Posts tagged beauty

Advanced Style Film for NOWNESS

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Advanced Style: Age and Beauty on Nowness.com.
Here is the complete Advanced Style short film for NOWNESS.com . I hope you enjoy these fabulous ladies as much as Lina and I do!

More Beauty and Style Secrets from Stylish 60 Somethings

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With this winter weather I thought it would be a good time to post beauty and style secrets from two more stylish 60 somethings. If you have been following Advanced Style for a while now, you have probably come across Debra Rapoport and Tziporah Salamon. Here are their responses to the questions along with some video inspiration as well.

1. How old are you? What are your concerns with your appearance as you get older. What is your attitude towards aging?
I AM 60 YEARS OLD. MY CONCERNS ABOUT MY APPEARANCE ARE THE SAME AS THEY ALWAYS WERE: TO LOOK MY BEST, TO LOOK HEALTHY AND RADIANT, TO REMAIN FIT AND LEAN AND TONED AND IN SHAPE, TO FEEL MY BEST. A WOMAN IS LIKE FINE WINE – ONLY GETS BETTER WITH TIME.
2.How do you take care of your skin, keep it looking healthy. Are you worried about wrinkles and aging skin?

I’VE ALWAYS USED GOOD PRODUCTS THAT I BELIEVE IN. MAINLY ORGANIC AND ALL-NATURAL. OF COURSE, I SEE THE WRINKLES AND MY SKIN AGING AND CHANGING. AND I GET A TWINGE OF REGRET OR ALARM- FOR A MINUTE. THEN I GO ON ABOUT MY BUSINESS AND FORGET ABOUT IT.
3. How do you keep your hair looking healthy. Do you color your hair? What is your thoughts on gray hair?
I THINK IT ALL STARTS WITH DIET AND TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. I EAT A SIMPLE DIET OF ORGANIC VEGETABLES, GRAINS, BEANS, TOFU, SEAWEED, FRUIT AND FISH. I BIKE. I RUN. I DANCE.
I MOVE. I STAY ACTIVE AND INTERESTED AND PURSUE WHAT I LOVE. NO, I DON’T COLOR MY HAIR. I’VE BEEN LUCKY THAT IT’S ONLY NOW STARTING TO TURN GREY. AND I THINK I WILL PROBABLY NOT COLOR IT – I LIKE THE WAY GREY HAIR LOOKS ON SOME WOMEN AND I HOPE I AM ONE OF THOSE WOMEN. I AM A PERFECTIONIST ABOUT THE CUT AND I GO TO THIS INCREDIBLE HAIRDRESSER , CHUCK CITRIN, WHO KNOWS EXACTLY HOW TO CUT IT AND DOES A GREAT JOB EVERY TIME.
4.How has your style changed as you have gotten older. Do you feel more free to experiment with style. How do you get out of a style rut?
I’VE ALWAYS HAD A STRONG SENSE OF STYLE. I’VE ALWAYS KNOWN WHAT LOOKS BEST ON ME AND I’VE ALWAYS BEAT TO MY OWN DRUM. IT’S BEEN THE ONE CONSTANT THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.
HAVING GROWN UP TO INCREDIBLY GIFTED PARENTS WHO MADE ALL MY CLOTHES, I WAS THE BEST DRESSED GIRL IN TOWN FROM DAY ONE. I STILL PLAY DRESS UP EVERYDAY. I STILL GET A THRILL OUT OF PUTTING TOGETHER OUTFITS. I STILL REJOICE WHEN I FIND SOMETHING I LOVE THAT SETS MY HEART ON FIRE.
5.Any advice you would give to others who are concerned with aging…
EMBRACE IT! CELEBRATE LIFE AND THE YEARS THAT YOU GET TO LIVE IT.
I LOOK AT GEORGIA O’KEEFE AS MY STYLE INSPIRATION. SHE WAS STUNNING AS A YOUNG WOMAN. AND SHE WAS GORGEOUS AS AN OLD WOMAN – WRINKLES AND ALL. WHAT REFINEMENT!
WHAT BEAUTY! WHAT ELEGANCE!
Debra Rapoport

Here are Debra Rapoport’s responses. Debra is a healer and reflexologist, feel free to email with any health and style concerns at Debrathenutritionista@gmail.com .

