Manolo for the Big Girl

When building a wardrobe, it’s important to make sure you’re highly visible in it. By that I don’t necessarily mean bright colors or wildly dramatic cuts. Of course I’m hardly against either of these things, but right now I’m talking about something much, much subtler. What I mean is that your personality should be visible in your clothing choices.  When you find something that makes you feel entirely yourself, that piece has power.

For one woman it might be a brightly colored wrap dress, for another a soft grey turtleneck, and for yet another a pair of amazing leather boots. You are the only one who can identify your power pieces. Whether the thing that makes you feel most like you is a pair of cat’s eye sunglasses, black lace, paisley,  or linen trousers, you need to make room for it in your wardrobe. Don’t pick just any piece that fits the description, though. Shade, cut, proportion, comfort and construction still matter in these pieces. In fact, they may matter even more than usual because this is your calling card.

My calling card? Hats. It all started when I was fifteen with a visit to the Renaissance Faire. Yes, Ren Faire, Plummy. Deal. My mother whipped up an indigo blue Tudor flat cap for me to wear with the amazing early Elizabethan court gown she’d made me for a school play. I fell in love with the Faire, but even more I fell in love with that cap. I started wearing it everywhere. It was the perfect shade of blue to make my eyes sparkle and my skin glow. It was the perfect proportion to make my rather small head with the very flat straight hair look just a touch bigger. It kept my nose from burning when the sun came out, and kept the rain out of my eyes in stormy weather.

I wore it with everything, to every event. I wore it to school, to my job (I had a paper route and washed dishes at a Russian Orthodox Church), to rehearsals for school plays, to concerts, to the grocery store and the mall. It rapidly became a signature.

Eventually the hat died a sad death from overuse. I have mourned it ever since.

By that time, I was the Girl in the Hat. I did the only thing I could imagine: I got more hats. First was a Greek fisherman’s cap and my grandfather’s Homburg. They were both great, but only for casual wear. I picked up a gorgeous winter white beret with a spray of white feathers. By the time I was twenty, I had a collection of wonderful hats. I’d figured out what my best proportions, styles, and colors were. I knew what angles looked best on me and knew to avoid even trying anything too square or entirely brimless.

In short, I found something that spoke to who I was, learned the tricks that made it work on me, and made it my calling card. It’s so much my sartorial thing that there are people who have known me for as much as five years who have never seen me without a hat. When I recently got a dramatically different new haircut, there were friends who didn’t notice it for weeks because I had the hats on.

I have hats for formal and casual wear, hats for sun and hats for rain, subtle colors and bright ones, straw, fabric, felt, heavily ornamented and plain. Believe it or not, I’ve packed all that into less than a dozen hats, bought (and received as gifts) over the course of the last fifteen years or so.

The point of all this? When you find something that makes you feel the most you, it’s worth investing in it. Time, money, thought, and effort are all worth putting into these powerful pieces. In them, you feel good about yourself, and that can open surprising doors in life.

I am not blessed with a cygnine neck or a prominent collarbone.

It was the death of my short-lived modeling career (seriously, Crystal Renn’s entire career just hangs on her collarbone) but I am blessed with a significant and ever-growing collection of Very Fancy Scarves.

The difficulty is, and we’ve all seen it, foulards can be a difficult look for the fat of face.

Those fancy wraps and knots that look so fab on our slim sisters with the long necks can make us look like cheap Christmas bonbons.

Does that mean we have to leave our foulards to others, or just use them as kerchiefs, gypsy belts or –my personal fave– camisoles under tuxedo jackets? Mais non! (That’s French for Hells -to-the-No.)

As we’ve discussed before, the best way to hit sartorial paydirt is to pay attention to balance.

Think of it like a basic layer cake. If it’s all frosting and no cake (or all hat and no cattle, as we say in Texas) then you’ll get a bellyache. If it’s all cake and no frosting, it’s okay but not, you know, ideal. No, just as the perfect martini has the right amount of vermouth –I don’t subscribe to this bone-dry nonsense, if you’re going to drink a glass of gin drink a glass of gin, but don’t call it a martini unless there’s at least a respectable dribbling of vermouth– the best outfits play with hard/soft and high/low.

So what does that have to do with fat girls in scarves?

