First Person Singular » Fashion Forward

Manicure/Pedicure?

wendy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:50:29 +0000

This surprised me. You can spot a tourist in Rome by looking down at her feet. With no nail salons in sight, my orange-colored toes (as in A Good Mandarin is Hard to Find) were as obvious as a map and a fanny pack. Back in L.A., in perennial sandal season, I feel right at home.

Photograph: Le Bain de Pied, 1998, by Sarah Moon

When You Have to Wear a Hat

wendy — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:07:06 +0000

Yes, there’s sweltering July heat on the East Coast, but here, we’ve been living in a never-ending cycle of what Los Angelinos call June Gloom. Still, it’s summer, so when I go outside for any length of time, I grab a hat. It’s not just the premature aging that concerns me, but the expensive auburn highlights I want to keep intact. In my closet, I have two limp choices – a black Nylon baseball cap, and a wide-brimmed SunPrecautions bonnet, both of which make me look ridiculous. At least I’m protected. For a better solution, check this out –

Image by Kimiko Yoshida, Self-Portrait, 2010

The Elements of Style

wendy — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:39:38 +0000

Style is a simple way of saying complicated things

Drawing and quote by Jean Cocteau, poet, writer, artist, filmmaker, July 5, 1889 – Oct. 11, 1963

Are School Uniforms a Good Idea?

wendy — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:04:09 +0000

My friend, a former dentist, loved going to work wearing his scrubs. Getting dressed in the morning was a breeze. No decisions about color or silhouette. No insecurities about making a fashion faux pas. His closet was a sea of blue. I can’t imagine. I’d get so bored. But the other day, this friend’s niece was at the house, all giddy about the uniform she’s required to wear when she starts high school in the fall. (Maybe it’s genetic.) Tell me, is there an upside to dressing like your peers?

Artwork: Us and You, 2007, by Sidney Pink (pencil and watercolor on paper)

How To Update Your Wardrobe

wendy — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:10:48 +0000

What woman wears only one outfit for 60-plus years?*

When I need a fashion freshen and money is tight, I buy a lipstick. If I can spare a little cash, a couple of new t-shirts can make a difference. But if I’m feeling flush, the best single item to update last year’s clothes, is an awesome pair of boots. Wonder Woman, who appeared in this mod look, in 1968, doesn’t have to choose. She’s getting a complete re-d0. Check out her before and after -

Wonder Woman, 1941

Wonder Woman, 2010

* What woman wears only one outfit for 60-plus years?, was asked by J. Michael Straczynski, the new writer of the Wonder Woman comic series, who insisted on bringing the character’s costume into the 21st century.

Is Obsession With the Latest, Just an Excuse to Shop?

wendy — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:07:54 +0000

Last Tuesday, I was one of 600,000 acolytes ordering the new iPhone. It took hours, and several attempts of filling in the form, before the site was ready to accept payment. I was a click away from techno-climax, when I decided to take a breath and ask myself the unthinkable: Do I really NEED this phone? I hovered on the “purchase now” button, for a long, couple of minutes, as my heart raced, sweat beading up. This frenzy, so brilliantly engineered by Apple, put me in good company, but it made me feel uneasy. And the point was hammered home in the Times a few days later, when it devoted one of its few editorials to the Half-Life of Phones, asking us to soul search as to the environmental impact of our obsession with novelty. Last Tuesday, I found the discipline to wait. And mostly, I’m glad I did. But if you’re looking for me this weekend, I could be off the wagon, waiting in line with the masses at the Apple store.

Image: VHS, 2010, by Hollis Brown Thornton (permanent marker on paper).

What the Well-Dressed American Woman Wears

wendy — Tue, 18 May 2010 01:18:40 +0000

I’ve been vicariously enjoying the gorgeous clothes on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition, American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity. Check out the gowns, shoes, headpieces and ready-to-wear (love the Tweed Toga!!) from the 1890’s to the mid-twentieth century. This 1955 black evening dress, above, was designed by Norman Norell, credited as the the “father of American high fashion,” who paved the way for Halston, Bill Blass and James Galanos. Here are more of my favorites:

Evening Dress, 1945, Balenciaga

Cocktail dress, 1965, Coco ChanelBootlets, 1947, Salvatore Ferragamo

19th century headdress

Evening ensemble, 1958, Arnold Scaasi

The “Tweed Toga”, 1943, Bonnie Cashin

When Lust Can be a Good Thing

wendy — Thu, 06 May 2010 02:20:59 +0000

Last week, to celebrate my birthday, I dined out almost every night. When the last rich morsel was gobbled up (banana caramel cream tart), what I really longed for was a light salad plopped in front of the TV, wearing my sweats. I’d reached my fill of elegant food and atmosphere, and at least for the moment, they’d lost their value. Maybe you can’t have too many Chanel purses (I’d be thrilled for even one), but it’s possible to consume too much of a good thing, and begin to take it for granted. So I don’t begrudge longing. I take pleasure in dreaming about a Chanel handbag, lusting after it, imagining it in my arms, and then, if the day comes when I actually own one, really appreciating its specialness.

A Good Mandarin is Hard to Find

wendy — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:19:01 +0000

It was my first pedicure in ages and I grabbed my usual shade of browny-beige. Sophisticated, but boring. The manicurist was all set to polish, when suddenly it hit me. It’s SPRING, I’m going to Rome in 20 days, and it’s high time for a little color. I scanned the shelves of metallics, greens, purples and golds, and my gut told me, ORANGE! The color is perfect, and so is the name.

Setting Down Roots

wendy — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:57:05 +0000

I’m about to celebrate my eighth year in L.A. and I figured it was time for an in-town hair colorist, as opposed to heading every four months to my former home in San Francisco (not that I’m complaining) for auburn highlights. It’s traumatic enough to relocate without having to find new haircare professionals, doctors, auto mechanics, dry cleaners, maitre d’s who know you (and loved ones), so I kept putting it off. Well, that’s not precisely true. Soon after moving, I tried a “highly recommended” salon in L.A. and my hair was colored a hideous shade of berry, which might have been okay, if I had enough attitude. Instead, I wanted to hide in a closet, not a good strategy when you’re trying to make friends. Today, I gave L.A. beauty one more try. My hair color looks warm and bright, just like (enhanced) mother nature intended. So now, I’m here to stay.

Image: Ancient comb found in a tomb from the Han Dynasty