Fashion: Friend or Fiend

How can fashion be fun when there are so many rules?  Dress for your body shape, your body type, your height, your weight, the activity, the weather, with designer labels showing, without labels, the right colors...what in the world should I wear?

In case of a fashion emergency, at least dress for the weather; for example, wear boots or closed toed shoes on a cold, rainy day, and bring a sweater for air conditioning.  And to look at least somewhat fashionable, go for the golden rule of one item of focus--is it a statement necklace or some really cool fringed boots? That one focus will draw attention away from anything that is too plain or breaks one of the rules. Go forth and let fashion be your friend.

Casual Optional

In many offices, Friday is Casual Day, giving us the option of wearing jeans to work.  Note the word option.  Not everyone feels comfortable having the boss and co-workers see them in their casual, curve-featuring, faded, comfortable weekend wear.

Does wearing jeans to work ruin the "office face" we need to actually put on at the office to be our office selves and do our office jobs?  Is there something a little relaxing about going home and changing out of the work clothes and into the tee shirt you bought 10 years ago in Houston that has been washed so many times you can no longer tell it's from Houston?   Is there something lost in bringing your, "Ah, I'm home!" jeans into the workplace?  Or is your office so weekday casual that to differentiate between work and home you now have to resort to pj's?

On the other hand, when everyone else is casually jeanified and sneakerish, you probably want to show them that you're still a team player.  These are some options for taking the casual plunge:

• Nice (aka ironed, dark wash, not too tight) jeans with a dress shirt and pumps.
• If you usually wear a blazer, no jacket.
• Dress with denim jacket, or basically, add any denim item to your outfit.
• If you usually wear pumps, switch to sandals, flats or Converse.
• My current favorite, joggers--NOT sweatpants, but joggers, with a wedge.  

Enjoy your Friday!


We all have to get dressed anyway; we may as well have a little fun!

8/6/15  Becoming a Fashion Model 

Ok, so maybe not a fashion model, but you want to improve your look.  Besides going to the mall and constantly buying the wrong thing that you have to return or just hang in the closet until you realize you'll never wear it, you can actually do some research and self discovery.  Fashion Tip of the Day has a few suggestions, from my own experience.

You can figure out your "type" with help from Carol in the Dress Your Truth program.  I learned that I'm a Type 3, with a fast-moving action-oriented personality, and prefer triangles and other geometric patterns to express my true nature, such as these pointy toed shoes.

Since I'm in that certain very special age group, I started following Sylvia on her 40 Plus Style website.  Aside from fabulous advice on her website, she offers a course, which I highly recommend. After taking this course, I started branching out and wearing brighter colors and learned new skills, like putting together outfits, wearing what suits my body, organizing my closet, using internet resources, and mixing patterns (note how the houndstooth pattern actually coordinates with the Vera Bradley bag, below).

In addition, I enjoy reading Adrienne's blog, Rich Life on a Budget, which has opened my eyes to new styles as well as scenery, through her descriptions of traveling through beautiful California wine country.  She also offers an opportunity to play the "How I Wear My..." fashion game and...dare I say this...become a fashion model.  This month I was truly honored to appear alongside some very glamorous, creative, fashionable women (and men!) modeling my straw hat.

What I enjoy most is how each blogger shares so much of herself, so that you feel like you know her. I have listed some of my favorites on the main page of this blog, and each one usually leads to many more, so just keep searching and you will find something that speaks to you.

We all have to get dressed every day anyway; we may as well make it a little fun!
-Karen

Beach Trip

When you're going to the beach, one thing you may forget to pack is a dress.  You will need one! So whether it's a maxi skirt or dress or your favorite little sundress, throw that in along with the cutoff shorts and slogan tees you won't wear anywhere else because, well, they're things you just wear to the beach.  Otherwise you will get to the beach, see everyone wearing cute dresses, and just have to go shopping.

I am bringing the little faded black beaded embroidered spaghetti strapped dress I bought at one of those irresistible beach dress stores to my upcoming beach vacation.  I haven't seemed to find another use for it.  Tied to this very casual piece is a feeling of carefree, cool relaxation.  I will complete the look with a beach themed anklet and my very worn, very comfortable Clark's flip flops.  And of course a large brimmed black straw hat.

Happy summer!

All Black

Fashion tip from a friend:  When you dress in all black, be sure to wear some fun shoes!  Thanks, Shari!
1/20/2015

Shoes Have Power

Shoes have power!  The right shoes can make you feel special, attractive, tall, professional, confident, (FILL IN ADJECTIVE HERE).  The wrong shoes can make you feel frumpy, old, unhappy, (FILL IN ADJECTIVE HERE), not to mention, causing you pain in your feet, knees and back.  Choose your shoes wisely!  (ALDO boots, super comfy, delicious color)

1/9/2015

What is Fashion?

What is fashion? Is it what you're supposed to wear? Is it what everyone else is wearing? And who really has the authority to tell us what to wear? No white after Labor Day and no jeans at work--those used to be standard fashion rules. Now every day is jeans day in most offices and many other fashion rules have gone the way of the typewriter. Bye bye.

So why are fashion magazines and tv shows and blogs everywhere? Why is everyone still shopping and fixing their hair and worrying about how they look and what they wear?

There is something so natural about preening and primping and dressing to fit in and dressing to stand out and caring to make a good impression.

And most of all, it's fun.

We all have to get dressed every morning anyway. Let's have a little fun.

Join me on Facebook for the fashion tip of the day!


Some of my favorite fashion blogs:

Fifty not frumpy

The Rich Life on a Budget

Dress Your Truth
40 Plus Style