Fashion

Would you wear them?

/ edebock / 6 Comments

LogoWith a friend who just flew home from Europe self-isolating and our own travel plans nixed for the foreseeable future, we are as aware as anyone else of the seriousness of the rapidly spreading and sometimes deadly COVID-19 virus. The outbreak in a North Vancouver care centre is just 1 km (0.6 mile) from our oldest son’s home and there’s now a confirmed case in Vegreville, the town 106 km (66 miles) northwest of here where my sister lives. All around us, events are being cancelled to help prevent further spread of the disease.

Clearly, this pandemic is no laughing matter, but I can’t help shaking my head in bewilderment over people stockpiling toilet paper! Toilet paper, of all things! I can understand the wisdom in having a reasonable supply of essential items on hand in case of any emergency, including the need to self-isolate, but panic buying of case upon case of toilet paper is absolutely ludicrous!

So, what does all this have to do with fashion? Not very much, actually, but in light of the present situation I have to ask, would you wear this?

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T-shirt available here.

If not, perhaps you’d prefer something slightly more unobtrusive.

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Earrings available here.

Would you wear them?

What’s in the suitcase this time?

/ edebock / 22 Comments

LogoI didn’t actually think that there was going to be a Fashion Friday post this week. Life threw us an unexpected curve a few days ago when we learned that my very frail 96-year-old father had taken a turn for the worse. He isn’t expected to live and we’re once again on our way to Vancouver.

There were a lot of details that we had to take care of at home in order to clear our calendars and get on our way. Very little thought or planning went into what’s in our suitcase. Thankfully, we travel a lot and packing has become second nature to me. When I looked at the clothes laying on the bed in our guest room, which doubles as my packing room, I realized that I’d automatically chosen mostly neutrals and that everything coordinated so that I could put together many outfits with just a few items. The latter is a very important key to packing well.

We spent many hours on the road yesterday and at one point I found myself thinking about what was in the suitcase. I came to the realization that, for the most part, I’d packed what might best be referred to as comfort clothes. Comfortable, yes, but also comforting. Clothes like my grey and white Breton t-shirt and my tan cords that feel like old friends. I may not be a shining fashionista in the things that I packed, but in these challenging days, I’ll be dressed in clothes that bring me comfort.

What about you? Do you have clothes that you instinctively reach for on days when you need comforting?

Fashion trends for spring 2020

/ edebock / 8 Comments

LogoIt’s still winter here on the Canadian prairie and will be for a couple more months, but when February rolls around I always begin to think about spring. Today, let’s take a look at 11 fashion trends for the season that lies ahead. I must be getting old as I’ve seen many of them come and go before. In fact, this season looks very much like a 1970s rerun!

1.  Crochet  

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Definitely not your Grandma’s doilies, but crochet is being seen in dresses, suits, tops, and evening wear. Runway looks are usually a little over the top for most of us, but I have fond memories of a crocheted vest in my high school years and I could certainly see myself wearing something like this.

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2.  Hot Pants  For those of you who weren’t around in the 70s and may not yet be familiar with the term, hot pants are teeny, tiny, ultra short shorts worn not as beach wear, but for much dressier occasions. Back in the day, I thought I was quite something in my black velveteen hot pants, but looking back I suspect that they weren’t particularly flattering with my toothpick legs. This is one trend I definitely won’t be revisiting!

3.  Neon Colours  You’ll never see me in head to toe fluorescents, but it would be easy to add a touch of this trend to your spring wardrobe by opting for a neon accessory. Perhaps a pair of sneakers, a purse, a scarf, or even a simple bracelet.

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4.  Bras  We’re not talking under garments or exercise wear here, but bras worn under blazers or alone with high waisted pants and skirts. Again, not something I’ll be wearing!

5. Suits With Shorts  If I was still teaching instead of happily retired, I could definitely see myself investing in one of these menswear inspired suits with Bermuda shorts. It’s a nice take on business casual and if the trend doesn’t last, the pieces could still be worn separately.

