Fashion Friday: Summer Dresses

95.  101.  91. 84. 83. 84. 81. 88. 88.
Temperatures for the near future here.


There's nothing more comfortable than a cool casual dress in this warm weather.  Nothing to bunch up.  Anywhere.  And as I've gotten older and wider, shorts don't flatter me as well.  So I really splurged and bought several dresses to carry me through these warm days.

The criteria for me, are as follows:
1.  Sleeveless.  [Did I say it's HOT??]
2.  No layering required.  [Did I say it's HOT??]
3.  Does not show panty lines.  [I know that there are women of a certain age who would GASP at the notion of a lady not wearing a slip but well...did I say it's hot??]
4. Wash-n-wear.
5.  Last but not least, modestly priced.  I'd even say inexpensive.

Hey, remember this post from last year about what to wear for the Fourth of July?  This is what I wore to watch the Fourth of July parade:

 

I was the red to my boys' white and blue:

It looks bit dressy, I admit, but it is really a simple take-off on the t-shirt dress.  Red cotton jersey dress by Andrea Jovine, gold and linen ballet flats by Ann Klein Sport, both purchased at Marshall's.  The dress is snug at the top, with an empire waist and a skirt that billows away from my body but is cinched with the band at the bottom to give it a modern twist.  The satin gold necklace is from Hallmark (yes, as in cards,) and gold drop hoops by JLo.


The next dresses are all in great patterns that do wonders for hiding problem areas and meeting criteria #3. 
What I wore yesterday:

 

Jewel-tone paisley dress by moa moa [sold at better department stores, but I got at a thrift store.] Handmade geometric earrings from a boutique, chain mail necklace from Charming Charlie's.  Jeweled "Nora" sandals by Mia.

Here are two more I got also from Marshall's:

And here are a couple of outfits I put together from Polyvore. They can be really simple [as long as they FIT well] and you can jazz them up with colorful sandals or even flip-flops and a fun tote:

Summer Dress Block by blackbeltoma featuring short heels

Fun summer backpack to go with anything! From Target.

Summer Dress Gray by blackbeltoma featuring rhinestone shoes

Summer Dress Green by blackbeltoma featuring rhinestone shoes

Whatever your style, you can find summer dresses to keep you feeling COOL and looking HOT!

Fashion Friday - Growing Old - the Ajumma

There's a subtle change in my header.  I've added "over-50" to it.  But it's not a subtle change in my life.  It looms over me every day, aware of my mortality.

It's not anything deep, really.  It started out with the number of white hairs I'm getting. I still have mostly black hair, but the sprouting of white hairs in my hairline is becoming more prominent.  Then, as I sat at my vanity with the magnifying mirror, I noticed now different my skin is.  Suddenly.  Sags.  Bags.  And the full-length mirror?  Flat where it used to be pert.

I heard a comedian late one night on TV riffing on being east Asian.  He said that Asian women look exactly the same for decades - then BANG! they get old.  It's true.  I know a lot of Asian women accept this "mature" status - of becoming the "Ajumma."  That's what a young person calls an older woman.  Ajumma is permed hair and ankle socks.  Ajumma is a floral dress and shuffling steps.  Ajumma is the lady selling noodle dishes at the stand.  It's the "Ma'am" of Korean.  That word makes me shudder.  All my life, I looked young for my age.  Now, I actually look my age.  And I don't like it.  One bit.

Some of you may think it's alright, even laudable to see those Hollywood types get filled, plugged, sliced and spliced to look young.  To me, it's slightly ridiculous to hold onto your youth when that train left the station a loooong time ago.  When I do my Fashion Fridays or What I Wore Wednesdays, I'm always wondering how not to look ridiculous, if I'm trying too hard.

Now, as the weather turns warm and we have these unusual high-70s weather, I wonder -- can I wear shorts?  Cuz the latest thing?

My KNEES are wrinkled.

Maybe what I should do is stop looking at my knees and get ON my knees.






