Category: fashion

STOCKHOLM STREET STYLE

Scandi-Chic

Ooh

You can dance

You can jive

Having the time of your life

Ooh, see that girl

Watch that scene

Dig in the dancing queen

ABBA Dancing Queen

Whenever I used to think of Sweden, I immediately would think about ABBA, or the popular Swedish retailers IKEA and H& M. I never thought about fashion. Ever.

We all know Europe is famous for its fashion capitals, but until recently many have overlooked Stockholm. In the last few decades, it has emerged as one of the top places to go for a fashion fix, without ever looking like it was really trying. The effortless simplicity of style in Sweden’s capital would be interesting to any fashionista.

Stockholm Street Style from my closet

I began to wonder if I could go into my closet and reproduce outfits that one might see while walking the streets of Stockholm. Needless to say, the effortless street style that Stockholm is so famous for is not about one look in particular, nor is it about wearing certain labels or brands.

Just exactly what is Stockholm Street Style, anyway. Well, it’s about individuality, dressing in a way that brings out your own individual personality in clothes.

The use of the term ‘Scandi-chic’ has increased in recent years. I think it has come to represent a personal sense of style. An ‘ I am dressing for me. I am dressing for comfort’ style.

Just think of IKEA, H&M. Simple and something you can easily put together yourself. Easy and uncomplicated style. A natural sense of style.

Anne-Sofie Back is a trending Swedish designer that is popular both in Sweden as well as London. And, of course, Björn Borg,  is associated with being sporty, creative and innovative. 

Coco Chanel once said, “simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance”. I think, in Europe, Stockholm has gotten the message and is giving Paris interesting competition.

Sandra Hart • Life Over Sixty With Sandra

FASHION FROZEN

Shedding

I can remember when I lived up north as

soon as I saw the daffodils pop their heads

up in the woods, I knew spring was here and

that I soon would be shedding those outside

layers and replacing them with less and less.

Looking forward to wearing jeans, tees, and

my boho fashions without the layers was

fashion freedom. The ‘me’ I had been hiding

all winter could finally breathe. The fresh

air and sun were the elixirs I looked forward

to as winter closed its doors. Oh, how I loved

summer.

Tropical Fashion

Now that I live in a tropical climate, those

seasonal changes are all but a memory. It’s

maxi dresses, tees, jeans and an uncovered

and fashion free life. The stuff I dreamed of

my whole life has finally come true. I should

be happy, right?

Fashion Challenge

Well, for me, the fashion challenge of

shedding has turned into the fashion

challenge of same old, same old. How does

one not tire of dressing for the same season

all year long, year after year?

For me the answer is trying to be as creative

as possible with what I have. The challenge

is to create different combinations in my

outfit parings and adding unique pieces of

accessories; scarves, belts, necklaces.

Surprise myself by mixing plaids and florals,

shocking unusual color combinations, (pink

and red, purple and yellow) and sequins

and denim.

When buying new, I don’t bring anything

into my wardrobe that can’t be mixed and

matched with what I already have. Even in

an eccentric way, it has to fit in.

Moral of the Story

I suppose the moral of the blog is to be

careful what you wish for. We can’t have it

all, but we surely can make it work for us.

All it takes is just a wee bit of creative

thinking to keep from becoming fashion

frozen in a tropical climate.

Copyright ©️ Sandra Hart

LEVI STRAUSS IS MY HERO

Here she goes again with her weirdo thought process. Jeans? Why on earth jeans today, Sandra?

Well, I say to myself, it may have taken me thirty years to warm up to the idea of wearing ripped jeans, but one is never too old to take a risk and live on the fashion edge, even if you are eighty! Sometimes as hard boiled as I am, I do have room for a change of heart!

1873 BIRTH OF BLUE JEANS

If Levi Strauss were alive today he would be either scratching his head in wonderment or snapping his suspenders with glee if he knew his work pants have become a staple and an American fashion icon.

Even in the 40’s and 50’s it was still a man’s world.

When I was growing up in the ’40’s and 50’s there wasn’t anything ‘jeans’ except the one ‘man-style’ any girl right away knew didn’t include them if she had a waist and hips. In order to get the right hip fit, the waist was miles too big and had to be belted like a paper bag to fit our waists. The legs were too long, so we had to cuff them a few times. But no doubt about it, we all wore jeans, even though it was a man thing.

