Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Fancy pants and more ~ Inside the Hostess's closet...

Mother enjoys our outings and we usually find ourselves out for a brisk walk in Oak Bay or leisurely browsing the shops...
She still enjoys getting dressed up and does her best to look stylish and at the ripe old age of 86 I find her energy and devotion to fashion encouraging.

We recently picked up her new glasses at the optical store...
which by the way, are from Kate Spade and look fresh and modern, perhaps even a bit edgy in their design of tortoise shell with gold glitter details.

Mother appreciates that I drive her to areas of town where she is uncomfortable driving her BMW.
She prefers local jaunts along the seafront and to the nearby shopping plaza...
I think it is wise that she knows her limits and stays within them.

She encouraged me to find something new for myself AND she insisted on paying.

I found some "fancy pants."
A dressy fun option for the holidays...
I must have been inspired by materfamilias in her recent post showing us her new party pants.


Jones of NY "jeggings."


I've had these Amalfi shoes for years and still in great shape plus I like how happy I feel when I am wearing them.


Fragrant closet tassel which hangs in our tiny closet...


You can see the "fancy pants" pattern of the cut velvet.

Our closet is really tiny and in dire need of renovation.
 Both Mr. HB and I share the space.
Despite my efforts to keep my wardrobe small somehow it has grown quite large!
 This forces me to store the out of season garments in the guest room closet.

My fall and winter clothes.


Two basic coats...
a black evening coat ~ Giacca
 trench with an asymmetrical zip instead of the traditional buttons ~ Tahari
grey dressy long sweater coat with ruffle edging ~ Betty Barclay
Chanel style tweed jacket ~ Jeremy Spenser
black sweater in a boxy style with ruffle detail at neck and cuffs ~ Susan Bristol
V neck sheath LBD ~ Tahari
black faux wrap  LBD ~ Renuar
V neck tweedy dress ~ Banana Republic
faux wrap print dress ~ Jones of NY
black pants ~ Nygaard
black skirt ~ Reitmans
grey and black mid calf length skirt ~ Lisa Campione
black grey white print wrap top ~ Laura Petites
navy with pearl strand print top ~ Precis
black tank ~ Symplii
black tank with blue ribbon detail ~ Tribal
black sleeveless top with sparkle detail ~ St. John
mauve knit top ~ Sigrid Olsen
new black "fancy pants" ~ Jones of NY



white sleeveless top with ridged details ~ Calvin Klein
white long sleeved Tee ~ Segments
white short sleeved Tee ~ Jessica
vintage cream sweater with beading ~ Spanner
white and cream stripe 3/4 sleeved Tee ~ George
mocha goose down quilted vest ~ Eddie Bauer
black quilted vest ~ Bartbour
leather jacket ~ Banana Republic
striped long sleeve Breton style top ~ Gap
grey chunky knit sweater ~ Dex
grey 3/4 length sleeved Tee ~ Danskin
grey long cashmere cardigan ~ Lord and Taylor
vintage grey beaded cardigan ~ Pelican Cove
black loose knit sweater ~ Wooden Ships
 4 pairs of blue jeans ~ g21, Gap, Calvin Klein, Talbots
black denim ~ g21
Yoga zip lightweight jacket ~ Mondetta
Yoga pants ~ Tuff
denim jacket ~ Gap
black fleece jacket ~ Lands' End
grey zip front walking jacket ~ Mondetta
waterproof hoodie ~ Royal Robbins
fleece lined walking jacket ~ Lands' End
yellow puffy walking jacket ~ Gelco
quilted jacket ~ Burberry

Which by my calculation comes to 47 items...
far more that the project 333 that so many bloggers have chosen to live.
33 items only for 3 months those are the rules!


Shoes are stored in boxes as well as the bottom of the closet.
Most of my shoes are black.
I have a short pair of black boots by Timberland 
and a tall pair of boots by Hush Puppies which I could really stand to replace.


I'm rather surprised at how many garments that I own...
and I thought I was a minimalist when it came to dressing!

