LA Style Story: Saree Not Sorry and Cocktail Hour
Saree Not Sorry
I fell in love with India on my first work trip there, a few decades ago. I was fascinated by the culture, the people, the food, the colours, the colours, did I mention the colours? The narrow streets were jam packed with cars, tuk-tuks and a variety of large animals. What really got me, was the amount of couples, young and old, on scooters, weaving in and out of traffic. The men would drive and the women sat side-saddle, behind them wearing Sarees that swirled through the air. The bustling streets disappeared behind a whirlwind of fabric in the most vibrant and saturated colours, one could only imagine, truly a spectacular site. I brought back a number of Sarees, over the years and love to wear them. However, due the fact that a Saree’s fabric drape is between 15 and 30 feet, makes it a little tricky for a rookie to navigate and properly tie. I combine traditional along with my own versions of draping and tying, for a look that’s authentic to me. You can choose whether or not to wear the traditional blouse and skirt under your Saree. I opt for a strapless bra and underwear or Spanx, since there’s much fabric, it’s far from sheer. Sarees come in both sheer and opaque fabrics with simple embroideries to extremely opulent appliqués.
*They also make gorgeous window coverings and table accents.
Style -Tip: grab a friend ‘cuz it’s a 2-woman sport, the first time. YouTube has a number of videos on how to tie a Saree, with and without the traditional under pieces. If you live or are visiting Los Angeles, I urge you to check out Little India, in Artesia and experience the culture, the food and the shopping.
Cocktail Hour
It’s been a long day and it’s 5:00 somewhere so I’ve kicked off my shoes, Sam Edelman, and I’m having a Vodka martini in a vintage glass in my vintage silk Kimono that I brought back from a shopping trip to Osaka. It’s one of my favorite pieces because it’s so multifunctional. I can wear it as a robe, a layering pieces with jeans and leggings or as a long wrap dress, like now. I’ve pulled the neckline down into a portrait, exposing my collar bone for the appearance of a broader shoulder and a narrow body. I’ve kept my jewelry simple with a vintage 1940’s silver chain for its drippy-like feel. It skims my neck like my Kimono, skims my body.
Style-tip: collarbones are sexy and when properly exposed, they do amazing things for our body’s proportion…use them wisely!
*please treat your wardrobe well. many people worked very hard to get it to you.
The tomato behind The Three Tomatoes.
Cheryl Benton, aka the “head tomato” is founder and publisher of The Three Tomatoes, a digital lifestyle magazine for “women who aren’t kids”. Having lived and worked for many years in New York City, the land of size zero twenty-somethings, she was truly starting to feel like an invisible woman. She created The Three Tomatoes just for the fun of it as the antidote for invisibility and sent it to 60 friends. Today she has thousands of friends and is chief cheerleader for smart, savvy women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage. She is the author of the novel, "Can You See Us Now?" and co-author of a humorous books of quips, "Martini Wisdom." Because she's lived a long time, her full bio won't fit here. If you want the "blah, blah, blah", read more. www.thethreetomatoes.com/about-the-head-tomato
