Colour

Thinking about boots

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Winter’s arrival is later than usual this year. We haven’t seen a snowflake yet which is highly unusual, but the weather forecast tells us they’re coming soon. I’m definitely not a fan of the season as it’s always way too long and too cold here on the Canadian prairie, but one thing that I do look forward to every year is wearing boots. 

This week, I decided that I’d put off bringing my winter boots out of storage for as long as I could. It was time to get them ready for the season. That involved cleaning and polishing the ones that needed it, then waterproofing all of them with a protective spray. 

Getting ready for winter also involved saying a sad goodbye to two pairs of boots. The tall brown ones that I bought second hand back in 2019 were too worn out to continue wearing and a cute pair of ankle boots, also brown and also thrifted, were donated again. As much as I loved them, they hurt my feet, so I decided to take my own advice from last week’s post and not sacrifice comfort for style.

That leaves me without any brown boots. I have one pair of tall black boots and four pairs of ankle boots in various colours and styles, so I don’t really need more, but since I love brown and it’s very much on trend this year, I might keep my eye out for a pair or two. After all, can you really have too many pairs of boots? 

Image: ChatGPT

A vintage thrift store find

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Fashion Friday is back today!

Out for a walk one day last week, I decided to stop in at the local thrift store and look what I found!

Although my wardrobe is largely made up of neutrals, the colourful vintage jacket immediately caught my attention and the sleeveless yellow top worked perfectly with it. I didn’t have my Spring colour swatches with me, but I knew immediately that these were Spring colours. Look how many of them are represented on my swatches.

Typically, clothing is considered vintage if it’s at least 20 years old. Three things tell me that my jacket was probably made in the 1980s meaning that it would definitely qualify.

  1. It has shoulder pads which peaked in popularity in the 80s, but since they’re presently making a comeback my jacket might be right in style again soon!
  2. Neon colours were also all the rage in the 80s.
  3. It’s size 12 and I haven’t worn size 12 since, well probably the 80s! The fact that I usually wear size 8 now doesn’t mean that I’ve shrunk though. Over the years, so-called vanity sizing has changed what the numbers on clothing mean. As North American women have grown physically larger, brands have shifted their metrics to make shoppers feel skinnier – so much so that a women’s size 12 in 1958 is now a size 6.

Regardless of what the number on the tag says, the jacket fit perfectly. I particularly like the way that it nips in a bit at the waist giving my boyish body a slightly more feminine shape.

The tag also tells me that the jacket should be dry cleaned, but since it’s made of 97% cotton, I didn’t think that was necessary. I always wash thrifted clothes before I wear them, so I put the jacket in a mesh laundry bag, put it through my washing machine’s hand wash cycle, hung it to dry, and ironed it with a warm iron. It came out looking perfect.

For today’s photos, I’ve styled the yellow top and the jacket with a pair of dark wash jeans, but I can also visualize them with white jeans. With all those bright colours in it, the jacket is very versatile. For a dressier look, I think it would look quite stunning over a column of black. Perhaps I’ll try that next!

Embracing the blues

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Logo by SamNo, I’m not talking about a music genre or even that melancholy feeling that sometimes overtakes us. In fact, I can’t help wondering why a beautiful, soothing colour like blue is associated with sadness, but here I go waxing on about words again instead of the topic of today’s post which is the many shades of blue that are said to be on trend for spring and summer 2024.

As a child, I wore a lot of blue. Whenever my mother, my aunt, or my grandmother bought clothing for my sister and I, they gave us the same thing, but hers was always pink and mine was blue. That was okay with me. I preferred blue and I still gravitate toward it today. The fact that there’s still a lot of blue in my wardrobe definitely bodes well for the coming season.

An icy powder blue was one of the colours that dominated this season’s runways. It was shown in everything from sweaters and coats to lighter gauzier garments as well as accessories. If you’re looking to add a pop of colour to your wardrobe this spring, pastel blue would be an easy, versatile choice that isn’t too bold or overbearing.

In between working on this post, I was scrolling Facebook when an ad for this handbag popped up, a perfect example of this season’s most popular blue.  

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While pale blue was the most popular, many other shades of blue were also evident on the spring/summer runways. Chambray blue is a soft grey blue that has the look of well-worn or light wash denim and is great for a casual look.

Bright, clear cobalt blue is a bolder look, but because it’s neither warm nor cool, it’s a universal colour that looks good on everyone and works well with almost every other colour.

