A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER MARCH 9, 2012
Beauty BOLD
By TRACI DUTTON LUDWIG
Color and femininity define fashion’s new look ave a fling with fashion this spring. Fun and optimistic, the mood of the season is defined by amplified color, bold pattern, athletic inspiration and refined silhouettes. With this new wardrobe, it is time to redefine modern femininity through confidence and individuality. Designers’ collections are resplendent with beautiful options, so it’s up to you to make the look your own. Here are the season’s top styles to infuse your wardrobe with wonder… Creative color blocking A favorite trend of the past few seasons, color blocking has outgrown its strict geometry to embrace a new creative flair. This season, look for energized diagonal wedges and asymmetrical juxtapositions of complementary colors. Finished as collage prints or patchwork constructions, even simple basics like skirts, cardigans and sheaths become bold standouts. Accessorize with bright, chunky jewelry and strongly geometric shoes, and you’ll rock the dynamics. Bold prints Turn up the volume; spring’s prints are louder, brighter and bolder than ever before. Vibrant, colorful patterns range from psychedelic florals and geometric graphics to elegant, repeating motifs of birds or arabesques. Let playful confidence dominate the look, so it will be about your attitude — and not about the 6-inch chrysanthemums sprayed across your chest. Photoshop Technology defines our modern world — and, sometimes, fashion too. Silk-screened digitized prints now ap-
pear on everything from postcards to billboards to… dresses. Out of context, out of proportion, altered and distorted, familiar images become anything but ordinary. Instead, these photographs of landscapes, architectural monuments and digitally manipulated objects read as abstract colors, shadows and lines before their iconography becomes apparent. A perfect blend of art and technology. Shine on Space age or disco retro, metallic basics are defining a new attitude in daywear. What used to be reserved for eveningwear and sequin splendor, is now finding a place in everyday fashions — for work or play. Going for a look that is more burnished than shiny, the current fabric of choice is matte satin. Look for beautiful examples in pewter, bronze, copper and metallic snakeskin hues like blues and greens. Skirts, jackets, vests and accessories such as belts, shoes and handbags are fabulous mediums for this new kind of cool. Curves ahead Feminine silhouettes are back in a big way. Emphasis is on the hourglass shape of a defined waist and curvy hips. Approximating this body type, the tailored shape of the peplum is resplendent in spring collections. Look for cinched waists, low closing buttons and flared hip panels in peplum jackets and shirts. In peplum skirts, a perfect silhouette combines a body-hugging fit, from the derriere through the thighs, with a playful angular ruffle near the knees. Ranging from ladylike to edgy, peplum suits satisfy every taste this season. Peplum jackets are versatile separates; just keep overall proportions in balance by pairing them with pencil skirts or slim pants. Military wives Aye, aye, Sergeant Runway! With this season’s new Army- and Navy-inspired
prints and military jackets, it’s easy to fall into perfect fashion formation. Current order favors an overt reference to camouflage prints, excited by added color. Traditional grays, browns and muddy greens have been replaced by brighter pinks and oranges, lighter blues and grassy greens. Unexpected fabrics and constructions range from tailored canvas jackets to fluid silk dresses, as “camo” signals its distinctly feminine side. Wear it as a flirty print with girly accessories; or create edgy contrast by pairing the slinkiest, most colorful fatigues with heavily buckled military boots. Tropical heat Warm shades of orange, pink and yellow add heat and drama to the spring palette. Used in moderation — as a daring accent or as cheerful trim — these spicy hues give seasonal basics and simple silhouettes a cheeky blush. But when absorbed in full saturation — especially in unexpected places like shorts suits, jumpers and evening dresses — these high-intensity colors no longer pop… they explode! To amplify the Samba beat, drum up accessories in contrasting colors — blue with orange, lime with pink, purple with yellow — or extend the rhythm through basic black or white. Many designers are now pairing black and yellow, which can be supremely elegant and not at all “bumble bee.” To avoid associations with the buzzing insect, just stay away from stripes — and find your honey elsewhere. Times Square Get ready to light up the night. Electrified colors have jumped from the boardwalk to the catwalk to the main street. Look for neon flashes everywhere — throwing out sparks from jacket linings and underpinnings, to manifesting full fireworks displays as jeans and Continued on page 8A
desiGninG Woman: Jane Bell
A journey from dancer to decorator By JACKIE LUPO
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inside Step in Style: Spring shoes follow seasonal fashions ...............................3A Eye of the beholder: Breining combines beauty and brains at Bellava Spa ............4A A wrinkle in time: imagine if image didn’t matter .............6A Women’s Health: Your heart, your health ..........................7A
Frank Lyman is celebrating 10 years of his own brand of bold, colorful designs for women who are ‘excited about life.’ Available at En Vogue in Scarsdale.
einventing yourself is something many women find themselves doing at least once in their lives. Jane Bell, owner of Jane Bell Interiors in Scarsdale, where she also lives, has done it several times. And, like the ballerina she first trained to be, she has taken on every new role with style and grace. Bell was brought up in Manhattan with a view of Washington Square Park — her mom was on the faculty at NYU — and a passion for ballet. By the time she was a teenager, she was training at the School of American Ballet at Juilliard six days a week, dancing all the children’s and teenage roles. “Then, when I was 17, I grew 4 inches and I was too tall to work with any of the men,” she said. “I was crushed. So I went over to Joffrey, which was a little more of an edgy company.” But at over 6 feet tall when she was en pointe, she knew she was just too tall to win the plum roles in the super-competitive world of New York ballet. The curtain came down on her ballet career. She may have been too tall to be a top ballerina, but all that work wasn’t for nothing. Bell entered a profession that not only accepted her height, but required it: international runway modeling. She also appeared in TV commercials where her dance background was an asset. But the Continued on page 5A
JIM MACLEAN PHOTO
Jane Bell took an interesting path to get where she is today, now a mother and owner of Jane Bell Interiors.