The Chic Files

                                   

I had stopped being "chic"

What with study, racing through the hills back and forth, packing, unpacking, moving, then repeating this, re-establishing my business (as a healer), worrying about my weight, somehow or other being a wee bit chic seems to have, well, disappeared. (loud sob of anguish)

I like to look nice. I'm no great beauty but I do feel better about myself when I "scrub up" a bit. The days of overdoing that, are, of course, gone, in my wee corner of the world (my moi-iverse). I have a casual and busy life, and so how I look reflects that. But slobbiness is not casual, so I really don't like to go there. Or even think about it. It would be a downhill slope to yuck, for me.

time to sort this out

Yet, somehow, I often get comments about me being dressed up. Er, no. Maybe that's just me, mistress of overkill? But, to remedy this, I went to k-mart. Yes. K-mart. I got a mid blue, and a black, jeggings. Jeans leggings. I was after a mid-grey too but they were sold out. And a navy, and a black, short sleeved tee shirt. And some casual black canvas summer shoes. I am ever hopeful. I know that spring hopefully will return, and that summer must eventually appear. 

But, just in case spring and summer are a bit late, I also went to The Warehouse and bought three long sleeved tees. Black, navy and red. 

I am looking at casual chic. I have been sleuthing, watching younger women, even my teenage grand-daughter (thanks Beth), to see what's what now, in clothes. When I look at what people of a younger age are wearing overseas, I remind myself that they are dressed that way to get followers, or whatever one does when one is young and famous. High heels, tight jeans, red lipstick, a fancy blazer, might be de rigeur for the younger woman in Paris, but in Glen Eden, Auckland? Most certainly not. Imagine walking those slightly hilly footpaths in killer heels.

So, what is my plan of attack? To casual chicdom

First up: is there an age limit on this? Not in my moi-iverse. I'm not a blogger who wears fantastic clothes each week. That would actually be lovely to do, but others do it way better than I ever could. And I don't have heaps of clothes, because to me, that is unchic. 

But, surely I can look a bit chic?  Some changes have been made:

I changed my hairstyle, and have had some good feedback. I found a fantastic hairdresser. I was in hair heaven. When I went back to him, there was a queue, and I was in and out of there with a five minute clip here and there. I was not a happy punter. Okay, I admit it, I was actually sulking. Then a few months after, I was walking past a hair place in our local mall, and I saw a cutter who had previously given me a great cut. I was in, like a shot. After I told my tragic tale of what my hair could and couldn't do, as if a hairdresser could not have known (!), she chopped it to chin level, like a blunt cut, and I asked her to give me a fringe. So, she gave me one which sloped to one side. I didn't like it, but did admit that was how my hair always went. "That's because you have a small cowlick there" was the reply. Well, I never. Who knew that? But I've gone with it, parting my hair off-centre, have said farewell, for now, to le fringe, and have my hair is now more casual, and yes, it does look nice.

Make-up, which I've nearly always worn, with a very light touch. I was given a top of the range foundation (thank you daughter) and wow! what a difference. I now look as though I actually have nice skin. People keep telling me now that I have lovely skin. Which makes me laugh as I try to explain that it's just a good foundation. I switched to dark brown eye pencil, a rose brown lippy and am about to splash out and get another "natural" lip colour. But, hey, can lipstick ever be natural? Overall, more toned down make-up.

I personally think that my clothes are overly casual. Maybe it's just the way that I wear things. I wear jeans, sneakers, jumpers, tee shirts, but all very tidy. Like a little (I am short) neatly wrapped gift box. Maybe that's the dressed up part? Or just the overall look? I'm a bit confused about it all.

I am wondering if wearing "neutrals" such as black, navy and grey, will make me less dressy.  Anyway, this all is my current Plan Of Attack for Casual Chicdom.