Of course, once you look at one ad on Facebook, others begin to pop up, so here’s a lovely tunic in cobalt. Just so you know, I’m not an ambassador for Cleo, nor do I receive any compensation if you purchase from them, but they are one of my favourite Canadian fashion retailers.

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Midnight blue or “almost navy” is another popular choice for this season. Darker than the traditional navy, midnight blue is generally considered the darkest shade of blue and can almost be mistaken for black. Projecting sophistication and elegance, midnight blue, like black, conveys formality. It would be a great choice for those of us with warm skin tones who don’t look good in black.

Blue doesn’t always represent sadness. The colour of the ocean and the sky, it often symbolizes serenity and tranquility and is thought to have a calming effect. Perhaps that’s why it’s commonly used for hospital gowns. I’ll be wearing one of those on March 11 when I finally undergo my radioembolization treatment, so hopefully it helps give me a feeling of peace!

Wearing navy and rust

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Navy is often considered a neutral colour because, like black and grey, it’s a good base colour that plays well with just about every other colour. Perhaps that’s why I like dark wash jeans so much. They go with almost everything. That’s not as true of my rust coloured corduroy skinnies. I often pair them with cream, but when I tried them with navy, I knew I’d found another combo that worked. 

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Except for the slippers, I’m dressed in head to toe cabi here. Though you probably can’t see them very well in the photos, even my earrings are from cabi. The pants are from the fall 2020 season and the lightweight striped pullover is from fall 2017. It has been a workhorse in my wardrobe for the past six years and it’s beginning to show it’s age. It’s cost per wear would be so low that it definitely doesn’t owe me a thing and I’m keeping my eye out for something similar to replace it with when it’s no longer wearable. 

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For some reason, this colour combination reminds me of my mother. She was an artist who loved colour. When she decided to redecorate our living room with a blue carpet and an orange couch back in the early 1960s, I remember being somewhat skeptical. That’s when she sat me down and taught me about the colour wheel and complementary colours. Colours that are opposite one another on the wheel go well together, she told me. I guess Mom knew what she was talking about! 

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Perhaps it’s Christmas and not just colours that has me reminiscing about family, so let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, I hope Santa is good to you!  

What I wore for a Christmas event

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I really didn’t want to buy anything new for the few Christmas events that we’d be attending this season, but I did take a look at what was in the stores. It quickly became obvious that I didn’t need to buy anything. Everything I saw was either black, red, or sparkly and I already had similar items in my closet from Christmases past. Here’s what I wore for a banquet that we attended last Sunday evening.

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I started with a pair of wide-legged black pants that have been in my wardrobe since the last time wide legs were in style! A sleeveless top, also several years old, added a bit of sparkle and a hint of red. After trying on several possible toppers, I settled on a cozy sweater jacket that I purchased at one of our local thrift stores a few winters ago. I tend to feel chilly much of the time, but I knew that even if the venue was a bit cool, I’d be warm enough dressed this way.

I accessorized the outfit with a pair of sparkly earrings and a necklace that also has a bit of sparkle. The little vintage evening bag is big enough to hold everything I need for an evening out and is one of my favourite second-hand finds. While I could have taken a pair of dressy shoes to change into, I decided that I’d just wear my red ankle boots and leave them on.

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Although a few women were dressed more formally or fancier than I was, others were dressed more casually. Neither overdressed nor underdressed, I felt very much at ease in my ‘middle of the road’ outfit.  It fit my five style adjectives… classy, comfortable, casual, confident, and authentic.

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The impact of the Barbie movie on fashion

/ edebock / 5 Comments

Screenshot 2023-08-14 at 11.58.52 AMEver since the Barbie movie, featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was released last month, women and girls of every age (and men too) have been flocking to the theatres dressed in pink. Pink is definitely having a big moment in the fashion world!

Historically, pink was just another colour worn by men and women alike and, in many parts of the world, it still is. In North America, however, it’s been considered a feminine colour since the 1920s when US department stores arbitrarily made the decision that blue would be for boys and pink for girls. Later came an era when pink was thought to be too girly. Women who loved pink weren’t taken seriously and boys who wore pink were accused of being gay. All those stereotypes have been shattered by the Barbie movie phenomenon.

Living where I do, two hours from a major shopping mall, I haven’t been in a clothing store for quite awhile, but a quick look at a few of my favourite Canadian retailers online turned up an amazing array of pink; every shade of pink imaginable, but especially Barbie’s iconic hot pink.

