Friday Fashion | Valentina Expressions

High On The Heel

07 Dec 2025 7 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: BrocadeShoes, Fashion, FrenchShoes, HighHeels, ItalianShoes, KingSun, lifestyle, Shoes, ShoesRedHeel, Style

I am addicted to shoes! There, I said it!
I wonder why I keep finding so many women with the same problem. Feet have the difficult task of supporting the whole body’s weight like sturdy platforms, but they are not the prettiest part of the human body. I think, because of that, women want to beautify their feet with attractive shoes. They also care for them with massages and spa treatments. In fact, in Italy, we say “happy feet, clear mind”. If you often have a headache, most likely, your feet are tired and sore, or constricted in the wrong shoes.

When I first arrived in the US, I saw women filling up shopping carts with shoes. To me, that was absurd at least then. In Italy, we bought a couple of good pairs for winter and summer, and that was it. I was new in the country and every custom looked strange or awkward. Still, it didn’t take me long to learn and absorb the culture. Now, I lead the pack of women buying shoes with a shopping cart.
Lately, these colorful brocade ankle boots have sparked my fancy. They lace up in the front through antique hooks. They look like what the French Can Can dancers wore in the 1800th. I bought three pairs. The unfinished wood heels bothered me, the only detail that made these shoes look low-class. My artistic sense told me I needed to paint the heels black. So, I did, I painted them with an acrylic waterproof pen and a coat of varnish. I loved the result, and anyway, these are not shoes for a rainy day.

High heels were not born as the prerogative of vain women. They were mainly intended for men of power in positions of command. They were also made for warriors on horseback. The function was to keep the warriors’ feet firm in the stirrup of the saddle. In the 1600s, King Louis XIV of France, known as the “Sun King” (Le Roi Soleil), designed shoes with red heels. He created them specifically for himself. No one was allowed to wear heels higher than the King’s.

Soon, women fell under the spell of the high heels. The society’s mood of that period was very coquettish and feminine for both men and women. Psychologically, women felt more beautiful in high heels, more attractive, flirtatious, taller and slimmer. Their power was to seduce men to gain power and social status. They started with the feet. Shoe makers started to pay attention to women’s feet. They made very feminine, pointed silk slippers called sabots. These shoes featured small heels. To show the tips of the shoes, furtively peeping out of the long dresses, was sexy and flirtatious.

From then on, we know what happened to women’s shoes. Heels got bigger and chunkier. At times, they became slimmer and taller like a stiletto. Sometimes, heels have become uncomfortable. Still, we will wear them as long as they make us feel and look good. We will keep wearing them even when they hurt. Ciao,
Valentina
https://valentinadesigns.com/services/#fashion-services

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant. She recently certified as a colour analyst/therapist. She is also an author of 6 published books, a storyteller and a longtime blogger. Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Time For A Montgomery

07 Nov 2025 13 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #ItalianLifeStyle, Autumn Fashion, Fashion, Frog Coat Buttons, Montgomery Coat, Style

Montgomery is the state capital of Alabama. It is also the site of significant events in the American Civil Rights Movement. But a Montgomery is a piece of clothing. Most elementary school-aged children in Europe wore it to school during the last century. It was considered a garment for preppy school kids, especially in England. In my native Italy, adults and children are equally fashionable. My mom and her sisters were designers and tailors. They dressed us kids as though we were going to walk a fashion runway. We were so cute. Our Montgomery coats, red or blue, were paired with the iconic T-Bar leather shoes, red or navy blue, as well.

The Montgomery coat was seen long before I was born. At the end of the 1800s, the Royal Navy created the Montgomery coat for sailors as part of the uniform. It was made out of duffel cloth, a thick boiled wool, resistant to water. The garment was characterized by frog buttons made of horn, a hood and two large patch pockets in the front. A British general, Bernard Law Montgomery, wore it often in battles over the uniform, hence the name of the coat.

