Mar 15, 2019 - Shopping
Just last week, I wrote about Iro’s Shavani jacket, which I own and love, and which I believe is an excellent stand-in for a blazer for those of you who can’t abide blazers. And now, I am happy to have discovered this excellent close match for that piece, which, happily, rings in at just under $100.
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Kim France
I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.
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I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.
Hi Kim – Just checking in to make sure all is well. Was expecting new posts yesterday and today. (If you did mention this, I apologize.). It’s a sunny day in NYC today – tomorrow will be spring! Hope you get to enjoy it.
Ditto (again) on the mags. But it’s worse than that – I don’t even like the current clothes *on* the younger folk. I hope it is not political to say this, bc I respect all people of any/all gender(s) … but I do not care for a *general* trend toward unisex clothing. Why on Earth do we all have to look the same? It’s not an improvement to me, bc it is still following a fashion. Further, I abhor the trend against colors. It is bad enough that my own wardrobe bores me. Why do so many young people go about all in gray and black? Don’t they know they are lovely and should not hide? We should *tell them.* It may even be worse with the young women than the young men (though I would need to study this.)
I am just dropping by to tell you how much I appreciate your blog. As a 45 year old reader I can tell you that you truly are addressing a way underserved market of women who want to look cool, chic, stylish but not like a 25 year old. We did that once, we did it good, but we are now onto bigger things! Also, thank you for introducing me to IRO. Perfect for work and I even snapped up a lovely jacket from the Outnet and a great price!
I’m going to pile on here and say that, as a 31 yo, I too appreciate a blog that pairs stylish yet wearable clothing with thoughtful writing. Too many style blogs are just painful to read. This one is not, and it actually has useful suggestions for what to wear to my office job. Thank you!
This is a great jacket. (I like the IRO one as well) And I agree that you write a great blog and some of my most favorite pieces in my closet are ones I purchased because I read about them here.
Not to be unoriginal, but ditto ditto ditto!!!!!!
Aw, thanks for all the love today, ladies! xxxxx
Echoing all the appreciation above. And the cuteness of the jacket, which would indeed be a fabulous alternative to a blazer. But also noting sadly that it (like the Iro original) maxes out c. size 10/37in bust :(.
(Which is not your fault, Kim, but the stupid brand’s)
Ditto x 3 And those are very cute jackets! Uh oh.
Does anyone – including Kim – read magazines? Curious what you still get. I subscribe to several fashion magazines (Vogue, Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire and InStyle) and it was a sad day when I realized that it’s not about me anymore. Meaning, the clothes, content and ads were speaking to kids and not to me. (When PeopleStyle shut down, the publishers sent me Women’s Day. Man, what a knife to the heart. My husband likes the cleaning tips, though. HA!)
All this to say, that I love this blog as well. I think we’re all post-Sassy, post-Lucky ladies and I think that’s very cool.
Btw, is it just me, or is the zipper on those jeans completely off? 3 inches ABOVE the crotch? Weird.
To answer your question, Francine: I never read magazines anymore, ever, which is not something I ever thought I’d say. I grew up loving magazines, always knew that was the field I wanted to go into, and subscribed to so many that my coffee table resembled a newsstand. Aside from the aforementioned issues regarding not feeling like they’re aimed at my demographic anymore, I just don’t think they’re as relevant as they were in pre-digital days. And media companies have cut back so severely on staffing and resources that the product itself is just not nearly as good as it used to be. All of this makes me very sad.
Ha when More folded they started sending me Family Circle without asking/informing me. The first time I pulled one out of my mailbox I really thought for an instant that it had to be my late mom sending me FC from the great beyond.
My name is Mae, and I am a recovering magazine addict. I became addicted at age 12 and hung with it until I was 56. I spent thousands and thousands of dollars on magazines and because of magazines. It was a sad day indeed when I first noticed that the information presented didn’t seem to apply to me. Right when I had the money to blow on what they advertised, nobody cared what I liked, the torturous bastards!!!!! It was another 16 years that I read them religiously, though, while traveling regularly for business. Finally, the repetitiveness just bored the shit out of me. I miss enjoying magazines, they used to be such fun! “More” magazine tried to target women over 40, but I got tired of being told I should stay young-looking and reinvent myself (Really? Fuck you.).
I am also a recovering magazine junkie, used to get InStyle, PeopleStyle, Marie Claire, Vogue. Went cold turkey about five years ago when I noticed, like the ladies above, that they were no longer about me – and got fed up with the overwhelming constant focus on street style. I loved Lucky and when Kim was gone I soon cancelled my subscription. I am so thankful for Kim & this blog, it really hits the sweet spot and helps me maintain solid style without falling into the frumpy, stereotypical trap so many brands & people think you should be in when you hit a certain age/place in life.
When More came out I was pretty excited ( a fashion magazine for my demographic!) but I began to realize that it was actually making me feel worse about myself! Their idea of successful aging was to (1) Be an ex-model, and (2) be very wealthy.
Precisely.
I think people read The Gentlewoman and Self Service, but those are kind of niche-y and not on the newsstand
I was going to recommend The Gentlewoman too! Been buying its 2 issues/year religiously. It’s not cheap, but only twice a year and lots of meaty content.
Also, I get the occasional Red from the UK — a more intelligent, substantive Marie Claire that also includes travel, cooking and interior design content.
I only look at the magazines when I’m getting my nails done, especially the “24 hours” column in Harpers Bazaar. Besides GOACA and I want to be Her, I enjoy the occasional columns by Blair Sabol in NewYorkSocialDiary.com I liked the first three years of Fantastic Man, and had high hopes for the Gentlewoman, but it felt too serious and un-whimsical for me. I liked Butt, Index, Anthology, Lucky and Victoria. My crazy hope is a new publication inspired by Nova magazine, but that’s asking too much.
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/33904/1/nova-magazine-politics-feminism-fashion
Regarding the magazines, I completely agree. I started with Young Miss and used to ride my banana seat bike to the library and pour over Teen, Seventeen and the like. I continued to “graduate” moving through Elle, InStyle, etc. but now the only thing I read is Vogue. Basically I read GOACA and Instagram for inspiration style-wise and just try to know my look and find silhouettes that work on my post-baby 45 year old self.
I also want to say Thank You! I check your blog all the time. I’m 52 and always looking for ways to remain stylish but just cringe at most of the blogs out there. I’ve followed many of your recommendations and been quite happy!
Echoing the need for size 14 (regular, not plus—I need the length!).