When the going gets tough, the tough shop for bathroom tile…

On this week’s Grey’s Anatomy, in the wake of Cristina Yang quitting her residency, her colleagues strategize about how to change her mind. They are so passionate about getting her back that they plan an intervention. Meanwhile, Yang doesn’t want to talk about her career and revels in the simplicity of sitting on a bench eating a pretzel at the mall. Only one person, Dr. Shepherd, understands what she truly needs and heads off the other doctors’ advances. The episode ends with Mc Dreamy and Yang discussing whether to refinish the hardwood floors in her new apartment.

Life is multi-faceted and challenging and a lot of the time, we need to buckle down and do what we need to do. But there are other times when we need to give ourselves a break and stay in our pajamas all day, buy a pretty dress or pick out new bathroom tile. These seemingly frivolous acts can be the key to what’s next for us. Just letting go of figuring it all out creates the space for unanticipated input and opportunity. I am also a firm believer in the fact that action begets more action. ANY action, even window shopping, can be very powerful. You never know what might happen.

Yesterday I went for a long walk by the water with a friend. The original goal was to get lattes and some sun, but we each got a whole lot more. He got solace about a recent breakup and I got major clarity on my purpose in life. Hence, this is my first blog posting in months. I’ve been struggling with this idea of blogging for ages but now I finally know what I want this blog to be – an online journal of personal epiphanies, insights and philosophies. My intention is for these postings to cause discussion and ideally, impact the lives of my readers. Now, I’m still going to bitch about people dressing like slobs on the street and comment on events in the worlds of fashion, entertainment and politics. I'm just adding this new focus to the mix.

So – did this little tale make a difference for you? What do you think about this new and improved approach to my blog? Email me – I’d love to hear your thoughts…

Hollywood Timing Rules!

The biggest celebrity news of the past month has been America’s Sweetheart being cheated on and a Latin heartthrob who we haven’t heard much from in a while publically coming out of the closet. And it made me wonder about the timing of these events…

When I watched the Oscars, Sandra Bullock seemed a bit too composed for someone winning her first Academy Award. Especially because before The Blind Side, no one ever expected her to win for her body of romantic comedies, which the Academy does not usually reward. All I could think of was Halle Berry visibly shaking and crying uncontrollably. But not Sandra… She was cool, articulate and even wry in her comments about Meryl Streep being her lover. Then, two weeks later, the story came out about her husband Jesse James cheating on her over the past year.

Hollywood is a well-oiled public relations machine and celebrities have teams of people being paid exorbitantly to advise them. When it comes to the media getting a story, there are no accidents. I believe that Bullock knew about her husband’s philandering long before the story hit Extra and CNN but her “people” chose to wait until after the Oscars to release it so as not to endanger her pretty much shoe-in but there’s always the possibility of an upset chances at Oscar glory. Did you ever notice that during January and February there is tons of hype about who will win the major categories at the Golden Globes and Oscars and then about 6 months later it’s hard to remember who won Best Actress? After the immense outpouring of sympathy Sandy has received, no one will forget who won in 2009.

Even more curious is the story this week about Nicolette Sheridan accusing Mark Cherry (creator of Desperate Housewives) of assault and suing him for wrongful termination http://tinyurl.com/yd3zffm. Her character was killed off last season, so it’s been over a year. Why is she suing him now? Does she have a new Lifetime movie of the week coming out?

The bottom line is, like the old adage says, Image is Everything.

In terms of Ricky Martin declaring “I’m a fortunate homosexual man” http://tinyurl.com/yjxu2f4 (after eschewing the subject with Barbara Walters a few years ago) – again I wondered, “Why now?” I have to say for the record that I am totally happy for him. My work is all about helping my clients find their authentic expression through image work and I’m all about EVERYONE living their truth. I have many gay friends, family and clients and have heard countless coming out stories and the common thread is it’s usually not planned. Everyone’s on their own journey. So, for Martin it could just be “his time” but I’m still dubious. There was a deluge of comments on facebook last week – he’s right, he’s wrong, it’s shocking news, it’s not surprising, finally, etc… There are many facets of the crystal on this subject but I hope if it is a strategic move that it brings him only peace, joy and many more fans.

MEN! Making a Statement

I was at a few events downtown this week and I couldn’t help noticing a great number of fashion train wrecks on the women in attendance. But as I was critiquing the femme fashion felonies, I also noticed that many of the men deserved honorable mention because they looked darn good. I always say that it’s easier for men to dress well because they have less options than women and so there’s less room for failure. Now – saying that – many men still look like slobs with their untucked shirts (a whole blog entry unto itself!) and lack of originality. Well – last week – a few men got it right (looked stylish and polished) while making a statement to boot!

Here are a couple of the winners in my humble opinion… Now I must admit that the guys in these photos are both stylists (one hair and one wardrobe) but it’s still proof that it’s POSSIBLE for men to look good without trying very hard.


