ohsofancyfrancie – Page 2 – Oh So Fancy Francie

Banana Republic: The Blue Edition

Banana Republic had a bunch to offer when I was researching their comeback. I had one rule, to avoid adding yet another black sweater to my closet. Hence breaking my posts into BR: The Lavender Edition and now BR: The Navy Edition.

I’m a sucker for anything hinting at a sixties silhouettes. I love the wide turtleneck and pronounced cuffs of this oversized merino-cashmere blend sweater. It’s ultra soft and cozy.

And that brings this post to the current trend of oversized sweaters. My preferred pairing for this look is with skinny or slim straight jeans. My rule of thumb, is balance. Flowy on top or on the bottom, not both.

Banana Republic Oversized Merino-Cashmere Sweater, link here. Paired with AG Farrah High-Waisted Skinny and All Saints Docita Combat Boot.

ohsofancyfrancie Banana Repulic Oversized sweater — Urban meets seaman.

Dress it up with booties and a scarf:

ohsofancyfrancie oversized sweater & scarf — Cool meets glam.

The last of my BR haul is the statement sleeve top, available in blue, black and ivory. Link here.

I paired this top with black, kick-boot flare denim by AG and Ron White bootie:

ohsofancyfrancie Banana Republic Statement Sleeve — Feeling oh-so-fancy.

And paired here with Mother denim’s The Weekender Flare and the killer booties by Silent D.

ohsofancyfrancie banana repubic statement sleeve blue denim — Oh-so-blue.

Affordable Every-Day Outfit: Lavender Sweater & Taupe Booties

If you are like me, it took a bit to figure out what I needed for fall since we didn’t go anywhere last year. I felt a little out of practice. Since starting this fashion blog, the pressure was on to find cute things that are accessible, i.e. affordable and available. I found the perfect combo!

My absolute favorite boot of the season is by Silent D, available at Nordstroms, link here.. The acrylic block heel makes the shoe in my opinion. They are comfy and true to size. The microsuede fabric is stretchy and hugs like a sock, lots of give. Slightly narrow toe which is ok for narrow feet like mine, extra wide not so much.

One of my favorite sweaters is from Target! The color is on trend, lavender, but more subtle. Pair it with a straight leg denim and the killer taupe booties and that’s an easy, cute outfit.

ohsofancyfrancie target lavender sweater standing — Coffee Date Ready!

*Links are for the follower’s convenience and plain fun for me.

Banana Republic Is Back: The Lavender Edition

Surprising news is in this post. First, the Banana Republic we knew and loved is back! The brand is returning to its success years when cashmere was first introduced. A friend of mine worked at BR corporate in the 90s and recently popped into a store to see what changed—a whole new look and feel.

At her suggestion, I wandered into the store and found several very cute things to try on and walked out of the store with several things. I befriended a sales associate for advice on how to shop BR as it had been years since I shopped at one. I learned the Wednesday-Sunday 40% off sales are no longer. BR is going upscale in quality and design. She also told me the cashmere will almost never go on sale and is selling out fast!

The second surprise: Lavender is trending for fall! Seriously. It’s been all over the fashion runways in everything from tops, bottoms, bags and sneakers. BR is hopping on the lavender train and so am I.

Styled below are a couple of lavender items I loved. If lavender is not in your color palette, the sweater is offered in black. and the top in black, tan, and white.

Banana Republic Lavender Merino-Cashmere Cardigan Sweater can carry you into spring; to me, it’s worth the investment.

ohsofancyfrancie banana republic lavender cardi — Cozy color pairs well with distressed denim and white tee.

Banana Republic Lavender Poplin Bishop-Sleeve Top paired with Sam Edelman Teddy Coat from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, cropped straight denim by Agolde and taupe booties by Silent D

ohsofancyfrancie lavender top — Oh so cool.

ohsofancyfrancie sam edelman and BR top — Perfect match!

Makeover With Annie At Target

Meet my friend Annie. She’s my Masters Swim buddy and we’ve been sharing Lane Two for years and years. We recently had lunch together and it was hot out. Annie wasn’t buried under a heavy sweatshirt or parka, just a t-shirt and running tights.

