Women at their most subversive

Yes, the glorious Cate Blanchett making it look so effortlessly chic.  And let me draw your attention to a few fine details that distinguish this suit from the vast array of women's suits:

a) It's not tight.  Really, why do men get to camoflauge their form while we are required by fashion (and the frankly misogynist retail business that thrives on undermining female confidence and power - I'll stop the rant before it really takes off) to reveal our butts (must do more lunges), our boobs (boob job or bra armor) and skin (my imperfect, neck, arms, knees etc.), and have it so constricted it makes sitting for an average 8 day tantamount to torture.   I love the loose fit - it's so sensuous to feel the fabric move and not be required to hold yourself just so.  Can you imagine what you could accomplish if you didn't worry about panty lines, pantyhose, keeping your legs tightly clamped when you're sitting on the subway?  In short, have the freedom to focus on the stuff that really matters.  Oh, so subversive.

b) Pairs with a simple shirt.  A classic shirt, not a t-shirt that fades and gets baggy, not a piece of lingerie, which frankly is and always was just ridiculous, and it does not require a scarf, necklace, or any other adornment - it looks perfectly right just as it is.  And I don't know about you, but a shirt lasts and lasts - it's economical.  Subversive again. 

c)  Works with lace-ups.  I saw a very attractive woman in the upper echelons of l'age wearing a very similar suit with a tweed-ish coat (mixing patterns in a very British manner) with a pair of brogues.  She was stunning.  I did a double-take and as usual couldn't get my phone out in time to snap the pic.  The Sartorialist I am not.  Back to the shoes, comfortable - yes, and just right with the men's styling.  And they last for more than just a season or two.  Ouch, subversive.

While the above shot was more of a red carpet pic, this one looks like real life.  Possibly more comfortable than the ubiquitous jeans - not trying too hard and yet displaying more than a whiff of personality. And the hair can be just as relaxed.  No blow drying, flat ironing, hair products - it takes no time.  Damn that's subversive.  (I am so in.)

Utterley feminine.  Pick the hair up and you've got an absolutely fabulous ensemble.  So, I'm waiting for the elevator the other day and as the door opens off strides a petite and not particularly svelt young woman in a subtle gray plaid suit with a gray tie and lace-ups.  I just about feel off my Hush Puppies.  She looked incredible.  Talk about subversive in a financial district where most young women are teetering around on 4" heels and short tight suits. 

Doesn't she look like Bowie?  Anyway, is this so threatening?  I think so. 

She's just too darn comfortable and confident - she might actually get on a board. 

Or she might just be accepted for all that she is and no one will ever know if she has a saggy butt or flabby skin on her arms.  Now that's subversive.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the Girls in Suits blog.  Check it out and submit your woman in suit photo. I will.

The right length

A word on the right length, in fact many words.  These images come to L'age Moyen from a faithful reader who has shown great patience in waiting for me to (finally!) post them (thank you so much Penelope).

Really, who is involved in the decision making process around skirt lengths - not for fashion and trends - but for real women and particularly those of us in l'age?  If a skirt does not at least hit the knee when you sit down it rides way up to the upper thigh and frankly, who needs that?  It's indiscreet, uncomfortable and ridiculous.    The images in the first photo are from Bottega Veneta, a longtime favourite of mine if only I could afford them.  At least the trend is moving in the right direction.  The second is lifted from the Sartorialist who rarely shows such sensible clothes these days but this is a nice departure.  I do love the combo of what would you say - red brick and pale blue - lovely.

One store that does have it right AND is somewhere in my price range is Tristan.  This is a Montreal-based company making virtually all it's clothing in Canada. I was in the store recently and bought a lovely pleated red skirt and could have bought three more.  It's not just the length that's right, it's the waistline that isn't so high you feel like you can't breath, but not so low that you're lovely thrifted silk blouse slips out with the first sneeze.   I don't know who is behind the brand (will find out though) but they must be women of a certain l'age.

Ralph Lauren is showing some lovely skirts this spring at just the right length.

And not outside even my modest budget.

