HERE I AM!
Thanks for letting me join the party! I am honored to be in such fine company. Born Ann Kathryn in Dubuque, Iowa, the city made famous by that charming Mr. Harold Ross in his prospectus for The New Yorker circa 1925. You might remember hearing about the “the little old lady from Dubuque”. I am the youngest, and the only girl. My mother, nearly giving up hope for a girl after three boys, made a deal with the Virgin Mary. If she had a girl I would be named after her . When I was born and it came time to make good on that deal, Mom and Dad had become fond of Mary Ann. The Mary part was abandoned and Ann stuck. I say they weaseled out…Mom soothed her conscience by convincing herself she didn’t renege, and that technically I was named for Jesus’ Grandmother, Ann. God can give you a girl, but can’t guarantee you will relate to her. Penance perhaps? Maybe she should have stuck to Mary.
I grew up in a tiny town of 350 people about 20 miles west from Dubuque. While my parents and grandparents did not farm, my ancestors from Luxembourg and England did. My town was surrounded by beautiful corn fields and groves of ancient trees. Green met the sky there. Mourning Doves cooed in the tall pines by the church and the evening bells rang each day at 6 PM. Wherever I am, the smell of lilacs in spring , wind in the pines, and the smell of freshly mowed lawn sends me back there .
All year long, I played outside. In the summer, always barefoot, my soles were green. We played until dark, washed our feet in the tub before bed. I toured the town on my pink Schwinn, red Panasonic Toot-a-Loop radio in the basket, with AM radio station from Chicago blaring. In winter we played in the snow with bread bags lining our boots, and wool mittens caked with ice. But it was marvelous. Life was about school, and church on the weekend. I was a dreamer who loved to lay a blanket on the ground and watch the clouds form and disperse. I loved every dog in town, and feared non of them. I took in many stray cats and cried seeing them wait in the yard for any scraps I might share. Dressing up my Barbies and decorating my room were natural passions from the beginning. Not much has changed. I love animals. And for most of my career, played with clothes and furniture.
There have been many times over the years I have felt resentful for having to grow up so isolated from great design, architecture and art. But I have come to realize how lucky I was. The remoteness put the onus on me, my imagination, and quiet observation to fulfill me. Mold me. The beauty of Northeast Iowa is in my heart. It is home. I am proud of it. I am still that small town girl. My soul is green.
After college I moved to Minneapolis and worked retail so I could buy clothes and bar hop. The year 1992 was a turning point. I was engaged to be married to my South African-Austrian (who I picked up in a bar called William’s Peanut Bar shown in photo) and started working for the Nordstrom at the Mall of America. The finishing touches were still being put on the store, and I felt so important wearing an official blue hard hat. I started as an office assistant for three buyers in the Gallery Department. What an epiphany! I could work in the fairytale world of retail without selling! Oh joy!!! The back office was so fascinating in learning the basics of how product is selected, purchased, budgeted, displayed, all of it. I finally felt like I belonged. Our store manager was Erik Nordstrom, and I admired his approachable, humble, kind leadership. Every manager and buyer came from other stores, bringing the Nordstrom culture with them, so it was so easy to become immersed in it. Listen to the Nordy Pod podcast Episode 2 “Meet the Family” to know why I adore them still.
One day, I stuck my head into the lunchroom which was overtaken by a runway lineup being pulled by the store’s fashion coordinator and her freelance team. It was Oz! The bug had bitten me, and soon I was helping with the unglamorous parts of show creation…. de-tagging, steaming, shoe pulling, etc. During show season, on the morning of the shows, our call time was 3:30 AM. We rolled the racks, hauled the bags of shoes, and all of the other tools to the stage which was assembled on the selling floor beginning at store close just hours prior. It was a whirlwind of models, and last minute fittings, hair and makeup, and most exciting of all…the MUSIC. Lighting was trussed, rehearsal began….and the fantasy came to life. Never before had I experienced something that made me feel so alive, from a work perspective, or life experience. A few years later, the fashion coordinator was promoted and I was offered her job.
