A Few Random Things I Thought You Might Like…

Madewell denim a-line skirt with pockets. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

It Has Pockets!

Many of you have asked me to feature more skirts, so I’ve been keeping my eyes open. This A-line midi skirt in denim has a self-belt and side pockets. Offered in sizes 23-33. Here’s the same style in a soft black wash. And here’s a very similar style that’s also offered in Plus.

Here are a few more skirts with pockets…

T by Talbot's side seam yoga pants with pockets. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

I’ve also been on the lookout for more wear-at-home-and-out-and-about styles, and decided to try these side-seam yoga pants. They’re a cotton blend, so are soft and breathable. They performed well in my yoga class yesterday, but felt polished enough for errands on the way home. If you prefer a full-length style, you might like these pants. Both styles run true-to-size.

Leggings? Pants? Or A Little Of Both?

Susan B. of une femme d'un certain age wears an at-home outfit with plaid leggings and a cashmere sweater.

I shared this at-home outfit on Instagram yesterday, which has once again raised the “are they leggings or pants?” debate. I’ve referred to these plaid bottoms as leggings because that’s how the brand has categorized them. (And some retailers seem to be using “leggings” and “skinny ankle pants” interchangeably.)

But I agree they aren’t what many of us traditionally think of as “leggings” which are basically a step up from footless tights. I’d describe them as slim-fitting, knit pants that pull on. (Much like my Eileen Fisher ponte knit pants.) The fabric is substantial enough that I’m comfortable with a hip-length top as opposed to something longer. And in these matters, I tend to err on the side of caution. 😉

See another way I styled these leggings/pants HERE.

Lo & Sons Pearl Travel Crossbody bag. My favorite bag for travel! Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Lo & Sons is having a Winter Sale, and several colors of my travel favorite Pearl crossbody bag are included!

Watching & Reading

"The Morning Show" on Apple TV, starring Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon.

While it’s a bit OTT at times, I have to admit I really enjoyed “The Morning Show” on Apple TV. Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon are both fun to watch, as are many of the supporting cast. And Steve Carrell nails it as the self-pitying, sexually inappropriate, disgraced morning show host.

And I liked this National Geographic essay on changing beauty standards by Robin Givhan (Fashion Critic for the Washington Post and author of The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made History.)

How’s your week shaping up?

Stay in touch

Sign up to be notified of new posts and updates from une femme d’un certain âge.

Affiliate links in posts may generate commissions for unefemme.net. See my complete disclosure policy here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

36 Comments

  1. I had that exact denim skirt…in 1977.
    Carolina Herrera knows how to rock a skirt with pockets, usually worn with a crisp white blouse. I love her style.
    As for the leggings/pants debate, my younger friends have informed me that slim is out and loose is in. Pleated fronts (with pockets), high waists, sharp creases (and worn with voluminous silky blouses), all very Katharine Hepburn. Your outfit here channels Audrey Hepburn. Can the two Hepburn styles co-exist in one closet?

    1. I was thinking how the slim paper bag skirt took me back to my 80’s wardrobe too!

      I loved The Morning Show too. The last episode had some serious moments but I was actually laughing during the scene with Mitch and Chip’s confrontation in the apartment lobby and Alex’s bizarre pacing around the desk scene. Poor Bradley, just kept reading the prompter! Look forward to the next season.

    2. The KH silhouette is a tricky one for me, because I’m short and have a short, thick waist and full bust. So no paperbag waists for me. I’ve been trying some variations of a fuller pant with a fitted, cropped top. Still working out the formula. 😉

      1. I find those “now, we are wearing…” constraints silly and readily accept my “OK Boomer” eye roll from those compelled to issue such ‘news’.

        Granted, some pronounced effects (think of ’80s giant padded shoulders) belong to a specific era, but for the last five decades we have found find both slim and loose trousers on offer in any given year. Wear the shape that suits your body.

    3. Oh, Katharine is my style icon! Nobody has ever come close to wearing “slacks” like she did. They were her signature, and wearing them as she did took courage back then. Her pants were a political statement.

      Having said that, I think there is nothing wrong with having different silhouettes for different days. I also believe in having different silhouettes as a permanent choice — something for all body types at all times. I hate that designers get to wipe clothes for our body types off the map for decades at a time. But they will, so I am tempted to buy a pair of Katharine pants before they’re erased, even though I do not need pants right now. Sigh, sometimes the dictates of designers are very much from another century, er, millenium. I resent this. Here’s to wishing we could evolve.

  2. Thank you for the link to the National Geographic essay! I can’t wait to read it again and again, just so I can fully absorb all the ideas and thoughts in it. Every one of the sentences has its own truth. Thank you, thank you!

