In 2014, I hope that Bazaar Magazine Gets a New Editor for “Fabulous At Every Age”

It was a sad year for this Column. (In fact, it’s never been very good.) Not only is it terribly off-base and insulting to women in their 50′s, 60′s, and 70′s, (forget 80′s or 90′s because if you live this long you can’t wear designer clothes because you don’t exist) but the choices for the 30′s, and 40′s are pretty bad as well. (when you are in your 20′s you can wear just about anything, or nothing, and get away with it.) A recap of some of their choices:

The photo to the RIGHT is recommended for women in their ’30′s

Of ALLLLL the clothes that must be out there, WHAT is this? I understand wanting to be trendy, but REALLY?

The photo to the right is recommended for women in their ’40′s

When you are in your ’40′s, according to Bazaar you are still old enough to have fun. Just barely, because no one over 30 is ever in the magazine. But, they can’t possibly think women in their 20′s and their 30′s can afford all these designer clothes, I hope. Anyway, I get the hint that floral prints were big, but this dress couldn’t be any more unflattering. Again, of ALLLLLL the clothes that are out there, couldn’t they have found something a bit more enticing? (However,Tory Birch, on the left, doesn’t look as bad as their usual choices.)

The picture to the right is recommended for women in their 50′s. (I don’t know who that is to the left, and I guess that I should, but whoever she is, she is a mess. You can’t tell what is going on the outfit is so busy. To me, she is not a good representative of how to dress in your 50′s)

Well, at least Bazaar is thinking that a woman in her 50′s has a little life left in her. Color is also a really good thing for any age. But, ALL RED? You would have to be six feet tall in order not to be mistaken for a fireman in this outfit. This with black pants that had a red trim or a subdued red print, would be so much better. Of ALLLLLL the designer clothes out there, couldn’t they have put a bit more thought into this? (I do love the jacket.)

This outfit on the right is recommended for women in their ’60′s

First off, I don’t care who designed Catherine Deneuve’s dress, but it looks like a tent. It has no shape and it makes her look heavy. (Actually, this dress is by Lanvin and I know that Alber Elbaz would not like this on her either.) Again,to wear this outfit on the right in your ’60′s you would have to be 6 feet tall AND anorexic. Again, too much color and not enough thought. Those shoes are also very risky. How do you think Catherine Deneuve, one of the most beautiful women in the world, would look in that outfit? Something like a Christmas tree? Of ALLLLLL the clothes out there, it is so obvious that zero thought went in to this selection. The photograph is also of terrible quality.

This outfit on the left is also recommended for women in their 60′s

Marrisa Berenson, on the left actually looks pretty good for Bazaar. Last year, there were so many worse selections for women in their ’60′s but I couldn’t find them on the internet to share for your delight. Instead, I am putting two mediocre to poor choices for women in their ’60′s. Believe me, there are some real doozies out there too. So, they finally get it that you need to break up the color. But, if I didn’t see the face of this model, I would think it was someone’s grandmother wearing fishnet hose with open-toed sandals. ( How does one do that without ripping the fishnets?) This outfit isn’t terrble, but it is just drab. I also think you need to be very tall to wear things cut on the bias. Of ALLLLLL the clothes out there…, come on. Go on to Style.com and go through the Designer’s shows. It will take about one hour to find at least five things better than this.

The outfit on the right is recommended for women in their ’70′s + (plus), which I guess means ’80′s and 90′s? The model on the left is China Machado.


China Machado is in her 80′s and she looks very stylish and age appropriate. Leather pants on an 80 year old woman are hard to pull off (no pun intended) too!! Need I say anything about the dress on the right? And, with bare legs and gladiator sandals. for women in their 70′s, plus? Of ALLLLL the clothes out there…PLEASE BAZAAR, you may think you are doing the trendy thing, but you are not helping the self-esteem or dignity of women as they age. Couldn’t you at least hire a model the appropriate age to model the clothes? The women over 40 are the ones that can afford your designer clothes, so couldn’t you be a little more considerate about what you put in your “Fabulous At Every Age” Feature? My website is about helping women to feel “less invisible” and more self-esteem as they cross that age barrier you will not cross. You are working against all of the good that I am trying to do!! I think Isabella Rossellini said it best when she was fired by Lancome for being “too old” at 42. “ If you ask any woman, even a young woman, they’re resentful of it. Because when you’re twenty you know that one day you’re going to be forty or fifty. And the fact that beauty is never represented at those ages … it’s offensive and scary. If you’re young, it’s scary. If you’re old, it’s offensive. So all the way through it’s bad news.”

BAZAAR DOESN’T DISAPPOINT, THE FEATURE ‘FABULOUS AT EVERY AGE IS AWFUL ONCE AGAIN FOR FEBRUARY!!

February 27, 2014 Fashion Blog, Over Fifty No comments

It makes me so angry that the editors can’t find something better. This dress is just OFF. In this instance, with the Dior dress on the “YOUNG” model, less is MORE. There is too much going on. If the neckline accompanied a tailored dress, it would be Alexander Wang-ish, and it would make a statement. However, the scalloped bottom is superfluous and it does not go well with the neckline. It looks like they put two different dresses together. The hem looks like it is trying to add interest for the sake of interest. Besides, unless you are really tall, hemlines on the bias, or cut unevenly, are very hard to wear. Also, sleeveless is hard for women over 60 unless you have really great arms. Even thin arms don’t have as much tone. I really think there must be so many more choices out there for women in this age bracket. How about Caroline Herrera or Monique Lhuiller who design such sophisticated and mature dresses for women. Surely, they could have found something from one of those lines!!