Well scarves are soft. They’re billowy and silky and airy and light. They’re fluffy. We are also fluffy. So scarves on big girls can be like frosting on frosting. The key is to have a bit of angular definition in a scarf.

I’ve also found that keeping the scarf away from your face makes for a better look than one wrapped tightly around the neck (I learned this the hard way when I watched myself talking while wearing a snugly-wrapped scarf. My chins took on a life of their own.)

The most flattering knot I’ve found is this one:

In Texas it’s called the buckaroo knot, but some folks –including the fabulous Mai Tai– call it the friendship knot. Whatever you call it, it takes a few minutes to figure out the first time, but after a few tries you’ll be as handy as any vaquero (buckaroo comes from vaquero the Spanish word for cowboy).  Personally I wear mine with the knot to the side with the scarf ends flared out –I pin it, which is a no-no, but whatever–  so it creates a broader shoulder look, which is excellent for the pear-shaped who need a little upper body balance.

I’m also very much digging the linda knot, which this adorable little man –clearly an Hermes sales assistant– demonstrates:

I wear it tied in a soft square knot -again off to the side. This one doesn’t take any practice at all, but does work best on a scarf that’s got a little firmness in its hand.

Finally there’s the butterfly knot.  I only do a small variation of this, making a smaller butterfly and using a regular ring instead of a scarf ring, but it’s pretty, easy and looks WAY fancier and more complicated than it is.

So what about you? Do you wear scarves? I know a lot of American women are scared of them, but I want to know what you think!

Francesca here, popping in on the weekend to tell you (or remind you) about some sales that end today or soon. Here, in alphabetical order:

One of many spectacular hats of fabulosity from WomenSuits.

Alight is having a big holiday sale, and will take $8 off your order of $40 if you enter code alight878 at checkout.

Ashley Stewart will take 30% off your entire online purchase (excluding sale, clearance and Diva Deal items) “for a limited time.” Also, get a free upgrade to 2-day shipping on purchases of $50 or more.

Avenue will take 35% off your online purchase with code AV91167. This ends today.

JC Penney will give you free shipping through Tuesday with code SHINE25, or click here to print a coupon for use in-store. If instead of the free shipping code you wish to receive 15% off beauty products, use code JCPFF2009, also through Tuesday. Plus-size clothing is here.

Jessica London is having a tremendous, site-wide sale. Ending today, take 30% off your highest-priced item (if you order three or more) with  code JLE4484.

J. Jill will take 25% off any online outlet purchase, or 40% off full-priced jewelry (online or  in stores) through Tuesday.

Junonia has taken 30% off fleece and flannel items, and will give you free mittens and a hat with orders of $75 or more. Both offers end today.

Swimsuits for All will take 25% off your order with code 25NEW. This ends today.

WomenSuits.com will take 20% off your purchase of $100 or more (online or by phone) with code BLESSEDCHRISTMAS. This offer “expires soon.” Can be used more than once. FYI, Francesca has never seen a better offer than this from this vendor, so prices/deals are unlikely to get better. Francesca loves their collection of “church hats,” which remind her of the Ascot scene in My Fair Lady. The Americans are such interesting peoples.

Come back tomorrow for even more sales. xoxo

Many of the sales about which Francesca wrote on Monday and Tuesday are still going on. Click here for clothes and here for accessories and gifts.

YOOX is offering free shipping through December 23, in addition to their big sale which includes beautiful accessories, shoes, and handbags. Gift guide here. Gift Certificates available here.

Igigi has 2 pages of gifts for under $100. Their holiday dresses are here. Pictured:  Imperia Lace Dress in Black/Red.  Remember, free ground shipping on orders of $150 (or 2-day shipping for $10).

Avenue will take 35% off your online purchase, through Sunday, with code AV91167. Holiday dresses are here. Pictured: Avenue Plus Size Katherine Satin Trim U-Neck Dress.

Junonia has taken 30% off fleece and flannel items, and will give you free mittens and a hat with orders of $75 or more. Both offers end on Sunday.

Jessica London is having a tremendous, site-wide sale. And, through Sunday, take 30% off your highest-priced item (if you order three or more) with  code JLE4484. Holiday dresses here. Francesca’s pick.

Swimsuits for All will take an additional 25% OFF your order, through Sunday, with code 25NEW. See their new arrivals here. Francesca likes the new colorblock swimsuits by Longitude. Buy your swimsuit now to save money in the spring.

