fashion over 50

How do you like to accessorize? Do you like big statement necklaces and earrings? Lots of bracelets and rings? Or is your style more minimalistic? There are some great new Spring Jewelry Trends that are all the rage and I’ve asked my friend Karen Monroe from eSBe by Sara Blaine to give us the 411 on the latest styles.

This is not a sponsored post. None of the links in this post are affiliate links. 

Spring Jewelry Trends –  Minimalistic Look in fun Geometric Shapes

Minimalist Geometric Earrings

Spring Jewelry Trends – Celestial

Confetti Earrings because weekends were made for confetti!  Aren’t these so pretty? I love the vibrant red and gold beading with the little stars the end.

• 14K Gold over Brass design.
• French wires are 14k Gold over Sterling Silver.
• Coral, Bronze and Brass seed beads with Star and Heart design elements.
• Hangs to 3.5 inches.

Gold Paragon Straps Cuff

Spring Jewelry Trends – Threaders are BACK!

Elliotte Threader Earrings

• Threader style earring.
• 16K Gold over Brass with clear CZ’s.
• Hangs 2.5 inches.

Spring Jewelry Trends – Layering Necklaces

The Elliotte Necklace is “layering made easy”.  Three simple necklaces for any neckline with the layering already done for you!

• 16K Gold over Brass with design elements encrusted with clear CZ’s.
• Triple necklace.
• Shortest chain is 15-16 inches and longest chain is 25-26 inches with Lobster closure.

Spring Jewelry Trends – Tassels and Pearls

These Infintas Earrings are so cute with a casual dress, cover-up or swimsuit.

• 16K Gold over Sterling Silver hoops accented with swirls.
• Hangs 2 inches.

Wear them with the South Seas Shell Pearl Bracelet and you have the perfect vacation look!

When looking at Spring Jewelry Trends, you may wonder what necklace to wear with certain necklines.

Karen provided this super helpful chart that you can print out and refer to when you’re just not sure!

 

 

About eSBe by Sara Blaine

For the past 20 years, Sara has built a family of both skilled generations of artisans and extraordinary females of all ages.

In 2014, eSBe launched to honor and provide opportunity for these things and people she appreciated so dearly – fine craftsmanship and women looking to enrich their lives.

eSBe offers an alternative to the traditional direct sales model and equips its stylists with product that sells, incentives that matter and immense support to create whatever kind of life and business you want.

Place you order between now and May 20 and receive 15% off of your first order.  Contact Karen  at fashionbykaren@att.net to redeem your coupon.

Which trend is your favorite?

Connect with Karen here:

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Accessories | The Icing on the Cake

Scarves. My first memory of a woman wearing a scarf was of my mom wearing one on her head to keep her hair from getting messed up on a windy day. Do you remember those days back in the 60’s? When I was in college in the 70’s scarves were all the rage. I remember wearing them tied in a knot around my neck. I don’t remember us tying them many other ways. But today, there is no end of ways to use scarves as an accessory – a beautiful way to add color and style to any outfit. And here is how some of my favorite fashion bloggers are styling their scarves. 13 Super Stylish Ways to Wear A Scarf.

Get my 3 Fashionable Ways To Tie A Scarf Here!

Scarves come in all shapes and sizes these days. The long scarf, blanket scarf, short scarf, infinity scarf.  There are beautiful scarves just for looks and their are scarves that keep you warm. Silk scarves, cotton scarves, fleece, wool and chunky knitted scarves. And they come in a variety of price points from  $10.99 to up to hundreds of dollars for a designer scarf.

You can tie a scarf around your neck, drape it around your shoulders, tie it on your purse or wear it as a vest. Talk about a versatile wardrobe item! Do you have a favorite way to wear a scarf?

How to Wear a Long Scarf

Long scarves are fun because there is enough fabric there to tie it into all kinds of intricate designs if you are so inclined. But these days, I’m seeing more and more women wear long scarves in a lose and casual way.

Nancy from Jodie’s Touch of Style rolls hers loosely around her neck and then lets it hang. That roll provided a little texture to her outfit.

 

Pam from Over 50 Feeling 40 does a similar roll but adds an extra loop in there. Don’t you love the dramatic color of Pam’s scarf? A necklace with her top would have been great, but that scarf adds a certain flair and totally changes the look of her outfit.

Alie from Wardrobe Oxygen also did a simple wrap and drape to her animal print scarf. I love how she paired her animal print scarf with her plaid blazer. Scarves are a great way to ”ease into” pattern mixing.

