Hello 60! The Writer in Me

If this is your first interaction with my blog welcome to my Fashion page. This month I celebrated my 60th birthday. I decided to spend the month celebrating me. Why not? I rarely spend a lot of time talking about how I came to be the person I am, and 60 is a pretty big deal.

Last week I did a post that gave a shout out to the decade I grew up in, the 1970’s. I was born in 1964, but it wasn’t the 60’s that most influenced my fashion or music choices. I can distinctly remember a particular pair of red cuffed, wide leg flares my mother ordered for me out of one of the sale catalogues at the time (JC Penney, and Wards were the two I grew up with). I remember standing on the toilet in the bathroom, so I could see what I looked like in the medicine chest mirror. We never had a full length mirror in our home. I was so excited to wear my mod, red pants to school that day. Do you have any good memories that revolved around clothing when you were young?

I’m gong to throw my pictures in throughout, tell my story, and then give the outfit details.

It was in 8th grade that I became a writer. Our English class was reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. For some reason that story felt so real and personal. As a typical public school student I saw the divisions, the bullying, and the reality of teens being affected by their peers. I was one of them. I didn’t get bullied like some, but I never fit in. My family didn’t have a lot of money, and I often wore second hand clothes I got from my cousin. That’s probably why I remember those red pants so vividly. I had a small circle of friends and most of my social life revolved around the church.

I began to create my own Outsiders stories. After several “books”, which were hand written pieces of about 100 pages, I moved towards stories with mild sci fi slant. Gradually, I turned to trying to write historical fiction, and now my muse is fantasy. I have published a few short articles, and I do a regular monthly article in a local community news magazine, and of course I have this blog. Do I want to be a published author? Yes? Why haven’t I got there yet? I could give you a million excuses such as undisciplined, lazy, tired, busy, etc., but I think the real reason is much simpler: fear.

It takes effort, time, and something I would call heart and soul to pour out your ideas and thoughts into a cohesive work that makes sense and appeals to others. Not only do you have to write, you have to read, voraciously, books in your genre, books in other genres, and books on writing; lots and lots of books. In addition, once you’ve written your piece then comes the ripping, and tearing editing process, followed by the overwhelming questions. Where do I send this? Is it long enough? Is it short enough? Is it good enough? Should I get an agent? How do I look for an agent? The questions are endless. Believe me, to be a writer for a living is a full time job, and not for the weak. However, I am not going to give up.

I am currently working on a fantasy novel with a Christian slant involving a rag tag group of young people who have to learn how to overcome their various problems, find self acceptance and become warriors who can help save the world. In addition to that, I have a few short stories I want to fine tune and try to send either to e-zines, or contests. I would like to get a portfolio of 10 to 12 short stories that I can keep sending as I receive rejections to eventually get something published. Right now I have five short stories that need some work. I am also going to keep looking for some sort of freelance work that I could do part time. If anyone you know is hiring for remote writers, or copy editors let me know.

That’s enough about my writing life. Let’s look at the details of this outfit.

I was inspired by looking through Pinterest at 70’s and 80’s fashion when I found knit sweater outfits, either a skirt and top or a dress. I thought it would be fun to mimic that style and use a few of the 70’s accessory vibes.

My creamy zip up v-neck was a Kohl’s find a year or so ago. It is soft and warm. The skirt I found at a thrift store. I don’t usually wear sweater knit skirts or dresses, due to the hip factor. I do have wider hips and I have never felt comfortable showing off my curves like some women do, but this skirt is big enough that it doesn’t cling. It is also very warm and comfy. The brown belt adds an hour glass vibe, without being extreme.

The Walmart bag is a nod to the patchwork patterns that were popular in the 70’s. Bags were shaped differently than this one, but I thought this worked as a tote bag, and purse.

Once again I added my thrifted slouchy, suede boots.

Apparently, pearls were a thing in the 70’s too. I do remember my mom wearing fake pearls to church early in the 70’s, so I guess that was a thing.

Are you a sweater dress, or sweater skirt fan? What do you think of this look? Would you wear something like this to work? Please leave a thought or two in the comments. I always love to hear from you.

Sharing a few shopping links just in case you are looking for slouchy boots, patchwork bags, or knit pieces of a similar vibe.

I hope you have a great Tuesday!

Shopping Our Closets: Monochrome Madness

I know I typically talk about color in my Color Play column at the end of the month, but this week I decided we should shop our closets for similar colored pieces to create a little monochrome magic. After all, I wouldn't go out shopping for same or like colored pieces to create a monochrome look, because generally we have pieces already in our closets that match.

