Monday Musings: Styles I Spotted While Traveling and New Finds
Happy Monday, ladies. People-watching is one of the extra benefits I love about traveling. I’m constantly inspired by seeing how women put themselves together in different locations for varying activities. When I changed planes in Dallas, the gals boarding the flight looked a bit dressier than the gals boarding in Miami and San Diego. Overall, my impression was a lack of sameness which was refreshing.
I also saw a lot of athleisure in varying levels of formality. The other thing that caught my eye was how many women were embracing the new sling bags.
Outfit of the week
When sling bags got popular last year, I was positive it was a look I would never adopt. I’ve seen enough of them now that I’m beginning to see their appeal. They’re not that different from a crossbody but have a slightly sportier vibe. This one from Anthropologie comes in four colors in the woven texture that’s so popular for spring. I paired it with the perfect lightweight jacket (that’s what they call it), which comes in four colors, sizes XXS-3X in classic, petite, and tall. I really love it in blue, but I think this surplus color has a more casual vibe.
The cotton sweater is great for those who don’t wear wool and comes in four colors, XXS-3X. I was thrilled to find one of my favorite bootcut styles of NYDJ at Nordstrom Rack for 70% off in four washes. The hinged bracelets make a fun statement, and even more so when you wear one gold with one silver. The platform sneakers are very popular for spring and comfy for a day full of running errands. I added a bright pop of lipstick to go with the sweater.
I love hats and wear them often…all except for baseball caps. I’ve never found one that didn’t look dorky on me. I’ve spotted a lot of stylish women wearing them lately, so I want to find one that works for me. Yes, the shapes are all the same, but the vibe varies by color and fabric, so I’ll be on the hunt.
Not seen
What I didn’t see were many women traveling in dresses…and I was intentionally looking for them. I saw one or two women wearing skirts, but they were rare. Most women traveled wearing stretch fabric pants, jeans, or the always popular workout leggings with everything on display. I also don’t see many women in my daily life wearing dressed or skirts. Do you wear them? Do you want me to style more for you?
Easy Shrimp Appetizer
Our dinner group finally got together again over the weekend, and it was so fabulous. We’ve been dear friends and have been through the ups and downs of life together for over 40 years. Everyone brings something to contribute to the meal, but of course, the hostess and host are doing most of the work. I brought a shrimp cocktail appetizer.
I’m not a huge fan of the classic red cocktails sauce, so I make a hot wasabi sauce which is always popular. It’s dead simple, start with a medium container of sour cream, and whisk in a tube of wasabi paste to the hotness you like. See, I told you this would never become a food blog 🤣.
This is always a super casual get-together where the goal is to catch up, not dress up. One gal arrived in her slippers (smart cookie), and another changed out of her slippers into her Sketchers just before she came in. I looked down at her sneakers, she looked down at my sneakers, and we chuckled that for our feet, comfy was everything these days.
I wore a favorite slouchy cashmere boyfriend cardigan over a warm crew neck sweater and a blouse with comfy stretch pants and my new high-top platform sneakers.
The platform makes them extra cushiony, and the double-stacked sole gives me a 1 1/2″ height boost while being totally flat. I love flatforms!
Monday Finds
I do a tremendous amount of perusing on the internet, so I thought it would be fun to share what’s catching my eye. The best things at Nordstrom Rack sell out in the blink of an eye, so I thought I would share what I’m finding while they’re fully stocked. Some hit my shopping cart, and some aren’t my style, but you may like them, so here we go-
A FEW MORE FINDS AT THE NORDSTROM RACK
Back to dresses….do you wear them?
Thanks for reading and have a fabulous Monday.
OK summers are sweltering so “t-shirt” dresses and skirts/skorts are what most of my friends and I wear starting as early as April some years🤠 – I also enjoy wearing skirts/dresses to church. I love the look of the converse sneakers and the crossbody bag BUT I have three grandgirls in college and that is about all they (and their friends) wear – even with really dressy dresses – which Nana just can’t understand🤪 so those items are a no for me. Maybe the cute bag from Anthropologie you highlighted would work. I do LOVE my Double Decker shoes from Keds. Keds are VERY well made, have a great insole with stable arch support and keep on trend with their styling. I probably have ten pair of the slip on style and several tie as well – oh and booties too. The web site is good and their orders are filled promptly and the pricing is great! I am a big fan and have converted quite a few of my friends.
I wear mostly skirts and dresses in late spring/summer/early fall here in DC. I’m still old fashioned enough to wear panty-hose (flesh tone) as my office is freezing! Pants and tights in the winter…commuting by bus and train can be cold, too. Love your posts, Jennifer, even if I wouldn’t wear the item, I like to see what other women are wearing.