Retiring L'age Moyen - Long live the Great Woman!

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Dear Friends,

As you know, I've been a complete slacker of a blogger here at Blogger.  I seem to have lost my energy to focus solely on style and at my ever-advancing age find my preoccupations broadening.  I'm pondering the ways in which we as women can make our lives easier and possibly more fulfilling.  Hence ' the Great Woman' is today born.  To be clear (and as you'll see on my new blog over at WordPress), I have no illusions about my being the great woman, though not surprisingly I have endless opinions on what might be adopted, discarded and improved upon to help me (and you) get there.

I have given much thought to this as I raise a daughter, work with young women and support the struggles, frustrations of my dear friends in L'age.  One of the great pleasures of getting older is that I have become quite radical while looking almost normal on the outside.  Though if you scratch the surface, the radicalism is seeping through.

Please come and follow me at the Great Woman.  If you can find me at the Great Woman on Facebook then please say hello there (I apparently need 25 likes before I can earn a username - oh FB!), and follow me on Twitter  @greatwomanblog where the world is our oyster.

I welcome your comments and look forward to reconnecting.

Very best to you,

Cathy
formerly of L'age Moyen

Dressing in 90 seconds or less?

I've got something like this going on but it does not involve a whole lot of female type garments.  What complicated lives we lead.

Watch and consider what steps you can eliminate.

When it comes to posture we want J not S

Back pain?  A few pointers on posture in this article and how to use your glutes to save your back.

Article originally curated by Swissmiss.

21st Century Womenswear?

Not sure what to make of the almost knee socks and oxfords, but I rather like the ease of her friends ensemble.

Running shoes with a skirt - makes good sense but would you do it?

Fabulous colour pairing

So you can be chic and comfortable!

Masterful pattern mixing. And I like her pal's dress with matching pants. No hose - yes!

I have no idea who this woman is but there is probably some app that I could feed her photo into and it would tell me - the photo equivalent of shazam.  Anyway, I find her style quite compelling and obviously she's an incredible layerer (if that's a word, should be), but what does this mean for those of us in l'age now that we're well into the 21st century?  The individual pieces are timeless, it's the styling that makes it fashionable.  Comfort is absolutely central to this look (I would lose the toque though she wears it with panache) and it's definitely relaxed.  My common and overriding complaint with women's clothes is that they're cut too close to the body, men don't have to endure this bondage, why do we?  

I am also seeing jeans across the board loosening up, waists rising, skinny jeans mercifully on the decline, and more and more of my female colleagues sporting some variety of ballet flat, oxford or loafer.  I hope this is  more than a trend, but rather a shift on the part of female consumers to signal with our credit cards that we merit equality of cut and fabric just as much as we do equality of paycheque.

All photos by the wonderful Tommy  Ton for Style.com.

93 years old and really rockin this uniform

Read Betty Reid Soskin's amazing story here.  A real woman doing something amazing everyday wearing a real uniform and looking absolutely amazing!  Who wouldn't want to wear this uniform?  What I love is how impressed the kids are when they see her in it - you know what they say about a woman in uniform ....

Though the look has been absconded by the men, wouldn't it be nice to come up with another name that provides equal access to women.  I suppose 'uniform' will do for now but I'll have to put my small mind to it.

I would love to have a chat with Betty.  Love that body language - and the shoes.

Female liberation via the uniform

Emmanuelle Alt, French Vogue

Sarah Harris, British Vogue

Gosh, this article in Harper's Bazaar really struck a note.  I have taken the uniform route myself, having thrown in the towel on creating something new and exciting everyday.  I'm a traitor to my blog profile and should probably change it (in fact, maybe I will - what would be a better description of this blog?)

In Matilda Kahl's article she talks about how she was finally driven to adopting the suit response to daily workwear.  Her regime is somewhat more rigourous than mine (her uniform is solely based on 15 white silk shirts, black trousers and the occasional black blazer when required) but it has saved her a ton of money (no kidding) and even more time, but above all it's the saved mind space of not having to make another decision or plan ahead (need pantyhose, what will I wear with that floral print skirt, etc).  Yes, it may be a tad boring but how better not to kowtow to the pressure we put on ourselves to coordinate the perfect outfit when the  guy next door always looks perfectly in command in that same ole grey suit.  Of course, I never think Barack Obama looks boring - I think he looks polished and chic (though let's face it, a little tired).

