dealing with the F word

Fashion’s July is the month that starts with the sparkles and then sends everyone to Slim Aaron-esque summer vacation.

I am not referring to the 4th of July, but couture and, being Couture, it happens in Paris.

Angelo Flaccavento wrote a punkish article on Business of Fashion on the status of Couture and how it’s been somehow occupied and populated by aliens, that is the ones that don’t belong to Couture, but tag-along. It’s a bit like the phenomenon of Art Basel Miami Beach: from being an art show, to one of the most lucrative and successful art shows world-wide, to: everybody hops on the caravan and everything is dressed up as an excuse to create a party around it. And you see things of Fellinian envy.

“Couture is couture - fashion to the nth degree and the last remaining remnant of the old world concept of fashion as a language and privilege of the elite.”

— "Identity Theft at Paris Couture" - Angelo Flaccavento, Business of Fashion

Couture gives “validation”, couture is couture, “fashion to the nth degree and the last remaining remnant of the old world concept of fashion as a language and privilege of the elite.”

It’s a moment of change in Fashion, gender blending and that awkward almost blurring vicinity between ready-to-wear and couture, which is what Flaccavento is sensing after his week in Paris. Couture is old-school, based on rules that are crystallized in the past, it's slow, it's unique, not replicable or Instagrammable in a #ootd

If fashion were a religion, couture would be its god, the tipping point of Mount Olympus, very much noble and aristocratic and less democratic, if the parallel would hold. 

Nevertheless, for a fashion hard-core extremist like me, confined in the steamiest and most un-glamorous corner I could ever be left at, I need beauty, I need Fashion with the big F, my “eye has to travel” like editrix extraordinaire Diana Vreeland said perfectly in her own special and creative language.

To make everyone up to speed, a couturier is a créateur de mode appointed by the French Chambre Syndicale de la haute couture and designated by France’s Ministry of Industry, a very specific denomination, it’s like the equivalence of a D.O.C. wine or being “Made in Italy” or being an OBE, it doesn’t happen overnight and when you are, you are. There are 8 Italian designers out of 98 and all I am going to do now is to share my absolutely favorites.

Some facts (you may know or not) in chronological order:

1.   Valentino’s duo, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli after many years at the helm of the house, split. Rumors were circulating for a while, since the March runway shows, but it was announced the same day the couture collection was shown. Piccioli remains the sole creative director, Maria Grazia is out. They brought the brand up to the limelight, hard workers, skilled, tenacious and capable to maintain the high standards of the Emperor himself, Mr. Valentino Garavani.

2.   Christian Dior, orphan for a few seasons of a creative director after Raf Simons left, tadaaaahhh, has a new creative director, the first woman in the history of the house, and guess who it is? Right: Maria Grazia Chiuri: all the best #girlsrock

3.   Fendi showed the collection in Rome, because first they are from Rome and second this year they are celebrating the 90 years of the atelier. Models and furs seemingly walked on the waters (aka, a see-through plexiglass runway) of the Fontana di Trevi, in a fairy tale reminiscing of Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” . Karl (Lagerfeld, as you will get used at how in fashion we call the masters by their first name) even tossed the three coins. It must have been magic, that’s all I can say.

On another note, you may have seen some images of Dolce & Gabbana who threw their version of couture Alta Moda, closing off an entire neighborhood of Napoli: they are not couturiers. 

A taste of taste: from that Oscar de la Renta black dress to Bill Cunningham, and back

This is how this post started:

“After all I’ve watched since the 1960s of the women’s movement, it bothered me that women are told that the ultimate expression of dressing is red-carpet worthy”

he said.

