Summer Travel Style

"He who would travel happily, must travel light." 

- Antoine de St. Exupery

There is no truer note-to-self when it comes to travel, especially international travel -- travel light. After years of experience and losing thousands in clothes and accessories, having luggage stolen or arriving weeks later, I have much to advise. I watch women consistently stuff half their closets in a myriad of suitcases, to have much of it unworn, lost and/or stolen. I now pack only enough to carry on without checking a single bag. Never anything expensive or irreplaceable. Everything I pack must have the capacity for triple duty. 

The Elegant Face

"Beauty is power. 

The right makeup enhances that." 

- Cassandra McClure

Young women today have few places to look for elegant role models. Perhaps striving for elegance is not even a thought or reflection. Their choices are even fewer if they do not come from the 1% of families where certain traditions, rules and principles of style are passed down. So where do they look, these young girls from around the world to find ideas on how to do their makeup in the most flattering fashion? The Kardashians, Hollywood starlets, Instagram influencers, pop stars, female rappers? With this being so, we have what we have now -- an absolute travesty. Too many overly made-up faces lacking any discipline or refinement. Some look theatrical, some too matte and brown/neutral -- very 1990s, some too discotheque shiny, and some have chosen the popular early 2000s "no-makeup makeup look" quite celebrated in Paris. There's no balance or moderation, and that is the true beauty of makeup -- to improve one's appearance and enhance le visage, not detract from it. 

Properly Sexy

Cindy Bruna at the 24th amfAR Gala Cannes at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes.

"Too much intellectualism is too boring; too much sexuality is too vulgar. The good balance makes people interested." 

-Domenico Dolce

Style has become so complicated for women today; I fear we will soon look like the bourgeois characters from The Hunger Games. What has become even more complex (and terrifying) is how women are expressing their sexuality through their choice of fashion -- how they put themselves together in such a common display of truly painful desperation. This thirst for attention, validation, impersonal likes and following, has a generation or two of women conveying the appearance of sex workers. Yet, pleading publicly for the highest respect, and thankfully acknowledged for their brilliant minds.

The Trend Guide

"I believe in style, not fashion." 

-Ralph Lauren

There are several trends this year, and season, you should absolutely avoid. The French are less taken in by trends and stick to a more classic/conservative wardrobe. American women are often slaves to trends and everything nouveau. Not only is this bad for one's finances, but the environment as well. A recent global study by Fashion United UK, noted that Americans do not wear up to 82% of the clothing in their closets. Yet we continue to purchase one trend after the next. According to the Wall Street Journal, "American shoppers snap up about five times more clothing now than they did in 1980." (Dana Thomas, The High Price of Fast Fashion, April 2019).

Q & A with Amber Szűcs

"Style is a personal thing, yet good taste with one's style is like having proper etiquette. It takes education and affects those around you in a positive and harmonious way."

-Amber Szűcs 

I've received a lot of questions lately about my thoughts on style. What is the best style? What trends should I avoid? How do I create chic looks on a budget? How can I look consistently well put together traveling to different countries? As a person that has studied the socioeconomics of fashion and style for almost 30 years, with a Master's degree in International Relations, I am happy to give my advice!

For me, the foundation of great style is good taste. However, the tricky part of having good taste is this -- you're either born with it or you cultivate it with proper education. Most people need to cultivate it. Good taste, throughout history has been the social armor of the aristocrat. Those with the oldest money. However, today, where the less cultivated masses have trumped those with these family backgrounds (in the media and in popular culture at least), you have to merge the two worlds to some degree to look up to date. 

The Simple Life

"Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It's your masterpiece after all." 

-Nathan W. Morris

Many people mistakenly believe, in order to be, appear or feel successful in this life one must accumulate and mass consume. Especially today, everyone wants to go bigger and have more. Discipline and moderation in one's consumption is not de rigueur. Gluttony reigns supreme, especially in the Unites States. More clothes, shoes and accessories, bigger homes to display, uber-luxury cars, weekly exotic vacations, A-list events, the highest end restaurants, etc. is now the ultimate desire. Social media, of course, has played an instrumental role in creating these upscale desires. According to inc.com, "companies are shelling out approximately $255 million a month investing in Instagram influencer-sponsored posts per month."

Style & Beauty Tips for a Chic 2022.

Photo by George Mayer

"It is important to be chic."

