No dressing room needed

Tags

author, clothing, entertainment, fashion, Humor, inspiration, Life, vacation

During my tenure as fashion editor of The Tampa Tribune, I met a woman who ran a clothing store in a nudist resort.
“Nudists love clothes,” she insisted and I nodded as though the statement made perfect sense. Still, journalistic curiosity got the better of me when she invited me to visit her shop.
Driving through the security gate, I realized I hadn’t considered the potential awkwardness of my situation. I was wearing a linen suit and carrying a reporter’s notebook, which stood out in a sea of nakedness. As a parochial school grad, I admit experiencing initial shock the sight of a mixed doubles game of tennis. (The sight of so many objects bouncing on the court still haunts me.)
However, I now feel qualified to offer a few tips to anyone considering a clothing-optional experience this summer:
– Nude resorts understand it’s natural to look at people. What is not OK, however, is to stare. Like me, if you’re not used to engaging in eye-contact and conversation with someone who’s totally exposed, keep your sunglasses on.
– Nude resort etiquette calls for guests to sit on a towel. Resorts will have them at the ready, but bringing your own beach towel is a great way to easily identify your seat. Grabbing someone else’s towel by mistake isn’t something you want to do at a clothing-optional pool or beach.
– Clothing-optional resorts take great care to ensure their patrons feel safe and comfortable. That’s why many have strict policies around photography, some completely ban smartphones. Seize the opportunity to unplug from technology and relax. Bring a great book to read.

 

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author of The Anchor Clankers.

Travel tips

Tags

airports, clothing, fashion, flying, Humor, travel

I recently spent time in the Orlando International Airport and discovered the rules of in-flight fashion are vastly different from those on the ground.
Clearly comfort trumps style when you’re sitting for hours in the air, with your knees pressed firmly into the seat ahead of you. And I’m not suggesting that travelers should struggle with their wheeled suitcase in four-inch stilettos.
Yet I’m appalled to see adults wearing pajama pants (flying can hardly be considered a slumber party.), work-out wear (FYI, there’s no gym on the plane) or ragged T-shirts and shorts best worn during yard work. I understand that time is of the essence and your children are crabby or crying from their Disney vacation. (Everyone else on your flight will be, too, shortly after take-off.)
So I’ve compiled a few tips to help you look and feel your best while avoiding an in-flight fashion faux pas.
– Complicated Shoes
This seems obvious to everyone rushing to catch a plane who stood behind a traveler as they undid boot straps and shoe laces. Wear slip-on shoes or sneakers when flying, as you’ll have to take them off in the airport security line.
– Stifling Fabrics
Skip fabrics that hold sweat on the skin when it’s hot as well as prevent air circulation. You won’t feel very fashionable sweating in too-tight, nylon clothes as your plane rests on the tarmac under the hot sun. A foolproof way to find breathable clothes for the plane: Stick with moisture-wicking active wear or clothes sold from travel suppliers, which are designed specifically for travel.
– Fragrances
Avoid this one for the good of your fellow passengers. Strong-smelling perfumes, colognes and body sprays shouldn’t be worn in flight. While some seat mates may simply find it offensive, others might suffer allergic reactions. Better to pack a sample size and apply it once you land.
– Layered Clothing
It’s fine to wear lightweight fabrics on a plane if you’re flying to or from a sweltering climate. But planes are often very cold and your “Mickey Muscle Shirt” won’t do. The best way to fight the air-conditioning is by layering. If you get warm, just remove a few layers, bundle them, and then use them as a pillow. (Preferably under your child’s face, rather than over it.)
– Offensive Clothing
How do you know if your outfit is appropriate? In the past, passengers have been removed from planes for wearing everything from low-cut dresses (Southwest Airlines) to saggy pants (Spirit) to T-shirts splashed with expletives (American.) A good rule of thumb: If you can’t wear it to church or dinner with your mother-in-law, you probably shouldn’t wear it on a flight.

Photo of “The Traveler” sculpture by Duane Hanson at Orlando International Airport.

No shoes – great service

Tags

"One day without Shoes", children, clothing, Community, dress code, fashion, TOMS

Participants of the One Day Without Shoes event walk barefoot through Amsterdam.
to raise awareness for children without shoes, on April 10, 2012

One of the growing movements in business, today, is the emphasis on giving back. More and more companies realize they can make a difference in people’s lives while still improving their bottom line.

Here’s a terrific example: The shoe company TOMS designated “One Day Without Shoes” in 2007. Since then, their efforts have resulted in 2 million pairs of shoes donated to children in more than 50 countries. April 29, 2014 is this year’s designated day.

