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.

It's a Lacy, Colorful, and Striped Week in Fashion

For July, the weather in Chicago has been amazing.

Very little humidity, great for keeping the frizzy hair at Bay.

Shopping on Michigan Avenue in Chicago is so much fun.

From the ridiculously cheap to the most opulent expensive.

The thing about Chicago, the weather literally changes every 30 minutes.

So, it's good to be prepared for anything.

When it's hot, restaurants can be freezing from the A/C.

Today, I wore my new black and white crop jacket that I bought

A few days ago at H&M for $15.00, no joke.

The white jeans are by Adriano Goldshmeid, rolled up.

The sandals are by Via Spiga from a few summers ago.

The belt is a great woven and mult-colored and bought in a Peruvian market.

There are 5 left that I brought back from Peru for sale.

The weather has been great for having fun with summer styles!

Here are a few other outfits worn while here!

Skirt by SportMax

Lace top by Inc.

Shoes by Coach.

Shorts by Old Navy

Crop Top from Urban Outfitters last summer

Summer is my favorite time of year. Warm weather stirs the creative juices!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Is the LAGEN LOOK for you?

THE LAGEN LOOK SEEMS TO BE CONTROVERSIAL FOR A LOT OF WOMEN OVER FIFTY

The LAGEN LOOK is from Germany.  It entails lots of layers, styled in a way that is unique to each woman. Many women who are PLUS sizes like the look because it is "blousy" and loose. The right accessories make each woman look like a unique piece of art.

Other women, on the other hand, don't like the look because they think it makes them look heavy. The clothes are bulky and it is a lot to carry off unless you are very tall and thinner. The key, I think, is not to add too many pieces together, or then it looks a bit "clown-like". 

The dress I am wearing is by Tulip, a company that is known for it's LAGEN-Like look. My size is smaller than average so you wouldn't think a big and loose dress would look good. But, as seen here, it can look really cute. The length is great, just mid-knees and almost below, and it is so comfortable. Literally, it's like wearing pajamas.

I am wearing a T-shirt underneath because the arm holes come down a bit too low. When I wear it, I get so many complements. A long necklace would add a nice touch and give a really "artsy" feel but necklaces have always felt too much for my petite size.

Here are a couple of REAL LAGEN LOOK outfits. These are the classic look and as you can see, they are quite unique.

Personally, these outfits would be too much for most women to carry off. One piece of each outfit would look great. For example, the tops on both outfits are very cute. However, with the big pants, it is easy to see how someone would look very BIG.  If someone is on the PLUS side to begin with, it's just too much fabric!!

From the feedback I get on Facebook, at Fashion Over Fifty, most women do not like this look. Several of the Fabulous Fashionistas wear this look and most women find them somewhat of a caricature of older women. 

The key is to have fun, but to stay chic. If you were to wear the blousy pants, a more tailored top would look better. Even if you are PLUS size. Or, either of the tops with a more tailored pant would be much more stylish. 

Some nice stores that carry the Lagen Look are Bryn Walker, Layered, Jana, and Kati Koos. The stores are not located throughout the United States, but they all have on line shopping. If you are interested in websites, just message me, and I will send them too you. You might want to try and Google them first.

What do you think?  Your opinions are welcome.  Remember have fun with your clothes but you don't want to overdo a good thing!!!

It's a Johnny Was kind of Day!!

WHO DOESN'T LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL FABRICS AND PRINTS by JOHNNY WAS?

It's summer. After this past winter, the worst in many places, nothing feels more like summer than
Silk and Floral Prints. Nobody does it better than Johnny Was. This morning I received a notice on Facebook that a 20% off sale was starting. Errands had me near Santa Monica where there is a Johnny Was store. The greatest thing ever-.BOTH sales associates were OF's (over fifties). That scores big points with me. Another great thing about their line is that almost everything is Ageless!

So, today was a field trip day. Off to see the lovely sales associates at Johnny Was

This is beautiful Emily, a stylist and costume designer along with being a Sales Associate. Boy is she busy. Notice how chic she is with her matching Tory Burch shoes.

Then there is Tammy, who is another lovely and so put together Sales Associate. Notice how her scarf and tunic match. The possibilities with this combo are endless.

You could wear the skirt as a belt, as a shawl, wrapped around as a skirt, you name it. Such a comfortably chic way to do warm summer days.

Then, there's me! Wearing my favorite Capri jeans by Adriano Goldshmeid. You can find these " ex-boyfriend Capris on eBay all the time. I have them in a couple of sizes depending on the look I am going for. The tunic is a few seasons old Johnny Was. It's so cool, it's great on warm days!!


Then, the hard part. Which scarf to choose. Each one is more beautiful than the next. So, I chose the easy route. Navy blue to blend with the jeans. Navy blue and turquoise are so great together. The scarves are usually $86.00, but they are on sale For 20% off making them about $70.00. Not bad for such a large beautiful all silk scarf!!


Here are just a few other Johnny Was things on sale for 20% off. They also carry Plus Sizes.
If there isn't a store near you, you can order online at JohnnyWas.com