Ashley Stewart will take 40% off your entire online purchase (excluding sale, clearance, Diva Deals, and turtlenecks) “for a limited time.”

Chadwicks will give you shipping for flat rate of $2.95, and toss a free cardigan sweater into your order of $20 or more, with code CHDEAL09. Deals end on Monday.

Zaftique will give you shipping for a flat rate of $3.50 on orders of $100 or more, through December 21, with code FSHLDY09.

Happy shopping and happy weekend! xoxo

For information on current clothing sales, go to yesterday’s FFI here.

Designer Shoes adds a new brand, Nota Bene, of whose style and quality Francesca approves. Francesca’s pick: their classic Mary Jane (pictured).

YOOX is having a big sale, including high-end shoes, handbags, and accessories.

Zappos, one of our favorite shoe sources, is offering free shipping both ways as always. Now, additionally, they offer free overnight shipping on clothing. Sizes go up to 40 or 4XL (warning: largest sizes are mostly swimwear). They also sell kitchenware and all sorts of nice gift items like cologne and toys, starting here. Free shipping and return shipping on everything. Francesca says: wow.

Cosmetics Mall is having a big sale on Women’s Fragrances.

Books Online has a menu of book clubs for yourself or someone on your gift list. Francesca loves the gift of the book club!

Smart Bargains has added new items to clearance. This includes home goods, jewelry, women’s apparel (including some plus sizes) and menswear.

Beauty.com will take $20 off your purchase of $100 or more, through December 20. No code necessary. Exceptions: This won’t work for international orders (APO and Territories addresses OK), and won’t apply to gift cards, gift certificates, prescriptions, contact lenses, magazine subscriptions, or the following brands: Aramis, Bare Escentuals, Darphin, Donna Karan/DKNY, Jane Iredale, Lab Series Skincare for Men, Origins, Missoni, Prescriptives, Sean John, Smashbox and Tommy Hilfiger.)

Magazine City provides excellent prices, with no strings attached, on magazine subscriptions. Francesca found some of her favorite fashion magazines for $1 per issue (to US) and under $5 per issue internationally (a very good price, Francesca fears. Living outside the US has its advantages, but certainly not in the realm of access to English-language print media!)

Amazon has set up a page from which you can see their “top holiday deals” FYI, the Gund bear pictured is a free gift if you order $75 or more of toys (also add the bear to your cart).

Sun Jewelry, a vendor of high-end bracelets, earrings, etc, has set up a gift clearance page, with sale items to buy for the special someone (including yourself). Francesca’s pick: Marguise Amethyst and Diamond earrings (pictured).

Happy shopping! xoxo

Let’s talk about muffs.

(everyone recovered from their spit takes? Good. Let’s move on.)

For some, the holidays begin at the lighting of the first advent candle, for others it’s when when Creepy Uncle Kyle hits the eggnog juuust a bit too hard and starts loitering under the mistletoe even though he’s directly related to everyone in the room. For me, it’s the annual unveiling of my vintage beaver muff.

People just don’t wear muffs anymore, and I think it’s a shame. They’re so damn handy, especially when you live somewhere where it’s not really quite cold enough to need a full proper coat, but you do need something more than gloves. I bought mine a few years ago at a now-defunct antique furrier stall at Austin Antique Mall (you can get yours on eBay or at Ruby Lane, but fair warning: be ye careful with your search terms) and people just LOVE it, in fact, it’s getting worn out from so much petting that I’ll probably have to get a new one soon, so I can rotate.

From a fashion standpoint, muffs tend to require a certain presence, which makes it one of those great pieces that are actually more successful on a big girl. Think Shelley Winters, not Shelley Duvall.

I’d suggest if you’re procuring a muff for the first time to go with a color other than white, as white tends to be both a bit infantilizing –think of the millions of little girls with their precious little white rabbit muffs– and costumey (we don’t mind referencing Dickens and Victorian Christmas carolers, but we don’t want to actually look like one) so stick with brown or black instead.

Today Miss Plumcake wants to know:

What piece of clothing/accessory signals the beginning of the holidays in your heart? It can be a current favorite –embarrassing turkey sweater anyone?– or something from your youth. I just want to know what gets your bells a-jinglin’.

Isabella Blow was a genius, and she got screwed.

