Body as Canvas: An Eco-Lifestyle Journey

Exploring the realm of a beautiful sustainable lifestyle for the women of style and substance. visit my website at www.oceanascanvas.com
Our mild weather is about to become quite cold.  Already today, it was 10 degrees cooler than it was yesterday.  Tomorrow begins the rain. All this means that I had been having this nagging sense that I was in need of replacing those sweatshop, cruelty ridden silk/cashmere blend turtlenecks I gave away last week.  I considered it a lucky coincidence to be strolling by local retailer Cotton Basics today on my way to buy a calendar.  Seven years ago when I had less disposable income and was chubbier, I had purchased a few tops from this shop.  I found the items to be well-made of good quality cotton with a good color selection for my autumn palate and a bit shapeless, which suited me at the time. Susan Ciochetto’s shop caught my interest again because everything is designed, dyed, and constructed right here in the East (San Francisco) Bay, specifically Oakland.  No sweatshop fears here.  It was a bit disappointing that the shop girl was unclear about the origin of the cotton though they made no claims about it being organic.  No matter.  I was enjoying the idea of the garments being locally produced.  It’s important to me now that my clothing has a story to which I can relate, sustainable and humane.  It also needs to beautiful, built-to-last, somewhat unique – although today I was clearly in need of basics. Remembering the sizing, I picked out 3 sized-small turtlenecks in black, espresso (a plummy brown), and rich yellow gold colors.  I almost never try anything on in a store unless I have concerns about the styling.  It’s much more informative for me to look at something in the comfort of my home in in the company of the rest of my wardrobe.  I couldn’t wait to try on the gold piece. I was happy to find that the weight was what I expected, substantial and warm.  The neck was surprisingly fitted which appealed.  All of my recent turtlenecks of have been so loose as to be more like petit cowl necks really.  I love the color of the gold one shown here.  It’s a rich enough color that works well with my yellow greens that were popular this fall. I plan to pair it with Eileen Fisher green, mustard, and plum sweaters accessorized with scarves in deep persimmon, steel-fade-to-gold, red colors topped off with an EF tomato red wool shawl coat for the rain.  Let rain, let it rain, let it rain …

Our mild weather is about to become quite cold.  Already today, it was 10 degrees cooler than it was yesterday.  Tomorrow begins the rain. All this means that I had been having this nagging sense that I was in need of replacing those sweatshop, cruelty ridden silk/cashmere blend turtlenecks I gave away last week. 

I considered it a lucky coincidence to be strolling by local retailer Cotton Basics today on my way to buy a calendar.  Seven years ago when I had less disposable income and was chubbier, I had purchased a few tops from this shop.  I found the items to be well-made of good quality cotton with a good color selection for my autumn palate and a bit shapeless, which suited me at the time.

Susan Ciochetto’s shop caught my interest again because everything is designed, dyed, and constructed right here in the East (San Francisco) Bay, specifically Oakland.  No sweatshop fears here.  It was a bit disappointing that the shop girl was unclear about the origin of the cotton though they made no claims about it being organic.  No matter.  I was enjoying the idea of the garments being locally produced.  It’s important to me now that my clothing has a story to which I can relate, sustainable and humane.  It also needs to beautiful, built-to-last, somewhat unique – although today I was clearly in need of basics.

Remembering the sizing, I picked out 3 sized-small turtlenecks in black, espresso (a plummy brown), and rich yellow gold colors.  I almost never try anything on in a store unless I have concerns about the styling.  It’s much more informative for me to look at something in the comfort of my home in in the company of the rest of my wardrobe.  I couldn’t wait to try on the gold piece. I was happy to find that the weight was what I expected, substantial and warm.  The neck was surprisingly fitted which appealed.  All of my recent turtlenecks of have been so loose as to be more like petit cowl necks really. 

I love the color of the gold one shown here.  It’s a rich enough color that works well with my yellow greens that were popular this fall. I plan to pair it with Eileen Fisher green, mustard, and plum sweaters accessorized with scarves in deep persimmon, steel-fade-to-gold, red colors topped off with an EF tomato red wool shawl coat for the rain. 

Let rain, let it rain, let it rain …

Spiral Dance

Been round this bend …  couple times … .

