Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Here's where the fun begins....

Got this in the e-mail this morning....



Forth and Towne Spring Essentials Sale


It was probably planned prior to the announcement that the store is closing. But it does become a calculation of timing - buy something that is just on sale now or wait 'till the liquidation you know is coming?

I have to admit, I'm tempted to go ahead and buy the white blouse -- I've had my eye on it and there should be plenty of size choice right now!

Anyway -- just a heads up!

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Forth and Towne....

Is toast....

Gap shutting down Forth & Towne chain

Here's The Budget Fashionista's take...

Breaking News: Forth and Towne is Closing...

Sigh...I too am disappointed, but not surprised. When I began reading that the Gap was in trouble I knew that F&T would be the first to go.

I was able, a few weeks ago, to visit the one here in the Chicago area -- and came away very impressed and with a great deal on a lovely navy sweater ($27.00 with tax, down from 128.00!). The physical plant was gorgeous (the dressing rooms are to die for!), the service sublime, and the clothes I felt, contrary to the snarky comment in the MSNBC article, had the kind of mature style women of an age are looking for - chic not dowdy.

I'm not saying that there was not room for improvement. The sizes could go up beyond size 20 -- but even that was a kind of triumph - especially because they did not segregate the larger sizes from the smaller ones!.

At the very least, it was most definitely a store designed for grown-ups - for me it had the feel of what I would envision a modern upscale clothing salon should be.

But in all honesty, the Gap was all too tentative about this attempt at serving the over 35 woman. As far as I could tell, they didn't even start advertising the stores in the major fashion mags until this past Christmas! It was as if they wanted to do it, but didn't really want anyone to know that they were doing it. It was a "secret lover" kind of thing - like the Hermes Kelly bag an oh so rich lover would give -- and then not acknowledge you when he sees you on the street! (Not that I have any experience of that, mind you!)

Personally, I think they are making yet another bad call in closing this chain -- but then they didn't ask me.

Anyway....At least those of us who have a F&T nearby will be able to look forward to one hell of a sale! If you have one in your area, go by and savor what might have been.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Age Appropriate Glamour........

Across the age curve!




Helen Mirren






Abigail Breslin


Pic credit Style.com

And while we're on the issue of size....

Check out the following post on Styledash....

Plus size Elisabeth stores closing

Personally, I'm glad that the two sites are consolidating - I aways felt irritated that when you clicked the plus size link on the Liz Clairborne site you got shuttled away to the Elizabeth site. It was as if to say "Opps, your one of THOSE women - begone with you to the plus size ghetto!"

Note that I love the Liz Clairborne line for all sizes - they are great, classic clothes. But I find the claim that they can't make a buck selling plus size clothes disingenuous at best.

It MIGHT help if they advertised that they do have this great plus size line! They have 2 2 page adds in both Vogue and Instyle this month (Not in Harpers Bazaar through - interesting, given that Harpers, in my opinion, is a better mag than Vogue. But I digress....) and nether gave the impression that they are marketing to women in a wide range of sizes!

The answer to the question at the end of the post is that plus size women don't want to buy less clothes per se - it just takes so much more time for them to find the clothes that they probably do end up buying less! And Liz C is not the only ones guilty of hiding their plus size light under a bushel basket - Jones of NY has a great plus size line as does Nine West (My sister brought an absolutely beautiful blouse from their line at Macy's which she loves and looks fab on her!) - but have you ever seen their plus lines advertised in the "fashion" mags?

The same applies to 50+ plus gals in general - the only lines I've seen that actually market in a way that says "come on by" is J Jill and Eileen Fisher (Chico's probably does as well).

ANYWAY....Let's focus on the positive here - MARCH SALE!

So if you are lucky enough to have a Elisabeth store nearby and you're a lovely plus size lady, stop on by. It will be a great chance to pick up some of those staples (pants, shirts, jackets, etc.) that your closet just might be short on!

Well, Duh!....

Okay -- this is exactly what I've been saying to myself lately...

Women, Retailers and Fashion: Yes, Size Does Matter

I too am sick and tired of the Indiana Jones hunt when trying to find something to wear! I'm sure this is one of the issues that explains why my sewing class is full!

Friday, February 23, 2007

There goes the neighborhood......

Another view of the “fashion” craze – and it ain’t pretty!

Fashion designers have unraveled my neighborhood

Another one of those unintentioned consequences stories!

