Stores that carry "FIRE" season clothing

[Joby]

Pam,

 

I've been on the Rissalena too. Also saw the arch in Cabo. What a great time we had! We also saw the cliff divers in Acapulco. So enjoying the photos!

 

I have a rashguard from Athleta that I LOVE. It's in the Garden Green color and it has drawstrings along the side that allow you to either draw it up shorter as in top length or let it out longer so that it looks like a short dress. I've gotten lots of compliments on it from other beach goers when I've worn it.

 

 

 

I have these Athleta swim shorts too and they go with lots of FIRE colors. You can't see it here but they have Garden Green in them too.

 

 

I also have a swimdress from Athleta in the same Garden Green but, I don't wear it as much.

 

 

Anita,

 

I'm so embarrassed I haven't sent my material :o I don't want to wait until camping to do it, I would love to have the skirt and hat in time for our trip to Africa. I like the pattern that I found and coincidentally you said you owned. It had a cute ruffle down the front. If it's a good time for you, let's get on this project?

 

Debbie and Linda,

Glad to hear from you both. Stay the course with the lack of snow :)

[Joby]

Eeeekkkk, what happened???

 

Let me try that post again.

 

Pam,

 

I've been on the Rissalena too. Also saw the arch in Cabo. What a great time we had! We also saw the cliff divers in Acapulco. So enjoying the photos!

 

I have a rashguard from Athleta that I LOVE. It's in the Garden Green color and it has drawstrings along the side that allow you to either draw it up shorter as in top length or let it out longer so that it looks like a short dress. I've gotten lots of compliments on it from other beach goers when I've worn it.

 

 

I have these Athleta swim shorts too and they go with lots of FIRE colors. You can't see it here but they have Garden Green in them too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also have a swimdress from Athleta in the same Garden Green but, I don't wear it as much.

 

 

 

Anita,

 

I'm so embarrassed I haven't sent my material! I don't want to wait until camping to do it, I would love to have the skirt and hat in time for our trip to Africa. I like the pattern that I found and coincidentally you said you owned. It had a cute ruffle down the front. If it's a good time for you, let's get on this project?

 

Debbie and Linda,

Glad to hear from you both. Stay the course with the lack of snow.

[Member123]

Kim,

 

LOL. So glad you reposted! Oh, I wish that Athleta still had that rashguard. I am definitely on the look out. Wait until you see my swim outfit for Bora Bora! We are plodding our way towards my most recent cruise! It's not in our colors, but I absolutely love the functionality of the swim pants / tankini top and that is my new go-to thoughts for anything swim related.

 

I have the same swim dress; I have one in the Garden Green and another in the Aqua Something (can't remember the whole color name)... maybe Sea Blue instead of Aqua Something. It doesn't matter because the color is no longer being offered by Athleta. Oh well.

 

Wish we could get a girl's weekend together in Cabo and all go on the Rissalena! Wouldn't that be fabulous FUN. First things first.... camping weekend. Just need to settle on the dates. Southwest hasn't extended their flight times beyond May, yet... but it's right around the corner for them to do the extension on the schedule. So we need to know before that happens so i can get a swinging deal....

[Member123]

We're going to Italy!

 

The TransAtlantic ports of call are: Rome, Livorno (Italy), Nice (France), Barcelona, Cartagena (Spain), Cadiz (Spain), Tenerife (Azores), and across the Pacific to Ft Lauderdale.

 

I have, by this time, had about a year of being introduced to a FIRE wardrobe; used to my new hair color; trying to accessorize in gold; trying to break my travel habit(s) of black/white mix & match; trying to find comfortable travel footwear; trying to pack as light as possible for a 15-night cruise (including the desire to dress formal) and a pre-cruise land addition AND keep to the smallest amount of luggage weight as possible. A daunting task.

 

What happened to us the last time that we tried to minimize our transatlantic flight was not good from a jet lag standpoint. We were flying to England and went to Boston a few days prior. We had purchased: travel eye masks, travel pillows, travel blankets, my DH had noise-cancelling headphones. This time, I also had noise-cancelling headphones! We had maintenance issues that delayed our flight's departure and the pilot made up time in the air; we landed without a gate assignment so that the plane landed on the tarmac and we were bussed to customs. I did not want to experience that type of flight again!

 

This time, we decided to go to Dulles Airport and have about 3 hours of a layover in which we would eat as big a dinner as I could handle, have a few glasses of wine to help with the idea that we were going to try to sleep, and fly to Rome. We would arrive about 8:30am. Mistake #1: I decided to hire a shuttle from the airport to the hotel rather than order the hotel's limo. I will never do that again. It was so not worth the money saved. Welcome to Rome! We spent almost 2 hours in the airport, waiting for the other shuttle passengers to arrive so that the van would be full. We got the scariest van ride I've ever survived: the driver rear-ended a car, slammed the van into the side of a building and dented the rear bumper, didn't know the location of our hotel and kept taking dead-end roads, drove the wrong way on a one-way street. OMG.

 

Our plan was to try to get over our jet lag in Rome for that day. The next day we were going to take the train to Venice. We were SMART because we had packed so that we could leave our checked bag with the hotel valet and just take our carry on with us to Venice, so not the huge hassle of luggage on the train. And, we were coming back to spend some time, in Rome, at the same hotel so we would easily retrieve our bags. Good planning! I spent a lot of time on the Trenitalia website and pre-booked our tickets so that we would definitely be on the fastest train to Venice. Mistake #2: I didn't call down to the hotel's reception for a wake up call the next morning. I relied on the alarm app on my IPOD. Not a problem! Works great... as long as you schedule the alarm for the appropriate time; i.e., don't put PM when you want to be awakened in the morning. I'm just saying. Because of the IPOD programming mistake (user input error), we had a very scrambled start to our day. What should have been a smooth transition became a flight, but isn't that what travel stories are all about?