The creation of a monochrome outfit in the fashion realm occurs when clothing pieces of similar or same color are combined to make an outfit that appears to be a column of a single color. Once you get started this is as easy as matching pants or skirts with tops or sweaters. An easy way to create a monochrome look is to use a dress, either short, midi or maxi with matching shoes and even, if you dare, matching hose.

Today I will show you step by step how I came up with this perfectly fall outfit.

I guess I should have taken these pictures outside because I am blending in with the cedar planking in our house. Ha, ha. I decided to use this cognac color to create my monochrome look. Here are the steps I took to put this look together.

Step 1 - Choose your color.

This might seem rather obvious, and for some this will be easier than it was for me, because I have so many darn clothes in just about every color. I thought this cognac brown a good color for fall, but I also thought about rust, burgundy and green. You can also use prints in a monochrome outfit as long as it stays mainly within the color scheme.

I started with my StitchStar jeans as I knew I had a pair of ankle boots that matched perfectly. My top is older and is Mudd brand. The idea that your shoes, pants, or skirt and top should all be pretty close to a match makes sense for a monochrome look.

Step 2 - Decide on a topper.

For my topper I chose an open front Tahari cardigan that I had found on clearance at TJMaxx a number of years ago. You could pick anything that matches your monochrome color from a pullover to a blazer.

Step 3 - Choose your jewelry.

I chose a piece that was in the same color scheme as the rest of my outfit, but you certainly don’t have to do that. Your jewelry can be whatever your choose and the outfit will still exude a monochrome vibe. My goal was to stay as close as possible to the cognac colors.

At this point you could be done with your monochrome outfit, but you know me! Why stop there? Ha, ha. While I love monochrome looks, I am too much a fan of color, texture and interest, so I had to add a few colored accessories.

Step 4 - Add a little interest.

I chose a scarf and a thrifted Liz Claiborne bag that matched the green in the scarf.

Step 5 - Finish it off.

Since fall is truly just around the corner layers are going to be essential, so I decided to finish this look with a recently thrifted Merona utility jacket. When I saw this cognac colored jacket I knew I had to have it. While it is a little snug for me, it works great as an open front piece and still allows the under layers to be visible.

Style Tip: When thrifting make sure to look at all different size racks. You never know what you will find if you think outside the box in how you wear various pieces.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it gave you quick and easy tips on building your own monochrome look. Shop your closets with new eyes. You will find new outfits you never knew existed. No shopping links today, because I know you are all running to your closets right now to see what you can create!

Until next time, think creative and be creative. Your wardrobe is yours to explore and have fun with.

A Dickens' Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

These photos were taken in a local graveyard. No disrespect was intended to the families of those laid to rest in its borders, nor to the spirits who might walk its paths.

Probably the spookiest of Dickens’ Christmas spirits is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. This specter is darker and more formidable than either of the previous phantasms. In both of my favorite movie versions of the story, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is personified as a dark, flowing, faceless creature who stands head and shoulders above Ebenezer Scrooge and who never speaks. He simply points his long, skeletal like fingers to what he wants Ebenezer to see.

When I started thinking about an outfit to typify this gruesome ghoul, I knew I wanted to go with gray colors. I thought gray, rather than a stark black spoke more to the shaded veil our futures seem to be. No one can know the future, but God alone, and I personally would rather not have the so called privilege of knowing what is to be, except that blessed assurance of life with Him, after I die.

There was no doubt, I wanted these pictures, done in a graveyard. The most telling scene in the movie version of A Christmas Carol, is when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come brings Scrooge to a lonely, forsaken graveyard. In his creepy, speechless manner, the Ghost points to a specific, unattended grave, which in overwhelming despair, Ebenezer wipes aside the snow and sees his own name engraved on the stone.

I wanted my look to be work appropriate, so I chose pieces that created a classic monochrome look, but still gave the illusion of movement. I also wanted the layers.

My plaid Style & Co trousers have been around quite a while. I honestly can’t remember if I bought these new or if I got them at a thrift store. Style & Co are still sold at Macy’s.

My gray turtleneck is Worthington brand. Once again, I have had this piece for years and I don’t remember if I got it new at JCPenney’s, or if I thrifted it. Not only is my memory in need of help, so is my waistline. I know the above picture is not the most flattering, but ladies, this is the real me at the current moment. I have a spare tire or maybe two, and I am probably in the worst shape I have been in, in years, due to achey joints, not eating well and not enough exercise. I can’t blame it all on the pandemic, as much as I would like to. Most of it is my very undisciplined nature. Maybe you can relate. I hope so. I really don’t want to feel like I am the only one in this rocky boat. Ha, ha. I am really hoping, that once this busy holiday time is over, I can try to implement a few changes. Never give up!