“There is something powerful about a dress that is exquisitely tailored and perfectly correct.”

continued William Norwich in an interview with NYT's Dan Shaw talking about the inspiration behing his second novel, “My Mrs. Brown”.  The story of a woman who lived in Rhode Island as a maid and, stricken by an out of the ordinary black dress she peeked in a client’s closet, initiates a trip to the City to look for her version of the same dress, no matter how much it will cost her. Because it’s never too late to find [fill in the blank] ... the Prince, happiness, joy, peace, the job of your life, or, above all, yourself. After you found yourself, just please remember to never feel overdressed and keep your chin high.

Taste is like truffles, must be enjoyed in small doses and it grows on you. 

Today’s fashion’s “business-as-usual” is a "loud" photo-shopped sponsored in-your-face #OOTD after another that somehow has come to overtake and abandon to oblivion a more genteel sophisticated slow-pasted personal style. It may be generational. 

Fashion is in our way of life, style is our lives, whether you live and work for the fashion business or not, style is what says who we are and helps us shape who we want to be. Virginia Wolf is known to have said that no matter how much clothes are sneered at and considered frivolous, “they change our view of the world and the world’s view of us”.

And then, while I was writing, Bill Cunningham dies in NYC at 87 and the post took a different direction, unexpectedly.

The ultimate gentleman, discreetly documenting the real runway that always will be, the street. Not even the father of street style, because that street style we know is commercial, staged, artificial, with no passion other than the temporary happiness money will procure you. Bill says, in the documentary dedicated to hi, “there’s nothing cheaper than money” that is what Cunningham was all about, that’s why he was a one-of-a-kind rare bird of paradise.  

Him and his bicycle, his blue jacket during the day for the “Off the Streets” page and him and his suit or tux when needed for his social page, a frugal and simple life, a reserved, intimate person whose soul, creativity and imagination would peak at the corner of 57th & 5th Avenue, the heart of New York City. There’s a parallel with Mrs. Brown’s life, off the limelight yet lightened up by that Oscar de la Renta black dress.

We live in loudness, arrogance, we are surrounded by vulgar disrespectful presence, “I post ergo I live” people feel alive only if they are visible, no matter if what they showcase is real or purely constructed. Life is not propaganda, thinks Norwich and women exist even when they are over 40, it takes introspective, it takes looking at yourself from the balcony as if you were a passer-by, then looking at your wardrobe and finding out maybe that what you are wearing doesn’t really reflect your YOU now.

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What’s the take-away?

Let’s just remember that “beautiful things don’t ask for attention”. We have all been a Mrs. Brown and the time to go to the city and find THE dress is always now, not "one day" and that corner of 57 & 5th is a fleeting one, one snap away. We will always "dress for Bill" with a genuine smile. 

Have you ever had a black dress you have dreamed of all your life? or a boyfriend or a job ... something or someone to stamp that big smile on your face and everything is gonna be alright.

Trends alert:the struggle between dare or go home

Before indulging in the story that seems occupying the mouths of everyone in fashion 'trends to toss and those to adopt', I couldn't stop but thinking, do we even follow trends?

#theItalianway has a series of rules, it doesn’t matter the order, but there’s one snob little one that says: “we don’t follow trends, we set them.” And yes you may roll the eye and activate brow game, because it may sound ‘toff’, to say it with the Brits. Gotta warn you right now, I am upping the ante with the game and go #girlboss on you when it’s time to do the Italian style right.

As a rule of thumb, better known as the 1937's Laver's Law, a trend is daring before it becomes smart after which it becomes ridiculous and before it becomes daring again, fifty year should pass by. With social media the 50-year span becomes an overnight, all the rules are broken and welcome to the selfie generation.

“Don’t be into trends, don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live”

— Gianni Versace

All you got to do in true Italian style, no matter what, is stay daring also known as foolish if you want to say it with the late Steve Job.  Foresee them, sniff them, embrace them, dare to adopt them while nobody does because too busy to follow the Instagram posts of the ‘social influencers’ or buying what fast fashion dinosaurs copied from runway novelty. That’s your best slow fashion moment.

You know what’s the next question I get all the time? ‘Are we not going to buy anything?’

