Wear It Wednesday

Each Wednesday, I go through my wardrobe and try again to make something work for me that is rarely, if ever, worn.

If I can't make the item work for me... out it goes. I have a shopping bag in my closet to which I add those things that never seem quite right. The shopping bag goes to the local Women's Shelter this time. (I rotate donations to a different charity each time.) If you decide to follow my example in paring down your closet to only what you really wear, please remember that underwear, shoes, and jewelry, as well as bags, can make a world of difference to a woman who is starting over after an abusive relationship. She needs clothes for interviews and work, so white blouses and dark slacks or skirts are always needed.

Let's start with this white blouse. I bought it at the big Dillard's haul earlier this spring. I have never worn it because it has a ruffle with a facing that never stays where it should. It was such a low clearance price I couldn't resist, but buying something you never wear is not a good deal.

Then there are those navy slacks I bought at Talbot's a couple of years ago. One leg is a bit tighter than the other in the calf, so I always feel lopsided when I wear them. Someone with normal calves would never notice this, but my calves are ample. 

These slingback shoes have rarely seen the light of day, but they worked with this look today. 

I will keep the blouse for now, but the shoes and the pants are on their way out.

Day Into Evening

It was a beautiful spring day, so we drove down to the Nolichucky River farming community to visit the Mennonite store. 

The Farmer's Daughter restaurant is next door. We have never eaten there, but there is always a line out the door and along the front porch with an overflowing parking lot each time we have visited the area.

A food truck outside the store offered these huge donuts made right there by this beautiful young woman. There was also a line out into the parking lot for these. 

We resisted the mouth-watering smell even though it was so very tempting.

You may never meet a man who loves bread more than Mr. Mickey! Here he is contemplating which loaf to buy. Believe me when I say, if I did not limit him to one, he would have bought them all!

The drive down to Greeneville along the scenic route is awe-inspiring, with rolling green meadows and mountains rising to frame the deep blue horizon. 

We also stopped along the way to visit some of the stores that have recently opened in Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town.

My daytime outfit included white zipper ankle pants and a tank top along with a beaded tassel necklace from Chico's. The navy linen-like jacket is from Appleseed's last year. The Anne Klein Sport sandals and the red Tahari bag are both from T.J.Maxx. 

Later in the day, we only had time for me to change shoes, sweaters, and necklaces to meet our dearest friends for dinner at our favorite restaurant. The sweater is old from Dillard's. The necklace was a gift from Mr. Mickey. Note that I always wear small stud earrings with statement necklaces allowing that one piece to take center stage. The Jessica Simpson sandals are from T.J.Maxx. 

The Gourmet and Company restaurant staff have become almost like family as we have celebrated many special occasions with them and cheered them on in their own life events. This is our dear friend Kenn who has been our server during many of our special celebrations. He and Mr. Mickey actually created one of their most popular dishes on the menu! It is named 'The Jilton Vegetarian' after Mr. Mickey. 

I often wear one color from head to toe with a contrasting color jacket or open cardigan. This helps me to look taller and thinner. It is also a great way to create several different looks with a limited number of pieces in your wardrobe. I always try to buy a tank top to match each pair of pants I buy. Contrasting jackets, cardigans, and large scarves give you totally different looks while keeping a lean silhouette. Leaving the jacket open gives an uninterrupted long, lean line.

The Magic of Nude Shoes

Nude shoes are great in any season, but they are nearly perfect in warm weather.

Whenever I create a Polyvore set such as the one above, I look for basic pieces found in most stores, including thrift stores. I look for pieces that cost less than $50 and that can work with many other elements. (That's the way I shop in real life too!)

 Upon entering a shoe department, the first color I look for is nude. I wear that tone more than any other.

Nude shoes elongate the leg and complement almost any outfit. Nude means the color closest to the color of your skin.

I employ other tips wearing one solid color or similar tones on my body with other colors. This helps to make me look taller and slimmer. Every horizontal break of color or pattern on your body makes you look shorter and wider. 

I look for handbags with simple details and minimal hardware. A red handbag is almost always a good idea. I favor neutral solid colors in subtle combinations, so the red handbag is a great pop of color.

One or two simple, bold accessories serve me well. This is especially true when wearing a hat. Everything else in your look should be minimal when you wear a hat. Think of the woman who wears sunglasses, large earrings, a hat, a necklace, and a scarf all at the same time. That's just too much going on in one place. Clutter in your outfit is never a good look.

When I first started blogging, I often strayed from these rules, and the look became too much like a costume. As I get closer to sixty, I want to look polished and comfortable. This is not the time in life to be a fashion victim.

WEAR it Wednesday!

