YLF meet up equals style rubric

Met with JR yesterday for a mini YLF coffee/shopping meet up. What a lovely, warm, chic woman. In conversation my style rubric that I have been working on so diligently came right out. I may actually have different ones for summer and winter too, who would have thought.
Warm, soft, classic, casual
Now warm is not a word that one would think belongs here but for me I think it is vital. If it’s not wool I basically don’t want to look at it as I will freeze.
Soft is a given. No denim, leather or cotton button downs. For me it’s wool crepe, suede, corduroy or silk.
Classic. Well all those years of working in a strictly formal, conservative environment with protocol have not been left behind. Think international politics and trade.
Now throw in the casual since I have left my working life behind and retired early due to medical conditions. A big week for me is grocery, pharmacy, library, doctor, coffee with friends and in the winter hockey.
The classic is the thing that really threw me. I thought that I was complete opposite to that now. No wonder style is driving me nuts and I have such a hard time shopping.
In talking with JR I realized that I have an inordinate love for kick pleats in skirts. All those years of having suits custom made with that protocol apparently has a large impact and what is the one element that you can get away with...yes kick pleat mania. No wonder that the first thing I look for in an outfit is the line.
DUH!!!

13 years ago

Anonymous

I love this kind of thing Freckles. It sounds like you had all of your prerequisites in your mind, even though it took JR to help you get them down on paper. How nice that the two of you got to meet up! Did you figure out your summer rubric as well?

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

How great that the two of you were able to meet. Sometimes it's discussing ideas and thoughts with another YLFer that suddenly makes things so obvious. Good for you and now you will be able to move forward with some clearer choices. My rubric slightly differs between winter and summer as well - I would imagine that's the case for many of those who have very different weather according to the season.

Suz

(website)

Fantastic! I am so glad you had a mini-meetup! It is time we re-organized our long awaited Eastern Ontario meetup, too.

But this conversation was so helpful to you! It sounds as if you made some exceptionally valuable discoveries. Now it will be down to isolating those elements of "classic" that fit with the "casual." I think that's often a really tough question for those who no longer work in an office setting. And add the fact that you do not care for denim...I see some great ponte pants and maybe even a knit pencil skirt in your future!!

Freckles

Well Claire one would think that the summer rubric would be cool, soft, classic, casual but it is not...
Cool and casual are a given, not entirely sure what to do about the soft and classic. A cashmere or merino turtleneck although casual have a certain presence that the summer things do not. I haven’t found a weight of fabric with the right weave that is not jersey for summertime.
I also don’t know what to do about jewelery. In the winter I adore pendants which with a turtleneck are perfect to my eye. In the summer I don’t like the competing necklines. Since I still haven’t found my silver cuff or good large watch; maybe earrings are my best bet.
I did find another cheap large watch at the hospital this week but since the bracelet is fabric and it is neither shock or water resistant I don’t expect it to last long.

I hadn't thought that the weather would play a part in the rubric Shannon but you're so wise, I see for me that it makes a major impact. Just telling JR what sorts of things I really do love was so astonishing.

Yes Suz, that meet up will be a blast I am sure. JR was able to get a few things yesterday that are on her main list, a least two of them on a really good sale. I wasn’t so successful. The non fashion forward sheepskin gloves were not a good fit and slid off my hand and the wool turtleneck I found in a nice purple colour was too big. I had to put that PPP into effect as it was wool, long and not black.
Seeing you wrestle with your style challenge has been so enlightening even though the look you are developing is different than mine. There are a lot of similarities in the evolution.
I have looked at the ponte pants but haven’t seen any yet with a side zip and wool blend. The search is still on. They look like a really nice fabric that will be durable for those at home days that are fraught with spills and falls. I hadn’t even thought of a knit pencil skirt, what an excellent idea. I would not wear it for my real day to day life as it is too cold but I do need to replace my black pencil skirt and have been unable to find one with kick pleats in my price range. Gone are the days of spending a lot of money on items that I don’t wear every week.

Caro in Oz

Wonderful insights. While reading your musing on summer I had the idea of a soft stretchy cotton for tops & even dresses. I'm not sure how hot it gets where you are (I can only wear linen or cotton).

Aida

Oh how fun! It sounds like you two had a lovely time. Slightly OT, I am perpetually fascinated by how many people have a resistance/block to saying that "classic" is part of their style persona. Re summer, perhaps "cool" isn't the right word.. since you don't really like jewelry and you're looking for a fine, weighted fabric, how about "clean"? Also, do you wear silk? I find it lovely in the summer. (Linen too, but I know the wrinkles aren't easy to deal with.)

Thanks Caro. I am generally able to find a top or two but it's the bottom half that drives me insane. I could start wearing dresses at home but since I would hang my insulin pump at the neckline a trip to the grocery store and such would need a change of clothing. It is not that hot here except for a few weeks but the humidity is killer. I feel the heat though during the daytime. I have only had one or two pieces of linen and found I always looked like I rolled out of bed in it.

We did have a lovely time, thank you Aida. The shock re classic was that I thought it was only part of my work persona because it had to be and not that it was a choice. Clean is very much more expressive and takes into play much more than one element of the vibe, thank you. I used to wear silk a lot at work but at home here I have found it too warm. Perhaps I have just been trying the wrong silk though so will have to hunt and see what is out there. I do have a couple of silk knit t-shirts that I love early and late summer. I always wear sleeves and prefer a longer short sleeve in the heat but not a 3/4 one.

CocoLion

Thanks for sharing your style rubric Freckles! The part of your style that comes from your professional background (kick pleats and I'm assuming a more tailored approach to clothing) is so interesting to me. I'd love to see an example of a fine kick pleat (most likely on a skirt, no?)

I almost missed this post.

So glad you got something out of the afternoon, Freckles. :o) It's amazing what can gel in a conversation, isn't it?

For what it's worth, Freckles is much harder on herself than she should be. She's a classy looking lady with a lovely figure. The slender, inverted triangle type you see in so many models. She keeps comparing herself to what she used to be and finds herself lacking. She must have been stunning.

And it was so strange to hear someone calling me JR in real life. Not unpleasant, just different.

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