Always try it on

April 7, 2023April 3, 2023 / edebock / 2 Comments

At this time of year, as we wait for spring to finally arrive here on the prairie, I grow very weary of my winter wardrobe. As a result, I recently picked up a couple of new-to-me tunics at our local thrift stores to add a bit of variety to my end of season closet. I shared one of them with you last week and today I’m featuring the other one.

Two of the tips for successful thrift store shopping that I shared with you in this post are “try everything on” and “don’t limit your search to the size you usually wear.” Following my own advice definitely paid off this time. When I checked the label, I was surprised to see that the tunic was an extra large. It didn’t look that big, so knowing that size isn’t consistent from one brand to another, I decided to try it on anyway. I usually wear a medium, sometimes a large, but never XL. Never, until now, that is!

As I headed for the dressing room, I was skeptical about whether or not I’d be bringing this garment home with me, but I knew that at this time of year, I’d want to wear it over something with sleeves. I was pleased to find that, while it fit fairly loosely, it didn’t look too oversized.

Here I’m wearing the tunic over a lightweight sweater, my dark brown button front skinnies from cabi’s Fall 2022 collection, and my tall brown boots, all pieces that have appeared on the blog before. The pants are the only item that I purchased brand new!

I recently read several comments on a British fashion blog from readers who absolutely hate the colour brown and would never wear it. They all agreed that their loathing of the colour originated in childhood when they had to wear drab brown school uniforms. Thankfully, I didn’t have that experience. In fact, my memory of brown is quite different. Although she often wore brighter colours, brown was my mother’s favourite colour. She would have loved today’s outfit! Isn’t it interesting how early associations affect our fashion choices later in life?

I’m not sure if this tunic will stay in my wardrobe long term or not, but I’m glad I tried it on and brought it home. For a whopping $2.50, it’s added something new to my late winter/early spring wardrobe and the three large buttons on the cowl collar and the pockets are worth more than that!

Analyzing an outfit

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 / edebock / 7 Comments

Sometimes I like to analyze an outfit to figure out why it works, or in some cases, why it doesn’t. Let’s do that with this outfit today.

The L.L.Bean tunic is new to me, purchased recently at one of our local thrift stores. There was a time in my younger (and perhaps more foolish) days when I might have worn this fingertip length garment as a dress, but not any longer! Instead, I could wear it with leggings, but here I’ve chosen to wear it over a pair of dark wash jeans. But what is it about this outfit that makes it work for me?

First, as with any outfit, I ask myself whether or not it fits my 5 style adjectives. Does it say classy, confident, comfortable, casual, and authentic? This is, of course, a personal judgement call, but I believe that it does.

A garment that fits well can accentuate good features and disguise less desirable ones. I have a boyish figure; straight up and down with very little waist definition and narrow hips. The shape of this tunic gives me a more feminine profile by creating the illusion of girlish hips. It’s loose enough over my midsection not to reveal any bulges and the three-quarter length sleeves draw the eye away from my waist area.

If you’ve been reading Fashion Friday for long, you know that I really like horizontal stripes and contrary to what we were taught years ago, research has shown that they don’t make you look fatter. In fact, they might actually make you look thinner! And then there’s colour. Teal is known as a universal colour because it looks good on everyone; it flatters every skin tone.

Accessories add the finishing touch to any outfit and in this case, I chose to wear my Nordgreen watch with its navy leather strap, a wide bracelet made of multicoloured beads, and a pair of iridescent earrings that pick up the teal colour of the tunic. Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to get a decent picture of the earrings, but this one shows off the bracelet well. I like its boho vibe which adds a bit of creativity to my look without being too over the top.

PS. Did you notice a recent change to the blog? No more ads! After blogging free for over 15 years (except for a small fee to cover extra space so that I could include lots of pictures), I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade to a paid plan so that I could bring you a cleaner, ad free read. Until now, those ads have been paying my way, but I was finding them more and more intrusive and annoying. I suspect that you were too!

7 years of Fashion Friday!

March 24, 2023March 23, 2023 / edebock / 2 Comments

When I introduced this weekly feature to my blog seven years ago this week, I had no idea that it would last this long. I knew that I could keep it up for awhile, but I wondered how quickly I’d run out of ideas. More than 300 posts later, here we are! I have learned so much and I’ve connected with so many interesting women around the world. Sometimes I wonder what this 70-year-old woman with no formal fashion training has to offer, but your feedback definitely encourages me to keep going!

Today I thought it might be fun to look back at the very first photos of myself that I posted on Fashion Friday.

