Fashion

‘Tis the season

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LogoFashion Friday is putting in its appearance much later in the day than usual. In fact, I wasn’t sure that it was going to happen at all this week. We arrived home last night after a whirlwind trip to Vancouver (the second in seven weeks) to assist my 96-year-old father with his move into long term care and to deal with everything in his previous apartment. Though he wasn’t very happy about having to leave the assisted living facility where he lived for the past six years, it was actually exactly what he needed and he seems to be settling in well.

We were thankful to make it home in time to attend the first event of our Christmas season this evening. I was especially glad that I didn’t have to think about what I was going to wear. Last year, I planned my outfits for each Christmas event in advance writing down exactly what I was going to wear including shoes and accessories. It made the season so so much easier that I decided to do the same thing this year. Though I hadn’t quite finished doing this when we got the call to go to Vancouver, I did have this evening’s outfit planned. Here’s what I wore.

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I decided awhile ago that I’d put together outfits for each event this season from what was already in my closet rather than buying anything new. The dark green sequinned top added a festive look to this evening’s simple black outfit. I added an emerald necklace that was my mother’s, sparkly earrings that I bought last year, and a silver bangle.

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One thing to think about when planning an outfit for a special event is what you’ll be doing. Since I would be sitting at a table for tonight’s dinner and the entertainment that followed, what I wore from the waist down was less important than what would be seen above the table. I’ll wear something entirely different when we go dancing tomorrow evening.

A little piece of Paris

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LogoEverywhere we went when we were in Paris in May, I saw people wearing berets. Most of them were women, but I did see at least one man sporting one. I hadn’t worn a beret since a pastel green one I had in high school, but before long, I decided that I needed to bring one home with me. It was easy to do as there were inexpensive ones available in almost every souvenir shop. My only dilemma was deciding what colour to buy. I finally settled on navy blue, but now that winter has arrived and I’m seeing more and more berets being worn here in Canada, I wish I’d bought more than one!

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Wearing pins or brooches on knit caps (or toques as we call them here in Canada) is a trend this year, so when image consultant and fashion blogger, Brenda Kinsel, suggested adding them to berets, I decided to give it a try. I don’t often wear pins, but I knew that there were a few hiding in the back of one of my drawers. Here, I’ve added a silver rose to my little piece of Paris.

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There are several ways to style a beret. It can be worn as I’m wearing mine or tilted to one side or the other. Every beret has a brim that fits snug to the head and holds it in place. Though I’ve seen them worn with the brim to the outside, the “correct” way is to tuck it inside.

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Corduroy comeback

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LogoI still remember my favourite corduroy bell bottoms from the 1970s. They were a warm toffee colour with dark brown patch pockets. Though its roots go back to ancient Egypt, corduroy as we know it today has been around since the late 18th century when it first appeared as factory wear in Manchester, England. It remained a working class fabric for the next hundred years before becoming a popular alternative to denim in the 1960s. While its popularity probably peaked in the 1970s, corduroy has never completely disappeared from the fashion world and it has been making a comeback this fall. Pants, skirts, jackets, and even dresses are showing up in this comfortable, easy care fabric.

The only corduroy garment in my present closet is this pair of tan pants.

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Unlike most corduroy, with its characteristic ribs, these are made of uncut corduroy which more closely resembles a very short napped velvet. A traditional five pocket skinny jean style, these cotton pants with just a hint of spandex came from Reitman’s, Canada’s largest womens’ clothing retailer, and are amongst the most comfortable in my closet. The only problem with them is that they’re several years old and beginning to show some wear. Perhaps this season would be a good time to find a replacement. Similar pair here.

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I’m wearing the cords with the Wonder Tee from cabi’s Fall 2019 Collection. You’ve seen the ultra light down vest from Uniqlo here and here and the gold sneakers that I wore all over Europe in May here.

 

Crazy (old) sock lady

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LogoI’m a long-legged 5’8″ tall. For much of my life I worried about finding pants that were long enough to ensure that my socks didn’t show. Then along came ankle length cropped pants. Suddenly everyone’s ankles were showing. It took me awhile to warm up to the trend, but it really has made life easier for me.

I usually wear white sports socks with my jeans and other casual pants and black socks when I want a somewhat dressier look, but when I was cleaning out my drawers recently I realized that I’ve gradually accumulated a fairly sizeable collection of patterned socks. There are certainly much more colourful and fanciful pairs available, usually worn by gals who are several decades younger than me, but once in awhile it’s fun to look down and see something funkier than plain old black or white.

Some of my patterned socks, like these two weather themed pairs, are quite subtle. I’ve obviously worn the snowflake ones on the left a lot as they’re almost worn out. You can begin to see my gold toenail polish shining through!

