Fashion Friday!

Elevating your wardrobe with style adjectives

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logo-by-samI was almost finished writing this post when, in spite of saving it several times, it disappeared into thin air! After venting my frustration and calling WordPress a few unmentionable names, I decided to try again. Hopefully I can remember what I was trying to say.

Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of interest in my previous posts about style adjectives, so I thought that that would be a good topic to revisit today. 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.

Almost seven years ago, one of my favourite fashion bloggers, Pamela Lutrell, who writes Over 50, Feeling 40, introduced me to the idea of style adjectives. I initially chose classy, confident, and comfortable to describe my style, but just as our personal style can change over time, so can the words we use to describe it. Although I’ve kept the original three, I later added casual and creative to my list. It’s only by chance that all five words started with C! At one point, I thought about adding colourful to the list because at that time I was trying to add more colour to my wardrobe, but I soon realized that there was a good reason that I always gravitated toward neutrals. Those are the colours that I feel most comfortable in. Eventually, I also realized that creative didn’t really describe my style, so I replaced that word with authentic. According to Merriam-Webster authentic means “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character” and that’s really what style adjectives are all about.

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When I stand in front of the mirror, especially if I’m wearing an outfit that I haven’t worn recently or very often, I run through my five style adjectives… classy, confident, comfortable, casual, and authentic. If the outfit ticks all five boxes, I know that it will communicate the right things about me and that I’ll feel good wearing it. I do the same when I’m shopping for clothes. In the fitting room, I ask myself whether or not an item fits all or most of my adjectives. If not, it doesn’t come home with me.

If style adjectives are a new idea for you, consider taking a look at the list below and choosing three to five words that describe what you’d like your outfits to say about you. If the words you want aren’t on the list, feel free to choose different ones, but try to be specific. Words like nice and pretty are too vague.

approachable           coordinated          glamorous                  sexy
artistic                         creative                   graceful                        soft
authentic                   current                    happy                             sophisticated
bohemian                  cute                          lively                                sporty
bold                             dressy                      minimalistic                 strong
casual                         eclectic                   modest                           stylish
chic                             edgy                          outdoorsy                     tailored
classic                       elegant                    polished                         trendy
classy                        feminine                  preppy                            unique
colourful                  fierce                        quirky                              vibrant
confident                  fun                            relaxed                            youthful
cool                           funky                        responsible                     whimsical

I’d love to know which style adjectives you choose. Why not share them in the comment section below?

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Choosing 10 key wardrobe items for fall

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logo-by-samI was scrolling through Facebook recently when I came across this reel by wardrobe consultant and blogger, Sarah Kelly who calls herself The Haute Homemaker. In it, she shares the ten pieces that she would include if she were starting her wardrobe off from scratch this fall. With them, she says that she could create endless outfit possibilities.

At the time, I was about to begin my seasonal wardrobe switch from spring/summer to fall/winter and I was also thinking about what I would pack for the trip that we’re now on. That led me to ask myself which items I would choose from my fall wardrobe if I had to limit myself to just ten. As I packed away most of my warm weather clothes and brought out the cooler weather ones, I worked on my list. Socks, underwear, and pyjamas didn’t count and unlike Kelly, I decided not to include coats or footwear in my ten. Considering the climate and my lifestyle, I would probably need to include a couple of coats and at least two or three pairs of shoes. That wouldn’t leave me much else to wear!

I seriously thought about including my denim military jacket because it’s new and I love it. It was on the list and off again more than once, as were my dark brown corduroy pants, but neither of them made the final cut. I decided that if I had to I could get away with just two pairs of pants as long as one of them could be dressed up or down. In order to create a variety of outfits that would suit my lifestyle, I decided that the rest should be tops and layering pieces. Most, if not all of my choices, have appeared on the blog before. After much thought, here’s my list:

  1. jeans
  2. navy pinstriped pants
  3. sleeveless top
  4. 3/4 sleeve top
  5. long sleeve t-shirt
  6. long sleeve shirt
  7. pullover sweater
  8. cardigan
  9. lightweight hoodie
  10. Uniqlo ultralight down vest

Depending on where you live and what stage of life you’re at, if you were to make a similar list, yours might look entirely different from mine. I’m retired, so mine didn’t have to include items that would be suitable for a work environment although some of them probably would be. On the other hand, until the snow flies, I want to be able to continue to enjoy outdoor pursuits like hiking, so I needed to take that into account.

