you searched for

Save Face, Put a Hat On!

on
[Assorted images from our Advanced Style archive, Text: Maayan Zilberman]


One of the tips we always seek from our friends on Advanced Style is:

How do you stay feeling young and vibrant?

What’s the #1 answer, you might ask…

“Wear a hat, and protect your skin from direct sunlight.”

Well, the sun is out and summer is officially here, so it’s time to dig out your favorite hat or go hunting for a new (or thrifted & gifted one)…. The sun is stronger than ever and we have to protect our precious skin, no matter what our age.

Some of you (such as myself) don’t like to fuss with hat-hair, and avoid the hat look altogether. If you are one of these types, try a glamorous parasol or scarf like Old-Hollywood-Style Jenny.

Feel free to send us your inspired photos, and remember:
Just because your face is shaded by a hat, doesn’t mean you can stop wearing sunscreen.
Always wear sunscreen, and wear white… there’s a reason it’s considered a “summer color”.

xo
Maayan

*Since this post went up, some of you have asked about the women in the first photo. The beauty in stripes is the legendary Beatrix Ost…we were lucky to see her in Central Park and snapped her photo!

The Dazzling Jean Betancourt

on

[Photos: Ari Seth Cohen, Text: Maayan Zilberman]

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Jean, a very sweet and funny jewelry artist based in Brooklyn. When Ari told me she lives and works out of her studio right in my neighborhood, i insisted we meet her to go through all her collections of jewelry… she’s been making dangle earrings, bracelets, rings, and necklaces for several decades, well before anyone dared to wear them all at once, and keeps them all archived in her multi-colored apartment full of antiques.


One of Jean’s signature pieces is an oversize ring with tens of beaded chains dangling from it. She says it’s lost without the nails done, so she paints them emerald green then does “freehand lettering” in black on each nail. I told her this is very much in vogue, and she didn’t seem to mind since she’s always just doing what she feels looks good and what makes her happy.
We did bond, however, on what colors we wanted to paint our nails the following week and how I am ambidextrous, so I could teach her how to do more accurate lines with a paintbrush for her right hand.


It’s not going to be hard to get back into wearing tons of jewelry after meeting with Jean and seeing how easily she layers it all. I’ve been having trouble making peace with all the jewelry I have at home, figuring out a way to wear it without it “wearing me”, and deciding how to wear it through the summertime without it weighing me down. I was excited to see Jean wearing all her beads on wires and string, rather than on heavy-set metal plates (like much of the items you see these days)… it lightens it all up and creates the movement you might want if you’re afraid of wearing jewelry that’s too heavy for your lifestyle.


Jean is an artist in her own right, she makes paintings and collages that line the walls of her idiosyncratic apartment. Though the hallways are covered salon style, her bedroom is decorated solely in jewelry… rows and rows of necklaces are pinned to the pink walls, as a halo around her bed, like dream-catchers or amulets. It’s nice to think that by wearing one of Jean’s unique works of art that you may take a piece of her with you.

If you are interested in meeting Jean, having her make you a custom piece of jewelry, or if you are interested in any of the items you see… please feel free to contact.

Advanced Style Inspiration

on

[Photographs from Dazed and Confused by Matt Irwin Models:Beryl Nesbitt & Anne Fletcher ]

I fell in love with this editorial published in ” Dazed and Confused” a while back and wanted to share it here. Advanced Style embodies the spirit of playfulness and having fun with fashion . Personal style is a creative form of expression that can keep people youthful and vital. Not only is age not an excuse not to dress up anymore, it is the exact opposite. People like Ilona,Debra,Tziporah,Maryann and all of the other fantastic advanced stylistas feel that age has allowed them to become more free and express themselves without seeking approval from others. Years of experience have helped to shape their ideas about style and creativity and with age these ideas continue to advance and transform!

A Couple That Styles Together Stays Together

on

[Text: Maayan Zilberman]

This week for Mondays with Maayan I’m focusing on style amongst some of my favorite iconic couples. Every week I’ve been sitting with different women or men, finding out what drives their unique style and what makes them choose what they do as they advance in age.
What’s been exciting me most is my subject’s personal history, each delightful person offering advice that I can apply to life at the age of 30… things I can think about as I get dressed in the morning, when I choose whether to invest in a new dress or buy it for $5 at a thrift shop… and of course, when to pay most attention to my intuition.

This week’s featured Advanced Style couples are artists, designers, and musicians. We talk a lot on this site about how dressing up can heal, and how much maintaining your own sense of style will keep you feeling young as you get older. I love how each of these (very different!) couples enhance their partner’s sense of style, and how they inspire one another to be vibrant and vital and creative.

Ari and I have been talking about how here in New York our friends and partners influence one another, and how as we get older we adopt characteristics of the people closest to us just as often as we seek individuality. This week we’re celebrating the beautiful outcome of two people encouraging eachother’s imagination and self expression.
(Fingers crossed, Ari and I will be able to get you all some style tips straight from some of them!)