Some people like to dress up at home. Susan at Une Femme, and Sue at High Heels in the Wilderness, for example, both do it very well. But I have learned that I truly don’t care. This is in no way a dismissal of the concept. It’s just that dressing, for me, is about communicating in a social context. If my sofa had opinions, or changed clothes herself to indicate her mood, aesthetic, or politics, I’d probably pay some attention.
So, as I sit here now in over-sized jeans and a flowered turtleneck, I have photos for you from earlier this morning. I put on the clothes my sibling gave me as a gift for my work as executor of Mom’s estate. I added a mask, for verisimilitude, as well as eye makeup. (This smoky eye kit would give you the equivalent. Light on lids and browbone, dark as liner along upper and lower lashes, and in the crease.) What I do for you. Still less than you for me.
Here’s the full effect: coat, scarf, top, pants, along with the crystal-toed Jimmy Choos I wore to get married in.
(An aside. I forgot to dust my mirror. In pandemic times, and following one of my occasional nights of poor sleep, when I saw the photos on my laptop I could not bear the thought of putting this regalia on again. Come the day I really go out, in full flash and glory, I promise a set of photos in the wild.)
Scarf off. I love this late ’60s look, inspired as I believe it was even then, by the salwar kameez.
Finally, coat open. If you are narrower of shoulder and more of an hourglass than I, this is how to wear long over lean. I close the coat, to promote a neat and tidy look across my collarbones.
Now, imagine, if you will, these textures. Cashmere coat with trim, woven scarf, with trim, low-shine jacquard pants. My question is, what kind of shoe would you wear this with? Say I wanted to take the formality down a notch, what would you put on my feet?
(As an aside, remember paper dolls?)
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
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40 Responses
Hello- I’m with you about not caring about home dressing. However I love following Sue Burpee’s posts. Your outfit looks stunning. A suggestion for footwear is a block heal nuback she or side boot. Heel looks like it needs to be high enough to keep the great line of the pant. Thank you for your writings!
Sue Blaney
@Sue Blaney, You are so welcome! And thank you for the idea. I have two pairs of black boots, I’ll give them a shot.
Beautiful ensemble! Not sure about proportions but I’m thinking a silver sneaker of some ilk. Also, love paper dolls. Perhaps that might be easier than the OOTD!!
Oh and doll houses…see Franklin Habit’s take on same.
@laura, The woman at the store (one of the owners) suggested a platform sneaker. Franklin Habit? I’ll look!
The silver trim of the scarf balances the shoe color perfectly.
@Dee Dee Szal, Thanks to my siblings’ great eyes!
That’s a great outfit. I own these and think they would work perfectly.
https://www.farfetch.com/de/shopping/women/officine-creative-sauvanne-slipper-item-13577525.aspx?storeid=10471
You can’t style this ensemble down much in my opinion, but nice black mules might be another option.
I bought some elegant stuff a year ago, expecting lots of ocasions…wondering how long it will take until receptions and alike
may happen again.
@Chrissa, Those are seriously awesome shoes and they look to be on sale now! https://shopstyle.it/l/boURQ I love Farfetch,
You and the outfit are gorgeous! I love the Jimmy Choos but wonder if the pants should be shortened a bit. Then you could wear it with flats too.
@Leslie K, Thank you:). I hadn’t thought about having the pants shortened, I will think about it. The pants for a salwar kameez often bag at the ankles, I guess I was swayed by that image.
That is a gorgeous ensemble and you wear it well. I remember the shoes from your wedding – so beautiful!
@Jane, Thank you:).
I second this thought. I don’t see how you could wear them with a not heel at their current length.
@RoseAG, I wonder. I will have to try.
Flatform tevas!
@bck, Ha! Black velvet ones, right? That would be truly Sturdy Artsy.
Love it! Black ankle boots to dress it down, maybe?
@MJ, Yes, highly possible. Thank you.
Gorgeous outfit, Lisa! Thank you for the mention.
It’s hard to tell on my monitor, but are the coat and top the same fabric? Is there shine in the pattern, or just on the trim?
I like the idea of a block heel, or wedge sandal or mule. Something a little chunkier. Or even a platform oxford in a metallic finish. My other answer to “less formality” would be to break up the set and mix with other pieces in your wardrobe. The coat over a grey turtleneck and black jeans for example. The pants with a classic white shirt and sleek boots.
@Susan Blakey, The coat is a very soft cashmere, no added shine. The top is a black knit. There is a gleam from the satin jacquard, but not a full on shine. I absolutely plan to break up the set. Thanks!
I’d love the outfit (which looks gorgeous on you) with a black velvet venetian slipper. And I’d shorten the pants to the ankle bone as well. I’m with you, I don’t care about dressing at home….at all. I admire those who do, but I just want to be comfortable and cozy.
