The Year In Review

Christmas is now over and New Years is just around the corner.  We have made it through another year of fashion and fun.  Tonight I am leaving on a plane to the sunny Island of Puerto Rico.  I even took my own advice and packed ahead of schedule.  This is the first time in years that I’m really prepared for a trip.  What a stress reliever that has been.  I don’t know about you but I am over all this rain we received in Los Angeles these past few weeks.  I want to be lying on Condado Beach with a drink in hand reflecting on the year that was 2010. 

It’s always interesting to travel to another country.  I like to check out the local style and energy of the city I am visiting.  I like to see how the locals live.  Let’s not forget the night life.  I like to see how people dress when going out.  I brought a wide variety of clothes so I hope I will fit right in.  I’m wondering what kind of fashion influences Puerto Rico has besides the obvious US influence.   Is it more laid back casual or is it stylish and sophisticated.  This is why I travel to experience different cultures.  When I arrive to my destination I like to immerse myself in the city and become a local.  I never understood that whole tourist look.  You know the big camera the even bigger map with a God awful Hawaiian shirt.  I feel there’s a story there.  I’ll blog all about it when I return next year. 

Lastly, I started this blog about three months ago and I wasn’t sure if I had what it takes to write.   The more I write the more I’m enjoying it.  I’ve written some interesting blogs and next year I plan to write even more.  Thank you all for reading and following my blog.  This was an exciting year for me personally and I know that next year will be even better.  The ending of another year and a beginning of another year is always something to look forward to.  It’s a cleansing of the old and on with the new.   In Buddhism there is a saying, you can’t change the past but you can change the future.  The actions we make now will determine our future.

 I wish you all much happiness and great fortune in 2011.  This is Alta Moda signing off for 2010.  Look out Puerto Rico here I come!    

                                            Condado Beach 

Hairy Situation

What makes a good hair style?  Is it the cut?  Is it the color?  Do you follow the latest hair trends?  As we get older does our taste change?  Is there such a thing as age appropriate hair?  Why is your hairstyle so important?

 I recently decided to change my hair color.  I went from black to blond.  Oh I don’t know maybe I wanted to see if blonds do have more fun.  Unfortunately for me, they do not.  I think I have always had an obsession with hair ever since I was able to style my own hair.  I grew up in the 80’s and let me tell you there wasn’t a hairstyle I didn’t have.  All the way down to a bad perm circa 1985.  I think it's because I have the soul of a hair stylist.   

Much like clothes your hair should be a reflection of who you are.  It’s the first thing people see about you.  Some of us have hair dos and some of us have hair don’ts.  Sometimes we rely on what we see in popular culture.  Past hair styles that created a sensation were the Farrah, the Dorothy Hamill and the Rachel.  I do have a friend that shall remain nameless who even had that famous Flock of Seagulls hairdo.  The current buzz these days is the asymmetrical wedge cut that Olivia Wilde dons in Tron: Legacy.  This is a new take on a classic hairstyle. 

According to a recent British poll, the average woman spends $50,000 on her hair over a lifetime.  That price is pretty staggering.     Men seem to spend less on their hair than women do.  I think it’s because the average guy can go into a Supercuts and get a cut for about $16 dollars.   However, men tend to get it cut more often than women do.  Some men are on a schedule of every two weeks or so.  In these tough economic times are we spending less on hair or are we sacrificing other luxuries in our life to maintain a well groomed look?  I mean we all need to cut our hair at some point unless you plan on looking like Cousin It from The Addams Family.

A hairstyle is one that should fit your face and your personality.  Have some fun with it.  Hair should be an extension of you.  In the end it is only hair and it will grow back.  Eventually even that bad perm I had grew out.

        

Sleep Mode

I was watching the Talk on CBS a few days ago and they brought up the topic of sleepwear.  It became a sort of debate on what do you wear when you go to bed.  Are married couples less likely to dress sexy in bed for their significant others than single people?  When dating, do we tend to dress more provocatively?  Once we’re married does it stop?  Do children play a role in what you wear to bed?  What do you wear when you go to bed?  Is it a matter of comfort or sexiness?

For me it’s a matter of comfort.  I sleep in sweat pants and a tee shirt.  I know me being the fashion icon that I am dress like that when I go to bed but alas I do.  I think it’s because I get cold easily.  Not to mention you never know when there will be an emergency like an earth quake, fire etcetera.  I figure at least I am dressed descent if I have to make a run for it.  I’m not sure if I would change what I sleep in if I were in a relationship but then again I am single in the city. 

