White Jacket

Even on a cold winter day, a white jacket can brighten things up. I wear white all year round on dry days.

We were on our way out to lunch when Mr. Mickey snapped these photos. The sun was shining on Sunday, but our temperatures had started to drop.

The gray long sleeve tee and jeggings are old from Chico's. The vintage St. John winter white jacket was a gift from my dear friend Mitzi. St. John is known for knits, but this cotton and elastane jacket is from their Country Collection they did a few years ago.

The sunglasses, Zac Posen bag, and Calvin Klein booties are from Saks Off 5th.

The fun rhinestone mixed media bracelet is from S.M. Bradford Co. on Hilton Head Island.

Jackets are my favorite wardrobe item. They can be new, vintage, or even menswear, but they complete basic pieces beautifully. The fit is essential. If the jacket is too snug in the back of the shoulder seams drop down too far, you will need to pass on that one. The tailoring charges will likely be more than the cost of the jacket.

Double-breasted jackets are in vogue again, but if you are busty like me, you will never close them. Worn open, they look great, worn buttoned, I look like a barrel.

Running Errands

On this day, I had to go to the grocery store and run some other errands, so I wore jeans with a graphic sweater with open-toe booties and threw on a jacket. It wasn't freezing here, so this amount of layering was enough.

The ankle jeans are old from Chico's. The Nine West booties via Saks Off 5th are also from last year. The Zac Posen bag was recently purchased at Saks Off 5th.

The Geiger coat is several years old. I purchased it before I lost weight, so it is two sizes too large. The style is very versatile, and I had invested so much in it I decided to get the sleeves tailored so that the size wasn't so obvious. I was also wearing the coat three years ago here.

I often get comments about my heels and requests to style looks with flats. I have purchased a few flats and will be showing them as options on future blog posts. My posts are not created to show staged outfit ideas. I share what I actually wear with you, and I rarely wear flat shoes.

A Luxury Resort

We took a lovely drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains to spend the day at Primland.

I wore a leather-trimmed black jacket by Helmut Lang via Saks Off 5th. The silver tank is by Erin London via the Marble Lion at the Inn at Biltmore. The pants are Travelers from Chico's. The black suede pumps and the reptile clutch are from Saks Off 5th.

We have been planning to visit this resort for a long while so we decided to drive there, have a late lunch, and take a tour.

The views from every angle include mountain ranges which seem to go on forever.

We saw no bears today but wouldn't that be a thrill to have to wait for one or two to cross the road?

The approach to the Lodge.

The two-story wine "cellar" is located in the main lobby.

Photo from the Primland Website

Photo from the Primland Website

Photo from the Primland Website

Photo from the Primland Website

I am looking forward to spending some time in the observatory. Since the location is so remote there is no light pollution from towns, allowing for an unobstructed view of the night sky.

The views from the library are awe-inspiring! 

We enjoyed our visit immensely!

Leaving the resort, we saw this majestic fellow grazing beside the road. He didn't seem to mind that we stopped to take his photo.

Wild turkeys foraging for food and one of the many stone bridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A wall of ice at twilight along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The perfect ending to a perfect day!

Polo Ralph Lauren Jacket

When something speaks to me as forcefully as this jacket did, I can not pass it by.

I was browsing through Ralph Lauren's offerings on the Dillard's website when I saw this classic military-inspired jacket. The burnished brass buttons and faded gold braids are in perfect harmony with the washed twill, slightly faded fabric. If the trim and buttons were bright gold, I would not have been drawn to it at all. Ralph Lauren has always been the master of details.

I will wear this jacket many times! It also looks great with white, black, caper green, or even khaki jeans. For the first time, I wore it out to lunch with Mr. Mickey on Friday with straight leg ankle jeans from Chico's last year.

The tee is the white Simple Comfort from Covered Perfectly.

The shoes are a couple of years old by BCBG via Ross. The brown leather Calvin Klein belt is old from T.J.Maxx.

The bag is by Zac Posen via Saks Off 5th.

Always A Leather Jacket

When in doubt. Wear a (faux) leather jacket.

I bought this glittery tank and leggings at my friend's boutique, The Charlemont. The leggings are not those thin little nothing leggings that are more like tights; these have good control, a wide waistband, and are made from a dense fabric that is not shiny or see-through.

The suede pumps are old from Saks Off 5th. The faux leather jacket is one that I got at Stein Mart last year. The clutch is from S.M. Bradford Co. Hilton Head Island. I wore crystal earrings and a couple of crystal rings to complete the look.

You need not spend a lot of money buying something for a special event you may never wear again. If you have a good selection of basics, you can get dressed for any event that comes your way.

Accessories and attitude make all the difference!

Happy New Year!

Ralph Lauren Jacket

I recently invested in three Ralph Lauren Jackets at Dillard's. I wore one of them on Wednesday for our date night.

The classic herringbone pattern nods to menswear. The silver sweater is from Chico's earlier this year. The Versace scarf is from Saks Off 5th. The Ralph Lauren bag is from T.J.Maxx.

The French Connection booties are from Saks Off 5th. (I hate socks!) The awesome black jeans are by French Dressing Jeans.

I visited my stylist on this day. It is wonderful to trust someone so much that I can sit down in her chair and relax with a glass of wine and say, "Do what needs to be done." I also shopped a bit while I was there. I will show you what I bought later. The Charlemont salon and boutique are located in a 100-year-old home in Kingsport, TN. Brilliant!

Do you play with pattern mixing? Keeping the colors similar and the patterns small helps to keep the look from being too jarring.

I was a tomboy growing up on a farm, so I have always been drawn to classic menswear blazers. That may be part of the appeal of Ralph Lauren pieces. He takes a menswear-influenced jacket and makes it feminine and timeless.

Mr. Mickey showed up in the perfect color-coordinated look. We did not plan this!

We wish you a safe and happy New Year's celebration!