La Blow, former Tatler editor, muse, star-finder and influence-wielder would have turned 51 yesterday, and her tragic story was fashion legend even before it ended with her death-by-weed-killer in March, 2007.

She was not a pretty girl.

No true fashion visionaries are traditionally beautiful (Miuccia Prada, Diana Vreeland, Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, etc), she had a weak chin, droopy eyes and perhaps the most painfully British set of teeth to be found outside the Royal Family.

But she had an eye.

BOY did she have an eye and she decided to follow Oscar Wilde’s commandment: if she could not BE a work of art, then at least she would wear them.

Thus created was the woman Lady Gaga wishes she could be.

She was an Evelyn Waugh character come to life: high born, brilliant and hopelessly self-destructive.  Blow left England in 1979 and wound up in New York, working as Anna Wintour’s assistant (the Devil may wear Prada, but the Assistant discovered McQueen) and then for André Leon Talley.

She returned to London to work for Tatler, which is like American Vogue but smart and interesting, first as an assistant and then as its Fashion Director. She also bounced around the rest of Conde Nast and did a stint as the Sunday Times Style section (London, not New York).

During that time she developed her relationship with boy-genius milliner Philip Treacy and became his muse, constantly daring him to create a hat she would not wear (as noted above, lobsters were not a barrier to millinery).

She discovered straight-then plus-then straight-sized model Sophie Dahl (Granddaughter of Roald, which explains why the heroine of The BFG was named Sophie), Stella Tennant and perhaps most legendarily, discovered Alexander McQueen when she bought young Lee’’s entire student collection for ₤5,000 –paid for in ₤100/wk allotments as she couldn’t afford it all in one go– in 1992.

Her personal life was not a happy one.

Disinherited by her father in the early 90’s she was married briefly in the 80’s and then joined her lot with Detmar Blow in 1989. Their marriage was not a success as Isabella battled with depression and could not conceive a child. Detmar, needing to carry on the family name in order not to lose the familial manse designed by his muckety muck architect ancestor (also a Detmar Blow) temporarily left Isabella when her I.V.F. didn’t work so he could knock up some girl.  Charming, no?

As Isabella continued to suffer from depression and a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, the people she discovered and nurtured –particularly McQueen– were moving onwards and upwards.

Her friend Daphne Guinness said “She was upset that McQueen didn’t take her along when he sold his brand to Gucci. Once the deals started happening, she fell by the wayside. Everybody else got contracts, and she got a free dress” which was especially hurtful as Blow was cripplingly low on cash and was rumored to have personally negotiated the Gucci deal.

Blow tried several creative attempts at suicide, finally succeeding by drinking Paraquat in the bathroom of the family manse her husband had left her to save.

Blow’s memorial service was, as you’d imagine, well-attended and there has been a great deal of guilt –both public and private– about her treatment by her fashion friends and colleagues. Read Simon Doonan’s self-punishing recollection –published shortly after her death– here.

As a personal note, I wept when I saw Alexander McQueen’s S/S 2008 show, an homage to Isabella chock-full of Philip Treacy confections (including a quivering mob of feather butterflies which I came up with for a Halloween costume in 2001. I have proof.)

Isabella Blow did not have a happy ending, nor indeed a happy middle or beginning, but she was one of the few great characters of the post-couture era and her eccentricity has inspired a new generation of  fashion daredevils.  Have a great weekend, and wherever you’re going, put on a hat. Do it for La Blow.

Silhouettes recently sent Francesca three “Fall Essentials” of their choosing to review on the blog. They were gifts to Francesca, but as always Francesca is 100% honest with her readers about the items’ quality and style — with thanks, of course, to the Silhouettes for thinking of us.

It is difficult for Francesca to have to start with the shoes, because as our readers know, here at Chez Manolo we deal in the highest-quality-materials-and-craftsmanship feetswear, which one cannot possibly get for the retail price of $49, which is what these shoes cost. So Francesca asks herself, If I were one of the many superfantastic girls who, doing the best she could, wanted to spend no more than $50 on the pair of shoes, what would I think about these? And the answer is that, for what they are, these are very attractive shoes. Francesca loves the medium heel and the suede- and Oxford-inspired style, which is “in” right now, and in the brown color they are perfect for the Fall wardrobe. As long as one understands that everything but the sole is constructed of man-made materials, that they will not last for many seasons, and that they are less comfortable than their higher-end counterparts, then, as they say in Yiddish, gezuntahait.  Enjoy them and go forth in style!

