The other day, I was reading a post from a fabulous over 40 blogger Kim at J'adore Couture. It was regarding dressing your age and uniform dressing. Kim specified this article from Harper's Bazaar. The quote from the article that reached my soul and really spoke a message that conveys where I am in my personal style is this:
In my case, now that I'm in my 40s, I find myself wanting to dress not necessarily younger but edgier. Classics that I once loved, like tailored bouclé jackets and basic LBDs, suddenly seem aging. I want to push my boundaries, to find silhouettes that are modern and clean and have a twist. I need a little funk. Not a lot. But enough to keep it all interesting." -- Jennifer Alfano
Yes, yes, yes! Exactly! I'm not trying to look like my 21 year old daughter. Nor do I want to look like an aging, middle-aged woman that's given up. Just a 42 year old Erica -- with "a little funk"!
The author also spoke of creating a go-to look -- a uniform by your late 30s, that you can rely on. I pondered this and if I had to define my own go-to look, it would be a blazer, skinnies and a heel. For me, this is my fail safe look. Here are a few examples of it that I snagged from my prior posts:
And I also like to rely on a top and a pencil skirt. My other look.
But let's talk about what I'm wearing with today's blazer and skinnies. It's OOP - Vogue 1248. This top has been in my sewing queue for as long as it's been released. Once I start sewing things, I always question what took me so long to getting around to making it. Because this top was a breeze!
The description of this top is as cut and dry as it was to sew: fitted top, front and back snap closing. I think the reason this pattern probably didn't do well was the skirt. It was a disaster. And after viewing Andrea Katz on Project Runway, it all makes since. (Remember how she ran away in the middle of the night?! Just wow...) She's a hit or miss designer and she packaged that into this pattern.
But this top is really, really cute! The only alterations I made were to lengthen it by an inch at the waist. I find that most button front shirts from the Big 4 are always drafted really short (for me). And I choose to use flat-felled seams. I used another great Thakoon fabric, a white cotton shirting from Mood Fabrics.com.
And I absolutely loved all of the cool details. Details will reel me in every single time. Check out the triple stacked collars! How cool is this? What made them so easy to create is that they're not interfaced. Seriously, what would be the point? There are three of them.
And my other favorite detail are the back snaps. And it's not just a decorative addition. They're real snaps! I had to space mine out a little more than what was suggested because of length addition.
Very cute! I would love to make this again, in say a chambray and a black. Since it's OOP, I've gingerly folded the pattern pieces, placed them back into the envelope and filed it away. I would hate to have to pay full price!
Wearing: blazer: Vogue 8721; jeans: Escada Sport, similar to these; shoes: MRKT from DSW (old); clutch: Urban Expressions, same one in black and similar here.
Do YOU have a "go-to uniform" look that you rely on?