Now, here are some of the outfits I created with the ten pieces. I’ve included both casual and dressier looks. As you can see, I could easily create more by mixing and matching. I could also vary these looks with different accessories and footwear.

I’m faking! Hubby was raking leaves when I interrupted him to take photos for the blog.

The key word in this exercise is if. I’m not actually going to limit myself to only these ten items and while I did pack most of them, I also have a few other pieces with me on this trip. I do, however, remember my self-imposed fashion fast during the fall of 2021 when I wore only six items from my closet for 30 days. I definitely learned to be more creative in coming up with different ways to combine the same pieces and I also put a lot of thought into how to use accessories to add variety.

Just doing this exercise, thinking about which pieces I wear most often and which are most essential to me, has had two definite benefits. It has reminded me that I, like most people, have way more clothes than I really need and it’s shown me a gap in this season’s wardrobe that I’d like to fill. Maybe more about that in a future post, but for now, I have miles to go and people to see!

‘Annibirthday’ week: what I wore

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logo-by-samWe call the first week of October ‘annibirthday’ week as our wedding anniversary (48th this year) and my birthday both fall within that week. Today I thought I’d share a few of the things we did and some of the outfits I wore during the week. 

Although our anniversary is actually October 2nd, we celebrated a day early this year because hubby had an appointment in Camrose, a small city about an hour from home, that morning. Yes, at our age appointments sometimes happen even during annibirthday week, but thankfully this was a routine and uncomplicated one. Since there are many more restaurants in Camrose to choose from for a nice celebratory meal than there are in our tiny town of less than 1000 people, I went along with him and after his appointment we enjoyed a fabulous anniversary lunch at Marrow, a lovely restaurant housed in a historic feed mill. The bison burgers were delicious, the service excellent, and we loved the vintage decor. 

Since I was shopping while hubby was at his appointment and we had some outdoor pursuits planned for after lunch, I dressed for comfort. I wore dark wash jeans and the cozy Checkmate Jacket from cabi that hubby gave me for my birthday in 2019. It has become a fall favourite. Under the jacket I wore a dark green top with three-quarter length sleeves that was thrifted a couple of years ago.

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You would have to zoom in very close to see the tiny pearl drop necklace that I also wore. It was a gift from hubby 43 years ago on our 5th wedding anniversary! Interestingly, we celebrated that anniversary with dinner in that very same historic feed mill. The restaurant was under different management back then and looks entirely different inside now, but as I recall, the food was just as good. 

After lingering over lunch, we went for a 2.3 km walk around beautiful Mirror Lake in the middle of town and then played a round of disc golf, a sport that we’ve recently taken up and that I’m quite bad at! We finished the afternoon with lattes at GOAT Coffee, a favourite stop of ours when we’re in town. A sugar-free caramel latte with whipped cream from GOAT is the only time coffee crosses my lips.  

The following day, our actual anniversary, was a quiet stay-at-home day. I spent quite awhile doing some travel planning, but more about that in future posts.

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This is where I can often be found when I’m at home; on the end of the couch reading or using my laptop. In fact, this is where the blog usually happens. In the photo I’m wearing what could be called my style uniform at this time of year. Simply put, a style uniform is an outfit formula that you wear on repeat; a combination of clothing that make you feel most like yourself. Mine consists of blue jeans and a shirt or top that’s a step above a simple t-shirt or sweatshirt. This shirt, from Gap, was thrifted last year. It has a thin gold metallic thread running through the darker horizontal stripes elevating the look a little bit and the plaid pattern matches at the side seams, always a sign of good quality. 

For my birthday, on October 5th, we drove about an hour from home to the tiny village of Donalda where we started with a lovely lunch at the Coulee Tea House, another favourite of ours. 

