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megram - 55NovOttawa - Index

PHOTO: JEFF RYAN
Your Image
By Teresa McCarthy, AICI
Don’t Be Discouraged
by Short, Chilly Days
Looking good and staying active even
when the weather doesn’t make it easy
November brings not only a
change of pace but a new
look at the world through
different eyes. By now all thoughts
of lazy summer days are past, cottages
have mostly been closed up
since the Thanksgiving weekend,
and we are looking ahead to holiday
preparations.
Let’s explore what the next two
months can possibly hold for us in
terms of our general well-being and
in terms of looking and feeling good
about ourselves so we can make
them memorable months.
Clothing
In truth, I much prefer fall and
winter clothing to light summer
apparel. My clothing personality is
mostly “classic” with a bit of “dramatic”
that I work in with jewellery.As
a result, I feel much more
at home in lined suits, panty hose
and closed-in shoes and boots.
Styles this winter seem to be
all over the place. Tweeds and tartans
are big, retro styles are back
(think Jackie Kennedy), and fur is
big again. (I really wish my clothes
closet had not shrunk my mink
coat.But I will wear my mink collar
November/December 2008 • Ottawa 34 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
that I bought years ago.) As someone
who shops in the petite section
of stores, I would look and feel
very bulky in a tweed suit because
it is not compatible with my clothing
personality. I will stick to the
fine textured wool suits that last
me for years.
There are many trends out
there. Depending on your clothing
budget — and realizing that the
trends will only be around for a
short period of time — you might
wish to stick to the more classic
styles. Regardless of what style you
choose, remember the importance
of proportion and fit.
It is always good to remember
that quality is much more important
than quantity.People don’t necessarily
remember if you wear the
same item of clothing for different
occasions.What they remember is if
it is clean with no buttons missing,
if the colour suits you, if your shoes
or boots are polished — all of
which simply requires attention to
detail. Remember you can change a
look with jewellery or scarves and,
for men, the same applies to shirts
and ties.They can change the look
of a suit completely.