Monday, May 27, 2013

NUETP of the Wide Leg Jean

Never UnderEstimate The Power: The Wide Leg Jean

It's no secret that I LOVE the 70s!  And while the reasons are plentiful, I think we have to send a Thank You note to the 70s for bringing us the wide leg jean.  Flares.....bell bottoms.....wide leg.......call them what you will as long as you acknowledge their total FABULOUSNESS!!  

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I thrifted these J Brand jeans for a mere pittance (seriously....a couple of bucks)!!   Paired it with another thrift find, a CAbi top, and Franco Sarto (purchased on ebay...."I'm not just an ebay seller.....") wedges.  Can you tell I'm feeling crazy cute right here??

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I think these are the same jeans, except here, I've paired them with a thrifted Nicole Miller blouse.  I originally got this blouse with the intention of selling it, but frankly, I love it so much, I just can't let it go!

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Kenneth Cole Wide leg dark denim with a thrifted blouse (THE most perfect fitting blouse ever!) and a vintage suede vest that's thrifted as well.

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My J Brand jeans again with a tagless thrifted blouse and men's leather belt.

While I completely understand the universal penchant for skinny jeans, my heart belongs to the wide leg cut! The skinny, to me, feels more trendy.  The flare is simply classic!!

BONUS:  All outfits are under $10 excluding the shoes!!  (I'll ALWAYS splurge just a little bit on shoes!!!)


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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The Catherine Ogust "Forever Dress"

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                                  Purchase                                                                          Purchase

When I came across these dresses, I just knew they were something special!  The gorgeous print. The easy  fit.  The soft cotton.  So I snatched them up right away!  (Originally, there were three of them, one has already sold)  I did some research on the brand and LOVED the concept!

Catherine Ogust for Penthouse Gallery

The name sounds like porn wear, no?  However, Catherine Ogust was a print designer for Penthouse Gallery.  The above dresses are referred to, by the brand, as The Forever Dress, because it's such a classic dress, it can be worn forever!  THAT'S the concept that I love:  a print and tailoring that never dates.  The hem can be taken up.  Wear with or without a belt.  Swap the belt out.  Or even wear in the current popular style of pencil skirt over the dress with the hem flaring out the bottom! (Info Source and a great read!)

When I look at these, I can't help but reassert, "THIS is why I love vintage!!"

As you're shopping, please don't forget to peruse Bella's store.  She has such novel vintage items!  And Terri has a growing eBay shop that exemplifies her classic style and vintage flair!  Now, more than ever, there are so many options to Shop Secondhand First!


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Thursday, May 16, 2013

Style and the Serenity Prayer


Most of us have heard this at least once in our life.  This morning it hit me how this sweet prayer can apply to our personal styles, especially for those of us who've left our twenties in the dust!!

In my opinion style ought to be about what I love about myself, not about what I want to change. So, in my daily life of deciding what to wear and how to wear it, decisions are being made.    Am I going to dress to hide what I've come to not like about myself (or often, what I've been TOLD not to like about myself) OR am I going to dress with acceptance, serenity and with an eye to showcase my features and personality?

We really CAN'T look like whatever we want....

We live in a society that tells us that we can look however we want.  Women are lauded for their parts not their whole and we think that if we work out the way Gwen Stefani does, we can have her legs or eat like Gwyneth Paltrow, we will have her figure.  But wise women have figured out by now, that's just not true!  I am me.  You are you.  And we can spare ourselves much time, grief and frustration by accepting what can't change and changing what we can....but as the prayer says, the key is knowing the difference!

I can change my size, but I have to accept my body shape.  All the dieting and working out in the world isn't going to change my basic body shape.  So instead of bemoaning my muscular legs, I can show them off in above-the-knee skirts and fitted jeans!

I can change my hair style, but I have to accept my hair texture.  It does me no good to take a picture of Camilla Belle to my stylist and say, "This is what I want" because our hair texture is different.  I may get the cut, but I'll never have the look!

I can change the way I apply my makeup, but I have to accept my face.  Yes.  That's right.  I have to accept the shape of my eyes, the roundness of my cheeks, the "little too much teeth" grin that I get when I'm really excited!  I know.  I know.  There's cosmetic surgery.  But there are plenty of examples of women trying to get "just the right" face, who ended up getting something else entirely!

I can change the way I dress, but I have to accept my age.  Ouch!  Now I'm just meddling, aren't I?!  Here's the dirty little secret we sometimes don't want to acknowledge to ourselves:  my age IS a factor in what I wear.  There. It's out there and I said it!  :)  There are some things that will look ridiculous on me at my age.  Certain types of shoes.  Super short skirts or shorts.  Low rise jeans.  A LOT of graphic print tees.  I can try to dress like a 20 year old all I want.  But it's never going to change the fact that I'm 46!

So what's the key in all this?  Acceptance.  

Acceptance of our features.  Our bodies.  Our age.  Our personalities.  And with that acceptance, an embrace.  I'm not talking about a grudging acceptance and having the scooter store on speed dial.  I'm talking about a celebration!   Celebrating what makes each of us unique.   Celebrating our personal style that's built around flattering our assets, not camouflaging our perceived "problem areas".


Changing what we can.  Accepting what we can't.  And having enough wisdom to know the difference!  How's that for a style devotional?!


By the way, if you've happened to stumble here without ever meeting Pam (I can't imagine!!), please do yourself a favor and give her blog a read.  Her blog is prolific when it comes to celebrating one's age and embracing change!  And another FABULOUS read is Paula!  Paula is a gorgeous example of self acceptance and wearing it well!


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