Unmitigated

WT: Who Knew I Could Do This?

Like scb, I tried the color analysis at Donna Fuji Institute, and discovered that I am a low-contrast Autumn. Here is the palette it gave me, which is surprisingly similar to the colors I often choose for myself:

Although gold jewelry makes my skin glow better than silver, I still love silver, and will try incorporate warmer colors, or maybe silver-gold mixes, which I really love. 

In other beauty news, Sally at Already Pretty has put together a post with input from women in different phases of life...including me, under the category Clueless-But-Means-Well. Be sure to visit on Monday morning when the post goes live, and stay to follow Sal's smarty-pants, practical, positive-body-image writing. You'll love her as much as I do, I promise.

Wardrobe Therapy: Piles

This is the week 2 assignment for dr. wende's Wardrobe Therapy.

At this moment in time, the name is unfortunate, at least for me. If you are old enough to recognize the other meaning of "piles" you have probably suffered some time in your own life. Ah, well, on with the show (only clothes, I swear...I'm not that good with the camera...or that free with my...parts).

Let's start with Velveteen Rabbits....

This is a pretty small pile, because I learned to cull for these "loved to pieces--literally" clothes when I started teaching. I needed to look really professional, so stained or damaged clothes rarely linger. Also, I don't invest enough to bother with fixes too much. I have a leather jacket and a cashmere coat that warrant repair. Not much else.

Ignore the pair of pants on the bottom. They are off to the donation bag, too.

Torture Devices...

I have no clothes in this category! Maybe some shoes, but I am a shoe wimp. I try EVERYTHING on when I shop at stores, and if an online purchase is uncomfortable? I don't care how great it looks. I know myself too well to think I would endure discomfort to look good. 

Same Time Next Year...

...is mostly formal and black, although there is one standout. It is probably not my color, and the kerchief hemline is probably completely out of date. But I love it, and best of all it was a steal! Marked down from about $240 to $85. 100% silk.

 

Yes, we own a boatload of compact discs.

Sentimental Journeys...

Just the dress I got married in, which, in 25 years has not been properly stored. No one will ever wear it again, I just can't bring myself to get rid of it.

Mysteries of the Lost Shopping Trip...

...another category I cannot claim, thankfully. The shopping trips are few and far between. Usually I talk myself out of things I have selected for one reason or another. I like the idea of shopping much more than the actual activity.

Stalwart Staples...

...here we go. Lots of these. Someday, I may even be able to wear them more often. Menopause has taken away any opportunities for layering, a look I absolutely love. At this point in my life, I had better really be confident of the bottom layer of clothes, because I am going to get there. In public. I have learned that I love the 3/4 length sleeve, I like a scoop or v-neck, and I like a tailored fit, not too snug, just enough to curve where I do.

 

Ignore the wrinkles. I store most tops folded, then either iron, or tumble-dry the wrinkles out when I want to wear them. At the top of the photo are navy, black, white, lilac, and coral versions of the same shirt. From Target. They are 3/4 sleeve, fit well, and the front of the shirts are double-layered, which is snug underneath and a bit looser on top, which means they cover the bumps and bulges common to my age. I have one in an aqua color, too, but it was in the wash. When I saw how well I loved the white one I bought, I went right back to the store and bought all the other colors I liked. On sale. On the bottom left are two sleeveless tops with little details that make them pretty. The white one is a Sigrid Olson that was on clearance! Score! The only remotely cold-weather shirt in the bunch is the blue w/stripes on the middle, left. It's a Liz Claiborne that was advertised as "The Perfect Sweater." I can but agree.

and the Superstars...

...having seen other posts, I am grateful to be able to share FOUR superstars.

I have been told I look fab in each of these, from lots of different sources. I'm thinking that these jewel-tones may have something to do with that. Until I put all four of these pictures together on Picnik, I had no idea, so I have learned something today, which was the goal.

