Getting the Pretty Back

by Molly Ringwald

  STAPLES

  THERE ARE SOME PIECES THAT I BELIEVE EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE IN THEIR WARDROBE NO MATTER WHAT SIZE YOU ARE, OR HOW OLD YOU ARE. THEY ARE THE STAPLES THAT YOU WOULD GRAB IF YOUR HOUSE WAS BURNING DOWN AND YOU HAD TO MAKE A RUN FOR IT. WELL, HOPEFULLY, IF YOUR HOUSE WAS BURNING DOWN YOU’D HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO GRAB THAN YOUR CLOTHING, BUT YOU GET THE IDEA.

  1. JEANS

  I think that a lot of people make the mistake of buying jeans that are too light or too tight. And let’s not even get into those awful jeans that are prebleached, making the wearer look as if she just sat in a tub of powdered sugar. Unless you’re courting a grizzly bear, that look is no good. What you want are the perfect Goldilocks jeans, the ones that fit you just right. Of course, every body is different, so what fits me wouldn’t necessarily fit you and vice versa. The best thing to do is determine your body type and match the jeans accordingly. And if there is even a hint of the “muffin top,” you know, that roll of fat that spills over the top of the waist, pass them on (and accept that maybe lowriders aren’t for you).

  Generally it’s good to go longer than you think and have them taper gently out toward the bottom. And go darker too. If you have only two pairs of jeans, get one pair that is dark blue and another black. A friend of mine even gets her jeans dry-cleaned, a luxury that most of us don’t have the time or money for, but it does extend the life of a great pair of jeans. A good rule of thumb is to remember that skinny jeans should be left to skinny people.

  2. BLACK CASHMERE TURTLENECK

  This is something that I have had in my wardrobe forever. If you take good care of it, it will last a lifetime. Black turtlenecks are the easiest things to grab when you want to look put together but don’t want to spend a ton of time putting yourself together. They are incredibly easy to accessorize and to layer in colder weather. In hotter weather, you can forgo the cashmere and go for a silk blend. Cotton is OK, and certainly the most comfortable for hotter weather, but it fades easily, which always makes you look a little…well, faded. A black turtleneck looks chic under a trench (a favorite combination of mine—very Yves Saint Laurent) and can also dress down beautifully under a casual jean jacket.

  3. HERMÈS SCARF

  There is nothing better for style or function than a silk Hermès scarf. Truth be told, it doesn’t absolutely have to be Hermès. There are plenty of other brands out there that fabricate scarves with the same “look,” but as far as I’m concerned, Hermès is the top. If you can afford it, go for the best. It was something that I noticed right away when I first moved to Paris, the way that Frenchwomen wore their Hermès scarves—and not just older women. It’s like a style talisman that carries women from their twenties all the way into their seventies and beyond, never really going out of fashion. Of course there are many ways to wear your Hermès scarf (see Chapter Two) and there really is no right or wrong way. I like to just fold my carré into a triangle and roll it from there, and then around my neck with a knot. If you are too hot, you can always untie it and attach it to your bag. But beware! Hermès scarves are notoriously silky little things, and if you aren’t careful, yours might slip away!

  4. WRAPAROUND DRESS

  This dress was invented (or at the very least popularized) by Diane von Furstenberg and is universally flattering for all body types. I consider it a wardrobe staple because, like most women, I tend to gain and lose the same ten pounds over and over again. It’s nice to have one dress that you can wear no matter what and still feel beautiful and sexy. Wraparound dresses are so versatile they can even be worn during pregnancy. They are also incredibly easy to dress up and down. Put on a pair of pumps and some clunky gold jewelry, and you are ready to party; or throw it over a bathing suit and wear with flip-flops for a day at the beach.

  Most wraparound dresses have a pattern, which are again very flattering to the figure, but choose your pattern carefully. Try to find colors that complement other preexisting pieces in your wardrobe. And if you are a busty girl, invest in a little hook and eye right at the cleavage, depending on how much you are comfortable with sharing with the world.

