All things EARTH...

[laurspag]

Since you've all seen me in my olive green formal dress, I think you have an idea of my general shape and size.

 

Sometimes, you love a dress and it just isn't for you. I try to be realistic. I'm going to post some pictures of dresses I really like. Please keep in mind that the colors are not what I would order. Truthfully, I would love, love, love the first dress in the color it is shown in, but I don't think that's an earth red, so...

 

Please give me some good honest opinions of what you think may or may not work for me.

 

[laurspag]

Let's try links since those are way too small.

 

Red: http://www.lightinthebox.com/Trumpet--Mermaid-V-neck-Floor-length-Taffeta-Evening-Dress_p187162.html

 

White: http://www.lightinthebox.com/a-line-one-shoulder-court-train-chiffon-evening-dress_p188849.html

 

Pink: http://www.lightinthebox.com/sheath--column-v-neck-sweep--brush-train-chiffon-evening-dress_p180741.html

 

Black: http://www.lightinthebox.com/Trumpet-Mermaid-Sweetheart-Court-Train-Chiffon-Evening-Dress_p188973.html

 

The black one is just for fun, overall. I think it is stunning, but there is something about the length of the fittedness (is that a word?) and it being strapless that won't work.

 

Honest opinions, please! This is where I got the olive dress from, by the way.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...did you ever post which body shape you were? Remember the discussion of shop your shape?

 

I'm straight...what are you? That would help with this discussion.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Anita Latte

[laurspag]

Ah, yes. I did check out that link you had (I think it was you) and it said I was an hourglass. Personally, I view myself as an inverted triangle, because the area between the bust and waist just isn't whittled, if you know what I mean.

 

I love the red dress a lot. Loving a dress and looking good in it aren't necessarily synonomous. :-) The dress shown in white is safe. I do like it a lot, and I think it would work. The one in pink does have some pleats which may help me out in the middle section, I think. The black dress...well, I adore it, but an inverted triangle wearing a strapless dress is not always ideal. My daughters say it leaves too much "open space" in the shoulder upper chest area.

 

Oh, and it must be said....I'm a 40D of 40DD.

[MJC]

Let's try links since those are way too small.

 

Red: http://www.lightinthebox.com/Trumpet--Mermaid-V-neck-Floor-length-Taffeta-Evening-Dress_p187162.html

 

White: http://www.lightinthebox.com/a-line-one-shoulder-court-train-chiffon-evening-dress_p188849.html

 

Pink: http://www.lightinthebox.com/sheath--column-v-neck-sweep--brush-train-chiffon-evening-dress_p180741.html

 

Black: http://www.lightinthebox.com/Trumpet-Mermaid-Sweetheart-Court-Train-Chiffon-Evening-Dress_p188973.html

 

The black one is just for fun, overall. I think it is stunning, but there is something about the length of the fittedness (is that a word?) and it being strapless that won't work.

 

Honest opinions, please! This is where I got the olive dress from, by the way.

 

First, I must tell you that I am not a big fan of mermaid styles. I don't know why, because I've never worn one, but they look confining to me. That being said, the black one is beautiful, I think it has a nice flow to it that most of them don't. However, as a 38DD I myself wouldn't wear a strapless, mostly because when I'm dressed up I like to go dancing, and strapless doesn't cut it for me.

 

If you could put the top of the red one, with the bottom of the black one, I might be interested. :) That red does look interesting, can you get a swatch? Their color names aren't very descriptive, are they? Do they mean purple-burgundy like the wine, or brown-burgundy like my dad's leisure suit from 1976? Or a nice EARTHy red-burgundy????

 

I would choose either the white or the pink style. Both have a diagonal to them that is flattering and interesting, it keeps the eye moving and creates a long leg. It looks as though you could wear a proper bra with either, too.

 

The one-shoulder style is very popular right now. I would wear a long sparkly pair of earrings and no necklace with that one, it has very classical lines and doesn't need a lot of fuss to go with it. With the pink, the wide shoulders make a beautiful frame for the neck and face, and you could wear a really fabulous necklace with it. If you look at photos of Elizabeth Taylor, she often wore a wide neck like this to show off her famous jewels.

 

Just an FYI, my last formal had wide shoulders like this and I had them sew those little snap tape things in to corral my bra straps, very handy.

[MJC]

uncleanliness

 

mess, unless it's connected with a current project

 

chronic tardiness, and I don't mean me :)

 

thoughtlessness, in all its varieties

 

 

 

When I first moved to NY, I stayed in a progression of friend's homes until I found a place. Since I couldn't afford to pay them, I would clean, clean clean. I forgot about that until your laundry room story.

 

I did get to see the Schiap/Prada exhibit. It was very interesting. Both were interested in challenging the prevailing standards of feminine beauty, sometimes with similar results and sometimes really different. Schiaparelli was friends with Dali and some of her designs were very surrealist, but she was always interested in creating beautiful clothes. Prada doesn't seem interested in beauty at all and her juxtapositions are sometimes incomprehensible to me compared to what we see as fashion in our local stores. Very intellectualized yet wacky at the same time. The exhibit was interspersed with short films of them talking about fashion, art, identity, expectation, social norms... really thought-provoking.

 

Anita, I'll be interested to hear about your journey through the Style Statement book. I kept mine because I wrote all over it, and I need to go back and look through it again, and do the final exercise once more (which can be an ongoing journaling type thing). It's like a benchmark for me now, to remind me what I need and like in my environment to thrive. Saturday at the grocery store they had some beautiful yellow roses on sale, so I bought them and here they are on the table shining their lush sunny faces at me. Just what I need after having our friends and their 12 yr old twins over yesterday! I'm exhausted!

[laurspag]

Margaret, I've been wondering about he comfort of a mermaid style dress myself. One of my daughters tried one on when she was going to her prom a few years back (she's going to be a junior in college in the fall) and she thought it was very uncomfortable. She can be rather picky, so I didn't think anything of it at the time.

 

I think another thought that I've had is that there's essentially no hiding anything. Both styles have rouching or pleating or something going on, but I'm still going to be what I am, if you know what I mean.

 

When you look at chiffon in the brown color on this website, it's very warm looking. I was thinking of this color, and also champagne. If I get two more dresses, I am pretty sure the one showing in white will be one of them. More than likely the one showing in pink will be the other. Since I love statement necklaces, the pink one is just begging for one. This would probably be the dress ordered in brown.

 

The red dress is one I go back to over and over and over. The black one is new addition to the site, and it just completely grabbed my attention. I seem to be able to get a good supporting strapless bra, although my 38D body shaper fits perfect. There is something about the cups on strapless bras that actually give me extra room, and they never seem tight around. Plus, with the shaper, there are no lines. When I took that picture of the green dress, I wasn't wearing the shaper, so I know I'd be okay if I didn't want to go that route.

 

There is just this massive amount of space when I wear a strapless. It's especially bad if I wear a dress that goes straight across. My preference is a sweetheart neckline so that it breaks it up a little.

[laurspag]

Oh, and the color names are awful. They recently changed a few names, even if they are the same.

 

I can get swatches, so I was thinking of ordering some. I have plenty of time before my February cruise.

 

My plan is to have 4-5 well priced dresses to rotate on cruises. I love to dress up. :):D

[Member123]

Laura,

So... in reading about your choices and thinking of your silhouette, I was wondering if you had found the lovely world of shapewear.. and with your last post you did mention the shapewear so I know that you have.

 

But, it also brought to mind a giggle moment with my DH on our last cruise. We were attending the Newlywed & Not So Newlywed Game on board a Celebrity ship. You know Celebrity is known for being a bit more sedate in its entertainment, but you never know what a cruise passenger will say! (which is why I will NEVER, EVER get on any stage with my DH!). Case in point, about not getting on stage with my DH, is my story! Anyway, the ladies were told to kiss their husbands and stand up and wave goodbye... and off they went. It was pretty funny because it was a complete setup for the question that followed... which was, "What is your lovely lady wearing tonight?" Of course, the men didn't have a clue! My DH, standing next to me, said, "I could completely nail this answer." So, I said, "oh really?" And he SAID, "you are wearing a FIRE coral dress with red heels, bling at the neckline and SHAPEWEAR!" <emphasis mine!> OMG. Can you imagine?!? :eek:

 

My problem area for my silhouette is my abdomen... watermelon belly. So I would never venture into a mermaid silhouette; just wouldn't happen for me. I have such a different body shape than you do as I'm a column. In fact, Anita did tell me once that we have to be careful not to look like celery! Because we're straight up/down and then if our hair gets to be too BIG, we could fall into the dreaded celery trap! :eek: OMG. I'm having funny memories this morning....

