Fashion Topic: Loving Ourselves and Our Planet

If you are at all observant about the fashion industry you know our world is glutted with retail stores, boutiques, shops, and second hand stores all full to bursting with clothing pieces to tantalize and tempt our fashion palettes. There are many people who are not at all influenced by the industry. They could care less about what is currently trending, or who is wearing what at the Oscars.

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Young people, especially women, love the change of the seasons if just for the excuse to go buy a new outfit. The fast fashion movement is not slowing down and continues to provide new pieces to credit card clutching fashionistas in as little as two weeks from design idea to hanging in the store. See this article from earth.org. (I do not necessarily agree with all the philosophies and ideas put forth by this organization, but thought this was a good article on the impact of fast fashion on the environment.)

While I agree that slow fashion is a better way to go, many slow fashion retailers have price points that are more than many can afford. Granted they are better quality pieces and because of that will most likely be a long term wardrobe staple, meaning you don’t have to buy as much or as often.

I personally have found second hand to be the best way to buy new clothes and still help the environment by repurposing clothing and other goods that would have wound up in the land fill. Unfortunately, even second hand stores are feeling the affects of over production and over consumption. They are now fighting the “throw away” mentality. Young people especially are still buying with unfettered freedom, but now with the mentality that if they don’t like it, or it looks bad after a few washings, or it no longer fits they can just drop it off at the thrift store. I have seen more than one thrift store in our area close their doors to donations for periods of time to try to manage the bulging overstock they have and sell through some of what is on the sales floor.

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How do we deal with this problem in a way that will, not only help ourselves, but will also help our world? I think it all starts with us, the individual, and we have to start with one small change, or one small choice at a time. With all my health issues over the last three years, I have sought out therapy to help manage my new normal. I frequently get overwhelmed by the symptoms, the drugs, the appointments and the tests, but my therapist keeps reminding me change that is permanent comes about by starting small. I think this can apply to our overburdened clothing economy.

Here are a few ways to start small in your effort to become a more responsible and sustainable consumer:

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1 - Start at home. Obviously home is where we live, and if our homes are cluttered and too full our mental health will suffer. When our mental health suffers we tend to fall into those habits of shopping too much, overbuying, and feeling overwhelmed. It truly becomes a vicious cycle. Here are a few small ideas for dealing with the clutter at home.

a - Go through one part of your closet at a time. Perhaps start with your scarves. Go through and pull aside the ones you rarely wear, or those pieces that are scratchy and uncomfortable. Do the same over time with your tops, your bottoms, your sweaters, etc.

b - Decide how you want to get rid of things. There are lots of options, but remember the market is glutted, so selling may not always be the easiest way to off load things. Look for entities that service the underpriviledged. There are places that will take gently use work clothing to give to people who are trying to get back on their feet after being homeless, struggling with addiction and so on. These clothes can help them at job interviews, court dates and when looking for a place to live. There are also online groups that will sell you a bag that you can fill and send back to them. They will recycle the clothing, keeping it out of the landfills. Try Trashie, or PopLinen. Of course selling is still and option. Try Poshmark, ThreadUp or even setting up a shop on Etsy. Just remember many of these places take fees out of your sales, but my thought is if they do part of the work of selling, they can have it.

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2. Change your thinking about shopping. Shopping has a strange pull on many of us, and it has been scientifically proven to raise our dopamine levels giving us a high quite similar to taking drugs. If you have a more addictive personality this needs to be taken into account. I often get in the “mood” to go shopping, but I am finding more and more it takes over. I’ll have a run of several weeks where I keep wanting to go, go, go. Albeit I mostly thrift, but the truth is I don’t need anything. I do it for the feel good aspect of it. Recognizing our personality quirks gives us a better chance to not over shop or buy unnecessary items.

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3. If you are going to shop, do it wisely. Do your research. Know what stores cater to fast fashion manufacturers and give them a wide berth. Stores like those listed in the earth.org article mentioned earlier in this article are not helping our environmental clothing problem. Shop retailers with a good reputation who are actually trying to make changes in their manufacturing and planning to create less waste, and less pollution. Shop thrift stores, especially the local, smaller retailers. Local businesses need or dollars. Two of my favorite stores are the American Cancer Society Discovery shop right around the corner from me, and the Toledo Humane Society Thrift Store. They employ mostly volunteers, and most of their proceeds go to the non-profit itself, giving me an additional reason to feel good after I shop there.

In addition to doing your research on where you shop make a list of what you are shopping for. It is easy to pick up many things at a thrift store that you don’t really need just because they are cute or cheap, but we need to ask ourselves, do I really need this? Making a running list will give you the ability to better stick to your goals of only buying what you need and not continuing to be an over consumer.

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

4. Wear things more than once before washing. This is an amazingly easy way to use less water and create less clothing fibers from going into our sewers and even into our ground water. Instead of automatically throwing your clothes into the laundry basket, hang them up or drape them over a chair to air out. Obviously if you get sweaty or have issues with strong body oder this is not as applicable. I typically throw tops that touch my body into the wash after one wear, but an outer layer, my jeans and even my compression socks I wear multiple times. Letting them air out seems to work great, but I also don’t struggle with heavy body oder, pet hair, drool or baby liquids. If I do get cat hair on something I just use a lint roller to get it off.

