Fashion

Art on my arm

/ edebock / 4 Comments

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

/ edebock / 5 Comments

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

/ edebock / 9 Comments

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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A new look!

/ edebock / 10 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3It took me awhile to get used to the idea of wearing crop pants. For a long-legged gal who’s often had trouble finding pants that are long enough, purposely buying a pair that end at the ankle seemed counterintuitive!

I quickly fell in love with the comfortable feel of  Ricki’s Universal Sateen Crop with their 26 inch inseam though. They have just enough spandex to give them a bit of stretch.

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White is also a new look for me. In fact, I’ve never worn white pants before, but after seeing them on several of my favourite fashion bloggers, I decided that it was time to give the crisp, clean look a try. They would never have worked during my child rearing or school teaching days, but nowadays there’s a better chance that I might be able to keep them white!

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My top is several years old from Reitmans, the Alfred Sung braided mesh necklace is from Mark’s, and I’m wearing my new Zoey’ ghillie low wedges from Payless.

Now, what about you? What is your favourite pant length for summer?

Summertime toes

/ edebock / 10 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3Summer seemed to come early to western Canada this year and we’ve experienced some record high temperatures over the past couple of weeks. After being hidden beneath the warmth of socks, shoes and boots all winter, my toes are out in the open again! I’ve been padding around the house in bare feet and wearing sandals much of the time.

With barefoot season comes my trademark gold toenail polish! I don’t remember when this tradition first began, but I’ve been wearing gold polish on my toes for many years.

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They usually remain polish free over the winter months unless we’re in sunnier climes, but here they are enjoying a beautiful beach in Costa Rica a few winters ago.

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Far more important than my toenail colour, however, is what I do year round to keep my feet healthy and ready for these barefoot days of summer. The last thing I do before sliding my feet between the bedsheets every night of the year is apply lotion to them. No dried out, calloused or cracked heels for this barefoot girl!

I’m not particularly fussy about what kind of lotion I use and I don’t usually bother looking for a cream that’s specifically designed for feet. It’s the consistency of doing this on a daily basis that works for me, not the brand of lotion or the ingredients in it.  There are always a variety of scented and unscented body lotions on my bedside table to choose from. That being said, however, I do have a special tube of Ahava foot cream that I purchased at the Dead Sea in January that I’ve been saving for this summer!

How do you take care of your feet?

What’s your favourite toenail colour?

 

Aging with grayce

/ edebock / 8 Comments

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Why is it that gray hair on a man is often considered sexy or sophisticated? Think Richard Richard GereGere, ladies!

Women, on the other hand, have long felt tremendous societal pressure to cover their gray. Amazing amounts of time and money are spent fending off the effects of time and trying to hang onto a coveted youthful ideal. Recently, the lovely young Duchess of Cambridge was chastised in the press for allowing a few strands of gray to appear in her lustrous brunette mane!

Times and trends are changing though and even some well known actresses and models are choosing to embrace their gray. Far from looking old and washed out, these gals are stunning!

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I’ve always loved Jamie Lee Curtis’ short pixie cut and doesn’t it look great in pewter?

 

 

 

 

 

Kori Hendrix

 

 

Here’s Kori Hendrix, a Texas realtor and model. Isn’t she gorgeous?

 

 

 

 

 

 

In days gone by, it was thought that women who did let their hair go gray should at least keep it short, but not anymore! Look at the flowing locks on these beauties!

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In her late 60s, Ingrid Becker is a top German model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Model Cindy Joseph

 

Cindy Joseph, began her career in the late 1970s working as a make-up artist for fashion and beauty photographers. In 1999, at the age of 49, she was approached on the street by a casting agent and asked to model for a Dolce and Gabbana ad campaign. That ignited her modeling career with Ford Models Inc., which continues to flourish today at age 66.
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Nicola Griffin also came to modelling later in life. A middle-aged single mother from Nottingham, England, who ran a business organizing student exchange trips, Griffin was standing in line at the bank with her twin daughters when a stranger representing a hair product company asked her if she’d be willing to model for the company’s latest campaign. She was sceptical, but her teenage daughters urged her to give it a try. That quickly led to other modelling jobs and at age 56, she became the oldest woman ever to model for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue!

Born in France in December of 1955, Yasmina Rossi is both a grandmother and a highly sought after model who still looks good in a bikini!

“My hair started turning gray when I was 12 and was salt-and-pepper by the time I hit 20,” says Rossi. “I never colored it, because I knew it was my best asset.”