There’s no reason to think that slow fashion is boring, ugly, looking old and smelling like moth balls. The first breath of Italian attitude you may need to take in is a tweak that switches from a compulsive buying mind into a mindful and conscious one.

Remember step n.7 of The Cheat Sheet of Italian Style reads

But first shop your closet

This happens after you have done an assessment, realized what’s YES and NO  and adjusted your wardrobe to a) your lifestyle b) in an Italian way c) got the hang of it. 

“Buy less, choose well, make it last.”

— Dame Vivienne Westwood

There's one movement that we will be focusing on this year and it's called slow fashion 

In this need to label everything, slow fashion is NOT a trend, is NOT about trends, but it's about:

• sustainable and traceable sources
• eco-friendly fabrics
• non toxic dyes
• transparency
• fair labor and safe working conditions
• employing of women and minorities
• quality and made to last 
• craftmanship and traditional techniques
• hand-made
• made in developed countries
• reduction of CO or carbon footprint and general impact on the environment
• connecting with the consumer
• ideally donating to a charity
• buying consciously and less, no mindless consumption
• based on craftsmanship or tecniques passed from generation to generation
• made of superlative materials 
• upcycled, recycled or downcycled

What is it NOT about?

• not knowing where the materials are made
• short life expectancy of a single piece
• incrementation of pollution
• child or women labor
• 'shadow' factories
• violating intellectual properties
• disposable products
• meant to be cheap

When connecting all the dots above you realize that Made in Italy and the Italian way of dressing are conceptually it. 

In other words, the appeal of whatever has been seen on the runway and the rush of wanting to wear it now instead of waiting 6 months and then anyways who can afford it and I don't really care who made it and if 10 trees have been cut down to make it?

No, thank you. And sorry if this is not appealing to you or worst, if you think that sustainable, ethical are synonym with ugly. With any form of craftmanship, there are cycles and the cycles of fashion are like nature to be respected, like you can't  have March in December. 

Now, I'd like to know: are you with me? 

We'll work on a garment's #30wears and we'll try to figure out #whomademyclothes. There's a series of documentaries that will help us get acquainted to a slow time life wearing slow fashion. 

The minimalism game is like Pandora's Box, it keeps producing results

How would you feel if the Ghost of Christmas Past would come and tell you ‘this month you’ll get rid of 461 things because it’ll free the mind, bring abundance, energy, happiness that your Santa list will take a whole different spin'?

In the month of November I have participated in a minimalist game, commonly known as minsgame. Rules are clear and simple, would say minimal if the pun weren't poorly executed: in a month you eliminate things from the house in an exponential crescendo, the first of the month 1 thing, the second 2 things and so on until the 30th. Think twice, because you don’t really know if you can do the 20, 21, 22 things a day until you face the dare.

My game was called Minsgame BOSS from the initials of the 4 bloggers, Break the Twitch, One Girl Two Cities, Simply Save and Social Sarah, who took upon, conducted, directed and completed it masterfully, with grace and ease.

The practice of minimalism has percolated through certain circles as the new age, a new way of living. Wasn’t it to be expected? As any recurring historic event, in the years after the latest 2008 recession, mindless consumption is no longer cool. Leaving the mall with tons of shopping bags is considered trivial and crass (unless you are a stylist in search of a last minute change props).  Not to consider the rush to Black Friday’s insanity or to the launch of another designer collaboration with H&M.

Not for the faint at heart, minimalism creates discipline, forms a way of thinking. I haven’t been stung by the bug of the Japanese art of decluttering brought to you by famed author Marie Kondo. Gotta say, I am already enough in love with my shoes that I don’t need to implement a supplemental reverence ritual, they hold the highest spot in the shrine.

