Faith Style

Walk with elegance and grace and enjoy the feminine touch with these Valentino heels. “Lace – the invention of a goddess and the occupation of a queen.” Vinciolo  

Many people mistakenly believe fashion is not for them. They may despise the industry for imposing unrealistic beauty ideals, or feel intimidated by the apparent glamour: Vogue editor Anna Wintour believes a fear of being wrong-footed in their style choices drives some to poke fun at fashion; like outsiders who wish they could be part of an elite club.

Ben Barry, a Canadian model agent who has gained world renown for representing models of all ages, sizes, races and abilities, is challenging the notion of exclusivity through his success at getting a diverse array of models onto the runways:

I believe fashion belongs to all of us. Fashion allows us to express our personality, moods, and desires; it can allow us to play and experiment with different looks and attitudes; and it allows us to appreciate craftsmanship and artistic vision. While all of us might not be in the fashion industry, we all have a role to play in helping create authentic images. We can support brands and magazines with our dollar. We can still play a role by changing how we think and speak about beauty each day. We can actively deconstruct the artifice of fashion images by picking them apart with our kids and friends. We can shift the dominant oppressive definition of beauty by calling our friends non-physical attributes beautiful –their laugh, heart, and mind.

Ben is at the forefront of a movement that says the aspirational can also be attainable. Instead of promoting impossible images in magazines and on runways, fashion professionals can create looks that are achievable:

When we showcase diversity in fashion, we have to remember it is fashion; diverse models should have the same glamour and artistry as the other models. Diverse images are aspirational, but they are also attainable and honest. A woman can actually look like the model, achieve her look, if she too got her hair and make-up done and put on a similar outfit. And today’s world is about authenticity; artifice feels very five years ago.

Fashion is meant to be fun and playful. It is a way for us to express our authentic selves in a way that feels good to us. Regardless of shape or size, we need to dress in a way that flatters our physicality, and we should do so within budget. Fashion is indeed for all of us: the key is showcasing on the outside all the beauty that resides within.

*You can read the Ben Barry interview in its entirety on Feature Writer Laura Kim Connell’s blog: For Those About to Shop

This week Sade’s first single, Soldier of Love was released and adoring fans like myself have been pumping the song incessantly.  The album, Soldier of Love marks Sade’s first official studio album since the multiplatinum, Lovers Rock in 2000. Soldier of Love is scheduled to be released in February 10, 2010. Sade is known for her lithe figure, cool demeanor and her sultry songs about the trials and rewards of love. The 51 year old divorced mother doesn’t look a day older than when she did in 1984 when she released her debut album, Diamond Life.

Over the years I have turned to Sade to help me to navigate my own love life—the angst, the complications, the disappointments and the transcendent joys. I personally identified with Sade’s quiet strength.  This is not to say that her public persona mirrors my own energy; I have been known to raise my voice.  But I really don’t like drama or the crying and whining that usually accompanies it.  Love, even intensely passionate love, doesn’t have to turn women into screaming lunatics. I loved and related to her smoldering sexuality.  Sade’s got that slightly detached vibe. It gives her admirers the impression that she’s not giving her goodies away to just anybody.

Sade’s Dorian Gray looks may have to do with her deciding to live her life on her own terms— away from the glare of the public. She’s an artist who generously gives us her music but not her entire life. Sade isn’t fodder for tabloids and the public knows very little about her personal life. Her value to her fans is lies solely in her artistry, as it should be.

Lauryn Hill, like Sade appears to be re-emerging after a self-imposed hiatus. It has been reported that Lauryn will appear at Raggamuffin Music Festival on January 23, 2010. The festival will take place in Rotorua International Stadium in Rotura, New Zealand.  Hill and former Fugees member Wyclef Jean will be co-headliners of the festival. Lauryn’s involvement in the Raggamuffin Festival is the singer’s first major sighting since cancelling several high profile dates in June of 2009. Lauryn had been scheduled to headline the Stockholm Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

As a member of the Fugees, Lauryn released two albums including 1996’s The Score, which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Lauryn endeared herself to a generation of female rap music fans because she didn’t hew to the traditional roles for women: hoochie or gangsta’s moll.  She didn’t shake her ass in videos nor did have a weave.   Lauryn gained success because she  was a talented singer and lyricist who easily held her own with her male counterparts.  In 1999 the 23 year old set a Grammy record for women by winning 5 awards for her solo debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill She won album of the year (the first time a rap music artist had won this category), best new artist, best female R&B vocal performance, best R&B song, and best R&B album.