The light weight shrug that I put over the turtleneck is also Worthington brand. This piece I did buy new at Penney’s. It has an asymmetrical hem, so the longer front pieces can be tied, to create a different look. You can see how I wore it tied with a black maxi dress.

My long, wide scarf was not only a purply gray color, but it had bugs on it, which somehow seemed fitting with the grave theme.

You know me, I had to try keeping in character. Ha, ha. I do look like a fitting specter to haunt this old graveyard, especially in black and white.

Here are my grays together.

Since this was meant to be an outfit, one could actually wear for work, or for a night out, I did have to style it with a few accessories. I chose silver and gray to maintain the monochrome look. A small silver clutch, to give it a bit of bling, a three strand statement necklace and my dark gray Impo ankle boots completed the look.

What do you think of this look? Do you think it personified the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come without looking too much like a costume? A monochrome look in any color can be an easy, fun and interesting way to change up your wardrobe and still look like you put thought and effort into your outfit. Monochrome doesn’t have to be an exact match, but just be pieces with the same color hues and tones. Adding texture is also the perfect way to make a single color scheme look go from boring to fabulous.

This was the last post in my Dickens’ Christmas series. I certainly hope you enjoyed my interpretations of one of my favorite Christmas stories. Be sure to check back on Thursday for a very mischievous, Actual Amy post. Until then, have a great week.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

This week, I am not including any shopping links, for outfits. I hope to resume regular style posts after the first of the year.

Have a great week and a very Merry Christmas!

A Dickens' Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Past

Today’s outfit draws its inspiration from Charles Dickens’ ghostly apparition of Christmas Past. Before the visitation of the three ghostly characters, Scrooge is visited by the ghoulish presence of his former business partner in life, Jacob Marley. Jacob warns Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, for the hopeful purpose of his redemption. The first of these paranormal beings makes their appearance when the bell tolls one.

The idea of drawing fashion inspiration from a ghost, might seem a stretch of the imagination, but I do like a challenge. If you have watched a version of A Christmas Carol, you probably saw the Ghost of Christmas Past as a being dressed in white garments, sometimes shining and sometimes in an unearthly, ethereal manner as if floating and flowing in some unseen breeze. Two of my favorite movie versions of A Christmas Carol are the 1984 drama with George C. Scott, and the 1992 musical, The Muppet Christmas Carol. Surprisingly, the Muppet version stays fairly true to the original tale by Charles Dickens. Both versions are filled with amazing scenery, typical old time London and excellent veteran actors, (the Muppet version stars Michael Caine as Scrooge).

We often shy away from white in the colder weather. It has long been a color we wear in spring and summer. Obviously, things have changed immensely over the last decade, especially as more and more women have access to fashion blogs and more reasonably priced clothing. White is now a year round color choice. It stands true to reason, that if we live in colder areas in the winter, our white pieces will have to be compatible for those frigid temps. This is where layering, fabric choices and textures all come into play.

My daughter and I didn’t have a lot of time for pictures, so we went, once again, to the Toledo Botanical Gardens. They have so many interesting sculptures, garden areas and small buildings used for various events. These metal arches provided the perfect backdrop for an other worldly vibe.

When I started thinking about an all white outfit, I knew that most of my pieces were not a true white. Not everyone can wear a crisp white near their face, but most people can pull off an ivory or a cream. All of these pieces, except the scarf, have more of a cream, or ivory tint to them.

My long, Apt. 9, chenille sweater was a piece my daughter was getting rid of. It wasn’t really her style, so when I saw it, I took it home, figuring I could always just wear it around the house as a cozy topper for casual days. As I thought about how to make this outfit look flowing, but also updated and fashionable, I knew this sweater would be perfect.

The blouse I have on under the sweater is a recent thrift store find and will be more useful in the warmer weather, but the color went well with everything else. The brand is called Mango, and when I saw the embroidery on it, I knew it was calling my name.

I also added this white scarf from The Jacket Society, that I bought a few years ago. You can’t see it in this photo, but the scarf has tiny silver threads through out, so I thought it added an extra element of texture and shine.

The silver snowflake pendant just seemed appropriate for a ghostly, Christmas outfit.

I chose silver for my accessories, to represent the shimmering appearance that many of the Ghosts of Christmas past seemed to have. Perhaps the shimmering details represented good memories from Christmases long ago; or maybe the light represents the idea that we can learn from our past, thus becoming better people. Whatever your interpretation of the details, I think silver looks very pretty with white.

My silver, sparkly clutch has been a regular on the blog. My SO ballerina flats are from Kohl’s.

My cream colored St. John’s Bay corduroys have been around for a few years and were an original purchase at JC Penney.