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6.  Vests  Here’s another masculine inspired trend. Vests are being worn as part of three piece suits, mismatched with a blazer, or alone. I’m kicking myself for getting rid of the ones I wore back in the 80s or 90s. If I still had them, I’d definitely wear them again.

7.  Psychedelic Prints  Think 1960s wallpaper!

8.  Leather  Once reserved for fall and winter, leather is having a moment this spring. Brightly coloured and buttery soft, leather is appearing as skirts, pants, jackets, and coats. I’ll definitely be getting out my leather jackets as soon as the weather warms up a bit.

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9.  Polka Dots  Big dots, little dots, colourful dots, dots on dresses, dots on pants, dots on shoes… polka dots are everywhere! This is a trend that’s been around for awhile and shows no signs of fading. It’s one that I haven’t fully embraced yet, but I actually like both these looks. It’s also a trend that’s easy to introduce in smaller amounts with polka dotted accessories.

10.  See-through Sheer  Chiffon and tulle create airy looks that no woman in her right mind is going to wear as shown on the runway, but I’m sure we’ll see this trend translated into looks that will be very wearable. I’m thinking of sheer sleeves and overlays.

11.  Trench Coats  Nothing says spring like a practical, dependable trench coat. This is another trend that isn’t going anywhere. This year we’re seeing classic beige as well as some lovely feminine colours.

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Clearly mine is still in style and I look forward to wearing it again!

Will you be wearing any of these trends this spring? If so, which ones? Do tell!

It’s all about pockets

/ edebock / 10 Comments

LogoHave you ever wondered why women carry purses and men don’t? It’s all about pockets… and history.

Pockets as we know them didn’t come into being until the 17th century. Prior to that time, both men and women wore bags tied to their waists or suspended from belts, a bit like modern day fanny packs. As the world became more urban and criminals more sophisticated, people began to hide these “pockets” under layers of clothing to keep their contents safe from pickpockets.

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Woman’s “pockets” – mid 1700s – Victoria and Albert Museum, London

In the late 17th century, pockets began to be permanently sewn into men’s coats, waistcoats, and trousers. Women, however, continued to wear bags hidden beneath their dresses. These were often large and beautifully decorated, but terribly inconvenient. The average 17th century woman wore several layers beneath her billowing skirts. Her pockets would be tied around her waist, between her under-petticoat and her petticoat. In order to access their contents, she essentially had to get undressed! She had ample space to carry a wide variety of personal items in her pockets, but she couldn’t get at them in public!

As styles changed and slimmer, body hugging dresses came into fashion, there was no longer space to hide pouchy bags under a woman’s clothing. Instead, they carried tiny decorative handbags known as reticules that could scarcely hold a handkerchief and a coin.

Later came the suffragettes and other feminist radicals who believed that women should have equal political and financial standing with men. With them came pockets for women! “Plenty of Pockets in Suffragette Suit” read a 1910 New York Times headline. The suit, the piece explained, had seven or eight easy to access pockets.

Fast forward to today. Leggings have no pockets at all and then there are those silly fake pockets in some of my dressier pants. What good is a pocket that isn’t really a pocket at all? Women’s jeans do have pockets, of course, but my husband can easily carry his wallet, keys, some loose change, a comb, some kleenex, and a pocket knife (you can take the boy off the farm, but…) in his jeans pocket while anything larger than a credit card in mine leaves an unsightly and uncomfortable bulge. What’s the difference, you ask? About 4 inches. The front pockets on his jeans are about 7 inches (18 cm) deep while mine are less than half of that! There are women who rail against what they call pocket inequality, but am I willing to give up snug fitting jeans for the convenience of being able to schlep a lot of stuff around in my pockets? Not really. I’ll happily stick to carrying a purse!

What about you? Do you think pocket equality is something women should be fighting for?

 

Thrifting again

/ edebock / 2 Comments

LogoCleaning out the storage room as well as trying to make more space on our bookshelves has resulted in me taking two loads to the local thrift store recently. Of course, I can’t just drop things off without taking a look around! As a result, for a total of just $7, I added three items to my wardrobe last week. Today, let’s take a look at why I chose each one.

