Archive for August 2010
Deborah Gibson
Today’s birthday girl, Debbie Gibson (or Deborah as she’s currently known), was the Miley Cyrus of her generation. Thrust into the spotlight before she really had a chance to develop a signature style, Gibson’s crimes against fashion are well documented. Nowadays, she seems to have come to terms with the simplicity that defines her sun sign. Back in her heyday, however, everything was over the top. Anyone in the same shoes probably would have made similar mistakes.
One thing that unites most Virgos when they’re young is their interest in the cachet of labels. Virgo is a materialistic sign, and until an individual is mature enough to understand the real worth of designer clothes, it’s usually the name on label that appeals to them, often more than the garment itself. For this reason, most Virgos would look back upon their youthful style with disdain. Most grow out of their label-whoring ways.
Virgo is an intellectual sign with a nearly unlimited capacity for personal growth. Once someone is mature enough to appreciate things like fit, form and function, their clothing begins to reflect their own personality rather than the personality of the individual who designed it. I suppose Deborah Gibson has found that place.
Frederique van der Wal
If I was to assign certain geographic locations to zodiac signs, I’d probably make the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany rule over Virgo. The aesthetic that most often defines the successful designers from those countries is intellectual, modern and minimal, just like a well-dressed Virgo individual.
If I was to assign a particular physical look to Virgo, I would pick someone like Frederique van der Wal. I get a strong Virgo vibe when I look at the supermodel. There’s a sophisticated quality to her beauty, and an intriguing intellect behind those beautiful eyes. The other woman I think of when I want to illustrate how I picture an archetypal Virgo is Ingrid Bergman, and I don’t believe that her look is dissimilar to Frederique’s appearance.
In astrology, however, the one factor that imparts a “look” to an individual is their rising sign. Unless the sun is in the first house, it usually doesn’t have an impact upon appearance. Nevertheless, in my experience these women have the “Virgo look.”
Michael Jackson
Like Tom Ford, whom I discussed a couple of days ago, Michael Jackson has a Virgo sun and a Pisces moon (there’s a slight chance Ford’s moon could be in Aries, but I doubt it). I mentioned that Ford has admitted that he has problems sleeping more than a few hours, and that he’s dealt with substance abuse issues in the past. I don’t know for sure if there’s a relationship between those two things, but reason tells me there is. Virgos have a hard enough time shutting down their neurotic brains at night. The Pisces influence just adds a dash of irrationality to that mix, making the situation more difficult to control without the use of mood-altering substances.
Today’s birthday boy, Michael Jackson, knew that better than anyone else. In fact, he died after being injected with an anesthetic he needed to get some sleep. As someone who sleeps like I’m dead, I can sympathize with these guys who self-medicate in order to get a good night’s sleep. I’ve got a cold, and I just slept nine-and-a-half hours. Now I’m on my way to the gym because I feel like I’ve been invited to rejoin the ranks of the living. And I look way better than I did last night.
Being able to get a good night’s sleep is probably the single most important contributor to beauty. I know too many Virgos in my real life who can’t figure that out. A few have resorted to self-medicating with disastrous results (one even following in the footsteps of Michael Jackson). If poor sleep habits are affecting not only your looks, but also your behavior, get some help — and I don’t mean the kind of help that comes in a bottle.
LeAnn Rimes
I’m a huge fan of LeAnn Rimes’ personal style. Today’s birthday girl has the Virgo thing down perfectly.
The best way to describe her fashion sense is to call her underdressed. Normally, that word would carry a negative connotation, but for a simplicity-loving Virgo like Rimes, it just means that there’s nothing superfluous about her style. Not an extra accessory, or too much makeup, or a fussy, overwrought garment — everything is pared back to its essence. Take this gorgeous ”Shape” magazine cover, for example. She’s wearing a bikini, a bracelet and a smile.
Now have a look at this red carpet photo:
Besides the shoes, she doesn’t have on a lot more!
The best-dressed Virgos know when an outfit speaks for itself. I can imagine the same dress on some schmuck with a gigantic “statement necklace” and gladiatrix sandals laced up to the knee. A Virgo woman doesn’t need to go to such great lengths to make a statement. She’s perfect just the way she is.
Tom Ford
When I wrote my book, Tom Ford was still designing for Gucci. For that reason, I made Gucci a Capricorn label. I’ve often claimed that some of the best designers create clothing that suits the style of the sign of their solar fifth house. The fifth house rules over matters such as romance and artistic expression, so it makes sense that in a business that aspires to make people more attractive to each other, the fifth house would be incorporated into my theories about fashion and astrology.
Ford also has Jupiter and Saturn in Capricorn, and he has about a 75% chance of having his moon in Pisces (I’m not sure about his birth time so I can only play the odds). I believe he probably does have a Pisces moon because Pisces-influenced individuals are naturally drawn to Capricorns since they provide a stabilizing influence in their lives. Everything points to Capricorn influences in Ford’s chart.
However, there is one thing that defines Tom Ford as a Virgo, and I’m not talking about his notorious perfectionism (which applied toward his career makes him seem even more like a textbook Capricorn to me). I’m talking about his sleep habits. Ford has admitted that he only sleeps four hours a night. When I read that in an interview, the designer also admitted that he would like to sleep more. Now this revelation came from a Virgo who has dealt with substance abuse issues. That only leads me to one conclusion: Like most Virgo individuals, Tom Ford has a difficult time shutting his brain down.
Virgos tend to internalize everything. Their minds just go and go and go. Luckily, Tom Ford sought professional help for his problems and he can get by on four hours of sleep a night without going crazy. His fellow Virgo, Michael Jackson, wasn’t so lucky.
