style

Spring trends for 2018

/ edebock / 1 Comment

LogoI’ve complained a lot lately about how long winter seems to be lasting here on the Canadian prairie, but the days are gradually warming up and some of you live where spring has already arrived, so let’s take a look at a few fashion trends for spring and summer 2018.

Fanny packs

That’s right! 1980s looks are back and with them come the fanny pack, or as it’s called in some places, the bum bag. The popularity of this simple zippered pouch worn around the waist like a belt was short-lived in the late 80s and who would have thought that it would make a reappearance thirty years later? It doesn’t do much for the silhouette, but when you think about it, the fanny pack is very functional. It allows for hands free shopping and is great for bikers, hikers and travellers. In our family, the fanny pack’s popularity in the 1980s was literally a life saver. Our oldest son was severely asthmatic and had to carry his inhalers with him everywhere he went. Now his asthmatic niece and nephew carry theirs in fanny packs just like he did. Fanny packs are available in a wide variety of colours and materials.

Head to toe denim

Dark wash denim seems to be making a resurgence this season and it’s being worn from head to toe. Ignore what I said in last week’s post about making sure the washes are different! This season denim is all about a monochromatic and slightly tailored look.

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Sheer top layers

This trend allows us to show off as much or as little skin as we like depending on what we wear underneath. I can see a top like this one, worn over a simple camisole, looking good on a woman of any age.

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As the weather gets hot, I’m afraid that this transparent look could be a style that goes very wrong! Hopefully modesty prevails and everyone remembers that some looks are meant only for the beach or the bedroom!

Fringe

Full-on fringe was a big look on the runways of New York, Paris and Milan, but there are simpler versions of the trend, like this poncho inspired blouse, that might appeal more to the majority of us.

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Adding a fringed or tasselled accessory, such as a handbag or even earrings, is also a good way to bring this trend into your wardrobe in a smaller way.

Pastels and paintbox colours

Soft pastels are a classic spring staple and they’re especially big this year. If you shy away from these “ice cream colours” try pairing them with your darker neutrals. Yes, you can wear black in the spring and summer, but add a pop of something pastel to lighten up the look.

Bright saturated colours are also on trend this season. Think Crayola crayons in primary colours or the paintbox that you probably had in grade school.

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If you invested in a trendy pink piece last year, you’re in luck. Pink is still on trend for spring and summer this year and it’s being seen in every shade imaginable from the palest blush to neon. Yellow is also popular, especially in dresses.

So now that I know what some of the latest trends are, it’s time to take a look at my spring and summer wardrobe and see what I already have that will work again this year. Believe it or not, I have a black leather fanny pack from the 80s hidden away somewhere! I also have a fringed top and some tasselled earrings as well as a summer tote with tassels. I have golf shirts in bold primary colours and here’s a very casual head to toe denim look. The photo was taken almost a year ago, but my dark wash jeans and waterfront shirt from cabi’s Fall 2016 collection will definitely work again this year!

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The always stylish denim jacket

/ edebock / 9 Comments

LogoIn the world of fashion there are trends like the bell sleeves that I wrote about last week, that are often short-lived, and then there are timeless fashions that never go out of style. I’ve been thinking a lot about one of those lately. Perhaps it’s the fact that winter seems to be going on forever this year, but I’m getting very tired of my winter wardrobe and I’ve been dreaming of the day when I can begin wearing my denim jackets again.

The jean jacket is a classic fashion staple that’s comfortable, casual, and easy to wear. Created in the United States in about 1880 by Levi Strauss, it was originally designed as a durable, heavy-duty jacket to be worn by cowboys, miners, and railroad workers. Over time, however, it has become a wardrobe staple for men and women alike.

I don’t suppose any woman really needs three blue jean jackets, but all of mine are thrifted (I spent a total of less than $10 on them) and each one is different. For the purpose of these photos, I’m wearing each of them with my grey striped Breton tee and dark wash jeans. Yes, you can wear denim-on-denim! Just make sure the washes are different.

My favourite is a traditional jean jacket from Gap.

The second one, from Jones New York, is made of very lightweight denim. It has snaps instead of buttons and the pockets give it a slightly dressier look. It also has a bit of elastic at the sides for a closer fit.

The third, from Fylo, is a fitted blazer style. Its brass buttons set it apart from the others, but the faded denim keeps it looking casual.

Not all denim jackets are blue, of course. Here’s one that comes in a wide variety of colours and it’s on sale right now. I love the Monticello Peach! This cute one in a floral print is also on sale.

My black denim jacket (also thrifted) from Bianca Nygard has appeared on the blog a couple of times in the past. With its silver sparkle and big blingy buttons it is super easy to dress up, but it can still be worn casually as shown here.

What’s not to love about a denim jacket? It’s stylish and amazingly versatile. You can wear it with almost anything, so don’t save yours only for casual wear. Here, the second jacket shown above adds an effortless, casual vibe to a much dressier outfit. I’m wearing it with the Treasure Dress from cabi’s Fall 2017 collection. I seldom wear heels, but I thought these ones, passed down to me by my very generous sister-in-law, added to the dressy summer look that I was going for here.

