British online retailer Boden is expanding their presence in the US, so they asked us to participate in a campaign by using the sights of a major American city as the backdrop for some Boden outfit photography. We chose Boston, because Greg and I love the city. And because it has a preppy integrity that seems a perfect match for Boden’s distinctive style. 

I selected products from the Boden Spring catalogue, putting together a denim-friendly mix-and-match smart casual capsule made up of modern classics and on trend pieces across solids and stripes. Some of the fits are tailored and some are fluid. I chose dark blue boyfriend jeans, skinny white jeans, the Darcy sweater in ivory and deep blue, the Blenheim blazer in navy and navy stripe, a stripy sweatshirt, the Holland Park coat, gold boho booties and a lemon bowling bag. The blazers, skinnies and bowling bag are modern classics. The boyfriend jeans, upscale sweatshirt, fluid pullovers with high-low hemline, and gold booties are trendier pieces. The coat looks as classic and retro as it does modern with its roomier fit. 

For shooting our mini travel guide I wore my favourite combinations from the capsule, showcasing them at different locations in Boston at different times of the day. Our first stop on the city map was Boston’s Back Bay neighbourhood, which is full of historic landmarks, shops and eateries. It’s also a gorgeous residential area that looks over the water to neighbouring Cambridge, the home of world renowned academic institutions like Harvard and MIT. Below you can see the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, a wonderful greenway that runs the length of Back Bay alongside Commonwealth Avenue, all the way to the Public Garden. The statues and memorials along the mall reinforce Boston’s historical atmosphere.

Here I am wearing white skinnies with an untucked, roomy upscale sweatshirt, gold booties, and yellow satchel. The rise of the jeans is higher than I am used to, which is why I kept the top untucked. I topped off the lot with the striped Park coat, keeping the front open to elongate the outfit. The combination of subtle and bold stripe in the same colour family feels modern, as does cuffing the jeans to showcase the bootie.

I can’t talk about Back Bay without mentioning Newbury Street, which is full of wonderful shopping, from boutiques to large chains and high-end designers. Also in the neighbourhood are two beautiful churches: Trinity Church overlooking Boston’s famous Copley Square, and The Mother Church alongside a reflecting pool.

Our next stop was South End. This is where Greg and I had rented an apartment and it turned out to be one of our favourite neighbourhoods. It is a wonderful combination of residential and commercial. Lovely row houses on tree lined streets right around the corner from posh shops and the best restaurants. Tremont Street, in particular, is home to many fantastic eateries and we sampled many of them, from the quirky Metropolis Cafe to B&G Oysters, a go-to place for New England lobster rolls. They were as delicious as they look.

Here, I paired the same white skinnies, stripy sweatshirt, gold booties and yellow bag with a navy blazer. The topper is the only difference between the two outfits, making it a dash more classic and breezy. The blazer is tipped with a micro stripe which works well with the stripe of the top. Its tailored fit is conventionally flattering. The low one-buttoned stance adds a modern and relaxed touch.

With our next two stops we decided to celebrate Boden’s British heritage. First, a British pub: the Elephant & Castle in downtown Boston, which is conveniently located for thirsty bankers from the nearby financial district. I had my pub lunch staple of fish ’n chips, and Greg had bangers and mash. Both dishes were yummy, and the vibe in the pub was fun and festive.

This time round, I wore relaxed dark denim boyfriend jeans with deep blue roomy pullover, creating a column of colour under the dramatic striped coat. The gold booties and yellow bag stayed the same. This outfit was even more comfortable than the first two because none of the pieces are tailored. Fluid for a change of pace. 

Walking back to Boston Common we passed the impressive Massachusetts State House, a stunning building and home to a statue of John F. Kennedy.  It’s amazing how the historical culture of Boston is alive in every part of the city. Not only is it visually attractive, but there are fascinating stories behind each building, park and statue. And it was fun how the gold dome of the State House matched my booties.

