my fashion influence

my love of fashion (ok obsession) started at a very young age. my greatest influence was my grandmother, cesha. she loved fashion and clothes as much as i did and always looked stunning no matter what she was wearing. she was a buyer at a local department store so she had the most incredible wardrobe. i would go to her apartment and try on all of her beautiful chiffon dresses (hence my chiffon obsession), shoes (think 80s rhinestone stilettos), and go through each bureau drawer admiring her cashmere scarves and jewelry. she would give me her copies of vogue, bazaar, and elle as soon as she had looked through them. i coveted those magazines.

cesha had an innate fashion sense and a specific vision of how she wished to portray herself. she was unique, yet classic. she understood the power of a statement piece. i adored her trademark platinum hair and the fact that she never looked like anyone else her age. she definitely had a certain je ne sais quoi about her...

*****************************
1970s. cesha at the pool. she would buy a few swimsuits each season along with coordinating sandals and matching tote.



1960s. new year's eve dress.


1968. cesha with her two daughters, patty and nancie (my mom). i love cesha's glasses and handbag.


cesha, mom, aunt patty, and grampy. the picture is faded so it's hard to see the beautiful, long gold necklace and a thin belt cesha was wearing. too bad, because they made the outfit.


at 86-years-old, cesha dresses more for comfort now than fashion. however, she still keeps up with the trends and when i visit her the first thing she does is assess my outfit. she taught me well because she always approves.