Style Statements

"The way in which something is expressed."

This, according to Danielle Laporte of Style Statement, is the definition of "style". If you can express yourself through x, then you have a style of x; finding the truest way of expressing oneself in all aspects of life is the foundation of the business she runs with Carrie McCarthy.

There is a world of difference, of course, between having a style--which everyone does, whether they want to or not--and having Style. I think having the second depends on honesty in the first. When your circumstances, your methods, your appearance, your things light you up instead of dragging you down: that's Style. When everything about you communicates exactly what you want to express, without even trying: Style. When what you have perfectly satisfies you, and you feel comfortable with yourself... You can have style without being in style as long as that style does not lie about you, or to you.

Have you ever scoured a bookstore or stationery store for the perfect journal? Lined or unlined? Leather- or cloth-bound? It has to feel just right in your hand. It must compel your eye, but gently. You are looking for your journal.

I spent the weeks leading up to the turn of the year hunting in this way for a dayplanner. It had to be exactly right, because: a) otherwise I wouldn't be inclined to use it; and, b) it's my life going in there. I go through this with writing implements, handbags... clothes, of course. I am very particular about drinking vessels, especially those for hot beverages. I must spiritually connect with my groceries (not as challenging as it sounds, actually).

Am I psychologically unstable? Well, yes, a little bit. But am I wrong? I don't think so. The key is to be able to make these choices without agonizing over them, and to prioritize the big things that (for you) must be in the "Goldilocks zone" (to borrow a phrase from cosmologists) versus the relatively small things. For many people, having just the right mechanical pencil is a vanishingly minute thing... but when I was spending hours every day with that pencil, drafting garment patterns, it mattered. I happen to think that personal appearance is a very Goldilocks thing, even if many people don't want to face it. Sure, what's inside counts, and you can scoff at fashion, but if you are just throwing on anything for the sake of comfort or modesty or regulations--well, the chances of hitting the thing that's not too hot and not too cold are not in your favour, and anything else is a form of lying to yourself and everyone around you.

I am not talking about labels, or price, or conspicuous consumption. Yes, wearing your wealth on your sleeve says something; but it is not the only thing there is to be said, and certainly not the most sophisticated. The messages we send through our choices are subtle, and perhaps not even translatable. Slowly but surely, though, we can cultivate peace and happiness in our lives by making choices that feel just right.

Real-time Red Carpet Commentary

Note: The following running commentary was written last night during the broadcast, "as it happened" (which is why much of it probably makes little to no sense). I went back to add the links this morning. For another, more complete, "live" blog of the events, check this out.

Congratulations, Oscar, you're eighty.

Regis is annoying. George Clooney is handsome. Some French actress [ETA: turns out that's Best Actress winner Marion Cotillard] is wearing a really cool Jean Paul Gaultier dress. John Travolta looks like a Dracula action figure. [ETA: I think Noel Murray snarked about Kelly Preston's dress, but I actually really liked it. Mainly because it's orange. But it also flattered her more than most dress/starlet pairings that night.]

Laura Linney is awesome.

Javier Bardem looks like Wolverine. What is the deal with Miley Cyrus? (As I type, sister exclaims, So what's her deal? I mean, I know she's famous, um...) I do like her red dress, though. Ack! Jessica Alba... oh... dear. (Sister says, Did you just see [her]? How is she even staying in that?) Dude, everyone's wearing red tonight. Jennifer Garner is pretty, in black and diamonds. (Sister: She looks old.) Helen Mirren thinks the roles "are often not good enough for the women". Daniel Day Lewis' wife looks very, very odd. Seriously, she's got Christmas bows on her shoulders and huge glittery... things... down her front.

No, man, Cameron Diaz looks old. Her dress would be acceptable if it didn't bag in the ass like that. Oooh, Amy Adams, nice dress. Ok, now that I see the close-up, I hate the seaming at the bust, but the colour is gorgeous. An old woman (Sarah Golden?) is wearing a yellow Oscars tee. And now Regis is interviewing some fans, who are also wearing t-shirts. (Sister says, You'd think they'd dress a little nicer...)

