Brooches are back!

January 28, 2022January 27, 2022 / edebock / 4 Comments

Brooches, once considered stodgy and old-fashioned, have made a fashionable comeback and are now a stylish and versatile accessory that can add a spark of glamour and attitude to almost any outfit. Unlike our grandmothers, who tended to wear a bit of elegance pinned to their lapels or upper bodices, today’s brooches are often styled in unexpected ways.

If you’re lucky, you might have inherited some vintage ones from your granny, but if not, second-hand stores are a good source. I found these two in one of our local thrift shops for 25 cents apiece!

The newest trend where brooches are concerned is wearing a cluster. Why wear just one when you can wear two or three? Some are even sold in sets like these ones found on Amazon. Though insects wouldn’t be my personal choice (except maybe the dragonfly and the butterfly), having a theme can sometimes help pull a look together.

At the moment, since I only have the two to work with, I’ve been wearing them together.

As a gal who loves casual glamour, I like the juxtaposition of a little sparkle on a basic denim shirt. I’d also wear them on a plain t-shirt, a sweater, a cardigan, or a jean jacket.

Brooches didn’t actually begin as jewelry. Historically, they were functional items used to hold pieces of cloth together. The pin on a Scotsman’s kilt comes to mind as a good example. Today, however, there are numerous ways to make a statement with a brooch. Here are just a few ideas:

use one or more to dress up a purse or a bag
add one to a hat
use one as a hair accessory
position one at the point of a V neck
add one to the waistline of a skirt or dress instead of wearing a belt
attach one to a belt
pin one to the wrist of a shirt or jacket

I even read about one woman who liked to pin a sparkly dragonfly to the back of her shoulder!

If you’re wearing a brooch, or especially a cluster of them, be careful that they aren’t too heavy for the fabric. To prevent them from pulling it down, try pinning a piece of felt or sturdier fabric behind your garment to provide support. A cotton makeup pad will also work well.

A post about brooches would be incomplete without mentioning Queen Elizabeth II. Apparently she owns 98 of them and is seldom, if ever, seen without one. Many of them have historic and personal significance and some are meant to convey a message. I’m not a monarchist, but I can’t help chuckling over the fact that on July 12, 2018, the day that Donald Trump arrived in the UK for a three day royal visit, she wore one that had been given to her by the Obamas!

Happy 100th Birthday, Iris Apfel!

August 27, 2021August 24, 2021 / edebock / 2 Comments

American fashion icon, Iris Apfel, famous for her colourful eclectic style and her oversized glasses, will celebrate her 100th birthday on Sunday!

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On August 19th, her Instagram post read..

10 days left of 99… Then comes 100, it feels divine!!!

In 2005, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City said this about Apfel and it still holds true today, “An American original in the truest sense, Iris Apfel is one of the most vivacious personalities in the worlds of fashion, textiles, and interior design, and over the past 40 years, she has cultivated a personal style that is both witty and exuberantly idiosyncratic. Her originality is typically revealed in her mixing of high and low fashions – Dior haute couture with flea market finds, 19th-century ecclesiastical vestments with Dolce & Gabbana lizard trousers.”

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On the eve of her 100th birthday, Apfel continues to work because she wants to. “I want to stay alive,” she said in a recent interview. “If I stopped working, I’d be gone.” This year alone, she curated a line of home products for Lowe’s (long before she became a fashion icon, she was an interior designer), teamed up with Etsy to offer “Iris Apfel’s Fashion Favorites” on the online marketplace, and is designing eyewear collections for Zenni Optical as part of a four-year-deal with the company.

While I don’t aspire to dress like Iris Apfel, I do like how she thinks. Here are a few of my favourite Iris quotes…

“You have to look in the mirror and see yourself. If it feels good, then I know it’s for me. I don’t dress to be stared at, I dress for myself.”

“When you don’t dress like everybody else, you don’t have to think like everybody else.”

“Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self expression and, above all, attitude.”

I also like what she says about age…

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Sunday is also my beautiful daughter’s birthday, so Happy Birthday, Iris Apfel and Happy Birthday, Melaina!

