Long Vests for Leggings

This morning I woke up to the sound of someone scraping ice off a car windshield. It's the day before Halloween and there's ice and a dusting of snow on the ground! Yikes. I love the white stuff, but not before November, please. Needless to say, living in a cold climate requires warm clothing. For those of us who are always cold, it requires the layering of lots of warm clothing. I know plenty of over 50 women, however, who tend to be warm even in winter and rarely wear sweaters. For them, the long sweaters I mentioned in my last post are not an option. If you're looking for something long, but lighter than a sweater to wear over leggings in winter, you might want to consider a long vest. Take, for instance, the Anne Klein Belted Vest, Ships 10/11 (White) ($350) above. Below are a few of the fun vest styles I'm seeing online, all of which I think are flattering choices for women over 50.




Diane von Furstenberg Harrington Belted Vest ($545)







EDUN Button Down Sweater Vest ($349)



Finally, here's a Haute Hippie Luxe Vest with Fringe ($425). I love the way it falls, almost like a long scarf or shawl. However, if you click on the photo and see it close up and from behind, it's clearly a vest.

Long Sweaters: Easy Styling Over 50

My husband and I were out at the summer house on the North Fork of Long Island last weekend, closing it up for winter (always a sad affair). The plan was to work all day, pulling in porch furniture, cleaning out the refrigerator and so forth, and then go out to our favorite local restaurant, Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck, for dinner. I wasn't about to wear my housework grubs out to dinner, but I didn't want to fuss over what to wear either. So before we left our year-round home in the morning, I threw clean slacks, a top, and a long sweater into a bag. I love long sweaters at this time of year because they provide warmth without having to resort to a winter coat, which will be the only option in another month. Long sweaters also create a stylish, casual outfit without the fuss--you can throw them over a simple top and just about any narrow slacks, jeans or leggings.

For styling, I like a long sweater and short boots with a heel, giving my 5'4" frame a little height. I've seen some over 40 women with great legs wear a long sweater with their pants or leggings tucked into tall boots. I also like a long scarf with a long sweater. Here's a couple of online long sweaters that look like great choices for this time of year. And if you have a knee-length or longer winter coat, you'll be able to wear long sweaters all winter.


LONG SWEATER CHOICES
Is a long sweater a new look for you? There are many different styles, so I'm confident that you'll find a flattering one. I like my black one (above) because it's a little fitted on top and flares at the bottom. (I'm also a sucker for double-breasted anything.) If you're trying a long sweater for the first time, you might want to start with a well-priced version like this Nue Options Solid Ribbed Cardigan ($48) from the Beall's online store.





Once you know which styles flatter you, you might want to invest in a beautiful silk or cashmere sweater like the following...




Silk/Wool Cardigan ($198)







Cashmere-Wide-Collared-Cable-Cardigan (was $324, now $226.80)






Cashmere-Longline-Cable-Cardigan (was $224, now $156.80)




Silk/Cotton/Cashmere Long Cardigan ($198)




Finally, here's a Anne Klein Long Sleeve Rib Cashmere Coats (was $$490, now $299.99). I love this simple white coat, which will look great now and again in in March. (The fashion watchers report that white is going to be super popular again in spring 20012.)

Fall Boots: Suede Days

I’ve had a craving for suede ever since August when I started noticing the plethora of suede shoes and boots in the fashion magazines and online. Last week, I decided to see what I could find in my size. This post features some of the suede boot styles that caught my eye while I was shopping, like the furry Report Women's Enfield Boot ($74.95) above. Man, don't they look cozy? I don’t know many over 50 women who can wear 3” or higher heels, so I've focused on boots with heels under 3” for this post.

By the way, I ended up with the Van Eli pair below. Right now, Yahoo! Shopping has these boots for a steal: regularly, $120, now $63.50.









TALL TYPES
I bought two pairs of tall boots, one black and one brown, last year and wore them constantly. I prefer skirts over pants, but hate to be cold in winter. I couldn't believe how warm my tall boots kept me. If I had the budget for a third tall pair, I would definitely go for something in suede.




Nine West Breyona Boot (Brown) ($179)





Anne Klein Gauge Dress Boot (Black) ($169)







KORS Michael Kors Nanette Suede Flat Boots (was $295, now $206.50)




SHORT STYLES
I’ve own several pairs of moderately priced Van Eli boots and shoes and found they hold up really well, making them a good value. The suede on my new pair is buttery soft. Here's a lovely short boot.



Van Eli Women's Jermyn Boot ($129.95)



I love the variety of boot styles, allowing you to choose something very simple, like these Easy Spirit Newscast Comfortable boots for women (Black) (was $89.99, now $59.00), or something with a little more flare, like the pair below it. Either pair will look fabulous with leggings or skinny jeans.










Easy Spirit Ismey Comfortable boots for women (Red) (was $89, now $69)



And, lastly, here's a great pair of Steve Madden boots to wear when you're in a Southwestern mood, channeling you're inner cowgirl.



AZZURE - TAUPE SUEDE ($149)