First in the sweater and skirt series

This combo is one of my favourites - the sweater is blue with a lot of green, without quite being teal.  The skirt also has a blue undertone.  Maybe that's why this unlikely combination works so well. At least in my mind ....

More to come.

L'age moyen: Intro to sweater and skirt series

Here's another little video for you.  I'm wearing a lot of skirts and sweaters these days, and in this series I'm going to share my favourite combos.

The common themes include layering (warmth), length (at the knee or below), and a bit of flow - nothing too restrictive.  Nothing worse than sitting at a desk all day and feeling encased like a sausage.

I'm still not a huge fan of tights, but I can't see how I can make the skirt over pants idea work.  More to say on that at a later date.

If skirts and sweaters are my everyday solutions, what are yours?  Do tell.

A perfect suit for l'age - minus the tuque

And a very satisfying description of the pleasure to be found in blogging from the friendly Swedish blog Fine Little Day,

"Someone I met recently asked me why I blog. Well, because I enjoy it was my instinctive response. Because I like to share, to get feedback and to promote myself and others I guess, was my second comment. The third comment must is the main reason though – because the therapeutic effect it has on me, and the escape from a harsh reality."

It explains - at least to me - why I persist in this pleasure albeit sporadically!


Photo from The Sartorialist

A totally thrifted outfit - the video

We shot this video (obviously) at the same time as the previous.  Sorry about the sound.  We'll work on it.

Handbag downsizing - the video

Apologies for the incredible over use of the the word spectacular. In my defense, they really are. Secondly, the sound seems a bit lousy. Will work on technical issues, and welcome advice in this regard. The production side of things is not my strong suit.

Here is a closer look at the handbags that work:

Please let me know if you think this video thing is worth pursuing. It was certainly fun for us.

A beautiful band of grey

 

At the risk of being a bore, I continue to be transfixed by the rare grey female species.  This lovely woman was captured on camera (by my accomplice in this blog and official photographer, Bella) looking incredibly natural and undeniably stunning with her grey band.  Her grey is closer to white and forms a thick band framing her face.   

When I first started to go seriously grey, I wanted to add more grey to my hair, not in the salt and pepper way in which it has gradually become, but in thick streaks - one attempt lasted about 24 hours, and was very cool before it went to a kind of light brown from which I have only just fully recovered

If it's real life inspiration  your looking for, here she is.  A lovely woman, 40ish and beguilingly grey.

 

Camel on camel

 What a pair!  What a pleasure!

So much camel on camel.  The layering is brilliant and it is perfect autumn dressing.  Of course, it's not autumn where I live, so I can only dream of being unencumbered by a real and not-so-attractive winter coat.

I love her loafers and his vest .  What an attractive couple en l'age. 

Interesting that his look is entirely matched yet not the least uptight.  Her's displays a hint of style with the deftly patterned shirt and the just-not-matching vest/sweater.  Well done.

The hair is great and relaxed, but not forgotten in both cases.  Love his hint of gray.  As I flip through the various men's style blogs I see so many men in l'age, whereas most of the women featured are decidedly not.  It seems one has to be young and model-like or  Advanced .  Anything in between is hard to feature.

Yet I persist.


He = Agnelli-esque
She = Tommy Ton

Strength and Style - the Yugoslavian

 

Born in 1946, Marina Abramovic, "the most famous performance artist in the world", is being feted in the great cities of the world.  And that is to be admired yet I'm just as thrilled to see her being feted by the world of fashion as the new model for Givenchy.  Isn't it  refreshing to see a 66 year old woman looking so unabashedly wonderful and so completely herself? 

 

Here on the cover of the Slavic edition of Elle, she is reaching new and younger audiences with her uber coolness.

Add to this her new role with Givenchy (after modeling a PETA approved Givenchy designed snakeskin jacket) and Marina is totally hot in every way.  And that is hot without being silly.  Her style is modern, elegant and minimalist - she's not spending any time trying to look youthful.  Nor is there any attempt to be 'sexy at any age' .  I cannot abide that nonsense.

