A question of balance

Ever found yourself musing about wearing a pair of white chiffon jeans with a side zip? Stop right there, sister (and brother - definitely brother). As of today I know about style, and the new-found stylist in me says NO!

I say No! to jeans without back pockets. No! to jeans with side-zips. No! to thin fabric for white jeans. And No No No! to tight-armed t-shirts unless your upper arms are fabulously toned.

See? It's amazing the stuff you can learn if you put your mind to it.

Yes, today saw me heading over to the apartment of a fellow SP ('Spouse or Partner of...' in case you've forgotten) to attend an afternoon tea with an ex-pat Zürich Stylist and a Dear Jeweller (who is also an SP in her spare time).

Just to make sure we weren't all fading away to nothing, our hostess had put on a wonderful spread of hors d'oeuvres, wine and cake. This Hausfrau felt it was her duty to sample most of the offerings, plus the Greek dessert wine, which another Dear (Greek-speaking) SP informed her was often drunk at communion. (Not her, the wine.)

I was interested to see the clothes our Stylist had assembled to show us. (Pink, according to her, is the colour to be seen in this summer.)

I can't say I would have naturally gravitated toward anything she had on offer, but I am rather in awe of someone who could get up and, without batting a mascara'ed lash, tell the doubting Thomases among us that she could make slim-cut or wide-leg jeans or even halter-neck dresses work for anyone - it's just a question of balance.

Yes. At that moment, communion wine in hand, I had an epiphany: This woman knew halter-necks. I may have been in the presence of a Guru.

Happily the epiphany lasted a little longer than expected (I don't get epiphanies very often, so it was good to settle in with it), because it extended to the Dear SP Jeweller, who clearly enjoyed her passion for jewellery in all its various guises. (Plus she was wearing pink.)

She talked about gold and silver and platinum, and the various mixes with copper and other metals, and she talked about diamonds (why not: we are in Zürich after all). And she also talked about how hair-spray and perfumes are Death to the Pearl, which had never before crossed my mind (perhaps because perfumes and hair-spray are also Death to the Hausfrau).

But back to the extended epiphany, and I must say I agree whole-heartedly with the DSPJ when she said you should really just wear what makes you feel good: things you like to look at, and which make you happy.

Now I don't pretend to understand the 'question of balance' in a wardrobe (especially not after the Greek communion wine, because balance is clearly an art). But I do wonder if preceding that question must exist the question: Which style is your particular style? Stove-pipes or flares? Silver or gold?

And, for the Hausfrau, that particular quest is one on which only the Hausfrau can travel.

I'll let you know when I've found the Holy Grail (also which metal and jewels it was made from and if it's worth its weight).