Hit Your Style Sweet Spot:: Dress for the Over 50 Book Club

ByPamela Lutrell Hours Categories Fashion
Comments 35 Comments
Welcome to a new collaboration with Jennifer of A Well Styled Life and Pam of over50feeling40.  We desire for all of us…the grandmothers, the professionals, the retirees, the volunteers… the fabulous women over 50 …to look and feel our best each and every day.  After years of blogging for this audience, we have heard from so many of you about your discouragement and despondency when you look in the mirror every morning.  But, we both know just how transformative style can be and we hope to encourage you with specific, step-by-step guidelines right here every Sunday.  We would like to see all of us empowered with strength, joy, and confidence!
Each Sunday, we will bring to you a scenario we face each week and show you our step-by-step process as we decide what to wear…you will see on our individual blogs how we handle the challenge and seek our personal sweet spot for the day!
Today we are discussing what to wear to book club.  I have never been able to attend a book club …surprising since books are such a major part of my entire life. I cannot imagine a more enjoyable event than discussing books with friends on a regular basis…perhaps now I have the time to seek one out or even start one!  This challenge was selected, because we know so many women in our audiences attend book club!
The two words I would like to focus on today are…comfortable and intelligent.
These would be my style goals for such an event…and I know exactly how my past thinking would have sabotaged my event.
OLD FRUMPY THINKING:  Let’s see, I am going over to a friend’s house to sit on a comfortable couch, drink wine and talk books…sounds like sweat pants, or old denim to me.  I just want to be comfortable and that means my old, around-the-house-attire!

NEW HEALTHY THINKING:  My outfit of choice reflects my attitude from the outside in…if I dress with confidence to send a message of competence and strength, then what I have to say about a book or anything else is received with more acceptance and respect.  My outfit should say I respect myself, and, therefore, others are more likely to respect me.  Remember to always look in the mirror and ask…what does this outfit say about me? 

You don’t want to send a message of stay away….

OLD FRUMPY THINKING:  OK, so I want to look intelligent.  That must mean a business, conservative style.  Dress pants, collared shirt, and jacket.  No jewelry.  That way everyone will think I am smart!

NEW HEALTHY THINKING: I communicate intelligence by exhibiting I know how to care for myself.  It doesn’t have anything to do with pinstripes…in fact, intelligence can be communicated in posture, in attitude, and in our confident smile…which will begin from our first appearance when we  enter the door at the book club host home.

For this book club evening, I chose to wear:


PURE JILL BLACK LEGGINGS
JJill Textured Silk Kimono Top (this is in the December catalog soon to be released and not available online just yet…will tweet when it is!)  Check out other kimono tops HERE
JJILL LUXE WOOL AND CASHMERE WRAP

I uncovered this treasure of a necklace at one of my favorite re-sale shops, and the flats are SAM EDELMAN…found on a sale rack at DSW SHOES about four years back.  I decided to allow the necklace to be my statement piece.  This outfit is good for fall in Texas.  The kimono works if the weather is warm, and THE WRAP deals with any unexpected cool breezes inside or outside.  

Now, just for fun, I asked the wonderful women of MIDLIFE BOULEVARD which books have been there favorites to discuss.  One member has been in the same book club almost 30 years…I wish I could list all of the books they loved discussing here…but there were far too many.  Here are just a few:
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
LIFE OF PI
MIDDLESEX
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT
THE CORRECTIONS
INTERPRETER OF MALADIES
THE RED TENT

THE WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLE
JUST KIDS
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA
BEYOND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVER
LEMONGRASS HOPE
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR

Now, let’s go see what Jennifer is wearing to book club!  Find her at A WELL STYLED LIFE HERE and thanks so much for joining us!
What would you wear to book club…or a similar event??

Have a wonderful beginning to your week!!




Special thanks to the ladies of QUINTESSENTIAL STYLE for featuring me on their website HERE!


I am linking up with VISIBLE MONDAY…A TOUCH OF TARTAN STYLE LINK UP…
SHOE AND TELL LINK UP…
MONDAY MINGLE…TURNING HEADS STYLE LINK UP…THURSDAY BLOG HOP






Disclaimer:  I did receive clothing from JJill, but the words are my own!

35 Comments

  2. Thanks Patti! I loved hearing from the ladies all the books they enjoyed discussing! The list was quite lengthy…I will try to share the rest in another post. Thanks for stopping by!

  3. Love that necklace! A great find. I guess leopard flats are the thing to wear to book club. So funny we both chose them!! That looks like a great list of books. Have to check them out.

  8. Love this bold, statement piece necklace on you, Pam! I'm enjoying this series you and Jen have going on. You both have animal print Sam Edelmans flats on for the post. Great minds think alike!
    xx, Heather

    PS-I have a super fun give away going on at Stylemindchic Life (gift card + DVF). Hope you can stop by and enter to win. 🙂

  10. I told Jennifer the same thing, but I love this weekly theme the two of you came up with. You really hit a home run this week with focusing on comfort and intelligence bringing out so many great pointers. I have found that a confident smile says a thousand and more words and actions. I will be meeting with our book club this week and now I have two great options to go with. And, although we have been together as a book club for going on 20 years, I still try to show up looking intelligently put together yet comfortable at the same time.

  11. I've attended a book club for the last twenty years. We've morphed and changed over the years, some members leaving others, like myself, taking a hiatus due to increased professional responsibilities and then returning. One thing we never, ever worry about is whether we look intelligent or not. Or even sound intelligent. There are no expectations as to what we can and cannot say about the books we have read, or in some cases, not read. We're there for wine, good food, and a little talk about books. Often the conversation moves away from the book and into politics, fashion…whatever. We all dress up to a certain extent (no sweats or sneakers usually) because, as one member said, book club should be a bit of an occasion. You'd fit right in, both you and Jennifer. And be most welcome any last Thursday of the month when you're in Ottawa:)

  13. I love the message of transformation, Pam!
    Why do some people still think lipstick and jewellery don't go with intelligence…
    What you are wearing is absolutely perfect for your book club, love the style.

    Annette | Lady of Style

  18. I wish we could all be in a book club together, Susan. Now how much fun that would be. Thanks for commenting and stopping by…enjoy each minute of your club time with your friends!

  22. you look great – and comfortable too. The wrap is a great idea for when it gets a bit chilly from sitting around sipping wine 🙂

  27. I love your look. A good friend of mine is having a very hard time in her book club that has turned into mean girls. I will ask her what she is wearing and what the others are wearing if that is a clue to this mood change.

  29. I posted this top a little earlier than I was suppose to..it is from their December catalog and not online yet. I will get the word out as soon as I have a link for it! I love it and it was so perfect for the situation. Thanks for stopping by, Sharon!

  30. Oh my, that is sad. Fortunately, you are the only one I have heard that from Haralee. It never ceases to amaze me how mean girls exist at all ages and every where. I hope it works out for her.

  33. First of all, your book choices that you gathered…LOVE! Some I need to check out though.

    Next you are right. Your look here is friendly and approachable. What I see is "I want to know her opinion on this book cuz she looks so put together that she must have a great opinion".

    My favorite outfit element …YOUR NECKLACE. (and your smile).

  34. I've been in a few different book groups and I like the ones that aren't so intelligence focused.
    It's more fun to hear what people think and to let the event unfold as something between friends than to get into a group where it's English major showtime.

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