An Anti-Aging Treatment for a Classic Dress

I'm suddenly in the mood to wear a dress. I've spent all winter trying to figure out how to wear more modern looking shapes in separates than I'm used to and trying to fathom the murky mysteries of print mixing, but everything in the dress section of my closet looks pretty tired. I don't have to have (read can't afford to have) everything in my wardrobe "of the moment" by a long-shot, but there's a point where dresses start looking more than just a few seasons behind.

So, I decided to try to freshen up a classic dress by adding some timely and modern accessories.

I'm always a little skeptical when style-pundits go on about the "timelessness of the classics." There are more than a few "classics" that I was assured I would wear forever that look really old-hat now. Case in point: the classic blazer. Even a little too much padding in the shoulder, lapels that are too wide or too narrow, too trendy a color or print or cut, and its classic credentials become as fishy as an online-issued associate degree in neurosurgery. Possibly not.

I decided that a fitted sheath-dress, sleeveless and unadorned, might safely qualify as a classic. Even if it is bright cadmium red medium. Red is still classic, right?

Here's what I did with it.

Did I get it right?

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Here I am again, late for the brilliant Patti's Visible Monday . Please stop by and see with all the smart stylistas wore this week!

Have a great week!

Getting Over 2012 (... and Hobbit Feet)

I'm still weeding through what I learned in 2012, separating the wheat from the chaff. It often takes me weeks into the New Year before I finish mulling all this over, but I'm trying to get a move on. Tempus fugit, for sure, and it fugits faster every year, so it seems appropriate finish up the review process so I can move upward and onward to new fun and frustrations. For the purposes of this little cyber-rag, I'll limit my observations to a few matters of personal style.

1. When it comes to last year's pairing of boxy tops with cropped cigarette-cut trousers, I have learned that I can wear either a boxy-ish top or the cropped trouser, but not both at the same time. Exaggerated forms of either are a no-no in any case. For me.

The takeaway? 

I won't really know if there's a way I can pull off a trend until I actually try it, but in that process I really must maintain my best critical eye, and act accordingly.

2. That "best critical eye" does not ( should not!) merely nitpick, but respond based on what informed aesthetic I possess combined with my most trusted gut-reaction. Criticism is a word with a very bad rep, but should always be combined with discernment: the ability or power to see or make fine distinctions.

The takeaway?

Applying the above to my sartorial experiments can make the difference between happily and successfully rocking a fresher look or banging my head against a wall, wondering what I could have been thinking.

3. I've made it to authentically old age, and I really don't look as bad as I though I would!

The takeaway?

There is still plenty of fun to be had, providing I remember to apply the above-mentioned discernment. And to get plenty of sleep and always use sunblock.

4. Likewise, when I run across articles defining fashion age-appropriateness, remember to take a deep breath and know that these articles are often written by infant editors who were only recently teenagers, and therefore are not to be taken seriously in matters of what I choose to put on my back.

The takeaway? 

There really is wisdom in age, and I should have figured out by now that just because it's in print somewhere doesn't make it true.

5. All of the above applies to the "What's In, What's Out" lists.

Same takeaway as the above.

6. Last year was the year when I finally fully embraced the full understanding that it's a good thing to give a flip about how I look. It is, in fact, a virtue worth cultivating.

The takeaway; 

I worried about this for far too many years and can stop now.

7. Sometimes the camera does lie. Often. Like a dog on a rug.

The takeaway?

Another thing I can relax and fret less about.

8. There are women all over the world who worry about and enjoy the very same things I do, and I can learn from every single one of them ... through the amazing world of mature women who blog about style. It's a movement! And they let me play, too!

The takeaway; 

We can come out, show off and figure it out through communities like the amazing Patti's Visible Monday . Really, one of the best places, cyber or solid, that I discovered in 2012.

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Here's my still-evolving avatar, "Janime", modeling what I wore when Dan (my Hubs) took me to see "The Hobbit" last week!

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Finally, (and speaking of Hobbits ) a prediction for the 2013 ...

Céline has come up with what I think is one of the strangest footwear designs ever. It's a Birkenstock/shower-shoe hybrid, lined with mink.

