Style Inspiration

I admit I’m a little obsessed with fashion, or I can be. One of my favorite Instagram accounts is #whatarepeoplewearing. I like it because it’s about everyday wear. Not for me, but for young people. Still, I can enjoy and appreciate the classy but stylish flairs, chic but a tad trendy. Twelve years ago, when I finally got Shattered Guilt out of my head and onto the computer, I did too much style description about Lacey, the main character’s daughter. Since the book morphed into her mother’s story, I removed much of the fashion blog about Lacey, but here’s my chance to write about her style again. And who is her style inspiration?

My daughter and Lacey

My youngest daughter is Lacey’s inspiration. She’s a fashion icon in our family! JoAnna was born on our twenty-third Wedding Anniversary. I was forty-four years old when the Lord blessed us with our surprise blessing. My oldest child hit seventeen the same year, and all our seven children fell in love with her. Maybe her clothing thing started with me and my other two daughters dressing her up all the time, like our baby doll. Thankfully it didn’t go to her head! She’s a delight in our old age. Here we are, a couple years back, celebrating the release of my first book, Shattered Guilt. And recently, she took my latest release, Shadowed Doubt, to Kaui with her!

JoAnna is a funny, charming, godly young woman. But her style? Impeccable. Young mom’s at the Montessori School where she works have asked her to help them shop. Mothers of teens have asked her to help shop for their daughters. Even at my age, I ask her for advice, reminding her that I’m a senior citizen. It’s no wonder she inspired my first young character, Lacey Thompson.

Lacey’s Everyday Style

Lacey’s everyday style is not what she sketches and aspires to design. Still, I love narrating it, as well as Virginia’s and Tina’s. You’ll read more about them later in the week. But here’s a little montage that inspired me. I took these pictures when my daughter, JoAnna, got her first job after college. Each morning I made her stop and model before leaving for work. Embarrassing right?

Melanie didn’t do that. Aren’t you glad? But one of the scenes I deleted is Lacey yanking shirts, jeans, and dresses from her closet, throwing them askew but landing all over her mother. She is trying to find the perfect outfit, but angst about life which fuels her frenzy. Melanie, Lacey’s mom, waits patiently to infuse a bit of godly wisdom. Here’s another scene that lends itself to those moments as well.

God uses all kinds of situations for His glory. Especially messes! After that scene, Lacey’s room looked like a clothing store exploded…shhh, that’s my daughter’s room after a morning of getting dressed. Much like the movies. It drives my husband crazy when there’s a style montage in every romantic comedy we watch. 

Life Lessons

Lacey tends to go against the grain, no pun intended and learns life lessons along the way. She tends to do that in fashion too. What I mean is she dresses for herself. When I write about her choosing outfits, she keeps in mind the occasion, but it doesn’t entirely dictate her choices. My daughter is the same way. But staying within the realm of color and style for the season. 

I love the scene in Devil Wears Prada where Meryl Street launches into a tirade about the color “blue.

She berates Anne Hathaway about the color of her sweater but is really addressing her pride issues! Click the link. It’s well worth watching.

After watching this movie, I started following Pantone’s Fashion Color of the Year. I try and buy one item of that color just for fun!

Guess what the color for 2024 is? Click below if you’re interested.

https://thefashionfrill.com/fashion/pantone-color-of-the-year-2024/

Let me know if you can find a scarf, a handbag, a sweater, or anything in that color. It may be on the runways now but not in our retail stores until well into the next year!

Styles of Today

The styles of today are so crazy. We could go back and say the same about the 60s, 70s, 80s, and so on, right? But it’s a bit freeing that I’m not tethered to the latest in flair bottoms or wide-legged jeans at my age, although I own a pair of both. 

I’m also a comfort person, so I’ve hung onto my leggings and straight-legged jeans. Mostly I wear joggers and a T-shirt during the day when it’s cool, but sundresses are my go-to in the summer. Sundays are fashion-fun days for me. For church, I peruse my closet for the perfect outfit. Although, it’s not for show. I’m too old for that! But I dress for myself, and I also modeled Lacey after that. 

The challenge of writing a book is change. The Bay Town Series is contemporary, but I must be careful not to be too dated. It’s tricky because fashion changes dramatically. But it’s a bit of characterization that I can’t help but have fun with. 

So what’s the trendy style today? Not much for me, it seems. The over-the-top fashion includes everything oversized, but midriff cut-outs and peek-a-boos are in along with sheer fabrics. As I said, not for me. And platform shoes! Back in the day, I wore five-inchers and it helped lengthen my five-foot, now four-foot-eleven-inch frame. But today, I can outfit my wardrobe with a few of the new styles…blazers and sweet ballerina flats. Although my feet can’t take them unless they’re orthopedic.

I don’t spend a lot of money on fashion, and I love to shop in thrift stores. The world is so disposable today that I can find some latest trends with tags still on them. And finding older styles works because trends the clothing styles repeat themselves. But it seems like anything goes within a category of sameness. If that makes sense. Cowboy cosplay, Disco Diva, and Military Inspired all work this year. Crazy, huh?

Although I have fun searching for style trends, I look at mature styles for the over-60s crowd. Low-key but fashionable. Here’s one of the fun blogs I enjoy for my age group!

Fashions Come and Go

I love this scripture about the grass withering and flowers fading, but the word of the Lord endures. And that holds true here. Even more so! Fashion is fun. A hobby, a trend. I don’t take it too seriously because, like everything else on this earth, it won’t last. No matter what’s important to us, be it fashion, food, or even our families, God must come first. And thankfully, in Shadowed Doubt, Lacey gets that. 

I love writing my characters of faith, whereby God’s Word dictates their actions. And just like in real life, we sometimes fail at following those dictates. Yet our loving, forgiving Savior is there to get us back on track when we veer off. He’s not done with me yet! I hope you’ll read Shadowed Doubt. I think it’s a stand-alone, but one reader stated she was glad she read Books One and Two first. See for yourself!

You can read a little about each of my books on my website. https://www.kathleenjrobison.com/welcome-to-my-books/

GIVEAWAY

Thanks for joining me today, and please come back tomorrow as we talk more fun fashion stuff. And it’s really just stuff! Here’s the link for the giveaway.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f888f7c021/?

I’d love for you to win the $10 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of Shadowed Doubt. Let me know your fashion favs. Either from today or yesteryears. God bless your day.