I asked the public this same question and I received a lot of interesting feedback.   Most of the women I polled said that to them it’s a matter of comfort rather than sexiness.  The married couples said that it depends on the length of time they have been married.  When you’re newlyweds you tend to dress sexy but as the years go on it’s all about comfort.  This doesn’t mean you stop dressing sexy for your mate.  It just means you save it for special occasions.

The men I polled on the other hand said the less they wear in bed the better.  These views were said by both single and married men.  The consensus was that the men felt too constricted by clothes and that less was better.  For some it was a tee shirt and shorts.  For others it was just underwear and the rest said they felt the most comfortable sleeping naked.  Those who slept naked said they relied on their bedding as clothing. 

Whether you are single or in a relationship wear what makes you feel the best in bed.  If you feel the most comfortable in sweats then wear them.  If you feel you’ll get the best nights sleep with less on then shed your clothes.    Remember that in the end this is just sleep not a Victoria’s Secret fashion show. 

Unzipped

What do your clothes say about you?   I asked this question recently on line and I got some interesting responses.  For some it‘s all about comfort and ease.  For others it is about making a statement, fabulousity.  Some even went as far as to say their clothes say everything about who they are. 

I think you can tell a lot about a person just by the clothes they are wearing.   When I am out in the city I tend to really pay attention to what others are wearing.  It’s not so I can critique them but to maybe get an insight into their lives.  I know it sounds a little strange.  I think of it as fashion research. 

Why was it that when we were in grade school all the way through to high school, our clothes said so much about who we were?  Often kids were made fun of because maybe they didn’t have the latest shoes or clothes.  In my day if you wore shoes from Payless you were tormented.  If you were known to have bought clothes from Kmart, that was grounds for laughing and pointing at you.  It also meant you were not wealthy.  If you came from money and could afford more expensive clothes you didn’t want to be labeled a “poser”, only buying that outfit because you are trying to follow the trends of the popular kids.  We enter this fashion rat race until we graduate from high school.  Once you leave high school, all of that doesn’t matter anymore.  

Clothes are just clothes. They are pieces of material that are sewn together.  They don’t last forever.  They only mean as much value as we put into them.  Clothes are not expensive to make.  Just ask anyone in the industry and they will tell you.  Why do clothes speak so boldly when they have no mouth to speak from?  Are we all done with labels?  Do we secretly in the back of our minds still judge those who are not fashion forward?

Your clothes say whatever you want them to say.  It’s open to your own interpretation.  Sometimes they say, I am single and have disposable income.  Sometimes they say, I am a married with children and to some they say nothing.  Whatever category you fall into, rely on your character as human beings to say who we are and not the materials on our backs.

Body Beautiful

What makes clothes sexy?  Is it the way it fits your body?  Is it the designer you are wearing or is it the heads that turn when you walk into a room?   

Living here in the entertainment capitol of the world we all are body conscious and want every piece of clothing to look good when we are wearing them.  So for many of us we hit the gym.  We go 5 times a week sometimes more to achieve that “to die for” sculpted body.  We’re even conscious of what we put into our bodies.   We do all of these regiments so we can fit into that little black dress or that suit that is cut just right.   Is it worth it?

I am a die hard gym fanatic.  I don’t really watch what I eat.   I guess it’s because I know that I can always work it off at the gym later.  I’m not as young as I used to be but I have managed to stay within the same size give or take a few pounds for the last couple of years.  A friend of mine has said that I’m that perfect sample size that designers design for.  I don’t know if I truly believe that but I’ll take the compliment anyway.   I think what makes me feel sexy is the state of mind I am in when I put that outfit on.  I have this one outfit that I love wearing around this time of year that screams yowzah.  Now I don’t expect heads to turn but I do know that when I walk out of my home and into the streets I feel incredibly confident and sexy.  Is it really the clothes that are doing that or is it me?    Designers season after season come up with these amazing ready to wear and couture garments that exude sexiness.  This doesn’t mean that when you put that same garment on that you’ll look as stunning as the models wearing it but it’s what you feel when you wear it.  Why even the famed Carrie Bradshaw, a slave to fashion that she is isn’t statuesque nor does she have model features but she carries herself with confidence and pizazz.  It doesn’t matter what size you are or how tall or short you are it’s really your mind set.  There is that saying that one can wear a potato sack and make it look good.  The reason this is true is the attitude of the person in that potato sack.

What it all comes down to is how you feel when you look into the mirror.  We’re our own worst critics sometimes.   If we look at ourselves and I mean really look at ourselves and know that we are amazing no matter what size we are then that’s what makes us sexy not the clothes. 

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

When traveling abroad or taking a simple road trip the dilemma is always the same, "what clothes do I bring"?  This is never an easy task.  Do you bring just important outfits?  Do you bring clothes for the amount of days you’ll be gone.  Do you bring several options or if you’re like me do you just bring everything and figure it out when you’ve arrived at your destination?