- Roberto Cavalli
 

1. Eyelashes Au Naturel. The resurgence of faux eyelashes in the past five years, once used by women with minimal and scant eyelashes to imitate naturally long ones (and in fashion and entertainment for the purpose of art and exaggeration) -- has grown to unnatural proportions in the real world. It is understandable if you are amongst the meagre of lash to naturally enhance what was not God-given. However, if your eyelashes are normal in length, volume and quantity, there is no reason to cause permanent damage by getting eyelash extensions. I speak from experience. For one year, I regularly had professional eyelash extensions. After every appointment I was dizzy and nauseous from the chemical glue used in the applications. Shedding faux eyelashes also became an annoyance for myself and my husband. They were everywhere. After removing them (or letting them fall out naturally) I was shocked to find my once normal lashes half their previous appearance. Two years later, they are still only 80% of what they used to be. Luckily, I stopped when I did. If you look at chic women with a truly cultivated style, rarely a faux eyelash will you find. Beauty and style icon Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was known for not enhancing her pale eyelashes, creating a classic almost Renaissance era look. She was the quintessential representation of "less is more." 

UPG EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Jennifer Creel. Contemporary Jewelry Designer for the Jet Set.

"I like to mix it up. 

Create an authentic New York City style that symbolizes the coming together of uptown and downtown." 

-Jennifer Creel

Artists come in many forms and in many trades. One of the most exclusive jewelry designers in Manhattan comes in the form of an elegant Upper East Side doyenne. A classic beauty with rare elegance and a long-held reputation for being the best dressed on the island. For Jennifer Creel, jewelry design was a natural development from hobby to occupation. This love affair burgeoned in her teen years and followed through her careers in entertainment, modeling and fashion. Mentored by a gemologist, her eye for novelty, self-expression and quality flourished.  "Jewelry is tribal," is her mantra.

The Bling Sting

Photo by Alisa Ustyuzhanina

"Everything in excess is opposed to nature."

-Hippocrates

Social media has become the ultimate showcase for bling. We are bombarded with vast images of conspicuous consumption. The lives--whether real or manufactured--of influencers dripping in jewels, sporting the latest fashion, partying and parading around their interior designed mansions, is our daily intake. To further exaggerate these Uber lives, are frequent luxury vacations, where they can be seen lounging on yachts and exotic beach locales sipping cocktails. It appears every other week there is yet another South Asian, Italian Riviera or Caribbean vacation. Supreme personal pleasure and obnoxious gloating seem to be the main motive in these well-crafted portraits. Many followers are starting to wonder, ask and comment...."Don't you have any other life aspirations?" "Is this all that you do?" "Any intellectual or cultural pursuits?"

Add a Little Flair

Photo by Irina Kalchenko

In the plight to create and maintain a minimal, ethical, eco-conscious and sustainable wardrobe, many of us have foregone much distinction or novelty. We have blended well into a blank canvas appreciatively unnoticed. However, in our protest of fast fashion, climate change and the multitude of social injustices connected to our closets, have we eschewed taking pride and enjoyment from our clothing? Can a disciplined, ethical wardrobe have some color and panache—some fashion? As we emerge from a year plus of social distancing, masks and avoiding crowds, the desire to go out, dress up and add some flair is only natural. We want to be seen. 

The Last Swan

"Elegance is a discipline of life."

-Oscar de la Renta

There was a time, not long ago, when many young American women dreamed, desired and sought to replicate ladies. The sort of women that Truman Capote described perfectly in his October 1959 article for Harpers' Bazaar. In this article, A Gathering of Swans, he quotes from the journal of a young Mr. Patrick Conway who was visiting Bruges in the year 1800. 

The NEW Capsule Wardrobe

"As consumers we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy." 

-Emma Watson

The Parisian woman made The Capsule Wardrobe famous. Droves of American women, in particular, fell in love with the idea of creating a small, chic, simple, quality wardrobe that could stand the test of time. The revolving door of cheap trends and unconscionable waste began to weigh heavy on many of us. Our closets seemed to take on lives of their own, as we hoarded more and more fast fashion. We couldn't help but look admiringly to our sensible French sisters for guidance. French women, especially La Parisienne, has a rich history of always being well turned out, at the height of chic, and yet never conspicuous. 

UPG BOOK RELEASE February 2022

I am happy to announce Pandemic Chic will now be ready for release February 2022. Due to the pandemic, the publication date was delayed. My sincere apologies! I've received so much positive correspondence in anticipation of the release. I truly look forward to getting this book out to my followers. Further details for purchase will be made closer to the release date. Merci beaucoup! 

