I Like That!

Image Credits: Marieclaire.com and Etsy.com


For the past few months, a certain motif has been catching my eye. It started with Chanel's dress that I spotted in a fashion magazine. Now I see this pattern and jumble of colors in other places and it just delights me. Do you ever gravitate toward something, and notice it's not your usual style or preference? Seems I may need to get a skirt or at least a scarf in this pattern since I smile each time I encounter it.

What to Wear on Vacation

Image Credit: havianas.com

My family is taking a month-long trip this summer which means I have been mentally packing a suitcase for some time. As I have stated previously on my blog, I tend to be a light packer, and I never bring my favorite things or new clothes. This time around, I am 99% mentally packed, but when I picture myself during the trip, what I see does not please me.

For starters, a big chunk of our vacation will be spent on bikes. Since I am vain, I do not want to cruise around the picturesque towns en route in Lycra biking shorts. I do have some (not-so-fetching) padded underwear, and imagine I will wear them with my Bermuda shorts or a knit dress. So far, not so bad.

It's the shoes that are distressing me. The beaches we will visit are pebbly, and we've been advised to wear "swim shoes." Since I need to go light on shoe packing, I am taking my friend up on her offer to borrow her water and hiking friendly Teva sandals. They might as well be Crocs, for how much I loath their appearance. My teen daughters are refusing to wear such sandals; they will sport the flip flops pictured above at the beach, and plan to bike in their Converse sneakers.

When I think of myself on a bike in Croatia, I am wearing a gray knit dress, Tevas, and a bike helmet. Ugh. No one will know me as Lori of Wardrobe Wisdom, but I cannot help thinking I will feel extremely unattractive. And please don't try to tell me there are good-looking Tevas out there; I have searched tirelessly for such shoes.

In the end, I plan to evolve into feeling grateful for the opportunity to travel, realize that most people couldn't care less about my attire, and know that comfort trumps looking chic in this instance. Yes, I need to get over myself! And I think I need to wear some pretty jewelry and lipstick, too!

Off to London (in my dreams)

Photo Credit: palmbeachpost.com

How I would love to zip over to England to see a new exhibit at London's Victoria and Albert Museum: "The Glamour of Italian Fashion: 1945-2014." According to Bal Harbour magazine, this exhibition "traces the world of modern Italian design from its post-war renaissance to this season's breakout youth talents. The exhibition also celebrates the origins of Italian icons: family-run Missoni brought the world bright, sporty and much imitated zigzag knits, while Rubinacci contributed to making Neapolitan bespoke tailoring a byword for masculine elegance."

Clever Designers

Photo Credit: bellasisters.com

A colleague had on a unique jacket the other day,  and she shared that it was indeed one-of-a-kind. She had received this Bellasisters jacket as a gift and was eager to tell me all about the folks who made it.  The company's tagline is "sustainable threads for the urban adventure," and the lovely jackets I show here highlight the designers' talents.

Skin Tone

Image Credit: mysnippetsofinspiration.com

I found this quiz at pop sugar.com to be quite accurate in determining my skin tone. Learning your skin tone can really help you figure out what colors flatter you most. Let me know what you think once you've taken the quiz.

Good Resource

A big thank you to Ablitt's Fine Cleaners and Launderers in Santa Barbara for this handy chart. It shows what those care symbols are on your clothing tags. Take good care of your clothes and they will last!

Jeans for Men

David Beckham looks great in jeans!
Photo Credit: Esquire.com 


A friend told me last week that she wants to get some nicer jeans for her husband, who has been a Costco or 501 Levi's guy forever. By nicer she means ones that are made with high quality denim which hangs well and feels good. Such jeans may be a bit pricier, but she knows that upgrading to this kind of jean for herself has been worth it. And since she is only buying one pair for her husband, which he will wear all the time, the cost per wear will be relatively low. I found this video which offers great advice for how to buy jeans for men. I imagine more women will watch this than men; it is helpful for both! Another helpful resource is from Esquire magazine: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/how-to-buy-jeans-2014?click=main_sr.

Why, Why, Why?

Photo credit: trafutti.wordspress.com




"Belt bags" are the latest version of fanny packs and can be seen on the runways and in stores right now. I've never been a fan and don't plan on becoming one this time around. Yes, I see the practicality of them, but, the look is simply yucky to me.

Moving On

Tim Gunn has these wise words about clothes coming back into style:

"There is no look so strange or unflattering that it will not be recycled. These days it seems to happen with stunning alacrity. Many a woman scoffed at the idea that leggings would ever return, and here they are, back with a vengeance. However, one only has so much space and one never knows if you'll find a trend equally compelling on the next (or third or fourth) go round. Better to move on."