This week my friend and highly fashionable jewelry designer Ina Deane (http://www.eenadee.com/) suggested that I watch the documentary “Advanced Style”. The documentary is about gorgeous, stylish New York City women over the age of 60 and it’s a blast.  (Available on Netflix, Google Chrome and Amazon for streaming). I remember seeing Ari Seth Cohen’s book a few years ago and just loving the spunk & style of these women.  So inspiring! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to read about the most memorable fashion moments of my life.

MY FANTASY PROJECT: I want to do a Burlington, Vermont version of Advanced Style.

I would love to put together a gathering and maybe even hire Ari Seth Cohen to come speak in Burlington sometime.  Wouldn’t that be a blast?

If you know of fashion forward men and women in Vermont please get in touch with me.  E-mail is best: lllillibridge@gmail.com

About ARI SETH COHEN from Advanced Style blog

http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/

 “My name is Ari Seth Cohen. I roam the streets of New York looking for the most stylish and creative older folks. Respect your elders and let these ladies and gents teach you a

thing or two about living life to the fullest. Advanced Style offers proof from the wise and silver-haired set that personal style advances with age.”

  photos by Ari Seth Cohen

When I watched Advanced Style this week I was reminded of these two big Advanced Style moments in my own life.

1.  A few years ago while waiting in line to check-in at The Accessories Show at The Javits Center in NYC with Maggie Pace I got to talk briefly with Iris Apfel.  She was wearing the most beautiful pink driving mocs when I spoke to her. Perhaps they were PRADA.  It was one of those moments when I found myself so happy to even get to say hello to her. Iris has been quite an inspiration to a girl from South Dakota.  New York City was like going to the moon when I was growing up on the prairie.  I was twenty-one when I first had the privilege of seeing NYC and I never get to go there enough.

2. In October of 2004 I was in New York City for the wedding of my cousin.  My mother and I were walking up to the Jewish History Museum and we saw a women hail a cab.  This woman had a long, grey ponytail, stright dark jeans, a gorgeous neutral sweater, boots with the perfect heel, a scarf impeccably tied and lots of bracelets.  She looked so NYC cool and confident that the image of her is etched in my mind.

 Iris Apfel

I think my own style as I age will veer toward the aging silent film star.  Halloween 2014.