Elegance at Eighty

Jacquie looks incredible not even considering her age, but at 81 she's even more of an inspiration for us all to continue to dress up and feel great. She designed this gorgeous striped dress out of material she found at a fabric store. I love getting together with her and hearing about all of her adventures, dancing at The Apollo Theater, and listening to her plans for the future.Over the past 80 years Jacquie Tajah Murdock has never stopped dancing and never stopped dressing.

80 Year Old Rita Has Over 70 Pairs of Outrageous Glasses

I met 81 year old Rita on a trip to Seattle over the weekend. She walked into the Great Harvest Bakery in Ballard wearing the most interesting pair of alien-eyed sunglasses. I was very intrigued and need to know more about her. I waited until she was finished purchasing her loaves and then asked if I could take her photo for my style blog, based in New York City. She was delighted and told me, "I have over 70 pairs of glasses and I wear a different pair everyday. Meet me here tomorrow and I will bring a whole bag full." I knew that I couldn't miss out on this opportunity!

The next day I met Rita outside the bakery wearing an even more spectacular pair of multicolored sunglasses. She showed me a grocery bag full of glasses that I could choose to photograph her in. We had a great time talking and taking photos and she told me the story of why she wears such outrageous glasses.

Rita says that her tastes are usually pretty simple. She had lost her small vintage sunglasses somewhere in the neighborhood, so her friend Marty accompanied her to a local mall to buy another pair. Marty picked out a big, fun, over-sized pair of sunglasses for Rita to wear and she picked out a smaller, more simple pair. Rita decided to purchase them both and wore the big pair to a recovery meeting sometime that week. Everyone in the group went wild for Rita's big shades. People started sending her huge, outrageous pairs of sunglasses from all over the world, resulting in her collection of over 70 pairs. Rita told me that although she wouldn't normally dress outrageously, she feels that the sunglasses make me people happy. When I asked her how she felt about them she replied, " They aren't really my style, but now I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by not wearing the pair they bought for me. Now I feel lost without them. They have become my trademark."

I loved meeting this wonderfully eccentric and charming woman and hope you enjoy her story and of course her amazing collecting of glasses.

In Memory of Zelda Kaplan

Yesterday 95 year old Zelda Kaplan passed away after collapsing, front row, at the Joanna Mastroianni Fashion Show. Zelda lived an amazing life.When we would get together she would always start by telling me how lucky she had been to have so many great opportunities. She traveled the world and collected hand woven fabrics and worked as an activist to bring the issue of female mutilation into discussion.

Zelda had a zest for life. She loved dancing and was a regular at New York's hottest clubs where she could be spotted dancing the night away in her brightly colored suits and matching hats. When I met Zelda the first thing she asked me was if I liked to dance. When it came to style she told me, "If you look well, then you heighten the atmosphere of a place, but remember to always be yourself. You can't turn marble into silk." Zelda definitely heightened the atmosphere wherever she went. I was lucky to have known her, even for such a short amount a time. I will cherish the advice she gave to me and remember her wonderful spirit always.

Marc Jacobs Fall 2012 Inspired by Advanced Style

I just found out that Advanced Style helped to inspire the Marc Jacobs Fall 2012 Collection! I am honored that my photos of these wonderful women and their expressions of personal style could be so influential in the work of a designer as important as Marc Jacobs. Check out these articles from French Vogue and WWD HERE and HERE , mentioning Advanced Style's influence on collection!

Valentine's Day Outfit Options From Advanced Style

Do you need some inspiration for your Valentine's outfits?Here are some great options from the ladies who do it best.

Side Swept Style

I first saw this woman in a grocery store on the Upper East Side. I admired her gorgeous hair and elegant style, but she left the store before I could ask her for a photo. The other day I was walking on Madison Avenue and I saw her again. I knew that I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by, so I ran up to her and asked if I could take her photograph. She was very gracious and I can't wait until the next time I run into her. Doesn't this make you a little less afraid of letting your hair go white?

100 Year Old Elise Relflects Upon a More Elegant Past

I ran into Elise on Madison Avenue and was shocked when she told me that she was about to turn 100 years old. I asked her about her fashion philosophy and she replied, "I miss elegance. There was a time when everyone used to dress up." I hear this sentiment a lot amongst the Advanced Style set. It makes me think of my  grandmother's, and how we used to watch old Hollywood films, filled with the most glamorous people. As a young boy I was inspired by looking through grandma Bluma's scrapbooks full of vintage photographs.Everyone in the pictures looked so elegant and well dressed.

This is one reason I am so drawn to people like Elise. After taking her photo, we exchanged phone numbers.I can't wait to share some of her collection of over 83 hats with everyone!