Shoes and Earrings Relate

When you are getting dressed, do you ever think ... these earrings go great with these shoes?

It's true! Shoes and earrings are related. All the components of your outfit make a small statement that adds to the total look and tells your story for the day. 

Jewelry tells a story for me because I was a designer for so many years. I went on market trips to NY and Atlanta with boutique owners so that I could start creating appropriate jewelry for the lines they were buying long before they arrived in the stores.  Accessories that are not so much matching but complementing in color and attitude complete a look.

Think about the attitude of the pieces you are putting together. For example, the navy strappy sandals say evening wear, as do the navy drop earrings. The T-Strap suede shoe says fashion-forward and a little daring... so do the suede hoop earrings. 

Accessories from head to toe should speak the same language.

Animal Print Vest

The weather was unseasonably warm for late October so my outfit for date night included lightweight layers and black sandals. 

The long sleeve black tee is from Chico's. The pants were by Anne Klein in a wonderfully smooth heavy knit fabric from my fabulous haul at Ross yesterday. The animal print flowing sheer fabric long vest is from Coldwater Creek. I love these vests as a third element. They can be worn as a scarf, a wrap, or a vest and serve as a year-round accessory. I've found them at Chico's and Coldwater Creek in several color combinations.
 

The necklace is by Erica Lyons from Belk. The black sandals are from Stein Mart, and the pewter clutch is by Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J. Maxx.

Thanks for reading! I hope the rest of your week is fabulous.

The Formula

Do you have a formula for the way you dress? 

Long ago, I realized that if I wore smooth flowing fabrics in a soft palette of colors, I would be able to layer items or combine them in different ways to create outfits for many occasions. 

My closet includes basic pieces that can be worn with different accessories to elevate them from daytime work wear to elegant evenings with friends. I won't buy a wardrobe of clothes which serve only one purpose (such as evening wear). A silk blouse I might wear with jeans to run errands during the day can also be worn with a black pencil skirt or crepe pants for dinner with friends. Accessories are the key that makes these combinations work for me.

Large scarves, wraps, or shawls are a great way to add dramatic color and 'temperature control' as is often needed at this stage of life. Sunglasses are a daytime staple for me. I never leave without them. Earrings with a button top and dangles or hoops are much more flattering than those little wires that pass through the hole in your ear. A large link bracelet or a stack of bangles (or both!) are great accessories to add to almost any outfit. If I wear a statement necklace, I balance the drama by wearing minimal other accessories. 

Structured handbags and clutches are much more flattering than big shoulder bags that make you look lopsided and sloppy. 

Interesting but comfortable shoes are a must! Life is way too short to wear boring shoes. 

This is my formula for shopping and getting dressed every day. These tips serve me well and have helped me get ready for any event for most of my adult life. 

If you have high contrast coloring, such as dark brown eyes with an olive skin-tone and dark silver-gray hair, and a bold, outgoing personality, your formula might be very different from mine.

I hope that sharing my ideas for dressing will help you put together easy, fabulous outfits so that you can get busy enjoying life.

Breaking Rules

You may have heard the saying, "You must know the rules to break them effectively." With my soft contrast cool coloring, I should not wear brown or warm animal prints... but I love both!

Last night for date night, I wore an animal print tunic from Chico's Travelers Collection. I layered it over a sleek, long sleeve tee with spandex and Lycra, also from Chico's last year. The slim black pants were from Stein-Mart last year. The high heeled booties are by Vince Camuto, and they are from Nordstrom. Despite their high heels, these booties are comfortable and easy to walk in.

The little evening purse is one of my favorites, but it might be fifteen years old. The silver and clear rhinestone hoops add a touch of cool tones next to my face.

The tunic is a little too large, but I would prefer anything that buttons, not fit too tight across my bust. I often go up a size in tops for that reason. I will also be able to wear this lightweight tunic over summer clothes with the sleeves turned up.

The key to this outfit is balance. I would never wear these slim leg pants with anything but a long tunic, and I would never wear this tunic with anything but slim leg pants or a pencil skirt. Never wear two pieces that visually add width together. Always balance flowing boxy pieces over slim-fitting pieces or vice versa. (An opposite example would be a slim tank top over a flowing maxi skirt.)

Wearing Tights

I love the look of chunky booties with tights and a pencil skirt for daytime in the cooler months. When the proportions are right for you and the skirt isn't too short, you can still turn heads in a good way.

 

Proper fit is always important but especially so in a skirt. If the skirt is too tight or short, you will not be comfortable or appropriate. Wearing a skirt with tights during the day in the cooler months is a great fresh look. Tights are opaque legwear that allows us to get away with so much more than sheer stockings would. I normally wear sheer black stockings for the evening only. Wolford makes the top of the line tights, which are well worth the investment. (They create lots of other fabulous items we need too!)

Here I've paired a graphite skirt with a loose-fitting graphite long sleeve tee and a scarf. The scarf brings in the other colors to add. Burgundy is the color for us! It's very flattering to the face and can be worn with all neutrals.

Beauty Routines After 50

Many have written to ask for tips on makeup and hairstyles that respect our changing faces. I am sharing my step by step routine with you here.

