My name is Melissa Kaplan Guarino. Welcome to my blog! It’s a place for sharing fashion tips & stories that will help make each one of us shine brightly. What is your story?
Cindy Joseph on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family Show (here with hosts Mark Steines and Cristina Ferrare)
I was pleasantly surprised this morning to see Cindy Joseph (featured here on Speaking of Fashion) on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family Show, highlighting her fascinating story and inspiring mature women everywhere!
Lovely to see you, Cindy!
Caroline Misan Alvo
Caroline Misan Alvo is a woman with a mission: to create a movement for petite women to feel better about their size and themselves while giving them a chance to shop for fashion-forward clothing, specifically designed for the petite woman. The name of Caroline’s business is Gambita, which means literally “little shrimp” in Spanish: it was a nickname her husband gave to her as a joke. At 4’9″ herself Caroline had heard every short joke but when it came time to name her business “Gambita was original.”
Launched in January 2013, Gambita is just a few months old. But I feel that women will respond enthusiastically. Here is Caroline’s story …
“I was born in The United States but have had an international upbringing. Born to Brazilian parents, I lived in Ecuador for two years, Mexico City for nine years, and then my parents and I settled in the suburbs of New York City (Westchester). From my early college experience and career choices I have been interested in international relations and development. Before launching Gambita I worked for VisionSpring, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable eyeglasses in the developing world …
At 4’9″ I was very much aware that I was petite. I had this feeling that something was missing and that if I were just a little taller everything would be better. I spent hours looking for clothes that fit and I assumed that I was the only one with this problem of finding appropriate clothes. But I started to speak to friends and discovered that there are many women sharing the same story and it’s not just me! Many people 4’9″ to 5’4″ have been overlooked in the fashion market and about two years ago my interest was sparked and I began to do my research. I discovered that the average size of a woman is just under 5’4″ and that half of the female population is petite. It was a lightbulb moment for me. Why isn’t the fashion industry making it easier for these women to shop for clothes? …
My lightbulb moment turned into a new enterprise when I was let go from VisionSpring in January 2013. I knew this was my moment to follow my entrepreneurial vision and I started the process of launching Gambita. I had no idea how the fashion industry worked so I immersed myself in the research and of course, living in New York City provided me tremendous learning opportunities …
What is Gambita? It is a place to go and feel empowered and inspired while at the same time shop for fashion-forward clothing with the petite woman in mind and make the process easy and manageable. We aggregate clothes from designers that are petite-friendly. We are also creating an online community through our blog and social media where we feature individual voices called petites-in-the-street so people can be a part of this movement, and petite-celebrities and petite-women-in-history. For me, it’s as much as a source of pride for women as it is about the clothes. I hope to reach young, sophisticated and fashion forward women in their 20s and 30s and give them a message of support and confidence. This message: you can be just as sexy and just as much of a powerhouse as anyone else. It has nothing to do with your size. There is a subliminal message in our society that if something is not fitting you there is something wrong with you and that’s just not true …
I am also passionate about building a company that does good for the world. Blending traditional for-profit business with non-profit is the way of the future and I want to be a part of that change. One percent of all of Gambita’s profits goes to 10×10, a social action campaign that leverages the power of storytelling to generate mass awareness, individual advocacy and global action for girls’ education: the inequality that girls face in other countries is horrific. Wouldn’t it be great if every organization gave something back?” ~ Caroline Misan Alvo
Caroline is making a difference in women’s lives. Height be gone – she is commanding indeed! What do you think?
Eric: Prom 2013
I couldn’t resist one more feature on prom 2013. Eric is my son; he is 16 and a junior in high school. Last night he went to his first prom. There wasn’t much fanfare to prepare for the occasion except to take a trip to the barber shop for a new haircut, rent a tuxedo and shoes and purchase new dress socks. And of course, he selected a corsage for his date. But this story is worth telling because he attended his prom in the very same location where my junior prom was held 36 years ago! That does kind of freak me out but it is special and something that he and I will share forever.
My last prom feature is about my own son and a connection with me, his mom.
What do you think?
Eric and me
Clothes from my closet – a floral print a-line skirt with neutral pumps
I’m 5/4.5. There was a short period when I reached my full height at thirteen and I thought that I wouldn’t stop growing. But I did. Bottom line: I’m petite. It’s taken me a long time to figure out what I can and cannot wear and what trends will never work for me. In general terms, I think I do best when I keep it simple and uncluttered.
Some tips that work for me:
- keep pants fitted and flat. When Kim came for my closet audit, she recommended that I have a tailor remove the inner pockets of several of my pants and sew them up. It created a more fitted and flattering leg.
- choose a-line dresses and skirts. Skirts with tucked-in shirts and sweaters is a flattering shape and most often I look for knee-length or just above-the-knee. Skirts for petite women are better if they hit at your natural waist.
- choose a neutral shoe to elongate my legs.
- stay with pops of color, especially around my neck and face. Prints are fine too, as long as the proportion is in keeping with my size.
- turn to a well fitted blazer/jacket to complete a look. But stay away from over-sized and loose styles; in fact …
- stay away from loose-fitting clothing in general.
I also stay away from:
- Bermuda shorts and longer-length shorts and
- loose, blousy tops
Helpful tips? What do you think?