Hey Jon Stewart, how's it going?

Banana bread break. Ok, I'm back. (Sister would like to know when they will stop using this song [Mambo #5])

Keri Russell is skinny. Penelope Cruz freaks me out. I hate her dress.

I was told today that I look like Ellen Page. And, hey, I kind of do! I'll take it. Her dress is not great, but I like her long necklace. You know, I'm sure Hilary Swank is a fantastic actress, and her Versace is pretty nice, but she's quite strange-looking.

5:08 to go. Samantha, back to you. Thank goodness. Shut up, Regis.

Jon looks "cool as a cucumber," apparently. Who is this girl in the fuschia in the front row, and why is Regis standing in front of her and her awesome dress? Oh, Jack Nicholson, you're such a scary, scary man. Nice shades.

Aaaaaaand... I think that's it for red carpet. Oh, here we go: 80th Annual Academy Awards. Some kind of CG opening mash-up of the year in film, or something. I'm not really sure what's going on. An army of Oscar statuettes. Why, thank you for the invitation Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but my Lost DVDs are getting cold.

Oh, wait... Achievement in Costume Design. Aw, damn. Elizabeth: The Golden Age. I was gunning for Sweeney Todd, which I still need to see (that and Juno. And, really, everything else that's nominated this year.) But it's worth it for the designer's dress, which is all flowy, and her speech, which is short.

And now Jennifer "she looks old" Garner is shilling for Neutrogena anti-oxidant age reverse. 'Kay.

George Clooney is up there, being handsome again. "But the one thing [about the Oscars] that's always been consistent: it's long." Yep, and that's why I'm leaving now, during this boring montage. Eight years, we get it. Jeez. Uck. Why, Anne Hathaway, why? Congratulations, Ratatouille. Okay, I'm really going now. Cue the pushy music.

This and That

Hey dudes and dudettes,

I have little swatches of things to write about, but nothing to blow up into a whole post, so howsabout I just ramble directionlessly for a while, mmkay?

Ramble 1: The Oscars are coming! (I think... have they decided to go ahead with the glitz thing now that the strike is over?) I suggested to my sister/housemate that we host an Oscar party, and her shootdown was twofold: a) had we seen ANY of the movies nominated in major categories?; and, b) exactly who would be on the guest-list? My responses were, respectively, "uhh..." and, everybody I know in town (ie. the three people I work with). But I don't think I'm one to let trifling issues like lack of guests or lack of interest in the proceedings get in the way of a good party. [Red carpet preshow + Jon Stewart] x 2 fruity drinks + Internet connection = vaguely relevant blog post. That's entertainment, folks.

The Ramble Strikes Back: Giant Tiger is coming! I've been excited about this for some time, actually, but nobody in Nova Scotia seems to get why this is so great. And, you know, it probably isn't that great in the long run, and I'll probably be really disappointed (or my excitement will be short-lived, at least) once the Halifax location opens, but... it's like the retail equivalent of that bad movie that's become a personal favourite by virtue of all the dumb catchphrases and inside jokes it's spawned. I've been going around telling people, "Giant Tiger's coming to Halifax" and doing my little celebration dance, and those people look politely interested and ask what Giant Tiger is, and then I feel a little silly saying, "Well, it's this, um, discount store... but dude, it's awesome..." So, yes, Giant Tiger is a discount store. For several months before we moved out here, my family was inundated (in some cases quite literally) with disasters large and small. A trip to the local Giant Tiger, to wander meditatively amongst the cheap, imperfect clothing, became a key part of the recovery ritual. I usually didn't even buy anything--though I did, occasionally, make a good find--but they were constantly getting new stock, and it was fun just to look, like being a kid with a box of dress-up clothes. Expect to be updated when the new location opens.

Return of the Ramble: Spring is coming...? I have had my fill of boots, and I'm ready for winter to end. Please, please, can I get out my open-toed shoes soon?

psst...

