Staying fashionable in all seasons of life
At some point in our lives we find ourselves in a fashion rut. We are either fortunate to be wearing the same pants from high school, have spent a variety of years in a variety of sizes or worse yet convinced ourselves wearing ill fitting clothing is not only fashionable but our new norm. Because let's face it, many of us do not have the time, energy or money to figure out what our current style is and revamp our wardrobe.
A few months ago I got word of a new to me Women's clothing company called Tobi. At first glance, it did not seem like a place I might shop, but after doing a little digging on their website I found a plethora of cute shoes, smart looking jackets and comfortable sweaters which fit my budget, style and our cooler climate. Living in the PNW, I can easily wear the same wardrobe nine months of the year so my pieces need to be be versatile and layer well.
I can think of many times in my life where my relationship and feelings about my body and clothing have been altered. When I was pregnant it was hard for me to know exactly how to dress a watermelon. Do I hide it or flaunt it? Then the dreaded postpartum phase came where nothing looked right and it was more of an effort to cover up then show off my body. So here I am, two children later with a far from perfect body rediscovering my style and embracing things like oversized sweaters and skinny jeans like there is no tomorrow.
My all time favorite jeans are the 9" High Rise Skinny Jeans from Madewell. I love them so much I literally wore out the pair I had before these. These jeans come in a variety of washes, but here I am wearing the Surfside which is currently on sale. I also am a big fan of their leather goods, in particular their boots. The ones I am wearing are currently sold out, but here are some similar ones.
Since having children it has been difficult for me to want to spend a ton of money on expensive clothing, drying cleaning and clothes which can easily become damaged by sticky fingers or a leaking diaper. One of my favorite looks from Tobi was the Madison Coat paired with the Relax a Little Sweater, skinny jeans, and black boots. Although oversized, the sweater has an interesting silhouette and the coat looks and feels far more expensive than the $55 it is currently selling for.
The Theodora cardigan is the perfect piece to transition you from Winter to Spring by pairing it with a colorful blouse or a bold patterned long sleeve shirt. It is like wearing a big blanket but is not restrictive to your arms.
Normally, I do not wear or own a whole lot of black, but I have found when buying inexpensive pieces black always gives the illusion of being higher quality and more expensive. A few other pieces I have been eyeing on Tobi are the Elva coat, Tanya ankle sandals, and the Sweetly Scalloped Shift dress, but wearing it as a top instead of a dress.
Although the weather has not been cooperative for one of my favorite scores, I have been wearing my Pam suede flats either around the house or once on an outing to the Volunteer Park Conservatory in hopes of summoning warmer weather.
Going out on a limb and shopping at a new store has made me once again realize change in my personal style is not only good, but a natural progression of life. Resisting change and maintaining the same look for five, ten, fifteen or twenty years is neither interesting or flattering.