This job pulled together everything I was thrilled by….fashion, music, lighting, staging, drama. It was also a precise system of steps and organization and discipline. At 8:00 AM the doors opened to 800 attendees. At 8:30 the lights in the store went down, and for 25 minutes, the most adrenaline inducing sense stimulating magical spectacle was presented. We had one shot to get it right. I sat front of house, and like air traffic control, I called the show like landing planes, but for a very rare tag exposed or wrinkle missed, it usually was amazing. While I still have nightmares about runway shows… it is day of show and I haven’t booked the models yet! OR selected the music. Or pulled the clothes! IT WAS A DREAM JOB!
The transition into my other love was pretty simple too. I had always loved fabric, color, interior design from a lay perspective. By pure serendipity I landed a job as a Lifestyle Director in a regional home furnishings business where I was part diplomat, style editor, and scout. Five years in, I turned 40, and I felt an overwhelming drive to reframe my life! Call it a mid-life refresh and soul journey. I am OK with my career being behind me. My passions are forever. (Confession: I still hold onto my dream that ONE day I will be owner or partner in a retail boutique for women of style and free spirit.)
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN FASHION?
WAS THERE A MUSE IN YOUR LIFE?
WHO INSPIRED YOU?
Oh yes! My very first style muse was my Grandmother Veronica. She designed and sewed. Created patterns. Recut and reworked coats into dresses. Dresses into new dresses. Dresses into drapes. Bridal gowns. Custom clothing for my Barbie Dolls. Granny dress for my 4th Christmas gift. It was full length. A black background Liberty-esque calico. Served me homemade soup in china soup bowl and a silver spoon. Grew the most beautiful flowers and berries. Fresh apple pies, apple sauce, apple sauce cake, jams, life was so beautiful in her sunny kitchen. Her house was full of treasures… layered silk crepe 1920’s dresses in the upstairs closets, mink stoles in the cedar chest. Costume jewelry neatly boxed in her dresser next to leather gloves. All at my disposal. Her button drawer was a wonderland of creative potential. She had gone away to the Catholic convent to study sewing in another Luxembourg-settled town in her teens. The lessons paid off. Veronica dressed up every day. And I mean, dressed most often in a dress. To garden. To bake. To sew. To Church. Card Club. Powder and “rouge”. Block heel slip ons. Housecoats or aprons used while doing the messy jobs like frying chicken, which she did every Sunday. (See photo with Veronica’s engagement photo, handmade pillow and many of the precious keepsakes I have from her.) I love old things. Furniture. Decor. Jewelry. Vintage clothes and handbags. (See photo – arm chair with black fabric Veronica’s father’s.)
As I grew, I studied album covers…the ladies of rock…including Stevie (for the fantasy looks I could never wear in my world), and Christine who was more approachable in jeans and sweaters (Fleetwood Mac). Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart) with their gypsy frocks and Gunne Sax romance.
I wanted their clothing, their shoes, their jewelry, their hair….but most of all, their power, freedom and fearlessness.
I devoured Rolling Stone magazines.
In my own little world, I was never a follower. I never copied and I hated being copied.
To this day, I hold on to my love of Levi’s, layers of silver and turquoise, suede flats and boots (in loving memory of my brown fringed bootie moccasins I wore for years). I love easy, natural fibers. Cotton, linen, wool, cashmere, leather. I love British style….basic wardrobe items, shoes, bags, etc. that hold their value and purpose tastefully for eons. The trick is you need to stay the same size for that long. I thought by this age I would be wearing Carolina Herrera daily. Oh well, I guess there is still time.
I remember the easiest scenes in runways shows were the pure designer scenes, ones we simply “added water and stirred’. I still apply that. It is easy to look great when you have access to the best.The real trick is to depend on your skills of observation, amalgamation, and creativity.
HAVE YOU BEEN A CLOTHES HOARDER OR WERE YOU A MINIMALIST?
I collect. When I do purge it is of the fast fashion problem solvers or moth victims. In my closet today you will find 25+ year old Helmut Lang (See navy silk suit), Sonia Rykiel (see black wool knit pants worn with leather jacket) and other oldies I just can’t part with it. One of my favorite forever items is a charcoal gray tweed blazer I wear with anything, any time (photo – shown with jeans). My collection of leather jackets, wool blazers, and assorted jackets has held the same amount of closet real estate for 30 years. You will still find me wearing my original rock tour t-shirts from back in the day. (See me in my latest rock concert purchase … Rolling Stones red sweatshirt. My how prices have gone up!)
