The Covered Perfectly Photo Shoot Week

Being a model for Covered Perfectly is such an honor.

I recently traveled to Los Angeles for the fall photo shoot. I always try to take the minimum amount of basic clothing pieces to mix and match looks without having to take a large bag to have to check and possibly lose.

I spent almost the whole week in L.A., so I got to meet the beautiful Susan Blakey from the blog Femme d’un Certain Age while I was there.

We enjoyed a fabulous lunch at Ca Del Sole in Toluca Lake. 

The photoshoot was on Friday, which means I got to have my makeup done by the extremely talented Lex Mejia.

My sweet friend Pauline Durban owns Covered Perfectly in the royal blue Boatneck, and Mary Ann Simonetti is in the black and malt Color Block top. Mary Ann was the winner of the contest sponsored by Covered Perfectly. The winner got to spend the day with us at the Covered Perfectly photoshoot, have her makeup professionally done, take home the top of her choice, and have a page on the Covered Perfectly website dedicated to her. Isn't that a great contest? I enjoyed meeting Mary Ann so much. I hope we can get together again in the future.

I love being with this hard-working group of women. Everyone is so professional and kind. It is a special sisterhood that I feel very honored to be included in.

I am wearing a cute Piping design. Kristen, Pauline's assistant, is looking at the computer screen, checking the pictures as Nichole, the photographer, is taking them. Pauline is making sure that the top hangs perfectly.

After the busy week of working hard to prepare for and completing the photo shoot, it was time for a day of sight-seeing and rest. Pauline was such a great tour guide and hostess!

Above is the boardwalk at Venice Beach, and below is the entry to the Santa Monica Pier.

Rodeo Drive!

Beverly Hills!

The L.A. skyline from Mulholland Drive.

A Break

I will be in Los Angeles for a while, so I will leave you with this casual look.

A lightweight chambray shirt with slim-fitting white jeans is a timeless look that works for me on almost any casual day.

I paired this Chico's chambray shirt with white J.Jill ankle jeans and Rampage tan platform sandals from Belk. The darker brown belt is from Calvin Klein. Large silver hoop earrings, a silver statement ring with a blue tourmaline stone, and a silver and gold coin charm bracelet complete the look.

Have a wonderful week!

Shake Rattle and Roll

Whenever we are in Abingdon, VA, Foxglove Antiques is one of the first places I visit.

There are so many items here for the home and garden that make my heart sing.

I am visiting with Karen McClanahan, the beautiful owner of the shop. I only purchased a couple of books today. After downsizing a few years ago, I now have to curtail my purchases. Otherwise, I would have needed a truck today.

As Karen and I were chatting, another store owner popped in, and the conversation turned to shoes.

All of the items offered at Foxglove Antiques are top-notch and include many periods and styles. It is such a pleasure to see all of the elegant pieces. 

My look today includes a silver necklace and a long cardigan in silver and white from Chico's. The jeggings are from Ann Taylor. The tank is by Peck & Peck from Stein Mart. The bag is from Express. The sandals are by BCBG from Macy's. The sunglasses are by Tommy Hilfiger from T.J.Maxx.

We were in Abingdon to attend "Shake Rattle and Roll" at the Barter Theatre. This show is a fabulous tribute to Elvis Presley by Scot Bruce and his extremely talented musicians. This was such a great performance! It was a packed house, and everyone had such a good time.  Scot did an awesome and respectful tribute that was funny at times but brought tears to my eyes at others. Just as Elvis did so many years ago, I saw him perform with my girlfriends as a teen in the seventies.

We attended the matinée performance of "Shake Rattle and Roll" and later had a wonderful dinner at Figaredos Bistro on Main Street.

Choosing Accessories Tips

How do you decide which accessories to wear with your look?

My method of getting dressed follows. I often wear white pants and a white tank in summer because it is the coolest base color to wear. Next, I decide which shoes look best with the pants I am wearing, keeping in mind where we are going and how much I will be walking. I often wear heels if we are going out to dinner or to some event that involves mostly sitting. I do enjoy my heels, but I don't normally wear them for a full day of shopping, for example. 

Next, I decide which jacket I will wear. This light-weight Travelers jacket from Chico's is a couple of years old. It has strong Asian inspired details such as a Mandarin collar and bamboo-shaped buttons. Even the fabric makes me think of a beautiful hand-painted silk kimono. These details led me to this Asian inspired silver and black tassel necklace, which is also old from Chico's. Because this necklace is such a bold statement piece, I wore smaller silver and crystal hoop earrings and two silver and crystal rings only.

Wearing too many accessories can take us in the wrong direction. Simple, understated items with one or two bold dramatic pieces can pull your look together and show your personality.

The jacket colors include black, white, silver, gold, and taupe, so I chose this evening clutch via Saks Off 5th, black and gold hardware with a burnished gold/taupe color body. I always carry a small clutch to dinner as opposed to a bulky daytime bag.

The nude sandals are old from Belk. The color continues the unbroken line of white/pale tones from head to toe, making me look taller and leaner. For example, if I had worn a pair of black platform shoes, they would have been too bulky in scale for the delicate jacket and pants. The black shoes would also have visually cut me off at the ankles, making me look shorter.

  

The fabulous slim-fitting smooth front pants are by Mesmerize from My Fair Lady.

