PARASOLS: Keep Your Sunnside Up (c) By Polly Guerin

“Mad dogs and Englishmen might go out in the midday sun,” (Noel Coward), but savvy fashionistas know better and avoid the sun’s most penetrating rays at noon. Southern women have always been known for their peaches and cream complexion and this is due to a simple little accessory they carry on torrid days, called a parasol. It’s chic, it’s protection and it’s revival has a lot to do with the incredible heat wave that has blanketed the country. Image: Claude Monet's "Lady With Parasol." 
FUN and FUNCTIONAL A parasol is defined as a lightweight umbrella used as a sunshade especially by women, but I have seen men opening their black practical umbrellas as protection from the sun rays as they dash about the city streets. A stylish umbrella can serve the same purpose as a parasol, and you know you have many to select from in your closet. Choose a pretty feminine floral or charming print to dress up even the most casual outfit while pure white casts a refreshing pristine look to your ensemble. Opt for a solid color parasol to pop a print ensemble.
PRETTY PAPER PARASOLS I’ve seen them in China Town, on Broadway in Soho and in boutiques that sell those adorable paper parasols with bamboo spokes. Paper parasols look just like those miniature umbrellas that decorate certain exotic cocktails. Real life incarnations are the modern answer to a woman’s fashionable beat-the-sun prevention without slathering on sunscreen. You can also order them through Parasols.com or LunaBazaar.com. Paper parasols are amazingly reasonable from about $8 to $20. Avoid those tony retailers where parasols are quite pricey.
AN ANCIENT FASHION The parasol has a long and storied history dating back to ancient times. Egyptian Queens knew a thing or two about protecting themselves and escaping the desert sun. In historical images depict a loyal servant shading the great lady with a huge parasol-like umbrella. Adding to their charming ways Japanese geishas in the 18th century carried parasols to keep their skin unblemished, and today savvy women are claiming parasols as their own special accessory.
THE VICTORIAN CANOPY It was also a Victorian sunblock accessory and its popularity grew due to societal obsession with having a porcelain or fair complexion. Why? Because pale skin was a sure sign that you were a Lady and did not have to work under the sun. Yes, I know in the 1920's getting a suntan became fashionable, but now we have all kinds of warnings about getting skin cancer, and believe me a canopy against the sun is one of the chic solutions. Okay, Getting some healthy sun rays is acceptable, but really, as Noel Coward warns, "Don't go out in the midday sun!!!"
YOU DON’T NEED TO BE A PAPER DOLL TO CARRY A PRETTY PAPER PARASOL. IT’S ADORABLE, IT’S CHIC SUNBLOCK AND IT’S A STYLE THAT EVOKES THE IMAGE OF A SAVVY LADY.

JACKET REQUIRED, Tale of The Little Black Jacket (c) By Polly Guerin

You’ve heard of Chanel’s famous ‘little black dress,” now get ready for the ‘little black jacket.’ It’s as basic as you get but this is no ordinary jacket. By Chanel’s standard it’s short, chic and versatile. All the fanfare about the little black jacket came about with publisher Steidl’s forthcoming coffee table book, “The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited,” by couture designer, Karl Lagerfeld and stylist extraordinaire, Carine Roitfeld. The book was showcased at a pop-up event which exhibited the book’s 113 portraits of notables displaying the jacket’s versatility. So what’s in it to you? Think ‘little black jacket’ the next time you shop for a ‘must have’ wardrobe accessory.
LAGERFELD MOBBED Lagerfeld was mobbed at every turn as he greeted the celebrities and fashionistas. Mr. Lagerfeld, the head designer at Chanel, made his way through the gallery, like a visiting potentate greeting the crowd with sophisticated charm. Such a supreme individual garners accolades and was followed by photographers, videographers and party guests all eager to be photographed with him. Alber Elbaz got so carried away she pulled out her iPhone to take a snap of her own portrait on the wall. Carine Roitfeld was wearing an interpretation of the jacket she had actually constructed from a skirt. “You know Karl, you have to surprise him,” she said of her approach to styling the portraits. Theophilus London who was coaxed into the tweed Chanel creation for the book wore it again to perform at a post-opening dinner at Balthazar.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE The book features a mix of beautiful people shot in black-and-white wearing a black, tweed Chanel jacket in surprisingly varied effects. An enormous photo of Vogue editor, Anna Wintour’s tweed-jacket-clad back greeted guests as they entered the gallery. Ms. Roitfeld, the former editor of French Vogue, who is now the fashion world’s darling, was also trailed by a video crew shooting a documentary about her fabulous life. You can’t imagine Karl Lagerfeld with children but it appears he has a soft heart for the little ones. Hudson Kroenig, the four year old son of male model and Lagerfeld’s favorite Brad Kroenig exchanged a high-five with Mr. Lagerfeld.

