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Monday Musings: It’s In Vogue

Happy Monday ladies. I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and are ready to tackle the week. I’m not. I spent Saturday hosing off the patio furniture then rearranging flower pots and furniture. So Sunday was spent with a heating pad, writing this post. I always do this to myself. I overdo it because I forget I have a bad back. Oh well, there are worse things.

Here are a few things on my mind this week-

Vogue

The American edition of the magazine invented a fictional character named Mrs. Exeter in 1948, to give fashion guidance and advice to women over 50. British Vogue followed up and included her in their articles. She graced their cover several times and illustrations of her were used in Vogue pattern books for years. She was a gray-haired woman of a certain age who is said to be approaching 60. She was dressed in an elegant suit, with gorgeous accessories. The epitome of grace and style. She proposed and elegant way of dressing that is earned with age.

“I don’t want to look or dress young – or old. I just want to dress well”.

-Mrs. Exeter

“Mrs. Exeter knows what she likes – result of a thorough knowledge of herself“.

-Vogue October/November 1958 issue

Back in the 50’s women could look chic without looking like they were trying too hard. Gradually our youth-obsessed society changed how women thought about clothes and what they should and shouldn’t wear.fashion and age book

I am anxiously waiting for this book to arrive and have started it on my Kindle. I find books about style and age fascinating. I have lots of books that discuss fashion and age so this will be a great addition to my collection. Now I’m more anxious to get some bookshelves so I can unpack all my book boxes.

Also –Why Your Clothes Matter

Anna Wintour Necklaceanna wintour necklace

Some women have their signature style nailed down. They know what they like, what they like to wear, and seldom vary it day to day. It becomes their uniform. Anna Wintour is one of those women. She’s not fond of casual and would rather be overdressed than underdressed. Me too. She favors beautiful floral dresses, heels, and is almost always seen wearing her Georgian Collet necklaces. Collette or Riviere necklaces are either paste or real crystal stones sometimes backed with foil and strung in a single circle.

Being a bit of a crow and loving all things vintage I went on a hunt for these “Anna Wintour” necklaces. Hers are reportedly in $20,000 range but the dupes range from below $50 and on up.

anna wintour master class image
source

As a side note, Anna published a photo of herself wearing “sweatpants” to work from home and people freaked out! Hello? she’s human and also showed a picture of herself wearing a mask and no makeup. IMO, people need to lighten up.

Maxi Skirts

Our weather hit swelter level last week so I was scrambling for things to keep cool. One of the comfiest things I found was my maxi skirt (unavailable). I love maxi’s because they allow the air so circulate and don’t show pasty white legs. Petite women can wear maxi skirts as successfully as tall women. They are an equal opportunity style. It was so warm, I just tied a plain white tee at my waist and tossed on my J.Crew necklace which resembles the Anna Wintour ones I’ve been admiring.

Do you wear maxi skirts to stay cool?

Thanks for reading and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.

52 Comments

  1. Often wished Vogue had compiled a collection of Mrs. Exeter columns.

  2. I love that look. Love the Anna necklaces. I know she’s a controversial figure, but I adore her. I just bought a maxi skirt from Anthropologie. I find them fabulous for travel (not that I’m planning that for a while, but I live in hope!) Stay safe. Xx

    1. Anthropologie has a marvelous crop of them this year! Iā€™m tempted by many. Be well xx

  3. Love your look ..I like maxis , but always feel like Iā€™m dressing up too much at home wearing one , but now Iā€™m inspired to wear them anyway . Iā€™m about your body size and height …. also wondering about jumpsuits as they are flowy too but I havenā€™t tried one ..have you ? And are they hard to get out if for restroom ? Chicos has some cute ones too .
    Thanks for style tips .loved you blog about color

    1. I am also intrigued by jumpsuits but havenā€™t tried any yet.

  4. Patti Shannon says:

    Love maxi skirts….and heating pads!

  5. I’m extremely short-waisted and have more of a belly than I would like, so maxi skirts are a no-go for me. For hot weather I’m really partial to Lands’ End knee-length swimsuit coverup dresses worn with wedge-heel espadrilles.

  6. I am just under 5ā€™ and wear maxis and ankle length skirts or soft wide leg Full length pants all summer and into fall. In summer always with a wedge sandal…( not too high-2.5ā€ is easiest for me) In the fall and winter I wear knee high boots with the darker , heavier skirts. Never ankle boots that chop my legs. I look for skirts that are fitted down to my hips then flare. I keep the tops narrow ( not tight) and I always wear 3/4 sleeves. But I have crepey skin since getting thin. I canā€™t win. There are so many people who think long skirts and wide leg pants canā€™t or shouldnā€™t be worn by short women. Not so! You just have to experiment with the fabrics and the proportions.