It began when TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie — who also answers to the title Chief Shoe Giver — traveled to Argentina in 2006. He saw just how many challenges children face when they grow up without shoes, from infections and injury to reduced education opportunities (since many schools require children to wear shoes.)
So no shoes, no education, no future.
The TOMS tagline, “Leave Your Footprint,” reflects how much we, as individuals, can be part of something bigger than ourselves.
This week, why not skip the pedicure and buy a child a pair of shoes, instead?

For more information on raising awareness visit http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com.

Tips on tapping

Tags

Conversation, dancing, exercise, fashion, Ginger Rogers, Humor, Memories, style, tap, tap dancing

I never knew that tap dancing involved math.
When I signed up for a class, I was looking for a fun cardio-vascular workout…something I could do at home with the radio on. After all, Ginger Rogers made it look easy.

According to the brochure, “Tap dancing is a vigorous form of dance, requiring a great deal of physical fitness. Many kids as well as adults tap dance for fun and exercise. It builds aerobic fitness as well as muscle control.”
In addition, it also involves COUNTING combinations of steps – 4 of this, 2 of that – then, break! (I confess I was an English major …math always has been my nemesis.)

Hoping to lower my risk of dementia, I persevered and learned that tap dancing consists of several basic steps that can be done as slowly or as quickly as you wish: 
Stamp (heel and toe at the same time on the floor, shifting weight.)
Stomp (same as “stamp” except with no change of weight.)
Brush (involves gently brushing the ball of your foot against the floor.)
Ball change (shifting your weight to the ball of your foot for a split second.)
Heel tap (strike the heel on the floor and release it immediately.)

The best part, of course, is the noise – tap dancers use their feet like drums to create rhythmic patterns. The term “tap dancing” is derived from the tapping sound produced when the small metal plates on the dancer’s shoes touch a hard floor.
On a positive note: I’m proud to say that I made a lot of racket.

A typical tap class like mine lasts about an hour, beginning with a warm-up to stretch the muscles of the legs and feet. We learned a series of basic steps, adding more difficult combinations as we (theoretically) became more proficient.

“Your knees and ankles should be relaxed at all times,” our instructor (a former Broadway dancer) declared over the microphone. She must be kidding…

Actually, they were sort of relaxed until my weight shifted from the ball of my foot to the heel, causing me to fall backward – with arms flailing – until the saintly woman standing next to me stopped my fall. I imagine we looked at bit like an elderly version of “A Chorus Line” at their retirement party.

Later, as I untied the ribbon of my shiny tap shoe and pulled on an Ugg boot, a charming lady named Rita whispered into my ear. “I took my first tap lesson when I was 62,’ she said, patting my arm. “Don’t worry, honey. You’ll get it.”

I hope Ginger Rogers started this way…

Eyecessorize

Tags

Eyeglasses, fashion, Kate Spade

I’ve discovered something sweet about having poor vision as I get older: I never see anyone’s wrinkles — everyone appears in soft focus! (I never see dust on the baseboards, either, but that’s another story.)
Really, if someone’s face is close enough for me to see an age spot or under-eye bag, well, I’m probably focused on something else entirely.

I’ve worn glasses since I was 12 years old, though vanity propelled me into contact lenses in high school. Today, I take comfort in knowing that 182.6 million Americans use some form of corrective eyewear.
(If you’ve had Lasik surgery, please stop gloating.)
Not surprisingly, 55.3 million Americans have more than one pair of prescription eyeglasses. It appears that an eyewear wardrobe is the answer to updating your fashion needs.

According to The Vision Council, daring shapes such as futuristic cat-eyes demand attention in 2013, along with surprisingly slim, aerodynamic profiles. Chunky acetate frames are further embellished with over-the-top gems, flat tops, silver chains and studs, lacy trappings and dramatic temple detailing.

The Vision Council also insists, “Seductive jet black is the color to live by.” That is fortunate, since I own a pair. I thought wearing black glasses makes me look scholarly…but I think I like seductive better.

(Does anyone else love the Kate Spade shopper, “Boys make passes at Girls in glasses” pictured above?)

On the heels of fashion week

Tags

5 inch heels, clothes hangers, dress code, fashion, New York Fashion Week, runway surfaces, style, wardrobe

Watching professional models (essentially, living clothes hangers who are paid to walk) stomp down a runway in stilettos can be interesting. However, when the professionals can’t manage the death-defying heights and/or weights of their shoes, it’s time to reconsider the term “fashionable.”