I really like this outfit. It is something I would feel completely comfortable and warm in and could be worn to a special Christmas outing or just a family dinner, where I don’t have to do the cooking. If I cooked in this it wouldn’t be white anymore. Ha, ha. Here are a few other fun pictures from our shoot.

The wind was helping me look a little more ghostly. Too bad we didn’t have fog. Ha, ha.

What did you think of this outfit? Do you think I pulled off showing how taking inspiration from the Ghost of Christmas Past translated into a chic, modern look that could be worn to work, out on a date or to a Christmas concert?

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Be sure to stop back on Thursday for another Christmas movie inspired outfit.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Actual Amy - Tiered Navy Skirt

Today’s Thursday column revolves around outfits I would be likely to wear. What I would like to do with this column is give you some explanation behind my outfit choices. Not only does this help me to be more thoughtful about what pieces I am putting together, but it also helps you as you think about the pieces that are in your closet.

Today’s look is what I would call dressy casual. What makes an outfit fit this description? I believe it is a combination of what types of pieces are worn and how they are accessorized. While we don’t usually think of something like sweat pants or torn jeans as being dressy, there are certainly ways we can make them looked more dressed up.

With this outfit, I think the tiered skirt, the button up and the tee could all be dressed up or down. Pair the skirt with heels, a silk blouse and a blingy bag and you’d be ready for a show. Layer the tee under a blazer, with nice dress pants and heels and you’d be ready for the office. The button up could be worn with a cashmere sweater in the cooler weather, with nice skinny jeans and boots and it could be date night. I have learned to try not to divide my wardrobe into casual or dressy. I believe there are all manner of levels of casual, dressy casual and dressy between the stay at home in your jammies look and the heading to the Oscars look.

I just recently found this pretty, navy blue, Chaps tiered skirt, while thrifting. I really am a sucker for tiered skirts. Why is this me? Part of it is, I like to cover my legs, due to my veins, but I have liked the prairie skirt idea ever since I can remember. I always thought the long dresses of days gone by were so unique and different, whether plain, like the women living on the frontier or the frilly, decorative dresses of the nobility. I am also a bit of a boho girl, and to me a prairie skirt just seems to have a certain hippy quality about it.

There is definitely something fishy about this JC Penney button up from a few years ago. Though this top is not silk it has a certain soft, silky quality to it. I chose this top, because I decided I wanted to go for a more monochrome look. There is just something classy and slimming about an outfit with one main color scheme.

My white, v-neck tee underneath is Time & Tru brand from Walmart. Walmart, Target and Kohl’s are great stores to get basics like short sleeve and long sleeve tees.

Rather than tucking the top in and adding a belt, which would have made the outfit more polished, I chose to tie the tails at the waist. Just that simple choice of tying, rather than tucking, can make an outfit more casual or dressy.

My accessories were chosen to finish off the casual look, yet I felt they kept the outfit elevated enough to be something I could wear to an outdoor concert or dinner with friends, especially if walking was involved. I got this great Stone Mountain cross body bag at a thrift store. It is real leather and looks hardly used. I thought it was a fun pop of color and goes with the color of some of the beads in the necklace. Once again, my white Keds sneakers are making an appearance. Adding sneakers to a dress or skirt is an easy way to make the look more casual and right now this is very trendy and also better for your feet, knees, hips and back if you have to do much walking or standing during the day.

I don’t have much opportunity to wear heels any more, though I do put them on with outfits for the blog, because I know many women still wear their heels. That is why I have so many different sneaker type shoes. It’s just what I wear.

What do you think of this outfit? I am including a few shopping links, for you to look over. Remember every link you click on gives me a few pennies. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay sane.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Seeing Red - Red with Black - Taking Care of Our Hearts

We don’t often think of pairing red and black for Valentine’s Day. More often we style red with white or some version of red and pink. There are also many of us who don’t even visit the red or pink idea for Valentine’s because we either don’t celebrate that special day, we don’t like traditional holiday color schemes in our outfits or maybe are more into blues and greens than reds and pinks.

For these February posts, I’ve chosen to focus on red or darker versions of red like burgundy. I also wanted to make each of these outfits, not be so much about Valentine’s Day, although you could use them for a Valentine’s or Galentine’s outing, but more about the color red.

February is Heart Disease awareness month, and the color red certainly represents the age old idea of what a Valentine’s heart looks like, but it also represents that most important muscle in our bodies. This major fireball, which is about the size of your fist, works hard, pumping blood to keep us alive. Try to envision the heart as the UPS hub, where everything comes to and goes out that our bodies need to survive. Heart disease, like cancer, drug addictions and infectious diseases can be life threatening. It can manifest itself with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hardening of the arteries and many other complications. Take a look at some of these statistics that I got off the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website:

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.1
One person dies every 37 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.1
About 647,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.2,3
Heart disease costs the United States about $219 billion each year from 2014 to 2015.3 This includes the cost of health care services, medicines, and lost productivity due to death.”

