Fashion Friday!

Packing again!

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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.

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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!

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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

/ edebock / 9 Comments

Logo by SamChoosing 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

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Logo by SamFashion 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.

When I learned that my cabi stylist had a pair of this year’s rich brown ones in my size in her season end sale, I snapped them up too!

Although this spring’s white denim version is called the Button Fly Straight, they appear to fit most gals like a skinny.

What about you? Do you still wear skinnies?

DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with cabi nor am I compensated in any way for posts like this one.

Those darned socks!

/ edebock / 10 Comments

Logo by SamWe hadn’t been married very long when hubby was shocked to discover that I had no intention of darning his holey socks. He grew up in poverty and darning socks was something his mother did out of necessity. We were both teaching school, however, and could afford to buy new socks when our old ones wore out. After more than 46 years of marriage, however, I recently darned a pair of sock slippers that he uses when we travel. Not only did I want to extend the lifespan of something that he loves, but mending and darning, once second nature to homemakers, are making a comeback as a way to participate in sustainable fashion.

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I’ve done lots of sewing and needlecraft in the past, but since darning was something new for me, I first had to figure out how to do it. You can learn almost anything from YouTube, so I started by watching this very helpful video.

I don’t have a darning egg. In fact, until I decided to tackle this project, I didn’t even know that such a thing existed! Always one to improvise when necessary, I found that an empty olive jar did the trick. Next, I dug into my old crafting supplies and found some yarn. I would have used blue to match the soles of the socks, but I didn’t have any, so I made do with what I had.

After just one false start, I figured out what I was doing and the first part of the process went fairly smoothly. I was even beginning to think that this darning thing was pretty easy.

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The next part was more challenging though and I’m sure the end result isn’t as neat and tidy as it would have been if my late mother-in-law had done it. I’m satisfied though and so is hubby. I just hope he doesn’t think this means that I’m going to start darning all his holey socks because that’s definitely not going to happen!

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These boots!

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These boots are made for walkin’And that’s just what they’ll do 🎵

Ever since I unwrapped my Christmas gift from hubby, the lyrics of that old Nancy Sinatra song have been going through my mind! Back in November, in this post, I wrote about wanting a pair of warm ankle boots that would be safe and comfortable for winter walking. When hubby didn’t know what to get me for Christmas, I decided to help him out.

This is my third pair of Taxi boots, the other two purchased second-hand. Taxi is a well-established footwear brand developed by a design team based in Toronto, but shipping is now available to customers in the US as well.

My new red boots are water resistant and have durable rubber soles and soft faux fur lining. I added a pair of thermal insoles for added warmth. The outer zipper is purely decorative, but there’s a fully functional inside zipper meaning that I don’t have to adjust and tie the laces every time I wear them! How easy is that?

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While these boots are made for walkin’, they’re also stylin’. Though they look great with jeans, I decided to be adventurous and wore them to church on Sunday morning with a sweater dress and leggings. I thought they gave the outfit a slightly edgier look than when I wear it with shoes or tall fashion boots.

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Would you wear ankle boots with a dress?

Loving my new pjs!

/ edebock / 2 Comments

Logo by SamI’ve never been a person who spends all day in pyjamas and I certainly don’t wear them in public, but after opening a Christmas gift from our daughter, I could be tempted to change my ways! They are so beautiful and also very comfortable!

 

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The handwritten gift tag included a note that said, “Special Delivery! Product of a local vendor in Bogota, Columbia!” She knew how much something like that would appeal to me! Our daughter is not a traveler (she seems to have missed out on that gene) but she has a close friend who’s husband is Columbian, so I’m guessing that they had a part in helping with her Christmas shopping. 

Always curious, I decided to search for the vendor online and quickly found her Facebook page. My pyjamas are even pictured there!

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I love the rich, vibrant colours and I’m learning to identify some of the South American birds. I recognized the toucans and hummingbirds, but according to illustrations on the Facebook page, there are also Mountain Carriqui, Quetzal, Guacamaya (macaws), and Carpintero (woodpeckers). 

The pjs are made of a lightweight satiny polyester with a touch of spandex. My newly acquired Spanish vocabulary has been very helpful in reading the fabric care label. Lavar a mano = wash by hand. Secar en interior = dry inside. No planchar = don’t iron.