Men, boys, girls, all shapes and sizes – jeans were in. There was an important exception, though. MOMS. I don’t ever remember one single mother who wore jeans. Ever. It was either slacks or dresses for casual wear.

THE MOM JEANS ARRIVE

Finally in the early 60’s we young mothers were excited when Levi’s finally awoke to the fact that the 40’s girl’s were now grown and were yearning to keep their love of jeans in their fashion choices. The cross over began as jeans were being designed with a woman’s shape in mind.

GRUNGE CHANGED JEANS

Yup! The grunge and rock scene changed how we would think about and wear jeans forever. Everyone’s favorite jeans that we had worn threadbare, but dared not leave the house wearing, suddenly became fashionable. Design houses began to purposely destress and deconstruct jeans into high fashion. Jeans had crossed over the rainbow bridge and found heaven in the fashion halls of the rich, famous and everyday man and woman. Manufacturers and designers found the pot of gold at the end of that beautiful rainbow!

DISTRESSED DENIAL

Well, you probably have already guessed the end of my story. After years of watching women my age and younger, walk around in ‘those things’, I have finally caved in and bought a pair of jeans that I could have destroyed on my own if I had any sense about me.

ELEGANT 80 CONVERT

Yes, they are very comfortable and so I like them because they make me feel hip – yes. Am I gong to buy another pair? Probably not, because the economist in me says I can make my own. I still love my regular grandma jeans, but the best part is that I am now more hip in my grandchildren’s eyes. That is worth all the ripped jeans in the world!

Copyright Sandra Hart 2019

All Rights Reserved

FASHION POLICE

Let’s talk fashion. Should older women be conscious of their age when deciding what styles to wear? In my opinion, no they shouldn’t.

Age has very little to do with personal style. Who cares what the fashion police think? What really matters is what you think about what you wear.

As a teen I couldn’t wait every fall to get the September issue of Seventeen magazine so that I would know what was trending in back to school outfits!

In my twenties and thirties, it was Vogue or Harpers Bazaar that were my fashion bibles. I couldn’t afford the designer clothes featured, but I sure as heck could try to copy their styling.

By some miracle, maybe it was menopause, my late forties a lightbulb went off in my head. I just wanted to be me! I wanted to be brave enough to leave the trend train and follow my own fashion sense and style. That is when I finally got the courage to appreciate and be the real me.

My classic/ Bohemian style was born and I have given it a healthy life ever since. I’m free to be me and will never even think to let fashion trends define my style.

What do you think?

Copyright Sandra Hart 2018©️

VINTAGE STYLING AND ETHICAL FASHION

Today we have so many fashion choices. Shopping fast fashion stores like Zara and H&M gives us the latest trend in clothing at reasonable prices. Great, right? Not really.

These companies are helping to pollute the planet and encourage the need for us to fulfill our shopping addictions. Each fashion season, instead of recycling to retail discount stores like Marshell’s or Ross, or third world countries in need, they destroy the clothing at the end of the season and send it to dumps.

What can we do about it? Well, the obvious answer is to not support these fast fashion stores and shop ethical retailers during their store wide sales. We can save money and know we are not supporting the fast fashion industry. But there is another way we can shop ethically and get great bargains. Thrifting.

I am a longtime fan of supporting thrift shops. Not only is thrifting fun where you can find great bargains, but you are helping those in need while also helping the planet.

Come along with me as I talk about ethical shopping in an upscale resale boutique in LaGrange, Illinois. The Hope Chest.

Copyright Sandra Hart©️. All Rights Reserved 2018

CAN MONEY BUY HAPPINESS

The magazine TOWN AND COUNTRY was my bible as a teen while growing up in a gritty steel town in the Ohio River. I saved all month and I couldn’t wait for each new issue to arrive at McNoltie’s Confectionery.

I used to dream over the glossy pages of beautiful people, smiling behind their big sunglasses while on their boats or at a glitzy gala. Oh, that was the life for me. I just couldn’t wait to grow up and have that life.

I would sometimes cut out images from the pages and pinned them on my watermelon colored cork Dream Board hanging in my bedroom. I figured if I dreamed enough about that life, I could make my fantasy come true. I could become rich and famous just like them.