These are definitely bolder! Both pairs were gifts from my daughter-in-law. There’s a story behind the zebra print pair on the left that make them very special to me. Robin is a long distance cyclist. She rides with a club that expects members to be able to ride at a minimum speed of 23 km/hr for at least 50 km and has taken part in many longer races and fundraising rides. If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you know that I have neuroendocrine cancer (NETS) and that the zebra is our symbol. Robin wore the zebra socks for the first leg of a 2 day fundraising ride for cancer and then gave them to me (freshly washed, of course!)

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While zebra stripes hold special significance to me as a NETS patient, the giant panda is my favourite animal. Apparently Santa Claus knows that as this pair was in my Christmas stocking last year.

When we lived in Japan, I discovered that I love wearing toe socks which are very popular there. I brought several pairs home with me. I don’t wear them very often only because they’re a bit of a bother to put on, but once on they’re warm and comfortable. We were in Japan to teach English and I specifically bought this pair to wear to my Saturday morning preschool classes. Teachers and students alike take their shoes off before entering the classroom, so these were perfect for my little ones who were learning to count in English. They loved them!

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I didn’t realize until I started preparing for this post that almost all my patterned socks are in shades of black, white, and grey. Clearly, if I’m going to become a crazy (old) sock lady, I’ll have to invest in some coloured ones!

What about you? Do you wear patterned or brightly coloured socks? Would you?

Checkmate!

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CheckmateMy husband is a very generous man who loves to surprise me with unexpected gifts. Last Friday was my birthday and he definitely outdid himself! When cabi’s Fall 2019 Collection was released, I fell in love with the cozy Checkmate Jacket, but I balked at the price and decided not to buy it. Apparently, although I don’t remember the conversation, Richard overheard me telling our daughter about it. Engaging the help of my cabi stylist friend and another friend who was hosting a cabi party, he arranged to buy it for my birthday!

He’s definitely a winner! Checkmate!

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The jacket’s roomy, double-breasted style, shoulder pads, and faux horn buttons give it a slightly retro vibe and the soft polyester blend feels like I’m wearing a hug! Panels of stretch fabric on the inner sides of the sleeves reduce bulk and add to the comfort.

I wore it to the city on Tuesday. After seeing my doctor, hearing the good news that there’s been no significant change to my thyroid cancer, and making the decision to simply continue monitoring it, we headed over to West Edmonton Mall to check out the brand new Uniqlo store. I wasn’t really planning to buy anything, but one of the first things I spotted was this lovely orange blouse on sale for a very reasonable price.

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It was immediately obvious that it would coordinate beautifully with the jacket, so I snapped it up. I especially like the 3/4 sleeves and the shirttail hem that’s longer at the back, but I wouldn’t have bought it if I hadn’t known that I could also wear it with several other things in my closet.

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If the jacket looks familiar to you, perhaps you saw it in the August 16, 2019 issue of Family Circle magazine!

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What to wear to a funeral

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LogoOn Monday, we’ll be attending our third funeral in ten days, so what to wear to a funeral seemed to be an obvious topic for this week’s post.

In many cultures, black is the traditional colour of mourning and there was a time when everyone was expected to wear black to a funeral. These days, however, expectations in most communities are less rigid. Black remains a popular choice, but it isn’t considered necessary. Without such hard and fast rules, how do we decide what’s appropriate?

In general, an outfit worn to a funeral should be fairly conservative, both in terms of colour and style. It’s definitely not a time to draw attention to yourself by wearing something too brightly coloured or flamboyant. Your choice of outfit should show respect for the deceased and their loved ones. If you’re not sure what to choose, think about what you might wear to a job interview or a business meeting. Things to avoid would include overly casual clothing, very short skirts, and low-cut dresses. In my grandmother’s day a woman wouldn’t have dared attend a funeral in pants, but that’s no longer the case in most places.

Jewelry should be understated and makeup kept to a minimum. If you have a tendency to cry at funerals, make sure your mascara is waterproof! Also, since some people are highly allergic and funerals are often crowded, avoid wearing anything that’s heavily scented.

If the funeral will include a trip to the cemetery, choose shoes that can take you easily from the church or funeral home to the burial site. You may find yourself walking on uneven ground, grass, or gravel, so flat or low-heeled shoes would be best.

At the end of the day, it comes down to being modest and respectful with your choice of attire. When in doubt, you’re better off to be a bit overdressed than underdressed.

Now, let’s take a look at what I wore to the two funerals we attended in the past week.

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For the first, honouring the life of a friend’s 95-year-old mother, I chose plain black pants and jacket, both from Reitmans, Canada’s largest women’s apparel retailer. The pants have been in my closet for years and the jacket since last winter. The layered sleeveless Scallop Top is new from cabi’s Fall 2019 Collection, but it’s likely to become a year-round staple in my wardrobe. The very comfortable flat leather Natural Soul shoes by Naturalizer were purchased somewhere in Kansas almost ten years ago! Although they look navy blue in the photo, they’re actually black. I accessorized with a very simple lariat necklace, a single silver bangle bracelet, and earrings that don’t show in the photo.

