There Is Hope!

Well, i thought i'd try for an 'uplifting' post to finish the year. I know that many of you, like i am, are somewhere along a journey of re-thinking your style and re-populating your closet. Over at the You Look Fab forum, in the last couple of weeks there have been a few 'When does it get better?' threads.  People who have spent many hours on their style project and are wondering when it all starts to get easier.

Which is why i am showing you these two outfits in particular. Neither is the most stylish, the most flattering, or the most outrageous i've ever put together. But those last two words contain the beauty of these two looks -neither was 'put together'. In fact, both were just pulled out of the closet in desperation with very little consideration besides 'I've got to get out the door!'. Yet, later in the day i realized that i was physically comfortable, felt authentic (thank you Patti!) and appropriate and i liked the way i looked!

All of your work and toil does pay off!  A year and a half ago if i'd reached into my closet for something likely and rushed out the door - well, i did try that then and it's not worth revisiting. But i've reached the point where my closet is largely stocked with well thought out pieces that suit my figure, my tastes, my lifestyle, and each other. In short, i've stacked the deck in my own favor.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn here (well, maybe a little.....) so much as let anyone who is feeling frustrated know that you can do it too! All you need is a plan, the ability to learn from mistakes, and the determination to stick with it for the long haul. Everything else can be worked with or around.  True, i can sew and i have had training in the visual arts (both of which most people can learn as well). But my budget is pretty limited, and it's very difficult physically for me to do much shopping.  Every one of you has strengths and weaknesses too - storm your noggin and figure out how to work 'em! Research your questions in blogs, join a forum and participate, start your own blog and ask your readers what they think. Stick with it long enough, try enough crazy things and you'll get there! I promise.

How are you all coming along with your own style goals? Can you grab a decent outfit out of your closet in two minutes flat or are you having trouble getting started?  What's the most brilliant idea you have come across regarding style and getting dressed this last year?

Happy New Year!!!

How To Make A Tee And Jeans Work For You

As a fan of the dressier, the structured and tailored, the eccentric and avant-garde, nothing strikes me as more snooze-inducing or off putting than 'a tee and jeans'. I avoided wearing this classic American Casual pairing for decades. That's why i knew i wanted to share this look with you! This outfit isn't all that exciting, but it demonstrates how you can make a style statement you love in even the most mundane of circumstances.  It's a sign of just how far down my style journey i've traveled that i can now don this outfit and feel utterly myself. What's the key?

I've narrowed it down to two key concepts. Key One: you've got to have the basics nailed. You need great fit and great aesthetic flattery.  As a physically low contrast woman i chose a low contrast clothing pairing. A high contrast woman could wear a white tee with a dark wash denim for her jeans. I look better with some pattern and texture going on, thus a heather grey hoody and slightly distressed or broken in jeans highlight my looks without overpowering. The bootcut lengthens my legline while balancing my hips and saddlebags. And so on.

Especially in this day and age, the variety of basics out there is truly stunning. What's more, the variety of looks tolerated as 'in style' is huge compared to any other time in history! So figure out what makes you look great, get it, and wear it!

At this stage you'll have a flattering base, but chances are it won't feel like a finished 'look'. Time to implement Key Concept Two: think out your accessories strategy. If you're like a lot of gals, pinning a rhinestone brooch onto your Hanes tee will feel a wee bit twee. While some ladies pull this off beautifully, it's not for everyone.  It also overlooks the importance of 'functional accessories' such as purses, belts, shoes, glasses, watches and earrings. You know, the kind of pieces that you wear everyday without thinking about them much. A popular school of thought on these vital wardrobe items is to buy something very basic, in a "go with everything" color so that the piece won't 'clash' no matter what you wear with it.

This strategy does work. The trouble is that while such 'classics' don't detract from your overall look, they don't add anything to it either. And when you're wearing a pared-down casual look like this one, every item has to carry it's weight if you want your personal style to come across. Now i've come around to a different viewpoint on everyday basic accessories. When i was younger and didn't have much money, i would try to get the most low-key, stay-in-the-background purse i could find. I had to use it with every outfit i wore and i didn't want it to strike a sour note. My bag never ruined an outfit, but talk about boring! Frankly, i can't even remember what any of them looked like! Nowadays i have a few different purses, each of which is pretty distinctive. Compare my pictures here which include the Isabella Fiore bag to the ones without. The bag texture, hardware, and those leather covered pyramid studs add a much-appreciated dose of excitement.