Today marks the launch of a new feature on the Facebook page for Fifty, not Frumpy.

My project for today is this ikat pattern cardigan. I bought it on sale at Chico's last fall. I have never worn it because it is too lightweight for cool weather, and it really needs to be worn with a tank top so that the arms aren't too snug. Now that I have tried it on with warm weather pants and sandals, I think I might wear it often. (I shot this image into an antique mirror hanging in my laundry room.)

We all have things in our closets that we rarely wear, if ever. I am on a mission to wear all those things in my closet or donate them to someone who can use and enjoy them. I had this in mind when I started "Wear It Wednesday." 

THE BROTHER BOYS

Yesterday's weather was a bit warmer during the day. 

My daytime outfit included a pair of khaki ankle jeans and an almond color tank from Chico's with a lightweight turquoise sweater from Dillard's a couple of years ago. The necklace is from Chico's last year. The sandals are from T.J.Maxx earlier this year. The handbag is from Stein Mart last year. 

For our evening out with friends, I switched to a warmer sweater and a different necklace both from Chico's. The bag is from Stein Mart a few years ago.

We joined two other couples at The Down Home to listen to the Brother Boys and Ed Snodderly.

The Down Home was founded in 1976 and has become a mecca for music lovers in Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The primary emphasis is on quality music, and the performance atmosphere promotes listening rather than socializing. I was last there in 1977 so this was a fun revisit to one of my college time occasional hangouts. 

Ed Snodderly is a legend both here and abroad. He just returned from a tour of Europe to reunite with his friends the Brother Boys. 

Oldies But Goodies

Mother nature continues to taunt us with a warm spring day followed by a very cool cloudy day. 

I hope to convey several messages with this blog. One of which is you don't have to have a lot of money to look nice. I constantly shop in stores such as T.J.Maxx, Ross, and on the site Dalitka.

I get so many compliments on this hand-painted handmade silk kimono each time I wear it. 

Mr. Mickey loves vintage too! His favorite car will be twenty years old very soon. If you take care of your treasures and choose classic styles they will serve you well for many years whether it be a car or a lovely classic style of spring coat.

Philanthropy

I am very proud to be a Leadership member of The Women's Fund of East Tennessee, which serves as a catalyst to transform the lives of low-income women and girls in East Tennessee. This week we held our luncheon celebration at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, TN, to award grants to the programs we earlier voted to support in our communities.

When you invest in a woman, you invest in a family, a community, and ultimately a region. By helping women and girls, we create stronger communities for all of us. I encourage you to join a Women's Fund near you to make a difference for your community.

It was quite cool during the early morning hours, so I wore this fabulous spring coat, which was a gift from Dalitika.

As the weather began to warm up, I removed the spring coat. The blue travelers style tank and pants and the jacket and necklace are all from Chico's last year.

The shoes are from T.J.Maxx earlier this season. The bag is from Coach.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the day was spending time with my dear friend Carol Transou and her delightful husband Bedford. They were so gracious to invite me to ride down to Knoxville with them. The event also allowed me the opportunity to visit with Bonnie Sampson, another very special lady who is also a founder of our group. 

After the luncheon, we drove through the neighborhood to enjoy looking at the spring flowers and lovely old homes. 

The Symphony Season Finale

The final performance of the season for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra was last evening.

As is our tradition for symphony performances, we had an early dinner at our favorite restaurant in town, Gourmet and Company. We were about to leave when one of the beautiful twenty-something servers gave me the ultimate compliment. "Miss Susan, I love your style. I would wear any of your looks in a heartbeat." Thank you, Cori! You made my day.

Symphony performances are held at the Mary B. Martin Auditorium at Seeger Chapel on Milligan College's campus. We have often wished we could share a picture with you, but it is always too dark when we arrive. At last, we were able to capture a few images for you.

This evening, the guest performer was John Pizzarelli who performed jazz greats with his group and the orchestra.

I wore a sweater and pants from Chico's last year. The black top is from Covered Perfectly. The shoes are from T.J.Maxx earlier this year.

Seasonal Closet Shock

It happens every spring. When the weather gets warm, and it comes time to get dressed for any casual event, I experience the dreaded... Closet Shock!

Now that the weather is warm, Mr. Mickey and I have brought back the Wednesday date night tradition.

On this date night, we visited a new, very casual restaurant in Johnson City. The Local Kitchen and Wine Bar reminds me of the 1980s, from the wine and liquor bottles used as the ceiling to the pennies inlaid in the floors.

Our dear friend Tony Seaton's beautiful daughter, Shelley, works there, for now, so she was our main reason for visiting. Shelley will soon be leaving for culinary school, and we wish her every success and happiness as she begins this new chapter of her life.