Lots of Leopard

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Ruth and Anne Marie

Lina and I have had the pleasure to meet so many creative and inspiring people throughout our travels with the film.The Advanced Style Documentary always attracts the most wonderfully dressed audiences!  When Ruth and Anne Marie entered the movie theater for one of our IDFA screenings, we couldn't stop admiring their fantastic combinations of patterns and color. After the screening I had the chance to take some photos of this dynamic duo. Read more about their stylish friendship below:

It all began in 1973. Ruth started a shop with secondhand clothes, vintage,

in the 'Jordaan' in Amsterdam. In 1975 Anne-Marie came along in her shop,

mostly on Saturdays, because she worked as a X-ray assistant during the week.

  

Later she continued coming to Ruth’s other new shop in the same street.

We were both very interested in fashion & style, so we talked about it and started

visiting each other.

In 1980 and 1981 Ruth had her daughters Eva & Esther, so she was very busy with that, and Anne-Marie was busy with her new relationship. We had less contact then.

But in spite of our different lives we kept in touch throughout the years.

These last years we made some city trips, f.e. Paris, Lisbon. We visit markets together and sometimes sell vintage clothes & bric-à-brac.

And since the last 5 years we have been getting a lot of attention whenever we are together on special occasions, like fashion shows and openings.

We never tell each other what we are going to wear, but we always match as we share more or less the same style. We call it a mixed style since it is a combination of vintage, second hand and designer clothes.We always have so much fun!

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Jennifer Dolan: A Mother's Influence

Jennifer Dolan with her daughter Amanda

Earlier this week I went to Greenwich, Connecticut to photograph a fabulous new woman for the blog. I met Jennifer Dolan's daughter, Amanda, at the post office last month after she stopped to tell me how much she enjoyed the Advanced Style Documentary. She said that I must meet her mother and quickly followed up with an email full of wonderful photos. I loved Jennifer's mix of east coast prep with futuristic style elements inspired by her love of Star Trek. Amanda, Jennifer, and I had a lovely afternoon filled lively conversation and memories of our beloved grandmothers. Check out how Jennifer and her mother LaLa inspired Amanda's creative journey below:  


“I was Never Afraid to Make a Statement”
-Jennifer Dolan, 68, Greenwich, Connecticut

My Mother was born with Courage. It must have started In Utero. Her Mother, Lilyan (called ‘LaLa’ by Us Grandkids) was the Original Style Statement Maker. With flaming red hair and an ever present matching Strawberry Lip- she never left the house without looking iconic. Leopard Print, Rhinestones, and False Eyelashes were her Basics. She lit the Style-Courage Revolution Torch..which then was passed on to my Mother..

Mom carries that torch to this day.. She fanned its flames in the 1960’s- becoming a trailblazer as the first Woman Student at The University of Miami’s Accounting Program.  

Having the Moxie to be both Beautiful, Stylish AND Smart..she went on to become one of the Vice Presidents of the New York Times Company for the next thirty years.

Her boldness continued to burn bright throughout two bouts with Breast and Ovarian Cancer.  With a bold red lip and an array of colorful turbans Mom fought her illness with ultimate grace, pluckiness and an unwavering will to move forward..

Retired and in good health now.. she still makes a stylish declaration every single day. A Mix of the Classics with a Futuristic Modern Twist- A Mom of all Ages. 

And so now this torch is being passed to me..Will I be afraid to make my own statement? The answer is no. I started my Vintage Clothing business already backed by The Greats..a bloodline of Fearless Supernovas. Generations of women before me who lit the Spark.  

Mom taught me that if you have Courage in Your Personal life, then You Undoubtedly have Courage in Your Personal Style. The two go Hand and Hand.. So shine Bright.

By: Amanda Dolan, 32, New York, New York
Founder of SparkPretty.com

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A Charming Pair

This couple had the coolest glasses and the greatest smiles.

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After Apfel

Iris Apfel isn't the only one who can pull off a pair of oversized round glasses. This woman looks fantastic in her tortoise shades!

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Market Style

I loved discovering the Noordermarkt upon my last visit to Amsterdam. The market was filled with incredible food, great vintage clothing, wonderful people to photograph. This woman had a huge crowd waiting for her homemade jam, but she took a quick second to allow me to take her picture. You can tell that she takes pride in what she does and I love how elegantly she looks for a cold morning's full of work. All of the market vendors had unique looks perfectly complimenting their wares. I highly recommend a trip to the Noordermarkt when in Amsterdam and make sure to buy some of this woman's delicious jam.

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Reflections

It's been a while since my last visit with author, Alice Carey. She's been traveling back and forth from her home in Ireland working on the finishing touches to the Irish version of her book, I'll Know It When I See It.  Alice is a wonderful storyteller. I love how she is able to reflect upon her past through wonderful descriptions of her style -- each piece of clothing tells a story. Check out Alice Carey's latest thoughts below:

At some point during this photo shoot with Ari, I looked down at my kilt and remembered wearing one a long time ago.  There I am with my mother at CLEARYS, Dublin, buying a kilt quite like this one.  Yet that kilt was a girl’s.  This one is a man’s, complete with jacket that I bought at a Vintage Ireland Antique Fair.

My kilt was another reminder that I’m no longer a girl.  Yet part of me is still a girl - plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.  “The more it changes, the more it stays the same” - while the woman I am has drifted away from her.

In some ways we’re still the same.  We both wear kilts.  We both wear tweed jackets and sensible shoes.  Even though I sometimes think about buying a pair of ‘manolos’, I stick with Doc Martin.

After Ari left, I walked along the river remembering that girl.  There she is in a nice navy blazer and kilt striding along beside me.  Isn’t she the cat’s meow!  And here I am, an older woman, still I hope, the cat’s meow.     

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