What I love this week: no fooling! 😉
Well hello, April! This time last year we were experiencing snow in Paris.
It’s been a bit of a 3-ring circus around here, and I’m off my schedule a bit, but did want to share what’s new chez nous and more….
To wear
This modern textured chain necklace looks and feels expensive but is actually budget-friendly.
These linen wide-leg trousers are comfortable and (surprisingly) flattering. The Espresso color is a nice alternative to black, and is a little bit darker than it looks in the image above. (Good match for the dark brown in the Autumn & Spring palettes.) In four neutrals colors, sizes Petite P to 3X. They seem to run true-to-size.
I also love the look of this organic linen dress with a Mandarin collar, which you could wear as a dress, tunic, or open as a duster. Four colors, sizes XXS-3X.
And here’s one in a gorgeous Blueberry color for you Summers.
This linen maxi dress can go from day to dinner. It’s available in this bright blue (good for Winters) and a chocolate brown for Autumns and Springs. It’s selling fast, but many sizes are still available.
If there’s a straw tote on your spring wish list, here’s a good-looking style that “punches above its weight,” price-wise. It’s nicely structured, and includes a zippered pouch to corral small items. The double handles give you the option to carry in-hand or wear on the shoulder.
To drive…
I’m now the proud owner of an EV! This is the Volkswagen ID.4, a small SUV style vehicle. It’s a delight to drive, and has a range of 250+ miles (when charged to 80%, as recommended for maximum battery life). I’m still learning all of the features, but am quite happy with it.
We’ve installed a 220V outlet to be able to charge at home, but I also get 3 years of free charging from Electrify America, which is great if we’re out and about.
To watch
Yes, we’ve become hooked on another Korean drama, Divorce Attorney Shin on Netflix. It’s a little opaque at first, but the plot and motivations of the characters unfold over the season. Lighter on the “legal procedural” aspect than Extraordinary Attorney Woo, the story leans heavily on relationships between the characters.
Another season of Ted Lasso is back on Apple+, and we’ve also really liked “Shrinking.” It took me a couple of episodes to get into the series, but it does get better. And Harrison Ford steals every scene he’s in.
What have you been enjoying this week?
Stay in touch
Sign up to be notified of new posts and updates from une femme d’un certain âge.
Hi Susan,
I like that you are ‘on trend’ but you also pull from pieces you’ve had for years. I’m trying to pare down my closet and feel a bit overwhelmed at how do you do this? I’d love to know (as you change out your closet spring and fall) what do you say to yourself to determine whether to keep or give away? Also …you may have covered this (sorry if so) but is there a way that you organize your closet to easily remind yourself what you have? I just realized maybe if I folded and stacked all my white/off white sweaters together that would be better. Their various weights and fabrics…some good for early spring and some good for the heat of summer and air conditioned restaurants. Feeling overwhelmed at how to pare this down and curate old and new pieces so I can see which things to purchase each season to update and which things to keep or let go! Loved your piece on starting with the shoes and how many to take on a trip! Brilliant. PS Then there’s the swing of 5 or 10 lbs and (for me) that’s the difference between two sizes…how to store or manage that? Thanks so much!
Ha! My name is also Mary, and I could have written the above comment, especially the frustration of the swing of poundage requiring a different size (often identical pieces). Yesterday, my husband showed me a New Yorker cartoon which showed a chair piled with clothing and woman explaining that “Spring cleaning is just replacing the winter clothes on this chair with lighter, more colorful ones.” Boy, could I relate.
I do hope Susan does a post on this…I live in Mid-Atlantic – 4 seasons to contend with and ‘spring’ could be all four seasons in one week!! Of late, I’ve folded/stacked my sweaters by style – pullover or button up – and then by color…and I WILL pack away most of my black sweaters for the spring/summer…I’ve been wearing my best colors (autumn) for about 8 years, and it really has eliminated over-shopping, misses and made for a more cohesive wardrobe that I can wear ALL year ’round. Hope that helps a wee little until Susan chimes in??
