A “what should I wear” dilemma

What should I wear

Happy Thursday, everyone!  Today, I want to share a recent “what should I wear” dilemma I faced and how I solved it.

Every now and then we will have two events collide that dictate different clothing selections and we have to solve the “what should I wear” dilemma.

That happened to me just this past Sunday.

A “WHAT SHOULD I WEAR” DILEMMA – PART 1

What Should I wear

Before we left town recently, Mr. B and I made plans to meet up with friends to see Top Gun 2, and go to dinner.

I was all set for a casual summer afternoon outfit, but then we were faced with adding another important event.

Sadly, we lost a family friend last week and desired to attend the memorial service on Sunday.

There would be no time to change before the movie and I did not want to go to the movie in my Sunday best.

Also, since we were returning from a trip, all of my casual summer dresses needed to be laundered.  A dilemma?

What should I wear

I have not attended a service in the past couple of years, and was not sure if old rules held true about wearing darker colors.

After playing in my closet for a little while, I decided to go with a blazer over dark wash denim…which looks very nice and often is not noticed to be denim.

I know the jacket is bright, but I did not feel out of place.

While many still wore darker outfits, there were several in white, florals, turquoise, prints and another in green.

I honestly think I was the only one paying attention to what was worn….we were there to bless and honor the family of a loved one gone too soon.

I will not watch clothing again when this arises because I surmise that the old rules are gone and we are not there to see what we wear.

A “WHAT SHOULD I WEAR” DILEMMA – PART TWO

What should I wear

What should I wear to the movie?  was easy after that.

Once we returned to the car, I simply took off the blazer and my gold loafers and slipped on the comfy BZEES sandals.

I was comfortable and felt confident for the movie and the dinner after.

I am pleased that I decided to go this way with the two events.

The linen green jacket is a new favorite of mine from Banana Republic and the green animal print top is a past find at Chico’s. 

Of course, Mr. B did not give this a second thought…he wore his Sunday best to the memorial and to the movie.

He said he didn’t mind being the “best dressed” at dinner!

I found dressing for the two a bit of a dilemma…but again, enjoyed the decisions I made.

Once my ordered dresses arrive, I will be able to have a fresh one hanging in the closet if needed.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR FOR SUMMER OF FUN LIST

What should I wear

Honestly, Leigh Ann & I are not really worried about what we should wear as we knock off summer fun from the Magnolia Journal List.

We are only concentrating on the fun and the joy of it.

What should I wear

Between the two of us, we hit this section of the list hard this past week!

First, Leigh Ann’s contribution…..

what should I wear

She attended a family reunion in Ohio and one of the events was….fishing….with the family kids there!

Fishing always means summer casual when pondering what should I wear and she nailed it!

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR

Near the village of Fresno, OH which is just northeast of Coshocton in Amish country, they spied this farm stand.

What should I wear

It was so cute and inviting, Leigh Ann and Mr. T just had to go in!

What should I wear

It was unmanned on the honor system.  I am so glad to see stands like this still around.

I visited a farm stand on the honor system in Texas years ago and the food was excellent…I was happy to reward them with money in the basket.

She always loves her visit to Ohio, her homeland! 

Tomorrow, I will include my farm stand and my submission to eat a peach!

Hope to see you then…

Have you experienced any “What do I wear?” dilemmas lately??  Please share if you have and how you solved the dilemma!

As I write this,  my heart is full of gratitude for each and every one of you who are here reading, supporting and sharing….you are a blessing to me…more than you know! Now….

KEEP SMILING AND STAY SAFE!

By Pamela Lutrell

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what should I wear

26 Comments

  1. Hi Pam,

    I live in Indiana and there are lots of “honor” fruit and vegetable stands. I have seen a few at gas stations but most are along the country roads.

    Sharon

  2. How cool that Leigh Ann was in Coshocton! That’s definitely within striking distance from where I live and there is a lot to do in that area. I had no idea she is an Ohio girl! I can see why she enjoys coming back. I love to go fishing… but the animal lover in me always carefully removes them from the hook and tosses them back!
    Great job solving your What to Wear dilemma! Although I also agree with Mr. B that being best-dressed is always a good option. By simply removing a blazer, you had it handled. My close friend lost her much too young son recently, and since he was an Ohio sports fan, she requested that everyone come to calling hours in their team shirts, and we all did it. His beloved dog was there in a team jersey made for dogs and I have to say, it really helped having that theme. Definitely there were tears, but seeing people dressed that way, she said, really made a difference for her.

  3. Thanks for sharing this story, Karen…I think it is a lovely way to honor a loved one and remember them with a smile.

  4. I recently had a very similar experience, and did the same thing you did…changing from heels to sneakers, and adding a casual sweater. I do think we probably “ over-think”our clothing choices too much. When I attended a recent funeral, I too dressed in black, and wore hoses because my dress shoes are not comfortable without them. However, so many wore light, bright, casual dresses and pants with flat sandals. I think that how people dress has become much more casual since the pandemic. My Mr. B wants to wear shorts everywhere he goes, but I can still hear my Mama’s voice saying “ Don’t go to town dressed like that!”.

  5. LOL…thanks for sharing, Celia what others wore to the service you attended…perhaps we do over think because of how we were brought up!

