I’ve discovered Zara, and I love their clothes. This surprises me for two reasons: It’s fast fashion plus the fabrics are poly blends. I will still buy an occasional investment piece, but for fashionable seasonable clothes, I’m having fun shopping online with Zara. While these outfits may not hold up a few years from now…
Over the short pull I’m getting chic designer looking clothes for a fraction of the price.
If you’ve been following Fashion Friday then you know I’ve been tweaking my style and for the last month, I’ve been on the Zara bandwagon, so I want you to know I AM NOT being compensated by Zara in any way. In fact, Zara doesn’t even know I exist.
I’ve always had fun with fashion. Me and my date, Zorro, on Halloween, 1990.
And if you’ve been following my fashion tips over the last couple of years then you also know I’m a big advocate of natural fibers like 100% cotton, wool and silk. Zara does mostly polyester and elastane mixed with cotton and linen, but girlfriends… Their clothes are affordable designer chic! Part of me wonders what happened to the real Brenda? Who is this woman who’s taken over her fashion buying? It’s the Brenda who can no longer afford insane designer prices and no longer has anywhere to wear them. Besides, my new found love affair with Zara doesn’t mean this is an “either/or” decision. I’ll still buy and bring you 100% cotton and wool from other brands.
My Mistress of Ceremonies costume, 1995, for one of San Antonio’s most popular Fiesta events. The ceramic pig on the ground was my “purse.”
Now that I’ve reached the magic age of “just” 70, I’m having more fun than ever, playing with fashion, and I feel free to wear what I want.
Okay, let’s talk outfit specifics as in “Great Summer Whites Paired With Neutrals” that will take you from date night, to a birthday lunch with the girls, or dinner while you’re on vacation in Charleston, South Carolina, or Florence, Italy.
We’re already living through the educational and cultural dumbing down of America, so what if we’re not a part of the dumbing down of the dress code?
I love Zara’s $89.90 “Frock Coat” with a high lapel collar and long sleeves.
The coat is a “rocker chic” length, and covers a multitude of sins on our bum and upper thighs. A jacket like this from The Row would be $2,000! True, it would be 100% cotton or silk or linen, but still… I’d rather spend that on my vacation.
I love the model’s hair… It’s a bit sassy and messy and has movement. Check out last week’s Fashion Friday about “Modern Youthful Hair and Nails for Women Over 50.”
Wear the coat with this $29.90 neutral Halter Knit Top. Don’t worry about the inset cut on the arms because the jacket will cover it.
Then put them both together with these Zara $49.90 Tuxedo Pants that have a nice wide waist band and a flat front and zip. Wear with neutral colored sneakers, flats, espadrilles or heels that feel good on your feet.
If you accessorize with Zara’s $29.90 Long Stone Necklace, I would wear small earrings…
…like these Zara $19.90 Natural colored Pearl Hoop Earrings.
When it comes to dressing, I’m not flying anyone else’s flag but my own, and I love coloring outside the lines!
26 thoughts on “OVER 60 AND HAVING AFFORDABLE FASHION FUN”
‘Just’ 65 and love Zara! Have been shopping them for a few years. They add the spark to my somewhat classic wardrobe! No longer worry about wearing the right outfit. Dressing at our age is so freeing. As Styled by Jeanne says…classic with attitude!
Hi Claire, Jeanne is right on target about dressing when we get to a certain age. “Classic with Attitude!” Brilliant description! As a new Zara fan, I’m glad to know you like them as well. Thanks for reading and letting me know! Brenda
I will have to check them out! Thanks!
xob
You’re welcome, Barbara! Great style and easy on the pocketbook! xoxox, Brenda
These fashions just look like summer! I love your photos from the 90’s!!
Hi Haralee, Glad you like my photos from back in the day. I always enjoy seeing photos of other women when we were another age. It helps paint a better picture of who we were… and are. I appreciate you! xoxox, Brenda
I’ve been buying a few things from them since a trip to Europe, had me needing some pants. The cuts are modern, but two things to be aware of, the hems are not sewn down and will come apart( fixable). And the sizing is smaller in general, I wear petite 6-8, and get Medium or 38-40.
Eileen, Thanks for the warnings about Zara. So far I’ve noticed the pants are too large but that could be the particular style I bought. I went to the Zara in Las Vegas last weekend. It was a great store, and I bought two long tunics. Could easily have been Eileen Fischer tunics except the fabric is thinner than hers plus the price is less… because it’s thinner, but I love them. Brenda
Love that look but I’m crazy about that necklace! Would be a wonderful outfit for Greenville as well haha!
Rena, Except for the jewelry (I already have some that will work), I ordered this entire outfit and am excited to see how it fits. xoxox, Brenda
I just bought THANKS TO PREPPY EMPTY NESTERS DAUGHTER a SMOCK like TUNIC from THEM in WHITE and BLACK!