They also sent me this faux snakeskin silver “hinge” bangle in purple. It is on sale right now for $19. Francesca does not understand how this is a “Fall Essential.” It is, in her opinion, a “Spring or Summer Option.” If you like the design and the color(s), again, it is perfectly nice for the price-point. Francesca was not “blown away,” but that is a matter of personal taste. If this bracelet tickles your  fancy, then Francesca will not look at you askance.

Francesca has just 3 words for this unfortunate glass-and-acrylic   bauble:

Barbie Dress-up Playset.

Though, if she squints, she can imagine the young girl with the pageboy haircut, jaunty attitude, and vintage clothing pinning this to her cloche to cute effect.

And now, in deference to Silhouettes, who were willing to send a box to Francesca internationally for her to try their wares without any hope of getting them back, she proposes another item from their site which suggests more promise: a classic Mock Wrap Dress in eggplant. She also points out that they have easy-priced, wide-calf boots, which Francesca knows is of utmost importance to  many the Big Girl.

PS From Francesca’s Inbox: Use code S96E2 for free shipping in the continental US on orders of $100 or more. Code is good through November 16.

Well, it’s Wednesday. This was SUPPOSED to go up on Tuesday, but this new stupid WordPress thing is made out of carob-coated horse spittle so we’ve been temporarily delayed.

Still, it’s time to find out What Miss Plumcake is:

Reading: Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment. Very good, if not excellent. Because life is too short to read books about bunnies.

Watching: David Lynch’s The Elephant Man. I’m not sure how this managed to escape my viewing for so long, but it’s beautiful and utterly heartbreaking.

Hearing: J.S. Bach’s Complete Works for Organ.  In a continuing theme of Bach. Y’all have seen the Crab Canon on a Mobius Strip video, right?  I’m going to try to learn this on my own on Baby (my baby grand which I’ve never actually played) and then emotionally blackmail sweet talk an organist I know into letting me give it a go on the big pipe organ.

Smelling: Orris Noir by Ormonde Jayne. One of my all-time favorite frags. One time a Big Deal Music Producer (not as rare as it sounds, this is Austin) followed me a block down Sixth Street to tell me how good I smelled.

Loving: Hirschberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Some of my favorite people have lost THEIR favorite people from this disease. Chip in if you can.

Hating: My damn hippie neighbor’s damn hippie hand drum which she bangs –without benefit of actual rhythm–  INCESSANTLY, particularly when I’m trying to sleep, or you know, actually rehearse REAL music. Because GOD FORBID I practice my Purcell without the dulcet tones of some toad-licking hemp enthusiast having epileptic fits on the world’s most maltreated bodhran.

Wanting: Carlos Falchi crocodile bag. I generally prefer smallish framed bags, but this one made me whimper. AND it comes in a screaming yellow. Honestly, if I wasn’t saving up for my Kelly, I’d snatch this up in a heartbeat.

Buying: The Macallan 18 Single Malt Scotch. Last night marked the official switch from gin to Scotch and the Macallan is my favorite readily available Speyside. I’ve heard tell that Costco will rebrand it occasionally and sell it at a huge discount. Otherwise you’re looking at about $140 for a bottle which should last an entire Scotch season with regular personal use. Mmm, there’s lovely.

So what’s tocatta-ing your fugue this week?

They’re Balloafers!

I’m telling you right now I’m a huge, HUGE fan of the elasticized flat. Always have been, always will be, but my problem with them is they’re often SO flat they’re not as comfortable as something with a teensy bit of lift. It looks like these have a split leather sole and I particularly like the curve of the breast of the heel, it’s not just a little stack. The hardware is nice too, it looks like a loose snaffle bit, but not in a way that tries to imitate Gucci, which I appreciate.

Incidentally, if you can’t afford an Hermes “mors ring” scarf ring (pictured here on the lovely and talented MaiTai, whose blog is nothing short of a delight) do yourself a solid and pick up a pony or miniature horse snaffle bit. You can use it in the same way and even in sterling silver, it will cost you a tenth of what a Mors ring would.

Beautiful, non?

Loafers are available in pink, celery and a lovely sort of azure (sizes all limited) they’re from Raparo and are made in Italy, on sale for $79.