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Wearing shorts after 50

May 28, 2021May 26, 2021 / edebock / 4 Comments

There seems to be an unwritten fashion rule that says that women over a certain age shouldn’t wear shorts. This week, I’m going to join several other bloggers in attempting to debunk, or at least question, that concept.

On Monday of this week, three of the bloggers that I read regularly and another that I’ve only recently discovered teamed up to discuss the topic of wearing shorts after 50 or 60. I hope they don’t mind if I share a bit of what they had to say with you and add some thoughts of my own.

Susan Blakey of une femme d’un certain âge wrote that she hasn’t worn shorts, except for working out, for a decade or more. For the blogging exercise, however, she tried several different shorts outfits including this one.

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So why do women in their 50s, 60s, or beyond hesitate to wear shorts even on hot summer days? There are many different reasons, but the most common one is probably the fact that we’re self-conscious about how our legs look. They may not look as great as they did when we were in our twenties, but as Tania Stephens of 50 IS NOT OLD says, “I probably wouldn’t even look at your legs if we met on the street. I might notice your eyes, smile, hairstyle, and even clothes, shoes, jewelry, and handbag. BUT, unless your legs were colored bright orange, I probably wouldn’t give them another thought.” She certainly looked comfortable and confident in her white jean shorts and blue and white striped sweater.

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Choosing the right length and style of shorts for your body can be challenging, but a pair of shorts can be just as fashionable as any other item of clothing and they can be dressed up or down. Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life didn’t want to look too sporty, so she chose a looser cuffed and pleated pair that doesn’t look like they’re meant for the gym.

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It was only through these three collaborating with Deborah Boland of Fabulous After 40 that I discovered her blog. She decided to go with an upscale look that proves without a doubt that wearing shorts after 50 doesn’t have to look frumpy. In fact, it can be sophisticated!

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Deborah had the suits with shorts look that has been on trend since spring 2020 in mind when she put together this ensemble. I tried a similar look last summer.

I liked the outfit, but my summers are usually pretty casual. When it finally warms up enough, I’m more likely to be seen wearing shorts on the golf course with a sleeveless golf shirt.

I’m not telling you that you should wear shorts if you’re over 50, or like me, over 60. I’m simply suggesting that you shouldn’t let someone else’s opinion or a so-called “fashion rule” dictate what you wear. If you’re truly uncomfortable with the idea of wearing shorts, if that’s really not your style, then by all means don’t wear them. If you’re unsure though, and want to give them a try, I’d suggest going with a longer pair that end just above the knee. They tend to look less boxy and you likely won’t feel as self-conscious as you might in a shorter pair. For more ideas and advice, click the links to the blogs I mentioned above.

Now it’s your turn. Do you wear shorts? Why or why not?

What are your style adjectives?

May 21, 2021May 19, 2021 / edebock / 7 Comments

Words are powerful. Words can build us up or knock us down. Words can also help us build a wardrobe and create outfits that say what we want to say about ourselves.

Several years ago, I chose three adjectives to describe my style… classy, confident, and comfortable. I’ve since added two more… casual and creative. The fact that they all start with the letter C makes them easy to remember, but that was simply a coincidence. Every time I get dressed, even if I’m not going anywhere that day, I stand in front of the mirror and run through those five adjectives in my mind. I’m happiest with my outfit if it ticks all five boxes. I’ve also used these words to help me weed garments out of my closet that probably didn’t belong there in the first place and to help me make wiser purchases.

Once in awhile, there are, of course, dressier events (or at least there were before Covid) when casual doesn’t work to describe the look I’m going for, but even on those occasions I use the other four adjectives to guide my outfit choices.

One of my fashion goals in the past couple of years has been to add more colour to my wardrobe, but since I still gravitate toward neutrals I’m not ready to make colourful one of my adjectives. Besides, you don’t want too many style adjectives. I would suggest three to five.

