Happy October!

My Personal Photo
Black Halo Dress and Chanel Necklace

Happy October and a new week begins... I hope you all had restful weekends. The first of October always signifies the start of benefit season. Getting all dressed up with the gentleman for a cause I support is one of my favorite things about fall. That being said there's a lot of hard work involved with making sure that these events are successful. Here I am en route to a meeting for one of the boards I'm on.

My Personal Photo

When it comes to shopping, I firmly believe that if you are nice to the sales assistants you encounter, they will take care of you. That goes for most things in life. This dress was set aside for me by a sales assistant at a boutique that I slip into from time to time. There's something really nice about shopping with someone who's familiar with your style. As soon as this dress came in it was tucked away until I happened to walk by the boutique. It's a great dress to throw on in the midst of a busy week. It's simple, elegant and refined.

My Personal Photo

I always appreciate a good detail and this dress has several. The deep plunging back is resolutely modern. The ruched three-quarter length sleeves balance the exposed back. The pleats and draping at the front are the structural details that I always find myself falling for. Most of all I like that I can move around freely in this dress. Who wants to be restricted their clothing choices?

Do I even have to tell you how excited I was to wear my necklace? So excited.

Take It Up A Notch

Via The Coveteur

"Elegance is innate. It has nothing to do with being well dressed. Elegance is refusal." Diana Vreeland 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Happy 4th of July to all of you American readers and Happy Canada Day Canadian friends. If you had a long weekend I hope you enjoyed every luxurious minute of it. Summer is fleeting, so it's important to savor it. The highlight of my long weekend was the gentleman surprising me with matinée tickets to American Ballet Theatre's Swan Lake. 

The gentleman knows me very well. Surprise or no surprise, you're not going to get me to go anywhere without some sort of guideline on dressing. My instructive- "come as your elegant self" with a few examples tossed in for good measure. 

It's always so nice to see ABT perform. The ballet makes me nostalgic for pointe shoes, leotards, rehearsals, classical music and the all important révérence (bow or curtsy).  Having danced and been a gymnast for years it's the overall feeling of gracefulness and precision that I adore. 

There are few occasions that inspire people to take it up a notch and come completely turned out. Thankfully a trip to the ballet is one of those aforementioned occasions. Little white suits and cocktail dresses were the order of the day. It's nice to see so many people looking  polished. Vogue has the right idea with this week's "The Social Shopper: Simple Ways to Convey Easy Elegance." The roundup includes items that I consider summer staples- little dresses, pale manicures, and black patent pumps to name a few. Along with nude patent leather pumps that are on my summer shopping list. I think it's safe to say that elegance is here to stay.  

Style and Identity



The Sartorialist

Style says “This is who I am- this is my signature, my voice, my scent, my colors, the cut I like best. This is me, good as I am.” It’s in the eye, the smile, the gaze, the laugh. It’s who I saw crossing the street in front of me in Florence… From Acquired Taste by Carol Edgarian 

Ever so often, I come across an article in a magazine that stays with me. Carol Edgarian’s  “Acquired Taste” from the April 2011 issue of W is exactly that type of article. If you haven’t read this article, you can read it- Here. It's a true gem. The premise is the origin of personal style and how it's informed by the world around us. It's hard to define exactly what style is, but it's more than owning beautiful clothing. Edgarian beautifully captures that moment when you see a woman with great style and want to be let in on her secret.

I had this article on my mind when I went uptown to preview Bergdorf's McQueen windows last month. On the corner of 58th street I ran into Giovanna Battaglia. I have seen her on numerous occasions at the collections, but that's different. At Fashion Week everyone is very self aware. What I noticed about Giovanna wasn't her striking beauty, immaculate grooming, beautiful dress or gorgeous bag. Instead I noticed the elegant way she draped her scarf over her head to protect her hair from the wind (teach me) and her gracefully crossed legs as she perched on the ledge of a storefront. There was something extremely elegant and ladylike about her clothing and mannerisms. Her clothing could have looked like a girl playing dress up on another woman, but they matched who she is perfectly. I prefer a bit more simplicity when it comes to dressing, however I always enjoy seeing how polished Giovanna looks.

For me, style requires a knowledge and appreciation for the classics. If you don't have any reference points when it comes to fashion- how can you even begin to cultivate your own personal style? Style and identity are interrelated. Having style means that you have perfected your individual point of view. Personal style requires a degree of confidence in oneself and choices. Once you've found your style you build upon it. Experience and lifestyle allow you to make adjustments along the way. You become discerning and learn to admire items that don't suit you from afar once you develop your own personal style. I can only hope that one day I acquire this innate sense of style.

