Pretty Woman
Updated: Mar 20, 2022
Dearest Shoapholics,
I confess to you a deep rooted obsession for Julia Roberts and Roy Orbison. Growing up, Roy Orbison was the soundtrack to my childhood. You see, my grandparents would make home films of their beloved grand-daughter skiing, laughing, crying, nudie-running, you name it. In those moments, I was their greatest joy and they were mine. And our love for Roy Orbison's 'Oh, Pretty Woman' grew together over the years, as did our love for one another. It's totally sappy, I know, but it's true... we completely and utterly adored eachother's company and not a day goes by where I don't look forward to going to their home and watching those home videos from many years ago. When I discovered that there was a movie called 'Pretty Woman', I'm sure you could imagine my excitement. And let me tell you, that movie opened me to a world of femininity, fashion and love.
Roy Orbison sings the lyrics 'Pretty Woman I couldn't help but see'. And Doll, this is everything Julia Roberts taught us. Her unstoppable smile, big brown eyes, dreamy red hair and iconic wardrobe choices are simply unmatched. She taught us to be bold, to be charming, to be confident and pretty. But incase you missed it, this is how to be a true 'Pretty Woman' in true Vivian Ward style.
ℋ𝒾ℊ𝒽 𝒽ℯℯ𝓁𝓈 ♡
Allow me to let you in on some advice, Dolls. Men who make fun of you for wearing high heels, complain when you walk slower or need a break, or joke about the serious nature of a women's shoes are total cows. A gentleman will hold your hand and tell you that you are the most beautiful girl in the world. You see, they are accompanying you. You are not accompanying them. And as they look dull and plain, you are the water who makes him look like a rose. Beauty is pain, so if he questions his high-heel wearing beauty in any way then he shall suffer the price.
Vivian Woods soon ditched her thigh-high, leather and black boots for pearl-white, leather Kitten Heels at the races. They paired eloquently with her pinned back hair which was scooped into a swift low bun. The finishing touch was a pair of milky pearl earings to complete this elegant trio. Her heels weren't sky-high and they weren't embelished with jewls or straps. The creamy colour and simple style proves that you don't need to be over-the-top to be marvelled at. In fact, Shopaholics, history has proven that the most elegant women are defined by their simplicity. Audrey Hepburn, for example, became an icon for wearing 'The Little Black Dress' by Coco Chanel. The dress itself is somewhat plain and was worn with over-sized sunglasses.
Elegant fashion is like a good relationship.
It's not the opera tickets and fancy dinners that count, it's remembering your favourite shampoo brand and the daily cup of tea made just how you like it. It's not the dazzling necklace piece placed around Audrey's neck that people remember, it's the classic 'Little Black Dress.'
𝒢𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓈 ♡
I believe that the true Shopaholic dream is living the life Lucy Jordan couldn't... 'riding through Paris in a sports car With the warm wind in your hair', a classic blush headscarf by Hermès blowing wildy, gripping your beige steering wheel with silk gloves that you collected at your favourite vintage store down-town as you listen to Frank Sinatra.
Vivian Ward turned the heads of all sorts of men as she gracefully browsed Rodeo Drive. In one gloved hand she carries bags of designer goodies and in the other gloved hand she carries dry cleaning. We love a woman who can multitask, Shopaholics, and bonus points? She did it in heels! Men like a woman who... Oh I can't bear to finish that sentence. This blog is everything but a how-to-please-men-guide so allow me to re-phrase. Women like to be a woman who can make time for herself, care for her loved ones, and do it in style. Because everything in life is better when your delicate fingertips are protected. My sweet Shopaholics, a gentleman is always best and Gucci is a true gentleman. He will wrap your dainty hands with a to-die-for Tulle Lace Motif and be sure to kiss you good-night.
𝒲𝒾𝑔𝓈 ♡
My grandma was the first person who introduced me to the world of wigs. My grandma is a beautiful woman. I grew up in awe of the way she let me braid her hair, I sat in delight the first time she put my hair in curlers and I marvelled at myself the first time she let me try one of her wigs. My mother's predisposition was a total tom-boy, a very beautiful tom-boy nonetheless, but still a tom-boy. So, we spent our days picking flowers, exploring, watching movies and baking. Going to my grandma's house was like a trip to Cinderella's ball and I was allowed to wear the glass slipper. She had full wigs, half wigs and clip in fringes, ponytails and buns. And boy, did my grandma look like Cinderella after she put on her makeup, her jewellery and had fixed her wig.
Julia Roberts is world renowned for her voluminous, bouncy, vibrant red hair. She's like Ariel but Hollywood not Disney. Except when Julia takes on Vivian, she also takes on blonde. And when Ariel became Cinderella, the world was shocked that she could still look so effortlessly breathtaking. There's no denying the sexiness a blonde beholds. The power of a wig is that you don't have to bleach your perfect red curls to behold such beauty. All it takes is a visit to the salon and the fairy godmother will turn your pumpkin into a carriage for whatever night you chose.
Now my perfect Princesses, we all know that it's a material world. But the not-so-material elements of Vivian Ward are admirable to say the least. She taught me, a young and impressionable woman at the time, to expect fairytales, to not worry about acting like a 'lady', to be unapolagetically bold and perpetually brave.
𝐵𝓇𝑜𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑒𝓈
Don't get me wrong, I can empathise with bro code. After all, my Shopaholics, you know how seriously I take sisterhood. But red flag any guy who says the phrase and let me tell you purquoi. If Vivian Woods taught us anything... it was never settle for less than. As my mother said to me the other night, you are always more than. Period. Vivian Woods was literally a hoe. And unashamedly so. Yet when her beau came at the Bro-Hoe crossroad, he chose Hoes before Bros. When a business man calls Vivian a whore, he punched him point blank. You see, Shopaholics? A devoted lover will defend your honour whether they are graced with your presence or not. Never let a man talk dirty unless it's behind closed doors.
𝒯𝒶𝓁𝓀 𝒾𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓅... 𝑀𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓎 𝒾𝓈
Vivian is totally welcome to the Shopaholic club. And you bitches better welcome her with a bottle of Merlot and special brownies. An unspoken rule of sisterhood is never judge a Queen by her tiara. And boy, did the girls at Beverly Hills boutique do a number on the 'Don't shit on other women' sign. Vivian hadn't had time to change into an outfit providing more... coverage and nor should she have had to to be treated with the same respect and dignity as every other woman who walked into their store. They were rude, impolite and judgemental. And they lost big bucks because of it.
See, money in itself isn't cheap or expensive. It is nothing without a value. But that's exactly my point. Talk always has a value. The way we speak to eachother, the words we assemble into sentences, and the conversations that narrate our lives are valuable. The same words can make up two entirely different sentences and in that, there is power. There is power in chosing words which are warm, words which make a person's day, words which create movement, words which change bills and words which don't go unsaid. Vivian taught me that a 'Pretty Woman' is one who knows the value of her words, but more importantly, she knows the lack of value in the words of unpretty hearts.
Roy Orbison sings 'Are you lonely just like me'... Roy, I love your song more than anything but it seems you don't have as much luck for brains as you do song lyrics. A woman is never lonely in the company of herself. And especially not in the company of a credit card on Rodeo Drive.
Dedicated to Grandma and Bapa,
Kisses x
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