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I wore a variation of my style uniform; a pair of charcoal jeans with a very lightweight striped boatneck sweater that was thrifted in 2022. I chose the sweater as a base layer for the hike that we planned to do after lunch, but I dressed it up for lunch by adding a scarf. 

For the hike, I left the scarf in the vehicle and added several layers for warmth. When we started out, it was only 12ºC (53.6F) and there was a stiff wind blowing. I may have looked a bit like the Michelin Man, but I didn’t want to be cold!

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As it turned out, the temperature climbed and the wind began to die down. Before long, I was stripping off layers and stuffing them in our backpack. Soon, the sweater and my light hoodie were all I needed. 

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Just an old gal and an old car!

The 5.15 km hike brought my 150 day walking/hiking challenge to an end with a total of exactly 330 km, 30 km beyond my goal! When we were done, we returned to the Tea House for a birthday cupcake and another pot of tea. They have 34 varieties to choose from!  

For church on annibirthday week Sunday, I wanted to style my recently purchased denim military jacket in a new way. I had a skirt in mind that I’d had for about 20 years and hadn’t worn for quite awhile, but apparently I’m thicker in the middle than I was back then. When I put it on, I couldn’t zip it up so it was set aside to donate and I wore this dress instead. I finished the look with a pair of blue suede ballet flats. 

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Now that annibirthday week is over, we’re looking forward to celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday with one of our daughters-in-law’s family. I do love October! So many things to celebrate! 

Stirrup pants: a fashion flashback

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logo-by-samWe all know that fashion repeats itself. If we wait long enough a style comes around again, although in some cases I really wonder why. After all, isn’t once sometimes enough? A perfect example of this is stirrup pants! Yes, that strange trend from the 1980s and early 90s is back again!

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Stirrup pants weren’t a new creation of the 80s. They actually originated as equestrian gear in the 1920s. When women started to move away from riding sidesaddle and began wearing riding breeches similar to men’s, the straps were designed to keep their pants firmly in place inside their boots. Later, the style was adopted by skiers who first wore stirrup pants during the winter Olympics in Germany in the 1930s. Then came the fitness craze of the 1980s and stirrup pants made a comeback, but not just in the gym where they make a certain amount of sense. No, this time they became mainstream fashion.  

There’s almost always something a wee bit different about a style when it comes around again. This time, the stirrups are being made longer so that they can be worn outside the shoe instead of inside! As if stirrup pants weren’t already weird enough!

Also, keep in mind that many of the most recent iteration of stirrup pants are actually stirrup leggings and ladies, leggings are not pants! Unless you’re wearing them in the gym, please keep those butts covered.

I suspect that you’ve probably already guessed that I’m not adding stirrup pants to my fashion wish list. I wore them in the 80s, but this time around, I’ll pass. They weren’t comfortable or flattering then and I doubt that they’d be any more so now.  

What about you? Would you consider wearing them?

Images: Pinterest

Styling a denim military jacket

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logo-by-samThe last thing that the very helpful saleswoman at Cleo said to me as she packaged up my latest purchase was that she hoped I’d have fun styling it with different items from my closet and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. As soon as I saw the Denim Military Jacket, I knew that it would be a fun and versatile addition to my wardrobe; one that I could combine with old favourites to create many new looks, both dressy and casual.

Here’s how I wore it to celebrate hubby’s 50 year grad reunion at the University of Alberta last week. I’ve had the dress for many years and it’s appeared on the blog before, but the jacket seemed to give it new life.

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The denim is soft and not too heavy with lots of stretch which makes the jacket very comfortable. Here I’m wearing it with another dress that I’ve had for a long time. In fact, I haven’t worn this one in so long that I was delighted to find that it still fit!

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While the jacket looks great over dresses, it can also be worn more casually. Since we’ve been enjoying lots of lovely warm weather lately, I haven’t done my seasonal closet switch yet, but I dug into storage to try the jacket with my button front skinny cords. I think this combination might look better with tall winter boots, but I’m not bringing those out yet. I try to put winter off for as long as possible!

