Discovering which colors, silhouettes, and fabrics look best on me allowed me to stop wasting money on things I rarely wore. Impulse buys never happen now, and I feel confident and well dressed no matter what I am wearing. You can be elegant and very casual.
In this post, I am wearing the oldest and most casual clothing and shoes I own. I’ve worn all these pieces countless times! Great style has nothing to do with price and everything to do with the effort you make to find the correct items for you and your lifestyle.
Clean tousled hair and minimal makeup feel appropriate for a very casual look. Sunglasses keep me from squinting in the bright sunlight. (That’s never a good look!) A big market basket and comfortable slip-on sneakers are functional while looking stylish. My striped top is around five years old. The jeans are about four years old.
Thank you for this, I have a closet full of impulse buys that i never wear
I do not take any medications, but they can be beneficial in restoring the chemical imbalance that causes some depression.
This is a look I love for my lifestyle now. You look just perfect. I’ve taken your advise and figured out after all these years what I really like. It’s so much like your choices. I love really soft blouses and tees. Denim is my favorite fabric for pants. It’s so easy to get get dressed now that I know that. Out with knitted type pants and too big shirts. A transformation. Accessories are more important now. They can change a look in a matter of minutes. Thank you for your blog. I’m walking more and eating better all because of you. You make a difference.
Thank you for letting me know about your progress. I am so happy for you! I’m glad that my decision to share what I’ve learned helps others.
Casual elegance. I love that. I am so much more mindful of making purchases since finding your blog. I stick with what’s age appropriate, comfortable and current in a classic way. I can’t begin to figure out how much money you’ve saved me in making purchases that end up being donated without even wearing them. I also constantly purge items from my closet that are faded, tired looking, too small, too large, haven’t been worn in a long time, out of date or too youthful.
Thank you for this comment, Angie. It feels good to free our closets of our mistakes.
I love today’s look, this is how I usually dress for my very casual two-person office (mine and my husbands). Thank you for showing us that we don’t always have to dress “up” just to look good. I look forward to your blogs each week!
I thank you for this blog. I recently purchased my first Shapeez and Soma panties based on your blog. What a difference in my confidence and ability to wear more tailored outfits! I am 53 years old, 5’1” and very busty via genetics. Very hard to dress with confidence I love all your advice and your style. I get so many compliments on a scarf I bought from you a year ago. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you for shopping with me and for your kind comment. I’m happy that what I share has helped you.
Susan, thanks for showing this very casual look. Those are the kind of clothes I reach for most of the time. I know it’s bad manners to blow your own horn, so let me do that for you. Your self confidence, smile and perfect posture really stand out, especially in these ultra-casual clothes. I know you’re purposeful in making decisions about clothes, makeup, food and probably other things in life too. You figure out what is best for you and go for it, instead of just hoping the right thing is going to magically turn up. I’m sure that’s a huge reason you glow from within no matter what you are wearing.
Thank you!
I too am trying only to buy mostly classic, quality made pieces in colours and styles to mix and match, that I know look good on me and intend to wear for a few years. Your top has horizontal stripes which looks great on you. I recently saw a photo of myself taken at a family outing wearing a similar shirt with horizontal stripes and it made the top half of my body look much larger than usual. I was sitting down in the photo, rather than standing, so maybe that made a difference? Do you have any suggestions on garmets that have horizontal stripes? Thanks.
I look for small stripes that “read” as solids from a distance.
Susan, I thoroughly enjoy all of your style suggestions. I am 70 and so many of the “typical style” suggestions on the Internet don’t fit the life of a retiree. You give practical suggestions for elegant everyday living. Thank you for the time and effort you put into every post.
I really enjoy reading your daily post… I have copied many of the looks shown and received several compliments.
Spot on! Your tips and style always brighten my day! When you are healthy and feel good it shows, you look glowing! Thank you for your help.
Your Casual Elegance is my go to wardrobe but I need to work in blouses and jackets for a dressier look. In dressing for the seasons, plus incorporating casual elegance to date night outfits what would you recommend as the number of pants, shirts, blouses, jackets, shoes, etc one needs for their complete wardrobe? I recently read you should purchase or replace 3-4 items each season. What would you suggest?
It would depend on your lifestyle as to how many pieces you need in a wardrobe. If you have a good selection of articles that work together, you could put together a variety of looks with thirty pieces.
Btw, I just got my shapeez bra and am very happy with it! It’s so comfortable and fits like a glove. I look forward to purchasing a couple more!
Love your fashion style! Would you share tips on laundry. How do you keep your colors vibrant over the years and also shapely. Do you take articles to the cleaners, handwash, and/or dry flat, etc.? Do you handwash the undergarments? It seems over time fabrics fade, stretch or shrink. Do you hang tops and pants on hangers or fold? Again, love your fashion style and thank you for the blog.
I use my dryer as little as possible. They break down fabrics fast. I dry for a short time to get most of the wrinkles out and then hang the garment on a rolling rack to finish drying. I wash in cold water and clean my machine monthly. I rarely wear anything more than once before washing it, and I am careful as I am wearing my garments.
I handwash bras and hang them to dry. I hang all of my garments but fold cashmere sweaters. I rarely take anything to the cleaners.
I agree! You have helped me a lot to redo my choices in clothes. Also gave away a lot I do not wear. Think before you buy.
Thank you
Glenna
I love every picture and article you post! When I’m dressing your advice pops into my head and makes me feel so much more confident. Thank you Susan
Have a blessed day!