Is It Vintage or Just Old?

I had to look up the definitions of vintage versus old for this fashion post:

Old means no longer in general use or of a former time.
Vintage means representing the high quality of a past time.

I needed to know this because I have clothes and handbags that I've kept and wondered if they were just old pieces or now vintage wear (whereas my husband has A LOT of just old clothes!).

Based on these definitions, you, too, can decide if you have vintage pieces or old items.

For example, I have a canary yellow silk shantung rolled neck shift dress with matching coat. I bought it for $8 in a thrift shop many years ago. It is a beautiful classic outfit that Audrey Hepburn could have worn, Jackie Kennedy would have worn (with a pillbox hat) and it still looks flawless and stylish today. It is most definitely vintage and only looks lovelier over time.

Old clothes, however, don't stand the test of time well. I often clean my closets of old clothes and give them to Goodwill. Too tight jeans, poor-boy ribbed sweaters, sweatshirts, dresses that were trendy but just sad now, handbags that have seen better days or are of styles that are ugly and shapeless now, and suits with big lapels and/or full shoulder pads. Admit it...you have some of those, too.

I still have a clutch handbag by Eteinne Aigner in cognac leather that is in perfect condition and I may carry again...now as vintage. Or my Dooney and Bourke doctor bag that I just HAD to have and is now "vintage" ...and smaller than I remember.

Even today, I love to buy new items that "look" vintagey. I recently bought a black winter top that looks like one that Laura Petrie would have worn on "The Dick Van Dyke Show."  I love it!

Jewelry becomes vintage keepsakes to pass on to younger family members. Brooches, necklaces, earrings, bracelets all have vintage appeal. If you don't think you have valuable pieces, going on Ebay and looking at prices of similar pieces helps to know what you've got. Or go to an honest certified jeweler for your good jewelry assessment.

Some styles that we women "of a certain age" wore are coming back into style again. There is a belief that if you wore it when you were young, you cannot wear it again. Crop tops, halter tops, cut off shorts, denim coveralls, knee high socks, Mary Jane flats, skirts with schoolgirl pleats...I could go on and on. Just dress age appropriately. And if you are in doubt, don't wear it. Listen to your common sense and, sometimes, a friend.

Wearing a lovely vintage piece of jewelry, clothing or handbag will make you feel classic and stylish. Wearing something old will make you feel sloppy and, well, old.

So pick your "seasoned" pieces with this in mind: "Does this make me look stylish or silly?" You know the answer...and want to feel lovely in all that you wear. Dress with your heart and common sense in mind. Fashion is about the latest in clothing -- style is about how you look and carry yourself in your clothes. 

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

Neck, Hands and Ageing...It Isn't Such A Bad Thing!

I'm currently reading the last novel written by Nora Ephron..."I Feel Bad About My Neck" and it is full of issues faced by women "of a certain age."  Topics such as graying hair, beauty maintenance, handbags and other things that we all deal with.

I have wanted to read it because I love Nora's movies and her sense of humor. The title of this book is important enough to write about in my blog.

No matter how much you put on your face, style your hair, wear beautiful clothes or jewelry, your neck will always show your maturity.

The skin on your neck is thin and gets crepey, wrinkly and saggy over time. How many times have you seen a great looking woman, wondering her age until you see her neck...and hands?

Hands are also a giveaway of ageing. Again, they have thin skin and show ageing.

Nora wrote about all the ointments, creams, salves and lotions she has accumulated to ward off signs of ageing. There are a myriad of these available at various prices from drugstores to high end stores. As a certain TV commercial states, we buy a face cream believing it will do what they promise and when it doesn't work, we move on to the next one. I can't even count how many different ones I have in medicine cabinets, vanity, bathroom shelves and drawers. Nora mentions that she never thought of putting a foot cream on her face or an eye cream on her neck. Do you, too, have a collection of creams for specific body parts? Have you ever tried one that is for a specific part on another? Why not?

Is ageing really a bad thing? Can't we do this natural process with grace and panache? I don't mean giving up on coloring our hair, using lotions to keep skin soft and supple, working out at the gym, or buying cute stylish clothes. What I'm talking about is giving this ageing process a boost through considerate care, commitment to love and honor yourself and others, and looking at yourself honestly and kindly.

There isn't anything that will stop the process of ageing and very little that we should do. There are too many people who are deprived of getting older. Embrace your life, your look and find joy in looking your best every day.

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

Are Leggings for Us?

Recently I was told about an incident where a woman "of a certain age" wore white leggings and a tee shirt to a sports event.That woman did not look at herself from behind because my friend, who told me about the incident, said she looked rather tasteless and ridiculous....her large posterior showed itself to be larger due to the cut of the tee hem and panty lines were blatantly obvious. The sad part of this story is that it was a client-hosting event and this woman was one of the hosts.

Does this mean that we women "of a certain age" can't wear leggings? Absolutely not! But it does require some serious consideration as to how we wear them.

First is fit. You want them to fit properly...that means looking at yourself from the front for "camel toe" and the back for coverage. You don't want them to be too sheer and you want them to look attractive and appropriate. You don't want underwear to be seen or have any skin bulge above or below your panty line.




Even if you're thin, you want to ensure you don't have leggings that are too tight, too sheer or pull on you.

Color is also something to consider. Nude leggings make you look, well, nude. And white makes things look larger.



The absolutely best look for us is a long tunic over leggings. It is stylish, attractive and covers a myriad of sins.



And with the cooler weather, leggings make a cute look with boots, wrapped scarves, fun jackets and freedom from having to hold in your tummy (if the tunic is loose enough)!

We must be careful to dress age appropriate, not trying to look like kids. Instead of this:



We can look like these:







There are prints, colors, and varied lengths of  leggings. This means fun, variety and style. Just look at yourself from behind before you step outside. You definitely want to leave a great impression!

Here's a perfect quote from the recently departed designer whose styles I have always admired.

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz