It's strange to think how old I am by my childhood standards. I am older than my mom was when I graduated from college! (And now I'm even older, and now I'm even older...) Sometimes the fact of my age, and my age relative to my parents' ages when I was a kid, snags my brain in funny ways.
It was definitely disturbing the first time I realized that the music I listened to in high school (and in true oldster style, continue to listen to) was more "golden oldie" than the positively ancient 1960s music my parents listened to when I was growing up. For example, a very important album of my high school years, what I still kind of think of as the "brand new record for 1990 / They Might Be Giants' brand new album Flood," is over 30 years old now. At that same time, I had a copy of the Simon & Garfunkel record Bookends from 1968, a gem of an album but practically prehistoric, that was itself only 22 years old!
When we would go shopping with my mom, my younger sister and I would laugh at clothing geared toward elderly people and extract promises from my mother (who wasn't even 40 at the time) that she would NEVER wear these things. Among the many targets we identified was clothing from the brand Alfred Dunner sold at our local Beall's store. There is a certain lavender baggy-legged cropped sweatpants and sweatshirt set, with something like a garden scene or kittens playing with yarn (if not literally "World's best grandma") embroidered on it that will probably be the last thing in the world I remember in my dotage. (So I decided to check out the Alfred Dunner site...OK, they have a "Classics" section...and OMG they still sell versions of that outfit! Here is the "Women's Garden Embroidered Short Sleeve Top" available for you for only $52. You see the rationale of our interdiction, right?)
So of course last spring I saw this boxy, vintage-style jacket with stripes of the perfect soft but saturated pastel colors on the thrift site ThredUp and fell in love with it...only to discover that it was Alfred Dunner brand. FACEPALM. So yep, my mom has continued to honor her pledge to steer clear of Alfred Dunner, but here is my middle-aged self getting her Alfred Dunner on! This is the kind of situation for which the phrase "never say never" was invented, I suppose. (And technically, my sister and I never promised to avoid this brand, though the idea of my sister wearing anything like it is hilarious. She has one of those minimalist grey-and-black wardrobes in which even her hoodies are made from cashmere.)
Soft indigo 3/4 sleeve T - CJ Banks - 3X - $8.10 - 7/2020
Denim ankle pants - CJ Banks - 24W - $15.30 - 2/2021
Blue/pink/green striped jacket - thrifted, Alfred Freaking Dunner/ThredUp - 22W - $13.39 - 4/2020
Cream/neon polka dot twilly scarf [as headband] - thrifted, ThredUp - $4.20 - 5/2020
Soft indigo/soft blue/silver bead necklace - CJ Banks - $11.23 - 1/2021
Metallic denim snakeskin flats - Nine West - $33.13 - 2/2021
I love every single one of the colors in this jacket, and for the most part, I think they love me back. I mean, those colors. Ultimately, even the Alfred-Dunner-ness of the jacket couldn't keep me away. I just have to hope that styling it with slim-cut denim ankle pants and snakeskin flats is enough to prevent me from looking hopelessly old lady. (Buttoning it up is definitely a poor styling choice based on this photo of a current, non-"Classic" Alfred Dunner jacket with a similar cut.)
Have you ever looked at something--a trend, a brand, a garment, a form of styling--and swore "never!" only to find yourself later saying "well, perhaps yes, actually"?
Oh, and for the record, now I'm older still.
I link up with:
Shelbee at Shelbee on the Edge (Mondays; 3rd Thursday)
Mica at Away from the Blue (Mondays)
Debbie at My Random Musings (Mondays)
Leelo at Beauty by Miss L (Mondays)
Roxanne at Glass of Glam (Mondays)
Laura at I Do deClaire (Tuesdays)
Emma at Style Splash (Tuesdays)
Jess at Elegantly Dressed & Stylish (Tuesdays)
Gail at Is This Mutton? (Wednesdays)
Shelly at The Queen in Between (Wednesdays)
Carrie at Curly Crafty Mom (Thursdays)
Ada at Elegance and Mommyhood (Thursdays)
Jacqui at Mummabstylish (Thursdays)
Suzy at The Grey Brunette (Fridays)
Nancy at Nancy's Fashion Style (Fridays)
Michelle at My Bijou Life (Fridays)
Erika at A Little Bit of Everything (Fridays)
Rena at Fine Whatever (Saturdays)
Oh, I can so relate. First of all I see many of those options of the garden embroidered top here in our retirement community. But it's a good lesson, that you can't judge all of a brand the same. So much of what we wear depends on the other elements and how we style something.
I would totally wear that jacket!! I just read Yvonne's blog about double stripes and that might be something interesting to play around with too? (https://funkyforty.com/how-to-have-fun-with-stripes-this-summer/) XOOX Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com
I was laughing throughout this post. You know the reason why.