— Centers for Disease Control Website

As you look at the pictures of this outfit I put together, I’m sure you can think of at least one person you know that has been affected by heart disease. This past fall at the college my husband teaches at, a 24 year old student died from a massive heart attack. It was a tragedy.

The Heart Association, formed in 1924, is the major force behind raising awareness about heart disease in the United States. Their website has a bucket load of information. You can see some interesting historical facts on their history page here. I am not getting paid to mention this, but merely want to raise awareness of a disease that affects so many people. You would think in our world where we have so much awareness about health, good eating, exercise and so on, that heart disease would be a thing of the past, but it’s not. We all struggle to make good choices and taking care of our hearts should be no exception.

I have not touched my camera for months, but this is what you get when schedules for taking pictures don’t coincide. Ha, ha. I just did not want to stand outside and try to get my settings figured out, so I tried to stand by the windows to get enough natural light. The skies were gray, as usual, thus the shadows on my face. Oh well, I tired and the pictures are good enough that you get the idea.

For this outfit I wanted to showcase this cute black Croft and Barrow tunic that I found a few weeks ago thrifting. It is probably meant to be more of a summer piece, and when I saw it, I thought it would look cute with cropped jeans and a tee or tank top in the warmer weather, but I also thought it would be the perfect topper for a winter look, thus this red and black combo.

My red cropped pants, I have styled on the blog before. You can see them with a black kimono and with a navy blazer. I found these a while ago at Meijer on the clearance rack and they are a brand called Stitch Star.

The lace 3/4 sleeve, Lauren Conrad top was a thrift find. Typically I would wear a cami underneath, but because I knew the black tunic was going over the top, I didn’t bother. The idea was to create a monochrome layer underneath and even though the pants and top are not the exact same shade of red, it works fine because they are not right next to each other.

To keep the look fairly stream lined I chose my thrifted black and gray houndstooth, Thirty One purse and my Aerosole black suede heels.

The jewelry I am wearing I bought for my oldest daughter’s wedding, so I am often looking for other reasons to wear the necklace and bracelet. I thought this was the perfect finishing touch. You can also see the fun metal rings on the tunic.

Would you wear red and black? What sort of occasion would you wear it for? I could see wearing this outfit for a date night with my hubs where we go somewhere more fancy than Five Guys. Ha, ha.

Do you take care of your heart? I need too. My cholesterol is borderline high, so I have started eating oatmeal more. Exercise is very important, especially cardiovascular. I try to walk a few days a week, but I know I need to be more purposeful in that area as well. I want to do better and my heart needs me to. I hope you all are taking care of your hearts. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to give the gift of health to our hearts.

Have a great Tuesday!

I’ve included a few shopping links for black tunics. These would be great to pair with red pants, pencil skirts or shorts. They could go with all sorts of colors. Feel free to peruse at your leisure. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Outfit Inspiration - Monochrome Look with a Kimono

As I have mentioned on other occasions, the inspiration for my fashion posts, comes from all different areas. A lot of times it comes from a picture in a magazine, or an add I get in the mail. I have a notebook where I keep the pages from these magazines and catalogues, of outfits I’d like to try to mimic. Today’s outfit was inspired by a JC Penney add from last fall.

In the add, the model featured a rust colored tee, rust colored corduroys and a kimono with a beautiful fall pattern full of those colors like rust, teal and burgundy. I have numerous kimonos, which I am always lamenting I don’t wear enough for how pretty they are. Kimonos, ruanas, ponchos or capes can all be such beautiful statement pieces, so why not make that statement piece the focal point of the outfit.

Since we are well into winter, I decided to use a more wintery colored kimono. This is truly a great piece for all year round, but since I decided to make the monochrome part of the outfit black, it seemed perfect to top the dark under layers with a piece full of bright tropical pink. This kimono was thrifted and is Massini brand. Before I had any kimonos, I never really saw what the draw was, but now I am sold. This beauty was one of the first ones I bought.

I know my black pieces do not match exactly and while that would drive some people nutty, I figure the kimono is getting the main attention in this outfit, so it didn’t matter as much. The thrifted black skinny jeans are Mossimo brand and the back cable knit turtleneck sweater was from Kohl’s a number of years ago and is Croft and Barrow brand.

My black, slouch, Massini, boots are also a Kohl’s purchase, but a clearance find. I had been looking for a pair of these soft, faux suede boots to wear with skirts and dresses. I have a wider calf, so quite often I cannot get these softer types of pieces. They are usually made thinner to stay up, otherwise we’d have panty hose ankles like our grandmas use to have, but with our boots.

