Style Guru

Someone (you know who you are) came over to see me today and very kindly brought me belated birthday gifts.  They were brilliant, thank you.  However, it was what she was wearing that got most of my attention.

It looked like she’d just had her hair done, but she professes to have coloured it at home.  It looked like it had recently been cut too, but she swears not.  She was wearing a fabulous coat.  It was blue with white checked lines, a belt and collar.  To be honest, she looked very glamourous in it, not that she doesn’t always look fab, but this was really rather special.

All the while we sat and chatted I was thinking “I want that coat”.  I offered a very sincere compliment on it and how it looked on her and she told me where she’d bought it from.  I’m going to google it later.

But do I need another coat?  Probably not.  I have several lightweight jackets.  I have what I call my autumn jacket, one that is slightly thicker than but not as heavy as a winter jacket.  I have a winter jacket.  I have a winter coat.  I have a rain coat.  I have a posh long coat. I probably don’t need another one.  But it did look good.

It looked good on her, but would it have looked that good on me?  I don’t know.  We are different body shapes, height, hair colour and skin tone, so maybe it suited her style better. Maybe I’d just look like a beached whale in it.

I’m trying to inject some colour into my wardrobe as quite a significant amount of it is black or white.  I’m trying to find more stylish items rather than the functional or office style.  I’m buying more things I can mix and match with other things.  I’m trying to move away from the same old stuff.  I did actually see a photograph of someone in a bright pink trouser suit the other day and I thought she looked fantastic.  I actually felt that I wanted that suit too.  Last summer I did buy a bright blue suit, which is very different for me, and I wore it to work a few times and got some really nice compliments. 

I think the problem is I’m not really sure what my style is.  I like comfort but I like to be smart when I’m at work.  I used to wear skirts and dresses but for about 15 years or so I probably have only wore a skirt or dress a handful of times.  I have some long dresses that I wear to formal dinners, but that’s all I have in the wardrobe now.  Everything else is trousers.  I have a long body which makes some styles impossible to wear despite the fact that they might be flattering for my girth!

I think I like an urban casual look. Something fairly soft and comfy with an occasional edge to it. I’m slowly amassing that kind of wardrobe.  But every now and then I want a statement piece. Maybe the coat could be this years’ statement piece.