 

Given everything leading up to this moment, I think I look fabulous on my train ride to Venice!

 

 

Chico's: pretty much head-to-ankle. The jacket is a very versatile piece that I have, literally, worn to death. IRL, there's a little touch of pink in the coloring to achieve the tan; it would be so much better with more gold. It can be worn as an outer layer, but is thin enough to also be worn as a middle layer, which you'll see in another picture. IRL, the neckline accents on the chocolate brown Chico's Traveler's fabric top is more antique gold than the bright gold that would be better for us. I do know that I have on one of my jeggings, which were very versatile as well. Not bad for an abrupt morning where I didn't have time to shower or put on makeup before the train's scheduled departure. BTW: doesn't the Trenitalia train look nice!

 

Venice is beautiful. I do have a story about checking into the hotel. I believe, strongly, that when you travel to another country you really should try to acquire a basic ability to speak with people in their own language. To that end, I studied Italian to be able to exchange pleasantries, ask directions, order wine and lattes; you know, essentials. When we checked into the hotel, we were escorted to a smoking room. Unacceptable! So, here's my Italian: "fumare! est no bene. est mucho grande problema" My DH looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Which, of course, I had since I mixed Italian and Spanish and the porter also looked at me like I was "mucho loco." Anyway, when the dust settled, we were given an absolutely beautiful suite; it needed to be refurbished and was showing signs of wear and tear, and we loved it! So much like what you picture when you think of Venice.

 

Off to dinner.

 

 

So, here's the jacket again, layered even further. It's over a denim jacket that is over an off-white top with gold accents. Now, remember that this is early days in our wardrobe changes; still experimenting with what "works" and what might be able to be "tweaked." I thought that the gold accents on the top would be enough... yes, I was wrong. It is getting better, though, right?!?

 

 

Here's an example of more layering, and emphasizes the versatility of that particular tan jacket. Chocolate brown outer layer, tan jacket middle layer, green patterned long sleeved top that you can just see a "peek" of. Chocolate brown jeggings.

 

And, then it falls apart... Because Venice is so, so cold. Bitter cold.

 

 

None of my layers will stand up to the cold. Nose is a small icicle on my face. My wonderful DH brought his polar fleece vest with him. And, because he also brought a much warmer jacket, I got "loaned" the vest; I don't look as good, but I feel a whole lot warmer.

 

When I think of Venice:

 

 

We saw so many fantastic, wonderful, absorbing sites... sounds, smells... a magical place.

 

And, then we return to Rome...

[Member123]

When I look back on the pictures of the days we spent in Rome, it's all about walking... walking... walking... and layering... and taking off outer layers...

 

 

But, essentially, versions of the same outfit with variations on whether the jackets are being worn or being carried...

 

 

The lighting on this jacket is emphasizing the pinkish tones; like I've mentioned, this is the beginning of trying to train the eye! It's about more than just determining whether an item of clothing is brown; it's about figuring out whether that brown is achieved with a purple-ish, pink-ish, yellow-ish, gold-ish, orange-ish, undertone... brown is so much more than just... brown. But, this is early days, and I'm just pleased to be wearing something other than black! Also, please note footwear! Very sensible, practical, Merrills walking, trail shoes. Happy feet walking around Rome.

 

When I think of Rome,

 

 

it's about the monuments (of course) and the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, but it's also about the FOOD and the WINE and the PEOPLE and the ATMOSPHERE. Red-checked tablecloths and scaffolding everywhere because of the repairs going on. An intermingling of ancient with modern...

 

 

I fell in love with Italy. I heart Italy.

[Member123]

OK. I have to have full disclosure here. I think I did fairly well in dressing with multiple layers and on the land portion of the vacation. I just couldn't maintain once we boarded ship and started visiting all the ports! I think the problem was that I... well... I "burned the candle at both ends." Mediterranean port days are so intensive! Such early wake up times. And, ship's entertainment and wonderful food and tasty drinks made for late nights. This was not a good combination for my efforts at "putting my best foot forward." There were days where I just couldn't face... well... my face! Let's be honest.

 

Also, I hadn't really perused this section of Cruise Critic THAT much. And I didn't have all the really helpful hints about making spreadsheets for outfits, etc. I was still learning to walk in these new fashion concepts, so to speak.

 

So, I'll just share with you some of my ok moments and some of my mistakes.

 

 

I thought this denim shirt was so very versatile that I actually purchased two of them! This last visit with Anita I offered one to her for her closet. I think that it's much, much more EARTH than FIRE, no doubt. I thought that the brightness of my top would make this outfit work; I've since learned that you can't accessorize away the effect of a muted color on me.

 

Remember my love of those cute "scenic" t-shirts. Mistake #3.

 

 

OMG. A throwback! Except for the shoes, this could have been an outfit I wore pre-FIRE. Yes, those are Chico's Travelers' capris. Yes. They're black. Is anyone familiar with the Jackie series of t-shirts from Chico's; I think she's a replacement for the Chat-Tees (which I haven't seen in years). Jackie is a fashion icon; on THIS shirt, she's visiting a museum and she is blinged out to the max and looking at a reflection of herself in a baroque-inspired mirror; within the museum are all these statutes on top of ROMAN columns; how could I NOT buy this! As you can see, I'm holding my jacket that I THOUGHT would make this outfit all right.

 

 

Not even the beautiful blue water saves the day over the effect this white top has on my skin tone. But, do you see how wonderful the sentiment of this top is?!? I mean, come on, COURAGE and strength and DETERMINED and strong willed... and it has gold accents, as well! LOL. Moving on....

 

 

So cold! So very cold! This is at 8000-ft elevation and because the sea level was warm, we went up there without any outerwear... at all. I'm pretty positive that this top is ICE; the fit has become less than flattering because the top has shrunk on the vertical and is just too short. I love the print, but I think it's going to have to stop hanging around in my closet... needs to find new friends.

