A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (13 page)

As you go through your cleansing and exfoliating, please be gentle. From the first exposure to Noxzema onward, we often feel that if it doesn’t hurt, it isn’t working. Every dermis is different, but you would be amazed by how well the skin may respond to a bit less intervention. You should retire for the evening feeling soft and moisturized, not worn out from an epic struggle with fifteen different serums.

Unless those fifteen serums are fun to use and really work for you, how about trying the following program: Apply outré hair accessory; wash face while humming something from
Carmen
; dry with fluffy towel and apply moisturizer; pat on some eye cream while doing leg kicks. These are good for the bottom. Keep the pelvis in bistro position, point your toes, and focus on using the back of the legs to lift the leg directly behind you. Five on each side. Now, slick on a bit of lip balm, nothing too mentholated for evening. Brush your teeth and trot off to bed.

In the morning, don’t forget to apply your sunblock. There are now so many to choose from, and so many formulations available, there is no good excuse for skipping this step. Even if you have a darker skin tone and an eighty-year-old grandmother who looks forty, you still have no excuse. Perhaps you won’t wrinkle, but you can still get blotchy. Use that SPF!

Take a look at the following syllogism:

Long hair is beautiful
.

I have long hair
.

Ergo, my hair is beautiful
.

Does this resonate with you? Unless you can honestly say that your long hair is in great condition, with no hints of dry fuzziness, stringy sections, or last summer’s highlights somewhere around your ears, you need to do some honest assessment. And we understand, it isn’t easy, especially right now. American culture seems to be in the grip of a pagan cult that worships the flatiron. Every couple of seasons, the Velcro roller gets up there on the altar as well. This trend is hardly new. The most cursory research seems to suggest that the idea of the “crowning glory” dates back to the Old Testament. In the early usages, it’s God being discussed, not Jessica Simpson, and it seems to be at least metaphorically a real crown, not a head of loose, beachy waves He’s sporting. Still, it’s an enduring idea and the time has come to question it. Ask not what you can do for your hair but . . . you know.

What can change your appearance more drastically than a new haircut? Isn’t “Did you change your hair?” one of the questions people who secretly undergo plastic surgery always laugh about being asked? A chic, flattering haircut will further your quest for style more than anything else. We all know that hair is not a security blanket, and yet, many of us can’t bear the thought of losing an inch, or deviating from the longish bob that’s worked so well since 1992. How many women feel they couldn’t live without their long hair, but wear it pulled back ninety percent of the time? It doesn’t make sense to have hair that is not contributing to your overall look. The chic haircut, the haircut that says its owner has a point of view, will actually do far more than just contribute to a look, it can make the look. It is like having one fabulous accessory that is always with you and goes with anything. There is more to life than the longish bob or even long hair with layers. There are options beyond the pageboy or the pixie. In order to find them, though, you must seek out a stylist whose aesthetic sense you share. This does not mean somebody famous, just someone whom you trust and feel understands what you want. If you have gone to the same person for years and the spark is gone, explain that it’s you, not them, and move on. Commit to a little exploration until you’ve found the stylist who can give you that Sophia Loren mane or Halle Berry crop or early Linda Evangelista look you’ve always wanted. Keep in mind, if you are in the midst of emotional upheaval, a new haircut may
seem
to be the perfect emblem of new-found liberation. However, what was chic and Joan Jett-esque at 6:00
P.M
. may feel
like Mr. Bean at 8:00
A.M
. Perhaps you should allow the emotions to settle before committing to a big change. And remember, when it comes to the texture of your hair, make it work! Make sure your stylist understands your hair so you don’t end up with a look that requires two extra hours every morning.

It is entirely worthwhile, by the way, to pay for the best hairdresser you can afford. You will, after all, be wearing what you pay for twenty-four hours a day.

The Blind Spot:
Style is not just about clothes, nor is it something bestowed upon you if you are the correct shape or size. Style is about the way you hold yourself and move through the world. It is about paying attention to the details of you, which means embracing and taking full advantage of what you have to work with. Go forth, exfoliated and moisturized; be kind to your freckles; lose the ponytail; and position that pelvis. It will do far more for you than a new outfit.

*
Not that I’ve ever worn pasties. . .

The Lesson:
After all that hard work in the closet, the time has come—almost—to shop. But before you do to the retail world what Alaric and his merry band of Visigoths did to Rome, it is key that you have in mind exactly what you are looking for. On the following pages you will find a list of looks and items that no closet should be without.

“I don’t know how to shop in America.”

—Diana Vreeland

When it comes to a list like this, how tempting it is to rely on some old favorites: the strand of pearls, the little black dress, the crisp white button-down. We must, however, remember the rallying cry of the great Elsie de Wolfe, “Suitability, suitability, suitablity!” Elsie was talking about the decorating of interiors, not persons, but this advice is still apt. Pearls are beautiful, but are they the only piece of jewelry that imparts a quiet luxury? Not at all! And if you love a crisp button-down, and it flatters you, fabulous. But if a gorgeous cream cashmere shell better serves your torso, let that be your basic. The way we dress today means some new staples have come to the fore. With that in mind, take a look at this list:

1. The Trench-ish Coat
. Like so many other enduring looks, the trench coat got its start in the armed services. As its name suggests, the coat was worn by British and French soldiers while fighting in the trenches of WWI.
A rather sad association, but the coat has also enjoyed enduring peacetime popularity. The traditional trench is double-breasted, belted, and often has a lining that can be removed for warmer weather wear. It is also rather long, hitting well below the knee. Today there are hundreds of trench spin-offs to choose from. The slightly shorter and narrower version is a foolproof way to finish a look. It gives jeans and a T-shirt some starch while keeping dressier looks from veering into fussy. And although Burberry still rides high in the trench world, there is no reason to feel that you must spend
1,200 just to get that plaid lining. Everybody now does something trench-ish, from Prada to H&M. Just remember that in a trench, as with all great design, form should follow function. Ask yourself if the coat provides adequate warmth for where you live, assuming you’ll be wearing it from the early spring into late fall. Is it waterproof? Does it hit at a flattering spot on the leg? Is it too voluminous for your frame? Because even the world’s most expensive plaid will be cold comfort if you look like your coat is swallowing you alive.

2. The Sweat Suit Alternative
. There is something appealing about pretending we live lives that require prim little suits during the day and only the most challenging vintage Balenciaga by night. Even if that is your life, isn’t it safe to assume that every so often you just need to be comfortable and enjoy some easy, unrestricted movement? For some of us, that might be almost every day, which makes the ease of the warm-up suit, running
suit, or sweat suit all too seductive. The truth is, with a bit of investigative effort and imagination, you can find something just—or almost—as comfortable that will not tell the world that you may take a nap or hit the gym at any moment. For winter, try some cashmere pants, but instead of topping them with a matching cashmere hoodie, opt for a cardigan or sweater-coat that can work with all sorts of other pieces in your wardrobe. Why not try a cardigan with a crisp white tee, some black Capri pants, and a pair of skimmers? Or how about some slim black pants or dark jeans with a dark gray V-neck sweater? In warm weather, a great-fitting tee and some breezy linen pants will also do the trick. Maybe bring along a cashmere cardigan from your winter collection in case you encounter a blasting air conditioner. Soft cotton jersey pants should be avoided if one is going anywhere other than the yoga studio. Many a woman is walking around New York City right now with no idea that her pants not only reveal the shape of her bottom, but the shape her bottom is in. The only dimples that one should display in public should appear next to one’s smile.