Permanent makeup, fillers, and plastic surgery are not options I am considering. I don't mind the character and expression lines that my face has developed over the years. I firmly believe that healthy eating, lots of water, and regular exercise are the best beauty routines one can follow.

After fifty, some things became easier, and for me, a hairstyle definitely falls into that category. After my fiftieth birthday, I stopped coloring my hair and found a great stylist who gives me a softly layered angled bob cut that frames and slims my roundish face. Ask your stylist for a cut that works with your hair's natural tendency and one that complements the shape of your face. 

A good stylist will also consider if your style is complementary to your body's size and shape. For example, a petite woman peering out from a huge bush of long hair is not balanced with her proportions.

In the photo above, I have just returned from my stylist.

I don't use anything but a gentle sulfate-free shampoo three times a week for styling products. I sometimes rinse my hair in the shower and then reshape it for the day, but skip the products entirely on most days. 

My thinning hair and dry scalp do not respond well to most products. A build-up of styling products adds weight, making my hair flat. It also gets trimmed about every five or six weeks. I don't allow my hair to get too long or get it cut too short. Both extremes add years to my face.

Warm water and a gentle skin cleanser remove makeup in the evening. I splash some warm water on my face to rinse it and then pat dry. I find that eye creams add puffiness and nighttime moisturizers cause me to break out, so I skip those. One of my all-time favorite moisturizers for my whole body is Coconut Oil.

My makeup routine has also been streamlined. In winter, I use a heavier moisturizer, but in summer, I use only a tinted moisturizer or very light foundation appropriate for my skin's texture. I apply the foundation mostly in my T-zone. (The T-Zone is the center of your face from your forehead down to your chin, where most of us were a bit oily when our hormones were plentiful.) 

Use a small makeup sponge or brush to blend gently away from your nose and skip the area around your mouth to not emphasize lines. This technique of starting your makeup in the center of your face and blending away helps avoid the dreaded demarcation line where your makeup stops and your neck begins.

Here is a blog post, including a makeup video.

I use makeup brushes rather than sponge applicators. They allow for better blending and less tugging on the skin. I use a liquid eyeliner applied into and under my upper eyelashes (on the waterline). I don't apply liner or mascara to my lower lashes because this looks very harsh on me. My eyeshadow is always the same in varying degrees of depth of color for the day versus evening. The palate includes soft beige, a very pale shell pink, gray, and grays that complement my cool skin tone. I start with the darkest color in my lash line and just above it. In the crease of my eye and just above it, I blend a medium gray. I blend the lighter colors up to my brow and then blend. 

I add a smoky gray color at the outside corner of my eye for more definition and drama. I use a taupe or gray eyebrow pencil to fill in my thin brows, but I'm careful to blend and brush that out as well. I use brown/black mascara, and that's it for eyes.

I brush on a bit of blush in a rose-tone high on the cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, and under my chin. If your skin is very dry, cream blush might be best for you. Once again, blend, blend, blend! Note: Do not smile and put blush on the apple of your cheek as we were taught when we were younger. When you stop smiling, the blush will be lower than you want and not have the effect you want at all.

I apply a lip liner over my whole lip and then a very similar color of lipstick. After blotting, I'm finished with my daytime makeup routine. During the evening, I may wear brighter lip color, but I apply and blot it several times while applying my makeup to stains my lips rather than sliding around on top. I will use a similar color lip balm to touch up during the evening.

I almost always wear sunglasses when I'm outdoors, and if I am in the sun for more than a few minutes, I also wear a hat and sunscreen. Skin cancer is no fun, and I hope to never have it again.

Confidence looks good on you!

Celebrating our fiftieth birthday often means a rounder body is a gift we receive. Hormones and lifestyle play a part in this new body shape, but we still want to look nice and dress in a flattering and comfortable way. I've been chubby for most of my life, so these tips are ones that I have always used to conceal a tummy that will never be flat no matter how much weight I lose.

1. Wear a top and pants or skirt in a similar color. Always wear a scarf, an open jacket, a blouse, or a sweater in a different color to add a vertical line. The top should never be tucked in. If it stops just below your tummy, that's an excellent thing. Look for pieces that have smooth finishes that flow across your body rather than clinging to it. Avoid anything quilted or bulky. Pants and skirts should fall from the widest part of your body. If your thighs are that point, pants should skim your body to that point and then flow smoothly from there. Skirts should end at the slimmest part of your leg, which is normally just below the knee. Pants should stop at the bottom of your heel. If you wear Capri pants, always wear a platform wedge shoe to add visual length to your legs.

2. Look for silky smooth scarves. The idea is to add a nice long vertical line, not bulk. Don't tie the scarf around your neck so that it ends with even tails in front. Avoid horizontal lines across your body. If the scarf is long enough, try looping it over itself to create a V below your bust. A V shape neckline is usually more flattering than a round one.

3. A thicker, low heel rather than a totally flat shoe will be more flattering. Carry a bag that isn't too small or puffy. A sleek and structured bag looks much neater and doesn't add width to your silhouette. Be cautious with shoulder bags that hang by your hips, giving you more width where you least want it.

Hold your head up high and smile. Confidence is your best accessory!