My Eureka Style Moment

Last week, a reader asked if I could remember my aha or eureka moment that brought about a pivotal change in my style.

The photo below was taken before my aha moment. My style took a nosedive after I turned fifty-five and lost more than forty pounds. I had no idea how to dress anymore, and going shopping was a total nightmare. I didn't like all those bright colors and patterns, but that was what I saw on the other women in my social circle and in every store I visited. It didn't feel right for me, but I kept telling myself that's how women my age dressed, so I kept buying those pieces that weren't reflective of my personality. I wanted to dress age-appropriate without having a clear picture of what that meant.

Taken in 2013

(While this look might be OK for some women, it isn't me. My hair is too short and too fixed. I am wearing too many accessories. My pants are too short to be worn with a jacket.)

I do indeed remember my eureka moment! It was during the summer of 2014. I created a new board on Pinterest when I saw my first photos of Emmanuelle Alt and the other women who are styling editors of Vogue Paris. I was captivated! 

These women looked so effortlessly fabulous and timeless. I was inspired to study their way of dressing in solids with simple accessories and understated hair and makeup. The less is more way of putting yourself together for the day feels so right for me.

Taken in 2016

(I am wearing a Covered Perfectly Simple V Tunic with Jag Jeans above. The shoes, bag, and belt are all old.)

The very next time I shopped for shoes or clothes, it was so easy to block out the clutter of prints and bright colors. I was able to rid my closet of those patterns and bright colors and hone in on the colors and shapes that fit well with my personality.

Each time I pack for a trip or get dressed for the day, I am thankful that I found my style formula. I feel much more confident in clothes that fit not just my body but my personality as well.

I shop now to replace something that is starting to look worn, but I am so much happier with my wardrobe. Both my budget and time are more abundant, allowing me to go out and enjoy my life. That's why I share my personal style evolution. I wish you the same freedom and confidence.

Classic Elegance

When I look at old photos, I try to figure out what stands the test of time. If the picture was taken in 1958, but you don't say "ugh!" when you look at it, it might be that the woman is wearing a simple, classic style that will always look appropriate.

I gravitate to clothes that don't represent a particular era or trend. The flowing tunic from Chico's is a couple of years old, and I have worn it on many hot summer days. I always feel elegant yet comfortable.

A striped shirt with white pants has been a great summer look for decades. My white skinny jeans paired with a long flowing blue and white striped top looks current, but Jackie Kennedy might have worn a similar look while on holiday at Hyannis Port many decades ago.

Elegance is defined as being graceful and attractive in appearance or behavior. To be described as an elegant woman is indeed a compliment.

The Alberta Di Canio bag was made in Italy; I bought it last year on sale at T.J.Maxx. It is a classic style of high quality, which means I can enjoy it for many years to come. The white skinny jeans are from Ann Taylor. The sandals are a couple of years old by Jessica Simpson, and they are so comfortable I wish I had bought two pairs! The cuff and crystal hoop earrings are old as well.  The sunglasses are by Balmain via Saks Off 5th. Classics stand the test of time.

Elegant style includes knowing what is attractive to your body shape and what fits your lifestyle. I never pretend to be a style expert, but I freely share what works for me as an inspiration to discover what works well for you, your body shape, and your lifestyle.  There really isn't a one size fits all when it comes to style. Celebrate all the wonderful things that make you unique!

Easy Pieces

At the end of a twelve-hour workday, I just want to take a long bath and go to bed. On this particular evening, I had a date with my favorite gentleman, so getting dressed in five minutes was next on my busy agenda.

You rarely see me in full makeup and a well-planned look here on the blog (or in my daily life). This look is certainly no exception!

These days, I feel a strong urge to simplify and uncomplicate my life, so I have been clearing clutter from my home and closet this year. Do you do that too occasionally? It feels great to look around and see only the things that bring me joy or that I actually use.

The rings were gifts from Mr. Mickey. The earrings are from Target.

My white jacket and the belt are old from Chico's. The scoop neck black tee is from White House|Black Market. The Tribal pants were a gift from Copper Penny in Hilton Head. The bag is old from Express. The shoes are old from Vince Camuto.

Drive Your British Car Show

We recently attended the annual Drive Your British Car Show in Johnson City.

This year, Mr. Mickey drove his friend's vintage Bentley. There were many great cars there, but the show was cut short by rain this year.