When I graduated from college as an undergrad, I tried to support myself in Seattle as a waitress.  I couldn’t afford to buy meat, and I was starting to learn about the grocery supply chain.  The meat industry repulsed me.  After six months, I returned home wiser and thinner, a self-declared vegetarian.  Back then, I was questioning a lot of things hanging out on the nude beaches and hot springs of So Cal.  Earth First! had it right by me. 

 

Nonetheless I had to make a living to support us, me and my deadbeat boyfriend.  It wasn’t long before I was eating meat again.  I thought I needed more gratification to balance out my deepening misery teaching English to middle school valley girls and later educating engineers as a corporate trainer.

 

After five or so years, I managed to dump the deadbeat boyfriend turned depressed underemployed husband, and left my career to find myself again.  I started paying attention to the world again while I pursued a graduate degree in psychotherapy in the San Francisco Bay area.  Meat slipped out of my diet again and I became a self-declared vegan.  I wore large flowing garments made fabric that allowed me to breathe.  I was really into moving and breathing back then.  Immersed in the deep ecology movement, I read the labels of everything, and whenever I could afford it I bought local and/or organic.  Living next to the sea, I was enjoying my connection to the Earth.  I wanted to nurture that.

 

And then I got sick, rheumatoid arthritis, and I needed a job with insurance.  I remember standing at a bus stop when I was 17 waiting for a bus that was late on my way home from class, and I had the thought, “You have to be hearty to be poor.”  Despite coming from a long line of strong, formidable Black women, I confess I am not a hearty sort.  So I returned to my corporate career and tried to maintain my diet and lifestyle as best as I could, but after a year of traveling around the country, I had to cry “uncle”.      

 

That was almost 15 years ago.  So much has happened since then. This year I will turn 50.  Since my 49th birthday last year, I’ve been consciously and unconsciously sorting through the stuff of my life.  So much has been accomplished – check, check, check.  I find myself in a relative state of grace.  I have been living with and being supported by the love of my life for nearly 10 years in and around a community that values pleasure and knows the perfection of life.  I am healthy and I have achieved all my true ambitions.  I don’t have this sense of where do I go from here.  What I actually have is a compelling desire to appreciate my life, your life, all life and to walk gently again in this world that has given me so much.

 

Coming ‘round the bend … .

 

Shifting from doing to being.  I recently watched a passionate young German woman talk about how we are at a crossroads (have you ever noticed how we are always at some crossroad somewhere?) and we could choose to go for more, more, more like mega-consumers we have been for the last 50  years or we could choose instead to go for better.  Ding, ding, ding.

 

I was recently teaching a Basic Sensuality course in which we talked about how there are two ways to expand your universe.  You can add more things, increase the number of whatever; or you can increase the quality of the attention you are paying to a singular thing or experience.  It’s the quantity v. quality conundrum.  As a self-declared responsible hedonist, I can tell you from years of research, quality has it all over quantity in every realm I can imagine.

 

Last night I read somewhere out there in the blogosphere that the new luxury was about sustainability.  If you’re going to spend $500 on a sweater why not get one that is uniquely designed made of organic cotton or locally produced wool from sheep who were gently sheared in the appropriate season, and then dyed with vegetable-based dyes, and finally woven and constructed by a well-paid team of craftspeople.    Sigh long and deep … . Now that’s a sweater to live and love in. 

I truly enjoyed this clear analysis of what it takes to create sustainability in the fashion industry.

Eco-Age

Stumbled on to this site from Ecouterre.  It’s gorgeous, thoughtful, and grownup approach to an organically sensuous and intelligent sustainable lifestyle.  Livia Firth inspires me.

ecouterre.com

I LOVE  this site!  Particularly now that I discovered that they have given the eco seal of approval to one of my favorite designers, Issey Miyake.

Check out this gorgeous Spring ‘12 collection.  Ethereal with just enough edge to be included among the ranks of the dramatic.  I especially love the white blouse floaty ties at the neck.

The perfume is a light floral masterpiece which I wear often.

Last week I sent most of my wool and cashmere pieces out for consignment after reading up on the wool shearing industry.  So I wound up at the Stella Carakasi shop in Rockridge to replace the wool jacket I had recently given up.  As luck would have it, they have a stylish collection of faux fur jackets on sale right now.  Yarra, the store manager, treated me to a detailed description of how their jackets are made, from the fabric choices to the production at family run shops in India.  The owners have personally visited and selected each shop to be assured that there is no child labor and that the conditions are humane.  Even this they consider a compromise given that they used to make all of their clothes in the San Francisco Bay Area until the NAFTA agreement made it untenable. I was very happy to pick-up a rich chocolate brown faux suede jacket to wear for the remainder of the winter season.  The fur lining is uncharacteristically soft and the cut is very smart.  Best of all, it has two front pockets elegantly concealed. So far, my fears about looking like a 26 year-old boho chick are coming to not.  I’m finding quite a lot beautiful items surprisingly among the designers that I already know and love. 

