Drawing: Santa Fe Window

Santa Fe

I attended the 2013 Tony Hillerman Writers Conference by WORDHARVEST in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

With beautiful sunny weather I was able to take some photo illustrations on break of the shop windows on the main plaza.

View the collection at Pinterest.

STYLE: Window Displays

STYLE

Window Displays

View the Photo Journal of Downtown Albuquerque window displays September 2012.
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The Bon Marche department store in Paris, 1877, is one of the earliest examples of large scale window decorating. The store was transformed through structural architectural changes that allowed for wide open spaces, lots of light, and huge windows. Previously, glass had been limited to smaller openings and much smaller panes. The invention of big picture windows lead directly to the new art of window display.

In her book Retailing: Critical Concepts author Anne Findlay remarks that the large retail display windows "communicate festivity, vitality, beauty, and fantasy, revealing the signature of individual stores and the inner possibilities of store life."

Sadly, outside of the largest cities, window dressing has become mostly a lost art. In our modern era of chain stores, most companies rely on display photos hung like posters in a window, along with a few mannequins. Or some similar simple design that was fashioned at corporate headquarters to be uniform among dozens, if not hundreds, of locations across the country. They are assembled by low wage retail workers hired to staff the sales floor, not by designers or merchandisers trained in the visual arts.

Instead of reflecting local color, most department store window displays are stiff and corporate--at best.

Some exceptions still exist. Macy's, at their flagship Herald Square store in mid-Manhattan, is most famous for their holiday display window which are unveiled in time for Thanksgiving and their parade in NYC. One set of windows usually features themes related to the movie Miracle on 34th Street, about Macy's and their now defunct rival Gimbels. A new theme is introduced each year in a second set of display windows. Department stores in the largest cities are still more likely to employ a window designer than the smaller locations around the country.

Another notable exception is Anthropologie. When I travel, I always enjoy seeing the variety at each store. Not two locations ever seem to look the same. According to Design Sponge, each anthro store has its own small team of artists who do all of the displays at their own location. Teams may include graphic designers, painters and sculptors. Rare is a chain store that gives so much attention, and resources, to each location.

There are still devotees of window decorating. The Window Display Blog is run by Kaisa, a visual merchandiser who is, in her own words, obsessed with store windows. She photographs and writes about displays in London.

However, walk around a smaller city like Albuquerque's Downtown and it's unfortunately difficult to find many decent displays of any type, regardless of chain or otherwise. The lack of properly decorated display windows gives the area an unfriendly vibe. Those few stores who are making an effort should be commended.

Many cities have addressed this issue with Phantom Galleries--displays of local artists in pop-up galleries to deal with vacant and undecorated windows, particularly in downtowns, to replace the loss of mainstreet retailers. This not only gives artists a venue to display their work, it also enhances the public space and provides interest.

STYLE: Jewelry

STYLE

Jewelry

A fun way to spice up outfits is to add jewelry. I'm a devotee of cheap jewelry to create instant trendy looks. A trip to the beach is made happier with a pair of large, dangle earrings.

In the winter sparkly pieces add cheer and light. Likewise, bird and plant-themed jewelry can welcome spring. In the fall bold, minimalist pieces can compliment a sparse, pared down look.

The proverbial little black dress can cover a range of functions--depending on the accessories. A classic blazer and strand of pearls can create a sophisticated business look, while the same dress with high boots and neon jewelry can be totally funky.

When someone dies, what heirlooms does the family argue over? Artwork and jewelry. Solid classic jewelry can last well beyond a lifetime.

If jewelry is valuable enough, like a diamond wedding ring, make sure it's covered by insurance. While a homeowner's or renter's insurance policy might cover burglaries (check for sure), what happens if the ring slips off the deck of a ship while on a cruise?

Photo and keep documentation of any high-priced jewelry. Make sure that documentation is stored either backed up electronically outside of the house or in a safety deposit box. You won't be compensated by your insurance in the event of loss if you can't prove that you owned the pieces. If valuable enough, jewelry should be professionally appraised periodically. A 20 year old sales slip, if it even still exists, might not prove the increased value over time.

