slim keith

"There are, don't you know, women who are so incandescently, overwhelmingly charming that they need be nothing else in life. I couldn't pretend to set down the formula for the chemistry that produces such extraordinary charm. Certainly the ingredients include beauty, grace, glamor, sensuality, style, poise, presence, taste, intelligence, wit, a knowledge of the world, and an ability with conversation.

But there are a lot of women with those qualities who are otherwise absolute horrors-and in this I would include not a few of those glittery trophy wives to be found at Cafe Mortimer's, Le Cirque and Bice.

The rare breed I'm talking about brings a lot more to the formula:

friendliness, warmth, sympathy, loyalty, guts, genuineness, a spirit of adventure, a little mischief and the ability to get along with people of every social station. The kind of woman who can transfix men, endear herself to other women and, just by being there, as the late Chips Channon said of the Benzedrine with which he used to lace his guests' drinks, 'make a party go.' In my own life, I've only known a handful of such women. One was a fabulous New York fashion model and artist of the 1950s named Donna Lee Hawkins, who could make every commuter in Grand Central miss his train just by strolling through and dropping her glove. Another, I daresay, is my 5-foot-12 haute couture pal, the Dangerously Strawberry Blond Jan Strimple-an unaffectedly enchanting stunner who turns heads the way reapers fell wheat and can converse knowledgeably about Madonna's underwear, balloons, existentialism, pear trees and Delacroix all within 60 seconds.

But the champion charmer of our century is a woman who, sadly, I never knew and now can never know. She came into this world in 1918 as Nancy Gross, the daughter of a Monterey, Calif., cannery owner. She left it just a few weeks ago as Nancy, Lady Keith, better known to the legends of Southern California, Manhattan, London's West End and France's Cap Ferrat as 'Slim' Keith." 

- "The Discreet Charm of 'Slim' Keith." Michael Kilian, The Chicago Tribune

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Chanel's Iconic Tweed

Watch the making of Chanel's signature tweed. Courtesy of Harper's Bazaar.


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Build a Classic Wardrobe

Taking cues from the style greats!  

It is so easy to get lost in trends, and I feel better and more confident with my style by dismissing them altogether. Well, I guess that is a bit dramatic. I do own peplum, booties, and a couple of other items...but I prefer to style them my own way, tending to embrace a more classic route. I believe that if you want to consistently look stylish, you need to look back to the icons - wear their go-to pieces and pair them with your own flair. Seek the timeless. 

To create a timeless wardrobe, begin your collection with the foundational pieces; ones you can wear everyday and still look great. Think about it. How often to you see street styles images of women wearing their favorite denim, a white blouse, ballet flats, and a trench? If you ever explore my tumblr board - it's a frequent occurrence! 

In fact, it really can be quite easy to become totally chic! See below a collection of style icons sporting some of there trusted go-to pieces. Take their advice...and start creating your most stylish self. 

Audrey Hepurn - ballet flats

Brigitte Bardot - denim

Elizabeth Taylor - white blouse

Jackie Kennedy - the classic bag

Jane Birkin - trench coat

Jean Seaberg - breton striped tee

Jean Shrimpton - black dress

Kate Moss - black blazer

Princess Diana - equestrian boot

Twiggy - the white tee

(via Harper's Bazaar)

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Coco Chanel (as portrayed by Kiera Knightly)

I just stumbled across this darling video by Karl Lagerfeld capturing the life of Coco Chanel. 

The film, about 14 minutes long, shows the beginning of Gabrielle Chanel (Coco) as a hat maker. She impressed the creme of society with her beautifully modern designs. What I particularly enjoyed about the film was the weaving of women who enter Chanel's shop in outfits that inspired the quintessential Chanel line. From tweed to light suits to black to pearls, the sources of the timeless collection are all featured. Take the time to watch the little video of the woman before the black dress and pearls.

Enjoy your weekend, toodles!

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the classic stripe

The shirt was originally worn by French fisherman in the late 19th C, hence its quintessentially French heritage and association. The shirt has graced the likes of Coco Chanel, Pablo Picasso, Brigitte Bardot, and has remained an iconic style staple. One of the legendary wardrobe "must-haves", it can too easily become designed, just a little off (in my humble opinion).
Look for a slightly oversized/boxy feel, boat-neck, horizontal stripes in navy or worn blue. Pair as you wish...but nothing is more regal than your classic chinos, boat shoes or espadrilles, with sunglasses and a worn ball cap. Grab your L.L.Bean tote and one of the sail boats at Newport will be waiting for you. 

