HOT 5 - 12/23/21
Merry Christmas HOT friends!
Well, here we are. A lot has happened since I sent out the HOT gift guide a few weeks ago, back when we so innocently had high hopes for the holidays. We had no inkling of how different things would actually turn out to be. Here in New York City the omicron variant has caused infections to skyrocket (up 246% in the past two weeks!) and we're right back to wearing masks (hopefully with Maskeraides :) all the time and worrying about how many people we've been exposed to. Sadly, vaccines haven't kept breakthrough infections at bay. My Xmas plans were dashed when several family members tested positive (all vaxxed and boosted, btw) and quarantine became the plan for the holidays. Fingers crossed that we'll be together for New Year's Eve! In the meantime, mask up, vax up, and cheer up!
This being my last email of the year dear readers, I've decided to recap 2021 by choosing the Top 5 style stories that I found the most meaningful and wrote about several times during the year. The 3rd story inspired me to launch a new vintage clothing collection on House of Terrance that I’m super excited about. I think these stories will only continue to grow in importance as we go into 2022. Speaking of the new year, I want to wish you all a very bright one, filled with love, light, and much less covid!
This week's HOT 5 are my favorite style stories of 2021:
1. Inaugural Style
2. The Expression of Personal Style
3. Vintage, Resale, and Thrifted Fashion
4. Seeing the Representation We Deserve!
5. Going Going Gray
1. Inaugural Style
Who can forget the collective sigh of relief we shared when President Biden with Dr. Jill on his arm was officially sworn in on January 23rd? Especially after Jan. 6th, one of the darkest days in our history. Photos of the beautifully dressed Vice President Kamala Harris, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in their monochromatic, on-trend ensembles by Ralph Lauren, Christopher John Rogers, and Sergio Hudson respectively, flew around the world. And of course, we couldn't get enough of young poet phenom Amanda Gorman in her Prada sponsored sunshine. It was truly great to see the new administration start off in style!
2. The Expression of Personal Style
My hands-down favorite style story of 2021 has to be the explosion of personal self-expression in clothing and beauty! Thought to be a direct response to all the time we spent at home during the pandemic, it makes sense that people would be plenty ready to show the world who they really are. I love everything we're seeing these days style-wise, from men in skirts to "women of a certain age" rocking shocking pink locks. There's a sense of freedom in dressing and beauty that we haven't seen in quite a while. Creativity has been unleashed and there are no rules and I'm here for it. I've been following two women on Instagram who do a fabulous job of showing their followers how to think differently about getting dressed. They mix high and low, vintage with new, and do it all with panache and a sense of humor. Check them out: Carla Rockmore and Trinny Woodall. And here are 2 great articles from Vogue and The New York Times about personal expression in clothing and makeup.
3. Vintage, Resale and Thrifted Fashion
I have been a passionate shopper of vintage, pre-owned and thrifted fashion for most of my life. In the 70s at Wellesley College right outside of Boston we couldn't wait for the fantastic annual thrift event where the very well-heeled neighborhood women would donate their gently (and not so gently) used clothing to be sold at the school with all proceeds going to charity. I scored amazing pieces at that event that set me up for a lifelong love of that type of shopping experience. Fast forward 40 years and it's more important than ever that we make that the primary way we shop in order to save our planet! I'm excited to announce that I've just created a page of vintage fashion on the House of Terrance vintage tab with lots of great pieces, some would be excellent choices for New Year's Eve! And check out The Chic City Girl on Instagram, she's a great resource for chic styling ideas for thrifted and vintage fashion.
4. Seeing the Representation We Deserve!
How great has it been to finally see some inclusivity in the worlds of fashion and beauty? One great thing about social media is the appreciation and respect it's given the world for more "normal-sized" bodies, darker skin tones, and underrepresented groups. Amazing plus-sized models like Precious Lee and Paloma Elsesser are real beauties and have taken the fashion world by storm. We've also seen an uptick in the use of trans and gender-neutral models on the catwalk which has only made catwalks cooler and more interesting. This past year we saw another first on the catwalk when major fashion player Moschino in its Spring 2022 show featured the Black transgendered and physically disabled model Aaron Rose Philip proudly using her wheelchair to transverse the catwalk. Inclusivity only improves the world of style!
5. Going Going Gray
Even before the pandemic started sales of hair color had been in serious decline. Those numbers are probably even worse after the almost two years we've just had. The pandemic was the perfect excuse for many women to see if they could embrace their grays and be happy about it. For the record, I was not one of those women but I did really consider it and I'm sure I'll get there someday soon. I like what Jane Fonda 84, had to say recently about aging. “We need to revise how we think about aging, the old paradigm was: You’re born, you peak at midlife, and then you decline into decrepitude. Looking at aging as ascending a staircase, you gain wellbeing, spirit, soul, wisdom, the ability to be truly intimate and a life with intention.”
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Terry xoxo