Hi Mary, I’ll address this in an upcoming post, but in case you missed it, here are some earlier posts about closet “de-tox” and organization:
How to detox your wardrobe (& why you should)
How to detox & organize your closet
Hope these are helpful!
Love the expresso linen!
I bought those espresso linen pants. I wear a 1X and agree they’re super flattering. I also like that they have a button and fly for more structure.
As soon as I saw the new EF colors, I knew I’d see them here next. Perfect for you!
More short pants…sigh…still hoping they’ll go out of style!
Love the straw tote though
This particular style is full-length (just below the ankle) on me. Not sure how they’d fit someone else. (Remember that most of the models are probably quite tall…)
Good point about the models being tall. But these pants have a 28 1/2 inch inseam, which is quite short on medium-tall people (not to mention the taller ladies). I’m only 5’7” but full length on me is at least 31” and preferably 32”. Oh well, I know it’s the style lately! I often buy Tall sizes of ankle pants if they’re available, and then the length comes out about right. Not an option with EF unfortunately, but Banana Republic, J Crew, and sometimes Talbots carry tall length pants
I have found full-length linen pants at ON in Petite, Regular and Tall sizes, but regular length has changed to a 28″ inseam, and tall to 32″. I am 5’7″ tall, like you. I have to hem pants for my 30″ inseam. I tend not to buy if I can’t find the correct inseam length. I hunt down cropped or ankle pants in Tall with 30″ inseams, but I’d rather have the 30″ inseam length in Regular.
Ah, last April… when we met in Paris. So nice. Too short.
The weather here has been rather cold with a lot of rain. Next week it should be better with temperatures rising to 14 degrees Celsius by the end of the week. Probably only down south and not here at the coast, but still better.
Bought a yellow summer maxi dress.
Greetje
I always look forward to reading your blog as I’ve yet to find a UK one that matches my style so closely. Now I feel even more in tune with you as I’ve just purchased my first EV. It’s a Vauxhall Corsa and it’s the easiest car to drive I’ve ever had. I absolutely love it.
I loved Divorce Attorney Shin!
An EV, hooray!!! And I wound up loving Shrinking, in large part because of Harrison Ford. Somehow this little show, more than any of his blockbusters, lets his 10000 megawatt charisma loose. Makes me feel like humans are kind of magic, actually.
I really want to like all this but I don’t. I am not a huge fan of linen because to me the wrinkles look messy. I used to be a big EF fan but her loose boxy bag like styles were just not flattering IMHO and I know it is supposed to be “easy breezy” but even on these perfect body models it is not my favorite. I would like to see those pants in a different fabric and I suspect they are out there. Drive your new car in good health!
Enjoy your new electric car! We have a Tesla (yes, I’ve heard the comments here about Elon Musk, but he is a genius and started this electric car revolution) We’re really happy with our car. No maintenance and no gas is a great saving in the long run. We just use a regular plug at home. We are retired and don’t commute so don’t need the fast charging. If we do need to top it off for back to back long drives, we go to the Supercharger in our town. Travel is very easy with the many Superchargers. It looks like you’ll be able to use them soon. Yay for the environment.
Also, EF looks good on others, but makes me feel frumpy and I’m 5’8 and medium weight. It’s just me.
Ann — It’s not just you. I’m 5’9” and slender and EF makes me look and feel frumpy — pants too short, tops too boxy, colors that don’t compliment my coloring. I like her company’s philosophy and business practices, but her clothes aren’t good for me.
I love EF and I’m only 5 feet tall! I was wondering if the espresso shade would work for Summers so I’m glad you indicated that it’s good for Springs and Autumns and the blueberry is a better Summer choice. Many people seem to dislike the EF aesthetic but it’s definitely my vibe! I find it so easy to put my outfits together with a combination of EF pieces and items that have the same look from other brands. Combining the different proportions and textures creates the interest.
Hi Krys, if you’re looking for a nice brown for Summers, the EF “Cassis” color is good for you!
I like the EF aesthetic in small doses to mix in with my current wardrobe. A full on ensemble looks shapeless and would overwhelm my petite frame.
How nice to read a post without anything striped.