Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Elements of Style

Over the years I've clung to a pick-list of peeps that I deem to be icons of style. In my late teens and twenties I loved the way these chickadees worked their respective looks...

Paloma Picasso...



Ava Gardner...



Liz...



And yes, I loved (and will always love) Lucy...



There's something about the look of racy red lipstick combined with ebony or red hair that's always appealed to me. For years I sported either hair the color of glowing embers or deep mahogany and yes, I own every, single, shade of red lipstick MAC or Nars can pop into a tube. However, as I ease not-so-effortlessly into my, ahem, late thirties, I've become enamoured of stylish icons that, shall we say, favor the frost over the gloss.

I give you...

Bea Arthur from her Maude years...



Agnes Moorehead as the beguiling and elder Bewitched, Endora...



And come on, Mrs. Roper (the awesome Audra Lindley)? Love her (and Stanley too)!



I'm telling you...I'm ready for my muumuu years. Most chicks are trying to push back the hands of time with a little nip/tuck and Botox. I, my friends, am totally looking forward to garish frocks that are reminiscent of a yurt in style and cut and of course, blue and pink hair rinses. I say, embrace yer wrinkles with style, attitude and ginormous printed flowers! Oh, and hairnets and orange lipstick (okay, I already wear that hue...often) and curlers and colorful bangles and hell, fuzzy slippers no matter the time of day. After all, when I hit my geriatric years I want to be colorful as well as comfy. Screw trends and hipster fashion...that's for young whipper snappers. Nope, for me it'll be all about the caftan...with sequins.

With this fashion philosophy in mind, you can imagine how ecstatic I was to find the pattern for this faboo piece of headgear on Knitty...



I don't know about desperate, but I'm all about the housefrau. I couldn't find any pink curlers so the aqua ones had to work. Actually, I'm really liking the way they look up against that Homespun colorway now. Don't you think this lovely faux coif is a stylish alternative to my turban?



Now all I need to conjure up is a knit or crochet caftan to take my not-so-far-in-the-future look to the next level. Oh yes...you bet yer polyester-covered rears I'm making one.

Sometimes wrong never seemed so right.

21 comments:

shula said...

Totally with ya, LL.

We have the same taste in Style Icons.

Green Kitchen said...

Ahmen. I never trust blonds.

Green Kitchen said...

I'm joking.........sort of.

Nancy said...

I like the turban. I want one. sigh....

As a natural red head, I have to be careful of which red I get for a lipstick. No orange or yellow overtones..has to be blue.

'course, now I'm a natural platinum blonde.....and I dunno WHAT to do.

Mandy said...

Lady L, you continue to rock my world.

Unknown said...

As I get closer to that day, You are help making me feel pretty good about getting older! My hats off to you on your philosophy on getting older! You are the greatest.

Kiki said...

Are you and I long lost sisters or something? I had the exact same taste in lipstick, and my hair is naturally black. The part that made me think we are related though, is I have lately been yearning for one of those 'house dresses'--as my my used to call them--too!! I already rock the fuzzy slippers whenever I'm in the house, but the distant call of the caftan gets louder and louder as my 40th year approaches. Love the curler hat! :)

Diane Gilleland said...

Best. Post. Ever.

It IS kind of a relief to set all that fashion/hairdo stuff aside at age 40, and just use that brainpower for other things. Bea Arthur? Abso-freakin-lutely!

Anonymous said...

Toss Phyllis Diller on the pile and I am totally with you, sister! My friend and I are already planning our golden years in hot pink polyester slacks and ridiculous hats. We'll finally be able to just tell cute guys that they're cute without feeling weird about it and we're going to smoke and drink and eat all the fried clams we want. ~sigh~ the Golden Years. I can't wait!

christianne said...

I hear ya', sister. I can't remember the last time I bought a new pair of pants...but the shapeless cotton shifts just keep finding their way into my closet!

dizzy von damn! said...

ava and liz rule me.

now who do i talk to about getting a turban? i think i have the pattern here somewhere.

then a dressing gown, and a martini glass... and my apartment attire will be complete.

Ellen Bloom said...

Yes, big flowery caftans ARE comfortable, HOWEVER they can be extremely stylish and hip too!

I'm already in the geriatric phase of my life and readily wear bright colors, fussy scarves, outrageous eyeglasses and colorful headbands so people will NOT look at the wrinkles on my face and the size of my rearend!

You go, Girl!

Gina said...

Here here!

Susan Schwake said...

dearest LL,
without your perspective on aging, this would be a terribly sad and boring blogsphere. i completely agree wtih your choices in celebraties. we could watch some serious tv together.
haufraus UNITE!
xo
s

LadyLinoleum said...

All - So happy we're all on the same party train...big hair, bright lipstick, caftans and all!

Dk's Wife said...

All I'm saying is knitty did the Bezzie knockoff. I think knitty owes Bezzie a big thank you!

Unknown said...

Oh, Girlfriend, as a 40 yo blond with "silver" highlights (how bout that?) I'm right with ya on the ready to just be comf in pretty brights!!!! You rock!!

Micky said...

Yeah I had planned to do that curled hair too. Have my curlers and yarn. Mine are blue too! Only color they had.
Oh and Endora. Love that witch!
:)

Stephen said...

Even as a young boy, I thought Endora was fabulous (along with Elizabeth Montgomery of course). Hmmmm... wonder what that says about me?.... :)

barbe said...

Hey did you forget to get my pic up there LOL.heres one semi tipsy self portrait LOL
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbe/455624966/in/set-72157594192489694/



I'm with you on all of them..and frankly-at 42, I'm thinkign about trying to work the Endora look.....but maybe I need to wait a couple more years......

Obsidian Kitten said...

oh, how i love agnes moorehead as eudora!

and don't forget phyllis diller...a friend once quipped to me that she used to leave the house looking like madonna and come home as phyllis diller.

these days i'm all about going straight for the diller look. i have, um, at least 4 pairs of fuzzy slippers.

the curler hat and turban are fabulous...diller and moorehead would be proud.

and does MAC make the best reds or what?