Goodbye Summer

The fall season is fast approaching. That means layering and jackets, but I am creating the illusion of layers with this fabulous tunic from Chico's for now.

The asymmetric hemline and alternating layers work very well with these NYDJ cropped jeans. I always look for a longer tunic to wear with these slim-fitting soft pants since they fit almost like leggings.

The necklace is from Monkee's of Johnson City. The shoes are by Kenneth Cole Reaction via Dillard's.

Flare Leg Jeans

Putting on these flare leg jeans took me back to my teenage years for a moment. Mini skirts do too, but I won't be going there!

I bought these flare leg jeans at Chico's online. I wish I had bought the tall length because I would like to wear platform shoes with them. When doing so, the pants should almost cover the shoes. These are too short for me to do that.

The waist is also higher than we have seen for the past few years. I am pairing them with a shorter, more fitted white jacket from Express because a longer, more boxy jacket or tunic would look mighty frumpy with these pants. Remember fitted over full or full over fitted to keep your look balanced. Always be willing to try a new shape or trend if it works for your body. Change is good. It keeps your look fresh and youthful.

Peace and love!

Weekly Q&A - Foundations

Wearing the proper undergarments can make a huge difference in the way clothes look on your body. 

After I posted the photo below, I was asked many times about the bra I wear style. The one that supports and fits my body best is this one from Soma. Click here for more info on this bra.

Do you keep bras too long, washing and wearing them too many times, as well as purchasing the same size year after year?  Your bra size can change with as little as a five-pound weight loss or gain. 

When I found the great fitting hard-working bra pictured above, I went to a Soma store and tried on about seven different styles until I found the one that fit my body shape, including my breasts' actual shape. This bra has a tiny bit of padding at the top of the cup to fill where I need it, not at the bottom of the cup where I certainly do not need it. I continue to get fitted for bras every year. Our bodies are constantly changing.

Yo-Yo dieting throughout my life has given me skin that is less than taut. When I wear clothes that are more body revealing or fabrics such as jersey knits that are less forgiving, I always wear a body slimmer such as the one shown above from Macy's. Control and contouring are not my goals. I wear this garment simply to give me a smoother look under my clothes. These also come in a longer thigh length style like the one shown below.

Visible panty lines are never acceptable. This style of panty from Soma is the one I wear every day.

My legs are not going out in public in a dress without stockings at almost sixty years old. I don't care what the trends are!

My favorite stockings of all time were a gift from a blog reader who sent me 8 denier pantyhose from Paris. This style from Wolford is a close match.

Foundation garments are possibly the most important part of your look. For example, an ill-fitting bra can ruin the look of a very expensive blouse. Wearing beautiful lingerie makes you feel confident and elegant. Great fitting lingerie that smooths and lifts is not a luxury; it is imperative for me. I will budget for the right pieces to make sure all of my other clothes look and fit the way I want them.

Clara Sunwoo Tunic

I fell in love with this cut-out sleeve tunic from Clara Sunwoo as soon as I saw it. 

All the Clara Sunwoo pieces have styling details that make them stand out. The colors are vivid, and the line is made in the USA.

The fabrics have movement, and they flow across the body without bringing attention to those jiggly bits I would rather not share with the world. I felt so confident when I wore this tunic with white pants and nude sandals to brunch on Sunday.

A Splendid Day

September is right around the corner, but our weather is already turning much cooler. Bring out the jackets!

 

Mr. Mickey and I took a drive up to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, to do some shopping and have lunch at the Six Pence Pub. We love their vegetarian black bean nachos. 

The flowers in the park draw the most beautiful butterflies, which have my attention below.

Today I wore white jeans and a silver tank from Chico's. The biker-inspired jacket is old from Stein Mart. The necklace is by Erica Lyons from Belk. The shoes are by Ralph Lauren from Dillard's. The bag is from Express.

I also stopped visiting my favorite guys at Finely House Couture, where Mr. Mickey bought the crystal and silver hoops for me. This clutch by Lilly Pulitzer got my attention immediately.

I love shopping in this little pedestrian alley off of Main Street. There are lots of flowers and benches to take a break on.

We took a drive north on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a change of scenery. We landed here at the beautiful Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia. Wild ponies roam free here, but we didn't see any during our stay.

Quintessential Style

How many books do you read in a week? 

I normally read at least one book, but I have been known to read as many as five in a week. Reading is my favorite escape during my downtime. Since the early '90s, I rarely watch TV.

I must tell you about a book I recently read, "Quintessential Style" by Janna Beatty with Sharon White.

Some of you know that I have been working on a book of my own; however, after reading this one, I realize all of the things I wanted to share with you have been succinctly stated here. It includes everything you need to know to create the right style for you and your unique personality and body.

I enjoyed this book so much I put it back on my nightstand to read again. It is worth a second read as I slip off to sleep.

You can purchase the book at any of the links at the bottom of this page of their excellent blog.

Marmi Shoes!

I recently wore these MARVA VANELi cork sandals to dinner, and I got so many compliments!

They are so comfortable and lightweight as well as very feminine. I am happy I decided on these sandals because they will be the ones I wear each time I know I will be walking or standing a lot. I love my high heels, but I don't wear them for the whole day anymore.

You can find these and other cute, comfortable shoes at Marmi Shoes.

The tank, pants, and necklace are from Chico's. The cardigan is old from Stein Mart.