Fashion Over Fifty's Fashion Show at Bloomingdales Dec. 6, 2014

                   How Fashion Over Fifty Came to do a Fashion Show at Bloomingdale's in Chicago!!         

                                                                          PART ONE

As we get older, it's common knowledge how important it is to keep your mind active. In fact, many people believe that once you start to feel too comfortable, it's important to push yourself into something new. That is also my philosophy. So, as fate might have it, one day as I was cautiously walking down the flight of stairs at the Apple store so as not to trip and kill myself, I was approached by this very tall  handsome black man.   He stopped me midway down the stairs and told me how runway models walk down the stairs so as not to fall. He started demonstrating how to do it, and I knew instantly that he was the "real deal". He looked so graceful and confident.  It struck me that I must have looked pretty pathetic or else he wouldn't have stopped me. Was I getting that old that I looked like I needed help? Knowing that this meeting was no coincidence, I asked if I could buy him a cup of coffee. 

 As it turned out, this handsome man was Mark David Carter, a Runway Modeling Coach. We talked a lot. I told him about Fashion Over Fifty and how I try to promote the self-esteem of women Over Fifty. He told me about his extensive background in training models and producing fashion shows.  Instantly, I thought, how great would it be if we could somehow combine our interests. He  told me that I should come to one of his classes on a Sunday and so, the next Sunday I showed up in heels and wearing black as he instructed. Needless to say, I was the oldest one in the class!! The class was much harder than I expected.  How many years had it been that I  hadn't been walking with my shoulders back, stomach held in, and my head up? (Boy, did my stomach muscle hurt for the next few days.)  When did this happen? When did I become unconscious of how I was presenting myself to the world? This class woke me up in SO many ways!! 

 

When I left, I was on cloud Nine.   It hit me that somewhere between Forty and Sixty I had ceased to be aware of myself, and that along with that I had lost some femininity.  During class I could see how different I looked when I stood up tall and looked forward. Standing in the Model T, which is not easy, also made a difference in how I felt about myself. Merely standing with my feet in this feminine position and looking confident, made me feel confident. A surge of empowerment and creativity came over me. I couldn't wait to go back again and again, but I had so much traveling ahead of me, it wasn't to be. Nonetheless, it stirred in me the desire to help every woman Over Fifty feel what I was feeling.

As you can see, I was the oldest in the class, and the shortest. However, that didn't stop me from feeling like I was young again and that I could do anything!! The dream began that I must share this with other .....

                                WOMEN OVER FIFTY!!!

Professional Runway Coach, Mark David Carter, demonstrating how to walk ...

What A Sad Time for Carmen De Lavallade. Just Recently, Her Husband of Almost Sixty Years Passed away.

Carmen de Lavallade , 83, is an amazingly talented and award winning dancer and
choreographer. Born in  Los Angeles in 1931, she  married her husband,
Geoffrey Holder in 1955, while still in her early twenties. Carmen and Geoffrey would
have celebrated their 60th wedding Anniversary next year, however, sadly he passed
away on October 5, 2014.

Anyone born in the last thirty years could have known Geoffrey in one of many ways.  He was
not only a dancer, who danced on Broadway; an actor who played the villain in a
James Bond movie; a painter, a director of plays on Broadway, but do you remember
the 7 UP commercial where a deep voice called it the "Uncola"? Yes, that too
was Geoffrey.

Carmens' career was also illustrious. She started dancing in 1949 and in 1955 was offered a
position with the prestigious  Alvin Ailey Company where she became a lead dancer.
She danced on Broadway early in her career and and met Geoffrey while doing
a production together. Carmen went on to do other phenomenal things, especially
considering that Black ballerinas were very rare. She danced at the Metropolitan
Opera; she joined the Yale School of Drama as a choreographer and performer in
residence; and also became a professor at the Yale Repertory Theater.