Declutter is a thing, and there’s more to the discerning eye than just getting rid of stuff. It begins there and penetrates through the deep cracks of the will of not wanting. All unwanted elements that populate the house, either visible or stored, filed, folded, wrapped and hidden create what I think of as chatter, not healthy coffee shop chatter, but the mean one, like that bad voice that tells you: ‘remember me? I’m that friend that gossiped about your divorce while I was buying you this birthday gift and writing this card that you are saving in this box”. Pouf, of the like of the Ghost of Christmas Past, you really don’t want them. 

“Declutter is a thing, and there’s more to the discerning eye than just getting rid of things”

A KonMari example shared by Buzzfeed

MY TAKE

I found it one of the most liberating experiences. I tend to be very Italian when I least expect it (duh), and that is a Country where we rarely move, we live in the house where we were born until we get married, and there’s always enough attic to keep stuff. The habit of keeping is deeply rooted, we don’t toss, throw, dispose, we use all the leaves of a lettuce,  and we don’t challenge ourselves with the question: why? As I was getting ready to move for the non-Italian 6th time in 20 years, it was the perfect occasion.

WHAT I LEARNED

·         Funny part, through the month, the more things were eliminated, the more people joined the challenge, creating a domino’s effect like one of those chocolate fountains where you dip strawberries.

·         I don’t need to keep all the Christmas cards, bows and wrapping papers from birthdays past, wedding notes all guarded in boxes to keep the memories. The most important word in the above process is memories and those exist whether or not you look at the card. Besides, the above mentioned memorabilia had been guarded in those beautiful decorative boxes and never been looked at.

Preach it girl: how many of you has ever looked at the wedding cards after sending the thank you notes?

·         Clutter absorbs bacteria, dust and ill thoughts. Clutter insinuates itself in the mind and becomes addictive, like junk food, the more you have, the more you want.

·         Finding drawers filled with electronics made me feel like a hoarder, literally. Why would you keep stuff like the first version of a Blackberry (may RIP) or of an iPod? Move on already.

·         It hurts, at times you feel empty, you want to cry, a part of you has been trashed, burned, donated. In truth, it’s only a part of a past you and keeping it alive is counterproductive.

·         Parting is good, find the reason for parting from things, just do it, keep the momentum, don’t stop. Your lifestyle has changed, your body morphed with the years, you moved to a different climate, you divorced, you found the love of your life, all of the above.

·         I became an adamant promoter of ‘save the planet’: can’t possibly think of tossing the unwanted in the trash, not good to the environment nor my conscience. In Miami is not easy to recycle and if you attempt to properly dispose of polluting materials you are looked at a nerdy bohemian from the 70s With this project, I have found out of many new outlets that would make a treasure out of my trash, none or few in South Florida. 

the KonMari shared by Goop 

SOME SPECIAL THOUGHTS ON HOW TO HANDLE THE PRUNING OF THE CLOSET

1.    Clothes that no longer fit are to be tossed, because honestly they will not ever motivate you to lose weight;

2.    Exquisite quality, designer, made-to-measure, evening or occasion pieces belong to a different category that is kept, cherished and passed from one generation to the other. This may be an old continent habit, considering that in this Country mobility and space are of the essence, those ‘heirlooms’ may become an extra volume. Trust me in this, when you open those garment bags your youth comes out bright as a sunray and there’s nothing more energetic.

3.    Wardrobe essentials we know are a must, however because you may recur to wearing them several times during the year, they get worn out easily, you need to give it extra attention and care. Hello, that beautiful white blouse from Dolce & Gabbana, how many times you have received compliments and felt like a million dollar babe? The yellowish stain under the arms will come like the law of gravity for perky breasts and wrinkles, but that’s when it times to move on.

4.    What to do with what you are consciously uncoupling from?

Here is where another part of me gets really adamant: be environmentally conscious. Mother Nature is utterly generous to us, and especially when nobody around me seems to care, it hurts me. I try to lead by example, with all my imperfections, I am no Saint Francis of Assisi.

