My Never-ending Hunt for the Perfect Pair of Jeans

I don't want to reveal my exact age, but let's just say that the first article of clothing I ever bought with my own money was a pair of jeans I got at J C Penney, and I paid six dollars for them. I loved those jeans and I wore them to death.

Over the years, I went through all the phases (hip huggers, bell bottoms, boot cut, straight leg, at the waist, slightly below the waist, comfort waist, patched knees, ripped knees and more). Jeans and sweatshirts or tee shirts and gym shoes are and have been my go-to outfit for years.

But when I had my first child (a long time ago), I was already weary of trying on jeans in fitting rooms. Sizes varied from brand to brand and from style to style, and if I found a pair I liked, that style would rarely be available when I needed my next pair of jeans.

So I turned to mail-order jeans, originally Lands End, because I liked the fact that I could order an exact length and also because I could order the same style year after year after year. That went on until the day when Lands End decided to jump on the low-rise bandwagon and it became difficult to find anything that actually had a natural waist (they've since branched out and offer multiple choices for waist styles, but for a time that wasn't true).

I moved on to L. L. Bean. There was less choice in length, but more variety in waist styles, and again, I could--dependably--count on the same style year after year. At the time, I was mostly looking for comfort, and I found it.

I also have a pair of Jag Jeans. These are pull-ons, and I love the look, but they're just for jeans dress-up (for me at least) because they're longer, I have to wear higher heels, and the pockets are tiny.

These days I have several things I look for in jeans: something that--again--can be depended on to be available long-term, something that isn't too tight but fits my legs without looking too matronly, something with front pockets deep enough to hold a cell phone, since I often don't carry a purse, and something that has a bit of give. Right now I've settled on Lee Women's Relaxed Fit Straight Leg Jeans. They do fit slightly below the waist, but they're not uncomfortably low, they still look good if I gain or lose a few pounds, and I can--with a bit of angling--fit my phone in the pocket. Also, they come in a lot of colors, so I can change things up a bit if I like.

What's your go-to outfit? And how long did it take you to find your current outfit of choice?

Have a great day!

Myrna

Fun with Shoelaces

I live and breathe in gym shoes and have for years. Like blue jeans, it's part of my work-at-home uniform, but also...I just like the comfort of gym shoes. I have a couple of issues, so I sometimes have trouble finding ones that are truly comfortable, but I manage.

I would love to wear only cute shoes, like the ones below...

...but barring that (not all cute shoes have the right arches and so on), I've hit upon another way to up my shoe game: cute shoelaces. Thanks to the magic of YouTube and the wonders of modern manufacturing (when I was growing up, there were very few color choices, materials, or textures available), a person can really dress up a plain pair of sneakers. Take a look.

I suppose that these work better on a plainer shoe, but even if I never try this, I'm mesmerized just watching them. If you'd like to see more, go to YouTube and type Creative Shoe Tying (or something similar) into the search box.

Have fun!

Myrna

How Air Travel Has Changed

Showing my age here, but when I was young flying was expensive and for people who had more money than we did. My husband and his family went for a visit to England (his mother was British) on a ship rather than an airplane. Flight attendants (everyone called them stewardesses then, and they were all female at that time) had stringent rules about attire and weight.

Source

But times change (thank goodness), and over the years the attire (and sex and some of the rules) for flight attendants have changed. Here's a video of flight attendant uniforms through the years.

Have a great day!

Myrna

100 Years of Beauty (in About One Minute)

I've always loved costume books and things of that ilk. When I first began writing, I was penning a historical romance and had all kinds of books on the topic. These days not so much, but I still enjoyed this one-minute video of hair and makeup from every decade 1910 to 2010. Take a look.

Enjoy your day!

Myrna

Old Shoes Made New Again

We have a shoe repair shop in our town, and even though I've lived here for years, I've never been there. Maybe I should pay them a visit. I like the idea of repairing my old shoes rather than buying new ones. (This shop is in the U.K., but I imagine that the old fashioned shoe repair shops are still around in a number of places. Have you ever been to one)?

Valentine's Day is Coming: Let's Have Some Red

Red is one of my very favorite colors. I wear it a lot (no pastels for me, at least not often). So, I'm constantly on the lookout for fun red things.

This first item is from my house (hence, my poor photography). I bought it from a card shop one Valentine's Day years ago. I have no idea what you would call it, but it's a clear acrylic cylinder about 2 inches high and similar to an hour glass in design. There's a horizontal divider down the middle. Half the cylinder is almost filled with sand and when you turn it over, the sand pours through the black divider with holes punched on each side, and you end up with either a heart or the message "You're Very Special," depending which side you've flipped it to. Simple as it is, it has turned into a conversation piece for guests.

Red rain boots are always fun.

Amazon

A  crab-shaped purse

Amazon

Ruby Slippers

Amazon link

Or a vintage Valentine

Enjoy the day! Think red.


Myrna

If You Come to Chicago...Fashion in Art and...

The city of Chicago has many fine museums. Today, let's look at two of them which have fashion-related displays.

The Art Institute of Chicago currently has an exhibition on Fashion in Impressionism (and if you can't get here, visit the website for a bit more).

The Chicago History Museum has the second largest costume collection in the world. They also have other fine exhibits and a wonderful research center. 

Here's an (older) video on the museum's costume collection:

This Must Be Why Fashions Keep Changing (Fab 1950s Spectacles)

All I have to do is watch this video and I feel positively thrilled that fashions die out over the years. As someone who has worn...um..."spectacles" for years, I had to laugh at some of the ones showcased in this old video. The audience looks a bit ill in parts, and the last pair of glasses modeled? Priceless.

How It's Done: Making a Louis Vitton Shoe

I don't own any designer shoes, but I love watching artisans at work and seeing the process.

Making Your Own Christmas Gifts - A Survival Bracelet

All right, it's the day after Thanksgiving, at least in the U.S., and in my world that means it's time to let all things Christmas officially begin. Today's link will take you to the instructions on how to make a survival (or paracord) bracelet. I think one of those would make a very nice present for campers or hikers, in part because it's a unisex present and it's jewelry that's also useful (how awesome is that)!

Note: The image below isn't exactly like the one in the tutorial, but it's similar.

How to Make a Survival Bracelet 

Image by SonnyandSandy

And if you like them, but don't want to make your own, Etsy has listings for all kinds of paracord survival bracelets. Let the fun begin!

The Evolution of a Woman...in 4 Minutes

If you've seen this stop-motion video this week, it was probably called The Evolution of Hair, but it's actually a video by Lena Nosenko titled Moby - Wait for Me, made for the Moby video contest in Cherniv (Ukraine).  The director describes it as "the evolution of a woman from ancient times to our days." Fascinating. I couldn't look away.

Bow Ties are Cool. Yes, They Are!

According to the 11th Doctor Who (I haven't gotten this far along in my Doctor Who viewing yet), bow ties are cool! (Okay, you've convinced me).



And in case you're still not sure, here's a sexy Frenchman teaching you how to tie a bow tie (love the wink at the end).

How to Tie a Bow Tie from Keith Paugh on Vimeo.

via Nag on the Lake