So, here’s an exercise for you. Below is a list of 48 adjectives. Look them over and choose three to five that describe what you would like your wardrobe to say about you. Then, share them in the comment section below. If the words you want aren’t on the list, feel free to choose different ones, but the English teacher in me says please don’t use boring words like nice or pretty. For this to be effective, you want your words to be more specific than those.

minimalistic sophisticated fun eclectic

bold sporty elegant edgy

trendy sexy classic tailored

whimsical glamorous chic feminine

artistic polished coordinated cute

funky stylish dressy outdoorsy

relaxed graceful unique quirky

confident preppy bohemian classy

colourful approachable lively creative

strong fierce youthful vibrant

casual current responsible authentic

cool happy modest soft

Screen Shot 2021-05-19 at 8.46.05 PM Every one of us is unique and I can’t wait to hear which adjectives you choose!

Fashion humour

May 7, 2021May 6, 2021 / edebock / 5 Comments

I’m quite surprised at how easy it’s been to keep Fashion Friday going for over five years without running out of new topics to write about, but lately the well of ideas seems to be running dry. I think it’s more than writer’s block though. I’m sure it’s partly due to the fact that I’m bored with the clothes in my closet and I’ve hardly bought any new ones in the past 14 months, but I think it also has a lot to do with the state of the world we’re living in. Writing about fashion seems pretty frivolous when you’re living in the province with the highest rate of active Covid cases in Canada and the United States and the situation is getting worse every day.

After wracking my brain for something meaningful to write about this week and coming up empty, I decided that maybe what we actually need is a bit of fashion humour to lighten the mood. We don’t have to look any further than the runway fashion shows where designers display their latest creations to find a few laughs and ask, “What were they thinking?”

Perhaps it would be best if designers didn’t let their creative juices flow when they’re hungry!

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I’ve always said that a mother should grow a new arm with each new child. Perhaps that’s what this designer had in mind, but that would be one big family!

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There’s a lot going on in this Easter bunny inspired outfit, but look at the sleeves. They’d be perfect for a mom whose arms are tired or perhaps for someone who’s broken both arms. The mask is also a nice touch during these pandemic days.

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Then, of course, there are the styles with no arms at all!

Cozy is nice, but this is a bit much, don’t you think?

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This one would certainly keep you warm on a cold winter day.

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Layering for warmth is a better idea, but it would appear that this designer didn’t quite grasp that concept.

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Some outfits are creepy…

and others are just too weird for words!

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A few the outfits shown above are clearly unisex, but today I also have two special designs for any men in the audience who like to show off their underwear!

Though I can’t actually imagine anyone wearing any of these creations except on the runway, I do have to admit that some of them are walking works of art. In some cases, very weird art, but art nevertheless. In my opinion, this one from China is both artistic and quite beautiful.

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Though I’m obvously struggling with it a bit at this point, I do want to keep Fashion Friday going, so if you have any suggestions for topics you’d like me to write about, I’d love to hear them! Please feel free to leave your ideas in the comment section.

More about flats

March 26, 2021March 23, 2021 / edebock / Leave a comment

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What a strange language English is! Take the word flat, for example. In Britain, a flat is what we in North America would call an apartment. Flat can mean smooth and even, without bumps and indentations. It can be a musical note or a piece of stage scenery. We can be flat broke, lie flat on our backs, or turn someone down flat. Today is Fashion Friday, however, so once again we’re talking about shoes, ballet flats in particular.

The ballet flat, a timeless, polished, and quietly chic style of footwear, was inspired by the dance slippers worn by ballerinas in France in the mid-18th century. It was French film actress, Brigitte Bardot, who would ultimately transform the ballet slipper into it’s present day form. Once trained as a ballet dancer, Bardot asked French footwear designer, Rose Repetto, to design a pair of flats for her that were as flexible as ballet slippers, but softer and more comfortable. Bardot wore the now-iconic style in her 1956 film, And God Created Woman.

Fashion trends come and go, but the ballet flat has remained a wardrobe staple for women for nearly 70 years. Other famous fans of the tried-and-true style have included Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana, Michelle Obama, and Meghan Markle.

As I mentioned in last week’s post, with spring comes lighter footwear including the ubiquitous ballet flat. Though these lightweight, flexible, and comfortable shoes are traditionally rounded at the toe, square-toed and pointy pairs can also be found. Apart from highly formal, black tie events, ballet flats are suited to almost any occasion from the office to a party. They are, of course, perfect as part of an everyday casual outfit. I would not, however, suggest wearing them when you plan to do a lot of walking as they don’t provide adequate support for that.

