I wore a very simple white blouse and black and blue jeans to the Vitala Longtable Dinner….I kept it very clean and simple, adding a necklace for a touch of bling! Photo courtesy of Tanya Goehring at Post Photography.
Last week Lo and I met with Larissa from Lloyd & Wolf Couture…she has created a line of high quality leather goods with a slight edge….watch for a post on our coffee talk coming soon! She is a mom like us with two kids and we just felt in so many ways that we are on the same page. We all love being moms and we love fashion too….and you can combine the two! We left our meeting, chatting a mile a minute, super inspired….and on the way home I started expounding….
Often Laurel and I feel like we entered the blogging scene a bit late…or that maybe we are a bit on the “old” end, especially for fashion bloggers. The Vancouver style scene is full of fresh faced bloggers 10, 15 even 20 years our junior! But as we were talking on the way home, I realized that I feel like I know a lot more about fashion and what works on my body shape better now that I did when I was 25. I also think I’ve figured out what pieces I will invest in and which pieces I can save on. I know the purchases I’ve regretted and hopefully won’t make those mistakes again!
In fact our friend Andrea was scrapbooking this last weekend and sent us a picture of us 10 years ago! I actually burst out laughing…I’m talking out loud!! Wow…..it was bad! Yes, I was in the middle of having kids and carrying some extra pregnancy weight, but my hair and clothes just didn’t help me out at all!!! But, I also felt that all of my energy had to go into my kids and not into myself, so fashion was definitely on the back burner.
Don’t get me wrong, being a good mom and wife and things of eternal value far outweigh what I look like, however, sometimes if you just put that extra effort in, it gives you a boost of confidence for your day. You carry yourself differently and I think you accomplish more and feel better about yourself!!! So, it’s a win-win!
Here are a few things that I think I’ve learned…
- I have had to learn what works for my body shape. I can’t do all the trends! I’m on the shorter side, so maxi dresses just don’t work. Slim silouettes are better. Capris make me look shorter!
- Find part of your body that you really like and showcase it. Got great arms? Wear a sleeveless blouse. Like you legs? Wear a shorter skirt (ok, at my age I’m not going with the microminis, but a few inches above the knee works).
- Invest in a good handbag and shoes. It has to be real leather for me!
- Want to wear a trend? Don’t spend too much. Go with something more disposable like Forever 21 or Joe Fresh.
- Can’t pull off a trend? Skip it!! Only wear what flatters you.
- A bit of bling bling can perfectly finish off your outfit
- Shop with friends who will be totally honest with you and aren’t afraid to tell you if something just doesn’t work. There’s nothing worse than coming home with something that does nothing for you!
For our feature with HighStreet, I opted for a shorter dress while Laurel really works a maxi! Another thing I’ve learned is that I need bangs….Lo looks better without! Photo courtesy of Tanya Goehring at Post Photography.
Don’t misunderstand me….I love following the shall we call them “up and coming” fashion bloggers…the youngens….for inspiration! Hey, they look fantastic! But, I’m just going to embrace my age….ehemmmm…my experience, and translate some of what’s going on in the fashion world in a way that works for me! At least, that’s what I’m working on!
So, no matter what your age, dress to accentuate you size and shape! Make the trends work for you! And don’t feel guilty about putting a bit of extra effort into yourself!