There were casual clothes, of course, like this tank top and wide-legged linen cargo pants from Reitmans.

But also dressier pieces like this satin wrap skirt from Ricki’s.

Satin Wrap Skirt Ricki's

And even business appropriate suits and blazers like these from Cleo and Ricki’s.

Cropped Pant Suit Cleo

Single Breasted Blazer Ricki's

I can imagine Barbie wearing a bright pink trench coat, can’t you? This one’s from Reitmans.

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The only pink in my wardrobe is a couple of golf shirts and special bright pink hoodie that I’ve had for many years, but if I was in the market for new walking shoes, I’d definitely consider these Asics from the Marks website!

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But, back to the Barbie movie. I haven’t seen it myself and I don’t know that I will, but I did see a trailer that looked like it might be fun. What is it though that is drawing huge crowds to a movie about a doll having an existential crisis and venturing into the real world? Certainly one of the things driving the phenomenon is nostalgia. Women who grew up playing with Barbie can relive a part of their childhood and in many cases, share the experience with their daughters and granddaughters.

I never had a Barbie doll. I was 6 when Mattel officially introduced her to the world on March 9, 1959. Perhaps my mother was a woman before her time, but from the beginning, she didn’t like the unrealistic beauty standards presented by the doll. About that time, she and my father made a trip to the States. There, she bought my little sister a Vogue Ginny doll and me a Jan. Compared to Barbie, with her ridiculously minuscule waist, Jan had some meat on her bones and was definitely more pleasing to my mother’s sensibilities. Somewhat later, my sister and I both received a Tammy doll for Christmas. Tammy was created by the Ideal Toy Company and made her debut in 1962. She was portrayed as an American teenager with a “girl next door” image. Although I didn’t have a Barbie, I did have her younger sister, Skipper, and she was probably my favourite of the three.

Perhaps for girls and women who did grow up with Barbie, her iconic pink evokes not only nostalgia, but a sense of fun and escape to a time when life was more carefree and joyful. That would certainly explain the crowds dressed in pink lining up at the box offices and the influx of pink in clothing stores this summer!

What about you? Did you play with Barbie? Have you seen the movie? If so, did you dress in pink? I’d love to know your thoughts on the movie, the hoopla surrounding it, or the colour pink in general.

Always try it on

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Logo by SamAt 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.

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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.

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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?

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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

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Logo by Sam

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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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! 

How to dress for confidence

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Logo by SamIn last Friday’s post about fighting invisibility with fashion, I wrote that we should wear what makes us feel confident, but how do we do that? To begin with, let’s think about what we mean by confidence. An article in Psychology Today, defines it as “a belief in oneself, the conviction that one has the ability to meet life’s challenges and to succeed – and the willingness to act accordingly.” It went on to say that projecting confidence helps us gain credibility, make strong first impressions, deal with pressure, and tackle personal and professional challenges. It also helps put other people at ease. So, what does all this have to do with how we dress?

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When you know that what you’re wearing looks good, it’s empowering. It gives you a sense of confidence and strength. It makes you feel like your best self and helps you hold your head a little bit higher. In psychology, this idea that what we wear influences who we are or how we think, act, or feel is called enclothed cognition.

Style confidence is something you can learn. Here are ten tips to help you dress confidently:

1.  Know which colours look best on you. 

Knowing whether your skin has cool or warm undertones can help in choosing the colours that are best for you. An easy way to figure this out is to look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they look blue or green? If they appear more blue, you are cool-toned; if they’re more green, you’re warm-toned. The study of colour can be a complex one, but essentially, if you are cool-toned, take your inspiration from the cool end of the spectrum. Bright blues, deep purples, emerald greens, and frosty shades of lavender, ice blue, and pink will look good on you. If you’re warm-toned, look to the warm end of the spectrum for your best colours. Think fiery reds, peach, coral, oranges and rusty tones, creams, camel, and earth tones.

2.  Know your body type.

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While exercise and healthy eating can make some difference, your body shape depends largely on genetics and skeletal structure. A quick search online will result in many videos and articles to help you dress to flatter your unique shape. Designer, Justine Leconte, created a video series on this topic several years ago. You can find the introductory video here and then go from there to explore your own body type.

