Relaxing At Home

If you stop by to visit me on any cold-weather Sunday afternoon, you will find me reading by the fire.

Currently, I am reading four books, which means there are books, stacks of magazines, and readers to be found beside every comfortable chair.

"Thank Me" frame style is shown here.

Mr. Mickey asked me to go with him to pick out his new glasses last week. It has been several years since I have bought prescription glasses because readers are all I need to wear. I didn't realize how expensive prescription eyeglasses have gotten. Wow! I could have eleven pairs of stylish readers for that price.

Bob Frapples is this frame style.

Eye-bobs is an excellent line of stylish, high-quality readers. They are very comfortable, and they arrive in a nice protective case and with a glass cleaning cloth. They recently sent me these two styles to try, and I like them very much. They are lightweight and very comfortable to wear. I love the larger lenses! All the types offered on their website are very modern looking.

Bob Frapples is the name of the frame below, and I chose the navy front with blue denim trim. 

This is the Bob Frapples frame style.

Thank Me is the name of the style shown below. I chose the black front with matte gunmetal trim.

This is the Thank Me frame style.

I always look for glasses with a square shape to flatter my roundish face.

The question, "What do you wear at home when you aren't going somewhere special?" is one that I often get. When I have a few hours to myself during those rare times, I put on something soft and comfortable and curl up with a book. Since early childhood, I have been an avid reader. 

The old cashmere cardigan I am wearing here is my all-time favorite from J.Jill. 

The slip-on style shoes are old by Sperry.

These soft crepe pull-on pants and the relaxed tee are both by Fabrizio Gianni. If you love fabulous basics that can be worn dressed up or down and worn for almost any occasion, these pieces are well worth the investment. The Fabrizio Gianni items are all made in the USA.

You will see these black pants on me often! Made from a luxurious stretch crepe, these pants can easily be dressed up or down. (As you will see in another post coming soon.) Mr. Mickey snapped these photos as we were relaxing before a long drive across the mountains for a special dinner date.

For those of you who asked. My hair is still silver/gray. Some lighting makes it look otherwise.

I mostly read to learn more about something that interests me. These are the four books I am reading right now.

Building Blocks

Have you ever thought of the pieces in your wardrobe as architectural building blocks?

Do most of those blocks work together to create a cohesive look, or are they scattered bits of unrelated pieces with little in common? Think of a building designed and built using classic lines and details that relate to each other and include balanced proportions. The elements of a building that complement each other combine to create a whole that is pleasing to the eye.

This look serves me well throughout most of the warm weather months. I enjoy wearing flowing tunics with interesting hemlines and three-quarter length sleeves. These tops work well with most of my straight leg pull-on jeans. I look for pants with a smooth wide waistband so that lumps and bumps from regular jean style pants don't show through the fabric of the tunic. The long, lean line created by the straight legs balances the fullness of the tunics.

Add a bold necklace or a stack of related but different bracelets and some eye-candy shoes, and I am ready to go anywhere.

Notice the details. I have created a bookend effect by repeating the turquoise blue in the necklace with the same shoes. A bookend effect can also mean matching your hair color with your shoe color. Bookending means that you are beginning and ending your look with a similar color or tone within a color.

The gold reptile effect on the heels relates back to the straw clutch's gold bamboo effects and the gold details in the necklace.

The Vince Camuto shoes are old from Ross. The Lily Pulitzer clutch is old from Finely House Couture.

Combining various hues within a color can create a very soothing effect. For example, tan, paprika, and ivory are all in the brown family, and they look rich and elegant when worn together.

You can always combine the hues of a color combination with one of your neutrals. For example, my cool skin tone base neutrals include black and white. Your warm skin tone base neutrals might be brown and ivory.

The navy blue Clara Sunwoo top was sent to me by ShopMyFairLady.

Note the odd closure of the necklace visible in this photo. I tied the too long necklace strands in a loose knot and then closed it. It hangs too long, resting between the girls in a most unattractive way. We busty gals must be careful with necklaces and bags that are worn across or between the breasts. Unfortunate choices can share way too much information. I prefer not to draw even more attention to that area.