“You look GREAT!” I told Annie.

“Thanks! My husband gave me this t-shirt. But I think I need to update.”

Music to my ears.

“Let’s go shopping!”

“Really?!?”

And from there we talked about where and when and if I could include her in a blog post to show others how easy it is to update a look.

Annie is a retired high school teacher and on a budget. We pre-shopped her straight-leg jeans, from @Gap as she was in my Abbey Road TikTok video. (Be careful, once you are discovered by Oh-S0-Fancy Francie, you will enter social media places you never dreamed of going.)

I’m sure Annie won’t mind me saying, she is 67 years old and all the outfits we picked, I would wear too. This is how you can look current but not like you are trying too hard.

We met at Target and were tailed by another talent discovered by Oh-S0-Fancy Francie, Laura, our photographer and Abbey Road buddy.

ohsofancyfrancie hello Annie — Annie works out a zillion times a day.

Simple balloon sleeve top with a half-tuck paired with low heeled black booties, both from @Target!

ohsofancyfrancie Annie Blouse — She’s so happy! (Knox Rose Label)

Burgundy Cardigan, aka grandpa sweater, paired with striped, long-sleeved tee.:

ohsofancyfrancie cardi and striped tee — Cool, effortlessly. (A New Day Label)

Mock turtleneck sweater in teal, we both swooned!

Thanks Annie for showing us so many ways to look stylish.

Three Comfy Shoes for Fall 2021

Shoes are one of my very favorite elements of fashion. You can change up an entire outfit or make a statement with just your feet. I gravitate toward flats or low heels as I’ve always walked with purpose, in a hurry really, and you can’t do that in five-inch heels; I can’t. I’ve always loved pointy-toe flats because it was a way to look “mod” in the eighties and to me, it’s the ultimate in femininity.

Imagine my horror when I realized my right foot was morphing into a little-old lady shape, slightly crumpled and misshaped. Some people call it a “thing” or refuse to name it at all. Strange nobody wants to admit they have one or it requires a delicate name because of its delicate condition. It is what it is, a bunion.

My delicate condition got worse. I was having trouble walking. The top of my foot hurt and my ankles were a bit wobbly. I walked straight into a walking-shoe store, a place I never went for fashion. I was desperate.

Success! I walked out with three new pairs of shoes, because I couldn’t make up my mind and I still love shoes even if they are only kind of cute. I got two house-shoes: Boiled wool clogs and Birks, and, a new pair of sneaks, Hokas. The sneaks are probably the ugliest sneakers I’ve ever owned but when your feet hurt and the shoes make everything better, you surrender!

Since then, anytime I see someone in Hokas, I know their feet look like mine. I can have a lengthy conversation in the middle of the grocery store or shoe department with a complete stranger over our delicate condition.

“What happened? I used to have pretty feet?”

“I can’t find cute shoes with support!”

Six months after succumbing to wearing pretty much Birkenstocks, Hokas and fashion sneaks, I wanted to see if I could get away with other shoes like boots. At the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, I found a couple of pairs that I wanted so badly but narrow feet narrow my options. I walked into a shoe repair guy to see if he could help modify the insoles to give me support.

This was the second, best decision I made regarding my feet.

The repair guy really knows shoes, as he should. I had my boots with me and he swooned over my All Saints combat boots because they are quality and cute! He knew! In a matter of minutes, he found two different types of insoles to make me a happy, comfy, fashionista again.

OMG! I feel so liberated.

I highly, highly recommend visiting your shoe repair guy or cobbler to make your shoes fit like a glove. Save your feet before it’s too late or even if it is too late. You don’t have to give up fashion for the sake of support.

Here’s a close-up of the fun shoes I found at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. You can still get the boots, just not on sale. The P448 sneaks are out there in oodles of styles, high and low.