My uniform has slightly more variety than Matilda's but revolves around a shirt/blouse (some boys' shirts included since their dress shirts are lovely and crisp and no darts to create boobs in the wrong spot), pants or skirt (but more and more pants because either I'm too cold generally here in the great white north or because the air conditioning is set to 'freeze'), a cardigan and a jacket. Oxfords and patterned socks complete the look.  I'm dressed in 1.5 minutes and never think twice about it.  In my office I see more and more women (and young ones too) adopting the same approach.  It's fast, easy and it looks as though you could rule the world - which is the general idea anyway.

What really kills me are the number of fashion editors who obviously follow the same approach while professing to the buying public that we need one completely separate outfit everyday - soup to nuts.  You see above Emmanuelle Alt and Sarah Harris (lovely premature grey girl) from various Vogues are rarely seen in anything but their uniforms. 

Of course, to each her own, but for those of you with too much on your mind, too many commitments and responsibilities and far too little time, you may want to consider the uniform approach.  At least until the other gender has fully ramped up  to 50%.  

Now when do you think that might be?

The winter duffle

The Sartorialist 2008

Winter white and elegantly scarved - this is Paris in winter.   Ah, if only winter in my part of the world was this sublime. I was reminded of the tailored beauty of the classic duffle last week spotted on a lovely woman of a certain l'age sporting a navy duffle with a fur trimmed hood.  The coat paired with classic grey trousers reminded me of how sweet it is to see a woman dressed in a manner that is absolutely pristinely classic.  Funny, it's so rare it was striking.  There was no attempt to look anything but lovely - not younger than she was, not exotic, crafty or outrageous. 

As much as I would love to replicate the look, my winter calls for more of a chin to ankle sleeping bag.  Harrumph.

Marie Seznic - A life in grey

How sweet and how lovely!  I'm so envious of early grey because there are few things more striking than a young face with silver hair - until of course you find a finely aged face with achingly simple hair.  Marie wore her's so well as a young woman and as Christian Lacroix's model in the '80s.  She made the most of her unique look with the most attractive part being that she accepted herself as is.

 

And so lovely still with the grey turning white.  It's such a rare treat to find someone who has aged with so much comfort in her skin, not to mention hair.

I do love grey on grey on grey (and I'd kill to find this cut of pant now).  Of course, grey and navy is outstanding.

She is inspiration for me with my increasingly grey hair and new found love of all things grey and navy.

 

I also want to say that long hair paired with clothes made for l'age hit make for the perfect combo of accepting one's stage in life without throwing in the proverbial towel.

The sun is finally rising

 

Ah, to feel the sun after a brutal winter!  Quite a lovely woman in l'age from the Sartorialist.

I do like the relaxed hair and furry vest - the perfect combo for April in northern climes.  I may get there now that I've retired the sleeping-bag-with-belt for the year.  What I wouldn't give to live in a moderate climate!

Hope you're all enjoying Spring.  I will have a post on one of my absolute favourite grey-haired ladies this weekend. Bear with me, loyal readers.

Carpetbagger

Sartorialist

An odd outfit but somehow compelling.

What's the appeal? 

Well, I do like a carpetbag, must be a hangover from Mary Poppins.  I love horizontal stripes, although this sweater looks vaguely athletic or certainly preppy.  And then the shoes ... personally, I do need a strap across my foot and admire the sheer weightiness of these heels.  Then a yellow bag - bold.  And finally the severe (yet simple) hair.  It's all soft and casual except for the extremes. 

Severe top, severe toe.  Brocade and graphic in between.  Strangely brilliant.

What do you think?  Have I lost it now?

Strength and Style - the wren

Diana Taylor looking all wren-like in brown and grey

Diana Taylor remains a woman to watch.  Though out of the limelight now that her term is up as official companion to the former New York Mayer Bloomberg, a run for political office is still a strong possibility.  I  lover her no nonsense approach to dressing, and that she looks like a woman of a certain l'age, meaning her face looks like a real woman's face.  So lovely.

She's really nailed that fine balance of looking totally put together without appearing to have fussed, and having something close to corporate uniform as these glimpses of style attest.

Again that brown and grey - from NYT article

And then there's the hair. Have you been following the hair chronicles for power women?  The higher you climb the more perfect the hair must be.  It's exhausting.  The gender hair gap conversation reawakened by this ad for shampoo.  So here Diana scores again - look at her fussless do.  This is a woman who could actually go for a run at lunch and then grab a shower and look entirely presentable - as her male counterparts do.  We've really got to get beyond standards that just add another thing to the already too full plate.  Ok, enough you say.

Hats off to you Diana!  What will you do next?

Masterful menswear for women

Blue and brown is just so absolutely sublime.  While in my mind all blue and brown just works, this combo matches mid tones just beautifully.  Mid-brown (maybe rust) with mid-blue (not quite navy).

And the bag is wonderful - a lovely little handbag.  And the relaxed hair.  It just works in a very Lauren Hutton way.

I'm up next.

[Photo source:  Tommy Ton]

Lauren like no other

 

 

 

Isn't she though?  Known for her strong personal style, Lauren has always incorporated menswear alongside her womenswear in her usual easy, modern way.  She's one of those glorious women who has fully aged in front of the camera - the way men are routinely allowed, becoming even more interesting with every passing year:  respected for her personal style and independence - and each and every one of those beautiful lines on her face.  And like many an aging male star (Gary Oldman, William Dafoe), outshining their younger counterparts in ad campaigns.

I don't know who Lucky Brand is but apparently she replaced a significantly younger model in their fall/winter ad campaign.  I am a little disappointed that she appears heavily airbrushed in these photos.  Just tells you just how much editing goes on in the world of advertising.  I don't really care since she's quite happy to be photographed in camera verity.  I only wish she was more the rule than the exception.

Summer shirtwaist chic

What a fine summer look!  Let's examine the elements this lovely woman has assembled:  First, the shirtwaist - the perfect summer dress (have I said that once or twice before?), in rather pale colours that work so beautifully with her hair, which I absolutely adore.  Talk about a divine colour and length!  I would kill to be this kind of  blond. 

Then there's the bag:  A handbag, my personal fav,  and a lovely bit of vintage, I think.  And she showcases those fantastic gams with  very au courant sandals.  Sublime colour with just that little piece of yellow or bone (I can't quite tell from the photo) that ties nicely into the dress.  All in all, masterful. 

I've no doubt she is perfectly cool and comfortable given the a/c au naturel that goes hand-in-hand with an a-line  - the breeze circulates nicely.  Would she look quite as special in shorts and a t-shirt?  Decidedly not.  Why women continue to believe (or fool themselves) into thinking that shorts are actually cooler than a skirt or dress continues to astound me.  And I'd be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of females over the age of 25 who can get away with wearing shorts off the tennis court.

A warm thanks to regular reader Penelope for sending this through to me.  She spotted madame in The Guardian's summer dress roundup.  The Guardian is doing some great work in real style for real people, including contributions from one of my favourite bloggers, Grey Fox.

A/C and the middle-aged woman

The perfect shirtwaist

If you've spent any time strolling through my blog you know  there's nothing I love more than a skirt.  I'm a total skirt hound with more than a few to my name.  But I've hit a wall and that wall is made entirely of cold air.  I am confined to an air conditioned office all day, and I'm absolutely freezing.  Here's the trouble with l'age.

In the great white north we have puzzling attitudes towards temperature:  it's chilly to freezing to chilly for roughly nine months of the year, then it gets warm - and we can't cool the air fast enough.  In fact, the thermostat is set lower in the summer than winter - it's insane.  And irresponsible - even in LEED buildings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) the air conditioning is dialed up to the point of discomfort.  Unless you are male and wearing precisely the same ensemble in summer as winter, or you're a menopausal woman.  And in my experience (that's two offices in the last three years) it is the woman in l'age who is the least accomodating when it comes to finding a happy medium.


This draws both my sympathy and ire:  I understand the challenges of menopause from a heat perspective - I'm in the throws of dealing with them myself - yet in my recent work history the thermostat has been controlled entirely by women and essentially the same woman - one who professes to being past menopause yet insists on keeping the temperature at a chilly 18c while those around her freeze.  The young women across the way actually turn a heater on in the summer - never the winter.  This is nonsense.  Broaching the subject of a happy medium has, in both cases, ended in firm refusal.  Plus, just to add insult to injury, there is complete denial of the M word (that's menopause for those of you on the outside of the hormonal shift).  Full disclosure, I am on the inside of menopause and like many an impatient, over-heated woman, have sourced the appropriate treatments to render the entire process quite manageable - in short, I do not need to adjust the thermostat to counteract the effects of my internal furnace.  I'm not sure which bothers me more the denial or the temperature.  But there's a larger issue here.

Admitting to menopause is on the same spectrum as letting hair be gray, it is an admission of middle-age, post-fertility - in short, it broadcasts that a women is not in youth, which leads to the all too real fear of age discrimination, or that nastier combo of age/gender discrimination.  What a man can be at 50, 58, 62, a woman may be deemed well past.  Again, nonsense and many examples to say otherwise, but if you haven't hit the C-suite, and you're really just a working gal, then appearing to be over the hill strikes terror in the heart and handbag.  As I look around meeting room tables with men both younger and older, I can't help but be annoyed at their freedom to gray naturally, while virtually every woman (except me) has coloured her hair within the last 10 days - it really just pisses me off.   Even worse when women admit to longing for the day when they retire and can stop dying their hair. 

Back to the temperature and it's affect on my wardrobe - I've come to the conclusion that I can no longer bear to celebrate my summer wardrobe.  I throw in the proverbial towel and will dress like a man this summer in pants and shirts, withstanding the sweaty commute so I can manage an entire day sitting in a cooler.  Why should I be distracted by shivering while those around me luxuriate in complete comfort?  My sleeveless shifts, short-sleeved shirtwaists and light as air skirts will have to find their moments of splendor on the weekends.

The glorious Francesca Sozzani - not much a/c in Italy

Well, there are worse things than this.  And I will fill you in on my recent foray into the teens boy department for real summer menswear - or in my case, boyswear. 

Vintage YSL - Le smoking ... oh I wish

A casual early summer solution for mid-age

Maybe the heels are a bit high (but the colour is fabulous), otherwise, this is a rather perfect combo for l'age.  Nothing too tight nor too girlish. The shirt is a nice alternative to the man's shirt look which frankly is cute when you're 22 but not so cute at 42.

I like the easy hair too.  In l'age there needs to be a happy medium between being too groomed and letting it all hang out. 

Reblogged from That Kind of Woman

Women at their most subversive

Yes, the glorious Cate Blanchett making it look so effortlessly chic.  And let me draw your attention to a few fine details that distinguish this suit from the vast array of women's suits:

a) It's not tight.  Really, why do men get to camoflauge their form while we are required by fashion (and the frankly misogynist retail business that thrives on undermining female confidence and power - I'll stop the rant before it really takes off) to reveal our butts (must do more lunges), our boobs (boob job or bra armor) and skin (my imperfect, neck, arms, knees etc.), and have it so constricted it makes sitting for an average 8 day tantamount to torture.   I love the loose fit - it's so sensuous to feel the fabric move and not be required to hold yourself just so.  Can you imagine what you could accomplish if you didn't worry about panty lines, pantyhose, keeping your legs tightly clamped when you're sitting on the subway?  In short, have the freedom to focus on the stuff that really matters.  Oh, so subversive.

b) Pairs with a simple shirt.  A classic shirt, not a t-shirt that fades and gets baggy, not a piece of lingerie, which frankly is and always was just ridiculous, and it does not require a scarf, necklace, or any other adornment - it looks perfectly right just as it is.  And I don't know about you, but a shirt lasts and lasts - it's economical.  Subversive again. 

c)  Works with lace-ups.  I saw a very attractive woman in the upper echelons of l'age wearing a very similar suit with a tweed-ish coat (mixing patterns in a very British manner) with a pair of brogues.  She was stunning.  I did a double-take and as usual couldn't get my phone out in time to snap the pic.  The Sartorialist I am not.  Back to the shoes, comfortable - yes, and just right with the men's styling.  And they last for more than just a season or two.  Ouch, subversive.

While the above shot was more of a red carpet pic, this one looks like real life.  Possibly more comfortable than the ubiquitous jeans - not trying too hard and yet displaying more than a whiff of personality. And the hair can be just as relaxed.  No blow drying, flat ironing, hair products - it takes no time.  Damn that's subversive.  (I am so in.)

Utterley feminine.  Pick the hair up and you've got an absolutely fabulous ensemble.  So, I'm waiting for the elevator the other day and as the door opens off strides a petite and not particularly svelt young woman in a subtle gray plaid suit with a gray tie and lace-ups.  I just about feel off my Hush Puppies.  She looked incredible.  Talk about subversive in a financial district where most young women are teetering around on 4" heels and short tight suits. 

Doesn't she look like Bowie?  Anyway, is this so threatening?  I think so. 

She's just too darn comfortable and confident - she might actually get on a board. 

Or she might just be accepted for all that she is and no one will ever know if she has a saggy butt or flabby skin on her arms.  Now that's subversive.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the Girls in Suits blog.  Check it out and submit your woman in suit photo. I will.

A perfect suit for l'age - minus the tuque

And a very satisfying description of the pleasure to be found in blogging from the friendly Swedish blog Fine Little Day,

"Someone I met recently asked me why I blog. Well, because I enjoy it was my instinctive response. Because I like to share, to get feedback and to promote myself and others I guess, was my second comment. The third comment must is the main reason though – because the therapeutic effect it has on me, and the escape from a harsh reality."

It explains - at least to me - why I persist in this pleasure albeit sporadically!


Photo from The Sartorialist

Camel on camel

 What a pair!  What a pleasure!

So much camel on camel.  The layering is brilliant and it is perfect autumn dressing.  Of course, it's not autumn where I live, so I can only dream of being unencumbered by a real and not-so-attractive winter coat.

I love her loafers and his vest .  What an attractive couple en l'age. 

Interesting that his look is entirely matched yet not the least uptight.  Her's displays a hint of style with the deftly patterned shirt and the just-not-matching vest/sweater.  Well done.

The hair is great and relaxed, but not forgotten in both cases.  Love his hint of gray.  As I flip through the various men's style blogs I see so many men in l'age, whereas most of the women featured are decidedly not.  It seems one has to be young and model-like or  Advanced .  Anything in between is hard to feature.

Yet I persist.


He = Agnelli-esque
She = Tommy Ton

Strength and Style - the Yugoslavian

 

Born in 1946, Marina Abramovic, "the most famous performance artist in the world", is being feted in the great cities of the world.  And that is to be admired yet I'm just as thrilled to see her being feted by the world of fashion as the new model for Givenchy.  Isn't it  refreshing to see a 66 year old woman looking so unabashedly wonderful and so completely herself? 

 

Here on the cover of the Slavic edition of Elle, she is reaching new and younger audiences with her uber coolness.

Add to this her new role with Givenchy (after modeling a PETA approved Givenchy designed snakeskin jacket) and Marina is totally hot in every way.  And that is hot without being silly.  Her style is modern, elegant and minimalist - she's not spending any time trying to look youthful.  Nor is there any attempt to be 'sexy at any age' .  I cannot abide that nonsense.

 

It does, however,  leave one wracking one's brain on how to translate the freedom to not be defined by age and gender into the daily grind we  mortals must endure.  Whether it's Marina here, or Charlotte Rampling there (see TNMA for a great post on Charlotte), the artists have it over the rest of us.

 Defying perception around age and gender is still a daily act of rebellion. 

 

 I like the idea of peaking round about the age of 66.

Here's what Marina has to say about her age and stage:

There was a time when Abramovic called herself “the grandmother of performance art.” But now it’s a sobriquet she’d like to ditch. “Can we change that into soldier? Or warrior? Because I’m more warrior right now than grandmother ... Yes, I am old but, you see, I have energy, lots of energy.”

I would be fine being a woman with no explanation required.
 

Bracing for icy blasts with Norma

I loved Norma Kamali in the '70s and love her still.  When I discovered that she was designing for Walmart in the U.S. I wrote scathing (and unanswered) emails to Walmart's head office bemoaning the fact that Norma was reserved for  their market and not available in mine.

Until I saw this coat, all I've ever wanted was a Norma Kamali swimsuit like this ...










 or this






Coverage, a little shaping, some camouflage - what's not to love?  The only thing holding me back was the price.  But no longer.

Thanks to KamaliKulture many of her classic '70s styles are available for U.S. $98 or less !!!  I just have to endure 3 months of solid cold followed by 3 months of solid coo,l and then I will be sporting a bathing suit absolutely perfect for l'age.

Which brings me back to the coat.  It is not $98.  In fact, most of her coats are sold out and I haven't a clue what the price was, but I suspect all are out of my price range.  And it is such a shame because her coats are so modern and would be such a liberation from my sleeping-bag-with-belt-coat.   I can only hope Norma expands her KamaliKulture line to include coats. 






 Psst, this one is on sale for $145!

Too cute!