 Wearing coordinating accessories in groups will also increase their style quotient. Choose pieces with prominent aesthetic qualities in common to wear together. These qualities will reinforce each other and draw the viewer's eye towards your purpose. The belt, bag, and shoes in this look don't match, but they are all dark brown distressed leather with three dimensional details (perforations, pyramid studs) and two have lots of metal. It is in fact possible to put together a few of these basic accessory groups, perhaps building on pieces you already have. One group could be a dark neutral, one a light neutral, one a bright or rich color. You can of course use these pieces with other accessories as well, but it is nice to have some planned out strategies for hectic or uninspired mornings.

What strategies, guidelines, or tips and tricks have you found useful in wearing a tee and jeans or other ultra-casual looks?  Has this American Classic outfit always been a natural for you, or have you had to struggle with it as much as i have? I await your wisdom with bated breath!


Hoodie: Free People (thrifted)
Tee: Merona Ultimate Tee by Target
Jeans: Levi's curvy fit (discontinued)
Parka: L.L. Bean

Belt: DKNY (thrifted)
Shoes: vintage Ariat
Bag: Isabella Fiore (via T.J.Maxx - a great spot for deep discounts on Italian designer bags)

Happy Holidays!

I just want to thank every one of you for taking the time to read and to comment and to suggest my posts for weekly links and even honor me with the odd award!  Over a year and a half of blogging, i've realized that i love writing, style, and photography so much that i'd continue on with no audience whatsoever.

I have also realized that creating for an audience is the best motivator imaginable. You constantly encourage me to think things through, to come up with the better way of expressing concepts, to take a few more shots even though it's freezing and the sun is in my eyes (how does that happen?), to sharpen my photo editing skills, to search for unique content that will be useful to you. Just knowing that you are here keeps me on my toes, and your feedback is utterly priceless.

I am continually struck by the presence you all have in every action i take regarding this blog. You have encouraged me to address issues i never thought would find readers - lo and behold, ideas that helped me interest others as well! Thank you! Know that i value your ideas and input, & please feel free to comment or send me an e-mail at any time. Let me know if you'd like to see me address a particular issue, something about the technical part of my blog bugs you, or what you think of how i've approached a topic (good or bad).

(yes, that is a new-to-the-blog dress, yes the fit is perfect, no i didn't make it myself and yes you will have to wait until next year to get the scoop on it!)

Happy Holidays to you and yours! Hallelujah, the days are getting longer!

Inaugural Repeat

Recently I've been writing about my evolving style epiphany: that repeating some outfits i just love would be a habit worthy of cultivation. For decades now i've been on 'No Repeats Ever' autopilot, but now i've decided that this habit no longer seems sensible or even aesthetically compelling. Throughout my teens i would repeat especially flattering or fun looks and i quite enjoyed it. And it did nothing to destroy my stylish rep ;)

Now, it has begun. For a recent memorial service i wore a slightly modified repeat of this look. I wore a simple black satin belt and sheer black stockings instead of the fashion forward stud and grommet belt and grey lacey stockings. I felt very appropriate, was physically comfortable, and even received compliments. Success! This encouraged me to continue on with my new style resolution.

Monday is wedding anniversary number 12 for me and Mr. Eccentric, as part of the festivities we went to see Tori Amos Friday night at the spectacular Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Anyone with interest in Art Deco architecture will already know of this exquisitely restored gem, i can only say it glows even more brightly in person. On the theory that one most dress for her surroundings, i came up with the outfit based on my new green dress. Decidedly festive, i especially liked the fit and flare look achieved by layering my new blouse over the sleeveless dress - you never know if these idea will work until you try it!

Work it did, and i had another hour until we expected to depart. At this point you may well wonder why i brought up the whole 'repeating outfits' idea at the start of this post. Well......the last month or two my legs have been unhappy. Painful, limpy, maybe not the paragon of grace. As flat on my back rest helps calm things down, i'd taken to my bed at around 5pm the two nights before our outing so as to have more reliable legs for our night out. The rest had made a noticeable difference - as did time in those stockings. A difference for the worse. The pressure started bothering me after just a few minutes, after twenty or twenty five i knew that an alternative outfit was needed in the worst way. Outfit MayDay!

You ever have times when you thank your past self for coming up with a pure genius idea? Last Friday around 4:45pm was that time for me - instead of trying to come up with a new going out look in 5-7 minutes flat, i only had to cast back to amazing outfits past! My new bootcut jeans were freshly washed, comfy and warm and made an excellent base piece for the outfit i swiftly donned for the concert. I simply switched out the jeans on this look, kept the string of pearls, and was on my way.