(... and much more conservative in black ...)

Phoebe Philo presented these in her spring 2013 collection, and my first thought was that they were a humorous nod to the hobbit foot-prosthetics worn by Martin Freeman in Peter Jackson's new trilogy.

Go ahead ,,, tell me they don't have a similar je ne se quoi ...

But when I learned that Ms. Philo just returned to work after the birth of her third child, I had more empathy for her probable inspiration. And there is a manifesto about comfort here that I can understand philosophically but not personally embrace. Some of you will love these, some will hate them.

 But my prediction is that we will soon see shower-shoes from WalMart, DIY treated to faux fur fastened on with the trusty hot-glue gun, flopping down the mall in the Spring of 2013.

This will define fashion victimization, I think.

Just saying ...

How to Lose 5 Pounds in Two Days?!

Come down with the flu.

I gave up and crawled into bed on December 21st. I would not have cared had the Mayans been right, after all. The also-afflicted-but-Darling Huz insisted that I try to eat something on the 23rd, bless his heart. I managed to drag myself up onto the scales to see how much of a toll the fasting had taken, but didn't feel well enough to gloat over the 5 pound loss. ( I do NOT recommend this method of dropping the Final 5.) The bad news is that our holidays completely sucked, but the good news is that I was too miserable to care!

We are both feeling better (finally!) and the five pounds are back where they belong. I didn't get to don a single sequin or bit of bling or feel like wearing anything even vaguely festive. But since no cloud is without its brighter lining, I decided to spend my long recuperative sojourn on the couch learning how to get around in SketchBook Mobile on my Kindle Fire. I figured out enough to make an Anime-Me ( or Janime, as I think of her) on this thoroughly nifty little app.

This is what I wore during the entire holiday season, completely accessorized, with only slight variations when self-respect and basic hygiene demanded a change of clothing.

I send you all belated-but-heartfelt wishes for a Happy New Year. Mine's getting better already!

Please come see all the real women at Visible Monday , hosted by the adorable Patti.

Holiday Hysteria and Hiatus ... Maybe

Every year at this time we present our Dickens Dinners, a full scale, costume epic at our little pub-style restaurant. We hold them on the last three Sundays in December. I always think that the seven-course dinner, formal tables, wines, costumes, sound system, staff, crackers, folding fans, musicians, carolers and all the other minutia will not make me sleepless and crazy this year.

How could I be so wrong? I am long gone, around the bend to Crazytown.

And in addition to the crazy, it all feels really weird because it has gone from 52 degrees to near 70 degrees the next day, and back to the mid-40s the following day with a low in the 20s that night. The outfit photo below is from day before yesterday. It was warmish when I planned what to wear, and at least 15 degrees cooler when we took the picture.

That's the reason my shoulders are up around my ears. Good thing this shot looked okay, because it was the last one I could manage as I was nearing hypothermia. Photo editing removed the blue from my lips.

You can learn a lot from photos of yourself. The goal was to add a little edge to the sweet Bisou-Bisou blouse and Peter Pan collar by adding faux leather pants. I chose the little Aldo leather pumps as a classic, lady-like grounding. The idea worked alright, but the peach camisole that I chose to wear under the sheer fabric makes my torso look blocky and thick. Perhaps a navy-blue or dark pink cami underneath would show through better, and be more flattering.

Photos really can point out elements you miss in the mirror, can't they?

I might not be able to come out and play again on Visible Monday until January. But if I can't, I'll be watching you all in your holiday splendor! 

Holiday Renewed, Recycled, Reused and Restyled ( ... or My Selfish Season)

(This post is dedicated to its muse, the indefatigable and dedicated Bella Q., The Citizen Rosebud  herself.)

This is absolutely the most difficult and uncomfortable time of the year for me to shop. Don't get me wrong ... I love shopping for my nearest and dearest, and delight especially in finding something for the Huz that makes him grin that special grin. But it is also the time of year when I am bombarded by all the neat stuff I've wanted all season! All the luxe goods; the jewels, the shoes, bags, perfumes ... they beckon tantalizingly like sailors' sirens. It's a constant battle with my lower self to avoid coming home with a bunch of bags filled with stuff for dear old Moi. Not to mention how hard it is on my pitiful budget.