Teen Talk with Catie
I’m back with my girl Catie. It’s been a year since we sat down and much has happened in that time. Catie graduated from 8th grade and is about to complete her freshmen year of high school. We caught up and talked about fashion, friends, and self-image. Once again it was illuminating. Here is Catie …
“I’ve noticed that in high school there is much more freedom to go your own way. It’s okay to be yourself. Styles are more purposeful and the girls take it more seriously …
People aren’t as interested in looking like everyone else as they were in middle school; in high school they are coming out of their shells. They are more experimental and creative in the way they dress. You can tell someone’s personality by the way s/he dresses and individuals are accessorizing in a personal and identifiable way …
I am more experimental, too. I don’t stick to just one style. I’m less afraid to be myself now. I dress for myself, and I feel welcome to be myself.” ~ Catie
Let’s do this again soon Catie!
Chaz Dean: photo credit – Richard Guaty
I, like many of us, am very sensitive about my hair. If I am having a bad hair day it is hard for me to think of anything else. And so a few years ago when I discovered WEN cleansing conditioner for my hair created by Chaz Dean, I started to view my hair in a whole new light. My hair began to feel softer and as my hair became bouncier, I felt lighter and better about myself. It’s as if I turned back the clock and gave myself the gift of younger-looking hair. I know I’m not alone. Many people are waking up to the joy of WEN hair care. Chaz has a vision to help more people feel like me by creating chemical-free, healthy products for our hair. Here is Chaz …
MKG: What has been the driving force behind creating WEN?
CD: I believe everyone has the ability to have beautiful, healthy, shiny hair and with WEN everyone can attain their best hair. Giving everyone the hair they have always dreamed of is one of the reasons I created WEN and continue to do so.
MKG: Why is our hair so important to us?
CD: Hair and skin are really important to how a person feels about him/herself. It is how others see you and how you present yourself to others. Having beautiful, healthy hair and skin is a confidence booster and helps build positive self esteem.
MKG: What happens when someone uses WEN for the first time?
CD: The first thing that most people notice the first time they use WEN is how soft and shiny their hair is. With continuous use they say their hair has never been more manageable, healthy, soft and shiny. It just gets better and better.
MKG: What is your vision for the future of WEN?
CD: My vision for WEN is to keep educating, motivating, and empowering people by enhancing their natural beauty.
MKG: What is something about you that most of us wouldn’t know?
CD: Most people know I travel a lot; what they don’t know is that I bring my own blanket and “My Pillow.” ~ Chaz Dean
Chaz Dean is dedicated to helping each of us feel and look our best. I think I’m lucky we met …
What do you think?
Betsey and Lulu Johnson
You may want to spend part of your Mother’s Day with designer Betsey Johnson and her daughter, Lulu. Tonight the Style Network will launch the season premier of: xox Betsey. A little over a year ago Betsey Johnson filed for bankruptcy but as she herself says, “The stores are gone, but I’m not!” Which is a very good thing, and I can’t wait to see more of Betsey Johnson! She is a fashion favorite, ever since my mother introduced me to her in the mid 1970s when she took over the fashion label Alley Cat. I will never forget (and I wish I could find) the red plaid corduroy Alley Cat blazer designed by Betsey Johnson. It was divine. I borrowed it from my mother and she never saw it again.
I imagine xox Betsey will be a loving tribute to mothers and daughters everywhere and a lot like Betsey Johnson-the-designer herself: bold, bright, edgy, cooky, a lot of fun and original! I’ll be watching!
What do you think?
Rachel Zoe
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” ~ Rachel Zoe
Bergdorf Goodman – courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman website
I love a good story; I especially love the story behind the story. It’s the reason that I started writing this blog. Because I believe that we all have a story and that magic happens when you look behind the curtain. And I love to peak – especially when it’s about fashion! A few months ago I saw a documentary about the legendary editor Diana Vreeland; today I watched an intriguing documentary – more of a love story – about New York institution and luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman. Scatter my ashes at Bergdorf’s tells the story of Bergdorf Goodman; why designers want to showcase there, why people want to shop there, and why employees love to work there. And oh yes, there is a little history about the two men who started it all …
New York tailors Edwin Goodman and Herbert Bergdorf joined forces and founded a luxury store, Bergdorf Goodman, in the Garment District in 1901. The business moved in 1914 to Rockefeller Center and again in 1928 to its present location, 5th Avenue and 57th Street, the corner of luxury-and-everything-elegant-in-New York. The site was originally the location of the Vanderbilt Mansion, which occupied the entire city block. When Andrew Goodman inherited Bergdorf Goodman from his father, he took the department store to its almost-mythic heights. Too much, you ask? Those interviewed contend that we need stores like Bergdorf Goodman to foster the American Dream.
Top fashion designers both domestic and international, including Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg, Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi, and Giorgio Armani, shared their voices and love for Bergdorf Goodman. But it is the stories of the internal Bergdorf family that I found the most inspiring: a family that includes senior vice president and highly influential buyer Linda Fargo, creator of its world-renowned windows David Hoey and spot-on, outspoken personal in-house shopper Betty Halbreich. These intimate glimpses give Scatter my ashes at Bergdorf’s its true appeal. Amy Fine Collins, special correspondent to Vanity Fair describes the glamour and allure of this one of a kind icon: “Bergdorf Goodman has decades and decades of accumulated history. Every nook and every cranny is a story.”
What do you think?
The Goodman Family. Courtesy of Entertainment One Films US
Photo credit: Visage/Getty images
On the heels of a proposal for more conservative uniforms, there is now news from Turkey that Turkish Airlines will ban flight attendants from wearing red lipstick and nail polish. Although the airline contends that the ban is aimed at keeping its crews “well-groomed with makeup in pastel tones” and that it simply prefers neutral tones, many are concerned that this is another step to move the country closer to the ruling Islamic party.
What do you think?