  6. I like the way you “solved” the “ how to dress dilemma. Makes perfect sense to me!
    Now Mr B! A bit dressy for an afternoon movie and dinner (unless white tablecloth)? But as long as he was comfortable- that’s what counts. Lol.
    Happy thankful Thursday!

  7. My motto is I would rather be overdressed than underdressed! The ‘old’ rules of wearing somber colors to a viewing or funeral service still apply in many parts of the country and I would side on appropriateness always. I love attending my church on Sunday and seeing women, young and old, wearing outfits that pay respect to the day. My husband, like yours, always dresses for events very well. His mother was the epitome of being dressed appropriately & I think he learned at a young age to always look your best! You nailed it with your outfit!

  8. Your motto is one that Mr B and I both usually adhere to. Thanks for sharing Linda.

  9. Pamela, I’m so surprised you gave so much thought in what to wear to the movie & dinner with friends and then to the memorial service. I would just have worn Sunday best like my husband!! Life’s full of real problems!! Don’t add to them!!! I just LOVE your blog!!!

  10. Thank you Natalie…I don’t think I was adding to it…I wanted to be appropriate for one, and comfortable and cool for the other…that is why I put the thought into it. It is really hot here and a casual evening would not include my Sunday best!
    Believe me, I know about life’s real problems…thanks for sharing.

  11. Ha! My fingers and screen were scrolling independently, so I saw your movie outfit before I read all of the text. I didn’t even realize you had just removed the blazer and changed shoes–nice job! I generally err on the side of darker colors for memorial services, e.g., brown or olive… You and Leigh Ann are so cute with knocking those summer items off of the list! Ya’ll are inspiring me!

  12. That green blazer of yours is wonderful and you look very polished wearing it. I loved reading that Leigh Ann had been in Coshocton. That is somewhere my grandparents took me as a child. They lived in St. Clairsville, Ohio, and taught me to fish for sunfish which my grandma would fry up for dinner. Thank you for sparking these lovely memories for me. 🤗

  13. I agree with the ‘better to be overdressed than underdressed’ sentiment, so Mr. B’s attitude makes sense. However, you have to deal with real heat out there, so I don’t think you were over-thinking your dilemma. I’m a little surprised at florals and light colors at a funeral, but times change — and wakes can be joyful (at least if you’re Irish like me), so funereal black may be too much. I have several black dresses and skirts that can be dressed up or down, so that would be my go-to choice. We have many, many honor-system farm stands in rural New England.

  14. I went to a funeral last week & felt not dressed appropriately. Most of the ladies wore different versions of a little black dress. I told my husband that I will be shopping for a black dress just to have on hand. I would rather be overdressed than underdressed.

  15. Wow, that blazer is -gorgeous-. I’m loving Banana Republic these days. I find these “mixed dressing” days challenging, particularly in summer when layering is more difficult. Even in a conservative place like Ohio, people wear bright outfits to memorials, and jeans as well. I think it’s because peoples’ work schedules are not as rigid, yet they are ironically busier. It’s more important to show up than to try to get home to change. My dilemma is that we always seem to be combining things, like errands or breakfast out, with a walk or some other exercise. My nicer casual clothes are not being worn as much as I enjoy or hoped. I know athleisure isn’t your core personality, but I’d love a post on any of these “combining” occasions you find. Rather embarrassingly, I hadn’t thought about changing my shoes!

  16. I will see what I can do for you, Linda. This is the first dilemma I have faced in a while, but let me see if I can offer suggestions. Though I was in denim, it did not seem appropriate to me to wear sandals. It is interesting how we all look at moments like this so differently. Thanks for being here.

  17. We certainly live in an era of anything goes, & it can be challenging to decide what is appropriate. With more people doing memorial or celebration of life services, as opposed to the more solemn funeral services, I do think the dress code is a bit less formal than in the past. What you wore seems totally appropriate & respectful. I haven’t visited the farmer’s market yet. I’m waiting to be sure it is locally grown produce, & that should be soon. I’m looking forward to Indiana grown tomatoes & peaches!

  18. A friend of mine was shocked a few years ago when she attended her sister-in-law’s funeral in Texas and over half the people were in jeans. In our area even children are dressed in their best clothing for both visitations and celebrations of life.

  19. I think as long a person is dressed neatly and tastefully any type of color or pattern is fine at a viewing or funeral. Etiquette has certainly changed quite a bit in my lifetime that’s for sure. You looked perfectly appropriate to me, Pam.

    I’m an Ohio girl — born here and have lived here my entire life. How fun that Leigh Ann is from Ohio, too! I have to say that we have some of prettiest countryside landscapes in the summer that you will find anywhere! Lots of trees, rivers, rolling hills and a beautiful lake!

  20. I just have to add that my father-in-law was a tailor from Sweden and would go camping with us always wearing a suit jacket with his jeans. My husband is one of three boys and they all dress to the nines. I love that and I also dress up a lot as my mother was a dress maker, who had four daughters. When I worked as the head Librarian in a high school, I always wore dresses and suits to set an example for my fellow workers and students. It really worked on many of them. Now that Iam 77 I still dress up for most events.

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