Another reason to appraise is to determine the true quality of gem stones. Stories abound of stones being removed and replaced by lesser quality gems during cleanings. I'm not sure how often it really happens. But it's better to know what you actually own. Once again, it also proves the quality of the gem in case of loss. It's difficult to determine a gem stone value from just a picture.

Don't forget to clean quality jewelry once in awhile. A trick to keeping silver looking good is to buff it with car wax polish. Be careful to keep all cleaners away from stones, including amber.

Most importantly, have fun. Jewelry is a great way to change the mood of an outfit. There are wonderful pieces being hand-made by artisans around the country. While an original painting or a hand tailored suit might be out of your price range, an original piece of jewelry can be quite affordable. And you'll be able to wear it for many years to come.

STYLE: Hats

STYLE

Hats

I'm a big fan of urban living, particularly the idea of being able to walk or bike to work and for basics like groceries. It's what makes living Downtown so enjoyable. However, urban living also involves some different accessories than a lifestyle based on getting around by car. This may not be obvious to anyone who is used to hopping into a vehicle.

Some of the accessories of my grandparents' youth were more than fashion statements. Sturdy walking shoes, parasols and hats had practical functions when dealing with the elements.

Hats have enjoyed a bit of resurgence lately. I'm sorry they don't have an even broader appeal for summer weather.

Besides providing much needed shade when the thermometer climbs, hats protect expensive hair coloring and treatments. Hats can also instantly add style to an outfit when it's too hot for other accessories like a tailored blazer or scarf.

Well-made hats, like high-end shoes, can create a polished look. Inexpensive but fun hats can add a custom touch to an otherwise dull outfit.

While traveling I enjoy coming across a traditional Sunday dinner restaurant, complete with ladies in colorful outfits and their big hats. Nothing else looks the same as Easter brunch in all its finery. As more people return to urban lifestyles, I am hoping to see more hats.

STYLE: Shop Own Closet

STYLE

Shop Your Own Closet

The first step to dressing great is to weed out your closet.

Once you have gotten rid of the clothes that no longer work, and you have sorted your clothes down to one season, it's time to go shopping in your own closet. You're going to assemble new outfits from your existing clothes. This may sound easy--but it's actually a lot of work. Be prepared to spend some time.

The trick is to figure out which articles of clothing can be mixed and matched with the rest of the garments in your closet. Any items that are for special occasions only, such as formal wear or bridesmaid dresses, can be set aside. However, don't be too quick to judge. Could that fuchsia gown be paired with a white denim jacket and sandals for a summer dinner out? Or a suit jacket and boots in the winter?

Next, unload your closet. Yes, you've read correctly. Hopefully you have already done the first steps of weeding and sorting by season. All of your remaining clothes, and accessories like scarves, should be taken out of the closet to create outfit combinations.

You may be lucky enough to have a portable garment hanger. But, if not, the bed or the floor can work as well. I set out my clothes in the bedroom, then hang them up outfit by outfit on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom.

The clothes need to be sorted into similar types of fabrics. In most cases, a shiny polyester top isn't going to look good when worn with a natural linen skirt. There are exceptions, say white on white, where the outfit is coordinated by colors. But, in general, outfits look best when paired with similar textures and weights. Think about what goes with what. This is easy for the woman with a closet full of cottons and linens. It will be more challenging for someone who follows a lot of different trends.

There will be some transitional garments that might work with almost everything, such as denim jackets, solid tights, or a classic black tailored blazer.

I find the process of assembling outfits easier if I focus on creating a certain look, instead of trying to figure out every possible combination of clothing I could wear. Having some photos to use as a style inspiration is a big help. For example, when I stopped working in an office, I began to dress very casually. Call it the unemployed look. I realized I needed to figure out a business casual style that wasn't too dressed up. I wasn't going to be walking around in suits. But, at the same time, I was in danger of dressing so informally that I would have trouble procuring local freelance and consulting work. So I needed a new style model.

I browsed online and saved some pictures that were inspiring. They gave me new ideas of how to use my old clothes in a different way. I might add a scarf to a plain shirt to appear a little more polished. Or how to dress in ankle boots in the summer.

