Nancy Pipal's Style File: The Best of 2009

nancy pipal < executive presence and personal style consultant >708-579-1016

Nancy Pipal's Style File

January

2010

Dear Readers,

I can't help but wonder . . . why do I see so few women wearing hats on these frigid winter days? One of my clients enlightened me when she asked "Is there such a thing as a hat that won't make me look and feel dorky?" Why yes, I say. Please try a beret. Tilt it "just so" and you will look stylish. Choose a tightly woven wool fabric and you will feel warm. Voila! The perfect winter hat.

Read more about the classic beret and check out some of my "favorite things" in this Best of 2009 edition of Style File.

Happy New Year!

Nancy

The Best of 2009

Along with raindrops on roses, these are a few of my favorite things:

By it's very [French] nature, a beret is a classic hat that will never become passe. In years past, it has occasionally been a tough find. This year? The beret is both trendy and plentiful! Check out www.jcrew.com [pictured on the right] and www.lordandtaylor.com [a great selection].
The crisp white button front shirt is the quintessential basic for every man, woman and teen. My pick again this year is the fitted, non-iron, stretch Brooks Brothers white shirt. The cotton fabric is high quality, it is truly non-iron, and if you wash it after each and every wearing, it will stay bright-white much longer than most. [And right now, they are on sale! www.brooksbrothers.com ]
Everyone is wearing opaque hose/tights these days, so why not get on board with a cool look that will also keep you warm? I tried and loved the "Nordstrom" brand tights. They surprised me with a more relaxed waistband and a perfect fit. They wash and wear amazingly well, they come in a variety of dark neutral colors and for the $10 price? They simply cannot be beat. Go to www.nordstroms.com and order one size larger than your usual as these tend to run small.
Beautiful leather waterproof boots are rare indeed, so if you are not familiar with this brand, allow me to introduce you to Aquatalia Boots. Made in Italy and sold sparingly at department stores [Nordstrom and Von Maur] and on-line sites such as www.piperlime.com, these are the "creme de la creme" of all-weather boots. They are a bit pricey at $300 and up, but worth every single penny.
"Buy underwear in your underwear" is their slogan and that's exactly what I do. This website, www.freshpair.com is a god-send for those of us who prefer not to make a special shopping trip just for a new bra. If you know your brand [Wacoal, Natori, Chantelle, etc.] and your correct size, this "no shipping charge" on-line shopping tool is really wonderful. And as an added bonus, their prices are slightly less than department stores!
Always on the look-out for the perfect mascara, and after years of experimenting with both drugstore and department store brands, I have finally found the mascara of my dreams . . . Clinique's Lash Power Mascara Long Wearing Formula. It doesn't smudge, it doesn't flake, and BEST of all, it has a shorter slimmer brush which makes it very easy to work with. Great if you are in a hurry [who isn't?], or if your hand-eye coordination is less than perfect. You can purchase Clinique products at any major department store or at many beauty product websites such as www.sephora.com.