Now that you’ve seen how we do pinstripes in Seattle (here, here, and here), take a look at how we do another menswear style: the shirttail hem. The Solo Pleat Tunic Dress by Lizz Basinger of Portland is another great find from Sassafras. It may have the hem of a men’s dress shirt but it is made of sweater knit …
Fab Collab Celebrates Christmas at 70 Plus
It’s that time again when the ladies from JTouchofStyle join me in a Fab Collab. Over the coming week we’ve been celebrating Christmas together by sharing holiday memories and clothing we wore for the occasion. My story kickstarted the celebration and we continued the party with a story from Jodie and one from Nancy. Today we come to the end of …
Fab Collab Celebrates Christmas at 40 Plus
It’s that time again when the ladies from JTouchofStyle join me in a Fab Collab. Over the coming week we’ll be celebrating Christmas together by sharing holiday memories and clothing we wore for the occasion. My story kickstarts the celebration, but I hope you’ll come back to see Jodie’s, Nancy’s, and Charlotte’s stories too. As many of you …
Going Grunge with the Fab 40s
The year Kurt Cobain died I quit my job in advertising and became a nanny. His death had nothing to do with my leaving advertising for nannying. They just happened to occur in the same year. It may come as no surprise to regular readers, but the King of Grunge didn’t impact my life much back then. It feels …
Extending Summer Into Fall with a Twiggy Dress
Now that we’ve turned the clocks back, the sun sets around 4:30 in Seattle. From where I sit, the bottom of the sky is pink, the water and overhead sky are steel, and the hill rising up from the Alki Peninsula sparkles with lights of people living past dark. Here in Seattle, early darkness generally means chilly evenings. To …
Time Travel in a Plaid Skirt
It all started with this skirt…. And then there was the Fab Collab on plaid that I did with Jodie and the ladies of JTouchofStyle.com. I got plaid fever, I tell you! But seriously, the skirt spoke to me from a place I visit often when I’m looking for thrifted inspiration. You may have heard …
Starlet Bling for Dainty Wrists
The starlets of the 1930s loved their jewelry. Pictured above, 1930s actress Myrna Loy appears to be dressed casually but her bracelets are the stuff of red carpets today. When it came to jewels and accessories, the rich and famous in the 1930s believed in the old adage that “more is more.” Even as the rest of the world struggled …
Mixing Prints in a Twirly Dress
Last week I took my first foray into the art of mixing prints. It was a small start–a patterned jacket combined with a patterned scarf, inspired by a look Marlene Dietrich first wore in the 1930s. The outfit itself is not one I would normally wear, though. It’s a bit serious for my lifestyle and personality. …
Print-Mixing 101 with Marlene Dietrich
“Glamour is assurance. It is a kind of knowing that you are all right in every way, mentally and physically and in appearance, and that, whatever the occasion or the situation, you are equal to it.” ~ Marlene Dietrich Class is in session. Marlene Dietrich–Head Professor of Glamour–is leading the class with her stunning polka-dot print …
Easy, Breezy, and Beachy, 1930’s Style
While all of you brave and beautiful ladies are basking in your swimsuits by the pool this summer, you’ll find me in the shade, likely nowhere near the pool, but still embracing a beachy trend straight out of the Twenties and Thirties: Beach Pajamas. This loungewear got its start as bedroom attire. Before long, it was being …