  3. The leggings/pants line is thin, as you note. I thought I could know it when I see it but recently bought some tight pants that make me question myself.

    It’s interesting how form-fitting most women’s clothes are (even ones like pants that don’t have to be snug) in comparison to men’s clothing which is almost never like that.

  4. En France, nous appelons Tregging tous les pantalons qui ne sont ni des leggings en jersey moulants ni des pantalons slim ou skinny. Les Treggings ont une taille élastique. Et nous appelons Jeggings les jean’s à taille élastique qui ressemblent à des skinny.
    Traduit avec google traduction
    In France, we call Tregging all pants that are neither tight-fitting jersey leggings nor slim or skinny pants. Treggings have an elastic waist. And we call Jeggings the elastic waist jeans that look like skinny.

  5. I love those plaid pants/leggings. I’m 5’8”, do they run short or long? I think they would be fun travel pants. You look fresh and chic in that outfit!

    1. According to the description, the inseam is 28.5″, but I think it’s longer. I had to hem by about 2-3″ to get to the 27″ inseam I’m wearing here.

    2. I’m 5’5″ and of pretty standard proportions. I have the medium and they hit me exactly where Susan’s (hemmed ones) do. I got them after reading the previous post and like them as a jeans alternative. We have cold northern winters and I wear tights under them to make them warmer. Perfect with boots. I still scratch my head over all of the faux detailing, tho….

  6. No matter how hard I try this style of skirt makes me look SO frumpy!! I too am vertically challenged but with a long torso and short legs so the overall look is not good. Even these youthful, slim and probably 5’8″ models look meh. I wear a dress or skirt slightly above the knee and closer to the body (not tight) Usually I wear any skirt/dress with black tights/leggings in winter. Bare legs don’t cut it these days but for more formal events I have a couple cocktail length princess style dresses that look great with sandals (and I self tan those legs to hide the veins)
    The baggy pant revival can go away along with the ultra high Mom jean look that just accentuates a broader bum and bulging post menopause tummy!! in my slushy, frozen world they really make no sense, Wider legged linen pants are lovely and cool in the summer when there are no worries about the messy streets. Try tucking those baggy numbers into Sorels or other high winter boots…..I have and not pretty..
    I do love Susan’s plaid Treggings or Jeggings or slim cuts not as tight as leggings and in a material other than a dark neutral.

    1. I wear slim-cut jeans but probably buy them a size too large. Volume at the hem not a good idea for cycling. I do wonder why some women don’t wear skirts in the summertime when they are far more comfy than trousers or jeans, and more socially/professionally acceptable than shorts.

      1. I don’t wear them because I don’t think they suit my style. 😉 I’m just as comfortable (or more so) in a pair of linen trousers in the heat. I’ll occasionally wear a dress, which takes some of the guesswork out of styling.

    1. No kidding! I agree. I feel the same about the Eileen Fisher pieces that Susan features – look great on her, but I never would have selected the items based on the way they are shown via the company’s own sad sack marketing! So, Susan, thanks for introducing me to Eileen Fisher!

  7. To everyone who said that they had this denim skirt back in the day…me too!
    I’ve kept a few items of old clothing but not that one, but I do have a couple of pretty amazing mini dresses that make me smile every time I look at them!

  8. I bought a pair of similar pants last year, same cut, made by Sanctuary, but is a dark paisley print. I have worn them quite a bit now, and they have maintained their shape very well, but with one caveat: if i sit for a long time, at a restaurant for example, I find that they have tended to pull down in the back and do not return to my waist when I stand up. I am quite short waisted, and the rise is a little long, altogether contibuting to a kind of a droopy rear. But they are exceptionally versatile and wearable in a lot of situations,

  9. Agree with Ainsivalavie above!
    I’m average height, but a poochy tummy makes wearing skirts a problem. My solution is to wear a straight cut or slightly flared skirt always hemmed to the top of the knees with dark tights. In the summer, the same applies to jean skirts-straight, knee length & bare legs-I can live with my visible veins. A length like the one on the model above will cut you in half.
    Susan, please forgive me for this comment, but I was quite surprised by the very young model beginning your post today. I’m your age and I read your blog faithfully because I can relate to the issues women over 50, like yourself, bring to the table. I would really have preferred to see you model a variety of skirts and give helpful hints on how to style them for various occasions.

    1. I appreciate your comment, and I think that is just the model the company (Madewell) uses – unless Susan purchases the items and then returns those that don’t work (and that’s a lot of work, plus all the issues recently brought to light about what happens to much of the clothing that is “returned”), there isn’t really a practical way to show the style on older models (until we put enough pressure on clothing companies to diversify the way they show clothes on their websites).

