Wear It Wednesday... The Look

Do you remember when you figured out which looks flattered your shape? I do... I was over 55 before I had a clue.

The magic word for me is NEUTRALS.

I love the way solid pieces in black, white, silver, dark denim, or deep red all work together. Occasional selections in fuchsia, cobalt, turquoise, or purple also complement all but the red.

Straight leg pants (not tight) and pencil skirts help me to look taller and thinner. Dressing in neutral solids allows me to put together an endless variety of looks at a moment's notice. Shoes, bags, and jewelry make each combination unique.

Jackets, sweaters, and tunics that fall below my natural waist and serve me well without many details. Showing a little skin helps too. A V neckline, ankle baring pants, and three-quarter length sleeves all help draw attention away from my nonexistent apple-shaped waistline. (I still cringe at those times that I wanted to be at the height of fashion and wore a jumpsuit a couple of times in my twenties. Youth is wasted on the young!)

I strongly recommend this little exercise: When you determine your body shape, find a famous person with the same shape who dresses in a style you admire. Study their way of dressing in a variety of situations. Do a Google search of images of that person and look at them for a few minutes each day until it becomes second nature for you to put together similar looks. We tend to emulate the dressing style we see around us just as we pick up the same speaking manner. This is a way to choose your influences.

Soon you will be able to walk into your closet and put together a look for any event in just a few minutes. You will already have a mental picture of a variety of looks that you feel comfortable in. The same success will come when you walk up to a rack of clothes in a store. You will always recognize what part of your winning combination is.

Mastering this tip will save you time and money. You won't need that many clothes because everything you own can be worn in different combinations almost all year long.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

When the sky is so blue, it seems there will never be another cloud, we love to go for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Driving on the Parkway also means we will be close to Blowing Rock and the Tanger Outlet which Mr. Mickey is always happy to stop at so that I can check out the Chico's and Coach stores. The food court is midway between the two stores. I bought the handbag at the Coach outlet last year.

Fair is fair. We stop at Chico's for me, and we stop at Kilwin's Ice Cream for Mr. Mickey.

The line was out the door and down the street!

At last, we are close enough to read the flavor selections! Butter pecan is Mr. Mickey's most favorite. I usually go for something chocolate.

The park across the street is a great place to sit and watch people while you eat your ice cream.

The breathtaking mountain ranges can never be captured in a photo. You must go there and drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few miles on a clear day so that you can drink in this awe-inspiring view for yourself.

The navy lightweight jacket is old. The white tank and pants are by Peck and Peck from Stein Mart. The shoes are by Kenneth Cole Reaction, as are the sunglasses, both from T.J.Maxx. The necklace and cuff are old from Chico's.

New Boyfriends ... Jeans

Wearing red, white, and blue on the 4th of July can seem like a costume. Throwing caution to the wind. I did it anyway!

Today we visited Founder's Park in Johnson City. The project is part of the renaissance of old downtown, which is just beginning. It's a fascinating time as galleries, shops, cafés, and loft living are all planned for wonderful old brick buildings dating from the 1920s.

Johnson City has long been known as a sleepy little railroad town, but that image is slowly changing as crumbling old warehouses are being torn down to be replaced by biking trails, parks, and public art installations.

One of the many art installations is this playful granite gator about to take a bite out of my leg. It is by Craig Berube-Gray from Key West, Florida.

The park is built around the natural flow of Brush Creek, which passes through the town. During times of heavy rain, the creek will now have plenty of space to expand.

On beautiful sunny days like today, families now have a lovely downtown green space to sit on a bench, go for a walk or play by the creek.

Today I am wearing those new boyfriend style KUT from the Kloth jeans I told you about last week. They are from Dillard's, but several department stores also carry them.

The blue and white striped top is from Chico's, as is the red long sleeve top tied around my shoulders. The shoes are Anne Klein Sport via T.J.Maxx.

Not Your Daughter's Jeans

This is the only pair of NYDJ I own.

The jeans fit, so I bought them since I have never owned a size 2 pair of jeans in my life. That is NOT a good reason to buy an expensive pair of jeans. I rarely wear them because they are a light wash, but they are very comfortable.

When not wearing a necklace, I sometimes wear several similar bracelets with a large face watch. That's my favorite ring, which was a gift from Mr. Mickey. The watch is from Stein Mart. The bracelets are all old.

The Jessica Simpson sandals are from T.J.Maxx.

I bought the two-piece top from Coldwater Creek a couple of years ago.

Wear It Wednesday ... Hair

After many not so great hairstyle choices, I now have a keeper.

This cut is softly layered around my face with long bangs. I normally tuck most of the sides behind my ears.

I stopped coloring my hair when I turned fifty. I have never missed all those coloring appointments at more than $100 a pop, and I really hated the look of visible roots after such a short period of time. The softness of the natural silver-gray complements my own softer coloring much more than ever applied to my hair.

I use the Jhirmak Silver Plus shampoo at least once a week to keep it from turning dull and yellowish. On a couple of days, I skip the shampoo and just use conditioner. (These photos were taken on one of those days.) My hair and skin are much drier than when I was younger. I have tried a "zillion" shampoos and conditioners at all price points, but Suave is the only one I have found that my scalp doesn't react negatively to.

My hair is wavy by nature, but I blow dry it using a round brush to smooth it into the style you see above. The silver brush is used when not drying my hair, but I rarely think about it for the rest of the day. I don't even carry a brush in my bag.

The red arrow is pointing to the mystery button on many hair dryers. I didn't know until a few years ago what it was for. Turn down the heat to warm and hold the button down to blow cool air to close the cuticles of your hair. It also removes all the heat held in your hair so that you aren't perspiring while putting on your makeup.

Here's the rest of the look for Wear It Wednesday!

The cascading vest is from Covered Perfectly. The white tee and black Capris are from Chico's last year. The black platform sandals are from Kohl's a few years ago.