As I look at these photos, I notice several things:

My style hasn’t changed much in seven years! Though I don’t have all of these pieces anymore, I’d still feel comfortable going out dressed like this because this outfit fits all five of my present style adjectives… classy, confident, comfortable, casual, and authentic.
Seven years later, I still have the blazer and the shoes! The blazer is left over from my teaching days. Though I don’t wear it often anymore, it’s a classic piece that really doesn’t go out of style. The shoes are a comfy pair of flats that I last wore to the symphony in Xalapa, Mexico last month!
My hair! After letting my thick, naturally curly hair grow out and wearing it considerably longer than this for the past several years, I had it cut short again a couple of weeks ago! It looks almost exactly like this except that it’s a bit greyer now!
The lack of snow. If I was standing on the stairs that replaced those ones when we added a small deck to the front of our house and hubby was taking my picture today, he’d be up to his knees or more in snow! Though daytime temperatures are occasionally creeping up above the freezing point, it will likely be awhile before we see bare ground and start taking outdoor fashion photos again.

While preparing this post, I also decided to look at some stats and see which of my Fashion Friday posts have been the most popular. Far and away the winner, with over 12 000 views, is the post entitled How to shop like a celebrity published on August 2, 2019. It would appear that a lot of readers have found it on Pinterest. My second most popular Fashion Friday post, A model who embraced her age, announced the death of 67-year-old model, Cindy Joseph, in July 2018. That one has had more than 8000 hits. I guess it pays to mention celebrities!

And now, let’s see how many more fashion posts I can write before I run out of ideas!

Make your closet more eco-friendly

March 17, 2023March 16, 2023 / edebock / Leave a comment

Tips for creating and maintaining a sustainable wardrobe

To begin with, what is a sustainable wardrobe? In a nutshell, it’s one that reduces the impact that your clothes have on the planet. Adopting sustainable practices improves the quality of our lives, protects the environment, and preserves natural resources for future generations. So where do we start?

I’d recommend doing some research and trying to find sustainable and ethical clothing brands and purchasing only those, but I know how challenging it can be to find accurate information. Choosing sustainable fabrics is also easier said than done, so what’s an ordinary person to do? Here are some simple affordable steps that we can all take to dress more sustainably:

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Buy less

The most sustainable anything is the one you already own. Instead of shopping, look for new ways to wear what’s already hanging in your closet.

Quality over quantity

Instead of chasing trends and buying numerous pieces of poor quality clothing every season, avoid fast fashion altogether and invest in a few good quality pieces that will last. There’s no question that buying higher quality clothes will cost more initially, but they’ll outlast cheaper, less eco-friendly options, greatly reducing the cost per wear.

The 30 wears test

I was shocked to read on the Wear Me 30 Times website that the average woman keeps a piece of clothing in her wardrobe for only 5 weeks! In my opinion, that’s inexcusable! Wear Me 30 Times is a slow-fashion initiative focused on supporting conscious consumption and increasing awareness of the problem of waste in the fashion industry. The principle is very simple. Before purchasing something, if you can honestly say that you’ll wear it a minimum 30 times (and hopefully more often), then go ahead and buy it. There are exceptions, of course. The dress you buy to wear to your son’s wedding or your 40th anniversary celebration might not pass the 30 wears test and that’s okay, but even on those occasions try to invest in something with longevity that you’ll be able to wear again.

Shop second-hand

If you’ve been following my blog for very long, you know that I love thrift store shopping! Not only is it a great way to welcome sustainability into your wardrobe, but it’s fun. It’s like going on a treasure hunt, never knowing what you’ll find. If you’re new to this, you can find 18 tips for successful second-hand shopping here.

Look for recycled fabric

Check labels. You may be surprised to find clothing or accessories made from plastic bottles or sweaters made of pre-used wool. Some brands are even making vegan leather out of pineapple rinds and apple peels!

I have to give a shout-out here to Karyn, one of my former students and founder of Repurposed Plastic. Earrings from plastic bottle caps! Brilliant!

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Follow good laundry practices

First and foremost in this category, as mentioned in last week’s post, don’t wash clothes that aren’t dirty! With the exception of socks, underwear and workout wear, you should be able to wear an item at least three times before putting it in the laundry. Not only does washing less often save water and electricity, but it also helps your clothes last longer. Make your laundry routine even more sustainable by using eco-friendly laundry products. Wash in cold water, don’t overfill the machine, and when possible, air dry your clothes.