Charlotte from Jodie’s Touch of Style used a scarf clip to style her scarf.

 Julia from When the Girls Rule just tied hers into a simple square knot.

Leaving the scarf long like the ladies did in both of these pictures draws your eye up and down creating the illusion of length. And there are lots of choices of pretty scarf clips!

How to Wear A Short Scarf

 

 

Jodie ties her short scarf in a knot at her neck. I love how she chose a contrasting color to go with her sassy off the shoulder top!

 

Darlene from Aquamarina Style ties her short scarf like a bandana and wears it two ways.
Top picture: Knot in the front and tail down the back.

Bottom picture: Knot to one side, tail to to the other side.

Super casual, yet adds that finishing touch to a plain tee.

How to Wear A Wrap Scarf

Wrap scarves also come in lots of sizes. This large one that Darlene is wearing has a design that is made for wearing as a wrap – can you see it? Darlene just draped it around her shoulders and belted it. Such a great look.

Julia wears her pretty fall floral scarf as a simple wrap. The pattern adds interest to her basic black or navy dress.

How to Wear a Blanket Scarf

Beautiful Carrie from Curly Crafty Mom is not in the group of women we would call “midlife”. But I couldn’t resist showing you her gorgeous plaid blanket scarf styled over her maxi dress. You can wrap a blanket scarf in a lot of different ways. Carrie styled it with the tail pointing down the front.

Other Fun Ways to Style A Scarf

Allie wears her scarf as a belt in the super sophisticated look.

Julia ties her scarf to the handle of her purse.

The possibilities are endless. Put some of the basic pieces in your wardrobe together, mix in a few scarves and you have multiplied the number of looks in your wardrobe.

I hope this post gave you some great ideas on ways to style your scarves. Need more?

Get my 3 Fashionable Ways to Tie A Scarf here.

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Summer to Fall Outfits | Summer to Fall Transition Looks

Building A Wardrobe You Love

Today I want to introduce you to some Stylish Necklace Readers by Neckglasses. But first a little history. A sad little tale that we can all relate to.

This post is sponsored by Neckglasses. All words and opinions are my own.

It’s one of the first signs of fleeting youth that we face as midlife women. The need for reading glasses. We need just a little help from our “readers” or “cheaters” to read something…a menu, price tag or message on our phone. Needing those readers is a bit of a nuisance, but we deal with it.

We buy a pair. Then we can never find that pair when we need them, so we buy the 10-pack from Costco and put a pair in every room in the house.

When we’re out, we are forever rummaging through our purses to find our cheaters because it seems we need them more and more. And it’s just like so many things that come up as we age. It’s just a big old pain in the butt!

Of course, we could resort to our mother’s and grandmother’s solution of wearing our glasses around our neck with a chain. Seriously – I did buy one of those chains just to wear at home and my kids about died.

What’s a girl who isn’t ready to look in the mirror and see her grandmother to do? Would you believe I’ve found a solution? One that is both stylish and functional? And actually allows you to see? Introducing the Stylish Necklace Readers by Neckglasses.

Take a look at my Necklace Readers – Catherine by Neckglasses

 

Yes, that beautiful necklace that is reminiscent of the Kendra Scott jewelry I love is actually my reading glasses. There is nothing “granny” about that!

It’s called “Catherine”  and is sleek and feminine. I was in a wine bar with friends and all I had to do to read the menu is lift up my necklace and Voila! I could READ!

Catherine comes in both silver and gold.

Another style that I like is Dianna, which is designed like a glass locket. Neckglasses has a pair to compliment every style.

Pendant Readers for Men

Neckglasses even has styles for men…because women aren’t the only ones who can’t find their readers. No more putting glasses in their pockets where they can get scratched or in their wife’s purse to carry. (I’m talking to one guy in particular here!) “Lee” offers the same ease-of-use solution for always having your readers handy.

Neckglasses. The fashionable and functional solution to having your reading glasses handy. Check out their many styles here.  

Get 25% off with the code Fall25!

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Cute Shoes for Women With Wide Feet

I live in Texas where we won’t see even a HINT of cool weather until late October. So while those of you who live north of us are enjoying your pumpkin spice lattes and wearing your cute new sweaters and boots, we’re still in shorts, flip flops and running my AC 24/7. So what do those of us who live down south wear when we want an outfit that says FALL but it’s too hot to wear cold weather clothing? Turns out there are lots of options with the currently trending  denim, animal prints and fall florals. Take a look at some of the Summer to Fall Outfits my favorite fashion bloggers put together!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Summer to Fall Outfits – Denim

Claudia from Empty Nest Style added a chambray shirt to her white jeans and tied it all together with a cognac cardigan, bag & shoes. Those accessories just say fall to me and I am loving how the whole “no white after Labor Day” rule has gone by the wayside.

