An Early Spring Look

We throw caution to the wind on Saturdays and have a glass of champagne and perhaps a decadent dessert. The weather was cool and sunny, so we dressed to explore and enjoy a full day of activities.

New prescription glasses are coming, so watch for an upcoming post detailing how I chose them and why.

The denim blazer is here. I am five feet six inches tall and wear a size medium, but I could have gone down to a size small since it has a very relaxed fit. I used sleeve garters here to keep the sleeves up.

The jeans are here. I am wearing my regular size, but I ordered the jeans in the tall length so I could wear them with heels. I also have them in regular length to wear with sneakers or sandals without higher heels.

Inseam: Petite 30″ (76 cm), Short 31″ (78 cm), Regular 32″ (81 cm), Long 34.5″ (88 cm), Tall 36.5″ (93 cm).

The tank is here. The platform sandals are here, and a similar style is here. The handbag is here.

Mr. Mickey wore beer socks for our day of fun on Saturday. We planned to enjoy lunch at Vivienne’s Table in the Bristol Hotel. However, two graduating classes rented the whole restaurant midday, so we had to move to plan B. (Note to self – ALWAYS make reservations.) It was also a local high school prom night, so many young women wore formal gowns parading through town during the afternoon. The photographers were very busy!

The tag on his daily driver also hints at his “loves to be silly” personality.

Since our original plans fell through, we made reservations for lunch at Hickory. Afterward, we continued to Anthony’s Desserts in Abingdon.

Fork in hand, Mr. Mickey is ready to dig into his portion of the sumptuous dessert.

Anthony’s brownies are extra large, so we asked our server to cut a coconut dream one in half, warm it and serve each with a scoop of homemade cookies and cream ice cream.


I like these jeans so much; I wore them twice this week. On Wednesday, we enjoyed a delightful lunch with Mickey’s famous cousin, the author Rebecca Warner, her always impeccably dressed husband, Jason, and his elegant sister, Sharon.

A jacket similar to the one I am wearing is here.

A summary of recent looks is here. In addition, the shopping links on this site may allow me to earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

40 Comments
  1. Thank you for sharing your adventures. What a nice outfit. I like the denim blazer and it looks great with the white jeans and top. I like Mr. Mickey’s shoes as well as the socks.

  2. Susan, the denim blazer was perfect with the white jeans. Will you please explain how to use the sleeve garters? Thank you.

  3. Recently had my cataracts removed and multifocal lenses fitted (free of course because I live in Australia) and it takes some getting used to, not wearing glasses. But I do like not having to choose them. Good luck with your new frames.

  4. Another great outfit. I really like that denim jacket with the white shirt and pants. This is another good example of a column of color. Looking forward to seeing your new glasses. Thank you for taking us on your lunch date. The dessert looked delicious!

  5. I am looking forward to seeing your new frames and your thought process in picking them out. I think of all the decisions I have to make, picking glass frames is one of the hardest. I feel like I never get it quite right. I have to pay 100% of the costs for glasses so I don’t change glass frames on a whim. Looking forward to reading how you go about it. Mr. Mickey’s sense of humor is very evident on his car and sock choices.

  6. LOVE the denim jacket! I bought it at 6:30 this morning, as soon as I saw it on you, Susan. I’ve been looking for just such a thing for YEARS ! Got 20% off, too. Made my day.

  7. If you’re ever stranded, Mickey could hitchhike a ride for both of you. He is on par with Claudette Colbert.

  8. Hello Susan, I was wondering if the red double breasted blazer you wore on another post would look overwhelming on a 5’2” frame.

    1. It is the wrong proportion for petites since it hides so much of the top of the legs. Your best choice will be a shorter jacket that lands mid-behind.

  9. I seldom wear white pants. I like the look you showed though, what other pants would be okay such as light tan or taupe? What color top? Thank you.

  10. I read Rebecca Warner’s book “My Dad, My Dog”, back when I was giving end of life care to my Mother, and it was a true comfort to me. Excellent, relatable author. And she’s so stylish in this picture! As you all are.

  11. Susan,
    In your opinion, would the denim blazer be the right length proportion for a 5’4” body height? I have several relaxed blazers from Everlane that are longer. If relaxed, and not double breasted, that is part of the look, right? You look amazing! Pat

    1. Yes, you are correct. A relaxed fit is part of what makes this look work. Pants that fit well at the hip and upper thighs before flaring out and a bit of heel will help with the proportions.

  12. Beautiful looks!! You may have addressed this already, but could you tell us how tall you are?

  13. Love your jean blazer! So nice to share your fun escapes with us. What a cute date too!

  14. As always, I really enjoyed this post. I like the denim jacket but not sure what size to order. Please remind me how tall you are to help me determine if I may need a petite. I’m 5’4”.

    1. Thank you, Beverly. Longer hair is so much easier! I can wear a headband or any hat, twirl it into a chignon, and stick a pencil in it if it gets in my way. Also, cleaning up the ends between stylist visits is relatively easy, so I don’t have to go nearly as often.

  15. You both look happy and so well dressed. What a lovely way to show self-care. Inspirational as ever,
    Carolyn

  16. My husband and I are visiting Johnson City in early June and would like some recommendations about what to do and where to eat. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

  17. I love white and denim together. I’m going out to find a good pair of white jeans as soon as it stops raining. Which may be days! The denim jacket is classic, a brooch on the lapel would look terrific! I always look forward to your posts for inspiration, Thank you Susan.

  18. I love your classic look. I too don’t look great in prints for some reason.
    Too busy for my style.
    You always dress so smart. Like your hair shorter. Makes you look more bouncy.
    ❤️

  19. You two look great as always!!! I can’t see Mr. Mickey’s socks very well, but I’m sure they are quite dapper!!! Thank you, as always, for such great posts!

  20. I just googled Rebecca Warner. She sounds like a very interesting and caring woman. Same as you , now that I think about it. Thanks for all of your work in writing your blog.

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I share tips and inspiration for using what you already have in contemporary ways. Defining words include effortless, classic, refined, discreet, and elegant. My style is chic, minimal, and timeless with a bit of edge.