The dress to the right looks like a prom dress. No kidding, especially with the little poof on the shoulder. Again, the ruffles and then the sleek slit at the bottom are incongruous. There are so many LBD’s, it is hard to believe that this is all they could find. At least Marisa Berenson looks pretty! Maybe they should try them on someone in their 60′s before they post it. Personally, it’s embarrassing on the part of Bazaar.




































This Alberta Ferretti dress is meant for someone in their 70′s? Several friends were consulted on this one, and it was unanimous that it looks like something for a middle-school girl. Where to begin? The waist is so tiny; who in their 70′s has such a tiny waist?
The length, above the knee is inappropriate. If they are going to show it, the model should at least be wearing black stockings. I hope they don’t think that a woman in her 70′s is going to wear this without hose? Let’s see… what else. The model’s arms are so long, the sleeves look like they hit at a very awkward and unflattering spot. One friend asked, “Are women that desperate that they want to be daddy’s little girl in their 70′s? Was it chosen by a woman in denial that she is getting older?” It’s really not clear what they are trying to capture with this dress, but the editors clearly missed the mark on this one.

The dress on the right looks pretty similar to the one on the model. Again, with all the LBD’s out there, couldn’t they have found something a bit different. Especially, when neither one of them are very attractive. The other accessories feel like someone just threw them together. It certainly doesn’t have the feel of sophistication that a seventy year-old woman should have. It misses the mark terrible. Another embarrassment.

The black dress with the leather insets looks like it could be quite chic on the right woman, and Shirley Bassey looks beautiful.

The Designer Prabal Gurung is not Only a Wonderful Designer, but he is EVERY WOMAN’S Champion

Prabal was born in Singapore but raised in Nepal. He went to an all boys Parochial school where he was ostracized for being different. He eventually found solace in drawings and accepting that he was different. His mother tells him that he was always interested in sketching and the way she would dress. He was fascinated with beauty.

In his 20′s he moved to New York and was accepted at Parson’s. He did his first internship with Donna Karan and then Cynthia Rowley. He then moved to Bill Blass where he stayed for five years as the design director where he really learned the craft.

The best thing about Prubal Gurung is his fascination and respect for women. He respects our layers and layers of complexities (wow, a man respecting this, how refreshing!). His inspiration is always women. He” just loves them” perhaps because he grew up with a single mother who was so strong and led with her integrity. He doesn’t like women looking silly. (Thank you Prabal). The one thing he knows as a universal truth is that all women want to look beautiful. He considers his job to make women’s lives slightly better, even if it’s just for a moment.

Prabal is not only a champion of women looking good, but he is a champion of women who stand for something important. He has his own Website “PG” and recently started a Blog called the Monday Muse, which is his “Ode to Women”. He likes women in power. A woman who is influential, whether as a mother, a CEO, or whatever. Check out the Blog. He celebrates women of substance. Now if only all designers would think this way, maybe we could really start to see a shift in the superficial values of today. Congratulations to Prubal for being a Role Model for all Men and All Designers

IF ANYONE SHOULD USE OVER FIFTY MODELS, IT SHOULD BE VIVIENNE WESTWOOD .

One day I would like to write an essay about Vivienne Westwood and all of the Spectacular Things she has done for Society and Culture throughout the Western World, and maybe even the East. She has rebelled against society in every way possible in her designs and has opened up the taboos on sex, kinky sex, drugs, tattoos, motorcycle gangs, you name it.

Despite all the uproar she has received she never stopped fighting for her causes, whether they were right or wrong. Even now she has a campaign going on against Global Warming and the Melting of Glaciers. However, in this most recent fashion show the past week in London, Vivienne did not rebel. She did not do what needs to be done.
Some one brave person needs to start putting models who are over forty, fifty, sixty, even seventy, on the runway. For God’s sake, who is buying most of these clothes? How many 30 year old women are there that can afford an entire Designer outfit unless they are a Trust baby? If the thirty year old is buying one, you know that she must be sacrificing lunches, or something very important.So, why not have the women who will be wearing the clothes model them. The fashions the past week, in my opinion were horrendous. The designs are getting more and more outlandish; it seems like designers are competing to see who can be the weirdest. Very few things are even pretty let alone feasible to wear in the “Fall/Winter” season.Vivienne Westwood and her designs were a big disappointment. She went with the trend of being weird. However, today, being weird is the norm. What she did do was put a young model on the runway with silver hair, because apparently silver hair is the next trend. Young or old. This is just more conformity on Westwood’s part. Putting someone young with white hair doesn’t really make a statement other than I am going to be like everyone else and try to be different. Originality in this instance, by using maturing women, would make a statement, and would make a much more important societal contribution.

I used to think that If there is anyone who could stand up to pressure, it would be Vivienne. There are millions of baby boomers who would: celebrate her, buy her clothes, talk about her at cocktail parties, and be forever grateful. This is a cause that someone must address because it is an important societal issue. Models are getting younger and doing more self-loathing things. Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian’s half-sister just walked the New York runway with a completely sheer top, nipples showing and everything. I think she may be 18. This is NOT the direction we want to be going.

Maybe Vivienne is getting too old herself and she is frightened. Maybe holding on to the “weirdness” is holding on to her youth. However, no one can run from their fears because they chase you down and follow you wherever you go. Whatever the reason Vivienne will not buck the trend, I am hoping that somehow she wakes up.

Just so you know, I do think she uses an older model in her anti-global warming campaign. Big deal. Let’s see her really stand up
for what is important, hopefully sooner than later.

A
Vivienne accepting the audiences applause after her Runway show at London’s Fashion Week.
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February 4, 2014 Fashion Blog No comments