Retirement

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Cynthia

Dear Readers,

I started this blog as a commentary on authentic style for women over 40. As I wrote in one of my original posts, the blog came about as a result of my personal quest to find a way to make life easier and more beautiful for women whose age or size precludes them from finding much guidance from the currently recognized style-makers.

The world has changed since my first posts in 2012. Most recently, the coronavirus has affected the fashion industry in profound ways. Comfort and casual clothes are increasingly the norm, even in the most traditional professional environments. It is more and more difficult to find role models of elegance and refinement spotlighted in the fashion press.

In addition, I myself am now officially retired. And so it is time for me to retire this blog as well. You can continue to find me from time to time on social media. I can assist with image consulting consultations remotely and am available to take on special writing projects.

I encourage you all to live your best and most beautiful lives. Thank you for the opportunity to share my perspective with you.

With kind regards,

Cynthia

Forever Pieces

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Cynthia

The April 2021 issue of Elle magazine reports: “The new breed of investment staples comes with an infinitely renewable life span.” In these days of far-too-disposable fashion, this is music to my ears.

Elle magazine identifies brands that “are not just offering, but actively encouraging, repairs that help ensure your investment lasts a lifetime.” Here’s a quick summary of the brands identified by Elle, which I have not independently verified:

Chanel currently offers courtesy repairs on clasps and chains with proof of purchase for up to five years. Chanel also will refurbish and restore lambskin and calfskin.

Hermes offers reconditioning of leathers.

Louis Vuitton “repairs over half a million travel products every year.”

Judith Leiber will restore the brand’s Austrian crystal-encrusted minaudieres no matter when the bags were purchased.

L.L. Bean will resole its Bean Boots.

Rolex places no time limit on repairs to its timepieces.

Brunello Cucinelli, which “specializes in pieces with heirloom appeal,” “offers what is perhaps the most generous service policy on record, with free repairs for the lifetime of a garment.”

Church’s bespoke shoes come with lifetime servicing of the shoes.

Turnbull & Asser offers a replacement service for the collars and cuffs of its shirts.

And finally, Barbour, loved by the British royal family, will spruce up decades-old jackets for not only royals (citing the queen’s “make do and mend” approach), but also for us common folk. It’s enough to make one feel rather like a princess.

I suspect that other brands with pride in their products will honor requests for restoration and refurbishment of their quality products, at least when it comes to leather goods and jewelry.

I have more than once contacted artisan designers directly for assistance with jewelry that needed a minor repair or replacement part and each time was delighted to find that assistance was available. If the piece is still in production, or if the designer keeps an inventory of spare pairs for pieces no longer in production, you may be pleasantly surprised with the customer service that helps make your treasures truly forever pieces.

Jewelry Inspiration

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Cynthia

This month, I will keep my post brief, finding inspiration from a recent host of “Saturday Night Live” – the actor Regé-Jean Page, whose role in “Bridgerton” has made him the heartthrob of countless women.

In the opening monologue, Page delighted us with his presence, and reacquainted the audience with the charming look of a cluster of brooches pinned to a jacket. The brooches appear to be studded with diamonds and pearls – an unexpected and elegant choice.

What a delightful expression of creativity! I am newly inspired to put together small groupings of my brooches and urge my readers to consider the potential in their own collections. The brooches just might encourage hearts to go all aflutter.

Sentimental Style

Posted on January 30, 2021 by Cynthia

It isn’t always, or even often, that garments worn by a woman’s mother or grandmother will fit her as well.

Although my mother and I were almost identical in height, I have a shorter waist than she did. What this means is that her fitted garments would extend too far down my torso, and would not fit correctly. I also have higher figure-eight hips, which further affects the line of garments. Wearing her satin wedding dress was a non-starter, even when I was at my lowest adult weight.

I very much enjoyed reading an article by Clara Spera, granddaughter of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in the December 2020-January 2021 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. Spera writes that her petite stature has been a blessing in that she is the same size as her grandmother. She describes her delight in “shopping in Bubbie’s closet” when her grandmother was alive, learning “the exact history of the piece—where it was from, when she acquired it, what special events she had worn it to.”