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Then, of course, there’s this season’s denim on denim trend. For the next photo, I changed out the cords for my favourite jeans. The key to looking good in double denim is to wear a top in a bright contrasting colour. I don’t have many of those in my closet, but I think this one works.

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These are just a few of the ways that I’ll be styling my new Denim Military Jacket this season, so don’t be surprised if it shows up on the blog again!

What elegance is not

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LogoFor the past year and probably longer, my most read blog post has been one that I wrote in September 2020 entitled 50 characteristics of an elegant woman. Every time I look at my stats and see it at the top of the list, I can’t help wondering why. I know that if you google “characteristics of an elegant woman” it’s one of the first items that pops up, but why are so many people looking for information about elegance? Is it something that’s lacking in our world today?  

The dictionary defines elegance as the “quality of being graceful and attractive in appearance or manner”. Elegance is so much more than what we look like or how we dress. It’s the whole package, inside and out. 

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Since this is a topic that is obviously of interest, I thought I’d dive into it a bit deeper today and look at what elegance is not. I love the quote above, but it was also Yves Saint Laurent who said, “We must never confuse elegance with snobbery.” Elegance can’t be bought. A mean-spirited woman in expensive clothes and impeccable makeup isn’t elegant. She’s simply a well-dressed nasty person.

While elegance might sound like an old-fashioned concept, it isn’t only for the elderly or a practice from a bygone era. It’s something that every woman of any age can aspire to.

Perhaps you were brought up with the myth that elegance means conforming and keeping quiet. Not so! As I said in my previous post, an elegant woman isn’t loud or obnoxious, but she graciously and calmly stands up for what she believes in. She isn’t contentious, but at the same time, she isn’t a doormat. Elegance is not weakness! 

While I was writing this, 1 Corinthians, the “love chapter” from the Bible that’s often read at weddings, kept coming to mind, particularly verses 4 and 5. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Everything that is said about love could also be said about elegance! Elegance is patient, it doesn’t envy, it doesn’t boast, it isn’t proud, it doesn’t dishonour others, it’s not self-seeking, it’s not easily angered, and it doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. 

One of the areas where I see a distinct absence of elegance in today’s world is social media. An elegant woman puts her cell phone aside and gives her full attention to the people she’s with. When she’s alone, she doesn’t spend endless hours scrolling on Facebook and getting caught up in pointless debates. She’s careful about what she posts online and doesn’t use social media for self-promotion. 

Elegance isn’t about perfection. It’s about being comfortable with who you are, knowing your limitations, growing from past experiences, and not worrying about the things you can’t control. 

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The right hiking shoe

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screenshot-2024-05-09-at-7.40.11-pmWhile out on the trails earlier this summer, I began to notice that my hiking shoes, now several years old, weren’t as comfortable as they used to be. The shoes themselves were still in good shape, but the insoles no longer provided the cushioning that they once did.

One of the great features of Merrell hiking shoes is that the insoles are removable and can be replaced. Unfortunately, the insoles that I wanted were out of stock in Canada and I couldn’t find any information about if or when they might be available again. I could have ordered them out of the US, but by the time I figured out the exchange on our dollar and the cost of shipping, I decided that the total was more than I wanted to pay for a simple pair of insoles. Instead, I decided to order brand new hiking shoes and I knew exactly what I wanted!

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The Merrell Moab 3 was rated the #1 Best Overall Hiking Shoe for 2024 by Good Housekeeping and I’ve known for a long time that I wanted my next pair to be the boot style to provide extra ankle support. I wouldn’t normally order shoes online, but because these are my third pair of Merrells, I was quite confident that they would fit well.

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The Moab 3 comes in a variety of colours. You might think that I chose blue to coordinate with the Tensor knee wrap that I’ve been wearing on my arthritic left knee while hiking this summer, but I actually chose it because it was on sale for $50 less than the earth tone ones I might otherwise have chosen! 