Since then, many actors, singers and writers have worn this coat. It goes in and out of fashion with the mood of the moment. This year is coming back again, and I bought myself a similar version. It only has one frog closure instead of the classic three frogs, and the sleeves are shorter. That’s OK here in California, it is cold only a couple of months out of the year. A thick and heavy Montgomery would be out of place.

Autumn has started and I am happy. Colours in nature are glorious, the weather is pleasant, food is earthy and comforting. For me, this is the best season. Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant. She recently certified as a colour analyst/therapist. She is also an author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

What People Do In The Streets

18 Oct 2025 5 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #CollierNecklaces, #Colliers, #Fashion, #OneOfAKindFashion, #ValentinaCrochetFashion, #ValentinaOnEtsy, lifestyle, Style

Going out the door is a question mark every day. One never knows what will happen or what one will witness. There are pleasant or unpleasant encounters. One can discover new restaurants or stores. Occasionally, one gets compliments from excited strangers. Admiring street performers is another possibility. One can walk at leisure, enjoying spending time relaxing. Others rush to get somewhere without noticing their surroundings and lose some of the street excitement.

A few years ago, I created an extravagant and original piece of knitwear. It was unlike anything I had made before. I needed to place it in my Etsy store. Still, I wanted to collect some reactions from people in the street first. This was a marketing strategy without paying for astronomical strategists’ fees.

I wore it over a black top and went out strolling in one of the upscale towns in my area. I strolled up and down the street. I looked at store windows. I sat at a cafe to pause and show off the piece I was wearing. Then I continued strolling up and down. I received a few curious comments, but nothing told me I was wearing a hit piece. I was ready to leave, almost disappointed that people didn’t react as I expected.

One woman changed my disappointment in a heartbeat. She saw me from across the street. She ran to me to ask where I bought the piece I was wearing. I told her I made it, and that was the only piece I had. Given the knowledge she couldn’t buy it anywhere else, she insisted on selling it to her directly from my body. I acted surprised, but didn’t let her insist too much. We went to sit in a cafe, made the transition and became friends. I never expected to sell it in that manner. I was only looking for strangers’ reactions as a thermometer for my next move.

From that moment on, I created one-of-a-kind pieces, which I called colliers. A collier is a term in jewellery making. It indicates a large necklace piece which covers a major part of the neckline and chest. My pieces are made with yarn and beads, and they fit the description of colliers. Their role is to embellish the neckline and keep the neck warm.
(open the picture to view it larger)

Streets are a theatre for humans to express and act out their lives. Anything can happen, just like in a scene on stage. Ciao,
Valentina
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ValentinaExpressions

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color analyst/therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. She was recently certified as a “Color Analyst.” Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Elton John and Me

08 Oct 2025 3 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: Elton John, Fashion, lifestyle, Original Fashion, Personalized Fashion, Style, StyleIcon, StyleIconCompetition

Will you vote for me?
A few months ago, Elton John and his partner announced, on Instagram and Facebook, the “Style Icon” competition for 2026. Its main focus is fighting AIDS forever and everywhere. They made it into a fun event tied to fashion. Anyone with a flair for original fashion statements can join.

I sent them some of my photos and forgot about the event. Two weeks later, I was notified of my acceptance into the competition. Now comes the fun. I don’t know anything about my competitors, what their style is or how many votes they are receiving. I know I have been in first place since the start, but that can change very quickly.
The first round of voting started Monday, Oct. 6th and will go to Oct.16th. December will be the final voting round.

