The glitz of a Chanel shoe pared with a ombre tweed jacket from Lafayette 148 New York.

This has always been my motto in my wardrobe choices and when I assist others in planning and updating their closets and refreshing their hair and make-up.

It was time for my own refresh…..I’m not changing my signature base of black top and either a black pant or skirt and an occasional dress.  I am looking at a new make-up, a shorter hair-cut and new jackets and shoes, ah yes, shoes!!!! I am so tired of hearing all the convesations that one can or can’t wear this or that after a “certain age” whatever that means!  Let’s take a look at Iris Arfel, Tziporah Salamon or the ladies (and gentlemen, you can use a refresh as well you know!!!!) in Ari Seth Cohen’s books Advnced Style and Advaned Style: Older and Wiser.  Seriously, enjoy the fun, excitement and ease of being yourself.  Are there restrictions to what we can and can’t do, perhaps physically, but not our sense of who we are and what we wear.  Mini skirts should be left to those who have great legs no matter what the age, leggings never did get them unless worn under a skirt or with a shoe boot or boot or at the gym,. but not as a pant!

Now some pointers on how to shop….

• Get a personal wardrobe stylist (perhaps me!) or a sales associate at your favorite store….Personal shoppers will take care of more than your wardrobe, they become your PA’s
• Nothing wrong with shopping on sale, just be sure what you fall head and heels over works with what you have in your closet…adding items that can’t work, unless you are doing a whole new wardrobe (don’t we wish!!!!) isn’t smart at all
• Think of adding one new trend or color a season
• Adding a new shoe, handbag, piece of jewelry, sunglasses, scarf can make all the diffenence in your established wardrobe
• A top notch alteration person/tailor can make your existing wardrobe look new and be able to make that little adjustment on your skirt or pant length taking it from dowdy (and who wants to look dowdy or dated!) to fab
• A refreshed make-up….go to any store to any make-up counter and find a new look not only fun but empowering, we all love a new color lipstick and often need the new eyes of a trained make-up artist to give us the updated look along with technique tips
• A new hairstyle and perhaps a fresh color, both will make you feel and look a million% better

Are you ready for my journey for a New Year New Nena….well here we go….. First up I made a long overdue (my hair grows very fast and I find it loses it shape quickly, I really need to get it cut every 4-5 weeks, hadn’t been in ages, bad Nena!) appointment with Daniel Paterno at Workshop Daniel Salon 

Arrival with DanielPondering the look…..cut it off Daniel!!!!

Some of the old look on the floor…..Much better, don’t you agree…..

A few days later I arrive at Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago to do my make-up with Armenia Vasquez, the Chanel Business Manager, she is a delight to work with, please check with her, the Chanel Beauty boutique has so many wonderful upcoming events for you to enjoy.The Spring Chanel palette Armenia used on me (she had Googled me to plan ahead the look she thought would be best and she was spot on! Smart lady!)The Chanel special blush formed like a Chanel tweed….amazing!

I love make-up charts, this is mine (wish I looked like the sketch…one lives in hope)…she did a green liner on top of a smoky dark grey liner above the lash and in the waterline under the top lash.  I usually do a nude on the lower waterline.  A blend of a couple of lipsticks for a softer red than I have been using…like it alot.  She kept my smoky eye and added a bit of blush, which I usually only do for evening, I also intensify my eye  for evening.  I liked the addition of the green, having green eyes they change from green to blue to hazel but the green brought out the green perfectly.  Luckily I have a lot of lid and it does like color…..my brows are in the process of growing in but must be groomed, they are wild otherwise and one can’t have wild eyebrows…oh my! I find having my make-up done, in fact any personal service, so relaxing and rewarding to take away not only a new and refreshed look but a new tip or two on application and/or color.

Next up wardrobe….I had been in the week before to review my picks for the photo shoot…The initial pull…a couple of the pieces were sold (that is the idea!!!!) so you won’t see them in the actual photos.  I also took a couple of photos of the jackets with my shoe selection…one of which is at the top of this post…here is anotherI am obsessed with this Chanel tweed “sneaker” can you even stand the pearl detail, oh my.  The 10022 Shoe department at Saks Chicago is beyond amazing I wanted everything I saw but did contain myself with ones I wanted to share with you.

When I got to the Fifth Avenue Club Bryant Keith Von Woodson II was ready for me with the garments pulled (we took a couple of minutes to pull more shoes) and was all set to photograph the “try-on” portion of the refresh.  He is always spot on with own trendsetting look as you can see reflected in the mirror.  New York City you had better get ready because as soon as he graduates from Columbia College Chicago in May he is planning on taking the Big Apple by storm….just saying!

Let me show you my favorite look of all, this incredible print jacket by Etro…love everything they do, but this mix of color and pattern is superb and would be the one piece to add to my wardrobe.  My closet is seasonless (a few hot weather pieces thrown in but mostly year round clothes…drop the turtleneck for a black shell or cammy for those hot summer days).  I am wearing my own new gold triple hoop drop earring a bargain found at the last Randolph Street Market, the next one is Satuday and Sunday, February 24 and 25 from 10 to 5.  I would wear a black pump with this to complete the outfit.Two of the trends I followed in the Spring 2018 shows I covered in nenasnotes, Crome yellow and a bold abstract print.  The jacket is from Lafayette 148 New York and the charming black lace trim print top from Kobi Halperin, one of my new favorite designers.  Can’t wait to see what will show us for Fall 2018 in New York Fashion Week shows beginning this week.  I’m suggesting a high heel black suede sling from Manolo Blanik.  The jewelry featured is from my own collection of jet necklaces, you can be sure there will be a feature on jet in the near future.Love this Lafayette 148 New York jacket in an ombre black and white tweed but perhaps too similar to pieces I already own.  But it is a stunning classic that can be worn forever! Hum, I wonder and with that Chanel shoe…….Another trend that I followed through all four major markets for Spring 2018, stripes, here on an Akris jacket accented with stripes that look like a bar code and a triangular detail of metallic.  The shoe, picking up another trend polka dots, Chanel’s clear and black patent with pearl dots…love!All shades of pink were on the catwalks for Spring, this classic blazer from Oscar de la Renta, many items in my established wardrobe are OdlR.  I’m holding a slide, I don’t usually like them because I tend to walk out of them but found this one a delight in a charming rose print from Gucci.Every designer I ever worked with wanted me to wear red, not my color of choice but this one might be the exception.  Again from Oscar de la Renta and I’m showing you two shoe choices, both from GUCCI, the floral applique leather stiletto or the carnation embroidered flat. The pin on the jacket from my Bakelite collectiion also from a visit to the Randolph Street Market.For some unknown reason this looks architectural to me….like a pointilist painting of a skyline, vivid imagination, I know!  It is from the Akris Punto spring collection. The shoe I have chosen is from Ferragamo and is black patent with a sculptured gold heel, yum!

Well there you have it some of my picks for an updated look for Spring 2018 and beyond.  I will be covering the Fall 2018 month of the four major fashion markets starting this Friday…let’s hope I reign myself in this season and not do daily posts…we shall see, Fall Colelctions are my favorites!

Just a note, none of the vendors mentioned, including Saks Fifth Avenue, have compensated me in any way for this post.  All are my opinions and my photos via Bryant!