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Now, if spring would only get here!

I’d like your help

/ edebock / 17 Comments

LogoEarlier this month, I had the opportunity to shop my sister-in-law’s closet again. Though I’m a little taller, Sue and I are very similar in size and can usually wear one another’s clothes without alteration. Before we arrived for our annual February visit, she had done another major closet clean out and had several large bags of clothing waiting for me to go through.

Today I want your opinion on 4 tops that now hang in my closet. Please be honest about whether or not you think I should keep them and tell me why.

#1

 

I actually like everything about this one from Cleo, one of my favourite Canadian fashion retailers. It fits perfectly and the soft polyester knit with a hint of spandex is oh so comfortable. Teal is one of the colours that suits every skin tone and the pattern doesn’t overwhelm me. The shirttail hem with ties at the sides takes it one notch up from a simple t-shirt.

#2

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Sue tends to wear dramatic colours and patterns while I favour neutrals. This one, also from Cleo, combines the two. Though fuchsia is also a colour that most women can wear, I like having the beige and grey tones closer to my face. I love three quarter length sleeves and this top is long enough that I can wear it over leggings. Though I love the look of the wide trim on the sleeves and the bottom edge, it does tend to catch on things.

#3

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I love the length and the fit of this button down tunic from Northern Reflections, another Canadian retailer. The lightweight polyester drapes beautifully, but I wonder if the pattern is a bit too intense for me. Perhaps it looks better under my denim waterfront shirt from cabi. What do you think?

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#4

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This silky blouson style top, also from Cleo, is actually a petite. It’s shorter than I usually wear, but other than that it fits well and the sleeves are long enough. It’s very lightweight and would make a good transition piece for spring (if it ever gets here!), but again, I wonder if it looks better under a sweater like my shirttail cardigan from cabi.

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Now that I’ve shopped Sue’s closet, please help me curate mine. Let me know your thoughts about these 4 tops in the comment section below.

 

Favourite fashion quotes

/ edebock / 2 Comments

LogoFor as long as I can remember, I’ve been a collector of words, jotting down quotations that appeal to me whenever I run across them. Most of my favourite fashion quotes were coined by people in the fashion industry, but the first one listed here was spoken by a Greek philosopher in the 1st century AD. It still rings true today.

“Know first who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly.”  Epictetus

The others are more current.

“To me, clothing is a form of self-expression – there are hints about who you are in what you wear.”  Marc Jacobs

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.”  Rachel Zoe

“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.”  Gianni Versace

“Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.”  Ralph Lauren

“To me, style is all about expressing your individuality freely and courageously.”   Timothy John Byford

“Real style is never right or wrong. It’s a matter of being yourself on purpose.”  G. Bruce Boyer

As I read through these, I realize that they’re all saying the same thing. I like them because they express my philosophy of style. What we wear is, or should be, an expression of who we are and shouldn’t be dictated by the current trends, the world of advertising, or by what everyone else around us is wearing.

My cabi stylist, Linda Kreamer, once put it this way, “Fashion is fashion, but style is your own.” (I’m sure she didn’t realize that I grabbed my notebook and pen and jotted that down when she said it!)

Our style is what makes us unique. While it’s great to take inspiration from what others are wearing, we each need to put our own stamp on a look. I’ve shared where some of my fashion inspiration comes from here.

There is no one more unique in the fashion world than Iris Apfel. I have a whole collection of quotes just from her, but this one fits well with today’s message.

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

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Another of my favourite fashion quotes comes from a fictional character.

“You’re never fully dressed without a smile.”  Little Orphan Annie

And then, just for laughs, I can’t resist ending with these two somewhat irreverent fashion quotations.

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”  Mark Twain

“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves and, of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys they’d just walk around naked at all times.”  Betsy Johnson

 

Retirement dressing

/ edebock / 3 Comments

logoIt’s hard to believe that it’s been almost ten years since Richard and I walked out of our respective classrooms and entered a new phase of life called retirement! That meant I no longer needed a working wardrobe. I spent most of my career teaching elementary school, so my workwear wasn’t as formal as some women’s, but I was a professional and it was important to dress like one. Now I no longer needed to, so what should I wear?

To me, retirement meant a new and exciting life was opening up in front of me. I didn’t feel old and I certainly didn’t want to look frumpy! I didn’t need a working wardrobe, but I wasn’t happy to spend the rest of my life wearing the shapeless t-shirts and sweatshirts that I’d once worn during my out of school hours. I began to take a greater interest in fashion and now I would call my retirement style dressy casual.

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Yesterday, we were reminded that age is creeping up on us. We’ve been fortunate to be able to stay on the excellent Alberta teacher’s benefit plan for the first ten years of our retirement, but next fall I turn 65, the magic age at which we must transfer to the retired teacher’s plan. That’s why we were in Edmonton yesterday to meet with a representative of the retired teacher’s association. Here’s what I chose to wear:

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It was the first day this spring that it was warm enough to be out and about without a jacket. A light sweater in pink, one of this season’s most popular colours, was a perfect topper for the Cleo Top from cabi’s last season. Worn with dark wash jeans from Old Navy, this is what retirement wear looks like to me.