Walk on Wide Side

I hope you have enjoyed my experiment with breaking my personal style rules this week.

Certain lines and silhouettes look better on each body type. That doesn't mean you have to wear the same thing every day, but it is nice to know why some combinations look great on your body and others, not so much.

I rarely wear wide-leg pants because they turn me into a huge rectangle. I need the slimmer silhouette of straight leg, more narrow fitting pants, but I couldn't resist this unique style by Clara Sunwoo. These pants are made from the same very comfortable soft, flattering knit as the tunics you see me wear so often in warm weather.

This is the look I wore to brunch on Sunday at the Grove Park Inn. I attempted to make my top half look as neat and compact as possible to balance with the fullness of this fuller flowing pant style.

Photo from the Clara Sunwoo website.

There is a little tie wrap detail across the front so that you don't even realize they are pants until I walk or see me from the back. NOTE: If you order these pants, please size down. They do run large. I am wearing an extra small.

I wore them with my shortest tightest fitting white jacket over a slim fitting Chico's white tank top fully tucked in to balance the fullness. The white biker style jacket is from White House Black Market.

A key styling trick to remember is to balance the proportions of the top with the bottom. Two long flowing items worn together are rarely flattering on me. I find the looks that combine a narrow item with a wider item to be the most successful.

I want to share a safety note about wide-leg pants and long skirts. Stiletto heels are NOT a good idea with these items! The heels might get tangled in the fabric as you attempt to gracefully glide down the stairs. (Hmmm, could this be the voice of experience?) It is much safer and more balanced to wear these longer, fuller shapes with flats, platforms, or block heel shoes. 

This is the perfect pant silhouette for the pear-shaped body because it flows across your bottom half while bringing attention to your slimmer upper body.

Those cute little black and white flats I didn't know for sure that I would ever wear got a lot of "airtime" this week. They are by Circa Joan & David from Saks Off 5th. The gunmetal box clutch is old from T.J.Maxx.

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.

Very Casual

Relaxing at home, watching kids play sports, or going to the Farmer's Market are times that call for comfortable casual clothes.

This week on the blog, I am breaking all my styling rules. Today it's no straight horizontal lines at the neckline. I am also visually cutting my body in half instead of dividing it into thirds. The horizontal line at the center of my body visually breaks me in half.  I would have looked even shorter and wider if the shoes were darker and the bag was carried under my arm like a shoulder bag. Since I have broad shoulders and an ample bust, I try not to add more width there visually with horizontal lines.

A woman with a long thin face, smaller shoulders, and a smaller bust looks great in a boatneck. This one is a gorgeous dark navy; it is the only reason I can carry it off.

I channeled Jackie O on her Isle of Capri visits when I put together this look. Large Kenneth Cole sunglasses and the straw tote are both old from T.J. Maxx. Also, note that my glasses are square to offset my roundish face, and Jackie often wore round ones for her square-shaped face.

When choosing an icon to emulate, it helps to pick one with a shape and a style of dressing that is close to your own. I have always admired Jackie's classic style, but her boyish figure was very different than mine. While the overall style is clean, classic, and timeless, her exact looks make me appear to be shorter and rounder. I have to make a few adjustments to flatter my shorter and more busty figure.

The top, the pants, and the shoes were all sent to me by J.Jill.

I adore these comfortable pull-on pants from J.Jill. They are perfect for my morning walks around the neighborhood and working at home in my office. I own several pairs of them. This top is made from a sturdy Pima cotton knit that is extra soft and comfortable without showing every roll and dimple. These Superga® classic sneakers feel even better than going barefoot! 

I have been a loyal fan of J.Jill as a source for elegant yet comfortable classic looks for more than fifteen years.

Breaking Rules

Do you have personal rules for dressing that you don't even think of breaking?

I thought it might be a fun exercise to break all my own styling rules in this week's blog posts.

I haven't worn shorts in about twenty years. They don't fit into my lifestyle, and I feel very self-conscious about my left leg's technicolor veins. For the same reason, I rarely wear dresses.

These Bermuda length polka dot pull-on shorts by Tribal Sportswear are so cute that I decided to try them. These items were sent to me by a site that has since closed down. 