Between Carmen and Geoffrey so many awards were won. Both of them were extremely
successful at what they did. They shared so many thrilling moments together; it must
have been so much fun. Their marriage was really like something out of a fairy tale.
It is hard to imagine being married to the same man for almost sixty years, and even
harder to imagine losing someone so dear after all those years.

We pray that Carmen has the strength and the courage to mourn the loss of her
husband. We also hope that she will continue to be the wonderful role model
she has always been to women in America.
She is an icon of grace, intelligence, talent, and style. She has
now lost someone so very dear, our prayers go out to Carmen and her family.

You haven't heard of Nina McLemore, 69. It's time she takes her place among the Visible rather than the Invisible.

There is a designer out there that is dressing some of the most influential and

important women of today. You haven't heard her name at Fashion Week, and 

you haven't even seen models on the Runway wearing her clothes. In fact,

it's a bet that you haven't even seen her clothes in a Department

Store.  Well, this is one genius woman who YOU need to know about,

because for the Woman Over Fifty, she is a great solution to the lack 

of clothing made for our Age Demographic. 

Her name is Nina McLemore. 

Everyone says it, that women Over Fifty become invisible.

If you are Over Fifty, you have probably felt it at some time or another,

or maybe you feel that way all the time. (We hope not).

Everyone also knows that there is a HUGE VOID in clothing made

for the demographic of Over Fifty. Nina knew this too. So, after investigating

a most exhaustive collection of stores along Madison Avenue in New York,

Nina decided she needed to fill that void. In 2001, thankfully, she came out of

retirement and launched her own line of clothing. Her line is aimed at

professional women, most of whom are Over Fifty or for the more mature 

woman who has trouble finding the more tailored look that is oftentimes

the most flattering, but hard to find.

The materials are made in Italy and the quality of the clothing is

comparable to many of the finest designers. However, her designs are not

meant to be seen in Vogue or in celebrity photos, but rather, on the more

distinguished woman, professional or not. And though the quality is  "designeresque",

her price point is about one third to one half less than say,

an Armani suit, for example.

One of Nina's philosophies is that women no longer need to dress like men in the work place, and that women should not be afraid to stand out, no matter what age. Her range of colors is vast, from basic black, to the brightest and boldest. The style can carry a woman from day to night with ease, something so important to older women executives and more mature women in general.

For someone who doesn't think women should stand out, however, she has maintained a pretty low profile. For a long time, her line was only sold through personal representatives who met with the client personally. Today she has fourteen independent stores throughout the U.S. , including Boston, Seattle and San Francisco. Of course you can also find her clothes on line at NinaMcLemore.com. 

Though not really a "Celebrity", a woman of great importance and notoriety, Hillary Clinton, has been wearing Nina's clothing for quite some time. 

Nina also carries a more casual line that is meant more for weekend or vacation wear. As far as her casual clothing, however, it remains almost as prices as her more tailored suits. This is one area where she hasn't been able to fill the void because the average woman can not afford this type of clothing at an expensive price. Her stores and her representatives do not shy away from telling you that her line is meant for a household making over $250,000.00. However, no matter how much money you have, you can find just as stylish casual clothing for a lot less. Your money would be much better spent on a stylist who can stay within your style, but who can add a bit of flare, for a lot less.

Here are a few of her suits from her online store at NinaMcLemore.com 

Lanvin's Elber Albaz Says That Any Woman, Any Age, Should Break All the Rules!! He is Every Woman's Best Friend.

 Women of all Ages LOVE Lanvin and He LOVES them. "Curves are Marvelous. Wrinkles are Hypnotizing. Why not just be happy with who you are?"

Number One Rule to Break: Ignore the Time of Day:

Why? "No one is in the same humor every morning or all day long.

When a woman's clothes are in harmony with her emotions, she shines from within."

 How about? 

Armani Prive for Daytime?

Number Two Rule to Break:  Don't Dress Safe

Why? "Formulas are fine for baking a cake but not for looking amazing. Nowadays we all strive to be pragmatists, but what fun is fashion if there is no room to dream?"

How about?

Dior for anytime!!