Mend and repair

Prolong the life of your quality clothing by learning how to mend. It’s not as difficult as it might sound and there are lots of online articles and videos available to help. If the job is beyond your skill level, consider finding a tailor who can do it for you. Most dry cleaners also offer mending services. Taking shoes and boots to a repair shop for resoling is a cost-effective way to prolong their life while keeping perfectly good uppers out of the landfill.

Do you have any tips to add? Have you found any sustainable clothing brands that you can recommend?

Happy Saint Patricks Day Background.

Thinking about laundry

March 10, 2023March 9, 2023 / edebock / 5 Comments

Over 40 years ago, when we bought our house, one of the things I loved about it was its main floor laundry. The older I get, the more I appreciate not having to carry laundry up and down the stairs! Laundry has been part of history since humans started wearing clothes and it’s one of those household tasks that never seems to be finished!

Here’s an interesting bit of laundry trivia… astronauts on the International Space Station wear their clothes until they can’t stand the stench then throw them in the trash. Along with other garbage, the discarded clothing is loaded onto cargo ships that generally burn up on reentry into the earth’s atmosphere. That might sound like a great solution to the never-ending laundry problem, but most of us actually want our clothes to last. Thankfully, how we do our laundry can ensure that our clothing lasts longer, help protect the environment, and even save us money!

Read the labels.

The first step in doing the laundry should happen in the clothing store. Read the labels and only buy if you’re prepared to follow the washing instructions. Personally, I very rarely buy anything that requires dry cleaning. I developed that habit in my early days of teaching school when chalk dust was the bane of every teacher’s existence. I also wanted to be able to teach a messy art class, kneel beside a student’s desk, or play with the children on the playground without having to send my clothes to the dry cleaners. With experience, however, you learn that in spite of what the labels say, some fabrics don’t actually require dry cleaning. For example, the label on this polyester top from Calvin Klein says that it should be dry cleaned, but synthetic fabrics like polyester actually wash very well. I simply launder the top using the hand wash cycle and hang it to dry to ensure that it keeps its shape.

Treat stains.

The first rule in treating stains is to do it as quickly as possible. Stain removal pens are a great innovation. You might even want to carry one in your purse or keep it in your desk drawer to deal with mishaps when they happen. Additional stain removal treatment might also be required before tossing the item into the laundry. This stain removal guide includes a comprehensive list of stain makers and how to deal with each of them. Once you’ve washed the item, recheck to ensure that the stain is gone. It will be much harder to remove once it’s gone through the dryer.

Wash less often.

No one wants to stink, but overwashing clothes wears them out and causes them to fade more quickly. It also wastes water and electricity. With the exception of socks, underwear and workout wear, you can likely wear an item at least 3 times before putting it in the laundry.

Don’t overload the washer.

Washing a full load rather than just a few items definitely helps conserve water, but cramming the washer full of clothes is actually detrimental. Not only do the clothes not get as clean as they ought to, but they rub together so much that it can actually be harmful to the fabric.

Turn the temperature down.

90% of the energy used to wash a load of clothes goes into heating the water! Not only does washing in cold water save electricity but it helps prevent the fibres from breaking down. It also prevents shrinkage or stretching and helps keep colours from running and fading. Don’t worry about your clothes not getting clean. Most modern detergents are designed to work well in cold water.

Extremely high dryer heat can also be damaging to clothes.

Skip the softener.

Fabric conditioners add a lot of unnecessary chemicals and fragrances to your clothes and also coat the fibres with a waxy residue that can lead to fading and fibre breakdown. I haven’t used fabric softener or dryer sheets for years and my laundry hasn’t suffered for it.

Wash inside out.

Keep jeans and strong colours from fading and printed t-shirts from cracking by washing them inside out.

Hand wash delicate items.

Hand washing delicate garments helps them last longer. This is especially easy if your washer has a hand wash cycle! Simply place the items in mesh bags to keep them from rubbing against one another and being damaged, then let the machine do the work.

Air dry.

When we lived in Asia, we did as all our neighbours did and hung our laundry to dry. Here in Canada, I’m happy to have and use a dryer, but I still hang a lot of my clothes. Heat breaks down the elasticity in garments, causing unwanted stretching, and also contributes to shrinkage. Since pant length has always been an issue for me and I don’t want to lose even a cm, I hang all my pants to dry.

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Sustainable fashion addresses the entire process by which clothing is produced, consumed, cared for and disposed of. We can all do our part to reduce the impact of the clothing industry on the environment by not only purchasing sustainably produced clothing, but by following good laundry practices.

Do you have any tips to add to the ones given here?