Since finding my little packet of colour swatches, I’ve been looking at my closet with a critical eye and realizing that I need to work on returning to the colours that suit me best. That means no more black worn anywhere near my face unless I can add something, such as a scarf, in a colour that doesn’t wash me out. While I can wear a light dove grey, I’ve really overloaded the closet with greys of every shade and I need to steer away from that colour for awhile. Colour was definitely my main focus as I looked through the racks of second-hand clothing.

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Navy is a universal colour and for me, a much more flattering background for this blouse’s large floral design than black would be. Even the peachy and rust tones in the roses are part of my Spring palette.

The top ticked lots of other boxes as well. In spite of the fact that it’s a small and I usually wear medium, the fit is absolutely perfect. Even the sleeves are long enough which is often a problem for me. That’s one of my tips for second-hand shopping. Don’t limit your search to the size you usually wear. If something catches your eye and looks like a possibility, try it on. I love the shirttail hem that hangs longer at the back. Though I’m wearing it with jeans, it will also provide plenty of coverage with leggings. Lastly, this will be a great piece for travel. The lightweight polyester crepe won’t take up much space in a suitcase, is hand washable, dries very quickly, and doesn’t wrinkle.

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As I looked over my closet, I noticed a distinct lack of green. The greens shown in my little packet of swatches are a pale pastel, a brighter lime green, and a shade that I would probably call emerald. Muddier tones like moss and khaki green are more often included in a Fall palette, but some colour analysts also recommend them for people with my Spring complexion. Since Springs and Falls both have warm undertones to our skin, we can more easily get away with wearing colours from one another’s palettes.

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Cozy sweaters are an essential part of my winter wardrobe. This soft acrylic knit is lightweight and comfortable and provides just the right level of warmth at this time of year. The V neck is flattering and the attached mock cami makes getting dressed super simple. Though you can’t see it in the photo, the back of the neck is high adding to the cozy warm feeling on a chilly winter morning. Again, the fit is perfect; body skimming but not tight enough to show off any bulgy bits. Closer examination reveals that, though predominantly green, the knit is actually a mixture of many warm colours.

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I was at the counter ready to pay for my other purchases when this eternity scarf called my name from a nearby display.

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My photographer wasn’t home when I was finishing up this post, but you can easily see how I can use a scarf like this one to add colour close to my face when I wear a black sweater or top. The turquoise background is one of my Spring colours as are the shades in the repeating pattern which, on closer inspection, turned out to be an owl.

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Earlier this week, while doing some research on the most eco-friendly fabrics available, I read that wearing recycled clothing is the most sustainable way to dress, so if you’re concerned about the environment, why not join me and go thrift store shopping!

Fashion or function?

/ edebock / 7 Comments

I love a stylish pair of sneakers. You’ve seen some of my favourites here before.

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I also love the fact that sneakers are no longer only for wearing to the gym or for running. In fact, a pair like these from Circus by Sam Edelman wouldn’t even be suitable for those pursuits. I have, however, worn them with a dress.

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Then there’s this pair that I bought specifically for walking in Europe last spring.

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Here I’m wearing them overlooking a beautiful stretch of sandy beach in Belgium.

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My husband gave me these metallic blue ones for Christmas just over a year ago. They look especially good with jeans.

But sometimes what a shoe looks like isn’t the most important factor. One of my goals for the new year was to get back into the habit of walking on the treadmill at least three times a week (on the days that I don’t lift weights) and for that I needed a new pair of comfortable, supportive shoes. At the sporting goods store I was confronted with an entire wall of running shoes and trainers and I had no idea where to begin! Of course, my eye was drawn to the cutest and most colourful ones, but I had to remind myself that that wasn’t why I was there. Thankfully, a very knowledgeable sales clerk steered me in the right direction. If I was only going to use the shoes on the treadmill and not for other gym activities, she recommended running shoes as opposed to trainers. That narrowed the search to half the wall! Looking at my feet, she immediately realized that they’re narrow and suggested two brands that I should consider. These are the ones that I settled on.