 

What happens next?!? Well, just like Kim finding her heart speak in Africa, I wanted to return to Italy SO MUCH... that is what we did! We turned around and went the other direction (for the first time EAST) on a TransAtlantic from Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona in April, 2011. TO CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY.

[snuggles]

Thanks Pam for sharing! I don't feel like I'm the only lost sheep around here when it comes to the right FIRE color. You seem to have a better handle on it than me. It is a long learning curve for me and just when you think I have it nailed, I hit a snag. If the weather cooperates I will try to get a few pics taken this weekend as I get clothes ready for next month, but not holding my breath as rain is now predicted. It's so hard to get good photos in my old house. There's just not enough natural lighting in the winter.:rolleyes:

 

You make me want to go to Italy now!

Edited January 10, 2014 by snuggles

[Member123]

Well, Linda... back to Italy we go! This time we're traveling eastward and we'll be leaving Ft Lauderdale for Barcelona. So much FUN, because we spend one night in Barcelona and then embark on another cruise from Barcelona to Venice. For these two cruises, our ports will be Ponta Delgada (Azores), Lisbon (Portugal), Cadiz (Spain), Malaga, Barcelona, Toulon (France), Livorno, Rome, Messina (Sicily) and Venice. Whew.

 

Challenge to find pictures that are a bit different than ones you've already seen. OK. What is happening right now, in the FIRE challenge, is that there's a huge discussion about whether we FIRE ladies can accessorize "around" the wrong colors; i.e., can we pair a bright, gold necklace with a muted top and have it look fabulous?!? Is it important to have our bottom article of clothing be a FIRE color or will our outfits look just as good with another season's colors on the bottom?!? Remember the discussion that we had because I found those GREAT white pants with the gold accents? Well, these pictures tell that story... which is ... as we all know and probably knew even though we were having the discussion...that you really have to dress in FIRE colors, entirely... top to bottom. Shoes are important as part of the essential nature of the outfit; bottoms are just as important and it isn't just about whether your calves have the right skin tone; no... you can't enhance a muted color top with a bright, clear accent necklace; oh well. Learning curve.

 

Maybe these pictures will seem very familiar because Kim has introduced the concept of the pictodiary by this point... so some of these outfits were previously posted. Anyway, just a reminder....

 

I know I posted the outfits from the day in Ft. Lauderdale because it was the Tommy Bahama's coral dress. And, you've already seen the embarkation picture which was the Michael Kors red top and the sand capris. Here is the first port: Ponta Delgada in the Azores.

 

 

There is a chill in the air and you can tell that the quality of the sunlight is very muted. The shirt is from Chico's in a color they named 'Honeydew.' Another one of the issues that I had on this trip is that I had dropped some weight right before we left; so my pants are very, very baggy. They are baggy when I first put them on, in their first wearing from the dryer. You can imagine how much baggier they get over the course of a few wearings. So, yes... I'm aware of the fact that a lot of my outfits are sadly lacking in the tailoring department. I think the only truly FIRE color here... is the top.

 

Next port is Lisbon. It's going to be a very warm day, although I didn't know that when we left the ship that morning. I end up carrying my jacket most of the day.

 

 

The top is polyester with just a bit of spandex. There is a shiny golden thread that is part of the weave of the fabric that really picks up the light. I'm attempting to accessorize; I've since given the necklace to Anita because I feel that it is just too bulky for me; I don't know... it doesn't work with any of my necklines. The earrings... the necklace... just too much... doesn't work. I'm trying (even today) to figure out accessories! I spend hours and hours looking at the chicisimo site. Are you familiar? It's called Real Fashion on Real People and contains postings of pretty (young) ladies being absolutely fabulous. I'm analyzing the ones that really appeal to me....

 

And, we move on to Cadiz (Spain). Another warm day... if memory serves me correctly, I was anticipating much cooler weather, especially since I froze in Venice in October! I thought that early-May would mimic Fall, but it didn't. I don't know if Fall was exceptionally cold or if Spring was unusually warm? Whatever... I found myself much warmer on port days than I really wanted to be!

 

 

Hey, I like my hair! It's the same shirt (obviously) layered onto a green shell top from Banana Republic. Again with the trying to accessorize. IDK. Doesn't feel right...

 

And, now we're in Malaga. Do you know what happened to me here?

 

 

Funny story. After taking my picture, DH went to a pretty park area to walk and take more scenery pics. So, I'm sitting here on the bench and a group of people start walking towards me; a young man sits down on the bench next to me and starts speaking to me in Italian! Was it my shoes?!? I know that it was Italian because (well) I'd tried to learn a bit of Italian, remember? So I just answered him, using the Italian at my disposal, that I didn't speak enough Italian to be able to understand what he had just said. Could we speak in English? Laughter all around, especially mine. I have to admit that I was quite flattered that he hadn't assumed that I am American! How about that?!? I'm pretty sure it was the shoes that didn't give me "away." BTW, that's the Tommy Bahamas coral dress. Infamous. Worn way too much now that I think of it! Was my embarkation outfit for the most recent cruise! I think I need to start looking for its replacement asap!

 

And, we arrive in Barcelona.

 

 

First order of business... tapas! And, again with the accessorizing that just... fails. I need help in the accessorizing department! I need Accessory 101 ASAP.

 

This was the first cruise where I really, really tried to accessorize... as I've mentioned endlessly, here. All that extra luggage weight! I think that I need to do something, but I'm not quite sure what it is that I should do. Over the years, DH has purchased some beautiful pieces of jewelry for me, so I have my formal nights pretty well in hand; necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings. It's the more "Smart" Casual and casual dressing outfits that I need to put my attention to and figure out. Being a fashionista... such hard work!

