This is going to be a short feature because in this case a picture speaks volume and nothing I write can remotely compare to Bill Cunningham’s feature slideshows for the New York Time Fashion Section.

I’m a hard core fan of Bill Cunningham’s way of seeing New York City through the lens of his camera and I’m always amazed at how astute he is in his analysis of street fashion.

During the last economical meltdown back in 1930, women had adjusted their fashion sense to the harsh reality of the time.

Armed with the retailer of choice for First Lady-elect Michelle Obama, I attempted to be more recession-smart and try my hand at shopping online for a few deals.

I hit two major online retailers: eBay and J.Crew. This was my first time buying anything from either retailer and my experience was vastly different from one retailer to the other.

I’m a fairly small dress size, BUT I have long legs, I’m tall, I have a small waist, and I have curves. This makes buying a bit of a nightmare in many cases because it’s quite rare that I can buy something without trying it and I have to try-try-and-try again before finding items that fit because designers cut clothes that fit women who are short and who have the same hip-to-waist ratio.

WOW! What a show! W-H-A-T A S-H-O-W!!!

I had planned on watching 10 minutes of it, but ended up watching the full hour that ended thirty minutes ago because it was hard to do anything else.

The lingerie was very couture and the models were beautiful.

It hurts me to admit this, but Heidi Klum (mother of three and Seal’s wife) looks absolutely incredible.

First it was the election-day dress designed by Narciso Rodriguez and then it was the $15,000 diamond chandelier like earrings … Michelle Obama, who is said not to have a stylist, is surely getting a lot of ink for her style.

I’ll be honest here and say that I didn’t like that dress she wore the night her husband was elected President and I didn’t like that dress when I saw it on a model during Narciso’s Spring 2009 fashion show in September. I just find that too much is happening at the waist area and I actually found the dress made First Lady elected Michelle Obama look wider than she is. In my view, the whole thing was very distracting and she’s had many other much better fashion days.

During her four years as the wife of the President of the US, Michelle Obama will no doubt have a chance to influence a lot of women in their fashion decision because she represents the average American women.

It’s already rumoured that over 1 million Americans want to assist to the January 20th 2009 Obama inauguration where the president-elect will drop one word from his title and simply become THE PRESIDENT!

There is no doubt that the months leading to this historical event will give way to many new fashion trends (some good and some very-much forgettable), but I thought that now that all the anticipation of “will Sara Palin be able to represent America without being ridiculed or will Michelle Obama become the first African-American First Lady” are over, I would take a look back at some of the strongest fashion trends from this election.

A few months ago, I was invited to a fall 2008 French lingerie evening to view the upcoming collections from some of the top French brands.

It’s so crucial to wear the right underwear because the reality is that the foundation to any wardrobe is your underwear. If you have larger breasts or if you had kids, it’s imperative that you get a bra fitting in order to wear the proper size bra that will not only give you support, but also ensure that your clothing falls as it should.

The same applies to your undergarments. Nothing can ruin a nice dress or a nice skirt faster than an undergarment that can be seen from 10 kilometres away or worse an undergarment that spends most of its time fitting in an uncomfortable position that forces you to constantly pull and tug at it.

If you’ve never bought or sold anything on eBay, it can seem a bit overwhelming. I have so many friends who have closets packed with stuff, but who refuse to take the time to try to sell their once-loved-items on eBay on the pretext that eBay is too complicated and too tedious to learn.

Most of them have told me they have no intentions on sitting down and figuring out eBay and they’d just rather take their once-loved-items to GoodWill. Now, don’t get me wrong, taking items you no longer wear or use to Salvation Army or GoodWill is very important. It’s a truly kind and necessary gesture, but there are a number of items that you own that are worth some good money and this might be a little extra cash that you could use to offset the coming season’s purchases.

The Toronto Film Festival has taken over the city and there are Hollywood Celebrities everywhere you look and there are exclusive parties every single night.

If you are invited to one of these parties, the first thing that comes to mind is the dreaded question: “what do I wear”? Dressing up for a red carpet event or a party that will be star-studded can add a lot of pressure on your wallet if you don’t know where to shop.

Yes, ladies you’ve read those words correctly! This is not a joke. It’s official … women over 35 who have had babies and who have bodies that look a bit different than the body they had when they were 18 can rejoice at the idea of strolling down the beach in stylish and sexy swimwear.

A few weeks ago, I was at H & M and made my way to their swimwear area. When I got there I stood and simply stared at the wall trying to figure out how in the world anyone is supposed to wear those tops that were so small (and offered no support).

I quite like the new extended “10 Years Younger” because the makeovers are even more dramatic than they were in the original show.

I’ve been watching that show for at least four years and I always find it incredible how a little makeup, a good hairstyle and the proper clothes can make an incredible difference in people.

I’d say that most of the participants have reached a certain plateau in their personal lives following major life changes and they need the help of a team of experts to get them out of that rut.

I was recently reading an interview with former French model Ines de la Fressange in the French edition of “Elle“. Ines was Karl Lagerfeld’s (head designer at Chanel) muse during the 80s and 90s at Chanel couture. Yes, before Nicole Kidman, there was Ines!

I really was beside myself when I read the headlines stating that Ines was 50! I still remember flipping pages of “Vogue” as a teenager and watching fashion shows on TV and I remember Ines like it was yesterday … I just didn’t realize it had been that long ago and that she was 50 (born on August 11 1957).

I’ll admit that had it not been for the headline, I would have guessed her age at maybe 37 … she looks incredible.

I know for a fact that the French don’t go overboard with all of the anti-aging industry like we do in North America and I doubt Ines had any cosmetic work done.

I just had to share this with you!

As you know, Sex and the City was all about designer couture! If you’re not ready to drop several thousands of dollars on a handbag and if the idea of renting a handbag is not appealing to you, you might consider Celebrity inspired designer bags … that won’t force you to take out a second mortgage!

You won’t believe these handbag prices!

Photo from Sex and the City movie premier

“Lipstick Jungle” was the event that had me talking more and more about style on Beauty Match.

Until February, I focused on basic skincare, anti-aging skincare, medical spa treatment, fitness, emotional fitness and healthy eating as means to aging-well.

It’s not that I don’t care about fashion … Italy is my favourite country in the whole wide world because I cannot get enough of Italian fashion … it’s that I had not thought of including this segment originally.