Put your best fashionable foot forward!

Okay, I will confess I am an addict. SHOES!  I love, love, love beautiful shoes. And I come by it honestly...as a child, my bronzed baby shoes sat on top of the television which was the focus of every seated piece of furniture. So you couldn't help but see them all day, every day. Little bronzed baby shoes like a crown on top of the RCA. I still have those little shoes.

And to celebrate today's holiday, Easter, always meant a brand new pair of shiny patent leather Mary Janes (black or white). The new dress was great but what made it such a great holiday was getting new shoes! (Oh, and chocolate)

Later, my father was the manager of a high-end shoe store and frequently brought home the latest style of shoes. I would get a pair and then sew a dress to match the shoes (backwards from how most women put together an outfit).

I learned that Imelda Marcos was a fascinating figure when we found out that she had thousands of shoes. I wondered how is that possible - now I understand.

As "a woman of a certain age," today's shoes present quite a dilemma. I love the huge platforms, the stiletto heel, the fascinating colors and the very pointy toe.  However, there are now some parts of shoe trends that must go by the wayside.

First, high platform shoes...I love the styles but have experienced the pull of gravity to my detriment. I had purchased a pretty pair of high platform sandals and wore them to work, feeling tall and stylish. Until I fell off my shoes and landed hard on my butt. Those shoes have since been given to a younger woman who was thrilled to get them. The additional height from wearing platforms is great but not so much the embarrassment and pain of falling down in front of a very traumatized man and his child.  I hope they can forget what they saw!

 I love stiletto heels! But they were easier to wear when I was younger, I could run in them; now I have accepted that three inches are the perfect limit for me to walk in.

The great news is that the pointy toe and fascinating colors are still wearable for us.  A trick I've learned is to stuff plastic sandwich bags (fold over kind, not zip lock) into the point of the shoe. It keeps the toe from collapsing and gives your foot a nice cushion since your foot is angled down towards the point. Your toe shouldn't be crammed into the point, it is a feature to elongate your legs (and your feet) so they should still be comfortable to wear. 

Neon yellow, lime green, florals (like above), polka dots, stripes and my favorite - leopard, make shoes a beautiful accessory to any outfit. And I love the fact that patterns, colors and prints don't have to match your ensemble. Now you can mix stripes with dots, various florals (never wear matching florals - you'll look aged), and opposite colors. 

For casual attire, a cute sandal, flat or mule should still be comfortable, stylish and fun.

And for walking the dog or exercise (and yes, even grocery store runs) I adore my Skechers Go Walks. I have two pair (black with white trim and gray) and expect I'll be buying more.  I recommend  Go Walks to every woman and found them cheapest at Stein Mart.  Check 'em out!

I have had my share of foot problems: flat feet, four Morton's neuromas (which had to be surgically removed - one grew back!) and a bunionectomy. But my recovery goal has always been to be able to get back into my beautiful shoes. 

We expect a lot from our feet and should take really good care of them. Massage them, get pedicures, moisturize them and dress them perfectly in great feet attire. With the Internet, there are even more options for shoe buying.  Put your best foot forward and dance like no one is watching.

"Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life."

I'll be back next Sunday.  Til then, walk proud!

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

(High heel shoes can be found on ShoeDazzle; leopard flats can be found on Zappos)

This WILL be mine!

This WILL be mine! by sfindell featuring biking jackets

Bardot biking jacket
$125 - bardot.com.au

Saturday night out

Saturday night out by sfindell featuring a leather biker jacket

Bardot lace shirt
$63 - bardot.com.au

AllSaints leather biker jacket
allsaints.com

Monsoon straight leg pants
monsoon.co.uk

Madison Harding cut out boots
madisonharding.com

Yves saint laurent handbag
hirshleifers.com

Black diamond earrings
fashion.ebay.com

It's the little things that make a difference

Have you noticed that some women wear clothes beautifully and wondered why?
Many times it is the details that make a difference.

Those women's clothes fit perfectly in most cases because they have a tailor who alters everything they wear.  It makes a difference in off-the-rack clothes becoming a stylish classic piece of your wardrobe.  If you don't already have a trusted tailor, simply look around your community or ask your friends who do they use as a good reliable tailor. Contrary to what I had believed, I learned that tailors are not very expensive and, boy, do they perform magic when it comes to making your clothes fit perfectly.  Mine has shortened suit sleeves, hemmed a lot of skirts and pants and even restructured a Ralph Lauren blazer that had wide lapels and large "Dynasty-style" shoulder pads. She did an amazing job of making it contemporary and wearable.