P448 Sneaker Styled with skinnies, flares and dress:

Vionic Wilma Lug Sole Boots

All Saints Donita Combat Boots

Blazin’ Blazers the Double-Breasted Way

The quickest way to elevate any look is to throw on a blazer. No matter the base layer: tank, tee or blousy top. Treat it like an extra layer instead of a sweater or jean jacket. You can wear one just about anywhere and look stylish.

Double-breasted blazers, to me, are more interesting, especially given a military style: The buttons make the jacket.

I scored on two styles for fall, both on sale. The black is more versatile as the buttons are simple, lending the top to be the pop.

Which do you like best?

Rocker Tee Look

Black blazer by 1state from Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale. Ruched sleeves and double breasted features step up the look without overdoing. Paired here with a rocker tee–a huge trend and mostly all from the 70s and 80s.

Jeans are Frame Pixie Flare and boots by Vionic, also purchased at the Nordstrom sale.

ohsofancyfrancie Blondie Blazer — Feeling nostalgic.

Dressy Top

The second look in the black 1State blazer is paired with a floral top that will work for a dinner out or drinks with friends when paired with jeans. Dress pants will work, but since the jacket is a separate, the blacks will be hard to match. Pair with heather gray, khaki or olive.

Top is by GenerationLove.

ohsofancyfrancie floral blazer — Feminine but cool.

Classic Blue Blazer

The last look is a very cute and very cool blazer from Express. I haven’t shopped there since my twenties! A friend ordered two sizes and passed one on to me for a steal! All sizes still available for just $99!

Keep it simple with a plain white tee, this one a sleeveless crew by MichaelStars. Jeans, Moussy Vintage and the boots, Vionic with lug sole.

ohsofancyfrancie blue blazer — Blue Blazer from a True Blue Friend.

Two Denim Styles for Fall 2021

The old stand-by skinny is not the only denim in town now. Wider options are working their way in from the just past skinny, straight, to the dramatic, wide. Two styles are featured in the post: flares and wide.

I was a little apprehensive with the flares at first. When you go from a five-inch pant-width to ten-inch, that seems like jumping off a cliff. I like how the leg narrows at the thigh, forming a mermaid shape if a mermaid had legs. Oh-so-feminine!

Shoe pairing is easy. A pointed toe is ideal in order to elongate the leg. Sadly, my pointed-toe days are over–the “rewards” of “growing up.” Pretty much anything goes as shown here with a peep-toe bootie and sneak.

The wide-leg style felt like I was really stepping out of my comfort zone, by a mile, but it was only six inches from my skinny-jean days and one inch from my flare dare. I really feel cool in these jeans no matter how I’m dressed, sneaks or heels. Which is your favorite?

Check out my progression below:

Flares: JustBlackDenim

With RomiBasha Khaki Cargo jacket and P448 Johnny Dama

ohsofancyfrancie justblackdenim — Casual cool flares.

Generation Love floral top with Monroe peep-toe bootie.

ohsofancyfrancie justblackdenium — Dressed-up.

Wide-Leg: MotherDenim

ElieTahari Long-sleeve in navy and Golden Goose sneaks.

ohsofancyfrancie motherdenim — Even sneakers look posh.

GenerationLove lace top and Monroe peep-toe heels.

ohsofancyfrancie motherdenim tomcat fray — Oh So Chic

Three Ways to Style Fall Floral Midi

The passing of Labor Day signals the end of summer, unofficially. There’s no better way to feel like fall without burning up than flirty wrap dresses in fall colors. I love, love, love the shades of green for fall 2021. I found both pieces at TJMaxx and they were oh-so-affordable so I got both!

Max Studio (@leonmaxofficial) wrap dresses are flattering to most figures and come in a flurry of colors. The dresses are a great transition piece from the warmer temps of summer into the cooler air of fall.

Two fun looks! Which is your favorite?

MaxStudio midi wrap from TJMaxx. You can pair it with any shoe: bootie, sneaker, wedge, sandal.

ohsofancyfrancie maxstudio wrap — The Canvas

Sadie and Sage Faux Shearling cropped shacket (shirt plus jacket) with AllSaints Docita combat boots. I like to balance edge with feminine.

ohsofancyfrancie faux shearling crop shacket — A little country.