Last week I sent most of my wool and cashmere pieces out for consignment after reading up on the wool shearing industry.  So I wound up at the Stella Carakasi shop in Rockridge to replace the wool jacket I had recently given up.  As luck would have it, they have a stylish collection of faux fur jackets on sale right now. 

Yarra, the store manager, treated me to a detailed description of how their jackets are made, from the fabric choices to the production at family run shops in India.  The owners have personally visited and selected each shop to be assured that there is no child labor and that the conditions are humane.  Even this they consider a compromise given that they used to make all of their clothes in the San Francisco Bay Area until the NAFTA agreement made it untenable.

I was very happy to pick-up a rich chocolate brown faux suede jacket to wear for the remainder of the winter season.  The fur lining is uncharacteristically soft and the cut is very smart.  Best of all, it has two front pockets elegantly concealed.

So far, my fears about looking like a 26 year-old boho chick are coming to not.  I’m finding quite a lot beautiful items surprisingly among the designers that I already know and love. 

Getting my bearings in this new realm of cruelty-free fashion.  I’m enjoying knowing that there was little or no harm done to any being in the process of creating what covers my body.  Still, the shedding continues.  Today, I popped in at my favorite consignment shop, Main Street Rags in Walnut Creek, CA.  Out of the dozen or more pieces, they took just over half.  Then I had the pleasure of gifting a couple of my girlfriends with most of the rest.  I always forget how good it feels to sift through one’s closet and move things along that no longer delight.  This distillation I find surprisingly gratifying.

 

What has not been as satisfying is my initial research into eco-fashion.  It’s SO much better than it was 20 years ago when I was wearing huge drapey “goddess” wear.  However, the salient fact is that I am 20 years older.  So far I have done just an initial review of some online sites and I’m only just a little bit concerned that I will be able to find fun yet mature pieces as well as wardrobe staples.  Lots of vegan fashion sites offer adorable coats, tee shirts, shoes and bags but they seem a bit young for my taste.  That said, Moos Shoes and Matt & Nat were definitely bookmarked for further review.  Then there’s the recognized eco-darling of the established fashion design world, Stella McCartney.  Some beautiful stuff, to be sure, but you’ll need serious budget. 

 

Yet there is the incomparable American Apparel company that makes basics for everyone in downtown Los Angeles. Can’t beat that.  The styling though is generic enough though to be practically non-stylish.  Still, if I plan to research them further as a possible replacement for those Banana Republic tees I just gave away. 

 

Gaiam has recently expanded it’s apparel offering with several pieces that go beyond upscale yoga wear and are firmly on trend while being age appropriate for the Boomers.  Fortunately, I already have an account there as I’ve purchased several bedding and bath items from them over the past 20 years.  I’ll be perusing that site more in the days to come.     

 

More to come.

Wardobe Interrogation

I’ve spent the last 3 days interrogating my wardrobe.  “You.  Who are you?  Do you have ties to sweatshops?  Do you have any dead animals among your siblings?  No? To which part?  You say all of it.  Okay you can stay.”

“What about you?  What?  You’re not sure?  No idea who made you.  Seriously?  Okay I find that hard to believe but you’re not cute enough for me to invest more than the 10 minutes I’ve already spent on your background check.  You can stay, but you have to understand things have changed.”

“And you.  I saw your name on greenamerica.org. in the orange-red zones.  Too bad.  It’s over.  You’re still in good shape though.   I have every confidence you’ll find a new closet soon.”

I have a completely new appreciation for designers who communicate with sincerity about their commitment to be socially and environmentally responsible.  Small single-owner lines have always held a particular fascination and it also means locally-made which is doubly reassuring. These pieces are my trusted friends now.  They are not only close to my skin but now they are close to my heart, wrapping me up in peace and a warm sense of care that goes beyond brand image. 

 

Tonight I will slip between the sheets in my completely safe Cosabella pjs.  The Victoria Secret purge will have to wait until tomorrow.

