<p>So I went into a Hallmark shop the other day for a birthday card for a friend. The lady behind the counter was the proprietress. She was really a pleasure to look at. 50ish. Fit. Great linen top with some nice jewelry accents. But mainly I was smitten by her glasses which were just fabulous and unusual. I asked her who made them and she told me she bought them at an estate sale at one of Sophia Loren’s homes in Europe. It was a box of glasses. I don’t know what she bid on them but she said she makes a practice of buying glasses at estate sales and has had best luck over in Europe. She had her own prescription lenses put into the frames.</p>
<p>How’s that for a cool idea? Vintage, couture glasses frames. </p>
<p>She said she has dozens and dozens of pairs of glasses and thinks of them as a primary component of her wardrobe. </p>
<p>She’s my new fashion role model! The local Hallmark lady.</p>
<p>Ok ladies, what’s the scoop on stockings these days? I rarely wear dresses let alone “hose” (hate that word) but I’m going to a wedding in DC in the Fall and will be wearing them. Michael Kors Pucci style sheath dress (long sleeved) with lime green, black, grey and white. Black pumps…so do people wear ?? skin tone? cream? black seems heavy. I remember hanes Travel Buff and Barely There from my working days…what are people wearing now?</p>
<p>Oooohh… I like your outfit. I would recommend nude colored hose, if you have to wear it. Speaking of hose… Bare legs have become the mainstream look here in the US, so I was somewhat shocked to see that in some cities in Europe hose was more popular than bare legs - even in the summer. Thank goodness I packed a pair of Donna Karan The Nudes (which is what I would recommend - comes in both control top and sheer-to -waist).</p>
<p>Psst… I bought the orange Mindy wrap dress - on sale Also, I recently added this to my collection of DVF pieces:</p>
<p>But the only review made me LOL: “When I tried it on for my husband, he complimented me on my new nightgown. Needless to say, this went back right away.”</p>
<p>BB, love the minidress! I’ve been looking at that dress and really liked it. </p>
<p>The other dress looks a little like one I tried on at Talbots [Talbots</a> - Fern-Print Shirtdress | Dresses | Apparel](<a href=“Women's Clothing & Apparel | Talbots”>Women's Clothing & Apparel | Talbots). Really liked it but needed the next size up Thinking of ordering it as it was cute on and hit me a little above the knee which is flattering on me.</p>
<p>LOVE the idea of having glasses as an important fashion accessory. Maybe I will invest in multiple pairs rather than just having one pair of regular & one pair of sunglasses. It’s fairly inexpensive & something I DO wear every day! Thanks for the great suggestion, sewhappy!</p>
<p>Actually, I like the look of a capri legging with those print tunic dresses. If it’s white mostly, then white leggings? I dunno. Not sure how to pull off but if we’re talking fall you could probably do a legging.</p>
<p>HImom, I am very excited about investing more of my wardrobe budget in glasses. I’m not really jewelry person, so this works for me.</p>
<p>Sewhappy, I like tunic dresses with leggings and actually plan to wear my not-so-mini DVF shirt dress this way. Here are some really cool Wolford leggings - on sale!</p>
<p>Thanks for the Wolford link, Bunsen. Some great buys on lingerie at Nordy’s right now. I have a couple Wolford pieces from literally decades ago – a slip, a long sleeve white tee, and a cami. What amazing quality. Didn’t know they made leggings.</p>
<p>sewhappy, yes, those Wolford pieces cost a small fortune, but they last forever. I love their bodysuit-type tees, because they don’t ride up and don’t need any shapewear underneath, which makes me feel great when I wear them. Their hose lasts a long time, too. I get about 2-3 wears out of a pair of The Nudes by DK, but a pair of Wolford sheer pantyhose survives up to 5X as long.</p>
<p>Nordstrom Anniversary sale is open to the general public beginning today.</p>
<p>It’s interesting . . . I bought my Wolford pieces at around the same time as several Hanro things. It was just before we took the plunge into parenthood and I was being totally hedonistic about my wardrobe at the time. The Wolford pieces seem completely brand new still. The Hanro pieces have yellowed and frayed. It’s not as if I wore the Hanro more than the Wolford, actually the opposite.</p>
<p>Now on an entirely different note, I think I’m going to order this little Lole dress from Zappos:</p>
<p>I need a black funeral dress. Before you react, let me explain. </p>
<p>I remember my mother had a seasonless, lovely, classic black dress that she wore to funerals for several years. Suppose she wore it for other occasions as well, but I remember she referred it to as her ‘funeral dress’. I don’t wear much black, but it seems to be the acceptable color for funerals and, with a number of aging relatives, I should probably be prepared with a go-to dress. Do you have an outfit that you’ve designated for funerals? Any personal shoppers have specific suggestions?</p>
<p>I have an Ann Taylor black sheath dress and matching jacket that I wear to funerals. They both have some subtle piping along the edges, which gives a bit of interest but is still very sober. I’ve had the outfit since my mother died in 2006, and I update it by choosing different shoes as those styles change.</p>
<p>I’ve also used the dress on its own for more enjoyable events, dressing it up with bolder jewelry, or a scarf, belt, etc. I imagine that I’ll keep wearing it as long as I still fit into it!</p>
<p>I have “funeral clothes”. Dress for rosary (fuller skirt, easy to kneel), sheath or black suit for funeral.</p>
<p>When DH and I got married, I was unpackng clothes into the closets…He asked me what to do with a dry cleaner bag of clothes with a black ribbon tied on the hangers, I said, those are funeral clothes, they go in the back of the closet. He thought I was crazy. Unfortunately, I needed them several times in the first 18 months we were married.</p>
<p>If you really don’t want black, I’ve seen some nice dresses in a midnight navy blue. Unless you are up close, it looks black, but less harsh.</p>
Also, I recently added this to my collection of DVF pieces:</p>
Thinking of ordering it as it was cute on and hit me a little above the knee which is flattering on me.</p>