Fashion Gluttony: The Environmental Sin du Jour

Photo by luanateutzi

"Gluttony: the over-indulgence and 
over-consumption of anything to the point of waste."

From magazines, to television, to movies, to social media and everything in between, we are bombarded with the corporate machines push to make us desire more of everything. We are constantly being sold, urged to consume beyond our needs, desires, health and morality. In the US, we are one of the world's biggest and most arrogant examples of excess and mass consumption. 

INTERVIEW: Laura Manara. The New Queen of Resort Wear Claims Her Throne.

Fashion designer Laura Manara.



What the international jet-set woman currently wants—is to look chic, timeless, sexy and carefree—all at the same time. She wants resort wear that can take her to and from many destinations. Laura Manara is among the first designers to finally meet those needs.

"Resort wear" originally sprang up in the 19th century when sunny, seaside resorts became common destinations for the upper classes throughout the winter season. During the 1920s and 1930s, monied socialites and film stars, who were often photographed and written about, made resort wear an absolute necessity.

Lingerie and the French Woman ...

Photo by Iryna Kalchenko.

I once asked my French hairdresser—who has a cute little atelier in Beverly Hills—what she missed most about her home country, and she replied, "The lingerie." She went on to add, "The lingerie in the US is usually bad quality." I agreed. Exceptional lingerie is something I found in Paris while shopping as a newlywed for my honeymoon. Sadly, the lingerie was so amazing that it was stolen out of our rental car while having dinner one night in the tiny village of Eygalières.

The Small Yet Très Chic French Wardrobe.

French women (most notably La Parisienne) have always been revered for their sense of style, beautiful skin and slim figures. What most people do not realize about the French, in terms of their style in particular, is that they are quite conservative. The upper echelons of French society lean towards a simple, cultivated style that eschews trends. They prefer classic, timeless pieces that are easily incorporated into their existing wardrobes. What is even more interesting is that the size of their wardrobes are much smaller than the average American's. We appear to be hoarders in comparison. As our wardrobes are packed with endless cheap, throw-away, trendy fashions that only last a season, theirs in comparison, are carefully and thoughtfully managed. They do not shop often, yet when they do, they look for quality above all. You will not find a French wardrobe overrun by Polyester.

My favorite book on the subject is Lessons from Madame Chic, by Jennifer L. Scott. She has excellent advice on how to simplify your life by creating the perfect, cultivated, 10-piece French wardrobe.  

BOOK REVIEW: How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are * Love, Style and Bad Habits.

Impeccably chic in Paris. Photo © Radu Razvan Gheorghe.

I believe I may be the only American woman to have read every book there is on how to be more Parisian. From my childhood fascination with my mother’s French Creole roots (my grandmother’s maiden name is Golette), to weekly tutorials with my Haitian babysitter, completing French language studies in high school and traveling on several occasions to the City of Lights—my intrigue with French culture, Parisian culture in particular—has been lifelong. So, bien sûr, when I came across the book, “How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits,” by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret and Sophie Mas. I had to have it.
My first thought, dear blog reader … oh, those naughty French girls...

John Hazard Forbes on Old Money America.

The once exclusive gates of a Breakers mansion, Newport, Rhode Island.
Photo by Ritu Jethani. 

One of my favorite little books is by Mayflower descendant, Ivy League graduate, art expert and appraiser, John Hazard Forbes. Titled: Old Money America, Aristocracy in the Age of Obama, it "explores the attitudes and behaviors of long-standing, wealthy (American) families.” Their likes, dislikes, and utter abhorrence’s, are a source of considerable education and sometimes affable humor. Great lessons—especially for those that mistake the flamboyance, ostentation and gaudiness of many of our newly affluent—for those possessing class or what used to be called “good breeding.”

What NOT to Wear to the BRONX ZOO.

Photo by Javiindy.

If you have children and you live in New York (or are visiting), you can’t miss the Bronx Zoo. You must see and experience the Butterfly Garden and then scratch “ride on the back of a camel” off of your bucket list. However, be forewarned, the one thing that may frighten you more than any lion, tiger or cheetah—is the attire of 99% of the other zoo patrons. Luckily, it is summer, so wearing sunglasses will mask the fright and horror in your eyes. I must be honest dear reader, I have never seen so many horribly dressed people in my lifetime, as I have in one day. Brooke Astor would turn over in her grave.