Number Three Rule to Break: Let Your Accessories Dominate

Why? "Since women spend more on their shoes and jewelry and are more adventurous with their choices, they can indulge in the luxury of framing a simple, well tailored dress with a complementary extravagance."

How about?

Lanvin, by Elbaz himself

Number Four Rule to Break: Pick Fabrics That You Love 

Why? "It's the material that allows a designer to create innovative silhouettes that are flattering to women...Experiment and you will find new sides to yourself."

How About?

Carolina Herrera

This article inspired greatly from Bazaar December 2013, Article by Hal Rubenstein

Have you Always Wanted to be a Model, but Think You are Too Old? Not so!!

Great news for women Over Fifty.  On Saturday Dec. 6 at 2:00 p..m.
there will be a fashion show at Bloomingdale's in Chicago on  Michigan Avenue
with only OVER FIFTY models!!  Fashion OverFifty, along with the highly experienced Fashion Expert, Mark Carter, will be conducting a 20 hour runway modeling class the week prior to the event.

If you have always wanted to be a model now is your chance.
Retailers are beginning to realize the purchasing power the Baby Boomers.
This is a great first step on the part of Bloomingdales to reach out to
our audience.  How groundbreaking of this World Class Department Store.

Other options will be available, including: makeovers of hair and makeup,
full modeling portfolios, Videos of your walk down the runway,
 Full Page of your own on the Website Fashion Over Fifty, and more.

The class will commence on Sunday, November 30 and finish on December 6
with the Grand FinaleFashion Show on the Runway in Bloomingdales!!

More details to follow!! For more information you can contact
Wendy.fashionoverfifty@gmail.com

End of Summer, Thinking Fall

Last winter was so terrible, it's hard to think about summer ending. Why does it always go so fast?

One way to prolong it, fashion wise, is to mix summer clothing with warmer tops or vice versa.

James Perse makes the greatest cotton clothing. It is soft and luxurious at the same time. It also has elastic in the fabric, so it gives. Here, I am wearing the James Perse pencil skirt.  It is good if you have no hips, like me.  Not all women are so fortunate, but then it's not so great health-wise to carry your weight in your stomach area, which is how I am built.  The belt around the middle helps give the illusion that I in fact have a waist, when I don't. They call this body type, the glass of water.  It's more of a male frame, also not great for delivering babies!!

That said, however, Kim Kardashian was recently photographed in the dress that is the counterpart to this skirt. She looked very sexy with her ample bottom; if nothing else, she has done so much to bring backthe beauty of an ample and full figure. You must give her credit where credit where credit is due. So, if you are daring, and have a sexy derriere, you might want to try it.

The skirt is great for summer/fall fashion because it is a medium weight cotton. Opaque stockings with some cute shoe-boots on cooler fall days makes this so versatile. It is also stretchy so you can bring it as low over your leg as you want.  I like to cover my knees since they are beginning to sag, sadly enough!!! With opaque stockings, however, you can smoosh it up higher for a more youthful look.

This was taken on a cooler August night in Chicago.  As the weather changes every 15 minutes in that city, it's better to be prepared for anything.  The top is a long sleeved BCBG light weight T-shirt material. Not too hot, but provides enough warmth in the event of a cool breeze off the lake or freezing air conditioning in restaurants. Again, I put a belt around the waist to give the illusion of a
waistline. It also breaks up the stripes for a more interesting look.

Air conditioning can really be a problem, especially when the weather gets cooler, and the restaurants forget to turn it down. A good rule of thumb is to always bring a sweater.  In the summer, it's a good idea to bring at least a shirt as a cover up so you don't have to do what I do, and get at least 10 napkins and use them as a blanket!!!

This is a great DKNY mesh knit sweater that I have had for years.  It NEVER goes out of style and it

goes with so many things. She comes out with a variation of this sweater every spring, and it is highly recommended to buy one.  You won't regret it..