I firmly believe that good quality shoes that fit properly shouldn’t need to be broken in and this pair was definitely proof of that! Straight out of the box, I gave them an excellent test run hiking three days in a row over a variety of terrain in Big Knife Provincial Park. The first two trails were easy ones, but the third one involved some very uneven ground and a couple of tricky climbs that required stability and surefootedness.

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This turkey vulture and his buddies were hanging around, perhaps hoping that I wouldn’t make it up that very steep slope. The shoes didn’t let me down though and they were comfortable from the moment I put them on until I took them off again.  

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We actually left the trails and climbed up to the top of a bluff where we’d never been before. The view was well worth it! 

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I wonder where else these lightweight, waterproof hiking shoes are going to take me? I’m sure we’ll have many great adventures together!  

Please note that this is not a sponsored post. I’m simply a big fan of Merrell hiking shoes and wanted to share that with you.  

How to dress for an online meeting

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logo-by-samIn an era when online meetings have become the norm for many people, I’m about four years late to the party with this week’s topic, but as a retiree, it’s one that I haven’t had to deal with until quite recently. Of course, I was chatting online with family and friends long before Covid shut the world down and forced us to begin interacting virtually, but those were informal chats. I could have worn pyjamas and no one would have cared!

Now, however, since becoming more and more involved with patient advocacy, I’m beginning to find myself talking with professional people on a somewhat regular basis. As a patient representative, there’s no set dress code, but I’m convinced that what I say will be taken more seriously if I present myself well. I also know that I’ll feel more confident. At the same time, I want to look natural, not like I’m trying too hard. After all, I’m meeting from home, not in a formal boardroom.

Here are a few of the tips that I’ve learned:

  • choose solid colours or subtle prints – bold patterns and prints can be distracting and take attention away from your face
  • overly bright or extremely dark colours don’t look good on camera and solid white can make your face look washed out (it does that to mine in real life too)
  • choose uncomplicated necklines – a classic collar, crew neck or v-neck works well
  • wear clothes that fit well – not slouchy or loose fitting
  • avoid logos and graphics
  • choose simple accessories that won’t be a distraction
  • good grooming matters – make sure your hair and makeup (if applicable) are done
  • if you wear glasses, make sure they have non-reflective lenses
  • don’t wear sunglasses or hats
  • dress from head to toe, not head to waist – you never know when you might have to stand up!
  • keep comfort in mind – being at ease in your outfit will be a natural confidence booster

Even though I don’t have a professional wardrobe, I can easily follow these guidelines and pull items from my closet that will work well for the meetings I attend.

And finally, a couple of other pointers to improve your online appearance:

  • avoid fluorescent lights and overhead lights if possible – ideally, the light should come from behind the camera and shine on your face
  • position the camera at or slightly above eye level and situate yourself so that you fill most of the screen
  • keep the background uncluttered or blur it if the online tool you’re using allows

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Image by Alexandra Koch from Pixabay

Shopping our closets for fall 2024 trends

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logo-by-samI’m always reluctant to admit that it’s time to think about fall or to talk about fall fashions, but days are getting shorter and nights are getting chillier. Whether I like it or not, there’s a hint of autumn in the air. With that in mind, I thought I’d take a look at some of the fashion trends for fall 2024, not because I plan to go shopping anytime soon, but because I want to shop my closet to see which ones might already be there. Perhaps you’d like to do the same.

When thinking about trends, keep in mind that just because something is popular at the moment doesn’t mean that you have to wear it. A stylish woman knows what’s trending then chooses what to incorporate into her wardrobe based on her own taste, personal style, body type, and lifestyle.

Fall is a time to get cozy. Wraps, shawls, oversized scarves, and capes are definitely having a moment. I’ll be pulling out two pashminas that I bought in the market in Siem Reap, Cambodia in early 2009 as well as a couple of wraps that feel like warm hugs. I especially love this one which was a gift from my son and his family who reside on the BC coast.

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Like wraps and shawls, turtlenecks are warm and cozy. Never completely out of style, they’re especially popular this fall. I used to love wearing them and wish I still could, but since I had major neck surgery to remove a cancerous tumour I no longer find them comfortable.