 

It does, however,  leave one wracking one's brain on how to translate the freedom to not be defined by age and gender into the daily grind we  mortals must endure.  Whether it's Marina here, or Charlotte Rampling there (see TNMA for a great post on Charlotte), the artists have it over the rest of us.

 Defying perception around age and gender is still a daily act of rebellion. 

 

 I like the idea of peaking round about the age of 66.

Here's what Marina has to say about her age and stage:

There was a time when Abramovic called herself “the grandmother of performance art.” But now it’s a sobriquet she’d like to ditch. “Can we change that into soldier? Or warrior? Because I’m more warrior right now than grandmother ... Yes, I am old but, you see, I have energy, lots of energy.”

I would be fine being a woman with no explanation required.
 

Bracing for icy blasts with Norma

I loved Norma Kamali in the '70s and love her still.  When I discovered that she was designing for Walmart in the U.S. I wrote scathing (and unanswered) emails to Walmart's head office bemoaning the fact that Norma was reserved for  their market and not available in mine.

Until I saw this coat, all I've ever wanted was a Norma Kamali swimsuit like this ...










 or this






Coverage, a little shaping, some camouflage - what's not to love?  The only thing holding me back was the price.  But no longer.

Thanks to KamaliKulture many of her classic '70s styles are available for U.S. $98 or less !!!  I just have to endure 3 months of solid cold followed by 3 months of solid coo,l and then I will be sporting a bathing suit absolutely perfect for l'age.

Which brings me back to the coat.  It is not $98.  In fact, most of her coats are sold out and I haven't a clue what the price was, but I suspect all are out of my price range.  And it is such a shame because her coats are so modern and would be such a liberation from my sleeping-bag-with-belt-coat.   I can only hope Norma expands her KamaliKulture line to include coats. 






 Psst, this one is on sale for $145!

Too cute!

The allure of coverage

The tall drink of water known as L'Wren Scott (born Luann) may be more famous as Mick Jagger's consort (eerily dark-haired version of that other famous consort, Jerry Hall) and I would normally have written her off as just another rock star's trophy girlfriend (cause that's the kind of snob I am), but I've had another look thanks to this NY Times article.

She does seem like a hardworking gal, and while I can't imagine having Mick as a boyfriend can be anything but good for your credit (even if she does fund her business herself - can you imagine a bank turning her down for an extended credit line?,) it all come down to taste, and I think she's got it.

Admitting that she's 44ish (and a little cagey about it), at least she's aligning herself with l'age and her clothes illustrate the allure of coverage.  I must admit to being worn out by the amount of cleavage I've witnessed in the last decade, and that's day and night.  It's no longer interesting, and Ms. Scott's clothes have that '30s elegance which is exactly what I would prefer to shoot for.

A few dresses now that peaked my fancy:

I could find a lot of excuses to wear this dress.  Nice with broach.  A rather slim skirt so possibly not fantastic for hopping on and off the old bicyclette.  A sacrifice I'm willing to endure.

Oh, a little red dress.  I love the sleeves.  Power shoulders without the pads.

 Pretty hem.  The armhole has Michelle Obama written all over it.  That reminds me, I need to do some pushups.

Yes, a summer dress in December.  But who could resist?  There's something very Italian Riviera about this dress, and certainly that's where I'd rather be.  I love the soft skirt.  I think this would be very forgiving figure-wise.

Finally a v-neck that spares the cleavage.  Now this is perfect for work:  Slim and feminine with a degree of no-nonsense about it.  Correct me if I'm wrong (and apparently this is true of her dresses) a woman with some decent hips would look luscious in this baby.


And now because I was so dazzled by her pattern mixing ...

I'm on record as not being a pencil skirt woman, but this could change my mind.  I love the blue waistband and of course the blouse/sweater combo.  Prim, pretty and fun.

Oh, and one more thing - the woman knows what's what in a handbag.  Look at this

Even an outside pocket for keys.  I would love to support a designing woman for l'age.  Sadly, I can't afford her.  But I'll see what I can muster on my own.  Big wink.