    1. I love wide-leg pants too but haven’t run across many lately

  7. Christine says:

    Love the statement pieces and how they’re blended. My favorite colors – greens, blues, topazes – take on a whole new range when placed alongside pinks and purples. I shop Etsy, and now I’ll be searching “Anna Wintour” as well.

  8. I enjoy reading about fashion also. I also love maxi skirts because I will never tan and sometimes get tired of self tanning! I live on the heating pad, mostly because of arthritis. I have had to buy several.

    1. Patti Shannon says:

      I also live on a heating pad due to our friend ā€œArthurā€! My current favorite is the Sunbeam one that comes with Velcro to keep it in place.

      1. I will have to look for that one. It sounds really convenient

  9. I wear maxi skirts around the house in the summer. Cooler than pants.

  10. Jennifer – that skirt looks great on you!

    Donā€™t laugh but I have a skirt just like that in my costume collection for when I went to Renaissance fairs. It never occurred to me to wear it for every day but now Iā€™ll definitely try it!

    I join the chorus in celebrating your good health! There are no words for the relief you feel. Life just got a whole lot sweeter no matter what else is happening. Enjoy every moment!

  11. Phyllis Gigandet says:

    I love maxi dresses on other people. I like the way they look on me, I guess, but here in the South, it really is too hot. I do have a few, but they basically decorate my closet. I do love dresses in the summer and wear short dresses a lot.

    1. If they are just decorating your closet, remember to not buy more. Buy what you will wear :). You can buy better quality

  12. Jennifer, if you like that type of necklace, you may want to google Mariana jewelry. She makes fabulous, colorful affordable pieces that are interesting. Amazon has a selection of them.

  13. I am a different “Bea” from the person who made a previous remark!

    I am 5’1″ and am afraid of wearing maxi dresses/skirts. I just feel like I am playing dress-up in those long flowing garments, and I feel slimmer & taller in more tapered, close-to-the body shapes.
    I do have 2 maxi-dresses to wear around the house, though! They feel just right there.

  14. You hit upon a topic that I have great interest in, which is dressing to look good. I put it so simply because that is the bottom line. I agree that we need to focus on details and present ourselves in a way that doesnā€™t give the impression that we are lazy and not detail oriented. First impressions COUNT! I will retire in 3 weeks from teaching Sp Ed PreK. Soon, I will have all the time in the world to decide my next chapter and how I will want to be identified as.

  15. We live in Rancho Mirage, Ca. so the heat is on! I love skirts to and maxi’s are great at 5′ 8. Tania you look nice in your maxi I love the necklaces too! Anna Wintour is certainly a fashion icon. I sure enjoy your blog and you have really helped through these times. Keep up the good work.

  16. I have several maxi dresses for summer that are made from knitted cotton, like t- shirt dresses. Very comfortable in the summer.

    1. I only have one of those but itā€™s black which is hot so Iā€™m looking to find other colors.

  17. I donā€™t own a dress or skirt. I get hot and sweaty when itā€™s warm, and sweaty legs rubbing together isnā€™t comfortable to me. I much prefer shorts or cropped lightweight pants. I donā€™t understand why everyone thinks tan is beautiful. English and Scandinavia women have beautiful skin with not a tan in sight. American women are full of leathery, spotted skin. My dermatologist had a big poster in his office that said, ā€œIf you keep tanning your skin it will look like leatherā€. I finally saw the light in my fifties. I wish I had embraced pale skin much earlier in life. I realize people can use self tanners, but that still promotes the false idea that tan is what is beautiful.

    1. Barbara K says:

      I agree with everything you said, Pam! I don’t own a dress now either. If I need to dress up for a wedding or another occasion, there are so many ways to do that now with pants. I wear crop pants all summer. On really hot days, I wear shorts but never leave the house in them! And I so wish that I hadn’t tried to tan my pale freckly skin when I was younger. I have a “chicken neck” now! I don’t use self-tanners anymore because they all rub off on my clothes.

    2. There used to be something we called Peti-Pants” (or some similar spelling), which were like a half slip, only with generous knee-length leg openings, always made of a really light-weight cotton. This was the perfect answer to sweaty thighs sticking to each other, to be worn under a skirt or dress. I wonder whether these are still out there…? Perhaps called something else?

      1. DGW, I grew up wearing pettipants. I realized years ago that they are not popular any more and hard to find, so I saved the few I own. They might be thirty years old. lol I think young people who feel the need for such a garment wear biking shorts now.

