Cat lady chic

What comes to mind when you think of a cat lady?

The most common image this term usually conjures up is an older, eccentric woman living a reclusive life in an abandoned house. She preoccupies her time by caring for and feeding a horde of stray cats who have taken up residence in her home. She is most likely unmarried, and wanders about the garden in a huge sun hat with a crooked brim and bizarrely oversized palazzo pants.

Cats have been in my life since I was a little girl and I've always felt an affection for them. My beloved Mrs. Sunflower, a beautiful long haired calico, was my best friend growing up. She'd often lie on the carpet beside me while I played with my dolls and wrote in my journal, sprawled out on the bedroom floor. As I got older, my connection to cats grew - I felt their mystique and quiet nature complemented my introverted demeanor, and my cat lady notoriety began to set in thanks to my more sociable peers.

"Little Edie" Edith Beale, a notorious "cat lady" ... and totally fab in my book!

It's a shame that the term "cat lady" is often used with a dowdy or spinsterish connotation. The cat eye, the cat walk, the kitten heel, the iconic character of catwoman... so many symbols of style and femininity stem from the similarities between cats and women. Wouldn't it make more sense to know that some of the most stylish and glamorous women in the world were, in fact, cat ladies?

Cats have enchanted us with their feline mystique since the dawn of time. With their slightly detached attitude and effortless grace, as they lounge on the chaise or leisurely groom themselves, cats are connoisseurs of comfort and pleasure. Cats are clean, fastidious creatures who inherently place importance on cultivating tidy and orderly habits from their toilette to what they choose to dine on. Similarly, felines are often domestic, home-loving creatures who enjoy nothing more than existing in the quiet comfort of their own space, enjoying the sensation of the warm sun basking through the window. The cat is also independent and famously selective about who is worthy of their time, attention, and affection.

Due to their attitude and ways of living, cats effortlessly evoke that je ne sais quoi that the Hollywood stars of yesteryear embodied that made them so fascinating. Many silver screen ladies were dedicated cat lovers and wonderfully embody the idea of cat lady chic - stylish, sensual, feminine, graceful, and just a little bit mysterious. Vivien Leigh was one of the best known cat lovers in her day. Below are some quotes I've gathered on the subject. Why not redefine the term "cat lady" and instead go forward with a newfound attitude of being cat lady chic, using these feline lessons as inspiration to live our most beautiful lives without apology? Being more feline certainly sounds like a more feminine and stylish way to be.

"As indisputably as cats have nine lives, cat ladies throughout history have dressed to the nines ... Artists throughout history have presented an equally attractive cat lady: a woman who is poised, put together and supremely confident. I believe the woman who was photographed or painted assumes an additional aura because of the cat who is tucked beside her or rests at her feet, or who cuddles comfortably on her lap, or who is draped around her as grandly as an Hermes silk scarf." ― Diane Lovejoy, whose wonderful book Cat Lady Chic inspired this post.

"Guilt isn't in the cat vocabulary. They never suffer remorse for eating too much, sleeping too long, or hogging the warmest cushion in the house. They welcome every pleasurable moment as it unravels and savor it to the full extent until a butterfly or falling leaf diverts their attention. They don't waste energy counting the number of calories they've consumed or the hours they've frittered away sunbathing. Cats don’t beat themselves up about not working hard enough. They don’t get up and go, they sit down and stay. For them, lethargy is an art form." ― Cleo by Helen Brown

"By associating with the cat, one only risks becoming richer."  ― Collete 

"Catwoman, to me, was really one of the best things I've ever done because I didn't have to think about it . I didn't have to think about, 'Oh, how do you play a cat?' I am a cat." ―Eartha Kitt

"If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.” ― Mark Twain 

― TYG