Even more ironic is that if the roots of the invasion of the writer's home turf was due to Sex and the City, one of the characters on that very show complained about the same thing.

Or to quote the intrepid Samantha "The only designer name that belongs in the Meat Packing district is Oscar Meyer."

Ohhhh!!!!!.......

If you've been reading me fairly regularly, you know that I'm no advocate of expensive shoes OR handbags - and I LOVE handbags!

But when I saw this pic, my heart too went "POP!":


Spring 2007 Santa Barbara Louis Vuitton Shoes $575.00


Skip over to Kristopher Dukes for the full skinny on these glorious slings:



Spring 2007 Louis Vuitton Shoes


At $575.00 and with my swelling feet, this pair won't be gracing MY poor dogs anytime soon! But if you are:

1. Lucky enough to be able to wear them

2. Lucky enough to have the ducats to buy them

Go for it!

Okay -- let me slap myself a couple of times and get myself back to reality!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Okay – It’s time to stop the insanity…..

Get a load of this....

Fashion chain plump for Size 12 model

Looking at the picture of the model in question, I have to say that if SHE is considered "plus size" by the fashion industry, then their train has truly left the reality track!

Well kiddos to the John Lewis stores for deciding to leave la la land and join the rest of us in the real world!

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Over at The Sartorialist....

Scott has posted this pic - a great example of mature style....

Deep Style


You'll have to go to the bottom of the page -The Sartorialist - to find the post and see the other pic of this lady. I'm not too sure about the outfit in the other picture he has of this same woman - to me that one is struggling.

But this one is dead on - very casual, yet quite stylish as well. I love the brown coat and the handbag really centers the outfit -- it reminds me of this one over at Forzieri:




Pratesi Cherry Classic Leather Flap Handbag - $295.00


More importantly, in both pictures, is this lady's manner -- she's comfortable in her own skin and it shows. That confidence makes the outfit - she isn't second guessing or doubting herself.

THAT'S the way to walk through the world - and if you do, you'll make just about any outfit work!

Hop over to The Budget Fashionista....

And check out this post....

Personal Finance Advice: Buy and Sell Coupons and Giftcards on eBay

For those of you who might have received a less than desirable gift card over the holidays - this is a way to convert that usable piece of plastic to something you'll love!

(Personally, the last gift card I got was a $50 job from my niece for Best Buy - used up in 60 seconds! Did I mention I'm a electronics, music, DVD geek as well?....)

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Proenza Schouler for Target....

I have to admit I haven't paid much attention to this addition to Target's GO International line even through the buzz for it has been intense on the fashion blogs. It is obviously aimed at the teen through 20s woman with bright, bright colors and short, short skirts - cute for the young but not exactly what I'd be wearing!

But - surprise! - seems it pays not to discount any fashion line:

Proenza Schouler Palm Print Jacquard Sweater - Charcoal Gray/ Navy - $34.00


I really like the subtle print on this sweater - it's just the kind of item that, thrown over a navy turtleneck and pencil or a-line skirt for work, causes the best kind of double take look - that "is that a little different?" look from others. (One of the comments on this sweater is that it is too "matronly" - but I suspect it's from one of those 20 somethings who's not quite facing the "real" working world quite yet!)


It's still available on-line, but only in x-large (which gladdens MY heart!).


Throw the following on your shoulder -- and you're ready to rock and roll - sedately that is!

Isaac Mizrahi for Target® City Satchel - Black $29.99


(Dear Isaac - you can count on him!)

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Hey, can somebody open a window?.....

Because over at Well Past 50 their talkin' hot flashes!

Boomer Advice: Hot Flashes

Because, as you know if you've had them, nothing is less fashionable than sweating through your fabulous new AK Klein blouse when one of those nuclear hot waves hits!

Personally, I use HRT to help combat mine and I don't spend too much time obsessing about it. (My doctor does however. And since she does, I let her talk me into trying to ween my way off by trying taking it only every other day. BAD idea!) But perhaps I don't quite feel the same concern since I had a hysterectomy with both ovaries gone as well - so I'm not producing anything on my own.

I can certainly understand the concern of others, however -- so you might find some of the suggestions of the posters helpful.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Interested in Designing Your Own Dress?

Then you might want to check out this site:

DressByDesign

I saw an ad for this site in the February issue of Real Simple (Speaking of which, if you can either pick up a copy or read it at the library, do so - lots of good info in this one. Key articles: Best Jeans for different body types, Winter Skin Survival tips and concealer make-up road test).

