The Space Between My Peers

Does God speak to you through your car radio? Strange question, but it’s amazing how often some random program can get me thinking. Like the program I heard on Moody radio (listen here), about the book Making Peace With Your Thighs: Get Off the Scales and Get On with Your Life.

A couple of thoughts:

1. Dressing your body as a shape, rather than a collection of parts, is a practical way of thinking holistically about your body.
2. Men aren’t attracted to stick women, but rather by confidence.
3. The biggest “mood disrupter” among women? Gaining weight!

I will add to that last one, though, for me, the biggest mood disrupter, or the thing that most often puts me in a bad mood, is being left out. How about you?

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

As promised (ooh, stealth pun!) last week, pictures of what dd wore to the real prom.

Shortly after she attended the winter formal, and all the challenges of finding a dress, we happened on this gown, at Value Village for $40.  It fit perfectly!  (And is modest.)  Even though she had no guarantee of having an invitation to wear it, having it hanging in the closet seemed a frugal move.  An investment of sorts.

It may have been a wedding dress in a previous life; it had a train, which she saved the price of alterating by cutting off and hemming herself.  The only other expense (besides necessary undergarment) was the dry-cleaning:  $30. 

Princess dresses like these are priced in the $400 neighborhood these days. ha ha.  We don’t live there. Don’t believe me?  This one from Nordstrom, the closest I could find to show you, is priced at $388.  My frugal daughter spent about 20% of that price.  You couldn’t make it yourself for less, could you?

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

Culturally, Italians over-dress.  When it was sunny with a high of 75 in Venice and people were walking around (looking perfectly comfortable) in black wool coats layered over sweaters, I noticed!  I was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and had my jacket tied around my waist (along with all my other pack accessories). 

However, Americans, in my opinion, under-dress.  How many people do you know who own nothing warmer than a leather coat for outerwear?  Here in the mountains of The Great Northwest, where sub-zero temperatures are not unheard of, I know plenty of people who never wear coats.  At all.

Now we could discuss the reasons for that, or take a poll about whether we’d rather be too hot or too cold, but I prefer to point out advantages of the Italian approach (which may be common to other countries - say Canada? - as well):

1. All it really takes to look good is to wear a great coat (and shoes and bag). 
2. Although coats are bigger ticket items, infinite variety is not required.

Can you see yourself in one of these coats?

Especially on the nicer days, we saw lots of cycle-style leather jackets.  With the sporty stripes and the breath-of-fresh-air color combination, if I had a spare hundred bucks, this one would be mine!
Many coats, both wool and parkas, were belted.  Also plentiful were drop-waisted belt styles, although it was too early to see many trenches. 

I just threw this one in ’cause she looks so darn cute! 

The over 60 crowd were primarily sporting classicly elegant quilted jackets, alongside lots of wool, of course. 

How about you?  Are you more likely to over-dress or under-dress?

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

This late-breaking development: I’ve joined the Old Navy affiliate program. And with the price of gas up to $3.60 per gallon and more, I’m thinking more and more of online shopping. It would cost me about $5 round trip to drive to the nearest Old Navy.

From around the blogosphere:

• Eternal Voyageur has been doing a bra-fitting series, something I will probably never do because a) I’ve never had problems with that, and b) she did it already and you can read hers.
• Illustrated with a $3 square neck top from Marshalls, Tessa posted on retail versus re-sale. I agree there are great deals to be had shopping new, rather than used, especially clearance. And if we are in a recession, I predict an overall shift from thrift to retail in terms of where the bulk of the really good deals are to be had.
• What I miss most about Italy is walking for transportation. While many of you are able to manage that in your life, out here in the Great Northwest it’s mostly impractical. (I say mostly because I know it could be done, but I’m just not into the other changes it would require.) Most of us have to carve out extra time from our schedule to exercise, which recently I have been very poor at. However, reading about Joy taking her bike to the grocery gave me another idea. The question is can I overcome my fear of biking?
• Tricia at bits and bobbins invites readers to consider “why do we wear what we wear?” Don’t miss the comments. Personally I’m still working through these questions, agreeing in large part with Claire who wants to feel happy, beautiful, and different from others and to be comfortable and prepared for what her day entails. I also identify with Ilka who says, “I wear what I wear because I want to seem slightly different from others, but I am not as adventurous on the outside as I am inside, so often I will try on an outfit in my head, but it never makes it out into the real world.” This happens to me all the time. I see two problems: family members who don’t agree with my vision and aren’t afraid to say so (I am easily discouraged), and lifestyle. I mean, where does one go where the only consideration in getting dressed is self-expression?

That’s such a good question, I think I’ll end there. Happy weekend!

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

Today I’m taking a break from blogging to read. 

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

LOL. I wrote this post during my computer time yesterday, but when I went to post it last night- it was gone! After trying everything I could think of, my hero asked me, “is there any way it could just “show up tomorrow?” This morning I had the brainstorm to search the blog using the term “trench” and sure enough I found it. Right there where I left it, in December of 1969!

Sadly, this is the best I could do with the silver-grey trench. After debating whether I could pull off a “cute Columbo” look, I decided it’s just not me. I love the crisp look of a well-fitting trench. This is not it.

One is left to wonder what Gap executives were thinking when they offered a trench which can neither ironed nor dry-cleaned. Thankfully, I only had $1, plus tax, time, and energy into it.

