Is TODAY Cutting Out Curry?

Reports have surfaced claiming that  Ann Curry, co-host of TODAY, is being replaced.

Although it is not surprising that there would be a shake-up at TODAY following their recent loss in the ratings to Good Morning America, it has always seemed somewhat unfair that Ann Curry has received a large portion of the blame for the dip in ratings.

If the rumors are true that opens up the door for Natalie Morales or Savannah Guthrie to step up to the plate. While both of these women are more than capable at covering major news stories (Morales is currently news anchor & Guthrie has a law degree), I will miss the personality Ann Curry brought with her brightly colored outfits, sleekly tailored clothing and blunt haircut. If Curry is in fact bidding farewell to the morning show, I think a proper send-off is required. This post is dedicated to the spice that Curry brought to the traditionally staid morning show style. Enjoy!

Matt Lauer Gives a Round of Applause for Color-blocking

How You Can Be as Spicy as Curry:

Bottega Veneta Color-block Dress

Making Lemon Seem More Sweet than Sour at the 60th Anniversary of the TODAY Show

How You Can Be as Spicy as Curry:

Dress at Madewell

(a more youthful approach than the structured shift dress)

J. Crew Dress (Currently Unavailable but Much More on Target w/ Curry's Look)

Skinny Bow Belt at Gap

Looking Cool, Calm & Collected as she Conducts an Interview in Classic White

How You Can Be as Spicy as Curry:

Net a Porter YSL Dress

A Simple Shift & Heels that Bring Personality to a Serious Medical Segment

How You Can be as Spicy as Curry:

 Ann Taylor Dress

Brian Atwood Pumps (to be worn separately from the Ann Taylor dress, people)

Celebrating the TODAY Anniversary in TODAY Show Colors & Making Thematic Dressing Look Chic

How You Can be as Spicy as Curry:

Lilly Pulitzer Cassie Dress

Combining all of Her Style Staples: Bright Pop of Color, Eye-Catching Print, & Structured Shape

How You Can be as Spicy as Curry:

A Couple of Dress Options from Milly's Current Collection

I leave you with one of my favorite images, one that ties back to a few earlier posts:

Goodbye Ann Curry & Best Wishes!

Cinema with Style First Edition: TO CATCH A THIEF

One of my favorite pastimes is watching movies. Whether classic films at home or new movies on the big screen, I love movies and learning everything about what comprises a great film (from the history behind the story to the costumes, set design & soundtracks). As a result, I have developed a love of biographies written about old movie stars as well. This new series is about the films I cannot live without & what they mean to me.

First up, TO CATCH A THIEF:

The 1955 classic Hitchcock film, based on the novel by David Dodge,  is somewhat eerie in that the winding French Riviera roads where Francie Stevens (Grace Kelly) recklessly drives a convertible with a frightened John Robie (Cary Grant) in the passenger seat are the same roads where Grace Kelly also veered off the road & lost her life in 1982.

However, the movie itself is uplifting in its beauty, attention to detail & thrillingly suspenseful story (a tale you can literally watch over & over again & still be on the edge of your seat). Edith Head does the costumes and the mix between Grecian Goddess & princess of the Riviera that she achieves may well be a career highlight for a costume designer whose career was a series of costuming successes. Grace Kelly's own granddaughter, Princess Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco, already a fashion icon in her own right, recently paid tribute to her grandmother's costuming by wearing a blue dress to part of her Uncle's wedding celebrations that was reminiscent of the gown Francie Stevens is wearing the first time we are formally introduced to her in the film (we see her briefly on the beach prior to that introduction when she watches John Robie swim ashore on the beach outside the beach club at Cannes).

Costume Designer Edith Head

Grace Kelly as Francie Stevens in Blue Dress

Charlotte Casiraghi Channeling her Grandmother in To Catch a Thief in Giambattista Valli at her Uncle, Prince Albert's Wedding Celebrations 

To Catch a Thief Barbie

The white dress Francie Stevens wears to a room service dinner where the dinner conversation is dripping with sexual innuendo far more seductive than the explicit sexuality typical of 21st century films is a dress that reflects the tone of the conversation. She is all in white,a regal gown that reaches the floor but the dress is strapless & reveals the diamond necklace (fake) that she hopes will lure John Robie into admitting his true identity & the fact that he has met his match. I often think that the dress in this scene has as much of an influence on contemporary wedding fashion (see every subpar strapless white gown flooding the market) as Grace Kelly's actual wedding dress (see Duchess of Cambridge/Ivanka Trump).