1.I am 65 plus…and you can’t help wondering why your skin is no longer youthful. So I do the best I can and allow myself to accept what I can’t change. I do not want to make any additions or changes to my face/skin.Economically, it is not my priority.

I inherited pretty good skin from my mother.
I have never spent time in the sun but skin changes as the collagen decreases.
Since I have never been a beach person I don’t worry about how I look in a bathing suit. I look good in clothes and I love to be dressed My attitude towards aging is to go gracefully and have as much fun as you can. It can’t be avoided.
2.I feel very youthful as I am health and have to aches or pains.
I care for my skin with very few commercial product. I cleans and moisturize mainly with olive oil, coconut oil or jojoba oil. I I use product I go for Weleda or Dr. Hauschka. Also Pratima which are very pure Ayurvedic products sold on line or from a location on Green St. NYC .
I have worn make up since I am very young and I think it does protect the skin but I do clean my skin at night. I have never been a sun worshipper so have been protected from dangerous rays since very young. My mother knew back then in the late 40’s.
I don’t like the wrinkles but dislike the sagging skin more. I have just accepted it. YOGA helps too; doing inversions and stretching and strengthening the facial muscles.
As the say “better to smile than to frown” .
3.I do color my hair for years. I like grey hair if it is healthy. I have considered growing mine out because I think I am almost ALL white…so I add the pink for fun. Perhaps soon I will go white.
I keep hair short…have almost always had short hair. The hair gets finer and softer with age so short is better, for me.
I use simple shampoos, much product, different brands, always trying something new but also apply coconut oil or olive oil for shine and to feed the hair.
4.I have always dressed up. I find the seasons have more influence than age. In winter it is harder to wear certain things because you are usually hidden under coats. So I allow the coat/hats/scarves be the statement.
I may dress a bit more “grown up” now because I want to dress to suit myself but I don’t want to look foolish. I often will wear youthful things such as short skits but done properly for my age and body type. It is very important to address your body type and know what looks good on you. Really look at yourself and don’t judge yourself harshly, but give a good look.
5.To help get out of a rut try thrifting. I like to THRIFT because I will try things on that I may not see or bother with in a store. But thrifting at the right price, I can take a chance, try to make something work, alter it or pass it on.
Try colors you ordinarily wouldn’t wear. Even if you just do it as an accessory; not an entire garment. Try accessories you would not normally wear…like a hat, a belt. I know as we get older belts are often a problem.
I think being active and involved allows us to feel better about ourselves. Doing regular exercise keeps us aware of our body and thus feel better. Eating well and simply is very important as we advance in order to maintain our health. This allows us to physically feel well, have mental acuity and balanced energy.
Getting some form of regular body work is excellent for keeping well, balanced and fit.
Find what is fun and go for it. Dressing up everyday gives us a focus for each day. It can be simple but feel good and enjoy the process.

Ladies Do Lunch

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[ Photos: Ari Seth Cohen, Text: Maayan Zilberman]
Some of you have noticed a new voice on Advanced Style as of late… That’s me, Maayan. I met Ari a while ago when I started talking to him about casting some of the women featured on this website for my fashion line The Lake & Stars. Many of the inspiring people on this website remind me of friends I made during years of volunteering as a painting instructor, and during frequent visits to my grandmother who was a social worker in a nursing home. From these experiences I got to learn that life doesn’t end at 50- in fact, it is just the beginning!

Ari’s work encouraged me to show my customers how women with wisdom and strong personal style can build a “look” with just a little inspiration, and how you can wear an outfit without an outfit wearing you.

This week I had the opportunity to meet up with Debra (a fixture on Advanced Style) and MaryAnn, who you all got to see in photos when Ari visited her home to see all the heavenly jewelry she makes. As we ate lunch (at Debra’s favorite of 30+ years, “Spring Street Natural”), the ladies got to compare their views on style, health, and aging gracefully. They even shared some of their stories of dressing up when they were children!

What are some of your earliest memories of expressing personal style?