Like Cinderella, Mr. Lagerfeld did not linger long and exited the building, leaving the Black Jacket crowd holding champagne flutes and admiring each other.

FASHIONISTAS BLAST THE BIG CHILL(c) By Polly Guerin

“It’s freezing in my office,” screamed a young office worker into her cell phone as she raced across the steamy hot streets to catch a bus. The temperature did not get any better as the bus was chilled to the bone like a Frigidaire. When she disembarked at her stop she raced into the bank and was hit with a blast of Arctic air that nearly blew her away. It’s summer in the city and sweltering outside and even the cold blast in movie theaters or air-conditioned cafes can raise the alarm that it’s just too, too darn cold for fashionistas. Working in cold temperatures when it’s so hot outside can be a health hazard, and in some cases the incubator for a summer cold. Quite frankly I do not understand why, wherever I go, the chill is raised to such high levels. Dah!!! Doesn’t the electric bill skyrocket? Well, to tackle the problems there are several chic solutions to compete with the big chill. Photo image from the Wall Street Journal. Illustrations by Joy Gilinsky.
WARM UP TECHNIQUES A basic sleeveless linen dress is an ideal summer wardrobe basic that allows you to prepare for the big chill. Simply pack a Pashmina shawl for the commute to work or keep a shawl tucked away in a drawer in your office desk. Solid color Pashmina’s are okay but try to find one with a paisley or discreet floral weave that adds interest to a solid color sheath dress. When you are presenting at a Board or division meeting, add that professional panache to your sheath dress. A short tailored jacket is youthful and chic in a contrasting color, such as red over a black sheath; cinnamon orange over a royal blue sheath or chartreuse green over a chocolate brown sheath. For further drama keep a stash of good quality, 48-inch scarves in your desk drawer, the kind that you can drape around your shoulders. They always come in handy for extra warmth. Choose prints that do not overwhelm your professional performance but will match you sheath dress.
DOUBLE BENEFITS I have never given up on the shell matching cardigan idea and many new versions come in lightweight cotton or synthetics. Fashionistas update the look for evening by removing the shell and adding a matching lace-edged slip of a shell underneath. Remember the golden rule and take a hint from Kate. Skirt hems that say you’re professional skim the knee at work. If something shorter is wanted for the cocktail or club night out, then pack it and change later. Daytime accessories should be discreet and feminine. No dangling earrings that clank and glitter as you present your ideas to management. Save them for evening wear as well as other more dramatic jewelry that conveys a stylish message.
BIG BAG STASH Now I understand why all those savvy office gals carry a big bag to carry these add-on items, not to forget the after-work-gym gear. Be sure the satchel or tote is chic and commodious enough to accommodate all the extras you have to carry around. And, please do not put it all into a backpack and look like you’re heading for the hills. Some of the items can be kept permanently at the office, and that’s a good idea because you should keep the big bag as lightweight as possible. And, please do not anchor the straps on one shoulder, it simply distorts your balance and may in time give you the appearance that one shoulder is lower than the other.
IT’S CHALLENGING TO LOOK CHIC, COOL AND COLLECTED IN THE SWELTERING HEAT OF SUMMER BUT EQUALLY CHALLENGING IS THE WAY YOU BLAST THE COLD CHILL IN BUILDINGS, TRANSPORATION, THEATERS AND CAFES. FASHIONISTAS DON’T MELT IN THE SWELTERING HEAT OR FAINT IN THE BIG FREEZE. THEY FIND SOLUTIONS BY LAYERING AND LOOKING CHIC.