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The second funeral celebrated the life of a 62-year-old friend who spent the last year of her life fighting a malignant brain tumour. As you can see, I wore the same shoes, jacket, and bracelet, exchanging the pants and top for a sleeveless dress in a muted green pattern. Like many items in my wardrobe, it’s several years old, but with its animal print-like pattern it’s as on-trend now as it was when I bought it.

 

Look what I found!

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LogoEvery spring and fall when I do my seasonal closet switch, there are decisions to be made about what to put away for the following year and what to get rid of. At the beginning of each season, I turn all the hangers in my closet around. If the hanger is still turned at the end of the season, I know that that item was never worn and that I should think about shipping it off to the second-hand store. This year is a little different though. We had such a non-summer here in Alberta that there are more unturned hangers than usual. There simply weren’t enough truly warm days to wear all my summer clothes!

Sometimes there are items in my closet that I haven’t worn for a long time that I can’t bear to part with. Those go into storage and sometimes they remain there for several years. Eventually some of them come back into circulation. I’ve shared a few of those on the blog before and today I’m going to show you one that’s coming out of hibernation this fall.

In a recent post about wearing black and brown with confidence, Pam Lutrell of Over 50 Feeling 40, shared this outfit.

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The Eileen Fisher jacket, which had apparently been in her closet for a long time, immediately brought to mind a similar one that I used to wear. I knew that it would look great over my new zebra top, but did I still have it? I couldn’t remember for sure! It was a much loved piece, gifted to me by my very generous sister-in-law. Surely, I wouldn’t have gotten rid of it. I went looking and sure enough, there it was, just waiting to be resurrected!

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I used to wear a lot of brown. So much so that I eventually tired of it. Now that brown is so on-trend again and I’ve had a nice long break from it, I’m definitely ready to put this piece back into circulation.

Though the jacket is old, you may have noticed something brand new in my photo… my haircut, fresh from the hairdresser! Now that summer is pretty much over and I don’t need to be able to put it in a ponytail to golf, it was time for a shorter do.

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How do you decide which garments to keep and which to get rid of?

The art of getting dressed

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LogoBefore we look at how we dress, let’s consider why we clothe our bodies. First of all, not to would be considered immodest and in most cases illegal! Of course, we also dress to protect our bodies from cold and from the damaging rays of the sun. If those were our only reasons for wearing clothing though, we could all dress the same and we’d only need two outfits each, one to wear and one to launder. We’d need very little closet space, it would be so much easier on the environment, and just think of how much money we’d save! It would also be incredibly BORING!

Clearly, our clothes serve another purpose. They are an expression of who we are, of our individual uniqueness. That’s why I encourage you to identify your personal style if you haven’t already done so.

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It’s also important to dress the body you have, not the one you want or the one you used to have. Like most fashion bloggers, I don’t show you how I dress in hopes that you’ll copy me. Absolutely not! My goal is to encourage and inspire you to experiment with fashion and to learn how to dress in a way that fits your personality and makes you happy. I love the comment that one reader left on another blog recently. She said, “You wear you and I’ll wear me!”

Getting dressed is like creating a work of art. Every morning, you start with a blank canvas. Many artists begin a painting with the background. We, too, need a good foundation to build our work of art on. That means wearing good quality undergarments that fit well and keep everything in place.

Next we begin to fill our painting with the larger shapes. As you look into your closet and choose which pieces to use to build your outfit, consider where you’ll be going, what you’ll be doing, and what you want your look to say about you. Once you’ve established that, use accessories and makeup to add finishing touches to your work of art.

Artists also experiment with colour. While having your colours “done” and sticking to a specific palette (no, I haven’t found my swatches!) may seem too restrictive, it does help to know which colours make you come alive and which, especially when they’re worn close to your face, make you look tired or washed out. Knowing whether your skin has cool or warm undertones can help in choosing the colours that are best for you. 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. Of course, there are also those universal colours that look good on everyone. In addition to experimenting with colour, you might enjoy mixing patterns as well.

Now, at the start of each day, whether you’re going somewhere special or just staying home, take a look in your closet and create a fabulous work of art! You are so worth it!

 

Zebra stripes, more than just a fashion trend

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LogoIn August 2013, I was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer (NETS). In August of this year, I attended a cabi party and treated myself to a zebra print top from the Fall 2019 Uniquely Us Collection. Those might seem like two completely unrelated random facts, but they aren’t.

