Breaking the rules?

Who makes those rules anyway?

I googled “should older women wear colored eyeshadow”. The first four websites all came back with a resounding NO! I’m sure if they could have put a four letter expletive in front of it, they would have! According to these websites…I only briefly perused…a woman of my age (over 60) should refrain from colors like purple or blue and opt for neutrals in browns and greys! I have bought those colors and given them away after deciding they just don’t do me any favors. I’m not sure what your monitor is showing you, but I’m sporting purple, rust, and even a bright pink on my eyelids. Are they crepey? Oh, baby, of course, they are! I’m 64 years old! Do I even care? OK, I care a bit. I would love to have non-crepey eyelids, but I’m not going to spend $$$ on surgery (I think they probably perform removal of eye wrinkle surgeries). I’m gonna be that old lady your great-grandchild points to and says, “Great-granny, check out the old lady’s eyes!” And, they’re going to say it with awe! Because I am that awesome!

And, I’m also not supposed to wear bright red (or reddish) lipstick! It might settle into those lines around my mouth. The only thing that really bothers me about the lines around my lips is that someone might think I was a smoker. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have never smoked a day in my life and never will. The smile lines…well, those are there because, guess what? I smile! A lot! I love to smile. I think I used to creep my principal out a bit. He always questioned why I was smiling. I mentioned I spent the first part of my career as a special education teacher. I loved every minute of it, but it’s a difficult job. Now before you go thinking I’m an angel on earth (I am, but not for the reasons you think), my students had mild learning problems. They were, for the most part, completely in general education classes with support from me. The tough part was getting teachers to understand what a learning disability was and how it transferred to the classroom. So, while many days, I just wanted to curl up in a little ball and cry, I forced a smile on my face. As my dad always said, “Keep smiling. It will make them wonder what you’re up to!” And, that’s exactly what I did! Besides, smiling is truly one of those “fake it til you make it” endeavors. If you’re smiling, sooner or later, your mood will catch up to your smile! I know many of us have had to learn how to smize over the last several months (smize…my gorgeous relative, Tyra, came up with that neologism). I’m not sure my smize is as big as my smile, though!

But, I digress! Surprisingly, most of the articles I found indicated the “mature” woman could wear red, but there were many caveats. I don’t have time to read or even apply caveats to my life and lips! I’m going to wear my red lipstick because it makes me feel bold and happy!

Hmmm…let’s see…

My mom would have had a fit with my choice in jeans lately! How many of you remember Tough Skins from Sears? They were really rugged jeans and pants you could buy for your kids. I think they came with an already reinforced knee. My oldest son was a demon when it came to clothes! He had ADHD (well, I guess he still does) and was always on the move. He put holes in the knees of those Tough Skins. As quickly as he put holes in them, my mom would stick a patch on them! Hole…patch. Hole…patch! Now that I think about it, the Luderman women were big on patches! My grandma and one of my aunts had some jackets that were more patch than jacket! Anyway, I remember one of my kids getting a hole in the knee of their jeans and my mom insisted I needed to repair it. I said, “Oh, Mom, it’s the trend nowadays!” I don’t think it was. Hey, I was a trendsetter back then! I was too tired to repair a hole. I think I probably put some kind of iron patch on my daughter’s jeans though (most likely a flower or peace sign). Mom would have asked me what in the world I was doing buying jeans with holes already in them (not these jeans). I don’t think she would have even appreciated the ease of the raw hem. I love raw hem jeans and hate the thought of these going out of style! They are a short girl’s gift! Jeans too long…get a straight edge, a sharp pair of scissors and have at it! But, again, am I too old for raw edge jeans and heavily distressed jeans? What’s that you say? OK, shout it for the cheap seats now! NO! I AM NOT TOO OLD! Unless it’s cold, then the heavily distressed jeans go back on the shelf!

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Are rules made to be broken?

OK, now that’s a trick question. Of course, some rules are made to be broken. Rules like no white after Labor Day or wearing navy with black. Here’s another good one…don’t wear two patterns together! Oh, I just found another…petite women shouldn’t wear maxi or midi skirts! Oh, and here’s one I think a few of you might just gasp at. Only cisgender women can wear dresses. I mean, have you seen Billy Porter in a dress? He might not be your cup of tea, but if we, as a community, say there are no fashion rules, don’t we have to embrace those who break fashion and cultural norms?

