Forever Autumn

Last week, I mentioned that I had been experimenting with transitioning my wardrobe into the cooler months. Today I wanted to show you an experiment that I felt happy with and which had the added bonus of giving a second chance to a top that I haven't worn since my surgery.

T-shirt:Cue

Shorts:Country Road

Booties: Wittner

This is a silk T-shirt that I used to wear with my pencil skirts to de-bombshell them and make them a little less dressy. My husband hates it. He thinks it is both too dark and an unflattering shape The last point we can definitely agree on - fitted on the chest and loose on the waist is not my best look! I like the colours and it is certainly soft and comfortable, but it feels way too boyish and casual now and consequently it has gone unworn.

Jacket:Cue

However, I was pleasantly surprised with the effect I got by layering over a jacket. I think the whole outfit immediately looks dressier, and the shape of the jacket produces a much less boyish silhouette.

Admittedly this is still a fairly casual look, but I don't feel quite so much like a teenage boy who has snuck out the window to play World of Warcraft at his friend's house.

And the back is all kinds of cool. I am looking forward to Autumn and wearing this jacket with some of the loose tops I have already shown you. Sadly, even with the jacket, my husband still hates the T-shirt, but I think it could be a good way to bring a bit of fun and youth to some of my Autumn outfits.
How do you transition your wardrobe between seasons?

Got My Mojo Working

A few months ago I talked about fashion eras in which being flat-chested was advantageous and I was surprised to realise this week that I have not shown you this dress before. I currently have three dresses in my wardrobe and this is the one I have been reaching for most often, just because it feels cool both physically and psychologically!

Dress:Cue

Sandals:Joanne Mercer

I think it has very clear 1960's Mod influences. It is a simple shape, a short style and it actively avoids the appearance of curves! I feel positively Twiggy-esque in this dress and the associations with the music and fun and non-conformity of Mod culture are very appealing to me.

As you can see, the front is cut very straight, avoiding the appearance of empty fabric that haunts me with most of the dresses I try. I have been experimenting with how to transition my wardrobe into Autumn this week, and have found that this dress also looks good with a long-sleeved knit top underneath and the sandals swapped out for boots. But for now, whilst temperatures are still in the 30's I am happy to wear it as is, and grateful for the extra ventilation provided by the cut-out back and the shorter length.

It is now a little over 6 months since my surgery and I was profoundly glad to realise recently that I feel like I have my mojo back. Whilst there will always be ups and downs, most of the time I am able to love my body for it's strength and resilience and functionality and feel confident and attractive in how I dress myself. We all have our scars and imperfections and accepting them may be the first step in getting mojo working and living life with joy.

Cover Me Up

The lovely Angie over at YouLook Fab wrote a post on the trends for Spring 2014 recently, and although we are out of sync with the Northern Hemisphere fashion cycle, I still find it very interesting and exciting as many of them dribble through to our corner of the world. One trend that caught my eye was for cropped tops, particulary as Angie suggested wearing them over longer tops to avoid the bare midriffs that the young folk are rocking.

Crop top:Cue

Top:Cue

Skirt:Cue

Shoes:Joanne Mercer

The top and skirt are items that have been in my wardrobe for a while, but I feel like they have been given a new lease on life by the addition of the crop top.

I have been on the hunt for clothes that will give me back some semblence of an hourglass shape, and the peplum effect created by the tight top and the colour-blocked panels over the loose underlayer is exactly what I was searching for.

The crop is a stretch knit fabric and is quite firm so I think even women with breasts would look a bit flat-chested wearing this. The black panels have been cleverly cut to give the impression of a curve, so I think the overall look works well with no breasts.

The back to the top underneath is also layered so it is mostly covered up, although the underlayer of blue fabric will be exposed when I move around. I have never liked this top that much, but I love it with the upper part covered by the crop. Do you have tops that you only like wearing when partially covered up by a jacket or cardigan?
Cover me up, Jason Isbell

All The Small Things

I struggle with how to put together casual outfits. My natural aesthetic preference is for fairly dressy looks, so I often feel a bit scruffy in more casual clothes. However, I have come to the conclusion that it is the details that make the difference between outfits looking either thrown on or pulled together.

  

Top:Cue

Shorts:Country Road

Sandals:Wittner

Clutch:Oroton

I have been wearing variations of this outfit for several weekends, and feel like it gives me just the right balance of casual and polished. The top is soft and drapey and the high waisted shorts are cool and comfortable. Not a spectacular look, but neat, presentable and smart enough to wear out.