"Dance By The Light of The Moon"

She tucked her coral aubergine lipstick away and floated back to the party (When I saw this printed on the shoe bag, I knew these shoes were made for me)

Frank Tell Dress, Chanel Necklace, Kate Spade Shoes

"Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman." Coco Chanel

Words to live by. There's something wonderful about being impeccably well dressed. You can always tell when a girl has carefully considered her attire. It's a way of articulating your presence. Evening dressing with all of its intricacies can throw a girl into a panic, but I love an excuse to get dressed up. To be honest I don't really need a reason to dress up. I'm an advocate for looking pulled together at all times.

Here are a few pictures of the dress I decided on for the Spring Benefit. I instantly loved this dress the moment I saw it. I have a fondness for black and white. This dress is at once polished and poised. There is just something about this dress that instinctively suits me. When I started thinking about this event I knew I wanted to wear my talisman. A seated dinner calls for an attention grabbing necklace. 

The blend of wool and silk Mikado (one of my favorite fabrics) give the dress structure. A garment retaining its structure is of utmost importance when the evening calls for a lot of wrinkle inducing sitting before the dancing begins. I hesitated at first because of the full skirt and even had an Alberta Ferretti dress at the ready just in case I had a change of heart. I just kept coming back to this dress because it was charming. For important events the first dress that I like is usually the dress. It's simply a matter of trusting my own instincts.

The objective for evening should be to standout, while looking appropriate for the affair. If you're going to an event where everyone is wearing black, why not wear color? If everyone is wearing a long gown, there's something refreshing about going short.  I never strive to be the girl wearing the dress by such and such designer. It's simply a matter of achieving that look that you can't put your finger on, but it's perfection. 

Thursday night was a success sartorially. Even more importantly the event raised a lot of money for an amazing cause. The event was packed and people were so excited to get more involved. There's nothing quite like "dancing by the light of the moon" for a cause you love. 

PS- When the sun goes down the tuxedos come out. There's nothing like a dapper gentleman escorting you in his best. 

On Compliments

Via Miss Little Lime

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous" Coco Chanel

Needless to say this quote resonates with me. Personal style doesn't begin and end with clothing. It's much deeper than that. It's about poise. Inner grace. Comportment. MANNERS. When all of these things align perfectly it's effortless. 

I find it incredibly classy when people aren't afraid to compliment others. Who doesn't love a genuine compliment? A warm compliment can instantly brighten someones' day. Making someone feel good is infectious, you can't help but smile. It feels good to make someone stand a little taller or even better, notice something about themselves they haven't considered. If you haven't given someone a compliment today I highly recommend doing so.

A woman who can compliment others with ease has confidence, which is always inspiring. Being able to graciously accept a compliment is the true mark of class. It took me years to be able to accept a compliment without shrinking up, blushing and feeling really shy. I'm still a work in progress .

Speaking of compliments, how wonderful is K's shoe collection? This is a well edited shoe wardrobe that I find incredibly covetable. I would wear each and every pair. I'm especially partial to the Varinas. I'm reliant on my Ferragamo shoes for work. 

On Elegance

Via Oscar PR Girl

There is a saying in France, 'Elegance is the privilege of age' - and thank heaven, it is perfectly true. A woman can be elegant until the end of her days. However, as the years pass a woman changes in type, and she must be intelligent and objective enough to recognize the fact. A Guide to Elegance

A Guide to Elegance by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux is one of those books that I find myself re-reading again and again. Every time I unearth it from my bookshelf it's like being reunited with a treasure. Needless to say, if you have not read this book, I highly recommend reading it. It truly speaks to the idea of cultivating a timeless style, having grace and poise. 

Elegance is extremely personal. To be elegant is to truly know yourself and what suits you. Elegance is reflective. Perhaps it's acquired with age. I love the idea that a woman can grow into her elegance. If  'elegance is the privilege of age' doesn't that make getting older all the more exciting? 

Recently, I hosted a fancy and very adult benefit dinner. I tried on beautiful designer gowns and  while all of the dresses were gorgeous, I had a few years to grow into them. I ended up wearing a tasteful and very chic short dress. It's interesting to think that one day the more austere gown will be right. Sigh... One day. 

Currently, I find the following elegant-

* My signature Chanel Noir nail polish  

* Being gracious 

* Feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin

* A handwritten note

* Keeping it subtle with the perfect white shirt (I'm still looking) or trench, but knowing when to add that little unique detail that pops.  

* Timeless pieces that only get better with age

What do you find elegant?