 

And, this is the end of our first leg of this vacation. Next up... going back to Venice.

[Member123]

We got a chance to compare these two cruise lines remarkably well since we spent the disembarkation day from Celebrity Solstice in Barcelona and embarked on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas the next day. Comparison? I would say that they are the "same, same" but "different." I really enjoy both cruise lines and prefer one over the other for different reasons. What I really love on Celebrity is the Aqua Class staterooms and those significant perks and I think what I really love about Royal Caribbean is the level of friendliness and entertainment on board. Like I said, "same, same" but "different" because I also think Celebrity's crew is extremely friendly and there are aspects of its entertainment, think Dancing With the Stripes, that are just fun.

 

First port of call, Toulon (France).

 

 

I've beat the accessory drum to death so I don't even feel much like commenting on the necklace. What I remember most significantly about this day was the learning I received about using your ATM card in a foreign port. Even though I had called my bank PRIOR to our vacation and alerted them to my travel plans, they STILL put a "fraud hold" on my card. It was a Saturday in Toulon and you can imagine my sinking feeling when I put my card into the ATM and received an onscreen message that told me to see the bank management... on a SATURDAY! It just happened that I had chosen to use a machine that was outside of a bank (thankfully) rather than a kiosk. BUT, when I went into the bank of this small, French town, there was a language problem as I didn't speak enough French and there were no fluent English speakers. The manager asked me for my passport! Good grief; it's in the safe on board the ship, of course. With a lot of explanation (and a bit of cajoling), the bank manager retrieved my card from the ATM (thankfully). The learning here was to always, always, always use my ATM card where there is someone present from a bank who can help me if I get into difficulty... and to take appropriate identification from the ship on those occasions where I need to get money.

 

Livorno. We've seen the Livorno outfit before. Here's a refresher.

 

 

You know what? There's another learning that I had in Florence and it has to do with timing and procrastination! I didn't get tickets to the Uffizi. What?!? Why, you ask! Because we were scheduled to return to Italy, having made a reservation to cruise with some friends... Flaky Friends, as it turns out! So, because of them, I didn't plan on visiting the Uffizi in Florence and I didn't plan on returning to visit Rome because we were going to be spending some significant time in Italy due to the fact that we would be visiting the family of our friend.. long story. When their plans changed, our plans had to change because we were relying upon their schedule. I will NEVER let this happen again! We haven't returned to Italy, since this trip! As much as I want to go back, it just hasn't been something that we've managed, yet! So many, many wonderful places to visit.... but I digress. Anyway, the learning here is to grab the potential of each day rather than wait! OH! And, to always leave room in your luggage for an extra pair of shoes! Florence is the leather capital of Italy and I didn't have room in my luggage for me to purchase a pair of shoes?!? What was I THINKING?!?

 

At the port of Civitavecchia (Rome), we hired Fabrizio (again). What a fantastic day spent visiting the countryside...

 

 

... wonderful villas and a medieval town. And, we ate the Best. Pasta. Ever! I didn't have to worry too much about the comfort of my footwear because we would be in and out of a van, so I didn't have to wear my Merrill's trail shoes... for a change. It was a beautiful, slightly warm, day.

 

Messina (Sicily). Isn't this too, too cute?

 

 

and I'm not talking about my white capris! Wouldn't an F-150 eat this as a one-bite appetizer? Too funny....

 

And, then.... Venice.

 

 

Beautiful Venice.

 

 

Much, much warmer than the previous visit. We spent a few days and then returned home, as we travelers eventually must.

 

So, the take away on this group of pictures (to my mind) is that I need to pay a lot more attention to the accessory attempt(s). Wow. I have focused on earrings, in the past. I have a small (tiny, actually) collection of casual earrings. An even smaller number of bracelets. I've donated or given away most of my necklaces because I couldn't get them to work with my necklines. What to do?!? How to start?!? Any suggestions?

[Member123]

OK, ladies. I have one other trip, to the Caribbean, before we get to go through the French Polynesian Islands to Australia and New Zealand. How about that?

 

At first I thought that I would just skip the Caribbean, but after looking at the pictures, I think that I will post them next week just because it is so RIDICULOUS. You'll see when I post.

 

Doing this exercise was such an eye-opening experience for me. For me, I can certainly tell where I've benefited from our color palette and the exercises that we went through with our color parties. I have to say that I don't think that I could even do those with my wardrobe, at the present time.

 

When we first got our color cards or, more appropriately, when we first got exposed to the colors that we should be wearing to look our best, I must say that I just bought anything and everything that I thought was in my FIRE colors (especially if on sale). I didn't really have any thought to whether or not I might need an item of clothing. It was just a moment of "oh my gosh, LOOK, it's coral!!! THAT's my COLOR!!!" and I grabbed. Hung in the closet. Tried to incorporate into my wardrobe somehow. Which is how I ended up with a bunch of Almost. The. Same. Color. Aqua or Almost. The. Same. Color. Green, etc... which, of course, lent itself to the color parties.

 

Now, I have only 1 or 2 tops in any given color. Part of the process of getting rid of way too many of the same color came in the form of losing weight, or damaging the item somehow with a spot that wouldn't come out in the laundry, or having the item shrink in some mysterious way... so, I've gotten a bit more control in the closet.

 

But, I'm still struggling with things: like having a complete outfit; like how you travel with items of clothing when the goal is to dress in a fun, chic way but also keep the luggage weight down; like how you manage to dress with variety when you travel; like accessorizing! It's kind of frustrating, to be honest.

