Fashion

Fore!

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Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3 Today seems like a perfect time to write about what I wear to play my favourite sport. After all, I won the ladies side of the Viking Golf Club seniors tournament yesterday!

Let’s ignore the fact that there were only four ladies entered in the tournament, shall we?

Weather permitting, my golf attire usually consists of a sleeveless, collared golf shirt worn with either capri pants or long shorts.

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Though my wardrobe is made up largely of neutrals, golfing is a fun time to add a splash of colour, so I have several bright shirts to choose from.

I always wear a ball cap when I’m golfing to shade my eyes and keep my often unruly hair under control. I have a variety of them in several different colours to coordinate with my shirts.

 

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Though I most often golf in a comfortable and supportive pair of golf shoes, I also have a pair of golf sandals that are especially nice on hot days.

Regardless of what I wear, I’ll never look as elegant on the golf course as my Mom did! Here she is back in the 1940s. I doubt if there’s a course anywhere in the world today that would let you on the greens in those shoes, but aren’t they adorable?

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Swimsuit shopping

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We spent the past few days camping with two of our grandchildren, 8-year-old Drew and 6-year-old Jami. The prime attraction at the campground was the outdoor pool where we spent many very enjoyable hours. Drew even learned to swim this week!

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I’ve never been particularly fond of swimsuit shopping and though I hate to admit it, the newest one in my bag was probably purchased more than a decade ago! It wasn’t until I entered the pool this week that I realized how saggy it had become. I was literally in danger of showing off body parts that ought not to be displayed in public!

On Wednesday, I had to go into Edmonton for a medical appointment, so we had arranged in advance for the children to spend several hours with their auntie and uncle, our youngest son and his wife. Before it was time to pick them up again, we had a bit of time to kill and I decided that I’d better use it looking for a new swimsuit.

I started at The Bay in West Edmonton Mall and got no further. Apparently late July is the ideal time to shop for swimsuits at bargain prices. Every suit in the store was on sale, many for as much as 60% off. The swimsuit department was a hodgepodge of season’s end offerings, but there were still many to choose from.

I quickly realized that it had been so long since I’d shopped for swimwear that I had no idea what size I should be looking for! I wandered around gathering up a variety of sizes, styles and colours and was delighted when the attendant let me take all of them into the fitting room at once! As I narrowed down the field, she kept stopping by and taking away the ones I rejected. Soon, I was down to two choices.

Choice #1:

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Because I’m quite long in the body, I prefer a tankini, but this one piece was very comfortable. I liked the colour, the ruching which disguised the bulgy bits around my middle, and the removable straps. I prefer a higher cut leg, but the price was great. It’s hard to say no to a $95 suit that’s selling for $38.50!

Choice #2:

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This one was a tankini. The downside to a two piece these days is the fact that the pieces tend to be priced separately. As a result, this one was almost twice the price of the first one. I loved the bold black and white stripes though and I also liked the racer back which doesn’t show in the photo.

So which one did I choose? Both of them, of course! I wore one of them to the pool yesterday and the other today and I felt comfortable and attractive in both of them.

Which one do you like best? What do you look for in a swimsuit?

I’m only home overnight; long enough to do laundry and repack. Tomorrow, we take Drew and Jami back home to Calgary and then make our way to Camp Harmattan where we’ll spend the coming week. Nestled in a beautiful location in the Little Red Deer River valley between Olds and Sundre, Camp Harmattan is a place of peace and tranquility where I look forward to a time of social and spiritual refreshment. Following Augustine will be on hiatus until our return. There will be no Fashion Friday post next week, but I’ll see you right here when I get back!

What’s in your purse?

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A friend of mine once reached into her handbag and pulled out half a hamburger wrapped in a paper napkin! It had been there for several days and was practically petrified.

What’s the most unusual thing in your purse?