Closet Eco Assessment

I’ve spent the better part of the day trying to assess my wardrobe in light of my awakening to cruelty-free/sweatshop-free clothing.  It’s a surprisingly intense process.  The first thing I wanted to do was rid my closet of the most egregious offenders.  Research, research, and more research; and I’ve barely scratched the surface.  Although I am beginning to see patterns emerging and familiar “faces” in terms of both references and vendors. 

I know exactly how this was made.  Organic tissue cotton from Tokyo.

Thanks to PETA it’s not that hard to figure out who the animal friendly designers are.  It’s much trickier trying to determine who isn’t using sweatshop labor.  It turns out that in some ways it’s easier to go directly to the websites of my favorite brands.  The ones who meet my criteria are wearing it on their sleeves and are telling compelling and personalized stories about their history and vision.  In some ways, it seems as though this new road is creating a kind of intimacy with the clothes I wear and enjoy.

What remains at the end of the day is to decide how far to go with the wardrobe adjustment.  My beloved George eyed me carefully this morning to determine if this new quest was going to result in the recycling of perfectly good clothes and a huge bill as I sought to replace our already perfectly fine clothes with more ethical ones.  My darling Yankee loathes to waste money under any circumstance, and I’m grateful for it.

It turns out that on first glance my favorite pieces and many of my staples are already workable – Eileen Fisher, Stella Carakasi, Jigsaw, some Weston Wear and Babette.   I’m not sure what to do about the sweatshop produced Ann Taylor Loft t-shirts, which are standards in my everyday wear.  Then there’s George’s wardrobe, about 80% Banana Republic, ouch!   I haven’t even confronted all the leather … . sigh … .  Stay tuned. 

 

 

Becoming a Conscious Fashionista

NYE was a magical day on so many levels.  I was in a beautiful store in Mill Valley where I had hoped to replenish my supply of Kai butter, a body cream of which I am so enthralled, I purchased three different lotions in an unsuccessful attempt to replace it among my moisturizers. 

I digress.  Anyway, having achieved the goal, I looked around to see what else I might enjoy and came upon a Joie blouse that I found utterly compelling.  The silk butterscotch florals practically floated on my body, and I could easily imagine it with my best jeans and spring capris.  The $218 price tag gave me pause though.  I’m not opposed to spending that much for something exquisite that I will love for years to come.  Many pieces like that  live happily in my wardrobe currently. 

So I went home and started researching the Joie line. This is my usual strategy for either collecting evidence to have the blouse or use up my desire for it altogether.  However desire turned to repulsion when I discovered that Joie also make jackets and vests using real animal skins – rabbits to be precise. 

Last month I was sickened to discover while dreamily perusing a Neiman Marcus catalogue that there are still designers using actual animal fur.  Given the return to fur in most of the Fall/Winter collections this year, I found this truly troubling.  In my naivete, I just assumed all the fur I’ve been looking at for the past couple of years was faux because the technology has advanced to the point where the quality is so texturally and visually desirable. 

It occurred to me that it’s really about economics.  My naivete was being fostered due to the price-point of my purchases.  Above $500, a vest with a fur collar costs something living it’s life, which somehow registers with me as a completely frivolous loss of life.

I woke up this morning with a new cause.  I am now a stand for cruelty-free clothing.  Moreover, lets raise the level of conversation altogether to conscious sustainable sweatshop-free fashion that is not only guilt-free, but well made and luxurious as well.  Once you’ve reached a point in your life when you’ve gobbled up all your girlish dreams and are looking to give back, it’s the only position for a thoughtful fashionista to take.  Well, at least this one.  Who is with me?

Boom!  Makeup for Women Who Don’t Wear Makeup       My love of fashion does not extend to my love of makeup.  It’s just not on my radar.  I don’t even really care if someone is wearing too much or too little.  For myself, my makeup routine is more like an occasional event.  I will put on some mascara and lipstick for a special occasion, and that’s about it.  Until …  A couple years ago, my friend, Cindy Joseph, created a makeup line that I, of course, had to try.  It’s called Boom!  Being a good friend, I bought all 2 of the 3 products that debuted.  I tried them out once, but they didn’t grab me.  Then I used them for a ball last Spring and I was horrified by the pictures that surfaced after the event.  I swore off of them until … . Last month she sent an announcement out about her new video series, which I viewed because I had nothing else to do that morning.  Then everything changed.  It turns out, I had no idea how to use the products.  Being someone who never really paid attention to makeup application, I realized I didn’t wear it because I didn’t know how.  Cindy’s videos were short, casually fun, and enormously informative.  It was like watching your girlfriend show you how to put on makeup in your bathroom.  Only this girlfriend was an easygoing outdoorsy chick who also happened to be a professional makeup artist and model.  In other words, someone I could trust.  I watched them a couple three times. And then … . It dawned on me the brilliance of what this product line was about.  It’s one color, one natural color, that looks like a healthy flush on any face, no matter what the skin tone.  You simply apply it to the areas of your face that where you want to enhance the natural glow.  She shows you precisely in less than 10n minutes where those spots are and how to apply the Boom! color.  It’s truly amazing.  

