Kyle Richards’ Camo Sequin Blazer in Palm Springs

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 11 Episode 11 Fashion

Camo queen of the desert! If we all had to go around a table and pick one word to describe Kyle Richards’ camo sequin blazer that she wore to the dinner in Palm Springs on last night’s episode of RHOBH ours would definitely be “cute.” And if we had to pick two words to describe it, it would be ones you probably don’t want to hear — “sold out” (but hey, at least like Kyle we’re being honest).  

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to See Her R13 Blazer

Click Here to Shop Her BlankNYC Pants

Click Here to Shop Her Prada Boots

Info: @KyleRichards

Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Camo Sequin Blazer

The most alluring attribute a woman can possess is confidence. Confidence turns heads, makes easy introductions and can stop the world in its tracks.

Some years ago, I spent a week’s vacation with two of my grammar school chums. Each of us is unique, and each of our lives turned out very differently. Also, each of us had the allure of confidence even in our Catholic grammar school.

After my divorce almost four decades ago, I chose to carve out my gypsy journey of acting, teaching, writing, and traveling. I raised two sons and kept on dancing as if no one was watching. I’ve had a pretty good sense of self because I was raised by a father and mother who instilled confidence in me. At an early age, I understood and was grateful for the gifts and talents I was blessed with.

I met my friend Charlotte when we were both three years old. She divorced after 18 years of marriage (as I did) because of her husband’s addictions, and she raised two talented and educated children.

Charlotte was strong and beautiful and lucky enough to have fallen in love with a wonderful man 25 years ago. She married him and stayed by his side until his death. She still lives in their home tending diligently and lovingly to their joyful memories.

Her alluring confidence manifests itself in a highly developed social and emotional intelligence. She also derives great happiness from her family, grandchildren, a large circle of friends and her gardening. Charlotte walks like she knows where she is going, what she will be doing at every given minute of the day and carries a sense of urgency about how to live a happy life.

The third member of our clique is Frances. Frances is Phyllis Diller on steroids. She was the funniest girl in school, with a big heart on top. She never doubted the power of her humor, her memory, stray animals, and people, and her less than glamour-girl looks. In fact, Frances was our senior homecoming queen.

It was unfortunate that Frances was raised by two dysfunctional parents. They disliked almost everyone who was anything other than Catholic, German, or Irish. Frances was rebelling before she got out of high school, acting out and defying parental rules.

After leaving home, Frances spent decades in rebellion. She married three husbands, all of whom she outlived. She was never confident enough to find happiness. She searched for a stable life, finally marrying her last husband for money and not for love.

She lived in misery, surrounded by a shroud of alcohol and cigarettes. As Frances lost the allure of confidence, her belief in self ran out. And yet, there was hope because she had enough confidence to raise three children.

It was sad to see Frances lose her way, even though every so often, she has flashes of the young girl who was the homecoming queen, full of humor and gusto. After difficult days of watching someone you love fall apart daily, Charlotte and I decided to forgive Frances for not being what we wanted her to be.

Maintaining the Allure of Confidence

We all suffer from small deaths: loss of autonomy, individuality, or dignity. The enemy is loss of confidence, and that loss leads to self-pity. When we reach the stage of self-pity, we lose respect before everyone’s eyes.

Here’s how we can maintain the allure of confidence for the rest of our lives.

Possess Self-Knowledge

There is nothing more assertive and alluring as self-knowledge. From knowledge comes truth, or as the yogis say, truth to power. Knowing who you are, what your values are, how you want to live your life, etc. instills an overall state of well-being in us.

Whenever I am disappointed, or ask myself if I can be utterly happy being alone, I dig deep into my values, find my bliss, and maintain my autonomy.

Stay Engaged

Nothing is more exciting in life than staying engaged – socially, emotionally, and intellectually. Engagement gives us the ability to stay curious, vibrant, and alluring. Engagement gives us the ability to stay present, active and, focused. Embracing these ideas is a prescription to staying confident with inner peace.

Practice Acceptance

Life is a process of living, and part of living is accepting our journey, our experiences. Acceptance is integral to maintaining our alluring confidence. Acceptance is a form of recognition that we have been given a life that is connected to everything and everyone in our universe.

By approving this life, we honor our mind, body, and spirit. It is then that we can rejoice because we are able to come full circle – from birth to death – giving ourselves permission to create a life worth living.

Our dear friend Frances got off track and lost belief in self and, as a result, lost her confidence and willingness to lead a happy and fulfilling life. What Charlotte and I recognized during our vacation week together was that our individual confidence would lead us through the last decades of our lives. And we felt blessed.

Would you describe yourself as a confident person? Do you accept yourself flaws and all? Please join the conversation below!

I don’t know about you, but I want my summer back! My REAL summer. Not the abbreviated, still-slightly-scary lockdown-slash-reopening summer. I want that beach vacation! I want that stroll through St. Peter’s Square in my sandals and flowing sundress.