I have a couple of cashmere sweaters which I do not hang in the closet 
they are folded with some cedar cubes to keep them safe from moths in a drawer.

That about wraps up the bulk of my clothes...
and I thought when I sat down to type this post it would be all about the fancy pants...
Wow!

I hope you've not been bored to tears...
thank you for stopping by.

Oh and I think you'll want to check out Janet's blog
her son got married in her garden last week and they had 2 weeks to plan a wedding for 100 people.
It is such a wonderful example of how beautifully it all came together on such short notice
and is such an honest and genuine reflection of the bride and groom's tastes
I love the special touches that Janet added...
Pop over and see what I mean.

Be Well and Be Kind
XO


11 comments:

Bonnie said...

I always enjoy reading about your outings with your mother. I can only imagine the fun you must have. I'm not a minimalist, though I only keep things I frequently wear. Shoes are my weakness! I do hope you have many occasions to wear your "fancy pants". V

materfamilias said...

Thanks for linking to me, Leslie, and if I inspired you to pick up those velvet pants, I'm happy -- they're a good find for the holiday season and I bet you'll get all kinds of wear out of them!
Your mom sounds like a gem -- you are so lucky to have her still, so engaged with life. . .

Madame Là-bas said...

Those pants are definitely a good look for the holiday season! I miss having time with my mum but I will be home in a few weeks. I was thrilled to find yesterday that Martinique really is an overseas department of France and even bought some skin care products at the pharmacie. I bought a pair of Amalfi shoes at Lord's on South Granville and wear them every night on the cruise. Enjoy your "fancy pants".

the gardener's cottage said...

thank you dear leslie for the shout out. battling the clothing fitting into tiny closets is an ongoing war around here too. my rule of 1 in 2 out keeps me under control but gosh it is hard! x

Unknown said...

Sorry for deleting my reply but my computer kept putting you in for your.
Madame La-bas, I am happy to know you are traveling as I was concerned about your absence from your blog.
Leslie, I always enjoy reading your blog. I have a 94 year old Mother who also likes to be well appointed.

Duchesse said...

Hostess, I'm sure you will wear your new pants with all kinds of things and they are especially wonderful b/c a gift from your mother. I think you could take them up a little, though... the photo seems to show them bunching at the bottom- and you have such pretty ankles. (Might be the shot, though.)

Marilyn said...

Love your blog--so realistic, kind, gentle. Now , get yourself to Home Sense or Winners, and buy some skinny flocked velvety hangers. Not only will you have A LOT more room in your closet (more space for more treasures) but clothes do not fall off. sometimes you can find the hangers in pretty colors. I'm sure others stores carry them, but i've found they are the right price in those 2 places.

JudyMac said...

Those pants are very spiffy. I love the JonesNewYork brand. I can try on anything of that brand and know it will fit the way I want it to.

Share my Garden said...

Gosh, not bored at all but very impressed - I dare not list the things that hang in my wardrobe and fill our drawer space. (I do know that I have an awful lot of white, black and grey!) Fancy pants, how lovely!
It pleases me so much to read of the pleasure that you and your mother have in each other. These times are so precious.

WendyMcLeodMacKnight said...

Oh I think of downsizing closet but bring it right back up! Love the fancy pants!

Anonymous said...

Your new black fancy pants are a great classic dress element. The slim cut leg style is stylish and can be paired with sweaters, worn with tunics/dresses, and with blouses of any color. The pants work well with jackets (short and long waisted) too. I love my black slim cut pants and wear them in many combinations.

I wish my closet was better organized. What can I say? "It is on the list." I have been looking at closets online and am slowly identifying design characteristics that I like. Soon I will piece together my design choices. A friend recently re-did her small closet and she opened it in to the attic space. Her closet is tall. She uses a library ladder to get to the top shelves. Interesting how she expanded her space by going up!

Your Mom sounds fabulous. Young at heart and spirit. Nothing better. Cherish every day with her. Susan