outfits

How to shop your closet for fall 2023

August 1, 2023 in General Fashion / Shopping / Trends tagged fall 2023 / investment dressing / outfit ideas / outfits / tips by Bay Area Fashionista

pictured: black western style boots /

It is that that time of year again when fall starts hitting store shelves! This means you may have the urge to start stocking up on all the shiny new fall merchandise popping up everywhere. Before you dive right in, make sure you aren’t duplicating what you already own! The first thing you need to shop for fall is your closet!

If you are wondering how to shop your closet for fall 2023, you have come to the right place. Shopping your closet can be just as much fun as shopping in a store. You never know what you might find! So, block your calendar, make sure your air conditioner or fan is hitting your closet and get to work.

The first thing you want to do in your closet is empty out anything you don’t wear. If this seems overwhelming, do it in steps. I also sort my shoes first, then my clothing. This seems to make it easier. If you have any shoes which hurt your feet or you are wondering why in the world you own them, decide if they have resale value or if they should go in the donation pile. Then, start pulling the shoes forward in your closet which are hot right now and in style for the fall season.

What to look for in your closet when it comes to shoes. Western style footwear is still hot, so bring them back out from the back of your closet. Also pull out your Mary Janes, Ballet Flats, Classic Loafers, Lug Sole Boots, Classic Pumps, Street Sneakers, and utility style boots. Everything else can be stored in the back of your closet for a future season.

Now let’s sort clothing! Again, pull out anything that doesn’t fit correctly, or you don’t like anymore. Sort them into a donation pile and resale pile. Then, let’s rotate your closet!

If it seems daunting, go in this order. Start with your denim collection. Rips, tears, and heavy distress are over. Pull forward your wide leg jeans, flare jeans, straight leg jeans, and trouser leg jeans. You can keep your favorite skinny’s but put them at the bottom of the denim pile or store them in the back of your closet. Looser denim styles are still trending for fall 2023. Autumn colors are trending too. If you have shades of brown, black, or burgundy, pull those jeans out too.

Talking about pants, let’s keep going! For your non-denim pants, look for classic cute, straight leg, and wide leg. Again, skinny styles should get stored. Trousers paired with a blouse or sweater are hot for fall both in the workplace and on casual days paired with street sneakers. Pull those styles forward!

Speaking of sweaters and shirts, they are both hot for fall and well into winter. You can wear cropped sweaters, oversized sweaters, cardigans, turtlenecks, all of the above! If you have sweaters which look worn or were discovered by moths, recycle them, otherwise, pull forward your favorite sweaters and rock them this fall. Button down shirts worn loosely and oversized are also hot for fall. Pull those shirts forward too!

Powersuits are still hot. Keep your power suits and keep rocking them this fall!

Also, tweed blazers over jeans are still hot this fall season, so keep those in the front of your closet to wear instead of outerwear when the weather is mild or cool. Love them!

When it comes to outerwear, look for trench coats in your closet, peacoats, and the jackets you wear on the ski slope. Outerwear is being shown in both fun colors and neutrals, so enjoy!

Handbags are staying anonymous and when it comes to size, anything goes. Look for high quality investment bags, hobo bags, shoulder bags, totes, and Lady Bags in your closet. Pull them forward and store your logo bags.

One of the big trends coming up for fall is the pencil skirt. You might have some in the back of your closet, if so, bring them forward! Denim pencil skirts are hot too!

Look for the fall IT colors in your closet as well. In addition to neutrals and black, look for shades of red, green, and pink.

There you have it! Found any holes in your wardrobe? Start your shopping list and stay tuned for my fall 2023 trend report coming up soon!

On my fall wish list:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Barbie movie review and possible spoilers

July 31, 2023 in General Fashion tagged outfits / pink / reviews / summer 2023 by Bay Area Fashionista

Barbie movie outfit: statement earrings / pink dress (on major sale!) / mini tote / summer nail polish / glitter sneakers /

I finally saw the Barbie movie! So, here is my Barbie movie review which may contain possible spoilers, and of course, my Barbie movie outfit.

Barbie was always one of my toys as a child, if not my absolute favorite. I played with my Barbies longer than any of my friends, so much so, that I used to keep it secret! Barbie was the ultimate in combining dreams with imagination. She was what you wanted to be when you grew up, or what you dreamt of being. Little girls everywhere could play Barbie for hours upon hours. The inspiration for imagination was endless.

There were Barbie’s sold as a certain type or job, but you could change the doll’s outfit and change her career on a whim. Barbie could have multiple jobs and careers; she could be anything and everything! Barbie could be a CEO by day, and she could grace the red carpet as a movie star by night. Barbie was a doctor, a lawyer, a lifeguard, a fashion model, a company owner, an inventor, she was anything you could imagine her to be. If Barbie could have a fabulous career, so could the little girl playing with her!

Every woman who played Barbie’s as a child knows this, and the movie reiterates it right off the bat before delving into the first scene. The movie sets the stage for both Barbie fans, and non-Barbie players alike. Those of us who played Barbie’s, know the game inspired us to become anything we wanted to become as adults. She lived out our dreams.

