Meet Elyse Roberts. She is the epitome of style, class and grace. I met Elyse 7 years ago when I started doing social media for SoCo & The OC Mix. She was leasing the center at the time so we shared office space. We immediately hit it off and spent every day together. As I listened to her on the phone with various potential tenants I learned so much about “The Art of Business” and relationships. She could really speak to anyone! I was so sad to go back to college at the end of the summer and leave Elyse, but our relationship did not end there.
Elyse has become so much more than a good friend. I constantly lean on her for advice in my business, style, home decor, relationships and just about everything else!
She also has such great S T Y L E!!! It’s not just any kind of style… Elyse can pair a vintage piece with the season’s latest and somehow make it look as though they were made to be worn together. She’s not stuck in a particular decade, her style transforms with time but also keeps the best of the past.
If you need to find a place to get that perfect vintage locket or find a guy to reupholster your couch, you ask Elyse. She’s got answers to everything and knows everyone. She is kind, beautiful (inside and out!), smart and one of the best friends I could ask for. I thank my lucky stars that I was able to meet her.
Here’s how we can all live a little more like Elyse…
You’ve worked your whole life tell us a little bit about your different careers and what you do now?
I have had two careers. I was a fourth grade teacher in Kansas for eleven years. I wanted to be outside of the classroom and around other adults. I was lucky enough later to be the Vice President of a powerful boutique commercial real estate company in Chicago. I represented developers and tenants in both office and retail.
I now work for a local developer and adore what I do. I get the pleasure of finding retail tenants from around the world for the best Orange County locations. My next assignment is a new chic retail center in Maui. What could be more fun?
What do you love most about what you do?
I am a connector. I delight in finding the right key for the lock- the right tenant for a location-one that suits the adjacent tenants and the surroundings.
You have such beautiful skin! What are some of the most important things you’ve learned about skin care over the years?
There are SO many important things about keeping your skin at its best. We all know to stay out of the sun and it’s so difficult in Southern California. Tint your car windows to block ultraviolet light. Put your visor down when your drive. Wear driving gloves!
Describe your sense of style.
My style is classic with a nod to trendy. Eighty percent of my wardrobe is classic: twenty percent is trendy. Early on I learned which colors I should wear: which color metal jewelry I should wear; which size prints look best of me; how much contrast I should wear. Stick with what’s correct for you. Totally classic can be aging. It’s always good to add a little fun into your look with the latest trend.
Where do you like to shop?
My choices change and it depends on where I am. My very favorite right now is 21 Place Vendome- Elsa Schaiaperelli. It’s an INCREDIBLE showroom in Paris and a revitalized brand. I don’t always buy when I shop. I enjoy the experience and am always inspired!
What are the pieces that you have that are timeless, that you wear throughout the years?
My Belgian Shoes. I have collected them for years. They have stayed the same style since 1955 when Henri Bendel started the company in New York City. There is only one store and they are the most comfortable shoes EVER!
What are your favorite luxury and mid price brands…high/low?
Delvaux is my favorite band now. I was just in the Antwerp store. Gorgeous! The brand is eight years older than Hermes! My favorite bag is the Brillant.
Mid-price brand preferences change. Right now my favorites are Nili Lotan, Allude and Harwood. I love Jarbo’s own brand too.
What do you think about the appropriateness of what to wear as women age? Is there such a thing?
I definitely think women have to dress to show off their best features, which obviously change as we age. Donna Karan had it right when she designed the “cold shoulder” dress. Our shoulders never change!
Your favorite thing in your closet?
All my scarves. A scarf can completely change an outfit. I like to purchase a scarf when I travel. I always remember where I bought it and that becomes a sweet memory.
You have the most beautiful collection of jewelry. How do you find such unique pieces?
I do have some unique pieces but I gravitate toward the classics. I started working at a high end jewelry store in Kansas City when I was 15 years old. I was lucky enough to wrap all the beautiful packages for Tivol. I was hooked on jewelry then and bought two rings that I have and wear today.
I like vintage jewelry too. My favorite period is Art Deco, then Edwardian and most recently I like 1940’s pieces. You can always find a classic piece of jewelry at a great vintage store, and a much lower price.
What is your favorite piece of jewelry and why?
I am a moon child, born in June. My birthstone is either moonstone or pearl and I love both.
My favorite piece is my Temple St. Claire rock crystal orb necklace that I bought at a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Dream Gala.
I also cherish my strand of akoya pearls which Sidney Garber, my favorite jeweler in Chicago personally helped me choose from hundreds of strands. He choose the perfect color pearls. We took hours deciding.
Do you collect anything?
I collect many things and oddly they are all small and precious. I collect vinaigrettes from the 1700-1800’s; ivory and sterling dance cards, antique caviar knives. Book boxes, antique velum books, pens, antique Austrian bronze animals,
I love your home decor. Do you have any tips for decorating?
Always decorate your home with things that you love and have collected and always make sure your home interior is in the colors in which you look best!
If you are going to invest in something in your home, what do you think it is best to invest in?
Invest in something that you will always want around you. I have two Jugenstihl pieces of furniture from 1910: a desk and a cocktail cabinet that go with nothing in particular that I own , but they are ebony and geometrical and I can always find a place for them. Always have something black in a room!
You have such unique artwork, how do you find everything?
I have no criteria for art except to buy what appeals to you. My art is eclectic- from Cocteau to Gilot to Noir to a Los Angeles street artist named SEK. I buy what strikes me as beautiful or interesting
What’s your favorite part of your home?
My dressing room. It’s really where the “Art of Being Female” resides. I still have my vanity from when I was 18 years old. I sit and put on my makeup there everyday. I choose my clothes, scarves, jewelry, shoes in my dressing room and have a full length mirror in the room to make sure it all works. That’s important.
Where is your favorite place to travel/stay?
I can never get enough of New York City and The Surrey Hotel. The hotel is understated and friendly. Cafe Boulud there never disappoints. The food is consistently great, the crowd chic and the room hushed. How refreshing! The city is always charming and forever interesting. I always visit the Frick Collection there.
You love Laguna… can you tell us your favorite places to shop and also where are your favorite restaurants ?
When in the Village, Laguna Supply is a favorite. In north Laguna, ARIS always has the best clothes and accessories- incredible cashmere sweaters, great jeans, classic blazers, perfect t-shirts, amazing wearable jewelry. Trey, the owner, is a friend and he has created a wonderful atmosphere to sit and chat over a cup of coffee or Mariage Freres tea, while figuring out what to purchase. His taste is impeccable. I also shop at Jarbo when I am in Newport Beach.
My favorite restaurant is at home- Chez Elyse. I am lucky enough to be able to purchase fresh organic produce and local honey, and eggs from Bluebird Canyon Farms in Laguna. I usually eat at home.
What does the art of being female mean to you?
To me it means, the art of being a good and happy human being. It means being charitable. I formed a group of great women called the Dream Guild which supports the fight against juvenile diabetes when my ten year old nephew was diagnosed. He is now 26 and we are still fighting to cure type 1.
The “Art of Being Female” means being kind to others while still having fun!