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The zebra is the symbol of neuroendocrine cancer. Neuroendocrine tumours are difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are usually vague and similar to more common health problems. Many family doctors have never encountered a NETS patient. When presented with symptoms like stomach pain and diarrhea, they naturally think of things like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease or lactose intolerance. Flushing, especially in women of a certain age, makes them think menopause, not cancer. Medical students are taught “when hearing hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.” Neuroendocrine tumours are rare and therefore they are considered to be zebras.

Some NETS patients and advocates think the zebra symbol is foolish, that it trivializes the grave nature of our disease, and would like to see us stop using it. I disagree. I think we need to take advantage of every opportunity to draw attention to our cause and if that includes zebra stripes, I’m all for it!

Since my diagnosis, I’ve noticed zebra stripes everywhere! As I mentioned in last Friday’s post on trends for fall 2019, the zebra motif is particularly popular this season, but animal prints never go out of style and the zebra has been around for a long time. I’ve seen zebra t-shirts, zebra leggings, zebra jeans, zebra pjs, and zebra bras. I’ve also seen zebra handbags, zebra luggage, and even a zebra golf bag.

I remember trying on a darling zebra dress a couple of years ago, but I didn’t buy it. Like most zebra garments, its stark black and white pattern wasn’t flattering on me. With my pale Spring complexion, I look better in warmer tones. That’s why my new cabi top is so perfect. With its creamy vanilla background and chocolate ganache stripes (doesn’t that sound yummy?) it’s perfect for me.

With soft flutter sleeves, the top is a good stand alone piece for the occasional warm summery day that we enjoy at this time of year, but worn under sweaters and jackets, it will transition well into fall and winter. When worn alone, underarm insets provide good armhole coverage. While the neckline isn’t immodestly low, it leaves enough décolletage exposed to nicely frame a statement necklace. The top looks great tucked in, worn loose, or belted.

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I even tried mixing animal prints. Because both prints are within the same colour family, I think it works!

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For today’s photo shoot, I wore my DIY frayed white jeans. Later in the season, I’ll pair the zebra top with darker pants or skirt, but obviously I don’t adhere to the antiquated don’t wear white after Labour Day rule!

And what am I wearing on my feet, you ask? A pair of flip flops that I bought for $5 at Walmart’s end of season clearance sale. They perfectly match my golden summertime toes!

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Talking about trends: Fall 2019

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LogoWhile much of the world was experiencing extreme heat, it was a non-summer here in Alberta. Our big blue sky decided to take an extended vacation and left us with gloomy grey clouds and endless rain. Our furnace literally came on almost every morning! It’s hard to think about fall when you haven’t really had summer, but the fashions are out in the stores and it’s time to talk about trends.

Rich autumn colours are huge this season. Think pumpkin, caramel, cinnamon, gold, and spicy browns. Green, from light pistachio all the way to deep forest, is also very popular. Animal prints never go out of style, but they are bigger than ever this season. Leopard has been leading the way for the past few seasons, but now it’s being joined on centre stage by zebra and snakeskin. Plaids and checks continue to be popular as do floral prints.

Belts are showing up everywhere; wide ones, thin ones, and colourful ones, worn over blazers, sweaters, dresses, and coats. Perhaps an animal print belt is what’s needed to add a bit of flair to your fall wardrobe.

Shoulder pads, reminiscent of the 1970s, have made their way back into the fashion mainstream over the past few years and are definitely being seen again this fall. Though there’s no one skirt length for this season, maxi skirts have definitely made a comeback. Jumpsuits also continue to be on trend. Capes and long coats are very popular.

As always, some of the season’s trends may appeal to you and others probably won’t. Don’t feel compelled to wear something simply because it’s on trend. Instead, pick and choose those colours that suit your skin tone and looks that fit your personal style. And, before you go shopping for this season’s trends, remember to shop your own closet. Chances are, you’ll find something there that fits right in with the current trends.

Let me show you what I mean. Though I was tempted to dig into my fall/winter wardrobe more than once this non-summer, I haven’t actually done my seasonal closet switch yet and I had to go into storage to retrieve these items. None of them are new.

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I started with a pair of chocolate brown boot cut jeans, taupe booties, and a comfy brown sweater that has been around for a very long time. I haven’t worn it much in recent years and almost got rid of it several times, but now I’m glad I didn’t. This was a good beginning, but the outfit definitely needed some dressing up.

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I added a dark brown leather belt, a leopard print scarf, and a pair of gold tasseled earrings. That’s much better!

Now let’s go outside.

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For a chilly fall day, I’ve added the reversible wool cape that was my Mom’s. I don’t know for sure how old it is, but I think it was quite new when I wore it, ivory side out, over my wedding dress in October 1976! My daughter also wore it over hers 30 years later in December 2006! A gift from my husband last Christmas, the hat is by far the newest item that I’m wearing.

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Now, how many of this season’s trends did I hit without going shopping?