weekend wear: jeans and suede ankle boots

I  love wearing jeans and ankle boots and can probably do it several times week. The good thing is, my job allows it, so although I consider my latest pick, mostly weekend wear, I can honestly say, I may very well incorporate it into my weekly work wear.

click here to get the details of my latest picks

a pair of jeans and a closet full of designer shoes

There is something to be said about a great fitting  pair of jeans, a gray t-shirt and a pair of the sexiest designer shoes.  It’s funny how far accessorizing a simple pair of blue jeans has come,  and because of that I have included my favorite selection of designer shoes to compliment my collection of jeans.  Well, of course I had to throw in my favorite bag  as well which I plan to duplicate.

1. 7 for all mankind midrise bootcut USD160
2. James Perse drapped neck cotton jersey USD95
3. Current/Elliot roller low rise bf fit jeans USD195
4. Black Joffe faux nappa boot USD1095
5. Valentino Studded Suede ankle boots USD995
6. Chloe Mountain Canvas and suede wedge USD650
7. Drumas patent round toe shoes USD785
8. Sofft Shoes Belvedere ankle boots USD110
9. Chloe Marcie large python and leather tote USD3995
(Must find an imitation)

mother’s day gift suggestions – For the ralph lauren woman over 40

Mother’s Day celebration is a a touchy subject for me because, I don’t believe in celebrating such an important person in everyone’s life for just one day, that is something you do for birthdays. Mothers need to be appreciated and celebrated throughout the year in so many different ways.

But, since we are programmed to take note of our Mothers with a gift and  a brunch, otherwise we wouldn’t fit in, than I say make the gift spactacular and the brunch outside the home to make it all worth while.

So, for the next three weeks, I will offer you my suggestions piece by piece, so you can have an array of choices and options to consider while shopping for the Mother/Wife person in your life.

First hand, If she is a Ralph Lauren type of woman, then I have detailed below my choice of gifts for her from the designer with varying price range.  If you prefer to shop online, then click here and follow the arrows to your shopping cart.

RL Black Label Silk Cable Cardigan VNeck 498 and white jeans

RL Straw and Calfskin Concho tote 695

RL Cat Eye Sunglasses 250

RL Deveraux Vanity Tray 295

RL Aubrey Round Box 195

inspirational woman over 40 – Ines de la Fressange

A woman who I have admired for a long time now, is of course a French fashion icon, Ines de la Fressange. I am not going to detail her bio on this blog entry, but will happily give you a link here  so that you can use it to get some background about her.

The interesting thing is that, she became well known around the fashion world as a result of her connection to Chanel throughout most of her 20s. Anyway, she had written a book a while back titled, Parisian Chic, which I have picked up and read from cover to cover, just so I can truly understand Parisian women, their style, even more so than I already do, in order to satisfy my obsession with the French lifestyle, culture, and fashion.

Of course the book validates the fact my core makeup and way of thinking and living  is French and I am very happy about that. The transition to living in France someday soon will be very easy for me.

So, check out the video here for a brief narrative of her book. Meanwhile here is the link if you are interested in buying or uploading her book.

christmas gift ideas for her – casual outfits

I think men have it tougher than women, while choosing the right gift for the woman in their lives.  This is not because they don’t buy what she wishes for, such as a sweater, a blouse or a pair of jeans and some fun boots, but it’s because they have a tough time choosing age appropriate outfits  for their (sometimes) self-conscious woman over 40.

So for that reason I have compiled some safe pieces to consider while shopping for the casual look most women over 40 crave, without sacrificing style and elegance.

Outfit 1: click here to find the details. Keep in mind although the jeans suggested is a pair of skinny jeans, you can actually replace those with a pair of boot cut or others to consider here and opt out of buying the boots. Although the look is age appropriate, it has a  touch of youthfulness and fun to it which most women over 40 appreciate and can support.

Outfit 2: click here to find the details. Again, the look is age appropriate with a bit of sexy yet classy. Once again, skinny jeans can be replaced for this look. A boot cut would do just fine as well.

Outfit 3:  click here, here and here for details. This particular outfit can also be paired with different jeans and boot styles. I just love the idea of wearing jeans with sweaters and flat boots.

Now just in case you have trouble reaching the links, my inspiration outfits are found on Eddie Bauer, Banana Republic and Ann Taylor websites. Enjoy!!!

casual weekend sweaters

On the weekends, I like to revert back to my tomboyish ways by dressing  as casual as possible and while doing so, I want to simply be able to throw on my favorite pair of comfortable jeans and a sweater and call it day.

Since I agree with  fashion advisers in suggesting women over 40 stay away from bulky sweaters, I  found a few which I think will do me just find this winter season.

The cool thing about these sweaters is that they are border line between dressy and casual, which means I can wear them over slacks or a skirt to work or with jeans over the weekends. I call these sweaters transition sweaters from mid fall to early winter and then from late winter to “almost” spring in some places.

I found these at J. Crew (in store and online) and although sometimes it’s really intimidating to walk into the store if you aren’t twelve years old, the sweaters are well worth the effort nonetheless. Let me know what you think?

there are jeans and then there are j-brand jeans

Wow, I never thought I would consider looking at jeans over the 100.00 mark, but I guess we all need to raise the bar “sometimes” to feel good about ourselves while trying to look good.  I wonder if  being over 40 has something to do with it.

Anyway, the truth of the matter is, women over 40 and sometimes under 40 have trouble finding a good pair of jeans. What I mean by that is, ones that fit, those that compliment “one’s assets” and feel fashionable at the same time. So while in search of  ”THOSE JEANS”, I came across J-BRAND Jeans‘ website.

I decided to find  a local retailer who carries the line and took a trip to check them out. I know what you are thinking, pricey buggers aren’t they? But, in my opinion, jeans are an investment and can be worn for more than one season, so if you were to consider buying a pair say for 200.00 divide that into 24 months = that is 8.00 a month  and believe me women over 40 you are well worth it. I know I don’t need to convince those under the age 40, cause money is seldom an issue when it comes to being in fashion.

They fit, they look great and the variations are endless. And if it makes you feel good, they seem to have kept the  woman over 40 in their minds while creating their masterpieces. One of  my favorite is MAE IN PURE at $167.00 at (Neiman Marcus) pictured below:

Anyway, I would love to hear from anyone who has tried the jeans. Do you want to rave about it or not, drop me a line.

not your daughter’s jeans glitch

Every American woman has owned a pair of jeans at least a decade if not more during their lifetime (so far) and I don’t know about anyone, but for me traditional jeans (meaning outer stitching and five pockets) is a must in all jeans. But the trouble with today’s jeans of course is that most woman over 40 cannot fit into the “below the waist” design sold in most retail stores,  as well as a 12-year-old can. As a result,  some smart designer realizing this problem a while back, introduced the “not your daughter’s jeans” to the female gender over 40.

I want to first say, thank you for that and for the effort to make us women over 40 feel a little bit good about ourselves. But the only trouble with your design is that, the pricey jeans  do not have the feel and look of the cooler jeans that our daughters wear. The thing the designers overlooked in creating their jean line is that, some of us women over 40 would like to feel like the daughter under 30 in the jeans that we wear.

The most important and sexy piece of clothing a woman can own is a pair of jeans which complement their assets/ figure while looking fashionable  with the proper stitching and pockets in all the right places. Not your daughter’s jeans missed that target. All their jeans feel like imitation  jean material and hardly have any outer stitching and the few pockets they have, they are not attractive at all.  So here is hoping someone is listening and can consider starting a line that could be labeled as “your daughter’s envy jeans” for under $50.00 and then we can talk.