Ashley Lambert

As soon as I met Ashley, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She's obviously beautiful but has great energy. Her expressiveness and personality really shines through in images. I'm constantly amazed at how much someone tells about themselves simply through small nuances in their face and eyes. It's a window to the soul.

Ahh. Summer is here and the sundresses are out. There's something wonderful, natural and attractive about the simplicity of a sundress. This shot of Ashley is pure visible pleasure of her ease and comfort. I'm typically not a fan of flats but they are de rigueur here. Fortunately, these are stylish and quite attractive. A long way from flip-flops which I must admit I abhor since they ruin an otherwise great look.

An interesting topic of conversation revolved around of all things, sports. Ashley played college soccer. Having played college and professional golf in a former life myself, talk of dedication, hard-work and competition flowed. It's one of those things that you have to have experienced to truly understand. I will say she has great balance in life and really gets it.

Ashley Lambert is the new generation in the fashion industry. Recently getting her degree in Fashion Marketing, she's worked behind the scenes on countless fashion shows. Unless you're in the industry its hard to appreciate the complexity of a runway show. Organized chaos. Months of preparation and planning and an untold number of people involved that converge for a couple hour window of final preparation for a show that may last all of 15 minutes. Something unexpected always goes wrong in the final moments that takes a cool head to work through. It takes a special personality and demeanor to organize a show from beginning to end. Ashley does it very well. I only wish she wan't backstage so we could see her stylish charm!

Boston Sophisticate

A while ago I received an email that said, "I absolutely love your site, your point of view and what your doing. You're someone I really would like to meet. Can we make that happen?". Genuine flattery getting you everywhere, my response was "Of course!".

Spending my fair share of time in Boston, Amy Patt and I finally firmed up plans to get together. As I was about to walk into our meeting place, I glanced across the street and someone caught my attention. Realize I am always looking for someone to catch my eye; that said, it doesn't happen as often as you may think. Just the right style and intangibles are rare.

As I was looking over, that very tall, well-dressed beautiful blonde waved at me. I thought, could this be Amy? Sure enough, as she made her way across the intersection she said, "Michael!?". That was my introduction. From there, things moved fast. I was going to get coffee but there was a line. No problem. Amy whispered over to one of the people working there and a coffee was immediately in my hands. That's just how Amy is.

Amy is one of those people that just seems to know and make friends with everyone. Someone I instantly adored. A personality that is a vortex and brings you into her orbit. She's in perpetual motion. Constantly talking with people either in person or on the phone. If there's a brief lull, she checks her messages and returns emails. Among other things, she's a connector, a networker. Need something? She knows who to go to get things done.

Previously married and now a single mother of two, life has been constantly evolving. Five years ago she began to get involved in the sparse Boston fashion scene. Being a networker, logical planner and social, she started a high-end event planning, fashion consulting and promotion company. It took off. Just a couple of weeks ago she held a sold-out event with 700 people that included a runway show. From the people I spoke with who attended, it was a huge success. The once desolate Boston fashion scene is now thriving with an average of two shows a week. They've come a long way. Did Amy Patt have something to do with it? I have to think her energy and enthusiasm only helped. The degree is impossible to quantify but they don't call her "the fashion lady" for nothing.

Amy's evolution is continuing on to more and larger opportunities. She recently became the Boston correspondent for Black-Tie Magazine and has a blog called the "Boston Sophisticate" that covers a wide array of her experiences and views of the fashion and social scene as well as thoughts on her own life.

The biggest opportunity Amy now has is she is becoming the General Manager for World Model Pros and World Model Magazine. For the modeling agency, she has begun scouting new talent and will be traveling to Croatia later in the summer to establish an international office. Things are moving fast for Amy Patt. She has the energy, the personality and the talent to pull it off. In fact, I don't think she'll let anything stop her. This is going to be fun to watch!

Style definitely has a story.

Her look: Amy is very thoughtfully well-put together and accessorized . White jeans and a white top with a navy jacket cinched at the waste. The navy framing her face was a good choice to balance and bring contrast to the white and highlight her lighter skin and hair. The clothing and bag are from a nifty Boston boutique called Terrida (they have mens as well- I checked!). The stylish heels are Max Azria and sunglasses by Dolce & Gabanna.

Elena Kollarova

I can play word-association with almost everyone I've ever profiled. Elena Kollarova is Regal.

Bulgarian born and raised, Elena is now in college pursuing a Marine Biology degree. I'm no dummy (others may argue differently) but I'm not sure I could have survive through college in marine biology. "Thanks for coming but this probably is not your calling" is what I would have heard after another dismal grade.

We've established two clear things about Elena: she's beautiful and smarter than many (most) of us. Did I mention she's a sweetheart too? Stunning, magnificent, elegant, intelligent and a great personality. Total package. People I like... in my never-ending hopes that I can get some through osmosis (my token biology term).

Elena's been modeling and walking the runways and is now poised to really break-out with her modeling career. Even more obvious to me since I had such a hard time choosing which image to go with-  all incredible. Ahh, those steely blue eyes. Perhaps I'll put another one in... if I can make up my mind which.

Anyone who reads this site with any regularity knows that I feel style is about more than how someone looks or dresses. There are so many intangibles to have style, a classic style- that it would be hard to categorize them. It comes from the inside-out. There's simply no faking it. It's transparent.

Having had a varied conversation after taking these shots on Bulgaria, America, marine biology, her trip to Maine in August for school and SCUBA diving- my first instinct was correct. This gal has style and she lives it. Whether Elena is on the cover of every fashion magazine in the world, finds her place working in and near the water or chooses some unknown path, I'm confident she'll do it... regally.

Natalie King

When she was growing up, all she wanted to do was be in the fashion and magazine business. Using her resourcefulness and passionate energy, she started writing freelance in college. Her Senior year, it all started to come together.

Natalie King is not just another pretty face. When she decides her destination, its just a matter of time before she gets there.

Born in North Carolina, her mother remarried when she was eight. Her step-father was a Boston native, so the family relocated. Always having the split contrast of the urban Northeast and the slower paced Outer Banks, she finds her balance in enjoying the best of both worlds. Whether its due to cultural geography, family upbringing or just an innate sense of style, Natalie has an elegant balance about her.

That Senior year in Boston, she attended a charity event that's always been an annual ritual. As a motivated aspiring writer, she arranged an interview with a well known boutique owner. Serendipitously, earlier at the event Natalie had been seated at the same table of a woman she felt oddly gravitated to. Her mannerisms, the way she spoke, dressed and carried herself. Asking someone else at the table who this lady was, she learned it was the owner and editor of Upscale Living magazine.

Following the formalities, Natalie sat down to do her interview with the boutique owner. As the stars aligned, the editor knew the boutique owner and sat down with them during the interview. One can imagine the self-pressure she immediately felt as this editor, who she naturally liked, sat watching. This was a moment to be professional and impressive. She was.

Following the interview, the editor asked who she was working for. Natalie explained she was working freelance and was in her last year of college. In a matter of fact way the editor said, "you're going to work with me now".

Starting as a freelance contributor to the magazine, Natalie did all she could to learn different aspects of the business, even volunteering to work as an unpaid intern for photographers so she could see a bit more through their eyes. Time went on and her passion pointed her down the path. Fast-forward three years later, Natalie King is the editor of Upscale Living magazine.

Upscale Living is what you may imagine. It's primary audience is the affluent and everything is done in a way that target-market would expect. From the glossy pages to editorials on travel, resorts, interior design, properties and fashion, it's high-end luxury.

Natalie's beauty blind to no one, she routinely gets recruited to model for editorials for the magazine. Early on she had trepidation about modeling and understandably so. She's serious and driven at work, the last thing she wanted was to have modeling undermine her role as a writer. Fortunately for all involved, it hasn't sidetracked her. We get to see her editorial prowess as well as her gorgeous looks.

Always passionate about fashion, she's a throw-back to what a few of us feel ought to be. Classic style. Our personal similarities and outlook were quickly apparent to us both. Classic movies, dress, etiquette, style. The dress she's wearing in the above image is vintage and timeless. It's simply the natural thing to do. It's nice to know we're not alone in this abyss of shabby "comfort".

Natalie is now exploring her passion for interior design. As the magazine frequently editorializes on design and designers, perhaps it was just a matter of time. I have a feeling she's going to be very good at it. Graceful personal style emanates though all mediums and it certainly does for Natalie King.

Memorial Day and the Unofficial Beginning of Summer

Ahhh. Memorial Day. The Unofficial beginning of summer. Realizing this site is viewed by readers in not only all 50 states but every continent and 130 additional countries, this celebration is somewhat localized. That said, a little perspective.

The above image is one I took in the Boston Common. One flag is planted for every Massachusetts serviceman who gave their lives since WWI. Over 20,000 is quite a sight to see. Boston is appropriate for Memorial Day as this was where the Revolutionary War began that led to independence from mother-England and the formation of the United States. From all I can tell, both the U.S and the U.K have gotten over any hard feelings.

As Memorial Day is a memorial to those who gave their lives for the country, the timing means other things for us Yanks. This time of year, even New York, Boston and the rest of the Northeast can finally depend on summer weather, vacations, cookouts, and summer attire!

Beginning in the late 1800's as more people were entering the middle class, the fashion trend-setting wealthy felt it was appropriate to pass along some guidelines to the nouveau-riche crowd they felt needed some assistance. One of the rules was to only wear white shoes between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This rule inevitably morphed into white being worn only during this period. "Winter-white" apparently was OK during the other nine months of the year. For many, these guidelines have stuck around.