Lastly, the outfit is pretty bland, gray, white and taupe. So, time to pull out a fun summer bag. What a great way to add a little life, and it feels so nice to wear something whimsical when summer is about to end. The purse is by Tilly of Malibu, and she sells online.  Anthropologie used to carry them, but this summer, I didn't see any. 

That just about completes the outfit except for the Via Spiga Gladiator-type sandals. Those photos will be added later since the picture seems to be on another computer!!

Here's the entire look, and hopefully, it will inspire you to experiment with simple styling with a dash of whimsy and practicality. Have fun.

IF USING A CLARISONIC ISN'T FOR YOU-MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY A SEA SPONGE

Have you ever compared the Clarsonic Exfoliating Scrubber to using a Washcloth when washing your face?  Well, I have.  The Clarsonic may get off more dead skin, but if I use a washcloth after the Clarisonic, I still get makeup on the cloth. The product maintains that it is a gazillion times more effective than manual washing, but it doesn't say what kind of manual washing. I believe that just using your hands gets almost nothing off of your face! So, if they are comparing it to that, DUH!!


Have you ever tried a sea sponge?  They aren't all that commonly found, but they have definite Pro's to them. First, they are made by Mother Nature herself and are 100% biodegradable. They are able to regenerate after being harvested, so they are a sustainable resource. No chemicals are used and no harmful byproducts occur after harvesting, so using them is very "GREEN". Besides, they also naturally inhibit bacterial growth.

Today, my cousin and I walked by a Farmer's Market and saw this lovely lady standing by the prettiest booth. We started talking to Kerry, an Over Fifty with beautiful skin (coincidence
or not?), who happened to be selling Sea Sponges.  She began to explain the benefits of using a sponge while washing your face and it was intriguing to learn all the benefits of something made by mother nature.

If you are a product junky, like me, you have the Clarisonic and have used it for about four months and then began to get impatient.  Two minutes brushing my teeth feels like an eternity; I have learned to multitask, and it's amazing how much you can get done in two minutes while brushing your teeth!!! So, using the Clarisonic for another minute or two, becomes rather a chore.

Anyway, months ago, I wrote an article about a new product that uses electroportation, the Time Master, rather than ultrasound.  Scientific evidence proves that electroportation SO much more effective in cleaning the skin, clearing out pores, and opening pores so that products can more easily be absorbed.  But, the Time Master takes times as well. Eventually, when in a hurry, which is most of the time, I resort to a washcloth, and I love to see the Gobs of makeup come off on to the cloth. I am always amazed by how much I put on, and how much is left by the end of the day.

All that being said, Kerry and the sponges had my cousin and I intrigued. For $8.00, I thought, what could it hurt. Kerry explained about the different textures and their ability to exfoliate, so I picked one on the softer side, since it is new to me.

These are just a few of the sponges that Kerry offers, but for a more depth explanation, go their website at http://saintjohnssponge.com/. This explains the various types and helps you determine which one to buy, which you can purchase online.  Hopefully, shipping isn't too much because they obviously don't weigh much.

For the next week, I will now be comparing the washcloth to the sponge. It feels pretty certain that the sponge will be better at exfoliating, but will it holdup to the washcloth test? Will there still be makeup on my face after I am done using it?  Check back in a week and I will let you know.

If you are in Los Angeles at The Glen Center on a Saturday, you can drop by Kerry's booth and see them up close and personal.  They are so pretty and reasonably priced, compared to all of the other products I buy and use for only a short time, it's a no-brainer. Anyway, they are biodegradable, so what's the harm?

A Dramatic Before and After, along with a History of Curly Hair in America

July 27, 2014

First off, it's a warm summer day and occasionally I let my hair go "au naturel", which for me is a curly mess.  People comment how lucky I am to have such curly wild hair. HAH!  If you grew up in or around the '60's, which I assume most of you did, you would know that curly hair was a "no-no". Cheryl Tiegs, Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, you name her, every female icon had straight, and mostly blonde, hair. I probably wasn't the only one who went to great lengths to straighten their hair during those years but even today, I look around, and my hair is pretty out of control compared to the average population. My mom was adopted, so I don't know where it comes from. Anyway, those with curly hair, and even wavy hair, did everything, including: ironing it, wrapping it, gobbing DEP on it, pinning it down with pin curls, or actually chemically straightening it.

