52 Years

I turn 52 tomorrow, and I’m excited. We love birthdays at the Cox Castle and celebrate all month long. I’ve spent most of the week working long hours with clients at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, but I’m taking today and the weekend off to do fun things with hubs Greg, and Yorkies Sam and Jo. An abundance of tasty food, tea and cake is guaranteed.

Reflecting back on what it means to be a year older and hopefully wiser, I think hard about what hubs Greg and I want from life right now and in future, and how we can go about achieving it. Building our bucket list together is therapeutic, motivating, and hopeful. As we figure out which paths to follow, which experiences to prioritize, and which life goals to pursue, I find the uncertainty of it all somewhat stressful. But that is part of life’s rich adventure — both exhilarating and nerve-wracking — and yet another thing to be grateful for. It feels good to have a range of options, to not be too boxed in, and to have a set of plans to work towards.

Despite being an enthusiastic planner of just about everything, I try to be equally aware of living in the moment so that life does not pass us by. It’s an ongoing goal to seize opportunities, live in the present, be more serendipitous, and make every day meaningful.

One of my clients talked about being determined to look back on herself with kinder eyes when browsing through old photographs. We are often our harshest critics so I was greatly inspired by that. I’m taking it a step further by looking at myself with kinder eyes, full stop, and inviting you to do the same.

I wear what I like, and I’m confident in my choices. I continue to have fun with fashion and style, because it’s an enjoyable creative and social outlet that relieves stress and gives back to me each day. Looking older is not the enemy, and being older brings the benefits of memories and experience. Cheers to making more memorable moments and feeling comfortable and more grateful in our skin all the time.

Link Love: Fashion Funnies

I was in need of a giggle this week, and Reductress delivered. Maybe these will make you smile too:

Breaking: The First Outfit You Had on Was the One:

“It’s just a lot to process at the moment,” you said. “I’m on outfit number 12 right now, so it’s pretty hard to accept that I could’ve stopped eleven outfits and two rage-cries ago.”

Hairdresser Has Own Definition of Inch:

“I was gonna say something, but then a week later it looked fine?” said Maltby. “And she’s a really good hairdresser. I mean, she doesn’t cut my hair the way I want, so I don’t know why I said that. But she is?”

Fab Links from Our Members

Stagiaire Fash has seen this sentiment expressed in the YLF forum; people should be free to dress up (or down!) as they choose.

Runcarla is wondering about the impact of Barbiecore on fashion: Greta Gerwig’s movie “isn’t due for release until next summer, but already there seems to be a hint of a fringe trend to come. I don’t know if I’m down for all the pink, but I like the idea of bright colours!”

She also found herself nodding along with a lot of what this fashion and style editor wrote about her capsule wardrobe.

This article on sustainable fashion really resonated with nuancedream, particularly the decision to mend or significantly alter an item of clothing. She says: “I have a vintage silk bowling shirt that belonged to my husband’s father altered to fit me. It was a complicated alteration and took several months to complete. The personal value of the shirt as well as the connection to the father-in-law I never had the opportunity to meet is priceless.”

Minaminu enjoyed this article about the upcoming Africa Fashion exhibition at the V&A, and just booked a ticket!

Vildy enjoyed this video about Japanese style: “In Japan, fashion magazines are thriving but they don’t have the monolithic editorial viewpoint that I recall from years of reading U.S. ones. Instead, they examine eras and trends from a template point of view. People study how to put outfits together and then refine them. And it is this refinement or improvement that garners respect for the individual.”

Outfit Formula: Summer Solid Green

This is for Team Summer Solid Green and that means any tone, tint, hue or shade of green. From mint, sage, lime, apple, neon, Kelly, jade, bottle, grass, emerald and British racing green, to chartreuse, all sorts of olive, hunter, and forest green. Take your pick. Think of any way to wear solid green in a Summer outfit.

On to some outfit ideas.

1. Easy Frock

Throw on a solid green dress in a silhouette that tickles your fancy. Finish it off with Summer shoes and a bag to match. Easy! Here an unstructured emerald shirtdress is completed with on-trend chunky black slides and a zebra-patterned clutch, both of which pick up the black hair of the model. Large hoop earrings are a fab blingy touch.

Easy Frock

2. Minted Separates

For those who like soft pastel greens, combine the pastel in the form of a top with light bottoms. Here, a fluid mint pop-over linen shirt is combined with wide leg pleated tan pants. It’s tucked to showcase the belt and define the waist. Tan slides and a sage satchel complete the look. Watch the hems on wide leg pants. Make sure they are short enough so that you don’t trip over them.

Minted Separates

3. Dressed Up Shorts

Combine a dressier bright or dark green top with black shorts. Tuck the top if you like more structure. Add a pair of white sneakers or dressier shoes to finish off the look. Black sandals, slides, mules, ballet flats, pumps and loafers could work too. Sub the shorts for a black skirt or pair of pants if that’s more your thing. Add a bag to match.

Dressed Up Shorts

4. Utility Pretty

And last, combine a pair of olive utility pants with a white support act. Choose your white, which might be off-white, cream, bone, or tan instead of optical white. Choose a pretty white top to contrast with the adventure and utility vibe of the pants. A soft boho-lite top can work well. Add white sandals to match the top, and a bag that works with the palette. Here the white earrings are a lovely touch.

Utility Pretty

Roundups

Simpler Items

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

Read More

Assorted Items

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

Read More

Casual Summer Vibes

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

Read More

Summery Earth Tones

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

Read More

Hints of Spring

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

Read More

Dressier Items

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

Read More

The Pros and Cons of Pointy Toe Footwear

Footwear with pointy toe boxes come in a range of shapes and styles. Some have very long toe boxes, accentuating their pointy integrity, while others are shorter with a more subtle effect that does less to elongate the foot. Almond toes are a less severe pointy toe with an even shorter toe box. 

Pointy toe shoes can be flat and heeled, and vary from casual to very dressy. The collection below captures the variety. 

Zappos
Me Too Arina
View Info
Top Pick
3
Mango
Braided Heel Shoes
View Info
Top Pick
1
Mango
Croc-finish Pumps
View Info
Top Pick
1
Mango
Braided Shoes
View Info
Top Pick
2
Mango
Cowboy Leather Boots
View Info
Top Pick
1
Mango
Cowboy Leather Boots
View Info
Top Pick
3
Mango
Braided Heel Shoes
View Info
Top Pick
1
Boden
Almond Toe Ballerinas
View Info
Top Pick
2
Boden
Almond Toe Ballerinas
View Info
Top Pick
3

Like many things, pointy toe shoes have their good and bad attributes. These lists are not exhaustive, so by all means add to them in the comments section below.

Pros

  • Dressy and sharp visual appearance
  • Refined and dainty
  • Elongates the foot and lengthens the leg line
  • Looks effective peeking out from long length wide hemmed bottoms like bootcuts and flares that graze the surface of the ground
  • A natural fit for narrow, low volume, pointy feet

Cons

  • Can cause bunions when toes are crammed
  • Can be uncomfortable and feel restrictive
  • Might be too dainty for your sartorial preferences
  • Visually too dressy and severe
  • Makes the foot look extra long

The most comfortable, healthy shoes are the ones that follow the shape of our feet. Personally, I find pointy toe footwear comfortable because they are a natural fit for my narrow, low volume, pointy feet. I don’t mind that that they make my feet look longer. And their refined integrity suits my sartorial preferences. That said, I am wearing and buying them less frequently because I prefer a slim oval toe-box, or narrow snip-toe, a lot more these days. Along with sleek fashion sneakers, I find those even more comfortable and equally refined.

Here are examples from my footwear capsule.

Over to you. Do you like and wear pointy toe footwear?

