You may notice something a little different on the blog today. I’ve blown through almost 2/3 of the storage on my website! Yikes! That’s because my posts are so photo heavy so I’m going to be limiting the number of photos from now on. I wonder how many of you are thinking, “It’s about time!” I just feel guilty if I don’t use all the photos Nigel takes. Oh, well, I think he’d rather I used less than pay for more storage, right?
Modern teacher…
You may also be laughing at the title, right? I’m trying something new with my titles. I use WordPress’ SEO score a lot, but that doesn’t seem to drive much traffic to my blog. So, now, I’m trying something a little different. So, you may notice the titles are a little weird. But, in my defense, I would definitely wear this if I were still teaching these days.
Make it modern…
Oh, who am I kidding? I don’t really know how to make something modern. I just took a shift type dress and added a cardigan. The combination of the two made for a shapeless and downright frumpy look. I knew what I needed to do was to create the illusion of a waistline so I added a belt. Even though it didn’t change the outside silhouette, your eye is drawn to the belt which gives that illusion of a waistline. So, is that making it modern? I don’t know. I do know it made me feel a whole lot better about the outfit which I wore to church on Sunday.
The outfit…
I was in J Jill a few weeks ago and spotted this Wearever V-Neck Midi dress on the sale rack. I have learned (sort of) to wait for something to go on sale at J Jill. Once it’s on sale, they usually offer an additional 30-40% off the ticketed price. I’m not sure how much I paid for this dress, but it was considerably less than the original price of $119. When you play this game, you also run the risk that the item will sell out before you can nab it on sale. If that happens, I always figure it was just not meant to be. I picked up the jade colored lady jacket sweater at J Crew Factory earlier this spring. I wonder why they dropped the Mercantile thing. Ours was a Factory, then changed to a Mercantile, and is now a Factory again. Anyway, I was proud of myself for not going to my default of a denim jacket!
The Lewk!
I love these Shay sandals from Miz Mooz. I was looking at them on my foot and noticed the arch of the sandal perfectly follows the arch of my foot. I know that sounds weird, but what I mean is they’re very supportive of my arches. I recently discovered Katia Designs (probably an ad on Instagram). This multi-strand necklace is called the Have Faith Lotus Amazonite Long Chain Fusion Necklace (that’s a mouthful). I just watched the video on the website, and there are a couple other ways to wear it! I do have a code, MARSHA15, and you can get 15% off your entire order. I think this necklace has almost every color of the dress in it. The earrings are old and from J Jill.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I have to admit it felt so strange to write a short blog post. You know me…I love to write. I just couldn’t think of anything for today’s post which is probably a relief to many of you! So, can we talk? What do you think makes an outfit modern? Do teachers in the schools near you wear dresses these days? Do you have any tricks for creating the illusion of a waist? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
Thank you!
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Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. 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, Lisa, and Sue. 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!
I have no idea what’s modern, but you know me, I don’t really care about that.
It just matters that you feel good about it, modern or not, and it’s a lovely outfit.
Thanks, Cat! You are 100% right about feeling good about it!
That is a fabulous outfit!
Thanks, Joanne! It was really easy and frumpy until I added the belt!
Haha, you and me are so alike. Or makes me laugh. I often check some influencers to keep up with what’s trendy or modern. But of it’s not my cup of tea then I leave it. But I’m trying to keep a modern look, but then translated in Nancy………. Love the colour of your cardigan and the belt looks very good.
Thanks, Nancy! Yes, you and I are so alike it’s almost scary! I don’t know if I’m modern or not…I just love clothes and wear what I want! But, then, you sometimes get the worries…worried someone will think you look ridiculous, worried someone will think you’re too old to be wearing that, worried someone thinks you try too hard. It doesn’t happen as often but every once in a while!
Good question about what is considered modern. I asked my friend’s kids what they considered old lady style once and it was interesting.
But I love the belt and shoes…they do make a difference.
XOXO
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! My granddaughter told me her friends think she’s got a cool granny since I’m on Instagram and have a blog. I’m pretty sure most of them are on Instagram themselves! I should tell her to ask them to follow me!
