Women of
Central Europe
By Barbara Petty
November 2005
Having just returned from a two-week holiday in Europe,
this month’s Timeless Style column will be devoted
to sharing with you my observations on the fashion tastes
of European Women. As I did not want to be rude and take
photos of unknown women, I do not have any images. But trust
me, I studied these women with a keen eye and made copious
notes.
The first preconceived notion that went away rather quickly
is that European women dress more formally than we do –
not true. But what they do have is a sense of who they are
and carry an attitude of “I look good” no matter
what they were wearing. (We Americans need to get a little
more of that attitude thing going on as well.)
In Italy, we were fortunate to stay at a five-star hotel
overlooking Rome (compliments of Hilton frequent user points,
otherwise we would have never been able to afford it!) So
while hob-nobbing with the International jet set, I paid
close attention to what those glam-gals were wearing. To
my surprise, the look was primarily jeans, pointed toe shoes
with high heels, and a great top or jacket. Now, mind you,
they were not every day jeans, but really awesome jeans
with embellishments, or fancy stitching, or unique cuts
-- but nonetheless, blue jeans. The cut of the leg was primarily
straight-legged or with a small flair, but no big-bells
at all. And of course, loooooooooooong. I don’t know
where those statuesque beauties found their wonderfully
long-legged styles, but I was terribly jealous – I
can’t find jeans long enough for me and I’m
only 5’10”.
The shoes surprised me because I thought the rounded toe
look was gaining popularity, but not in Italy. The pointier
and the higher the better, made out of wonderful leathers
and unique styles. But the piece de resistance was what
was on the top – beautiful, close-fitting jackets
or blouses. And everything was embellished – sequins
and beads stitched onto lapels, scarves, collars and cuffs.
Lace was also present, but in small doses. The flirty romantic
blouses we are seeing in our stores are not popular with
these women.
 As
we headed north into Paris and Amsterdam the weather was
decidedly colder. Thus when I first noticed that scarves
were the big accessory item, I thought it might be the chill
in the air. But after being up north for several days and
having some fairly warm temperatures, I decided that the
scarf was not needed, but in fact de rigueur. There were
small accent scarves, big wooly double-wrapped neck warmers
and all sizes in between. All of the stores carried a variety
of scarves from simple silk cloth to beautiful burnt velvet
designs.
 Shoe
styles were not as high or as pointy as they were in Italy.
In fact, I saw several pairs of boots with no heel –
what we used to call riding boots. They were beautiful in
two-toned leather and suede with minimal stitching detail
or perhaps a buckle. I wanted to get a pair to bring home
but my bag was already bulging!
The other fashion style that caught my eye was the hair.
French and Dutch women are wearing their hair longer again.
Simple layered cuts or pulled back in sleek buns and ponytails.
The choppy, messy look was seen only on the young people
and rock star types. The overall look was one of understated
ease and sophistication.
 What
does all this mean for Fifty Plus readers? Well, here’s
Bab’s fashion summary  to
get the best European look – get some really super
jeans and riding boots (forget the high-heeled pointy toes
because our feet can’t handle them anyway). Invest
in a well-cut fitted jacket (above hip length if you can
wear that style) and purchase a wonderful brooch for the
lapel. Go crazy with scarves because women over fifty look
great with this accessory, and don’t be afraid to
experiment with tying the scarf different ways. And finally,
let your hair grow out a little but keep it sleek and simple.
And strut your stuff, girlfriend, no matter what you are
wearing. Attitude is the best fashion accessory of all!
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