Style Wednesday: the sweater jacket

Ah the jacket/blazer.

There are some on whom the blazer is a thing of beauty.  So "je ne sais quoi", so effortlessly chic.

And then there are the short women with large chests.  

These are the women for whom the jacket becomes just another bulky layer, just another way to shout to the world "look at me!  all of my weight is up THERE!!!"  You can see the arrows pointing at you from every direction.

There are exceptions of course.

A really expensive, well cut jacket of a lightweight material, can hold it all in AND add shape, all while skimming over the girls in the most becoming of ways.

That jacket/blazer, my friends, is like the unicorn, and when you find it you must buy it forthwith and be glad.  You can even gloat a bit to your busty pals, feeling their steely gaze of contempt and remorse upon your contained self.

But for me, for most of us, the solution is the sweater jacket/blazer.

A knit version that adds little bulk, skims and supports, makes you feel dressy without feeling like the Michelin Man.

I have a few of these beauties in my closet and I have seen a few more that can go casual or more dressy depending upon what you pair them with.

Fossil has introduced the Erin Sweater Blazer, which comes in 3 colours.  I am choosing to showcase the Dani BP colour story one:

I have no experience with Fossil clothing, so I cannot recommend or not recommend this, but I think it is awfully nice and seems very fall-ish to me.

Banana Republic has a number of sweater jackets in their fall rollout:

Moto Sweater jacket

Textured Moto Jacket

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  Faux Leather Trim Moto Jacket

It appears that BR is all over the moto jacket, which I don't mind at all, as I quite like it.

Other options:

How aboout the Brora Biker Jacket:

It does seem as if the whole world has gone Sons of Anarchy, doesn't it?

Talbots has a nice version:

Teacups - I noticed Talbots has a sweater with teacups!

For those whom money is not an object, I think the Balmain version below would be a dandy:

or this Loro Piana cashmere number:

And I would love Smythe's chubby faux fur sweater/jacket.  I have seen this in person and it is magnificent!

I am still interested in the BR grey moto jacket, but I can wait for a sale..

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For me, in the end, a knit blazer is a wonderful thing.  It has only taken me about 20 years to figure that out!

How about you?  Any one else a knit jacket/blazer fan?

Hope you have a wonderful day - stay safe out there!

xoxo wendy

Fall (but not yet...)

Everywhere I look in the last week everyone is talking about fall clothing!  It is always a sign of the end of summer when this happens, isn't it?  

But it is soooo hot here this week and I am not planning to put away my summer clothes anytime soon.  I am ever hopeful, so plan to not switch out my closet until later September.

What I continue to find is that when I buy much dressy clothing, it sits unworn.  I just don't do that kind of thing enough anymore to justify the cost.  The theory silk dress I bought last spring has been worn once.  I will wear it at least once or twice more before I launder it and pack it away, but my reality now is that a silk dress seems too fussy for me now, for my life.

This dressy clothing category - in between casual and dress-up clothing - is not getting much play for me and will not be added to this fall.

What I am looking for are in fact, variations of what I wore 25 years ago - comfortable pants and tees and sweaters I can wear while working at home. Knit dresses and skirts.  Loafers and boots and the odd ballet flat.

The other day I was at the Gap and bought a lovely grey cotton v-neck cardigan from the men's section.  It was the perfect combination of slouchy and comfort.

What I have discovered is that I love dressing up, really dressing up, but the rest of the time I want to be chic-ly comfortable.  I want to be funky again.

I did purchase a pair of jeans for the fall, and they are indeed funky.  Citizens for Humanity waxed kai jeans - which I plan to wear exactly as shown (without the jean vest):

these are slightly longer on me, even with my long (short) legs!

And last month I picked up the basic Eileen Fisher black pencil skirt.

And this simple Theory knit cardigan, which I snaffled on sale:

I am also planning to buy a Brynn Walker black jersey dress and leggings to wear with my boots

Simple neutrals and slouchy knits.  And while it seems dark, I will add lots of white and cream and camel and the odd shot of colour when I need to colour it up.

I adore the outfit below from Emerson Fry:

My friend Julie has a love affair with Emerson Fry this fall and I can see why!

The Emerson Fry pencil pant is definitely in my future!

I don't need much - I have added one pair of boots to the fold (besides those winter boots, which I sure hope I don't need to get out until late November!):

Steve Madden Trooper

The joy I have felt this past year in reclaiming my old clothing style, albeit in more expensive versions of what I have always loved, has been wonderful.

There will always be pops of colour - I have ordered the following to see if I like them from J Crew:

And I am sure before the holidays I will be buying a lovely party outfit or at least a lovely party piece.

