If you, like me, want to downsize a little bit, while at the same time upscaling, simply accept that --
Black is beautiful.
Black is Strong.
Black is chic.
Black is timeless.
Audrey Hepburn had it right in Breakfast at Tiffany’s … you wear all black and add one tiny signature piece, be it a tiara, red lips and a smoky eye, or, as I like to add now and then, a ballet slipper vintage A-line coat that always gets a second glace. All you need is -
1. A great fitting trouser.
2. A silky or satiny blouse with accents like a bow or a ruffle or a tapered waist, just something extra to make it a little feminine.
3. A cashmere or wool, well-made overcoat. It’s classic and you will wear it for years so spend the extra money for something timeless.
4. Comfortable classic shoes. To spice up from office to “after” maybe keep a sexy pump nearby.
5. And my favorite accessory is to always have a scarf to throw around my neck. One black scarf with a pop of color can be great for all weather depending on the weight of the fabric. I love my all back silk scarf I picked up in Vietnam for a more elegant look or the more ethnic black and red and white exotic print I just had to have from Bali. That extra touch makes a normal outfit stand out.
6. Finally, as our makeup guru, Josie, would say, always add amazing lips to finish off the perfect look.
And yes, I will admit, that every now and then I feel like I’m heading to work at the MAC Cosmetics makeup counter or to man the hostess stand at my favorite Mastro’s Steakhouse. But most of all, as I stride confidently from meeting to meeting on the streets in Chicago’s downtown loop, I feel as if I have arrived. And it is not lost on me that this is the same time in my life, that celebrating black, all things Black, really does matter.