Your Best Style Muse

Happy Friday ladies. I hope you are all doing well and finding joy in each day.

I’ve begun to clear my wardrobe of the flotsam and jetsam that always seems to collect at the end of a season. You know, the boots I thought would be wonderful, that were too snug to wear for longer than 2 hours. The sweater that pilled so badly it required serious shaving every time I wanted to wear it. Those inexpensive pants that shrunk the first time I washed them, rendering them unwearable, (which made them too expensive, no matter the price).

As I think about how I want to dress this year, I look for inspiration from women in the media and style muses. I have classic style muses, dramatic style muses, feminine style muses, and on and on. For elegance, Carolina Herrera is right at the top of my list. I absolutely love what she says about her inspiration here-

 “I give a woman fashion, style is what she does with it.”
~Carolina Herrera

Do you have a style muse or an amalgamation of style muses?

Is there one you relate to more than others?

There’s a sizable movement among women over 50 who are looking to redefine their personal style and increase their visibility. Some are opting for a theatrical, highly creative look. Some are going back to the classics and many more are continuing to experiment.
We need to dress to please ourselves and wear what makes us feel confident, even if no one sees us but ourselves:)

If you like this post, I’d love for you to pin this image to your favorite Pinterest board.

MANNEQUIN AND SEWING MACHINE

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

52 Comments

  1. Philanthi Koslowski says:

    I’m a bit late to the party but I, too, am especially partial to Audrey Hepburn’s style—timeless classics that r elegant, simple, and SO stylish! I just wish I were lucky enough to have her body type. I’m only 5’ tall, small to medium build, and have really petite proportions.

    But, in my next life, I plan to be a naturally tall, lean, fightin’ machine aka AH! 😝🤞

  2. Marilyn Lea says:

    Living in England and having good friends in Hilton Head, SC, I really loved reading all the feedback above. Everytime we visited, my friend and I spent almost all of every day touring the thrift shops. I love them and over the years have found some really wonderful bargains [at ridiculously low prices], many of which I still wear. I am 75 now and don’t travel so well, so we keep in regular touch via email to discuss our latest bargains. As in the U.S, all our thrift-shops are closed but as I find something I don’t need any more I put it in a pastic bag in the trunk of my car. Bless you all and keep safe.

    1. Robin Hillyer-Miles says:

      HHI has the BEST thrift and second hand shops. I lived there a bit after Hugo since Charleston, my home, was devastated. I bought some lovely outfits I could not have afforded otherwise. I still have some of the (non clothes) items I purchased back then and that was 30 years ago!

  3. I’m curious about how the second hand clothing market will be at the end of this virus. Will stores accept clothes that might be contaminated? Will shoppers want to buy clothes that might be contaminated? Before the virus, I donated my clothes to either Goodwill or Value Village. BUT I wonder how that will play out when we emerge.
    I hope we all come out wiser and better people at the other end of this.

    1. I don’t think second hand clothes are any different than any other item you buy when you think about all the places something has been before it arrives at your house. I wash or clean everything before I use it. There are all kinds of Bacteria & viruses that occur normally everywhere but healthy people normally are not affected. If you cultured normal surfaces in your environment you would be shocked at the results.

      1. Wash or lay items out in the sun and I tbink you’ll be just fine. Lysol spray will kill C Virus as well. Stay happy and healthy.

  4. I kept buying blacks and neutrals and thinking I can just add scarves, jewelry, bags, shoes for color. But this year I realized that is just not me. So, I’m buying more pretty color in my blouses and feeling much more cheerful. Neutrals are fine and I need them but too much neutral can be boring especially in your shirts and tops next to your face. Grab some color, even flowers, not just stripes and polka dots, not pastels, it will give you a lift. Thanks Jennifer for being here for us.

    1. I am so over my neutrals too. I hesitate to say I may wear prints, but I am leaning that way:)

      1. Lagatta de Montréal says:

        I love Audrey too, but am far too curvy for her style, even after losing quite a bit of weight. (Curvy refers to proportions, not weight, though at times it has become a euphemism for overweight). I’d say Anna Magnani.

        Do you live in Victoria BC? Alas I’ve never been there. Only to Vancouver, on a lightning work trip, where I saw very little, except for having a splendid Asian seafood dinner with my fellow intrpreters.

