Yes, to some extent— but they are washed and rinsed, and I wear pajamas and take my own pillowcase so I don’t have much skin contact with the linens —except the towels. I admit to a certain amount of inspection before I use those. 😎

I try not to think of such things, kswl. I totally get where you're coming from but I realized that if I thought about these things too much I would never stay in a hotel. Or eat in a restaurant.

We use the laundry service daily on our cruises. The service is amazing. I do sometimes think about the fact that my clothes are being washed with other people's clothes but I try to quickly put it out of my mind. And things come back so amazing, I suppress these thoughts.

All of this is why I cannot buy clothes from resale sites. Even NWT. It's been in that person's home and I cannot do that. I know this is ridiculous. Items bought in store have been handled and tried on by many people. But I just can't do it. We all have our hangups, I guess.

Mtn, that sweater is really cute and the buttons make it unique. The blazer is awesome & looks great on you. Love it with the blouse you chose.

No, I can totally understand that about buying vintage clothes. But my DDs have really influenced me. With them, buying vintage clothing is a rebuttable presumption. And they hand wash whatever they get first, including a white vinegar rinse. (since when did they become laundry mavens? not on my watch). But I get it.

I just can't bring myself to buy used clothing though I do buy used Crocs sandals (they can be washed/scrubbed). There's a yuck factor that I can't get over. I did make one exception and bought a winter coat for DH because I couldn't find what he needed new. It immediately went to the cleaner which cost more than the coat itself.

Hand washing, vinegar rinse, air dry in the sun….. that’s what I do also.

It immediately went to the cleaner which cost more than the coat itself.

Same here. I bought a full length camel coat at East Hampton's Ladies Village Improvement Society for $50, then paid $70 for drycleaning and fixing the belt loops!

Blue purse arrived, 💕

Aerosole shoes arrived and I think the are just a bit too short (my left foot is longer than my right and sometimes it means I need to size up). I reordered a half size up, but had to go with a different color. I think I like it better.

I almost always like a cream colored shoe better than a white one regardless of the amount of pure white in an outfit.** Good call!

**adding, with the exception of tennis shoes / sneakers.

From some things I’ve read, I’m not sure clothes new from the store are all that ick-free. One article I read had a comment by someone who had been in off-shore clothing factories. His advice was to wash/dry clean the garment several times before wearing. I thought “several times” was a bit over the top!

@Kswl, from Tuckernuck’s ”September Must Haves.” Look familiar??

I like your mom’s (now yours) better!

aww he's precious!

What a cutie pie! And what a great choice he’s made for learning balance and coordination.

He’s really so adorable!
I’ll be in a northeast climate for the first time in many years due to caregiving a family member. I forgot about my tucked away suedes and leathers— thanks for the inspo! I guess this is my cue to start looking for boots. And I love your mother’s dress. It’s beautiful on you.

Who needs a toile barn jacket?

The resurgence of the barn jacket makes me wish I had not gotten rid of my old one years ago. I have a newer one but there’s nothing like worn canvas ☹️

He is a little cutie!! I hope he has so much fun 😊

I think the bust area of the first dress looks fine, but the fit and flare dress needs a bra that lifts.

Barn jackets are not flattering at all on me, I think because they are shapeless ☹️. (Tina Marie)

I have a tan barn jacket with a blue corduroy collar and plaid lining. I’ve had it forever. Now, I only wear it when I‘m outside grilling in the fall/winter. Talk about a specialized clothing item. Every closet needs a wedding dress, a wet suit, and a grilling coat.😆

Here you go!

https://www.nfl.com/videos/touchdowns-and-tutus-nfl-films-presents-280848

I dont think barn jackets are flattering on me either -- I do have a heavier yellow one (LLB?) and a brown corduroy one from JJill. The latter is more flattering but still not "pretty" or slimming. I do best with styles that nip in at the waist ... that said, I wear the heck out of my denim jacket (but it does have a little shape)

I need things with a waist. But i love "borrowing" one of DH's barn jackets. He has a wonderful lined denim one that is sooooo warm and about 30 years old. The denim is a gorgeous color and so soft

We went to grandparent’s day at the kids’ daycare and had ice cream with them in their respective rooms. Out of the blue Tommy asked me, ”Did you seen my dance shoes?” He’s so proud of them! Still Trailing, I sent that video link to my DD, what a great idea for a fundraiser!

I tried on the dusty rose colored sweater from the MC boutique (thank you for that BBstx) and was able to put it into several outfits. It’s a color I have very little of.

First, the sweater (which is made to be worn by itself as a top) with brown ponte slacks and lighter brown suede ballet flats:

I‘m wearing this with a long string of porcelain beads shaped irregularly like stones in browns, rose and off white. I bought them from a stall at a street fair in the last century and rarely wear them because they are hard to put with most of my clothing. They are perfect with this sweater.

Next up is a pair of cream colored, high waisted woven slacks from Zara. I’m wearing a new pair of Earth Shoes (anyone else old enough to remember those?) in a darker rose and brown. They aren’t exactly fashion forward but they are the MOST comfortable shoe ever. They give a slight Boho vibe to this outfit— okay once in awhile 😃

Next is a brown skirt that is pretty old but I love it and cannot let it go— it’s a color of brown that looks good with almost every other color, including dusty rose (I think, lol)

Again with the Earth Shoes. This looks like a fall book club outfit to me 🤓

Finally, thinking about rose or salmon pink, I brought out a pair of Talbot’s corduroys from retirement bc I thought they might look cute with the Earth shoes. Nothing doing… so I went with Sperrys, a soft brown turtleneck and oatmeal sweater with white blanket stitching along the sleeves and shoulders. I like this as a basic fall around the house /art class/ dog walking outfit

Every now and then I forget to look in the mirror 🙄

Mtn mentioned she was trying to add a new color to her lineup— green. I did that successfully about a year ago, and have also added some burgundy garments (and shoes and a purse). I like this rose color but do not plan to take it any further.

