Cheryl thoroughly enjoyed the packing tips offered on A Femme d’Un Certain Age. Nice capsule visuals. 

Velvety Chocolate was disappointed when she read in the LA Times that former Target Corp. retail executive Michael Francis is leaving J.C. Penny. She had high hopes that he would sort out their sharp drop in sales. 

MaryK enjoyed reading in Slate about the afterlife of cheap clothes. Apparently clothing waste is a real issue. 

Diana recommends reading the fascinating article on Kate Davies Designs about the history of pleats, and hopes that we see a resurgence of Irish pleated linen. 

ManidipaM enjoyed this post on how to update the classics with modern equivalents on Refinery 29. 

Inge, who loves outfits that have been inspired by artworks, liked seeing how these outfits from Miss Moss were inspired by Matisse. Look at the British Queen! 

Mochi read in The Japan Times that Japanese men are spending more and more money on grooming and beauty products. It’s quite a trend. 

Ironkurtin likes this study of white by The Animal Orchestra.

Last but not least, you can look sensational in wet and muggy weather, as Allie from Wardrobe Oxygen does in this outfit. It’s elegant, modern, classic, edgy, retro and crisp all at the same time. Love the umbrella. 

Knotting shirts and blouses at the waist has been gaining in popularity over the last few years. You can achieve the look in two ways. Tie the two fronts of a regular shirt/blouse into a knot at the waist, leaving the front either buttoned or unbuttoned. Or, purchase a shirt or blouse that is supposed to be worn with a waist knot (the fronts are designed to tie so they cannot be worn like a regular shirt). 

Knotting has advantages:

• Adds structure to a boxy garment
• Shortens the length of a shirt
• Shortens a long waist
• Adds a casual vibe to an outfit
• Provides a tucked or semi-tucked look sans the tucking
• More comfortable than a structured jacket
• Reveals skin
• Looks retro

It also has disadvantages: 

• Might reveal too much skin (unless you wear a camisole under the shirt or stick to layering over dresses)
• Can look a little juvenile
• Can feel uncomfortable and bulky
• Looks fussy and untidy
• Overly casual

I’ve heard mixed reactions from my clients when it comes to shirt knotting. Some are dead set against the look for the reasons mentioned above, while others are all for it. Those who are in favour tend to prefer to knot shirts and blouses over dresses to prevent skin exposure. Others prefer to wear waist knotted shirts with higher rise bottoms, again to prevent skin exposure. 

I don’t knot my shirts and blouses at the waist very often because I like to tuck my tops when I’m not wearing them un-tucked. It’s dressier and more polished that way, which works well for my style. But occasionally, I do the waist knotted thing for a casual and retro effect.

Do you ever knot your shirts and blouses at the waist?

Your sense of style twenty years from now is probably far from the top of your mind, but let’s think about it just for fun. I’m interested to know whether there are items you’re wearing now that you will still be wearing in twenty years.

I’ll probably still be wearing button down shirts, jeans, dressy trousers, tailored blazers, Converse sneakers, Rayban sunglasses, pearl necklaces, turtlenecks, my wedding rings, a Burberry scarf, my Chanel and Valentino handbags, lipstick and mascara.

I think I will be wearing specs, but it is also possible that corrective eye surgery will be very advanced and there won’t be a need for prescription eyewear at all.

And will brands like Converse, Rayban, Chanel and Valentino still be relevant? The sentimentalist in me hopes so, but I also imagine that there will be new ones.

Your turn. What will you be wearing? Or do you think our clothing will be completely different in twenty years? And if so, how?

Our recent business trip to San Francisco also gave us the opportunity to spend a few days with our good friends Lori and Dane about an hour outside the city in Los Gatos. Spring in Seattle has been utterly miserable, and we so enjoyed soaking up the warmth of sunny California, along with the gracious hospitality of our dear friends and their enchanting children, Chloe and Tucker. 

We browsed around downtown Los Gatos on Saturday and just about everyone and their doggies were out and about soaking up a little extra vitamin D. It was a gorgeous 23 degree day (74 degrees Fahrenheit), and I was thrilled to leave off my jacket. 

Hoping for hot weather, I had packed denim clamdiggers. But it was still too chilly to wear them. Yes, I run that cold. In this temperature I am really comfortable in a pair of jeans, a breezy sleeved top and flat covered Summer shoes. So I wore white skinny jeans instead of the clamdiggers, a boxy soft navy and cream silk blouse, and white and silver ballet flats. With scrunched sleeves and a popped collar, I was ready for action. 

Lovely Lori, who runs warmer than I do, looked fab in light grey cropped jeans and a sleeveless lilac swing top. I love Lori in muted shades of purple because it perfectly complements her red hair and ivory complexion. Lori finished off her look with a cream bag, silver cuff, blush thong sandals and tortoise shell sunglasses. Lori sported her relaxed bohemian style with panache, while I stuck to a crisp and graphic look. 

I had worn the black patent bow belt with a black suit to a business meeting the day before. I also like this dressy belt with a more casual outfit, which is why I wore it here with jeans, flats and blouse. I also finished off the look with a cream bag and eyewear, but added in a white watch. 

I enjoy mixing creams and white with navy and black as shown here. Mixing up these shades used to be considered a faux pas, but to my eye the combination is a little softer and richer than matching stark black and white.