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| False eyelashes, too much eye shadow = un-chic. |
Everyone wants to look expensive and well put together (or they should!) and pourquoi? There is authority, respect, beauty and poise in looking inimitable; having the appearance of a class act. We remember the class acts, they emit something nostalgic in us; a yearning perhaps for more formal and traditional times where being a “lady” and a “gentleman” really meant something. There was mystery and fantasy and allure.
Logos, logos and more logos. There is no easier way to display—and be identified—by your social class than by carrying a logo emblazoned handbag or wearing logoed clothing. Logoed handbags are considered by luxury companies (or corporations, I should say) as “entry level” goods. Meaning, they are marketed specifically towards lower-to-middle income women who want to appear of a higher socioeconomic class, but can’t afford to purchase the more expensive and tasteful handbags (without the pulsating logos). I’m on the fence with Louis Vuitton, as it has a rich history and legacy, but I have yet to see a seriously well-to-do lady in Manhattan or Paris carry one. Lots of Celine, Hermès, YSL, Chanel, Dior, J. Mendel, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Chloé and expensive non-descript clutches.
Bright colors, loud prints, florals and too much animal print. Yes, spring is here and we are all excited! Especially those wanting to replicate the 1980s East Coast Country Club look (Official Preppy Handbook anyone?). I adore many aspects of the preppy look, but not when it begins to appear like every day is Easter for you. The French BCBGs (Bon Chic Bon Genre) have perfected the “sophisticated preppy.” The Lilly Pulitzer style would frighten most Parisians. "Parisians look at people dressed colorfully with a fair bit of disdain. Style exuberance in Paris is considered offensive. The mental sanity of a person bold enough to wear such outrageous colors as yellow or red will be questioned by all Parisians." (Stuff Parisians Like, by Olivier Magny, Page 86). You won’t see a lot of bright colors, pastels, prints and lobster pants in the City of Lights.
The trick is to have one piece that stands out—like the pink shirt
or colorful boat shoes or sandals. The rest of the outfit should be plain. No
one should look like a walking cliché of Preppydom. This does not say, “subtly sexy,” “heart-wrenchingly
well-dressed” or “classically mysterious.” The same goes for animal prints;
head-to-toe leopard, giraffe or zebra is not chic. A shoe, a scarf, a belt is
okay. I have to say Non! to the jacket or coat in animal print; although many
fashionable women of great means and consequence sport it—but if you don’t have
the clout, income and reputation to back it up, forget it!
Your cleavage would make Pamela Anderson blush. I can’t stress this enough—looking as if your outfit should come with a stripper pole is one of the top ways that women lose all fashion and class credibility. Although many Reality TV starlets have become famous by sporting the “Rich Stripper” look, it is a look that should not be worn in an office, in conservative establishments or anywhere near a fashion metropolis (New York, Paris, Milan, etc.).
Too little or way too much makeup. As much as I love reading about how French women have
adopted the Le No Makeup look (makeup
so lightly done as to appear as if one really isn’t wearing a stitch), please
be warned that this does not necessarily apply to YOU. It is my opinion that no
woman over 30 should leave her home without makeup, and few women are model-gorgeous naturally that
just a coat of mascara, a dab of concealer and a bit of lip gloss will do them
justice. At the other end of the spectrum is the woman that wears her makeup
similar to the drag queen, RuPaul. If your daily look includes false eyelashes, 5
different shades of eye shadow, nose and cheek contouring and three layers of
lip liner and gloss—it’s time for a make-under! The BEST makeup is in the middle, of
course. Not too little and not too much!
Why spend more than $20 on shoes? I once worked in an office where a particular young woman was sadly made fun of because of her shoes. They were inappropriate for a corporate office and appeared quite worn. Women can be terribly cruel, especially in highly competitive environments, and for the trained eye, a cheap, badly made shoe can ruin the look of a well-thought out ensemble. “A woman with good shoes is never ugly.”
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| Par exemple: the very tacky shoe. |
Real Housewives Hair. If you need a team of hair stylists more than a few times a month to make sure your complicated hair color or glob of hair extensions are perfectly maintained, it’s time to get a life! One that does not revolve around being a store mannequin. There is nothing sexy, attractive or chic about an overdone head; plus it ages you about 20-years.
Your nails are your canvas. Nail art, pointy nails, long 1990s French-tipped acrylic
nails, bejeweled nails, nails with designer logos, colors out of a neon crayon
box—all scream that your intellectual life is sadly lacking and you have
somehow regressed back to elementary school. I have yet to see any ladies of
the fashionable set with bizarre witchy-poo talons. They stick with
well-manicured natural nails in pale pinks, rose colors, pigeon blood red or simply
buffed to a shine. Occasionally you’ll see trendy colored toenails, but rarely
if ever on the hands.
Running on the Trend Treadmill. The biggest problem today with fashion is that trends have become schizophrenic. Here one day gone the next, faster than you can purchase that sequin shirt with the fun chicken print, high-waisted skinny pants and faux alligator pumps. Yet you spend your life keeping up with every trend that the following year will make you look like an escaped inmate from a mental institution. I remember one magazine editor hailing the fashion prowess of a young Chloe Sevigny years ago and writing about how insanely cool it was that she wore a pair of vintage heels that were too large; so she had rubber bands tied around the shoes to keep them from falling off. I can sadly imagine how many lost female souls went out to purchase old shoes that were a size too big, and rubber bands to keep them on. Trendy, in short, does not look expensive. It looks kooky and lacks sophistication. Stick with the classics—i.e. those traditional looks that stand the test of time, wear well on most body types and never look dated. Not only will you look more chic and elegant, but you will save tons of money and help the environment by putting less garbage in the landfills.
“I've never seen elegance go out of style.” - Tom Ford