Top left: This is from Christopher & Banks, a shop I usually avoid like the plague. It's typically full of the clothes you'd see on a kindergarten teacher. Navy knit cardigans with apples and pencils embroidered, and the like. Last August, when I was contemplating (with dread) my return to the classroom, I went shopping at C & B for work clothes, which I was pleased to learn, were from a different buyer for the chain. I emerged with $350 worth in two enormous bags. When I decided to quit, which shouldn't have taken so long, seeing as how I didn't remove a single thing from it's tissue paper wrapping, I returned everything except this top and a matching pair of pants. I justified it because I felt I'd need "interview clothes." Guess what I wore to the group interview?

Bottom left: My younger sister bought this years ago at NY &Co., then decided she didn't want it. It's faux velvet, and flows like water when I wear it. SOOOO comfortable, and I love the blue.

Top right: This is the shell from a 3-piece ensemble I bought years ago. It had a jacket that was almost calf-length, and flowy, black pants. I think I bought it for somebody's wedding. The rest of the suit has been gone for awhile, but the shell gets a lot of wear. It looks great with a black blazer, although I'd like to find something more colorful to go with. It's a gorgeous royal-purple, that doesn't come across well in the photos.

Bottom right: This a crepe blouse I saw at Kohl's. It is mildly high-maintenance, in that it rides up a bit in the shoulder. Also, when my hair is collar-length, it can make me crazy dealing with the hair/collar conflict. But, it fits great, washes well, and NEVER needs ironing, owing to the intentional accordion wrinkles.

Those are the piles I am sharing. There are also four HUGE piles of stuff I no longer wear because of fit/image issues. I own(ed) far too many sweatshirts and hoodies and souvenir t-shirts. Someone else will get much more wear out of them.

Dear So-and-So: Wardrobe Therapy

Dear Ankle-length denim skirt(s!),

The island is getting smaller, and more stylish. Two of you will need to go.

I haven't decided which of you is staying yet, so feel free to start sucking up now.

Sincerely,

MAW

Dear Feet,

You are the lucky recipients of the Wardrobe Therapy directive to do something nice for my body.  My new job has two components that involve you.

1. lots of walking and standing

B. some form of hosiery is required.

With both of these tenets in mind, I made a trip to the Easy Spirit store yesterday, and came home with these:

and these:

You're welcome.

Love,

MAW

Dear Captain,

It's time to raise the tone at Casa de Dumbass:

 

Yes, from the Frank Lloyd Wright Collection, we have LEGO versions of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Fallingwater, my very favorite Wright home. Both of these yummy items are sold in the shop where I will be working.

Love,

MAW

Dear readers,

Visit Kat for more Dear So-and-So!

Love,

MAW

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Confluence

Weekly Keely.
Did anyone else notice how similar those two words are?

1. Poppy has changed her blog to one which focuses on health and beauty for middle-aged women.

2. A good friend asked me to participate in a group post about body image/style changes associated with age (details to follow at a later date!)

3. dr. wende is hosting another round of Wardrobe Therapy.

I feel as though the Universe is trying to tell me something.

Apparently, I wasn't supposed to share with you all that I had experienced no back pain since January, as it now appears to be back, with a vengeance. It's possible that I have reached another plateau with the meds and they need to be adjusted. I'll find out in another 10 days or so when I go back to see wonderful Dr. R.

On Monday, I had laundry to do, so I declared the day a Harry Potter day, and curled up to re-read The Deathly Hallows in between washing, drying, folding, and sorting. I'm still terribly sad that the series is over, and keep hoping that one day J.K. Rowling will write the story of Lily and James (and Severus, Sirius, Remus, and Peter) at Hogwarts.

Tuesday and Wednesday this week will be spent on I-75, which I'd like to follow all the way to Florida. Unfortunately, we will be stopping at Dayton, again, to be with Husband's dad who is having surgery. He has smoked his way into lung cancer, so they will be removing part of a lung.Quit smoking now, while you can, kids.

The Opening Salvo

I have been reading dr. wende of The Sky is Bigger There since I first discovered what blogs are. I really have no idea how I found her...maybe she commented on a blog I was reading...but she's wise and funny and nerdy and complicated. All the things I aspire to.

To make her living, she does something magical in the finance "industry" that is beyond my comprehension. I have, however, been able to glean that had she been in control of the economy, we might not be in this horrendous mess. See first paragraph, re: Wise.

Naturally, when one's thoughts turn to the wardrobe, one's first reaction is : Speak to a financial guru.

