Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - London Palette Recap

It’s time for a recap of the all the Pantone - Autumn/Winter -2019 - London Palette colors. There were things about these colors that I liked better than the New York Palette, but each of them had colors that I felt comfortable wearing. I’ll explain my favorite from this series after a review of the outfits.

Outfit 1 - Merlot and Antique Moss

Outfit 2 - Cranberry and Chicory Coffee

Outfit 3 - Summer Fig and Bluestone

Outfit 4 - Butterscotch and Grapeade

Outfit 5 - Crabapple and Forest Biome

Outfit 6 - Galaxy Blue and Hazel

I am having a hard time picking just one outfit from this series that I liked the best. I really liked Cranberry and Chicory Coffee. I have always been a fan of browns, but I just love the result when it is combined with the medium pinky red of Cranberry. I also like the long line of this outfit and I think the long Rutabaga open front cardi helped with the illusion.

My next fave would be the boho vibe of Butterscotch and Grapeade. If you would have asked me a few years ago if I would wear an outfit with these two colors together, I would have said no way. Yellow and purple? You have to be kidding, but there is something whimsical about this outfit and the color combination is only part of it. The colors are happy and fun, but the print of the skirt, the fringe bag and the fun textured boots really give this outfit its bohemian style.

Finally, I really like the last outfit. Even though, I wouldn’t necessarily wear a color like Hazel all on it’s own, I do like the way this color pairs so well with the grays and the blues in outfit. I also like the subtle plaid print mixing. It is obvious, but it doesn’t overwhelm the eye like some print mixing is capable of doing.

Well, I’ve told you my favorites, now tell me yours. I love to hear your feedback.

i hope you enjoyed this Pantone - Autumn/Winter series. If there is anything else you would like to see, with regards to the Pantone Color Institute you can check out their website. Just click on the link.

Have a great Tuesday!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Fall Trends - 2019 - Part 2

If you missed last Thursday’s post, I’ve started a short series on Fall 2019 Trends. Every season the runways are filled with with new colors and trends. This fall the trends include things we are familiar with like animal prints and metallic sheens to rebooted trends like patchwork, tiny bags and shoulder pads. I encourage you to pick and choose the ones that you feel most comfortable with and maybe go for one that pushes you a little outside your comfort zone.

The next trend I am featuring would, perhaps, be the one that would be a little outside my comfort zone, but one that I felt I could easily adapt to with pieces I already had in my closet.

Trend 3 - Romance Gone Goth

If you want to see the original looks from the runway click on this article by Who What Where titled These are the 9 Biggest Fall 2019 Trends, Period. Of course that is a matter of opinion. Ha, ha. I changed the name to Goth rather than Grunge, because if you do your research, Goth is head to toe black with lace, leather and more form fitting wear. Grunge is more about torn jeans, flannel shirts, Doc Martens, and while black is a common grunge color, other dark colors like maroon, forest green and indigo are also common.

My version is a lot less revealing and personifies me. My outfit is, also, not true Goth, because it has color. It is also not really Grunge either. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Do your research.

For this look I chose three pieces that I would term romantic. This short sleeve ruffled top was thrifted and is Loft brand. The sheer blouse that I put underneath was my way to add another fall trend, that of dark florals, as well as add, just a touch of color. This is a brand called Kensie. I also thought the wide belt and the cross choker added a touch of metal that is often associate with Goth outfits.

These Apt. 9, faux lace pants I’ve worn before on the blog, You can see them styled with a multi-print tunic, and with a shimmery taupe top. Lace is another fabric or pattern that we often associate with romance, so it seemed appropriate to use them for this Romance Gone Goth outfit.

My black, Seven Dials, combat boots seemed the perfect choice for this faux Goth look. True Goth would not have any brightly colored patches.

The bag is totally not Goth, but I thought it went nicely with the green in the floral under-top.

Trend 4 - Layering Knits

I think this is a fun one, although not for everyone. Most women our age are in the throes of menopause and the last thing you want to do is start wearing layers of heavy knits, but for those of you who are typically cold most of the time in the winter months, this trend is for you.

I love the way this outfit turned out in the flat lay and I may actually put this on when it gets colder and see how it looks. I am not a big leggings fan, but this just looks so fun, I may have to do it…yes, getting outside my comfort zone again.

The sweater was a clearance find at Christopher and Banks. I love the lace up detail on the lower sides. This sweater has an open front with no closures and falls right about mid to lower thigh. It is a medium weight, so good for pairing over this thrifted over-sized Merona sweat shirt.