And now for a few styling tips:

Avoid tights and socks. Ballet flats look best over bare feet.
Show some skin. Ballet flats look most flattering when your ankles or lower legs are showing. They look great with dresses, skirts (especially loose, flowy styles), and cropped pants.
Simple ballet flats also look great with skinny jeans or leggings.
If you want to create the illusion of longer legs, choose a simple nude pair.

Wearing my blue suede shoes!

Do we ever age out of fashion?

February 12, 2021February 10, 2021 / edebock / 2 Comments

I love the Baroness von Sketch clips that pop up on my Facebook News Feed from time to time. They’re irreverent and funny and touch on real life, everyday situations. If you haven’t seen this one, take three minutes to watch it and then we’ll talk about whether or not we ever age out of fashion.

If she’s aged out at 48, I’m in big trouble! I’m 20 years older than her! No, ladies, what we like might change and what looks good on us might be altered by time, but we’re never too old for style; never too old to look our best.

Take Jane Fonda for example. She’s 83! Yes, she’s had cosmetic surgery and colours her hair, but look at how she’s dressed. She isn’t trying to look like a teenager, but she hasn’t given up on fashion either. She hasn’t aged out.

Jane Fonda 83

I’m sure you can think of others. Diane Keaton, Helen Mirren, and British actress, Charlotte Rampling, all age 75, come to mind. You can probably think of older women you know whose style you admire. One thing that I suspect they all have in common is that they care about their appearance; they haven’t given up on themselves simply because there are more candles on their cake than there used to be. They wear what they like, what makes them feel good about themselves, and they don’t worry about following arbitrary “age appropriate” rules.

Attitude not age

What fashion is NOT

February 5, 2021February 4, 2021 / edebock / Leave a comment

I’m noticing a common theme amongst the fashion bloggers that I follow and I completely identify. As the pandemic drags on and on, we’re finding it increasingly difficult to come up with new and interesting content. I refer to Following Augustine as a “lifestyle, travel, and fashion” blog, but when life is mostly stay-at-home, travel has been non-existent for almost a year, and I’ve only shopped for absolute essentials, what do I write about? I’ve been depending on my own closet for most of these weekly fashion features, trying to come up with new ways to wear old pieces, but I’m rapidly running out of ideas!

In preparation for a weekly study that I lead, I’ve spent quite a bit of time lately looking at what the Bible has to say about women, so I’m going to draw on that for today’s post. 1 Peter 3:3-4a says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.” Does that mean that a Christian woman shouldn’t concern herself with style, dress in fine clothes, wear jewelry, use make-up, or write a fashion blog. Not at all!

When looking at the Bible for guidance we need to ask ourselves what the timeless principles behind the scriptures are and how we can stay true to them in our day and age. First century Israel was under Roman rule. It was the practice of the upper class Roman women to flaunt their position by wearing elaborate hairstyles adorned with genuine jewels. They intentionally used their clothing and jewelry to set themselves apart from the lower class women. I believe that it was this attitude that the apostle Peter was warning against.

Wall painting from the Vila San Marco, Stabiae, 1st century

I’ve written before about the 3Cs, the things I want my wardrobe to say about me. When I look in the mirror, I want what I’m wearing to say classy, confident, and comfortable. I could add to that casual and creative. I do NOT want my wardrobe to say that I think I’m better than anyone else! Fashion is not, or should not be, a competition!

I actually had no idea where this post was going when I started writing it, but perhaps I’ll just leave you with this thought.

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Why accessorize?

December 4, 2020December 3, 2020 / edebock / Leave a comment

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Accessories are the finishing touches that can take an outfit from drab to dramatic. They also add versatility to your wardrobe enabling you to create many different looks with the same basic outfit. Almost any outfit will benefit from a few carefully chosen accessories, but think beyond jewelry to watches, scarves, belts, shoes, handbags, gloves, and hats. These days even masks are accessories that can complement an outfit.

