Playing Dress-Up At 50-Something



Gorgeous! From Peregrine UK. Flattering collar, a-symmetrical line is nice for larger women, yet it's not baggy. Big buttons are like jewelry.

I love fashion, but I've been feeling fashion-challenged for a while. It's been hard for me to get used to today's styles. The layered, lowered, non-matchy, thrown together look is simply not what I learned from mom. Back in the day you never let your underwear show, always wore solid color bottoms with printed tops (with the exception of plaid skirts), you wore dressy shoes with dresses and casual shoes with jeans. My 40 and 50-something coworkers seem to be able to pull off the dresses-over-leggings-with ballet slippers-look, but when I try I feel silly...like an older woman trying to look like a teenager. How revolting!  So I always revert to my old standard...taylored blouses over jeans with loafers. Boring!!!

But after reading this article http://afemmeduncertainage.blogspot.com/2011/08/dressing-up-working-chez-vous.html in A Femme d'Uncertain Age, I decided that it's high time I pull myself together and join this decade; fashionably speaking. I visited this site http://www.fashionafter50.com/ and took the fashion archetype quiz. (You know I can't do anything without turning it into a research project!) Having determined that my style is somewhere between classic and sporty, with a hint of bohemian, I went shopping in my own closet for some new outfits. There were more nice things in my wardrobe than I imagined...they were just crammed between stuff I hate (because it's too small, doesn't fit, or was a hasty, stupid purchase.) 

I spent a Saturday morning trying different combinations from what I already owned and came up with a very nice wardrobe, if I do say so myself!

Here's the process I followed:

1. Figure out what style you are. I found the quiz in the Fashion After 50 website very helpful in determining what I like and why.

2. Get rid of everything in your closet that you hate. Doesn't matter why. Face it. If you don't like it you're never going to wear it again; and if you do, you'll feel like a schmuck. Like that shiny gold blouse I bought for Christmas 3 years ago. After seeing a photo of myself in that shirt, I never wore it again. I looked like a big shiny mylar balloon in that blouse. Fly away, mylar-balloon shirt!!! If you like it but it doesn't fit, put it in a box marked 'too big', or 'too small'.  And NO! You can't wear a blouse or jacket that's too small opened with a t-shirt under it. It'll feel like a straight-jacket. Geez, would you make your kids wear stuff that's too small? I thought not.

3. Now look at what is left. Start trying on slacks and skirts with different tops. Look at yourself in a full length mirror. Note what looks good together. Add jackets or sweaters. Try camisoles under low cut tops. For myself, I soon discovered that I look best in solid colors with a printed scarf or interesting jewelry. If I wear a printed top, it usually needs to be layered under a nice solid-colored jacket or sweater. I found that my beloved calico shirts look great under jeans jackets. It's especially flattering (with my added girth) to have the shirt drop well below the jeans jacket waistline, covering the fullest part of my hips.  Be sure to try different shoes and boots with each outfit.



Jeans Jacket with calico blouse. Jacket from levi.com

4. Try your t-shirts under jackets or sweaters. I discovered that the most versatile piece of clothing in my closet is a $7 scoop-necked black t-shirt. It is dynamite under a classic white blouse with some silver jewelry!  It looks equally great under jackets and sweaters and is the perfect backdrop for almost any jewelry or scarf. While we're talking about t-shirts, remember that it's nice to have a snug camisole to wear beneath them. It helps to keep those muffin tops from spilling over the waistline of your jeans. (I know some gals wear 'body-shapers'. I refuse. A girdle by any other name is still a girdle in my book! I'd rather face the facts and shed some excess weight than to squeeze my torso into an 'ace bandage'. Had enough of that in the 1970's. But that's just me. To each her own.) The cami will also conceal cleavage in today's low cut t-shirts... if you're like me and prefer to keep 'the girls' covered up.