On the song Zion” from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn addresses becoming a mother—Zion is the name of her firstborn. She speaks candidly about how many advised her to terminate her pregnancy because  they thought it would hurt her career.  Unlike the Sade, Hill hasn’t remained in a media cocoon.  In the past several years there have been rumors circulating about Hill’s relationships with Wyclef Jean, as well as with Rohan Marley, the fourth son of reggae icon Bob Marley. Rohan and Lauryn have five children together.  Additionally there has been rampant speculation about her mental health and her singing abilities.  Giving the dearth of multi-dimensional female musical artists, millions of Lauryn Hill fans are eagerly awaiting her return to the stage and to the recording studio.

The lesson of Sade and Lauryn Hill is that we each have a “public” that we serve. Your “public” includes your friends, family, associates, colleagues and neighbors. You don’t need to be elusive or intentionally mysterious. However to maintain your individuality and your peace of mind, you must keep a part of yourself separate and apart from your public.

Perhaps Also of Interest:
Working Mom: Get Your Swagger On!
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Yvonne Bynoe, Feature Writer

Download my FREE report: 5 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR LIFE NOW and STOP BEING A GUILTY, STRESSED OUT WORKING MOTHER at SophisticatedWomanandMama.com

You can also connect me on Twitter: Twitter.com/YvonneBynoe and on Facebook at Facebook.com/YvonneBynoe

Today I decided I would publish my Life List. Whether you keep a written copy or not everyone has one. Things you want to do or accomplish before a certain age or before you die. If your new to my site you might be wondering why I write so much on things like goals, aspirations, spirituality etc…And the truth is Faith is Forward Motion. Style has everything to do with our daily lives, how we pursue things, the way we dress, the way in which we work and the manner in which we act.  So I wanted to share my journey in the hopes that it would inspire others and myself with what will transpire.

1. Start my own business 2. Write a book 3. Go sky diving 4. Bungee jump 4. Meet the Dali Lama 5. Dedicate my life to a charity for 3 consecutive months 6. Payoff my student loan 7. Live abroad for a year 8. Try to surf 9. Go skiing 10. Study under a Buddhist monk 11. Meet a sadhu 12. Spend 40 days in an ashram 13. Own a little cottage on the lake 14. Let go of the traditional day job 15. Bake for strangers 16. Have a pair of custom heels made just for me! 17. Look for beauty everyday (and make note of it) 18. Become a soul coach 19. Travel to Brazil 20. Find a Life Coach/Mentor 21. Go back to Peru and walk the 4-day Inca Trail 22. Learn how to speak French 23. Learn how to speak Spanish 24. Meet Paulo Coelho 25. Adopt a little girl from Rio de Janeiro 26. Meditate regularly 27. Meet Robin Sharma 28. Inspire others 29. Practice Yoga regularly 30. Purchase my very own Mini Cooper S series in Charcoal Grey and White Roof 31. Get a dog 32. Meet Stacy London 33. Travel to Africa with my dad 34. Travel to India on a Spiritual Retreat 35. Journal regularly 36. Watch more foreign films 37. Travel to Europe with my little sister Sareena 38. Go on a yoga trip to Costa Rica with my best friends 39. Finish reading all the unread books in my library 40. See the 7 wonders of the world 41. Laugh often 42. Wear lip gloss everyday 43. Design a fabulous line of dresses 44. Own a beautiful home in Leaside 45. Experience being pregnant and having my own healthy baby 46. Walk the Camino with my mom 47. Live a simpler life 48.  Eat more food grown by mother earth 49. Grow old with my husband Karim 50. Travel to Thailand & Singapore 51. Slow down and enjoy more moments 52. Do good everyday 53. Spend a week on the beach in Fiji 54. Travel the rest of the world with my husband 55.  Meet Faith47 when traveling to South Africa 56. Spread LOVE 57. Remember how grateful I am EVERYDAY 58. Visit the Himalayas in Nepal 59. Travel to Indonesia 60. Become a Style Statement consultant 61. Drive across Canada with my brother Sayyed 62. Take a couples trip with our closest friends 63. Help women look and feel truly amazing everyday 63. Visit Machu Picchu in Peru 64.Marry my soul mate 65. Sleep under the stars 66. Go skinny dipping 67. Swim with the dolphins 68. Go shark feeding 69. Donate blood 70. Visit an active volcano 71. Explore the amazon 72. Go deep sea fishing 73. Ride in a hot air balloon 74. Picnic at midnight 75. Go whale watching 76. Attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans 77. Experience Times Square on New Year’s Eve 78. Learn to drive a standard car 79. Go canopying in Costa Rica 80. Go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef 81. Experience Carnival in Rio 82. Participate in the Holi Festival in India 83. Hang out in Ireland on St. Patrick’s day 84. Go to the Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico 85. Wake up every morning, breathing deeply, being thankful for my life and give back.

What’s on your list?