Case in point regarding the little things...I have a friend who was told by her supervisor that she wouldn't ascend in the company because she wasn't professional enough. She had to wear oxford shirts and khaki slacks, so to compensate for the "men's wear," she wore large dangly earrings, long red fingernails and scarves around her neck. We talked about her dilemma and how to advance in her career. I encouraged her to take those company oxford shirts to a tailor to have darts and fitted seams sown into them. And to get rid of the front-pleated khakis and buy flat-front khaki pants. I also recommended that she wear smaller, less distracting earrings and shorter, paler manicured nails. Those cute flirty scarves could be worn on the weekends but not at work anymore.  She took my advice and made all of the changes. I am proud to say that four months later, she was promoted. In fact, she has ascended several levels since then and is still amazed at how trying to feminize her work clothes was seen as a negative.  It really is the little things.

Carrying a good leather handbag and wearing polished well maintained shoes are both little things within your ensemble but so worth the addition to your wardrobe because they say so much about you and what you think of yourself.  And, let's admit it, when you know you look great, you walk with your head a little higher and your confidence makes you more powerful.

(this bag is a Michael Kors - I love him!)

 

 

Here's a quote that pretty much sums up this week's blog:  “Your clothes should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to show you're a lady”
― Marilyn Monroe

Enjoy your weekend and look for me next Sunday!

Stylistically yours,


Sooz

Colors blast with a spot of peplum

Colors blast with a spot of peplum by fifibelle-1 featuring by malene birger

By malene birger
stylebop.com

Peplum top
allyfashion.com

Levi's levi jeans
$120 - zalando.co.uk

Paris hilton shoes
heels.com

Tory burch handbag
toryburch.com

Trends that work for us, too!

I am happy to say that there are trends in fashion that we "women of a certain age" can take from the youth wave and transfer to our closets and be fashionable, stylish and appropriate.

From pencil skirts, sequins, cute cardigans, fun jewelry, and even platform shoes, these trends can be adopted and adapted for us to wear for fun and keep us up-to-date.

Today I received a catalog for a national chain store in my Sunday newspaper; it is very clear that the clothing they are advertising is for teenagers or twenty year olds. The models are kids with clear skin, long shiny hair and no hips. I don't know about you but I haven't looked like that in a million years.

Many fashions are for the young for a valid reason - they spend their money frivolously and for the moment. We women want to buy inexpensive stylish clothes that are timeless, fashionable and look great.

I like to hunt for my pieces at various discount stores such as Stein Mart, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls.  I don't want to spend a ton of money on good looking clothes that are based on trends. An example of a new trend are peplums which are huge this season.  (And they hide a myriad of sins!) 



I bought this peplum top in black for $16 at TJ Maxx and plan to wear it a lot.  Pencil skirts, capris, and straight leg jeans will set this off well. Add a statement necklace like the one below that I bought at Stein Mart for $29 and you're good to go!

Just remember that trends are temporary. If you're on a budget, you can be stylish and still have dollars for going to a play or lunch with friends or a road trip.

We know what looks good on our bodies and how we feel when we look good. Go shopping, buy with panache and have fun.

I'll be back next Sunday!  Til then...enjoy this Spring weather and wear sunscreen.

Sooz

Style tips, beauty hints and more...for Women of "A Certain Age"

I just celebrated getting to be another year older. That's a gift.

I love my life...my family, my friends, my community...and I really love to shop.

I never want to dress or appear to be one of those women who doesn't dress appropriately for her age or the times.

Most stores, catalogs and websites have really cute fashions, styles and ideas for twenty year old girls. We older women want to be fashionable and stylish and, yet, not dress like "Aunt Bea" or a "Golden Girl."

I have received many compliments for my ability to combine outfits, accessories and makeup for the various days in my life (except for those really lazy days when I'm in casual clothes working in the yard).

There are a ton of blogs for "girls," so now there's one for us women of "A Certain Age" who care about how we look and don't want to spend a lot of money doing it.

I'm frugal, love to find bargains and put clothes together differently and strikingly.

So, welcome!

I hope you find this to be helpful, fun and appealing.  Let me know what you think. Share your tips. And share this with your friends.

We are all in this together. 

Stylistically yours,

Sooz