I am so very sorry that the end of this blog idea has been slow in coming, not only have I been working a great deal but I also caught the dreaded influenza recently. So with no further "a-do" I will conclude this series, however you can count on more denim looks, and looks for the over 40 crowd. It's one of my passions. I have this sweater below in a camel colored background. I wear it with various shirts both printed and plain colored. I wear it with a varies of items including for more casual look with my 505 Levi's. Animal prints are big this fall, as are animals themselves. This is not too young a look for anyone over 40 as it depends on how else you dress it up. Note what I chose to wear with it.
Remember that my sweater is camel in color, so this really raises the anty on how the look is affected. It also makes it look more mature in it's appearance.
I did not forget about you I have been very busy working and social stuff. It's good to be busy but then I miss this. This past week-end I copied a J.Crew top. It was actually quite simple here is what it looks like, the real things not the copy. This was the outfit, it really looked classy, my husband loved it. I wore this with my Levi's 505's.
I have only two days left of my "30 Days of Denim", but I decided to interrupt my calendar to bring you information on the care and feeding of your denim.
Some of us have jeans that we have had forever, they are probably our most "go-to" items in our closet. The older jeans get the more care they need, but so do your new ones need loving care. Come on, jeans put in a hard day's work , if you prone to wearing them a lot. So like you they need some tender loving care too.
Here is some great information.
1. Jeans can be worn 5-10 times before being laundered unless they are used from some pretty grimy work.
2. When you do wash your jeans turn them inside out, make sure you have zipped them up and buttoned them at the waist.
3. I usually use very little detergent (I do have a front load washer, which typically uses less ). If they are brand new I will put about a half a cup of white vinegar in the wash as it helps to set the indigo dye. Woolite also haS a dark wash product that works well. USE ONLY COLD WATER.
4. After they have washed pull them out, straighten the legs and hang from the waist. I let my jeans air dry until there is just a little dampness left, then they go in the dryer. It helps so they are less stiff. Do it for just a very few minutes. Drying is hard on jeans.
5. Jeans should be hung straight, I hang mind from the hen as it helps to keep them wrinkle free and may be just maybe helps to lengthen them.
6. This is the most wonderful tip of all, if you don't want to launder your jeans yet wrap them up and put them in the freezer overnight to kill any bacteria, you think they may have.
TOMORROW HOW TO WASH SELVEDGE VINTAGE JEANS.
We have two more days of warm weather and then the cold hits. I have been pulling pots in from the garden as the plants seem to be sensing the change of scenery too. No matter I am ready for winter, I am actually kinda tired of my warm weather clothes so a change in the closet is just as welcome. This jacket is synthetic but it's so warm I love having it for the cold. If I add my selvedge chambray shirt and it's a great casual about town outfit. Add a little color with a red belt and a autumn scarf.
CASUAL
Dressy
Lace and crochet continue to be a big seller for this fall. This khaki open knit sweater is awesome, I pair it with an animal print camisole underneath. To add color and drama big orange beads for J.Crew (past season's) and an orange red belt complete the outfit. I have my Vintage Made in America Levi's pair with the outfit. In this case I would do the uneven roll at the hem. Then add color with the accessories.
More drama with color and some very rocking black boots.
More casual but still works.
Add the scarf second from left top row and it's a real winner.
The whole purpose of this series is to teach you how to mix and match. How to mix textures, colors, prints and strips, how to combine accessories, with the outfit. How to make an outfit look dressy and yet with different shoes and purse it becomes everyday. Experiment with your clothes, have fun with them, be a little daring. Make sure you do it on a day when you feel confident, or practice some of your outfits before you leave the house on days when you don't have to be some place. If you feel foolish or out of place don't wear it out and about. At least once a week experiment with your clothes.
If you tend to buy things in a color palette, certain styles and always go for the same thing, then that is probably your style. If you bored with it shake it up.
J Crew knit sweatshirt that is more like a sweater and one of my favorite go to fall items. A black and white gingham shirt, and a very old Banana Republic belt that I wear as a necklace, animal print belt from Crew as well. Levi's 506 from Kohl's.
Dressy
casual
Dressy and just plain fun.
Today I was feeling old, I had just gotten several fashion magazines and it made me feel old. I thought why am I writing this, why do I care, is anyone even looking at this. Then I snapped out of and realized that there a lot of women of a certain age, that care, about how they look. Not so much if they are "in fashion" but whether they look great, age appropriate and feel amazing in their own skin and the clothing they are wearing. So I carry on sharing my ideas and sense of style. The bonus at the end of this photo session you will see a photo from the new J. Crew catalog, it's Linda Rodin a famous stylist, fashion icon, and now the owner of a beauty line. She's older and she cares, and she wears J. Crew and Levi's.
I made this jacket out of a couple of men's cotton knit tees that were on sale. I used ideas and directions from one of the Alabama Chanin sewing books, It's verse applique. The shirt I made too, it's a small lightweight cotton print. The jeans are Levi's 505. Red belt from J. Crew.
This is a detail of the sleeve and part of the back. I used the tee shirt design printed on the front and embroidered around them.
The jacket is sorta casual and sweatshirt-ish. so I would wear it with boots.
Linda Rodin for J. Crew.
I have to apologize week-ends are always so busy and I never thought I would not be able to post yesterday but alas it did not happen. So here is Day Six and Day Seven back to back.
This is my favorite sweater of all time, it's from J. Crews collection from two years ago. It's Merino Wool, even the lace is wool. I wore it this past January when I got married. I always save it for going out when jeans are ok, but I want to look a little more dressed up. The necklace is always a favorite I have two of these J. Crew Bubble necklaces the red and a blue grey. I love how big it is and the red makes me happy. The jeans are Levi's 505 from Kohl's.
Hobo red bag and these Farylrobin shoes are so comfortable even to dance in. I love the retro feel without looking like I bought from a museum.
Red Hobo bag with my Italian boots. Either of these purse/shoes combos work for me in terms of looking dressy. They are both very stylist and yet I can dance up a storm. I love Fridays.
This is a great outfit for all year really. Here in the land of ice and snow I would probably wear a cotton camisole underneath, for added warmth. The top is from J. Crew a few seasons ago, but it's still very relevant very French. I have a skinny red belt with the jeans but it won't show as the top is longer. I have added one of my favorite necklaces it's a J. Crew Bubble Necklace in red. The jeans are 505 from Kohl's they are in a dark wash, which I love (I think it makes me look skinnier). The roll at the bottom of these jeans would either be the fold over twice roll with the heels and then depending on where the hem hits for the ballet flats I would do the softer, less structured roll. I would then add my red HOBO bag and either the red high heels or the black ballet flats. Tres Chic and appropriate for almost anywhere, shopping, work (if you can wear nice jeans), dining, theatre, out and about.
I love rolling the bottom of my jeans, I always think it makes it look like I pay a little extra attention to how I wear them. The first pair on the left has a simple twice fold over roll, in this case it shows that these jeans are cut on the selvedge which makes them special. The middle pair has a roll that is a little less formed (it's how J. Crew does it) it's actually harder to achieve because of the unevenness of it. Yhe third on the right is a big cuff look, just make sure your jeans are long enough for this. You do not want to look like your trying to be overly young.
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