April 2024 Edition

By: Lisa Kemmerling / Fashion Couture
figured it was time to expand my horizons
I and talk about men’s fashions. Many people
may not know that men’s fashions are equally as
important.
To that end, attending last month’s fashion shows here in Las Vegas
proves that men’s fashion is innovative, daring and on the cutting edge
- just like women’s attire.
There are too many influential men’s designers to name in this
column. Some of the most recognizable names are Ralph Lauren,
Giorgio Armani, Tom Ford, Alessandro Michele and many others.
What’s interesting about this is they all started out designing just men’s
clothes and branched off into home decor, cologne, shoes and women’s
attire.
Who doesn’t remember the Izod polo? It was the rage in the early 80s
and everyone (myself included) wanted one. As a very stylish unisex
pullover, it
was a perfect
item to wear
with jeans and
shorts. And the
best part was
that it came
in multiple
colors.
Returning
to the original
topic of men’s
fashion, Stitch
Fix defines
“Big and Tall”
as the same elements of Tall sizing, but also includes width. If a man
needs clothes that go beyond XL, Big and Tall may be the perfect fit - e.g.
17 inches in the neck, 46 inches in the chest, and 40 inches in the waist.
The general rule of thumb is Men 6’ 2” and taller. Many of the male
clients that I work with, have no idea that you can purchase clothes in
this category at stores like Dillard’s, Nordstroms,
The clothing departments are almost the same in either Big and Tall
as well as regular sizes. Case in point: Tommy Bahama carries their
famous Camp Shirt, in regular and Big and Tall.
Some of the most famous faces that would fall into the Big and Tall
category are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Trace Adkins, Ben Affleck, Fred Dryer,
and Terry Crews. It’s pretty safe to say that these guys are most likely
thrilled that designers create clothing that will accommodate their
height and waist.
“It’s not the appearance that makes a man, it’s the man that makes
an appearance.” Anthony Liccione
20
Fashions for Big & Tall Men
Lisa Kemmerling is the owner of Clean Lines Fashion Consulting,
helping individuals with their packing needs for travel, as
well as finding current styles for both men & women. You can
contact her at: lisa@cleanlinesfashion.com or 925/518-4950.
April 2024
If you’re a baby boomer, then you may remember
the phrase “what season are you?” Starting in
the late 70s and going strong through the 80s
there was a very popular book called “Color Me
Beautiful” by Carole Jackson.
The book was a guide to what colors looked best on women and was
divided into seasons. You may be considered a winter, summer, spring or
autumn depending on your skin tone and hair color.
In order to help women find their best color, there were home parties
where a host would invite guests and a color specialist to drape you with
material in hopes of deciding your true color for your best look.
I remember attending a party but honestly don’t remember what my
season was. I wear the colors I like, although I recognize that my favorite
colors often do not look the best on me.
I love red and
I wear a lot of
it, but it doesn’t
do much for
me. When I put
on olive green,
which isn’t
often because I
don’t love the
color, I do think
it’s a way better
look.
Well, why
does something
that happened
over 40 years
Color Me Beautiful
By: Linda Bateman-Gomez / Timeless Beauty
ago matter
now? It’s
because what is
old is new again. Like so many things, there is a new version of our old
Color Me Beautiful parties.
I know this because once again, my 14-year-old granddaughter was
excited to share this cool “new” idea with me, telling me all about how
certain colors look better on people depending on their coloring. She was
surprised when I sent her links about this concept that was very big when
I was just a little older than she is.
Curious to find out your season? Like many things, technology has
entered the picture. There is a website called Colorwise.me to help you
figure it out. Or, if you prefer the old way, you can find an updated version
of the book “Color Me Beautiful” available on Amazon.
It might be fun to try and figure out what my season is, but even if I do,
I’d likely still wear the colors I like. Old habits are hard to break.
Linda Bateman-Gomez has an international beauty company
based in Las Vegas that specializes in cosmetics and other beauty
products. Contact Linda at TimelessBeauty2020@gmail.com or
through her website www.fullips.com.