Friday, September 19, 2014

Fashion Over Fifty: Kimonos

Hello!  So what do you all think of Kimonos?  I have to admit, I'm on the fence about them.  I finally broke down and bought one, wore it a couple of times, but I'm still not sure if I like them.  When I first started seeing them this spring, my initial thought was "Kimonos are notoriously known as something old ladies wear.  I know all the 'young people' are wearing them now, but will they just make an older person look even older?"  I just couldn't get past the old lady look and kept picturing myself in an episode of 'The Golden Girls' walking around my house in a kimono and high heels. (Yeah, like I ever dress like that at home!  More like yoga pants and a sweatshirt!)   But as the months grew on, and the weather started to cool, I thought, 'You know, it might just make a nice sheer cover up  to wear during these chilly mornings and nights.', so I gave in to my fears and bought one.  The first time I wore it, I styled it with shorts and went shopping.  When I came home, my twenty something son asked me why I wore a robe outside the house.  Not a good sign.  The second time I tried it with a pair of boyfriend jeans and heels.
 I wore this outfit to church when I wasn't scheduled to sing on worship team.  (This outfit also shows another trend I finally succumbed to:  boyfriend jeans and distressed denim.  More on that later.)  Comfort wise, a kimono is the perfect item to wear in the late spring or early fall when a blazer or jacket would be too much for the temperatures.  Because a kimono is very big and loose, most women wear them with shorts, or tight fitting pants so that they are not baggy from head and toe and their outfit has some kind of structure.

The kimono was purchased from Francescas.  I have found that they have the huge selection of Kimonos compared to most  retailers.  I wore my metallic tee shirt from The Gap underneath the kimono.  I played with the shirt tucked in and out, and felt my tummy flab just showed way too much tucked in, so I left it out.
 This is not a flattering pose, but I wanted you to see the back and the shape of the garment.   Look!  I have wings!
 For jewelry I found this really neat silver feather bracelet at Old Navy, and I wore a very old pendant for a necklace.
 Now for the Boyfriend Jeans.  O.k. this is another item I've been debating for awhile.  Should a 50 -something year old woman wear boyfriend jeans and/or distressed denim?    Well first of all, it depends on the amount of distressing.  Some of the distressed jeans out in the stores right now are SO distressed there is barely a thread holding them together. I'll leave those extreme distressed jeans to the young ones.   But a little distressing, like the pair I have on, are o.k. for the older fashionista like myself.   Now for the style.  I love the boyfriend style, I'm just not sure I like it on me, and it's not because of my age, but because of my shape.  I think the style looks great from the front, but from the back my butt looks non-existent.  Talk about a flat butt!  Where is it?  I'm a very top heavy woman:  the majority of my weight is from the waist up, and my bottom half is quite small.  So baggy pants, really do nothing to flatter my figure.  I bought the smallest size these pants come in, and I could still barely keep them up.  From a comfort viewpoint, they are the most comfortable jeans I have ever owned (with the exception of the constant tugging I have to do to keep them up).  I will probably wear them again, but with a blouse that covers my butt, like a long, slender tunic or something.  But for the most part, I think I will stick with my skinny jeans as they are the most flattering cut for my body type.  I bought my boyfriend jeans from J.C. Penney.
 So what do you think of these fun shoes?  I actually bought them last spring from Francescas and this is the first time I've worn them.  I love them, but the color is so different, they clash with most of my outfits.  The material is suede, and they are super comfy.
 Here is a close up of my very old necklace.  I think I've had this since my high school years.

And now, here are some pictures of some real fashionistas on Pinterest who look much better in a kimono than I do.  All of these lovely ladies paired their kimonos with shorts.
(photo credit)


(photo credit)


(photo credit)


(photo credit)
(photo credit)



This kimono is the one I own.  
(photo credit)
I love this look pictured below, and will have to try my kimono with a blue jean pencil skirt.  I don't think I've given up on wearing kimonos just yet.  I will just have to keep experimenting with it, till I find a look that is right for me.
(photo credit)


This model has her kimono paired with skinny jeans.  Another look I'll have to try!
(photo credit)


This lovely lady is one of my favorite fashion bloggers.  She found her kimono at Target of all places!  I just love her style!  She has boyfriend jeans on too, but they sure look a heck of a lot better on her than they do on me!
(photo credit)


What about you?  Would you ever try a kimono?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have a great day!  Amy

Kimono | How to Wear & What to Wear With & Where to Buy

4 comments:

  1. Funny things kids say, no matter how old. I too was asked the other day why I wore a robe outside, it was one of those warm knitted cardigans with a matching knitted belt. Kids...
    Never tried on a Kimono, but it looks really comfy. Who knows...if I come across a pattern that I love I might just try it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was so surprised to see my photo - thanks for the shout out, Amy! I think you look lovely in your kimono and boyfriend jeans. 😄 I'm hoping to try another look with mine in the next week or two.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LOVE kimonos! They're so comfy and compliment so many outfits! Love you how styled yours! xo Andrea

    Boho Bunnie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Not too sure about the jeans but I kinda like your kimono and adore those shoes! Would I wear a kimono, maybe:O)!
    hugs
    Glenda

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for leaving a comment. I love feedback from my readers. If you have a blog, I always return the love by visiting within a week whoever leaves a comment.