I’ve never really understood why women are so timid. For me, only someone with a powerful look — Diana Vreeland, say, or Minnie Mouse — is a person worth emulating. Because — and here is a big secret — if you construct an eccentric look and make it your own, you will be forever insulated from the world of fashion, a place where, let’s face it, you can never be lissome enough, your hair never curly (or straight) enough, your chest never full (or flat) enough. And here’s an added bonus: Truly wacky style doesn’t date, so all those worries about wrinkles leave you blissfully unaffected.
Mario’s bold glasses are the remaining emblem of his wild youth. “I got to a certain age and realized that I didn’t need to look crazy,” he says. “What was inside my head was enough.”
Two freshwater pearls of wisdom (on platinum chain with bezel-set amethyst pendant and a surround of 12 peridot, lobster-claw clasp, Van Cleef & Arpels, $3760, at Van Cleef & Arpels boutiques) from the current edition of T, the New York Times’ style magazine.
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