Unwearable clothing I shred and use for dusting, mopping the floor, fluffy threads of wool I cut and even use as pillow fillers;

Repurpose: consign, sell online like Ebay, donate, gift anyone who will benefit from what you previously loved. Talking fashion, the most coveted sites for the designer’s addicts are The Real Real and The Outnet.  Vestiaire Collective is the latest that collects pre-loved designer clothes from

Recycle, upcycle, and down cycle are different concepts that are cool again, according to Sass Brown who has dedicated the latest years of her career to decode the re-fashioning of fashion. I have met her at The Fashion Project in Bal Harbour, I bought one of her books 'Refashioned' inspirational, fascinating and innovative.

A SIDE NOTE, SIMPLY GLAMOROUS THOUGH: Talking about pre-loved garments, did you know that Margaret Thatcher’s wardrobe will be auctioned off at Christie’s.

November at a glance: prepping for the holidays

·The 5 things to remember about November         

•      Karl Lagerfeld has contracts for life, no renewal and he is free to come and go. I know it's random and you may (or not) have known of it, but on the aftermath of the unexpected departures of Raf Simons and Alber Elbaz from Christian Dior and Lanvin, how appropriate is it? 

•         Man of the moment Alessandro Michele is the recipient of the International Designer Award by the British Fashion Council. Tim Blanks defined him as “the new punk” and somehow it’s the most brilliant description. I considered him more as the Lorenzo de’ Medici of Gucci’s Renaissance. It may sound very nerdy and damn Italian, but punks were the revolutionaries as well as the Medici, just on the other side of the spectrum.

Congratulations with a hefty dose of pride are in order. And, do we want to talk about the gilded bee accessorizing the famous red-green-red Web? By the way, pre-spring show is moving to London, swell move. 

• ·          November is made to prepare for the holidays … yes, and if you live in Miami they begin with infamous Art Basel Miami Beach frenzy. Forget about Thanksgiving, lately I have noticed more subdued outfits for the most celebrated holiday of the year and I suspect  it's because efforts are reserved for 'art baseling'. 

Events, openings, presentations, cocktails kick off the season the first week of December and from there it’s all an escalation. In true Miami Beach style, the tradition of go big or go home has never been taken more seriously. When we were kids, I remember some dates through the year when people would spruce up their best assets: the opening of La Scala opera season was the fur coat, Palm Sunday and Easter were for the first white and pastel outfits from the spring collections, New Year’s Eve for buying red underwear for the night under the auspices of good luck for the year. The kermesse that Art Basel and the satellite fairs bring to town serve for catalysts of shopping, splurging and showing (off) in a healthy (most of the times) competition. 

Some take it as seriously as a debutante ball and for a reason: it's the only chance in this city to be noticed by international press, bloggers, magazine editors, designers, PR mavens, TV honchos and the likes. 

•      Mary Kate Olsen got married to Olivier Sarkozy it was all a secret, all we know is that she is the sister-in-law of Carla Bruni. Life's circles.  

•      Kate Moss and Grace Coddingtons cogitations on Instagram: one only does what she wants when she wants (nothing new) in incognito and the other one thinks it's the most stupid social network ...

 

IN CONCLUSION

November came and went, I moved to a wonderful, spacious new apartment that looks suspended on a secluded Miami historic bay and faces three small natural islands that were wrapped by artist Christo in the late 80s. I have started a new phase of Miami living that it's truest than true. 

The process of honing, decluttering, cleansing you go through before and while packing is deep and intense and it may be helpful to anyone, come along with me to It's a Fashion Life  and join the convo. Have you ever played a minimalism game? 

October at a glance: in which creativity and money clash

In October we usually suffer post-Fashion Month depression, we can’t wait to wear what we have chosen to buy for the current season, alas, deep inside, we would want to wear already what we have seen walking down the runways that will only be available in months from now.

DISCLAIMER: far it be from me mocking the actual psychological condition that afflicts women after delivery or comparing babies with clothing.

