A Soldier Will Fight Long And Hard for A Bit Of Colored Ribbon-Napolean

(Click on photos to enlarge)

With the ongoing military presence in the Middle East, the 2009 runway brought us military jackets …again. This time with a regency flair circa 1799-1815, the Napoleonic era. I've included one street interpretation of the style worn with shorts. The khaki colored jacket is military fall 2010 -but it clearly had a Regency-Vietnam look, so I included it here. John Galliano’s Spring RTW ’09 runway show proved to be an amazing interpretation of 18^th century era. It was a return of diaphanous dresses . So I have to applaud his show.

There Never Was A Good War or Bad Peace-Ben Franklin

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Fashion trends are recycled over and over. During the era of the medieval crusades the 10^th-11^th century when the Christians were battling the Muslims (sound familiar?) , men often wore tunics over leggings. Some believe we are in another crusade, which would explain the lingering fashion trend that has a medieval look to it.

Fashion Is Purchased, Style You're Born With

Scarves are fantastic, I have a drawer full of them. If worn correctly, it will give drama to an outfit where there was none. A burst of color or print, in a square or oblong shape, says so much about you and your personal style. Here are four iconic women each wearing a headscarf. Clearly the Queen and Katie did not pull off the look. Style comes from within, but you still need to look in the mirror before you head out the door. Otherwise you need a costumer and hairdresser following you around.

What Romantic Fools We Mortals Be

When I decided to become a costume designer at the ripe age of 14, I had a completely romantic and glamorous view of what the job entailed. At 19, I worked on my first film (an ultra low budget horror film) as an assistant to the costume designer. Lucky for me, the designer was a wonderful, nurturing woman . What I wasn't prepared for was the crazy hours and above the line attitude. The director, the actors, the producer..... Wow, I had been raised to be polite and to speak softly, was that ever a shock. After that film, I went into bridal designing for a few years, while rethinking my career choice. But the entertainment itch never left my soul. I was already hooked mentally into the business. So when the opportunity presented itself again, I was better prepared . Looking back, now I can't imagine what other kind of job would have fulfilled me as much as costume design has. Not bad for choosing at 14.