Falling in love with cool weather!

I am so happy it has cooled down here in Florida.  I am finally able to wear the light pullover sweaters that I bought at Old Navy (on sale right now for $15 each!).



And my military jacket that I also bought at Old Navy several months ago for $20.

 I bought these booties at Target the other day for $26 -- on sale, plus I had a $3 off coupon on Target shoes.

And two black boat neck tees -- I LOVE boat neck shirts!  And if you know me, you know I wear a lot of black - $15 each.  (Actually I bought a white with black stripes but didn't like how it looked, once I brought it home so I took it back. I tried on a white one and a green one -- but went with what I like to wear most).

Today I bought a silver-tone link necklace to wear with my sweaters and black tees for only $20.

When it gets cooler, I'm really looking forward to wearing my long awaited-for moto jacket (black faux leather, brass zippers and buttons for only $29 because I was at Ross and used my Tuesday Seniors discount- getting old does have a few benefits.

And blue jeans and black jeans and black yoga pants for casual days. Black skirts and slacks for my temp work days.




Thanks to this gorgeous weather, I am spending a lot of time walking the dog for long strolls or sitting in the back yard, reading my library books and drinking hot mugs of green tea. This weather is exactly what I've eagerly anticipated...how about you?  Is there a special piece of clothing you can't wait to wear?  And what outdoor activity are you going to enjoy in the cooler weather for fun and relaxation?

And this quote is perfect for our Florida Fall season:
There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!
Percy Bysshe Shelley 

Until next week, I remain...

Stylistically yours,


Sooz

Wearing a uniform... of sorts

Do you have a uniform?

Most of us have nice wardrobes with a variety of clothes to wear for various occasions, seasons and activities, however, I find that we each have a uniform of sorts that we resort to over and over again



There was a woman where I worked many years ago and she was known for always wearing black. She even wrote an article about being "the woman in black."  I, too, wear A LOT of black. Suits, dresses, tops, skirts, pants, and even my winter coat.  I like black because it can take me anywhere, at any time...and I think it makes my butt look smaller. Seriously!

Steve Jobs only wore black mock-neck tops with his faded jeans -- every day.  Michael Kors has a large variety of black tops that he wears with his black slacks. Johnny Cash is known as The Man In Black. Our judges wear black robes in the courtroom. And many comedians only wear black on stage (Richard Belzer, Richard Lewis, Lewis Black).  Notice they're all men?  Well, women do have a lot of options with prints, colors and style. But I find black to be a common staple in all wardrobes.

If you go to major cities around the world, you'll find black attire is common.  Not in a "goth" way but professionally, informally and, of course, formally as well.


When I was in London, England, in my black skirts and jackets, I looked like everyone else walking along the busy streets during the weekday. And in Paris, my black skirts with white shirts made me look just like the other Parisians during their workaday walking around, subway rides and bus jaunts. Of course, New York City women wear black to work and out after.  In all these cities, you will also see color pops but many colorful wear is done by tourists, not the people who live there.



Black doesn't show dirt as easily. It is easy to dress up or down. It is simple to accessorize and it serves as a background for sales teams (it doesn't distract from the product) to wear.

I prefer black yoga wear to colors because it doesn't show my lumps and pumps in lycra wear as much.

And though I had a lot of lovely colored suits, my most frequently worn ones were....yes, black.



This year, I have broken out of the black wear a bit and bought some stripes, two red Calvin Klein dresses, and (gasp!) a lime green dress. But in a pinch, you'll still see me in black the most often.



I like to accessorize my black with leopard print in shoes, sweaters, jackets and tops, or stripes, or prints. But black is my uniform of choice.



So now I'm asking, what is your uniform?  And why?

I so get this quote that is uncredited to anyone:

 I'm only wearing black until they make something darker.

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,


Sooz

Our right to bare arms!

There is an old philosophy of fashion:  that women "of a certain age" should never go sleeveless.  I think that is because of the "bingo arms" that often develops.  Bingo arms (for those of you who aren't familiar with the phrase) is that loose flappy part that swings back and forth when you raise your arm to yell "Bingo."

Thank goodness that old rules are changing all the time. And so are we. In these days of Pilates, yoga, and weight work, many women have beautiful "guns" -- upper arms with biceps. Our First Lady (although younger) has remarkable arms and wears sleeveless often.  She isn't lucky about having great arms - she works out every day, making the commitment to herself and her health. It is work, no doubt about it. And  in 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy wore sleeveless black sheath to her husband’s State of the Union address as well as other venues. Yes, she was young but she certainly didn't shy away from creating fashion trends that, before her, were strict and stodgy about clothing appropriateness.  So can we.

However, there are some guidelines for appearing attractive and confident.

Sleeveless is better on us than cap sleeves.  Cap sleeves hit our arms at the wrong place and make our upper arms look fatter. Even shaped arms can look fat in cap sleeves. So shop with a discerning eye.