 

One thing that I haven't been able to handle well is dressing on the ship for sea days. I've been analyzing my problem and it boils down to, really, a sense of just trying not to pack too much! KWIM? Like, I really want to have some clothing that I can, literally, just throw on for breakfast. When I wake in the morning, I want to head down to the coffee shop and have a latte, first thing. I need to be dressed "respectable" when I do that. Then, I want to come back to the stateroom and get dressed for breakfast. I don't want to wait around in my stateroom, sans coffee, and get dressed for the day! But, I also don't want to pack a bunch of clothes just to throw on for 1/2-hour in the morning; but I don't want to wear the same thing down to the coffee shop every day! Does anyone else have this issue? If you have the habit of a great coffee when your eyes open in the morning, what do you throw on to head down to the coffee shop? Or, are you more patient than I? Please share cause I'd really like some help with this. What it boils down to is... having a fun, relaxing vacation and bringing enough clothing for what you want to do and how you want to look... and not breaking your back with the luggage! Frustrating!

 

Meantime, I just analyze as many pictures as I can in magazines and online. I still don't really know how to incorporate what I see into what you would call a personal style. But, I'm trying to head in that direction. Looking again at the Style Statement book and seeing if I can manage to get inspiration there.

 

I'm just a work in progress...

[MJC]

Pam, I'm enjoying your posts so, so much! Thank you for putting in so much work.

 

Oh, Italy, I hope I get to go back one day. Your pictures make me hungry for Europe and all that art.

 

FWIW, I just throw on my clothes from the afternoon before to run down (or up) for coffee in the a.m. Nobody notices bottoms so you can just take one pair of lounge pants and throw your previous day's shirt on.

[Member123]

By this time in our FIRE journeys, we FIRE ladies have had some color parties. So you'd THINK that I had some knowledge that would help me with my color choices. Here's what I think: we did green parties and we did blue parties. Let's see if you can discern the pattern of my wardrobe choices for this fantastic cruise!

 

Because of the limitations of 6 pictures, I am breaking this posting into two segments. I really want everyone to know that this posting is done with a massive tongue in cheek. I really don't know what to say about whatever I was thinking when I packed for this cruise.

 

Ultimate Caribbean. Fantastic ports. We are traveling from Boston to Tampa.

 

St. Thomas

 

 

such a great day in St. Thomas. We were stranded inside a bar while a heavy tropical downpour drenched the outside. I just told the bartender to make me a drink that matched the color of my dress... and he DID... and it was delicious... so I had TWO.

 

OMG. You ladies have seen this Tommy Bahamas coral dress way, way, way, way too many times!

 

I will simply post the ports of call, in order of their position on the itinerary, for the Caribbean portion of our cruise ports of call wardrobe selection history. Pictures speak for themselves.

[Member123]

St Kitts

 

 

St Lucia

 

 

Barbados

 

 

Curacao

 

 

Aruba

 

 

Cozumel

 

 

Uh? Do you think I was trying to pack light? Or, had I just run out of inspiration? IDK.

 

Next up.... the waiting is over. Here comes the last cruise, and this posting marathon will be over. Posting soon.....

[MJC]

http://s962.photobucket.com/user/AnitaLatteMom/media/Birthday/P1050271_zps0cbb6f6c.jpg.html

 

Love love love this purple on you! I don't mind the necklace so much because the rest of the outfit is so perfect. It says "chic traveler" to me.

[aoknkentucky]

quickie post here -- I should be working.....

 

Necklines, accessory thoughts on both FIRE and EARTH threads lately. I ran across this and didn't want to lose it. You know, the jump from one thread to read another thread to another....then you don't know how to get it back? Here's something interesting even if you don't sew.

 

http://www.studio-alexandra.com/2013/08/the-triumph-of-individual-style-part-4/

 

I've seen something like this a long, long time ago but didn't retain the info.

 

I'll be back when I can talk. Gotta run. Work is calling my name.

 

Oh, Debbieeeeeeee........

[cruzisme]

quickie post here -- I should be working.....

 

Necklines, accessory thoughts on both FIRE and EARTH threads lately. I ran across this and didn't want to lose it. You know, the jump from one thread to read another thread to another....then you don't know how to get it back? Here's something interesting even if you don't sew.

 

http://www.studio-alexandra.com/2013/08/the-triumph-of-individual-style-part-4/

 

I've seen something like this a long, long time ago but didn't retain the info.

 

I'll be back when I can talk. Gotta run. Work is calling my name.

 

Oh, Debbieeeeeeee........

 

 

What a great link -- looks like some good info here!

[Member123]

I've mentioned that the photos taken during this particular cruise were a bit of a disappointment. I really don't know what happened. I know that, in previous cruises, I've been very camera shy; I've gotten over that and can even, dare I say it, be interested in having my picture taken to see if my outfit looks as good to the camera's eye as my own! All these years of pictures being taken, of planning and hostessing color parties, and talking with you ladies (both FIRE and EARTH) have been invaluable to me!

 

BTW, thank you, everyone, for your comments along the way. OMG, Laura when I saw your pictures my reaction was along the lines of... you were already so well "put together" and so radiant in the photo with your DH... you just needed a bit of "tweaking" to put your absolute best foot forward. Still, even though the differences are really quite subtle and, if you didn't have the two pictures to compare, you might have difficulty even seeing them... you look beau-ti-ful in your Sunset Photo! Absolutely beautiful.

 

Margaret, you are so articulate; you summed up (very nicely) my wardrobe efforts throughout these years. OMG. And you made me LOL. Wow, I hope that you can make it to our camping adventure this summer. (P.S. you, too, Laura!).

 

Debbie! What happened this weekend with your camping site?!? Do you know yet?

 

Wow, it's so easy to get me off-topic. Let's see... Australia... outfits... oh, yeah... less than wonderful pictures. So, I've decided that I'll just pop on a select few of these pictures, in no particular order.