When it comes to looking your best, try one of these style strategies. You’re a perfect inverted triangle if you have:

• an average to above-average bust size
• broad shoulders and a full upper back
• a thick waist with not much difference between your waist and your bust or hips
• a flat butt or one that appears to connect straight to the back of the thigh

For the inverted triangle shape your fashion challenge is to play down your wide shoulders and widen your bottom half to balance your figure overall.

• Start with a supportive underwire bra with molded cups to shape and smooth.
• Avoid high necklines, which can make large busts appear matronly. Aim for V-necks, U-necks and low scoop necks to reveal a verticle line of skin at your chest, drawing the eye away from your shoulders.
• Wear circle skirts, pleated skirts and A-line skirts that create fullness around your hips where you want it.
• Try long chandelier earrings, which break up the horizontal line of your wide shoulders.
• Select bold colours and wild prints/patterns – but on your bottom half only.

If you feel what you look like on the outside is not authentic to what you feel on the inside, Please join Faith Style for a complimentary Style Workshop on Wednesday January 20, 2010 at Local, 511 Danforth Ave starting at 6:30pm and let your Style Journey begin.

Find out the benefits of looking and feeling fabulous from the inside out, creating a signature style that is all your own. Learn about your shape and the best way to accentuate your assets while camouflaging your challenge areas. As well as getting colour to work for you by discovering how to maximize the colour wheel.

Together we will start to uncover your essence and reveal your Style Confidence.

If you are ready, willing and want to discover your true beauty – put yourself first, just this once and start the New Year honouring you!

Requesting $5 Donation to go to CARE

You will receive …

• a Stylish Gift Bag if your one of the first 50 guests
• a FREE colour analysis (value $100) space is limited, first come first serve basis
• an opportunity to enter a draw to WIN a ton of fabulous prizes including …
• Signature Style Session with Faith Style [value $650],
• DivaGirl Fitness session [value $100],
• PeachGloss Makeup Lesson [value $300],
• Aradia Fitness Party [value $300],
• Jewelry designed by local artists Kim Drosdick, Erin Tracy & Jenny Greco,
• Jessica Jensen Leather Journal,
• A fab two-hour closet organization consultation by StreamLife [value $200],
• Ronda B Knitwear
• And much, much more!

Please rsvp to s@faithstyle.ca by January 18th, 2010

Christian Louboutin’s trademark glossy red soles give an instant stamp of fashion excellence. The designer’s ethos is to “make shoes that are like jewels” and each unique design demonstrates unparalleled quality and an innate sultriness.

Image “Surrender” by Kathleen Wilke

Pretty Savvy has a great article by one of Faith Style’s Feature Writers, Victoria Joanna called “The Art of Surrender”. As we begin the New Year it is important that we understand what that means.

“The art of surrender therefore is in understanding the subtle difference between surrendering and giving up.  When we give up, we are saying to the Universe that we no longer believe the thing that we want is possible.  We lose all hope and we stop taking action.  Without action and hope, nothing happens.  However, when we surrender we never give up hope for what we want.  We hold the vision in our minds and we determine what steps will get us there.  We then do what we can ever day to move us closer to what we want.  We don’t stop moving and we don’t give up.  But here is the key – we let go of needing to control exactly when it will happen or how it will happen.  What we surrender is the idea that we know what’s best for us.  We believe in something greater than that is guiding us towards the life we are meant to live.”

*Full Article

My plans for 2010. I feel very strongly that it is important to have a plan, to write it down and to have faith that the universe will conspire in your favour. For me 2009 was an incredible year for love, for passion and for clarity in direction. Every year as I get older I feel like life gets better and better, I have a greater understanding of who I am, what I want and what I want to say to the world. The one thing that I haven’t been doing and which I think would be very beneficial is conducting an Annual Review, I was inspired to commit to this (starting this year) after reading Chris Guillebeau’s post on the subject.

Taking the cue from the many people who aspire me to be great, I’ve decided to map out my goals for 2010 and share them with you. I think that it’s critical to write them down and even more important to share them because it keeps you accountable and on track to be as successful as you can be. So here it goes, please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback.

Step 1, Gratitude (My List):

I’m grateful for…

• My family who are always by my side.
• My amazing friends.
• My past and what I’ve learned.
• My loving husband.
• My faith that the world is conspiring in my favour. Being a positive person makes a BIG impact on the way my life unfolds.
• The roof over my head.
• My health.
• Being surrounded by inspiring women who push me to new heights.
• The opportunities I have been presented with to take advantage of.
• My job that allows me to live well financially.
• Life, to enjoy and celebrate it everyday.
• Living in Canada and it’s multiculturalism and diversity.
• My passion, without it I would not be pursuing my business.
• The food I eat, others unfortunately do not get to eat a meal everyday.
• My freedom, the ability to do as I wish, when I wish.
• The people with HUGE hearts, without them this world would be a much darker place.
• My ability to learn, a never-ending process that makes me a better person everyday.
• My sight, without it I’d never know the beauty that exists in this world.
• My imagination, because without it I would not know what is possible.
• LOVE, that it exists in every little crevice and that it has the power to change the world.