For years i felt visible, in a very awkward kind of fashion, whenever my outfit wasn't sufficiently "different" from looks i had worn before. But in this look i felt i looked great, and happily i flat out felt great too! Be sure to check out the rest of the posts in Patti's Visible Monday! Many thanks to Patti for being such a gracious hostess to so many wonderfully varied blogs.

Dress: Nine West from Krasa
Blouse: Kay Unger (thrifted)
Shoes: Clark's
Coat: Tahari
Jeans: from Palmer & Pletsch The Perfect Jeans McCall's 5894
Pearls: gift

Black Skirts and Shoelaces

I'm a 'Wear It Now!' gal all the way, so my jeans have been in obsessive rotation as soon as they were finished. With my smaller wardrobe any new item exponentionally increases my outfit options and i love hopping in and trying them out! But around a week ago i figured i should start to mix it up a little, lest i wear out my jeans tout suite and find i'd forgotten how to wear anything else.

My 'Fairy Godmother' seems telepathically linked to me recently. First, she handed me this gorgeous Kay Unger blouse just when i had been on the lookout for a white button-down worthy of duplication. Then, while trying to create an outfit for a memorial service i realized the big black hole of my wardrobe - a classic wool black skirt. Lo and behold, i find a beautiful a-line wool blend black midi skirt on top of my dryer within the week. Spooky!

I've been seriously reading style advice books, articles, etc. since i was in high school. One constant refrain is the crucial role that a three-season classically cut wool suit, ideally with pants and skirt, will play in your closet. The idea is that you have a suit for business/professional/formal events and you can break up the suit for a variety of uses from dressy all the way through casual. I have seen quite credible illustrations of, let's say, black wool trousers worn with high heeled boots, washed silk blouse, leather belt and sunglasses creating a stunning yet casual outfit. And on and on. I got it in theory, but whenever i confronted an actual black wool skirt or lined trousers i froze.

The instant my eyes fell on my new black skirt I drooled like a conditioned pooch. If i couldn't make a decent, convincing casual look with this skirt i knew the cause was lost.  Maybe i have more experience with style now, maybe all the pictures i've stared at on style blogs have soaked in, maybe i'm just older - well, obviously i'm older! At any rate, i finally did the deed. This look even has a bit of a retro-funky feel, and what's more it worked with out the jacket as well. Mission complete.

Look number two is a standard kind of fall-back outfit for me. The strange thing is that what made it work in my mind was the shoelaces. Yep, the shoelaces. The original laces which came with the shoes (you know you're getting quality when your shoes come with laces at no extra fee) were a faded brown, echoing the distressed leather of the uppers. They were fine, but ho-hum, and the lack of contrast caused the lacing detail to fade into the shoe as a whole.

Another pair of shoes needed better laces a while back, so i bogarted the Bass oxford's laces. The paddock boots i laced with the Bass laces are a very dark brown and i fancied the look of a lighter lace - it really showed off the detail. The next time i wanted to wear my Bass oxfords, instead of using the originals i took a pair of black suede laces out of a pair evening shoes - and wow! It adds a bit of punch that those shoes could frankly use, and the black laces help tie the shoes in with the black skirt. Sweet relief.......

I have to say i'm astounded at times by how affected i am by the smallest details. It is kinda nutty, but once i 'give in' and take the time to fix what is bothering i so much more enjoy myself.  Over the years i've reconciled myself to just going with it and no longer tolerate small annoyances. Do you ever find that an excruciatingly tiny and mundane aspect of an outfit can play a make or break role in your eyes?

Khaki Jacket: Royal Robbins
Grey Henley: Aeropostale
Black A-Line Skirt: Armani Exchange (thrifted)
Belt: ?
Scarf: own design
Oxfords: Bass Lacey
Nice & Warm Wool Blend Tights: Hanna Andersson

Denim Jacket: YMI lets UBU
Tee: Merona Ultimate Tee by Target
Full Black Skirt: own design
Belt: DKNY (thrifted)

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 Here's a better look at my fresh-off-the-machine bootcut jeans. Just so you know, i am leaning heavily toward taking in the hip and thigh area a bit. You can see that they are kinda baggy in these pix, and i did not go to the extreme of tightness when i made them (it's easier to take in a little without creating a mark than when letting seams out). But - well, i wore these jeans last Friday. I hung them up to air all Saturday, then wore them during a long and active Sunday (dog-sitting two poochies). I hung them up to air overnite, then donned them once more Monday morning to take these pictures. A certain degree of bagginess ( :a lot) is unavoidable at that point! Really, a little vanity would not be out of order on this blog.