Summer to Fall Outfits – Florals

We saw lots of florals this summer, many of which can go right into fall.

In my look, I shopped my closet and put together this look. I paired the LOFT floral tee that I wore all summer with my Wit & Wisdom Thyme Cropped Pants. I topped it with a denim jacket, which seems to be the most versatile third piece for any season. Tied it all together with olive booties and burgundy color purse.

 

This particular denim jacket is from Talbots and I love it so much. It has a bit of a shape, which is more flattering on me than those that are boxy. And it has some stretch, which makes it easy to move around in. I also have it in white!

I received my first pair of Wit & Wisdom Ab-solution pants in my Trunk Club shipment this summer and immediately loved the fit, stretch and tummy control.

My booties are from Walking Cradles, a great line of shoes that are comfortable and stylish. You can get 20% off and free shipping at walkingcradles.com with the code MySide20.

Fonda from Savvy Southern Chic is wearing a floral camisole, crop flare jeans and blush colored cardigan. The cardigan is lightweight and a great piece when the weather is hot, but the AC in stores and restaurants is cranked up high.  Notice her beautiful Kendra Scott necklace! I purchased this same one for my daughter’s birthday at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It is gorgeous and very versatile. Follow Fonda on Instagram.

 

For a different kind of floral top, Suzy from Empty Nest Blessed is wearing a navy top with floral embroidery with blush jeans and camel booties. I am seeing lots of blush as a neutral this fall. And booties are a great way to add some fall to your wardrobe without heating things up! Follow Suzy on Instagram.

 

Summer to Fall Outfits – Animal Print

Jess from Elegantly Dressed & Stylish wears a ¾ length blouse with jeans and accessorizes it with an animal print clutch and scarf. Jess incorporates another fall trend by wearing a blouse in a menswear inspired print. And the pattern mixing she does here is so interesting a looks great. Follow Jess on Instagram.

Regan from Nifty 50 and Fabulous and Suzanne from Crazy Blonde Life both had the same idea for early fall in the south! Black tops and pants with animal print accessories.

Regan wears her animal print scarf as a wrap and Suzanne adds a leopard print clutch and booties! So cute! Follow Regan on Instagram.

 

Suzanne carries on the theme here with a semi-sheer animal print blouse and black distressed jeans. Belts are all the rage this fall and hers adds an extra touch of zing to a very classy fall outfit. Follow Suzanne on Instagram.

What about you? Is it warm where you live? What are you wearing for the summer to fall transition?

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And guess what? I am the featured guest on this week’s Ageless Style Linkup! Check out how all of these ladies styled fall outfits in their favorite colors!

Daenel ~ Living outside the Stacks blog, instagram, pinterest, twitter

Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust bloglovin, blog, instagram, pinterest, facebook, twitter

Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots blog, instagram, facebook, pinterest, twitter, bloglovin

Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style blog, facebook, instagram, pinterest, bloglovin, twitter

Jonet ~ Fabulously Chic Over 50 blog, facebook, , instagram, pinterest, twitter

Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag blog, instagram, bloglovin, twitter

Lisa ~ Coast to Coast blog, facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest

Paula ~ Dimples on my What blog, facebook, pinterest, instagram, twitter

Do you shop at thrift stores? I must admit, I’ve never had much luck with this. But I have been so intrigued by people who find great items at super cheap prices by shopping at thrift stores. One of them is my blogging friend, Jodie from Jodie’s Touch of Style. Jodie’s blog features her mother (80+ model) stepmom (60+ model) and her (50+ model). Today she is giving us her 4 Expert Thrift Store Shopping Hacks.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase a product through my link, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

I talked about my history with preloved items when thredUp was having their celebration of International Women’s Day, yet I’ve been thrifting far longer than I’ve been blogging.

The first time a friend took me to a thrift store, I was amazed that you could get clothes that were almost new for such a great price. As a sale shopper, I’ve always been price conscious which is a trait that’s been handed down from my mother (the 80+ model on my blog).

