A Pearl Girl-Portia Clark

I must go seek some dew-drops here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Puck, A Midsummer Night's Dream

No surprise here..I am a Pearl Girl!  Inspired by great women of style whose iconic images are "strung" through their strands of pearls...

Pearls may be  classic but they do not have to be traditional and boring-

I have found a new Pearl Girl who gets that!

Portia Clark has set out to "...take the stuffiness out of pearls."

By incorporating the many shapes,sizes and colors of Freshwater Pearls in her designs Portia has lent a new "twist" to my favorite jewelry box staple.  Portia's designs are meant to worn ...everyday! not just weddings and funerals...

I toss on pearls with everything, sometimes at my neck,

sometimes in my ears

or on my wrist

but I don't think there is are many days that I leave the house without pearls which is why finding Portia Clark's designs is so exciting...

Portia designs for "real life" and her you can feel comfortable from cut offs to ball gowns in her wonderful designs.

One of my favorite aspects about her line is the ability to make it your own...
 Portia Clark offers lovely silk cords in so many colors

and you can choose the color and length of the cords, the size,color and shape of the pearls, along with the number of strands and the style of knotting...so truly no two necklaces/bracelets/earrings are alike and they express you and your style in a very special way.

"From jeans and a t-shirt to a couture gown, a backyard BBQ to your best friend’s wedding"... Portia wants you to wear her pearls not just keep them wrapped up in their lovely pouches...

Portia Clark understands that "Life is just too short to “save them for later”, so go ahead, wear them often and feel fabulous."

I DO Know Jack!-Summer Style 101-Jack Rogers

 

Welcoming summer for me means four key things--throwing the top down, planting hydrangeas,baseball and putting my feet into my favorite style of shoes-sandals! For someone who owns countless pairs of shoes I really would walk barefoot my whole life if I could---but I do adore my sandals and I cannot imagine a summer season without baseball or without my red painted toes showing with my Jacks.

Since 1960 Jack Rogers' all American sandal style,so chic and easy, THE perfect summer shoe, has been seen on some very famous feet. The iconic Palm Beach Navajo  is a classic, defining resort style from Palm Beach to Nantucket. They worked for Jackie over 50 years ago and they still work today-it simply cannot be summer without Jacks!  

 

The Navajo is the most recognized sandal in the line but 50 years later Jack Rogers has grown taken their beloved footwear collection and expanded the line to include bags, apparel, accessories and of course sandals all incorporating the Jack Rogers "look" into their new lifestyle line which debuted this spring.  There are platform espadrilles,heels,even  jellies...but for me just give me my Classic Jacks...  

 

For those of us who cannot get enough of the Jack Rogers look the new collection has lots to tempt-easy, comfortable, affordable and as timeless as Jackie's look...

 

Great Tops

 

"Bab's Favorite"

Skirts for effortless style

"Cami's Deck Stripe Skirt"

Dresses to live in

"Jacqueline's Shift"

Bags to match my shoes...

 

"Newport Bucket Tote"

"St. Barth's Tote"                                     

"Lawn Party Clutch"

...and of course shoes!!!!

 

"Flora Moccasin"

"Tansy Moccasin"

"Dakota Ballet Flat"

Look!  Jellie Bahama Navajos!!!

Without a doubt MY all time favorite non-Palm Beach Jack--The Daisy with interchangeable daisies!!! 

Now THAT is summer Style!!

Men Seldom Make Passes....

Men seldom make passes At girls who wear glasses”  Dorothy Parker

Well, we are about to prove Ms. Parker wrong--we hope!

"Suddenly" perched at the edge of my nose, and invariably slipping off, is a new appendage---reading glasses.  These so called "cheaters" seem to have arrived from nowhere and without asking my permission.  It all started innocently enough as I found I had to take faxes to the window to read the numbers--is it a 6 or is it an 8...no wait, I think it's a 5...before I knew it I was squinting and stretching my short little arm beyond its reach to read paperwork, price tags,instructions, recipes and the New York Times...explain to me how our eyes know when are over 40??