Anything. I would do almost anything to fly away from my current steel town existence to something bigger. I deserved to have something better someday. I would dream so hard I would make it come true.

Sixty years later as I look back on my life, most of it did come true. I have been successful in my own right. I have rubbed shoulders with both the famous and richer. Am I happy? Yes, for the most part. I have had lots of valleys on my journey, but I have always been able to see the sunshine when there were dark clouds.

Are the smiling faces of the rich and famous happy? Well, not always. My teenage fantasy was just that – a fantasy.

The truth is that when I grew up I realized that what really matters are people and our relationships. Those are the million dollar gifts in life. Those are what make us rich and happy.

Copyright©️Sandra Hart 2018

All Rights Reserved

Believe It Or Not… You Are Creative

Who me? Creative? Don’t think so.

I have news for you. Everyone of us has some type of creativity inside of us, whether it be singing, playing an instrument, cooking, gardening, or creating a beautiful vision through makeup everyday. 

Life is more satisfying when we use our creative souls with an outlet. Expressing yourself boosts your brain, gives you satisfaction, boosts energy, relieves stress and most of all, brings us joy. 
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There are five types of creativity:

• Artisan

• A-Lister

• Activist

• Game Changer

• Sensitive Soul
Let me explain the types and how important using our creativity is to us.  

Copyright Sandra Hart© 2017. All Rights Reserved. 

Dress French Chic On A Budget

I have always admired French women and the way they put together clothes. A simple white blouse with black tights or pants, colorful scarf and rich looking bag and she is off to work or to meet her friends at a cafe.  Simple, elegant and understated beauty. 

When I look into my closet, I wonder if I need all the colors. Too many blouses, too many dresses, too many jackets and coats. I know I am not alone. We are a consumer society and I know my buying habits are not unique.  

Every day my mailbox is filled with clothing catalogues enticing me to buy something that will make me look like the young, beautiful models inside.  Facebook is becoming filled with products that tell us we just have to have for our next season. In essence, we are constantly being enticed to buy, buy, buy so that we won’t get left behind in the latest fashion trend.

All this started me thinking about the economy and how much we women spend on clothes we probably will wear a few times and then put to the back of our closet.  This led me to thinking about France, their fashion sense and thrift shops. I wondered if I could go to a local Goodwill and shop French style with thrift and utility in mind. 

I will share with you the results of my quest to dress French Chic on recycled clothing. Come along with my daughter and I to see the results.

Copyright Sandra Hart©2017

All Rights Reserved

I Just Love Hats!

My Mother always wore a hat when she went out of the house. Sometimes she even designed and made her own. Maybe as a child my always seeing her look so beautiful in hats…she has passed on her love of hats to me. 

 The reality is that I grew up in a generation where both women and men wore hats. I even got a new Easter bonnet every year to top off my new outfit. I think that hats were always a part of my dress up life way into the sixties when bouffant hair and French twist hair made it impossible to wear a hat without ruining your hairdo.  

My father used to wear a top hat on formal occasions. (Imagine that!) He wore a smart Fedora or Homburg; 1940s men were nothing without a hat. Popular men’s 1940s hats were the Fedora, Trilby, Homburg. A Chesterfield coat, suit and shoes were always finished off with a hat whenever my father left the house. 

Honestly, I really miss those days of hats, but in spite of the rest of the world and trends, I still wear hats. What can I say, I just love hats!

Copyright Sandra Hart 2017© 

All Rights Reserved 

Our Clothes Are A Mirror Of Who We Are

” She had a womanly instinct that clothes possess an influence more powerful over many than the worth of character or the magic of manners.”   Louisa May Alcott

Our clothes and style are a mirror of who we really are, aren’t they?  When we wake up in the morning what we wear indicates how we feel, where we are going and our attitude about the next twelve hours.  

For men more than women, I think, sometimes dressing becomes routine as soon as their feet hit the floor. They throw on their favorite well-worn jeans, T shirt, slip on flip flops, loafers or old sneakers and are ready to face the world and what is out there waiting for them.

Most women are different animals all together. We plan, organize, accessorize and treat clothes as an extension of who we are. Our clothes don’t actually make us, but we make the clothes our own.  

Copyright Sandra Hart© 2017. All Rights Reserved