I am always so happy to see my sweet friend Natalie. As the rain started to fall, we retired to the restaurant Gourmet and Company for dinner and many fun conversations.

I followed my formula for dressing on this busy day. Knowing silhouettes flatter your shape and which colors look good near your face helps you get dressed in two minutes.

A blue top and white slim-fitting jeans are an all-time favorite summer look. Nude sandals visually extend my relatively short legs. Throw on a long necklace that gives me that deep V-neckline, and I am ready for just about any event.

The perfect bra for these smooth-fitting tops is the Ultimate by Shapeez. Soma offers panties that do not show lines under your clothes.

My shoes are old by Gianni Bini via Dillard's. 

I hope that these posts give you some ideas for putting together looks that help you feel more confident and get dressed fun again.

Blush With Jeans

My favorite Bank President is retiring today.

Our dear friend, Harvey Mitchell, is retiring after 40 years of service in banking within our community.

Mr. Mickey let me know he would come by to pick me up in five minutes to attend the reception in Harvey's honor. Really?

I stopped what I was doing and put on my blush colored jacket from White House Black Market and a pair of many years old heels. Seriously, those shoes by Anne Klein are at least ten years old. 

No time to think about what you are going to wear? There is an art to being able to throw yourself together at a moment's notice. It is a skill I have learned over time. Thank goodness for Pantene dry shampoo!

The super-comfortable dark wash jeans are by Fabrizio Gianni. 

The tank top is by Clara Sunwoo (love!) from ShopMyFairLady. If you want something shown on their site and sold out, they will be happy to backorder it for you. Just email them or call the number on their website. My best friend, Mitzi, and I order from them often. They are always so accommodating. 

The vintage brooch embellished leather cuff is by Made in the Deep South, and it is from my sweet friend Myra's fabulous boutique, The Charlemont.

Bohemian

Do you play around with different styles?

We recently took Mr. Mickey's daughter out for her 50th birthday celebration dinner.

In honor of her very youthful urban fashion vibe, we decided to wear jeans and be more casual.

This burnout velvet cardigan has a distinct bohemian vibe. I found it on sale at Dillard's recently. The cuff and tank top were from Chico's. The jeans are by Jag Jeans via the Fig Leaf in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The mesh and suede trim shoes are old by Sam Edelman. The reptile embossed box bag is from S.M. Bradford Co. on Hilton Head Island.

Page 700

We spent a lovely weekend away at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.

On one of the evenings, I wore a black Clara Sunwoo tunic with Lior Paris straight-leg pants to dinner.

The Clara Sunwoo tunic has a sheer mesh panel down each sleeve.

I carried the white trench coat by Evan Picone via Stein Mart because I inevitably will be cold before the evening is over.

The suede fringe sandals are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th. The reptile texture box clutch is from S.M. Bradford on Hilton Head Island.

Mr. Mickey purchased a new friendship ring for me while we were shopping in the village.

I am always captivated by the fresh flowers and plants in the lobby of the Inn.

The blog now includes seven hundred pages. It has been a pleasure sharing with you what I have learned over the past five years.

Three In One

Sometimes when we experience three seasons in one day here in northeastern Tennessee.

On this particular morning, it was thirty-two degrees. In the afternoon, we enjoyed seventy-two degrees.

I started the morning with layers. The stretch denim jacket was sent to me by Fabrizio Gianni. I am wearing a Covered Perfectly cascading vest as a scarf. I love the flexibility of this piece! It can be worn belted, tied in many ways, left open or wrapped around your neck, and threaded through the armholes as a scarf. (The video below shows how I did this.) I have also worn this vest under a long sweater so that it looks like a scarf peeking out when I am freezing. Make sure to pack at least one of these on your next trip. You will thank me later!

My layers served me well today! I experimented with different lengths of layers and with cropped ankle pants with flats. I almost always shy away from that combination.

This week on the blog, I am breaking all my personal styling rules. Today I broke my rules of never wear cropped pants with flats and stay away from boxy jackets. Another rule is not to wear anything with a high neck. When I am cold, all bets are off! I just recently started wearing a longer top with a shorter jacket. I really like the slimming way that combo looks.

This little video shows how I made the Cascading Vest into a scarf.

Denim Jacket

If I never try anything new, you might start to yawn.

This week on the blog, I am breaking all my personal styling rules. So today, it's never close a double-breasted blazer.