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Column of colour

/ edebock / 3 Comments

logoColumn dressing begins with a solid base in one colour, usually a neutral. It can be either a top with pants or a top with a skirt. Add accessories and a topper and voila!

Here’s an example from my wardrobe. I wore this to church recently.

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I started with my skinny black pants purchased about a year ago at Dynamite and a stretchy high-necked tank top that I’ve had for years. Though I seldom tuck my tops in, this one is a bit on the short side and tends to ride up if I don’t. A narrow black belt with a black and gold buckle helped keep everything in place. To this basic column, I added tall black boots, a grey mix cardigan and simple jewelry in a gold and silver combo.

By simply exchanging one waterfall cardigan for another less structured one in a colourful silky fabric and the boots for a pair of black pumps, I was ready for a date night with my hubby. We started the evening with dinner at a new restaurant and then went dancing.

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Here’s a third look built on the exact same basic column. This time I styled it with a bright red leather jacket that’s on loan from my sister-in-law, Sue, who thinks I need to add more colour to my wardrobe. For the purpose of this post, I wore the same jewelry for all three photos, but imagine how I could create many different looks by changing my accessories.

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Though it would be boring to dress this way all the time, there are many advantages to creating a column. First of all, it’s easy and who doesn’t like easy? Even better, it’s cost effective. The basic pieces of a column can be worn over and over again in so many different ways making them excellent investment pieces. It creates a long, lean look which is highly sought after by many women and it makes packing, especially for business travel, a dream. Depending on the length of the trip, one or two basic columns with several toppers and a mix of interesting accessories might be all you need!

Fitted or baggy? What’s your style?

/ edebock / 12 Comments

logoIt’s kind of spooky how the spirits of the cyber world seem to know exactly what our interests are and how accurately they tailor the ads we see to those areas. Ever since I introduced Fashion Friday to my blog last March, the majority of ads that I see on Facebook and on the news pages that I read regularly have been related to fashion.

Lately, whenever I go to Facebook, this is what I see in the margin.

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I seldom wear dresses, but apparently the internet thinks I should and feels that I should be shopping for some new ones! It doesn’t seem to know my style though, so it’s offering me two strikingly different options.

The dresses on the Fashion Mia site are mostly what I would call fitted. When I do wear a dress, it’s usually for a special occasion and I want to look both feminine and sophisticated. Here’s a closer look at one from that site that I could see myself wearing. It’s definitely my style.

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The dresses on the Buykud site, however, are baggy and, in many cases, shapeless. Here are a few examples.

There’s nothing actually wrong with them. They’re certainly modest and they look comfy, but they’re not my style. In fact, I’d probably look and feel like a bag lady in any one of them and I suspect that my husband, who is rather fond of my shape, would be horrified! They’re simply not flattering; one of my essential fashion F words.

If I had been looking for a new dress this winter, I would definitely have considered this one that kept appearing on a Bay banner across the top of my favourite news site throughout the Christmas season.

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The Ivanka Trump lace-detailed sheath dress, available here, caught my eye every time it appeared. It’s definitely my style.

In the words of fashion icon, Iris Apfel, “I think the biggest fashion faux pas these days is looking into the mirror and seeing somebody else. It doesn’t work. You’ve got to know who you are.” You need to know your style which may be entirely different from mine.

What’s your style? Do you prefer fitted or baggy?

On the rise

/ edebock / 5 Comments

logoWhen I was young, a high-rise was an apartment building and a waist band was just that, a band that rested at the waist. Then came the demise of what later became known somewhat disparagingly as Mom jeans and we all became familiar with the terms low rise and mid rise.

So, what exactly is rise? Rise is the distance from the middle of the crotch seam to the top edge of a pair of pants.

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image: http://www.kohls.com/sale-event/jeans-rise-product-guide.jsp

 

The low rise trend started in the early 2000s with some jeans dropping so low that they exposed thong panties and butt cracks. Definitely not a pretty sight! Those jeans had a rise of between 6 and 7 inches. Most denim manufacturers settled on a low rise of between 7.75 and 8.5 inches. My lowest are a pair from Gap with an 8 inch rise.

At first, I had a tough time adjusting to wearing low or even mid rise jeans. After all, I loved my 1980s Mom jeans! Eventually, they wore out though and I had to break down and buy new ones. Of course, I adjusted, but now jeans are on the rise again with higher and higher waists becoming popular once more! Why does the fashion industry do this to us?

As much as I’ve grown accustomed to a lower rise, there are definite advantages to a higher pant. High-waisted jeans do a great job of keeping everything in place! As much as I exercise and eat healthy, a “middle age bulge” seems to have come to stay and it loves nothing better than creating a muffin top over the edge of low rise pants!

With the addition of spandex, today’s denim has a lot more stretch than it did in the 80s which will make high-waisted jeans much more comfortable than they were back then. It will be a while before I go shopping for any though as my closet is full of jeans with a mid rise of about 9 inches and being the frugal fashionista that I am, I won’t be rushing out to replace them simply to go up an inch or two in the waist.

What about you? What’s your favourite rise and why?

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?

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.”