MODESTY, THE SWIMWEAR COVERUP (c) By Polly Guerin

Pin-Up glamour girl swimwear takes to the waves this summer, giving a new meaning to the word “modesty.” Yes, my dears, it’s time to cover up and the relatively chaste looks can make you feel like a Hollywood starlet. Forget the bikini, it’s out of style and welcome back the sexy one-piece bathing suit in all its glamorous incarnations. To most women this is welcome news. Think Ester Williams, the queen of water ballet or Betty Gable in their seductive yet covered up maillots.
STYLISH SWIMMING Thank goodness that the Victorian restrictions of the bathing costume of the 1860s gave way to practical, good-looking, form-fitting swimsuits that make figure curves the focal point of attention. Older women in the 45 plus range favor one-piece suits and young starlets are welcoming modesty as a new stand on femininity. Marc by Marc Jacobs ushered in a charming halter strap, low leg style while Chanel opted for a one strap bodysuit with side shirring. If you want more exposure seek out Land’s End, side drawstring bathing suit that lets you adjust the length of the swimsuit.
COORDINATING GLAMOUR When I was vacationing on the fashionable Riviera un France I was inspired by the way French women coordinate the entire swimwear experience. Pool or Oceanside glamour means coordinating a matching billowy sheer, shirt or terry dress in color or a jazzy print, and while you’re at it, strut your stuff wearing a wide-brimmed hat and matching sandals. It’s total fashion impact with a glamour pitch.
THE SHOPPING TERRORS Nothing strikes most women with more angst than shopping for a bathing suit. It can be an endless search for the right suit to hide tummies, or to find adequate coverage to hide hips or minimize derrieres. Try the vintage or thrift shops in your area for retro styles or shop the stores for new designer versions. Push up styles enhance the bosom, high hour-glass silhouettes seemingly shrink the waistline and bows and frills are perfectly 'girlie.'
NIGHTTIME GLAMOUR Glitter and gilded strapless or one-shoulder swimsuits add sparkle to evening parties, pool, surf or indoors. Just add a long black jersey skirt and your ready to party. I’ve even seen the same ploy used for a cocktail party, this time the wearer wore palazzo pants. Make a splash in a glam suit anytime the mood strikes you. Celebrate the “hourglass Look” and new modest YOU. Darling, you’ve never looked more glamorous!!!