These are the most salient happenings in the world of fashion, in which time and creativity struggle with power and money.  

FASHION SCENARIO N.1 Is the system really falling apart?

Raf Simons left his post as a creative director of Christian Dior, one of the most powerful maisons in the world [of fashion]. He announced it with a heartfelt statement, media went berserk, we were all shocked, spent a period of denial that varied from 10 seconds to couple of days, and then we all dove into theories. Boy, how much do we love digging into people’s personal lives and making up stories?

The most striking of all the articles was his exclusive interview with revered journalist Cathy Horyn for System magazine. 2 days after what became his last Christian Dior majestic show, he knew he was going to quit and gave us smoke signs.

“I have no problem with the continuous creative process, because it’s the reason I’m in this world” Simon confessed Ms. Horyn, what he’s not agreeing with is the absence of time, incubation and eventually rejection.

Creative ideas come, pass by you like thunders, the moment you love them and you get excited by them it’s also when you realize they may be ose’, risky, innovative, outrageous, but they are damn good, so you decide to sleep on them. During the night, some other maybe even more outrageous idea might pass by, like a fairy, and in the morning you decide to reject the first and embrace the latter.

Raf Simons didn’t appreciate that

“… there’s no more thinking time. I don’t want to do collections when I am not thinking”.

By the way, digressing here, this theory about ideas coming at you and you accepting or refusing them, comes from a best seller book I bought at the airport on my way to Boston when I realized I had forgotten all my reading material on the table while booking Uber. The book is The Big Magic by big magic sister Elizabeth Gilbert. Without any monetary interest in what I am about to say, I think this book should be read, now and continuously re-read in moments of vivid production, by everybody as a form of companionship, that shoulder to lean on.

More so, it should be read to children, who are the virgin recipients, the vessels of the biggest creative ideas and often compressed to fit in a standardized school system or confined as the black sheep nerdy ones in short sighted families instead of encouraged to experiment and produce breakthrough results.

Thought n.1

I admire Raf as a designer and cherish that little time I have worked in the Milan’s showroom during his tenure at Jil Sander. I gather inspiration from his stand. He knows he is a performer, a hard worker, one that brings results, a perfectionist if you will. Loving and owning the results of your creative (hard) work means passion. He had no more time to savor the fruits of his creative process, as if he were an estranged father to children that would fleet away.

Though n.2

Imagine what he could have delighted us with had he had time on his side?

FASHION SCENARIO N.2 or when do you say, enough is enough?

Photo: Indigital from The Business of Fashion

Alber Elbaz was ousted.

For those of you who are not familiar, he is the tender, talented, timid and triumphant creative director of the house of Lanvin. He resuscitated the fashion house after decades of being dormant, like the Phoenix.

What do you do when your best friend get expelled from school?

This was another unexpected happening, after 14 years of continuous and relentless performance. The situation got sticky, le owner of the empire, madame Wang, seem to be the culprit of the disagreement, considering that not only the entire world (er … all of us outraged by the event) but all Lanvin employees stood up asking for his reinstatement.

Thought n.1

Without comments but just Elbaz’s statement on hand, the scenario here is different: creativity, sensibility, genius have been punished, shut down, with no gratitude or sense of grace.

Bad.

Thought n.2

Time will tell and now the question that lingers in the corridors of showrooms, newspapers, media empires and my little studio is, will he be hired at Dior?

FASHION SCENARIO N.3 or ‘meanwhile, back at the villa’

Photo from The Business of Fashion

Who Is On Next, a designer competition organized by Franca Sozzani EIC of Vogue Italia, in October was held in Dubai where “there’s a lot of energy” according to Sozzani.

Apparently population is composed in majority by Millennials who are eager to accomplish, own, create, produce and show they can. The contest has a purpose, besides just the money that the winner receives in a form of a grant. Talent is rewarded with connections, people that will help them be recognized, investors that will believe in them and trust them with a store or funding for e-commerce.

