At Last - A Shirt That Fits...

There seems to be this underlying assumption that it is a wonderful thing to be ...err... well endowed. I think this one falls into the "grass is always greener" category. If you haven't been able to go without a bra since before you were a teenager, the rationale for thinking this can be kind of lost on you as it definitely has some drawbacks. Skimpy summer tops with shoe string straps - not for you. Tight fitting t-shirts - don't bother doing your make up 'cause no one will be looking at your face. Boob tubes - dream on. Even with a strapless bra you'll look like you swallowed a sausage sideways.

Seriously - for all the social admiration that supposedly goes with being a member of the over-the-shoulder-boulder club the fashion industry does a lousy job of catering to the curvy figure, particularly in the realm of business appropriate clothing. Victoria's secret seems to be that she has channeled her inner porn star so well she's made a career of it and she doesn't have much left to say to those of us with more mundane jobs.

Actaully it's not lingerie that I find the most challenging - it's blouses. Shirts. Any top with a button front. There are just precious few that fit well, don't gape and yet don't have to be so big that you feel like you stole it from your man's closet. And so I was delighted to find that someone who had expereinced similar challenges all her life actually went and did something about it. She used her tailoring background to found CarissaRose (www.carissarose.com) - a website that sells ladies shirts (and a couple of dresses) tailored to the top-heavy. I can attest to how well the shirts fit and it's true what they say - it really does make you look slimmer to wear clothes tailored to your shape.

Carrying Work Papers With Style

I'm always on the lookout for hand bags that can (sort of, kind of, maybe) do double duty as brief cases so I don't have to carry two bags with me. I picked this one up online at the Steinmart website. Cheap as chips but it has a cute vintage vibe going with lace panels that makes it a bit friendlier than your typical document tote. And it is perfectly sized for carting the inevtiable wad of papers/books/magazines that I need and comes with all the right pockets for keys, wallet, glasses, iphone, blackberry... when did I become such a gadget gal?

Arm Candy

Last season I bought this beautiful bag from Brahmin. It never fails to elicit compliments whenever I carry it. There's a wide choice of similarly gorgeous pieces of arm candy in this season's collection. Yum!

Runway vs. Runaway

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

The quotation above from the English artist and designer William Morris is more than a century out of date and was written about decorating houses, not choosing clothes, but I find it to be equally applicable - particularly in this age of celebrity designers. I have a love/hate relationship with the world of fashion. On the one hand I love the ongoing process of developing my own style and choosing just the right pieces to bring a look together and the whole fashion industry is an integral part of that. But at its core I believe it is an industry that’s misogynistic – less about helping women be comfortable in their own skin than in pushing them to purchase the latest designer-labeled “it” item in the belief that it will confer a sense of panache that they are currently lacking. It’s less a celebration of women than a manipulation of them.

That doesn’t mean I don’t “indulge” it just means I do so in the complete knowledge that the motivation behind all the magazines, catalogs, blogs, books, TV shows, stores etc. is to get me to buy – and hopefully buy the item with the highest mark-up, not the one that is necessarily suited to me, my lifestyle and what I already have in my closet. I’ve found that as you get older it’s easier to ignore all the noise. It really is true that you can become more comfortable with yourself and realize that there is less to what people look like than society would have you believe. It’s not that you don’t care what you look like – you just don’t believe that the latest runway trend that looks kind of weird on the pasty-skinned anorexic model in the magazine shoot is going to look anything but ridiculous on you. Even if it is the latest designer look.

There is no shortage of beautiful clothing and accessories that help a woman put together her statement of “this is who I am today” and look fabulous without shouting from the roof tops which brand she is wearing. The celebrity trend with designer clothes and accessories has become so ubiquitous that for some people it’s all about the logo, not the item. That’s not style – that’s advertising. And you’re paying them to do it! Think about it……

Orthaheel Sale at Sole Provisions

When I’m in Florida I live in flip flops. We have hard floors all through the house and as I’ve grown older and my feet have started to look more and more like my mother’s (sorry Mom, but why did you have to throw your feet troubles in with all the wonderful things that I inherited from you) I’ve found I can’t go barefoot without getting very uncomfortable very quickly. And even when I’m out running errands, doing the shopping or going to the beach, flip flops are just a sunshine state go-to.

It’s hard to argue that they make a great fashion statement – but they are getting better and now there are options that provide great comfort and a little bit of style.  For around the house my top pick is the Sanuk yoga mat flip flops ($28). I also own a pair of Fit Flops, which are great when you’re doing some serious walking – but I find them a bit “clunky” for day to day use. 

Orthaheel Allegre

But my above-all favorites are Orthaheels. I’ve got more mileage out of my black Allegre Orthaeels than any other pair of shoes I’ve ever owned.

Orthaheel Porto

You can buy all of the above at Amazon or Zappo’s but Sole Provisions are running a sale on Orthaheel with the Allegre model discounted from $69/95 to $54.95 with free shipping. I’m going to give the new Porto sandal  a try and see if has the same heavenly effect on my feet.