      2. Sadly, we were just visiting.Hopefully we will get back soon. It’s a great city.

  5. Bulbs, corms and rhizones, baby!
    Current style icon ? James Underwood Crockett !

  6. Help! I’m 79 years old and slightly overweight, but I have a terrible time finding really classy looking things that are age-appropriate. I love Diane Keaton styles and I don’t wear dresses anymore because my legs have lots of spots and uneven texture. If any of you ladies can give me some suggestions I would love it!

    1. You can’t go wrong with Talbots for classic style and they have a wide size range.

      1. Lagatta de Montréal says:

        Simons has beautiful t-shirts and other tops in colours that aren’t pastels, including a beautiful deep, but not at all muddy green. Idem a deep red that isn’t muddy burgundy. I still passionately love black (remember Anna Magnani), but some colour is a lift too.

  7. Audrey Hepburn, Helen Mirren, Caroline Herrera, Lauren Hutten and Diane Keaton are some of my style inspirations. I recently refashioned my workout room to include 2 additional closets from Ikea. I now have separate areas for Navy, Black, Jackets and blazers, winter/fall and spring/summer. It has made dressing so much easier and I’m still pruning and recycling what I no longer want. I try to envision one of my icons wearing it if I’m indecisive. I really want to be Helen Mirren when I grow up. She is still a style icon at 74. If there is one designer to nominate as both affordable and stylish for me it is Ralph Lauren. His style is timeless.

  8. Claudette says:

    Thank you today’s posting. The ladies who inspire me are Helen Mirren, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Lauren Becall and my Mom. I have taken your advise and dressed as if I were meeting friends which lightens my day. These are interesting times and I pray will bring out the best in each of us when this is over.

    1. It’s delightful that your mom is a style muse for you!! I love that Claudette.

  9. My style muse is Audrey Hepburn. So classic! Jennifer, on another note, I’m so sorry to hear that your adorable Lucy died last summer. I must have missed that post. A furry friend is so very much needed during this current crisis. Xo

    1. Thank you so much, Karen. I have missed her so much more again during these last few weeks. She really took my heart with her when she went.

  10. A few weeks ago I switched my fall/winter for spring, but lost the enthusiasm to deal with all the pants. It’s not like I needed much variety the last few weeks and left them on the guest bed. I was doing a little online browsing and wondered if I needed any white pants. I had way more than I thought! I ended up spending most of the afternoon trying on every pair I have and deciding I could easily get rid of 12 pair! My pink pants I’d searched high and low for 2 years ago didn’t make the cut. They somehow managed to attract little blue spots from the laundry. So sad. Now I have to hunt again. Several others were too short to begin with and I decided I wasn’t going to be unhappy about that look another season. I kept 3 different sizes that fit. It seems that the smaller sizes from 5 years ago fit better than the bigger sizes from 2 years ago.

    1. It’s such a good exercise to go through. My pink pants picked up stains in the laundry too so they are on my replace list.

  11. Carolina, and Anna Wintor are good role models for me , they like dresses, and are my age. I seem to pin a lot of European ladies, I like their style.

  12. Audrey Hepburn, Claire Chazal, Daphne Guinness, Caroline De Maigret and Carine Roitfeld are my style icons. Guinness, for her theatrical flair, which I could never pull off. But the rest are much more practical. I love classic clothes with a tiny bit of edge (McQueen, Zadig & Voltaire). Mind you, I’ve spent the last two days in sweats tending my garden and cleaning out the garage. I’m looking forward to social niceties like lunch out again so I can gussy up a bit! Xx

  13. Totally love your introduction picture. Is it a random picture?
    It looks very much like my happy place where I have been spending a lot of time recently.
    Thanks for helping others look beyond just the here and now!

  14. Deborah Wiltshire Whaley says:

    I try to purge every season mostly tossing, donating those things that might have been a little bit trendy. I love Carolina Herrera for her classic white shirt style. I have never tossed out any of my white shirts/ blouses. I still prefer vintage styles 1960’s mostly. Honestly if I have a muse it is Barbie from the late 1950’s early 60’s not the bubble gum pink of later years but those beautiful classic ensembles you could buy packaged together. That is still what Inspires me

    1. I have all of my Barbie clothes from the 60s and they are beautiful!

      1. I still have my Barbie clothes from the 60s as well! Aren’t they amazingly well-constructed and classically style? That will always basically be my favorite fashion styling- pencil skirts, sweater sets, feminine dresses, beautiful shoes.