 

 

Talking about this outfit, from head to toe. You can't really see them too clearly because they are blending in with my hair, but I have on a pair of yellow gold chandelier earrings. I have loved this top since it arrived in my closet, courtesy of Chico's. It's their travelers fabric in chocolate chip. They've always had travelers fabric in black; in the past, they've also had "chocolate" and "navy." For some reason, the chocolate fabric doesn't amp up the volume quite as much as the chocolate chip color, which is so dark brown as to be almost black... a very deep, rich color. I love the enhanced neckline of this top. Yes, it could probably be a brighter gold, but it helps me with my accessorizing brain freezes. No bracelet, although I think the outfit could use "something." The bottoms are, again, Chico's So Slimming Zip Detail Ankle Jean in a color they call "New Khaki." As you can see, sometimes the leg will catch on my calf and bunch up a bit at the knees; I should have adjusted before the picture, but, at least this way, you can see the minor bit of pulling adjustments that I make while wearing the slim leg jean; it doesn't really bother me. There's 2% spandex in the jean so that probably contributes to the bunching situation. All the hardware on the pants is gold, so that's a nice touch. The shoes are Helle Comfort, in a very old discontinued style, in Bronze Metallic. And, I painted my toes a neutral tan from Deborah Lippman called No More Drama. You know what?!? It wasn't dramatic enough for me! I've been having so much fun with the blue nails that the brown was just too, too tame. Although I have to admit that it did "go" with everything.

 

To put this cruise into perspective, we were onboard for 18 nights. In that time, we only had 5 ports of call. So you can do the math and figure out that we had a LOT of sea days! This was just one of those days. You'd think that I would have had time on my hands, but I literally felt busy all day long. Anyway, I really like this outfit. One of the things I think I really like is that the top is a great length for me; I like where the top hits, so low that my behind is completely covered.

 

I took a look and Chico's still has a few "chocolate chip" traveler's available as well as some "new khaki" items. They've put new khaki into various styles of pants, a few blazers, some tops. I think new khaki is a really good staple color, but I wouldn't want too much of it. I might be tempted to grab some of the "chocolate chip" though, just to have as a go-to in the closet.

 

So, ladies, what should I do to jazz this outfit up a bit? FYI: this time, I paired the top with a straight, slim leg pant rather than the baggy, fuller leg pant of the past. Way better, IMO.

Edited January 15, 2014 by Member123

[Member123]

There are a FEW reasons that I'm posting this particular picture and (believe it or not) it's NOT to be funny!

 

Let me post and then discuss with you what's on my mind.

 

 

OK. This really isn't the same swim dress that you've seen over and over and over.... but it is a variation. In fact, it's just a different color than the Garden Green one that Kim also has in her closet. Now, here's the situation with these Athleta swim dresses. They are very comfortable and they dry rapidly. The funniest story that I have about their ability to rapid dry was in St. Lucia at Jalousie Beach, which is where you go to have a spectacular view of the Pitons. Sitting on a chaise, underneath a tree, and.... pooped on! So, now that beach is forever known in my family as PoopOn Beach. Anyway, into the water to <ewww> clean up and I was dry again within minutes.

 

Which brings me to the basic problem with this swim dress... which is a proper undergarment. I've tried everything! Well, everything that I can think of to try. If I wear regular undies, then I have an unobtrusive underwear line, BUT I compromise the ability to dry quickly, even with "supposedly" quick-drying, tech fabric type of underwear. Also, there'a a modesty issue, where I have to be aware of my "exposure" at all times....

 

If I wear a bikini bottom, I get horrible underwear lines... in anything but a full coverage bottom, there's a massive muffin top problem that gets created and the fabric of the swim dress emphasizes that! Even with a full coverage bottom, I get a break of an underwear line in the fabric of the dress... if you stare at my waist area, you'll see what I'm talking about. Has anyone got any ideas for what to wear as an undergarment with this dress? It has a built in bra shelf, so no worries there; it's just the bottoms that I'm exasperated over.

 

The sandals are a cast off from Anita because she felt that she had purchased shoes that were inappropriately shiny for an EARTh girl. I've mentioned that I loath anything between my toes; as in.... I CAN'T STAND it... literally. Somehow, these sandals are OK. I'm trying to analyze why and I've determined a few things: I need the back structure of the sandal straps so that not all the resistance of the shoe being on my foot is felt between my toes and I need that toe strap to be at a position where it doesn't "hug" the toe area too much. So I'm now on a massive hunt for replacement strappy gold sandals because I love these so much!

 

Finally, I never realized how important a tote or bag can be to your overall "look." I've never been too concerned with what I've carried before... for travel in Europe, I've used my PacSafe because of security issues and didn't care a bit about the contribution of its "look" to my outfit. This particular tote, above, is massive and functional and wonderful; but it's totally overwhelming as far as its proportion to me. You can't believe what I have in there: sunscreen, lip balm, water, towel, IDs, money, a credit card in a zippered area, camera, lightweight jacket, sunglass case(s)!

 

So, I went with DH to the mall yesterday and we ended up having a philosophical discussion about the differences between "shopping" and "buying." Because of our desires to find clothes that are the proper fit and the proper color, we've exposed ourselves to the condition of becoming "shoppers" where we've, most of our lives, been accustomed to being "buyers." Do you agree? Now, when we go to the mall, we look and look and look and look... and come home empty handed. Before, when we went to the mall, we would have something in mind... like, find a "cute" top. There's plenty of "cute" tops to buy; but now that we have to find items that are more specific, the excursions become much more like HUNTING than actually FINDING. And, wow, there was simply nothing... and I mean NOTHING... at the mall yesterday. Also, be AWARE: Cache has some beautiful RED out right now, but they've muddled up the colors; they are putting gold hardware onto cool red fabric so you can't go by the hardware if you look at the color on the internet; also, if you look at a cool red vs a warm red and read the label... it just says RED; they aren't trying to come up with a clever identification for the color variation. Makes it double, double difficult, doesn't it?!?

[aoknkentucky]

I am NEVER confident about giving a suggestion about outfits. I'm always certain that my idea is the worst one available of millions that could be given. It won't hurt my feelings it everybody disagrees with me. I'm still trying to learn here, right?