With my recent walking activity while employed seasonally by Kohl’s my legs got much more tone and I lost a few pounds. Now I can wear these boots over skinny jeans, as long as the material isn’t too bulky.

I styled these same boots and the black turtleneck in my 20 Days of Christmas series back in 2018. You can see how I used those two pieces with a slip dress here.

For my accessories I went with silver, black and gold. These days there is no worry over mixing our metals. I enjoy pendant necklaces and reach for these longer pieces more often than my short ones. This one has a number of charms dangling from the end of the chain.

You can also see the layers of bracelets I threw on my arm. Most of these are cheap stretchy beaded types, but I don’t think we have to pay tons of money to have interesting and unique pieces in our jewelry boxes.

This bag was another thrift store find. It is Libby Edelman brand and is genuine leather. The leather is soft and supple and I love the wide guitar like strap and the riveting. My hubby thinks i have two many purses, which is true, but how can you pass up a winner like this one? I also love the bright reddish pink color.

What do you think of this outfit formula? What inspires the outfits you wear? Inspiration can come from all sorts of places, including bloggers you follow, other people’s Pinterest pages and like I found, even pictures in an add or catalog. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I appreciate each one of you.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Piece Perfect - White Pants

White used to be a color only worn during the summer, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but now white has become a wardrobe staple for all seasons. When I thought about featuring white pants for this post, I didn't know I would be able to come up with three different length white pants. I even surprised myself by realizing, I really did like white as a way to brighten up an outfit. 

When I was growing up I never wore white. I have always loved color and thought of white as a non-color. Truth be told, however, I am quite clumsy, and knew if I wore white I would end up soiling it with, either tomato sauce in some form, or grease of the automotive variety. My father was an airplane mechanic who also loved to work on cars. It seemed there was always a car sitting in our driveway with the tires off or the hood up. Being the only girl in my family did not deter me from following Dad around as he rolled himself under the car fixing a break line or doing a rigged up muffler repair. There was no way, my mother was going to put white on this girl!

While both of my brothers followed my dad in the family business of airplane repair, the best I could do was change a flat tire. In thirty years of marriage I don't think I have ever had to change my own flat. My hubby has always been there to do the job. Still, it is reassuring that if I had to do it, I probably could. I just hope I'm not wearing white when it happens!

For this post, I decided to show you three different outfits using three different length pants. Unfortunately, all these photos were done indoors, as when I had the time to take the photos the wind chill was in the forties and it was raining. Spring in Toledo!

You might be wondering what the difference is between capris, peddle pushers, crop pants or ankle pants. JoLynne Shane did a great job of explaining this conundrum in a post from April of 2015 titled Capri Pants: In or Out?

Outfit 1 - Capri Pants 

My version of capris actually is rather taboo by the standard that JoLynne explains in her post. She says that the pants should not end at the widest point on your calf and these pants I have on pretty much sit right there or maybe a tad below. Tell me what you think.

The only thing in this outfit that is not a thrift store find are the sandals. I consider these capri pants as they end on the calf between the knee and the ankle. I think I got away with these in this outfit because I am wearing sandals that are neutral color which elongates the part of my leg that is showing. If I would have worn my Keds or other tennies, I think it would make my legs look stubby.

The top has a fun shark bite hemline edged with lace. I love the way the lace is inserted into the body of the tee adding more texture to an otherwise plain top. 

Since I kept the outfit simple I thought a printed bag would work well and the sandals which provide a cagey textured look. 

For my jewelry I went with silver tones. I had this necklace and thought it pulled some of the yellow in the bag, giving continuity to the whole outfit.

Outfit 2 - Ankle Pants

In this next outfit I am wearing my ankle pants. I define ankle pants as those that end at or just above the ankle.

For this outfit I paired the pants with a recent purchase from Kohl's. This Dana Buchman top also has an asymmetrical hem line, although this one only drops on one side. The fun ombre pattern is abstract geometric that reminds me of zebra stripes, so in keeping with the wild animal theme I carried my snakeskin bag. 

Here's another view of the top.

I wore my black wedge espadrilles to tie in the black in the blouse and my bag. 

Silver seemed to be my go to for jewelry with these outfits. A couple of silver bracelets and my silver cross necklace with a turquoise center work well with the blueish green of the top. I also added a beaded choker just for a delicate line of black. 

Outfit 3 - Full Length Pants

I own two pairs of full length white pants now, one heavier weight denim and then the pair I style here. This pair was another thrift store find and is J.Jill brand. Lighter weight material can be a problem in pants as it allows your underwear to show through. I don't know quite when women got obsessed with their underwear. Whether it is the question of wearing underwear or not, or the question of thong, hipsters, briefs, boy cuts or bikinis, we certainly have much to think about when it comes to our intimates. My solution is simple, white pants, shorts or skirt, wear white or nude underwear. Yes, I still might have panty lines, but the white will simply become part of your outfit, where as a darker or brighter color will become an accessory....an accessory to others noticing your panties! Ha, ha.