Winter is cold and clear thus far in the San Francisco Bay Area. Two factors are affecting me regarding this weather. One, it means many consecutive spare the air days, and me trying to avoid any asthma flare ups. So far, so good. Two, i had an excellent plan for beefing up my cold weather wardrobe from early last summer. Sadly, it was not put into effect. I definitely have enough to avoid the cold, but it's not all that varied and some of it is just plain frumptastic!

Not all of it, though. I am so glad i got on the jeans project as they are comfy, look good, and keep my legs warm. And i am happy that i splurged about fifteen years ago on this great L.L.Bean bomber jacket. It's toasty, comfy, and is awesome even thrown into the corner of a room or the backseat of a car. Do you hair, toss on some maquillage, cool heels and yowza! It also contains many pockets, even a zippered one.

I do need to come up with a better solution than this scarf.  Cold breezes used to creep all the way up to my armpits before i tightened the fit with this scarf one day in desperation. It works so well i've left it there for years.......and i never see myself from the back. Out of sight, out of mind. Sad but true. Having a tailor take in some of the excess would seem the rational, sensible course of action. Seeing as it costs from fifty to seventy five bucks just to get it cleaned, i can't imagine the cost involved. As it happens, the leather itself is not very thick and is quite soft and supple. And leather needles exist. I'm sure you see what i'm plotting.

We'll see if i manage the guts to try it. The success i've had with these jeans is only goading me on. I really liked how the topstitching turned out (i used the leftover medium taupe topstitching thread from my olive fly front skirt). While examining my Levi's for details i couldn't help but notice the red nametag sewed into the back pocket. Sewing a 'decoy tag' into my own jeans tickled my fancy. I raided my ribbon stash and found some leftovers from the ribbon i used when making this pin i gave to Sheila (who has worn it beautifully!!! - scroll down) I like the way the black and white stripes show up on the black denim, and the Sheila association of course makes me feel much more fabulous than i deserve! I'd love to use a ribbon with lime and tangerine stripes on a medium blue denim, or a ribbon with a woven floral design. The possibilities are endless!

I never want to wear a logo on my hiney, but a dadaist joke suits me fine! How are all of you handling your winter wardrobes? Any brilliant ideas for staying warm while looking stylish?

Jacket: vintage L.L.Bean
Blouse Bobeau
Jeans: from Palmer & Pletsch The Perfect Jeans McCall's 5894
Shoes: Maine Woods

Dark Wash Jeans Advised for Older Women and the Role Of Contrast

 On Edit: If you're in a rush, start first with the comments! Many readers chimed in with smart, fantastic points - and they're not long winded like me. Thank you to all who took the time to comment!     First, apologies for the rather uninspiring photography. But this post is constructed more as an experiment, less as an aesthetic excursion. The photo on the left was taken simply to remember the outfit, as i enjoyed wearing it and liked the subtle play of color and the monochromatic feel. I felt it lent a pulled-together effect to the look and created, as Kendall Farr puts it, "the Almighty Unbroken Line".

Ms. Farr's description encapsulates one species of advice often given to women hoping to 'dress better'. The idea is to create a long, lean, smooth silhouette in your clothing. No lumps and bumps, no super tight areas or swaths of uncontrollable fabric. Also, no high contrast 'breaks' in unflattering areas - for example, do not wear a white blouse with a black skirt with the 'edge' between the two at your natural waist, since this will cut your figure in half, creating a blocky feel. One obvious way to implement this advice is to wear monochromatic looks. The whole of your outfit flows easily from tip to toe, creating the longest line possible.

Another very popular piece of advice, especially regarding those leaving childbearing years behind, is to only wear very dark wash jeans. The darkness hides lumps and bumps and it recedes as well, so your bum, thighs, and whatnot will tend to fade away and look smaller, possibly more discreet. Now, i've recently been wondering about what would be the consequences if a woman were to follow both of these pieces of advice simultaneously. I think I've been reading so much of this type of thing recently that my brain made an executive decision: 'time to synthesize!'.

