Summer’s Remains: Friday

Day two of Nashville shenanigans.  For running around the city today, I’m going to continue on with a day counterpart to last night’s vintage look.  A little nautical look, courtesy of Cherry Velvet (except I don’t have all the tattoos that the model has!).

Full Retro by furnishedsouls featuring a short sleeve cardigan

J TOMSON short sleeve cardigan / Charlotte Russe evening sandals / Scoop blue purse / Sperry Top Sider anchor jewelry / Sunglasses

Since I’m going retro with the dress, might as well go all the way.  Retro accessories like a pair of cat eye sunglasses as a charm bracelet or two help achieve the complete look.  A small shrug is a must for the transition into aggressively air-conditioned indoor spaces.  The orange sandals seem out-of-place until you actually see the dress; the parts that seem red in the pattern are actually orange.  The finishing touch is a striped canvas bag with a rope handle to tie everything together.  Retro enough to be original, but ordinary enough to not look like a costume while out and about.

Summer’s Remains: Thursday

I promised a better mood today, and a better mood I shall deliver! A practically ecstatic mood, actually, as I am road tripping today! I’m off on a last-of-summer fling to Nashville to celebrate a friend’s birthday.

The birthday celebration will be a progressive feast, with Southern charm and fine dining and vintage style. Therefore, I have chosen a style that suits me best: vintage glam. Red lips, fake eyelashes, crinoline under my skirt.

Birthday Bash by furnishedsouls featuring a rose purse

Red cocktail dress / Stuart Weitzman leopard wedge sandals / Rose purse / MAC Cosmetics red lipstick

This is almost exactly what I will be wearing, with a few exceptions. I’ll probably wear a little more jewelry. My shoes are more awesome than this, as they also have a Sailor Jerry-style design on the wedge. My bag is less flashy than this, but it’s real ’40’s vintage patent leather, with a bakelite handle.

Party time!

Summer’s Remains: Wednesday

A bit of bitterness sneaks in on a Wednesday, as I prepare to go back to school. Despite my best efforts to keep my vacation mode mindset for this last week, I went to work for several hours yesterday, and got less done than I wanted. I’m trying to decide whether I go back in today or not.

How Do I Really Feel? by furnishedsouls featuring a cuff bangle bracelet

Evening top / Old Navy patterned jeans / Cuff bangle bracelet / Yellow gold jewelry / H m ring, $5.08

So today I’ve put an outfit together that is definitely not work-appropriate for Wednesday. Camouflage pants have been pinging on my fashion radar–I think they’re going to be very popular for fall. I rarely if ever wear message tees, but I find this one funny and perfectly expressive (much better than one that says “Love” or some message about how sexy the wearer is). Add jewelry (because every outfit is a little better with jewelry). I didn’t choose any shoes to go with this outfit, as an incentive to just stay at home.

Tomorrow I’ll be less cranky.

Summer’s Remains: Tuesday

The summer is dwindling away, and there’s still much to be done in my last week before I go back to work. Tuesday is a day for running those last summer errands: Post Office, donating things to Goodwill, selling books back to the used bookstore.

Working All The Angles by furnishedsouls featuring Madewell

Sleeveless dress / Black sandals / Madewell cuff bracelet / Madewell gold bangle / Madewell ring / Madewell ring / Cat eye glasses

A sharp geometric day dress suits the errands of the day. I’m really taken with these Madewell bracelets and rings, with their simple geometric designs. A flat gladiator sandal is perfect for running around town, and a pair of unusual sunglasses finishes off the look. Now off into the day!

Summer’s Remains: Monday

As a teacher, summer isn’t counted as a season but as a vacation. When the last of the seniors are graduated and I’ve stowed everything away until next school year, summer begins; when the calendar indicates it’s time to report back to work, the summer is over. So, by the calendar, summer ends next week for me, and I’m trying to enjoy this remaining week of vacation without too much anxiety for the upcoming school year. To celebrate the last week of summer (for me) I wanted to do a series about what I will be wearing (or wish I could be wearing).

Casual Mondays by furnishedsouls featuring a braided necklace

Rib tank / Chiffon bolero / Sonoma life + style mid rise shorts / Old Navy black strap flat / Betsey Johnson braided necklace

Today was a bum around the house doing laundry and dishes day, because having the house immaculate is priority one. When I go back to school, there won’t be as much time to clean everything spotless. So I put together a casual shorts and tank top look, with a chiffon jacket for running errands. Included are the requisite cheapie Old Navy flip flops, which I spend my life in during the summer, and then put away for ten months when school starts back up.

