From The Knees Down

Do you know what styles of pants look best on your frame? I once wore whatever was current, not giving it much thought. I know now why certain styles look better and feel more comfortable on my body. 

Since starting this blog five years ago, I have done lots of research and had thousands of pictures taken. All that has taught me many things, which allows me to share helpful tips and suggestions rather than just publishing pictures of my outfits.

The Anne Klein white jeans above and the BCBG bag are old from T.J.Maxx. The top is the Simple Comfort from Covered Perfectly. The flat sandals by Nine West are from last year. The belt is old from Chico's. 

These jeans continue down to the top of the shoes without bunching. I prefer to give an illusion of a waistline with a hook belt worn low since I have a high thick waistline. You can see from the picture below that I always need to wear a low-slung belt with a slim-fitting tunic.

If you are like me, you want to know why something works for you, not just what pieces to wear. I often see something cute on a model, but when I try it on, it looks nothing like that on me. The proper fit and proportions can help us look our best in the clothes we are wearing, which makes me feel more confident.

Many of you have commented that you can not wear heels anymore. If you wear flats with cropped pants and, like me, have short, thick calves, your legs will look much shorter, and you will look much wider. To counter this visual effect, I wear slim-fitting straight leg long pants with flat sandals. If I wear ankle pants or any other style that ends higher on the leg, I will wear a nude higher heel or wedge heel shoe, which visually lengthens my leg.

The tunic above is the Simple V from Covered Perfectly. The bag is by Calvin Klein, and the shoes are by Nine West, both from T.J.Maxx. I no longer have those jeans.

Think about continuing the color or tone in one unbroken line. Even though I got the one tone rule down, I did not get the fit right in the picture above. The boot cut pants were not a good combination because they bunched over the shoes. I need to wear this type of shoe with ankle pants that stop about an inch above the shoe's top.

You have likely seen many young women wearing the style of black shoes above with a dress. Unless your legs are very long and thin from the knees to the ankles, you run the risk of appearing to have short fat legs when you break up the line of your legs, as I did with the look above. 

I thought I had rolled up that skirt to show enough of my leg, but alas, I had not. To give my legs the right proportion with these shoes in a dress, I need to wear a mini skirt. (Not happening!) 

This would have been a much better look if I had stayed with my long, lean, slim leg black pants, which stop just above the top of my shoes.

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.

High Versus Low Contrast

Do you enjoy wearing black with pure white? Maybe that seems like way too much contrast for you.

Imagine a woman with high contrast in her own coloring, for example, a woman with pale porcelain skin and dark hair and eyes. She has a natural stark contrast within her own coloring, so she can easily carry off high contrast looks such as the combination of stark white with pure black.

Alternatively, the woman with soft gray hair, pale skin, and blue eyes might find various gray shades a better level of contrast for her color choices.

Each person will have their own set of color tones that are best for them. For example, your best red will be the same tone of red found on the inside of your bottom lip.

Look into the irises of your eyes. Do you see any gold there at all? If not, perhaps silver is your best metal color.

If you enjoy wearing black and white, your personal contrast level is likely high. If you are more comfortable in the gray and white combination, your personal contrast level is likely on the lower scale.

Learning what colors and intensity of colors work best for you is a large part of creating a successful wardrobe. There is no magic formula that works for everyone, and I don't claim to be a style expert, but I hope that what I share helps you think more about the details and identify what works best for you.

Wearing Long Tunics

There is always a trick to wearing trends and making them work for your body type.

I love wearing white pants since I do not wear shorts or skirts. That being said, not any old pair of white pants will always work. I have several lengths and fits of white pants, and each serves a purpose.

Nothing makes me feel more feminine and well put together in summer than a long flowing tunic in a vivid color such as red, turquoise, fuchsia, cobalt blue, black, or white. Add the punch of a few pieces of bold jewelry, and I am ready for any event.

The trick to not being overwhelmed by a long tunic is to wear slim fitting jeggings or cropped pants that are not too short. They should stop at the narrow part of your calves. A nude shoe with a bit of wedge or heel always helps to balance out the longer top.

The top is from Chico's. The pants are from Ann Taylor.  The shoes are by Nine West. The earrings are from Stein Mart.

Balance and proportion are always key when putting together a look. If you are petite (5' 4" or under) and want to wear a tunic, it should not be longer than your fingertips while your arms are straight at your sides. A little shorter will likely be even better. Never wear wide-leg pants with a tunic.

Pop of Red

We had to run a few errands on this cold and windy Valentine's Day, so I added a red scarf to celebrate.

The black Geiger coat looks great belted with a wide braided black leather Michael Kors belt. It was so much warmer worn this way with a slimmer silhouette.

I bought the felted wool hat in cream color from the artist who made it while shopping in Asheville a few years ago. I love that the brim can easily be formed into various shapes, and it can be folded to pack.

The boots are old by Vince Camuto via Nordstrom.

The boyfriend jeans and a red long sleeve tee underneath the coat are from Chico's.

How do you stay slim?

I get this question or one very much like it every day. I realize that many people honestly do not know what to eat from these exchanges.

In the spring of 2010, I was about forty pounds overweight. It was a few hours before the stiffness left my joints after getting up in the morning. I did not sleep well, and I often had migraines and sinus infections. I had to take several expensive medications and was facing the possibility of three scary surgeries. I did not wear heels anymore because my feet hurt all the time.

06-24-10

01-25-15

Now when I get up in the morning, there is no pain. I am ready to move well immediately. I am rarely sick, but I did get the flu this past winter. Other than that, I haven't even had a cold in years. I no longer take any medications or have migraines or sinus problems.

The only difference is that I changed my choice of food. I eat various vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, and fruit. I do not eat meat or processed foods. I avoid all processed vegetable seed oils, cheese, and all dairy. Instead, I drink water with lemon, hot tea (with no sugar), and an occasional glass of wine.

The weight came off in about six months. Then, of course, I go for a long brisk walk when the weather is nice.

My inspiration for eating this way came from reading the book "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, which helped me learn what foods to eat and why. It isn't a diet. It is the way I choose to eat for the rest of my life because I really enjoy sleeping well, feeling great every day, and having lots of energy. Wearing size 4 jeans is just a bonus. 

               

Options

Sunday was a great day to enjoy brunch at the club and then take an afternoon nap in front of the fire.

The necklace, straight leg black pants, and the gray bling sleeve cardigan are from Chico's. The black Portifino blouse is from Express.

The black pumps are old from BCBGeneration.

For those of you who only wear flats, I am showing you flat shoe options today. These flats are by Halogen from Nordstrom.

I rarely ever wear flat shoes. The few pairs that I own have a pointed toe and usually have details over the foot's top. I look for shoes that have slim lines that do not add bulk to the foot.

My later in the day look was just right for being lazy in front of the fire. This fabulously comfortable tunic is from Covered Perfectly.

If I wore this look for the whole day, I would add a black jacket or cardigan and these Franco Sarto boots from T.J.Maxx.

Saturday Afternoon

Readers often ask me what I wear on a casual day when I am just staying home or running out for errands.

On this windy, rainy day, I wore red slim leg pants with an animal print sheer tunic from Chico's and a nude foundation tank from Carlisle. Even though the tank is technically a foundation item, it is so pretty it can be seen peeking out from beneath a sheer blouse. The Kenneth Cole Reaction sandals in gold are from T.J.Maxx.

The old Post Office and Custom House in Bristol, Tennessee, is one of my favorite local buildings. It was constructed in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture and opened in 1901. It is now a private office belonging to friends Joe and Cindy Gregory, who began restoring it to its full glory in 1999.