Simply Stated

When standing in line at the grocery store or at any major superstore, we are constantly bombarded with huge headlines carefully worded and scripted on the covers of many glossy magazines. These headlines promise to speak about gossip filled stories, new fashion trends, how to lose 10 pounds without doing anything, how to shop on a dime, and many other eye catching and questionable, yet intriguing stories. But then there is always a rebel in every group. Harper’s Bazaar® always stands alone, as its cover is continually uncluttered, just an incredibly artistic fashion photo of the cover girl. Rarely is there more than ten words in a small accompany paragraph on the cover, words that never interfere with the artistic dramatics of the cover photo. The cover always appears to be extra glossy, once again, another defining characteristic in its uniqueness on the tabloid and magazines shelves. I have always loved fashion magazines and don’t discriminate against cluttered covers, but I truly do appreciate the minimalism of Harper’s Bazaar®. What they have done, in my opinion is let the fashion speak for itself. The cover girl, needs no accompanying clever words to sell a product, the photo does that on its own. Many of us already have stressful busy lives with lots of “clutter”, we turn to magazines to relax and indulge in the fashion pages. We don’t need any more of this “clutter” in our lives; we need the fashion handed to us straightforward, with no baggage, just a fashion edge. To me the simplicity that is a Harper’s Bazaar cover, is what fashion is all about, telling you a story without, ever having to open your mouth.

First Issue of Harper's Bazaar (1867):



Modern Day Cover of Harper's Bazaar:

Accesorize to the .... Low?

Accessories are a piece of the fashion world that most of us cannot live without. The obsessions do not stop at just handbags and shoes, but recent crazes with headbands, over the top jewelry, watches, and all other extra adornments seem to always be part of a fashionista’s outfit. Personally I love accessories and rarely have an outfit that does showcase one of these pieces. But how do you coordinate everything and make it look just right, or give off the look that one is not trying too hard, the answer, simplicity. Many a fashion icons have commented on the “take one thing off before you leave the house” rule including Coco Chanel herself. Simple can easily be defined as uncomplicated and effortless. Isn’t that what we want to look like every day, as if putting together a whole ensemble is effortless and we consistently look that great? Any fashionista will tell you the whole idea of being fashion forward is to be natural and graceful with your look. To start this conquest of simplicity, it is easiest to start with accessories. As a personal rule of thumb, I always choose just one or two items that are true statement pieces to help embellish my outfit. I love wearing a large piece of jewelry or a fun shoe that accentuates the simplicity of the rest of my ensemble. But you never want accessories to compete for attention, so that is why one must stick with the simple rule and just pick one area of focus to be the accessory that polishes the whole outfit. Ultimately, in the end, “less is more,” is an easy guideline to live life by fashionably.

Tackling Fashion For a Great Cause

Fashion can easily branch across many different aspects of life and one’s interests. This past week I had the opportunity to experience two of my “loves” cross paths, fashion and football. Growing up sports was always a big part of my life whether I was playing or watching a game on TV. Fashion is also obviously a big part of my life and a large part of who I am and who I aspire to be, so when I had the opportunity to volunteer with the Becky’s Fund Fashion Show I was ecstatic that two of my favorite things were coming together for a great cause. Becky’s Fund is a charity based out of Washington D.C. that’s mission is to end domestic violence through fostering awareness, encouraging advocacy, promoting activism, and creating support. The fashion show was also sponsored by running back for the Washington Redskins, Clinton Portis and Eric Finn Custom Clothier® founder and proprietor, Matthew Eric Landsberg. All of the garments in the fashion show were custom pieces done by Eric Finn®, many of the models were current and former members of the Washington Redskins, players from D.C. United as well as professional models walking all in support of Becky’s Fund. Many of the athletes who were already clients of Eric Finn® wore their own custom suits for the show. The night was full of hope and pride in support of helping a great cause. As a fan of football it was incredible to meet some of the Redskins players who were all impeccably dressed as well as very grateful to be able to help out with Becky’s Fund. Many of the suits worn by the athletes or supporters of the charity and clients of Eric Finn® featured pinstripes as well as plaids. Every stripe of each design was perfectly matched where seams met or the cut of the jacket lay. These pieces were absolute perfection and consistently accompanied by beautiful pocket squares, tie tacks, cuff links, as well as dress shoes that personified the character of the wearer. One of my favorite unique and personalized additions to the already impeccably tailored garments was the custom initial embroidery on the dress shirt cuffs. I had the opportunity to meet cornerback for the Washington Redskins, DeAngelo Hall and as I looked down as he shook my hand, the letters, D. Hall were beautifully scripted across his cuff. Although I know such custom designs existed before this event, seeing everything in person was such a learning experience. Also it was incredible to see how the custom clothier worked with the incredibly difficult out of proportion measurements of the professional athletes. Many of the football players were not built like an average person so when making the suits, certain areas had to be exaggerated or cinched to compensate for their athletic physique. For example, Clinton Portis is 5’11”, a relatively average height, but he has incredibly broad shoulders and is very muscular, but his waist is consequently very small. The custom suit had to be cut specifically to his proportions and measurements. This is not a hard task and just adds to the allure of the fine custom suits. The night was a perfect marriage of flawless fashion and sports as all attendees and volunteers marveled at the success of the event. Overall the event was a true learning experience and it was great to be a part of helping to support such a great cause.

Riding the Wave from Generation to Generation

Fashion Cycles have always amazed me as trends continue to return in different generations. One specific cycle I find very interesting is the resurgence of the RayBan® Wayfarer. This stylish set of shades, made their debut when Audrey Hepburn wore them in Breakfast at Tiffany’s®. But to me I vividly remember them when Jake and Elwood Blues wore them in The Blues Brothers® in 1980. The sunglasses that made their grand entrance via the silver screen have now made a major comeback as one of the most popular choice of shades for the younger generation. The Wayfarer® has now graced the pages of major fashion magazines as a must have! And the basic silhouette has been copied by many discount retailers. I personally own a pair but like to attribute my purchase to my love of the Blues Brothers. But maybe what I find so fascinating about this returning trend is how it carries across generations, even with in my own family. Like I mentioned earlier, I personally own a pair but so does my older brother, (for the record, I had mine first) and so does my Mom. And her pair is a two tone brown, while mine are the basic tortoiseshell! And to top it all off I guess my Dad had us all beat when he had his pair in the 80’s! So I guess, classic is always the way to go and in my family’s case I guess we now have the inspiration for our coordination for our Christmas card.

From one sibling duo to another...