Fab Finds: Shorts, Bags and Tops

Macy’s deserves a shout-out because they’ve upped their game. I’ve ordered online from them recently, and their service has been stellar. Fast, efficient, accurate, and reliable. They’ve updated their site so that it’s easier to use, and there are lots of fun new brands if you take the time to browse. The brand selection is quite different to Nordstrom, which increases the variety for all. There are lots of size-inclusive options, affordable prices, and you will almost always get a discount. It’s nice to share that this often overwhelming and understaffed retailer is weathering the storm of the pandemic and giving us better service and merchandise. Long may it last.

On to this week’s top picks.

1. Old Navy Shorts

Our forum members and some of my clients are having an excellent run with simple, casual and affordable Summer shorts from Old Navy. Here are the winners, and many with great reviews. There are structured and elastic waists, technical fabrics and natural fibres, lots of sizes, and lots of colours. So far, no post-laundry complaints either.

2. Radley London Handbags

Radley London makes extremely nice handbags and wallets. The quality is gorgeous, and if you’re into terriers like I am, their emblem is a Scottie. There are lots of colours and silhouettes to choose from. Most are structured and on the dressier side, although casual totes and playful doggy designs are there too. Hardware can be silver or gold, and the linings are made of recycled polyester. If you purchase the bag at Macy’s you will probably get a discount. I have a light blue Radley satchel that I got in London, and a red Radley wallet that I got at Macy’s. They are old and in pristine condition.

3. Good Casual Tops

Some of these tops have worked well on my clients, and others have good reviews. Most are fluid and very fluid, but some fitted and with waist definition. Many are made of natural fibres, some of blends, and some polyester too. It’s definitely a season for patterns, with fewer solid tops it seems. Fab for Team Pattern.

Loft
Gingham Wrap Blouse
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Loft
Clip Smocked Blouse
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Loft
Ribbed Racerback Tank
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Loft
Ribbed Racerback Tank
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Loft
Ribbed Racerback Tank
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Loft
Flutter Tee
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Boden
Jasmine Sweatshirt
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Boden
Laurie Linen Top
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Boden
Elizabeth Top
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Loft
Ribbed Henley Tee
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Athleta
Gap Urbanite Tank
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4. Alfani Petite V-Neck Sleeveless Blouse

These blouses come in petites and regular sizes and are amazingly versatile, and a good colour vehicle. Layer them under cardigans and jackets, or wear them on their own. The neckline and armholes aren’t too deep. They have worked well on a range of straighter and curvier clients with smaller and larger bust sizes. Affordable, easy to wear and pack, fluidly tailored, forgiving on the midsection, and wear like iron. You might need to size down.

5. Ecco Corksphere Thong Sandal

These thong sandals look more polished than regular rubber flip-flops. They are very comfortable, and provide some support. A fab client of mine who lives by the beach in Florida started out with a white pair that she matched with a white tote to create a complement. The white complement instantly became a frequent addition to outfits because it made her feel more pulled together. Because fancy-flip flops are a wardrobe essential for her style, she’s added a pair in black and metallic. She has the casual bags to match too. Easy!

Zappos
Ecco ECCO
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Zappos
Ecco ECCO
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Zappos
Ecco ECCO
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Zappos
Ecco ECCO
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Paisley: Yay or Nay

I mentioned in my trends analysis earlier this year that paisley patterns are having a fashion moment. Of course, paisley is always in style and defies the trends, but it’s nice to see it get a little extra love now and then.  

Paisley is an ornamental textile design of Persian origin that uses a teardrop-shaped motif with a curved upper end. Although the teardrop shaped motif is of Persian origin, and the textile designs that cram many of them into a rich pattern are originally Indian, the English name for the pattern derives from the town of Paisley. That’s in the west of Scotland, where paisley designs were first produced.

You can find paisley on any wardrobe item, but the pattern is most popular in tops and dresses. It’s next most popular in skirts, pants, scarves and ties. The colours and scale of paisley patterns runs the gamut. Some patterns are spaced, and others tightly packed. Paisley can be combined with patterns like florals and geometric designs too. Paisley can create a quiet or loud visual effect, and can be worn year round in seasonally appropriate fabric. Paisley can be tonal, monochromatic, or multi-coloured.

Here are some examples.

Nordstrom
Madewell Bandana
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Nordstrom
Floral Lapel Pin
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I don’t wear paisley often, but like it and vote yay. It reminds me of the psychedelic patterns of the ‘60s, and of Prince in the ‘80s, which are amongst my favourite fashion eras. I don’t have paisley items in my wardrobe at the moment, but have happily worn them in the past. I like paisley best in the form of a patterned dress or pants, although I’m not opposed to a paisley top, scarf or skirt. I like the large scale spaced paisley patterns best, and across neutrals and non-neutrals. I like quiet and loud versions, as long as the colours are a match with my sartorial preferences.

Over to you. Do you like and wear paisley?

AVENUE Brookline Print Dress Berry Paisley

Tahari ASL Paisley Print Tie Neck Blouse

Outfit Formula: Simple Summer Navy and Black

Some of my clients like to wear dark neutrals like navy and black in Summer, but with a good amount of bare skin, and in seasonally appropriate fabrics so that they don’t overheat. You can keep the outfits dark like most of the outfits shown here. Or add bags, shoes, belts and jewellery in whites, pastels, other neutrals, and brights. 