Daytime clutches have been trending for at least a year, and I have not really got on board because I usually have a lot of stuff in my handbag. On the weekend though, I can be unemcumbered and a clutch is fine to hold some cash, my phone and a lipstick. What more does a girl need for a lunch date? Having bare arms, wearing a bracelet and carrying a clutch provides a visual focus away from my torso, so I can get away with a top that is a bit less busy.

I am wearing flat sandals here, but I have also worn this outfit with heels when I was meeting a girlfriend for dinner. For me, carrying a clutch and wearing heels were enough to make this feel dressy and smart. Sometimes it's the small things that make all the difference. Do you have small things that make a simple outfit feel special?

 

Royals

One of my favourite actresses is Katharine Hepburn. She really is Hollywood royalty. I admire her grace, athleticism and aristocratic bearing. I also admire the way she wore trousers and shirts with a casual elegance that still looks beautiful today. Button-up collared shirts often appear in the lists that fashions magazines make about must-have wardrobe items, along with such exotic species as "the perfect pair of jeans". Button-up shirts and I were never good friends in the past, as I usually ended up with gaping between buttons at the bust and the fabric being pulled up from the waist, the final appearance being blowsy rather than crisp. However, it struck me that my new shape may be exactly what I required to get the Katharine look right!

Shirt:Veronika Maine

Pants:Veronika Maine

Shoes: Joanne Mercer

 

The shirt is a very soft, light cotton and although it is slim-fitting it has a slightly triangular cut and hence has no darts at the bust line. It has a pleat at the back that gives it a cocoon shape which de-emphasises my chest and whilst the front has no pleats or gathers to create volume, it has enough fabric not to be clingy.

 

I felt very comfortable and stylish wearing this outfit and I am quite excited to find another style of shirt that I feel happy wearing. With Autumn just around the corner I can see long sleeved button front shirts could become wardrobe staples for the cooler weather. And of course, I love the idea of channelling Katharine! Do you have a member of Hollywood royalty whose style you love and want to emulate?

Your Latest Trick

A piece of advice that I have heard often with regards to dressing post-mastectomy is to wear scarves to provide coverage over the chest. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that friends had sent me these very items, and today I thought I would show you how I have been wearing them.

Scarf:Gift from a kind friend

Top:Veronika Maine

Jeans:Country Road

Boots:Wittner

This long sleeved T-shirt is one of the few pre-op tops that have remained in my wardrobe. Being a knit, it is stretchy and does not hang emptily like most of my woven tops did. The last time I wore a jeans-and-T-shirt outfit, I felt a bit too masculine so this time I wore earrings, boots with a heel and of course the scarf itself, which is quite feminine with it's soft, drapey volume and pretty shades of pink and brown.

I have draped the scarf fairly simply, just pulling one end forward and throwing the other over my back and allowing the loop of fabric to fall at about the level my breasts should be. I have a short neck and so I try to avoid a lot of volume around it, but someone with a more graceful neck could get away with tying the ends to create an infinity scarf effect which would give a more cowl-neck appearance.

My big reservation with scarves is their tendency to shift around and need readjustment. However, I have found quite an elegant solution. I bought a cheap necklace that had multiple small (1cm diameter) rings on it. I took the rings off, and threaded my scarf ends through them. The scarf is soft enough to fit through the rings, but bulky enough for them to be quite firm, thus allowing me to adjust it to the point I want and then be sure that it will stay that way!

Do you have any little tricks that help your clothes stay neat and in place?

 

                                       

She's Always A Woman

Well that's a title that really betrays my age, but I do love Billy Joel!
Last week I showed you one of my summer "uniforms" and this week I am wearing the other one I mentioned, namely a flared skirt with a tucked top.

Top:Cue

Skirt:Veronika Maine

Shoes:Wittner

I am enjoying wearing flared skirts this summer, as to me it feels very feminine to emphasise my waist and create volume over the chest and hips. I think recreating an hourglass shape is the silhouette I feel most comfortable and attractive with.

This top is the same style as the one I showed you a few months ago, and whilst I have not found the pattern to be as versatile as the other one, I like the detail around the neck. It is a trapeze style, so it also looks good untucked; in fact, probably better. But today I really wanted curves!

Last time, I mentioned that this style had an interesting back detail but I forgot to show you, so this time I made sure I got a snap.

I watched "Bill Cunningham:New York" this week, and one of the things he said really spoke to me: "Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life". I have not yet resorted to helmets and shields, but I know exactly what he means and I am grateful that fashion gives me the ability to emphatically define myself as a woman on those difficult days when I feel like I am on shifting sands.