 

Ok. All the qualifiers out of the way; my first thought was: a big wide belt? Yea, I know. It won't work with the halter top AT All. B-u-T what about a skinny chiffon scarf 13-15x36-40 scrunched and tied like a mini-pareo? Ready to go into the water? Tie it on that massive bag we always carry. Out of the water? Tie that puppy back around the problem area. Other than Spanx, that's all I've got for you.

 

Something like this? I think it looks darker than IRL because they needed to photgraph it on black. I have something similar and can't imagine trying to photo chiffon. Sure hope this posts:

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67336266/vintage-vera-neumann-silk-chiffon-scarf?ref=sr_gallery_17&ga_search_query=sheer+scarf+aqua&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all

 

Read a hint before our Alaskan trip. Don't take a big bag. The entire family wants you to carry their stuff. Get a neutral-colored backpack. If you are really sweet to him, Hubby will carry it for you. Trust me. This worked for me the entire trip to Alaska.

[aoknkentucky]

Pam, I love the chocolate chip color. I remember this discussion and it helped me so much trying to find our brown back in the early stages. I ran out and bought a top similar in cut and style. No embellishments, but the traveler fabric is a swirl of ivory and many shades of brown. Washes overnight like a dream and if I spill something, it never shows on that pattern. I love it so much that I bought one and put it away for the day when the one I wear disintegrates on my body. It is the top I usually wear on my first travel day. You know the one where you sit in the car/on the plane all day getting to where you really want to be? Sooo comfy.

 

Shopping and buying differences? Yes, ma'am you betcha! I spend sooo much time looking. I buy and return if I buy at all. You'd think my closet would be smaller by now, but I keep hanging on to items that should probably go away. When I realize that I'm not going to find anything to replace my almost good enough item, why should I bother to even shop. Buying? Forget about it! Color, fit, and proportion? Eco-friendly, quality...oh just forget it. That item doesn't exist anymore. I'll just keep what I have and make it work as long as I can. I have enough clothes. For me, it's more a want factor than a need factor, I think.

 

I'm proud that I have purged a few items this winter. If I take it out of the closet and it doesn't look right, it goes in the donate pile. I have shorter tops that I'm realizing look better with skirts and longer tops that look better with pants, so I'm separating these two catagories in my closet. It helps keep the clean-up mess at bay when I fail to plan ahead too. It's discouraging to come home in the evening with a bed full of tops that need to be hung back in the closet.

[aoknkentucky]

So, ladies, what should I do to jazz this outfit up a bit? FYI: this time, I paired the top with a straight, slim leg pant rather than the baggy, fuller leg pant of the past. Way better, IMO.

 

Again, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to this, but I think it's missing color, Pam. You look gorgeous in the purple top and the bright green swim dress. The coral dress with the matching umbrella drink is great too. We've become accustomed to color. This one is difficult because the embellishment takes care of the sparkle. Now what do we do? Try a bright colored shoe from your closet and add matching chunky earrings to bookend your look, maybe? Please let me know what you decide works. This is interesting.

[Joby]

Pam, I love your photos! It is so nice to see what others are wearing. You know, I LOVE our bright colors a lot but, sometimes it seems like when any of us FIRE'S wear our neutrals some seem to think we don't look as good. I think it's a nice change of pace to wear neutrals sometimes. I really like you in the browns! I think our browns have a nice neutralness to them but still have lots of color. I think it's prettier than blacks are as neutrals even on ICE'S. To me, black has a nothingness to it while brown is still neutral but has a richness.

 

I have absolutely no comment on accessories as I usually just stick to earrings and I do have a couple of necklaces and bracelets. I am a simple plain Jane when it comes to accessorizing! I love accessories on others but, I have no idea how they do it and so just stick to my KISS accessorizing.

 

In St. Kitts, is that Ashton? If so, we have used him also and he is great!!!

 

I also love the picture of the Diver's Memorial in Cozumel. You are in the green swim dress. It's such a lovely memorial and the view through it to the sea is lovely too.

 

You wear your green swim dress more elegantly than I do. I'm usually schlepping around in it looking like something the dog drug in. It's usually after diving when we want to do something in town after our dives or something like that. I never even thought about underwear lines, accessorizing, etc. with it :o

 

You have cruised to some wonderful places, how fortunate you are!

[Member123]

Kim, I do feel fortunate. It's amazing to remember all the wonderful places that we have been able to visit in the last few years. We made a very conscious decision when we were much younger that we would work our butts off, save a significant amount each year, and enjoy our retirement. Except for some macro elements that we can't control, we've done pretty well with those plans and we're able to reap the benefits. You're right; we are very blessed.

 

Oh! That cute guy from St. Kitts is Royston. When he met us for the tour, some people on the tour couldn't believe that he was old enough to drive. He just laughed and said that island living is very good for keeping you young! He's proof of that, for sure.

 

Debbie, you got the wheels of my brain turning about adding color to that chocolate chip top outfit. I agree with Kim; now that we know to dress in that warm, rich, brown, black just seems to be kind of flat and lifeless. I think that monotone dressing can be quite elegant, but I do think that the outfit could use a bit of color.

 

Question: have you ladies been able to pull off the look of a jacket that is shorter than the top underneath? I see that all the time on the girls who post on the chicisimo site; and they look really fabulous. But, I feel like I look dorky (is dorky a fashion word?). Anyway, it just doesn't seem right. I have a horrible picture that illustrates my dorkiness... but I don't want to post ANOTHER BAD picture! So, I'll just ask the question. I'm sure it's a proportion thing... but I don't know where to begin, unless I do the geometry like the pictures that Debbie posted on the necklace lengths, etc. Maybe I've answered my own question; I'll look at some pictures and see if I can figure out where the color should be cropped on that outfit. Bet Anita could do it for me.... Anyway, I'd love to find the perfect jacket, earrings, shoes to pop some color on that outfit.