To grow old like Brad Pitt

Notice I didn't write to grow old with Brad Pitt.

I don't get this campaign at all.  Makes no sense to me - where is Catherine Deneuve for god's sake?

I digress.  The campaign strategy is not what this post is about.

So, I'm walking into a large department store and there blocking the aisle is a huge poster of Brad looking every one of his 48 years.  Yes, bags under the old eyes, the ones that don't come from a late night but from years of late nights (and some of those with kids), lines around the eyes and across the forehead, the skin not tightly stretched against the cheekbones - the stuff that whacks me in the eye when I turn the bathroom light on at 6:30 am.

But where's the retouching?  Where's the finishing that makes Julianne Moore look 35 instead of 51?  I know she's a natural beauty (and doesn't believe in cosmetic surgery) but come on, there have got to be some signs of aging.

 As delighted as I was to see that Brad had declined all offers to retouch, at the same time it just annoys me that women aren't afforded the same opportunity to be accepted for who they are in l'age.

I would prefer to see a few lines and sags - there is nothing more beautiful than a beauty who ages with grace.  Good for Brad.  Can anyone site an equivalent female star in a major campaign that is not retouched?  Do tell.

I'll get off the soapbox now.

A nod to Grey Fox

I simply had to add this photo to support Grey Fox's post on what to wear with grey hair, silver of course.. 

Photo: Credit to Backyard Bill and Artist Cathy Cooper.

Made for a woman

The master has been hard at it.  Ralph Lauren's Fall 2012 collection displays his mastery in the fine art of layering and covering, and being utterly feminine all the while.

Now I will not be shopping at RL - way beyond my incredibly modest budget - and where's the fun in that anyway?  I've got loads of stuff I can work with in my closet.  I'm just missing a couple of key elements.

Like a tiger skin scarf as in above.

Then there's the tie.  And I need to learn to tie it.

What I'm really after is a knitted one a la fine Italian wool on a fine Italian man.

I may have to break out the needles.


And I could use a tiger skin coat - a refreshing change from the now ubiquitous leopard.

I'm desperate for a grey skirt.  I just haven't found one in my usual (thrift) haunts.

But this is a tad slim for me.  I am after all committed to the a-line.  I may have to break the bank and head to Ann Taylor for something along these lines.

Clearly, it would be easier to just go to RL and invest my retirement fund.  Or I could spend a little time in the l'age moyen closet.

Would you like to join me?

While the body is willing

Artist Cathy Cooper from Backyard Bill

In my younger less encumbered days I would burn excess physical energy through drop-in jazz classes.  That was back in the day when Bob Fosse way synonymous with jazz and my city had plenty of rundown warehouses with a dance studio in just about every one.  It was fantastic.  Run in, take the class, sweat like mad, stretch it all out, bump and grind and boom you were done.  There was no lululemon, everyone was in bare feet, sweats and t-shirts, and it all had a very New York feel.

Then it all came to a crashing halt as the condo towers began to sprout.  And then I had kids.  

Since those glorious days I've dabbled with pilates, yoga, running (yuk), and have maintained a fairly active pace (cycling) but not active enough apparently.  The problem is that I won't push myself.  I'm one of those people who simply must go to a class to exercise to my capacity.  And, as it turns out, to stick with it I really must have music.  

All this is leading to my discovery of zumba.  Latin music, lots of hip action and plenty of sweating, and more importantly a workout that is based on interval training that really strengthens the heart.  After six months of roughly (and I mean roughly) two 1 hour classes per week, I am no longer looking for the defibrillator.  I can keep up with the youngsters and have rediscovered the joy of dancing.  It's been an enormously pleasant way to relieve tension and forget about the day to day.  When I can't go on my usual day(s) I'm pretty darn grouchy.

It seems to be like riding a bike, I can get back on and do what I want to do, and even what I used to do - there just requires a longer recovery period between classes.  But while the body is still willing I've decided to push it to the max.  As decades wrap themselves up I do look back with regrets (although I know I'm not supposed to) and think, yes, why didn't I do that?  I was perfectly capable, I just needed to push myself a little.

