April 14, 2014 We've only had a few days of warm weather (and it might snow tonight!), but I saw a ton of striped tops over this weekend, styled in all sorts of different ways...
love, Janice ... View the Post
ABC's of Chic Sightings Archives
The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Well-tailored, Xenophilic, Yourself, Zealous
Once upon a time, I was sitting in the lobby of a temp agency, and overheard a conversation between a very well-qualified applicant and the employment consultant who was about to send the applicant out for an interview.
"Why are the legs of your trousers safety-pinned?"
"I want to wear these pants later with high-heels..."
"Go home and change; I'll try to reschedule your interview."
Was everybody dying to know how I was going to handle the letter X? I've sort of cobbled together a word which is the opposite of xenophobic - frightened of unfamiliar people, places or things. Chic should have about it some sense of embracing the unusual, the different, and the just plain weird. Not necessarily going to work dressed ... View the Post
The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Timeless, Unique, Vital
I think one of the most striking things about seeing photographs of true style icons - Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis etc. - is that they could easily be seen on the streets of any major city in the world TODAY, and they would still look wonderful. There's a lot to be learned from this.
Uniqueness isn't essential - you can easily conform to the current uniform of modern culture and blend in, but that's (1) no fun, and (2) not very chic. You might have to do some thinking in order to figure out who you are, and what you want to convey in your image, but if you want to live an authentic life, your personal image is an important thing to establish and refine.
Walk with some energy. Look interested in your ... View the Post
The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Polished, Quiet, Relaxed, Simple
You would never wear clothes that were dirty or torn. So why do so many people wear shoes that are scuffed and run down at the heels? Such a simple thing - looking better, and having shoes last longer too.
And of course polished has a larger meaning - attention to detail, and a certain "finish" about one's appearance.
Quiet, to me, means not screaming for attention. Recently, I saw someone in a blouse which combined leopard print, paisley, flowers and appliqued rhinestones. Trying too hard...
Relaxed is not synonymous with sloppy, or slouchy, or messy. I think relaxed means being comfortable in what you're wearing - both physically and mentally. And being able to move around without hindrance ... View the Post
The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Modest, Non-Smoking, Original
Our world is full of blatant displays of... appalling immodesty. Really outrageous. I don't find it attractive, and I'm certainly not going to honor that kind of bad taste and bad judgment with the title of Chic Sighting.
People who smoke can be chic. I'm sure it's possible. But I've never seen anybody ACTUALLY IN THE ACT of smoking who felt chic to me. A cigarette hasn't been a chic accessory for at least 40 years...
You have to look like yourself. You have to have something about your person that represents you, and you alone. Buying an entire outfit, from earrings to shoes, from a store or catalog, and turning yourself into a carbon copy of someone else is not chic, to me. ... View the Post
The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Joyous, Kinetic, Legible
It's not lost on me that life can be hard, times can be tough, and that you can't walk around with a witless grin on your face 24/7. But you can try to be pleasant - at least demonstrate a reasonable amount of joy in being alive. Enthusiasm. Spark. Zest. All those kinds of things...
Sluggish is not going to do it. Get in motion! Energy, enthusiasm, a spark... (I'm sensing a theme here...)
Too much clutter, too many details, too many conflicting visual signals - I find that hard to process, and it doesn't feel chic to me. People around you should be able to "read" you reasonably easily, so that they have a sense of you. Your appearance communicates who you are to the rest of the world; try to ... View the Post
The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Graceful, Honest and Individual
Awkward is always awkward. If you seriously feel that this is something you want to improve, look into yoga, ballet, or some other physical activity. Nobody is too old to improve muscle control and enhance their grace.
More than anything else, you have to look like yourself. You can dress up in outfits that are supposed to make you more professional, or sexier, or more elegant, but ultimately you have to dress like yourself. Yes, of course it is possible for you to be more professional, more sexy, and more elegant, so long as at the core of everything, you continue to have a core SOMETHING that is truly you, as you are now.
So many of the people that I see when I'm hiking around Chicago look as if they ... View the Post
The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Detail-Oriented, Elegant, Fit
June 29, 2013
This is really a biggie - the woman with loose threads dangling about, run-down heels, just a generally ill cared-for appearance, will never be one of my Chic Sightings. You may not have money, you may not have access to the world's most amazing assortment of clothes, but you can always be clean, tidy, and well-maintained. Anything less just doesn't cut it!
By elegance, I don't mean decked out for the opera in the most expensive, high-fashion swank garments available. To me, elegance is a reflection of clarity and simplicity. I always feel a bit twitchy when I'm confronted with too many ruffles, studs, grommets, and other gee-gaws on fast fashion. Pile on a couple ... View the Post