Have you ever looked at something in the store and thought, “Nah,I’m not going to try it on. It’s probably not for me..I don’t think?”…. and then you walked away?
Well, this summer I (Deborah) nearly walked away from two winners.
 Looked kind of baggy on the hanger |
 Deborah in her new favorite comfy dress! |
The first was a simple navy blue Diane Von Furstenberg dress with a nautical feel. It had a cute scoop neckline, billowy sleeves and a darling rope belt. I liked it, but I was sure it would be too loose and billowy, and would make me like I was wearing a big old bag.
But then I thought…. what the heck, I’ll try it.
To my surprise, it was actually very fitted through the waist and hips and looked really cute on me. It’s so comfortable too, and looks great with my red canvas Ralph Lauren wedges.
 I wasn't sure about this one |
 Deborah says, "You can still feel glam even going casual!" |
The second near miss was another Diane Von Furstenberg dress…..this one had a simple cut and the material had a wild colorful pattern. Now, normally I don’t wear many patterns, but I was really attracted to the colors in this dress. I also like things that nip in at the waist and this looked more just a straight up and down style. It didn’t have the greatest rack appeal but, but I just had a feeling.
It’s now become my new favorite dress. It’s cute and comfy and I can dress it up and down. I have had a million compliments, and most important of all I feel fantastic in it. Here’s me on my way to my girlfriend’s new country house for a casual summer dinner.
So what’s the lesson here? If you’re not sure, try it on anyway. It sure worked for me! Oh, and do check out Diane Von Furstenberg. She’s on of my favorites. Saks carries a lot of her clothes.
Well, as you might have heard, I, (JoJami) was in NYC last week when the rain totally blew my plans to visit the Botanical Gardens, however… not one to complain, I decided to check out the shopping!
When in NYC I always love to check out Bergdorf Goodman for just the plain decadence and to check in on what the creme de la creme of society is buying. With classic labels such as Chanel and Armani surrounding you on one side and the hottest newcomers on the other, the entire experience can really get your creative juices flowing and have you seriously contemplating getting a second job!
Anyway….I digress… what I wanted to share with you was the highlight of my BG experience was chatting with one their sales associates. She was super friendly and looked so gorgeous I had to ask her if her dress was a Missoni!
How old do you think she is?
YES it was but she got it last year! (BTW, She is 52 and a grandmother). She had updated it with a big chunky necklace from Anthropology and the shoes are from Zara.
 Chunky necklace from Anthropologie |
 Gladiator sandals from Zara |
Did you happen to read our recent blog on where Sigrid Olsen is now?
I (JoJami) recently interviewed the beautiful fashion designer so you can hear her story on how she has re-invented herself now that she no longer designs for her namesake label.
After 25 years of working “like a mouse in a cage” and never having time to take a vacation or a yoga class, Sigrid now runs her boutique/art studio only a few steps from her home in Massachusetts.
Moreover, not to be missed is her upcoming Yoga/Art retreat that she will be teaching with her Yogini sister in Tuscany. We have heard that her retreats are first class and life-changing!
Our friend, voice coach Nicki McClusky was on a recent trip to Italy and shared this fun photo with us!
She had read our post about age appropriate shoes with cutouts wanted to share with us shoe trends on display in Venice. Nicki said the Italian women looked fabulous! “Some of the Venetian women and an older blond gal in Lake Como looked beyond wonderful. You would have loved them and their outfits.”
Thanks for thinking of us Nicki and sending the photo! Looks like patent leather is going to be big this Spring!
Love the patent green half bootie heels, behind the green pumps on the bottom shelf…how stylish!
If you see something cool you would like to share, please send it toinfo@fabulousafter40.com.
Saw some great sexy, very wearable Anne Klein clothes at a recent fashion show at Verity in Toronto and wanted to share the pictures with you for inspiration.
Here’s what was coming down the runway for Fall/Winter 2008. << Isn’t this sweater darling?
Grey definitely seems to 
be the color of the season! Notice the hat>>
We wrote about this kind of hat in our last newsletter>
Always love a simple sheath! Also, gloves everywhere.
Grey can be hard to wear if you are warm skin toned, but you could pair grey pants or a grey skirt with a purple jacket like this. >>
I (Deb) bought this purple jacket>>>
Brown was also hot and we love this coppery shade of brown, below. Big jewels are also in.
Here’s a trench with a similar finish. Nice for the holidays.
These are beautiful, no nonsense clothes that make you look look fab.As the late Anne Klein, herself, neatly put it, “Clothes won’t change the world. The women who wear them will”. 
Tibi is a fabulous contemporary line we discovered when we were on the lookout for a couple of dresses for a recent TV interview.
JoJami found this smart pumpkin military style dress, and I picked up a chic Kelly green shift. These dresses are super comfortable knits and look perfect with dark tights and boots, or platform pumps.
Amy Smilovic is the designer behind Tibi. Her motto is “casual chic”. Amy’s influences comes from childhood. Her father was an artist and that comes through in her clothing, as she is know for her brilliant use of colour.
Tibi is showing at New York Fashion Week. Check out what they’re showing for Spring 2009.
We were just flipping through a Valentino spring slide show at In Style and noticed many new and unusual color combinations for Spring.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen pink and purple together. Love the way he has color blocked this cute outfit on the left.
He’s done something similar with this coat/dress? Like the periwinkle color, but in reality, not too many women can wear this unusual shade of acid green.
Here’s another fresh combo. (Deb says these are the same colors, + pink , that are in her 5-year-old daughter’s ballerina themed bedroom.)
As for the style, must admit, it kind of reminds me of a hospital bed sheet pulled across a strapless sundress. (I think it’s that shade of green that’s making me think hospital). Cute style….. if you are young.
Elegant off the shoulder look on the right. Sort of Grecian meets modern woman. The pink and green combo is pretty, but reminds us of upholstered furniture we had in the 80′s. Remember all those soft greys with pinks, peaches, mauves, and this shade of green that was so in?
Finally, if you can’t make up your mind what colors you like, here’s a dress that has them all.
This pretty pink sheath is so Spring-like, all shimmery on top with bands of pastels underneath…kind of like a painted Easter egg.
Maybe Easter is what Valentino was thinking about when he created these beautiful dresses.
Our thoughts on this colorful palette. Careful here. Although gorgeous on these 20something girls, pastels can be aging on a 40+ woman. Think Grandma at the Sunday Easter Egg hunt. You don’t want to look like a sweet little old lady.
The New York Times is reporting that “a meticulously tailored look that evokes the White House years of Jacqueline Kennedy” is what’s in store for Fall.
Sheath dresses, and smart matching suits, all signal a shift towards conservatism. We’re thrilled!
We’ve always loved that clean lined look and have many fond memories as children of our moms sporting smart, chic, little sheath dresses back in the 60′s.
They are just so tidy and modern. You slip one on, add a pair of gorgeous pumps and and you look like a million bucks. Plus, the look is great for women over 40 because, let’s face it, things have gotten soft and we need a little structure in our clothing to give us some shape.
These clothes create a beautiful silhouette.
There’s also no fussiness about them, which can make you look old.
These sleek Michael Kors designs, inspired by Hitchcock Blondes like Grace Kelly, are effortlessly elegant!
Give us a refined, crisp looking suit any day, over a flouncy ruffled boho skirt and overly deep cut top that screams for attention and leaves others embarrassed about where to look.