Spera writes: “Now that my grandmother is gone, I am humbled and comforted when I wear her clothes. These items carry more than just a legacy of sartorial elegance; they are a tangible reminder of the woman underneath the judicial robe and of everything she taught me. . . .”

Spera mentions being re-gifted an Italian leather clutch that her grandmother had received in Rome, provided to her with the observation that “Sometimes a small bag will be in order.”

Happily, whether one is the same size as one’s mother or grandmothers becomes irrelevant with regard to accessories. I can and enjoy the handbags I inherited from my mother. I well remember her wearing and enjoying her jewelry. And every time I carry one of her bags or wear a piece of her jewelry, I am filled with loving memories.

Time for Reflection, Creativity and Joy

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Cynthia

It is my tradition at the end of every year to post images that provide visual delight in the exquisite work of designers and artists who create beauty.

During this most difficult year of 2020, we have each individually found ways to combat the boredom of isolation and the restlessness due to Covid-restricted activities. Channeling our energy into the creation of beauty is a wonderful way to achieve this.

I am blessed to have friends and acquaintances who have been able to create and to donate masks or meals to assist front line workers. These works of creativity and charity are beautiful indeed.

Clearing out the clutter and finding ways to repurpose items that someone else might find to be more useful or lovely is also a worthwhile use of one’s time.

Learning how to maximize and appreciate what we have in our wardrobes and possessions is another valuable endeavor, as we reflect upon what is truly flattering and what gives us joy.

With that in mind, I am closing for my year-end post this year an eye-catching montage of looks from the December 2020/January 2021 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, which suggests: “Put a Bow on It: Add some flare to your socially distanced holidays with lipstick-hued blouses and bejeweled necklaces.” The combinations of bow blouses with necklaces and surprising uses of earrings and brooches as accents to the blouses makes for delightful and surprisingly creative results.

As the year ends, let us find time for reflection, creativity and always, joy. Wishing all my readers much beauty and a happy, healthy 2021.

Brooches – A Surprising Bit of Personality for Your Athleisurewear

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Cynthia

In these times of Zoom meetings and staying at home, wearing jewelry may seem like more of an afterthought than ever before, especially when the default mode of dressing is athleisurewear. A delicate pendant necklace and stud earrings may be part of one’s regular look, even when the clothing is super casual, but statement jewelry seems out of place.

Let me suggest a way to inject a bit of personality into athleisurewear dressing. As an impressionable young girl, I was influenced by the fashion selections of my slightly older and more world-wise relatives. I distinctly recall that one of my cousins wore a sweater with the most charming addition – a small brooch pinned to the side near her face. I don’t recall the motif of the brooch, but I recall that it fascinated me because it was so unexpectedly, sassy, stylish. A simple addition but one with great visual impact.

Image: A Trifari ice cream bar lapel pin I’m wearing during these dog days of summer.

Add a pretty poodle or ice cream cone, a fleur de lis or garden fairy, a vibrantly colored piece of fruit, a convertible car, maybe a sprinkling of mismatched starbursts – and take a basic tee shirt or sweater to a pretty, playful or poignant place. And let your brooch inspire smiles.

Scarves as Works of Art

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Cynthia

A renewed interest in silk scarves as fashion accessories this year, especially as cooler weather means the extra heat of silk on the neck is less of an issue, prompts many of us to revisit the vintage pieces already in our wardrobes.

Scarves can add beautiful color to an ensemble, and their versatility is evident, as seen in this montage of photos from the February 2019 issue of Elle. There are books dedicated to the art of scarf tying. Scarf clips can assist in the draping; scarf clips with attached brooches can assist in the exact placement of a scarf for the most flattering look. Scarf tubes through which scarves can be run can add further embellishment and personal style.

The article “Mix, Match & DIY” in the October 2019 issue of Good Housekeeping takes another approach as it urges readers to “Steal these clever ideas for incorporating vintage finds and easy projects into your décor.” One such idea: “Frame a scarf. Hang a decorative or sentimental scarf in a clear frame for a stunning (and affordable) piece of art.”