Bella and a dedicated and fast growing legion of wise women all over the world have dedicated their shopping funds to the ethic of "shopping second-hand first." Or vintage, or consignment, but renewing and recycling and up-styling in gorgeous ways that have my constant admiration. But, I had not considered shopping for the holidays this way. There aren't many shops here that are much more than indoor garage sales, but in seeking them out, I have found at least three pretty snazzy resale shops in Fort Smith that offer holiday-shopper-selfishness-salvation and gifting opportunities as well!  Now that I've found these, there are bound to be more!

While looking around at these three shops, I came up with some (surely not all) categories of people that you can buy for in re-sale shops during the holidays ...

1. Your girl-friends or family that just live to prowl these places ... Gift Certificates for them!

You know them. The ones that always look effortlessly chic and at home in their clothes, and when you complement them, they tell you (smugly) that they got it at a vintage shop for some minuscule amount. They may be tough to choose specific gently-used items for, but how happy would they be with a gift certificate for their favorite resale shop?

Consider ... these certificates can go a very long way in terms of purchasing power, and you are helping everyone involved achieve a more petite carbon footprint.

This brings to mind a second category of giftee who might enjoy such a gift certificate.

How about one for your adorable and noble ecologically-focused friend or relative for whom every purchase should have sustainability cred?  Man or woman, this could work and really be appreciated!

2. Collectors of "vintage" accessories.

These women are easier to buy a gift for... the ones who love bangles, brooches, rings, watches, handbags, etc. from any era that is regarded as retro or in any way trendy.

3. Yourself.

Given all the temptation out there to pick up a little something for yourself ... how about splurging on something that catches your eye at one of these places? The damage to your budget and conscience will almost assuredly be less than it might have been, you get an almost guilt-free treat and, as above, you do some good ... or at the very least, no harm.

Think about it.

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And if you are in or near Fort Smith, Arkansas, I'd point out these three places as great examples of holiday shopping spots for Thrifters, Restylers, and Vintage enthusiasts. ( They all offer Gift Certificates!)

On the west side, in the old down-town area:

Emi-Lee's on the Avenue,

Upscale Resale

315 Garrison Avenue

Fort Smith, AR 72901      479-452-5488

There are cases full of great jewels and accessories, from the merely glitzy and glamorous to the truly grand. In seconds, I'd found half a dozen things I wanted.

Look carefully, 'cause solid upscale brands abound, and there are some very pretty things everywhere you turn. These women, led by owner Dawn Howell, know how to merchandise.

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Material Girl

Boutique/Consignment

11 North 3rd

Fort Smith AR 72901 479-651-9078

Just around the corner from Emi-Lee's, you'll find this very welcoming and charming shop. It's full of great finds, and I particularly liked some of the handbags! They are both consignment and a boutique, with some great values on makeup items (new, of course.)   You'll meet the team, consisting of Desiree Jeffrey (manager-daughter) and Patti Williams (owner-mom) and they'll make you feel welcome.

Patti let me know that there is a First Thursday, open-till-8:00pm evening for shops in the area, coming up on December 6th. There will be sales and drawings for Christmas goodies!

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A new kid in town, and on the east end of Rogers Avenue:

Pretty Woman

Consignment

8434 D Phoenix Avenue

Fort Smith, AR 72903 479-226-3399

The first thing I saw when I first visited this shop was a rack with the cutest faux fur vest ever, and it would have been mine had it been in my size! It was on a rack with a lot of other great things, and the owner, Belinda Adams, is growing her stock every day. She has lots of well chosen jewelry and accessories besides lots of sizes of clothing, and she is specializing in Plus size fashion! She has a real understanding of the ecological and social value of contemporary thrifting (and offers complementary cookies for her customers! I love that.)

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On another subject entirely: Last week's post about Faux Flat Boots ...

Here I am, showing them off for Patti's Visible Monday . Come see all the stylistas, fashionistas, restylistas and vintagistas in our natural habitat ... the Outfit Photo!

Have a great week, and drop a note to let me know what you think about any of the above!

Jan