Samoan Print Summer Shirt

Among the many articles of clothing my email penpal from New Zealand has sent me is my favorite summer shirt. It is light tan, collarless, with short sleeves and a short row of black buttons at the neckline. It is from Samoa and the fabric is printed with black markings from that culture. I wear it with jeans or a skirt and it is a great conversation starter. Sometimes I wear it with a black stone necklace from the island nation of Vanuatu, also a gift. The shirt is a light cotton and very comfortable on a hot summer day.

Old-Fashioned Cut Off Shorts

I could stand to lose a few pounds so shorts are not my favorite garment. I do however, have two favorite pairs, and they are exactly alike. They are old-fashioned, home made cut offs, made from recycled relaxed fit Route 66 jeans purchased at KMart. They are not Daisy Dukes. I wear them anywhere I would put on a pair of jeans, which for me is just about anywhere. I dress them up by pairing them with a shirt that has a metallic gold thread running through the fabric. These shorts are extremely comfortable. The worn jeans I couldn’t stand to throw away have gotten a new life.

Turtlenecks Reign Supreme!

Layering is essential to keep warm and fashionable during the winter weather. My favorite way to dress during the cold months is to put on a turtleneck pullover and then put a blouse or shirt over it. You can wear it buttoned or unbuttoned, tucked in or tails out, with or without a belt. The turtleneck is really the key component in the outfit. It can be any color to coordinate or match the blouse or shirt, or a contrasting color. I have two black turtlenecks (my personal favorite) and two red turtlenecks (my second favorite) and another dozen or so in assorted colors and hues. In addition to helping you keep warm and toasty, they draw attention to your face and can be dressed up with jewelry or scarves. I also wear a lot of sleeveless turtlenecks in the summertime, but they’re very lightweight and sheer.