I know for me this love/hate relationship with clothing has been and will continue to be a journey, but just like with my physical health I want to keep trying to be a better, more informed consumer who not only cares for myself, but also for this amazing planet God gave us as our home.

I hope you enjoyed this Fashion Topic article. If there are other fashion related ideas you would like me to explore leave me a comment.

Have a great week.

Shopping Our Closets: Fall Trends

I think it is always fun to look at what is trending for the up coming seasons. As we look to fall, we will be seeing much that is familiar, thus patterns and pieces that you probably already have in your closet. Be prepared for a resurgence of animal prints, plaid, sherpa, faux fur, and leather. Silhouettes will revolve around skirts from narrow denim to fuller midi lengths and will also continue to feature wide leg jeans. However, the news is out, skinnies will be back in the not too distant future, so I hope, like me, you hung on to your narrow legged jeans.

Style Tip: It seems in this ever changing fashion scape it is good to keep a few things that are timeless and classic, like a good, straight leg trouser or jean. They are neither wide nor skinny and can be worn with anything, and dressed up or down.

In addition fall will bring wonderful, earthy tones such as dark green and various shades of brown. Pantone revealed both a New York Autumn/Winter Color Palette 2024/25, and a London Autumn/Winter Color Palette 2024/25. I am thinking about delving back into these color palettes, so if that is something you’d like me to do, please let me know.

Today’s outfit revolves around a few of the fall trends that I have in my closet including a structured military jacket, an animal print scarf, a full denim skirt, combat boots and a brown bag.

This look is crossing a bit into a Dark Academia look, which I have featured in a What I’ve Been Wearing post on the blog here. The more somber hues with the structure of the military jacket give it an interesting vibe.

My younger daughter gave me this Torrid military jacket a number of years ago for Christmas. It is not a piece I reach for often, but I keep it in my closet because it is so unique. The olive drab color is such a contrast against the dark black trim, and the fit and flare silhouette makes it additionally interesting. It is a heavy knit fabric akin to sweatshirt material, so very comfy and stretchy.

Style Tip: Military jacket vs. utility jacket, what is the difference? Usually, a military jacket is a cropped piece and will have decorative buttons on both sides of the front opening, and some sort of contrasting piping, ribbon or stitching that gives it a formal military vibe. A utility jacket is usually longer, has a drawstring, large pockets and often both a zipper and snaps or buttons, and is meant to be a casual or functional type jacket.

I thought this thrifted, Express, “honor” graphic tee was the perfect piece to go with the military look.

I found this LizSport, full, midi or tea length, denim skirt while thrifting last year, and it has been coming in handy. It is a lighter weight which is nice with it being such a full piece. If the fabric was thicker it would definitely be very heavy. It is a tad bit tight around my waist, but I am willing to put up with it. Ha, ha. The things we gals do for fashion!

I just added this thrifted scarf to my scarf pile, and yes it is a pile, but I do so love scarves! Since animal prints are back in force, I thought this blend of zebra and leopard a fun mix. I didn’t add any jewelry since there is already plenty going on in this outfit.

If you look up Fall Bags 2024 you’ll see bags in all shapes and sizes, but in one very distinct color, brown, or the hues and shades thereof. It also looks like most of the bags are leather or faux leather, rather than a soft fabric like this corduroy one of mine. Here are a few to look at, including a few small animal print ones.

Combat boots seem to be around to stay, so if you haven’t hopped on that trend wagon, it’s not too late to start. I love my combat boots. They are so comfortable, and my inserts fit it every pair I currently own. This pair is Joe Boxer brand. I find most of mine at thrift stores, but have gotten a few pairs on sale at Kohl’s.

So what do you think of these fall trends? Do you have any similar items in your closet? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or two below. I always love to hear from you.

I hope you enjoyed this post. All links included are affiliate links. If you click on a link, I might get a few cents. If you purchase something through one of the links I get a tiny commission. These are brought to you at no extra cost and are provided to give you inspiration and ideas as to where you can purchase similar pieces to those featured in the post. All opinions are my own.

Have a great week!

Shopping Our Closets: Graphics on Clothing

Today I thought I would spend a little time talking about graphics on clothing. When I refer to graphics, I am talking about specific pictures, words, sayings or branding that make a statement. I read an article called A Brief History of Graphic Tees. I was surprised to find that the first printing of a word on a tee shirt happened in one of my favorite older movies, The Wizard of Oz. In one of the scenes after Dorothy and her companions reach the Emerald City, they are all getting cleaned up. Three workers, all wearing tees with the word "Oz” printed on them, are seen re-stuffing the Scarecrow. That was 1939.

The article goes on to show how graphic tees gained popularity being used by presidential candidates, Walt Disney, and artists like Andy Warhol. Graphic tees really took off as a “messaging platform” in the 1960’s and 70’s with the explosion of rock and roll and anti-war protests. Tee shirts became an easy way to show what you believed and who you wanted to associate with.

