still in luxe

sorry for my brief hiatus from posting - this is the fourth anniversary of my Mother's death, so I've been focused on other items of importance, as you can imagine.

Today I woke up early, went to the cemetery, daily mass, and had breakfast at one of Her favourite places. Whilst there, I was flipping through a few magazines, and here's what I'm really loving now:

Glam in green - especially celery, grass, sage, olive, and lime.

Worn and woven bracelets - nylon and cotton sailor versions or effort leather wraps.

Fresh flowers - just because. Hands down, B.Brooks still has the best flowers.

Seersucker blazers with jeans and Tshirts.

Vintage inspired luggage - especially from Filson, Globe Trotter, and Goyard.

Ivy league prep + Naval utilitarianism and classicism.

Gant, and everything else Michael Bastian dreams up. It's like Montauk + Edgartown + St Barths all wrapped in one preppy package and tied with sailing line.

Gingham - of all shapes and sizes.

the not so hi-lo Presidential fashion

I love talking about style and fashion. I like discovering and analyzing how fashion plays a part of our every day, how the power of fashion and trends can influence a decision, a perspective, a point of view (and to view a point).

Today a buddy asked what I thought about First Lady Michelle Obama. For those who don't know, our First Lady was recently interviewed on the nationally televised morning chat programme The Today Show. Mrs. Obama wore a US$35 dress from Swedish H&M paired with a fabulous orange belt and bright yellow pumps.

My thoughts? Firstly, Mrs. O looked fabulous. I'm such a fan of rocking the hi-lo - pairing expensive luxury with everyday, casual wear. And the vivid pops of colour accentuated her physique brilliantly.

On the other hand, I got to thinking. Our First Lady, no matter what the agenda or task at hand, represents America. She represents our ideals, is a beacon of hope and inspiration, and is the perfect PR commercial for the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

Mrs. O could have very easily featured one of many incredible American designers. The iconic Diane von Furstenberg. Calvin Klein. Marc Jacobs. Michael Bastian. Ralph Lauren. The list goes on. But she purposely picked a mass-produced, albeit stylish, garment from a Swedish department store found in every majour city. It wasn't special.

Our First Lady is anything but ordinary. In her private life, she can rock whatever threads she desires. This is a free country, after all. But when she's in a public arena, especially on national television, I expect the best. Both stylistically and politically. Leave the mass-produced, discounted knockoffs for Mr. Mubarak.

Sent from my iPhone

Mindful fashion; a mind full of fashion

today is like a potpourri of tidbits:

~ I just watched the movie "The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock, country singer Tim McGraw, and many other fabulous actors and actresses. If you haven't seen it - you must.

~ I love that Target carries Caldrea products know. They are fabulous, earth-friendly, and amazingly fragrant products for a whole new concept of fresh and clean.

~ For those who don't know, my Mom was a fabulous gardener. She loved her rose bushes. While she was fighting her terminal cancers, I assumed the gardening duties and began caring for her rose gardens. I've work really hard over the past few years to keep them flourishing in Her memory. And I'm happy to report they're really full and beautiful right now. Even the other plants are lush and lovely. And the Christian Dior roses I planted for her are simply amazing.

~ For women, I'm loving either incredibly simplistic or over-the-top indulgent. Average shoes are just not en vogue this season.

~ For men, I'm loving the attention to detail, but in a minimalistic method. Think Maison Martin Margiela. Or Michael Bastian. Killer khaki. Knock-out Navy. Youthful yellow. Gorgeous green. And wonderful, wonderful whites.

~ For both men and women, having flawless, youthful, radiant skin is the best accessory. Well, that and a dazzling smile. Fresh faces and superstar smiles are the difference between the amateurs and the professionals. Revamp your regimen and prepare now.

~ And speaking of skincare, pay special attention to your lips and hands. Have you ever seen an older person who has a fabulous face, but terribly wrinkled and discoloured hands? Paying attention to just the face, and neglecting the hands, will lead to significant signs of aging later in life. Same for the lips. Remember these steps - exfoliate at least once a week, both the hands and the lips. Cleanse daily with a moisturizing wash. Then moisturize and protect with a natural, sun protecting moisturizer.

~ I still love D&G's La Force fragrance from the astrological collection. It's #11. And I'm still disappointed that I had such awful experiences at Macy's, who apparently have the exclusive right of distribution in America for a while. So I refuse to buy the product until it's available at another retailer.

~ I have a minor obsession with skincare, bath, and body products. Sadly, I'm that consumer that buys products in advance, so I never run out of what I love. And when the product is about 1/8 from being finished, I get excited thinking about what "new" products I'm about to open, so I just might, possibly, sometimes, maybe use a little more product than I should so I can "speed up the process" and move on to the next product. So to prevent this, I've started keeping the "refill/on hand" products in a closet away from my bathroom, so I stop wasting extra product. It's my way of stretching out my mighty dollar and extending the life of my products in this less-than-stellar economy. And I can't wait to be using the Blood Orange + White Pepper soapy suds body washes from Bliss that I've stashed away.

~ I'm still loving when both men and women layer multiple bracelets. Various fabrics, medals, textures, sizes, colours, stones. Make them reflect your personality and style. Make them your own.