I got to thinking about what makes someone immediately ‘stylish’ & ‘beautiful’ to me. I once saw an older lady at swimming…I saw the gentleness of her tiny willowy frame, her long silver hair thrown up loosely in a bun on top of her head and her bare 80 year old skin framed by her black scoop-back, simple swimsuit. I was drawn to her. In a changing room full of youth and racy low slung bikinis and push up bras, she was pure elegance. She was a true classic. But most importantly, you could see she had a passion for living and she was fully comfortable in her own, lived in, 80 year old skin. ‘Little Bird’ was my name for her.
I only saw her one more time after that and on that occasion I took the opportunity to tell her how absolutely beautiful and chic I thought she was. She smiled at me shyly, put her tiny hand to her mouth, said thank you and tiptoed to the pool with her dainty pearl earrings leading the way.
I have never forgotten that woman. That rare and beautiful Little Bird.
Coco Chanel had it just right when she said ‘simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance’. And quite clearly, true elegance never fades.