Wearing Winter Pastels
Quote of the day: “Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.” Richard Bach
While life is not all about winning, and getting dressed daily is not rocket science, our brains are very powerful. In saying that, one of my goals this next season is to get out of the rut of wearing only darker colors. Why not wear our pastels in winter as much as we love to wear them in the spring?
Truthfully we all realize how color and light can truly affect our moods. And it’s during these days of lessening daylight that we can most certainly use more color in our life. Then again, I hear some of you saying that you don’t want to look out of place either.
With that in mind, the three of us took some winter pastels and paired them with darker colors to have the best of both worlds. It’s kinda like using spring as inspiration for our fall outfits.
If you want more spring inspiration, you can also see how we incorporated flowers into our fall looks.
Jodie’s (50+) Outfit
Jeans: Gap (here)~~Blazer: WHBM (similar here)~~Top: thrifted (similar here)~~Boots: A New Day (here)~~Earrings: (similar here)~~Purse: c/o Trendz (similar here)
Why I Wore This Outfit
I’m trying to get a lot of wear from this mint suit I purchased earlier this year. You wouldn’t think I would need a suit now that I’m retired. Yet, I’m a firm believer that our clothes can make us feel powerful. And for some reason a suit jacket always makes me feel put together.
So I paired it with a pair of darker boot cut jeans to keep it more casual.
How You Could Change This Outfit
These white booties are among my favorites since I bought them last spring. Maybe I like them so much because I missed out on the go-go boots back in the 60’s? Yet, you may not embrace this footwear like I do.
If not, there are many other options that would be great. Navy is a neutral that is gaining popularity so these booties would work with any pair of jeans. Then again, black booties from Target are the perfect basic for a reason since black and navy are now okay to mix and match.
Interesting Tidbit
These earrings used to be my Aunt Nancy’s earrings. They got passed down to me when she passed away last year. In fact, we had her daughter, my cousin, join us on the blog to showcase some of her items. I think we all have pieces that have this sentimental connection, so it’s fun to pull them out and wear them.
A jewel from the petals of one of the earrings is actually missing. I try to wear it on the side of my face where my hair hangs down more so it’s not as obvious. Yet it’s an imperfection like we all have, so why not embrace it?
Nancy’s (70+) Outfit
Dress: H&M (similar here)~~Top: Apt. 9 (similar here)~~Boots: Impo (similar here)~~Necklace: (similar here)~~Bracelet: (similar here)~~Purse: (similar here)
Why Nancy Wore This Outfit
Lilac is one of the colors that looks good with Nancy’s cool coloring. And then the idea of wearing a button down shirt as a jacket is a great way to get versatile with our clothing. I thought this was a great way to make both pieces work since the dress is short sleeved yet is darker, and so feels less springy.
I love that Nancy did pair her booties with a dress. This is a modern way to style dresses right now, and if you worry about the fact the booties “cut off your leg line”, then you need some like Nancy’s with a cut out in the front. .
How You Could Change This Outfit
I’m not as concerned as most people about trying to look taller. I tell everyone that when you meet me in person, it’s not going to be a secret that I’m short. So I like to concentrate more on looking good as opposed to looking taller and slimmer.
In saying that, I realize not everyone agrees with me. So for those of you that want booties to make your legs look longer then nude ones would be perfect. Either that or you could match some tall boots to the dress you are wearing.
Interesting Tidbit
You may not realize it but Nancy got very creative with her wrist candy. That’s what happens when you hang out with my mom over time. Making one item into another is one of my mom’s superpowers.
It’s because Nancy bracelets are really one pearl necklace wound twice around her wrist. Then she added in a regular pearl bracelet along with a gold one. It’s like the multi strand bracelets you see at the stores, yet you can do this with the ones you already own.
Charlotte’s (80+) Outfit
Dress: Mom made it (similar here)~~Jacket: City Girl (similar here)~~Shoes: Nine West (similar here)~~Belt: (similar here)~~Earrings: thrifted (similar here)~~Purse: Renee’s -thrifted (similar here)
Why Charlotte Wore This Outfit
Since my mom looks wonderful in pink, I had her pull out this long sleeved dress that she made a long time ago. You can read more details on that in the interesting tidbit section below.
In order to “winterize” the dress, I suggested this dark blue jacket for another layer. And even though my mom would have normally worn her pink shoes with this dress, a darker shade of the same color can be a great way to finish it off.
How You Could Change This Outfit
When I asked my mom to pair this dress with a darker jacket, we also talked about which shoes to wear. Burgundy is always a popular color around this time of year and I think burgundy booties or tall boots would be very modern also.
And if you’re thinking that over the knee boots aren’t appropriate for older women, then let me tell you my mother has 3 pairs already. If you enjoy wearing dresses and skirts in the cold weather, they are the perfect way to stay warmer.
Interesting Tidbit
My mom made this dress over 20 years ago from a Vogue pattern and this reverse color print material. This was when she was working at Joann Fabrics in Ohio after retiring from teaching. Needless to say it was like a chocoholic working in a candy store, ha ha! She was able to get a lot of great fabrics and patterns using her discount.
Some of the details of the dress are back in style. Like the bow tie at the neck. And even though the sleeves are a little fuller than the ones you buy right now, they are easily hidden with the jacket.
Tips & Tricks
Adding some winter pastels to your outfits can be easy with a few steps. Start by pairing them with a darker neutral like the three of us did in these photos.
If your pieces seem too lightweight for the colder temperatures, there’s always layering. This is where you can get oh, so creative like we did last winter by even layering coats over coats. If that’s too weird for you, then there are other ideas we’ve covered before. For example there’s ways we’ve layered the button down blouse and turtlenecks that can work for many other pieces.
If you worry that pastels don’t look good on your complexion, that’s where accessories and footwear come into play. You can have as much fun with pink velvet booties as you can with black ones.
The Facts
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