The White Dress

Seducing John Robie aka "The Cat" into..."Watching Fireworks"

Grace Kelly Real Life Wedding Dress (also "on location" in the South of France)

Ivanka Trump in Grace Kelly-Inspired Wedding Dress

Duchess of Cambridge in a Grace Kelly-Inspired Wedding Dress

Noticing a Theme?

I am often inspired to give a modern spin to my favorite To Catch a Thief costumes:

Francie Meeting John for a Swim in the Mediterranean

Later Inspired:

Francie Watching the Fireworks with John

Later Inspired:

and the following as well:

Francie Walks Down the Hall Determined to Kiss John for the First Time

Later Inspired:

 One of the best scenes in the movie is a picnic scene in Francie Stevens's convertible. Francie & John look out on the beauty of the Riviera but they have eyes only for one another & their verbal exchange reveals their mutual attraction for one another & the sizzling chemistry between Grant & Kelly (contrast with Audrey Hepburn & Grant in CHARADE, another amazing movie but one that reveals a more paternal love between Hepburn & Grant so they could address the age difference that perturbed Grant when signing on to the film).

 Above: The View of the Riviera for Francie & John's Picnic Lunch

Below: Two Movies & Two Separate Lessons in Chemistry

The Beach Club at Cannes is in fact the real life Carlton Hotel in Cannes, a location I happily visited two years ago on a day trip from my hostel in Nice. My traveling companions literally had to chase me down as I sprinted towards the scene of one of my top three favorite movies. Unfortunately, photographing the interior of the hotel is not permitted if you are a non-guest so I only have these pictures of the exterior until I can afford to upgrade from hostel to a hotel fit for a princess.

The Real Life Beach Club at Cannes: The Carlton Hotel in Cannes

Me in Front of the Carlton Hotel

More elements inspired by TO CATCH A THIEF:

KAFUMANFRANCO Gown Looks Similar to the Metallic of Francie's Costume at the Costume Ball with the Draping of the Blue Grecian Gown:

Saint James Unisex Nautical Tee

Looks Similar to John Robie's "I'm Just Your Average Retired Frenchman/Horticulturist" Look:

Swarovski Necklace

Looks similar to Francie's "You can have me and the necklace, have you ever had a better deal" look:

Victorias Secret Swimsuit

Karen Walker Tortoise Frames

Hermes Scarf

Looks Similar to Francie's "Why are mysterious men who swim ashore from boats driven by teenage french girls the most intriguing type of man" look:

Signing off for now but surely the inspiration from My Favorite Jewel Thief/American Heiress love story will continue in later posts.

I leave you with one of my favorite images:

A Look to Look Into: Blinding Brights

The blinding neon colors of the 1980s have returned in full force, a fact that is particularly evident by the fact that on my walk to work up fifth avenue I see at least twenty pairs of neon-colored jeans & skinny pants each day.

Although I love slim-legged pants in all forms as a general rule (see the Minnie pants I am wearing today). I cannot bring myself to make the leap to neon brights combined with slim or stretchy fabrics. For that reason, I was particularly drawn to this outfit worn by Elle Macpherson (as seen in the Huffington Post). She has kept the cigarette pant & the neon trend but avoided the dreaded neon thigh look, opting instead for brightly colored pumps. Well done, Elle! A look I will certainly be looking into to...

Reflections on Father's Day

I could not go home for Father's Day yesterday because I have a new job, few days off and limited funds for airfare.

I know I am somewhat biased but I have a fantastic father. He has worked hard to give all four of his children what he never had in life, both the material and the emotional (he lost his own father at the age of seventeen).

He was always our champion: he coached the sports teams, judged our debate tournaments, excitedly prepared for family vacations & never missed an opportunity to eat dinner with us, spend a weekend with us or simply have a conversation with us on the phone.

His life has been career & family with family always taking precedence.

Happy Father's Day, dad & thank you.

Bold Colors for the Bathroom

The traditional rule for paint color is small space, light color. Light colors are one of the tricks recommended to expand your otherwise tiny space.

I generally follow this rule (hence, my BM Pale Smoke Living area and BM Silvery Blue Kitchen) but I am considering going bold when it comes to my petite bathroom.

SYMPHONY BLUE is the color I am contemplating. The color was featured on a Domino magazine cover with Zooey Deschanel as well as in a Lonny magazine spread. Granted, in both places the color was used in a somewhat larger space than my bathroom but it is so cheerful and I think with some black and white vanity fair portraits, my white marble tile and possibly a white (or gold or brushed nickel or floating wood...another element to obsess over!) mirror, the color would end up really being an accent and not engulfing the room.

Thoughts?

Alternatively, I could go the safe route and paint it all cliffside gray/marilyn's dress (*both Benjamin Moore as well!)

 Cliffside Gray

  Marilyn's Dress