1. Casual Black Dress

Jersey fabric can be see-through and flimsy but tends to look more substantial in darks like black and navy. This one has a lovely ‘70s integrity with the empire cut and kimono sleeves. Espadrilles make a nice change to regular sandals, and I like how the raffia sole breaks up the black. If this were my client, I’d add casual tortoiseshell jewellery to further break up the black, and a bag in a shade of brown or tan. Animal print accents would look fab too.

Casual Black Dress

2. Navy Shirt Dress

I LOVE this dress, how it’s styled, and have ordered it. It’s a boxy navy shirt dress with a high-low hemline, subtle white stripe, and white buttons. The subtle white accents are just enough to break up the expanse of dark, and lighten the palette. Sneakers are one option, but so are slides, mules, loafers and sandals. Scrunch the sleeves, add a bag, and you’re ready to go.

Navy Shirt Dress

3. Black Crops and Patterned Top

This is the option with the least amount of sold dark neutral if you prefer breaking things up. Combine a pair of black or navy cropped pants with a black patterned top, and finish things off with Summery black shoes. Add a bag that works with the pattern of the top. The black slides showcase a good amount of skin, thereby adding and effective Summery touch. Great bookending of footwear and hair too.

Black Crops and Patterned Top

4. Jumpsuit

A navy or black jumpsuit can be a nice alternative to a dress when you prefer to wear pants, and don’t mind the extra effort in the loo that jumpsuits require. I like the addition of the black sandals and hat that perfectly bookend the model’s hair. The topper is for the chill in the morning, evening, or arctic a/c, but not essential. Add jewellery, watch and bag as desired.

Jumpsuit

I don’t wear solid black anymore, but I like to wear solid navy and do so year round. Some of my Summer navy items have a subtle white stripe, but give the effect of solid navy. Here are my Spring and Summer navy items that I remix with white, light blue, blush, and sour brights. The navy denim jackets go over all sorts of patterned tops and dresses. I don’t wear navy from head to toe in Summer unless it’s in the form of a dress. My footwear is white, blush, light blue or bright, and never dark.

Over to you. Do you like to wear black and navy in the Summer?

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Link Love: The Micro-Core Phenomenon

By now, you’ve probably heard of ‘normcore‘ and ‘cottagecore‘, but Refinery29 reports that “the notion of ‘core’ has suddenly become one of the buzziest topics in fashion. The innocuous word functions as a popular qualifier for an endless number of aesthetic subgenres that have emerged in different corners of the world. From ‘angelcore’ to goblincore’, there are more and more niche cores appearing each day.” Refinery29 delves deeper into this micro-core phenomenon

Since the Netflix show Bridgerton became a hit, there’s been a spike in Regencycore weddings.

The Spring 2021 shows, from Burberry to Versace, leaned into a mermaid narrative, with sea life prints, coral colourways and seashell accents galore. Fashionista says that “the under-the-sea fun has continued on TikTok, where ‘mermaidcore’ has really taken off.”

Fab Links from Our Members

Joy thought “50 of the Worst Fashion Fails” was a hoot.

Slim Cat recommends “The Worst Fashion Disasters in Fiction“.

Suntiger thought this was another good blog post from Debbie Roes, and recommends reading the comments too: Do we have a false sense of security about our wardrobe if we technically own a lot? Just because we have a lot doesn’t mean it’s all useful.

After seasons of pinks, bj1111 says she’s now really drawn to the blues.

Nuancedream directs us to these stunning images from Kenyan photographer Thandiwe Muriu. She adds: “The extravagant fabrics and accessories repurposed from everyday life are truly breathtaking. When you have little, you transform it and reuse it.”

Since she first became an adult, Mary Beth increasingly wore black, because it made her feel slim, elegant — or at least invisible and no-fuss. At the height of the pandemic, she started avoiding it: “I’m slowly shifting away from it in my wardrobe. And I found this brief video by renowned yogi Sadhguru, about wearing/not wearing black, really resonated with me.”

Colours that Look Fab, But You Don’t Wear

I have a colour-rich wardrobe full of my favourite colours. I wear the colours I love because they make me happy. Colour is an emotional and intuitive thing for me, and I’ve been drawn to the same types of colours for as long as I can remember. As a result, I don’t think too much about whether colours are supposed to suit my complexion according to colour experts. I go with my gut and heart, and run with it. If I’m unsure, I ask hubs Greg what he thinks. We almost always agree.

SpringYears ago, I picked up a book on Seasonal Colour Analysis, and as it turns out I’m a “Warm Spring”, or “Clear Spring” according to their theory. This means that I wear clear colours or saturated pastels best. Fortunately, those are exactly my favourite colours to wear, along with an assortment of neutrals in cooler shades of white and blue. It’s interesting — and I guess lucky — that the colours that I like to wear fit quite neatly into a theory and colour box.

That said, there are neutrals and non-neutrals that are supposed to work well with my complexion, but that I don’t wear because I’m not drawn to them. I avoid shades of purple, emerald green and cobalt, because I’m not as passionate about those colours. It doesn’t matter if they look great when they don’t evoke enough positive emotion. Of course, I adore these colours on those who enjoy wearing them. Like Inge, who hasn’t met a shade of purple, green or blue she doesn’t like, and rocks them all.

On the neutral side, I’m supposed to wear solid brown and black well, but I’m not drawn to them, and happily leave them for others to rock for me. A friend of mine looks sensational in shocking pink, but she can’t stand the colour and is unhappy wearing it. We’ve agreed that I wear it for her!

Over to you. Do you look good in colours, but don’t wear them because you’re not drawn to them?