Dressing for the hot Mexican sun

February 24, 2023February 23, 2023 / edebock / 2 Comments

I wasn’t sure if there would be a Fashion Friday post this week as I’ve been focusing on enjoying our time in Mexico and sharing some of the sights with you, but here’s a quick “what I wore” post. We’ve had a couple of cooler, wetter days, but for the most part the daytime temperatures have been in the high 20ºs Celsius (high 70ºs and low 80ºs F). At at least one point earlier this week, the temperature discrepancy between here and home was more than 50ºC! Needless to say, I’ve been enjoying wearing my summer clothes.

For Tuesday’s outing to Xico, I wore a thrifted Calvin Klein top and a comfortable pair of light cotton capris that I’ve had for several years.

The following afternoon, Richard and I went for a long walk around Coatepec. Here I’m enjoying a relaxing rest in Miguel Hidalgo Park in the centre of town. Named for a Catholic priest and revolutionary during the Mexican War of Independence who is generally recognized as the Father of the Nation, the park is a popular gathering place any time of day or evening. In the photo, I’m wearing a cabi top from several seasons ago and the one pair of shorts that I’m very glad I tucked into my little carry-on suitcase. The sandals in both photos are the Clarks that I bought almost brand new at one of our local thrift stores last summer.

Perhaps the most important thing that I’ve been wearing though is a good sunscreen to protect my fair skin from the bright Mexican sun!

What I wore to travel

February 17, 2023February 15, 2023 / edebock / Leave a comment

It was unseasonably warm when we boarded a plane in Calgary on Sunday morning, but even -1ºC (30ºF) is chilly. When we left the airport in Mexico City at almost midnight it was +19ºC (66ºF). How do you dress for a day with that kind of temperature variation?

The answer, of course, is layers.

My base layer was a long-sleeved, striped sweater. Next came a hoodie and then my ultralight down vest from Uniqlo. The final layer was a spring jacket that is both wind and waterproof. While each layer was very lightweight, together they provided ample warmth on a chilly Alberta morning. After the photos were taken during a layover at the Vancouver airport, the vest came off and was tucked into an outer pocket of my tiny suitcase. Some people find jeans uncomfortable for long days sitting on a plane, but I practically live in them and find them very comfortable. A pair of good walking shoes completed my ensemble.

Not only is YVR Vancouver’s international airport, but it’s also home to a permanent collection of more than 210 pieces of art, much of it work of British Columbia’s indigenous artists. The pieces behind me represent The Story of Fog Woman and Raven. Carved of cedar wood in 2007 by Dempsey Bob, they tell the story of how the annual salmon run originated to benefit the people of the northern coast of BC and the southern coast of Alaska. Immediately behind me, Raven perches on the side of a pool, beak uplifted, smiling and well fed, while to the side, Fog Woman kneels at the head of a stream.

Once we reached our destination, the clothing that I wore to travel in was set aside and won’t be worn again until our return trip unless we have a really chilly day while we’re here.

Packing again!

February 10, 2023February 9, 2023 / edebock / 4 Comments

For the first time in almost four years, we’ve purchased tickets, made our plans, and I’m busy packing our suitcases! This will be our first flight since Covid, but our third trip to visit friends who live in Coatepec, a typical Mexican town located in the highlands about four hours east of Mexico City. On both previous trips, we checked a large suitcase, but this time we’re going carry-on only. Everything we need for two and a half weeks has to fit into our two tiny suitcases, my purse, and hubby’s small backpack.

First, let’s take a look at what I was hoping would fit in my suitcase. The photo and list below also include what I’ll be wearing on the plane.

Packing list:

1 pair of jeans
2 pairs lightweight long pants
2 pairs capris
1 pair leggings
1 camisole
7 tops – 3 long sleeved, 1 with 3/4 length sleeves, 3 sleeveless
1 dress
1 dressy black jacket
1 ultra light down vest
1 lightweight hoodie
1 light jacket
1 hat
1 pair sandals
3 pairs shoes
sleepwear, underwear, and socks

You’ll probably notice that this isn’t what a typical tourist would pack for their trip to a Mexican beach resort. That’s because Coatepec isn’t a tourist destination and doesn’t have a beach. At approximately 1200 metres above sea level, the weather is pleasant, but not always hot. It cools off significantly at night and the houses don’t have central heating so we need to be prepared to dress accordingly. Although I don’t actually expect to have an opportunity to use it, I did decide to tuck a swimsuit into the bottom of my suitcase just in case! I really don’t like to leave home without one. At the last minute, when I saw that there was enough space, I also decided to squeeze in a pair of shorts.