Back to the drawing board. Shown here with my other finds from this week’s Value Village venture: the dark denim unbelted trench with the tags still on it - $1. Which brings to mind a great question to ask yourself when thrifting:

if I had bought it when it first came out, would I still be wearing it?

This is an especially helpful question for people who are losing weight or for any other reason are having to build a wardrobe in a hurry. Which circumstance I feel I am sort of in right now for two reasons:

1. I spent almost no money or time on my own wardrobe last fall when I was costuming Little Women
2. Spring is without a doubt my most challenging season to for which to dress.

Still standing, just in a little street in Trieste, is this first century Roman arch. Until this trip, I don’t know that I had shown any pictures of my winter coat. I love the color! My question to you is this: are you tired of this coat silhouette? It was so common a few years ago that I feel like I should be tired of it, yet I find that when I see a woman wearing a coat of this cut, I still like it. (Which is a good thing, since my new spring one is very similar.)

(click on the picture to see it a little bigger OR this link to a picture where you can really see the coat.) 

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

When I was in Italy, I discovered by chance, the perfect mirror-cleaning cloth: a soft, old, worn-out, ribbed tank top. And who doesn’t have an abundance of them these days? (In Mielke World, the term “an abundance” always gets snickers; what we really mean is “a bu**load”.)

It occurs to me that, in the course of changing out my drawers for the new season, I should also be making rags. Oh wait, I blogged that before. (And in case you are thinking I’m a month behind the times in changing out my drawers, you’d be right except for the fact that it snowed ALL DAY Monday. Not that I mind. :))

Without further ado then, I declare today Rag Day, the day I go through my t-shirts and determine which are still worth wearing. What gets cut:

• Too short to tuck in and stay tucked in if I’m sitting on the floor.
• Stained, including underarm discoloration.
• Too low-cut to wear alone.
• Thin or pilled and worn-out looking.

There. I said it. Now I must do it. After completing this project, I will be heading to the inexpensive top store to buy fill-ins. (Some things, like t-shirts, are inexpensive to begin with and they wear out, so it makes sense to buy them new.)

Has anybody seen any cute square-neck tees around?

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

Just for fun, a church youth group held an event they called The $10 Prom.  To attend, your outfit needed to cost you no more than $10.

What the ladies wore: 

1. Purchased from Goodwill that afternoon for $8, with my grandma’s old shoes.
2. My sister’s old prom dress, with the sleeves removed and approximately $3 worth of blue ribbon added (by the wearer, not me).

I like your bows; they’re real big.

Nice hair, ladies!

Coming next week: what dd wears to the real prom (a frugal find indeed).

Okay, now let’s talk about dancing.

1. Do you ever go dancing?
2. Do you have any ideas about clean environments for young people (or old) to experience dancing?
3. Is dancing an emotionally charged issue for you?
4. Do you wish you knew more?

Personally, I don’t think I enjoy the experience of listening to music as much as I would if I a)  knew how to dance, or b)  knew how to sing, or c) knew how to play a musical instrument.  I’m handicapped. 

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

Mainly an excuse to share more pictures with you, I will also use this post to illustrate a basic “personal best” what-to-wear principle:

The best neckline shape to flatter your face is roughly the shape of your jaw

This seems like it should be obvious, but we miss it because most advice is from the paradigm of what flatters the figure rather than the face.

(Read more back here, where I explain the basics of how deep the neckline should be.  And see dcrmom model several different t-shirt necklines, noting the lines they emphasize in her face, in this fashion lab.)

In the pictures of me at the Torri d’Europa, Karen noticed my square jaw.  Which totally explains why I long for square necklines and despise v-necks.  Yet I was wearing a v-neck in the picture.  Ugh!  I should just get rid of that top! (Oh, and one more link, and one more thing I did wrong: combining colors in layered necklines.)

But then I found a headless pic that I had overlooked, one in which I was wearing the offending tee but cleverly combined so as to form a (rounded) square neckline. 

What do you think?  (Click on the pic to see it bigger.)

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader

From around the blogosphere:

FASHION

The Space Between My Peers (yes, that’s me ) attempts to make some sense out of creams, beiges, and off-whites in Coffee with Cream.

Style Manila kicks off beach season in ROXY style.

Tops 2 Bottoms is keeping an eye on a fabulous trend, Dégradé Print.

Style…a work in progress asks, “Could anything be sweeter than the combination of cupcakes, Hermes, and Chanel?”.

SHOPPING

Her Accessories is loving these boots from Duo - perfect if you don’t have stick-thin legs!

ShopDiary reveals her source for wholesale priced Kerastase hair products.

Shopalicious is upping your beach style ante by giving away this shimmery, Lands’ End woven metallic tote!

Laya’s EYE is drawn to some very glamorous enamel bangles in pretty colors.

BEAUTY

Have you ever been to a Spa in a cave? Spa Beautifully shares Spas of America 600th Spa Listing Spa Terra at The Meritage.

Beauty and Fashion Tech reviews Smashbox Eye Shadow Trios.

Canadian Beauty found the best mascara ever!

Beauty Match found Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Nail Color free beauty samples

Viva Woman highlights 3 practical tips to optimize your beauty sleep.

NY Spender finally tries mineral makeup and tests it on her poor colleagues as well!

Beauty Bento Box experiments and gives a low-down on Beauty Formulas’ Mini Cold Wax Strips.

Beauty Secrets Revealed shares some Natural Skin Tightening Recipes.

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog checks out Dior’s newest summer collection, Goldrush, and gives you pictures and swatches.

Share This

 Subscribe in a reader