    2. Hi Elizabeth, thanks, and no offense taken. As Brenda mentioned above, the image is from a retailer’s website. I don’t choose the models. 😉 Some retailers have begun using models of different sizes and heights for their online images; let’s hope they get wise and add more age-inclusive models too!

      As to modeling skirts myself, I don’t own any. Any outfits I’m wearing in posts are almost always my own clothing. While some bloggers are gifted or loaned clothing to model, that’s not usually an option for me. Because I’m so short (5’1″) it’s tough finding clothing in stores that fits without alterations. (Even if brands offer Petite sizes, they often don’t stock them in stores, or only limited styles.) I’ve used collages to offer styling ideas for those whose sizes, shapes, color and style preferences differ from my own, and will continue to do so when I can.

      1. Thanks Susan and Brenda for your insightful replies. It is too bad that clothing companies don’t get more inclusive and use older models with more average type figures.
        Susan, you look fantastic in the photo with the plaid leggings. You really look a lot taller than 5’1″.

  10. I look awful in leggings. I have very skinny calves in proportion to my hips and thighs so I look like a turnip with two toothpicks.

  11. I’ve read that wider leg pants are in for spring. I like them as long as they aren’t TOO wide. I’m not really a fan of wide boot cuts or what we used to call bell bottoms back in the day. So if the leg has a little more fabric from above the knee down, that’s ok. But the fabric has to be soft and fluid. I’m short – 5’2 and short waisted. So, I have to be careful about wide legs – I’m wide enough now! LOL! As for tops, I despise tunics and long sweaters. They make an already short person look even shorter. If you’re slim and 5’6 or so, I suppose you could wear them. On the flip side, ankle length pants, IMHO, do nothing for anyone – no matter how short or tall you are. We used to call them “high water pants”.

  12. Hi, Susan and all. I wore skirts like that one when I was the age of the model, but in my 60s this would sooo not be a good look. It isn’t even about body shape, but just the fact that certain shapes convey a different message depending upon age, for some reason. I love your at-home outfit, though!

  13. I love those kind of skirts! Especially if they have pockets. I am thinking of getting Netflix! Yes I know, I am probably the only person who hasn’t got Netflix yet!

  14. I have that exact skirt! I have kept it for years because at one time I loved it but I don’t think I’ve worn it in 7 or 8 years! Maybe it’s time to try and make it work with something on pass it along.

  15. Normally I would eschew mid calf skirts (being only 5’3 tall) but I am travelling to Israel on holidays in May and needed something I could wear to sites with strict dress codes. So, I bought a nice black linen mid calf skirt (looks similar to the one above) and surprisingly it looks better than I thought. Paired with an elbow length tee, sandals and a cotton scarf, I am hoping I don’t look too frumpy and don’t have rocks thrown at me (by an old man) as happened on my first visit (in Acre) as a 21 yr old back in the 70s whilst wearing a short summer dress with thin shoulder straps. By the way, I really like your new look.

    1. Yes, the misogynous behaviour of some religious fundamentalists is a social problem – whichever the religion. If you have a mid-calf skirt and don’t have bare arms you should be ok.

      I also owned that denim skirt, but my favourite – also with pockets, was knee-length and a v-shape – wide enough to cycle in but not as voluminous. I owned it in denim blue and in black, which was a little less casual. I have a Prana travel skirt that looks like denim but is actually a knit and very easy to wash and quick-drying. I love it. And it does have pockets!

      In warm weather I’m more often in skirts than in jeans (I don’t wear shorts except for doing housework or some gardening tasks; not the slightly hazardous ones.) I also wear skirts (as well as dark jeans; black, dark colours such as burgundy or forest green, or dark denim wash) with warm leggings in cold weather. I have a black velvet legging that is as warm as trousers.

      Some fashion retailers are using models of a certain age now.

  16. I loved Robin Givhan’s National Geographic essay on the changing standards of beauty. There’s still a ways to go on that front but some change is better than no change.

    I am 5’2 and 125 lbs and I cannot wear belted skirts. Don’t get me wrong, I love skirts and dresses but I have a short waist and the belted look is unflattering on my body. I stick to A-line and some pencil cut styles as they work best for me.

  17. Love the “idea” of the skirt, but I know it would look terrible on me. I’m tallish but have a definite tummy, plus am a bit high-waisted. That means a defined waist is a big no! I seldom wear skirts, but if I do, it’s a pencil skirt. I do wear casual dresses a lot in the summer, since I live in a hot climate and they are so much cooler; and it’s easy to find a style without a defined waist but that doesn’t have too much volume.