Here’s what’s in mine right now:

  • leather clutch wallet purchased 8 years ago in Japan that contains driver’s licence, health care cards, cash, credit cards, receipts, business cards, an expired State of Israel Border Control Stay Permit and a reloadable Japanese Pasmo card that can be used for anything from train and bus travel to shopping. (The last two items are non-essentials, but they don’t take up any space and they bring back memories that make me smile every time I see them!)
  • cell phone
  • keys
  • pens
  • small folder containing rewards cards
  • cheque book
  • notebook
  • address book
  • calendar/planner
  • small pack of tissue
  • an ultra compact reusable shopping bag
  • 2 small cosmetic bags containing lip balm, lipstick, nail clippers, emery board, tiny foldable scissors, bandaids, eyeglass cleaning cloth, allergy and headache medication, a small tube of hand lotion, toothbrush and toothpaste
  • ziploc snack bag of almonds

Until recently, I was a one purse person, carrying the same bag for months on end without ever switching. The purse we carry is part of our overall fashion statement, however, and since boring is not the message I want to give about myself, my collection of handbags has started to grow and I’ve figured out how to switch quickly and easily from one to another. The trick is to organize the contents of your purse into smaller bags that can be transferred from one bag to another with ease.

I’m presently using this one a lot. I love it’s carefree summer look and the fact that it’s big enough to carry extras like sunscreen, sunglasses, my camera and even a hat. From The Sak, I won it last summer and first posted about it here.

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What do you carry in your purse?

 

Brand new, but second-hand

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I volunteered at the Good As New, our local thrift shop, on Wednesday afternoon and had hoped to find something new to share with you today, but that was not to be. Though I tried on several items, some didn’t fit and others simply didn’t inspire me. Then I remembered that I had yet to wear one of my recent frugal fashionista purchases.

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The royal blue sleeveless top, originally from Laura, one of my favourite Canadian fashion retailers, still had it’s original $65 price tag on it when I bought it for just $2! I can’t imagine why anyone would buy a garment and then donate it to a thrift store without ever wearing it, but the Good As New has recently set aside one rack especially for brand new items because they receive so many of them. Obviously, in spite of our present economic downturn, we are still a culture of excess!

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When I was young, I refused to wear anything without sleeves because I was very self-conscious about my skinny, toothpick arms. Once I started working out, however, I began to feel differently and now I’m very comfortable in sleeveless tops and dresses.

The polyester/spandex top is just loose enough to hide the little bit extra that I carry around my waist these days and the silver grommets around the neckline and on the shoulders dress it up a bit.

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My sister and I are off on a road trip to visit our brother’s family this weekend. Perhaps this outfit should go with me. The white jacket is a hand-me-down from my daughter, or perhaps I should call it a hand-me-up! The pants are the white crops that I’ve featured in a couple of other posts recently and the shoes are a favourite pair of denim flats from Payless ShoeSource that are several years old and, sadly, almost worn out.

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Black lace

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Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3Lace is on-trend for 2016 for both evening and stylish daytime wear. My latest frugal fashionista (thrift store) purchase, a black lace top, is feminine without being too girly and, unlike some lace garments, it doesn’t remind me of my grandmother’s curtains!

For me, versatility is an important factor when I’m shopping for clothes and this top definitely fits that bill. It can be worn with dressy pants, jeans, capris or even a pencil skirt. It isn’t lined, so I can wear it over any number of different camisoles. It looks good over both black and white, but I especially like it over khaki as shown below.

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Black has never been the best look for me, but the khaki camisole underneath seems to soften the overall effect. Even so, this much black close to my face can leave me a bit tired looking. Adding a little extra colour to my face helps overcome that. Hence, the bright lipstick, something that I seldom wear.

Considering the fact that I seem to be perpetually packing and unpacking our suitcases, I also think about how well a garment will pack before I buy it. Again, this top works well. It takes up hardly any space, weighs practically nothing and doesn’t wrinkle. It has to be hand washed, but I can easily wash it out in a hotel sink (after all, isn’t that what they’re for?) and hang it overnight to dry.