So let me give my 4 Expert Thrift Store Shopping Hacks That I’ve Learned Over the Years

This way of shopping is truly a treasure hunt. If you are someone who doesn’t enjoy taking the time to shop or look through a mix of items, then it’s probably not going to float your boat. Yet I will say that taking a friend along can be the best tip ever. Many articles will tell you that a friend may push you into items of styles that you think aren’t you. However, I will say that this can actually help you be more successful in your shopping adventure. I feel that a second set of eyes can open you up to new and even better possibilities that you wouldn’t have considered on your own. Unless I’m the only one that gets into a rut with my clothing choices?

1-Where to shop

Many years ago, you were limited to the second hand and consignment stores in your local area. However, now you can even enjoy them online with companies like thredUp, Poshmark, and eBay. (See Jodie’s tips on shopping at online thrift stores here).

The advantage and yet disadvantage at the same time, is that each store will have different items. If you are shopping in a brick and mortar store, you are most likely going to be getting items that women in the area have donated. Keeping that in mind, it’s fun to explore the second-hand stores when you go traveling to a different place. That can give you an entirely different selection of goods.

I like to say that thrifting can be feast or famine. Your favorite store may have a load of items one time and nothing at another visit. So the best thing to remember is patience. Do not expect to go to the thrift store with only 5 minutes to spare and be successful.

Explore your area for places you never knew about. I have found secondhand stores tucked into a strip mall where I go regularly, yet I never knew they were there.

 

 

2-What to look for

I have a couple of tips for finding the things you need at the second-hand stores.

First, have an open mind when you are going shopping. The worst feeling is to be going with a certain item in mind because rarely will that item be there. That’s where the online thrift stores trump the brick and mortar. You can search for a particular item on most online secondhand shops. That’s how I found my leopard coat on Poshmark.

 

So I find myself having much more success if I go to the store with no expectations and ready to explore everything.

[bctt tweet=”To be successful when shopping in a thrift store go with no expectations and be ready to explore everything. @jtouchofstyle #thrifty” username=”mysideof50″]

That being said, I do think it’s handy to have an ongoing list of items you wished you could find. This isn’t like a grocery list which you will finish each time you go shopping. This will be one that you may or may not find the items for a year or two depending on the season and what is available. I keep this list on my phone in my notes. When I think of something I’d like, I add it to the list. And this also helps me when I’m shopping at retail stores too.

Don’t discount items that aren’t the perfect fit. Because just like at retail stores, most of us should have 50-80% of our purchases altered to make them fit us better. I’ve learned this from my mother who was in professional alterations for years. You may think that it would be silly to spend money to alter an item that cost you so little in the first place. Sometimes, you can even spend more on the alterations than the piece. However, this is the ideal time to spend that money, because in reality, then the price of the full item including alterations is still affordable as long as it’s something you’ll wear a lot.

Before you purchase an item or even consider having it altered, you need to examine the piece really well and make sure to try it on. Many consignment stores are dark or the fitting rooms aren’t well lit. It’s important to inspect the pieces thoroughly because these items aren’t new, and you can’t usually return them. In saying that, some stores have a return policy so it’s good to ask, and I know that thredUp is one of those. For example, I bought a maxi skirt at a Goodwill store and once I got it home, I noticed the bottom hem was dirty and worn. Luckily, I needed to shorten it anyway, so no harm done. But I will caution you to turn the item all around and even inside out to see what kind of shape it’s in before you buy it.

Make a point to look around the entire store. I used to only check out the clothing items when I shopped at thrift stores. However, you can miss out on many fun accessories, or even home decor if you don’t look around.

3-Thought Process as I’m shopping

Now that we had our colors analyzed, I’m trying to be better about only getting new pieces of clothing that look great on me. I limit this to the tops, jackets, sweaters, and scarves that are going to be close to my face.

Get 3 Fashionable Ways to Tie a Scarf here!

One question I always ask when I pick out an item is do I already have this or a version of it? What I have noticed, is when we “like” something at the stores, many times it’s because we already have something like it in our closets. For example, my mother is a white blouse collector, and we’ve ascertained that she does not need another one for another 10 years. (That doesn’t mean she won’t buy one…haha). But it’s a good question to think about when you’re shopping. It’s only normal to like the items that appeal to you. Therefore you may already have one just like it in your closet.

I know many women will ask themselves if they can style it with 3 different outfits before they buy an item. This is one time, that I think it’s fine to break this rule. Due to the fact that you aren’t paying full price, you can “splurge.” Not every item in our closet has to function in many different ways. And it’s a perfect time to try something “unusual” or “not your style.”