Granted, designers may feature 4- or 5-inch heels in their runway shows as a theatrical overstatement. Commercial interpretations – the shoes sold in department stores to folks like us – are far less dramatic. It’s similar to sheer clothing appearing on the runway that, ultimately, is manufactured with a nude lining for the general public to buy.
Unfortunately, many young women don’t make the distinction and attempt to wear shoes that might be described as “a podiatrist’s dream.”

Most runway surfaces are hard and white, but every now and then designers get more creative – which makes it even more challenging for the models. (Waxed wooden floors can be treacherous and Phillip Lim offered a runway made of salt crystals for fun.)

That’s why it’s nice to hear a voice of reason, like Trish Wescoat Pound, the founder and creative director of Haute Hipppie, who recently told the Wall Street Journal, “Fashion doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.”

Amen.

The Sunshine Award

Tags

Architecture, Awards, clothing, Conversation, Dreams, dress code, environment, Family, fashion, Humor, Memories, mood, Writer

I want to thank the wildly creative Kate at MasonBentleyStyle for nominating me for this lovely award. The international fashion press will soon be writing about her vintage-inspired designs!

My 10 questions from Kate:
1. Who is your style icon?The elegant, glamorous and ageless Carolina Herrera, who was elected to the Best Dressed Hall of Fame in 1980 and remains there to this day. Her signature crisp, white shirt – with cuffs turned back and collar turned up – is impeccable. (Hell, I’ve watched the woman chew gum elegantly!)

2. What are you wearing right now?
A “Simply Vera” Vera Wang dress for Kohl’s. Ever since Target Corp. successfully broke the mold and asked Isaac Mizrahi to design a capsule collection for their stores (a one-time product partnership between a high-end designer and a retail chain,) others have followed: Who could imagine Versace for H&M or Georgina Chapman of Marchesa designing prom gowns for JC Penney? It’s a treat for those of us who can’t afford couture.

3. Where was your best holiday?We spent 10 lovely days in Villefranche sur Mer while our son attended the University of Monaco. The lavender and rosemary-scented air was so fragrant…I’ve never been able to replicate it at home. Life moves at a more leisurely pace there (which gave me more time to enjoy the delicious café crème!)

4. And your worst?
We were staying on Useppa Island, off the west coast of Florida and my husband had to return to Tampa for business meetings. He left by boat and literally abandoned me with our 5-year-old daughter and infant son on an island without electrical power or generators. I was sitting in the dark (actually candlelight) when my sweet friend called and asked, “Renee, have you ever seen “The Shining?”

5. Did you learn much at school?
Certainly the basic tenets of journalism, but I also learned success is not something you HAVE. Success is something you DO. It’s something you experience when you wake up and act accordingly.

6. Could you predict your life?
Heavens, no, but I suppose that’s a blessing. I graduated from college with a journalism degree and established a career as a writer – that prediction came true. I supposed I intended to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, but if I’d pursued that I might not have had time or energy to raise my amazing son and daughter. What is that saying…”Life is what happens while you’re making other plans?”

7. What was the first album you bought?
Sooooo long ago, but I’m guessing it might be James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” or Carole King’s “Tapestry.”

8. Could you live in another country?
I’d move to the south of France or Tuscany in a heartbeat!

9. If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?
I would be called “Spring” or “Summer.” I love the colors and growth associated with those two seasons. Every time I hear the Olympic swimmer Summer Sander’s name, I smile.

10. If you could have any person be your mentor, who would it be?
After her husband’s suicide, Katharine Graham led her family’s newspaper, The Washington Post, for two decades. She was unsure of herself but totally sure of her principles: The Pentagon Papers and Watergate are milestones in journalistic history. Kay Graham understood two rules of business: Surround yourself with talented people , then nourish them with responsibilities and gratitude. Her memoir, “Personal History,” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1998.

And now, my 10 Questions:
1. What was the best advice you ever received?
2. What inspires you?
3. What is most important in life, to you?
4. Who is your style icon?
5. Can you describe your perfect day?
6. Where was your best holiday?
7. Have you ever had an Oprah Winfrey “Aha moment?”
8. Do you have any regrets?
9. Does religion/spirituality play a significant role in your life?
10. What would your epitaph be?

I’ve nominated these blogs for the Sunshine Award:
1. YumandYummer – You’ll love Kerry’s cooking and travel adventures!
2. Rose of Bohemia’s World – This Manhattanite is a fabulous tourguide of what to see and where to eat!
3. Digging Archaeology – Someday I’d love to assist on a dig with her!
4. Sadie and Dasie – A photography blog featuring two darling dogs.
5. Crooked Halo Catholic blogspot.com – Nanette muses about spiritual issues.