But, what rules shouldn’t be broken when it comes to fashion? Honestly, I’m not sure. Fashion is, by its nature, a fleeting thing. As Heidi Klum used to say (maybe she still does), “One day you’re in. The next day, you’re out.” It may be, in a few years, mixing patterns will be dated. And, the fashion sneaker trend may slowly fade away. I think there are fashion considerations. I wouldn’t wear white to a wedding unless the wedding party asked for that. I would follow the fashion rules as dictated by a church. By that I mean, if I am attending a function at a specific church and I’m asked to wear a head covering. I will wear a head covering. If another religious institution requires my shoulders be covered. I’ll comply with that. But, that’s just me. I also think there may be fashion rules as they pertain to professional life. With the pandemic and the resultant work from home culture, even those fashion rules may have certainly bent. Perhaps, you work in an office and have found, upon returning, your “work” clothes no longer work. Life, like fashion, is constantly evolving. Some times, that’s a good thing. Some times, it isn’t. Profound stuff here, today, folks!

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Surprise!

Usually, when Nigel and I have a photoshoot, I plan a few outfits for future posts. Today was a late day so no quick change for Marsha! But, unlike almost every other photoshoot, I wore this outfit for the remainder of the day. I added the cardigan because it’s been cold and rainy here for the last several days. I am one of those people who loves cold, rainy days! I want to snuggle up in a cozy cardigan (miss that post? Not for long, here it is), drink some hot tea, and read a good book. I do that in warm weather, too, but it’s just different in cold weather, right? I am at that age (hello, menopause) when I’m constantly too hot unless I’m too cold. I’m rarely too hot in the cold temperatures. That probably means (since I’ve not done this in cold weather yet) photoshoots will consist of one look only! As I looked through the pictures, one thing hit me! Those are genuine joyous smiles! I don’t know why, but I was having a really good time during this photoshoot! A couple of actual guffaws actually rang out!

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The Lewk!

I found this cute top at Target! I had gone there looking for something else when this top yelled, “Hey, hey you, laddie!” (Bonus points if you can come up with the song reference.) I couldn’t resist. It has all of these lovely muted shades of teal and mauve and paisley and smocking. It’s adorable (and yes, ladies of a certain age can be adorable). The jeans are Wit and Wisdom from the NSale (I think this pair) and are really comfortable. I am considering these because I love the hem! The cardigan is also from the NSale three or four years ago. Every year, Nordstrom would have one of these in the sale. This year, I couldn’t even find the Leith brand (thus no link)! I did break my rule for all natural fibers with these sweaters, but they have worn well. There is some pilling, but I just pull them off! I saw these sneakers in pink about four years ago at VonMaur (if you don’t have one near you, you are missing out). They were in the clearance section, but I didn’t buy them. I kept stalking them everywhere and finally settled on this color (but I still want the pink). Mine are probably three years old now. They have fabulous arch support! The jewelry is all old and gifts from Nigel.

He’s not just a pretty photographer!

You see that wall there? Nigel did it! I’ve mentioned a time or two we live in a cookie cutter house in a cookie cutter neighborhood. I found this wall treatment on Pinterest, showed it to Nigel, and hey, presto! Nigel built it! He also built that cute little grey box on the table. I have lots of these kinds of boxes Nigel has made. They are all sizes and colors. I use them in different places throughout the year and throughout the house. Some don’t make it out of the decorating den (there’s an old reference), aka the basement, every year, but this one does.

Wrap it up, Marsha!

Nigel asked me what today’s topic was going to be. Honestly, I rarely know until I start typing! Today, I was putting on the red lipstick, and the topic hit me! I am not the first nor will I be the last blogger to write about fashion rules and whether or not to break them. I wrote about how these rules do or do not impact me. What about you? Is there a rule you break just because you feel better with the outcome (like me and my red lipstick)? Is there a rule you won’t break? What do you think of the more casual world in which we seem to be living? Did you figure out the song reference? Please leave me a comment or two. I’d love to have a conversation with you! If you like what you’ve read, please consider subscribing! Thanks, as always, for reading, commenting, and subscribing!

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