Since I've become a true pear-shaped woman, I've all but given up on buying dresses (I have brought a couple in the past year - luckily they fit!) because of the 2 different sizes issue. So I figured I just had to check this out!

It's an interesting concept, which gives you a choice of 5 different classic dress styles which include the sheath, the princess cut, etc. (Sadly, no wrap dresses, which I would have thought would fit well with this business model!)

Now I have to say when I first logged on and took a look I kind of went "ick" -- I thought "These all look pretty dowdy". However when I went to the 2nd step I realized that you can make several changes - helm length, sleeve length collar style, etc. There are also several different fabric choices - and you can, if you choose, provide your own.

In addition if you, like me, are 2 different sizes top and bottom, for $40 dollars you can request a muslin dress form that you can pin to your particular size requirements and send back for use in creating your dress. The form is keep on file.

The base price for the dress is $189.00 with the final price determined by the type of fabric you choose (I wasn't ordering so I can't speak to the delivery charges). You can also request fabric swatches - through they can't guarantee that the fabric will still be available when you do decide to order the dress.

Check out the Testimonials page to see what purchasers are saying - and there are some pics of the buyers wearing their purchases!

I can see a lot of uses for a service like this - hard to fits, weddings, formal occasions, modesty dressing (yes, while some of us are trying to figure out how much skin we can show and keep our dignity, some women are trying to find good looking, well fitting clothing that covers up! Yep, we all have issues!)

So check it out! If for nothing else than the fun of trying different designs with different fabrics!

If you end up ordering, drop me a line and let me know how it turns out. Keep it clean and I'll post your feedback! ;-)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Okay I admit it....

I'm an old bag who loves bags!

If you are too, skip over to I Like Her Style where Ms. Sylvia treats us to a rainbow assortment of colorful handbags!

My Picks

The great thing about them is that, even if you feel most comfortable wearing darker colors, you can still give your outfit a punch of color by carrying a colorful handbag.

And who knows - you might very well remember that you already own a fashion mag clutch gathering dust in the back of your closet from back in the day!

Tips for Plus Size Professional Women....

Are being given out over at Wardrobe 911. Ms Teresa is giving out her always excellent advice re: good pieces for Plus Size women to wear when goin' conferencing!

conferences: plus-size outfits

The outfits will work great for any aged plus size pro! And I was pleased to see a wrap dress that I'd planned to include in a future post on wrap dresses - I agree that it is a winner! I also agree that the wrap blouse is to die for!

So go on over and take a look!

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Managing that new body.....

Feel like ever since you turned 50, your body has become the enemy?

If you feel like you're the only one, skip over to the following post on the Well Past 50 blog:

Boomer Advice Needed

My heart broke for this lady too and I'm struggling to think of what I could say that would be of comfort. God knows I know what it is like to go through body changes -- from being a skinny mini most of my life to a size 18W. I'm still unsure sometimes who that woman is in my mirror. Funny how middle age is a lot like adolescence - all of a sudden you've got this new body - and you have no idea what to do with it!

Thankfully, at least 3 readers did know what to say -- so be sure to read the posts following the letter. After reading them, I felt the walkaways were this:

1. Make peace with the body you have now - not a surrender, mind you, but an acknowledgement that it is what it is today. Change it if you want to or need to or can (because sometimes, for all kinds of reasons, you can't), but NOT because you feel you are worth less because of it - 'cause you're not - never forget that!

2. Be good to yourself as you are right now - treat yourself with respect by making the best of what you do have and, believe me, we all have something that is worth smiling about. Find it and honor it.

3. Educate yourself on the body you have now and how best to dress it. Don't worry about "fashion" or dress size -- just concentrate on what looks and feels good on you.

I know - not easy things to remember when you've had a bad, toss and turn night and wake-up with bags under your eyes that make you think you can use them for your stuff, thereby leaving your handbag at home, and the whole world (especially those making clothes) are acting as though you disappeared the moment you turned 50 - but worth remembering.

That is, if I can remember where I put my keys first! ; - )

Fashion Week has a history????

It appears, like everything and everyone, it does.

If you're interested, hop over to The Budget Fashionista for a post pointing to MSN for a brief (and I do mean brief -- but after all it is fashion) history of NY Fashion Week.

Even more interesting is the slide show that accompanies it -- interesting to see how styles literally go round and round (Check out the pic from 1979 of Gloria Vanderbilt's jeans - skinny jeans anyone?).