Boom!  Makeup for Women Who Don’t Wear Makeup      

My love of fashion does not extend to my love of makeup.  It’s just not on my radar.  I don’t even really care if someone is wearing too much or too little.  For myself, my makeup routine is more like an occasional event.  I will put on some mascara and lipstick for a special occasion, and that’s about it.  Until … 

A couple years ago, my friend, Cindy Joseph, created a makeup line that I, of course, had to try.  It’s called Boom!  Being a good friend, I bought all 2 of the 3 products that debuted.  I tried them out once, but they didn’t grab me.  Then I used them for a ball last Spring and I was horrified by the pictures that surfaced after the event.  I swore off of them until … .

Last month she sent an announcement out about her new video series, which I viewed because I had nothing else to do that morning.  Then everything changed. 

It turns out, I had no idea how to use the products.  Being someone who never really paid attention to makeup application, I realized I didn’t wear it because I didn’t know how.  Cindy’s videos were short, casually fun, and enormously informative.  It was like watching your girlfriend show you how to put on makeup in your bathroom.  Only this girlfriend was an easygoing outdoorsy chick who also happened to be a professional makeup artist and model.  In other words, someone I could trust.  I watched them a couple three times. And then … .

It dawned on me the brilliance of what this product line was about.  It’s one color, one natural color, that looks like a healthy flush on any face, no matter what the skin tone.  You simply apply it to the areas of your face that where you want to enhance the natural glow.  She shows you precisely in less than 10n minutes where those spots are and how to apply the Boom! color. 

It’s truly amazing.

 

EF Style I made the Eileen Fisher website!  Entering the “Casting Call” contest was not exactly a whim.  I was already thinking of getting back into the fashion pool.  So I put together an entry and within 3 days or so there I was with 41 other women on the web page.  To say I was excited is an understatement.   I’m drawn to the EF vision which is about elegant comfort for women of substance. I like the clean lines and impeccable drape inherent in fall/winter collections especially.  Moreover, what I enjoy about the line is that she makes petite clothing that is actually proportioned appropriately.  Although I must say, it’s definitely what I call “vanity sizing”.  I’m normally a small in most lines, but I often have to go to XS to get the fit I prefer.    There are probably about a dozen Eileen Fisher items in my wardrobe.  I started out buying sweaters.  I finally sold my very first sweater (10 years old) to another EF enthusiast last year.  Still I have 2 cardigans, 2 boxy turtles necks which are oh so au currant now, 2 pairs of slacks in black and brown which are staples in my wardrobe, 2 pairs of tights, 2 scarves, 1 wool tomato red wool coat, and 1 persimmon colored light weight jacket that cinches delightfully at the waist.    Every piece is timeless and exceptionally well made.  I don’t mind the price tag because I know I will have these pieces for a minimum of 10 years barring any unforeseen circumstances.  The aesthetic appeals to me: clean elegant simplicity that sits on the body in a tailored manner becoming the perfect base for something surprisingly bold and/or fun.    The only challenge I have with EF is the palette.  There is a disproportionate amount of black and gray.  I wish there was more brown and beige.  Personally, I think warmer tones look better on mature women, but I am also a California girl albeit San Francisco Bay Area.    That said, if I manage to be one of the three women selected, I will have no trouble at all spending the $2500 gift card.

EF Style

I made the Eileen Fisher website!  Entering the “Casting Call” contest was not exactly a whim.  I was already thinking of getting back into the fashion pool.  So I put together an entry and within 3 days or so there I was with 41 other women on the web page.  To say I was excited is an understatement.

