Country Living Style

I'm not a fashion hound but I love clothes like most women.  Living in the country does not go with high heels, designer labels, little black dresses and a huge wardrobe.  As you get older you find your style, you realize what looks good on you and you need less.

I love these quotes:

 

Have you found your style?  Do you know what looks good on you, what doesn't?  What designers you like?  I don't live by many fashion mantras but I no longer wear short skirts but I still wear jeans (you have to wear jeans in the country).  I often see clothes I love but know that I have no place to wear it.  Designers I love:  Calvin Klein, Armani, Chanel, Hermes and Dior.  But I only have a few Armani pieces bought in Italy in the 90's.  As I have gotten older I have meandered back to my preppy roots and like a somewhat preppy look with a twist.  J Crew is my favorite store and their clothes fit me well. 

You do need a few staples though. Here are mine:

A really good handbag (or a few).  These are expensive but a good one never goes out of style. Gucci, Hermes, Celine, Kate Spade, Tory Burch.   Think about how much you use a bag over a 10-year period. A lot cheaper than a nice dress. 

For me, an Hermes scarf is a staple.  I wore one last night with a J Crew cashmere t-shirt, jeans and Dubarry boots.  You can pick these up on Ebay for under $150. 

Good shoes make or break an outfit.  You can have on the most wonderful dress with cheap shoes, and well, it's not a pretty picture. Find the shoes that fit, that look good on you.  I don't wear heels very often, only wedges and flats.  But that's a personal preference.  Belgian loafers are my favorites along with Gucci flats and Tory Burch.  I wear Dubarry boots all winter.

Next you have to find a look that suits your age and your lifestyle.  When I lived in DC I had several wardrobes: work, cocktail, evening and weekend.   I also spent a lot of money on clothes back then.  Ann Taylor and Neiman-Marcus were my best friends. Now it's more like the J Crew Outlet, Banana, Anthropologie, the Gap, and sometimes the big department stores in Northern Virginia.

Here is a typical outfit for me, kinda.  I love this look.  Chambray shirt (you can buy these anywhere), Chanel jacket and jeans.  Bet she has a nice handbag too. I don't own the Chanel jacket (maybe one day) but J Crew makes great looking ones for less than $200.

Another simple look.  Black jeans, heels, striped shirt and knock out coat.  I bought a hot pink wool coat this month on sale for next to nothing and wore it last week with a hot pink wool turtleneck and camel wool pants.  I like a burst of color in a monochrome palate.  I also have a coat fetish.

 

Another great look. Chambray shirt and sequin jacket that looks preppy, almost fashioned after a vintage tennis look. This is old, from J. Crew, but looks great.

Simple.  Bulky cable turtleneck, navy or black coat, flats, jeans.

This is one of my favorite looks. Tried to buy this coat last year but it did not fit.  Gray turtleneck, black wool pants, great handbag, and flats. Somewhat preppy yes, but this same outfit will look good three years from now. And it can easily be updated with a hot color for the coat or handbag.

Country style also needs to be practical.  Good boots, pants you can wash, a good jacket for rain and wind.  I love this look below.  This is what I wear around here most of the time.  Barbour jackets, Dubarry boots, and the cute accessories.

I also come back to this very classic look.  Audrey Hepburn would wear this; Jackie; Carolyn B.; Lauren Hutton and many others.

 Jewelry is a personal preference totally.  For daily wear, I have an old Tag watch, a pair of diamond studs and a few rings I never take off.  There is so much fun stuff out there now that you can use to update something and then there is the classic stuff that you wear for dress up: pearls, monogrammed this or that, David Yurman, Elizabeth Locke or Tom Hardy.  So I won't go there today.

We don't dress up around here much.  When I do it is something simple like a tunic.  This one would suffice around the holidays with white wool pants or black skinny pants:

I also love this look:

And leopard is always in style.  I have a pair of leopard flats.  Pair them with colored jeans, a white t-shirt for some punch:

And there are other ways to make a statement.  Adding these turquoise leather gloves is a perfect example. 

I think Blair of Atlantic-Pacific Blog has great style.  She looks great, is tall and thin, wears her clothes well.  Don't try to copy her, just see how she has found her style. Finding your own style is not difficult.  Just think about your lifestyle, what you do, where you go and what looks good on you!  

Hope you have a stylish Monday!