The Rules:
Include the award logo in a post on your blog.
Link to the person who nominated you.
Answer 10 questions about yourself.
Nominate 10 bloggers in the post and comment on their blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

The fairest of them all

Tags

beauty, cartoons, celebrities, Cinderella, Disney World, entertainment, fashion, princess, Sofia the First

Just for the record, I don’t watch cartoons.

My youngest child is 26 and I’ve never been a fan of “Family Guy” or “The Simpsons.” Which is why I was surprised to discover a new cartoon princess while channel-surfing last Friday night with a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir.

And this cutie-with-a-crown might even make feminists smile: She’s not looking for a prince and doesn’t have a creepy stepmother. Indeed, “Sofia the First” was raised by a single mother who made shoes until she met and married a king!

Way to go, Disney!

Sophia now has a new dad, new stepsiblings, a new school and a new royal lifestyle. The episode I watched had her preparing for a “Princess Test” administered by three fairy teachers – delightful. (Let me emphasize that I was sipping Pinot Noir, not guzzling it.)

The writing emphasizes her character, rather than her beauty. No wonder the show is this year’s most-watched cable series among children 2 to 5, according to Nielsen Holdings data. (Rumor has it that Sofia also is a live attraction at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando.)

“I’ve got the shoes, I’ve got the dress.That makes me a princess, I guess,” she sings.

This royal girl is the product of a Disney team of writers, child-development and early-education experts and she’s vastly different from traditional “princess” characters.

Think about it – Cinderella swept a lot of floors before the glass slipper fit and mermaid Ariel gave up her voice to be reunited with a man she once saved from drowning. Really?

At last, the Disney “Marketeers” have produced a princess most of us can relate to.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel

Tags

aging, baby boomers, beauty, fashion, Hair, skin care industry, style

Psssst – does my hair look old?

Neither wrinkle creams nor treadmill time will diminish the latest worry for aging baby boomers. That’s why the number of anti-aging hair care products is growing on supermarket shelves near you.

One of the biggest complaints mature adults have about their hair is that it gets thinner. (That actually starts happening in our late-30s, due to a decrease in the number of active hair follicles according to scientists at Procter & Gamble.) But after 40, our locks also become more brittle and fragile. And if we color our gray hair or use other chemical treatments, we damage it further.

Voila! The beauty industry is pushing new hair products to the 82 million of us between the ages of 45 and 64. And they’ve learned a thing or two from the skin-care industry:
To attract older men and women, skin-care products developed new language cues. Most avoid the words “old“ and “age“ and focus on “results.”

If only our younger selves had known about the preventative steps which can be taken to maintain our hair’s soft and shiny appearance… We would avoid anything that causes repeated tension or pain – like aggressive brushing while drying or tugging with a flat iron. Thankfully, Floridians of all ages learn to stay out of the sun because UV rays damage our hair as well as our skin.

I guess I’ll just have to shampoo, condition, add volume and shine to fool Mother Nature (and the general public) for one more day.

Like the wrinkles on my forehead weren’t enough to worry about….

Gentlemen, pop your collars

Tags

clothing, fashion, leisurely sport, style

Brace yourself, Muffy – preppy style is back.

Menswear designers from Giorgio Armani to J. Crew popped the collars of their Spring 2013 sport coats and suits in a style reminiscent of the 1980 bestseller, “The Original Preppy Handbook.”

Designer Michael Bastian admits that his versions were inspired by issues of GQ magazine from the early 80s. But there are practical reasons for the trend, too. Frank Muytjens, head of men’s design at J. Crew, told the Wall Street Journal that a turned-up collar “is rooted in functionality. It’s another layer of protection against the cold of winter.”

True, but the popped-up collar actually began as primitive sun protection: Tennis champion Rene Lacoste designed a polo shirt in 1927 for himself. Lacoste wanted a flexible collar that could be flipped up to prevent sunburn on his neck. The style grew popular in Europe as well as the United States, because it came to evoke a life of leisurely sport.

The look took a rebellious turn in Hollywood when James Dean sported it in “Rebel Without a Cause,” followed by Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront.” (Remember Fonzie’s leather jacket on “Happy Days?” He was hardly a prepster.)

A word of caution, gentlemen: When popping your collar today, it’s preferable for it to look a little imperfect. Perhaps one collar point could stick up slightly higher than the other? Or a little bent?
Consider it as a nonchalant flourish meant to give your outfit a bit of flair.