Black Olive and Caper

I have always loved the color olive or caper as neutrals on other people. When I wear that color near my face, I look ill.

These comfortable soft, casual pants are by Fabrizio Gianni. This caper color is as close as I get to khaki because that is another color I cannot wear well. Since I have a cool skin tone, I try never to wear warm or golden undertones near my face. If you know the colors that work well with your skin tone, you will find it so much easier to put together a flattering wardrobe. The colors and tones will look good on you, but they will also work together well.

It took me about three minutes to get dressed. I was on my way to the bank and my office to sign checks on Friday. Even though this is an easy casual look, I was appropriately dressed for all the stops I had to make and even to join a friend for lunch later.

That is why I share these tips and inspiration photos with you. I want you to have the same confidence and ease of getting dressed each day.

One way to determine which tones of color would look best on you is to study your veins. If the veins on the inside of your wrist look green, you have warm golden undertones. If your veins look blue, you have a cool skin tone. If the veins look neither blue nor green, you are a lucky neutral who can wear almost any color.

My sandals were by Vince Camuto from Belk last year.

Tiny Space Packing

When my partner in fun (Mr. Mickey) says, "We are going away for the weekend in the Roadster," the challenge begins.

The first order of business is to check the weather for Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and then choose the weekend colors. They must interchange and look great on their own for any occasion. Black and white, with silver-gray, always seem to work well for me.

For our first weekend trip of the year to Blowing Rock, I wore coated black jeans from Chico's, a surplice wrap style black and white top, and a white cropped moto-style jacket both from White House Black Market. I would only wear this cropped jacket layered over a long, lean top such as this one. The reason is that I have no backside (no "junk in my trunk" at all), and I do not wish to show off that fact.

Since there was no room in the car for more shoes, I wore these booties, which are old from Nine West via Saks Off 5th. The sunglasses are old by Michael Kors. The small bag is old from Express.

My all-time favorite place to shop in Blowing Rock is Finley House Couture.

They offer a fantastic collection of beautiful jewelry. The earrings shown below were my Easter gift from Mr. Mickey.

Finley House Couture is also known for its fabulous collection of handbags and totes.

Below, I am surrounded by bright summery prints from their collection of beautiful clothing.

If you enjoy shopping in elegant surroundings with the best of service, you will love Finley House Couture as much as I do.

Mr. Mickey and Mr. Mark always have so much fun visiting and laughing together.

On to the next shop!

I discovered a great new line of jeans/leggings called Jag Jeans at The Fig Leaf. They are styled just like a pair of jeans, but instead of that big button, zipper, loop combination that shows under every single top I wear, there is a smooth wide band. I nearly squealed with delight when I tried on these jeans!

Mr. Mickey is keeping watch over my stash as I shop for more treasures.

When we were exhausted from all of my shopping, we checked in to the luxurious Westglow Resort and Spa. The mansion was constructed in 1917 and was originally the summer home of famed artist and writer Elliott Daingerfield. 

Our view from the Portico Suite balcony.

Rose petals on the bed, along with a personal note from the manager.

The gorgeous light fixture in the suite above.

On the second day, my look to wear for dinner included a silver/gray sweater and pull on more dressy pants; both are old from Chico's. The Evan-Picone white trench coat is old from Stein Mart.

The living room of the mansion is enormous but so warm and welcoming.

The grand staircase, as seen from the entry.

The view of the sun setting from the Portico.

We shared a beautiful chocolate dessert after dinner.

I am sitting in front of the fire after a brief walk after dinner.

The view was very different on Sunday morning!

As we departed the next morning, the mountain wore a thick shroud of fog, and there was a light rain falling. The bellman loaded everything back into the snazzy car that looks like it is going fast even when parked.

Men will also suffer a little for fashion. This car looks great, but it is difficult to get in and out of, and there is no room for luggage. On the plus side, if the weather had been a little nicer, we would have put the top down to enjoy the warmth of the sun. We will look forward to that next time.

Special Occasions

What do you wear to a wedding, cocktail party, or gallery opening?

My all-time favorite pieces for evening or special occasion, come from a few select lines, all of which are available from ShopMyFairLady.

This fabulous silver and white IC Collection jacket and black Mesmerize ankle pants work together perfectly for almost any special event. The ankle pants I am wearing are from last year, the styles they have now appear to be longer. I am also wearing a black Clara Sunwoo tank under the jacket. All these items are made in the USA and available online at ShopMyFairLady.

IC Collection is famous for its decorative button closures. The fabrics and tailoring details are always elegant and flattering on this almost sixty-year-old body. You can rest assured; I will never show up for a special event in a strappy little cocktail dress. I must dress for my personality as well as the occasion and the weather. I would be too mortified to even walk across the room in a strappy cocktail dress. I much prefer more covered attire for special occasions, well actually any occasion.

My accessories for this evening included a simple matte silver box clutch from T.J.Maxx.

My jewelry included small rhinestone earrings, a chunky bright silver link bracelet, and a fun bling ring from Stein Mart. All jewelry is several years old.

The fringe trim suede sandals are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th.

Mr. Mickey picked me up right on time for our Friday night date. After snapping a few photos for you, we were off to one of our favorite elegant bar areas located within Wellington's restaurant at the Carnegie Hotel here in Johnson City. We love to sit by the fireplace to relax and chat for a while.

We take every opportunity to get dressed up and enjoy an evening together. When the waiter brought our glasses of champagne, he asked what we were celebrating. We answered, "It's Friday!"

Black and White for Spring

A classic spring color combination is black and white.

It all started with the shoes I wanted to wear for the first time. My goal was to put together a look that worked with my body proportions and complemented their edgy style.

The Vince Camuto shoes had me at hello. The stud details are gold, so for this look, I wanted to complement that detail but not compete with it in my choices for other items. I decided on this old jacket with cream faux leather trim and fun gold zipper details. I found the jacket on the sale rack at Stein Mart last year. The pull-on slim-fitting dressy pants are old from Chico's, as is the tank.

The long tank with sheer details at the neckline and the hem allow the waistline to disappear beneath the jacket—the wide waistband pants with no other details allowed for a smooth foundation to build upon. The faux leather trim and zippers' placement and angles on the jacket are very feminine and figure-flattering.

I wore this look to dinner with friends on Wednesday date night. The evening temperatures are still a bit cool here, allowing me to wear a third piece. 

As the weather heats up during the summer, I will show you how I use sheer details in jackets and cardigans to add my much loved third piece without overheating.

I kept my accessories very minimal with sunglasses and two bold blingy rings. A bag didn't work with this, so Mr. Mickey was the lip color keeper for the evening.

I am often asked how I decide which accessories to add to the look. Accessories are like makeup; they should accentuate, not camouflage. With this in mind, I look at the outfit's style and accessories; they should all come from the same tribe. Think about a linen tunic over a pair of jeans with sandals. A bold, earthy necklace would work well to fill in the neckline, whereas a gold and pearl choker might not relate to the material or the attitude of the look nearly as well.