Today, graphics are not just common place on short sleeved tees, but can be seen donning sleeveless and long sleeve tees, as well as pullover sweaters, sweatshirts and tops with added textures and trims. Graphics can also be found on sneakers, bags, water bottles and bedding.

A few years ago, I came across a company called Love in Faith. All of their tees and products have to do with the Christian faith. This is not a sponsored post. I have not been given any products or money to endorse this retailer, I just like what they do, and the products they produce. Today’s outfit revolves around one of their tees.

You know my style is casual, but even with a tee shirt I like to look like I made some effort in putting the outfit together. This look was entirely put together from things I already had in my closet. I have loads of tees, and over the last couple of years since I found out about Love in Faith, I have purchased a number of their fun, tees which are always spot on either with verses, lines from hymns or Christian songs, or specific holiday graphics.

I chose this particular tee because it has the words, It is well, with my soul, which is the first line of the chorus from one of my favorite hymns, When Peace, Like a River. I was totally taken in by the bold, white flowers and the unique cognac color. I decided to layer a black tee underneath since our weather is still very unpredictable.

To keep me cozy I grabbed my fuzzy, chenille cardigan. This was a hand me over from my oldest. I had actually gotten this for her one Christmas a few years ago, but it didn’t really grab her attention. When I saw she was getting rid of it, I snatched it up. It is a perfect topper fall, winter and spring and it’s cream color makes it a very versatile piece.

To keep this look light and more fitting for spring, I grabbed my medium wash, thrifted, Bandolino, straight leg jeans. These are very comfortable. Since they are not all that interesting, I added a hem roll on the bottom to give them more of a boyfriend vibe.

I opted for gold jewelry, but you could easily swap in white or black, or go for a more bold choice and pick a medium blue necklace or scarf to pull in the color of your jeans. That would also make the outfit look even more springy.

I wear these thrifted, moto boots several days a week. While they are completely man made materials, they seem to be holding up very well. My cute, little, woven bag is a recent thrift find, and I thought it would be perfect for Easter.

Do you wear graphics? If so, what sort of graphics do you wear? What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear something like this? Let me know what you think, in the comments. You can also comment on Facebook if that is easier for you. I just love to have your feedback.

Here are a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links, all opinions are my own.

Have a great week.

Shopping Our Closets: Spring Trends Edition

Today’s post revolves around several Spring 2024 fashion trends. While I don’t follow every trend that comes along, I like to be aware of what is happening from season to season. Frankly, most things have already been done, and just keep coming back into the trend rotation. Certain colors and prints, fabrics and styles come around again and again. For instance, leopard print is once again in; not that it really went out. I always hang on to a few leopard print pieces. That choice is less about what is trendy and more about what I like.

I’m not even going to give you links to forecasted spring trends because they are all so different. One says high waisted pants are out, another says they are in. The same thing for corduroys, and other styles. As I always say, wear the things that make you happy and feel good about how you look and who you are. You don’t need a high priced fashion entity to tell you what to wear. That being said, in today’s post I will share a few of the trends I like.

Prep School

Academic blazers, button down shirts and polos are all part of this preppy aesthetic. You can’t go wrong with a thrifted Ralph Lauren blazer. This is my second Ralph Lauren blazer. You can see my navy blue one here and here.

Style Tip: Second hand stores, and retailers like Poshmark, Ebay and ThredUp are great places to find cast off high end brand names.

Color Combos

This dark gray and brown pairing was another item on the trends list for this year. It seems there are few color combinations that seem a little different, but you know I love a color combo challenge, so this was perfect. Dark gray and chocolate brown would not be my first go to color combo, but I like it.

Cherry Red

Red is in and it speaks volumes, adding a pop of color to any outfit dressy or casual, and there are so many ways to make a statement with red. Try a red top, a red skirt, a red jacket or coat, a red scarf, a red bag, red shoes, or keep it simple with bright red lipstick.

Wide Legs

The wide leg look is sticking around, and you can wear it in any fabric or texture. Dress up in a wide leg trouser for work or a night out, or dress casual with a variety of wide leg jeans.

Metallics and Flats

Metallic fabric is shimmering on the run ways, but that doesn’t mean we have to go all out. Just a little dab of metals is all you need to take an outfit up a notch. I added mine in the form of my gold clutch and my silver SO flats. Flats are also on trend this spring, so take those ballet flats from the back of your closet and let them shine.

I added a few silver necklaces for a layered jewelry look, along with a few silver bangles.

Before going out shopping for new trends, be sure to take a look in your closet. Without a doubt, you have one or two pieces that are back in the trend revolving door. Out of the trends I listed above a nice structured blazer, and metallic shoes or a bag are great pieces to hang on to. They are easily styled with dressy or casual outfits, and are perfect for parties, special events and work.

I hope you enjoyed today’s outfit, and that it will inspire you to check out the spring 2024 trends on the web. You might find you have some of the ones I mentioned or others already in your wardrobe.

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

Have a great day!

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.

Thinking About Fall - Transitional Style - Button Down Short Sleeve Top

I hope those of you who have subscribed to my blog are content with what I have been posting lately. I have fallen into a rhythm of only posting twice a week, but for now that is the best I can do. Real life is never as pretty as it looks on a blog post or Instagram. Real life is messy and often requires more of our energy and time than we have to give. That being said, I want you to know, I am trying to bring you content that goes along with the seasons and what is going on in the fashion world, as well as to encourage you in your faith. I will probably spend a few more weeks on these transitional looks and then I hope to start that infamous Pantone series. Ha, ha. Stay tuned.