Anyone else actively trying to incorporate a new color?

What a cute and heart warming video, @Still trailing!

I hear the words ”Earth Shoes” and a picture of a law school classmate immediately pops into my mind. He wore no other shoes for the whole 3 years. And if I recall correctly, he was the only one who wore Earth Shoes. I had no idea they were still made!

Love the rose corduroy jeans. They’ve been in and out of my Talbot’s cart too many times to count because I keep thinking that I would never wear them. But your outfit looks so cute, I may have to reconsider.

That rose is a really pretty color and looks great on you! I am trying to add color of any kind to my wardrobe (other than blue - which I currently have) as I seem to gravitate to neurtrals only. What is this MC boutique you speak of??

Mom's Closet, @rubyclaire, LOL

Thanks @mtnrdredux_gw - how quickly we forget!! Thought I was missing out on some fabulous new retail outlet.

Pls enjoy my High Fashion: t shirt, jeans, sweatshirt jacket. Accessorized with baseball cap and bull kelp, which is not something I’ve seen before. In Gualala, CA.

Fun! Enjoy your drive up the coast.

Sue I’d love to see what you are pulling along the shoreline! What’s at the end of that rope??

K, it is bull kelp.

Whoa Sue, when you said accessorized by bull kelp I thought you must have had fronds of seaweed clinging to your shoes or something. That thing (is it named after a bullwhip?) is incredibly long. Wikipedia says it can grow 10 inches in a single day, that is wild! Glad to see you are having fun on vacation— and learning stuff too!

I think the bull kelp perfectly accessorizes your ensemble. You win OOTD!

Update: received the RL safari style jacket

It was WAY oversized, and not just overall, the sleeves were like balloons and also very long. It seemed almost like a manufacturing problem. I ordered a size 6 and it was at least a real size 10, possibly a 12 or more. I returned it the same day. I did really like the fabric (cotton with a bit of stretch) but it was definitely a jacket that needed to be belted. I could tell that even if it fit properly it would look like a too long, ill-fitting blazer if it wasn’t cinched at the waist. IOW, not that useful as just a jacket for a bit of warmth.

For all of us who love blue and white, blue and gray, blue and tan or taupe or brown and blue and blue, here are some photos I’ve kept for inspiration. I was looking at them this evening and they are just too good not to share!

More blues!

Who needs more color - blue is perfection!

I agree, Ruby! I keep trying to branch out and then I see these beautiful pictures and am reminded of how perfect is the color blue. I especially LOVE the blue socks and cordovan loafers ❤️and am inspired to try these medium blues with burgundy.

Kswl….yes blue! I just ordered these items from Anthropologie yesterday!

I’ve seen that pale blue sweater with the swan, it’s gorgeous, all those garments you’ve chosen are beautiful!

In the spirit of blue I chose this outfit for our zoom meeting later today, then our regular Monday friend group dinner and choral society rehearsal afterwards.

Hi today is just 78 with a ”feels like” of 76– very rare at this time of the year for it to feel cooler but there’s a nice breeze. This is a cotton sweater and a cotton /Tencel blend pleated skirt with medium brown suede ballet flats. I will probably carry a navy purse today even though I have a lovely new brown suede bag that is waiting for its first outing. 😎

Note to all, I am going to start a Part 2 thread when this one exceeds 100 posts. They are just too unwieldy, and when one clicks on the ”show x more posts” the posts start repeating themselves.

Kswl…looking so cute! love the short sleeve blue sweater..I have so many new pieces that have arrived for fall…when you start part two I am hoping to show a few..hoping they all fit.

Looking forward to that fashionshow HIWE!

I decided to return the olive bag with tortoise handles from FV; it just looked cheap.

When I was submitting the return on line, they offered me a deal. If I plowed back my refund into another purchase, they would give me an extra $60 to shop with on their site.

The only thing I really liked was this dress, which is not for me. I wanted to buy it for DD1, the repository for all my sartorial dashed hopes, but held back. It was only about 2/3rd as much as the total credit they offered, so I'd have had to find something else to buy, too...Pretty effective device, though! Certainly got me thinking!

https://francesvalentine.com/products/diplomat-mini-dress-sleeveless-solid-dupioni-poly-dupion-navy

mtn…did you look at the whitney wrap top..I just love it..on my wish list in Black

DD1, the repository for all my sartorial dashed hopes

Oh how I can identify with this! (love your turn of phrase)

Speaking of a turn of phrase, you've got to hand it to Frances Valentine..... poly dupioni is a very fancy way of saying faux silk!

This is the 100th comment on this thread. I’ll re-post this on the new thread. Has anyone seen the new Rothy’s velvet shoes? I can’t get a good picture of them online. I’m wondering if they are like Birdie’s velvet or more like flocked wallpaper 😮

Part 2 is now online, please post to the new thread— it’s so much easier than the long ones.