Fabulous Swimwear

What people wear to swim at the beach, pool, lake, or resort runs the gamut these days. What you choose might depend on how active you are when you swim, and whether you’ll need extra sun protection. There’s everything from one-pieces, tankinis, and bikinis, to swim shorts and skirts, swim dresses, long-sleeved one-pieces, rash guards, and swimwear with built-in SPF skin protection. There are all sorts of cover-ups to choose from too. Like board shorts, wide leg pants, shirts, pareos, kaftans, skirts, dresses, tunics, and whatever else tickles your fancy.

When I help my clients look for swimwear, or when I’m looking for a new bathing suit myself, we begin the search with some or all of the brands in the list below. They generally create structured, flattering, and supportive styles across a range of sizes, silhouettes, colours and patterns. There is no particular order to the list, but the most popular swimwear brands with my clients are La Blanca, Lands’ End, Magicsuit, Bleu by Rod Beattie, Tommy Bahama, and Athleta. Over the years, I’ve personally done well with Boden, Gottex, Freya, Seafolly, and I’m now looking at Norma Kamali.

  1. Artesands
  2. Athleta
  3. Birdsong
  4. Bleu by Rod Beattie
  5. Boden
  6. Bravissimo
  7. Freya
  8. Gottex
  9. Kate Spade
  10. Knix
  11. La Blanca
  12. Lands’ End
  13. Lane Bryant
  14. Magicsuit
  15. Miraclesuit
  16. Norma Kamali
  17. Sea Level
  18. Seafolly
  19. Summersalt
  20. Tommy Bahama
  21. Trina Turk

There is a much, much wider assortment of swimwear styles, sizes, and cover-ups to match online than in brick-and-mortar stores here in Seattle, so that’s how we shop. It can be better to try them on in your dressing room at home where there is privacy and better light. We order a bunch of suitable styles online, and before long my clients have fabulous options. It can take a while to find the right swimwear, so try not to leave things to the last minute.

Unfortunately, swimsuit sizing is all over the place. Read the size charts and the reviews, and be patient. Swimwear used to be sized a size or two smaller than your clothing size. But now swimwear can be sized like regular clothing, in sizes XXS to 5XL, or in bra sizes. I’ve found that buying a bikini in a size that approximates my bra size achieves a much better fit. It’s not exactly the same size, but choosing a cup size that is bigger than a B-cup for my 28/30D bustline helps enormously with bust coverage and spillage. The width can be adjusted with correct hook placement, which helps too. Remember that swimwear can be altered, and breast pads can be inserted.

Here’s a head start with a collection of top picks. These styles have worked well on my clients, or have great reviews online. Some silhouettes are more supportive, structured, streamlined, and covered than others. Click the links to see colour options and back detailing.

Boden
Rash Guard
View Info
Top Pick
2
Boden
Mid Sleeve Rash Guard
View Info
Top Pick
2
Boden
Rash Guard
View Info
Top Pick
3
Zappos
Norma Kamali Bill Mio
View Info
Top Pick
2
Eloquii
Maxi Shirtdress
View Info
Top Pick
2
Athleta
Gap Tidal Skirt
View Info
Top Pick
1
Athleta
Gap Tidal Skirt
View Info
Top Pick
1
Athleta
Gap Surge Swim Short
View Info
Top Pick
2
Athleta
Gap Surge Swim Short
View Info
Top Pick
2
Athleta
Gap Tidal Swim Skirt
View Info
Top Pick
3

I like Modern Retro swimwear that looks like it’s from the ‘50s and ‘60s. I have a great retro style bikini in big navy and white polka dots from Boden, and am on the lookout for a one-piece with the same sensibilities. I lie in the shade most of the time, and am not in the sun or water for long. I don’t do water sports, so I don’t need a rash gard. I cover up with a big cotton tunic shirt and hat if I’m in the sun and not in the water. I like denim shorts or a sarong as bottom coverage if I need it. I like the idea of a bright caftan but have yet to find one. Feel free to suggest swimwear brands that have been winners for you in the comments section.