the world according to sherimaven

Good morning, Tuesday. It's a beautiful day in the city and Spring is finally here, or at least I think so. Looking forward to sunny days and warm nights.

And as further proof that being age positive is very much a thing, my old boss Marian Salzman did an amazing interview over in the UK about how 2019 will be the year when we all grow up and admit how old we are. That we no longer wish to look or act 20 but just be the healthiest and best versions of ourselves. Marian is someone who taught me so much about how to work and how to look for trends so it was great to see her come out with a piece like this. After all these years, we're still somehow in sync.  Check out her interview- it's fantastic and she looks fabulous.

And since I'm a loud and proud Gen Xer, I couldn't help but fall madly in love with these leopard print Converse high tops, which take me back the 80s in the best of ways. Converse is a brand that transcends age and generations, but for members of mine, the Converse high top was a rite of passage. I had a red pair in high school, covered in pen with anarchy and Dead Kennedy symbols. That's how I rolled. I'm sure many of you did too. After high school, I kind of gave up Converse and think I went more into an Adidas place (Stan Smiths, Gazelles) as well as many pairs of Pumas. But something about that high top has always stood for more. I remember producing a shoot for the brand some time ago and was humbled by its history. Converse has always  stood for rock and roll, rebellion, and skate culture and basically anything indie. All the things i grew up with and all the things I still love to this day (not much of a skater obvi but love the influence and have always been inspired by its punk rock vibes). Plus I love how cool they look when you've kicked the shit out of them. I'm a fan of worn in. You can keep your spanking white Yeezys. That's not my tempo.

I haven't worn Chucks in a while and have graduated to Nike Blazers and my Golden Goose high tops, but may have to return to the classic and go for these in the leopard print. Timeless, American, and effortlessly cool. What more could I want from a shoe or sense of style in general?

Cause that's what's up this can I kick it kind of Tuesday in the 212. Yours, in high tops and cool vibes. XO

Good afternoon, Monday. I'm trying to break on through this start of the work week but my head is still very much in my lovely weekend upstate, but I digress. Because I just want to say thank you to all the people who reposted and shared Friday's piece about aging out of advertising. I had no idea it would hit home for so many, and I'm glad people could relate to it, though not so glad at the same time.

Thanks for all the love and support. Thinking of doing a redesign on the blog in the next month or so and definitely considering taking Maven to a new place. That piece really inspired me to think about what's next for me, the blog, and life in general. I remain steadfast in my reinvention mission. And to follow my heart and share it with you. I've always worn it on my sleeve anyway.

Look for more content around that as well as all the stuff you've come to know and love. Feeling very excited for all of it. 

Cause that's what's up this grateful kind of Monday in the 212. Yours, in buckets of merci. XO`

Good morning, Friday. I know I've been a bit quiet of late- apologies all around. Only excuse I have is a lack of inspiration (it happens) and a lack of time (also happens).

But while I was cruising this am's papers while debating going to the gym in the rain (strong no on that one), I came across an article that gave me pause. It was a piece in the Chicago Tribune about ageism against women being the next #metoo movement, and man, that hit home for me in a very real way. 

The industry I've called home for many years, advertising, has always been known as being youth obsessed. Chasing the latest demographic with an alphabet letter has been the MO since I entered the business in the 90s. And with the fragmentation and immediacy of media nowadays, there's desperation in the air to always understand and somehow stay ahead of what the cool kids are doing. And truly, there's no place for those much past 40, let alone 50. At some point in your adult life, people will stop getting your references. And that moment is a real turning point. And it makes you feel old.

Because of this not so dirty little secret, I found myself feeling the burn a few years back.  A lot of young women in the industry were telling me I reminded them of their "very cool aunt".  

And then just before Christmas, a friend in the industry who is younger than me leaned in over holiday cocktails and asked quietly, "how old are you anyway?" Oof. This coming on the heels of a particularly epic photoshoot where I felt like Rodney Dangerfield in "Back to School". I wondered how, if every other part of me had changed, was I still doing the same thing career-wise I was doing in my younger life?  I don't wear the same clothes I did in my 20s. I don't have the same boyfriend. I don't party the way I used to. So why on Earth was I still doing the same job? 

