Twiggy Who?

Yes, my mother, at the age of thirteen, did thicken Twiggy's hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, add freckles to her adorable little nose, and play a game of Dots and Boxes with those newly added freckles. How could she have known that Twiggy would remain an icon forty-five years from that day, and that her future daughter might like a pristine version of that famous face to post on her blog? It was simply unforeseen.

Yep, I am still hauling around my July 1967 McCall's, and, lucky you, you get to hear all about it. The cover story is Twiggy Who? by Jean Kerr. It's a tongue-in-cheek essay about, well, Twiggy's twigginess.  It's funny stuff, but I think it is indicative of how women  sometimes think and talk about other women.

Writes Kerr, "I do not go back as far as Lillian Russell, which will surprise my children, but I do remember the friendly 'forties, when we all admired the gorgeously cushioned contours of Ingrid Bergman and mini-skirts were worn only by girls under five. And by Scottish Bagpipers. It was a great time for a size fourteen* to be alive. Even girls who wore size sixteen were taken to dances and occasionally found husbands...I did not expect this age of felicity to last, and it didn't. I watched the fearful descent from substantial Ingrid to wiry Audrey and finally to Mia Farrow, knowing we were going from pillow to post, and I shuddered."

 Such a good photo spread by Otto Storch. I love Twiggy's pose and expression, as well as the cropping of this photo.

Kerr also refers to Twiggy as seeming like "a most delightful young boy." I know Twiggy is generally faulted with ushering in the fashion world's cult of thin, but I really like Twiggy's face and style. She sums up the swinging '60s for me, and I love the fashion! Despite my adoration of her style, I know I am never going to have Twiggy's figure. It is a difficult one to maintain (not even Twiggy maintained it as she matured into a woman - although she still looks great), and I never had it to begin with. I'm going to be honest here - I have fought my body for a long time, and I am tired of it. I am not perfect. I am not the ideal, and I just don't feel like judging myself anymore for not fitting somebody else's idea of perfection. Shoot, I don't feel like less of a woman simply because I am (a lot) more of a woman than Twiggy was in 1967.

Do you notice how Twiggy has wrinkles under her eye and around her mouth? How come faces in magazines have to be as smooth as babies' butts these days? P.S. Yes, the patterned earring is my mom's doing. In this case, I like the addition.

I am not saying I am working on letting myself and all beauty standards go. I am saying I am working on myself for myself, and I am okay with acknowledging that perfection is out of the question. Nor is it the goal (anymore). I know from personal experience that thin women can provoke envy and dissatisfaction with one's own self, but, truly, criticism doesn't make you feel better about yourself. We women have to deal with a lot of pressure, media and otherwise. We do not need to lambaste each other for what we have too much or too little of. Women come in all shapes and sizes. Let's celebrate each other!

Wishing you body love and booty confidence,

Alison :)

*Approximately a size 8 today.

From the Gilded Stage to the Silver Screen

This lovely lady made dumplings for dinner! Here we are posing outside the theater at Kansas City's newest addition, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Eek! All I had was my camera phone!

I spent my weekend preoccupied with performance, in several manifestations. During one of my A.C.E.D. classes on Saturday, my students recorded their "disc jockey" introductions to pop songs. Later that evening, my friend Kate and I made our first visit to the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, where we saw the ballet Romeo & Juliet. The next day, my family got together for the Academy Awards and a pre-show feast.

A.C.E.D., of course, is always an enjoyable experience. My adult students with intellectual disabilities  bring energy, excitement and great ideas to the classroom without fail. In fact, it was a student's idea to focus our radio broadcasting course on radio interviews during one of our class periods. Even though I often listen to interviews on NPR, I didn't even think of that!

The glass enclosure.

Spacious lobby and spacey ramp.

Broad view of Kansas City from the Performing Arts Center.

Then, there was the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It is so exciting to have such a first-rate performing arts center in Kansas City! You can see well from any seat in the house, and your ears will be blessed from every angle. Kate and I sat on the Grand Tier, which is not the highest level, but it was pretty high up. We heard the dancers' feet slap the stage as if we were sitting directly before them. It was magnificent! I am a huge fan of the building's architecture, although I am not sure I am sold on how each floor has its own color of carpet. Even though the building itself is a work of art, I do wish there were more paintings, sculptures, etc. around. Art could be added in a way that does not interfere with the architecture or clutter the space.

A mod take on the typical performing arts theater, but fair Verona hasn't changed a bit.

People spilled out of the theater after the performance. The place was packed!

No ballet slippers for me.

What I wore to the theater: vintage flower pin bought during my adolescence when I still understood Romeo & Juliet, cardigan bought from Target because it matched my glasses, a tank top from JCPenney, a thrifted dress with tags still attached at time of purchase, shoes from Payless, tights from K-Mart, and an opera jacket that once belonged to my Aunt Opal. I'm so fashionable. That's what this one girl meant when she looked at me all funny.