I think the term modern is so subjective! You styled this outfit beautifully! I love the dress belted, and your cardigan is such a pretty shade of green!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thank you, Jill! That means a lot to me. The dress is sleeveless, and I knew the church would be freezing. The cardigan was necessary, but it looked so shapeless. Then, I remembered how adding a belt could draw the eye there and create the illusion of a shape.
I love this pretty look on you Marsha! As far as your storage, are you sizing your images down? Just curious because that can help with storage. Thanks for sharing that detail on your necklace. I could use some faith today. 🙂
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! Do you mean sizing them down when I save them? I don’t think I have an option to size them down when I upload them to my site. A lot of the Katia Designs necklaces/bracelets have messages on the back. Some are a little NSFW!
Who knew that black, white, and seafoam/sage/mint green could be so pretty together? The amazonite beads are perfect with this outfit. I agree that the belt looks terrific!
Thanks, Sally! I was thrilled with the way the necklace accented the dress. I probably wouldn’t have given this dress a second look if it hadn’t been on the sale rack. Then, I thought, “Why not try it on?” It’s kind of a blank canvas.
I think accessories and shoes can make an outfit more modern, and that is usually how I try to change up a look. I think certain prints are more modern than others too. I usually limit my pictures on my blog post to 5 or 6. You still can write more with less pictures =)
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks, Mireille! I agree about the accessories and shoes. I think shoes can make or break an outfit, that’s for sure. I am going to really cut down on photos and will need to cull some from past posts.
This outfit is a cute look!
Thanks, Erin! It is a really easy one, too!
Oooh, that seafoamy green cardigan is so good on you! And I love belting a dress like this to completely change the shape.
Hope you’re having a lovely weekend, Marsha!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Thank you, Ashley! I really like the color, too! The dress had a wee bit of shaping, but the belt really sealed the deal! I have had a wonderful weekend! I hope yours was, too, and that your coming week is even better!
I wear dresses and skirts to school, but I rarely see other teachers do that. Sometimes admin and a few other related service departments will. I wish we dressed up more for work! I love the color of your cardigan! It’s beautiful!
Thank you, Laura! I bet you’re the best dressed teacher in the building if not the whole corporation! The teachers in the school district near me often wear athleisure (and that was before Covid). I have always thought we fight to be seen as professionals so we should dress as professionals. I was surprised at how well this color went with my coloring. I didn’t think it would.
I think your outfit looks “modern” with a vintage vibe. Vintage is modern now, isn’t it? What’s old is new! In any case you look lovely! I love the jade shade cardigan and sandals and the FAITH necklace!
Blessings!
❤️carmen
Thanks, Carmen! I think most of my closet is probably vintage!! Trends come and go so quickly that it’s hard to figure out what’s in or out. So, I don’t even worry about it! Isn’t the necklace beautiful? It’s even better in person!
The belt is such a good styling touch! Yes, I’m always trying to follow SEO rules. Another one is that you shouldn’t use the same title for a post that you’ve used before, which makes it hard with regulars. I scratch my head every month with the books round-up! Have a good weekend.
Thanks, Gail! I have that problem with the link parties and style challenges. Maybe I need to change up the titles and use the other as subheadings! Have a fabulous week!
I really like how you defined the waist with the belt, such a simple trick that makes a big difference! The sweater is a beautiful pairing with the dress, and those Miz Mooz sandals look both stylish and comfortable. I can definitely relate to running out of photo storage … it’s a real blogger problem!
Rena
https://finewhateverblog.com
Thank you, Rena! I have to admit a few years ago, I would never have thought to add a belt to make the outfit look better. I am going to have to do something very soon…if I can just find the time!
The dress is lovely and it looks great with the jade jacket. I’m worried about my storage too – I’m trying to be more selective with my photos. I do resize them now, something I should have done from the start! Thanks for linking!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Thank you, Emma! I have been going back to remove some photos. It’s hard because you don’t want to lose the idea of the post, but I use way too many photos! I had no idea there would be a limit…I should have known, I guess!