This White House Black Market denim trophy jacket looked OK, even buttoned because of the closure angles and the buttons' placement. (I didn't keep it fastened all day.)

I am not a fan of denim trucker-style jackets because they just don't suit my body shape. In addition, boxy jackets are challenging to carry off when you are busty. This blazer, however, is right up my style alley. The angled lines and tailored style are flattering for my body shape.

I paired it with a slate gray tank and white So Slimming jeans from Chico's. The bag by Zac Posen and the Balmain sunglasses are both from Saks Off 5th. 

The shoes are old by Sam Edelman. Keep in mind that animal print is considered neutral. I wore these mostly tan ones with white pants. If they were primarily black with brown, I would have treated them as a dark neutral and paired them only with darker pants to extend my short legs' line.

Cold Weather Again

Relentless high winds have returned cold weather to this part of the world, so the photoshoots are back indoors.

My brief fling with spring attire is over for now. On a recent date night, I wore this look layered with a fur vest, a long-ago Christmas gift from Mr. Mickey.

The ring is fun, bling I picked up during our travels. The reptile texture box bag is from S.M. Bradford Co. on Hilton Head Island. The top is from White House Black Market at the Outlet Mall in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

The leather-trimmed blazer is old by Helmut Lang via Saks Off 5th. The pull-on dressy fabric pants are a couple of years old from Chico's. The fierce booties are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th.

I share with you where I bought the pieces I wear to formulate a plan for building your wardrobe. You can likely find similar classic pieces wherever you like to shop if you want to use my looks for inspiration. 

Think about the items in your core wardrobe as building blocks. The pieces should all come from the same tribe, meaning they can be worn interchangeably to create different looks to fit the weather and the occasion. Accessories and add-on pieces can change your look and add personality later on, but you should invest in a great core of basics to build upon first.

Many of you asked about the Chrome/Pearl Glaze yesterday. My stylist creates a combination that is the right tone for my hair. She leaves it on for only a few minutes before the shampoo. A hair glaze, similar to a gloss, is temporary. They can be clear just to add shine or have some pigment to complement the hair color tone. Unlike a gloss, a glaze does not contain peroxide or ammonia. It only coats or sits on top of the hair.

What do you order when you go out to dinner? Most of the time, I order a salad and a steamed side vegetable such as broccoli. 

When I pieced together the items I wanted from the menu on this particular night, the server must have told the chef that I needed special attention. He came out to say he would be happy to make up a special pasta dish with vegetables for me. I thanked him and welcomed the chance to try out his version of vegetarian pasta since this is a new restaurant we were trying for the first time. 

What arrived was this mess with oil, heavy cream, and cheese holding it all together with shrimp and mere traces of leeks on top. Isn't it amazing what some people think vegetarians eat? I rarely eat any pasta at all. I never choose dishes with heavy sauces or gravy, bread, or cheese toppings. 

I did eat all of the salad with no dressing, which was fresh and crisp.

Onward to the next adventure!

The Perfect Weekend!

Early on Friday morning, Mr. Mickey and I left for our special weekend to celebrate ten perfect years of dating.

I wore an easy, comfortable look for the three-plus hour drive to our destination in the mountains of Virginia. This vintage St. John Sport jacket was a gift from my dear friend Mitzi. The black ankle jeans and the silver-gray tank are old from Chico's.

The faux reptile booties by Vince Camuto and the Zac Posen bag are old from Saks Off 5th.

A few well-chosen accessories can make an otherwise plain look stand out. I recently bought this pair of Balmain sunglasses from Saks Off 5th. These sunglasses are so comfortable! There is a big difference between glasses made in France and those made elsewhere.

I found the Michael Kors watch online at Nordstrom. The rings were gifts received from Mr. Mickey over the years.

We stopped in the small town of Floyd for the first time as we traveled through Virginia. We had lunch at an excellent restaurant called Oddf3llows. They offered a great variety of fresh entrees as well as gallery walls filled with local art.

We always enjoy seeing well maintained older homes. I have great admiration for unique architecture.

If you lose a tree to age or weather, you can always carve the trunk into a sculpture!

Have you ever seen a silo (or maybe this is a watchtower) made from handmade bricks? 

The mountains of Virginia offer some spectacular views!

I will tell you more about our wonderful weekend getaway tomorrow.