If I could ask you to put your pretending hats on, please? Excellent. I particularly like that one with the navy stars. Now, if you could pretend my hair is not auburn. Thanks a million.
I will explain why my hair might in fact BE auburn at the end of this post. For now, let’s cast our minds back to this oversized Christopher John Rogers outfit.
My apologies, but I just couldn’t buy the pants. In a size smaller, they fit my waist but were still so enormously wide as to require more swagger than I will muster in this lifetime. I suppose if I lived in New York, or maybe imaginary Miami–but not in the SF Bay Area suburbs. The shirt, however, I kept. Why? First, I wanted to own something from CJR, as he is often known, having realized I like collecting remarkable cerebral designers. Second, my mother often wore striped button-down shirts – pink and while, blue and white, yellow and white. In this I felt like her, in a good way. Mothers, amirite?
My mom would have sported white jeans, and I think if ironed, and maybe hemmed, these could work. Maybe with cork-soled platform sandals,
or Gucci flats.
But let’s add a wrinkle. Figuratively, we already pretend-pressed the pants. Let’s say I wanted to wear this to the Friday night welcome party–for my daughter’s Saturday wedding. The days the tradition is that only the bride wears white, and she often wears it for any event associated with getting married. My daughter may not mind me in white jeans at all, but let’s roll with the culture.
What not-white pants should I consider? Khaki? Maroon? Nantucket Red? Dark wash jeans? It’s a casual event.
After this try-on, I ran off to the grocery store in a graphic tee from Twinsthenewtrend and sneakers.
Pretending hats off. My hair is auburn because I have been experimenting with demi-permanent color, vs. the lowlights added via foil process, that I had been enduring and for which I am insufficiently patient. However, it turns out that the undertones of the demi-permanent color, when used on white hair (the front of my hair is white) show out. So far my hair’s turned up vaguely mauve, clearly orange, and today, unmistakably auburn.
With any luck I’ll have managed light warm brown hair with intermittent white by September. I promise to keep you updated, but perhaps not with every single embarrassing photo.
Have a wonderful weekend, and if your hair surprises you, may it be welcome. If not, imagination saves many a day.
15 Responses
Hi Lisa! I enjoy the colors of the top and agree with you about the need to work too hard to wear the pants. Could you expand on what constitutes a cerebral designer? I have heard the term applied to some Japanese clothiers.
Thank you!
There are some cute outfits out there pairing the shirt with a slim cream maxi skirt.
Love this idea!!
Light warm brown hair with strands of white sounds lovely!!!
Love the white jeans on you!! Pretty – double win as the jeans bring back happy memories of your mom.
Love the jeans with your Gucci flats.
The last photo of you in your t-shirt with the jeans is my favorite. Proportion. You have a beautiful figure – flaunt it!! (In other words, have fun!)
I know you love your CJR blouse – and it looks pretty on you – perhaps style it in a different way so it’s not overpowering and covering you up.
Maybe Susan B. will have some ideas.
If you can style the blouse differently so it’s not hanging down all over – you’ve got a winner!!!
Susan B. was wearing a striped blouse on her recent trip to Europe – looked great on her. Stripes look fresh and pretty!!
You’re on the right track!!
Oh hair color smair color! You have plenty of time to get it just right! My hair is turning white–but sometimes I get foil highlights done to brighten it up a bit. Right now, it is rather gray/white depending on the lighting. I am vowing not to touch it again!
I know you must be excited about wedding festivities!
Do you have time to have the pink pants tailored? Such a fun color.
Pretty with the white, and if your daughter’s fine then absolutely go with that.
If I had to pick, though, it would be jeans. I have a soft spot, having worn them to younger son’s very casual wedding (so did mother of the bride, the dads wore khakis).
Enjoy the hair journey! I’ve been amused and horrified by mine through the years — we just can’t win, can we??
Hello Lisa, I normally have no opinion on clothing (other than that you have excellent fashion sense and always look great), but I was surprised at those enormous pants. That is the current fashion here in Taipei–young guys wear huge pants, and bleach their hair blond down to the scalp. I must say that this oversized fashion trend is a bad one, and I am sure it will blow over soon.
–Jim
Cream pleated trousers or a slim cream maxi as suggested above.
Mission Accomplished!
You transported us out of reality into “pretend” land, PLUS you gave us an assignment! I just had a few little garden maintenance things to tie up, but couldn’t stop cogitating the pants assignment the whole time.
Returned to Net-a-P to refresh memory on the CJR patchwork shirt details [like, the gauntlet placket extends way above the elbow, now that’s some fancy tailoring!]. While there, began “pretending” the outfit was going to be for me [Structured Artsy] instead of you [Polished Tomboy.]
For me, I selected a cork-colored pair of slim fit tan pants, tapering/ending above the ankle bone. My rationale: this puts all the attention on the shirt and the wearer, while quietly connecting the pants to your cork shoes. Swingy at the top, slim and quiet at the bottom.
While at Net-a-P, saw the shirt worn with jeans. Did not care for, but go look and see if the pairing is to your liking.
Many thanks for the fun assignment!
My first thought upon seeing the whole pink outfit was ‘zoot suit’!
White trousers are good, but if you want to keep the original colour scheme without the clownish cargo trousers, pink silk/silky trousers would add a touch of relaxed elegance. Think (not too wide) palazzo pants of fabric that hangs well without adding too much volume. Maybe even pink with white polka dots :)
Slim pants the color of the right sleeve (i .e., what I think Flo says)? You’ll look great as long as you are comfortable in what you wear.
About the hair (Susan Walters (Diane Jenkins) on the soap The Young and the Restless…gray richened with chestnut lowlights. A great transition look. No touch ups.
Slender Raspberry slacks…you’ll look lovely.
The last pic looks like you. I like your hair natural, you give good monochromatic
I like the shirt a lot. My vote is for slimmer pants, whatever color you like best.