But over time our skin sometimes gets loose and saggy. Look at your upper arms in sleeveless. If that's the case, you might want to invest in medium length sleeves or even a light cardigan to wear when you go out.

Another option (albeit pricey and painful) is plastic surgery (liposuction) to remove fat and tighten the upper arm skin.


Although I admit to having had plastic surgery, I will NEVER do that!  I don't have the money or the desire to go through it.  But it is an option, for your information. The below gives you an idea of cost:

• Arm liposuction typically costs between $1,500 and $5,000 for both arms, which usually are counted as one body part. Cost varies by the individual patient and how much fat needs to be removed. 
• Arm liposuction is considered a cosmetic procedure, so it typically is not covered by health insurance

I do temp work for "shoe money" (don't tell my husband but I bought four pair of shoes a couple of weeks ago -- he thinks I have enough - silly man - and by the time I wear them, I can honestly say..."I've had those shoes - you just don't pay attention"!)  In my most recent job, I was told that the front desk person (my role) cannot wear sleeveless...at all.  Other women in the offices can do so but the front desk person may not.  So I wear light jackets or cardigans to keep up appearances.  Some times, some places, you just have to comply with the rules no matter the temperature.

Of course, tattoos make being sleeveless a challenge, too.  Many work places will not allow any tattoos to appear.  Heck, even the U.S. Army has made that a rule now! I don't know what many tattooed young women will do for careers or if the employment rules will be changed. And I cannot imagine how their tattoos will look as they get older. Yes, I'm of an older generation who just doesn't get it. Still...



Spend some time working out, build your arms (and bones) by lifting weights or boxing. Sweating is good for you - a favorite phrase of mine is "Sweat is fat crying."  You don't have to lift heavy weights, just do a lot of reps.

Yoga's plank pose is a great upper body builder - gravity is pulling you down and your arms are holding your weight up. It is not an easy pose but it sure does work on abs, arms and back.  Just remember to keep breathing!


Fall is here (finally) and sleeveless will be gone until Spring (seven months or so from now).  Start now. Work on your health, your arms (and abs!) and you'll be ready for sleeveless - no matter your age.

I LOVE this quote and it is perfect for today's post:

"When archaeologists discover the missing arms of Venus de Milo, they will find she was wearing boxing gloves." John Barrymore
 Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

Sweatin' the small stuff!

I've been asked to blog about workout clothes.  Easy peasy because when I'm not working, I LIVE in workout clothes.

I love to wear comfy clothes when I'm working around the house, gardening or just reading or knitting. But workout wear can be very pricey, unless you know where to go.

My favorite workout wear is from Old Navy. 

They're not expensive and are pure comfort and not see through. I say this because unless you live in a cave, you know about the suit against Lulelemon for having sheer, see through yoga pants. That's what happens when you let a brand name, that decides to manufacture cheaply, makes you pay more money for something that isn't worth it.

Fitness stores such as Sports Authority carry a huge variety of workout wear that range from running togs to yoga, to tennis, to hiking wear.  My recommendation is look for coupons online, in-store sales or brand discounts.

What you want to look for in workout wear is, of course, the fit.  Because I love visuals to accommodate my posts, here are some scary photos to highlight my points:

Here we go again....camel toe is a big issue.
   Just YIKES!

And then the rear view....
       A-hem, need I show more of that?

And then there's tennis wear.  Cleavage on the course....really?


And once more, the rear view...this time in tennis....






It doesn't matter if you are an amazing talent on the court, yoga mat or trail - have some dignity and grace when you work out.

There are so many great pieces to help you work out in comfort and ease. Whether it is tennis, yoga, running, P90X, golf, or going to the gym,  looking and feeling cute is a great motivator for you to keep at it.







Again, you can spend a lot of money on workout wear, but you don't have to.  The Internet has many options (Amazon, EBay, Zappos, as well as online brands) to help you save money.  And you can always go to my favorite stores (Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Bealls Outlet) to find great buys on whatever sport activity you are interested in doing.

Walking is a perfect workout for all women "of a certain age" because it is free, easy to do any place and can be done any time of the day or night.  And much research has shown it to help fight heart disease, bone disease, depression and weight issues.  Comfy shoes and chafe-free clothes are really all you need.

I'm not even going to go into the shoes issues. If you've read my past post, you know I'm a huge fan of Skechers GoWalks. They are the only shoe that doesn't cause my neuromas to act up. And they're light weight, breathing, bouncy shoes. But try on your sports shoe, based on your sport.  Walk in them, jump in them, run in place in them.  Once you walk out of the store with them, they're pretty much yours.

Motivation to work out is really important.  Here are some great quotes.....









Whatever you wear, whatever you choose to do for exercise....go for it with style!

I got the below off Pinterest - and it is absolutely the truth.....

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz