CAPE, A FASHIONISTA'S DILEMMA (c) By Polly Guerin

Fashion designers always digging into fashion’s historical past by re-introduce the 'Cape,' and I cannot help but wonder why? The cape as a fashion accessory for daytime wear seems like something out of the dim past with limited appeal. It may look great on models, celebrities and superstars on the red carpet, but remember they do not have to daily carry around a handbag or a tote full of a day’s activities. It may entice women who do not have this outerwear style in their wardrobe to purchase a cape, just for the fun of it. However, mere mortals, like most of my friends, may feel less confident about wearing a cape on the street.
OUT ON A LIMB Nonetheless, the cape fashion has swept down the runways and designers including Jason Wu, Gucci and L’Wren Scott showed daytime versions, even the capelet, a short version of the cape. Now remember this: the cape is a loose outer garment that falls from the shoulders and typically does not have sleeves. That means your arms are jutting out of slits at the side and are therefore exposed to draftiness and rain or shine. So some kind of cover up is needed for the exposed arms like long gloves, perhaps. Then there is the problem of carrying a purse, and where does one put a chic lady’s backpack?
THE FASHIONABLE PAST The cape may have been de rigueur in the days when clothes were somewhat frivolous but with the face-paced lifestyle the cape presents certain mobility issues for the modern woman. There’s no denying, however, that the cape was an important part of traditional dress in centuries past and played a functional role or could be signifiers of rank in societies. However, as an element of high style the cape still has its place.
THE SWEEPING FASHION The flowing cape, in silk or plush velvet, worn at an opera opening or the elegant cape dress, in lure brocade, worn by a super star has showstopper appeal, and lends photo opportunity allure when an entertainer tosses a cape over a sensuous satin evening dress. The cape worn by royalty commands respect and signifies dignity of office but for the working woman, it takes a certain bravado and confidence to carry off a cape on any occasion.

WEARING A CAPE CAN BE QUITE A CHALLENGE BUT FASHIONISTAS YOU WANT TO BE IN STEP WITH THE LATEST STYLE TREND WILL FIND CAPES AND CAPELETS IN STORES ALREADY.

MAROON, THE NEW BLACK (c) By Polly Guerin

Maroon, burgundy, claret, oxblood—call it what you will this deep, sultry color steps up to the fashion plate as the new black. Like a fine wine maroon ages well and with time becomes a staple color in the fashionista’s wardrobe. Why? Because it is a luscious, rich shade that is more lively and dramatic than dead end black. The word maroon comes from the French word marron which means “chestnut,” but the first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.
AUTUMN’S ELEGANT SHADE On the color scale maroon is a deep, dark red that is part red and deepened with black. It therefore combines the fire and drama of red with the sophistication of black. It is a notice-me color that looks dramatic in shiny satin, delicious in plush velvet, slick in patent leather and royal in bright fur.
FASHION EXPECTATIONS A cocktail dress in a sumptuous maroon print has more eye catching appeal, while a frilly Victorian-style blouse’s femininity has a royal bearing. Instead of traditional colors look for the sensuous hue in a trench coat or add a dazzling leather clutch to your nighttime ensemble. Ruby red or oxblood stones in costume jewelry are a rich way to convey your dignified persona.
DAYTIME DRAMA This fabulous color is not marooned in nighttime fashion. A business suit can add panache to the corporate scene, particularly if punctuated with a shiny satin matching blouse. A stylish deep ruby or maroon jacket for the office can be paired with a matching Pucci-like printed dress and the ensemble has haute couture appeal. Of course, this jacket always goes well with the little black dress, especially when you add a necklace fashioned with ruby beads entwined with seed pearls.

GET IN STEP WITH FASHION, STRIKE A ROYAL POSE AND DRESS UP WITH STYLE IN MAROON, RUBY, BURGUNDY, CLARET, YES, EVEN OXBLOOD HAS ITS PLACE IN A FASHIONISTA’S WARDROBE.

IVY LEAGUE, NEVER OUT OF STYLE (c) By Polly Guerin

“Ah,” said the young lady, “You must be an Ivy League man? I can tell by your attire that you either hail from Yale, Harvard, or Dartmouth.” No wonder she was captivated by his wardrobe, because dating an Ivy League man was quite a feather in a young college girl’s ambition. Why? Well, Ivy League identified with a certain class of individual who attended any one of a group of Ivy League universities having a reputation for scholastic achievement and social prestige. Ivy League was considered an elitist style that identified with class, bearing and distinction but its classic good looks made it an all-American favorite. The Museum at FIT pays homage to Ivy League with the exhibition “Ivy Style,” one of the most enduring clothing styles of the 20th century on view through January 5, 2013.
ONCE UPON A TIME While Ivy League or Ivy Style was once the cutting-edge look worn exclusively by young men of means the look has come main stream and has permeated both men’s and women’s fashion collections, and leading designers, such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, Michael Bastian and Thom Browne call it their own, while other designers pepper their collections with the look. Ivy style spread way beyond the hallowed halls of the elite universities to influence the evolution of men’s classic clothing and has rooted itself info the fashion vocabulary on an international scale.
ORIGINS OF IVY STYLE During the interwar years from 1919 to the onset of World War II, classic items, such as tweed jackets and polo coats, were appropriated from the Englishman’s wardrobe, modified and redesigned by pioneering firms such as Brooks Brothers and J. Press for young men on the campuses of elite East Coast colleges. Ivy Style included Shetland tweeds, gray flannels, Oxford button-downs, repp ties, and casual seersucker and madras. From approximately 1945 and the late 1960s Ivy Style spread across the United States and khaki pants and penny loafers were being worn by a whole new, diverse population that included working-class GIs as well as leading jazz musicians.
THE EXHIBITION ENSEMBLES The Ivy Style exhibit is arranged thematically in an environment that evokes an Ivy League university campus. The side venues feature typical university settings, such as a classroom, dormitory room, and fraternity house with clothing and accessories appropriate to their use. Another key setting is a ‘university shop,’ the kind of retail establishment that existed in nearly every city in the United States in the mid-20th century. Again, environments feature period objects that enhance the story being told by the garments
WAXING NOSTALGIC I REMEMBER IVY LEAGUE STYLE, BUT I AM NOT A PURIST. WHETHER TWEAKED OR DISTILLED THE FUNDAMENTAL ROOTS OF IVY STYLE ARE FOREVER LINKED TO THE CLASSIC AMERICAN LOOK.

The Museum at FIT, is part of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and is located at 27th Street and Seventh Avenue. Museum hours are Tuesday-Friday-noon-8pm, Saturday-10am-5pm. Visit fitnyc.edu/museum.

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/