Debra: I grew up in a very creative and open household, my parents encouraged my sister and I to play dress-up with clothes and to express ourselves. I was always very opinionated about layering. When I was 4 yrs old we moved to Florida, and I had a cotton harlequin jumpsuit that to me said, “THIS is Florida!”… It was my first favorite item; it was freeing and made me feel like I could do no wrong in it. Dressing up was always fun, it was never precious or formal.
MaryAnn: When I was a child, my aunt was a buyer for the upscale department store Gimbels (this building is now the Manhattan Mall in Herald Square!) so I got to browse her closets and have access to all the high fashion items. She would send me boxes and boxes of outfits, and every time they would be more fantastic. I got to learn early how to play with style, and none of it felt precious. Because it was a gift, nothing ever felt off-limits to play with.
Debra: (chimes in after we realize how similar their approach is): If you want an item in your wardrobe, you have to enjoy it…. Don’t be too precious with special items, make them casual- like a diamond brooch on a t shirt, or a tutu as a shawl… its about incongruity!

Do you feel like age should affect how much skin you show?
Debra: I have a great neck and shoulders, thanks to yoga and good genes, so I like to bare them. I’d say that every woman should try things on before purchasing them or leaving the house, because sometimes you think it looks like too much but its gorgeous.
We have to get over these outdated assumptions, that women (or men) can only wear certain things.
MaryAnn: A smart woman knows how to play to her good side, with the operative word being PLAY. Dressing up should be fun; you can’t take it too seriously.

Many women I talk to have a hard time putting together an outfit, or as we might say, “building a look”. How do you get dressed in the morning?
MaryAnn: Dressing up is a creative process that brings me closer to my “Self”. It doesn’t really occur to me that people would have a hard time with this; it’s a natural part of my day. My husband asked me recently “What would you call that look?”, and I answered, “It’s just me!”
Debra: Building an outfit is a morning meditation. It gets me prepared for the day ahead, and is what will determine my mood for the day.

(Last week I asked Debra to take me to Forever 21, a low-priced trendy fashion chain, so I could see how she would build a look with her “Frugality is Fun” mantra in mind. Without a second thought, Debra chose five or six structured dresses or corset-style bodice tops as the base of each look she would create. This would be the answer to all my questions about Debra… I needed to know, as an artist, what would be her “canvas”? She then layered all sorts of blouses, skirts, hats, etc. What you’d never expect, however, is how she treated each item- she’d turn it upside down, inside out, whatever way would work. It’s all about approaching clothes (and life) from a new perspective.)

What would you say to someone worried about age taking a toll on his or her appearance?
Debra: Wrinkles? If you have wrinkles I’d say… So what?! If you eat right, you’ll feel right. You have to keep this consciousness into your 40s, 50’s, 60’s and on…
MaryAnn: In order to keep looking young you have to do youthful things, like dressing with expression. If you feel young mentally, you will look young.
Debra: As you get older you have the confidence to take different style risks, which is inherently youthful.

How do you transition your look into hotter summer months?
MaryAnn: I wear a lot of leather layers all year, but I play with it, less layers and lighter weight. It’s the same aesthetic though. The jewelry I wear changes, I use more seasonal materials, like shells, for summer.

Who are your favorite designers?
MaryAnn: I’m in love with the Rodarte girls. Those sisters are the most creative designers right now; I love their aesthetic and fabric combinations. My dream would be to meet them.
Debra: I love the look of Rick Owens, and Comme des Garcons, but its more for inspiration- once a year I splurge on a designer item, but for the most part I like to work with what I have and just explore different looks.

Do you swear by any beauty regimens? How do you have such amazing skin?
Debra: I really don’t buy products, my main rule is to only use on your skin what you would consider putting in your mouth… so I use a lot of oils like jojoba, olive, etc… I just recently started using Weleda products; they make a lot of creams for babies.

What items do you think every woman should have? And does this change as you get older?
MaryAnn: You always have to have accessories, and lots of jewelry…. And black ribbon. I often have some in my purse if I need to tie something, or I put it in my hair.
Debra: Yes, everyone should have layers of accessories, and recycled items (things you use for more than one purpose)…. I always have velvet ribbon or elastic ribbon around to use as a belt, headpiece, bracelet, or for my hair.

What about someone who’s never tried dressing this way, what if they want to try something new?
MaryAnn: So much of the time people are cemented in their ideas of dressing and don’t want to change their look to be more creative- I used to try giving more friends advice, but its hard as you get older to change these habits!
Debra: To succeed with this I think you need to take it 180 degrees… go to thrift shops so the changes are less of an investment. Spend very little on just a few things so you can play and see what you want to do to express yourself. Go buy some new eye shadow, get a free makeover… anything that feels like PLAY!