      2. On Amazon searching for pettipants brings up a number of items similar to what you describe. For the “modern” version search for slip shorts. šŸ˜‰

  18. Ordering that book! Thanks! I have longed for a frank discussion on style for older women, besides ā€œ just wear what you wantā€ and ā€œ I just have to be comfortable ( sweats)ā€, hopefully this book is it. Canā€™t wait either!

  19. Sheryl BRIGGS says:

    Are you able to wear maxi skirts if you have a big belly? I usually flowy tops, but I donā€™t think that would work with a flowy skirt. Do you have any suggestions?

    1. Yes! Try a shorter flowy top with a narrower maxi. Or a full maxi dress. If you like it, wear it:)

  20. Paulette Levy says:

    I don’t own any maxi skirts….sadly. In hot humid weather Im in shirts or just at knee skirts and tees. I also go to linen blend palazzos or those in tencel blends with a cool top. (Or just throw on a beach coverup if it’s really humid). So far our spring has been cool to cold but sunny. Our real heat starts end of June through September.

  21. Deborah Wiltshire Whaley says:

    Jennifer you are rocking that boho skirt! I have dusted off all of my boho gypsy skirts and dresses I feel most comfortable in a dress and always have. Right now I need the reminder of an earlier time of happiness in my life. I look forward to hearing what you think of the book, it looks like one I would like to read.
    I also love bling! Bling necklace but mostly bling chandelier earrings

  22. You showed us today a very flattering look that many of us could recreate with little effort. The maxi skirt paired with the soft tee shirt and vintage necklace just shows style and confidence.
    For me, itā€™s all about softening my look. I am trying to eliminate any ā€œhard linesā€, whether itā€™s with my hair, makeup or clothing choices! You certainly have found that sweet spot Jennifer!
    Thankyou for keeping us connected!

  23. I never wear maxi skirts. I always wear shorts since I live in hot and humid Florida! I do wear a lot of linen which is cooler in the hot weather.

  24. I use L’Oreal Sublime self tanning lotion. It gives a light tanning effect on the legs. You can add to the tan each day to get it to the level of color you want. I have used it for years and just love it! I never use on my face, just on my legs and upper arms where the sun never seems to tan! Try it!

  25. Maxi skirts are fun and comfortable. I always feel very feminine when I wear one. I also love the necklaces. I don’t wear alot of jewelry, but I feel a small version of the stones would be a lovely addition.

  26. I am 6ā€™ tall and do have a signature style! I work part time in a bridal shop so maxi skirts are my go to in warmer months. Since I am 61 yrs old and need to wear orthotics, maxis are comfortable, look good on my tall frame and donā€™t call too much attention to my orthotic shoes and my not so great legs anymore!
    In winter months My style is to wear a knee length skirt with black tights. The tights tend to downplay the black shoes with a clean dark line.
    I always emphasize my upper half, which is my better half, with a more tailored top and statement jewelry!

  27. Maxi skirts have been a staple of my spring/summer wardrobe for well over a decade — for the reasons Jennifer mentioned (air circulation and coverage for pasty white legs) as well as for the fact that wearing one means I don’t have to shave my legs as often (shhhh!) and I don’t have to wear pantyhose with a maxi skirt at the office, as I would if I were wearing a knee-length skirt. The only issue I’ve come across over the years is with wrap” maxi skirts showing a bit too much when I sit at my desk or when walking on a windy day — a problem easily solved with a well-placed safety pin.

  28. Iā€™m 4ā€™11 and have always been afraid of maxi dresses and skirts because I donā€™t want to look even shorter. How (if at all) do you think short women should wear a maxi?

    1. Hi April! Iā€™m petite as well and wear maxi dresses whenever I can. I find dresses with an empire waist are visually elongating, as are sheath or column ones. I stick to solids and vertical stripes. I avoid any pattern that cuts you horizontally as well as large prints or anything that is too voluminous. I do have one dress that has asymmetrical lines and it seems to work.
      When it comes to skirts, I use the same guideline as dresses. I look for skirts with high waistbands. I also find waistbands that are wide help as well, but I have a long torso.I keep my tops form fitting and in the same colour family.
      If you are able, wear a shoe with a slight heel. I try to keep the shoe in the same colour wave as well.
      Keep accessories near your face, and purses in proportion (large ones make you look shorter and wider)
      Hope this helps. May not work for everyone but it does for me.
      Just experiment and donā€™t be afraid to try new things!

      1. I agree-ā€œdonā€™t be afraid to try new thingsā€ !!

    2. I like mine with a shorter top because the skirt is full. That is why I tied my tee at the waist. If itā€™s a narrower maxi I like to wear similar colors head to toe.

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