On David Bui, a fitted jacket over a print shirt and (although it doesn’t show in the photo) cargo pants to keep the outfit “artistic casual.” On Lorence Manansala, a teal turtleneck under a black jacket and vintage Fred Segal tapered pants that say “FUCK” all over them. Now that’s what I call a statement piece! In both cases, the men were wearing a shirt, pants and a jacket – but the difference was WHICH shirt, pants and jacket to make them stand out in a crowd. On Bui, it was the print shirt and on Lorence it was the pop of color in the shirt and most definitely the fantastically unique pants. I hear over and over from clients that they want to be comfortable and they think they need to wear sweatpants in order to achieve that. Not true. What is blatantly apparent in these photos is how comfortable and confident both men are. Good job guys.

I also saw many men in well fitted suits that looked great, so it’s not just about bold designer pieces. Often fit is the winning element and it doesn’t get simpler than that: Fitted clothes are almost always more flattering. Any questions?

Image Is Really Everything, Even in Sports

I am beside myself excited that Evan Lysacek won the gold medal in men’s figure skating last night. He is an inspiration in so many ways - namely, his track record, his training process and his commitment to his sport.

This year, Yevgeny Plushenko returned to defend his Olympic title and after a lackluster performance that placed him in 2nd, he has been making a fool of himself and a mockery of the Olympics. He jumped up to the gold medal platform on his way to the silver one, frowned during the US national anthem and reportedly took off his silver medal immediately following the medal ceremony. Then, he said that Lysacek is “not a true champion” because he didn’t do a quadruple jump. Can anyone say sore loser? http://tinyurl.com/yg7qnvd Plushenko’s not just an uninspiring skater, he’s an ungracious competitor.

The Olympics is about the best athletes in the world coming together to compete and going for one’s own personal best on the world stage. One of the hallmarks of an Olympian is good sportsmanship. The IOC Code of Ethics states, “…participants in the Olympic Games must not, by any manner whatsoever, infringe the principle of fair play, show non-sporting conduct, or attempt to influence the result of a competition in a manner contrary to sporting ethics.”

All week in Vancouver, Lysacek choose to not engage in mud slinging about other competitors and he is continuing that level of elegance even after being attacked by Plushenko. Lysacek said today that he has looked up to Plushenko for years and congratulated Yevgeny on his 3rd Olympic medal, which is an incredibly rare achievement for any Olympic figure skater. http://tinyurl.com/yde6v3h

And image is really everything because Johnny Weir has once again been penalized for being himself (or is it for his ambiguous sexuality?) He is outspoken and flamboyant AND an amazing talent. But – his image upstages his abilities and I believe he gets punished for it. It was blatantly apparent last night when he skated a beautiful, clean program and failed to move up from 6th place despite the fact that everyone else in 3rd, 4th and 5th fell. Johnny has so many great qualities and is a true veteran. Check this out: http://tinyurl.com/yabfs4x

For years, figure skating has had an identity crisis and the debate continues. Is it a sport or is it a performance? Is it about technique or artistry? Unfortunately, it is a subjective sport and it is unforgiving because there is only one medal event every four years. Bottom line: Evan Lysacek was the best. As Scott Hamilton said over and over again, Evan was the most trained competitor there and he put many elements together and skated flawlessly. He didn’t need a quad. It’s not a quad competition. Lysacek stayed focused, had the two skates of his life this week and handled himself like a champion on and off the ice.

Paying Debts without Making a Statement

Everyone who knows me knows, as my best friend says, that movies are “my thing.” I am an avid and unabashed movie buff and damn proud of it.

This year’s Golden Globes was a celebration as usual, but there was a damper literally with the rain and energetically because of the disaster in Haiti. (And because Ricky Gervais did a pathetic job of hosting). It was an interesting year, but not really in terms of fashion. I’m not sure if it’s just the recession or the distressing state of the world in general, but I feel like Hollywood actors and actresses are not even trying anymore. A lot of people showed up looking like they barely prepared for a major awards show (yes, you Julia Roberts). They just take their celebrity for granted and do whatever they want even if it’s not appropriate for the occasion. Oh – and I am so sorry I watched the red carpet on NBC because Billy Bush, Natalie Morales and Vanessa Minnillo did a terrible job. The rain was their main focus, their interviews were lackluster and they were totally out of synch. I have a new respect for Joan Rivers and Ryan Seacrest.