Last week, I took myself on a little shopping trip. I went to two stores, Kohl’s and JC Penney. These have long been my go to’s when I am looking for new items. In my town, these two stores are only a few blocks apart, making it even easier to justify stopping at both. As you know by now, I shop the clearance racks and I really found some great pieces, including this yellow and white gingham, St. John’s Bay button down. I actually purchased these in two different prints, the other being a blue, yellow and white mini floral.

The thing I like about these is the light weight cotton material, which is perfect for these hot summer days, and the high-low square hem. You can see that better in the picture below. This makes it easy to wear the top out, like I did in this outfit, or you could tuck it in for a more polished look.

To keep my look light and cool, I accessorized with light, neutral colors and added a bracelet as my only piece of jewelry. My bag is from a few summers ago and is Sonoma brand. A woven bag is always a great summer piece. My off white sneakers were thrifted and they are Mossimo brand.

To make the outfit ready for cool weather, I made a few simple adjustments. I added a fun yellow moto jacket that I ordered from Kohl’s last year that was on clearance. This is Elizabeth and James brand. I fell in love with the color and it is a heavy, sturdy piece that can be worn as a jacket, not just a show piece.

I love this scarf and I think the colors are perfect for fall. The yellow mums, the burgundy splashes and there is also a little bit of an olive leopard print throughout. I should have straightened it out a bit more, since the ends look a but rumpled. My hair looks crazy too, so no worries. Ha, ha.

I swapped out my woven bag for a cute burgundy leather and suede shoulder bag my bestie gave me that she found thrifting. I also added my thrifted Rock & Candy by Zigi ankle boots. These are such a fun boot with the lace overlay. One of the reasons I love to thrift is finding fun, unique pieces like these boots.

Here are the outfits side by side. What do you think? Did I make a good transition to fall? What would you have done differently? I love to hear your thoughts.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. Moto jackets are a great way to take your clothes from one season to the next. They provide an added layer of warmth in the cooler weather and a lighter layer as the temperatures start to warm up in the spring.

These are affiliate links. When you click on a link I get a few cents. All opinions are my own. I appreciate all your support and all your clicks.

Have a great week.

Spring Outfit with ShopNational

I’m taking a brief break from my Pantone Spring/Summer 2019 series to introduce you to a clothing retailer called National. This is a sponsored post. National gifted me the clothing items in this post and gave me compensation for writing the post. All opinions are my own.

National is a family owned business that was started by Eddie Smith. After the influx of women into the workplace nearing the end of WWII, what started as a small mail order operation selling women’s stockings, has now grown into a prospering clothing platform specifically catering to women who like classic styles and clothes made for real life. National sells everything from cardigans and dresses to hosiery and bras. They have kept up with the times, moving from a strictly catalogue based clientele to the inclusion of a more recent online presence. Knowing the history of National, I am excited to bring this retailer to my readers.

The pieces I chose from National revolve around a spring theme, but will work well through the summer. The first few pictures will show the pieces as is, with the later pictures including my own accessories.

The two pieces I chose are the Southwest Embroidered Top and the Spring Blossoms Embroidered Jeans. i have always been a fan of embroidery. It adds both texture and interest to so many different clothing pieces and these two from National are no exception. I saw the jeans first when I was perusing their website, after they contacted me about a collaboration. I fell in love with the embroidery, especially the splashes of yellow and blue. You can see in the pictures below, the embroidery is both on the thigh of the right leg and the lower shin area of the left leg. I like that the floral images are on both legs, yet in different places.

These pants are light weight and have an elastic waist and slimming front panel. I was surprised at how well they fit and how flattering they were. The straight legs could also be worn rolled up for a more breezy summer look. The only drawback of these light weight pants in the white is they are a bit see through. I chose to wear nude underwear, so it was no problem. Just don’t wear those red, hot pink or black panties, or everyone will know. Ha, ha. I ordered these in a large and the fit was perfect.

I chose the top because I thought the denim blue color went well with the blue in the pants. Once again, the embroidery was the selling point for me. This top has a southwest boho vibe, which I love. Look at all the details on this lovely piece.

The v-neck boasts embroidery detail and fun fringe.

The neck ties end in tassels.

The embroidery on the elastic gathered sleeves adds a black and white color contrast.

The shirt tail hem makes it perfect for wearing untucked.

The fabric this popover blouse is made of is a fabric called lyocell, which is a form of rayon. It is machine wash and dry, so easy to care for. However, the fabric is not stretchy and the bust area is a tad tight. I ordered a medium and think I would have felt a tad more comfortable in a large. Overall, another great clothing piece from National.

Here is the outfit with my own accessories.

I really like these pieces and was pleasantly surprised with National. I have never been a big catalogue shopper, but now that National is available on line, I have a feeling I will be purchasing from them again. It is convenient, easy and quick, and their clothing and accessories are classic pieces easily worn by busy women like us.