This is why the movie instantly made me clap and cheer in the movie theater! It was as if the screen writers were inside my head forty years ago. My Barbie was a Solid Gold Dancer sometimes, and there was a scene where Barbie was dancing while dressed in gold, just like my Barbie! It was my childhood imagination come to life. Everyone who played Barbie’s could find the Barbie they imagined as child in the movie. It was a fantasy playground come to life, and I want to go back!

Wait, where did I store my Barbie’s? I know they are around here somewhere. . .hang on. . .anyway. . .

I don’t want to give out any movie spoilers in case you haven’t seen the movie. So, I will say this. Despite the critics trying to make this something it is not, the movie is a playground for every little girls imagination and inspiration. If Barbie can be President, so can you! If Barbie can be a doctor, so can you! So on, and so forth. . .

I loved this movie because it made my dreams as a little girl come to life on screen. It showed that Barbie was our dreams, our imagination, and our world of possibilities. She was the original girl power for many of us back in the day; and she still is. This is the type of movie I want to watch again and again. It was fun, powerful, and nostalgic, all in one.

Possible movie spoiler-proceed with caution! When you peel back the layers, Barbie has an existential crisis in the movie along with Ken, as they are both trying to figure out who they are in the world beyond the label on the box. At the end of the movie, Ken remains in Barbieland to find himself. For Barbie, the experience of seeing, feeling emotions, aging, and more in the real world, inspired her to move beyond the perfect plastic world she is accustomed to, and to move into the discomfort of becoming real.

This is an interesting turn of events as it reiterates Barbie can be anything she wants to be, but first, she needs to find herself and decide what is best for her, and what she really wants. Isn’t that something we all go through in life? Finding ourselves and finding what makes us happy? Perhaps there will be a second Barbie movie where we can see her go through this discovery, but I digress. . .

The last scene was my only disappointment in the movie. I had hoped Barbie would take over Mattel or snag another powerful job, but instead, she goes to a doctor appointment. While this shows Barbie being real and doing something ordinary which all women do, it left me flat as a movie ending. What are your thoughts on the ending if you saw the movie?

What I wore to the Barbie movie:

So, if you played Barbies, go see this movie! It will remind you why you loved playing with Barbie so much! If you were anti-Barbie, it will show a side of Barbie you never saw, and you might just see how powerful Barbie really is.

If powerful women, and challenges to patriarchy aren’t your thing, you might want to sit this movie out.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum San Jose

July 20, 2023 in General Fashion / Travel tagged casual style / lifestyle / outfits / san jose / staycation by Bay Area Fashionista

wearing: blue tee / statement earrings / black handbag / black belt / shorts (similar here) / silver bracelet / summer nail polish / sneakers / ankle bracelet /

Egypt’s history is absolutely fascinating, and we are fortunate to have a fabulous museum which celebrates this ancient civilization in San Jose. If you are local to the Bay Area, and you have not visited the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum yet, what are you waiting for? Go now! If you plan to visit the area, be sure to schedule a visit in your itinerary.

My grades in history were not that great, in fact, when I was in school it was my least favorite subject. This actually makes me laugh now because as an adult, I love history! I actively seek out historical information and I can spend hours diving deep into history. I wish I could do that when I was in school! haha To be frank, there was only one historical subject which fascinated me when I was in school, and that was Egyptian history.

In the sixth grade, my teacher had visited Egypt several times and was able to teach us about it with her personal experience. She even showed us her personal slides taken during many of her visits! It was amazing and I was extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated teacher. This is why I loved Egyptian history; she really made it come alive as compared to all of the other histories I found boring in school. Since I enjoyed Egyptian history, my Mom and my best friends’ mom took us both to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum so we could see artifacts in person. My friend I bought earrings in the gift shop and really enjoyed the visit.

Although the gift shop does not seem to exist anymore, the museum has grown over the decades and includes genuine artifacts as well as casts of original artifacts. The description by each item will let you know which it is. Since my mom took me here, I felt it was only natural that I bring my kids here too. I wish I had done it sooner! They studied Egypt in middle school and now they are in high school and college. Is this a hashtag mom fail? Yikes! But I digress. . .

We spent about two hours at the museum but could have easily stayed longer. There are several levels to look through and the museum also has an exhibit on Alchemy which the museum plans to expand into its’ own museum. Alchemy is directly tied to Egyptian history so it will be incredible when it is complete.

One of my favorite things inside the museum is the recreation of a tomb. You can walk through the cave-like tomb and see what it is like inside of one located in Egypt. They even created the paintings and markings.

In addition to just viewing artifacts and learning history, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum has been thoughtful in their artifact descriptions. I loved seeing how history is similar to modern day as well as how it repeats itself. You can even see an example of how clear cutting created climate change! Please read the photo below as an example.

In addition to the museum inside, there is more to learn in the museum gardens. The museum displays an outdoor version of Senet, an ancient game, as well as plants and other objects which offer descriptions of how they fit into Egypt’s rich history.

I recommend arriving a little bit early to the museum so you can enjoy the outdoor gardens before going inside. They are really beautiful and interesting!

You can learn more, and plan your visit, by visiting the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum’s website at EgyptianMuseum.org.

If you are looking for a yummy place to eat before or after your visit to the museum, I highly recommend Park Station Hashery which is on the corner of Naglee and Park Ave. They have delicious brunch items. My favorite is the breakfast burrito which appears on the specials. The regular menu is good too!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy your visit!

XOXO

Cathy

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