 

I’m drawn to the EF vision which is about elegant comfort for women of substance. I like the clean lines and impeccable drape inherent in fall/winter collections especially.  Moreover, what I enjoy about the line is that she makes petite clothing that is actually proportioned appropriately.  Although I must say, it’s definitely what I call “vanity sizing”.  I’m normally a small in most lines, but I often have to go to XS to get the fit I prefer. 

 

There are probably about a dozen Eileen Fisher items in my wardrobe.  I started out buying sweaters.  I finally sold my very first sweater (10 years old) to another EF enthusiast last year.  Still I have 2 cardigans, 2 boxy turtles necks which are oh so au currant now, 2 pairs of slacks in black and brown which are staples in my wardrobe, 2 pairs of tights, 2 scarves, 1 wool tomato red wool coat, and 1 persimmon colored light weight jacket that cinches delightfully at the waist. 

 

Every piece is timeless and exceptionally well made.  I don’t mind the price tag because I know I will have these pieces for a minimum of 10 years barring any unforeseen circumstances.  The aesthetic appeals to me: clean elegant simplicity that sits on the body in a tailored manner becoming the perfect base for something surprisingly bold and/or fun. 

 

The only challenge I have with EF is the palette.  There is a disproportionate amount of black and gray.  I wish there was more brown and beige.  Personally, I think warmer tones look better on mature women, but I am also a California girl albeit San Francisco Bay Area. 

 

That said, if I manage to be one of the three women selected, I will have no trouble at all spending the $2500 gift card.

Age Appropriate Clothing Lines

There are designers that have clearly staked out a niche among women of a certain age (WOCA). I have many of their pieces in my closet now.  Eileen Fisher is my favorite for sheer fabric quality and drape.  I mostly find her line  to be rather uninteresting with a lot of loose fitting pieces that don’t adequate enhance the curves of a woman’s body. Nonetheless I have many EF “staples”. Nic & Zoe is another with more interesting yet solidly conventional pieces with appropriate hemlines and details.  Local designer Stella Carakasi also falls in that category, and yet she has well made and often fresh ideas on conventional pieces like beautiful ruching in a sleeveless tee. I have several of her tops in my closet as well. 

However I also love shopping in the younger lines.  Free People is one of my favorites right now. Their Boho chic aesthetic so appeals to my artist/dancer soul. The trick with shopping these lines targeted for the 20-something crowd is to be extremely selective.  Mostly I enjoy whimsy of their neo-hippie catalogues.  However, a couple times a year I see something a grown-up could wear that adds a bit of feminine quirkiness to a direction I’m heading in my wardrobe.  For example, I acquired two tops last spring that I love: one for the shell details in the macrame back, and the other for the scale and design of the floral pattern on a sheer silk dolman sleeve top. I developed a hunger for sheers and cut-outs last year that has continued. Then, of course, there was the Read Across Missoni-esque knit dress that fits every curve in a forgiving mix of multi-colored stripes and slightly nubby texture.  It was the ballet neckline, front and back, that secured it a place in my electronic cart. 

FP showed this knit dress on a 20 year-old model in combat boots. I wore it with long chains, a hip length EF sweater, and simple black boots from Naturalizer last fall. This spring I paired it with a light wool blend swing sweater.  If I’m feeling sassy this summer, I will wear in San Francisco with a curve augmenting jean jacket and gold braided Aerosole sandals..

My point is that it’s not difficult to take selected styles from the young and turn them into grown-up outfits with the right combination of pieces and accessories.

Art as Fashion Muse I like being surrounded by original art. It brings an aliveness that inspires creativity. My home and office are warmed by original art and craft pieces to whatever extent possible. My partner, George, and I go to museums and galleries once or twice a month.  Communing with the creative work of another frees my mind to what’s possible in other areas of my life, like what I put on my body for the day ahead. I’m always looking for new ideas, new ways to combine pieces in my existing wardrobe. Fashion magazines validate and inform, but they don’t often inspire. Old and new photographs, paintings, sculpture, textiles, and pottery all bring fresh perspectives and connections in color, line and pattern. For instance, it was an Avedon exhibit at SFMOMA last year that got me thinking about adding in fine line patterns to my wardrobe which led tot he acquisition of the Keneuoe coat.  I got these charmingly whimsical slippers at Rue Atelier in Elmwood because they reminded me of a piece at the Chihuly exhibit at the de Young. Every time I wear them they make me smile inside. I love the photography in The Sartotialist blog. It never fails to gratify in terms of visual inspiration.  “Oooo, I bet that white chiffon pleated skirt flutters when she moves.” or “That is easily the most adorable and accessible menswear look I have ever scene. Now that I would do!”.  New possibilities.