Do I need to mention that low-rider jeans on anybody past 30 are just wrong? Bad, bad, bad. I once arrived to a community college class late. Most of the seats were filled with young women.  Walking into that room from behind was very revealing...literally. I just have to say this: if you are the slightest bit heavy, that thong under your low rider jeans will make you look frumpy and sleazy. If you're slender, you won't look frumpy...just sleazy. Cracks are for sidewalks, not ladies.

4. Accessories are key if you are dressing simply. The right pair of earrings or scarf can jazz up the plainest outfit. Fortunately, I've always loved scarves, so I have a whole box of them to choose from. My all-time favorite is a beautiful paisley toned scarf in purples, reds, and golds. Its stunning with mossy greens.

5. This is key, girls! Make a list of all the outfits you've tried that you really feel good in. I can't tell you how often I've stumbled out of the shower not knowing or even caring what to wear. One these days its good to pick something off of the list. It's a no-brainer. Sometimes you need no-brainers before your first cup of coffee!

6. While you're making lists, note any additions you'd like to have in your wardrobe. Include anything that would give your outfits pizazz- jewelry, hosiery, shoes, even make-up. Keep the list in your purse. Next trip to the mall you'll be glad you have it. It'll save you from the impulsive urge to buy something that looks great on a mannequin-but doesn't go with a darn thing in your closet.



Chadwicks...these are definitely my colors! Simple jacket and top, printed scarf for interest.



Simple and easy to wear...Chadwicks again. Note the easy white t-shirt that sits lower than the jacket. Scarf rounds it all out.



I don't pretend to be a fashionista, but updating my look a bit has been fun! After all, you're never too old to play dress-up!

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Update-The Journey of a Thousand Miles

For those who haven't been following my blog...I'm training to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain...probably in 2016. The Camino de Santiago is a 400 mile pilgrimage from the French Pyranees to Santiago, Spain; following the footsteps of Saint James. I need to lose weight and get myself fit. To achieve this, I'm walking everywhere I can, as often as I can. Last weekend we went camping and of course, we hiked. Here are some photos from the trip.

We were above the rainbow on the North Cascade Highway above Diablo Dam. This is Diablo Lake, and yes, it really is that color! Look closely above the power lines to see a faint bit of the rainbow.

Forest primeval. We hiked outside of the town of Newhalem through this old forest. The trees remind me of the Ents in "Lord of the Rings." I wonder what they'd say if they could speak.



Hubby and Koda-having a little discussion on the suspension bridge in Newhalem.

 Kelly:  "Koda, you need to heel. You can't just try to pull me over this bridge." 

 Koda: "Sorry Dad,  I was just sooo excited. Did you see the squirrel on the other side?"


Since the end of summer and the beginning of the school year I have not been very punctual about my promised Sunday progress reports. This is partly because I pulled a hip muscle and had to lay off for a time, and partly because of my work schedule. Well, I'm happy to say that I am back on track! Here's how it looked last week.

Weight gain/loss: I've lost 4 pounds from my original weigh-in! Hooray! 31pounds to go!

Distance: Haven't measured my walking distance this week, but I've walked a ton. I'll start using the pedometer again this week. The great thing is, now I always consider walking before driving. If it's a trip to the library or downtown, I try to walk. And I'm absolutely addicted to our walks in the woods with Koda. I don't know who misses it more when we don't go; Koda or me!

Strategies: I am planning a breakfast-to-lunch walk in Bellingham. Probably next weekend. I'll start in Fairhaven and have a light breakfast. Then I'll walk to the north end of Bellingham for 4 hours, and have lunch somewhere at the end of the route. This is typical of people who walk the Camino de Santiago. They stay in hostels, rising at about 6 a.m. They have breakfast, then walk to the next small village and eat lunch. After this they walk again for several more hours to another village and have dinner at local inns. So I'm going to work on walking 4 hours chunks.

I'm also planning to start having Kelly drop me off in different locations when we are running errands. He can drive on to the destination, do the errand, then backtrack and pick me up on the way.