Yasmina Rossi Model age 59

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Who says gray can’t be sexy and sophisticated?

My first strands of gray began to appear when I was in my mid 40s. I distinctly remember sitting at the dinner table between my oldest son and his friend, both in their teens and both towering over me in height. Looking down at my head, my son commented on the fact that I was getting quite a few gray hairs. “That’s not gray hair,” his friend responded. “Those are silver highlights!” I always did love that boy!

Going gray has been a very slow process. Almost twenty years after that dinner table conversation, my hair still looks more brown than gray in photos. I don’t remember where I first saw the “aging with grayce” phrase, but I’ve adopted it as my own. I can’t tell you whether you should colour your hair or go au naturel, but I love my silver highlights and I have no desire to hide them. I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever go completely gray, but if I do, I hope I can carry it off with as much dignity and grace as the beautiful ladies shown above!

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Keeping my promise

/ edebock / 2 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3It was Norman Vincent Peale who penned the words, “Promises are like crying babies in a theatre, they should be carried out at once.”

This week, I carried out a promise that I made here on the blog just three weeks ago. It was then that I wrote about the New Missions Give Sneakers campaign to provide new shoes for each of the 10 000 children who attend New Missions schools in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. I promised that if I bought myself any new shoes during the drive I would make a matching donation to the Give Sneakers campaign.

So what did I buy?

In a recent post, fashion blogger Susan Street of Fifty, Not Frumpy, wore this pair of strappy sandals.

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As she often does, Susan, who loves wearing heels, included an alternate shoe that might appeal to those of us who prefer flats.

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I immediately fell in love with her suggestion, Cob Hill’s ‘Gabby’ lace up sandal featured on the Nordstrom website, but frugal shopper that I am, I did not love the price! I added the look to my fashion wish list, however, and when I was in Edmonton last week, I found these at Payless ShoeSource.

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True, the uppers are not genuine leather, but at approximately one-third the price, I’m delighted with the ‘Zoey’ ghillie low wedge by Brash.

I wasn’t really looking for a second pair of shoes on this particular shopping trip, but there was a BOGO (buy one, get a second pair at half price) sale happening at Payless! How could I leave with just one pair? I couldn’t, of course! I had in mind a pair of casual flats in a neutral colour and when I tried on the ‘Clover’ skimmer with its cushiony memory foam insole, I knew I’d found what I was looking for. They are so comfortable that they will, without a doubt, become a go to shoe this summer!

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Whether you’re in the market for new shoes or not, why not join me in covering the feet of children who might otherwise have to walk to school barefoot? You can make your donation at givesneakers.com. You’ll be glad you did. I promise!

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Beauty from the inside out

/ edebock / 3 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3Long before I ever thought about trying my hand at fashion blogging, I wrote a series of posts about what makes a woman beautiful. You can find those posts here, here and here.

As I mentioned in the first of that series, the Bible speaks of “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” that “does not come from outward adornment.” (1 Peter 3:3-4) It also says “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

If these things are true, and I sincerely believe that they are, why in the world am I blogging about fashion? Nowhere does scripture say that a godly woman shouldn’t concern herself with style, dress in fine clothes, wear elaborate jewelry or use make-up. It simply says that her true beauty shouldn’t depend on these things. It ought to come from within.

Some Christians emphatically declare that inner beauty is all that matters; that attention to outer beauty is sinful vanity. I disagree completely! True, a nasty, mean-spirited woman dressed in designer clothes and made up impeccably, is still mean and nasty. Unless something happens to transform her from the inside out, that ill-tempered spirit will soon become evident and we will see through her attractive appearance. Similarly, a beautiful spirit can be hidden beneath a frumpy or unkempt exterior, but sadly, it may not be noticed. It’s our outer appearance that often attracts people to us and makes our inner person readily available to them.

Clothing, hair and make-up can be an asset without becoming an obsession and, like it or not, the way we present ourselves sends messages to those who come in contact with us. Rightly or wrongly, we live in a culture where people do judge a book by its cover.

What does your appearance say about you? Does it tell the world that you care about yourself, that you matter, that you’re worth the time it takes to look after yourself? I think it should!

Clearly, we need balance in our lives. We need to do those things that nurture inner peace and beauty, but if we want them to shine through and be seen,  it behooves us to put a little effort into our outward appearance too. In addition, looking good is a great confidence booster!

