Recipes for Ageless Style

Jodie of Jodie's Touch of Style talks about recipes for dressing in a more dressy manner. I usually start with a dress and add to the basic style.

On the other hand, my 'recipes' are for choosing garments that are stylish, will last and have a comfort factor before I get to the point of choosing what to wear to Church.

I happened on this dress at Saks Fifth Avenue. It's a plus size, which is not quite where I am. Yet. On the other hand, if I look at plus sizes, I can see how someone short like me will sort of look and fit in one of the larger petite sizes. Proportions are similar, there's just no long leg from knee to ankle.

This is a lined silk dress. I do not aspire to silk, nor to pay several hundred dollars for a dress.

What I looked at was the vertical lines of piping at seams. Then I searched palm prints to see if this was a trend this summer, which it is. 

Here's the dress I found at Norm Thompson: Palm Print Dress in cotton.

   The original price was $119.99. Patience paid when it was reduced to a fraction of that price.

It differs from the Saks dress in that there is a vertical line of piping center front and a horizontal line of piping near the hem that breaks up the big print. The dress  is lined.

I tried a beige elbow-sleeve tee to give it sleeves. I didn't like it. A brown 3/4 length sleeve might work but I haven't one.

I tried it with a long duster-type cardigan from Macy's JM Collection in cotton, nylon and rayon that I bought earlier in the spring. The look is okay but a long wrap is a little warm for our Southern summer. May be perfect for fall.

 The khaki shrug I ordered ran big. I could have worn a size smaller. Washing and drying did not shrink the sweater despite it being cotton.

The description mentioned khaki piping with cream and khaki in the print. I can find no cream, everything in the print has a grey tinge rather than the yellow of cream. The background is white. The fabric is cotton with spandex, washable. Cotton works much better than polyester in our climate.

When I wore the dress to church, He-Who-Mows and I agreed a white cotton poplin jacket looked better than anything I'd tried. I didn't set up a camera to capture that look. Even better may be a short-sleeved white cotton sweater. I do like plain 'third pieces.'

I haven't tried black at all with this dress. It may be yet another color to use this fall. We're far south enough for a palm print to work until really cold weather.

My Recipe for choosing clothing is to find the nicest garments that flatter an old lady and then try to find similar looks in appropriate fabric, size and price.

Later entry: Fall came. Wore this dress one more time with nude heels and a black Jean jacket. Best look yet.

It Isn't Easy

When I get my new post-surgery glasses I hope I'll feel more like taking photos and dressing up to discuss fashion.

Meanwhile, there's nothing new to show but I want you to know I'm still alive.

I haven't been shopping and my plans to order online were thwarted this weekend when one of my favorite vendors had a great sale going and the site went haywire. Emails to customer service received a promise that the site would be restored on Monday -- the sale was over then.

I had honed and refined my order down to one dollar over the minimum for free shipping.

It's a long wait for another great sale. It's hard to find plain, classic clothing at a super price, too.

If I didn't have so many 'rules' to go by:
    Nothing sleeveless unless it's a dress that can have a little shrug or jacket.
    Sleeves that cover my 'farmer tan' -- I'm loving elbow length sleeves, I hope they last.
    Garments I don't have to hem. Sometimes I make exceptions. I hate hemming.
    No long tops that make me look as if I have no legs. I know they don't really 'hide' fat.
    A minimum of ruffles and extra fabric.
    Smooth material with a matte finish, no satin finishes.
    Flat knits, no cables and boucle.
    All cotton where practical. Boo for Spandex.
   
That's just a partial list.