Fashion/Beauty Tuesday: Classic Fab!

Last week I was invited to tea at the fabulous Peninsula Hotel by Lesa, one of my Twitter followers who was in town visiting her family. I knew I had to look fabulous but wasn't sure what to wear. At first I thought I might wear a St. John Knit, but my St. John Knits fit into two categories, business and after five. Well I knew that business attire was not appropriate and I don't do black tie in the afternoon for any reason. I wanted to look feminine but sometimes that's hard to do in a Chicago winter. After looking in my closet for what seemed like forever, I decided to go classic and let my accessories do the talking for me. You don't always have to glitter to look fabulous!

I chose a black wool jersey babydoll dress and my black Chanel boots and handbag. But the highlight of my ensemble, I believe, was my jewelry. Remember, accessories are the difference between being dressed and well dressed. A basic ensemble paired with the right accessories can make you look like a million dollars.

I simply love pearls!! By far they are my favorite gemstone so that was my starting point. I took a 100 inch strand of 6 mm white freshwater pearls and wrapped it four times around my neck. Then I took a 50 inch strand and wrapped it three times. I wanted to achieve that Chanel look of layered pearls. I think I accomplished that goal.

The Peninsula is a treat. It's a hotel of the rich and famous, so I decided to pair my pearls with the one designer jewelry that I own. I typically don't buy designer jewelry because you can get more bang for your buck buying jewelry that has no name attached. But I wanted to be a member of the Van Cleef Club. Van Cleef & Arpels has been worn by the rich and famous for over 100 years. When I got my advance for my book deal a few years back, I marched right down to Van Cleef on Chicago's Mag Mile and treated myself. The French designer Van Cleef is known for his wonderful diamond designs, however his Alhambra collection launched in the sixtes has also been big hit.

I love the Alhambra collection because it is classic beauty that can be dressed up or down. I thought that it was a perfect combination with my pearls. Around my neck is the black onyx and 18k gold Alhambra necklace that I paired with  matching earrings.

I also wore my Alhambra bracelets, actually I wear my bracelets everyday. I never understood why women save their good stuff for special occasions. You only live once and that special occasion may never come. Don't be a slave to that silly logic. If you treat yourself to buying the item, wear that thang as often as you can. I own two bracelets, a black onyx and a turquoise. They pair well with other bracelets for layering and also with a watch.

I had a great time, and I think I achieved my goal of Classic Fab! Remember, you don't always have to glitter to look fabulous, but no matter what you are wearing on the outside, beauty begins on the inside!

Note: The blog on my Tea experience at the Peninsula is coming this Friday with all the wonderful details!