 

Anyway, I've never had to dress an ample bosom, so I don't really know what styles are best for your silhouette. Have you visited David's Bridal website for the tips on dressing section? I'm sure that Margaret and Anita know what you're describing when you talk about the "massive amount of space" when you wear strapless... but I can't visualize. Is it because the strapless bra sends tissue up into the neckline area? I actually think the white dress' neckline is stunning, but it seems to me that it would add more to the dress visually? It's one of the things that I look for because I have the opposite situation from you.. the "itty bitty..<ahem> committee"! Oh well.

 

Wish I could be more help...

[Anita Latte]

I need more time to think about the dresses...so I'll comment on them later...

 

I just wanted to say one thing regarding the Style Statement book...what do ya'll think about this? As much as I want to write in that book directly...and form a keepsake that I can refer to in the future...and make it into this great single convenient place to harbor all my thoughts regarding the things related to the book...then these other thoughts enter...

 

I've restarted letters and cards because I didn't like the wording I chose or how my handwriting started to look... If I make such a mistake in the book...it will wreck it and I can't "start over" in a new book...and I don't want to mess up my pretty book...

 

And so I have thought about writing all my responses in a separate journal...

 

But then that thought makes me feel a bit sad...because I like the idea of a well used, wrinkled, noted filled journal like book and if I write in journal...it won't happen...

 

So I have yet to put any thoughts in writing.

 

What do you think about this situation?

[laurspag]

Laura,

So... in reading about your choices and thinking of your silhouette, I was wondering if you had found the lovely world of shapewear.. and with your last post you did mention the shapewear so I know that you have.

 

But, it also brought to mind a giggle moment with my DH on our last cruise. We were attending the Newlywed & Not So Newlywed Game on board a Celebrity ship. You know Celebrity is known for being a bit more sedate in its entertainment, but you never know what a cruise passenger will say! (which is why I will NEVER, EVER get on any stage with my DH!). Case in point, about not getting on stage with my DH, is my story! Anyway, the ladies were told to kiss their husbands and stand up and wave goodbye... and off they went. It was pretty funny because it was a complete setup for the question that followed... which was, "What is your lovely lady wearing tonight?" Of course, the men didn't have a clue! My DH, standing next to me, said, "I could completely nail this answer." So, I said, "oh really?" And he SAID, "you are wearing a FIRE coral dress with red heels, bling at the neckline and SHAPEWEAR!" <emphasis mine!> OMG. Can you imagine?!? :eek:

 

My problem area for my silhouette is my abdomen... watermelon belly. So I would never venture into a mermaid silhouette; just wouldn't happen for me. I have such a different body shape than you do as I'm a column. In fact, Anita did tell me once that we have to be careful not to look like celery! Because we're straight up/down and then if our hair gets to be too BIG, we could fall into the dreaded celery trap! :eek: OMG. I'm having funny memories this morning....

 

Anyway, I've never had to dress an ample bosom, so I don't really know what styles are best for your silhouette. Have you visited David's Bridal website for the tips on dressing section? I'm sure that Margaret and Anita know what you're describing when you talk about the "massive amount of space" when you wear strapless... but I can't visualize. Is it because the strapless bra sends tissue up into the neckline area? I actually think the white dress' neckline is stunning, but it seems to me that it would add more to the dress visually? It's one of the things that I look for because I have the opposite situation from you.. the "itty bitty..<ahem> committee"! Oh well.

 

Wish I could be more help...

 

Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard I spit my coffee!

 

I love shapewear. Even though I'm trying to get my self into better shape, my middle has always been hard to tone. The two shapers I have are very comfortable. They don't make me any smaller, but they do iron out those wrinkles, so to speak, and you don't get all those lines! Mine are strapless, so I can wear them under anything.

 

That big expanse of space I'm talking about...well, I will explain. This doesn't happen to everyone, but it does happen a lot when you are top heavy, as I like to call it. In my case, it's as if my upper frame is made to hold those oversized girls. When I wear a strapless gown, there just seems to be all this space between my neck and where the dress start. For me to wear a strapless, I often need to be very selective about the style, and I need a fairly strong necklace to fill the void.

 

I'm not sure if you can see the issue in this picture, but I will try it and see:

 

 

I guess it's not the best example, but this dress would have looked much better with a sweetheart style instead of straight across, and the necklace should have been more substantial. Something that created a vertical interest of sorts instead of just being a one size bead all the way around..

 

My DH is an air, by the way. Since going gray, he does pull off a lot of ice colors. My DD is on the far right, and she is another earth girl. In this photo, we were both wearing our hair a bit redder than natural, but it's a great earth color. The far left is one of my daughter's best friends. It's hard to tell with the picture, but she is an air.

[laurspag]

Anita, I will have to look into this style statement book. Margaret, I think you said you did this also? You have my curiosity piqued.

 

Also Margaret, I've got to check out the video on Prada and the like. It's been a bit hectic here with my husband's arm surgery, my dad has been ill, and my aunt passed away.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...I've been contemplating your dresses...

 

This is actually somewhat difficult...to disconnect from personal opinion or conceptions...as I too have usually had a negative reaction to the mermaid style. IIRC, I tried on a bridal gown that was a bit in the mermaid style and I didn't care for it on any level...

 

From what I can research, every single one of these dresses should be flattering to an hourglass figure...I've read conflicting reports regarding the mermaid style...some writing that it is very flattering to the hourglass shape because it highlights that shape (which is very pleasing) v. the idea that the mermaid style is best on a thinner body type since it is figure hugging design...so I think that it all depends on personal confidence regarding whether or not it looks good...because attitude is huge is how anyone perceives a person.

 

That said...with the red dress...I think that you have a shot at a decent bra to lift the girls...and with the difference between the measurement of the girls and your waist...this could be an amazing gown...but the undergarment will be the key. Because it has straps...I think you have a shot at a choice in undergarments. I do wonder how the flower detail will look when someone with real breasts wears the gown v. model breasts. For myself, at least in the past, I would wonder if the flower would be round or would it be somehow flopped over on itself at the top? but my girls have become toddlers by comparison to their history...of course...the right undergarment would do the trick there.

 

With the black gown...I understand what you mean by the space above the bodice...my big concern with that gown would be the back...the red dress had straps which would help any bulges that might occur near and around the arm pit area...but with the strapless...I know that at one point...because you need the dress to be tight enough to not fall down and not require the strategic yank up every now and again...there would be a bit of the "muffin top" effect at the bodice level in the back...with this style of dress, when I have the belly bulge...I have suffered from what I used to call a hidden Mickey. You'd have to understand how Disney hides Mickey's silhouette EVERYWHERE to understand...but that silhouette being the two ears and the face...it was like the girls were the two ears and my belly was the face...and I felt like I looked like that with every picture...the straps of the red dress would help to NOT have that effect...but with the strapless...when I was top heavy...I suffered from that effect in more pictures than I care to count.

 

I absolutely LOVE the lines of the pink dress. I agree with Margaret about the way that the dress is screaming for a fabulous necklace and that it is a framing the face moment. I LOVE the diagonal details that I think would be very slimming...especially the lower one that cuts across the dreaded belly bump. And the way the dress drapes from the waist/hip to the floor...I think would be very comfortable for sitting through dinner as well as feeling a bit more comfortable after dinner and feeling like the fabric skimmed over a less than favorite body part, not adding too much weight in fabric while also not highlighting the exact shape. I think the pink one is my favorite.

 

The white one has the issues of the black one to me...the same potential for the back bulge...except that it has that one shoulder detail that isn't really real...I have to wonder how those little slips of fabric would really lay across real girls...would the dress be as pleasing, if say that fabric didn't quite hit the valley in between? and would it pull? and what happens when you DON'T have your arm lifted away from your body? Does that fabric highlight a bulge that now occurs above the strapless but not underneath it because the dress again has to be tight enough to stay up?

 

These are the things that I think about...and I feel like they are valid things to think about because I have been where you are, dealing with the girls...I'm remembering how dresses fit me when I looked more like this:

 

 

And I did some editing which I think represents the neckline and potential necklace of the pink dress

 

 

And I think that my body really is helped by the straps...this red dress has that same body skimming type of skirt. You can kind of see how the horizontal detail on this dress is a bit stressed. If you look closely, you can see how it wants to curl down...I think the diagonal detail wouldn't have that issue...

 

And that is why the pink one is definitely my favorite.

[Anita Latte]

I just have to share this photo I created. Not only is it a great before and after for weight loss...but it is a great before and after for wearing the right red. I have a thing for red dresses. I wore red to a high school Senior Ball as a Freshman and then again for my own Senior Ball as a Senior. I picked up the before red dress at Dillards on one of their amazing sales where everything is on freestanding racks throughout the store and is 80% off? I think it was $12? And the after dress is my latest Cache dress...what a difference the right red makes...

 

 

I picked this particular image because the stance is similar. But Laurie...I'm around a D cup give or take now...and I think that the straps are really helpful. I'm picturing the red dress you like so much and thinking about how the bodice is so similar really to this red Cache dress. Now depending on how stiff the fabric is...this dress has that fitted bodice to the hips...and then the flowing skirt...and I think it is flattering on me with the straight type...I can only imagine how flattering it would be on you with an hourglass. The Cache dress is polyester matte jersey...a very stretchy material. Are there material options for that red dress? Do you have to get what looks like a stiffer material in that photo?

[Anita Latte]

And as to the Style Statement book...this is it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Style-Statement-Live-Your-Design/dp/0316067164

 

It is NOT a kind of multiple choice question type of exercise. It is like ESSAY question...deep thoughts if you are willing to go there...and the author expects you to as every section has a place where you analyze your answers to the open ended questions...

 

Questions that have really made me think...

 

What would be my nightmare job?

If I were to win a gold medal in the Olympics, it would be in what event?

If money were no object, I would purchase...

The one totally luxurious item that I would love to buy is...

A tiny part of me secretly wants...

 

Or similar...I'm not refering to the book...

 

And then you have to see what theme are reoccurring in your answers, etc. My SIL said that it seemed like the kind of thing that maybe she would be interested in starting, but ultimately, she would get bored doing and wouldn't finish. It really does represent some time and effort...

[Member123]

And as to the Style Statement book...this is it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Style-Statement-Live-Your-Design/dp/0316067164

 

If money were no object, I would purchase...

 

 

I have some thoughts about the above postings, but I have to say that I have absolutely no difficulty answering this question!

 

A PRIVATE PLANE COMPLETE WITH CREW :D YES, PLEASE! :D

 

You have no idea how much I want a private plane. A really pretty one. Champagne on board. Always fueled. A handsome pilot, of course. Happy flight attendant(s). Luxury leather. Fancy nibbles. I have no difficulty, as I said, answering that particular question.

[MJC]

Anita, I will have to look into this style statement book. Margaret, I think you said you did this also? You have my curiosity piqued.

 

Also Margaret, I've got to check out the video on Prada and the like. It's been a bit hectic here with my husband's arm surgery, my dad has been ill, and my aunt passed away.

 

I did do the Style Statement book. One of the things that was interesting to realize was that my home was EARTH colors albeit in a style and layout I am not happy with, while my wardrobe had styles I was generally happy with but the colors were mostly wrong. A funny thing is that from day one I have HATED one of our bathrooms, I look terrible in there and refuse to do makeup or hair in it -- it has gray and white tile. :)

 

So sorry to hear about your aunt, and I hope your husband is recovering at a good pace. It is so hard to be patient, and be a patient, when you're waiting to heal and used to being out and about. And taking care of a sick hubby is no picnic, no matter how much we love them.

[MJC]

I need more time to think about the dresses...so I'll comment on them later...

 

I just wanted to say one thing regarding the Style Statement book...what do ya'll think about this? As much as I want to write in that book directly...and form a keepsake that I can refer to in the future...and make it into this great single convenient place to harbor all my thoughts regarding the things related to the book...then these other thoughts enter...

 

I've restarted letters and cards because I didn't like the wording I chose or how my handwriting started to look... If I make such a mistake in the book...it will wreck it and I can't "start over" in a new book...and I don't want to mess up my pretty book...

 

And so I have thought about writing all my responses in a separate journal...

 

But then that thought makes me feel a bit sad...because I like the idea of a well used, wrinkled, noted filled journal like book and if I write in journal...it won't happen...

 

So I have yet to put any thoughts in writing.

 

What do you think about this situation?

 

 

I thought of mine as a workbook, not a journal. As I tell my students, mistakes are part of the natural writing process, and are meaningful in themselves. If you are editing yourself as you go, both in writing and in thinking, because you are concerned about the future of your book, it is not going to reflect your feelings of the moment or those flashes of insight you get when you respond quickly from your gut. For me, my first answer or response to a question was almost always the most genuine, though I always spent time in reflection, too. Sometimes I had two or three or four answers to a question, depending on how I interpreted it the first time, second time, etc. Even how you understand a question the first time tells you something about yourself.

 

The book is a beautiful book. But to me, mine is even more beautiful now that it's filled with all the thoughts and ideas I had during the process, no matter how it looks. I did print, though, since that's what I do at work and as a result my handwriting is not what it used to be. ;)

 

There are some things you can use for journaling activities at the end of the book. I think that is where a second notebook would come in handy.

 

Keep in mind that you will eventually have to wade through everything you write to get to key words and concepts. Sometimes I just jotted words or phrases down as my answers, and I still know the whole thoughts they represent. If your inclination to have a separate journal is so you can write and write and write, you will have a lot more to wade through later to get to the gist.

 

Another thing I tell my students: clear thinking leads to clear writing, and lots of writing does not necessarily represent better ideas.

 

I hope that one of the things you come away with, is that finishing the book does not mean you are finished. It can be a guidebook for further introspection, and as a kind of checkup to see how you are doing on the path to whatever fulfillment you were looking for when you got it. I keep mine on my desk as a kind of gentle reminder to focus on what is important to me.

[MJC]

p.s. to Laurie,

 

I bought my Style Statement book on eBay, it was used but pristine and about half the price of Amazon.

[MJC]

This month's Vogue was very light, and the fall fashions mostly angular black shapes with punches of super bright color. However, I always find a few photos I like!

 

This page reminded me a bit of when Vivienne Files uses a scarf as inspiration. The green seems to be the color of the moment:

 

 

Here it is again on Lena Dunham, the creator of HBO's "Girls" (a kind of anti-Sex in the City):

 

 

And on Olivia Wilde, who is one of the EARTH celebs I like to watch:

 

 

Olivia again, as a blonde:

 

 

Another celeb whose fashion sense I keep an eye on, Emma Stone in red:

 

 

Jennifer Lopez - on AI this season she was alternating between an EARTH week and then a black or silver week. Here she is in a fabulous red:

 

[MJC]

Finally, this is the only EARTH photo showing the fall trend of one bright on a monochrome outfit (most of them were black):

 

[MJC]

Sorry the pics are so big, I finally learned how to embed the code and had no idea what size to make them. :)

[Anita Latte]

Margaret, I loved your response about using the Style Statement book as a workbook...and everything else you wrote. I can tell you are a teacher! Insightful and helpful. Thank you.

 

And I love the picture of blonde Olivia...she's wearing cargo shorts with a short inseam, a long-sleeve Henley shirt, unbuttoned and tucked in, with a belt and a slouchy messenger bag. Her necklace looks a bit like a ring on a chain. I have shorts very much like the ones in the picture...and a yellow long-sleeved Henley...I could totally recreate this look. And I like it. Here in the South, the transition seasons can handle a lot of what I have always called, the long and the short...shorts and long sleeves OR pants and sleeveless/short sleeves...because long and long is just too much warmth. I must keep this look in mind.