At just $2, this was definitely a bargain! I wore it to a conference last week, to church on Sunday and here, I’m wearing it for a day of shopping.

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That brings me to another recent purchase. I bought this handbag brand new at a garage sale for just $8! It still had its tags on, the handles and zipper pulls were still wrapped and the tiny silica gel packs were still inside. It had clearly never been used.

No, it isn’t a Tory Burch (I’ve been asked twice), it’s from La Terre Fashion, but what do you expect at a garage sale? It’s very well made and I love it!

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Frugal fashionista!

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Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3I looked through my closets yesterday and counted 24 garments purchased at our two nearest thrift stores; the Good As New here in Sedgewick and Twice Nice in the neighbouring town of Killam. Add to that a couple of belts, several scarves, a pair of shoes and a favourite necklace and I am clearly a frugal fashionista!

In our area there’s no stigma attached to shopping second hand. In fact, the shops are social gathering places frequented by people of every social and economic status and, for many of us, searching their racks for bargains has become a delightful game.

Richard and I were invited to the home of friends for dessert and drinks last evening. Here’s what I chose to wear.

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The sleeveless cowl neck top (originally from Reitmans), the necklace and the shoes were all purchased at the Good As New for a grand total of $9. The pants were bought new a couple of summers ago.

Over the next few Fridays, I’ll be sharing more of my thrift store finds, evidence that it’s possible to dress with style even on a limited budget.

What about you? Do you shop thrift stores too?

Art on my arm

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Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3No, I’m not talking about a tattoo! I’m actually referring to a favourite bracelet that is, in fact, a piece of wearable art.

When I arrived at Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute for my treatment last fall, there was an Art Society of Strathcona County show and sale going on in the main reception area. Of course, I had to stop and take a look! There were several paintings that caught my eye, but I especially admired a unique bracelet made by artist, Barbara Mitchell.

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Imagine my surprise on Christmas morning when I opened a gift from my husband, who was with me that day at the Cross, and discovered the beautiful bracelet inside! Sneaky guy!

People often comment on it and because it has a somewhat Asian look, they usually assume that I got it when we lived in China or Japan. Their surprise at learning that it actually originated much closer to home led me to contact the artist and ask her about the process she used to make it.

Barbara graciously replied explaining the process that she uses for two different types of bracelets.

I take every single piece of glass in the bracelets…and I turn them over, handpaint on them using inks, mica powders, luminere, etc…then I seal them and after it dries I glue on a piece of white cardboard which brings the colors out. Then I file them all and glue them into the bracelet blanks.

In the case of your lovely bracelet, I take my original paintings or tile art paintings…and I make a copy of them…seal it…file it into the round or oval shape…glue it into the bracelet. It’s all alot of work but I enjoy doing it.

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I love having Peace, Hope, Faith and Believe circling my wrist!

Abaya

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Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3I spent last Saturday at our church’s 16th annual ladies retreat. This year’s theme was Pilgrimage and as part of the program, my friend, Leigh, shared her testimony, the very moving story of God’s intervention and work in her life, and I did a slide presentation on our recent visit to Jerusalem.

Almost two months ago, when the retreat was still in the planning stages, I received this message from Leigh.

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I had never heard the word “abaya” before, but I quickly Googled the term and learned that an abaya (pronounced a-buy-a) is “a loose-fitting full-length robe worn by some Muslim women.” In the photo that Leigh sent me it looked quite beautiful, so I let her know that I’d love to try it on. When I slipped it on later that evening, I felt like a princess!

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It fit as if it had been made to measure and, believe it or not, I even had a pair of orange sandals that matched it perfectly! I quickly sent Leigh a message with a photo and here’s the conversation that followed.

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I was blown away by her generosity!

Sometimes worn as an outer garment over other clothing, a traditional abaya is often black and covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands, but like most other clothing, colours and styles vary from region to region. You can find some beautiful examples here. In some Muslim countries, abayat are worn with head coverings and/or veiled faces.