I hope you will check out National. Right now they are offering my readers a discount. If you use the code Natl20Amy you will get 20% off your entire order and free shipping. This would be a great time to give this family owned retailer a try.

Have a great day.

Spring Trends - 2017

Every season we see a new parade of trends marching across the stage at all the up scale fashion shows. Many of the things we see on the runways are not necessarily trends that translate well to the everyday world of many women. We probably are not going to don our peek-a-boo tops for work (unless we work at a strip club...ha, ha) and our stripes may not be quite as gaudy or loud, however, there are a number of spring trends that are perfect for all of us actual women.

1. Stripes are stunning. You can wear them horizontal or vertical; seaside or oxford; wide or narrow; stripes are everywhere. Stripes are our friends. You might not think so, but let's do a quick review. Horizontal stripes have long been touted as making us look fatter, but narrow horizontals can actually make you look thinner. Vertical stripes tend to elongate our frames. My theory is this, you can wear whatever you like. I wear horizontals on the top and verticals on the bottom. However, If it is a piece I absolutely adore, I will forgo my usual way of doing things.

2. Florals are fragrant. Light florals, dark florals, floral dresses, skirts, tops, leggings, jackets and pants; basically you can easily find a bouquet of floral patterned pieces just about anywhere. I like floral patterns, but I am picky about how much, how large or small and what color combinations. There are patterns, that for me, are just too busy. I don't want to get dizzy looking at what I am about to put on.

3. Blush is beautiful. Pale pink is all the rage and is showing up everywhere from shoes and bags, to coats, tops and jeans. You won't have to look too far to see pale pink sneaking onto store shelves and clothing racks. Not all of you may feel you can wear this light color, but as with any color, never say never. Pale pink can show up as a cute cross body bag or a comfy pair of sneakers. Just a touch of it in your wardrobe can make you trend savvy.

4. Raging ruffles. They're back! Romantic ruffles. How do you feel about ruffles? I used to have a white silk blouse that had ruffles around the neck and down by the wrists. It was a regular pirate shirt. I loved it at the time, but once the trend came and went I let it go! I should have kept it. Ha, ha. I'm okay with ruffles, but I like to do them in moderation. 

5. Perfect perforations. Another trend that I like is perforations. These little decorative holes are showing up on bags, wallets, sandals and shoes. I also like to think of crocheted or knitted items as perforated clothing. They are basically clothing with little (or big) holes in them.

6. Cool khaki. Khaki is the new neutral, or maybe it is an old neutral, as it has been front and center before. This color works great as a pair of pants or shorts, or as a skirt or dress. The piece that I think of most often when I hear the word is the trench coat. 

I gave you a few samples under each category just to give you ideas. What follows are just a few outfit ensembles that I did by shopping my own closet. 

Blush jeggings, pin striped jacket, floral long sleeve button up, Pink Yarrow jewelry, gold sandals and clutch. Pattern mixing has gotten even easier with the smooth blend of stripes and florals.

Olive utility jacket, striped 3/4 length sleeve tee with embellishment, gold jewelry, frayed hem crop jeans, blush fold over bag and blush flats. Olive seems to be making a stand in the fashion world and will be sticking around as another versatile neutral. Distressed jeans are big right now too. 

Crocheted fit and flare sweater top, blush lace trim cami, fringe multi strand bracelet, gold floral necklace, perforated red bag, tiered floral tea length skirt, sandals. The fit and flare trend is back as well, meaning dresses and tops are more fitted through the bodice and waist, then flare out. The tiered skirt also seems to be making a subtle come back, which I love, as I have several of these. This is a great skirt for the summer, giving full coverage, but not needing a slip underneath. 

I hope to show you some of these outfits, in the flesh, at some point down the line. While I didn't cover all the trends, I hope that this was informative in letting you know more about what is going on in the fashion world this spring. 

Let me know what you thought of this post in the comments section below. Your comments help my blog to grow, so I appreciate the input. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means when you click on a shopping link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through one of the links, I get a little commission. All opinions expressed are my own.

Monday linking up with Rena of Fine! Whatever...., Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb.  

Chasing Away the Winter Blues - Week 2

My little series this month centers around styles and ways to chase away the winter blues that often accompany long weeks of cold and gray skies. For those of us who suffer with Season Affective Disorder, anything to give us a bit of a lift is well received. Last week I talked about wearing bright colors. You can see that post here. Wearing bright colors, not only gives us a lift because it makes us look light and cheery, but it reflects light into our faces and light is one of the essential things missing in these winter months. 

Another thing I like to do when I am feeling blue is force myself to get out of the house and do something different. Saturday was my 53rd birthday. My two daughters Rebecca and Rachel decided to plan a day out with me. 

We started our day, getting our make up done by my younger daughter Rachel, who is a make up artist. You can see her Instagram page here. 

The first pic is me getting made up and the second is my eldest. And yes I was taking the pictures with her fancier-than-mine, camera! Rachel was already done before we got there. While Rebecca was being done, I took a picture of another cutie. 

Rebecca added a few other cutie pictures of Rachel's pets.

Here are the three of us read to shop!