At any rate, a few days later i was getting close to finishing the darker jeans. They are iteration number two of the Palmer and Pletsch Perfect Jeans pattern, this time in bootcut silhouette. I suddenly realized that i could 'isolate the variable' in the monochromatic outfit - change out a light wash denim for the dark wash denim that is strongly recommended as the only wash worth wearing for ladies over forty and observe the result!  I was hoping to get a feel for which 'piece of advice' was more worth following strictly. (And frankly i was hoping to show that following any piece of advice to the letter all the time is folly.)*** 

So, i ended up taking the dark wash jean pictures in the same place as the original 'notebook' photos. I did my best to adopt similar poses and camera position. Looking at the two outfits, i'm more drawn to the monochromatic look - even though the lighter wash jeans don't 'hide' as much of what's going on as the dark wash do. On me the high contrast line cutting right through my hips seems too stark, and ends up emphasizing the width there.  I do wonder how much this has to do with my overall low-contrast coloring, however. On a woman with high contrast coloring this look may well appear more harmonious.

Which brings me to the last point this experiment brought to mind. If i like the way a monochromatic look creates a nice line, and i only wear dark wash jeans, it will be very hard to avoid wearing a lot of dark colors right next to my face. And generally i prefer to wear lighter colors next to my face - because i find they are more flattering! Which i thought was the driving motivation behind all this fuss.  Good grief, all these 'rules' can drive a person nuts!!!! That's the one rule by which i am sure to stand.

I don't often discuss non-clothing related topics on this blog (although my definition of 'clothing-related' is quite expansive). But i've recently run across a couple of videos which may interest some readers. First, if any of you are interested in the more rigorously collected evidence for life after death/communication with spirits, i cannot recommend this video enough. It outlines the Scole Experiements, a five year long project in Scole, UK which involved four people meeting twice a week to attempt communication with the dead. Well done. (As a style-aside, at 38 minutes in observe how different the 'red rose' mother looks in video versus a still photo. Different media capture our likenesses in different ways.)

Secondly, for decades now my family and friends have wearily endured my exuberant soliloquies on the genius of Jacques Vallee. Being the basis for Lacombe, the French UFO investigator in Speilberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (played by Francois Truffaut) was only so impressive.  Not that i cared about that - his identification of Marshall Applewhite as a dangerous cult leader years before the Heaven's Gate tragedy, his vast knowledge of ancient and historical encounters with otherworldy beings, his ability to wring every last drop of physical evidence out of the most unpromising circumstances, his masterful 'Contact' trilogy......

I could go on - and for many years, i have. Now that TED has tapped Dr. Vallee for a talk on The Theory of Everything (else), i 've been having a wonderful time saying, "I told you so........"

*** In other words, yep, this experiment was rigged!

Jacket: made by me of a vintage Anne Klein for Vogue Patterns
Henley: Aeropostale
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Pocketbook: vintage Coach, gift
Light Wash Jeans: Levi's Curvy Fit (no longer available)
Dark Wash Jeans: made by me of McCall's 5894 Palmer & Pletsch The Perfect Jeans
Booties: Maine Woods

A Little Bit Of Little Edie

Here you see my first go at 'winterizing' this cotton seersucker dress. I made it using Hot Pattern's Deco Vibe Diamond Life pattern. This dress performs perfectly as it was designed....slip it on in the hottest and muggiest of conditions to remain cool, calm, and collected.  This iteration is sensu stricto a wearable muslin, made for around ten bucks. The more i wear it, the more i want to make it in nicer fabrics - especially in a black version for a lovely Little Black Dress (a major hole in my wardrobe).

The key to winterization here is the tights - they are a wool blend and very very warm. I find that in my particular climate i only have to have about half of my body covered in a super warming garment. If i wear wool tights on the bottom half and a wool sweater on the top half, in an hour or two i am hot flashing for real! It just doesn't get that cold around here that often. To cope with milder fluctuations i tossed on this little hoody, which actually worked better than i expected from the aesthetic angle.

One of the magnificent illusions created in the drafting of this pattern is the look of some booty. I'm just built to have a flat butt. Exercise makes a bit of a difference, but you can't argue with the basic structure of the universe. When i have flare-ups of my nerve trouble, the only way to calm it down is rest. As in don't exercise. And my flat butt starts taking on the shape of the 'anti-ass', as Mr. E puts it. Deco Vibe Diamond Life to the rescue! Ah, the pleasure of fantasy.

Well, getting to this post's title.....i don't really know why this look put me in mind of Little Edie of Grey Gardens fame. I didn't feel the Little Edie vibe until i tossed this coat on to go out in the evening. Maybe it's the way the dress and coat hems interacted. Maybe it's the little flaw in the tights. Maybe it's that my beautiful booties are beginning to show their age, cracked leather and all (which i actually like). I've yet to figure it out, let me know if you have a clue to it!