Isn’t Mr. Bear, just the cutest guy ever? He’s styling that cable knit sweater and I’m sure he’s heading right into his cozy hole to sleep for a good long while. He looks so happy. Believe me, I’d be happy too, if I knew when winter was on its way, I could go into a cozy hole and just sleep until spring arrived. Ha, ha.

These leggings are Lu La Roe and my daughter gave them to me. I have been waiting on the perfect outfit to pair these with and I think this just may be it. Because I opted for these leggings I decided to wear a recently thrifted pair of boots, high lighting the lighter yellows and tans in the leggings and sweatshirt. These boots are a brand called Rock & Candy by Zigi. While this is a brand I had never heard of before, it appears that they are available at places like Nordstrom Rack, Famous Footwear and Shoe Carnival.

Since the outfit already has a lot going on I went for a simple green clutch.

I added the scarf as an after thought as a way to tie the whole outfit together.

What do you think of these two fall trends? Would you do Romance Gone Goth, or Layering Knits? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

I hope your week is off to a great start. Thursday, I’ll give you another peek at two more Fall 2019 trends.

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Have a great day.

Fall Collaboration with Ethyl Clothing

I was recently contacted by a clothing retailer named Ethyl Clothing. Ethyl Clothing has been around for over 30 years. Based out of Seattle, Washington, founders and designers, Alan and Kathy Schulz, continue to be actively involved in bringing their quality products to over 3000 boutiques across the country. They now have an online store, which makes shopping their classic clothing pieces even easier.

When I went to their website, I was pleased to see models that look like average sized women. In other words, these women look like me. That alone, intrigued me. While I was informed that Ethyl clothing originally was geared to the younger woman, their clothing line has developed over the years to encompass and cater to the “baby-boomer” generation. These are women like me, who are busy and enjoy clothing that looks nice, but feels soft and comfortable with some amount of stretch and give.

When I received my pieces, I was not disappointed. Because these are vanity sized, I was told to size down from what I would normally wear. Sizes run from XS to XXXL on most. For both the tunic sweater and the jacket I chose a medium. For the jeans I went with a size 10, where I normally wear a size 12. Everything fit exactly as it should.

Each of the following pieces was gifted to me. No money was exchanged and all opinions are my own. After a short description of each piece, I will give it a review by listing positive and/or negative points, along with suggestions for wearing.

Like many smaller clothing retailers today, Ethyl Clothing names each of their pieces. Let me introduce you.

1. The Anne 2 - Kenzi

The Kenzi boasts a long, gracious tunic silhouette, a comfortable cowl neckline and roomy, pleated front pockets that add interest and texture.

Positive Points - flattering silhouette, silky material drapes well and holds its shape, roomy - doesn’t bind or pinch.

Negative Points - sleeves are a bit long. For me this is not an issue, but if you have short arms you may need to have them altered or roll them up.

Style suggestions: Wear with skinny jeans or leggings; pair with various jackets either long or short; wear with a skirt, either tucked, belted or just left long; slip on over a dress that will show a little at the bottom.

2. The Jaqueline Flair Jean - Abigail

These boot cut, dark wash jeans are made of a medium weight denim woven from a poly-cotton blend with a dash of rayon and spandex for stretch, comfort and ease of wear.

Positive points - good stretch, not too heavy, hold their shape, dark wash, figure flattering.

Negative points - very long, narrow through the thighs. If you have heavier legs or short legs I would suggest trying their pants with the shorter inseam. The Abigail only comes in the longer (31”to 34”) inseam.

Style Suggestions: Boot cut jeans always look good with heeled boots, but these would also dress up well with a pair of heels. They fall just below the natural waist so could be easily paired with shorter tops and sweaters.

3. The Margot - Blake

The Blake is meant to be a style piece not an actual jacket. A medium weight cotton-poly blend with spandex this black denim jacket is the perfect add on piece to take any outfit up a notch. The bling detail on the lapels and the frayed hems, give it a vibe that says both edgy and party ready. The non-closure, open front allows you to show off, not only the jacket, but a statement piece underneath.

Positive points - easy on and off, no buttons or zippers to snag sweaters or scarves, plenty of stretch, longer length for better back side coverage.

Negative points - this is less a negative than it is a personal opinion. When I first received this jacket I did not like the way it fit and after working with the rep from the company was sent a large to try on. The piece is designed to not come together in the front, which to me seemed odd, but this is the way the designers intended the jacket to be. It was created this way to allow exposure of the top you are wearing underneath. After having the two sizes to try on I ended up sending the large back. It really was too big. Now that I’ve seen the two sizes and have a better understanding of what the piece is intended to do, I like it. I am looking forward to wearing it with other outfits to see its full potential as a fun add on piece, almost more like an accessory.