I need your hand, will you vote for me?
I hope to make it to the final elections in December. I will need the help of all my friends, family, and acquaintances. Below is the link to vote for me. You can read the program. You can also see photos of me in my personal style that got me into this competition. You can also choose to donate to Elton John’s Foundation for this great cause of helping AIDS patients. Donations are tax-deductible and count as votes for me. Thank you, with love and gratitude. ❤️❤️❤️

https://styleicon.org/2025/valentina-cirasola

Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. She was recently certified as a “Color Analyst.” Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Traveling Kaftan

24 Sep 2025 12 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #HistoryofKaftan, #Inspiration, #Kaftan, #KaftanFashion, #LifeStyle, #ModernKaftan, #Travel, #TravellingKaftan, Fashion

I have been part of a project called “Travelling Kaftan” by Gale Low, one of my digital friends on Facebook. The whole project started with an unusual idea. The psycho-pandemic was chaotic. I think the world was played up. While we were all on forced lockdown, she wanted to spread joy and love in the world. She aimed to do this by sending a Kaftan to various places. She invited her most active Facebook friends. I was one of her favorite friends in this project and surely lifted everyone’s spirits.

Gale lives in England. She received the colorful Kaftan from her sister in South Africa. Gale sent it to someone she knew. From that moment on, it travelled to many locations in the world before it reached me. I received it from someone in Texas and I sent it to someone in Malta.
After receiving the Kaftan, Gale required the participants to wear the piece. We had to photograph ourselves and write a small inspirational phrase. Finally, we had to post it on Facebook and share it on our pages. I was told this Kaftan was hand-embroidered in Hawaii. It is a spectacular work of art.

I wrote:
“Where there is color, there is music.
Where there is music, there is love.
Where there is love, there is happiness.
Where is happiness, there is food.
Where there is food, there is wine.
Where there is wine, there is warmth.
Where there is warmth, there is a fire crackling and a sense of home.”
From @The Drawer Of My Thoughts”

Today, a Kaftan is a fashion statement. Modern designers have made it from silk, bamboo, linen, cotton, printed fabric or encrusted with jewels and beads. It is mostly used as beachwear and loungewear. Its history goes back to ancient Mesopotamia. It is also found in Middle Eastern countries, Northern Africa, and some parts of Europe and Asia. Worn by royals and high-roller, powerful people, it meant “social status”. The shape has always been large and flowy. This design allowed for riding horses and enabled comfortable sitting on the floor with legs crossed.

I suggested that Gale write a book about the Travelling Kaftan, with all our pictures and our stories.
I hope she is doing it. Ciao,
Valentina

What Season Are You?

09 Sep 2025 8 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #2026Colors, #ChromaticHarmony, #ColorAnalysis, #ColorCombinations, #PersonalizedColors, Art

Have you ever thought that when you have all the answers, life changes all the questions? It happened to me a couple of years ago. I thought I knew all about the subject of colors. Then, I saw an advertisement from a school in London teaching color therapy courses. It sparked my curiosity enough that I enrolled, and a few months later, I became a colour therapist. I was on a roll to learn more about this fascinating and infinite topic. I found a Brazilian woman who teaches color analysis. She often comes to the US to teach in person. I waited until she came to San Francisco to take her course, and ultimately, I became a color analyst.

Colour analysis is concerned with achieving color harmony and balance. Magic happens after a session of color analysis. Sometimes, one makes a discovery. Other times, it is surprising to learn the best color for one’s complexion is the color never imagined. When this happens, old beliefs about one’s color are challenged. as it happened to me with the Teal color. I never considered it to be my best, I found it dull and uninteresting.

Color analysis plays an important role. It transforms people. The choices made after a session, day after day, are also crucial. A thorough self-awareness is essential. With this awareness, one can make informed decisions. These decisions will help in buying the right clothes in the right colors. The guidance lasts for many years to come, resulting in looking radiant on all occasions and saving money.

2026 Colors: Warm Mahogany, Transformative Teal, Cerulean Blue, Key Lime Green, Silver.

I discovered that in my Soft Summer palette, Teal is a very good color for me. It makes sparkles when paired with brown. It is a perfect discovery, as these are the colors of 2026 as well. New color energy is entering my wardrobe.