I have had the great opportunity to travel the world for the last 6 years and every time my trip looms closer I dread packing!  I always think of all the factors that play a role in my decision making.  What’s the weather like?  Am I going to experience the local nightlife?  Will there be dinner engagements that I might want to attend?   Will I partake in some excursions?  Do I want to bring outfits that go from day into evening?  The list goes on and on.   No matter how well I think I’ve packed there is always that one outfit or pair of shoes that I should have brought but didn’t.  Usually the night before I go into my closet and literally just throw everything in there on the floor and then from there I condense it enough to fit in my suitcase.  It looks like a sea of couture land mines.  Oh yeah never drink while packing to ease the pain.  I did that last year for my trip to Israel and once I got into my hotel room in Tel Aviv I opened my luggage and said, "what the hell did I bring"?  I am traveling to Puerto Rico in a few weeks and I have to think about what to pack.  I think I have the solution, mental packing.  I have already been doing some mental packing and this seems to help. 

My advice to you is to take some time and really think about what’s in your closet.  Take a mental inventory of what you have.   You know what you have in there and what works.  If you feel the need to go shopping then do so but I highly recommend to just stick with what you have in your closet.  These are tough economic times and it is a blessing you’re able to go on this trip anyway.  You must look at it this way.  Where ever you are going chances are that no one will know your wardrobe.  To them every outfit will look brand new.  Take this to your advantage.   I walked through a bazaar in Cairo a few years back and I can assure you no one there could care less what labels were being worn.   Although in Cairo I did see a woman wearing a burka with Dior written in sequins and I saw a Louie Vuitton patterned burka.  Now I don’t really think Dior or Louie are in the business of making designer burka’s but I gave the girls kudos for giving you couture on the streets of Cairo.  Just goes to show you that there is no city in the world where high fashion is not known even if it is knocked off.

Where ever you go this holiday season pack light if you can and mix and match outfits.    Don’t bring every jean you own just a few and then interchange them with shirts.  They’re lighter than jeans and they won’t weigh your suitcase down.   If you forget to bring an outfit its okay you’re on vacation.  You’re there to relax.  

One more thing I recently watched Isaac Mizrahi’s video blog about traveling.  I adore Isaac first of all and you should check out his website.  Anyhow, he was saying how security at the airport is just gotten so crazy that his friend accidentally left a water bottle in her carry on and it was like she had a bomb.  Security mobbed her and mind you it wasn’t intentional she just forgot to remove it from her bag.  Isaac referred to it as airport terrorism.  So be safe when you go through that full body security scan.  If you have to go through one remember to wink and smile you never know who’s watching.

Winter Fantasy

Winter is almost here.  Even here in the city of Angels, we Angelenos have felt the chill.  It seems like we’ve been chilling for quite some time now.  We didn’t get much of a summer and just when it was getting warmer here comes winter.  I guess we are lucky living here in Los Angeles.  We don’t experience the seasons like they do on the east coast.  Nonetheless it is December and Christmas is a few weeks away.  So how do we dress for winter?  Rachel Zoe says the key to navigating winter is layering.  How much should you layer?  Is there such a thing as too much layering?

I don’t know about you but I get cold easily so I tend to side with Rachel’s theory.  Last week I went to two evening events that were cold.  The first was an outdoor World AIDS Day event and the other was a holiday party.  I donned a black leather jacket with a black scarf and knitted gloves to keep my fingers warm to both events.  I know you’re thinking you wore the same thing two nights in a row but I’m a smart dresser.  I made sure no one who was at one event saw me at the next night’s event.  I did manage to pull out my Yves Saint Laurent boots for the holiday party and paired it with Roberto Cavalli jeans.  I just repeated the jacket, scarf and glove number.  OK, that is my confessional for the day.

The best part about colder weather is you can break out your favorite boots and rock them.  Ladies, you know this is true.  I commonly refer to this as boot weather.  They’re easy to wear just zip and go.  Scarves and hats are great accessories.  Just be careful not to overdo it.  I was at Forever 21 at Americana last week and I saw this, what looked like a wool tube top that was a scarf of some sorts.  I think that may be a little too much unless you’re going skiing for the weekend or you have an unusually large neck.  Select a scarf that is not to thin but one that will keep your neck warm.   Not too long either.  You wouldn’t want it to get caught on something and choke you to death.  Knitted caps and felt hats can also be fun to play with.  They say heat escapes from your head so why not look good keeping it warm.  Just make sure that it fits your head correctly.  I can't emphasize this enough.  Depending on your warmth scale and where you’re going you can wear a quilted jacket or my personal favorite a wool jacket.   I really cherish my wool military inspired A/X jacket but I digress.

