FIRST THING I THOUGHT WHEN I saw this shot of Paula Abdul in this dress---this get-up---was she reminds me of the Queen of Sheba. Everything about her look---the dress, the hair, the adornments, the Come Hither! look---hearkens me back to the Biblical story of the queen who traveled from her country in the southern Arabian peninsula hundreds of miles to Jerusalem to see the world-famous, wise King Solomon she'd heard so much about. Can't you just see her royally disembarking from her caravan ship in this garb, bearing gifts----including 4.5 tons of gold, precious jewels and spices--- not to mention her bejeweled, bee-hived and undoubtedly heavily perfumed self? Paula looks as if she brought an Egyptian stylist with her, doesn't she?When I look at fashion like this I like to ask myself if I'd ever wear it if the occasion presented itself. Well the answer here is, b) No, never in a hundred/thousand years! Still it's an interesting costume for Paula and reminds me of the too long ball dress---too long for dancing that is---that Michelle Obama wore on the night of her husband's inauguration. I would surely trip on the hem at some point and either rip the skirt off or fall into someone holding a full glass of Cabernet.
Either way, it would not be pretty.
She can pull off that yellow color much better than I ever could with my sallow skin tones. In fact, she can pull off the whole presentation in a way that would be totally unnatural for me.
One other thing: You have to have the right facial expressions to do this kind of thing----kind of like a cross between a Come hither and Because I said so! Two most likely women come to mind who can pull this whole thing off are Paula, here, and J-Lo. What do you think? Either one of them could easily handle this kind of role and frankly would probably enter the room with at least a good sized whip in one of her hands.
Final answer: I have to say Paula pulls it off in a way not too many of us can, but only standing still and only by the thinnest skin of her chinny-chin-chin.
I'm a new reader to your blog and I enjoy reading it. I totally agree with your observations, both about Paula's get up and also in an earlier post where your wrote about our new First Lady's outfits. Maybe it's my age or maybe it's the times in which we are living but style today is bordering on the absurd.
ReplyDeleteI'm a child of the '50's and I grew up watching the styles of Grace Kelley, Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy. It didn't take me long to realize that their styles were always elegant and always tasteful and appropriate for each occasion.
To this day, when purchasing an outfit or looking in my closet trying to put something new together, I use one basic question to determine if I should wear it -- would Grace, Audrey and Jackie wear this? If the answer is yes, then I know I'm good to go. This question has served me well all these many years and I highly recommend it to the younger generations.
No doubt you are well turned out as a result....great observations. Glad you're here!
ReplyDeletesallow skin? I like the gal and her outfit. Would also like it on J Lo. Of course J Lo would look great in a gunny sack.
ReplyDeleteA fun read! Loved Nikki's words of advice left in her comment.
ReplyDeleteI certainly couldn't pull Paula's look off! (Incoming mental picture-YUCK!) But she lives the lifestyle and has the reputation to help her pull off many looks. I believe she's been called "a DIVA"!
About Michelle O. on Vogue - it made me a little mad as I read Vogue has photographed most of our First Ladies, but Michelle is the only one to make it to the cover. I'm afraid we're going to be sick to death of their (the Obama's) faces everywhere pretty soon. Oh wait, I'm already sick of it.
I miss sweet Laura oh so much!