Spots before my eyes

Today a parcel arrived from Wallis, with a new summer dress that I had ordered.  I had looked around town first, as I like to support local shops whenever possible, but most of the dresses were either a bit too skimpy for women of a certain age or too dowdy for this particular over 60 woman!  Wallis have a petite section so I decided to browse their on-line store. I was slightly disappointed by the limited choice as there were lots of maxi dresses (not my best look), several lace dresses that I liked but thought would only be suitable for evenings out plus a couple with polka dots. After dithering for a while over the polka dots, I finally decided on this dress:

I liked the dress as soon as I tried it on, as it is a flattering shape and just touches my knees. That's the problem with being short - so many dresses fit me ok on top but are far too long and look dowdy on me.  I decided to get a second opinion by giving a fashion show for Mr Over 60 and Over Here.

"Haven't you already got a dress like that?" was his immediate reaction, which proves that men DO sometimes notice!  This of course was one reason for the dithering as there are two similar polka dot dresses in my wardrobe, but the one above will be far more versatile, especially for our forthcoming holidays.

This is one of my other polka dot dresses.  As you can see, the neckline is different, the dots are smaller and it's longer - well below my knees. Nothing like my new dress and not as flattering either. It may very well go into the recycling at the end of this summer, if not before, however it's very comfortable to wear, which is always a plus point with me!

This is me wearing the other polka dot dress, which is clearly shorter than the one above. It is also v-necked with smaller polka dots and, though you can't see because I'm wearing a jacket here, it's sleeveless and the back is v-necked too. This dress is probably more suitable for evening occasions as it shows a lot more skin when it's not covered by a jacket.

I like polka dots and, because my skin is freckled, the slight pattern suits me.  As well as three polka dot dresses (!!!) I have a blue and white polka dot top, which I also enjoy wearing.  Another favourite pattern of mine is stripes, but I'm wary with floral patterns, which have a tendency to look too old lady on me. (I know, in many people's eyes I am an old lady at the advanced age of 66!)  Do you like wearing patterns and, if so, which ones are your favourites?

To end on a slightly more serious note, many of us women of a certain age may experience spots before our eyes, also known as floaters.  I went to my optician when I first experienced this a couple of years ago to have my eyes checked out, so I know it's nothing serious, although if the floaters get worse I also know to have them checked again. One of the many joys of getting older!

Holiday capsule for petites: Wallis

I've had enough of blue and grey capsules (though admittedly I'm wearing grey trousers today plus a red sleeveless top and navy cascade cardigan) and I have decided to move on to create some holiday capsules for petites. No doubt you are as relieved as I am!

My first holiday wardrobe is from Wallis, who were one of my favourite brands for petite clothing when I lived in the UK. After moving to Spain, I continued shopping with Wallis through their website and only really stopped when suddenly their petite trousers grew longer - sadly my legs remained as short as ever. In honour of our previous good relationship, my first petite capsule is from Wallis.

I've realised that there is still some blue and grey in the above picture - maybe I'm becoming slightly addicted to it? - though some touches of red too. There are several patterned tops here, which petites have to take care with: if a pattern is too bold and large, the top will wear us rather than the other way round.

I'm a bit unsure about the white cotton roll-up trousers as I think that, like turn-ups, they could make my legs look even shorter. What do you think?

The problem with being petite

Following on from my previous post, I have to say that it's not easy finding clothes for petite women in Spain. It constantly amazes me how many other short women can be seen walking about our town, but can I find petite sizes in any of the local fashion shops? No way! I need to visit Murcia, our nearest city, and look round El Corte Ingles department store if I want to try on petite sizes in a shop over here. If I do go to El Corte Ingles, the only petite brand they stock is Zendra Petite, which rather limits my choice, and prices for tops start at 29.95€. Add in the cost of travelling to Murcia and you can see why on-line shopping is so tempting!

Zendra petite top

Of course I buy clothes locally whenever I can, but finding clothes that fit me is difficult. Even short-sleeved tops aren't necessarily a good fit as the sleeves may be fine but the top is often too long. The beauty of buying clothes from a petite range is that not only are the lengths usually right for me but also the proportions in general look better on petite women.

Yes I can turn up hems on regular trousers that are too long, however that doesn't necessarily make them look ok as it all depends on the cut - obviously boot legs won't look right if I shorten then. Jacket sleeves can be turned up or rolled up, but the lapels and buttons may be too large a scale for petites.

Wallis petite top

Wallis was my favourite petite brand for a long while, until they started making their trousers slightly longer. My problem was that their trousers had been the right length for me originally and I haven't grown - so nowadays they are too long for me! Their tops though still fit well.

My new favourite brand for petite clothing is Lands End, as they offer so many options for petite trousers, which can be hemmed to suit the individual. So far the quality of my Lands End purchases has been fine, they have washed well and they have been a good fit.  I spotted the following top on their UK website, which is on trend (more of that soon), so I admit that I am very tempted.

Lands End Art tee

I will have one final look around the local shops in the morning. If I'm unsuccessful in finding a top that I love, then I may very well start searching the petite websites for one!

Mixing chic and cheap

In my previous post I talked about fashion faux pas at 50+ and how wearing too many luxury labels wasn't a good look. Luckily with my wardrobe budget I don't have to worry about that! I thought it would be interesting to play around on Polyvere choosing items from various price ranges and create an outfit or two by mixing chic and cheap.  Most of us will already own a pair of navy denims, so that was my starting point. I have included some classic pieces plus others like the Paris sweater to add a bit of fun.  Here's my chic and cheap look - I hope that you like it!

Would you like to play a little game? Go on, please humour me! The idea is to decide which of the above items are the most expensive and which are the cheapest. Don't read any further until you have made your mind up.

The most expensive item here is the striped jumper, which is a mix of cotton, silk and cashmere, and which costs 305€. If I was going to spend over 300€ on a top I would make it this one, as it is a classic item and a good investment piece.

Next is the aqua crystal bracelet on the left costing - wait for it! - 205€. It's a lovely bracelet and would look equally good with a more glamorous evening outfit as well as with this casual look. If someone else is paying, I'll have it - otherwise I would buy a few of the bracelets on the right, which cost 11€ each.

Finally, the Tory Burch tote costs 190€ and is another buy that won't date and that will look good with both casual and smart outfits. I bought a similar (though a lot cheaper!) tote recently, that proved its versatility when I went on holiday for ten days. My tote went well with all my outfits, no matter what colour I was wearing.

At 35€ the Paris sweater is a lot cheaper than the striped one, but I probably wouldn't wear it as often and might eventually get bored with it, so it wouldn't be as good an investment. The chain necklace on the other hand would go with many other items in my wardrobe so is a definite bargain at 19€.

The Converse trainers and Pretty Ballerina shoes are fast becoming classic items and most Parisians would snap them up, according to Inés de la Fressange in her book "Parisian Chic"! If you are planning to go on holiday soon, they would be good purchases.

Last but not least, what about the two jackets? Clearly the leather jacket  at 140€ would be a bargain buy if you don't already own one, but I have my eye on the coral blazer.  It's by Wallis and the price is 52€. Not everyone will be tempted by this, but it's one of my favourite colours and it's available on-line. Must go folks!