Stunning, quite possibly. Affordable? I did some research online to see just how easy and affordable it is to hang a scarf in a clear frame. You’ll need essentially a quality poster-size two-layer frame, which is not going to come cheap. And then you have to figure out how to get the scarf to lay flat and stay put within the confines of the two layers. Putting the scarf on some type of backing is likely to damage the silk. Magnets might be usable, but will interfere with the clean look of framing. Piercing the silk is not an option. I came to the conclusion that this is a job best delegated to a professional framer.

Once framed and hung, the scarf in its frame may well fade or discolor by the effect of sunlight beating through the frame. And, of course, the scarf is no longer available for enjoyment as a fashion accessory. The price of that “affordable” project may be steeper than you might have anticipated.

Once a scarf has outlived its useful life for personal adornment, however, repurposing it by hanging it in a frame or making it into a pillow can extend appreciation of its beauty as a work of art.

Appreciate the Beauty

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Cynthia

It’s year-end 2018, and what a year it has been. The optimist in me kicks in as I contemplate 2019, and I wish to share a couple of recent items I read that made me smile.

The December/January issue of Town & Country urges, “It’s been a tough year. Have the DESSERT. Buy the JEWELRY.”

Oprah writes in the October 2018 issue of her magazine, “In the right light, beheld by the right eyes, most anything can possess its own special gorgeousness.”

Whatever special treat you choose to eat (the perfect heirloom tomato, fragrant baked apples, the pecan butter crescent cookies you make for your loved ones every holiday season), and however you choose to adorn yourself (real jewels or faux, vintage or artisan), appreciate every bit of the deliciousness and the beauty. Revel in the beauty. Share the joy.

Wishing all my readers much beauty and a wonderful New Year!

The Myth of the Perfect White Tee & Other Style Advice from Lauren Hutton

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Cynthia

When someone who has lived decades in the spotlight as a model and actress provides fashion advice, it’s worthwhile to give it pause.

In the May 2018 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, model and actress Lauren Hutton provides several fashion tips worth heeding. At 74 years old, she is featured in Amy Schumer’s new movie I Feel Pretty, a film that “chronicles a woman’s newfound confidence after she wakes from a fall in SoulCycle class believing she is the most beautiful creature on the planet.”

About her own beauty and style, Hutton writes: “It takes a long time to find your personal style. Most of us just sort of bump around in the beginning.”

She notes that, it’s been goodbye to four-inch stilettos after multiple operations on her leg following a motorcycle accident, but “Manolo Blahnik makes mid-heel slingbacks that feel like you’ve wrapped your feet in a Shakespeare sonnet.”

Hutton urges readers: “Forget the myth of one ‘perfect’ white T-shirt. To find the one that suits you, you must consider your skin undertone. If you’re pink, go for a creamy white, but if you’re yellow like me you’ll want a bright white. I stock up at the Row and J. Crew.”

“Why must working women wear such drab colors?” Hutton quotes this question posed by fashion maven Diana Vreeland to designer Yves Saint Laurent. Hutton’s approach: “I always try to wear a pop of something wonderful, vibrant, brilliant–colors that feel alive.”

Food for thought!

Jewels of Inspiration

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Cynthia

Every year, I would wrap up my jewelry blog at TrulyJewelry.com with a montage of recently published photos of spectacularly beautiful jewels. This year, for this TrulyBecoming.com blog, I wish to inspire with photos of a different theme.

Actress Julia Roberts, who turned 50 in October, is spotlighted in the December 2017 issue of InStyle magazine. She was crowned People magazine’s “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” for a record fifth time, and as the subject of a fashion photo shoot, she knows how to address a camera. But the photographs by Carter Smith and the fashion styling for the magazine (those responsible for hair, makeup, manicure and prop styling are identified but the overall fashion stylist does not appear to be identified) have put together one of the most exquisite fashion spreads I have ever seen.

Roberts is photographed in fashions with a Western wear theme, wearing flowing dresses, Southwestern jewelry, and cowboy boots. The above shot, featuring a lacy white dress by Chloe, is reminiscent of Runaway Bride.

This second photo features the actress in head-to-toe Dior.

Find the styles that flatter you and give you joy, and make them your signature look. Wishing all my readers a joy-filled 2018.

Truly Becoming

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