This shocking new purchase, has been one of our favorite “go to” pieces!
Hi Deborah and JoJami,On one of your teleseminars, you provided something I found really valuable for winter: a few “outfit” recipes (knit dress+scarf+black tights+riding boots, for example). I am looking for something similar for Summer — go-to combinations of warm weather clothing items that are age appropriate and not frumpy.
Can you suggest an outfit recipe for warm weather that will be comfortable and easy to throw on?
Thank you! Jill from LA, CA
Hi Jill,
Great to hear you are on our team when it comes understanding the concept of having “recipes” for outfits. Having our go-to “uniforms” ready in our closet means that we Glam Gals can run out the door at anytime and feel confident that we look presentable!
So how does a gal decide what to buy to create just an outfit? Well, we love to keep our eyes peeled for new trends that we spot on the street. One of those trends we found rather surprising…
Part 1: drum roll please…the Jean Jacket 
I (JoJami) can hardly believe I am suggesting this idea because I (hate to admit) have rolled my eyes at them for years. However, since Deb and I have been seeing them pop up all over the place, I broke down and recently bought one. It took some research because, I:
1) Wanted to make sure it was lightweight
2) Did not want to spend a lot on it.
I finally settled on one from Express. (Another shocker…not a place I usually shop!)
Part 2 : A stretchy casual dress.
This recent fun “find” is from a new line of clothing called Clover Canyon (Nordstroms). It is designed in Los Angeles and is known for it’s bright, cheery prints and comfy, stretchy fabric.
The little dress by Clover Canyon can be worn with a pair of Toms or flat sandals.
If you have a cool evening, paring it with a jean jacket can really tone it down and hip it up!
You might think that this would be something you wouldn’t wear that much, because it is so colorful and has a busy print, however I have been pleasanlty surprised at how many times I have already pulled this out and worn it.
If I’m home working it is super comfy and doesn’t wrinkle, so if I have to run out to the grocery store I can, and don’t have to change.
When summer winds down and it starts to cool down, just pair it with some legging !
Plus this little summer dress is versatile and can can easily be layered when it starts to cool off in the fall. (If you are not fond of bold prints you could find something similar in a small stripe or even solid and it would still work.)
As soon as we get a cool night, I plan on adding a thin black stretch top and a pair of leggings and black lace up booties for a funky “out with the girls” or concert outfit! As I’m walking out the door, I’ll make sure to throw my jean jacket over my shoulder too!
We call this dressing Chic on the Cheap! With just 2 updated pieces you can go from summer into fall and feel like a million bucks without going over your budget.
These funky little half booties are not too high and very comfy for a night out on the town!
If you like tips like these check out our e-book, Tweak Your Chic~ Chic on the Cheap.
Style Expert Deborah Boland specializes in helping mature women to Tweak their Chic®!
Hi, Just a thought – might i suggest that you ‘model’ the outfits / clothes you suggest. just gives us a 3-D look at what the clothes look like rather than just a 2D image.
HI Neidra,
Thanks for your suggestion. We have been trying different ways to show “style recipe” and are interested in everyones feedback. If we model the outfit sometimes people can’t imagine themselves in the outfit, because obviously we all have very different bodies…so we were thinking if we show the outfit, on it’s own (sort of like the very popular Polyvore or Pinterest) then you are free to take the inspiration from the recipe and do your own thing. We will continue to show/model outfits here and there but still like to mix things up too!
Hi Gals,
thank you for the great info, could you please let me know what I need as a good “Basic wadrobe” or essentials for an over 40 (nearer 50 ) wadrobe so that I can just add colour pieces to, I have a wardrobe full of odds and ends and nothing to wear, not sure how to dress age appropriatly.
Many Thanks
Delyse
Dear Glam Gals,
I would love it if you mentioned the price when you publish something – if it is out of my price range I know immediately NOT to fall in love with it.
Not that I could buy it anyway as it seems not to be available online for international shipping.
I really like the dress but I really would hesitate to call 4″ heels “comfy” booties. At 5’8″ I really prefer something much lower. Also, I think a jean jacket is a cute idea…but does anyone have a rinse/darker finish that looks a bit more formal than an acid wash? I also think the cut of a jean jacket can be important. A “pear” woman looks good with a bit of nipped waist/princess seam, while a boxier cut looks better on an “apple.”
Hi Amy, I know those booties look high,ar but they have a platform that makes them bearable! Also, we agree that “fit” is super important to a jean jacket. It must have some darts in in to hug the body. It would be fun to see the different cuts on different body types. We still think an apple would look better if the cut was not too boxy. As for the wash.. we tried on different washes too. It really depends on your personal coloring. Those who look better in light and pastel colors will look best in a light wash, while those with darker coloring will want a darker wash.
Nice look, however it seems a bit of a copy cat of another popular fashion site. Just saying……..
Yes, this is polyvore. It’s a great way to arrange photos. A lot of bloggers are using it.
Hi Cindy, We mention in our post that we are seeing the jean jacket all over the place… I have actually had the jacket now for over 3 months but just finally put up the post yesterday. Should have mentioned it earlier, I guess!!
Where can I find the boots? They are too cute!
Hi Kim,
These boots are from a tiny boutique in SoHo, NY, I got them about 3 years ago, so I’m sure they are nowhere to be found by now. The brand is Ibizia. (never heard of it before)..however there are so many similar booties out there. Our best bet would be for you to check out Zappos or Piperline for something similar! Keep us posted on what you find! Thanks!
Dear Glam Gals,
I have another source for a really terrific denim jacket.Old Navy has one not only in a darker wash denim, but also in white.These have a beautiful fit with princess seams so you don’t get that chunky boxy fit that adds pounds around the waistline.The dark wash seems a little dressier than your average stone wash, and the white denim reflects very nicely off a mature face. All this for only $35.00.If you can’t find them in your local store they can be purchased on their website. Happy Summer!
Sandy
The line of clothes is Clover Canyon, not Canyon Creek ;) Try this and see if you have any luck.
I love the Canyon Creek dress, but I cannot find it on the Nordstrom website. Suggestions?
We updated the post…thanks for bringing this to our attention!
I love this dress. We wear a lot of bright colors here in Florida! It sure makes you feel cheerful, too!
Hi Lavender Dreams! Yes, you know us Glam Gals… we love to do color!!
I love this dress, but am having a hard time finding it. I don’t see it on the Nordstrom website (I don’t see any Canyon Creek dresses there). Googling, I come up with nothing. Can you please share a link? Thanks