Merry Me- Eyebobs

Every 8 seconds someone turns 40. Good to know I am not alone and according to Eyebobs this means "1.5 million people are having birthdays and if they don’t already wear a reader, they soon will be (97% by the time they are 50). "

Rather than look at this as a devastating road sign "You are Now Entering Mid-Life" I have chosen to see it as a fashion opportunity--an excuse for a new accessory!  I have discovered that I need several pair-a couple in the office,  in the bathroom,  by my bed, in the kitchen, in every handbag...a pair for knitting, a pair for reading,  for typing and even for shopping! As the population ages cheaters, or peepers,or  reading glasses are the new jewelry.

 Diva - Eyebobs

So if I am destined to have specs sitting at the end of my nose you better believe I am going to have fun with it!!  To take the sting out of this aging thing I headed to Eyebobs  for fun, style, and wardrobe building.

 Too Naughty- eyebobs

I want styles that match my mood, my day, my style and will express who I am at that moment. I love the styles from Eyebobs , they design and sell "eyewear for irreverent and slightly jaded".

 Stirred -eyebobs

Visit their site for the names alone!  Favorites include-
Do the Limbo, Cher, Checkered Past, Smitten Kitten, Too Naughty,...oooh, what about a lorgnette???

Also check out Peepersspecs - this could be fun!!!

If you need to go the prescription route  be sure to visit Warby Parker (the name inspired by two Jack Kerouac characters)offering vintage inspired frames all under $100 and for every pair of glasses they sell they donate a pair to someone in need of a new pair through their work with Restoringvision.org

 I am choosing to take a positive approach to this signpost of my 40s...unlike lines and gray roots I can actually dress this up!  Maybe look a bit smarter, mysterious, alluring...chic--- and maybe prove Ms. Parker wrong!!

Oh So Pretty! Sara Campbell Style

Most days pulling yourself together to get out the door means less about how you want to look and more about how fast you can get ready to go. There are days,however, that you just need to feel pretty...for those days I go straight for the pieces in my closet that say Sara Campbell.

Sara's clothes are all about feeling special, clothes that go anywhere, totally wearable,timeless...and just simply pretty. Whether for dress up or work days or heading out for fun, Sara's clothes fit in everywhere. The pieces in the collection are tailored not just for great style but also to be worn in a real life--not only do you feel pretty you are comfortable being pretty....

Always flirty, feminine,colorful, and classic.


I love visiting Sara's stores,located in the South End of Boston and recently opened Wellesley. Sara's clothes can also be found at specialty stores nationally. When I shop there it is like playing in a wonderful closet filled with pieces that I want to wear. Maybe it was the black and white stripes with hot pink accents that made me feel at home in the new Wellesley store (just the colors of my dressing closet) but I walked in and felt instantly at home. I scooped up armloads and hit the dressing room . I have always loved to play Dress Up but at Sara Campbell I can make those play days real.


The line is meticulously tailored so the clothes fit beautifully. I am five foot 1 on a good day, yet the recent afternoon I was there there were women of all heights, sizes and ages each trying on pieces and we all looked good in Sara Campbell.

Sara in her workroom

You notice right off that there are a lot of dresses in the collections, skirts, coordinating jackets and coats...hearkening to Betty Draper's days but with an updated style for women who do more than pose in their lives. Yes, you can be a Lady and rule the world.

Sara Campbell's clothes are all designed with beautiful fabrics and there is always a perfect element as they are adorned with special details-ribbons, buttons, applique, ruffles, pleating... that catch attention!

I think no matter what your life is all about, no matter how nuts your days can get, feeling pretty in an effortless way is what we all deserve---simply pretty, simply Sara Campbell.

"At Sara Campbell, we believe in always feeling pretty. We want you to flaunt your femininity. We love to celebrate all of life's pleasures - no matter how big or small..." Sara Campbell