No matter what your personal position is, it's now safe to wear white. The fashion police can preoccupy themselves with something else. Summer also means summer-dresses, seersucker suits, vibrant colors and sun-kissed faces. Ahh, my favorite time of year. Everyone enjoy, take a moment to remember what Memorial Day is really for and for heaven's sake, dress in style!

The Truth About Men

There are some general truths about men. We're not good about asking for directions or advice on something we feel we should already know. We'll go out of our way to make sure we don't embarrass ourselves. We stick with the tried and true that's safe rather than take a chance of being humiliated- even if its at the expense of growth and maximizing potential. If something new requires taking a chance, we err on the safe side.

At some point along the way, we became "adults" and stopped asking questions; our insatiable appetite for knowledge became streamlined, more "efficient". We block out entire areas of our lives that we don't make a priority or we consider "completed" in the learning department so we can cut through and focus on whatever we feel is a priority at the moment. As children we asked incessantly "why?" and "how?". This adulthood phase creeps upon us and we stopped asking questions- whether we were done or not. Deep down inside we know there are certain things that we should know, as mature men, but we don't. Perhaps we don't know who to ask but more importantly we're unwilling to make ourselves vulnerable to humiliation for asking something we feel we should already know. Pride prevents us from being teachable. Pride prevents us from reaching our potential.

Nothing earth-shattering there. Sure, there are plenty of exceptions to these generalizations but by and large they're true more often than not. To some degree these may be true for woman as well.

So why do I mention the obvious and what does this have to do with style and the sartorial? Let me give an example. Occasionally when I run across a man who is well-dressed in a blazer or suit but doesn't have a pocket handkerchief, I ask them why. I've gotten a myriad of answers. On occasion, I'll get an answer that's probably closer to the truth. The most honest being, "I don't feel confident enough in choosing one to wear, so its easier to not wear one at all". Bingo!

I'm sure some have illusions of a sartorial peacock and that even the most conservative and tasteful of such an accessory would make them feel ill at ease, as if everyone was watching them in some humiliating spectacle. However, most men with some degree of refinement realize that a tasteful pocket square is an elegant touch, even though they don't feel confident in how to go about it. Assuming that its learned by others in the formative years, men wouldn't dare ask now.

The breast pocket on a jacket has one purpose: to hold a handkerchief. For those who are either used to donning one or seeing one on others, the lack of is a noticeable void. That empty pocket is superfluous. A trained eye will go there even if there's nothing to see. Woman notice. A $5,000 suit with no handkerchief isn't fooling everyone.

Here's a near foolproof shortcut to hold the barren chested man over. Choose a solid white one, silk or linen. Other than white, another solid color that highlights a secondary color in your shirt or tie. Take the square and fold it into another square (now 1/4 the original size). Angle the square so one point is up, fold under the other three side points, hold them down and insert so the one point is up. Let the point be straight up or let it point to your left shoulder. There's no right or wrong, at this point almost anything will look intentional and the assumption is you know what you're doing. I found a nifty little online folding guide here for a number of different folds. Play with them and have fun trying different ones. I didn't want to leave off without some solution.

Beyond solids that draw the eye from the chest to under the face, I wish it was as easy to tell everything a man would ever need to know for all circumstances. It takes understanding some basic rules about patterns, colors and fabrics to explore the next level of mixing patterns and multiple colors. These general rules or guidelines are fairly universal when putting together an outfit. Then, only by truly understanding the parameters can we choose where on the spectrum our own style comfortably fits, what rules need to be honored and which can be bent. If one wishes to truly be his best, it takes time and understanding of the fundamentals of style. But its all worth it.

Next time we'll continue down this path and explore the basics of mixing patterns.

Silvia Christmann ~ The Wanderer

What a fun urban look. Plenty of black perfectly framing a fun splash of Spring color in both her top and accessories. Well put together and beautiful.

Silvia Christmann is definitely a head-turner. Keep watching because she's probably going to keep going. Why? Silvia's passion is for travel. Living passionately is quite stylish!

Turning her passion into her work, she established herself in creating travel packages for Wellness Professionals such as Yoga, nutritionists, personal trainers and Wellness coaches (www.wandering-planet.com). Client destinations are exclusively those that are committed to supporting environmental conservation as well as indigenous preservation. If I was going on a Yoga retreat, those are the types of locals I would expect. Ahah! She was on to something.

Not one to let the dust settle under her feet, Silvia's ready for a new challenge. Traveling to far-flung destinations and chronicling her journeys for those of us back home; we'll soon be able to live vicariously through her journeys. Website coming soon and I'll keep you updated.

This morning's check, Silvia says the sun's coming out in Berlin. Soon it will be Ireland, India and a myriad of other locals. Don't forget to come back home to NYC for a visit!