”We need things that transcend the moment, stay with us, and are not easily replaced.”  (Amber Valletta). I couldn’t agree more.

As in ESSENCE of cardamom, coriander, pepper, ginger and vetiver. One of my new favorites: Un Jardin Après la Mousson by Hermès. Clean, unisex and doesn’t smell synthetic.

French, from past participle of décolleter to give a low neckline to, from dé- de- + collet collar, from Old French colet, from col collar, neck, from Latin collum neck.

1 : wearing a strapless or low-necked dress
2 : having a low-cut neckline

Ladies, don’t forget this most important area of your anatomy. Exfoliate, moisturize, gently brush with a bronzer and always protect daily with a UVA/UVB blocking sunscreen to avoid that Boca Raton orange-hued wrinkled-cleavage look.

And make sure this area is always tastefully appointed and supported. Think SEXY not SLUTTY.

COLOR (or COLOUR, in The U.K. and Canada), sounds simple. Everyone has a favorite COLOR. But that does not mean that you should wear it all the time. The point of COLOR is that you wear the correct hue, the correct shade. COLOR reacts with other colors, so one has to take many things into account: skin tone, hair color, how different fabrics bring out a COLOR in different ways as well as iconic references that a COLOR may call to mind. Wear ‘that’ shade of yellow, you risk looking like Big Bird. Wear just the right shade of orange-red from head to toe, and look like a tomato. This season is an excellent time to start playing with COLOR. There are not only a myriad of colors to choose from, but there are a myriad of shades and hues. So the next time you reach for a COLOR, don’t just respond by choosing your ‘favorite’ one from childhood, consider ones that you haven’t tried before, but most importantly, pick the correct shade for you.

BEAUTY. It seems like a obvious choice to point out, right? But how does one achieve it? Ya, I know, it ‘comes from the inside’. But that’s not the whole story. BEAUTY is on the outside too, but contrary to many beliefs, it doesn’t depend on youth, how skinny you are or your socio-economic position. There is also no universal how-to book. But remember these three things: Always be yourself (you can’t imitate someone else’s beauty), take care of yourself (diet, health and exercise), and learn how to look at yourself in a mirror, and not just look, see that person.

It doesn’t matter what you are wearing, even if you are naked, the first accessory you need is ATTITUDE. It is not bitchy, rude or aloof. It is not about looks, size or social-economic standing. ATTITUDE is about being comfortable with yourself and totally secure – it is a manifestation of your power as an individual.

This is a trend that was never good. No matter how smokin’ your badunkadunkdunk is, please leave something to the imagination.

(L to R: Brooke, Fergie, Christina)

Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour

Elizabeth Taylor in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Grace Kelly in Rear Window

Also:
8 1/2
Aeon Flux
Age of Innocence, The
All About Eve
American Gigolo
Breakfast At Tiffany’s
Darling
Doctor Zhivago
East of Eden
Great Gatsby, The
Marie Antoinette
Memoirs Of A Geisha
Out Of Africa
Queen Margot
Talented Mr. Ripley, The
Valley Of The Dolls
Velvet Goldmine
Wild One, The
Women, The

Bright, cheery & Lilly Pulitzer circa 2010!

Neck: Measure around the middle of neck (at the Adam’s apple). Allow room for your index finger to fit between the tape and your neck for a comfortable fit.
Chest: Wrap the tape around the highest part of your chest and shoulder blades, then drop your arms to your sides to measure.

Sleeve: Bend arm and place on hip. Measure along the arm from the center back of your neck to your wrist.

Glove: Measure around the dominant hand starting at the knuckles, omitting the thumb.

Waist: Measure around your natural waistline, keeping the tape comfortably loose.

Inseam: Measure along the inside of the leg just below the crotch to one inch below the ankle.