Yes, your blogger is a staunch fan of Little Edie and The Maysles. I'm sure this comes as no surprise at all, considering The Edie's position as twentieth century USA's preeminent eccentrics. What a pleasure to watch Little Edie on film while choosing a link or two for this post!  I was struck by her utter naturalness in her own skin, such a rarity in our day among filmed women of any age. I'm sure it's a big factor in her compelling screen presence. Just look at her, flirting outrageously with the cameraman as she highlights the features which make this the best costume for the day. Even the luminous Drew Barrymore suffers in comparison, notwithstanding all of her advantages of youth, costume, makeup, lighting, money.........regarding individual style, the true and the unique will always triumph.

Double Denim Visibility

Well. I believe i have figured out how to participate in Patti's wonderful Visible Monday posts. Click here to check out the other twenty-and-counting participants this morning! Honestly, i feel that most of the time my feeling 'visible' has more to do with my mood than with what i'm wearing. But in the case of double denim, i do feel a wee bit awkward.

It just seems a little young, a little overly super duper casual, kind of tunnel vision: "I love denim so durn much, it's so practical that i decided i'm going to stock my closet with every single thing in denim! My life solution is here!!!!" I also profoundly dislike any number of 'fancy denim' ornate pantsuits i've seen on middle aged ladies. They seem particularly popular amongst middle westerners visiting the wine country. The outfits tend to be of a light wash and consist of a pair of jeans and a traditional jean jacket. The whole thing is ornamented with light colored embroidery, re-embroidery, applique, beading, and rhinestones with concentration on the pockets.

Needless to say this type of dressing is fine and fun on other people, but the thought of wearing it myself gives me a serious case of the heebie jeebies! Taking an objective look at my outfit here the differences are more prominent than the similarities. I especially like the way that the dark wash blends with the darker grey of the knits, and the way the knits add in different textures. It has the 'pulling together' and slimming effect of a monochromatic look, while the denim and mix of colors and textures keep it casual and more individual. I think i've pulled it off - i definitely feel more comfortable with the look now than even a month ago.

The wonderful part about the simple shape of this coat is that it feels like having a luxurious faux fur blanket. I often wear it like a coat, but i also like to drape it around me in various ways. So snuggly!

I'm posting this on Sunday, but i will link to Patti's current visible Monday post as soon as she has it up and i can get to a computer. In the meantime, feast your eyes on Visible Mondays past.

Unexpected Hospitalization

 ...of my sewing machine! I've been working on "jeans number two", a pair of boot cuts in black stretch denim with contrast topstitching in medium taupe. Now, when sewing for yourself you go along aways, stopping now and then to pin baste the remaining seams and try on your article for fit. All of you who sew will be familiar with this process. There are so many variables affecting the final fit of a garment, and as home sewers we are usually making unique pieces so we can't rely overmuch on past experience. It makes sense, and avoids much heartache, to have fitting sessions at a few points along the way. Couture houses and custom tailors use the same process in making garments for their customers.

Often the process of adjusting fit continues after the garment is 'finished'. The jeans you see in this post are the first pair i made. I completed them and wore them two or three times when i decided to pin up some excess along the inseam and see how they looked.  I ended up taking off about 2 inches out of the circumference of each leg for a sleeker fit. This collage shows the original fit of the jeans, the outdoor pics show them after 'slimming'.

Getting back to 'jeans number two'. I finished the front pockets and fly, the back pockets and yoke, then pin basted the legs and took a look in the mirror. Hey now! There's a look! I spent a few minutes turning this way and that, admiring those long, lean-looin' legs - oh yeah. (It's true, this behaviour is not strictly limited to the teenage set.) I scampered right back to the sewing area, highly motivated to flame on through the rest of the process, when my machine froze. Fortunately i didn't have to create a huge hole right in the crotch to remove the needle from my jeans, but further progress came to a standstill.

Fortunately The Cotton Patch is just down the road in Lafayette. They're a Bernina dealer, can do a service on my machine in 2 1/2 weeks - and they provide a loaner in the meantime! I had reconciled myself to a machine-less period of weeks at least (and no new jeans). You can imagine how thrilled i was to find the offer of a replacement while my old faithful was at the spa!!

 The loaner is settled nicely in my sewing spot, and my faithful friend awaits her cleaning, oiling, and lubricating at the shop. Really, after a quarter century of consistent performance it'd be awfully cold-hearted to begrudge her a vacation. Meanwhile, i'm off to the service for Aunt's companion. After a week of scarily dense fog the day has dawned brilliant and beautiful in their honor. I hope your days go beautifully as well!