Oh and I fully expect to dress to the nines when Barry and I hit Chateau Lake Louise next month!

But the rest of the time, you will mostly catch me in very simple, comfortable fare.  It feels like I have finally made the transition to the new life and it is a comfortable and comforting place to be!

I hope you have a great day and I look forward to hearing all about your fall style choices!  stay safe out there!  xoxo wendy

Passamaquoddy Bay and Maine, Part Two: A Visit to Eastport, with a side visit to St. Andrews and a shout-out to Helen's Restaurant

Hi all,

I don't know where the days are going, but summer is swiftly fleeting here.  There is a grand rumour that it is about to be very hot this week and I am not complaining...

Thought you might be interested in our next stop en route home last week after our visit to Campobello Island.

As we headed up route 1 towards Calais, we came upon the sign for Eastport.   I asked Barry if he'd ever been.  He had not and I was sure I'd not been there for at least 30 years, so we turned right and headed out to the ocean.

We could not have been more charmed.

If you'd asked me prior to last Tuesday to describe Eastport, I would have said "fishing village".  As of Tuesday, I would say "vibrant artist community".  The streets are lined with funky artisan shops, antique shops, little restaurants.

How about that bench to the right?

I don't know about you, but it so wonderful to see a vibrant downtown!

There is a lovely walkway along to the wharf

Every shopkeeper that I chatted with was friendly and interested in why we were in Eastport.  My favourite shop was a little candy shop called Sweeties Downeast, which is run by the loveliest woman (and her two terriers) who moved to Eastport from Pennsylvania for the lifestyle.

Source

I admit to buying a bag of popcorn and a bag of rock candy for my kids (they are 19 and 22 so I am sure they were not waiting for rock candy, but I was quite taken with it, because it looked like real polished rocks!)

After that we wandered over the Tides Institutes and Museum of Art.

Located in an old bank in the heart of downtown Eastport, it is a charming and friendly place.

The view from the window above the sign:

Sadly, they were just in the throes of dismantling a wonderful exhibit by Shoshanna White.  The images were haunting and would be a wonderful addition to any collection.

Upstairs, the gallery is a warm welcoming space and it is obvious that it is home to a vibrant community of artists and art lovers.

We also stopped into the Eastport Gallery, which was also home to some beautiful pieces.

Now that we have discovered Eastport again, we will be back soon.  Apparently, early September is Eastport's Pirate Festival, when the town swells to 15,000 people.

I don't know who came up with the idea for this festival, but it looks like a rip-roaring good time!

any excuse to wear a puffy shirt, I say!

Where would I stay?

Well the Kilby House Bed and Breakfast looks charming:

As does the Commons Eastport if you are not a B&B person (put Barry in that category):

nice morning breakfast view

Eastport is about 1/2 an hour from Calais, 10 minutes Lubec and around 1 1/2 hours to Bangor Maine.

About 20 minutes further south from Eastport, you will find Machias Maine.

When I was a kid, at least once every August, my dad would put us all into the car and we would drive the 45 minutes down the coast to go to Helen's Restaurant in Machias.

the original location - that looks like the old car parked out front! ;-)

It was, my dad contended, the home of the best blueberry pie in the world.  This was a man who knew his blueberry pie, so that's saying something...

look at the pies! yum...

Helen's has moved, but the pies continue:

if you click on pies link above, you will see that the blueberry is all caps, an indication to me that Helen's recipe endures

We didn't get down to Helen's on this trip, we ran out of time, but I see a late September/early October road trip for pie in my future...

After leaving Eastport, we drove 1/2 an hour around Passamaquoddy Bay to St. Andrews and had a mid-afternoon lunch at Kingsbrae Gardens's cafe, probably my favourite spot to eat in New Brunswick when it comes to a view.  

We settled under our favourite apple tree and ordered some libations and a good meal:

New Brunswick's own Picaroons beer and the end of my sauvignon blanc..

Barry deep in thought after a morning spent with Presidents and artists...

Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me...

It was the perfect end to a leisurely day.

Doing both sides of Passamaquoddy Bay is certainly do-able in a day, especially if you are only an hour away, but I highly recommend making a weekend of it and really enjoying the pace.  Driving up both sides of the St. Croix River is a feast for the eyes as well, and not to be missed.

This is the area of my heart.  I grew up in the middle of this area - St. Stephen - and I firmly believe there is a little house waiting for me down there in my later years!

And if you are coming, let me know - would love to meet you for a piece of pie...

Have a wonderful Sunday and stay safe out there!