  5. TRENCH COAT

  Everyone should have a trench coat in her wardrobe. The original was created by Thomas Burberry prior to the First World War, and if you are still looking for one, you would be hard-pressed to find one better than Burberry. However, if you happen to find a snug little vintage Yves Saint Laurent trench circa 1970, thank the fashion gods and never let it go! Take out insurance on it! If you put together an outfit of everything I’ve listed so far, you have a perfect and chic ensemble. The trench is a wonderful piece to take you from season to season, and of course it never goes out of style. Throw a beret on your head and channel a French Resistance freedom fighter. Change into knee-high leather boots and wraparound glasses and you are Belle de Jour. Put one on with nothing on underneath, and you’ve just given your husband an early Christmas present.

  6. HANDBAG

  Choose wisely. After all, this is something that you will be carrying every day. Try to select a handbag that you won’t be embarrassed to carry year after year. Once again, I believe that this is a time when it is better to forgo the trend (e.g., fringe, logos littered all over it, and locks the size of cannonballs) and go for something classic. I have a bag that I bought at Prada in the nineties that looks absolutely modern today. And though I love suede, it will never last the way that leather will. “Scotchgard” it all you want, it will still look soiled after a week. Mulberry and Prada always have the most consistently beautiful and classic handbags, in my opinion. Forget the Hermès Kelly bag. It’s a beautiful object but not very practical—particularly the hard-shelled classic. You end up gingerly opening the flap, feeling like you are breaking the binding of a hardcover book, and it barely fits the essentials. The Birkin is more user-friendly but not very wallet-friendly, and the heft of it will send you to the chiropractor eventually. I don’t even think Jane carries her Birkin bag anymore, citing back issues. Which really makes one wonder, what does Jane Birkin carry once she forgoes her namesake? A Birkin fanny pack?

  7. T-SHIRTS

  Now that you have already cleared your drawers of all those terrible, messy, oversize T-shirts, you have room for the good T-shirts! Solid colors only, thank you. They are necessary for layering and can also just be worn on their own. And look at how nice and neat they look folded up in your drawer!

  I used to be of the mind that the kind of T-shirt didn’t really matter, but after being introduced to the T-shirt line of James Perse, I have to say that I am now a convert. The material is the softest and most luxurious imaginable, and the necklines really are more flattering than regular T-shirts. And maybe this is the busy working mother in me talking, but there is something to be said for buying multiples when you find one that you like. It definitely extends the life of the garment and significantly cuts down on the frustration of trying to find that perfect T-shirt again when yours begins to fray.

  8. A NUDE HEEL

  Here’s a trick that I picked up from my years on Broadway. Have you ever noticed that the dancers in scores of musicals all have the same shoe? From Chicago to Sweet Charity. A nude heel really does extend the leg, much more than a darker shade. Pick up a skinny-heeled nude shoe and wear whenever possible without stockings. (Just use a shiny, lightly sparkly lotion for your legs.) You’ll add a couple of inches to your height, and your legs will look infinitely better. A couple of decades of dance lessons wouldn’t hurt either.

  You generally can’t go wrong with the high-end shoes (Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choos) but your wallet can. These shoes are undeniably beautiful—and crushingly expensive. My friend Julia (who is by trade a costume designer) refuses to spend over a certain amount for a pair of shoes, just on principle. The best thing to do if you want to invest in a great (and expensive) pair of heels is to buy a classic pair at the end of the season on sale, then baby the hell out of them. Make nice with your local cobbler and visit often. Get the tips
of your shoes replaced before they actually start to wear down, resoled more often than you actually think you need to, and polished on a regular basis. If you take these preventative measures, you may hang on to your prized shoes longer than you thought possible.

  9. BLACK BLAZER

  Something that always makes your outfit look sharper is a well-fitting black blazer. I particularly love the tuxedo. A black blazer can make you look more finished. You can’t get more chic than the famous Helmut Newton photograph of Vibeke Knudsen on a Parisian street entitled Le Smoking. Wherever you’re living, a nicely well-tailored blazer is a great addition to almost any outfit. For some reason, blazers always seem to be associated with evening wear, but the truth is a good one can easily transition from night to day. Throw it over one of your favorite James Perse tees by day; pair it with a silk halter at night. Incidentally, blazers are a great item to pick up in a vintage store—just make sure you can take out those eighties shoulder pads. And hightail it over to your favorite seamstress to have it perfectly tailored to your body. Too big, and you are revisiting the bad part of the eighties; too small is even worse.