Denim dresses and skirts will be popular this fall and double denim, once considered a fashion faux pas, is actually on-trend this season. I don’t have a dress or a skirt in this always popular fabric, but I do have both dark and light denim shirts. When I do go shopping, I’ll be on the lookout for a denim shirt dress, something that’s been on my wish list for awhile already.

Wide leg jeans are still on-trend, but so are straight legs and is it possible that skinny jeans are also coming back? Actually, I don’t think they ever completely went away.

This fall’s blazers have a nipped in at the waist hourglass shape and classic tweeds, herringbone, and suiting fabrics are popular. I’m thinking that this one, which you’ve seen on the blog before, fits the bill fairly well. Leftover from my teaching days, it’s a bit snug now, but as long as I don’t try to button it, which I wouldn’t do anyway, I think it works. For a classy casual look, try pairing an on-trend blazer with jeans, a tank top or t-shirt, and a ladylike shoe.

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Speaking of shoes, there’s a move toward elegance in women’s footwear. Ballet flats continue to be popular, but Mary Janes, kitten heels, pointed toes, and slingback styles are back in vogue. Did you happen to notice the elegant kitten heels that Michelle Obama wore with her MONSE suit when she spoke at the Democratic National Convention last week? If not, check out the photo in last Friday’s post. I have a similar, but probably much less expensive, pair that I haven’t worn in ages. Perhaps I’ll wear them again this fall.

Popular colours this fall will include soft buttery yellow, warm browns (toffee, chocolate, expresso), burgundy or wine, deep green, olive green, teal, and navy. There was a time when brown was my go-to neutral and my closet was full of it. Over time, however, I’ve gravitated more toward navy. I still like brown though, so perhaps this fall or winter when it’s still readily available would be a good time to add a bit more brown back into my wardrobe. A pop of red is also on-trend for fall. Think a red handbag, scarf, or red shoes. This pair ticks three fall fashion boxes… kitten heels, slingback, and red!

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Finally, animal prints, especially leopard, are still in style for fall. I definitely have a few tops in that print that I will continue to wear.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list and as you can see, there’s plenty of crossover from last fall meaning that, like me, you can probably find some of these trends in your closet without having to go shopping.

Not really a fashion post

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logo-by-samI expected the blog to be quieter than usual over the summer months. In fact, I warned you about that at the end of this post back in June. I didn’t expect it to be totally silent for the past three weeks though! The fact that we’ve only been home for a total of six days during that time has had much to do with that, but there’s also been the thought that I don’t want to write and post simply for the sake of writing and posting. I don’t want to contribute to the “noise” of social media unless I actually have something worth saying.

When I introduced Fashion Friday back in March of 2016, I wondered how long I’d be able to keep it going. How soon would I run out of things to write about? More than eight years later, I’m actually surprised that it’s lasted this long! While I’m not ready to retire the topic yet, I do admit that I’m finding it more and more difficult to come up with new and interesting content. This might mean some changes to the blog in coming months, but at the moment that’s just something I’m mulling over. In the meantime, there will be a real Fashion Friday post next week that will look at some trends for fall.

One thing I tend to steer away from on the blog is politics. As a Canadian, I’m watching from the sidelines as the campaign south of our border unfolds, but I realize that its outcome affects all of us. We’re part of a global community.

I was especially inspired by former first lady Michelle Obama’s emotional, but fiery speech at the DNC in Chicago on Tuesday. If you haven’t watched her speech, it’s well worth tuning in for the entire 20 minutes here. Hope is indeed making a comeback! Hope is my one word for 2024 and for me it has been an especially meaningful one.

While this isn’t really a fashion post, I must make mention of the stunning outfit that Michelle Obama chose for her speech. There was clearly symbolism in the futuristic design of the midnight blue MONSE Resort 2025 Crisscross Jacket and Tuxedo Pant as she spoke about hope for the future of her nation.  “In 77 days, we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division, and smallness of the past. We have the power to marry our hope with our action.”

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