Art as Fashion Muse

I like being surrounded by original art. It brings an aliveness that inspires creativity. My home and office are warmed by original art and craft pieces to whatever extent possible. My partner, George, and I go to museums and galleries once or twice a month.  Communing with the creative work of another frees my mind to what’s possible in other areas of my life, like what I put on my body for the day ahead.

I’m always looking for new ideas, new ways to combine pieces in my existing wardrobe. Fashion magazines validate and inform, but they don’t often inspire. Old and new photographs, paintings, sculpture, textiles, and pottery all bring fresh perspectives and connections in color, line and pattern. For instance, it was an Avedon exhibit at SFMOMA last year that got me thinking about adding in fine line patterns to my wardrobe which led tot he acquisition of the Keneuoe coat.  I got these charmingly whimsical slippers at Rue Atelier in Elmwood because they reminded me of a piece at the Chihuly exhibit at the de Young. Every time I wear them they make me smile inside.

I love the photography in The Sartotialist blog. It never fails to gratify in terms of visual inspiration.  “Oooo, I bet that white chiffon pleated skirt flutters when she moves.” or “That is easily the most adorable and accessible menswear look I have ever scene. Now that I would do!”. 

New possibilities.

I have completely fallen for the minimalist monochromatic white/neutral aesthetic this season.  I’ve always thought it was a compelling statement: purity, clean, simple elegance,  “I don’t really work”, etc.   This particular outfit I’m enjoying on several levels.  First, it’s comfy (my word).  The natural cotton tissue dolman sleeved tee with its elegant ribbing is like butter on the skin. While these linen palazzo pants allow air to flow across my skin whether there is contact with the fabric or not.  It’s close to wearing nothing at all which is usually what I am striving for unconsciously,   Secondly, I love the drape of the tee and how it flutters in the wind.  This was the only thing I bought in Tokyo.  It was on sell in the famous fashion district of Aoyama Omotesando.  It was harder than I thought it would be to find Japanese designers.  It turns out Japanese women love the French designers.  Personally, I prefer the Japanese aesthetic – simple, a little bit shocking, innovative, and elegant. When I finally found this shop that also carried organic clothing (bonus!) I was overjoyed and bought two of these t-shirts.  By the way, the young designer is Kai.  I have owned this Bryn Walker palazzo pants for years.  It hangs well enough and the quality fabric and construction is solid.  It’s not quite Eileen Fisher in terms of drape, but neither is it EF prices.    Finally, the silhouette is current yet adult.  I’m adding gold accessories.   If I want to do a pop of color, I would do it with multi-colored bangles or a brightly colored third piece like a green or persimmon colored sweater.  A red sandal would also be fun.  

I have completely fallen for the minimalist monochromatic white/neutral aesthetic this season.  I’ve always thought it was a compelling statement: purity, clean, simple elegance,  “I don’t really work”, etc.

 

This particular outfit I’m enjoying on several levels.  First, it’s comfy (my word).  The natural cotton tissue dolman sleeved tee with its elegant ribbing is like butter on the skin. While these linen palazzo pants allow air to flow across my skin whether there is contact with the fabric or not.  It’s close to wearing nothing at all which is usually what I am striving for unconsciously,

 

Secondly, I love the drape of the tee and how it flutters in the wind.  This was the only thing I bought in Tokyo.  It was on sell in the famous fashion district of Aoyama Omotesando.  It was harder than I thought it would be to find Japanese designers.  It turns out Japanese women love the French designers.  Personally, I prefer the Japanese aesthetic – simple, a little bit shocking, innovative, and elegant. When I finally found this shop that also carried organic clothing (bonus!) I was overjoyed and bought two of these t-shirts.  By the way, the young designer is Kai.  I have owned this Bryn Walker palazzo pants for years.  It hangs well enough and the quality fabric and construction is solid.  It’s not quite Eileen Fisher in terms of drape, but neither is it EF prices. 

 

Finally, the silhouette is current yet adult.  I’m adding gold accessories.   If I want to do a pop of color, I would do it with multi-colored bangles or a brightly colored third piece like a green or persimmon colored sweater.  A red sandal would also be fun.