Pretty Photos - Slim Aarons

As a fan of observing "attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places", I've long enjoyed the work of Slim Aarons, the famed American society photographer who coined that phrase. His work transports me to that delusional happy, glamorous place in my head (thanks to the ever-stylish SLynnRo ,who recently wrote about this sort of imagery) where I'm the type of woman to take my vintage convertible out for leisurely drives down the Pacific Coast Highway, Hermes scarf fluttering softly in the California breeze, giant sunglasses and driving gloves in place, on my way to sail around Balboa Island and sip vodka sodas for the day.*
*I've got the giant sunglasses sorted out already. As for the rest . . .

Imagine my delight on happening upon seeing a piece Aaron's work in the December "InStyle", of all places, where I learned that certain prints & portfolio sets are for sale online at Assouline, a boutique publisher of sorts with fantastic fashion reads like this and this. Just think of the holiday shopping potential, I cried! I was slightly less delighted to then learn that to purchase such prints for my friends would require my actually going to live in that same happy, yet fictional place in my head where I swan about in Hermes - a nice thought, but slightly out of the question financially.

Nonetheless, let's look at and enjoy these glam snapshots of the past, with apologies to my Christmas list that I can't yet gift these to you in actual fact. Like the vintage convertible, someday . . .

(credit: Photographer's Gallery via Getty Images; Find it here at Assouline)

"Nice Pool" (1955) - The socialite, writer, and Pretty Icon C.Z. Guest and son at their ocean-front estate, Villa Artemis, in Palm Beach.

(credit: Photographer's Gallery via Getty Images; here at Assouline)

"Four Kings of Hollywood" (1957): Rhett Butler Clark Gable, Van Heflin, Gary Cooper, and James Stewart. Yes.


(credit: Photographer's Gallery via Getty Images; here at Assouline)

"Poolside Gossip" (1970) - a Palm Springs, California home known as the "Kaufmann House" designed by Richard Neutra. Wonder if they're swapping tales about that Palm Springs institution himself, Mr. Sinatra?

(credit: Assouline)

"Sea Drive" (1967) - Kevin McClory and wife Bobo Segrist in the "Amphicar" at Nassau. Looks like a pink parasol-worthy occasion, don't you think?

(credit: Assouline)

"Family Snapper" (1959) - Mrs. William "Babe" Paley, another Pretty Icon, and Mr. Paley (note him in the background snapping a shot of the photographer) at Round House, their Jamaica cottage.

Pretty Icons - Christy Turlington Burns

I figure it might be fun to take the occasional peek outside of the Fearsome Foursome (hereinafter "F4") - of course, HRH Princess Grace, Mrs. Kennedy Onassis, Audrey Hepburn, and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy - for classic style inspiration. Lord knows we don't fear being derivative here at the Pretty, but we thought it might be nice to give credit to someone outside of the F4 who consistently gets her chic style right on her Reva flats.

So please raise your hand if you remember the day of the supermodel, when the cover of fashion magazines invariably featured an actual fashion model. Back in the 90s day, these ladies were also 4 - Naomi, Cindy, Claudia, and Christy. Christy, she of the feline, icily elegant good looks, has long been my favorite, but it has only recently come to the Pretty's notice how fantastic she looks in her everyday - ok, everyday red carpet (insert oxymoron here) - life. Yes, yes - she'd look divine in a paper bag, but it's An Official Pretty Stance that Ms. Turlington Burns actually puts some thought into looking classic while trend-appropriate, knows the fits and colors that work for her, and stays age-appropriate without being dowdy.

I can just hear you thinking now, "Really? Does CTB need any more help in her impossibly glamlife than she has already?" Before we let jealousy rear its un-Pretty head, bear with me as we evaluate the hard evidence:

Doesn't your heart just go out to these other two, particularly Talbots Spice there on the right?
(credit: Zambio)

(credit: New York Social Diary)

(credit: Hamptons.com)

Rather lovely, no? Now let's take a look at her chic accessorizing:

Edward "Better Than a Birkin" Burns
(credit: DayLife)

Because our very own Adorable, Anonymous Husband frequents this blog, we'll hastily speed along to also note Ms. Turlington Burns' two delightful, Ralph Lauren-style children, wonderfully named Finn and Grace. Can't remember what those two look like? Neither can I, perhaps because to our knowledge (please correct me if I'm wrong here), their likenesses weren't sold to Whatever Magazine for $14 million dollars. * *Let me qualify that snark by saying kudos who donate these funds to charity, but still . . . something strikes us as odd about the selling the pics bit. As soon as we have our Official Stance figured out on this, we'll get back to you . . .

Based on this evidence, we're sticking to our argument that CTB is worthy of putting in our Pretty Icon Pantheon. It's admittedly a rather high bar for us mere mortals to aspire to - it's really beyond dispute that CTB's every waking moment is full of sunshine and unicorns and rainbows - but who doesn't want to glimpse the magic kingdom every now and again?

**Important, Secret Note to Readers: A few Pretty friends - as in, the ones that we've been lucky enough to know in person - have happened upon this blog, so we regretfully inform you that we must bring all of our outrageous lies to an end effective immediately. Well, most of them. We trust that wild exaggerations and a loose grasp on reality shall remain acceptable. Thank you for your understanding.