It's time to review another section of Genevieve Antoine Dariaux's book, A Guide to Elegance! Since I am going through the book alphabetically not all of the topics will come around at the most ideal time. This is one those times. Today I will be discussing appropriate apparel to wear to the beach. Unless you live in a warm climate or have a vacation to one planned, this probably won't affect you until next year. Just as a reminder, although this book was reprinted with some updates in 2003, it was originally published in 1964. This post series is about looking to past fashion rules and seeing how or if they apply to the present. 

Beach attire is actually one category that I don't have many strong feelings about. It is very frustrating and difficult for me to find a bathing suit that I feel confident in so I am not one to create a lot of rules about what styles are appropriate. The most important thing (in my opinion) is to find a bathing suit that fits you and that you like, and if that isn't possible, to at least find something that you can stand being in for several hours.

There is only one point in this section on which Genevieve Antoine Dariaux and I are in agreement: 

Bright and cheery colors are perfect for the beach and they are also perfect for warm weather in general. Swimwear doesn't have to be versatile and it doesn't have to coordinate with any other pieces in your wardrobe so don't be afraid to go bold with your color and pattern choices.

Now onto the points I take some issue with. She outlines a strict regiment for ensuring perfect looking feet during the summer season. From my experience, no one is paying that much attention to your feet. I like to wear a bright nail polish color on my toenails, but that is pretty much the extent of my effort. Also, she suggests that red nail polish is the only appropriate color for warm weather because it "will harmonize with all the different colours in your summer wardrobe" (pg. 15). I suggest that you buy a bottle of nail polish remover and change your nail polish color whenever it strikes your fancy or to match a specific outfit. You may prefer to wear one color for the entire season, but it is up to you how bold (or not) you want that color to be. If you end up disliking it after awhile, it is easy to change.

There are so many styles of swimwear that to condense it down simply to one-piece versus two-piece is incredibly unhelpful. There are plenty of two-piece suits that can look great on women older than twenty-one and just as many one piece suits that can look terrible. A tankini is a two-piece, but can often offer as much coverage as a one-piece. And if you don't want that coverage? Then you should feel free to wear a bikini or a one-piece with cutouts. If your swimsuit shopping experience is anything like mine, you'll have to try on a lot of styles to find one you actually like. There is no reason to limit your options based on your age or physique. Beach weather is over for most of us, but soon enough swimsuits will be making a comeback in stores. When they do, don't be afraid to try a new style in a fun color!

Dariaux, Genevieve Antoine. A Guide to Elegance. New York: William Morrow, 2003. Print.

This blog is nearly two years old which means that there is a fair amount of information hanging out in the archives. To make that more easily accessible, I have added a new search function to the bottom of the page that will help you find old content both here on practically stylish and on my lifestyle blog, bread and flowers. 

I have also acquired a new domain name for practically stylish. I am not moving over to the new address (yet), but the blog is already accessible from it. For those who wish to prepare for the inevitable (though likely still far in the future) URL switch, the future home of practically stylish will be at: www.practicallystyli.sh

Do you have any suggestions about how I can make this blog a better experience for my readers? Drop me a line! 

Why do people wear clothes that they don't like and that don't fit? Is it because A.) they don't want to spend the money on new pieces, B.) they are unhappy with their body, or C.) they find the whole shopping process exhausting and exasperating? Based on a very biased sample of people who talk to me about this issue, the answer is far and away C. Shopping feels like a chore for many people and one that doesn't always end with a positive or successful outcome. If it is going to be an unpleasant waste of time, it is easy to throw up your hands and give up. But I promise that shopping doesn't have to be that way. By changing how you approach the process it can actually be a fun experience and one that ends with your closet full of pieces that you love and feel great wearing.

While that example is extreme, many people wait until an old piece completely wears out before looking for a replacement or wait for a special occasion to buy fancy clothes. It is actually less stressful to always shop than to rarely shop. When you see pieces that you like, you should buy them even if there isn't an immediate need for them. That way you never are in the position where you have nothing to wear. Earlier this summer Boden had all of their dresses on sale for 50% off. I didn't specifically need new dresses, but I really liked two of them and the price was right so I bought them. That was back in June and one is the perfect piece to wear to a wedding early next month.

When you do find a great piece, there is always the temptation to buy multiples of it so that you never run out. While this inclination isn't entirely bad, it does need to be tamed. For example, if you find a pair of jeans that fit and then buy five pairs, those will be your only options when you want to wear jeans. If your weight or mood fluctuates and you no longer feel like amazing in those jeans, there is not another alternative in your closet. But if you buy only two pairs of that style and then continue shopping and find another style or two that you also like, you now have insurance against those fluctuations. The easiest way to keep a varied wardrobe is to shop in multiple stores. A long sleeved, crew neck cardigan from Ann Taylor will fit differently than one from Banana Republic. Even better would to get a crew neck cardigan from one store and a v-neck cardigan from another. Basically you want to avoid having any category of clothing dominated by a single style.

When you are shopping, don't be afraid to try on new things. Take an adventurous friend with you or enlist the help of the sales associates and have them pick out pieces for you. Commit to trying on everything they bring you, even if you are sure that you won't like it. If you don't pre-judge the items, you will open yourself up to discovering new styles that look incredible on you! Some of it will probably look not so great on you, but that's also okay. That's the reason that we try on clothes before we buy them.

If trying on clothes in a store is discouraging for you, try online shopping. I personally hate bra shopping, so I recently ordered several styles from Nordstrom. They offer free shipping and returns so there wasn't any pressure for me to keep the pieces if I hated them. I could try them on in the privacy of my home and see how they looked with various tops. If you often get pieces home from a store and find you don't love them as much as you did in the fitting room, then this is your solution. Zappos also offers free shipping both ways and except during big sales, so does Boden.

By adjusting how you shop, you can avoid long and exhausting days hunting for an elusive item. When you need something, you will be able to head to your closet, not the mall, and find exactly what you need. Popping into the shops on a regular basis to window shop or browsing through inventory online lets you find the pieces you love without all the added stress-and I promise that it might even be fun.

Fall has finally arrived! Even though this summer was not terribly hot here in Chicago, I am still absolutely thrilled to see the temperatures drop into the 40s and 50s. The air is crisp and you can wear lots of cozy layers. Of course, fall fashion comes in so many variations, so today I am compiling some of the styles I like best. 

Blazers and light jackets rule supreme during fall because their weight often allows them to act as both outerwear pieces and indoor layering pieces. This is especially helpful when you are running errands and are dashing between the cool weather outdoors and the warmer temperatures of the stores. A thin sweater underneath prevents excess bulk as well as chills from sharp gusts of wind.