3.  Emphasize your best features and play down your least favourite. 

This tip goes hand in hand with the previous one. Once you’ve identified your body type, consider which of your features you’d like to highlight and which you’d prefer to draw attention away from. For example, if your waistline is one of your best features, you may want to show it off by tucking in your top and wearing an eye-catching belt. I, on the other hand, have a rectangular body shape with very little definition at the waist. Add the thickening of that region that invariably seems to come with age, and that’s a part of my body that I’d rather not emphasize.

4.  Know your personal style. 

Style is how we personalize what the fashion industry produces. One way to identify your personal style is to choose 3 to 5 adjectives to guide your fashion choices. Check here for an exercise that will help you do that. Pinterest is another excellent tool to help you identify or clarify your own style. This post will show you how that works.

5.  Dress for the occasion. 

When it comes to clothing, we seem to have become an anything goes society, but you will definitely feel more confident when you dress appropriately. That doesn’t mean following a bunch of archaic fashion rules, but simply being sensitive to the occasion and the location. For example, if you’re going to a job interview, find out what type of company it is and what the work environment is like, then dress accordingly. For any event, when in doubt, I recommend erring on the dressier side.

6.  Wear what you feel most comfortable in. 

I mean that literally. If you find walking in high heels uncomfortable, choose flatter shoes. If a particular fabric is uncomfortable against your skin, avoid it. If something feels too tight, don’t wear it. In my opinion, comfort is key to feeling good in what we wear.  As far as styles go, while I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and try new looks, if something is going to make you feel self-conscious or uncomfortable, don’t wear it.

7.  Get rid of clothes that make you feel second-rate. 

If there are pieces in your closet that don’t fit, aren’t the right colour for you, don’t suit your body type or your personal style, or that make you feel uncomfortable, now is the time to move them out! Reserve the space in your closet for things that make you happy.

8.  Don’t try to copy someone else or be someone you aren’t. 

Don’t compare yourself to others or try to copy them. Take inspiration from women whose style you admire, but be yourself. Mimicking someone else won’t give you the confidence you’re looking for.

9.  Don’t be so hard on yourself. 

What do you say to yourself when you look in the mirror? What negative thoughts do you repeat about yourself? A woman who values herself accepts and appreciates who she is, including her imperfections, so stop beating yourself up! Instead, practice positive and respectful self-talk.

10.  Wear what you love, not what anyone else tells you you should wear. 

Shopping with friends can be a lot of fun, but their taste might be different than yours. Consider their advice, but resist buying something that they like unless you know that it’s actually right for you. Similarly, don’t let the fashion industry dictate what you wear. As I said in my last post, wear what makes your heart sing!

Fighting invisibility with fashion

/ edebock / 5 Comments

Logo by SamIf you haven’t read the first two instalments of this series about age related invisibility or Invisible Woman Syndrome, you can find them here and here. Today we’ll bring the series to a close by looking at how style can help us be more visible.

We could dress like 101-year-old style icon, Iris Apfel, but that might not be our best option!

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Instead, let’s begin by thinking about style adjectives. What do you want your appearance to say about you? I’m sure you wouldn’t pick words like old, tired, or boring. No! Instead, we want to tell the world around us that we are current, confident, approachable, and comfortable with who we are. So, how do we do that?

Notice that I didn’t include words like young, youthful, or trendy. We want to be noticed for who we are, not for trying to be something we’re not. Those of us who’ve been around for 50 years or more are never going to be young again, nor do most of us want to be, but great style is possible no matter how old you are. Pay attention to trends, but add them to your wardrobe judiciously. Stay abreast of what’s modern, fresh, and relevant, but consider adding bits that are on-trend to an otherwise classic wardrobe.

Vibrant, visible women ignore so-called fashion rules and dismiss antiquated ideas of what’s “age-appropriate”. Instead, wear what makes you feel confident and present. Wear what makes your heart sing! When you do that, you’ll walk into a room with a bounce in your step and your head held high and people will notice. Being visible is about more than what you wear; it’s about attitude!

Don’t be afraid to wear colour. Neutrals might form the core of your wardrobe, but you don’t want to look drab. Even a small pop of colour can add interest and visibility to an outfit. Just make sure that you know which colours suit your skin tone and wear those close to your face.

Play with accessories. A statement necklace, an interesting bracelet, a colourful scarf, or a unique handbag will help you stand out.

Finally, wear a smile! It’s an inexpensive fashion accessory that’s available to everyone! Research has actually shown that people who smile regularly appear more confident and are more likely to be approached by others.

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And it doesn’t cost a cent!