Yummy

 I just loved this outfit and got a real kick out of wearing it! This is the first time i've worn this top tucked in. I was worried that it wouldn't come off, but it worked okay. And there wasn't so much extra fabric from the peplum that i had to pull off some weird clothing-judo in order to cope.

I love re-mixing, as you well know. Nothing thrills me more than busting up an outfit, though to be honest i don't buy clothing as outfits, don't make items with an eye to creating outfits, and have not repeated an outfit since sometime in 1983. Really!  I don't know how i got into this habit of NEVER repeating the same configuration of clothing. Maybe it was an attempt to make my tiny wardrobe seem more varied. Maybe it had something to do with reading this Ellen Wallace piece on French style secrets, published in Cosmopolitan in 1982. (Kudos to the brilliant Dead Fleurette for digging it up and making it available on the internet!)

But recently i've been feeling drawn towards repeating once more. I definitely had my favorite 'outfits' when i was a girl and in college - i can remember many of them to this day. I loved feeling that what i wore was flattering, stylish, comfortable, 'just right'. These 'just right' outfits often grew from 'just right' articles of clothing. As i've managed to get my hands on some 'just right' pieces once again, i suppose it's not surprising that i'm feeling the lure of repeating 'just right' outfits again as well.

This longing, of course, goes straight against the grain of the style blogging world. I have to admit, the more time i spend style blogging the less i'm attracted to some of the blogging world's main tenants. I want to repeat outfits that make me look great and that i love. I don't want to wear a belt as a necklace. I don't want to wear dresses as skirts and hold it all together with a belt. I want my clothing to fit as well as it can, with no fussing. I don't want to 'stretch my style boundaries' just to stretch them -  i want to look as great as i can as much of the time as i can. In my view, experimentation is only called for when i have no idea what i can wear that will look great.

One incident brings this home to me. A little over a year ago, a certain style blogger decided that she wanted to wear a particular item of clothing. This piece represented many things to her - edginess, rocker-style, out-there-ness, extravagance, boldness. It was also very trendy at that time. Let's say it was a purple ostrich skin moto jacket. It took time to find just 'the one', to develop an outfit that she felt was 'her' around the jacket, money was spent in abundance, etc. This blogger wore the item proudly on her blog, talking about how edgy she felt in it and how much it was completely outside of her 'style boundaries'.  The blogger looked fine in the piece - not great, or outlandish. Just fine. The blogger may have felt edgy and outrageous, but it didn't seem to come across in the photos. And i've never seen that item again.

I am aware that an argument can be made that this was a learning experience, well worth the time and effort, that has affected this person's style in many ways. And it can be considered rude to make these types of observations about what another person chooses to wear.

But i wonder. What if the same energy had been put towards finding a great, edgy, rocker look for that particular person? If the focus had been in finding what items, colors, shapes, details, proportions worked to give this person an edgy, outrageous look instead of focusing on a certain trendy item of clothing? If the focus was on this person instead of on a certain piece of clothing? The ironic thing, to me, is that this style blogger had previously shown herself in some outfits that looked very edgy and very her.

But they weren't trendy or outrageous, and relied very heavily on certain elements that she had decided she wanted to avoid. I am in no way knocking this person. Like many style bloggers, this person has fairly recently become interested in clothes and fashion - making up for lost time is completely understandable! And wearing a wide variety of colors, shapes, styles, can give you a feeling of really participating in their own unique style, and is a tried and true way to hone in on what you really love. Yet, the more i blog the more i finding i'd rather wear the same clothes and look and feel great!

The fashion chameleon, with boxes of clothes in the attic whose contents she has memorized, is a true style type. But so is "The French Girl". It's interesting to me that through participating in style blogging, a world ruled by the chameleon, i've come back to my roots, in love with the small, gorgeous, flattering closet.

Do any of you find yourselves at odds with some of the main "Holy Commandments" of style blogging? Which are they? How much does it get in the way of your enjoyment of reading or writing a blog? Any great 'French Girl" blogs you can turn us on to?

Kismet! Or Is It?

My favorite is when you're rushing around in the morning, your entire goal to just not be naked. You've no style or fashion concerns on your mind whatever. Without your knowledge, the outfit fairy twanks her magic twanger  BOOM   You look down and you're wearing a great new look! Of course, i've spent enough time and effort obsessing about style in general, and my own wardrobe in particular, to realize it's nothing to do with kismet. It is everything to do with planning planning planning.