The ballet was divine. There is something so thrilling about live performances. Maybe it's because I know how much work is going on behind the scenes to make the production appear flawless. Or maybe it's the costumes! Or the music! Romeo & Juliet is a classic, and I think it was a good idea to see a narrative with which I was familiar. I remember studying the play during freshman year of high school. I thought it was so incredibly heartbreaking. If only Juliet had awakened five minutes earlier! If only Romeo had arrived after Juliet had risen from her cold slumber! If only I could have gotten to the crypt to stop Romeo from slaying himself! I hated cruel fate at the time. Later on, as an adult, I revisited Romeo & Juliet. My experience at that point was much different from that of my adolescence. I thought Romeo was downright emo in his convictions. It made me realize, a little sadly/a little wisely, youth happens once. I had grown too old to relate to the primary characters. I understood that, yes, you do indeed survive your first love, even though losing him/her hurts. Does this make me jaded? I like to think not - I'm still a crier and a feeler and a it-takes-me-a-long-time-to-get-over-a-love kinda person! Anyway, the production was beautiful from the music to the costumes, from Romeo to Juliet. I enjoyed it very much, and I hope to make it back to the Performing Arts Center soon.

Roasted veggies and swiss burgers.

Mmm, fresh fruit and dip!

Mmm, fresh fruit and mini-pastries!

I love movies, too, and watching the Academy Awards is almost as good as seeing one. The Oscars doesn't just celebrate actors and actresses. It celebrates all the artists, thinkers, movers and shakers it takes to produce and release into the world a multi-faceted piece of art. As an artist, I am enthralled by the costume, set and makeup design, as well as all the new digital processes used in movies. I am also a huge fan of cartoons. The Animated Feature and Animated Short categories inspire me. Hee! The Academy Awards makes me dream!!! My sister began the tradition of celebrating the Academy Awards in dressy outfits with a fancy dinner years ago. This year we went without the gowns, but we did have a delicious dinner. Then we spent the evening enthralled by the movies. I watch The Academy Awards to learn about movies I haven't yet seen (which seems to be most of them!) and artists I should get to know. My favorite things about Oscar Night are the fashions worn and the emotions shared. I live for exciting, emotional, humorous or outrageous speeches. My favorite to date is Roberto Benigni's acceptance of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film for Life is Beautiful. What's yours?

Did your favorite movies and stars win this year? Are you inspired to try a new art form or see a new film? Are you a movie buff? What's your favorite Oscar winner? My favorites are It Happened One Night and Marty - but, sheesh, how can I even choose! Obviously, The Artist is now at the top of my list of movies to see right this very instant. I can't believe I haven't yet seen it! I, who am so enthralled with old Hollywood and silent film!

Who dressed the best? I was hung up on quirky details like the rose on Stacy Keibler's gold Marchesa gown and the huge bow at the neck of Emma Stone's Giambattista Valli design. I was also way into Rooney Mara's bangs, Michelle Williams' pixie cut (as usual), and Jessica Chastain's pretty shade of red. As far as the guys go, Christopher Plummer did it for me in his velvet tux!

Alison :)

Group Project: 8 Weeks to a Better Me (Week 7: Personal Style)

Elsie of A Beautiful Mess is such an inspiration to me. When is she not doing something creative and inventive, not only with her wardrobe, but in the way she lives her life? I was so happy to see her as the featured blogger on Sometimes Sweet, talking about personal style in the seventh installment of Danielle’s group project, 8 Weeks to a Better Me. Elsie advises readers to know their bodies and only wear clothes that look really great. Go against the current and skip trends that do nothing for you.

I am not particularly trendy, and I pair thrift and vintage finds with off-the-rack options. I like to perk things up with handmade accessories and vintage jewelry. My relationship with my clothes is somewhat related to my relationship with my body. When I feel confident, I dress more confidently, too. I may wear a trend I would have otherwise skipped. In this case, the risk is its own reward. When I feel so-so or not-so-good about my bod, I tend to wear more staples, such as scoop neck t-shirts in solid colors and my best-fitting pair of jeans. No risk. No failure. While a larger goal would be to always feel good, no matter how I look, I am looking forward to taking simple steps to ensure I look good, no matter how I feel.

 
1. Dress in the moment. - What I am looking for in my wardrobe now is much different from what I looked for ten years. ago. Ten years ago, I was an art school student, and my goal was to dress to express. I wore wacky combinations, such as a blue sequined grandma dress with hot pink fishnets and tennis shoes. I still enjoy expressing my personality, but now the goal is to do it in a more timeless, 9-to-5 appropriate manner. I want a wardrobe that glides effortlessly from work week to weekend. I also want clothes that fit and flatter my body now, not the body I had five or ten years ago. I am going to purge my closet and pass along the clothing that is not working for me, so I can work it every day of the week.

2. Adorn myself! - I own quite a bit of jewelry, much of it vintage. However, I tend to gravitate toward the same few pieces and wear them for weeks on end. My goal is to rev up my style by wearing a broader range of the jewelry I love so much!

3. Stir things up. - I have a lot of clothes. I often wear the same clothing combinations over and over again. I could come up with some “new” looks without a swipe of my credit card by simply swapping one cardigan or pair of shoes for another. Instant. Wardrobe. Update.

How do you define your personal style? What are you wearing this summer? Do you have any shopping or closet clean-out advice? If you are following along with 8 Weeks to a Better Me, let me know. I would love to check out your blogs.  

Alison