Now – in terms of fashion, there were a few interesting dresses. My favorites were Toni Collette, Julianna Margulies, Felicity Huffman and Marion Cotillard. Honorable mention goes to Kate Hudson in Marchesa and Tina Fey in a whimsical Zac Posen print. Other than that, there was a lot of the same – lots of strapless in colors that are barely colors with very little jewelry and uninteresting hair, black bustier tops and way too many ruffles to be flattering on anyone. Even some of the most beautiful women in the world like Penelope Cruz and Sandra Bullock got it wrong. Very disappointing. For some of what I'm talking about about, click here: http://www.eonline.com/photos/gallery.jsp?galleryUUID=1813#56238

What pleased me the most this year is that some relatively small movies (except Avatar, which I’ll get to later) got recognition. Two of my favorite films of 2009 were 500 Days of Summer and A Single Man, which both earned nominations. The overwhelming theme of the evening however was giving numerous awards to people who’ve never won anything before and deserved to win for a long body of work. This list includes Toni Collette, Julianna Margulies, Kevin Bacon, Michael C. Hall, Chloe Sevigny, Robert Downey Jr., Drew Barrymore, Sandra Bullock and the most underrated actor of our time - Jeff Bridges. I was so happy for him finally being recognized, I literally cried. My biggest disappointment of the evening was that Joseph Gordon Levitt (another veteran actor) did not win for 500 Days of Summer.

The biggest non-surprises of the evening were the winners of Best Picture Comedy or Musical and Best Picture Drama. The Hangover is the #1 R-rated comedy of all time and Avatar made a billion dollars in its opening weekend. An upset there would have been fun – like Precious beating Avatar. For once I would like to see a film win for being the best, not just for being the biggest box office. Ah, a girl can dream…

TV is alive and well - Fashion statements are not...

The Primetime Emmys is one of the most exciting times of the year. The summer is officially over and the new fall season is about to begin. I've waited 4 long months to see Grey's Anatomy...

The other night was a major dichotomy in 2 ways - who won and what certain ladies wore. On one hand, 30 Rock and Mad Men took the top nods - again! - and nobody was surprised. But in other news, lesser known, but outrageously talented actors like Kristin Chenoweth (Tony winner from original cast of Wicked) and Brendan Gleeson snagged a few statues. And no one was more excited for Toni Collette than me. A veteran thespian, she NEVER gets nominated or wins anything. It doesn't matter that hardly anyone saw The United States of Tara; she was brilliant, as usual.

Interestingly, on the fashion front - just like Tina Fey does not need another award for the same show, I do not need to see one more actress in a solid, barely a color strapless gown with tiers of flowing chiffon. And there were a lot of them there the other night. I am so over it - especially with no jewelry and messy hair. That's right Drew Barrymore and Kate Walsh (whom I am normally knocked over by) - I am talking to you. The saving grace was a few ladies taking a chance with metallics and dare I say -- interesting styles! My personal faves were: Kristin Chenoweth , Blake Lively and January Jones. Kristin - disco ball shimmering, short (just like her), simple, clean hair - fabulous. Blake - Versace in a kerpow red and showing a lot of skin but not too much. Hello, I'm awake now. And January - thank you for taking a chance. Versace, cut out futuristic (or is it art deco?) bodice, slit, white with detail - what a statement!

Special mention goes out to Toni Collette, just for wearing orange and Ricky Gervais for going with one of his countrymen, Ted Baker in a luscious deep green with black trim. Now if we can just get the people at 30 Rock to give an award or two to go to Weeds and Entourage I'll be happy.

Do you agree? Disagree? Who were some of your faves? I'd love to hear from you...

Personal Shopping: Perception v. Reality

What is a personal shopper? I get asked this question all the time. Well I’ll tell you what it’s not.

On the new HBO series Hung, a guy, previously a star athlete, is forced by the economic downturn and a few other unfortunate factors to join the oldest profession. In the third episode, he and his female pimp turn to a “professional shopper” for potential client referrals. The pimp says to her, “So, these clients of yours – whatever you want them to buy they just buy?” and the shopper replies, “Pretty much. My ladies are so loaded they’re recession proof.” The way that it’s portrayed on Hung, the shopper is a young, pretty (and of course stylish) woman whose clients are elderly rich women who have nothing better to do with their money than to pay someone to dictate to them what to wear. This is not what I, as a personal shopper, do.

Here’s the truth…

Everybody has to get dressed on a daily basis, but some of us just don’t have an affinity for what to wear. The sheer number of stores and the selections in them can be overwhelming and many people just hate the process of shopping. Also – just like people have their laundry done or their houses cleaned, they hire a personal shopper to save them precious time and energy. I do the leg work – they just show up, try things on and take good stuff home. I hear all the time – “I would never have chosen this myself – and I love it.”

When a potential client says, “That must be just for the rich and famous,” I say, “How much money did you spend on clothes last year that you don’t really like and never wear? Wouldn’t it make more sense to hire a professional and have a closet full of things you love?” I have two clients this week under the age of 40, both at a time in their life where they are tired of their results doing it on their own and they see a value in hiring me to guide them in the right direction. My clients are sometimes performers but more often “regular people” – urban professionals like real estate brokers, or even people re-entering the workforce. They are far from super rich, but committed to their personal development and professional success. They know that working with a personal shopper is an investment in themselves and the image they project to the rest of the world.