I've been doing some reading about the Camino de Santiago, and am becoming very excited about it...even though it'll be a few years before I walk it. The idea of spending nearly a month with only the thoughts of walking, eating, sleeping, and prayer is so intriguing!

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Klipchuck Campground and Early Winters Creek



If you read my last post, you'll remember that we went camping last weekend in Eastern Washington. Technically it's the center of Washington, but to 'coasters' like us, anything east of the Cascade Mountain Range is 'eastern'. This is where we spent our second night. The campground is called 'Klipchuck' and is situated about 20 miles outside of Winthrop, Washington.(Klipchuck means 'deep water.') Early Winters Creek runs through a ravine below the campground. We fell asleep to the sound of the waters dashing against the rocks.



There were warning signs posted about rattlesnakes in the Campground. Since there are virtually no poisonous snakes in Western Washington, we were a little wary after reading the signs. However, a knowledgeable forest ranger assured us that it is much too late in the year for rattlers to be out and about. She said that they hibernate in dens below the earth and rocks. There can be hundreds of them in a den. She went on to say  that even if we did encounter a stray snake, it would be too lethargic to strike. Hmmm. Well, since we came to hike, we donned our boots and headed down to the creek, still a bit uneasy. This is also cougar and bear territory. We've decided to purchase some kind of a weapon to take when hiking in wilderness areas...but we haven't gotten one yet. Now I'm not fond of guns at all, but cougars are pretty mean, so I've relented on my 'no weapons policy' so that we can tramp about the woods safely. It is nice to have Koda dog along. We know she'd smell another animal long before we saw it. I half expected to see a cougar crossing the creek on those fallen timbers. But I didn't. The only wildlife we saw were squirrels, deer, eagles, and bluejays.

I wish you could smell these pine trees.

  Pine trees make me feel all cozy...like Christmas and log cabins and patchwork quilts.

When we got home I dug this half-finished needlework project out of the sewing bag. I'm gonna finish it... to remind me of our stay at Klipchuck and Early Winters Creek.

A Question of Balance

We took our new campervan over the Cascade mountain range this weekend...in search of the sun. (Autumn has come to the Northwest and so has the rain.) Many folks aren't aware that the Eastern half of our state is quite dry and arid...not at all like  'Sleepless in Seattle', which is how most foreigners imagine Washington State. In fact, Winthrop, Washington, our destination, advertises 300 sunny days per year. (They omit the part about the sun shining on the snow!) Winthrop is a charming 'Western-style' town. The outlying areas remind me of 'The Ponderosa' from Bonanza.

We pulled into Goodell Creek Campground in Newhalem late the first night. Newhalem is still on the west side of the Cascades at only about 500 feet above sea level. Diablo Dam is situated on the Skagit River in Newhalem. On Saturday morning we explored the campground and the river. This is what we found on the river's gravel bar...

How appropriate! Here we were, looking for some balance in our lives, trying to carve out some rest and relaxation and what do we find; but a river bar littered with inukshuks!

Inukshuks as the Inuit call them or Cairns, as the Celts call them have been around for centuries. They are markers, whose significance is defined by their builders. They may be boundaries or geographical markers. They may be messages for those who follow. Or they may be holy places. Abraham built an altar of stones to God at Bethel, which means 'house of God'. His grandson Jacob visited the place years later and had an encounter there with angels who were descending on a heavenly ladder. So when you see an inukshuk, it would do you well to be reverent. Who knows what kind of prayers have been prayed in this place?

 

Inukshuks are not easy to build. Neither is a life of balance. You must find a solid base, one broad enough to support future stones. Diverse shapes, textures, and colors are important to create interest. The real challenge is to make them stand. Do you have a solid base in your life? Have you any color or texture to it? Is it standing strong, or are you trying to add things that will cause it to topple?

My inukshuk is the second picture from the top. The one with the leaf delicately balanced on top. I will leave you to try and interepret it's meaning if you wish.

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