Barbara and Clare, c. 1975
Some of you know how close I am to the fashion world. And those people will know the extent of the gap! However, I do have some claims to fashion fame – starting with Barbara Tfank , who has become justly famous for dressing Michelle Obama very elegantly and now Adele. Last year I put out a call to the internet for her people to contact mine, but to no avail. Here is Barbara on YouTube, looking not that different from the tanned young woman with me in this not-recent photo. (I have no idea what we were talking about.) She was always more glamorous than I. Very likely many of our former mutual friends are not even alive any more, so we have both done well.
Coming back to the present… I want to introduce you to my friend and stylist KB, who was caught on the street in this great photo by Culture Serf, a blogger who is fun to follow. I would look SO ridiculous in those pants, which just proves that confidence is the key to fashion.
I am waiting for the opportunity to wear my mother’s black Persian lamb jacket from about 1960. I might borrow KB’s metallic jeggings. I’m not sure what shoes to wear, though. My daughters will run screaming into anonymity. My husband won’t notice. But maybe Culture Serf will find me!
Seeing Clarely 
You are a fashionista in the making….I can feel it !!!
Isn’t there a cutoff for the age at which one can become a fashionista? Like about 12 and 3/4? I am a bit past that. I know that people can become marathoners at 85, and PhD candidates at 75, and best-selling authors at 92, but I’m not sure about me being recognized in the fashion world. Mind you, I still have a fair amount of time before I even hit 75, so maybe there’s hope.
I believe you have a distinct fashion style which could be categorized as “urban utilitarian” .
I was awake last night wondering what “ensemble ” you are taking to Japan for the conference, could the UK ensemble resurface for another international tour, please let me know so I can get some sleep.
Haha. That is funny because I wore my famous UK ensemble to work today. I have another international business outfit now, that I wore to a meeting in Australia last year, as a break from my vacation. Now I can take TWO outfits on the next trip.
I like that – urban utilitarian. Sort of U2-ish.
I was blown away that you would actually pack 2 outfits to bring to Montreal, will they both fit in your backpack?
My husband is an engineer and is quite fastidious about what he wears and has better fashion sense than me, and has quite an extensive wardrobe. I guess your group of engineers are a different breed, the ones I have met certainly fill the bill.
I have an extensive Florida chic capri wardrobe. Unfortunately I have fond memories of the peddle pusher fashion trend, and why don’t we we still call them peddle pushers?
On this trip my 4″ binder full of papers, laptop and accessories take up most of my luggage space, so I have a rolling suitcase!
Gosh. I dress so people won’t notice me. I don’t know why. Perhaps in case I want to commit a crime on the spur of the moment? Except that hasn’t happened yet, so perhaps 67 years of being an antifashionisto has been wasted.
I tend to be pretty inconspicuous too, although my recently-purchased red shoes may signal a change. It now seems wise to draw attention away from the face and highlight the feet, instead!