  10. LINGERIE

  Now comes perhaps the most important staple of all: what you wear underneath. You might be thinking, Oh come on, only my husband sees…and if that’s what you were going to say, then stop right there! That is precisely the point! It is all too easy to get caught in an underwear rut, and once you get in it, it’s very hard to escape. Beautiful underwear is the ultimate morale booster; it’s like walking around with a wonderful secret. The crème de la crème (as far as I’m concerned) is La Perla. Their bras and panties are hands down the most stunning. Not inexpensive, but if you know how to properly wash your lingerie, they last much longer than you think. I suggest getting your husband/partner involved. Once he sees you in a beautiful set, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind donating to the cause. Just make sure that you find a place that knows how to properly size you. Most women haven’t sized themselves since they first started wearing bras, and I don’t need to tell you that your shoe size isn’t the only thing that changes after you have kids! And if you are one of those women who don’t think you need to wear a bra, reconsider. Gravity affects us all—not just the Cs and Ds. Besides you don’t know what you’re missing. You wouldn’t think of showing up at a party with a present unwrapped, would you? Think of your lingerie as really glamorous wrapping paper. And you are the gift.

  CODA

  Of course, these are just my top ten staples. There are many more: the pencil skirt with a sexy kick pleat, the boatneck blue-and-white-striped sailor tee, the Converse sneaker (the only acceptable sneaker to wear outside a gym in my opinion). I prefer black, my friend Sara insists on white, but I think that’s because she moved to Los Angeles a few years ago. It’s true, outside Manhattan, black can seem a bit gloomy during the day. Brown is also a good color, if your wardrobe tends to favor the earth tones.

  Keep in mind that different occasions merit different outfits and looks. So much of the pleasure of fashion is putting together the perfect look for a special situation, whether it’s a night out on the town with your girlfriends or dinner with your husband at the new restaurant everyone’s been raving about. And if you feel like you don’t have any reason to dress up, then figure out a reason. Don’t wait for one to appear on the horizon; make one up! Throw a dinner party.

  The most important thing to remember about fashion, though, is to have fun. Don’t take it too seriously. It’s easy to be intimidated by the fashion industry, all those photos of gaunt black-eyeliner-wearing models stomping along catwalks, the telephone-book-size magazines declaring the death of one style and the ascension of another, but style is above all a personal issue. Fashion is a chance to experiment, to try new things, to figure out what looks great on you. Approach it with the same enthusiasm that you did when you were young and you were first figuring out who you wanted to be and what you wanted to show the world about yourself.

  HEADING TO THE HERMÈS STORE

  always feels a bit sacred to me—going to worship at the altar of the god of exquisite taste. But if you don’t live near one, eBay is a great place to troll for all things Hermès. Be extremely careful of counterfeiters, however. Read up on the way you can tell a fake from the real thing. But again, I have nothing against wearing something that is not the real thing as long as you aren’t paying for the real thing.

  HOW TO TIE AN HERMÈS SCARF

  IN PRAISE OF THE BERET

  As with almost any important fashion statement, the essential ingredient is confidence. This applies to any hat, but especially the beret. I love the beret because it makes any outfit look a little sassier, and in the New York winter it really does keep my head and ears warm—reinforcing my belief that there is true beauty in function. Things to keep in mind: avoid red and green for the political implications. I think it best to stick with black. It goes with everything and keeps your outfits from “matching” too much. How to wear it? Stick it on your head, smush it to the side, and pull out a few random locks of hair, and you are ready to go.