  15. Thanks for your always thoughtful and well reasoned posts. Good reminders. I would be so grateful if you would still post at least one photo of an outfit each day. I’m sure you have many prints that you never did post. Even if it’s a different angle on a previously posted fashion. ; )

    1. I will try to do that Beth. I don’t always take pictures of myself but will try to take daily outfits these days.

  16. I did a small clear out while moving spring- not summer- clothes into my closet. I find I clear out things so often, as soon as I realize a piece of clothing has a problem, that it’s not the huge Kondo-esque chore it was only 2 years ago. Back then, I did a full Marie Kondo on my clothes, house… everything! While the “ spark joy” aspect was a stretch for me, It made me realize just how much stuff I was holding on to. Way too much! Since paring down to a closetful per season, life is easier and I use what I have. A couple tired pieces go out , a few updated pieces come in. I think I miss the “ clear out high” I used to get going through everything. Or maybe I’m just going stir crazy being cooped up so long. ( I’m quarantined because I was out of state.) 5 days to go before I can go someplace. And in Connecticut, it’s still cold and rainy. Gray skies. Boring clean closets. What’s a girl to do?

    1. I miss the clean out high too! We’ve downsized so much in the last year and a half that I only ever have a very few things now and then.

  17. Hi Jennifer, Carolina Herrera. She knows how to wear a white blouse. I don’t. My style muse is Helen Mirren. She always looks terrific – great style! She always looks age appropriate and stunning.

  18. I think at this point and time my style muse/inspiration is based on my past mistakes and successes. I know what works for me. I just need to look at those workhorse pieces that I continue to go to over and over. I am eliminating those items that were impulse buys or those items that I thought were “bargains “ that turned out to be mistakes. I need to pause and think about where I am now in my lifestyle and go with that for my inspiration. Thankyou for your timely posts and keeping us connected.

    1. Bargains can get us into lots of trouble. Only buy what you would have paid full price for.

  19. I admire and adore Carolina Herrara and have for years. I also think Diane von Furstenberg is amazing as well. These I have followed for years and find them relatable for style. I am so glad to find you every morning with new upbeat information and chats. Thank you for this. I have discovered in the past few months that style and correct fashion are more important than in previous years and it is fun to admit to those who understand ( not everyone does ). As for the clearing out, I am having trouble with that as there is no place to store the things I want to get rid of. We do not have a garage but could put things in opaque boxes so as not to look back inside. The thrift stores will be overwhelmed when we are able to get back out there. Of course we will all be checking them out as well.Have a good day.

  20. I also having been purging my closets and drawers. I can’t wait to go back to work so that
    I can wear my spring outfits.
    Stay safe everyone!!

  21. I go through my wardrobe about 4 times a year, whenever I collect a few things that I decide I don’t like, or look terrible on me, things that don’t fit anymore, etc. I hate hanging onto items that just remind me about all the mistakes I have made purchasing them! I have sworn off buying any black top, or black pants, or any sweater. I live in Florida where these items are worn maybe six times a year! I wear capris most of the time, not full length pants. I am happy that you are still doing your blog during this trying time. Looking at clothing and different styles is relaxing!

    1. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I can talk about and look at fashion all the time so you’ll see lots of it here.

    2. I’m not gaining weight, and maybe some things are fitting just a bit better these days. It’s proof that two-storey living can be good for you.

      My style icon is “not pajamas”. I’m wearing only a few favorites on repeat. No clothing coming in, none going out. Comfort is number one. This could change my approach to clothing altogether. We’re likely to be inside until the end of June. I will not make any purchases for the rest of the year, other than basic necessities like food. The retail landscape will be very different when we get out and about again. Maybe fast fashion will be gone?

      1. I hope fast fashion is long gone! It’s so bad for the planet.

  22. Oh Jennifer! You are so positive and calm…thank you for this nice post! Yesterday I did
    the same !
    When we can make donations again the stores are sure to be overwhelmed! Everyday I fill another bag with the kind of things you describe. And I packed away those winter things still out!
    You are an inspiration! ❤️

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