 Do you remember when you first started seeing Beauty Supply Stores independent from Pharmacies in the early '80's? Excitedly, I went in to one thinking that there may be something new to reduce the curls or the frizz. Nope, they looked at me like I was crazy.  That was not that long ago and Not ONE product for curly or frizzy hair.

It was the African American women who really knew how to really straighten hair, so that's where I went. I went to Alice.  What did she use? Sodium hydroxide, otherwise known as LYE.  For those that don't know Chemistry; solutions can be acid or base The more acidic, the more it burns. However, the more base it is, the more it also burns. Because lye is so caustic, it left burns on my scalp. How many stupid things did we all do for beauty?  Well, this is definitely one of the stupider things that I tolerated for the sake of beauty.  The good news, my hair would come out stick straight, and it would last until the next time I straightened it. Usually, every 6 months was good.

When I moved to Los Angeles, I found a great guy who knew exactly what to do. What happened?He ran off with an older woman who funded his Music Career.  I begged him to just do my hair every six months, but nope, he had a good thing going.  So, then I tried a woman on Melrose Avenue. After putting on the LYE, she put me under the hair dryer, which no one had ever done before.  Two days later, most of my hair broke off.  It took almost a year to get it to look halfway decent.

Oh the Trial and Tribulations of Curly Hair.  I could write a book.  If every one shared their stories we could write Volumes.  In fact, if you would like to share your story about your curly hair episodes, I will post them either here or on Facebook. Or please comment at the end of the article.

I am not sure what year the tide began to turn, but slowly curly hair became the thing to have!
Even then, I had been so brain-washed by society, that I still wore it straight. At first, the curly hair products were only in salons and beauty supply stores. We curly-haired people knew that Pantene and other drugstore brands were missing the boat. Once a product had a word on it to do with anti-frizz, I bought it.  I became an anti-curl/frizz product junky.  Sometimes I would mix 3 or 4 together at the same time. If I liked how it looked I was out of luck because I would never be able to duplicate it. To this day, I must have at least 15 anti-frizz/curl products under my sink, that I don't use.

Madonna was a great influence on many of us women in the '80's.  Not that women condoned her behavior, or her irreverence, but she empowered women to be more daring.  It was around that time that I decided I would be daring and let me hair go curly. I was in Law School at the time. It felt so BOLD of me to be able to just wash and wear it.  However, whenever anyone complemented me on how lucky I was to have curly hair, I was almost angry. I wanted to tell them how I had struggled with it for at least 20 years by: planning on when I could go swimming; planning on what to do if I was in a humid climate; sleeping on Campbell soup cans; feeling self-conscious if it rained unexpectedly and I wasn't prepared, and how it basically ruled my life.

What a mess!!

Today, 30 some years later, EVERYBODY who doesn't have curly hair, loves curly hair. The irony is that it is really HOT to wear it curly. It is literally like wearing a fur hat. Wearing a fur hat on a summer's day is no fun. And as all of us Over Fifties know, being HOT is not something we enjoy. So, just when curly hair is in style, I have done everything NOT to be hot. When it's really hot, I end up putting it up, and then one can't see the curls, just the FRIZZ, ugh!

I suppose there are a lot worse things to have struggled with in your life than curly hair;
believe me, I am blessed to be healthy! All of us are, no matter what struggles we might have. But, I guess in this lifetime, my hair will always be the boss.  No one is happier to see all of the DRY BARS springing up all over the country.  Now I can actually go away and know that I can get my hair done by someone other than my own blow stylist. (In the '70's, hairdressers had no clue how to blow it dry.  The all used that Vidal Sassoon rubber brush if you remember).

