My Favorite Looks From 2017 (oh, and some philosophizing)!

Hey everyone! Wow! Did you watch the Golden Globes last night? I love watching that award show because there are so many stars and each category has someone you recognize (make-up artist? producer? editing? — important jobs but boring to watch). Plus my daughters and I love picking out our favorite gowns and we decide which ones we like and don’t like and why. It’s kind of a silly tradition but we look forward to it every year.

But, last night’s show was so different. As I’m sure you heard, almost everyone wore black to show solidarity for a movement called Time’s Up that thinks women and men should be treated equally and be able to do their job in a professional manner. I didn’t know why they chose the name “Time’s Up” because, as a brand designer, I thought it missed the mark of their mission. Then I learned it’s a phrase used in the entertainment industry that refers to the time when an actress is no longer considered for roles because she starts to look too old. So, her “time is up” for working as an actor. This is often when they’re in their thirties. Can you imagine, just when you’re hitting your stride in a career, you’re all of a sudden deemed “too old” because of a completely natural, inevitable, unavoidable biological process? Frustrating.

The other shift I saw with this Time’s Up movement was moving this #MeToo conversation into the next phase. It started with bringing to light all the really awful sexual harassment and assault stories and now moving it towards real solutions and concrete advances. I love that these women grabbed the reins of this conversation we’re having about previously accepted societal norms and took it away from just focussing on the victims and perpetrators and the salacious stories and moving it towards pay-equity, legal defense and accountability. Conversation leading towards action.

The fashion blogger in me also noticed that the women were more covered up with their outfits this year. Not everyone, but it seemed like more women said “I don’t want to be uncomfortable in this dress all night that shows more skin than I would like and that I have trouble walking in and can’t sit down in and I can’t eat in”. Maybe I’m wrong, but I was continually surprised by the pants and high necklines and long sleeves. It used to be only the women over 50 who wore long sleeves (or Diane Keaton) but I saw it on even the young women. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but it felt like a shift in clothing that put the spotlight on the person and not on the body. That the women didn’t want the gaze to be on their body (and gown) but wanted the focus to be on their words. So much of the appeal of these award shows have been the dresses in the past (remember when they had #askhermore so the actresses would be asked real questions and not just the “who are you wearing?”) but that was always so shallow. I’m looking forward to the Academy Awards to see if this is a trend or if I’m connecting dots that aren’t there. We’ll see.

You didn’t know I was an amateur philosopher did you?

I had meant to make this post about reflection on the last year and plans for the new year and hadn’t planned on talking about an awards show! Funny how my mind has a mind of her own!

So, anyway…

2017 was such a raggedy year. We moved (well, sort of). We sold our house (well, not yet actually, but it’s ready to be sold). We bought a new house (that is true). My husband got a new job in a new state (that’s true). My eldest worked out of state for 6 months and my youngest was in France for 4 months. I bounced between all of that and held down the fort and went where I was needed most at that moment. I was the support system that allowed them to have these new experiences.

I, however, did a lot of waiting. Waiting to hear, waiting to sell, waiting to buy, waiting for daughters to return, waiting for husband to return, waiting for opportunities. When I was waiting it felt like wasted time. I’m happy my family had new experiences but I’m a little bit tired of waiting. I don’t do new years resolutions but I’m charging myself with not wasting time this year. I’m not sure how that’s going to go down but I’m going to use that as a guide.

My best friend has encouraged me to do more writing in 2018. I do love writing and I have a philosophical side where I like to think big thoughts and glean insights and spot trends and shifts so I’d like to be able to feed that side of my psyche this year. I’m not sure how that will come about but I know that I am giving myself permission to pursue that. I mentioned this fall that I would like this blog to be a confidence site and not just a fashion site so perhaps it will get philosophical here. I love fashion and the confidence it can bring but there is so much more inside of my head than that! #askmemore!

Ok, gosh, getting back to my original intention of this post! My round-up of my favorite seasonal outfits of 2017!

And the winners are……………

Cute peplum sweater for an apple shaped woman - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

Winter – So easy and comfortable. The peplum ribbed sweater makes this outfit. The peplum part of the sweater (the kinda “skirt” of the shirt) starts right at the bust rather than at the waist. The ribbed knit weighs the fabric down so it’s not swishy. Plus, I love black booties with black tights. See the original post here.

Being Half Blogger Half Friend!

Spring – The color of the jacket is such a soft, pretty blue and with those notches cut out in the popped-up collar makes this fresh. Keeping everything else black, and even a black turtleneck, means nothing distracted the eye from the little details of the blazer. I also liked this post because it reminded me that I write this blog as if I was talking to a girlfriend. See the original post here.

Taking Risks! | www.whenthegirlsrule.com

Summer – These were my danger pants! They made me feel like taking some risks and made me feel glamorous. The top was super-forgiving, flattering and still cool enough to wear in the heat. The pants are still available here. You can read the original post here.

Little Black Dress For An Apple Shape! | www.whenthegirlsrule.com

Fall – Ahhhhh, the little black dress. Perfect for so many occassions and seasons and easy to dress up and dress down. This dress will be worn until it’s falling apart at the seams! This dress is on sale now for only $42! I’m wearing size 3 or the 16-18 size. You can see the other way I wore this scarf with this dress here.

Looking ahead:

I’ll be showing more of my new house and how I’m decorating it (it’s super fun!) and bopping between North Carolina and Michigan for the next 5-6 months. Coming up on the blog will be the 2nd birthday party in March where I will again ask you to join the party with outfit photos (I love seeing you!). I’m also doing a no-spend January so you’ll be seeing the same clothes, just styled in different ways, to keep our bank accounts happy! And, as always, I’ll be keeping things real here.

Have a great week everyone!

postscript: I feel like I jumped around to lots of topics here today, but I am starting to see a correlation here. I have a desire to keep this blog interesting, (not just for you all but for me too!) and branching out into other topics keeps my mind sharp and keeps our conversations smart, deep and meaningful. I hope you’ll continue to join me for the ride!

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8 Comments

  1. I love all of your top picks! I feel, that times when I’m not “doing anything”, or “wasting time” actually give me lots of time to reflect and think about things I want to do, or ideas I can just bounce around until I DO have the time. There is always a reason and a season 😂 to begin a project! I look forward to what 2018 will hold!

  2. Oh for Pete’s sake! I JUST wrote a post called “My 10 Favorite Outfits of 2017”!!! Ha, GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE!!!

    I love all your favorites, but *my*favorite is the spring look with the light blue jacket.

    Interesting perspective on the Golden Globes. I have it recorded but haven’t watched it yet.

    A year of waiting, yeah I hear that, Definitely get out there and make things happen for you – NO MORE WAITING!!!

    Sleep beckons…

    Bettye
    https://fashionschlub.com

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