The shorts are nicely tailored with comfortable slits at the sides, and they end at my best skirt length, which all work well for me. When the occasion calls for something more sporty or casual, this look will serve me well while maintaining my personal style.

Above, I paired the look with a black vest sent to me by Fabrizio Gianni, but the more casual look without the vest is another option.

Flats are another wardrobe item I rarely wear. I do not find flats comfortable most of the time. When I purchase them when they would be more appropriate for the look or the event, I search for a foot flattering slim style that shows the top of the foot and pointed toes.

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!

I Traded Old for Bold!

Did you go boldly into middle age without skipping a beat? Not I!

Most of these photos were taken yesterday as I carried out my usual Friday responsibilities. I had no meetings or appointments, so I could throw on a pair of jeans and a tank with a black linen biker jacket and a pair of sandals.

Personal style is the interpretation of a suggestion.

And then there is this.

The photo above was taken in 2010, shortly before I turned fifty-four. I weighed about forty-five pounds more than I do now. I was very sick and suffering from deep depression. I was still traumatized that I had turned fifty a few years before and couldn't figure out how to dress for this new phase of life. I thought I had to follow a new set of rules and wear different clothes as I aged. That depressed me even more! I wanted to dress age-appropriate, but I knew no guidebook for that.

I also wrongly believed that gaining weight was part of the aging journey. The aches, pains, health problems, and a weak immune system that came along with the weight gain were also attributed to the process of aging.

I gave away all my jeans and high heels in my late forties because I thought I needed to dress for this new stage of life in a different way or risk looking foolish.

I remember standing in a shoe store looking at a fierce pair of strappy high-heeled sandals and wanting with all my heart just to wear those shoes one more time. An evil little, wretched voice in my head whispered, "You are too old for those."

I realize today that depression and weight gain were part of a grieving process. I was mourning the loss of the person I wanted to continue being.

I will turn sixty in a few months, but I am not depressed about that milestone. The difference is my attitude mixed with a bit of wisdom. I know now that I can keep my lifelong personal style with a few tweaks.

I am wearing an old black linen biker-style jacket from Express. The Erin London silver-gray tank top is from the Marble Lion boutique located in the Inn at Biltmore Estate. The jeggings are from Chico's last year.

The bag is by Zac Posen via Saks Off 5th. The shoes are by Sam Edelman via Nordstrom a couple of years ago.

I went to see my friend and stylist this week. She gave me a fresh chrome mixed with pearl glaze and a trim. I am good to go for another five weeks.

Rock on, sisters! We've got this!

Blue And White On Date Night

White pants are a wardrobe staple for me. I wear them all year round.

In the winter, I wear white denim jeans often on sunny days. When the weather finally warms up, I start looking for lighter weight fabrics in classic styling to wear with great looking jackets and tunics. I normally buy a size larger in white pants than in darker colors unless the sizes run large.

I am wearing a pair of ankle pants sent to me by Purple Poppy by Renuar. They have the slimming wide waistband shown below that I appreciate so much. When I wear a sleek tunic or tank, I never want closures and loops, creating lumps and bumps under the fabric. Masculine style pants are never flattering on me. 

Always check to make sure you can not see through the fabric, and always wear nude color undies with white because white undies will still show through. This link is to a Spanx foundation garment from Macy's that I often wear under sleek fitting tanks and tunics. It isn't heavy-duty, but it does give you a nice smooth line around your tummy area.

The swing jacket is from IC Collection. I bought this one at ShopMyFairLady. The tank top is from Chico's. I buy these in several different colors because I never know when to complement whatever I am wearing. A styling tip; when jackets converge to create an unflattering neckline, I leave them open to create a long, lean line instead. A lower neckline is always more flattering for my face shape.

The shoes are old by Thalia and Sodi via Macy's last year. The box clutch bag is old from T.J.Maxx.

Mr. Mickey and I love to visit Gourmet and Company to sit in the lounge area or on the warm weather patio. The elegant and comfortable, quiet atmosphere is the perfect place to relax and visit with friends even if you aren't having dinner there.