Today we bring back beautiful Bridget, who is a dear friend and one of my very first clients. Bridget stands a little short of six feet, wears a size 12, and is in her late forties. As a busy Mum-on-the-Go her lifestyle is extra casual, which means practical outfits that are comfortable, on trend and fun. No heels, dresses or skirts unless it’s a special occasion.
In this post Bridget is sharing two more of her casual outfits that work well for a Seattle Summer. Both combine new and older pieces, which is something she enjoys to do.
Bridget took to the oversized upscale sweatshirt trend like a duck to water because she adores soft pieces that are roomy, cozy and comfortable. That made the new Vince Camuto ‘80s sweatshirt an instant hit. At this stage in Bridget’s fashion life she much prefers a very fluid or oversized fit. I can’t remember the last time she tried on a tailored item, other than skinnies to tuck into boots (a must for our wet weather in Winter). Scrunched sleeves provide structure to the outfit, as does the welt of the top.
Bridget’s long neck, broad shoulders, and regular sized bust allow her to wear all necklines with panache. She looks as good in a turtleneck as she does in a plunging V-neck, scoop neck, crew neck, cowl neck or boat neck. And dropped shoulder seams, which you might think don’t work on a broad shoulder line, work really well. They cleverly shorten a broad shoulder line, and lengthen a narrow one.
Bridget and her mother Karen enjoy wearing white bottoms, so each season we make sure that Bridget’s white bottoms are fashionably fab and in good shape. This season we added a pair of cropped boyfriend jeans from the Loft into the mix to complement her capsule of long white boyfriends and straight legs. She wears them with most of her Summer tops, both untucked with a sweatshirt like you see here, or partially tucked in front with a belt. The pewter Ecco sandals are several seasons old and still going strong.
The combination of cropped bottoms with a warmer top and sandals is great for Seattle because our Summers have very few days that are extremely hot. As Queen Pattern, Bridget loves to wear and mix patterns, which makes the patterned bag a natural fit. Bridget is a soft and gentle person, so the fact that she is happiest wearing loud patterns is an interesting juxtaposition in itself. Bold patterns seem to bring out Bridget’s stunning light blue eyes and warm smile even more. I love that.
The next outfit might seem like a Fall look, but it’s totally wearable on a typical Seattle Summer’s day. The bottom of the outfit is new, while the top part is a few seasons old. I make a point of remixing old and new pieces during our outfit creation sessions because Bridget has a soft spot for her golden oldies. Here she’s wearing her new Rag & Bone Dre boyfriend jeans. She started wearing boyfriend jeans last year and never looked back. It was a big step for Bridget to wear a belt and partially tuck tops. To quote my darling friend: “I have belt phobia, Angie. I can’t do it!” Thanks to relaxed jeans, forgiving fluid fits, and the genius semi-tuck, Bridget has become a Belt Gal, and we chuckle about this often. One can truly never say never in fashion.
Bridget loves to wear long cardigans, and for several years wore boyfriend and waterfall styles as casual lightweight toppers. She tired of those silhouettes last year so now she’s sporting cocoon styles with round bottoms to change up her look. A different style of drape that’s just as comfy and cozy. The gauzy cream topper layers beautifully over an equally gauzy striped tee, which is semi-tucked over a pewter belt. To finish off this look, Bridget adds lightweight cream Giove booties to bookend her hair, and pick up the cream in the outfit. The turquoise bag provides a happy pop of colour.
Bridget loved the idea of slip-on sneakers when I wrote about them, so we added the Vince Blair Slip-On Sneakers to her Summer shoe capsule. You might find the patterned version less versatile than the solid, but Bridget is an adventurous pattern mixer, and will wear them like a solid neutral. They work with all her jeans and long length shorts, adding a trendy sporty touch to her outfits. Here they work just as well as the cream booties in exactly the same outfit.
Thank you, Bridget, for being such a sport. You photograph beautifully and are a natural in front of the camera like your Mama. It was an honour to feature some of your fabulous and inspiring warm weather Mum-on-the-Go outfits. I love working with you, and love you as a friend even more.
