What was the theme of that photo shoot?"  "Should that blouse have been in a soft peach or a delicate cream instead of white?"  and, "Why, why, why is that outfit not in my closet?"

The September issue isn't the only issue of Vogue I buy, of course.  And, of course, I also buy other fashion magazines and I peruse them for ideas and to see which of the new trends jump off the pages and spill out into reality as I people watch.  "Did the drop-earring resurface for day time?  Oh, yes.  Yes it did." I say to myself.  Did I catch that pant leg flaring a bit as a harbinger of the return of the bell bottom? You bet.  The excitement of seeing the public embracing the latest fashion trend and incorporating it into their lives always makes my heart skip a beat.  I like to believe that sometimes I am the first to notice that "ties got wider this summer" or that "cable tights came back for the fall".  And I like to think that my passion for fashion magazines is why.

But life is busy with two kids, a small consulting business, and a running routine.  So for the other magazines and issues of Vogue, I must admit to a more cursory and superficial review - more like an executive summary, hitting just the bullet points and only digging in deeper when something doesn't make sense.  But as for the September issue, I consider myself an aficionado, not just a fair-weather fan.

Blah, blah, blah...

Went through several fashion mags today.  Don't know if it's just my mood, if the mag editors are picking from bad shoots, or if there just isn't any style to cover this month, but here's my read of March, 2013.

Michael Kors: Big, bold, and gold. Again. 'Nough said.

Prada, Versace, Chanel, OH! LOOK! ETRO!!! Hugo Boss, Dior, Really? Movado? Somebody save me.

Big bags are back. Big deal.

If I see Charlize Theron or Sophia Vergara one more time I swear I'm gonna spit.

Checkerboard, stripes, ruffles and crop tops...  Is nothing "out"? And by the way, checkerboard???!! NO!


March, 2013 - In Style actually was the only mag worth buying.  Checkerboard notwithstanding.  Gag!

Versace vs. Gaultier

If I had mad graphics skills I would show these models and the ones in the photo below all duking it out in a WWF cage match.  I love it when the two fashion powerhouses, Jean Paul Gaultier and Gianni Versace, go toe-to-toe fighting for the title "Supreme Overlord of Composition".  That Champion's Belt must be awesome!  I see it having not just rhinestones, studs and chains, but also intricate bead work, fabric flowers made of gold and silver lame, and framed by a multi-colored lace border.  The Pantone people can't possibly keep up with the Versace and Gaultier color creations.  It must drive them Banana Creme Pies trying to figure out whether the blue-gray color of the f aux fur collar on a jacket should be dubbed "Dusty-Skies" or "Chinchilla Dreams".  And there must be legions of sweat-shops around the world trying to keep up with their demand for sequins!

I have been a fan of Versace and Gaultier since my mom and I watched our first Academy Awards show together and she said that the beading alone on a Versace gown would have taken a team of skilled Italian tailors a week to sew on.  Now, I do believe that fashion should be accessible, but I also think that there is something to be said for excess.  The fantasy and forbidding of wildly elaborate gowns and clashing colors and textures forced to work with each others coupled with the exclusivity of the expensive treatments, excessive attention to detail and uncompromising craftsmanship is simply tantalizing.  The Frankenstien analogy, with the works taking on a life of their own, is most apropos.

I can't say who I root for more, Versace or Gaultier, in this epic war of couture.  Sometimes Versace wins me over with a shoe that has buckles, buttons and spikes, and sometimes Gaultier  gets me with a multi-colored block print pant suit with flowing arms and legs.  My head snaps back and forth like I'm watching the finals at the US Open.  But I am all the happier to have the sore neck in the morning after I finally say to myself, "It's okay.  They're both amazing."