Archives for the month of: February, 2014
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After receiving a request from a male reader, to write a post for the ‘older, more rounded’ customer I thought about how in today’s fashion media and communication there aren’t very many visual aids to help customers above a certain age and body type.
All fashion looks and trends are very must suited to the younger customer, all of which have that perfect bikini ready body. So I thought it would be good to do a little guide – if you do happen to be one of these guys who find it difficult to know what to buy.
The older generation you need to be looking out for the following:
– Clean lines
– Tonal outfits (monochrome, blue/navy)
– Isolating patterns (if you do want to add your own twist)
– TAILORING, literally can take years and pounds off you. I can’t stress enough the importance of tailoring. You can use it not just for smart wear.
For example: a grey casual jacket, with a plain blue t-shirt, maybe a darker blue cardigan underneath and smart trousers can be worn almost everywhere.
If you think about it, buying simple items (t-shirts/shirts) matched with a well tailored piece, you are buying less. You can wear these both day and night.
– A good fit. Make sure you take the time to buy properly fitting clothes. I know it sounds completely obvious, but it’s worth finding those brands that suit your body type.
Lots of department stores nowadays provide brands that are suited to a varied range of body types. Debenhams and Lewis are both great choices!
I’ve compiled what I think are brilliant outfit choices for you older guys!
Agreed these outfit choices are more smart casual – but who says you can’t spruce up your look a little?
If this still hasn’t given you any inspiration, ( I really hope it has) then a really good daily source of ‘man fashion’ is Fashion Beans. An array of advice, inspiration, creative ideas, latest trends for you at your fingertips.
If you are a middle aged guy – chances are you are pretty comfortable in your own style. (You may not even think you have. But even if you are a t-shirt and jeans guy, then yes, you do have a style). So why not, as you are approaching a new age bracket (35-40 / 40-50 / 55+) to try a new look?
I’m sure the wife would love to rediscover her man in a new suit.
So tomorrow will be the first day at my new job! I’m very excited because it’s my first job at a supervisor’s position. I was getting the feeling that I was never going to get any further than the usual ‘assistant’, ‘admin’ jobs.
The hard work is finally paying off!!
The position is in the retail sector, one which I’ve had a lot of experience in. I’m really looking forward to being given more responsibility and have bigger goals for a team of people.
I’m slightly nervous about having to manage people (granted it is not a big team-thank god!) but still, from past experiences I understand the value of having a good supervisor and how it generates harder working staff. I am hoping to try and embody all the things that I loved from my past supervisors.
That’s one thing I have really enjoyed about working in retail (I’m sure it applied to other industries as well), is that success comes from having a well balanced and motivated team.
Have you guys had to make this leap? How did you find the best ways of dealing with a position change?
Would really appreciate any tips!
Right ladies… how often are going out for a meal/coffee with friends/night out (most occasions really), and you haven’t got the foggiest what would be the most suitable outfit choice?
You don’t want to be over dressed, yet you still don’t want to rock up in a pair of Uggs and a hoodie when everyone else is in their Sunday best.
Well I think for this particular dilemma there is always one perfect solution, that will suitable for almost all instances. It’s the chameleon of outfits.
Blazer and Jeans.
It literally can be used for anything. Work wear (if smart casual is your office policy), nights out (with the right shoes and accessories), casual lunch with friends, a date.
I’ve collated a few images of outfits that I think will give you some inspiration for those days when you’re staring at your wardrobe utterly clueless of what to wear. (I always find my mind goes blank when I’m getting ready for work, mornings aren’t my best times!)
The hardest part about knowing what to wear is that there are just so many options – skirt, jeans, dress, jeans with t-shirt, jeans with blouse, skirt with t-shirt, skirt with jumper, dress with jacket… ahhh! I don’t have time for all these combinations when I’m already half hour late on a Monday morning.
So if you ever find yourself in one of these moments – easy, just blazer and jeans. From there, the options are minimal – less brain work.
Work wear –
Blazer / jeans (preferably a darker pair) / black plain t-shirt or blouse / feminine accessories (thing gold chain, long pendant) / a pair of pointed court shoes (nude works nicely).
As it is work you could get away with not accessorising as much, and keep to simple.
Coffee / lunch out –
Blazer / jeans (slouchy, boyfriend fit) / over sized t-shirt (any colours – white keeps it fresh) / shoulder bag / ballet pumps or biker boots.