I’ve only put about 8.5 kilometres (5.3 miles) on them so far, but I think they were a good choice. They’re lightweight but sturdy, and gel technology in the heel and the forefoot provides plenty of cushioning. The fact that I also like what they look like is simply a bonus! I’ve added them to my list of clothing purchases for 2020, but I really think of them as an investment in my health as opposed to a fashion item. Sometimes function takes precedence over fashion!

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Look what I found!

/ edebock / 2 Comments

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That’s right, it’s the little packet of colour swatches that I was searching for back in August! I practically turned the house inside out looking for it back then and ended up cleaning out all twelve drawers in my bedroom, but it was nowhere to be found. Then, this week, I started cleaning out the basement storage room, a job that badly needed to be done. I’d long given up any hope of finding the colour swatches, but there they were in the very first bin I opened! Interestingly, I was already planning to write about colour this week; the difference that colour can make.

First a little background. As I’ve mentioned before, it all begins with skin tone. Knowing whether your skin has cool or warm undertones can help in choosing the colours that are best for you. When I had my colours ‘done’ back in the 1980s, I learned that my skin has warm undertones and I was given the little packet of fabric swatches in the colours that were deemed to be most flattering for me. While sticking to a specific palette might seem too restrictive, knowing which colours make you come alive and which, especially when they’re worn close to your face, make you look tired or washed out can definitely help you look your best.

Let me show you what I mean. For the purposes of this exercise, I’ve kept everything the same except the cardigans; same plain background, same lighting, same makeup, same wild and crazy hair, same grey striped Breton top and dark wash jeans. (I’m thinking that my high school science teachers would be proud of me!)

Let’s take a closer look.

IMG_0690#1:  Black is not a great choice for someone with my complexion. It drains me of colour making me look pale and haggard. The grey panels on the shoulders  and in the top help, but this is still not a particularly good look for me. I could improve it somewhat by intensifying my makeup or wearing a brighter top under the sweater.

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#2:  Oatmeal, or vanilla as my swatches call it, is one of my recommended colours. It looks a little drab against the plain wall, but it’s less harsh than black and looks better on me. Can you see the difference?

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#3:  I promise that I didn’t add any makeup before this picture was taken, but look at the difference in my face! Teal is a universal colour that suits everyone. Long before I had my colours ‘done’ I knew that it looked good on me. You probably can’t tell in the photo, but it even makes my grey eyes look blue!

If you aren’t sure whether your skin has warm or cool undertones, one 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.

According to the experts, we can all wear virtually any colour – it’s simply a matter of figuring out which shades suit us best. For example, everyone can wear red, but it’s a matter of knowing which shade is most complementary to your complexion. Those, like myself, with warm skin tones should choose orange-tinted reds, while those with cool skin tones look better wearing blue-based reds.

Now that I’ve finally found my swatches, will I stick only to wearing those colours? Probably not, but I am going to go through my closet and take a look at how far I’ve strayed from the colours that are my best. I know that I’ve instinctively made a lot of good choices, but also some, like the black sweater, that are not so good. I’m definitely not planning on doing an entire wardrobe overhaul, but I do intend to do a better job of taking what I know about colour into consideration when I’m making decisions about which items to keep long term and what to buy in the future.

Now I need to get back to cleaning that storage room. Who knows what else I might find!

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2019 fashion shopping review

/ edebock / 6 Comments

LogoFor the second year in a row, I kept a list of all the clothing purchases that I made over the past year so that I could analyse my shopping habits and establish goals for the following year. I started doing this at the beginning of 2018 in part because I wanted to be a more ethical shopper. I was also interested in finding out more about my spending habits and I wanted to be more intentional about wardrobe development. 

Based on what I learned in 2018, I came up with the following goals for 2019. Let’s see how I did.

  • I will continue tracking my purchases for the coming year so that I can review and evaluate my shopping habits again a year from now. Done!
  • I would like to buy less and spend less. Partial success. I actually purchased more items, but I spent less. 
  • I intend to buy basics that I need and items I love that work well with what I already have. Mostly successful. I did buy two thrifted items, a tank top and a necklace, that didn’t fit into my wardrobe very well. Both have already been returned to be enjoyed by someone else. 
  • I will resist the pressure of friends to buy pieces that they like, but that aren’t right for me. Complete success! 
  • I will continue to buy quality pieces, not wasting money on fast fashion items that are poorly made and end up in the landfill after only a few wearings. Success!
  • I will continue to write a weekly fashion post! Done!