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Iris Apfel

"I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I love objects from different worlds, different eras, combined my way. Never uptight, achieving-hopefully-a kind of throwaway chic."

Iris Apfel, a long time patron of the creative arts has gained much notoriety in recent years. Even while searching for information and images on the white-haired whimsical beauty, articles and images are all less than a decade old. It is nearly impossible to even find a photo of her in her younger years. Despite Apfel's recent popularity spike, she has been heavily involved throughout her life as a force of design, fashion, and the arts. Apfel took a $15/week job at Woman's Wear Daily decades ago when she entered the working world. Before long, she saw that her talent was in interior decorating and she embarked upon a successful career as designer and decorator. Apfel was hired by no less than nine United Sates Presidents to do design and restoration projects at the White House. So, why the hype now? At 90 years old Apfel has released a coffee table book, teaches a variety of courses, and has been the feature in many popular exhibits ranging from the MET to West Palm Beach's Norton Museum of Art. And, we can't forget her appearance. With her outfits like a work of art themselves and never without the signature glasses, Apfel is a source of inspiration for all artists alike! 

Read more:

 New York Times

Architectural Digest

desert boots

The wallabee post last week was such a big hit, I am posting on another footwear favorite from Clarks!

" A major factor in the company's success during this period came with the launch of the Desert Boot. Family member Nathan Clark, who became part of the next generation to take over the company's direction, had served in the British Army in India during World War II and had been inspired by boots brought over from Egypt by a number of British officers. Returning home, Nathan Clark brought the boot design, which featured a suede upper on a crepe sole, to C&J Clark.

The first Desert Boot was produced in 1946, but it was not until the beginning of the 1950s that the company launched full production of the design, which became an instant success. The Desert Boot also expanded the scope of the company's consumer base, traditionally skewed toward the older consumer, to include a growing number of young customers, who adopted the Desert Boot as their own in the 1950s and 1960s".

Shop the look: 

Men's Desert Boots

Women's Desert Boots

Last day to enter the Year Celebration Giveaway!! 

Winner will be announced tomorrow!

wallabee love

One of my favorite pair of shoes are my Clark's Wallabees! My mom bought me a pair last year...I have the sand shade. These are popular throughout much of the south and amongst boys and girls. A great unisex style trend! 

The first Clark Wallabee was launched in 1965: The company had a new hit when family member Lance Clark introduced another popular shoe design, the moccasin-styled Wallabee, which went on to become a classic in the comfort shoe category.

 What do you think of the look??

Women's Clark Wallabees

Men's Clark Wallabees

Sonia Delauney

Known for her love of color and being a pivotal figure for the women's arts movement, Sonia Delauney has inspired generations of artists ranging from interest in painting, textiles, fashion, and more.

Delauney lived quite extravagantly with her second husband, Robery Delauney, a famous painter who often overshadowed his equally talented and brillant wife. Sonia had quite a gift for the arts and treated them all with high calliber, tackling a project of a huge canvas with as much passion as her home furniture. She loved combining colors and filled her home with bright and bold patterns and color...eventually she channeled her creative energy to the fashion world.

Her travels throughout Europe during her adulthood inspired her immensly in particular the colors found from her stays in Portugal and the beautiful sea side...the time in her life when she was her happiest. After her time in Portugal, she traveled to Paris were she drifted away from her painting and focused more directly into the fashion world. Not only were people buying her dresses, but her bold patterned textile designs were immensly popular as well.

Life for the Delauney's became harsh during the Great Depressions years where they were incapable of producing an income to meet their "socialite" lifestyle they had been embracing over the past decades. When Robert passed away in 1941 Sonia spent many years putting all of her energy is showcasing Robert's work and as a result, her own life was on the decline. She was getting progressively ill, had few finds, and became severly depressed. When Robert's art work finally gained enough recognition from the world market...she focused once again on herself. In the 1960s, despite hardships from losing many of her friends, she was able to pick-up her spirits as she befriended Jacques Damase. Damase encouraged her to focus on showing off her talent and work to the world and she listened. In 1979, after almost a decade and a half of luxury and respect from the art world for her talent and work, Sonia died peacefully.

Her colorful prints and patterns are now used as inspiration for many fashion designers such as Tory Burch, Emanuel Ungaro, and Nicolas Ghesquire.

Here's a look into some of Sonia's fashion sketches as well as colorful paintings: