Advanced Style Around The World

The other day Advanced Style was featured in one of Vienna's largest newspapers derStandard. My photos, including a great cover shot of the Idiosyncratic Fashionistas are displayed throughout the issue . Jean, Valerie, Lina and I got together for brunch to catch up and look at their wonderful faces on the newspaper cover. Its great to see older ladies with great style getting the attention they deserve.

On another note Valerie broke her right wrist, but she doesn't let that stop her from looking as stylish as always. In the video below she shows how you can even add some style to your cast, proving that style really can be healing. If you are in need of a stylish cane and other helpful products check out this great company OMHU .

Lazy day

Just a lazy saturday spent being lazy and messing around. I've had a hectic week this week so I have spent all weekend catching up with all of my beautiful, supportive friends as well as spending time with family and cuddling my dog Teddy. And throughout all of this I have also been wearing my amazing new platform shoes at every possible occassion!

I've had a really good response to the DIY skirt project I did so if you have any other ideas for DIYs let me know via comment and I will get back to you...

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend.


hat: h&m, dress all saints (the only thing I have ever bought from there), double finger crystal ring by me, turquoise ring miss selfridge, feather ncklace topman

Simplicity is Chic

Lubi is one of my favorite Advanced Style Fahionistas. Not only does she live in my hometown of San Diego, but she has such a great perspective on life and style. I try and feature a variety of points of view with the shared philosophy that if you feel beautiful on the inside you will look beautiful on the outside. For Lubi style is a form of art and simplicity is her school of choice. She sent me a few words about the art of simplicity which I have included below. What is your style philosophy?

SIMPLICITY, SIMPLICITY, SIMPLICTY…

Many art forms recognize simplicity as the final achievement. Simplicity is an expression, a style, a statement. Leonardo da Vinci said,” Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Simplicity has many creative powers.

White gloves in combination with a boring, dull gray sweater and white pants. Gloves shift the everyday comfortable outfit into a chic outfit

Red Cap and Red Shoes, with everything else ordinary and plain, gray, monotonous, make the outfit alive and exciting. Details give the fine-tuning to the casual outfit.

White by itself has its won incredible powers. No Need for adjustments

Red is the ultimate statement on its own. “ YOUTH HAS NO AGE” (Pablo Picasso)

You Can Learn a lot From Fabulous Older Ladies

"A good pair of sunglasses is better than a face lift." Mary (70)

"Rise Above It, it's what one does. We're not supposed to be happy happy happy and jumping for joy every second"

"Doesn't time go really fast its moment by moment by moment, and you've got to grab it"

"I don't know, maybe life is a fairytale"

"Grace, is what it is, you dance as you sail through life, and furthermore it heightens your living as of the moment"

"Like Piaf I have no regrets, Oh mercy you have to have the downers and the uppers to be a complete person." Mimi Weddell

"Be a fighter, challenge yourself, when you decide to do something do it well, give all of yourself"

"If you try to imitate too much, then you look like nothing. Never compare yourself, YOU are YOU."

”Feel beautiful inside and you will be beautiful outside." Ilona Royce Smithkin (90)

"Don't take your self too seriously."

"Dress for the theatre of your life." Lynn Dell 78.

"People need to get less stressed about fashion and get into the enjoyment of it"

"Take what is available and contour it towards what your needs are."

The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas

Over the last two years I have learned so much about life and style from the wonderful people I have met and photographed for Advanced Style.They have taught me that it is important to embrace life's up and downs, continue to learn and challenge myself,and take the opportunities that come my way. Above are some of my my favorite quotes from some of these fabulous women.

Times Square

Here is your weekly dose of your favorite 90 year old Ilona Smithkin. These shots were taken near Times Square after we attended a screening of the Bill Cunningham Documentary.CLICK HERE to check out the great documentary Ilona Upstairs by Melissa Hammel. I have the flu today but promise some upcoming great new material.

Rapunzel

At the moment I am obsessed with having my hair in a plait...it is literally the perfect way to handle bad hair and actually looks like you've made an effort!

new outfit posts to come soon.

A-Symmetric DIY

Sorry about the MASSIVE delay in this post! I said I was going to share with you guys a little DIY project based on my obsession with A-symmetric hemlines...so here it is! I bought a skirt from h&m a month back and it just seemed a bit boring! So I cut it off and here is the result! an easy way to acheive a totally wearable a-symmetric look!

Alice Carey For Vogue Japan and Advanced Style

Writer, Alice Carey is another one of the fantastic women I shot for a jewelry series on Vogue.co.jp . Here are some out takes from the original shoot, showing off some more of her wonderful jackets and jewels. I asked Alice  the following questions about aging and style:

1. How old are you? What are your concerns with your appearance as you get older. What is your attitude towards aging?

2.How do you take care of your skin, keep it looking healthy. Are you worried about wrinkles and aging skin?3. How do you keep your hair looking healthy. Do you color your hair? What is your thoughts on gray hair?

4.How has your style changed as you have gotten older. Do you feel more free to experiment with style. How do you get out of a style rut?

5.Any advice you would give to others who are concerned with aging…

6.Anything else you ‘d like to add?

Read her answers below:

1. I am in my early 60’S. Provided I stay looking good (and I work on it) I have no concerns about aging other than I hope I won’t become an old crone.

2. I am a CLAIRINS girl and have been for a long time. It is the best. However, when I’m in Ireland or England I find BOOTS face creams very good. Wrinkles are always a concern, but CLAIRINS seems to keep them in check. I use olive oil soap always.

3. Being Irish I began to go white in my early 20’s and I have been hennaing my hair since then. My husband and I do it every 6 or 7 weeks because my hair grows out fast and one can see the white. Several years ago, I wanted to see what I looked like au natural and I let my hair grow out so my stylist could cut all the colored hair off. Suddenly, I was marvelously white and looked like David Bowie. However, it wasn’t me and I continue to henna my hair.To keep my hair shiny I use Indian oil made from almonds and olives I buy in Middle Eastern stores.

4. I change my style all the time. However, as I grow older I heed Geoffrey Beene’s advice of wearing a uniform. My winter uniform being how you saw me in the street. My summer uniform black chinos from Marks & Spencer and as expensive a white shirt I can get my hands on. Thrift stores are good for this. I also live in cashmere sweaters, preferably vintage, and linen shifts for summer. I do not follow fashion trends and think women silly who do.

5. For god’s sake don’t sweat it. Moisturize as often as you can. Remember ‘life is just a bowl of cherries. Don’t take it serious, life’s too mysterious.”Also, red lipstick, always red lipstick!

6.Anything else...a good haircut several times a year. I do 5 or 6. Hair dye. Red lipstick. Face cream, face cream face cream – I do CLAIRINS and a F-you attitude to dowdy’ness. I look the way you saw me at 9 in the morning when all I’m doing is getting the paper and coffee. Fie on women in sneakers and sweats!

Fashion influences: Duchess of Windsor, Nan Kempner & Pat Buckley for frowzy, lavish formal / dress up stuff.Audrey Hepburn for informal such as my wearing all summer ‘uniform’ of tight black chinos (Marks & Spencer) and great men’s shirt from (say) Thomas Pink.

CLICK HERE to check out Alice's book I'll Know It When I See It: A Daughter's Search for Home in Ireland on Amazon and enjoy her style wisdom in THIS past post.

My Grandma

I have talked about my dear grandma Bluma many times so I wanted to share some photos I found of her while I was visiting San Diego. She is the inspiration for Advanced Style and the reason why I feel so close to older people. She always nurtured my creativity and allowed me the freedom to be artistic.We would spend hours watching cartoons and old movies together, as she clicked her heels together and told me stories of days gone by. One of my favorite treats was to look through her drawers where she stashed her old scrapbooks and photo albums. This is where I established my sense of aesthetics, even then I had a sense of nostalgia and yearning for the glamour and grace of times gone by. She was an amazing woman and not a day goes by where I don't think of her. I hope you enjoy these photos and I would love to hear about your own wonderful grandparents or older people in your lives.