It’s difficult to find accurate information on women’s shopping habits and it clearly varies from place to place, but it appears that on average most women purchase approximately 70 items of clothing a year and spend somewhere between $150 and $400  a month or approximately $1800 to $4800 annually. Personally, I can’t imagine buying or spending anywhere near that much! Over the past year, I spent a total of $1071.74 CAD or approximately $89 a month. With that, I purchased 43 items including clothing, accessories, and footwear. The biggest change from the previous year was the number of accessories I bought which included two hats, two purses, one belt, one scarf, and several pieces of jewelry. Accessories take up very little space and don’t have to be expensive, but they are the finishing touches that add interest, individuality, and detail to an outfit.

Another difference from the previous year was the number of thrifted items that I added to my wardrobe. I bought only 5 second-hand pieces in 2018, but 14 in 2019 and some of those are amongst my favourite purchases. I paid full price for only 9 items over the past year. The majority of the brand new garments that I bought were on sale. I also added several cabi pieces to my wardrobe at half price by hosting a party in my home in September. The most expensive item that I bought all year cost $99. I have no idea what the total value of my purchases was because I don’t know the original prices of the thrifted items, but I do know that if I’d paid full price for all the brand new items, those pieces alone would have cost me $1609.80. All in all, I’m very satisfied with my wardrobe spending over the past year.

When it comes to shopping ethically, however, I wouldn’t consider myself particularly successful. Finding accurate information in order to make wise choices is extremely difficult. In late June I wrote this post outlining my concerns about purchasing items made in China. I thought seriously about refusing to buy anything else that was produced in that country and for awhile I tried. I read labels and even walked away from a few items, but I soon found myself caving in. In spite of my increased concern, I did only marginally better than the previous year. Some of my thrifted purchases were missing their labels so I don’t know where they were made, but I knowingly bought 18 made in China items in 2019 compared to 20 the year before. Many of the others were made in third world countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. I have no way of knowing if they were manufactured in factories that are socially and environmentally responsible or sweatshops where workers are exploited and forced to work in unsafe conditions, but at least those countries are not the threat to Canada that I believe China to be.

So what are my goals for 2020? Many are the same as last year, but I’ve revised some a bit and added a couple of new ones.

  • I will continue tracking my purchases for at least one more year so that I can review and evaluate my shopping habits again a year from now.
  • I will continue to buy things that I need and items I love that work well with what I already have.
  • I will strive to buy less and experiment with new ways to wear what I already have.
  • I will continue to buy quality pieces and not waste money on fast fashion.
  • When considering a purchase that was made in China, I will attempt to find a suitable alternative made elsewhere.
  • When adding to my closet, I will consider five adjectives that begin with C… classy, confident, comfortable, casual, and creative. These words all describe what I’d like my wardrobe to say about me. Thank you, Pam Lutrell, for inspiring this one!
  • I will continue to write a Fashion Friday post each week.

As I look at my list of purchases from 2019, it’s difficult to choose just a few favourites to share with you here because I truly love so many of them! You’ve seen most of them on the blog before, but here’s a small sample:

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This is what I wore on New Year’s Eve for an evening of fine dining and dancing with my hubby. The little black jacket was my first purchase of 2019 and has been worth it’s weight in gold. It has appeared on the blog several times throughout the past year as it can be worn with so many things in my closet. The Dream Dress from cabi was bought half price at the end of the Spring/Summer season and I picked up the vintage evening purse at our local thrift store for just $3!

 

 

 

The Airwalk Speed Vitesse sneakers that I purchased at a Payless closing out sale were absolutely perfect for walking the streets of Europe in May and have continued to serve me well ever since. They were amongst several items that were bought specifically for traveling in 2019.