Last stop on the map was the Langham Hotel for a very British High Tea. Having a civilized cuppa with yummy goodies in tranquil surroundings rates as one of my top ten things to do, and The Tiffin at Langham did not disappoint. It was extremely soothing as we savoured every bite and enjoyed each other’s company. Wedgwood fine bone china, strong tea, fluffy scones, and dainty delights went down well after hours of city walking.

I wore the same dark denim boyfriend jeans that I wore to the pub, but paired them with an untucked roomy cream high-low pullover and micro striped seersucker blazer this time round. I can’t tell you why, but wearing a seersucker blazer to High Tea felt spot on.

Needless to say there is a lot more to Boston than we could ever hope to cover here. Theatre, museums, historical sites, shopping and eating — Boston really has it all. To cap it off, everyone we met was welcoming and friendly. Not to mention dog-friendly. There are people walking their dogs around every corner, and that’s one of the things I loved most of all. Saying hi to doggies along the way brought tremendous joy to our wonderful time in Boston. 

Visit the same places we did on the map below:

Looking back on April for our recap newsletter I realized that it was all about casual. I wrote several posts relevant to business casual, and Inge’s outfit blogger series featured three different takes on casual chic from Chicago, Antwerp and Sonoma. If you subscribe to the newsletter, then it’s probably already in your inbox. 

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Unfortunately neither of these dresses have hanger appeal, nor do the models do them justice in the photos. But they look so much better on the body. In fact that’s not an uncommon reality with dresses. You have to try them on, and sometimes you’re pleasantly surprised with the result. 

• Lafayette 148 New York Drape Neck Ponte Dress: This dress does NOT have a straight slash neckline as shown in the photo. The front of the neck drapes into a subtle and soft cowl that is a lot more flattering on most body types. Excellent on a curvy hourglass and a good length on taller ladies. Looks fab layered with a tweed moto. Fun in a shade of burnt orange for the office. 
• Eileen Fisher Drape Front Shirt Dress: This knit dress is ideal for a petite or regular height apple shaped body type with a shorter neck and larger bust. It drapes beautifully and has just enough structure because of its shorter length and diagonal sleeves. Breezy and very comfortable. No camisole or topper required. Pair with tailored sandals. It’s also available in purple. Size down a size. 

Lets hope that these wearable frocks pave the way for more great dresses this season. I’m rarely in the mood to wear a dress because I prefer skirts over dresses at the moment. But my dress wearing mood is tickled as we head into warmer weather.

Adrienne Shubin (46) lives in California’s scenic Sonoma Valley and stands fabulously tall at 6’2″. She lives a predominantly casual life and is a full-time blogger who documents her outfits over at The Rich Life (on a budget). Adrienne likes to incorporate classic pieces, feminine touches and on trend items into her outfits. She also doesn’t shy away from a little hard edge, considers denim a wardrobe staple, and has quite the hat collection. 

“Five years ago I had just quit night law school, mostly lived in yoga pants and tee shirts and had few occasions to dress my best. It was the first time in my life I didn’t care about clothes. While this may sound liberating, it wasn’t. It was puzzling as I had always had a passion for style. Four years ago, I began blogging and taking photos of myself in outfits. Suddenly I had a reason to care about my personal style because people were actually looking at me. Through blogging, I regained my interest in and love for fashion. It was like reconnecting with an old friend. 

What I have realized since beginning my blog is that my personal style has everything to do with my lifestyle. As a full-time blogger, I have more freedom to dress the way I want. I don’t generally follow the over 40 style rules. I dress to be comfortable, to feel good about myself and I regularly buck all those useless over 40 rules with pride. I like to describe my current style as Sonoma Chic: Casual with a touch of edginess, comfortable and practical yet fashion-forward, and versatile.”

Adrienne is a master at remixing Modern Classic pieces so that they work for her mainly casual lifestyle. Here she combines three classic players — a two-button single-breasted blazer, a black and white striped top, and brown Louis Vuitton bag — with on trend slim-fitting boyfriend jeans. Turning up the jacket collar and rolling the sleeves adds pizzazz. The striped lining of the blazer echoes the bold graphic stripe of the top, a clever detail that helps pull together the look. The nude patent pumps are close to Adrienne’s skintone, thereby elongating the leg line. The colour also matches the jacket, which creates outfit balance. Two delicate necklaces, modern specs, watch and rings, and our blogger is ready to start her day.

