Winding down toward the weekend, and I thought I’d share a few outfits I’ve felt good about lately. Camel is a new colour for me, one I used to think was impossible to wear. But this J Crew Regent jacket turns out to be very wearable indeed. I wore it over a simple white v-neck t-shirt and a pair of black wool pants. Mind you, I did wrap my favourite hand-knit alpaca lace shawl around my neck, so the cherry might just drown out the camel….
The pants are J Crew as well, Campbell Capri also bought at 30% off. I wasn’t sure what to think about the slight flare at that cropped length in the slim cut, but it’s growing on me. And they are gloriously comfortable! But remember when we thought it was a huge fashion faux pas to wear “floodies”?
I love wearing the blazer with my new wool skirt, Aqua merino turtleneck (both J Crew, what can I say? It was a good sale, and I’m still replacing wardrobe I dieted myself out of).
I’m always a bit leery of having an outfit be too new, and these do verge on that, but in both cases, the footwear’s got some heavy mileage. The black patent oxfords in the top photos and the boots pictured here with the skirt are both 4 or 5 years old. for me, opaque tights and slightly “tough” boots tone down the skirt’s length.
No need to mitigate against the length of the skirt below, though. It’s an absolute favourite, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, pleated wool, a Gap piece, surprisingly. I worried that it might be too big on me now, but although it’s loose, the boxy cut doesn’t need a close fit. At least, it still pleases me to wear it.
I thought I’d try it with an also-boxy pale grey merino sweater and I love the combo. So simple and satisfying to wear for someone who loves wool as I do. Clean, strong lines in practical working textiles. Added another cherry scarf, this one an after-Christmas sale treasure from years ago, 100% cashmere (Banana Republic, I think)
And those well-worn black Fluevog Britney boots which I’m beginning to assess a bit skeptically. . . Their days may be numbered…
Almost ready to click “publish,” I realize that I didn’t muster a smile in any of these photos. So you should know that I’m smiling out at you right now . . .smiling and waving and thanking you for stopping by.
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I love that camel blazer. And the aqua turtleneck…no surprise there. We now have a J Crew store in Ottawa…as well as a now outlet store. I didn't find anything I liked at the outlet store, but did buy a camel sweater with lace applique at the J Crew store. I'm pleased to be finally able to see what everyone has been talking about.
My husband wants to know what your husband was doing at Telegraph Creek. Fishing? Kayaking? He's never met or spoken to anyone else who has been there…or even heard about it. And so he has been bugging me to ask. So I have:)
Left a comment on your travel post — turns out I lied, albeit unintentionally . . . .so embarrassed. . . 😉
Your outfits look cozy and wonderfully suited to our weather these days. The camel blazer works well with the bits of colour you added.
Thanks, Lorrie. It's time to bring on the cozy, isn't it?!
Smiling and waving right back across an ocean and a continent. I do enjoy your clothes blogs and seeing what you put together and wish I could get my act together and try and do something similar occasionally – I love clothes and like to have fun with them.
Today, following a nasty bout of flu and lots of cosy comfort layers and blankets, I am finally wearing my new dark, lightly patterned dress with fuschia tights, dangly earrings and necklace and feeling more the business. Clothes can really help to lift your mood. Have a great weekend x
I'm so glad to hear this, Marianne — I do regularly wonder if it's worth continuing with the What I Wore posts. They feel so uncomfortably narcissistic, yet I do enjoy that aspect of sharing with my blogging friends as I used to do with IRL girlfriends when there was more time for that. As we do here, you reciprocating by telling me what clothes are picking up your spirits. And I LOVE the fuschia tights! Haven't done bold legs myself forever, but they really do spark a mood. Hope they carry you right into a fab weekend!
Sometimes a colour we don' think we can wear changes as we mature. Can see why you avoided it… on its own it washes you out, but the bright scarf and aqua t-neck creates punch and a vibrant note between your hair, face and jacket. Such a great neutral! The Regent is IMO one of J Crew's best jackets ever.
Isn't it a great jacket? And I'd wanted to try camel forever so this seemed like a classic piece that I could brighten as I have. . .
Great outfits. I particularly love that last one – odd because I don't usually care for lots of fabric – but somehow it looks just great, kind of Victorian and dashing but also very what I think of as "Northern Island style."
I'm not really sure why it works — I usually believe boxy bottom or top has to be complemented by fitted other half. Read somewhere, though, that with this latest iteration of boxy, as long as all pieces have some fluidity, the top and bottom could both be less fitted. And I liked the simple, practical strength of both these pieces so . . . .I must tell you that it feels fabulously Sturdy Artsy Cousin on, but without any of Artsy's "messier" inclinations (excepting in the boots' curling pointy toes here, which is why they might be leaving me). . . .So maybe I can be a Northern Island Sturdy Artsy Cousin . . . 😉
I always enjoy these outfit posts because I feel certain that I am looking at a real person, who appears just as she would appear in real life. I also appreciate your insights on color, texture, style, and the happy inevitability of change (as it offers us options we thought we didn't have!). And I always, always enjoy seeing your beautiful tile floor, which I was initially shocked to recognize as the same tile I chose for my own home after years and years of coveting it as I lived with a particularly repellent linoleum. In short, I admire your taste and am happy that you share it with us.
I appreciate this encouraging feedback, Marsha — as I say above, these posts always require a certain resolve, and your encouragement bolsters mine. And what a coincidence that we have the same floor — we've had ours for 17 or so years now, and I'm still very pleased with it. I'd wanted Mexican saltillo tiles, but they didn't fit into our budget. Happily, these captured something of that flavour and there's enough subtle variation in these to give an organic look. They really warm up a room, don't they?!
I too wanted the saltillo tiles, until I investigated the price and the durability, and I too wound up quite happy with the ones I (we) chose! The man who sold them to me also did me a great service by flatly refusing to use the red grout I thought I wanted (what was I thinking?) and redirecting the installer to use the grey he had chosen no matter what I said. He then scolded me for trying to ruin his work. I think it's the only time I've ever been bullied and been grateful for it.
I always enjoy your what-you-wore posts. (And I always sense the smile behind them) They've (you've) been quite instrumental in helping me past some navy conundrums in my own wardrobe. I find myself thinking "Mater said…"
As I say above in my response to Marsha, this feedback is so helpful. Thanks, and I'm glad you can tell I'm smiling. . . especially to think someone might be thinking "Mater said…" 🙂
I *have* to wear floods–wearing them the "proper" length is like wearing a too-long short sleeve tee for me (hems get turned up immediately!).
Interesting — I have to work on flood acceptance . . .
I love all the outfits but especially the last, longer skirt and boxy top. The camel looks wonderful with your coloring and I think J Crew camel color has a rosier tone than most. I have a camel cashmere sweater from J Crew that I love and I never thought camel looked good on me before. Also love your hair! Do you have it cut by a stylist specially trained to cut curly hair?
I do think that J Crew camel is a good camel for me. Yummy to that camel cashmere!
I wouldn't say my stylist is specially trained for curl-cutting, but she's really good and she pays attention to what I want but helps me think of new possibilities. In the photos above, quite honestly, my hair is still in its morning-damp, post-shampoo, naturally-drying state which lacks a bit of the lift I'll give it later with a pick. I wash, apply product, scrunch then let it dry naturally before picking a bit of height out of it.
I love the outfits you have posted, and the camel jacket with the lovely scarf. The last outfit is very appealing, even the volume over volume, which although not a silhouette we think of as "modern", I suspect is in fact quite modern in a way.