Tag: Women

Day to night

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

img_0595I had a personal triumph on Friday and just had to share.  Yes, that’s right… I successfully navigated, in fact NEEDED, to transition from day to night!  Now, I know what you are thinking: is that really a thing?  I hear you!  I didn’t think so either.  Margaret Lyons and I have clearly been on the same page thus far.  But Friday night I had a concert performance, and of course I had work during the day.  Behold!  A day-to-night opportunity was born.

For my orchestra concerts I need to wear all black, but at the office I prefer not to look like I am going to a funeral.  Also I prefer not to wear evening wear to the office (for obvious reasons).  My outfit for the evening consisted of a silky black top with a dramatic tie-waist, slim cigarette pants, a trim black blazer, and black heels.  To day-ify it, I swapped the blazer for a medium wash denim jacket, and wore leopard loafers instead of the heels.  My same pair of filigree earrings went from slightly bohemian to elegant with just a jacket change.

Yes, Virginia Margaret, there is a Santa Claus need for day-to-night outfits.  I am living proof — AND I lived to tell the tale.

blazer  cigarette pants  cupro tie top  black heels  filigree earrings  denim jacket  leopard loafers

Force for good

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

The Women’s March 2019 is coming up on Saturday, and I’ll be marching again in support of women’s rights and gender equality for all.  With these issues on my mind, today I am wearing my Madewell x Girls Inc. sweater.  Proceeds from sales go to support Girls Inc. and its mission of empowering young women through advocacy and education.  Cozy, chic, and a force for good.

madewell_girls_inc_sweater

conditional retraction

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment
schiele_sitting_woman_with_legs_drawn_up
‘Sitting Woman with Legs Drawn Up’ by Egon Schiele (Narodni Galeri)

 

(for now) there is stillness amidst

what was once her maelstrom

whirling slowed into a lilting-soft song/dance

less frightened, more eager

no longer slamming her body against the walls

of an invisible cage

(for now) she is perhaps not sated, but quiescent

he has soothed the beast within

brought her light

velveted the darkness

into an appealing purple twilight

she has sheathed her claws

(for now) they do not reflect the cold moonlight

instead (for now) she allows his warmth

to thaw her edges

–Charla M. DelaCuadra

 

 

Get ready to vote!

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

suffragettes

Despite all of my concerns for the world today, the tragic violence of yet another mass shooting, and the dismal reality of each day’s news, I am buoyed by hope.  Midterm elections are this November 6th, and I encourage each and every one of you to seize your power and your voice.  We all lose when we are silenced.  Your vote matters, and your voice matters.

Joanna Goddard shared four things to do to get ready to vote, including helpful resources to educate yourself if you are feeling a bit lost about where your polling place is, what the issues are, or even how to get to the polls.

I believe in us, and I believe in our country.  Remember, a journey of 1,00 miles begins with a single step.

(Photo via The Sunday Post 16th May 1911)

Bravo!

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

universal_standard_foundation

Today Universal Standard launched their most inclusive collection yet: Foundation.  I know I have mentioned US a couple of times before, but in case you are new to the brand, they have been doing amazing things to improve inclusion in women’s fashion in the last couple years.  With Foundation, they are even closer to their goal of breaking down existing barriers and giving all women fashion freedom.  US is now offering 7 new wardrobe basics from size 00 to size 40, with each being custom designed for fit and comfort.  I find their attitude and aspirations so inspiring!  Not only are they offering clothes for as the widest range of sizes, ages, and body types that I know of, but they are thinking hard about good fit, good construction, and great style in the process.  Bravo, US!  You are a much-needed voice in the fashion world.

The power of girls

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NYT_this_is_18

With everything that is going on in the world right now, it is more important than ever to honor, recognize, and support the power of girls.  The New York Times put together a powerful piece in #ThisIs18, a kaleidoscopic accounting of what 18 looks like around the world.  What makes it especially powerful is that the photos and words are all from girls themselves.  I was humbled and awed by the conviction of these young women, and encouraged by their savvy, grace, and intelligence.  Take a look, and let’s celebrate girls and women not just on International Girls’ Day, but every day.  The future is female.

Feeling beautiful

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

img_9289

Apologies for my absence this week, but I have had a terrible cold.  I’m hoping to be back in action fully next week, but in the meantime, I wanted to share a resonant piece about beauty that I stumbled across this morning:

“… Here are some activities where I feel intuitively beautiful and feminine – Walking through the Minneapolis Institute of Art alone. Writing and creating in an afternoon coffee shop. Talking with my girlfriends late at night, long after the persuasion of sleep has crept in. I feel most beautiful when interacting with this life that surrounds us. So I’m trying to do more of that. Because the image I keep hoping to see in the mirror? She’s never going to show up. But still, without fail, I greet her within me every single day – she is the way I respond to art and humanity. She is the rare and precious awareness that comes only when studying something that is distinctly outside of myself. I want to learn more of her. And it’s not going to happen while looking into the empty reflection of my bathroom mirror. So why would I bother to look there at all?”

–Anna Jeter via Wit & Delight

It made me think about how I feel vs. how I look, and how important it is to feel good in my body.  Here’s to a weekend full of feeling beautiful in and of ourselves.

 

Jump(er) for joy

~ cdelacuadra ~ 1 Comment

I am rather late to the party, but I have finally joined in on the jumpsuit trend.  It took me ages to find anything that fit and I felt good in, but now I am the proud owner of not one, but three (!) jumpers.  They make getting dressed a breeze — one and done — and they dress up or down nicely.  Here are the ones I wound up with, below:

wide leg  kimono sleeve  side tie

It it notoriously difficult to find well-cut clothing in larger sizes, so it feels like that much more of a victory to find clothes I am happy in.   I am pleased to see more brands widening their size ranges, though, and am hopeful it will continue.  Women come in far more shapes and sizes than the runway ideal, and we should all be able to feel confident — every day.

 

Monday reading

~ cdelacuadra ~ Leave a comment

Good morning!  Here are a couple great things to start off the week:

Selfishness or survival?  Anne Helen Petersen gets it.  Her piece simultaneously discusses four different narratives surrounding the low American birth rate while also deftly and intelligently peeling back the layers regarding the choice to not have children and the impossible financial position that many young people find themselves in.  A great read.

A brave new world, indeed.  Bravo to Universal Standard and J. Crew for working towards truly inclusive sizing.  Shop the collection here!

Universal_Standard_J_Crew_collaboration