4-Best things to buy at thrift stores

Before I started blogging, I didn’t know brands and labels very well, so I always just bought what I liked. And that’s perfectly fine. But if you like a certain brand more than others, then it’s great to search for that brand of clothing. For example, many women love Chicos or WHBM, and I’ve seen these brands often where I shop. There are even times you will find the higher end brands that you may covet, yet don’t feel comfortable spending the money on at retail stores.  A couple of years ago, I came across a pair of Stuart Weitzman sandals at Goodwill for $7. They are a classic color and style, and I wear them to this day.

This is the best time to find classic and non-trendy items. For example, I’m always on the lookout for a great striped shirt and gingham blouse. But don’t forget to check the men’s section too. If you don’t mind buttoning shirts the opposite way, this can offer you more possibilities.

That being said, if you do spot a trendy item at the thrift store, this could be the time to get it. Just in case, the trend doesn’t stick around for long or you don’t wear it much after you bring it home, at least you didn’t spend a lot on it.

Have you ever wondered if the high-end denim is really worth it? Well, this could be the perfect time to try it out, yet not pay the high prices. If you don’t know which denim is high end or not, you can always google the brand while you’re in the store and compare prices.

[bctt tweet=”Want to wear high-end clothing brands, but don’t want to pay high prices? Check out your area thrift stores! #thrifty” username=”mysideof50″]

I think this is the best time to purchase a special event dress or purse if you come across it. Most of our special event dresses or clutches only get worn a couple of times, so it feels like a waste to spend a boatload of money on these purchases. I found a metallic dress at Goodwill once that I wore to such a gala.

 

I’ve even since learned to style it casually so I can get more uses out of it. However, even if I hadn’t done this, I wouldn’t feel so bad since I paid under $10 for it.

Conclusion

A couple of questions people have asked me is whether everything is washed when you buy it at these stores. Most places ask you to donate clean items; however, I make sure to wash most everything when I get home. If an item is dry clean only, then I may Febreeze it or put it in the dryer with Dryel.

Remember, that second-hand shopping can be a fun experience. Especially when you can find such great treasures at wonderful prices when you are thrifting. Not only are you saving money, but you are also helping out the environment by reusing items instead of having them go to the landfills.

Are you excited when you walk into your closet to find something to wear or is a totally frustrating experience? Take the From Frustration to Functional Closet Challenge! This totally FREE challenge from the folks at Adore Your Wardrobe will give you lots of tips to help you love the wardrobe you have and a closet that functions for you! 

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Do you ever look at yourself from behind and wonder where all those rolls around your bra straps came from? Even if you’re not overweight, the wrong bra can make it looks like you have all kinds of that dreaded back fat! And of course, no one wants a panty line to ruin the look of a great pair of pants.

This post was sponsored by Soma Intimates. All opinions are my own.

That’s why I’m so excited to partner with Soma Intimates to tell you about their Vanishing Back Bra and Vanishing Edge Panty.

I’ve been wearing Soma’s Vanishing Edge Panties since they first came out a number of years ago and they do just what they say – VANISH when you put on a pair of pants over them.

This is the Vanishing Tummy With Lace Retro Brief:

 

I’m pretty much a nude, black or ivory girl when it comes to the color of my lingerie, but I opted for this fun lace brief in Imperial Purple. Don’t you love it?

This style of Vanishing Edge Panty offers what you have come to expect from Soma – thin silicone strips around the leg opening to keep the panty in place and the no-roll waistband. But the Vanishing Tummy feature gives you something extra.  A double-layered microfiber front panel that smooths you out and gives you that little bit of tummy control.

This is the Back Close With Lace Trim Vanishing Back Bra:

 

This is my first bra from Soma and I was so impressed by its fit and comfort!

When the brand first contacted me about a partnership, they asked me to use their Bra Fit Guide to determine my size. This guide includes a video on how to measure yourself to get the best fit.  I did as instructed and was so surprised at the size it said I was! I had recently had a professional bra fitting and the sizes were totally different.

My contact with Soma was so nice. She sent me the “Soma Size” bra and the size that I THOUGHT I was. Sure enough, the Soma Size fit perfectly. So….if you are ordering online, use the Bra Fit Guide!

Now for the best part. I wanted to show you before and after pictures of me wearing the Vanishing Back Bra.

Here are the pictures – side by side! I am amazed at the difference.  Those back rolls really DO disappear.

And the Vanishing Back Bra is one of the softest, most comfortable and supportive bras I have ever worn. They make your “girls” look good!

Take a look at all the great colors and styles of Vanishing Back Bras and Vanishing Edge Panties that Soma Intimates offers.

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