Step 2, Setting My Intention/Theme for the Year:

2010 is the Year for Communication & Change

Step 3, Identifying My Goals (Clear, Specific & Measurable):

Business

• Create a 25% ROI, spread awareness for my work and draw additional traffic to my site through a successful “Honour Your Style” event which will represent the official launch of my business.
• Increase client base 25% each quarter this year.
• Strengthen Strategic Partnerships by hosting 4 Workshops this year.
• Start a Mastermind Group.
• Commence communicating style tips via video podcasts.
• Hire a Virtual Assistant.
• Make Faith Style more interactive. (Contests, Giveaways to get readers more engaged and posting comments, stories, etc…)
• Start writing my book idea.
• Partner with 3 like-minded clothing boutiques.

Wellness

• Committing to Hot Yoga twice a week.
• Indulge in hour-long walks on Saturday & Sunday.
• Reducing my chocolate intake by 50% while switching to 70% coca as a healthier alternative.
• Meditate 15 minutes daily.
• Journal 7 days a week.

Travel

• Take the long over due trip to Calgary to visit good friends and family.
• Make the long haul to one of my top 5 desired vacation spots (Indonesia, India, Nepal, Africa or Brazil)
• Make my plans for the Camino walk I plan to take for my 30th birthday.

Personal

• Read 24 books this year.
• Enroll and Complete 3 courses this year that are purely to ignite my creativity.
• Purchase my first home.
• Listen to music everyday as I work. It makes me feel great and puts a smile on my face so why the hell not?
• Volunteer my time with a charity that is close to my heart a few hours each month.
• Create a Legacy Project.
• Frame my vision/inspiration board.

Step 4, My Stop Doing List:

• Spending money on small local trips within Canada and the United States so that I can visit foreign soil that is culturally rich.
• Buying books until I finish reading the books in my library (with the exception of Danielle LaPorte and maybe a few others .
• Checking my emails as frequently as I do.
• Working 7 days a week. Friday is now my official day off.
• Having Twitter & Facebook open when I’m writing, I completely agree that it is a major distraction and therefore takes me twice as long to finish what I’ve started.

My words for 2010

Truth Transforms Spirituality

Great Resources:

Confidence is captivating; it is powerful; and it does not fade – and that is endlessly more interesting than being a certified fashionista. The first and most important step in developing a new or refined style is to project the kind of confidence you exude when you’re at your very best. The kind of confidence that will tell others that you respect yourself, love yourself and dress up for yourself and nobody else.

When you express your own personal style you exude this kind of confidence. To help you discover what your style may be, you need to know what inspires you – what colours you love, what images draw you in and the things that attract you. Create an inspiration board one that holds all the things that make your heart flutter. Analyze it looking for words, patterns and keys that may unlock the “uniqueness” each of us possesses.

“Know, first who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.” – Epictetus, Greek philosopher

Once you’ve identified your direction you need to embrace your body, learn about your shape and what you should do to show off its assets while camouflaging your flaws. Let balance and proportion be the guiding spirit. Type “Figure Formula” into the Faith Style search bar for a breakdown on your shape. Next is colour. Are you a warm tone or cool tone? Warm-toned individuals tend to look alive and healthy while wearing earthy colors, such as oranges, bronzes, golds, peaches, brick reds, earthy greens, mocha browns and ivory. They look best in yellow-based colors. Cool-toned people look best in jewel tones such as vibrant emerald green, royal or icy blues, rosy pinks, silvers, plums, and pure white. Blue-based colors look best. An easy test is to ask yourself, what colour do you get the most compliments on? What colour makes you feel really good when you wear it? And take your cue from there.

The last and best part is to play. Take the afternoon, turn on your favourite music, invite a friend, open a bottle of wine and start dressing up. Take photos as you go, making your very own look book.

A great style is equal parts consistency & diversity. Without consistency, it’s just clothes; without diversity, it’s a cul de sac. Adhering to a particular theme can be good – mod, boho, avant-garde – but don’t limit yourself to just one particular look, cut, silhouette or palette. It’s ok to throw in some fun, unexpected pieces, and just because you’ve never worn it before, doesn’t mean you can’t ever!

Remember: Style is not a chemical element that can be simply discovered. Eternal style is a complex concoction of ideas, simmered on low fire and perfected over time. It is a result of an agile mind.

*As written for Pretty Savvy