But it sure feels magical when it happens! How paradoxical is it that achieving effortlessness does indeed require a commitment to a significant amount of effort? This ensemble goes to another topic that's been on my mind quite a bit recently, especially since I won two books by Kendall Farr in a You Look Fab contest. The package arrived about 3-4 weeks ago and i have been reading both books every single day since. Ms. Farr is full of incredibly useful ideas and inspiration, and her writing style and wit make taking it all in a breeze. From my ego's standpoint, it doesn't hurt that she espouses many ideas which i've also found to be integral to personal style.

One of these concepts is the importance of dressing to flatter your individual physical person. Staying true to this principle has a many positive effects. For one, you'll always look great! More to the point to this look, you will severely limit the colors and shapes in your wardrobe. I'll admit that many many fashionable people will be aghast at my last sentence - we want options, variety, up to date, new new new! But there are those among us who feel overwhelmed by the vast variety of offerings available, and who will be happy to have an easy way to cut through the fluff and get straight to the good stuff. Even better, choosing only items that flatter your person naturally creates an individual color and shape palette wherein the great bulk of clothing works together effortlessly. How does this come about?

Let's take color as an example. Three characteristics determine whether or not colors 'go' or can combine pleasingly to the eye. These are temperature (warm vs. cool), saturation, and similarity of tint-shade-tone.*** Warm colors 'go' with warm and cool with cool. Colors with a similar degree of saturation (strong or weak colors) 'go' together. And colors with a similar degree of tint, tone, OR shade go together. In the jacket and blouse i'm wearing here, all of the colors are warm, they are all fairly saturated, and they are all tones (overwashed with grey).  True pastels all go together because they are all cool to neutral, are very lightly saturated or 'weak', and are all tints (the base color is heavily diluted with white). Follow the embedded links for definitions and examples of these terms, or search the web for more information. If you take the time to train your eye to recognize these color characteristics, finding and combining your colors will suddenly make complete sense.

As it happens, temperature, saturation, and tint-tone-shade also determine which colors look most flattering on you.  Therefore, sticking to your best colors will result in a closet which mixes very well. The same principle goes for shapes. Adhering slavishly to these principles allowed me to toss on two items bought six years apart, from different stores and different designers, and look put together and even current.

It's easy to take a look at this approach to wardrobe building and wonder, "Where's the room for ME?!?!?" It sounds terrifically restrictive - but it's not. Subtle variations of shape and silhouette, details, pattern, echoes of various times and places all offer tremendous opportunity for expression as well as contributing so much to your personal style. It took me about five minutes to find these variations on a theme. Each of these coats has a defined waist and shoulder, a collar, and is a strong, neutral-to-cool red.

Even with these narrow guidelines i could find coats ranging from simple and clean-lined, through military-style, to ruffles and bows, and one straight-out bombshell trench. I hope this demonstrates that even within some pretty strict guidelines a vast amount of individual expression is possible.

Eight Red Coats by mrseccentric featuring a leopard print coat

Do any of you have strict, 'do or die' guidelines you follow when choosing new items for your wardrobe? Or do you take a more inclusive, spontaneous approach to filling your closet?

*** temperature: warm colors tend to have yellow or red undertones, cool colors tend to have blue or green undertones. At the same time there are cool yellows and warm blues (turquoise is a warm blue)

saturation: the amount or strength of the 'color' or hue in a color. the red coats are all very saturated, there is a ton of 'red' in the color. My sandals are at the 'weak' end of the saturation spectrum - are they oyster, or bone, or cream, or......? The 'color' is just not saturated enough to really tell!


tints, tones, shades: these are all 'pure' hues or colors with something added.  tints are color with white added, shades are pure hues with black added, tones are color with grey added. This illustration is very helpful.

Buckle That Swash!

 Love this look, love my fairy godmother who picked out this blouse, love this coat, love my amazing husband who found this coat for me.........love that i have a blog and readers with whom i can share the love!

Love my mom who taught me proper grammar, love me dad who schooled me in the art of the pun.......sadly, mr. eccentric's aunty lost her own love just a few days ago. They were together thirty years, and lived life more fully than anyone i have ever known. It's a blessing to have no regrets, and one blessing that we can give to ourselves. But i don't know that it lessens the shock or the pain.

I also don't know how much i'll be 'on the blog' this coming week. Until i'm back, show a little wisdom and do what you can to follow aunty's example.

I'll be doing my best to follow her example too. Now let's all get out there and spread the love!