Big caveat- many people don't want to stop doing what they're doing. And that's great. It should be your right as an experienced and season ad vet or vet of any industry to keep on keepin' on if you're doing what you love. But for me, I got the more than sneaking sense I should move on. I don't want anyone telling me I'm like their aunt. And I don't want to be the oldest person on set. I also don't want to hide behind botox or pretend I'm something that I'm not. You couldn't pay me to go back to being 25. I'm a happier person now, of this I'm certain. 

What's even worse than the ageism is the notion that experience no longer has value. I can only speak to advertising, but that experience is no longer valued. Smart production is no longer valued. The value comes from youth and speed. But the funniest part of that is that in order to be scrappy and fast, you need to know what the heck you're doing. That's the rub right there.

Sure you have people sounding the alarm about all of this- the bombastic Cindy Gallop comes out in favor of age all the time. And my former home, CP+B, has bought back Alex Bogusky, who at 55, is a bit of a unicorn.  I don't know many people who can get a gig in advertising at 55, let alone 50. And ps- this ageist thing is not only prevalent when it comes to women, I know men are feeling it too.

If you want my take, here it is. Reinvent. Find new ways to contribute and prosper at work.  Constantly flex and adapt and find employers and causes and passion points that value what you have to offer. If thoughts of being phased out because of your age are keeping you up at night, phase yourself back in. Chances are you are totally worth it. My reinvention continues and I'm loving writing for everyone from internal agencies to PR firms and beyond.  My takeaway? If advertising agencies can't flex and adapt to an aging workforce, then fuck 'em. Go make your own way. And never feel that it's too late. It's never too late. If you really look at your career, are you still totally happy doing what you're doing as you get older? If not, it may be time for a change.

And as the world turns, it looks like older women are having a bit of a moment. Some great roles for women in Hollywood for example as we saw at the Oscars this year- Glenn Close's excellent nom for "The Wife" and Olivia Colman's win for 'The Favourite". And look at Washington, DC. Sure all eyes are on AOC, but women like Nancy Pelosi and Kamala Harris are too legit to ever quit. And then more and more women are having babies later in life and defying the odds. 

At its best, advertising is an industry that affects pop culture and brings about change. At its worst? It's a rudderless sycophant that come to think of it, is probably dealing with an identity crisis of its own, struggling for relevancy in an industry that no longer looks anything like it used to. There's a real opportunity for advertising to help shape cultural attitudes about age.  Youth will always be front and center when it comes to marketing,  but don't count out the rest of us. Cause we still got it. As a member of the first named generation by marketers (X), here's to getting older and being relevant, vital, and most of all, valued.  

Cause that's what's up this age is just a number kind of Friday in the 718, Yours, in reading between the lines. XO

Good morning, Friday TGIF and stuff. It's beautiful in the city and y'all know I love St. Patrick's Day weekend. I can't help myself. I'm a woman of the people. ;)

So speaking of that, I have a bit of a rant. I'm going to caveat the crap out of said rant because I have not yet been to this place, but I'm pretty sure it's horrible.

And that place is Hudson Yards. 

For those of you who don't know what Hudson Yards is, it's a development project in the nether reaches of Manhattan, way, way out on the West Side. It is literally one of the least convenient places to get to, and even though they have a train that goes right to it, to me it feels a bit behind the wall.

And that's because it is. It's a massive residential, office, and retail behemoth. That is like some sort of ridiculous fortress of bougie. I can't.