When looking for white pants, look for heavier weight with more structure. There are many good choices on the market right now as the push for white began a month or two ago. I'll list some options at the end of this post. I would suggest actually going to the store to shop for white pants. That way you can try them on and see if you are comfortable with the weight of the material and the amount your underwear can be seen.

For this final outfit I decided to go for a monochrome look. I feel it speaks of a fun summer get away to the French Riviera or some other magical destination.

The outfit formula is very simple: white short sleeve sweater top, white wide leg pants, copper and orange accessories. Done. If you missed my Mad About Monochrome post from last week's Color Crash Course column, be sure to check it out by clicking on the link. Going monochrome can really make getting dressed even simpler.

My wonderfully comfortable Sonoma brand sandals from Kohl's and a cross body bag. I think this outfit would have worked even better with a straw shopping bag and floppy sun hat.

Here's another look at the sandals. They actually zip up the back so are pretty easy to get on and they have a very cushy footbed, making walking a dream! A wedge heel always looks classy.

Cute neck scarves are in right now, so I thought this brown, white and orange version was the perfect accompaniment to the outfit. The orange bracelets add an additional pop of color.

Here are all three outfits next to each other so you can see the varied pant lengths. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and that you now have added inspiration for styling those white pants. Maybe you, like me, are very hesitant to wear white. I say give it a try. Find a pair on sale or at a thrift store, if you really don't like them you can always donate them!

Here are some shopping options. I provide these options as a way to show you what is out there and if you click on a link I get a little bit of a kick back. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

I cannot guarantee these options are see through. As I said before it is best to go and try them on before you purchase, so you can see how they will look.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! Have a great weekend. 

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots.  Friday linking up with JoLynne Shane in the Fashion Friday Link Up. 

Color Crash Course - Mad About Monochrome

Webster defines the word monochrome as relating to or made with a single color or hue. Black-and-white photography is a form of monochromatic imagery called grayscale, using shades of gray with or without black and white. Now that I think of it, if you look at a black-and-white photograph like the one below, it really does look like varying shades of gray.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull

When we talk about a monochromatic outfit we are not only referring to those that might be black or gray, but to any outfit that contains a single hue. The monochrome look seems to be one that has been around forever and will continue to do so. The look is classic, effortless and can be dressed up or down. 

Today's post centers around two outfits that I put together to show you a casual and a dressy monochrome look. The first outfit uses hues of salmon or coral or possibly both. You can decide.

Many of the things I have read about pulling off the monochrome look say to vary the textures of the pieces. As you can see I have a pair of skinny jeans which creates a smooth look on my bottom half (minus the pudgies - ha, ha). I got these at Dress Barn back in my home town when I was out shopping with my bestie! They were on clearance, so I think I paid about eight dollars for them. I love those kinds of sales.

On the top, I am wearing an asymmetrical hem (shark bite to be exact) short sleeve tee that I recently purchased from Kohl's. There are still plenty of colors here. 

I also added my open weave tie front, short sleeve cardigan. I found this at a thrift store and pull it out every summer. It is a perfect topper for overly air conditioned restaurants, or for when the weather is just not quite warm enough. i love the texture of this sweater and the length is perfect if I am just having a bad "butt" day!

Rather than go for a contrasting color for my bag and shoes, I went for a more neutral, subdued tan that almost blends with the coral color. The loafers are thrifted and the leather and faux burlap bag I got when shopping a friend's closet.

I kept my jewelry understated, but shiny with the three strand gold necklace and the multi-strand beaded bracelet.

The next outfit might be something I would wear to a summer show or a nice dinner out. For this look I chose classic black.

This outfit consists of a long black knit maxi skirt that I got on the clearance rack at Kohl's a few summers ago. The weight of the material is somewhat thin, so you might notice underwear lines, but with it being black, I don't think it is that noticeable.

The top is a black lace short sleeve top that is rather short, but it works well for this all black look. I wore a black tank top underneath. I'm sorry, but I didn't change bras and you can still see a little bit of my purple blue one peeking out around the shoulders. If I was wearing this out in public, I would put a black bra on or a tank with fuller coverage. I just think it looks more polished if the bra straps aren't showing. It is one thing if that is the look you are going for. With all the pretty bras out there, why not show a little strap, but for a monochrome look, I personally feel black underwear would be better for this outfit.