Accessories are an opportunity to express your personal style, taste, and preferences. They can add a pop of colour to an otherwise neutral outfit. Accessories can also draw attention to your finer points and away from those you might not want to accentuate. For example, a short necklace and statement earrings will draw the viewer’s eye to your face and away from your bust while a long necklace will make you look taller and leaner than you really are. In addition, some accessories have sentimental significance and add a feel good aspect to getting dressed. This could be something you’ve received as a gift or something you picked up while traveling. In my case, I also have a few pieces of jewelry that belonged to my mother. Rather than storing them away for safekeeping, I like to wear them occasionally.

Choosing which accessories to wear can be intimidating, so let’s look at a few tips from the style experts.

Think of your outfit as a blank canvas. What does it need to enhance it? For example, is the neckline very plain and simple? Perhaps it needs a necklace or a scarf to fill it in.
Create balance by giving centre stage to one dominant piece and adding more subtle accessories as supporting characters. For example, if you’re wearing a statement necklace, choose earrings that won’t compete for attention.
Keep the proportion of your accessories appropriate to your body. If you are petite, you can still wear fashion jewelry, but smaller scale pieces will enhance your outfit rather than overwhelm or distract.
Wear what suits your personality and makes you feel comfortable. Several months ago, a reader shared a quote from an O. Douglas novel that really resonated with me. “When you’re sure your clothes are right you can forget all about them. When you’re wrongly dressed you’re miserably aware of it all the time.” The same is true of accessories. If something makes you feel self-conscious, don’t wear it.
Keep your accessories appropriate to the occasion. For example, you might wear the same little black dress to the office, to a funeral, and to a New Years Eve party (though maybe not this year!) but each circumstance would call for different accessories. The glitzy pieces that you might choose for a special evening event would be totally out of place in either of the other two situations.
For a modern look, coordinate your necklace and earrings rather than matching them. The matchy-match look will immediately make you look dated. If you have a matching set, you don’t have to stop wearing them. Simply break them up. Wear the earrings with a scarf or a different necklace that has a similar “flavour” or feel. Do the same with the necklace.
My last suggestion would be to store your accessories in such a way that they’re organized and easy to see. Unfortunately, I haven’t mastered that yet and I’m often found trying to untangle necklaces from one another! If and when I figure out a method that works well, I’ll share it on the blog. How do you organize and store your accessories?

Shopping like a goddess

October 30, 2020October 29, 2020 / edebock / Leave a comment

If you’ve been reading Following Augustine for long, you know that I love thrift store shopping. In fact, one of my most popular posts over the past year has been this one. I’m not crazy about big city stores like Value Village where there’s an overwhelming amount of merchandise to sift through. Instead, I prefer smaller not-for-profit stores like the two that I shop locally.

Other than one pair of pyjamas that I picked up at Walmart, the only clothing that I’ve bought in the past four months has been second-hand. One of my most recent finds was the Goddess Blouse from cabi’s Fall 2018 Collection. Although it’s two years old, it’s like new and it fits into my wardrobe for several reasons.

Like many cabi pieces, it isn’t trendy. Its timeless quality means that it’s something that I’ll be happy to wear for a long time. The cream coloured background is flattering to my complexion and the abstract pattern, in colours that are part of my spring palette, doesn’t overwhelm me. The blouse also coordinates with lots of things in my present wardrobe including many other cabi pieces. That’s one of my favourite things about cabi; the fact that pieces from one season are intentionally designed to coordinate with those from several previous seasons so that you can build a cohesive wardrobe over a period of time.

In the first photo, I’m wearing the Goddess Blouse with my grey skinny jeans, also from the Fall 2018 Collection. My necklace is another recent thrift store purchase.

I love the next look which is entirely cabi. I styled the blouse with my Brick Dust skinnies from Spring 2018, the Tudor Cross necklace from Fall 2019, and one of my oldest pieces of cabi, the Shirttail Cardigan from Fall 2016. It might be four years old, but it’s still going strong!

Next, here I am wearing the blouse with a pair of dark wash jeans and yet another piece from cabi, the Checkmate Jacket from a year ago.

And finally, here’s my very good friend and cabi stylist, Deborah, wearing her Goddess Blouse with several items from this season’s cabi collection.

Deb

By now, you might be wondering if this is a sponsored post. It’s not. I just have a lot of cabi in my closet and I’m delighted that I was able to add another piece for just $3.00 by shopping my local thrift store!