Looking our best doesn’t mean being overdressed and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Here’s a comfy, casual look that I might wear to the grocery store on a cool spring day.

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I’m wearing dark wash jeans from Old Navy, a Reitman’s t-shirt, cute sneakers and a very special bright pink hoodie that adds a pop of colour to my otherwise neutral outfit.

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The prints on the pockets are the hands of two of my young grandsons! They live over 1300 km from me, but when I wear this gift I feel just a wee bit closer to them.

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And this is hidden on the inside… from my son and his wife.

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Don’t I have a creative daughter-in-law? She’s definitely one of the beautiful women in my life!

F is for Fashion

/ edebock / 12 Comments

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When you’re shopping, how do you decide which items of clothing to add to your wardrobe and which ones to leave behind?

Let me introduce you to several words beginning with F that can help make those decisions easier.

The first thing to consider is fit. In the words of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly of What Not to Wear fame, “If you don’t have fit, you don’t have style.” The key is to try things on and look in the fitting-room mirror with a critical eye. Do shoulder seams lie in the right place? Are armholes sufficiently high without cutting into your armpits? Does the garment pull across your shoulder blades? Is the length appropriate? Is there puckering or wrinkling anywhere? If you’re unsure about fit, try on another size for comparison. Then, if you’re seriously considering buying an item, leave the dressing room and head for the three-way mirror! Don’t buy anything without first checking the fit from behind!

Fit and flattering go hand in hand. First of all, consider whether or not the garment suits your body type. Does it accentuate your good features and disguise the less desirable ones? For example, 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. The three-quarter length sleeves draw the eye away from my waist and the fabric drapes slightly over my mid-section hiding the middle age muffin top that I’ve been battling with lately. The handkerchief hemline and wide band at the bottom give the illusion of girlish hips.

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Knowing which colours flatter you is also important. Back in the 80s when colour draping was all the rage, I met with a Colour Me Beautiful consultant and learned that I was a Spring.  I already knew through trial and error that black or white near my face made me look like a corpse and that gold jewelry was much more flattering on me than silver, but knowing my colours and carrying my little booklet of fabric swatches with me when I shopped was invaluable. It gave me the courage to try colours I’d never worn before and taught me to reject the ones that didn’t look as good on me. Though we were all categorized according to season back then, I understand that in Europe and the Middle East six newer themes have since been introduced: light, deep, warm, soft, clear and cool. In either case, having your colours done is fun and well worth the cost. Keep in mind, however, that nothing is forever set in stone. In recent years, as my hair has taken on more silver highlights, I’ve discovered that I can now wear black. Silver jewelry also looks fine on me now.

While we’re on the topic of colour, it’s a good idea to think about whether or not the garment you’re considering can be worn with other items that are already in your closet. If you have to buy a whole new outfit to go with it, it might not be a wise purchase.

The next F word is feel. Regardless of how well the garment fits and whether the colour suits you, if you don’t find it comfortable or you don’t like the texture of the fabric, you won’t enjoy wearing it. You should also ask yourself whether wearing it will boost your confidence or make you feel self-conscious. The tunic shown above is 95% polyester and 5% spandex. I find the lightweight, slightly stretchy fabric extremely comfortable and I feel great walking into a room in this garment.

It’s also important to think about whether or not the item is functional.  Does it fit your lifestyle? Where will you wear it? For example, I spent most of my career working as an elementary school teacher. My days often involved chalk, poster paint and paper mache, so my working wardrobe needed to be washable. I also had to be able to comfortably crouch down beside a student’s desk to help him with his work. As I was on my feet most of the time and I was the teacher who played on the swings and jumped rope with the kids when I was on outdoor supervision, I definitely needed comfortable shoes. Your needs might be entirely different. Now that I’m retired, I no longer need a working wardrobe, but I still want to look my best wherever I go.

Another important consideration is whether or not the item is affordable. Okay, this one doesn’t start with F, but I figure that the two Fs make up for that! Everyone has a different price point, so again, I can’t tell you what’s right for you. In clothing shopping, as in most other areas of life, I’m quite frugal which does start with F! I invariably head for the sales racks when I enter a shop and I love thrift store shopping, so I seldom pay full price for my clothing. The tunic was purchased late last fall at Laura in South Edmonton Common at a fraction of its original price.

The last F word might seem odd, but I think fun should also be on the list. I agree with fashion icon, Iris Apfel, who said, “I think getting dressed should be a very joyful and creative experience.”