Mutton Dressed as Lamb

“Ewe mutton without garnish is a tough bite, to be sure; but methinks she’s dished herself off to day, lamb-fashion.” —Splendid Follies, 1810

At the request of a friend who is turning 40 this upcoming week, I have decided to address the topic of “age appropriate dressing”. Just thinking about this topic, however, makes my eyes go bloodshot with anger.

Let me explain. As women, we spend 30+ years of our lives trying to come to grips with ourselves and our place in society. We get over the objectification bullshit, recognize our own beauty, discover what we’re good at, embrace our brains and personalities, and make peace with some of our demons. (Mind you, this may require a few more years, but at least we get a good start on it.) And then society steps back in and says “Congratulations on being a grown up! Now here’s a list of things you should never do with your clothes and your body now that you’re here.” It is as if a cut-off date has been assigned to your attractiveness; once you are 40 you are no longer sexually desirable, therefore you need to get in line and stop acting like you are.

I think the cardinal rule for dressing over 40 is one you should have been following through your teens, twenties and thirties as well: Dress in a way that flatters you and makes you feel beautiful.

Gwen Stefani: 44

Are there fashions you should avoid when you’re 40+? Probably. But you probably know this already. It’s likely that you need to give up on anything that shows your midriff. Take a miss on rhinestones and glitter and random sequins for daywear. Avoid mom jeans. Am I giving you anything new and revolutionary here?

But maybe you, like my friend, need a little guidance. So, even though I haven’t hit 40 yet (9 more months for me!), I’ll tell you how I see it.

First of all, take a careful assessment of the way you look. I will admit, sometimes I put something on and it’s like I truly see it for the first time. I have a pair of trousers that are 12 years old that I still wear, because they are quality pants in a classic style. I also have clothes that are less than five years old that went in the Goodwill donation bin because I realized they were really not doing me any justice. Our bodies change as we get older, and maybe you need to raise the neckline or lower the hem, not because a low neckline or a short hem is wrong, but because it draws attention to things that have adjusted unflatteringly with time. However, there is no need to have a kneejerk reaction and go polar opposite of what you’ve enjoyed in the past–like lowering all the hems to the floor and raising the necklines to the chin.

Naomi Watts: 45

Second, be comfortable–don’t look comfortable. I think the best piece of advice my maternal grandmother gave me was “wear heels as long as you can.” My paternal grandmother, at the age of 95, wore silk blouses and pleated wool skirts most days. Comfort wear can be a slippery slope. Yoga pants are for the gym, pajamas are for the bed, ratty tee shirts are for gardening. Keep your boundaries intact. If you can’t wear heels, try a wedge or a cute pair of flats. If you’ve made it through childbirth/kidney stones/a mammogram, you can certainly manage to wear a pair of trousers without an elastic waistband.

Mariska Hargitay: 50

Third, wear trends, but don’t worry about being trendy. Abandon clothing that declares its own name (your chest is not called “AE”, your butt is not named “Pink”). However, if you have your heart set on a novelty Dr. Who tee, buy it! Wear it with a dark pair of jeans and a corduroy blazer. Juxtapose classics with your trendy items. Every item you wear shouldn’t be a trend–keep it in moderation. Oh, also, if you’re going to wear a “trend” item, make sure it’s a trend NOW, not when you were young. Throw out your scrunchies and your claw hair clips. Even if stirrup pants make a comeback, leave them be.

Julianne Moore: 53

Lastly, work with the professionals. Every stylish woman, especially when she’s getting older, should have a tailor. Case in point: I fell in love with a perfect, high/low, military style coat, which had some unfortunate goth bondage-style straps on the back. I bought the coat, then took it to my tailor, who took the straps right off for a reasonable price. Just a touch of tailoring can make a cheap dress perfect or a slightly dowdy outfit flattering. I would add that it doesn’t hurt to have a good hairdresser (no Supercuts!), a nail salon where they know you, a massage therapist and a dermatologist. Oh, and a shoe repair place if you buy good shoes.

Iris Apfel: 92

I plan to not only age gracefully, but fashionably, saucily, jauntily, and even outrageously. And if I do it right, maybe someday I will be granted Iris Apfel status. If you’re shocked and don’t feel like your age, then let the world be shocked as well! Don’t believe the “rules” of the internet, but use the wisdom you have gained about what looks good on you, no matter what age you are.

