January 2016

When I was in high school, leather coats and boots were in style. I wore a lot of winter white back then- that I paired with my long caramel leather coat and boots or my shorter suede jacket in a more rust/caramel color.

Gauchos, knickers, high waisted baggy pants with pleats and pockets, vests, blazers, etc. I also worked in business offices part time in high school, so this is when I also started buying the little business suits, I prefer today.

I reference Knickers in the last paragraph. What are knickers? Wool short pants that fit close to the leg but taper at the knee. Like some golfers wear. My brown tweed pair actually buttoned at the knee. Sometimes I put long baggy pants in my boots [also popular back then], so that it appeared as if they were knickers.

I had a winter white pair of straight leg gauchos that were not wide but hung nicely over my boots. I do not define these as knickers because they did not taper at the knee.

I also had a long oversized brown/tan tweed cloth coat with "Sherlock Holmes" like details [not the full cape, just the pleated overhang detail in the back, with collar and cuff epaulettes] that also went well with my style back then.

Yes, I was a little conservative.. jeans? Not really, I had high waisted Painter's Pants in white that I paired with platform sandals and socks, or my earth shoes- that went well with the many little tube tops and matching gauzy blouses I tied at the waist. Tube tops underneath my tied blouses, the extent of my risqué style.

I also liked some of the styles the women wore in old shows like "The Big Valley" and "High Chaparral". Gauchos, boots and vests. Do you remember Linda Evans in "The Big Valley"?

So anyway, this to explain why- in high school I decided to make a wide leg gaucho outfit for one of my Home Economics Sewing classes.

Photos of the vest.

I no longer have the gaucho pants to the set. They were the long wide leg type [wide aline] that went well with boots. The material for the pants matched the back of the vest in that I opted to forgo the pinstripe detail used in the front of the vest.

Note: Everything I owned used to go to the dry cleaners, including non-lined Painter's Pants. I have had this vest for a lot of years-- and it still looks as if- I made it yesterday. The material and lining would not have held up well in the wash.

I keep thinking about how much my life has changed. I cannot remember the last time I went to the dry cleaners and in high school-- all I owned was dry cleaned. The flannel pajama bottoms and tees I now wear to the office-- hold up well in the wash.

That said, this does not stop me from researching the more classic conservative styles I love, which I cannot now afford. I am no longer a size six nor can I justify the cost of a new outfit I do not need for non-existent business meetings and lunches. I am still thinking about where to place the camera I am going to use for Skype calls.

Note, most of the Tumblr blogs I follow via my own Tumblr account, are promotional tools for well known fashion houses.

Someone once noted, I have my own style. I agree.... and I have had strong thoughts and ideas about my style since early high school. Do you watch old Gene Tierney movies?