A date –
Blazer (slim fitting) / jeans / strappy, cami top or patterned blouse (depending on the weather) / pointed court shoes or high sandals
Drinks with girlfriends / night out –
Blazer / jeans / block coloured blouse or structured black top (Zara are very good for these) / over sized necklace (maybe something tribal or colourful)
Below are some outfits that are the perfect chameleon choices!
If you have any other occasions where you want to know how blazer and jeans can work – let me know 🙂
After reading through my most recent posts I felt my blog is missing a deeper insight into me as a person. So I thought I would brain dump some thoughts I’m having.
Like most students I still (after 3 years) have no idea what I want to do in life. So I’ve decided that – when I finish University, if I haven’t found a job that I’m particularly interested in pursuing then I would like to move country.
I’ve always thought the idea of moving abroad was a distant dream. Something that I would always want to do – but never actually getting round to making the leap of faith. Finishing University however gives me the opportunity to make the most of my lack of responsibilities.
I want to learn a new culture and push myself out of my comfort zone. I really feel the strength you build when you have totally left all your own comforts and have to re build your life, is something truly invaluable.
There are so many people that are middle aged with a family and are settled with their lives. All wishing they had done more, pushed themselves further, had the confidence to see through their dreams. I do not want to be like this.
I don’t think I could settle into my life unless I had really seen what else is out there, what else life has to offer. How can so many people feel fulfilled by just doing a mediocre job, letting each day pass by, existing not living?
In fear of becoming one of these people I am trying to live by the idea that, if I’m not happy about my current situation – I will change it; whether that be my job, where I’m living, my happiness.
I’ve recently been thinking about the possibility of moving to a new country. Every time I think about it, it fills me with excitement. To make this a realistic goal and one that I can achieve I was thinking about ways I can work and earn a living in a foreign country. This would enable me to see myself sustaining a workable life, rather than a long holiday.
One option that seems to be the most inviting is teaching English. The benefit of being British is that English is in fact my native language. This alone can open many doors.
I’ve been informed that I will need some sort of qualification, and the most popular is the TEFL certification, (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). I haven’t looked a lot into it yet as I still have another year of University to go, which gives me plenty of time. But I definitely think by having this under my belt it gives me the opportunity to work in almost any country.
At the moment I’m flirting with the idea of living in somewhere in Europe (CzechRepublic, Austria, Holland, Germany). I’ve been reading lots of other people’s stories of how they have moved to a few of these places and loved them.
You don’t necessarily need to move to the other side of the world to experience a rich culture and live a new way of life. Well that’s what I believe in any case.
So… I have 16 months until I graduate, and counting.
I’d love to hear if you have made the leap of moving to a new country, and if you have any experience with obtaining a TEFL qualification?
Fire any tips my way 🙂
We ventured into the depths of Wales, for a family wedding in Laugharne. (West Wales). This remote location is where the famous Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas lived with his family. The famous ‘Boat House’ that is romantically perched on the side of the estuary is where the poet wrote some of his many famous works including ‘Under Milk Wood’.
I had never been to this part of Wales before and it was a beauty to discover. So quiet that it is almost deafening. The small town is host to a few hotels and cottages with small corner shops. I would have trouble living there as there isn’t much to do on a daily basis, and I guess the beautiful view would only surpass so many days of not doing anything. That said it was lovely to go somewhere and feel completely isolated from the rest of the world. (Phone signal was none existent).
I always love weddings as it is a chance for everyone to get dressed up, eat nice food and see family that you haven’t necessarily seen in a while. As it was a winter wedding in Wales, you can image we didn’t go without a bit of rain.
What made the wedding special were all the small details that had been thought about. The wedding had a red theme as it was on Valentines Day. This transcended from the bridesmaid dresses to the table settings.
The bride and groom got engaged in New York on Valentines Day hence the place cards were personalised wooden apples representing ‘The Big Apple’.
Welsh cakes on arrival was just perfect!
In terms of outfit choices for a winter wedding, I was quite unsure what would be most suitable. I chose to wear a long dress which turned out to be a wise decision! The weather wasn’t the nicest.
A lot of people at the wedding had opted for lace overlay. Which I found quite interesting as it’s been a while (few seasons) since lace was THE fashion trend.
That said – I was wearing a lace dress. It seemed very in keeping with the rest of the wedding.
I love going back home to Wales – it will always be a special place for me.
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