Am I right? Of course.

Actually, wende periodically runs something she calls "wardrobe therapy," modeled along the lines of someone else's apartment therapy. I don't know whether I should emulate wende's fashion sense, as I haven't seen to many pictures of her. What I do know is that not only is she a terrific organizer, she's a thoughtful one.

Instead of my typical wardrobe culling by simply tossing everything I haven't worn in a year, I am participating in this round of wardrobe therapy so that the clothes I keep and the ones I shed are for the right reasons.

This week's task is to answer the Opening Questionnaire, so here I go...

The NEW (if not Improved) Opening Questionnaire

Thinking primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) about looks, who's your favorite performer of your own gender and species? Why? Jodie Foster. This will make Husband squirm, because she's on my list. I think she is stunningly beautiful, and oh, so smart.

If you could live in any historic era with a really good clothing budget (as well as soap, toothpaste, and delicing as needed), when would you choose? I would live with these two women: 

The presence of Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones would not be unwelcome, either.

What's your favorite painting or other form of visual art? Why? Picasso's Woman with a Book. Because I am one. And the color palette makes me tingle. I once wrote a paper about this painting. In a math class. Figure that out.

What is your first memory in which clothes are important? Being made, at age 4, to sit on the front lawn for a picture to be taken, because I was wearing a pretty little flower girl dress, after having been in a neighbor's wedding. I was tired, and cranky, as 4-year-old children will be, and I wanted to get out of the dress. It may have been TennLady who made me sit. But I forgive her, because she introduced me to Star Trek a few years later.

What is your favorite garment ever? Why? Really, I have none. I never really thought of garments as something to desire. They have been a necessity, not really anything more.

What is your favorite garment in your wardrobe right now? A great big, comfy, periwinkle hoodie. It does NOTHING for me, except make me feel comfortable.

What is the worst clothing purchase you can remember making? I couldn't afford a traditional wedding dress, so I bought a lace blouse/mauve skirt combination. It was 1985, people. I never got to wear a floor-length look-at-me-it's-my-day dress. That's okay. The other thing we didn't have money for? A photographer.

What's your most embarrassing clothing-related memory other than a bad purchase? It involves me having to wear a jacket belted around my waist. That's all I'm saying.

What body part (no more than three!) are you proud of and expect compliments on? My hair. I am blessed in that regard, and always have been.

What body part (again, no more than three!) seems to require management, if not coaxing, cajoling, and sometimes outright begging if it's to please you? The girls. They don't fit well into any shirts. I used to love button-down shirts by themselves or for layering. Now, if they are large enough to fit my chest, they look like a tent elsewhere. Also, my eyes are getting to be squinty-er owing top middle-age sag.

If you could dress however you wanted all the time, what might you include? If you could shop at any store (or from any designer), which would you choose? I love the classic looks at Land's End and L.L. Bean. I hate shopping, which can be a problem.

Where do you ordinarily shop now? Target, Kohls, and thrift shops.

What clothing, accessory, or prettifying need (if any) do you enjoy shopping for? Anything sparkly! I LOVE jewelry. I also like to find new lipsticks and have fun choosing what color I want on my toes when I get a pedicure.

Which one do you most loathe shopping for? Bras. They MUST be tried on, and, as I am incapable of fastening behind-my-back, I still do the fasten-in-front-and-slide-it-around method, which takes even longer.

Do you consider yourself low-, medium-, or high-maintenance? Ultra-low. At least when it comes to apparel.

What are the two most frequent occasions that you dress for and how would you describe them?  Everyday, around-the-house, and casual social occasions with friends. The latter is usually the former with a slightly dressier top to go with the jeans, plus some coordinated jewelry.

What was your favorite Hallowe'en costume ever? I once wore a pale green sheet, toga-style and carried a foil-wrapped flashlight as the Statue of Liberty.

What do you see as the current problem(s) with your wardrobe and/or look? There is no comprehensive "look" or "style." It's a rather large, extensive mess.

At the end of WT, what lovely compliments do you want onlookers to give you? "Have you lost weight?" or "You always look so put-together!" And I don't really plan to lose weight, but I am hoping to achieve a better fit than I typically have in the past.