HOW OFTEN DO YOU CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET TODAY?
More often than never.
Less than occasionally.
Oh well……how about we say….rarely.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF ACCESSORY TO WEAR?
Statement rings! Chunky. Bold. Unusual.
I am a tall girl with big hands. I like big rings.
Usually sterling or warm aged mixed metals a la Alkemie.
Closely following are cuffs and bangles.
And in my climate, scarves for 3 seasons of the year.
I love to layer.
That’s one reason I dislike very hot/humid weather.
WHAT IS THE FIRST ACCESSORY TO COME OFF WHEN YOU REACH HOME?
Rings….there are usually a few on my windowsill!
I keep them there as I enjoy seeing them like props in a cool boutique.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE COLOR COMBO?
IS THERE ANY REASON YOU PICKED THESE?
Feel free to consider me uninspired with my wardrobe color preference,
My building blocks are dark serious neutrals.
Black. Charcoal. Navy. Camel.
Black just always feels most comfortable, plus working in fashion, it was what we all wore.
I BUY ITEMS.NOT LOOKS.
. Even more rare is a print, as I so quickly tire of them. Exceptions are wovens like tweeds, herringbones and hound’s-tooth or print silks (especially in blouses, dresses and vintage – see ivory dress which is a hand-me-down from my Mother in Law. I love texture mixing and palette mixing within a limited palette for myself. I adore color on others. One day we will retire and move to a warm climate. I have no idea how I will dress then…even a one week vacation can be challenging, but I feel less self-conscious when I take on the mood, although temporarily.
SKINCARE
WE ALL NEED TIPS ON SKINCARE.
WHAT WORKS FOR YOU TODAY IN YOUR FIFTIES?
To begin, I am very low maintenance. I just don’t have the drive to do big productions and 12-step programs with my beauty routine. Honestly, I always been this way and it was only when I turned 50 that I realized my skin was craving a little help. The biggest thing I can do is to pay attention to texture and moisture. I need help with exfoliation so the moisture I give it sinks in. I live in a DIY world when it comes to beauty. So I do my own exfoliating (very mild) with Paula’s Choice Liquid Exfoliant once or twice a week. My skin is dry and sensitive so I avoid strong products. Friends have given me lots of tips and I have watch YouTubes of gorgeous women my age with the skin of 30 year olds….once they get beyond washing and moisturizing, I tend to give up. On occasion I use a mild retinol from CeraVe ( I realize this is the holy grail, I just forget.)
Honestly, I wash with a mild natural lotion cleanser or balm (my current fave is Heimish All Clean Balm – I love to just let it soak in for hours) and follow with a facial spray like Mario Badescu which I LOVE. I use a cream serum from CeraVe, and interchange with a Vitamin C serum. Or a basic light lotion with coconut oil in it. Facial oils are marvelous. Currently, Organic Rose Hip oil is my favorite. On my list is Cliganic Rose Hip Oil. BIGGEST CHANGE: I have switched to safer ingredients. I am avoiding phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances. Now I read labels.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST “OH MY GOD” MOMENT?
EYEBROWS, HAIR LOSS,BOOBS?
TELL THE LADIES.
“Cringe. All of the above. OKAY. Let’s talk.”
Forty was my best. I loved that my facial bone structure was more defined. I still had the elasticity in my skin. The 11’s were ever so faint. BUT…. my hair was starting to thin at the front crown. In horror, I realized strong overhead lights exposed my scalp…and I had to be very careful my side part action was just right. I started to become very self conscious for the first time. I was in a lot of fashion and home furnishing showrooms, and those lights were brutal. It continues to thin to this day….my once beautiful head of hair is growing sparser by the day. It’s most likely genetic as my Mother and Aunt experience it too. I am constantly shedding. Profusely. But overall I was feeling good about the aging thing,
What no one told me. Menopause. Let’s get real about what happens on the other side. At 52, I had fully completed the mission of 1 year without The Monthly Visitor. Then BOOM. The day after, my face fell. The neck is currently my most cruel traitor. I am afraid of any form of hormone replacement. So, short of surgery, I just have to learn to cope. Thus far, I have not dipped in to Botox injections or fillers. I am seriously considering an at home LED light therapy or micro current device, such as NuFACE. Some days, I feel disgusted by the way my face has changed. And then I realize what really matters. Love. Family. Dogs. Health. I am content with my life.