My inbox is lonely.

Trinity

So. I've covered red lips; I've discussed fishnets. The third point of this triangle is, as I've mentioned, earrings.

When it comes to accessories, I tend towards the "out of sight, out of mind" MO, so I like to keep a couple of shiny things out in the open so that I'll remember them while getting ready in the morning. Necklaces only work with certain necklines, bracelets get swamped by winter sleeve-lengths (and are not all that practical for typing, anyway), most rings make my hands look chunky... but the right pair of earrings will snazz up just about anything.

The trick is to find something that's simple enough to complement rather that interfere, while still being fun. Cascading chandeliers and rhinestones can be great for evenings, but for everyday I like to keep two basic styles on my nightstand: something hoopy, and something dangly.

My (to date) best-ever pair of hoops actually came from a discount (ok, fine: dollar) store, and I haven't seen the like of them since--which is sad, because they went MIA during the cross-country move. I liked them because they were an elliptical shape rather than the typical gypsy hoop, and the extra vertical stretch helped keep me from looking round all over. For the dangly ones, I like one or two long, fairly simple "bits". I don't like them to look too crowded or bulky.

I got home the other day to find that one half of my current go-to pair had worked its way out of my lobe at some point during the day, so I decided to rediscover my stash of beading gear. For ease of both making and wearing, I favour hooks rather than posts, but it seems my right ear is not so partial to them. I went one day before losing one (the partner to that pictured on the far right). On today's shopping list? A baggie-ful of those little plastic nubbies to stick on the backs.

Teach a girl to fish...

After (more or less) bumming around for the better part of 8 months, I have returned to a world of employment that does not involve scrubbing dishes. Rejoice! for it is written: "business casual"! And, lo, her hands be not chapped, and her clothes smell not of coffee...

Though I do, in fact, have a great deal to say about the concept and execution of business casual, that is not what brings me here today. No--a long chain of word-association, daydreaming and procrastination has led me to this: fishnets.

I love fishnets. They provide a corporate-mandated buffer between leg and world, rescuing one from the sag-n-snag properties of pantyhose and the (often seasonally inappropriate) opaque tight. They are just about the only patterned legwear that won't make most woman look dumpy and/or clownish. Fishnets are distilled Old Hollywood glamour.

But! But: there are rules. Of course there are. Unless your outfit is sleek, impeccable, and all-black--steer clear of black stockings. Black fishnets worn improperly are less "Hollywood"and more "Hallowe'en". Go for colour. My personal favourite is a "nude" tone, but burgundy, navy, olive and brown can all work well, as long as they tone in with the rest of your ensemble. In the summertime, you might be able to pull off baby colours like pink, blue and yellow with a light, breezy dress, but proceed with caution. Bright candy colours are not for the faint of heart, and probably won't be welcome at most workplaces, unless you are in a creative field; save these for evenings and weekends, and wear them with simpler, subtler garments. If you're not going for a punklet look, keep your fishnets lint- and rip-free. You probably shouldn't pair them with Docs, either.

Oh, and a more open mesh often looks more fashion-forward than teeny-tiny little holes... within reason.

Unfortunately, a great pair of fishnets can take some hunting down, but--in my opinion--they are absolutely worth it. Like a fantastic pair of earrings or the perfect red lipstick, fishnets can tie a get-up-and-go outfit together in a way that belies its pre-coffee assembly.

OK, more than a couple of days...

So: want style advice? Send your fashion dilemmas to stylisms.blog@gmail.com. Feel free to send pictures of outfits you want evaluated, pleas for guidance, comments about fads and faux-pas spotted... Just, please, if you are sending images, be respectful of others' privacy and copyright, and do not share anything without appropriate permissions. If you would prefer to keep your name and/or face out of the limelight, please say so in your email and we'll crop/blur/assign a pseudonym/whatever. I'll post replies weekly or as often as I get mail--whichever makes more sense based on the level of response.

Oh, and I welcome suggestions for a catchy little title. Anyone?