Circle of Red Luncheon

I am a proud member of the Circle of Red for the American Heart Association this year.

We held the Tri-Cities Go Red For Women Luncheon today, and all the members wore a red dress.

My red dress is from Macy's. 

Macy's is committed to raising women's awareness of heart disease and helping them live longer, healthier lives.

Thanks to its customers and associates' generosity, Macy's has contributed more than $55 million to Go Red for Women since 2004. 

It was great to see my young friend Jurnee Carr, Miss Tennessee International. We have shared the runway as models in the past.

Hannah Everhart is our beautiful Miss Johnson City. We have also walked for local fashion shows together.

Those are not my caged shoes, but aren't they awesome?

I am shown below with some of the other Circle of Red Members.

The more a woman knows about heart disease, the better chance she has of beating it. The first facts you need to know are severe: Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. Fortunately, we can change that because 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.

Go Red For Women inspires women to make lifestyle changes, mobilize communities, and shape policies to save lives. United, we are working to improve the health of all women.

Visit https://www.goredforwomen.org/ to learn more about how you can prevent heart disease and also how you can help bring awareness of it to others.

Take A Scarf

A couple of weekends ago, we stayed at the Inn at Biltmore Estate.

I took a few basic pieces to mix and match, as I always do when we travel. This packing formula serves me well, and I can fit everything into a small carry-on bag.

A scarf can make all the difference when you dress in solid basics. It adds texture, pattern, and colors to pull the whole look together.

The white Evan Picone trench coat is old from Stein Mart. I wore it over a large square silk scarf by Versace from Saks Off 5th last year. The scarf adds the punch of a pattern to tie the white tank and dark wash Klaveli ankle jeans together.

When we went down to breakfast on the second morning, I wore a black Clara Sunwoo mesh sleeve tunic over white pull-on pants by Tribal. I tied the scarf onto my BCBG bag (old) from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are by Vince Camuto from last year.

As we were having breakfast, I became too cold, as I often do in the air conditioning. The scarf served me well as an additional layer. Large square silk scarves are so versatile.

Formal Evening

Short, skimpy cocktail dresses and plunging backless gowns are never my choices for evening attire.

 "Elegance knows when to cover up." 

-Susan Street 2016

At almost sixty years old, bare knees and cleavage are never the aging bits I wish to reveal to the world. Candlelight does not improve the view! Trust me on this one.

We attended the 23rd Annual Laureate Induction Celebration of the Junior Achievement Tri-Cities TN/VA Business Hall of Fame held at the Meadowview Convention Center last evening.

Earlier in the day, I visited my dear friend Myra who is also my hairstylist. She gave me a shorter layered look for Spring.

We picked up our closest friends Bob and Mitzi so that we could enjoy the evening together. Mitzi and I did not plan to dress almost alike!

I am wearing a swing coat* by IC Collection over a tank by Clara Sunwoo; both are from last year. I purchased them from ShopMyFairLady. The dressy pants are a couple of years old from Chico's. The suede fringe trim sandals are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th.  The ribbon trimmed black clutch is several years old from T.J.Maxx.

(*Swing coats are fitted in the shoulders and then flare out from the bust line, creating a tent-like shape over the torso that swings as you walk. The hem of your swing coat can end anywhere from the waist down, and the sleeves may be full length or bracelet length.)

Here is a short video showing my warm-weather haircut.

A Styling Secret

Do you dress to hide your tummy every day?

Since my teens, my weight has gone up and down with every crazy diet ever presented. I wish I had realized earlier that diets are designed to fail. If you are not going to change your eating habits forever, all the weight will come back and will likely add more pounds when it returns.

All that losing and gaining weight has created areas that will never be taut again, no matter how much I exercise. For most of my adult life, I have dressed to conceal my midsection.

Thankfully, my weight has remained about the same for the last five years after permanently changing my food choice. That means I have been able to invest in many different clothing styles and enjoy wearing them with confidence. In the past, there was always that question in the back of my mind, "Will I even be able to zip this in six months?"

We recently enjoyed an excellent evening meal at Rowland's located inside the Westglow Mansion in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

As soon as I previewed the photos we snapped before we began our trip, I knew I had to go back and put on my secret styling weapon.

Before

After

The foundation I am wearing in the after the photo is by Maidenform from Macy's.

Each time I model or wear anything that shows my shape, I wear this support garment. It helps with my posture and smooths the middle line in front and back without giving me an oddly shaped bustline.

The bra pictured below from Soma is the best fitting bra I have ever worn.

The necklace and tank top are old from Chico's. The Balmain sunglasses and cardigan are from Sak's Off 5th. The silver clutch is old from T.J.Maxx. The side-zip white pants were supplied by Fabrizio Gianni last year. The Gianni Bini sandals are from Dillard's.

Walk A Mile

Our Mother's Day celebration included a fabulous meal prepared for our family by my sweet sister.

I carried an old BCBG bag and wore jeans by NYDJ and sunglasses by Kenneth Cole Reaction, all found at T.J.Maxx. I rarely go there anymore, but I got lucky on those visits. The plain white tank is by Peck & Peck via Stein Mart.

The oh so comfortable waffle texture casual jacket is by Focus, and it was sent to me by ShopMyFairLady.

The color and texture of this jacket are not typically found in my bag of tricks. My usual choices include smooth surfaces, bold, saturated colors, and sleek lines. I made this work for me by making sure all the other elements were structured and plain.

The sandals are from last year. They are by Vince Camuto via Belk. I found them on sale at the end of the season, so I bought two pairs. I know I will wear them often because they go with everything. Last year, I wore out a similar favorite style by Jessica Simpson.

The statement necklace is from an elegant store in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. This estate piece immediately captivated me! 

We always visit Finely House Couture and Carriage Trade Antiques when we are in Blowing Rock. You never know what unusual treasures might be waiting there. Our friends who own these shops possess impeccable taste.

This video is in response to a challenge I received from someone who commented on a Facebook post.

Tribal Favorites

Warm weather casual looks have always been a challenge for me.

I am much more comfortable in my jacket and jeans with a tank combo, but I must create a cooler look to work with my figure challenges when the temperatures climb.

The perfect fit for my personal styling formula includes looks like this one.

The kick pleat detail on the back of the leg is so creative.

Wearing these wedge sandals from Dillard's a couple of years ago helped to visually elongate the chopped-off look that crop pants sometimes give my short lower legs. These stop at the point that my leg starts to get slimmer rather than on the widest part of my calf. That detail is always important to me when I wear any dress or cropped pants.

This look would also be great for a woman who has a pear shape. The zipper pocket details of the shirt lift the eye up and, if tucked in, would define the smaller waist of the pear shape. In addition, the black pants with simple lines are very flattering, and the dark color on the bottom formula is perfect for the pear shape.

Because I have an inverted triangle shape with a wide waistline, I rarely tuck in a top. This hemline is slightly lower in the back, which makes it very flattering for me. The fabric is whisper lightweight, so I can wear it even when our hot weather arrives.

The old clutch bag I found years ago at T.J.Maxx brought in the fun pop of red I really like with black and white.