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| Greetings!
Happy Valentine's Day! Wherever you are and whomever you are with, I hope this February 14 is a day that warms your heart and is filled with joyous and loving moments.
The inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20 filled us with pride in our country and renewed hope for its future, but he faces daunting challenges at home and abroad. The men and women he has selected to assist him represent all of America's diversity and strengths, which have been captured in incisive portraits by Nadav Kander titled "Obama's People," linked to our article of the month. Maria Walewska, our own portrait of the month, was Napoleon's second great love, and he said of her that "Her soul was as beautiful as her face."
We enjoyed seeing everyone who came to Swan Ways' first ever clearance sale on January 31st. We sold out of our gorgeous silk scarves from Benares, India, irresistibly priced at $20 (those will never go on sale!), but a new order is on its way. We still have many wonderful scarves and shawls on sale from $25 up, and if you are looking for a perfect gift for a loved one on Valentine's Day or any occasion, do call us and make an appointment any time.
Many thanks to all of you who sent such good comments on the January newsletter and, as always, I invite you to send me any thoughts you may have for future issues, as well as on how Swan Ways can contribute to the beauty and grace of your lifestyle.
We have begun to work on upgrading our web site and would appreciate your views and suggestions as to how we can make www.swanways.com one of your all-time favorite sites!
With warmest regards,
Alix Sundquist
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The Shawl: The Ultimate Power Acccessory
Wearing a shawl does not just complement an outfit - it can project an image of grace, confidence, and, yes, power!
If you are following the women who are making news today, this will not come as a surprise: you have probably seen them in talk shows and newspaper photos, or spotted them in fashionable restaurants in the Nation's Capital. Two of them, the Secretary of Labor-Designate, Hilda Solis, and the Intergovernmental Affairs Director, Cecilia Munoz, are among those who chose to wear one for their portraits in the remarkable photographic essay on Obama's People which appeared on January 18 in the New York Times Magazine. And the first woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, won accolades for chic when she insouciantly draped a red shawl over a red suit for her first meeting at the White  House in January 2007.
The power of accessories to make or break a look is well-known, and shawls have special appeal to women whose positions reflect a high level of competence and achievement-orientation. It does take a certain level of confidence to wear a shawl or an oversize scarf with office or everyday attire - how many times have I heard things like "I don't know how to wear a shawl ....it gets tangled....it falls off...it does not feel natural...." It is, however, worth a little effort to learn, as it will not take long to feel at ease in one, and you will be delighted at the effect it can produce - in others and especially in you!
A gracefully worn shawl helps a woman's self-confidence because she looks and feels good. A woman who wears a shawl with panache feels empowered and glamorous - it's almost as if she carried a stylish security blanket! So, do consider adding a shawl to your everyday wardrobe. You will soon understand why it is a favorite among power dressers.
  Photos:
Christine Lagarde, French Minister of Economic Affairs, Industry, and Employment |
| Portrait of the Month - Maria Walewska
I saw no one but you, I admired no one but you, I  want no one but you...
written by Napoleon to Marie Walewska after their first meeting
When you have ceased to love me, remember that I love you still
Marie Walewska, inscribed on a locket to Napoleon with a lock of her hair.
A blond beauty with dark blue eyes and a flawless complexion, Maria Walewska was among a crowd that greeted Napoleon as his coach approached Warsaw on New Year's Day 1807. Enveloped in furs and with snowflakes in her hair, Maria attracted the emperor's attention and was soon the object of his ardent and persistent wooing.
Born in 1786 to an aristocratic but impoverished family, Maria had married at 16 the rich count Athenasius Walewski, more than three times her age. Although at first she resisted Napoleon's advances, Maria was pressed by her compatriots to yield to the man who had promised to liberate Poland, and when her own husband joined in their entreaties, she finally agreed to see him alone, which soon led to her "final surrender." Having become Napoleon's mistress, she fell in love with him and they remained close until Napoleon's dynastic ambitions led to the decision to marry the Austrian archduchess Marie Louise. She was companion, lover, confidante, ambassador to her Polish compatriots and when she became pregnant, Napoleon was overjoyed. Their son, Alexandre Florian de Walewski, was born in Poland in 1810 and had a distinguished diplomatic career, becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs under Napoleon III.
Maria is considered as something of a national heroine in Poland, where she is referred to as Napoleon's "Polish wife." She was universally liked, and even became close to Josephine and attended her funeral. When Napoleon abdicated and was sent into exile at Elba, Maria visited him with their son and offered to stay with him, but Napoleon, who still hoped Marie Louise would join him, declined. They saw each other again one last time in Paris after the battle of Waterloo. When she came out of their meeting, she was weeping bitter tears - had she once more hoped to share his fate and been gently rebuffed?
After count Walewski's death, while Napoleon was in exile in St. Helena, Maria remarried one of his generals, Phillipe d'Ornano, who was Corsican and a second cousin of the Emperor. She died unexpectedly in 1817 at the age of 28, and the name Napoleon was the last she pronounced.
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