March 20, 2008
Third Acts and Dressing when you are a success; vote for our next
book; that stand by your man thing; recipes for Easter, and more
First, The Three Tomatoes want to say Happy Spring and
Happy Easter. Don’t you just love the first hints of spring? The thousands of tulips planted last
fall by volunteers in Central Park are popping up; real birds, and not just pigeons, are chirping outside our windows; the “good weather
only” joggers and walkers are crowding the pathways along the rivers and parks; the elephants have made their way up 34th Street;
the cherry blossom trees will soon brighten Park Avenue; sidewalk dining is just around the corner; and even real New
Yorkers are taking the time to stroll the sidewalks. Who needs April in Paris? We’ll take New York City
in the spring, any day. And just as we were moaning the demise of TV with too many "reality shows", along came John Adams, the spectacular HBO mini series to add to our happy
spring. Do not miss it!
We have a great story to tell you this week…it involves clothes you will
adore, and a woman you’ll admire. But first, some updates. Our book club discussion of The Knitting
Club starts today, so join in. And vote for our April book and we’ll announce the winner next
week. Here are the choices: Jodi Picoult's brand new book, Change of
Heart; Anita Shreve's Body Surfing; and in the historical fiction category, The Other
Boleyn Girl. Read the reviews and then go to our book club and vote .
And make sure you visit The Three Tomatoes web site this week
too, and check out Arthur Schwartz’s great
ham and asparagus recipes at the Food Maven.
And read Valerie's Gallery for fun events
around NYC, for good causes too.
Tomatoes weigh in on that stand by your man
Yes, the tawdry events of last week left yet another politician’s wife caught
in the headlights while her husband’s peccadillo’s come to light. So what do tomatoes think about standing by
your man in the public glare? Well basically the sentiment was “if you do the crime, you should serve the time
alone in the spotlight” -- a sentiment expressed by more than 70% of tomatoes. Now mind you, that doesn’t mean tomatoes think
you should necessarily leave the philandering bum. Hey, who are we to judge, not to mention that glass house thing. But the
overall sentiment was, let him stand there alone, and deal with him later in private. Do you hear that politicians
everywhere?
What to wear in the spotlight
Okay, so successful women are usually in a much better spotlight, one that shines on
their accomplishments, not to mention their clothes. And for many “women who aren’t kids” finding clothes that
make us look polished, put together, and stylishly enviable, whether it’s in the office or at a cocktail party, can be a challenge for
sue. Especially when most designers are only thinking youth, size zeros, and this season’s trends.
Which is exactly what Nina McLemore was hearing from so many of her friends. As she puts it, “here you have
this large group of successful baby-boomer women with lots of disposable income, and no one in the industry focusing on designing anything they could
wear to the office.” So she decided to do something about it, and launched her fashion company, appropriately called Nina McLemore, in 2003. A company that today has $7
million in sales and growing thanks to woman from the Senate floor, to the boardroom floor, and every floor in between.
Forget pinstripes and black suits
We sat waiting to meet Nina in her New York City showroom on E. 55th Street recently,
surrounded by a sea of color, patterns, and glorious fabrics. Her line centers around fabulous jackets, many with stand up
collars that are flattering on anyone and can take you from the office to a cocktail party. The line also includes blouses and pants, for
business, casual, and evening attire, in natural fabrics, that are wrinkle-free so they travel well too. As we were admiring the
line, suddenly the commanding presence that is Nina, appeared. Were we intimidated? Heck yes, but not for
long.
Third Acts
Well who wouldn’t be intimated by a woman who has built several
businesses, including Liz Claiborne Accessories which she founded and grew to $200 million in sales; a woman who got her MBA from Columbia at the age
of 50; a woman who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro a decade ago; who was Vice President of May Department Stores International; and co-founder of a private
equity firm. Oh, and did we mention, even though she is in the fashion industry, never died her hair even when it turned grey
prematurely? Not to mention her philosophy “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much
space.” So it’s hardly a surprise that when she says she was thinking of “retiring” (right!), that she
decided to launch her latest venture, and we suspect the one that she's having the most fun with too.
Our intimidation was soon overcome by Nina’s passion and belief that women
our age just deserve so much better than we were getting from the fashion industry. And we were impressed with her passion
for helping other women succeed in business too. In fact, her clothes are sold exclusively through local sales representatives
(usually women who are looking for business opportunities), specialty boutiques, events, and in the New York City showroom. Nina
donates 2% of the company’s revenues through special events to charities that focus on women, children, the arts, and education.
You can view the Nina McLemore Collection on their web
site, and get more information on where to find them.
So here's to elephants and spring, living your passion, and great looking
clothes.
'til next week,
The Three Tomatoes
Copyright©2008. The Three Tomatoes. All rights
reserved.