There are two keys to successfully packing light. The first is coordinating colours. As you can see from the photo, I’ve chosen a simple colour palette and pieces that will easily mix and match to create numerous different outfits. The second key is layering. For example, the dress is very lightweight. It can be worn alone or with the little black jacket. For a chillier evening out, it can even be worn over the black leggings. The light blue denim shirt on the bottom of the pile above can be worn alone or as a third piece over any of the sleeveless tops. Depending on the weather, the hoodie, down vest, and jacket can each be worn individually or I can layer them as I will be doing when we board the plane in sub zero temperatures.

Another trick to successful packing is utilizing space wisely. Can you see hubby’s sandals, a pair of my shoes, spare eyeglasses for each of us, and two pairs of socks in this photo? I can!

Many travellers swear that you can fit more into your suitcase by rolling everything instead of folding, but that hasn’t been my experience. I prefer to fold basics like pants and tops, but I roll a lot of the other items. I’ve also never used packing cubes.

Our clothes pretty much fill the tiny carry-on suitcases. My laptop (a lightweight 13 inch MacBook Air), my camera, cords, chargers, our toiletries, and our prescription medications will be in hubby’s backpack. We’ll also tuck in a few paperback books for him which he’ll leave behind when he finishes reading them. That will give us a bit of extra space if we need it on the way home. I’ve loaded five books onto my Kindle which takes up hardly any room in my travel purse.

Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything, but if I have, there are stores in Coatepec!

Rethinking my style adjectives

February 3, 2023January 29, 2023 / edebock / 9 Comments

Choosing three to five adjectives to describe your personal style can be very helpful in building a cohesive wardrobe and creating outfits that say what you want to say about yourself.

Several years ago, I chose three adjectives to describe my style… classy, confident, and comfortable. Later, I added two more… casual and creative. The fact that they all started with the letter C was entirely coincidental, but it made them easy to remember! Lately, though, I’ve been rethinking the last one.

Even though my lifestyle calls for casual clothing most of the time, when I look in the mirror, I still want what I’m wearing to be classy. I achieve that by wearing clothes that are tasteful, well-made, and in most cases, somewhat timeless. It’s also important that they’re comfortable and fit well. I think it goes without saying that we’d all like to feel confident in our appearance. I believe that when we’re true to our own personal style, confidence will be a byproduct.

But what about creative? Why have I decided to toss that one out and what am I replacing it with?

To me, creative implies colourful and unconventional. Although she’s an extreme example, Iris Apfel comes to mind. I don’t mind a pop of colour or something with a slightly unique or unusual twist, but I’ve come to the conclusion that true creative style just isn’t me. Maybe it’s the introvert in me, but when I stray too far in that direction I don’t feel comfortable or confident. Instead, I feel self-conscious. Perhaps the desire for simplicity in style is why the coastal grandmother look that was all the rage last summer appealed to me so much.

Of course, it’s not essential that I have five style adjectives. Four would be fine, but as I thought about this, the word authentic came to mind and I knew that I’d found my new adjective. Merriam-Webster includes “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character” as one meaning of the word and synonyms include “genuine” and “real“. To me, authentic style means not dressing to satisfy anyone but myself. It means wearing what feels like me. It means not wearing something simply because it’s a trend or because someone else thinks it looks good on me.

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So, from now on when I stand in front of the mirror, I’ll run through my five style adjectives… classy, confident, comfortable, casual, and authentic… and I’ll be happy with the outfit if it ticks all five boxes.

What about you? Have you ever chosen adjectives to describe your personal style. If not, check here for an exercise that will help you do that.

Still wearing skinnies

January 27, 2023January 23, 2023 / edebock / 5 Comments

Fashion influencers have been telling us for at least two years that skinny jeans are out, but cabi is one brand that knows when something works, you don’t change it. Of course, they offer other styles as well, but because cabi knows that there are lots of us who still enjoy wearing our skinnies, they have continued to include them in their collections.

I do have a couple of skinnies that I don’t wear anymore and probably won’t hang onto much longer, but that’s because of their low rise. I was never more thankful than when pants with higher rises became popular again! They’re ever so much more comfortable and instead of spilling over, a middle age muffin top can be hidden or at least somewhat minimized.

Though they also work well with other footwear, for those of us who live where winter is long and snow is deep, skinnies continue to be the best choice to wear with tall boots. The pair that I absolutely love and have continued to wear faithfully are actually corduroy, not denim. The warm caramel Button Fly Skinny from cabi’s Fall 2020 collection are velvety soft and have plenty of stretch for all day comfort.