Black and White Reboot: Classic or Boring?

I admit, when in doubt about what to wear, I fall back on my old favourites. Combinations which I know look good on me and... well... just look good. And one of those combinations, especially for summer, is white jeans and a black top. The reverse restaurant waiter look, I guess you could say. 

I've had a pair (or three) of white jeans hanging in my closet since the seventies. From my first pair of Levi's five pocket white jeans in university, to Howick high-waisted, wide flares in the late seventies. Anyone remember Howick jeans? And more recently skinnies, and cropped skinnies, boot cut, and now my newly refurbished, DIY cropped flares. 

This is only the second outing my white DIY unfinished-hem jeans have had since I "created" them with my trusty scissors. You can read about that here  if you haven't already. I'm liking them with my new Paul Green black suede flats. And my summer workhorse black Helmut Lang jacket and Rag and Bone tank, staples in my closet since 2015. And my black Mackage cross-body bag. The small cross-body bag is a necessity since I'm going to a party where I will need to be hands-free: one hand being required to hold my drink, the other to provide one-armed hugs, and for waving around and gesticulating as I am wont to do when I get into animated discussion.

 

Here I am, below, trying to get some out of doors shots, showing off my Anne-Marie Chagnon necklace. I really like the combination of black, gold and silver/pewter in this necklace. It goes with everything. The small black and gold watch I bought for ten bucks in the Vancouver airport a decade ago. Funnily enough I hadn't worn it in years, and not too long ago, when I decided to see if it needed a new battery, I was amazed that it was still keeping perfect time. Wow. Pretty awesome for a ten dollar watch. I popped it on my wrist and hustled out the door. Ironically I had checked it at 8:30 that morning and was a bit chagrined to see it was still 8:30 at noon. Ha. Maybe not so amazing after all. Still I like the look of the watch, and now that I'm retired, who needs to know the exact time, eh?

 

 

 

I feel great today. It's summer, almost. The weather is beautiful; the rain has finally stopped. And I'm wearing an outfit combination that has always worked for me. In one form or another. White jeans and a black top: sweater, or tee shirt, tank, or tank and a jacket. Classic... yep. Maybe a little boring, somewhat predictable, I'll give you that. But with a bit of a reboot, updated jeans and a new pair of shoes... it's not entirely beyond the fashion pale. I know I'd committed to being more adventurous this season. But jeans and a structured jacket, especially white jeans and a black jacket, is too deeply engrained in my fashion DNA to entirely jettison it from my wardrobe. Like an old friend... who knows me so well that I can let down my hair, and say whatever I want... this outfit always makes me feel good. Like myself.

So off I go to my party feeling good. But not before I stop off to visit Carmen for a hair cut and colour. I can tell you folks... my hair will look a heck of a lot better than this by the time I get to the party. What would I do without my old friend Carmen? She tells it to me straight. And gently nudges me away from pictures of cuts which will not work for my hair. Will I ever learn? Maybe. Someday. Perhaps. 

And then... with newly coiffed hair and my classic/boring/been wearing it all my life outfit... I'll be yakking up a storm with my old buddies from school. The party is in honour of the retirement of two wonderful ladies who have run the office at John McCrae Secondary School for years. What will they do without them? Gad. I hope they don't have to close the school down. 

So you see, it's an old friends day all round. And old friends... my lovely readers... are never boring. Right?

Linking up this week with: Visible Monday, #IwillwearwhatIlike, What I Wore, Style Me Wednesday, Thursday Favourite Things, Passion 4 Fashion, Fun Fashion Friday, Fabulous Friday, Saturday Share Link-Up.