We went up to Ann Arbor, MI which is less than an hour away. Since it was lunch time when we got there we went to a famous Ann Arbor eatery/deli called Zingerman's. 

When you first walk in you see a typical deli with glass cases full of a wide variety of meats and cheeses. We didn't stop for a look, but continued further into a maze of walls, doorways, signs and displays, to the ordering station for lunch. The menu was on the walls up close to the ceiling and held every possible configuration of beef, pork, turkey, chicken, fish and so on. A bit on the pricey side we ordered the small size of our sandwiches and we were glad we did. 

Rebecca ordered the chicken while Rachel and I got turkey. It was amazing. It was all we could do to open our mouths wide enough to take a bite. The bread was grilled and crispy and the toppings varied from avocado and tomatoes to pesto and peppers. We certainly did not need the large size. Ha, ha.

After lunch we headed to Arborland Center, a strip mall that houses stores like DSW, Marshall's, Maurice's and Ulta. Recently I won $100 in gift cards from Jodie on Jodie's Touch of Style, for Nordstrom. Seeing as we do not have a Nordstrom in our town and the fact that I like to try things on, especially at a store I have never shopped at before, the girls did the online research and found a Nordstrom Rack at Arborland Cener. 

I did find a few nice things at Nordstrom Rack, which I plan on featuring in a later post. Rebecca even found a nice, warm winter coat to replace her old one and Rachel found some make up and a jacket for her son. Success!

After Nordstrom we ran across the street to a thrift store. My girls learned their love of thrifting from me. They both are trying to keep a budget and being able to get clothing at thrift stores really helps. Rachel found a cute stained glass lamp for $10 and I found a velvet, knee length jacket from J.Jill for only $6. 

Since we still had a few minutes before we had to head south to meet the men for dinner we stopped at Maurice's. I had never been in this shop and it was cute. The clothing seems to span generations which I like. There were things my daughters would wear and things I would wear and the prices weren't too bad either. Click here to check out their online site; Maurices.

This was one of the cute dressing rooms at the store. The clerks actually write your name on the door. Rachel got two pairs of pants for work. Rebecca and I didn't buy anything, not because we didn't want to. I will definitely be visiting this store again, either in person or on line. 

I had Rebecca snap a few more pics after we got back so you could see my outfit for the day.

The outfit consisted of black knee high boots, dark wash skinny jeans, charcoal gray cowl neck top, maroon fly away cardi and a retro styled fringe necklace.

I hope you enjoyed coming along with me and my girls on my birthday, chase away the blues, excursion. I had a good time with my daughters. And that night for dinner we met my husband, son-in-law and grandson at a favorite Italian restaurant for dinner. 

Thanks for visiting the blog and be sure to leave some love in the comments section below, or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram. 

Check back on Thursday when I will reveal an Awesome Accessory that I got for Christmas. Have a great day.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Nancy's Fashion Style. 

Beautiful Blogger Bests

This is the third column I am adding to my fashion blog. When I started thinking about blogging my daughter told me I needed to follow other blogs to see how people set up their pages, what they were talking about and so on. I have simply fallen in love with some of the other blogs I follow. 

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I have found ideas, inspiration, motivation and encouragement through other bloggers. So in honor of their wonderful blogs and their great ideas, I have decided to do a feature once a month focusing on an idea that I saw on another blogger's post, by showing you my own version of their idea. Of course I want to give them all the credit, so I will be including links back to the original posts that inspired me.

Here are a few of the fashion bloggers that I love to follow:

Jodie's Touch of Style - Jodie is a retired cosmetic dentist. She has taken fashion, interior decorating and design classes and uses the things she has learned to enhance her knowledge of fashion for women over 50. I love how Jodie uses three generations of models; herself (50's), her step-mom, Nancy (60's) and her mom, Charlotte (70'). Many of the items you see, she has found at thrift stores, which is right up my alley. Jodie is a sweet, down to earth person, who wants to encourage all women to find their own style. I will be featuring a number of ideas from Jodie because I have learned so much from her. 

Designing From My Closet - Janeane is a beautiful soul. Being an interior designer she has easily translated that ability into her fashion. She, like Jodie and myself, loves to create from her own closet, using pieces that she already has, or buying more inexpensively via thrift stores, using coupons and Poshmark. Janeane has inspired me in so many ways and has made me think more about intentional dressing. Dressing not just for an occasion, but looking at our style as a way to convey an image, emotion or message. 

With Wonder and Whimsy - Liz has her own style and I love to see what she posts each time. Her style is full of color, lace and well, whimsy. Liz is not afraid to try new things and doesn't let her beautiful red hair keep her from wearing certain colors. She looks beautiful in them all! Whether she's styling an outfit up or an outfit down, Liz creates a cohesive look that inspires and motivates me to give new things a try. 

A Pocketful of Polka Dots - Jennie is an administrative assistant and a blogger. She is the mother of 4 boys and hit a point in her 40's where she decided to do things differently, going from wearing mainly black to all sorts of color. She loves shoes and you'll love her collection too! I haven't been following Jennie for quite as long as the others, but I really like her style. Being a fan of casual dressing, I love her take on wearing jeans, Converse sneakers, tee- shirts and blazers. 

