Although they do ship to Canada, I’ve never made a purchase from American womenswear retailer, J.Jill. When I saw this ad, however, my mind immediately went to items in my own closet.

When that happens, whether I see something in print, online, or on another woman, I don’t try to replicate the look exactly. Instead, I simply take inspiration from what I see. In this case, though I can’t imagine why, it had never occurred to me to style the denim military jacket that I bought in September with the aqua top that has been a favourite in my wardrobe for the past three years. Once I saw the J.Jill ad, however, the combination seemed like a no-brainer. 

The first scarf that I tried worked very well with the colours in this outfit, but it was too bulky. I didn’t care for that look, so I went back to my scarf collection to see what else might work. I received this one as a thank you gift for taking part in a very special event while I was teaching in China more than ten years ago. I tied it loosely to fit the V neck of the top and cover its short zipper. When the tails hung too long, I decided to knot them. A pair of hand painted earrings, a gift from dear friends who live in Mexico, completed the look.