Polly Guerin
http://www.pollytalk.com/

POLLY POINTERS, FAREWELL NO, NOs By Polly Guerin

When you’re given the boot on the job or for that matter in a personal relationship it is easy to at first want to seek revenge, criticize or condemn the person or the organization. This should be the furthest from your mind. I’m a proponent of the old adage, “Don’t burn your bridges.” In other words savvy fashionistas take a stiff upper lip approach, smile and when questioned by peers or friends with inquiries like, “What happened?” They just smile and say, “I really cannot discuss it at this time,” or “It was an amicable agreement.” And don’t let the conversation go any deeper than that.
KEEP RELATIONSHIPS POSITIVE One of the first rules of farewell savvy is 'honey is sweeter than vinegar.'  When it comes time to end the relationship (or you were given the pink slip) try to keep as friendly a relationship as you possibly can with co-workers or individuals. WHY? Okay good question. Because you would be burning bridges with people with whom you may find yourself working with again at another firm. Or when a couple splits you’re bound to run into one of the partners again and their friendship may still be important to you.
REVENGE BACKFIRES Some people just cannot help themselves and criticism seems to be their best revenge, but it is the worst thing they can do. Whenever someone tells me a nasty piece of business or criticizes a company or fellow worker I immediately wonder, “If they can say this and that awful thing about their colleagues, what are they saying about me?” On the other hand when someone departs and is no longer a couple I wonder what they saw in that person in the first place when they criticize with such vengeance and assassinate that partner’s character in such a degrading manner.
NASTY SECRETS Sometimes it gives the ousted person an opportunity to tell nasty little secrets, which they think will align the listener to their sympathies. This shows very poor judgment and besmirches their reputation. People usually react to revealing office gossip, secret affairs or confidential company business unfavorably, and may wonder shy such a jerk ever was hired in the first place. A public dressing down of a company's executives, your boss or the firm itself can actually get you into legal trouble, particularly if you have signed an agreement with the firm that you won’t malign the company’s reputation. On the personal side of the secret compass you're better off keeping mum. Best policy, do not reveal any juicy details of a couple’s personal life that may have been given to you in confidence. Keep your dignity intact and refuse to listen. Such secrets should be kept in the vault and never discussed.
HIGH END EMOTIONS Many people just can’t wait to set the record straight and make the mistake of sending retaliatory emails at the height of their emotions. Okay, go ahead; you need to vent those disappointments or rejection. However, be sure that you don’t press the send button. Save that email or any written communications as a draft and then read it over and over again the next day and see how you can soften the blow and chose words that show that you’re a straight shooter. Remember that you should always keep your communications on a friendly basis because you never know when you’ll need to reconnect with someone at the office or on a personal level.
SAYING GOODBYE LIKE A PRINCE OR PRINCESS Even if you think that you have been wronged, hold your head up high and sail forth on a sea of positive outlooks. Remember, maybe getting fired was the best thing that happened to you, because it forced you to press onto a better situation. If you must communicate then sit yourself down and write an email to your colleagues and tell them what an honor it was to have worked with them, but don’t point anyone specifically out for commendation, just be magnanimous about how much you learned at that great company. On a personal level, think how lucky you are that it is over. Try to remember the good times and don’t have regrets. The flame of love may have died but you still don’t want to burn the bridges of friendship or possible reconciliation.
Last word to the wise. In all situations keep your emotions in check, think before you speak, before you email or write and most of all keep yourself dignified and confidant.

MONOCHROMATIC, FASHION NEUTRALITY(c) By Polly Guerin

Do you want to stand out in a crowd of geometric and flower prints? Well, nothing is more dramatic or eye-catching than monochromatic fashion, that all-in-one, top-to-toe neutral color scheme that evokes a highly personal style of dressing. It’s fashion’s newest message but it is one that often the average fashionista has discovered to be difficult to pull off with confidence. It takes courage to go the monochromatic route, but it has its unfussy appeal. Monotone beige, washed out pinks, water aqua, pale grey, simple beige and warm champagne are the latest crop of neutrals. Pure white is yet another story. It is challenging to take the leap into top-to-toe white, but it’s dramatic and makes a ‘WOW’ entrance.
DRESSING EFFORTLESSLY The monochromatic look is simple, sharp and totally individualistic. It’s an effortless answer to color-coordinating garment pieces with a singular message that spells chic, rich and iconoclastic. It could also be less expensive on the fashion budget. For the timid, the simple beige would be a good starting off point. Brazil-born designer Francisco Costa’s spring collection for Calvin Klein evoked the clear neutrality of Lalique vases. Diana Vreeland, the famous fashion icon, wore head-to-toe red and adorned her apartment in the same color. A fashion designer I totally admired stood out from the fashion crowd because she always wore simple beige from her beret right down to her matching shoes.
SHOPPING MONOCHROMATIC Shoppers need only keep focused on one color scheme. Nothing looks more modern or chic than a matching trench coat tossed over a matching jacket and pants. It looks couture, it looks like you can afford the dry cleaning bill. Color-coded accessories also figure into the mono look and complete the total image. Just think about it, with such neutrality there are no distractions. People will focus on You, not your clothing. Take White, for example, it is the personification of purity and honesty. These are messages you would want to convey in business. It says you’re a high-minded person with scruples and integrity.
COLOR INTERPRETATION Blue has always been a perennial favorite and even the palest blue monotone evokes a sense of honesty within the core of its coloration. It lifts one’s spirit and says that you are a steadfast and reliable person. Pale pink may be too girly for career women, but its inner strength is red mixed with huge dollops of white. It is warm and inviting and sends out messages of nurturing and love. As for pale grey, it has the foundation of black creamed over with a lot of white and it is a no nonsense color that works well in the office. It evokes neutrality, a peaceful player in corporate hi-jinks. Not every monotone works on every woman. It depends upon your complexion and hair color. Before plunging into a specific monotone evaluate the effect on your total image.
MONOCHROMATIC IS STYLISH AND SAFE. IT CUTS RIGHT THROUGH FASHION CHOICES AND CONVEYS A UNIQUE LOOK THAT CAN BE CULTIVATED TO BE ENTIRELY YOUR OWN IDENTITY. RECOGNITION OF YOUR MONO LOOK ATTRACTS ATTENTION. AH!, ONE MIGHT SAY, ‘THERE SHE IS IN A SYMPHONY OF BLUE.’