 

So I have to respond for Mom because she talked to me about my photo editing and her opinions about it...and she didn't like it. :o:rolleyes:

 

And here in the light of day...I totally agree. Mom didn't like the sleeve effect that I added to the red dress that was inspired by the pink dress. She thinks that I aged myself and took all the young and fun out of the dress...which I totally get. She agrees that the thin spaghetti straps may be too thin and not quite right...and her thoughts are more along the lines of just a thicker strap there creating more of a square neckline effect...

 

I think that would be very attractive...

 

We had a little discussion about Laurie's dress photographed with the pearl necklace...and we noted that the other ladies in their strapless have necklaces that have heavy pendants on them that create a kind of V-neck out of the lighter weight chain...and think THAT is actually a nice way to help "break up the space" that is between the bodice top and face...

 

So I post this to continue the conversation...

 

Perhaps ya'll thought the same thing? And didn't really like the sleeves? I'm wondering if that particular neckline in a more EARTH color would look too mature. And the hot pink really helps to make that look youthful. Margaret, you mentioned Liz Taylor in relation to that dress...and while she is a sexy lady in my thoughts...wearing that neckline often...I'm also thinking that she is a more mature woman...and that this look is very appropriate on her...and perhaps we are all a bit too young for that look still?

 

What do ya'll think?

[aoknkentucky]

Hello Everybody. Thought I'd jump in on the Style Statement issue. I completed my exercises very early this year but have thought seriously about reviewing my answers to see if I feel they represent the current me. I've grown a lot in how I think about style, what I think about my style, and my comfort zone about style. Looking back at the time period when I completed the workbook, I'm wondering if my views are different now. KWIM?

 

Three times in the past, I worked my way through the same deep-thinking workbook, and had to buy a new book each time. I was afraid the Style Statement book would go out of print, so I recorded my answers in a separate notebook and put it with my Style Statement book. I'm cheap--I didn't want to buy extra books! I feel very confident that I nailed it when it comes to what I learned about myself, but because some of my answers might remain the same and some might change as my life goes forward, I chose to keep my answers separate. This is a book that I will keep and revisit multiple times, I think. Different strokes--different folks. Again. It seems I buck the trend a lot. I just like to review and receive confirmation, I guess.

 

Does anyone feel comfortable telling what they learned from their Style Statement, or should we wait until Anita has completed her journey? I don't want to preempt her passage, but I am curious what others have learned. Anybody? --Debbie

[laurspag]

Wow, a lot of good posts today!

 

I will work my way backwards. :D

 

Debbie, you too are making me think a lot about the style statement book. I am wondering a bit about the questions. They are out of left field, from the sounds of it. I know the idea is to make you think, but if you struggle with an answer, I'm sure that at other times you are going to second guess and want to make a change. I think it might be fun to do.

 

Margaret, you definitely have an eye for style. I'm always intrigued if you see something that just doesn't look wearable. These are excellent pictures though, with some wonderful styles. I like the big pictures by the way. I prefer them, so you can see the details better. I'm always on the look out for an earth green, a dark forest green. They are s hard to come by! So much so, that I think I would pay more for something just to be able to get that perfect color.

 

I think Jennifer Lopez is a very beautiful woman. I think that earthy tones look so good on her, that she would just have an "aha" moment when wearing them and move away from all that black and silver. I think it has a lot to do with not always being able to figure out what it is that makes a particular shirt, dress, lipstick, etc. look so good.

 

Anita's mom, a private plane?? Wow, I never thought of something like that. I'm all for the champagne. :D Actually, I'm a bit stumped. In my little mind, I'm thinking that if money was no option, I don't know what I'd do! I think I would have my husband 1970 Dodge Challenger restored for him. Then I think I would buy the land behind our house, and create one of those lavish acre or two gardens with the paths, flowers, greenery...I'd have little places to sit and enjoy the solitude. Maybe that's strange, I don't know. I actually find the question very hard.