A borrowed-from-the-boys look with a dash of feminine flair. I love the juxtaposition of the androgynous pinstripe blazer and fedora with Adrienne’s beautiful loose curls. The silk fabric and ivory colour of the shirt also add a soft, light touch, while the buttoned-up collar works well with the tailored vibe of the roomy blazer. Our blogger rocks a hat, and this burgundy number with black band and feather accent fits the menswear mood of this outfit splendidly. By pairing the dark topper with black slim-fit stretch twill pants, Adrienne creates a long, lean line. Sporting black booties with buckle straps continues that effect. Nonchalantly scrunching the jacket sleeves to bare forearms brings structure to the outfit.

Isn’t there something delightfully sassy about this casual pencil skirt look! The classic pencil skirt gets a playful makeover by sporting it with bare legs, a silky blouse, cheeky leather moto and buckle strap booties. Showing a bit more leg with the above-the-knee length helps to achieve balanced visual proportions with the high-contrast booties that fit snugly around the ankle. While the untucked cream blouse is also high-contrast against the skirt, the round hem breaks the strong horizontal line. The quilted shoulder detailing on the jacket, suede footwear and suede panelling on the black satchel add textural interest and outfit depth to this neutral look. A messy ponytail, black nail polish and the buckle straps give it some fun rock ‘n’ roll edge. 

When asked about her take on continuing to dress stylishly as we get older, Adrienne replied:

“I never want to give up on dressing stylishly again. I think it’s an essential part of who I am and it gives me another way to express myself. Along with an innate desire to own cute clothes and accessories, I also stay motivated by the blogs I follow. Many of them inspire me to continue to try new looks and refine or redefine my personal style. I look particularly to Tamera Beardsley, Sheree Morrison of It’s Not That Deep, Catherine Summers of Not Dressed as Lamb and of course, Angie Cox for inspiration. I also love knowing when I have inspired someone to take a fashion chance. Whether it’s motivating someone to buy a pair of sneakers more for style instead than utility or convincing someone to wear boyfriend jeans with a sexy pair of heels on a date night, inspiring someone to take chances with their style is thrilling to me!”

The beautiful watercolour pinks and Adrienne’s infectious smile make this simple, attractive look for me. It’s also the perfect example of how you can create a visually interesting outfit without a topper or other third piece — something many of us struggle with as soon as the weather heats up. Pairing mid-blue skinny jeans with a draped blouse instantly creates an interesting silhouette. Going with a bold floral print adds tons of extra oomph. The loose drape of the blouse makes it a breezy, forgiving-over-the-midriff option for hot temps. It also adds unstructured integrity to structured bottoms, while the V-neckline has an elongating effect. All you need to finish of the look is a pair of pumps in a fun colour, like Adrienne’s pink suede peds that bring out the dark pinks in the top. A mini ink blue ostrich patterned clutch is the stylish cherry on top.

I’m featuring two similar sneaker chic outfits back to back to illustrate how easily this versatile gal-on-the-go formula can transition from Spring into Fall. Sassy sneakers work at any age, and I love them best sported with a touch of sophistication. For Spring, Adrienne picked a fab white and soft blue colour palette. She pairs destroyed boyfriend jeans with a crisp white button-down that provides structure and polish. The beige trench and tote with abstract snake-like pattern also add Modern Classic chic. For Autumn, she’s dialling up the irregular outfit juxtaposition factor by pairing a chic camel coat with haute baseball cap and sporty Nikes with fun neon orange laces. Adrienne’s cascading locks, the cable knit of the sweater and the sleeves peeking out from under the opera length coat sleeves add texture. The rolled cuffs on the skinnies a playful tomboy touch. Last but not least, the cognac bag is a great nod to the Autumnal vibe