For accessories I went with gold. Three gold bracelets. gold fringe statement necklace, gold woven clutch and my gold wedge sandals. Gold brings a touch of class and upscale to any outfit. 

Me striking a striking pose. Ha, ha. I have the silliest time taking my own pictures. I forget to smile, forget to put on make up, forget to stand up straight or focus on my good side. When my daughters are involved they coach me and I don't have to worry about where the focus point is, if the picture is blurry, was I squinting, am I standing in the wrong spot. I just pose and try to look like I know what I am talking about. Whoo, hoo! 

I hope you enjoyed this post on wearing a monochrome outfit. Monochrome is a great way to go if you love a particular color, if you want to elongate your body or if you are going for a classic, chic vibe that transcends all seasons. You can't go wrong with monochrome. 

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. I'd love to hear from you. 

Have a great weekend.

Here are some possible monochrome looks to shop for. This post contains affiliate links, which means I get a little bit of an income if you shop through this post. All opinions are my own.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge.  Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. Saturday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb.

Pantone Spring 2017 - Pale Dogwood

If you have ever seen a flowering Dogwood tree you know they come in variations of white, pink and red. I love these lacy trees which bloom in the first weeks of spring before the mighty oaks and maples fill in the canopy. 

Today's Pantone color is called Pale Dogwood. It is a very light pink, almost a blush color. I will touch more on the blush trend for spring in my post Thursday.

For this outfit, I decided to go with a monochrome look. The pale pink jeggings are Chico brand that I found at a thrift store. I layered a long sleeved longer tee under my Gap pale pink pullover sweater, just to add some texture to the outfit. To make the outfit more interesting I added a rectangular scarf with a bold Southwest pattern on it.

To bring out the colors in the scarf I wore a turquoise pendant necklace and some turquoise bracelets. (These are not real...ha, ha.)

I could wear the scarf like a scarf as in the above picture.

Or I could wear it like a wrap or shawl, as in the following picture.

Here is a better look at the pattern on the scarf.

To finish off the look I grabbed my dark orange bag and threw on my combat boots. I thought the boots grounded the outfit and kept it from looking too much like cotton candy! 

I hope you enjoyed my take on Pale Dogwood. Would you wear this color?

Below are some shopping options. This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through my site I get a little commission. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Sorry that one of the items was sold out by the time this was published.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Shelbee in the Spread the Kindness link up, and Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. 

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Monochrome with Print and Texture

This week on my Beautiful Blogger Best column, I am featuring the lovely Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy. Liz is a firey red head who is not afraid to wear any color and has a knack for styling outfits that are feminine, flirty and fabulous. 

Today I am referencing Liz's post Outfit Formula: Monochrome, Texture, and Print. To check out her original post just click on the link. The neat thing is, Liz was taking something she learned from another blogger Janeane of Designing from My Closet. I featured Janeane in my original Beautiful Blogger Bests column on styling an outfit around a bag. See that post here. 

In her post Liz styles an outfit using the colors black and white. If you follow Liz you know this is not her norm. She loves pastels and lace, colors and frills, but she wanted to challenge herself to step outside her norm. The challenge for me was to put an outfit together that had two basic colors, a print and some texture. This is what I came up with.

This photo was taken on one of the last really hot afternoons we had before it started to cool down and become more fall like. Thus, I look a tad wilty. The skirt is thrifted and the top is actually a tunic that I recently acquired from Charming Charlie's end of the season sale. I put the tunic on and then layered the skirt over top.

The eyelet jacket and the bag with it's gold rivets and extra buckles add great elements of texture to this otherwise monochrome outfit. I did cheat by adding the red beads, but I love the contrast of the red against the white and blue. The large beads also add additional texture to the look.

These are my navy loafer heels. Funny thing, I really didn't know what this type of shoe was called. That just shows I am still a newbie to the fashion world, so I thought, "Well they look a bit like a loafer, but with a heel." I typed in loafer heels and up they popped. Isn't the internet amazing? Ha, ha. This is a great shoe to wear with a skirt for a more casual look or with pants for a more dressed up look. Funny how that works!

Are you seeing spots? I'm thinking this would have looked better with a belt of some sort. What do you think?

So there you have it. I am so thankful to all the beautiful bloggers that I follow. Liz has been a great inspiration to me, not only with her knowledge of fashion, but with her kind and attentive comments on my fashion posts. Be sure to click on her link and give her some love. 

Check back next week for more fashion fun! Have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping Options (I chose black for the color):

Polka Dot Dress - Kohl's - $69.99

Black Eyelet Jacket - Jacket Society - $155.00

or

Bomber Eyelet Jacket - Macy's - $55.99

Black Loafer Heels - Belk - $89.00

Black Tote - JC Penney - $85.00