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In this photo, taken in beautiful Bruges, Belgium, I’m wearing a favourite thrifted top and carrying the anti-theft crossbody bag that kept my valuables safe while we traveled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I can hardly wait for summer to return so that I can wear my DIY frayed white jeans again! They were also thrifted and cost just $2 plus a few minutes work to let down the hems and fray the edges.

 

 

 

 

 

Here I am on a hiking trail wearing two more favourite purchases from 2019, a lightweight thrifted hoodie and my Uniqlo ultra light down vest. Both have proved to be great travel companions!

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And finally, here’s my zebra print top from cabi.

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A cardigan by any other name

/ edebock / 4 Comments

parmesan sweater“Is this my parmesan sweater?” our 5-year-old grandson asked his mom one day this week when he was getting ready to head off to kindergarten. He meant cardigan, of course!

Photo: Melaina Graham

A cardigan is a great third piece in a Canadian winter wardrobe; a button-up sweater that’s easy to put on when it’s chilly and take off when it isn’t. Most of mine, like Simon’s, are neutral colours that can be worn with almost everything else in my closet, but I’ve been striving to add more colour to my wardrobe, so I bought this one earlier this winter.

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The rich teal of the Deco Cardigan from cabi’s Fall 2019 Collection has always been a favourite colour of mine. In fact, it’s one of those universal colours that look good on everyone. The sweater’s shape and the design of the cable pattern make it very flattering and the cotton/acrylic blend is comfortable and easy care.

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Richard usually takes the photos for my Fashion Friday posts, but since this will be the last one of 2019, let’s bring him out from behind the camera today.

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Next Friday our house will be full to overflowing with all our kids and grandkids here with us! So, from our home to yours, a very Merry Christmas! Fashion Friday will pick up in the new year with a 2019 fashion review and some goals for the year ahead.

Environmentally conscious shopping

/ edebock / 8 Comments

LogoIncreasing interest in sustainability, climate concerns, and other environmental issues is having a significant impact on the fashion industry which is said to be responsible for 8 to 10 percent of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined! It’s also a huge consumer of water. It takes approximately 1800 gallons to grow enough cotton to produce just one pair of blue jeans!

The industry has been increasingly coming under attack for what is known as fast fashion. Fast fashion, or disposable clothing as I like to call it, refers to a phenomenon that sees retailers introducing new products as often as multiple times a week. Garments are manufactured quickly and inexpensively allowing consumers to fill their wardrobes with trendy styles without spending a great deal to do so. These clothes are usually characterized by shoddy workmanship and low quality fabrics and quickly end up in the landfill.

Fast fashion’s target market, young, style-conscious shoppers on a budget, are also among those most concerned about the health of the planet. As environmental consciousness increases, their buying habits are changing. Dwindling sales forced fast fashion chain Forever 21 into bankruptcy at the end of September and is resulting in the closure of up to 350 stores internationally including all 44 locations across Canada. Some see this as signalling the end of an era in shopping.

One of the noticeable effects of this shift is a change in attitude toward second-hand clothing. The stigma that was once associated with wearing someone else’s hand-me-downs is rapidly disappearing. Now it’s the environmentally conscious thing to do!

If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you know that I’ve been an avid thrift store shopper for years. I much prefer smaller not-for-profit stores to ones like Value Village where the prices are higher and very little of the revenue goes to charity. Most of my second-hand clothing comes from two small volunteer run shops, one in the town where I live and the other just a few kilometres away. Here I’m wearing a couple of recent purchases.

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When I put my tall winter boots away last spring, I knew that they were nearing the end of their life, but I was hoping to get one more season out of them. The first time I wore them this winter, however, my feet got wet! Clearly they needed to be replaced, but the closest shoe store is an hour away. I decided to check out our local thrift store and luck was with me! I snagged this like-new pair for just four dollars! They’re even dark brown, one of this seasons most popular colours. I bought the cardigan for three dollars.

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I’m wearing the two thrifted items with the comfy corduroy pants that have been a workhorse in my wardrobe for several years, a sleeveless V-neck top recently purchased at Cleo, and a black pearl necklace from a previous cabi season. No fast fashion for this frugal fashionista!

For 18 tips on successful thrift store shopping, check out this post.