OH MY GOSH I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM!
LOVE YOU HERE IN YOUR MEXICAN GARB!!!!!!!!
YOU ARE GORGEOUS HERE!!!!!!!
EVEN WITH ZORO!!!!!!!
ARE YOU going to CHARLESTON?ONE of my FAVORITE CITIES!!!!!NO IS MY FAVORITE CITY!!!!!!!!
XX
Elizabeth, It was so fun that you called me while I was walking through Zara’s in Las Vegas. I found two long tunics like you were talking about and bought them. One is black. The other is a light terra cotta. Looked for some sequined camisoles to wear under them, but they didn’t have any good colors… Just one that was a highlighter yellow! Eeeek!! I don’t have any plans to go to Charleston. Maybe we should go together. I bet they have beautiful gardens and lovely old homes we could drool over. Interested? xoxox, Brenda
TERRACOTTA!!!!!!!!!!
SEND ME A PHOTO PLEASE!
I’m getting SO many compliments in my TUNICS!
Been to CHARLESTON on a GARDEN TOUR about 8 years ago…………LOVED IT!
YES, LETS GO!!!!!!
NEXT SPRING!I get the emails so will forward to YOU when I receive!
XX
Elizabeth, Charleston… Next Spring!! It’s a deal. I’m putting my Greek kaftan in the mail to you today. xoxox, Brenda
Please read “Over-Dressed, The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion” by Elizabeth L. Cline. It is eye-opening!
Colleen, Thanks for the reference to Elizabeth Cline’s book. I read parts of it a few years ago and it’s preaching to my choir. If you’ve read my fashion blogs for any length of time, then you know I’ve never liked fast fashion for a plethora of reasons. Now that I can’t afford many of the brands I used to wear, plus I have no place to wear them, it hammers home that many women have been in this quandary way longer than I have been, so I now understand why Zara fits the bill. I’ve looked at Department store brands and either don’t like the style or they, too, are blends, which puts them in a similar category as Zara and H&M. It’s a terrible dilemma. If only the Chinese knockoff clothes used good fabrics and sized them for American women… That would be perfect because they copy great designs. Brenda
That “rocker chic“ length is pretty great. And it looks like you, like Sue at high heels, don’t mind wearing white! I still can’t manage to do it. Even so, I like it on everyone else, I think.
And let’s hear it for affordable fun fashion every day of the week, not just Friday!
DA, Sue Burpee and I love the same brands and have similar tastes. That’s what made me gravitate toward her and why she wrote Fashion Friday posts here on 1010ParkPlace for awhile. I understand the white quandary… I, too, like white better on other people, especially white pants. White pants can be soooo dangerous unless we’re slim, without cellulite, they don’t have front darts and then there’s always the problem of seeing the pockets and the selvages. Drives me bananas! xoxox, Brenda
I love Zara! I had seen the stores here in California and dismissed them at a version of Forever 21, strictly for the young. Then I discovered them London where they seem to have gigantic stores with a more edgy selection. I now plan on buying there when traveling and I want some thing different for an event or the weather.
Madeline, I, too, thought they were a Forever 21 kind of brand until I started seeing their clothes online. I prefer buying clothes online, but know there’s a good sized Zara store here in San Antonio, so am going to take a look, soon, especially since I was just in a big Zara store in Las Vegas over the weekend. Think it would be interesting to compare the merchandise/edginess of the two stores. Great input. Thanks, Brenda
Haven’t commented lately on your fashion pieces, but have loved them all! Love your style! Thanks for all the great tips!
Thanks for reading and letting me know Beckye! I appreciate that, and I appreciate you! xoxox, Brenda
That suit is just your style, Brenda! Tres chic! I have to give Zara another look, I find myself sick of my blue jeans and peasant-y tops and tees this year… the stroke must have rattled something loose! Thanks for the inspiration, as always!!
XO Donna
Donna, As my mother said, I will probably die in a pair of blue jeans, but this summer I’m craving something that’s not jeans and peasant tops, so I’m right there with you! When a brand has free shipping and returns, and you can see what the clothes look like on a model, it’s hard for me not to give it a try. xoxox, Brenda
First of all you are adorable. You look so good in everything you wear. I don’t care where it’s from. That Frock coat is really cool looking . Must try it on. Love you with Zoro. Lookin good lady!
Thank you, sweet Sandy for the compliments. You should have seen Zorro without his mask! He was GORGEOUS but turned out to be “the Boyfriend from Hell.” Yes, I love the Frock Coat, so I ordered it. I hope it fits and looks as good on me as it does on the model. xoxox, Brenda
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