Thought n.1 

Is Dubai the new land of opportunities like America was for generation X?

Thought n.2

If the system of Fashion is burnt out, will this one give the new generation of creatives the means to grow?

FINAL SCENARIO or ‘are we heading at a congestion point or the revolution has started already?’

 

PattyJ.com (brings) the best of Rhode Island || Guest Post

Patty J. is the founder of eponymous PattyJ.com the lifestyle blog voted Rhode Island's best in 2015.  

Style, beauty (watch for her Life Changing Tips!), culture in a fashion-y way  as she puts it. 

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Patty and I 'met' via Instagram (HERE's her handle) and she first caught my attention for being humorous and wit, having this thing for coffee (later I found out there's some drops of Italian blood in her veins), but more so, making life in Rhode Island look so inviting, real and cool.  

Last week she invited me to be a guest on her blog and I am honored to be her hostess and let her take the mike: read along and travel to Rhode Island on the chic wagon.  The Italian way idea is 'travel with curiosity' and after reading this, you will be either wishing to travel to RI asap or say you've visited through her blog. 

about patty

After having worked in retail for almost 20 years, I decided to walk away and start something completely different and new - a lifestyle blog - over a year and a half ago.

I loved posting on social media (Facebook was my addiction at the time.) and I had studied writing in college. I mean how hard could it be, right?

Flash forward to this month and it’s the one year anniversary of my blog PattyJ.com, which spotlights great style, food, restaurants, beauty products, and people in (my home state of) Rhode Island and beyond. (It was also voted Best Local Lifestyle Blog 2015 by readers of RI Monthly magazine.) 

some more patty

A few more things you should know about me:

• I grew up reading and obsessing over every fashion and beauty magazine I could get my hands on (from YM, which gave Rachel Zoe her start btw, and Seventeen to Allure, huge fan of Linda Wells here, Vogue, and Vanity Fair), but these days (like so many of my fellow bloggers) I find myself getting most of my inspiration and info from Apps like Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• People tell me my skin looks nice nowadays, but as a teen, I had horrible acne and tried everything from drugstore products to Accutane to fix it. That being said, one of my hobbies today is buying and trying the latest in skincare from places like Sephora. #SkincareJunkie
• I can’t start my day with a grande skinny latte and am known on IG (and my blog) for my deep passionate love of coffee and all things related to it.
• When not working on the blog or watching reality tv on Bravo (Watch What Happens Live or The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are my drugs of choice.), you will find me doing Pure Barre, shopping Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods or dog sitting my nieces’ Golden Doodle and Husky.

favorite restaurants & food in Rhode Island

RI is the smallest state, but we are jam packed with fantastic restaurants and have even received accolades because of this. Here are some of the ones I go back to again and again are:

1. The Garden Grille in Pawtucket:  A few years back, I started eating more veggies (and fruits) and less red meat and chicken. That’s when I found this charming spot. It’s small but cozy and clean and (most importantly) offers some of the freshest and best tasting vegetarian food you’ll ever have. Ever. As a matter of fact, if you’re traveling with someone who turns their nose up at veggie fare, take them to GG. They will become a convert. My go-to items on the menu: the Tai Tomato Soup, Squash Quesadilla (black beans, squash, avocado, and cheese), and the Reggie’s Raw Heaven Salad (perfect for lunch during early fall, spring, and the heat of the summer - so refreshing!
2. Julian’s on Broadway in Providence: This restaurant was one of the first to open in the neighborhood where I grew up which has now become the Williamsburg (trendy Brooklyn neighborhood) in Providence (RI) and there’s always a wait to get a table - because the food is outstanding. The decor is also a mix of rock n’ roll, kitsch, and modern art (Every month or so, the art on the walls changes. Julian’s seeks out local artists and exhibits their work FREE of charge.)
3. Dave’s Coffee - I’ve been drinking Starbucks for at least a decade, but recently tried Dave’s (a local coffee company) Honey Soy Latte and it knocked my socks off! With two locations, one on South Main St in PVD and the other at the Galapagos Boutique in Charlestown (which is a must see destination if, like me, you live to shop…Galapagos has awesome denim, tops, accessories, and even menswear.).