Though mine looks like two pieces, it is actually an all-in-one garment. Apparently, it was handmade and the detailing on it is exquisite. With no zippers, buttons or snaps, it simply slipped over my head and in a moment I was fully dressed and completely transformed!

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When I asked for the story behind the abaya, Leigh told me that both the one that she wore and the one that is now mine were gifts from Arab friends in the community where she used to live. Mine, from Syria, is one that would normally be worn as a wedding dress by a village girl. She jokingly told me to tell my husband that he now owes my father the bride price of nineteen goats and one red camel!

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Photo: Doris Johnson

 

Ideas and inspiration

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Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3I often get fashion ideas and inspiration from other bloggers. Not long ago, Alyson Walsh of That’s Not My Age, wrote a post entitled “How to wear a white shirt and not look basic“. After reading it, I felt inspired to pull out the white shirt that’s been hanging in my closet for the past couple of years and try wearing it again. I bought it because a white shirt is a basic item that it seems every woman should have, but I’ve never felt totally comfortable wearing it. Perhaps I just didn’t know how to style it.

When I saw this picture of Alyson wearing her white shirt with white jeans and a denim jacket, I immediately thought of my new white crop pants and wondered if I could pull off a similar look.

Here I am in my Alyson inspired outfit.

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It was okay, but I thought it might look better if my shirt and jacket weren’t exactly the same length so I tried this combination instead and voila! I’d found a look that I was really happy with. In fact, this is what I wore to church last Sunday and I received several compliments. Thank you, Alyson!

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The charcoal jacket from Bianca Nygard is a little shorter and lighter weight than my Gap jean jacket. The silver threads running through it and its big sparkly buttons also give it a dressier look. Both jackets were bought almost new at our local thrift store for less than $5 apiece.

Now that my white shirt has seen the light of day again and I actually enjoyed wearing it, perhaps I’ll wear it more often. If you look very closely, however, you’ll notice that it isn’t a perfect fit. It’s a wee bit snug across the bust and gapes just a little. I could cover that by buttoning the jacket as Alyson has done, but I might actually keep my eye out for another one that’s a little looser and longer.

What about you? Where do you get your fashion ideas and inspiration from?

Capris by any other name

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When I was a child in the 1950s and early 60s, they were called pedal pushers. I had no idea at the time that the name was derived from the style of pants worn by cyclists which was, of course, quite different from the padded spandex shorts worn by serious cyclists today.

I also remember them being called clam diggers or deck pants, both names that made perfect sense to this coastal girl. After all, who would want to swab a deck or dig clams with pant legs flopping around your ankles and getting wet and dirty?

It wasn’t until I was a little older that I learned to refer to them as capris. Apparently that name also originated in the 1950s though. It was taken from the Italian island of Capri where the pants rose to popularity in the late 1950s and early ’60s. The island was emerging as a popular European holiday destination at that time and American actress, Grace Kelly, was amongst the first to wear the new style there.

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Capris, by one name or another, have been an enduring trend ever since, but the style has evolved over time. Though some use the term as a catch-all for any pant that is longer than shorts, but not full length, the dictionary defines them this way:

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Though I’ve finally started wearing crop pants and I do occasionally wear shorts, capris are easily my favourite summer pants. A tapered pair that ends just above the widest part of the calf is much more flattering than a wider, baggy pair or one that ends at the widest point. Capris are very versatile. They can be worn with heels or flats and dressed up or down depending on what you wear them with.

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Here I’m wearing a favourite denim pair that are a couple of years old. I paired them with a t-shirt from Ricki’s that has also been part of my summer wardrobe for the past few years worn over a white camisole. Though it doesn’t show up well in the photos, a bit of bling on the t-shirt takes it from boring to attractive. I’m also wearing my super comfortable flats from Payless ShoeSource with their memory foam inner soles. This simple, casual look was perfect for wearing to a fun / sports day at my grandson’s elementary school.

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