Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Sorry, Countess ...

I am not a regular watcher of any particular TV series. When I sit down to watch TV I look at my options and choice which is the most interesting. I then pick a second show which I will watch if the first show becomes boring or when the commerical comes on.

So, I missed The Real Housewives of NYC when Luann recorded her song. Before I get into that, sidebar, Housewives? Really none of these women are housewives and we all know it... anyway back to Luann.

She has this song "Money Can't Buy You Class". We all agree with that, but for some reason there are people out there that need to be reminded, it's not the shoes, the bag or the dress that make you 'classy'.

I take issue with Luann with a line in her song, "Elegance can be learned"? Sorry Luann elegance can not be learned. Manners can learned, style can be purchased. We all know these women that know every rule inside and out. They are flawlessly dressed and never say anything inappropriate. But no matter how hard they try elegance eludes them. They are walking versions of every book or magazine they have read in the last year. They are more "Stepford Wife" then real women.

Elegance can be developed, not learned. Just like a great pianist, when they were young they were developed, they had to have the skill, the ability prior to the skill being developed.

Elegance is very hard to define and just as hard to find. There are many women that are beautiful, rich, stylish and mannered that will never be elegant. They have to be told how to live their life. The are told what to wear, how to wear it, when to wear it. These women generally are very vocal that they have this information at their fingertips.

The next level of women have this innate knowledge of what is cool and what is 'now' and what they like. They know the rules but they also know themselves and are comfortable with themselves. They will do as they wish with out interfering with the rights of others.

Then there are women like Coco Chanel. She cause a revelation in fashion. You cant do that when you know and follow all the rules. She heard her voice and she followed it. She hurt people along the way, it happens, but elegance would keep us from striving to hurt people.

Style, Class, Elegance, Mannered are not interchangeable words. Elegance is the culmination of years of life, years of being stylish, classy and mannered. But elegance is more then beauty and manners, it takes intelligence and you cant teach intelligence.