WHAT CLOTHING BRANDS SPEAK TO YOU TODAY?
CAN YOU TELL US WHY?
In the most global sense, I am most pleased by the attention the younger set is giving to the classic cuts, and fabrics of properly tailored, traditional style. I believe this return was not dictated by ‘the young royals”, especially Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, but reflected by them. I am speaking of classic suede pumps and boots with sophisticated heel-heights. Chesterfield coats. Fitted blazers. Sublime day dresses. Divine gowns. Tidy handbags. Just look at the impeccable choices Catherine makes: Alexander McQueen. Erdem. Temperley. Oscar. Carolina. Massimo. Plus my current obsession, Altuzarra. Modern. Sophisticated. Subtly sexy. Refined. But what do I choose to wear? Jeans!
FAVORITE LIPSTICK BRAND OR COLOR?
Right now, hands down, it is Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lipcolour Balm in color Super Strawberry!
It glides on, with the perfect amount of slip.
It is fresh looking, with a soft subtle glow. Not too sheer and not too opaque.
It gives a pretty lift to my complexion. I personally abhor matte. It’s a (fading) trend that looks good on only a few…and in general they are very young with very plump lips.
Even then, I don’t believe it is a good look. It is not easy to find a flattering lip color….I insist there is a compatibility with the lip color and my gums and teeth and I have the type of smile that exposes both.
Plus I am very fair.
If the lip color is wrong, it is very aging and distracting on me.
FAVORITE MASCARA?
I have used Neutrogena Healthy Lengths for years.
Black. Prior to that, it was Lancôme Definicils.
These days, I replace a tube every 6 months so the Neutrogena makes more fiscal sense for me.
CAN YOU SHARE THE LATEST BOOK YOU READ THAT YOU ADORED?
The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal by Lily Koppel. It is a non-fiction book about a discarded 75-year-old-diary. It includes real diary entries of a teenage girl living in New York during my favorite time in history, the 1920’s to 1930’s! I just LOVED it!
I am enjoying reading again.
HOW HAS COVID CHANGED YOU FOR THE BETTER?
It took away the anxiety of thinking I should be doing more, seeing more, perhaps BEING more. I have always been a bit of a hermit (I am a true Cancer)…I love being at home, especially during the winter months. In normal years, winter would give me angst. I finally came to terms with what matters to me without comparing myself with that fashionable, exciting, curious, consumer of culture I think I should be. When my friends started to stay home more, I finally felt normal. It is about embracing what truly makes us happy. Being at home, with my husband and dogs (sadly our last dog passed last summer), is what gives me peace.
Covid got me to create again. I started crocheting, coloring, crafting silly things like festive holiday Peanut People (soon to be more), watching only movies I LOVE (films from the 30’s to 50’s, and reading again! It is about feeding my mind and soul with things for the pure purpose of enjoyment and self-fulfillment. It is OK to fade into the woodwork. I am Being as fully as possible. I am a big fan of Eckhart Tolle. My idea of a fun afternoon is crocheting and listening to his podcasts. They really make me feel grounded and grateful for inner peace.
THANK ~ YOU ANN FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS FOR AGELESS STYLE!
WHAT A LIFE YOU HAVE LEAD!
A QUICK UPDATE ON THE CAFTANS FOR SALE ONLY THROUGH JULY 15 th!
SEE LAST POST HERE!
THE TUNIC THAT CAN ALSO BE MADE IF YOU ARE SHORTER
AND DO NOT WANT THE FULL LENGTH CAFTAN!
MANY THANKS FOR READING AGELESS STYLE!
XXX
Sent from Mail for Windows
45 Comments
Leave your reply.