Who makes the cashmere coat again? I know I looked at their website when you received it.
https://vibivenezia.it/en/loafers-nero-wcitlne100vv02-en-2
These…
@KSL, Those are beautiful. I’ve always wanted a pair of what I think of as smoking slippers. And the coat is from Harwood SF, here. https://www.harwoodsf.com/
Lisa, black patent kitten heels or luggage brown cap toed flats.
@naomi dallob, Now that’s interesting, brown oxfords? Hmmmmmm.
So very chic, with or without the scarf, coat open or closed.
Black ballet flats or Ferragamo patent bow pumps would be lovely.
Most of us find it pointless to dress up when going out means grocery shopping or routine medical appointments.
With a vaccine on the near horizon, we can hope for more social days and evenings.
@Karen G, Thank you! I was thinking something from Repetto? And I wonder how it will feel to start going out again. I feel like I’ll be savage…
A very elegant look. The shoe ups the ante. For a less elegant but strong look, I might wear an ankle high deep maroon, square heeled leather boot with a matching bag. With the cooler weather I am wearing my black slacks with various jewel toned tops or flannel shirts daily. When outside walking each day, I add my silk long johns underneath for warmth, and layer up as needed.
@Susan, Maroon? That wouldn’t have occurred to me! I bet it would look great on someone with the right coloring. If I were going to wear colored shoes with this I think they’d be either pink, or turquoise?
Lovely outfit! I hate wearing heels so I would probably do a dressy flat – maybe with some bit of metallic shine?
I love thinking about paper dolls, and I was also thinking recently about Colorforms and felt boards – does anyone else remember those?
@Kate, I am generally not a heel fan either. The Choos are not uncomfortable, per se but still. I think chunky and metallic could be fun. I totally remember Colorforms! Remember how they smelled!
Oh my goodness… thanks so much for the mention, Lisa. That was unexpected! I love that coat. So elegant. And with those shoes it’s wonderful. I have no suggestions for alternative footwear. My process is to drag out all my shoes and boots and try them on one after the other, sometimes one style on one foot and a different one on that other. xo
@Sue Burpee, I will do the Drag Them Out And Put Them On thing;). I am happy to mention you! I love your style. I’m not managing to comment much anywhere these days, but I’m reading.
“Raptures of living’, indeed!
@FL Girl, I suppose this is one of the moments when raptures and style coincide;). It is not always so.
You look stunning in this outfit. Kudos to your sibs.
As for shoes, I’d go for a closed-toe red or dark red mule (with a narrow heel strap if you don’t care for the clacking and flapping of a straight mule). Italians do great ones – check out the iconic (and fabulous) mules K. Hepburn wore in the film Summertime. Although you needn’t go that far! But hey, it was Venice, and the fifties, and she was a librarian letting down her hair (among other things)…
(It just occurred to me: in their own way, these red mules were her character’s version of ruby slippers. A deep thought indeed.)
Special Note to KSL (hitting “reply” directly to your comment above didn’t work):
I went onto the shoe site you mention, and those are VERY elegant Venetian loafers! But I noticed that the blurb across the bottom started “Questo sito utilizza cookie,” which I found both funny and much less threatening than the common English version. Also noticed the verb form “clicanndo,” for “clicking” – I think I will incorporate both of these into my computer self-talk!
CORRECTION: “cliccando” above. and yes, “cookie” is singular. although using “biscotti” instead would be pretty funny, too! oh i love the italian language…
@Victoire, I wish they did say “biscotti!” I wish our websites did too;). My coloring does not allow for red with black, disappears me altogether, but blue, or pink maybe. Happy cliccando-ing;).
As usual, I come almost a week late to your post. I love what you wrote and love the outfit your sibs gave you. You look fabulous in it, although I too would opt for flats now. All this at home comfort and I will probably struggle to go back to heels, which were, in fact a struggle before.
I am with you on home wear, although I did mention on another blog that I find I care about what I wear at home. I find I care, in terms of social construct, about what I wear when out, but home, for me anyway, is sanctuary, and soft, loose, comfortable clothes rule the day. Whatever I have at hand works. That was something my late husband and I had in common.
I can be happy in pajama bottoms and a tee or sweatshirt, or over-sized sun-protective gardening shirt if I am working in the yard. I did however, once find myself unexpectedly walking around the block while still in my robe late one morning, with a new elderly and blind dog I had just adopted. It was the first morning he wanted to leave the yard and I had been short on sleep. I found that I am fine with pajama bottoms, sweats, baggy jeans, even a caftan or something bordering on threadbare, but not a bathrobe. Now, depending on the weather, I have a light jacket, vest, or puffer by the door for just such emergencies. It is amazing what a nice topper can do.
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