Keeper of the Keys

Today my work key ring broke.  I have two sets of keys: home keys and work keys (which I keep in my car with my ID lanyard).  Choosing the appropriate key ring has become a bit of a chore, because the criteria is extensive.  My work keys include keys to my classroom, my classroom storage room, the copy room and administrative wing; they’re too heavy to keep on my lanyard.  I need them at various times throughout the day, and I also have student workers who use them to go make copies.   One of my workers in particular tends to put my keys into his pocket and forget they’re there.  He’s almost left for the day with my keys in his pocket.  Plus, I am not the most organized of teachers, so I misplace my keys regularly.  So, therefore and thus, my main criteria are durable, visible, and big.

I’ve decided to replace my key ring with the same type that I had before (after all, it lasted for a year and a half of heavy use, and one I bought for my home keys didn’t last more than 3 days). It’s Areaware’s Reality Key Chain by Harry Allen.  It’s thick and rubber, with no movable pieces, but it has some heft and is easy to see.  I think I’ve also decided I will get the matching skeleton key key chain from Areaware as well.

I like the bright rainbow colors and the tactile appeal of these key chains.  Plus, they’re really hard to lose!

Anyone have a good suggestion for another key chain that meet all my criteria?  I’d love to know.  Put it in the comments.

In Praise of Cheap Sunglasses

I love the packaging for expensive glasses. The hard case, with the satin lining, and the soft bag containing the fancy, branded glasses. I remember once incident when a gentleman of my acquaintance, whom one might consider frugal (to put it kindly), bought a pair of Wayfarers. They were the most expensive sunglasses he had ever purchased, and he packed them away with such reverence after every wearing.

As much as I like the packaging, I don’t need Wayfarers. I’d rather buy a Forever 21 cheap knockoff in a floral print. I don’t know about everyone else, but my sunglasses rarely end up in their bag, in the case, carefully put away without a scratch after every wearing. Mine are more likely to end up in the bottom of my purse, in my passenger’s seat, or on top of my head for hours. I cannot guarantee the safety of my sunglasses. If I bought expensive ones, I would surely end up crying.

Certainly, there’s name brand recognition with the expensive brands; I know who you’re wearing when it’s on the arms of the glasses, but I don’t really care about brands. Sorry. I still get plenty of people admiring my style, even when it’s cheap. I’ve only had one person express disappointment when I told her that the boots she had admired on me were inexpensive, and I happened to be window shopping in an expensive boutique at the time.

Lastly, with cheap sunglasses I can have a variety. I can match my sunglasses to my outfit or my mood. I can try crazy styles and not worry if they don’t work on me. If they break, I can have a moment of sadness, but also have a backup pair on hand.

I just found a goldmine in GoJane.com, where all the sunglasses are around $5 apiece, so I bought four pairs. Even though it’s two posts about eyewear in one week, I couldn’t wait to share some of my recent finds! Time for a mid-summer sunglasses wardrobe refresh?

Cheap Sunglasses by furnishedsouls featuring vintage style glasses

Cateye sunglasses / Forever 21 cateye sunglasses / Forever 21 vintage style glasses / Flare-Frame-Sunglasses MBLACKCHAR BLACKCLEAR MATTETORT MBLACKPURP… / Matte Frame Reflective Sunglasses / Modern Cat Eye Sunglasses

Girls in Glasses

Marilyn Monroe: “Well, you know what they say about girls who wear glasses.”
Man: “What are you talking about?”
Monroe: “Men aren’t attentive to girls who wear glasses.”
–How to Marry a Millionaire

I can guarantee that statement wouldn’t have been true if I had gone out in my old glasses, but for all the wrong reasons. My glasses had a very slim rose-gold wire rim that looked very dowdy on me, and were cracked across both lenses. I only wore them in bed, after the contacts came out for the day. They had a rough life, but insurance being what it is, the only thing covered was a year’s supply of contact lenses, so I put off buying new glasses.

Last Christmas, one of my presents was a gift card to the fabulous Warby Parker, online spectacles retailer extraordinaire. They have a great selection of fashionable frames, and are super easy to work with. Plus, for every pair purchased, they give one away to someone in need.

I was a little nervous about ordering online, but Warby Parker has a great system where you can borrow five frames at a time to try out. Pick them out online, and they will mail them to you with a postage-paid return label. I actually did that twice, trying on ten frames total. It was so helpful, because the pairs I thought I really wanted didn’t necessarily look good on me.

Another great thing about Warby Parker is they do a lot of collaborations with designers and others, so their inventory is always changing. I ended up with a pair of glasses that I really like, the Finch frame in Violet Magnolia. In retrospect, I should have bought them in Grenadine. I had hoped they would be a little more violet, but they’re much more magnolia.

Ordering from Warby Parker was fast and easy, and I would love to buy frames from them again. Who knows, it might inspire me to not wait ten years to trade out my glasses!