Not Dressed as Lamb - Catherine is a well known, award-winning,  blogger from the UK. Her sense of style is supported by the idea that no one should tell you what you can and cannot wear...no matter how old you are. She has no fear of mixing colors, patterns or textures. She knows how to bring a pop of color to a more subdued palette, but can also create an awesome outfit around something as unique as a pair of yellow pants. Catherine believes women should be able to wear what they want, when they want and look stylish while doing it.  

These are only 5 of the bloggers I follow and there are many more out there including Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, High Latitude Style, Petite Over 40, JoLynne Shane, Grace and Beauty, Fifty is Not Old and more. As I learn and grow as a fashion blogger, I hope to expose those of you who follow me to even more of the beautiful bloggers that inspire me. The more I read and learn, the more I can't wait to try new ideas. 

Be sure to check back next month for my first Beautiful Blogger inspired post. Have a great weekend!

Spring Colors: Rose Quartz, Serenity and Iced Coffee

Today I am stylin' rose quartz, serenity and iced coffee. My color palate is usually darker or brighter colors, but for the sake of showing off the Pantone color line, I paired this rose quartz blouse with a leopard print skirt. You might say the skirt whispers the iced coffee in its spots. I then added gold jewelry with just a hint of serenity in the form of bracelets and a necklace. The simple clutch is charcoal gray with gold trim.

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Photo Credit: Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen

I like the clean look of black hose and black pumps with this outfit. It makes the outfit perfect for a night out with my hubby, a spring wedding or Easter morning church service. 

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Find the Look:

Top Ideas - Kohl's $30, Loft $59.50

Skirt Ideas - Macy's $49.50, Kohl's $36

Clutch Ideas - Kohl's $40, Lord & Taylor $48

Shoe Ideas - Kohl's $54.99, DSW $29.95

Jewelry Ideas - Kohl's Necklace $28, Etsy Bracelet $15

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I hope you enjoyed viewing this outfit. If you follow me on a regular basis, I would love for you to show me your Spring outfit ideas. Find a light pink top in your closet and pair it with those crop pants you just picked up at the store. I'd love it if you picked colors from Pantone's Spring color line up, but any Spring outfit would be fine. Send me a pic on Facebook, or to my email and if I get a few pictures I'll post them on the Sylin' Granny Mama Facebook page.

Now for our next Closet Clean Out Tip.

Closet Clean Out - Tip 4 - Pants:

You might feel that I am being repetitive, but that is because I am. A huge part of cleaning is organizing. If you already have a system in place then you may not need much incentive to get your closet in ship shape. But many of us, just need a plan. I have found, for me, the best plan involves organizing as I clean. 

I have my pants separated by style. I keep my pants folded in a bureau of sorts, but you may hang yours. I put my skinny leg jeans together in one cubicle; my boot cut or straight leg jeans in another cubicle, and dress pants in a third cubicle. Several years ago, I went through all of my pants. I tried on every single pair and got rid of many that didn't fit, or that I had a, "What was I thinking," response when I looked in the mirror.

Jeans and slacks should compliment, not draw attention to. Now, the world of pop and movie stars may disagree, but an actual woman wants to look nice, put together and once in a while sexy. A good fit will either lift and define or skim, depending on the look you are going for. If you have pants in your closet that make your thighs look like bumpy sausages, then put them in the donation box. Work pants should be appropriate for your job. I can wear many things because I work at a university bookstore, but we do have a dress code. If I wear leggings I have to wear a top or tunic that covers my behind (which is the only way I will wear leggings). I am sorry ladies, but leggings that look like skin may be comfortable, but they are not appropriate out in public. Do you really want everyone to know every curve of your bootie, where nothing is left to the imagination? If you want to be comfy that's great, but at least consider wearing something that covers.

As you go through your pants think about, where will I wear these? How many pairs of boot cut, straight leg and skinny jeans do I need to have? How many pairs of dress pants do I  need to own? Think about colors as well. Will you really wear all seven pairs of pink crop pants or would one or two be enough? 

Believe me, ladies, I am preaching to the choir. I love to shop and I am continuously paring down my closet. My method to the madness is if I go shopping and buy four things, I try to get rid of four items in my closet. It doesn't have to be match for match, skirt for skirt, but no less than four items. 

I hope these tips are helpful and that you are getting a great feeling of satisfaction as you clean and organize. 

Next week, Spring Outfit Number 4 and more Closet Clean Out tips. Enjoy your Easter!

Spring Colors: Lilac Gray and Buttercup

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Photo Credit: Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen

Today you'll see the second outfit in my Spring color series. The color emphasis is on Pantone's Lilac Gray and Buttercup. I found the button up at a thrift store. We had a hard time finding a similar color, but here is a possibility. The bag I found on clearance at JC Penney and I really like it. This purse is roomy, but not overwhelming. I have a tendency to put everything in my bag. The muted color enables it to be carried with many other outfits, and the gold chain gives it a classy look without making it heavier. We found a similar bag at Kohl's.

