Hero in a Red Vintage Pantsuit

Heroes come in so many forms. My outfit today reminds me of a hero I have admired my entire life. And, while the roles she played were fictional characters, those roles had a huge impact on my life. Plus, she was a real, flesh-and-blood human hero.

Mary Tyler Moore was never the kind of hero you’d find in a comic book. She was “just a woman” breaking barriers for the women and girls following in her wake.

On-Screen Hero

On-screen, MTM broke stereotypes of the American housewife in The Dick Van Dyke show. Sure, there were still sexist moments, but she was funny in her own right–not usually at her expense and not always because she played off her funny co-star.

I loved The Dick Van Dyke show, but The Mary Tyler Moore Show really found a foothold in my heart. Ms. Moore played a single woman living and working in Minneapolis. She dealt with a tough boss and a narcissistic co-worker. She dated sweet guys and wriggled out of the clutches of creepy ones. She had friends who were sometimes supportive and sometimes self-centered. She broke the mold that TV shows had to have a male lead. And, not only that, but her role was that of a news producer–a real, professional job.

Plus, she had a great apartment and amazing clothes. How could I not want to be just like her?

I watched the series as a girl and then watched it in reruns as a young adult just starting out my own journey to independence. That show gave me courage in a time when I wasn’t sure if I would make it after all. At 24-years-old, I moved to Minneapolis and every part of me jittered with hope and excitement to live in the city of my hero.

Hero and Human Being

Mary Tyler Moore was, of course, more than just a fictional character on a screen. She was a human being who spoke openly about her real human struggle with diabetes and alcoholism. She had one son and he died young as a result of a gun accident. Like me, she was vegetarian and worked to educate her community about animal rights. She dealt with some tough things in her life and was passionate about the lives and loves of others. I can relate to that. Can’t you?

The Pantsuit Hero

Mary Tyler Moore wasn’t the kind of hero that could outrun a speeding bullet or climb a wall with her bare hands, but she was someone who broke down walls and opened doors for women like me. In honor of her life and work and all the joy, strength, and inspiration she provided over the years, I present to you The Pantsuit Hero.

Scroll to the bottom for outfit details below the “comic book.”

Okay. So it’s not the best-written comic book. You never get to see the villain. But there was some KILLER dancing–another thing MTM was known for. Plus, you got to see this fun outfit in action.

Outfit details

The Pantsuit

This glorious pantsuit is a vintage treasure I found on eBay. Delicate white and black flowers are embroidered on the pants leg and on the sleeves of the jacket. I don’t usually wear the jacket and the pants together because it can come off like a costume. Plus, the jacket is just a smidge too big on me so I balance the bigness with something smaller on the bottom, like skinny jeans or a pencil skirt.

Below is a photo of the pants “in the wild.” I wore them to a blogger meet-up at an Anthropologie event in Seattle in October of last year. Rob, our photographer from JTouchofStyle.com, had his hands full trying to photograph us all as we waited to enter the event. It was a bit like herding cats. But Rob was a trooper and kept at it. This was the best photo of about 5 or 6 he took. (Sorry, Rob!)

To discover your own inner pantsuit hero, click here to search eBay.

Polkadot Top

The polkadot top is a handmade treasure I purchased at Sassafras here in Seattle. Bartle B. is the designer. She designs and creates all her clothes in the Sassafras studios.

Last I checked, there was one top like mine available in size Small. Click here if you’re interested. For more Bartle B. designs, visit Sassafras in person or go to Bartle B.’s Etsy shop.

Silky Tie by Smith Lab

My black tie is a silk beauty from Smith Lab on Etsy. Sarah Smith makes these in a variety of colors, lengths, and widths. She even has some with faux fur collars. I have three of her ties and I’ll buy more as I need to add to my collection. You can see in the photo above that I wore a cream-colored version to the Anthropologie meet-up event.

Belt and Shoes

The black belt has buffed silver metal details around it. I bought it at Eileen Fisher several years ago. Rebecca Minkoff has a somewhat similar belt at Nordstrom.

Finally, the shoes are vintage loafer pumps from Japan. I bought them because they have a pointy-ish toe and a shorter heel. You may have already guessed that I found them on eBay. Nordstrom has a couple of similar styles, one from M4D3 here (which also comes in red!), and one in patent leather by Michael Kors here.

Heroic Living

Life is pretty heavy sometimes. We all have our own villains to fight, big and small, from outside and in. I hope this post brought a little light to your heart as you strolled down memory lane with me. Maybe the comic book “story” brought a little joy, perhaps a smile. I hope so.

As you battle your own villains, have courage and find strength wherever you can, even if it’s a red pantsuit from the Seventies. I’ll be rooting for you.