So for all the Capricorn traits and Capricorn-loving traits he shows in his chart, he’s got the Virgo thing down pretty good. But like anyone else, there’s a lot more to this man than just his sun sign.
Shirley Manson
Today’s birthday girl, Shirley Manson, has inspired me to start talking about fashion again. My first couple of posts about Virgo haven’t had much to do with Virgo style.
I adore Shirley. First of all, she’s like the anti-Rachel Zoe, with lovely skin and a enough meat on her bones to make her appear healthy. For a forty-four-year-old woman, she looks as good as any old broad in show business. I’ve read that she was a club kid when she was younger, experimenting with drugs and alcohol, but I can see that she’s actually concerned with her health and well-being from her well-preserved appearance. I also know that she’s a vegetarian, like me. I know that my diet has kept me looking much better than all my fat-assed, carnivorous friends. Oops, did I type that?
Anyway, back to Shirley. Her personal style is very unique, and very characteristic of her sun sign. Virgos are impeccable stylists. They are detail-oriented, and sort of artful minimalists at heart. I’ve often used the example of Sophia Loren as an icon of Virgo style. She can make a best-dressed list wearing a dress, shoes and a pair of earrings. Manson has a similar style. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her overdressed. For a celebrity, that’s quite an accomplishment.
The key to possessing a signature Virgo style lies in planning. While most Virgos wouldn’t admit to lacking any sort of spontaneity, they really aren’t the sort of people who just throw something on and walk out the door. Manson herself has said “I think it’s really relaxing and therapeutic to take half an hour to paint your face.” Truthfully, if she was indulging in that sort of therapy, she would be laying awake at night wondering how she was going to paint her face tomorrow. Virgos also have a difficult time sleeping when they don’t indulge in such self-therapeutic pursuits. And that shows on their faces! People who don’t sleep at night don’t make it to forty-four looking like Shirley Manson.
I could go on all day about how much I like this woman, but I guess that’s enough for now. I’ve got another four weeks to talk about Virgos. I shouldn’t give everything away in just one post!
Regis Philbin
A Virgo sun is supposed to endow an individual with highly-developed critical faculties. In a lot of cases, that’s true. In other instances, a Virgo sun just seems to make people bitchy.
I adore Regis Philbin — he’s a Virgo’s Virgo. Sure, he’s got the cranky Virgo schtick down to an artform, yet it never seems to be mean-spirited when he’s cracking jokes. While a lot of Virgo natives can step over the line with their critical observations, Regis always delivers his from a place of self-awareness and self-reflection. The deprecating nature of the Virgo sense of humor doesn’t work without self-deprecation.
I’m sure I’m going to say this a thousand times before the sun moves into Libra: A Virgo without a mirror might just be the saddest sight in the zodiac.
Full Moon Fever
Today’s full moon in Pisces should make for an interesting afternoon. Pisces is often considered to be an irrational sign, and the full moon is regarded as an irrational time. So what does that mean for you?
LOCK THE DOORS AND HIDE!
It’s really not that bad, but it’s no time to shop and certainly a terrible time for surgical cosmetic procedures or hair treatments involving harsh chemicals.
Just sit back and give yourself a day or two to get used to this big change in astrological weather. The sun just moved into Virgo — the least self-aware sign in the zodiac. With a bunch of retrograde planets in the sky (a few of which are hovering around house cusps) a clearer picture of where you want to take your look will emerge in the next couple of months.
On a side note, the current sky does not bode well for the upcoming S/S 2011 fashion shows. Only the most-perceptive designers are going to see themselves move into a new era of fashion. Others might be designing themselves right out of the business.
Holly Hallstrom
While many women have been called “Barker’s Beauties,” only three in particular really owned that title: Janice Pennington, Dian Parkinson and Holly Hallstrom.
As the most relatable, down-to-earth model on “The Price Is Right,” Hallstrom was a big fan favorite. I made a lot of the girl-next-door-connection when I discussed Taurus a few months back, but it’s important to note that Virgo women also have that girl-next-door charm. Hallstrom, today’s birthday girl, didn’t have to do much to appear warmer and more-genuine than her fellow beauties. It just happened.
Virgos are often characterized as being cold and analytical, but there is nothing cold about this sign. Yes, they can be analytical, objective and detached, but they are as earthy and sensate as they come — and very warm once you get to know them.
Gene Kelly
I’m intrigued by Gene Kelly’s natal chart. Because he was born in 1912, I’m suspicious of the birth time that many astrologers use to construct his chart. Whenever someone tells me “I was born at seven in the morning,” I say “No, I need your exact birth time.” I just assume that they’ve given me an estimation of their time of birth because no one recorded the actual time, and their somewhat distracted mothers and fathers remember that it was “around seven in the morning.”
Yet looking at Gene Kelly’s chart, the 7:00 AM birthtime explains everything about the man. With his sun in Leo he had the innate charisma to become an icon in his profession. But with his Venus, Mars and ascendant in Virgo (and a Capricorn moon) it’s easy to see why he was known as a notorious perfectionist who worked his fellow actors until they were ready to drop dead. Debbie Reynolds once said “‘Singin’ in the Rain‘ and childbirth were the two hardest things I ever had to do in my life.”
What you see on the screen, however, appears as if it was the most effortless thing ever put on film. There’s not a single glitch in the movie, or one moment where an actor’s face shows how hard they’re really working during Kelly’s dance sequences. It’s truly the work of a perfectionist. Still, I can see that Kelly definitely had the charm and warmth we associate with his sun sign. Without a little Leo in him, Kelly’s perfectionism would probably have left audiences feeling a little cold.