BlankNYC faux leather moto jacket and Vionic Wilma waterproof booties.

ohsofancyfrancie moto jacket — A little cool.

Closet Clean-out Pay$

Money is inside your closet right now, possibly lots of it. It’s just hanging out, not doing anything. Never going anywhere. Taking up valuable space.

Hidden in plain sight, are clothes that never make the regular rotation. You can make money by sending them to consignment and there are two easy ways to go about it.

Consignment stores have upped their game over the years. If you do your research, you can find one that is full service and doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable when you bring in a haul. One I like is in my own backyard: ReChic. Maureen, the store owner, likes to think of herself as a consultant; she helps people determine what’s best to sell with ReChic versus another consignment option. She’ll even work with photographs if you are pressed for time and want to be sure it’s worth the trip. Whatever doesn’t sell, can be donated. You can get a tax receipt through the store’s customer portal.

ohsofancyfrancie rechic — A classy consignment store that feels like a first-hand clothing boutique.

Her biggest piece of advice when doing a closet clean-out is, “Get rid of it sooner than later. The longer you wait, the less valuable it will be to a consignment store.”

ThredUp is the second way to purge your closet fast. A closet clean-out kit offers large bags with prepaid postage that you can stuff with clothes in good, clean condition. You can pick up a kit online or in-store. After registering your bag online with your email, drop it off at the post office. You’ll receive payment in 4 to 6 weeks depending on backlogs. Anything that can’t be resold, is donated or recycled.

Another plus for ThredUp, they partnered up with The Gap and offer payment in gift cards to The Gap, Banana Republic or Athleta. I like Athleta as I’m a fan of their Brooklyn pants, perfect for travel or looking stylish and being comfortable running errands. Per the website, the payout is 15% higher through an affiliate and to me, that’s the only way to go with this service.

ohsofancyfrancie thredup — Good for a lot of reasons.

For the greatest payback, do both. Use your local consignment store for newer and in-season items, hung and pressed. The rest can go to ThredUp. In fact, bring a Thredup bag to the sorting process at the consignment store. Any unsellable items can go straight into the clean-out bag and dropped off at the post office on the way home.

What are you waiting for?

Introducing @ohsofancyfrancie

Hi!

I’m excited to write about fashion and share looks I love and tips I pick up along the way. I confess I’m nervous to put myself out there. I’m not the selfie kind of social media poster, at all. No modeling experience, and that’s probably obvious. But, my idea of a good look isn’t going to come through unless it’s on a real person, me. And to be honest, I’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time and wasn’t sure how to go about it.

My online inspiration came from this gray-haired lady in flowy outfits on Pinterest. She looked nice, but it was not me! How can she be the only one representing the over-fifty age group? The only thing she inspired in me was to start my own influencer site. I want to show how dressing over fifty doesn’t mean one step away from a coffin or some kind of punitive sentence. As all good scaredy-cats do, I sat on this idea for three years.

While I was procrastinating, I worked as a stylist in local boutiques. I noticed two things. Many women come in at age fifty, announcing in a whispery voice, “Well, I’m fifty now,” their eyes darting around in case someone heard their confession like it’s a terrible thing.

I just want to say to them, “And, the problem?” Or, “Great! I’m 56!” Instead, I just say happy birthday and it’s time to celebrate. “Let’s go find something cute!”

The second thing I noticed as a stylist, is there are fashionistas in their seventies that can rock an outfit that even a teenager would wear. The stand-out grannies, and they are grandmas: skinnies with Haviana flip-flops and another in a washed linen, A-line skirt with On Cloud sneakers. CUTE! To me, there is very little room for, “I’m too old for that…”

IMHO, picking a style is a mindset and sometimes you need to see a lot of looks to get comfortable with trying something new. Or, just start trying! I’m hoping I can inspire you to be a prettier, more vivacious you!

If you have questions or ideas for posts, I’d love to hear from you. I hope to build a girlfriend network here where we spark confidence, creativity, and cute outfits.

Let’s get oh-so-fancy!