It must be August, cause all my emails are about Fall Fashion...

It is crazy hot here, but almost every retailer is now sending out emails about the new pre-fall season!

Since I have just broken out the shorts, pre-fall seems, well, kind of much, but I am game to along.

Most of this fall's pantone colours are not my favourites.

They are muddy hues and those tend to leave pale old me looking simply ill.

But never mind, there are still some lovely things, that if money were no object (which it most definitely IS this fall with dear son off to uni and Barry and I headed to Paris for our 30th wedding anniversary), so these things will be pretty much fantasy, but still, is fun to think of cool fall whilst lounging on the chaise in the pool (with SPF 300 on!)

Love J Crew's wool Jackies in Misty Forest, one of pantone's colours, is so lovely and makes me think of pastoral landscapes and piney vistas...

I also like the Garnet Flame Tippi:

Canada's RW&Co has a lovely fall outfit that looks so pretty:

If money grew on trees, this Tory Burch suede skirt would sprout up in my back yard:

 As would this Theory outfit:

This Eileen Fisher outfit looks like the perfect travelling outfit, don't you think?

And this Joseph dress is to die for:

I want to tell her to cheer up old chum!

And these Joseph trousers are amazing

Right now, I am concentrating on getting my son ready or university and have started dreaming of my Paris wardrobe.

But my goodness it is fun to look at the goodies and dream...

How about you? Any one shopping for fall?

xoxo wendy
 

Spring Shopping

Having been ever-so-good, I decided to look for some new things while in NYC.

As I have said before, we really have very little in the way of shopping in my town, so I do take advantage of certain stores when I get to the U.S. 

We were somewhat daunted by the exchange rate of $1.27, but such is life...

I did not shop a lot; probably only two hours out of the total trip.  I hit the following stores:

• J Crew
• Uniqo
• Joe Fresh
• & Other Stories
• Saks 5th Avenue

My first stop was J Crew, where I wandered around, completely uninspired.  I found things too boxy, poor material.  I did like a pair of sandals, but frankly I don't need any sandals this year and I can certainly wait until June to buy them!

I left the store with these purchases, a skirt and two tshirts:



I returned them the next day.  Did I really want to spend $27 US on a Tshirt?  No.  Did I love the skirt?  No. 

So that was a bit of a bust....

However, the tote bag I adored is now on sale, so that is probably going to be ordered because it will work so well with the purchases below!

Off to Uniqo (please note this was not the same day!), where I tried on the Ines collection (well lots of it).  My thoughts?  Poor construction that will only suit the super skinny.  But very nice designs!

So that was a bit of a bust...

Then to the Joe Fresh flagship store, which in my opinion presents its merchandise in a manner that makes it much easier to find things.  It also seemed to have a coherent approach to their Spring collection.  But since I can actually order the items more cheaply in Canada, I bought nothing, but had my eye on the following:

Actually, bought this for $20 at my local grocery store yesterday.  Looks smashing with jeans!

Be afraid J Crew, Joe Fresh is creeping up on you...

We headed to SoHo and I picked up a skirt and a top at & Other Stories.  I really liked this store a lot.  I cannot remember which one of you recommended it, but thanks!  I also loved the Vince store, which was two doors down!



I am so short - this came to my knees!  And has pockets, which I love!

I also purchased this simple creamy v-neck shell with some nice detailing on the shoulders.

While in line, I stood beside a striking woman.  I was in a bit of a rush and was still thinking of the sales person - a tall man with dreds who was so lovely - so I hardly looked at her.  As she was checking out, the salesgirl said "it's such an honour to have you in our store!".  Yes, I had been rubbing elbows with Stacy London (literally!).  and what I know for sure?  Her hair is fantastic.  Seriously fantastic.  She was wearing a tuque.  How Canadian of her!

yup - she looked that good.  Though I never looked her straight in the face.
sigh....

Well enough of heartbreaking celebrity encounters (is it wrong we followed her out the door and were disappointed she lost us?  I mean, we are nice people, and all...). let's go to Saks 5th Avenue.

I had time to kill before meeting a friend and his wife at the Waldorf-Astoria.  So I settled Barry in a chair and wandered around.

When you are not a size 4, sales people tell you they have more sizes available.  That is so kind of them.

I went to the Theory section, because I adore Theory.  My list for 2015 was a comfortable and chic summer dress and a an ivory cardigan to match the Theory ivory shell I bought on sale last year.  I snagged both!

This actually comes to my knees!

And this cardigan:

Simple things, but very nice additions to my spring and summer wardrobe!  I plan to start wearing them both soon! 

So I am pleased with my purchases and what I am discovering more and more is that simply buying a few things that will fit in with what I already own is a good thing.  Thoughtful additions.

Now, I am dreaming of pulling it all out, like Dani did - but am holding off till April! 