One you have general groupings of clothes, the fun begins. Start with an article of clothing that you will use as the base of the look. I like blazers and jackets as the foundation of business casual. Others may like to start with their pants and skirts. The main idea is to pick a category and then work through your clothes in a methodical way.

I started with a purple blazer, then took out every top in my pile, to see what combinations could be created. Each time I found a matching top, I would then go through my pile of skirts and pants to see what worked. I also checked if a scarf might be added. Once I went through every possible combination with my purple blazer, I did the same thing with the next jacket. And so on, until I had worked through every summer jacket or blazer in my closet.

TIP: Keep all the garments in order and go through them methodically each time, so you can keep track of which combinations you've tried. Otherwise, you may get hopelessly confused.

How are you going to remember which outfits work together? Stop and take a photo of each outfit combination. I like to hang the outfits on my shower curtain rod to use the white as a background. I use my cellphone for pictures, so it's easy for me to scroll through the outfits in the morning when I get dressed.

Sounds like a lot of work? Right. But it will save you tons of time digging through your closet in the morning. Not to mention you will find all kinds of new outfit combinations that you never would have considered before.

If you have an enormous amount of time, you could try each outfit on and have a friend take a photo. Not every combination will work when you try it on. However, I find it easier to photo every reasonable combination, then delete the photo later if the outfit doesn't look good.

While this process is time consuming, it's an excellent way to find dozens of new outfits from the existing garments in your closet.

STYLE: Cheap Thrills

STYLE

Cheap Thrills

Inexpensive accessories are fun. While I advocate buying high quality basic garments to create the foundation of a wardrobe, I'm equally a fan of trying out cheap and trendy accessories.

Large, sparkly earrings, extremely bright or loud scarves, over sized plastic rings and strange socks are just a few of the items that can give your outfits a wonderful kick.

I've had cheap plastic earrings that received compliments for years. I have been amazed by some of my friends' artistic creations with jewelry, unusual belts or offbeat thrift store finds. Head to toe coverage in cheapness doesn't look good. But one funky item on an outfit is a touch of whimsy.

Best of all, if you haven't spent much money on your outlandish or trendy items, there is no regret in coming to your senses the next day and getting rid of it.

STYLE: Money Best Spent

STYLE

Money Best Spent

Most of us live on a limited style budget. The best investment, for the money, is spending extra on those things which you'll wear every day--a professional hair cut, professional coloring (if needed), eye glasses, everyday purses or briefcase, and shoes.

Invest in high quality and you're half way there to looking good everyday, without even having to stop and think about it.

STYLE: Clothing Upgrades

STYLE

Clothing Upgrades

Usually garments right off the rack never look quite right. One easy fix to make clothing appear better quality is to upgrade the buttons. Plastic and cheap buttons can be switched to something much better, making the entire outfit appear to be of higher quality. It can also update an older item.

You can achieve a more custom look with your clothing by having garments altered to fit your unique body type by a seamstress or tailor. This is particularly helpful as our bodies age and change. A classic dress may still be in style, but no longer fit well a decade later.

STYLE: Be Careful with Metal

STYLE

Be Careful with Metal

One of the easiest ways to look pulled together, no matter if your style is casual or more formal, is to make sure that your metals don't clash.

It's easy to forget that the buttons on clothes and shoes, zippers, clasps on accessories, and our jewelry may be made of different metals. For example, brass fittings on a purse don't look good next to silver buttons on a jacket. While a few people may get away with electic, most of us just seem disorganized and somehow not quite together.

Worse are more obvious mismatches, such as when a silver necklace is worn with gold earrings. The only way to compensate is to find somewhere the two metals can be mixed--say, adding gold and silver braclets mixed together to complete the outfit.

To avoid having to put too much thought into the issue of metals, look for non-metal buttons on clothes, hidden closures on shoes, and purses without exposed metal fittings.

STYLE: Weed Your Closet

STYLE

Weed Your Closet

Recently I've done some research for a writing project about how to create a great personal style. I'm realizing as I age, it takes a lot more work to look great. Okay, there are plenty of days I would settle for simply looking pulled together and not sloppy.

A great wardrobe starts with an organized closet. I used to think that I didn't have much to wear. But after reading enough advice articles I realized I had way too much. My best pieces were lost in the clothing clutter. I had no idea what items worked for each season--let alone finding them.