PANTOMANIA, FASHIONISTA STYLE (c) By Polly Guerin

Pantsuits spring into action as a fashionista's stylish expression of freedom and panache. There will be more busy print pantsuits and busy pants mixed in with solid coordinates at retail to let you walk on the wild side of fashion. Geometric, faux snakeskin, aquatic swirls, jacquards, pop-art and abstracts hit the runways at Prada, Peter Dom, Louis Viutton and Jean Paul Gaultier heading the pack. The pantsuit couldn't be more modern, than it is today, coming full circle with a coordinating coat or jacket to set a woman free and to complement a woman's demanding lifestyle:

THE FASHION TREND If you are timid about prints, the key to wearing this print trend is ‘do not tread into uncharted territory,’ stick to traditional solids and throw in a jazzy new jacket to update the look. If you can go full throttle and carry off wearing a matching jacket-and-pantsuit style, in one of those audacious prints, be careful what kind of print you choose to go head-to-toe. You could be perceived as very daring, a ‘take notice of me,’ type of gal and that might work in social occasions, but the office critics might put thumbs down on the look.
FASHION HISTORIAN The pantsuit was introduced in the 1920s, when a small number of women adopted a masculine style, the ‘garcon,” boy look, including pantsuits, hats and even canes and monocles. Seems to me that with such a shortage of men, who were sacrificed in WWI, women just needed to have some semblance of a man around. When WWII came about and Rosie the Riveter and her friends worked in factories it seemed a practical solution to climb aboard in ammunition and airplane building work wearing pants for modest distraction. Fashion designer, Andre Courreges introduced trousers for women as a fashion item for women in the late 1960’s.
YSL’S PANTSUITS In 1966, designer Yves Saint-Laurent introduced his Le Smoking, evening pantsuit for women that mimicked a man’s tuxedo. In 1968, the designer’s line of “Safari” suits, transformed the functional hunting outfit into town wear for women, and by 1970, with the acceptance of trouser suits, the Western woman’s silhouette was assured for career wear. By the way there was a time when restaurants would not seat a woman wearing a pantsuit or trouser. Such an event happened to me at one of those tony French restaurants.I had to run over to one of the department stores to buy a skirt. Nothing like that happens today; because ‘boy’ would they lose business. So uptight was the reaction to pantsuits that until the 1990s, women were not permitted to wear pantsuits in the United States Senate.
A LOOK AT THE PAST Trouser, harem pants, pajama style has been acceptable as an element of Orientalizing ensembles, for sport, as lounge wear and beachwear. Trousers were popularized as an expression of iconoclasm by celebrities like Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn. Today, fashionable women opt for the lady pantsuit in bold and adventurous prints with accessories to coordinate. Miuccia Prada, for one, included patterned shoes and purses to match some of her pantsuits in Milan. Such bold and pop-art prints that are offered today are not meant for the faint-at-heart fashionista, but the choice of an individual who can carry off such bravado. Aside from being fashionably correct one great advantage of the pantsuit is that you cannot be a victim of upskirt photography or accidentally expose yourself by leaning over or sitting awkwardly in a short skirt at a television interview or board meeting.

For what it is worth, remember that it was Amelia Jenks Bloomer, who created the first feminine garment approximating pants called ‘bloomers.” The outfit liberated women from skirts, whalebone corsets, petticoats, bustles, and created an unprecedented freedom. Bloomers did a lot to influence the popular feminine bicycling costume of the 1880s and from then on women sprang forward mobilized into the future.


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Polly Guerin
http://www.pollytalk.com/
pollytalk@verizon.net