*grandma in Korean

Fashion Friday: Blackbelt Summer Action

This is the time when all the stores are desperately trying to clean out their summer stock, right?  Well the same is true for thrift stores.  Yesterday, even though I barely had 10 bucks to my name, I stopped at one of my haunts and SCORED!

Fun watercolor tank by Lucky.  Lucky for me, since these are pretty pricey!  I love how it fits, I love the little ruffle embellishment and the fun colors.

Here's an Old Navy black embellished tank, which I am sure has never been worn!  I'm not sure how long this flowers and ruffles thing is going to last, and I'm already getting tire of it, but I like this because it is subtle and flattering on me.  If I get one summer out of it, it's still worth what I paid!

I love love this t-shirt.  It's so simple and casual, clean and fresh.  It's Faded Glory, sold at WalMart, which is funny because I never go to WalMart.

And look at these adorable shorts I got for Boo!  Not always easy because he won't wear anything that even has a speck of orange or red.  Don't ask me why!  I have no idea!!  I'm determined to have him dress better this school year - instead of gym pants and t-shirts every day - so wish me "bon chance!"

 So.  Tahdah!!

Fashion Friday: St. Patrick's, IF YOU MUST

OK, if you feel you MUST wear green on March 17, then first things first.  Let's put these in the garbage:

 No, no, no. Don't put them in the charity box and tempt some other soul with them.  Throw.  Them.  Away.  If you're worried about the landfill, remember, cotton is biodegradable, so you'll be green!  HAHAHA!!

OK.  Now try these approaches:

1.  Bold? Wear one major, stylish piece.  But JUST ONE.

 

These bags range from $35 to $350.


2.  Shy? Wear just one little, stylish piece.  Like a pair of shoes (I suggest "stylish," so that means NOT Merrells and NOT Crocs.)

Try the gladiators with cropped cargo pants or shorts if you dare!

Really, really shy?  How about a piece of jewelry?

3. Wear it with an unusual color like this pencil skirt in gray:

Ann Taylor LOFT

Or lime, or sand, or white.

4. I'm doing 4 in honor of the 4-leaf clover.  So finally, how about this Arizona tank top available at JCPenney's to wear under a cardi or jacket?  Now this would be a statement for Ireland:

Soft twill jacket by Coldwater Creek

Fashion Friday: Dressing for the Holidays

I know.  It's March.  Shouldn't she have done this post in, um, December??

I'm not talking New Years' parties because you can find literally hundreds of posts and articles about that.

I'm talking....the dreaded....OTHER holidays: Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's, Easter and the worst: Fourth of July.  I just want you to know I never.  NEVER dress for these holidays.  Do you remember on Bridget Jones' Diary when the [gorgeous] Colin Firth wore that horrid "jumper" that his mother knit?  Yup.  That's what I think of.  If it can make the Fabulous Firth look that bad, think what it's doing for your figure!

Love makes you do funny things.  In my case, the love of a 3rd grader with an interminable smile.  I'm even volunteering in his classroom for parties.  Look, it's no secret among my friends that I do not like children.  Oh sure - I like MY kid and I [usually] like YOUR kid.  But not kidS.  So love makes me do funny things.  I get to watch these kids eat glop made with white processed flour, covered with sugar paste made desirable to them by a smathering of petri dish coloring and petroleum-based flavors...

Oh.  Fashion  Friday.  That's right...where was I??

So I went to help with the Valentine's Day party at this school.  What to wear.  What to wear.  So. I wore this slinky red tunic top, a red/grey silk scarf, skinny jeans and a pair of BONGO red wedges.  I wore earrings that my friend, Jessica Buchtel, made out of brass washers and red coral.  [I just want you to know that all the reds DID match.  At least they matched enough, but the camera makes them all look clashy!]

I would not be so "matchy-matchy," were it not for a 3rd grade Valentines' Day party.

So, if you wore one of these tops for Valentine's Day:

you have a chance to redeem yourself. St. Patrick's and Easter are coming up.

**Check next Friday for my suggestions!**

**Check out the What I Wore Wednesday features at my new gig - All Things Chic!**