It was time to weed.

I started by creating three piles: give away, throw away and keep. I needed the throw away pile because I have a bad tendancy to think I'm going to fix torn clothing or replace buttons, although it rarely ever happens. So clothing remained in my closet that wasn't even suitable for a thrift store. Bad, very bad.

Other categories to weed a closet can be created: ugly, too big, too small, broken, left over from the Nixon administration, "like" versus "don't like," and "people laugh behind my back when I wear this." Be brutually honest with yourself or enlist the help of a compassionate, yet stylish, friend.

The point is to get rid of the items that don't enhance your figure or make you feel good about yourself. It's easy to hold on to the wrong things because they were a gift, inherited, cost too much or the item was recently purchased. Everything must go that doesn't work for your current lifestyle.

The second step I took was to divide my clothes into four seasons. Yes, a few pieces can cross over, but not many. Most clothes work the best at one particular time of the year.

I have a clothing bag set up in a spare closet for putting out of season clothing away that still needs to remain on a hanger. Everything else could be tucked away in a large garmet box under my bed. I've found that a plastic container with a lid that snaps shut works best, due to the abundance of dust bunnies that nest under my bed.

Seperating my wardrobe seemed like it would involve a lot of work, but actually turned out to be fun. It forced me to get focused on which articles of clothing are functional in each season. More importantly, it got rid of three seasons of clothing from my closet that were quite distracting when I went to get dressed in the morning.

The best part of a weeded closet comes when the seasons change. I get to go shopping in my own stockpile of clothes. There is something refreshing about getting to add "new" items to my wardrobe and getting rid of the old ones, even if it's only to put them away until next year.

Style File: Originals

My Life: STYLE FILE

ORIGINALS

On a recent trip to Santa Fe, my daughter and I hunted through a vintage clothing consignment shop. My daughter spotted a dress whose hard-to-find tag would later reveal it was an original "Karen Stark for Harvey Berin" linen dress. The embroidery was excellent. (Pictured)

Berin's dresses were a favorite of several First Ladies, including Pat Nixon and Ladybird Johnson. The business was gone by the beginning of the 1970s. I don't know the particular history of why they closed shop. But certainly fewer and fewer women were investing in wearing such original dresses. Mass market production and casual clothing was taking over the market.

My own treasure was finding a pair of low boots from the California shoemaker CYDWOQ. Even from a distance I could tell they were handmade. I have no idea about European shoe sizing. Which is just as well. The boots were barely used and the size mismarked. I suspect that's why they ended up being resold at a deep discount while still in great condition.

The boots have taken longer than usual to break in. But I can already tell they will last a long time. The company website promotes CYDWOQ's use of vegetable tanned leather that will mold to the unique shape of the owner's foot. Production is done in the USA at their Burbank, CA factory. The footwear is intended for long distance walking. They don't fall apart quickly like so many shoes.

After a season my boots show little wear. I expect that if I take them to a cobbler to replace the heel and toe pads, they'll be sturdy for many years to come.

Finding the handmade boots and original dress made me ask some uncomfortable questions--like why don't I pay more money to buy a few quality items instead of sticking to cheap clothes I find off the rack?

While my boots were a steal at the resale shop, would I pay $250 to $325 to buy another pair of sustainably made shoes where USA workers have to be paid at least minimum wage? Perhaps better? Or will I go back to the mall for the same old (relatively) cheap mass-produced footwear?

The whole episode got me to thinking about how our wardrobes, and our local economies, would look a whole lot different if we focused on having fewer items that were better made, preferably by local skilled artisans.

My daughter is a teenager. It makes sense for her to buy inexpensive factory-made styles that she'll discard in a year or two as her tastes change. She is still learning what clothes appeal to her. And her life is in constant transition. Who knows when she'll need her first professional set of clothing for an internship or first real job.

I, on the other hand, have reached the Age of Knowing that my full figure and short height will only look flattering in a small range of clothes. That there are many fads for me to avoid because they didn't compliment my figure the last time they were in style.

It would make sense for me to invest in a few quality pieces of clothing.