Style suggestions: This would look great with a shift dress, pencil skirt or skinny pants. It will also allow for many different top choices including tunics and vests. The Blake will also allow your fun scarves and statement necklaces to still take center stage while providing a backdrop of bling, warmth and fun.

My overall opinion of Ethyl Clothing is that it is a woman friendly retailer with a strong classic, casual line structured for comfort and ease of wear. While they are not offering a discount through my site, if you spend over $100 you get free shipping. The pieces you order also come with free return labels, so that if you are not completely satisfied you can return your purchases for a full refund.

I hope you enjoyed this look at Ethyl Clothing. Head on over to their site and take a few minutes to shop. Just click on the link, Ethyl Clothing.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Fall 2017 Trends - Fabulous Florals

I feel like we have talked about florals before, probably because we have. Floral patterns were trending in spring and they are still trending in fall. However, where spring florals were light and bright, fall florals are dark and bold. There are some fabulous fall florals out there right now and I will include a few shopping links in this post, to give you a few other ideas of what is available. As for my own collection of florals, I have nothing quite like what is trending, but I found a few pieces that I thought would transition well into the fall season. As I did last week, I will show you one outfit, a few flat lays and a few possible shopping options.

i have a few floral tops in my closet and chose this one for my outfit, because it seems a bit more fall like. The body is lined while the sleeves are sheer. the sleeves also have an asymmetrical hem line, and there is smocking on the upper part by the neck, making it an interesting piece. 

I paired the top with these recently thrifted J.Jill black jeans and my Clarks peep toe shooties.

I also had this black Franco Sarto bag in my closet. Here is a cross body bag from their site. 

I added a few fun pieces of jewelry to compliment the colors in the top.

Here are a few other looks that I put together as flat lays.

For this one the focal floral piece is the jacket, I opted to pull the blue out of the jacket by pairing it with a blue Christopher and Banks short sleeve sweater and blue heels. Because the jacket has so many colors it could be paired with lots of other pieces. 

This more casual look revolves around a mini floral print. I've had this yellow sweater for a while and it perfectly pulls out the yellow in the top. Styled with a pair of Rock & Republic boot cut jeans, a leather cross body bag and boots makes for a great casual fall outfit.

Here are a few other options of floral items. This post contains affliate links. All opinions expressed are my own.

I hope you enjoyed this look at another fall trend. Have a great weekend!

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Thinking Fall with a Cable Knit Sweater Vest

This week I am featuring a beautiful blogger from down south. Tania Stephens was born in Tennessee and currently lives with her hubby in Southwest Virginia. Tania is a fireball. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She works at a lumber yard, is an active member in her women's club, has deep faith, and has an enormous following for her blog, 50 is Not Old, which she started in 2015. It is easy to see why Tania is so popular. She is a real, actual woman and she tells the best stories. She has a classic style and loves jewelry and handbags! Who doesn't? Ha, ha. You can read more about Tania on her About page. 

The look I was inspired by just shouted fall to me. As the weather starts to get chilly we can break out our cozy sweaters and reach for our jackets. This post was from September 26, 2016 and is titled, Cable Knit Sweater Vest. You can see Tania's original post by clicking on the link or by clicking on the picture. 

I love simplicity and that is what this outfit says to me. What is more comfortable and simplistic than a pair of jeans, long sleeve button up and a cozy vest? Add a great pair of boots, a colorful bag and some fun jewelry and you are ready to go. I love how Tania's vest, boots and jewelry all tended toward a more neutral color against the dark wash of her jeans. Her white blouse and bright blue bag make the outfit shine. 

Here is my version.

You can see here my sweater vest is orange, so I have a bit more color. I also tucked my jeans into my boots, where as Tania rolled hers up. A different style of boot calls for a little different handling of the individual pieces. 

Since I wore orange, I decided to accessorize with orange jewelry too. This is the only white button up I own and while I like the casual style of the blue chambray stripe, I think I need a plain white one. I probably should have tucked it in as well. I was feeling rather sloppy! Ha, ha.

Here you can get a better look at my boots and my green thrifted bag. I thought green would be the perfect pop of color against the dark wash jeans and the orange sweater and accessories. 

As always, I am thankful for the many other bloggers that continue to inspire and motivate me dress in a style that is all my own, but that can learn from others. Be sure to stop by Tania's blog and give her some love.

Have a great weekend. If you follow my faith blog, be sure to check back tomorrow for my Mulling it Over post on Ephesians 6:16. 

I appreciate each one of you and all the support you give me. If you have a chance leave me a comment. I'd love to hear from you. 

Photo credit (mine) Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

 Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, 

The Season of Fall

Today's post centers on the season of Fall. Autumn officially started a week ago to the day on the calendar and the weather has changed to reflect the beginning of this glorious season. My husband and I spent this past Saturday raking the leaves that had already fallen and enjoying a fire in our fire pit in the evening, while sipping on mugs of tea. It was cool enough that I threw on a hoodie. 

As the temperatures begins to fall our thoughts turn to changes in our wardrobes. As you can see from my Tuesday posts, the Pantone Fall color report included rich reddish brown and jewel tone green, as well as yellow and red reminiscent of the leaves that we will be raking out of our yards. But the colors are not the only thing that changes with the seasons. Our choice of clothing pieces change as well.

In the past we have usually put our whites and pastels away and opted for darker colors. Now anything goes. I have seen a number of articles and bloggers feature ways to wear white well into the season. Deborah of Fabulous After 40 shares three distinct outfits for wearing white into the fall in her article Can You Wear White After Labor Day?  JoLynn Shane, one of the many wonderful bloggers I follow, shared her take on wearing white jeans in the fall. Her White Jeans Outfit for Fall post is worth reading. You'll see me styling a pair of white jeans in an upcoming post in a few weeks. 

Since we are going to keep our whites out, we might as well rethink those pastels. Here is a good article from the site Bustle called 7 Ways to Wear Pastels in the Fall written by Emily McClure. While this article is from a year ago, her tips are just as applicable today. The one statement that really stands out to me is:

“When it comes to styling pastels, it’s all about adding in different textures. Personally, I love pairing pastel pieces with suede or leather in the fall, as it’s such a lovely juxtaposition of sweet and edgy staples. However, if you’re into bold prints and colors you may want to add bits of pastels as well. Bold cranberry pieces mix great with mint and cool blues. Basically, pastels are for everyone, all the time.”

— Emily McClure

I love that she talks about adding textures. That is something I am just learning how to do. I also like that she says, "...pastels are for everyone, all the time." Now, does every pastel look good on every complexion or skin tone, maybe not, but you can find the pastels that work for you, or as she says, mix textures. Choose a light pink top under a edgy wine colored moto jacket and maybe throw on a scarf that complements your skin tone. 

Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy, another beautiful blogger I follow, does a perfect job of pairing pastels with fall pieces in this post titled, Color Palettes featuring Pantone's Sharkskin Gray. You can see how she combines light blue and light pink with the darker, edgier Pantone Sharkskin Gray.

In addition to colors, we also think about patterns and how they change in the fall as well. This year in the stores and on the runways we are seeing animal prints like leopard, snakeskin, zebra stripes and tiger stripes. Leopard seems to be the rage right now. Here area a few of my own photos of pieces in my wardrobe.

As you can see in the above pics, I have a few things that have the snakeskin pattern. It is a fun pattern and can go with many different colors, depending on if you want to dress it up or dress it down. 

And just like on the fashion runways and in the stores, leopard print has turned up a few places in my closet. In addition to this fun skirt, I have a button up short sleeve blouse and a pair of flats which turn up occasionally in a blog post. 

Besides the animal prints I have mentioned, florals are also trending, but whereas in the summer the florals were light and backed by whites and pastels, the fall florals are darker shades backed by navy, wine and black. Check out Gemma's take on florals on her blog post The Cherry Blossom Midi Dress. This is the perfect floral look for transitioning to fall. 

Besides colors and patterns the other thing that significantly changes as we move into fall are the textures. Summer fabrics are usually light weight, breathable and moveable. The whole point is to keep you cool. As our weather changes, especially in the northern part of the country, our fabrics become heavier, bulkier and warmer. As women we still appreciate breathability and movement in our clothes, especially if you are menopausal, but we like textures that are soft to the touch and make us feel cozy. Cozy, after all, drums up images of roaring fires, hot cocoa and good books. 

One of the trending textures for fall is velvet. This jacket (which will be featured in a future post) is not real velvet, but it is so soft. Real velvet can be somewhat stiff, so I like this "faux velvet" if you will. It is moveable and fairly light weight.

There are so many other things we can talk about as the season of fall takes center stage. Our shoes transition into boots; our light weight sweaters transition into light weight jackets which transition into trench coats and we pull out scarves to accessorize and add warmth to our necks. Our sweaters become longer and eventually heavier and we begin adding hose or tights to our once bare and sun tanned legs. As I write this, I feel a little sad, but also excited because as you know I am a woman of layers and as the cool weather closes in, I get to create new and interesting outfits full of layers of texture, color and depth. And that will be fun!