How to Wear Stripes this Year!

A little history…

Did you know stripes were once considered “the devil’s cloth” because convicts wore them? Did you know prostitutes, jugglers, cripples, and clowns wore stripes because they were society’s outcasts? Did you know Queen Victoria, the arbiter of all that was right and proper, changed all that? Yes, we can call Queen Victoria the Queen of Stripes because she dressed Prince Albert, her son, in a sailor suit in 1846! There was even a distinction between vertical and horizontal stripes and who wore which!

A little more…

And, then, there was Coco Chanel. After visiting the northern coast of France, Chanel was inspired to create her iconic Breton top. Her inspiration? Breton sailors wore these tops with 21 stripes. The stripes represented each of Napoleon’s victories. Chanel, love her or hate her, was responsible for the ease of fashion in the first decades of the last century. Gone were the boned corsets, layers, and rigid fashions. Chanel designed loose fitting chemises, high waisted wide legged trousers, and, of course, the Breton top. This isn’t a Breton top, but it is a graphic tee! I don’t think this will be showing up in my closet or on the blog any time soon (or ever)!

Still more…

Stripes are just one of those patterns you can wear in most every situation. When my Final Fridays was about print mixing, stripes figured (pardon the pun) heavily in those looks. It doesn’t matter if you’re 60 years old or 60 days old, stripes are your friend. Stripes appear on the red carpet as often as they do on the school bus…OK, maybe not that often…but, stripes are seen everywhere.

“Psychologists say that people who enjoy wearing stripes are “often good at multitasking, have a lot going on in their lives, and wear many hats” and considering the ever-changing, bustling times we live in, it’s probably a good thing that stripes are here to stay (source).”

A new company to me…

Every once in a while, I will receive an email or DM from a company wanting to work with me. Those are few and far between. Most of the time, I decline because I’m not familiar with the company, or something just doesn’t sit right with me. When Buykud reached out to me via Instagram, I looked at the website and the reviews. For the most part, all of the reviews were positive. And, the aesthetic of the company appealed to me so I agreed to work with them. I was asked to select two pieces of clothing. This is the first of the two.

My review…

I read through the reviews for this dress as well as the solid colored one. Only a couple mentioned that it ran big. Knowing the company was in China, I expected the sizing to be a little off so I asked for a large in this dress. As you can see, there’s a lot of dress! My biggest concern was the shoulder fit, but I do believe a medium would have fit a skosh better. I have to tell you this dress is incredibly well made. The seams are finished with a zig zag stitch. The fabric is a nice heavy weight (95% cotton/5% spandex) which will work well for the colder temperatures coming my way. The pockets are on seam and at just the right place for me. That surprised me as pockets are usually much lower. I’m not sure if you can tell, but the stripes are navy blue. My only little nitpicky problem is the stripes don’t match at the seams. I don’t think it’s as noticeable with the dark green and navy colors as it may be in the black/white combo. Buykud has given me a discount code for 12% off orders over $65. The code is Marsha12. There are several items that really intrigue me! Their pants look like such fun, but when you’re only 5’1″ that can be a problem.

The Lewk!

Well, look! It’s my favorite pair of black boots! These are my Born boots. I also have them in brown. If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I love these boots! I really wish I had bought two or three of each pair at the time. That is how much I love them! The necklace and the bracelet are from a Banana Republic holiday campaign probably a decade ago! I remember receiving a post card that had this bracelet and another on it. We still lived up north, and we’ve lived here for almost nine years. So, I am guessing they are about ten years old. The earrings are gold and were a gift from Nigel in the late 90s!

Wrap it up, Marsha!

My aim, with my blog, is not necessarily to influence you to buy anything. It has always been about wearing clothes for this zucchini body of mine. It has been about filling a niche for women who are shorter, rounder, and older. As I was looking through the Buykud site, I was a little confused. Everything is labeled plus size! But, don’t let that stop you from looking through the site. It does seem the smallest size is a medium. But, if you’re into the oversized look, this may be just right for you. I really like the unique, somewhat quirky style of this company. I hope to make a few purchases after the holidays. So, can we talk? How do you feel about stripes? And, does Coco Chanel’s past bother you enough to keep you from buying Chanel products? And, by products, I mainly mean makeup and perfume! How do you feel about discount codes and the whole influencer thing? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as I can!

Thank you!

Thank you so very much for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate those of you who comment, email and/or subscribe. It’s what keeps me going! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

A special deal…

I wanted to let you know about Halftee’s Black Friday Sale. If you use my code, MARSHA2098, you can get 30% off the entire site! I recently bought a lace Halftee and can’t wait to style it. Not sure what a Halftee is? Basically, it’s the top part of a tee with an elastic band that fits right under your bust. It lessens the bulk under your clothes, adds modesty, and can also add a different texture. That elastic band is what keeps your Halftee from riding up. Halftee doesn’t carry only Halftees. There is jewelry as well as other clothing.

Affiliate links and such:

Just a reminder that Marsha in the Middle may use an affiliate link. Those links are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link I provide, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. As of right now, I also have an affiliate code for Kantha Bae! Use MarshaintheMiddle in the promo code box for $5 off any order (excluding Bestie restocks)! I have also become a Halftee Partner. Use the code, MARSHA2098, for 20% off any purchase. I am also an affiliate with Clara Sunwoo. You can use my code, MARSHA10, for 10% off your entire order. I am an April Cornell Brand Ambassador for another season. You can use my code, MARSHA15, for $15 off any order over $100. For the Zuvi Halo Hair Dryer, use Marsha12 to get 12% off your order at this link: https://www.zuvilife.com/products/buy-zuvi-halo-hair-dryer?sca_ref=4039595.v4RNNsWxxF. If items are on sale, you can use Marsha5 for an extra 5% off sale prices. In case you didn’t know, bloggers must disclose the use of affiliate links. That’s why I include this in each post.

Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style,  Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, and Style Splash. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda and Lisa. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

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