Remember to think about all the factors when deciding your warmth scale.  Layer yourself if you need to just keep in mind you have to function in it. 

Talking about all this cold weather is making me glad I’m heading o Puerto Rico in a few weeks.  What can I say I do better in warmer climates.  Well not really.  I complain in heat too.  Stay warm!

What's the Tee

What makes a great tee shirt?  Is it the fit?  Is it the style or is it the comfort?  The classic tee has been around since the nineteenth century.  It  originated as a one piece undergarment that was then cut into two pieces,  a top and bottom.  It then became popular in the United States by the Navy during the Spanish-American war.  The cotton white crew necked short sleeved shirt was worn underneath the uniform.  When in battle during harsh climates the jackets were removed so that the tee  shirt would get soiled and not the uniform.  It really wasn’t until the movie A Streetcar Named Desire starring Marlon Brando that catapulted the white tee shirt into mainstream fashion.  It became a stand alone garment often paired with denim jeans.

The tee has been popular  in the Gay community for decades.  It has been the chosen shirt for many Gay men but why?  Is it the the way it hugs the body or is it a sign of masculinity?   When I think of a tee shirt in the Gay community  I think of Tom of Finland.  These are images of muscular men in tight jeans and tee shirts that leave you speechless.  Is there eroticism to a man wearing a tee shirt.  What do women think of a man in a tee shirt and how do we feel about a woman in a tee shirt?  When a woman wears a tee she is often showing off her best attributes in a sexy way as the muscle men who wear them.  I decided to do an impromptu poll to see what the public had to say.   It seems that both men and women love a good tee shirt and the way it looks, sexy.  It all depends on the fit and style of the tee.

I personally like just wearing a tee shirt sometimes.  It’s just easy to put on and these days a tee shirt can be fashionable.  I can remember a time when going out with just a tee shirt probably wasn’t the best move.  Times are changing and the tee shirt has gotten a good reputation.  Most designers have a wonderful array of tee shirts to choose from.  I recently bought a tee from Marc Jacobs.  I’m really addicted to his tee shirts.  I think this is my fourth shirt from him.  It has a great print on the front and they always make a statement.  Dress it up or down with the right accessories and shoes you can rock a good tee.

What does the future hold for the simple tee?  From being an under garment that no one saw to being a ready to wear item.  The tee shirt is here to stay.  

Let's Get Physical

After many weeks of being on hiatus, I have returned to blog again.  Today’s topic is gym fashion.  What is gym fashion really?  I go to Gold’s Gym here in Hollywood and let me tell you I have seen several “unique” outfits in my 6 year membership.  The ratio of men to women is about 90% male and 10% female.  I  myself am comfortable with wearing workout pants, a tee shirt and sometimes  I throw on a hat because let’s face it I have some Don King issues when I wake up in the morning.  It amazes me what some people wear to workout in.   I see some women who come in full regalia, makeup, perfume and a revealing outfit.  Don’t get me wrong more power to you but this is a gym and no one cares what you wear and at Gold’s in Hollywood the majority of men there are gay.  If anything you’ll get critiqued about what you are wearing and no one is going to ask you for your number.  The men on the other hand let loose as well.  I’ve seen some guys wearing 1980’s, Richard Simmons Dolphin shorts that leave nothing to the imagination.  Really?  How can you possibly move in that without showing brain?  I have seen some spandex too.  I recently saw a guy wearing a unitard.  He had a nice body but a unitard?  And on another note don’t wear jeans and a dress shirt, like you’re going out to the club.  I know sometimes they have a DJ at the gym but save it for after hours. 

The shirts I’ve seen or lack there of have also been interesting to view.  There’s the muscle shirt with the sides cut almost completely out so that when you move you can pretty much see their complete chest and abs.  At that point just take off the shirt already.  Then there is my favorite the  tank top with the plunging  neck line.  I can't help but wonder are they really working out or working it? 

Wear sensible shoes.  It amazes me when I see guys wearing flip flops to workout in?  I mean I had to look around and make sure I wasn’t at the beach.  Did I miss that email?  Are we on muscle beach?

The bottom line is dress like you’re there to workout and not to parade yourself like a Shetland pony.  Just think about what you’re wearing before you leave to the gym.  There many factors to consider , like the weather and what kind of a workout you’re planning that day.  The whole workout craze started almost 30 years ago with Jane Fonda.  We’ve come a long way in terms of the way we perceive our bodies and what we eat.  Let’s not forget what to wear when we hit the gym.