So, will I wear them in public? Probably not, but if I did, I’m sure I’d look at least as good as the woman we once saw walking through the Louvre in Paris in pink pjs! 🤣 

 

2022 fashion shopping review

/ edebock / 12 Comments

Logo by SamOnce again, I kept a list of all the clothing, footwear, and accessories that I bought over the past year so that I could analyze my shopping habits and establish some goals for next year. I started doing this a few years ago because I wanted to be more intentional about wardrobe development and because I wanted to focus on becoming a more ethical shopper. I think it’s helped. There are definitely a few impulse buys on this year’s list, but the majority were planned purchases or items that filled specific needs.

Let’s begin by looking at a few stats.

  • I bought a total of 43 items
    • 31 garments
    • 9 accessories
    • 3 pairs of footwear
  • 21 items were thrifted and 22 bought new
  • I paid full price for 14 items
  • I spent a total of $819.87 CAD or an average of $68.32 a month
  • The most expensive item that I purchased was a purse that I paid full price for ($79.99)

This analysis alone was a good exercise for me as I discovered that I bought 15 more items and spent $237.49 more than I did the previous year! Considering the fact that it’s estimated that most North American women purchase an average of approximately 70 items of clothing annually spending somewhere between $1800 and $4800, I think I’d still qualify as a frugal fashionista, but why such a significant increase in purchases and spending since last year? With pandemic restrictions lifted, I spent more time shopping, but the biggest reason is that this was a wardrobe basics rebuilding year.

In addition to a 6 pack of underwear (I counted that as one purchase), I bought 2 pairs of pyjama pants, 1 pyjama top, and 6 bras. The bras alone cost a total of $295.60, more than one-third of this year’s fashion spending. I didn’t actually need all 6 of them, but I absolutely hate bra shopping. When, after a great deal of frustration, I finally found two styles that fit beautifully, I bought extras and put two of them away for the future.

When it comes to ethical shopping, I definitely slipped up in 2022. One of my fashion shopping goals in recent years has been to avoid buying items that were made in China. I loved my time living and teaching there in 2013, but I know that the conditions for many factory workers in that country are abhorrent and that human rights are being increasingly eroded. I also consider China a threat to Canada, so I see these as good reasons to avoid purchasing items made in that country. I’m not proud of the fact that I failed in this area this year. Almost 25% of my fashion purchases were produced in China. 😦 My only consolation is the fact that the half of those items were thrifted which is, at least, an ethical way to shop.

Another of my goals for 2022 was to add more colour to my wardrobe. While I did try a couple of different colours that were new to me, I still found myself gravitating to my favourite blues and warm neutrals and I’ve decided that I’m okay with that.

What was the most surprising thing about my fashion shopping this year? I DIDN’T BUY ANY SHOES! None! Not a single pair! My three footwear purchases were tall black boots and sandals, both thrifted, as well as a pair of slippers that I use for travel. My shoe purchases have been far fewer and much more intentional since Payless ShoeSource closed all their North American stores in 2019. I seldom passed one of those stores without at least going in to browse and I often ended up buying something.

My goals for 2023 are simple.

  • I will continue to be intentional about my purchases, limiting impulse buys to a few items that I love and that will go well with what I already own.
  • I’ll continue to experiment with new ways to wear what I already have.
  • I’ll buy fewer new items that were made in China.
  • I’ll continue tracking my purchases.
  • As long as I don’t run out of ideas, I’ll continue writing a Fashion Friday post each week.
  • And I might even buy a pair of shoes! 😂

Now for a few of my favourite fashion purchases of 2022. They’ve all appeared on the blog before.

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The red Calvin Klein jacket that I bought for $7 at a local thrift store in October is a hands down winner!

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The grey animal print t-shirt and the Clarks sandals, also both purchased second-hand, were great additions to my summer wardrobe.

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This dress was an impulse buy that I’ll never regret.

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Then there’s the hat that I bought on a chilly April morning in Victoria. Not only is it a fond reminder of our trip, but I love wearing it.

And now, with with less than 48 hours left in 2022, I want to take a moment to wish you and yours a very Happy New Year!

A hygge sort of outfit

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Logo by SamAll of our regular weekly activities have taken a break until after Christmas and the weather outside has been frightfully cold and snowy. Days like this are good for staying home and staying warm! I’m reminded of the Danish and Norwegian word “hygge” (pronounced hyoo’-guh) describing a mood of comfort and coziness. The lights on the Christmas tree, a couple of candles burning (a fire in the fireplace would be even better, but we don’t have one) and a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate add to the feeling. 