Colors are not merely suggestions. One must like them first to consider using them. Above all, they must suit our essence to achieve a great color harmony. Ciao,
Valentina
https://valentinadesigns.com

Copyright © 2025 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant. She is also a color therapist, color analyst and author of 6 published books. Additionally, she is a longtime blogger and a storyteller. Her books offer non-fictional, practical ideas. These ideas can be applied in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

The Beauty of Brown: Elegance in Fashion Choices

21 Mar 2025 4 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #2025Colors, #BrownColors, #BrownColorVibes, #Fashion, #OrangeFashion, Style

One of the 2025 colours is mocha mousse, a lighter tone of brown, almost like a cappuccino tone without milk, if you can imagine it. Brown is not a well-liked colour or at least youngsters consider it a colour for mature people. For most people, brown is one of the reliable colours, stable, earthy, traditional, dependent, wholesome and practical. Others might find a negative connotation: dull colour, cheap, unrefined and too predictable.

It is a common belief that combining tone-on-tone with any colour is an exquisite way to coordinate various pieces of clothing for an outfit and brown is no different. It can be paired with beige, white, khaki, camel, lighter and darker browns. I certainly agree with that, as tone-on-tone is easy on the eyes. However, I think that for today’s elegance playing with contrasting elements is more interesting and exciting.

This morning I was feeling the orange vibes, I could have worn the fluffy brown jacket with silver or emerald, but I decided to go with orange, as nature does. Tree trunks are usually brown and might have orange flowers, such as the African Tulip Tree, or the Canna Lily. It was a bright sunny day, it’s Springtime here, I felt to reduce the effect of a winter brown by accentuating the orange and emulating the sun’s warmth.

We don’t always need to look formal, at times we want to be casual-smart with accessories that look almost like they were matched by chance. That’s when we project an aura of freshness and confidence.

Following trends is for those who want to fit in. True style is knowing how to say no to what doesn’t represent us and it is always very personal. Ciao,
Valentina
https://valentinadesigns.com/services/#fashion-services

Copyright © 2025 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, color therapist, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a longtime blogger. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

Layering Jewelry: Mastering the Art for Bold Statements

23 Jan 2025 9 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #Fashion, #FashionInTime, #FashionStatement, #JewelryTrends, #LayeringJewelry, jewellery, Style

Fashion is an up and down of ideas, the old creations become new and the new are archived in a flash until the next revival. Life is a merry-go-round, some go up and some go down. The power of the cosmos inexorably overwhelms us whether we like it or not. Today someone is in command of politics and tomorrow he/she is a perfect stranger. Are we truly influenced by events we create, or are our tastes, thoughts, and actions determined by external forces? What we thought was an established and strengthened way of life, suddenly changed our lives, as it happened with the advent of Mary Quant’s mini skirt, just to name a huge phenomenon that has affected entire generations. Suddenly, long skirts were soon forgotten and showing legs was no longer objectionable.
Fashion is a flag that flies where the wind blows.

Black and white layering.

Orange and green layering.

For a few decades, I have studied women’s jewellery trends. I could immediately tell which era a woman belonged to, by looking at what was hanging from her neck.
One strand of thin jewellery has been a prerogative of millennials, generation Y and Z women. Large and chunky jewellery identified Boomers and mature women.
The Boomer women layered necklaces, and bracelets in quantity and wore rings almost on each finger. They were part of the ’68 movement of the last century, rejecting every constriction, belief and conformism of the previous generation. Boomers connected with nature and boho style was the rage. They favoured large, chunky, statement jewellery, freely mixed stones, metals and other materials.

The new political climate is about bold actions, bold thinking and strong statements. Fashion in 2025, influenced by “the new bold” dictates heavy jewellery layers again, helping you not to be afraid of being seen.

Pearls and chains layering.

Light blue, silver and gold layering.

Layering is an art if done right. For an interesting look, pair the same colours; it’s better to use styles and shapes that complement each other; choose metals that go together with everything and add light to your face. Layering must appear as one creation of a large piece, not put together haphazardly just because you might have a lot of jewellery.

I love to be a maximalist. My personality is too strong to carry delicate, thin pieces of jewellery. I have been a maximalist since my younger days. My wind always blows where I want it to blow, meaning I am not easily moldable.