As I've been a New Yorker for most of my adult life, I'm one of those folks that hates the mallification of New York City. When I first moved here, there was a sense of entrepreneurial promise that was tough to beat. The city was full of places to shop small. From bespoke ballet flats to local mom and pop drug stores, there really was something so special about the power of small biz.  When I moved to New York in the 90s, the thought of a Home Depot in the city was disgusting, let alone a mall. Now we have several- Time/Warner Center (when is the last time you went there?), Brookfield Place, The Oculus. I don't think malls are places most people want to go anymore. So I don't understand why we need another one. And a ridiculously fancy one at that. Like the generations who came after me, I appreciate brands and businesses that I can connect to. Maybe that's why I always loved the mom and pop. The personal touch is important to me. It doesn't make me a dinosaur. It just makes me crave something not so generic, even if it is wrapped in a beautiful setting. I do like that they also opened a cool performance space, The Shed. I got something in the mail about becoming a member but the marketing materials made zero sense to me as I had no sense for what it was. Typical.

Neiman Marcus has set up shop there for their first location in New York (admit I'm a little psyched to see that one). But do we really need another place to buy a Vuitton bag or a pair of Lululemon yoga pants? I don't. And the hoo ha around the launch of this place was epic. You might think it was the Olympics Opening Ceremony yesterday. But for rich people. With a lot of botox. Jesus. Aren't we better than this, New York? Leave the malls to Vegas and Miami, please. It's enough already. I know we're better than this. Also betting on retail? Not smart. 

Perhaps a visit there will change my mind, but I doubt it. With restaurants and shops closing ad infinitum because of the high rents in this city, slapping some swish retail on the far end of the Island is ridiculous. If I want big box retail, I'll go to the suburbs. That's what malls are for. Nobody I know moved to New York City to go to the mall. Ugh.

Cause that's what's up this old school New York kind of Friday in the 212. Yours, in indie for life. XO

Good afternoon, Wednesday. It's a sunny day in my city and I'm a happy girl. Plus I have on a velvet jumpsuit. So there's that.

But I'm not here to talk about weather or jumpsuits. And it's rare I talk about men's style so here's one for the boys, though I suspect it's one for the girls too.

I was down my usual 70s rabbit hole this morning as I was getting ready to head into the city and ended up listening to Roxy Music for a good solid hour. I'm pretty stoked to see Bryan Ferry again in August up in Harlem. Promises to be a great show. I have often said that if you have not at least made out to Roxy Music's "Avalon" you really haven't made out at all. Dreamy.

And on the subject of Mr. Ferry, his style is well worth celebrating. Men, if you are ever feeling you want to step it up a bit - have a look at his incredible style. I'm obsessed. it also helps to have a hot girl or two on your arm. Good luck with that bit.

He's subtle yet edgy. Subtly edgy. And so damn elegant. 

I love that his style is never overpowering- it's just effortless in the best of ways. He knows how to do classics better than most, and give them something a little sexy .And the hair ain't bad either.

Let's all celebrate Bryan Ferry's impeccable approach to dress today. Shall we? As our world spirals into an athleisure rabbit hole, thank goodness for him and his enduring great look after look. Timeless as f. 

And if for some reason you think his style is just for dudes, nah. It's no coincidence I've been crushing super HARD on this haircut featured in the new Givenchy campaign. I'm probably going for it tomorrow. Thanks, Bryan for the inspo.

Cause that's what's up this one for the boys kind of Wednesday in the 212. Yours, in you're so sheer, you're so chic, teenage rebel of the week. XO

Good morning, Tuesday. I think I'm turning the corner on this sickness- actually slept last night and feeling very much on the mend. But now the pup has a tummy ache. Ugh it never ends. So today we're very much wfh.

So Spring is pretty much about to grace us with her warm and sunny presence, and you can feel it in the air in New York and there's something so lovely about the change of seasons here. Everybody is ready to shed the layers and change up the vibe.

And though I'm being very conservative when it comes to my Spring shopping list, there's a lot of great stuff out there.  This adorable pair of ballet slippers came across my feed this morning, and I love them. They're from Mansur Gavriel and they are so elegant and pretty and slipper-like. You can have them monogrammed, but I prefer them plain as I'm somewhat done with the whole monogram trend. Plus in a eulogy to Lee Radziwill it was said that she was anti-monogram (aka tacky) so be like Lee and don't do it. Or do. Your choice.

I love the green suede, but would most likely go with the navy at the top of this post or black leather for something classic. These are pretty with everything from jumpsuits to jeans to every dress you own. I think this little pair of flats is my first official Spring must have. They're not super cheap, but they will be worth the spend because you'll most likely wear them all Spring and Summer. I've always been partial to a J. Crew ballet flat (they do toe cleavage well) as well as the Porselli flats I get at APC, but this is a fresh take and I'm all in. These are a bit more high cut but they're chic as shit. And all the great flats are made in Italy- and these hold that title as well. 

Cause that's what's up this flattened Tuesday in the 718. Yours, in Spring shoes and sunshine. XO

Good morning, Monday. On the road to recovery but still not at 100. This cold likes to keep me hangin' on. Oh well. At least it's sunny and warm.

So in the midst of my self imposed rest day on Saturday, I found the energy to go to the BK Apple store and buy a new computer. I was the proud owner of a 2011 MacBook Air- I believe it was the first generation of the Air and I used it to almost it's own death. Many of the keys were even rubbed off from my emphatic typing through the years. And for a while I resisted buying a new one, and I don't know why. I had a few gift cards so the computer was not a huge expense, but still I held off.

Maybe it's because that old Air was my first computer bought after 7 years at a full time job. It was the beginning of my freelance career and I remember how excited I felt buying that shiny, new Mac at the Apple Store on Lincoln Road in Miami.

Cut to now when my freelance life is very much still happening, but I've switched gears a bit. A whole lot less producing, a whole lot more writing. Hoping that's the way it's going to stay, thus the new computer/talisman to say as much. And it's the rose gold MacBook Air and I just adore it. There's nothing like that new computer smell. ;) Had my eyes on that sucker for a minute, and now it's all mine. Happy new computer day to me-ee.

It's nice to face another manic Monday with a computer that is not on the verge of blowing up. And who has a B key. And a P key. And all the keys. I'm a happy girl. Oh and bonus- it looks good with my hair color. Come on you don't color coordinate your hardware to your hair wear? ;)

It feels good to buy things that are an investment in your business and your future. I highly recommend it, even if you have to take a minute and plan and save for it. Cause that's what up this brand, shiny, new moon of a Monday in the 212. Yours, in rose colored everything. XO

Good afternoon, Friday. This sore throat is so annoying. And now I have no voice. I feel like I used to find that hoarse voice kind of hot but not so much now. I sound like Harvey Fierstein dressed in drag as Demi Moore. No good.

Besides my icky throat, today is International Women's Day, and I'm humbled by those fighting the good fight and blazing the good trail. Seriously. I am. Lately I've been writing quite a bit about women's health and sexual health and love that that space is becoming much more conversational than taboo. We need to keep talking about the formerly off limits stuff- that's what women are all about- being pioneers and not being afraid to challenge the norm.

Which brings me to a point I need to make. 

It doesn't matter if you think Kylie Jenner deserves the title of "self-made" or not.  It doesn't matter if you find AOC annoying and juvenile in her approach to power. Because what matters most is that all of these women are being given a seat at the table. That Kylie is taking over for Zuckerberg is incredible. That Ocasio-Cortez is so much more than a beautiful face and is taking stodgy white man Washington by storm. That women can have babies as long as they can have babies. I love all of this and revel in all of it. Whether we want to judge or not, today is a day to celebrate women. Period. Full stop. You don't have to love all women. But we have to continue to lift each other up and celebrate our successes together. I truly believe that. 

I believe in women. I am proud to be one. And today, I celebrate my good fortune to have some pretty kick ass women in my life. From my family to my friends to all the amazing mentors I've had throughout the years- thanks and love and praises to you all. I'm drawn to strong women. I'm drawn to wacky women. I'm drawn to women who don't pretend to be anything that they're not.  That doesn't make me a man hater. That doesn't make me blind. That doesn't make me want to burn my bra (though I'd like to do that for other reasons but that's not here nor there).It just makes me want to say a big thank you to all of the ladies, today and every day. Big ups to y'all. Keep fighting and throwing your hat in the ring and up in the air. 