So what do I wear on a stay-at-home, stay warm, hygge sort of day? I don’t own any sweats and while it might be tempting to spend the day in pjs and a warm fuzzy bathrobe, that’s just not my style. No, instead I want to look put together while still feeling cozy and comfortable. Today I’m sharing one such outfit that has become a recent favourite.

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“Is it a sweater or is it a dress?” That’s the discussion that took place at the thrift store counter when I bought this cozy tri-coloured garment a couple of months ago. The volunteers operating the shop that day decided that it was a sweater and charged me accordingly, but technically, I suppose it’s a sweater dress. It could be worn over leggings or tights, but I usually choose to wear it as an extra long sweater over pants instead. These pants are a very old and much loved pair of uncut (no-wale) corduroy. They are so worn in the rear that I hesitate to wear them outside the house for fear that they’ll end up causing me major embarrassment! They’re so comfy that I love wearing them around the house though and under the sweater, they’re pretty safe if I do decide to venture out for any reason or someone drops in. The SoftMoc slippers that I bought over two and a half years ago are still going strong keeping my feet warm on winter days.

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My one dress Christmas season

/ edebock / 6 Comments

Logo by SamPrior to the pandemic, hubby and I had half a dozen or more Christmas events to attend each December. When we were still working, there were staff parties, of course, but even in retirement there were dinners, dances, and parties. All that seems to have changed and this year we had only one Christmas event to attend together, a catered banquet and program put on by our church.

In 2018 and 2019, I actually sat down in late November and made lists of what I’d wear to each December event, right down to the accessories. It made getting ready so easy, but this year there was no need to do that. Even without all those events, it’s been a busy month and I don’t know how we would have fit in much more, but I do miss all those opportunities to dress up! 

In addition to the church banquet, I did have one other very special event to attend. Last Thursday evening, my daughter-in-law Colleen, granddaughter Harlow, and I had a girls’ night out. We went to see an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre. We even had front row seats. Front row might not actually be the best seats in the house, but for 13-year-old Harlow’s first exposure to professional theatre, being so close to the action was very exciting!

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I saw very few dresses on women in the audience, but I was happy for an opportunity to wear an old favourite of mine, the midnight blue Dream Dress from cabi’s Spring 2019 collection. You first saw it on the blog here. Since it’s winter in Alberta, I wore it over leggings and tall black boots this time. 

After spending the weekend in the city, we got home just in time to get ready for the church banquet on Sunday evening. I pulled the dress out of the suitcase and wore it again, changing only my accessories! That’s one of the things I love about the Dream Dress. The floaty polyester fabric and the underslip take up virtually no space in a suitcase and come out without a wrinkle. 

Speaking of suitcases, I’ll soon be packing for our trip to Vancouver where we’ll be spending Christmas with our oldest son and his family. I don’t know that we’ll have any need for dressy outfits, but I’ll tuck in something that would work just in case. 

 

From self-conscious to self-confident

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Logo by SamHere I am more than half way through a Friday and I haven’t written a Fashion Friday post yet. To tell you the truth, I didn’t think there’d be one today. I usually try to write these posts earlier in the week and have them ready to publish on Friday morning, but this week was a hectic one. I was only home for two and a half days between pre Christmas visits with two of our offspring and their families. I didn’t have time to do any research or even a photo shoot.

The first piece of advice that is usually given to an aspiring writer is to write what you know. Thinking about that this morning, I asked myself why I write about fashion. I have no formal training or experience in the industry. It’s not even a topic that interested me until late in life. So, why fashion? Why these weekly posts? 

When I discovered that an item of clothing or an outfit can change how you feel about yourself, I went from self-conscious to self-confident and that’s something that I wanted to share with my readers. 

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If how we look on the outside makes us feel good on the inside, then it’s important to choose what we wear with intention. Think about what you’re wearing right now. How does it make you feel? Fashion is a form of expression and we all deserve to express ourselves in ways that make us feel confident and joyful. Since we’re all unique that will look different for each of us. For specifics on how to dress with confidence check this post from last month. 

With Christmas just around the corner and plans being made to spend the holiday with another branch of the family, time to write and to explore the topic of fashion might be limited, but I’ll do my best to keep up and to have something to share with you each week. For now, though, there’s a grandbaby to play with and a couple more coming home from school in just a little while. 

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