Well DUH!!!!!

Over at StyleDash their reporting on a survey which finds:

Women chose clothes over sex

Hummh, let me think. A whole new wardrobe or sex....

Hand over the money honey!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Wall Street Journal Fashion Blog?!?!?

The Wall Street Journal is bloggin’ fashion!

Heard on the Runway

Holy Freeholies! There really must be gold in them thar heels! ; - )

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Wondering what the "hot" colors will be for Fall '08?

If so, skip over to Coutorture and check out the Fall '08 color report from Pantone:

PANTONE'S COLOR REPORT

For anyone who may not know, Pantone is THE color design company, not only for fashion but for design of all kinds (print, products, paint, etc). The blue of Tiffany's bags and boxes? - a trademarked Pantone color. (For more on that, check out the entry on Tiffany Blue on Wikipedia at the following link: Tiffany Blue. For more on Pantone skip over to their very colorful site at Pantone.com)

My favorites of the lot? “Stargazer” and “Carafe” (through I must admit, blue is my favorite color already, so Stargazer is not a reach for me!).

So take a look at what colors clothes will be coming in this Fall. Even it you hate them all, at least you'll have a chance to think about how, if any, of these colors could work with your wardrobe -- if you just have to buy something this Fall!

Monday, February 05, 2007

A Great Sample of 50+ Chic.....

Which you don't normally get to see in the Press!

Dame Helen Mirren has been turning heads for the last few weeks with both her wonderful acting and her flawless sense of post 50 style.

Over at the Telegraph.co.uk, their fashion director, Hilary Alexander has an interesting post in which she contrasts Dame Helen's great taste with one of her younger colleague's lack there of.

Check it out here....

Silver chic versus shock chic

And by the by....There's a poll on the sexiest female stars over 50???????

WE LOST!!!!! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

HHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Obligatory beating of chest.....)

Whew! Now that I've got THAT out of my system....

Congrats Colts! You beat us fair - I ain't hatin' ya.

As for my beloved Bears:

It's said that at the beginning of the US Civil War, after the 1st day of the battle of Shiloh in which the Northern forces were all but whupped, General Sherman found General Grant siting under a tree.

"Grant", Sherman said, "We've had the devil's own day."

Grant, an Illinois boy himself, replied, "Yep. Lick 'em tomorrow through."

You done good guys. Get some rest - August is just around the corner!

GO BEARS!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, February 04, 2007

GO BEARS!!!!!!!!

There's only two colors in fashion in Chi-Town at this moment - Navy and Orange!!!




Bear Down Bears! Wup 'em!!!!

Fashion Week Fall '07 -- Oh God, Is It Lent Again?

It a appears that while I was obsessing over my, perhaps overlong, shirt dress post, Olympus Fashion Week New York has started.

Now in the brief time I've started paying attention again to "fashion", I've already developed a conflicted view of the Fashion Weeks cycle.

On one hand the girl in me loves seeing all the new clothes - a never-ending Barbie doll procession.

The woman in me, however, grumbles under her breath about the fact that most of it she can neither 1) Wear or 2) Afford or both. And the sheer magnitude of the number of shows make it almost impossible to really figure out what's what with next seasons trends -- many of which has no relation at all to the everyday life of the females they are supposedly being designed for anyway.

That being said, of course I'm going to read up on what's going on. And to make that a bit more manageable I'm going to follow the following strategy:

1. Hit The Budget Fashionista 'cause she's hitting the tents and doing her always excellent reporting.

2. Create a Lookbook on Style.com. Many thanks to one of my favs, StyleDash for the heads up on this one. This will give me a chance to group looks I like in one place - and will probably teach me a lot about what I like in today's clothing.

Fun and a learning experience? I'm on board for that!

3. Keep an eye on The Sartorialist for great back of the tents, on the street images - you'll probably pick-up better style tips checking out what real folks are wearing than checking out the runways!

(By the way, if you've ever seen the movie Ladyhawke, you'll get my lent reference. if not - see the movie, it's great!)

A Spring Ode to the Shirtdress....

I think the shirtdress (along with the A-line skirt, the wrap dress, and yes, the pencil skirt) is one of the classic clothing forms that can work for just about any women of any shape, size or age.

I was put in mind of this when I was flipping through the February edition of the Everyday with Rachael Ray mag (This is why I love my non-fashion mags!)