Let's celebrate how far we have come and how much more we still can do. Cause that's what's up this ladies first kind of Friday in the 212. Yours, in sisters doin' it for themselves. XO

Good morning, Wednesday. I believe I owe you a post on print dresses but I got distracted by a bit of an epiphany I had during my latest sore throat induced insomnia bout. 

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the art of saying no. For years, I had no idea how to even use the word. Specifically when it comes to work but that also spilled over into other areas of my life.

When I was at a different point in my career way back when, I worked at a notorious ad agency. Notorious for creativity. Notorious for being subversive and disruptive. And notorious for working all of us to the bone- which many of us did not have a problem with. It was a wonderful time. And it was a culture of "yes". Meaning- if you said no to a great idea because of timing, money, or lazy thinking, you'd be shown the door. Or they'd at the very least let you know that "no" was not an option. And that was a wonderful learning opportunity for so many of us, and of course for me.

But that culture of yes did a bit of a number on me.

Because for years, I said yes to things I didn't want to do. Yes to parties I didn't want to attend. Yes to projects as a freelancer that spread me too thin but I was too afraid to say no. Yes to friendships that were toxic to my well being. I thought that saying no was a sign of defeat. A weakness. An inability to say yes. 

And I recently saw a post  on Instagram by John Jay, a maker in the truest sense who cut his teeth in advertising and became an icon for what creativity at work can be.  He's someone I admire tremendously- a life well lived and spent with passion and curiosity. Here's what the post said, accompanied by an image of two bobbleheads:

Good morning, Monday. I'm sick in bed today with some sort of chest cold/scourge/plague and truly tapped out.  Been a while since I've been down for the count, so grateful I can WFH and try to catch some sleep in between things. And I'm not so much shopping these days but thought it would be fun to shop the mass stores and pick out one piece from a few well priced chains to get us in the mood for Spring's fresh bloom.

This striped sweater from the Gap is good times. I love a nautical vibe come Spring/Summer and this has an almost Proenza Schouler vibe. If you don't know what that means, trust me. This is a chic piece for setting sail on the new season.

Also at the Gap, this little belt/sash thing is super cute with all your Spring white dresses to nip in the waist. I also love it with something khaki or of course, denim. Cute.

And one more from the Gap are these cute, cute wide legged crop chinos. Full disclosure- not a silhouette I can rock in any way, shape, or form. Strong no on these for my bod but I love the look on others.  Chances are you know whether these will good on you too- I've coveted the Jesse Kamm version for years now but alas- not happening.  I love them in white by the way. So chic.

Over at H&M, I'm digging this $35 shirt dress- I love a safari-ish look in the Spring time- chic with gold jewelry and a brown block heeled sandal. Very classic look and great for those of you looking for something nice and affordable to wear to work. Also comes in black- at that price maybe buy them both.

And with animal print showing no signs of slowing down as a big, big trend, I love this snake printed trench. Great over a tank and wide leg jeans or with a dress and bare legs. Super stylish and also very affordable at just under 60 bucks.

I literally buy a black ribbed dress every Spring- and this one is so cute- love the French vibe of the neckline and sleeves- wear with absolutely everything from fresh Converse low tops to high heeled sandals. Such a good staple piece and also super affordable at $29.99.

Oh, COS. True you make me feel like a cross between an Orthodox Jewish woman and an Eastern Bloc factory worker, but sometimes ya nail it. I love this little bag- such a great grab and go for dog walks or city jaunts. Chic around the waist or cross body. Great little travel bag too to hold just the essentials. 

As an & Other Stories superfan, I just adore their take on trends- perhaps a bit more feminine and ladylike than the others, but I just love it. This little bra is so pretty under a sundress (straps showing of course).

I also love these. I think I post a version of these once a season but clogs are just cool and that's that.

So with the exception of the clog which is $135, everything here is under 100 bucks and I'm happy to bring you some great looks for less. Just goes to show ya don't need a ton of dough to get glam for Spring. Cause that's what's up this well spent Monday from under my duvet. Yours, in sick beds and great style. Up tomorrow? Print dresses. My favorite, and hopefully yours. XO