PattyJ.com Life Changing Tips

1. Is your hair coarse? Frizzy? Does it always look damaged no matter what products you buy? Ask your hairstylist about either a Keratin Express Treatment.  It takes about 1 - 1.5 hours and lasts up to three months. This is something that will give you healthier and smoother looking hair. You can even leave your house without having to spend another 1/2 hour to an hour ironing your hair with the straightening iron. Yay! [READ here the full story]
2. Find yourself a good cobbler. You’ll save tons of money in the long run because a skilled cobbler will resole and/or recondition your worn out shoes (No more tossing out your favorite pairs!) and even repair your leather belts and handbags. They will even replace the heel caps (which I wear thru constantly) and add sole saving toe caps. The cobbler will be your new BFF.
3. The dryer is, however, NOT your BFF. Stop putting your clothes in the dryer asap - The heat only helps fade them and break down the fabric a lot quicker. Air drying will keep them newer looking longer. I like to wash as much as I can (including dark wash jeans) on DELICATE and hang to dry on Huggable Hangers from Joy Mangano (available at both Target and the Container Store). Huggable Hangers are also the easiest way to organize your closet because they’re ‘skinnier’ and take up less space than traditional wooden hangers or the plastic ones still floating around out there.
4. Need to rewind and get back on track after a little too much wine or a few too many desserts? We’ve all been there. My two part solution is to start by adding a fresh juice for breakfast or lunch (My local juice bar is Wildflour  Vegan Cafe & Bakery in Pawtucket, RI.) as well as 1-2 yoga classes or visits to the Infrared Sauna. I recently discovered the benefits of Infrared Sauna and it helped me get back into my high waisted jeans after overindulging in everything from Waffles & Cream to homemade ice cream. 

Many thanks to Francesca for including me on her very cool site. I’m a huge fan of just about everything she does on ChicFB.com and on Instagram. I hope you’ll also click over to PattyJ.com and see some of the fabulous content from me and some of my RI friends. 

Fashion month: don't go anywhere before you read this

Minimalism is not an option, the runways have shown boldness, it loud and clear. The consumer is

increasingly global, mobile and trans-seasonal  - BoF

Taking over from New York Fashion Week that seems so long ago, I’ll follow with London, which has always been rich of innovation, eccentricity, individuality, creativity and wit. This spring summer my favorite were Emilia Wickstead and Paul Smith, crowned by the royal highness of Burberry. 

Well this year not as much as Milan’s fresh breath of air, new energy, enthusiasm and renewed sense of birth.

Gucci Gucci Gucci

Michele’s particular skill is to make the past look like something the future might crave – Tim Blanks

Then there was Jil Sander’s sublime architectural lines and more cloche, or bucket hats.

Oh no, wait, Prada: one word in Miuccia we trust, one of the best collection in seasons. I am afraid I can’t say the same for Miu Miu. I have always been a Miu Miu girl this one seemed a tad too forced.

Giorgio Armani concluded the week with a ceremony in celebrating the first 40 years of the maison.

How about Marras, Andrea Incontri, N.21, Marni and Erika Cavallini?

Paris is always the glitzy-est of all, the City of Lights that never disappoints.

Chanel included bien sur. 

Stella McCartney, Christian Dior, Dries van Noten , Rick Owens, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, Rochas, Vivienne Westwood, Lanvin

And, yes, I am a die-hard fan of Yamamoto

And to conclude, i recommend keeping in mind and liking eventually: 

yellow or at least adapting hair color and make-up to the new season’s color, bucket hats, vertical lines and geometric games. Just saying. You are welcome.