  HOW TO PACK A CARRY-ON BAG

  These days the convenience of air travel has been greatly diminished, not to mention the price gouging that the airlines have all universally instated. Gone are the days when you could essentially fly your entire closet from one place to another free of charge. And anyway, I find it the height of sophistication to be able to pack in a carry-on bag everything you need for a week away. And there is nothing that makes you feel like a seasoned jet-setter more than getting right off a plane and zipping off in a car directly to where you want to go. Here are some tips to packing a successful carry-on bag:

  Roll with it! Forget folding your clothes. I roll everything I pack. It takes up less space, and it prevents unwanted creases.

  Stick to a color palette. Black is the easiest, but in summer, white is just as good. Make sure that your accessories match. For example, when you pack black, don’t bother with a brown belt. (Unless you’re making a statement. Though I can think of better ones than this.)

  Invest in small toiletry bottles and fill them with your cosmetics instead of lugging the whole bottles with you. You don’t need the extra weight, not to mention the fact that with the new security regulations you are only allowed three ounces of liquids on the plane. Many drug-stores carry small travel-size versions of your favorite products as well; it’s a good idea to stock up when you aren’t traveling so that you have them on hand when you are.

  Pack less than you think you need. The night before, lay everything out on your bed. Put together the possible outfits. (A very type A friend of mine actually goes so far as to photograph her selections.) Make sure you always put something back in your closet.

  Wear your heaviest items of clothing on the plane. They can charge you for any extra luggage, but they can’t charge you for what you are actually wearing! Boots take up a lot of room in your bag, so they are a good thing to wear. If you feel that you are going to work out where you are going, you should probably wear your sneakers on the plane, since they are also a bulky item. Layer tastefully. You should still look presentable. The flight attendants really do treat you differently depending on the way you look. You will never get a free upgrade in shorts and flip-flops.

  Make the most of your space. Look at it as a spatial relations puzzle. Find the hidden places in your bag to stash things. Fill your bra cups with socks, your shoes with scarves. If something is breakable, use your sweaters to wrap it up and place it in the middle of your bag.

  Leave room in your suitcase for what you will buy. Most of us always pick up a few things while away. If your suitcase is jam-packed on the way there, you will be forced to buy another bag there to take everything home. If you know for certain that you will buy a lot, roll up an empty duffle bag and stash it in your carry-on. If you don’t use it for new purchases, you can always use it to separate your dirty laundry from your clean clothes.

  Chapter Three

&nbs
p; BOYFRIEND HAIR, THE SKINNY ON SKIN CARE, AND MAKING UP THAT’S NOT HARD TO DO

  HUBERT DE GIVENCHY WAS ONCE QUOTED AS SAYING, “HAIR STYLE IS THE FINAL TIP-OFF WHETHER OR NOT A WOMAN REALLY KNOWS HERSELF.” I’m not sure about the exact context of this remark, but he might be on to something. Whether we like it or not, hair is a strong part of our identity. For some, it’s right up there with where we’re from and whom we love and what we do for a living. And it isn’t just women. There’s a reason the hair-loss industry rakes in billions of dollars every year. Men are just as guilty of this kind of identification. If you’re not convinced, go cut off the nearest slacker’s ponytail and watch him burst into tears.

  Woman or man, young or old, whoever we are, we tend to treat our hair like a symbol, something between aesthetic decoration and a personal declaration of intent. Nowhere is this more evident than in what I call the “emotional haircut.” Whenever something difficult and monumental happens in my life—the end of a relationship, say, or the end of a difficult job—inevitably I will find myself going to get a new hairdo: a new color, a new cut, often both. After spending years growing it out, I’ll find myself rushing out to chop it off again, seized by an impulsive and irresistible need to declare to the world, “I’m changed. You don’t know the hell I’ve been through, but here is proof that I am in a different, better place.” It’s a gesture to ourselves as much as to the world, a hopeful attempt to fortify our spirits.

  The easiest and most gratifying hair change is the haircut. But you only get one real shot at it, and then you are in the long and tedious growing game. Of course, there is always the possibility of hair extensions, which these days seem to be about as mandatory in Hollywood as having an agent, trainer, and publicist. But Hollywood doesn’t count. This is a place with a long history of artifice. Allegedly Marlene Dietrich used to go to the hair room at MGM studios and have the twenty-four-karat-gold dust shaken out of her wig before leaving work for the day.