As one thing leads to another, I'm thinking more about pushing myself in other ways and fully living this time in l'age.

Thanks to That Kind of Woman for leading me to Backyard Bill and the inspiring artist and stylist Cathy Cooper.

Going Grey painfully slowly

Honestly, who would have thought it would be this painful?

I started in May 2011, or should I say, I stopped colouring way back then.  All the colour will be hacked off at the next cutting  in two months' time (counting the days) and then I can begin the final climb to all one length, full-on grey.

In the end, it's rather like ab work, there's no getting around it, it's just plain unpleasant.  Of course, just to complicate matters (as many things seem to be in l'age) the underlying grey is slightly unruly at the best of times, add to that a load of dried out colour and you've got yourself one nasty ball of frizz.  My hair has resisted Moroccan Oil, serums, sulphate-free conditioning - you name it.   With this short and rather excessively layered bob (a necessary compromise to eliminate as much colour as possible) I can already see the difference in general manageability (if that's a word, which it is not) - it responds to said conditioner and with an added dab of serum it looks rather like this even on humid days.  Sometimes it even looks more bob-like.  (These photos were taken after sleeping on it. I remain both vain and lazy.)

So what have I learned and how can I advise my sisters in l'age?  Frankly, grow it to your shoulders (all one length) and wear it in a tidy french twist or bun.  Only way to deal with the frizz.  I think that was my original plan, but I had so many nasty layers to boot that getting it long enough for a pulled back solution was for a woman far more patient than me.

What am I happiest about?  No more grey roots every blinkin two weeks.  Just drove me mad.  I couldn't keep up and I don't miss it.  And I am quite happy with the silver in my hair - recognizing it doesn't make everyone feel quite so pleased with themselves - I just like it for whatever weird reason.  I suppose this is the way real blondes feel when their hair lightens in the summer sun - natural highlights.  For me it took an investment of years to achieve the same bliss. 

I have also found a hairstylist (fully half my age) who has fond memories of her grandmother's grey tresses (yes, grandmother) and so she seems like a good bet not to push the bottle.

Young women love my grey.  Before you actually experience 'the signs of ageing' I suspect they can imagine themselves as embracing it when the time comes.  Not so easily done in practice, as we well know.  There are other aspects of l'age that I struggle with far more than grey hair.  The general connection of skin to flesh is providing a bit of a challenge for me.  But more on that another time.

For now, that's your grey update.  We'll drink champagne when the end finally arrives. 

The tale of two dresses: Red and Fuschia

Could I have chosen a better door?

Here is my second treasure dress in fuschia with red belt.  Holy moly.  This number's inspiration was taken from a Club Monaco shirt/jacket I had hanging around.  My Montreal couturier pal wanted to see something that fit me just right and it does.  So from that he made this.  The mandarin colour was his idea as were the militaryish cap sleeves (which stay so darned crisp), and then the line is slim to the waist where it meets a little fullnest and out it goes.

The thing about these dresses and it brings to mind an issue I have with many current interpretations of this classic, is that you still gotta get around.  And for some of us that includes riding a bicyclette.  And yes, shocking but true, I've ridden my bike in both my designer dresses.  That's just the kind of broad I am.  So the skirt can't be so tight that it dictates how one arrives at the subway, if you know what I'm saying.

Bright - oh yeah.  I swear you can see the glow before I turn the corner, but the intensity of the colour gives me such a lift.  When all else fails, hair, flesh, veins - the works, this colour makes me feel like I've still got some game left.

Notice the handstitching.  Unbearable really.


As for the shoes, I have Michael Kors to thank for these sensible kitten heel pumps.  I absolutely adore the caramel colour and they are surprisingly comfortable.

And so that my friends is the tale of two dresses that made my summer pretty darn wonderful.

Now we're in transition.  What a pain!  One day it's 28c and I'm wearing one of these babies, and the next it's 17c and I'm in grey and navy.  I think we're going to have to deal with the trials and tribulations of early fall dressing for women in l'age.

So nice to be back.