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

Style Weekend - My Spring/Summer Wardrobe Additions

Well I missed Style Wednesday, but I have finally gotten organized and taken some pictures of my spring-into-summer purchases.

As you know, I took bags and bags of things to charity and to consignment and to my friend M.  I was very clear that not much would arrive back in and of that, it had to be things that were less trendy.

Oddly enough, I bought my summer dresses first - the white and seersucker dresses you have already seen:

And the cream oxfords:

My spring dress was a no-brainer when I saw it.  This is a silk Theory dress and I adore it.  Simple, and can be worn with blazer or a simple cardigan or on its own.

As I was buying this dress I picked up these Stuart Weitzman shoes:

These are built for comfort, but look very elegant with all of the dresses and things I already own.  I admit to having a thing for woven leather shoes...

In the same colour story, a little cotton pencil skirt by Nougat London:

I also got this Circle of Gentleman blazer on sale for 50% off.  It is cotton, with a gorgeous silk lining, and right now I am wearing it outdoors as a jacket with my jeans, but it looks excellent with my red and navy dresses from last year.   As you know, I do not typically like blazers, but this is such a wonderful company who excel at perfectly cut coats, and I can see the difference in quality between a J Crew blazer and this ;-).

I also got a simple dove grey tunic blouse from Nougat London with the cute little peekaboo back:

Another investment piece that I have long wanted is the Eileen Fisher silk wide legged trousers.  They are absolutely comfy on and can be dresses up or down.  I have already worn these twice, and can't wait till it isn't so filthy outside so I can take them out into the world.

The surprise was the Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti black silk skirt that I bought on ebay for $40, new with tags.  It needs a steaming and then is going with me on my road trip to St. Andrews next weekend!

love the gathers!

And finally, this jersey/silk tee from Brooks Brothers: 

Most of these items work together and all of them support what was left in my closet.

I am basically done now till Fall and am very pleased with my purchases.  I did exceed my clothing budget slightly and have had to add more money in from my day to day spending, but they are all worth it!

Except for the last two items, the things I bought were bought all at once in a local shoppe, Robert Simmonds, where I tried on scads of things and then tried to piece together a style story.  I have kept very true to the the aesthetic I had started out with and am convinced these will be in my closet for years to come.

How about you?  Have you done your spring/summer shopping yet?

 Have a fabulous weekend and stay safe out there!

xoxo wendy

Style Wednesday: When Your Taste Changes

The most interesting thing about life is how just when you think you are getting a handle on it all, well, you just up and change your mind.

For the last few months I would describe myself as having a VERY casual workaday wardrobe. 

It was almost a uniform actually: skinny cords or skinny paige premium pants, a tshirt and flowy White + Warren cardigan.

think this...

and

Very comfortable.  Sometimes I would add in a comfy dress or skirt, but all in all, a good workaday uniform.

But so much still went unworn in my closet, so I tried to shake it up a bit, you know, trot out the other things to justify keeping them.

As you know, I have been saving my money and have only a limited budget for clothing in 2014.

I have also decided to shop seasonally - once in May and once again in October.  That doesn't mean nothing else will ever be purchased in between those times (funds permitting) but that my plan in general is to make clothing shopping a special event.

Knowing we were going to Florida and that I might get to try on some things in advance of my spring purchases (a must if you are nowhere near any of the stores), I thought I should see what interested me for Spring 2014 and make a Pinterest board for inspiration.

But then it happened.  I appeared to like almost nothing.  I was aghast to discover that I cared for so little on almost all of the retail sites.  I went from site to site, saying "ho-hum, not me any more.."  and not only that - because I have limited funds, I am now PICKY.  PICKY, PICKY, PICKY!

I assume this is related to entering this new phase of mostly working from home and being 50+.  It is also related to the fact that though I dressed quite casually this winter, I did miss some of my fancier work duds now and then.

Whereas my old taste tended to fancy pants, more embellished tops, etc, with some basics thrown in, along with corporate suits for the office, my tastes are changing dramatically.

I seem to only be attracted to evening clothes or Sofia Coppola's esthetic.

I saw myself wearing this....

and this....

Or else I want to dress like this:

In fact, the only clothes I find myself attracted to recently are simple, chic clothes from Emerson Fry, Theory, Judith and Charles and Luisa Cerano.  Everything else has left me quite cold.

 

 

 

 

This shouldn't have been a surprise, since my favourite purchase of fall 2014 was a top almost identical to the one below by Theory:

 

 

 

And I love this boho top from some birthday funds:

 

 

 

How interesting.

 

I am more and more convinced that half of my clothing could still go and I would be none the worse for it and I suspect that much of it will go in the coming couple of months.

 

I am unsure what I will actually buy for spring/summer this year, but it is interesting to see how one's taste can change so significantly....

 

And I will be curious to see how that all turns out....

 

Anyone else find their taste really changing these days?  I envy those like Dani, who has it all locked down!

 

Have a great day and stay safe out there!