LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Looking Good in Lamorinda


Image courtesy of the producers of Advanced Style

It's the 2014 holiday season and our local fashion boutiques are ready to party.

J. Colleen in Lafayette kicks off the season with an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4. Owner Julie Rubio says sweaters and scarves are big holiday looks this year - hats, too. And don't forget jewelry! J. Colleen has an array of styles including the new delicate layered necklaces.

Santa's Bag Boutique returns Dec. 5-7 at the Lafayette Community Center. This year's boutique will include hot fashion accessories such as hand-woven scarves, handcrafted hats, and vintage-inspired jewelry, all made by local Bay Area artists. And Glamorous Boutique in Lafayette is marking three years in business with a Holiday Gift Show from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 6. In addition to great fashion jewelry and accessories, owner Eliza Jamkochian will offer soaps, body butter, and scrubs all custom-made with organic ingredients.

Known as the local place to go for special occasion clothing, Glamorous Boutique is now also stocking day wear for women including the ever popular leggings. With added faux leather insets (for a slimmer silhouette), color blocking, and details such as zippers, leggings are a dressier option and can now easily go from day to evening. For afternoon shopping, layer leggings with a soft cotton tunic and chunky sweater and pair with boots or flats. Make a seamless transition to Happy Hour or a holiday gathering with heels and an elegant shawl.

Glamorous Boutique has also started a new personal shopping service. Sounds like the perfect self-gift idea to me. Jamkochian will come to your home with fashion ideas and after a consultation and a peek into your closet she will make suggestions on what current trends suit you and your lifestyle.

With the much needed wet weather lately (and with a bit of luck we'll have more), how about new rain gear to celebrate? Mycra Pac Designer Outerwear in Moraga will host their semi-annual sale Dec. 10-15.

Looking for other fashion-focused gift ideas? I am always reading fashion history books and one of my favorites this year was "Seven Sisters Style: The All American Preppy Look," by Rebecca C. Tuite (Rizzoli, 2014). Seven Sisters refers to the seven liberal arts women's colleges located in the Northeast United States such as Smith and Hilary Clinton's alma mater, Wellesley.

"Seven Sisters Style" tells the story of how, in the early 20th century, Seven Sisters students made great strides in getting away from the restrictions of fashion dictates, such as corsets. Borrowing from their male peers at Ivy League colleges, the young ladies adopted more casual and comfortable wear and eventually developed what is now called the Preppy Look. We all know what that is - Bermuda shorts, varsity sweaters, saddle shoes, Oxford shirts, plaid skirts. Preppy changes and evolves with each new generation but it retains its style identity and collegiate roots. Interesting narration and plenty of photos makes "Seven Sisters Style" a fascinating read on American fashion history.

Also this fall I was thrilled to see the Bay Area premiere of Advanced Style, a documentary featuring seven chic ladies of New York City who also happen to be mature (60s to 90s). The oh-so-popular Advanced Style was first a street style blog by photographer Ari Cohen, then it was a book and now it's a documentary available on DVD from Amazon.

The Advanced Style women are creative individuals who are less about current fashions and more about their own signature looks. They use color with abandon and don lots of chunky jewelry. They're not afraid of hats, they adore scarves, and appreciate a good vintage find. To them, dressing every day is a form of art. There's much to be learned from these fabulous women, not just about fashion but about aging and spirit and ... life.

Celebrate the season and go forth in style.

Moya Stone is a fashion writer and blogger at http://overdressedforlife.com/.