Ultimately, you do what is right for you and your body shape. Show your personality with your fashion choices, be confident, memorable, and unique. Keep being you. Ciao.
Valentina
https://valentinadesigns.com/services/#fashion-services

Copyright © 2025 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved

Rock The Sequins Any Day, Any Hour

04 Sep 2024 8 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #PersonalizedFashion, #SequinsandAnimalier, #SequinsFashion, #SparkleClothes

Do you think sequins belong only at the New Year’s party? Not anymore. Daytime affairs, running errands, going to the office or meeting with friends for coffee are good moments to wear sequins or shiny clothes. The secret is to wear sequins less conventionally in the daytime to make them pleasant and not make you feel out of place. Would you be afraid of wearing such a shiny garment if you were not attending a party? Would you worry about what people would say?

Worry not about people’s opinions, they don’t live your life and don’t pay your bills. Feel comfortable in your skin and wear all your best clothes any day, any hour of the day. Celebrate your life, as life will celebrate you back. Know that you are one of a kind and that your expression of originality can be an example for those who might not know how to do it.

Lately, I have worn sequins in the daytime very often. The sun’s reflection on the sequins projected on various surfaces feels energetic, as if I am bringing light, perhaps it is my perception, but all the bad energies, if any, bounce back and return to where they came from. It feels abundant, elegant and casual.

Here, I am wearing the same red sequin pants casually with a white T-shirt, a white sleeveless gilet and white trainers. Below, the red pants become smart casual with a houndstooth jacket and red velvet shoes (sabot).

Contrasts create an element of interest and build a great style, especially if it reflects your personality.
Here the apple green oversized sweatshirt pairs well with the large gold pants and golden/white trainers.
The tiger jewellery pin on my shoulder is such a kick and a conversation starter. The Chita bangles seem to go along with the green apple top and the gold pants.

I can turn the same gold pants into a smart casual outfit with a blue top, a gold buttoned blue jacket and blue velvet shoes. The same Chita bangles seem to like this outfit as well.
As you can see, I can build a few different outfits with only these two shiny pants that some time ago would have been relegated to the holiday season.

For the visit to a Japanese garden, I combined a champagne sequin top with cream-coloured jeans, gold/white trainers and leopard accessories.

The same glittered top with all the leopards became a super casual outfit to make an impression even if you run around for the most mundane activity.

The video below is a story about how important it is to celebrate your life, just don’t wait for that special party to wear your best. Ciao,
Valentina

Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion consultant, author of 6 published books, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. Her books are non-fictional practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking and travel.
Get a copy of her books here: Amazon and Barnes&Noble

100 Years of Fashion

01 Jul 2024 4 Comments

by Valentina in Friday Fashion Tags: #100YearsOfFashion, #Fashion, #FashionCollection, #Style, Art, culture, museum, museums

Ah, Summer, the only season that allows us to be lazy! I used to travel in the warm months from June to September, as most people do, but the heat has become unbearable to me and now I take short local trips during weekends. I take the longest trips during the off months when it’s cooler, there are not many tourists around and prices are down.
Some of my Summer entertainments now are street fairs and visits to Museums.
As a member of many museums, I have access to all exhibitions before opening to the public and it is quite a treat. Lately, I have seen the “100 Years of Fashion” exhibit.

The collections belongs to the most known European and some American designers who produced astounding creations in the last 100 years.
However, I know the museum didn’t get the best of the best of this period, thus we must be content with their offering. The exhibition could have been better, so much more notable fashion was produced in this time period and was not on display.

I noticed that the visitors showed a little more attention to their own appearance, they dressed either in a funky, extravagant way or in a better than the usual casual, rundown way. I guess visiting a fashion exhibition encouraged them to play the part and leave the rag clothes at home. As an observer of social behaviors as I am, it was interesting to see the small effort people made not to be in their usual pajamas and flip-flops, as it is customary in these parts. Enjoy the short reel I made on my Istagram account.