While the primary focus of Rachael's mag is food (of course), she has a monthly feature Everyday Faves which features a wide array of new products. Here's the one that caught my eye this month:

Josephine Chaus Shirtdress - $119.00


I love the pattern and the shape of this dress! I'd never heard of this designer before - so of course I googled her. There is a website - Josephine Chaus - but it appears to be fairly new (I could be wrong about that however), and you can't buy the clothes there. According to the website the focus of the company to good, wearable business ware for women. You can find the garments themselves via a google search - they appear to run in the $150.00 or slightly below range.

As I said, you can't buy the clothes from the site. However, if you want to order something, here is the phone number: 888-880-8004, where you can request a list of their retailers.

While I was trying to find the above online I decided to do a general search on shirtdress. I was, frankly, stunned at all the variations that came up! Looking them over I've seen the good, the bad and the downright ugly (Blair.com had one where the form was good but the fabric was hideous - who buys that material? More importantly who makes it - and why? WHY?????).

Anyway.....

Here are some of what I thought was the best:

Over at Spiegel.com:




Sash-Tie Shirtdress Misses or Petite $69.00


Great lines, simple and sharp, with the, oh so forgiving, a-line skirt. I love everything about this dress - except for the fact that it doesn't come in plus sizes!



Signature Ponté Knit Collection:
Shirtdress Misses $59.00, Women's $64.00


(Okay, I know the pic of the dress in cream makes it look a bit stodgy - but check out the alternate look on the site in black - and a different belt can definitely kick it up a notch!)







Belted Shirtdress, Misses $59.00, Women's $69.00


I love the flow of this dress - very forgiving for different body types. I love the print as well, which is unusual for me - I'm not a big print person!





Crinked Gauze Shirtdress, Misses $39.00


Classic and just great for summer - at work or on the weekend!




Knit Shirtdress, Misses $69.00


Now if you've been lucky enough to skip the usually obligatory 10+ pounds that seems to just lay in wait for you as you hit that 50th birthday and your bod still has it goin' on (or you have a lovely selection of Spanx in your arsenal) - you might want to take this bad girl for a spin! (Love the belt at the hip! Sigh - if only I didn't have so much hip for it to go around!)

Over at Ann Taylor Loft :



Belted Knit Shirt Dress, Misses $79.00


Actually, not a terribly distinctive dress - but it looks comfortable, would be great for work and I love the color.

At Lane Bryant:




Linen-blend shirtdress, $89.00




Button-front shirtdress, $69.50


No, not the most jazzy dresses ever. But good, solid style that will work for work. And, speaking from experience with my most of the time firmly (I use THAT word lightly) in the 18W sizes hips, it is NOT easy for a plus size woman to find a shirt dress! (As you can see from this list - 4 out of 13 dresses is NOT a great ratio!)

So it was great to see Lane Bryant, who usually skews a bit young for me, offering two good basic choices that will work well for the over 20s crowd.

J. Crew's entry:



Bette shirtdress $148.00


Frankly, I don't usually bother with J. Crew. Basically they aim their clothes at the 20s and 30s crowd and I take them at their word.

However, they came up during my search and out of the 5 offerings in shirtdresses on their site, I do think that this one could be a lovely choice for a plus 50 lady - as long as you can wear a size 14 or less!

In looking over the above, I realized that there are no designer frocks represented here. I had to remind myself that, just because I don't have designer dollars, it doesn't mean other don't (Doggone them!).

So I did a search on some of the designer shop sites (Bluefly, EDressMe, etc) and, honestly, came up empty. What I found was, to my eye at least, pretty weak - okay let's be honest, downright ugly.

So I'll leave it to you, gentle reader, to do the designer search - one man's trash is another man's treasure and all that.

You'll probably do much better, anyway, going directly to the designer's site - check out the following beauty from Anne Kline's Fall 2006 collection:





I did find a couple of nice designer bridge items over at Macy's

From the Kenneth Cole Reaction Line:



Kenneth Cole Reaction Belted Shirtdress $149.00




Kenneth Cole Reaction Tie-Front Shirtdress 149.00


Of the two above I, personally, like the red one the best - the form will work for a wider range of women.

From Jones of New York:



Jones New York Matte Jersey Belted Shirtdress
$144.00


As ever, with Jones, clean and tasteful, able to do the work thing and then dinner afterwards.

Once again with all three, you have to be size 14 or less to play!

I could go on and on (oh wait, I already have) loving this particular dress style as I do. I leave it to you to decide whether or not it's a style that can work for you as a closet staple!