Advanced Style

I asked Carola, from yesterday’s post, about her style influences and evolution. When I first met her, she was all dressed up for the Easter Parade, in a beautiful vintage dress and hat. She told me that although she loved fashion, that her style was usually a lot more casual. Since that day Carola has told me that she has been inspired to dress up more. She loves to see how the ladies I photograph dress up and finds inspiration in their personal style. I started Advanced Style in order to challenge stereotypically-held views on aging and style. I am honored that Carola has been influenced by my photos and has rediscovered her love of style and color. Carola is an Advanced Style lady in her own right. Check out her wonderful life and style advice below.

When I first met you, you told me that you don’t really dress up.Has this changed and if so why?Because of you, Ari, I now think much more about dressing up. I have always loved clothes, but now that I am retired I tend to wear “easy” clothes like jeggings !! But when I have a chance to go out I wear dresses which I love. I love color in my clothes and relate to so many of your wonderful women who also love it.

What do you like in regards to style?
In regards to style I tend to like classic lines – I suppose I might be described as a sixties fan – also forties. I love to see people experiment and express themselves through their clothes and really love all fashion because of its beauty and its gift to people to create and express themselves.

How would you describe your style?
I guess my style is casual except when I go out and then I love dresses and jewelry. And color, color, color – bright and rich.

What are your secrets to staying vital, healthy, beautiful as you age?
Trying to stay healthy is so important – I walk a lot – I took dance lessons quite a bit – I especially love belly dancing! I wish I could still ride horses which I did as a child and teenager, but this hasn’t been possible for years! I love swimming. My father went for very long walks twice a day until his 90’s and he was always healthy and strong until he got Parkinsons disease – but very late in his life.

Did your mom influence your style?
My mother wasn’t obviously an influence to me as I grew up. I think because we were in boarding school and wore uniforms – but I think her love of color in her clothes influenced me and the fact that she exposed me to beautiful clothes and even that she dressed me up a lot when I was small although I didn’t enjoy it much then!

Any advice for people stuck in a style rut?
If you are stuck in a style rut, take a chance and dress from your wildest imagination or fantasy – please yourself!

Anything you want to add?
I want to add that you have enriched my life and many others and I want to thank you profoundly.

The ladies and gentleman I photograph always have great stories to tell. Oftentimes they will have things in their wardrobes that they have kept for many years. These special items carry with them, memories of the past. The other day Carola asked if I would like to see some Chinese coats that her mother had passed down to her. We met up in a small city park and I took a few shots of her in her mother’s coats. As a girl Carola always looked forward to special gifts from her mother.I asked her to share some words about her mother below:

Our mother, Emily Hahn, was a dazzling, beautiful adventurer and writer. She had spent some time in Hollywood as a screenwriter and then, on a trip around she discovered Shanghai. She stayed in China for 9 years, teaching and writing. She had a love affair there with a Chinese poet and when this relationship deteriorated she met my father who was stationed in Hong Kong as a British intelligence officer. I was born from this passion. At the behest of my father, who feared for our lives and who had been imprisoned by the Japanese after being badly wounded in the battle of Hong Kong, my mother and I took a refugee ship to New York. We were joined there by my father after Japan surrendered at the end of World War II and he was able to escape from his prison camp when the prison guards abandoned it.

While my mother survived some war years in Hong Kong, she told me that a fur lined chinese robe kept her warm through savage weather and deprivations of food and heat.

A few days ago I shared the photo above in a post about self expression.It’s always lovely meeting people on the street and starting up a conversation. I stopped this stunning woman on Madison Ave and we chatted for a few moments.She asked what I do and I told her that I was working on a book about age and style. She told me that she is teacher for disabled children and that she will look for the book when it comes out.

I’m inspired by a very wide range of style, from the most chic to the most eccentric. This stylish lady was impeccably dressed for an afternoon stroll down Madison Ave. I love the combination of her conservative floral suit with a more attention grabbing leopard print bag. The Advanced Style ladies have taught me that sometimes all it takes is one great accessory to complete a look.