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Photo Credit: Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen

The buttercup tee (another thrift store find) has an embellished neckline which goes well with the gold on my bag and shoes. We found a similar embellished tank top at Macy's. The skirt, simple black leggings, shoes, and yellow bangle are all second hand store finds but we were able to find you some inspiration from some other stores. Here is a skirt from Kohl's, black shoes from DSW, and a bracelet option on Etsy. As you can tell, I love to thrift shop. If I had been born in an earlier century, I would have been a pirate! Arrrrrrrrrggggg! I was excited to see that the low chunky heel is making a come back!

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Obviously, the outfit could be retrofitted for summer simply by getting rid of the leggings and wearing a cute pair of sandals or espadrilles. Carry the button up as a covering for overly air conditioned shops or restaurants and you are all set.

Since, this blog is all about inspiration, I would like you ladies to start digging for treasure in your own closets. See if you have any of Pantone's Spring color line up. Throw an outfit together and have someone take a picture. Then send it to me via a Facebook message or you can email it to me. If you take a pic on your phone you can just text it to my email at guineapigtrekie@yahoo.com. I would love to see how I have inspired your fashion sensibilities and you might even get your pic posted!

Now it's time for our next Closet Clean Out Tip.

Closet Clean Clean Out - Tip 3 - Skirts and Dresses

I really do not know why I have so many skirts and dresses. I think it stems from my upbringing. Being raised in the church we always dressed up for Sunday service. As far as that goes, my mother used to make me wear dresses when I was in elementary school. Being a tomboy I grew to loathe skirts and dresses, although, I never stopped wearing them to church...until recently. However, I still do wear a skirt for work once in a while and if my husband and I splurge on a show I dress up.

Once again, I would say, start by organizing. You can arrange by color, length or type of skirt, or seasonal. The same goes for dresses. If you have room you might want to hang from shortest to longest. Organization is for your benefit, so figure out what is going to work for you. As you begin to organize take a hard look at what skirts and dresses you have. Do you love it? Does it fit? Is it in style?

Actually that is not a valid question any more. What isn't in style? Mini vs. maxi, plain vs. print, plaid vs. floral, a-line vs. pencil, pleather vs. leather.....anything goes! Style is what you make it. A dress you wore in the 80's may no longer be in style, but if you throw a chunky sweater over it, or add a black moto jacket and a pair of over the knee boots you can make it work. That's not something I have to worry about, since I can't fit into any dresses that I owned in the 80's. Ha, ha.

I have found that if I am unsure about a particular item, I put it in a pile, then when I have a significant number of items I try them all on. The item has to answer several questions: Does it have a slimming or smoothing effect? Is the pattern or color complimentary? Could I pair it with other items I have to make it work for me, like wearing a dress with a jacket or sweater over the top, or wearing a skirt with a wide belt and a tee shirt or tank top. How can I update my look if it is something I really love? I am getting better at putting things in the donation box if I am not absolutely convinced it works for me.

I hope as you reorganize your skirts and dresses you will be thinking about some of the things you have read here on my fashion blog. As you saw today, I paired a skirt with leggings, something I have never done before. Think outside the box, after all, you are women and we are more like spaghetti than waffles.

Be sure to come back next week. We'll have another Spring outfit and more tips on cleaning out our closets. 

All photos by Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen

Me? A Fashionista? Get Serious!

When I began seriously thinking about starting this blog, I laughed at the idea of talking about fashion.  My adult daughters would back me up when I say, I have not always been a fashionista.  I still have a long way to go. And posing in front of a camera, don't make me laugh!  Seriously, I am the one, who in every picture, has some strange contortion of the mouth. Either food is involved or I am talking passionately about something. I mean really!  Every picture. My husband of 28 years assures me that I am a beautiful woman, but the camera has yet to agree with him.

Photo credit: Rebecca Trumbull

With a new found interest in fashion, I began looking at magazines, noticing what people were wearing and perusing a number of blogs centering on women after 40. I am no expert, as I have already confessed, but I am fairly certain many women over 40 don't look like many of the bloggers that are posting pictures out there. Granted, I have only looked at a few blogs, but so many of them are pictures of thin, attractive women who are able to pull off skinny jeans without worry. This only fueled my desire to create a blog for actual women.

I am one of those women.  I am slightly (okay, so maybe moderately) overweight, my skin is beginning to look  like parchment and my hair feels more like dry grass than silk.  I am not a fashion guru and I have no desire to walk the streets of New York City in high heeled booties.  Sneakers, yes, or even a pair of stylish riding boots, but heels?  No way. Working part time, parenting adult children, loving on a grandson and working at a marriage, my style has developed just as I have developed as a woman.

Most of my clothing comes from second hand stores, although I do have a few favorite retailers that I will mention at some point. I am so new to blogging, I am still figuring out how it works, so bear with me. Rather than give you incentives to buy what I buy, I would like to encourage you to shop in your own closet. Most of us have too many clothes! God bless you women out there who don't like to shop. It is an addiction just like sweets and I hope to eventually get on that wagon too!

My desire is to show you how to feel good about yourself whether you work outside the home or inside the home; dress in suits or jeans; use top of the line make up or none at all.  The truth, ladies, is that God made women His piece de resistance. That's right, you are a jewel. Granted, some of us need more buffing than others, but I hope that you will find things on this blog that will help you shine.