Not oversized

So, I loved the oversize blazer trend back in the 80s but as I mentioned in the comments, it did not love me back. I'd need to take more care with the details were I to try it again -- but I'd be willing, assuming opportunities for leaving the house! I will keep my eyes peeled in the fall. 

Still, overall, I prefer my regular and cropped or shrunken  blazers. In the blog comments, I noticed a lot of members saying they don't wear blazers as much any more. I understand that -- I don't wear them at home, so during the height of the pandemic they languished in my closet. And of course I wear them less in hot weather than in cool weather. 

And yet...blazers are part of my fashion DNA and I crave them! Even in summer. And where I live, nights cool down enough as a rule that toppers are required for at least part of the day, even in high summer. 

My consignment find Paul Smith cropped blazer was a huge hit for me a couple of seasons ago and I still wear and love it. 

But I wanted to report on a new purchase -- a regular sized Sandwich linen / stretch linen blazer that turned out to be the star of my recent trip to Ontario. 

Photos are not great, and for that I apologize -- the light!  But it's linen with stretch linen panels on the sleeves and in back so it is as comfortable as a sweater, not quite as wrinkly as linen can sometimes get, and a really great summer topper. They say it is "light olive" but I would call the colour more a light sagey green -- it is a cool toned olive, in any case. It works well with denim, white, silver, dark pinks, burgundies, navy, even grey. 

I tend to wear my denim jackets much more often in summer than I wear my blazers but I'm still glad to have this fun new option. Thinking back, one of my oversized blazers in the 80s was in linen. Maybe this is my non-trendy response to the trend and my memories. 

1

Go to the full post to see all of the pictures →

24 comments

Patterned summer brights

I'll try to get an actual outfit photo a little later if the sun comes round the corner, but for now, I thought it would be fun to show my versions of the look. 

1. Patterned dress. 
2. "Jacket" -- a new kimono. It looks darker in the photo -- it's actually a near-royal blue with pattern of white, grey, pink etc. 
3. Skirt. It also serves as "dress" with the matching top. 

I don't have a patterned bright suit for summer unless you count the 2 piece dress. :) But I do have several other items in bright patterns. A pattern in summer can keep the interest level up when you are confined to one piece or two piece dressing, unable to layer due to heat. 

16 comments

My Brooklyn Summer Bust

From the moment Brooklyn began posting about her last year's summer formula of skirt with (special) tee or other top, I decided this was going to be my summer formula, moving forward, as well. If she could manage it with her active dog-walking lifestyle, so could I. Casual, breezy, comfortable, yet dressier and more grown-up than shorts. It really is the perfect solution! If you get the right style of skirt, it will even work on a bike. 

Well, guess what. My Brooklyn-inspired summer is a total bust. 

1. There is no summer. 
2. I cannot find the right skirts. 

Whereas last year we were roasting under a heat dome, this has been the coldest, cloudiest, and wettest spring on record in my part of the world. We haven't even finished setting up our deck furniture and I haven't got all my planters filled. I had to wear a puffer jacket to go on a walk the other night. 

As for the skirts, I am out of luck. 

Exhibit A is a skirt I tried from Zara. A terrific cotton/ linen blend -- it looks fine (at least I think so) but it was a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen -- there was absolutely not enough fabric to prevent it from blowing open at the first breeze. 

As for Exhibit B, the Madewell skirt, it was cut more generously but the fabric felt flimsy and cheap and I did not like it against the skin. 

I really prefer a natural fabric, especially a linen cotton blend of some kind, because most polyesters feel sticky and uncomfortable to me in the heat. I'm also trying to avoid ditsy florals (although I would go ditsy-adjacent) and too much black. So that ruled out a lot of potential options. I really, really, really love Brooklyn's asymmetrical skirts the best—they create such a gorgeous line—so that is what I would prefer. But a simple A-line or a gored skirt would be fine if I could get one that works well. 

At this point, I have pretty much given up the search. I own a couple of older skirts that will fill the need this summer, given how few days of warm sunshine we are likely to get, so I think I will stick with those, plus shorts. 

1

Go to the full post to see all of the pictures →

44 comments