I want to wear my new swimsuit in the Caribbean… or at least at my friend’s pool. And I want to spend good times enjoying barbecues and outdoor meals with my friends and family!

Well, we can dream – and hope that next year this pandemic will be completely behind us.

Still, there is joy to be had in the little things that remind us that we are, in fact (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) still in the summer months.

And one way to remind ourselves of that fact is by sprucing up our wardrobe with a couple of new accessories. So, let’s look at what’s available right now – much of it on sale! (That’s one of the good things about shopping during the pandemic.)

Necklaces

There are threethemes in necklaces this summer: big and bold, multiples of delicate chains, and playful beads. In the big and bold category, you’ll be seeing lots of choker length and slightly longer chunky metal link necklaces. You’ll also see large faux pearls chokers.

Both are being worn with everything from tailored jackets and blouses to swimsuits and swim cover-ups. They add an elegant and eye-catching detail to almost any outfit and draw attention up to the face.

But if you’re unwilling to call attention to what you feel is a less desirable neck or chin, the longer, more delicate chain necklaces in varying lengths, worn together, are still another choice. For the right person, someone with a more quiet personality, they can be a perennial statement, not just for this season.

You can vary the size of the links slightly and add different pendants to each. You can also add one colorful gemstone pendant for a very fresh look. Those longer necklaces are more elongating for the upper half of the body than chokers.

And if you do make it to the tropics, anything with shells and beads says “summer.” They will also emotionally transport you back to that happy place and time every time you wear them.

Earrings

Unless you buy a forever pair of gold earrings on your Italian vacation, a new pair of costume jewelry earrings is a way to play with trends without having to make a huge financial commitment. These less expensive faux jewelry pieces will bring some playfulness to any summer outfit.

One of the biggest trends in earrings now is resin and acrylic. You’ll find them in large, medium, and small hoops, (many of the smaller ones have embedded rhinestones – they’re a throwback to the 80s and 90s) in tortoise shell and multi colors.

They also come in round and rectangular linked drop earrings that make more of a statement. But the fact that they are resin gives them a light and breezy feeling. And resin, unless you scratch it, doesn’t look faded and discolored the way some costume jewelry does over time.

Lastly, fringe is a new and playful detail in fashion this summer. You’ll see it in straw handbags, some sandals, and a lot of costume jewelry, particularly earrings in half-moon shapes and in lighter colors. They add a little delight to any outfit for the summer.

Statement Sunglasses

The most avant garde among us might be drawn to some of the very narrow, very round, or very thick new sunglass frames. And the glass portion of some of those comes in unusual colors like pink or yellow.

But frankly, sunglasses are meant to protect your eyes. So, you might want to keep that in mind when embracing any trend in this category.

However, do think about going larger in size. That doesn’t mean to buy into the extremely heavy-looking frames you see some people wearing, unless it suits your proportions perfectly. But at least look for a pair that has some boldness (there’s that word again for this year) in its style.

Think: Jackie Kennedy-size and shape sunglasses. That just means look for something that is larger than a thin, delicate frame, or a small roundish frame, and that actually covers and protects your entire eye area from the sun.

That could be a cat-eye or a rounded square shape. As for color, black and tortoise shell are very popular right now and will be for a very long time.

Summer Sandals and Slides

Now here’s the thing about slides – you just have to make sure that they stay on your feet. Otherwise, your toes will be gripping the top of them just to keep them on. Of course, the advantage is that they are certainly easy to slip on and off.

Still, they are a chic way to dress up a casual outfit this summer. The flat versions look very nice with some of those popular wider-leg pants and crops. They can also work with flowing dresses and shorts or swimwear.

But go for the best quality and materials: leather, classic design, not a lot of embellishment. Otherwise, you will look like you just forgot to change out of your bedroom slippers.

Espadrilles are also very popular this year, but frankly, they never go out of style. And they add a very summery feel to dresses and shorts. The flatter ones also work fine with jeans and cropped pants.

Straw Bags

When we think of espadrilles we also invoke the memory of straw bags. Nothing says summer like a straw bag. Everyone needs at least one, and they usually last a lifetime. It’s hard to think of a straw bag that has gone out of style.

When we say “straw,” that includes those made from rattan, wicker, and other fiber-type bags. This year you have your pick of every possible shape: round, rectangular, square, half moon, octagonal, totes, top-handled satchels – just about anything you can imagine.

And for the very practical, once again, belt bags are back. Thankfully, this time they are more attractive than the utilitarian nylon version “fanny packs” of yore.

Look for these in a softer or more flexible textile that will gracefully wrap around your middle, instead of bobbing up and down on it when you walk. Some of the softer leather ones in lighter colors are actually quite attractive.

Stay healthy and safe and enjoy the rest of your summer!

What are some of your favorite summer accessories? Did you buy them while vacationing somewhere? What do you wear them with? Let’s chat summer accessories!