There is, however, one great advantage to having curly hair as we get older. Men notice me much more when my hair is wild and curly. I must look a lot younger, because it's the only time any male pays attention to me anymore.  My theory is that men must think: "Wild hair, Wild woman". Not so, but considering all of the headaches it's caused, it's fun to pretend!!!

Now you get to see the difference for yourself!!

Have you heard of the Spanish line of clothing HOSS INTROPIA ? It's here in the U.S..

If you have been to Spain recently, then among the Zaras, Mangos, and Desinguals, you may have noticed some other Clothing stores you have never heard of.  There is Blanco, Stradavarius, and Hoss Intrepido, commonly known as Hoss. Just as Spain has it's own beautiful and unique culture it now is developing its own designers, fashion, and style. Fortunately for their economy, this Spanish brand has now expanded throughout the world.

If you go on to their website, http://www.hossintropia.com/,  you will be shocked to find locations on almost every continent, and even in remote cities. It's a wonder that when you look up Chicago in the United States, there is only one small boutique that carries it.  That is, up until now. As of this past year, Hoss is now in some Select Bloomingdales.

Recently, I was in Chicago and walking through Bloomie's when the most friendly sales associate came up to me and started talking. (Not an uncommon occurrence in Chicago). Unfortunately, I have misplaced her card or I would give her special mention, because she was so helpful. She started to explain to me about Hoss, and was so excited about all of it's features. It is known for its detailing, including beads and sequins. The prints are also unique but the styles are a bit more traditional. Surprisingly, many of the pieces are sophisticated and not that costly. Definitely not fast fashionoWe can definitely use this line in the U.S.

"Intropia" is a word that the company made up.  It is supposed to evoke the fusion of Introspection with Utopia. Unique enough. Another unique feature to this brand is that they specifically choose women as their models. They are not picked solely for their beauty, that's a nice change, but for being the type of woman Hoss respects.  Hoss's Mission Statement in choosing their models is as follows:

They are unique women and we choose them every season to represent the essence of our brand. Women with strong personality who stand out in their professions and are willing to fight to achieve their dreams. There is a section where you will find the Intropia of those women who have represented our brand. They have all left us an indelible mark.

The first thing the sales woman and I did was to go over to the evening gowns. The quality was lovely and the styling perfect for those OVER FIFTIES who don't want to show their arms, or have other trouble areas. It is also seems like it might accommodate women who may be more on the Plus side.

 This turquoise dress was beautifully beaded and ranged in the high $300.00's.  That is not bad for a dress that is 100% beaded. It is a very loose fit, and in the right size and wouldn't require strangulating your bowels with Spanx. It reminds me of  40's elegance.

The soft green gown above with the silver beading is also fine quality and also looked "forgiving" for those trouble spots women OVER FIFTY sometimes have.  The beading at the waist and on the shoulders was the finest quality. Even though it is not tailored, it is still sophisticated.

Another customer came so I helped myself to a few more photos.

These pants had an elastic waist, always better for comfort and the print is really unusual. Made of silk, I was tempted to try them on, but Fall is coming up, and I need to save my pennies. The little purse on the mannequin is Fabulous.  Made of lamb's leather, with stunning beading on the front, it could be worn with just about anything. What a great statement piece.  It was $185.00, but on sale, maybe not too bad.

This is not a great picture of this pretty car coat, but I just got a new camera, so that won't be a problem anymore. Again, it is a somewhat boxy fit, good for OVER FIFTIES, but still stylish. The print is happy. The dress is youthful and sophisticated, sort of like Tory Burch, but much less money!!


Finally,  the picture below is not really for OVER FIFTIES, but it's really cute and the style is original. The play of colors makes it feel like something you would take on vacation. Again, it has a happy feel to it!

Here are some of the styles coming up for Fall/Winter taken from their online catalog. If you like what you see, look it up online to see if there is a store near you. You might also take a look the next time you are at a Bloomingdale's to see if they carry it. For Fall the line is much more subdued, but there is a monochromatic feel to it, staying in line with the sophistication that is in the Spring/Summer collection.