 

So, here's a colorful picture of an outfit that I just "put" together; nothing really matches the color of anything else... except the earrings match the color of the hardware in the halter area of the top.

 

 

You can't really tell because of the lighting in the stateroom, but the top is a bright, canary yellow from Cache. The pants are Chico's: Woodland Print So Slimming Getaway Crop Pant. The shoes are gold leather from Dolce Vita. The earrings are gold, double loops.

 

OK. Here's the deal. I had on the shoes for about 15 minutes! OMG. I tried on the shoes and they felt fine, BUT when I walked in them for a while they were killers. There is a zipper on the back of the shoe that goes up past my ankle bone and it was so annoying, so uncomfortable, so irritating.... I couldn't believe that I had sacrificed luggage space to these darn shoes! I'm going to have to wear them around here more to see if they are cruise worthy, or not. I saw so many Europeans wearing this style of shoe and thought they looked cute and were, obviously, comfortable if I saw women wearing them all over Europe, right? Maybe it's just my foot?!? Anyway, we can't comment on the shoes.

 

BUT... do any of you just do this? Put together an outfit that doesn't really have any rhyme or reason to it other than the fact that the colors are both warm? I know the pants aren't clear and bright, but I believe that they are warm because they have that kind of "go together" look without being the same color, kwim? Maybe not a color that I could wear effectively near my face/chest, but OK for bottoms.... anyway, back to the question. Do you still stay with monotone type dressing or do you ever branch out into something like this? How would you enhance this outfit?

 

BTW, I hate my posture! I think I'm going to have to start walking around the house again with a book on my head. That's something my Mom made me do as a young girl; which I hated very, very much. But, I think I need to do something to remind myself to stand more upright. Good grief. Does anyone else have these issues?!? LOL.

[Member123]

OK. This is the last posting that I'm doing for the Australian cruise; like I've mentioned, we didn't do such a terrific job with the pictodiary. Sorry.

 

 

The top is an animal print from Cache; it's really bright, clear. The pants are also from Cache. To my eye, the color seemed to have more of a golden undertone than the camera is picking up.

 

This is kind of a brave picture for me to post cause it's focusing so much on my face. But, I just want everyone to see what a GREAT job I did with my sunscreen on this vacation from Hawaii thru the French Polynesian Islands to Australia and New Zealand. The New Zealanders are especially aware of the problems that they have with their ozone layer and are very conscious of sun. So, for everyone, the Blue Lizard sunscreen (from Australia) is so GOOD! I purchased the Sport Version because it has a superior ability to be water resistant; we were very zealous about applying sunscreen before we got dressed for the day and re-applying on our arms and legs. Also, I used Clarins Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ Sunscreen for Face Wrinkle Control Cream specially for my face because I didn't want to clog my pores. I put that cream on instead of my moisturizer in the morning.

 

 

Also, I wore Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 during the day. Just an FYI in case anyone is looking for some sunscreen products; I really loved these and thought they did a fantastic job of protecting from some very intense rays. The Blue Lizard absorbed into the skin without leaving a white residue and without being sticky; it actually felt really good and didn't smell bad, either. So, thumbs up.

[Anita Latte]

So I have had some of this conversation with Mom already...but I'm posting and bumping you ladies up over here!!

 

I'm going back to Mom's outfit with the long sleeved brown shirt and the light colored slim pants...

 

It is my opinion that Mom needs a more substantial shoe with this outfit. She's wearing long sleeves (pushed up a bit, but still) and a thin sandal. Not working for me. That's like wearing a summer/spring shoe with a fall/winter top...and it doesn't match as well...I want to see her other shoes with the brown leather and the gold straps...I think she said they were Walking Cradles? Anyway...they have so many straps...they are just more substantial and I think, more in keeping with the long sleeved shirt.

 

Also...I think you need a necklace. I know...I know...there is all that glamour and glitz on the neckline of that shirt...BUT...there is a whole lot of skin there too...and it needs something. The key is the right something...and I believe you need a beautiful pendant necklace on a more simple chain. Nothing that will fight the neckline...and I know how tempting it is to think that the neckline means no necklace...but I truly believe that a nice pendant would be gorgeous here. I think your bare neck area is why you think this outfit could use a little something. A pendant would keep it symmetrical...unlike adding a bracelet. The long earrings would still be good with a simple necklace.

 

I think yellow is easy to mix and match with...most things that don't necessarily "go" seem to "go" with yellow. I don't know why...maybe it's just a warm yellow? It's like a more saturated cream color...and feels more neutral? For me, that's orange. I think it's because my skin is so orange...I can wear orange like brown...or tan...it's totally neutral IMO and I wear it and it goes for me. Kind of like my orange hat. The other day...I was wearing a turquoise colored shirt...and the orange hat...with jeans...and it totally went together for me...it helped that I had on a scarf that was a print that brought the whole thing together...but many wouldn't pair those colors together...but I loved it!

 

So you need to start speculating on what dresses you are taking on our Spring Break cruise and join in on this fun conversation the Earth ladies are having!! Right now...I'm thinking that I might wear a dress every night...if I can fit in them all. My red one. My long brown one. That cargo colored Cache dress that I've never worn... The blue print (it's more sun dress like) with the orange border? I'll have to see if I can wear the Athleta pack anywhere dress... And my other Athleta dress that is kind of reminiscent of camo? I think those gold shoes I ordered could be really fabulous with the red, brown, and Cache dresses. Orange sandals with the blue, of course...not sure about the cargo colored pack anywhere and the camo... those are very casual... so on the fence about those.

 

Not sure which one for our fancy dinner in Fort Lauderdale...wait Ft. Lauderdale, right? So brain dead...