Casual fall outfits for Thanksgiving

41 Comments

1. Good morning. I think the outfit you have shown is spot on for a family Thanksgiving, and I wish a wonderful Thanksgiving to our American neighbours. We are Canadian, so enjoyed ours earlier this month. Our family is large enough that we hold our (organized) potluck in our son’s heated building on his farm, and then he treats us to a hayride. This year, we drove through a newly created path in the forest. So, jeans and casual clothing is the rule of the day! I hope all goes well with your surgery and you will have a quick recovery.

2. Pam:
   Good luck with your surgery; I know it is a big step.
   Nyla

3. I would love a hayride as part of Thanksgiving…how fun is that, Irene. Thanks for starting my day with a smile.

4. Thank you, Nyla…you are so kind…literally, it is a big step!

5. My daughter and son-in-law usually host Thanksgiving for about 12-15 people except during the pandemic. We all dress casually but neat. I’ll wear nice pants or newer dark wash jeans ( my “good” jeans) with a nice sweater much like you are dressed.
   (I think you may plan on wearing wider leg pants if your surgery is next week. You may be in that boot then? ) I’ll be thinking of you wishing good luck with a speedy recovery!

6. Thanks Paulette…that is why I showed the wider leg jean on down in the post. I will be flexible. Next week I will share some of my “extreme comfort” outfits I have ready for recovery time.

7. Great autumn outfits. When I host the meal I dress a little more casual. I am probably in the a little over dressed crowd as a guest.
   Love the pumpkin ice cream pie, my family would love it so I need to find the ice cream.
   We pray you will have great results for your foot surgery.

8. Irene’s celebration sounds like a great time, love the hayride idea! The outfit you have chosen is perfect… elevated yet casual. I like the color of the sweater – perfect for fall! I’m one of the ones typically dressed up, but now that I always host, and consequently spend a lot of time in a very warm kitchen, I’m more concerned with comfort and staying cool. I’ll be in black ponte pants and something sleeveless, then put a nice sweater on just before the family arrives. Hair and makeup are always done with delicate jewelry. I do as much cooking ahead as possible, and our dinner is non-traditional as none of us is a fan of pumpkin or turkey! We have a huge market in Cleveland that is going to make my meal prep a lot easier this year – one stop shopping, and a really fun day trip! My daughter-in-law always helps out and our day is all about relaxing and being thankful for all we’ve been blessed with.

9. Thanks Audrey…I bet there are several brands of ice cream that make a PUMPKIN Flavor…this one is my favorite, but I know only Texas is blessed with HEB.

10. I will miss being the hostess so much, Karen…enjoy each moment. If I were cooking, my outfit would be very different and more comfy. When I am the hostess, like you, I start cooking days ahead of time…just makes the day easier and I also like allowing some of those flavors to spend time together…they taste better. The whole day makes me smile whether I am cooking or a guest.

11. Pam, you look lovely in the maize. I am a member of Team Overdressed, too. Haha, what a fun name. I wish you a successful surgery and quick healing. What a great thing to get this behind you. You’ll be a Brand New Girl by the new year. Take the time to rest and soak in this beautiful season. Maybe read some wonderful books. Have you read The Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank?

12. I have that book right here in my office, Marcia. I like it a lot and it may deserve another read. Welcome to the membership of TEAM OVERDRESSED!

13. Good Morning! I dress in very similar style to you, and will be dressed on Thanksgiving much the same. I still wear longer cardigans and try to dress in a comfortable style but not too casual. I always wear whole jeans, as in no holes jeans. I often wear a scarf especially when it’s cooler. However, I may be similar also in that I’m trying to get some minor foot surgery scheduled, and may be on one of those walkers with one leg bent so I don’t put weight down on that foot. My problem is just a broken bone spur and arthritis in my big toe joint and a lesion on the bottom of my foot, but I’ll still be nicely dressed as best I can. Today’s discussion now has me thinking of cooking and freezing some items.

14. We are in two camps together then, Celia…the “no holes jeans” camp and the “all boots are fashionable camp.” I hope your surgery is successful.

15. I agree. I like cute thanksgiving casual. Comfortable but good for pictures! Love your outfit.

    I am going to try that pie! I am still recovering from knee replacement so kids and grandkids are pitching in. We are ordering some tings this year. What crust do you use for your peppermint pie

    Good luck with your foot. This knee thing has been awful!

16. I am so sorry it has been painful, Darlene. Mr. B needs to bite the bullet and do the same thing. For the peppermint ice cream pie, I put Oreos in a food processor and pulverize them and then make a similar cookie crust. Sometimes I use the holiday Oreos with a mint filling.
    And I use chocolate sauce on top and not the caramel. Oh yes…I crush peppermint candy on top of the whipped cream!

17. Love the outfit, which is much like what I normally wear for Thanksgiving. I do change, though. I wear comfy clothes for cooking, including a shirt that I don’t care if it gets spattered (even with an apron). I put on the nicer clothes once everything is in the oven. I didn’t talk to my doctor about cast size and ended up having to buy several pairs of WIDE pants to accommodate both the cast and the boot. You may want to look at the Talbot’s Out-and-About wide leg pants, which provide a lot more room that their other pants.

18. Thanks Maeve…next week I will share in two posts which way I went with comfort clothing for now. I hope everyone will come to see!

19. Good Morning Pam! Your pie looks delicious! And you look lovely. Great colors. Can you remind me why you’re having foot surgery?
    I have arthritis in my feet, other joints as well, and three years ago had surgery on my left foot. While pain hasn’t gone away completely, it’s so much better! Very happy I did it. I don’t know if you’ve been told this, but if you’re going to wear a boot, make sure your shoe on your opposite foot is the same height. It will make a big difference on your hips and knees.

20. No one has shared that, Kelley…thank you, it makes sense. Almost 30 years ago I had bunion surgery on the left foot and it does have a pin in it. The bunion has returned, my toes are out of socket and I cannot move them, and the foot is causing my balance to be non-existent and I have fallen about three times. I am doing this for mobility and to be pain free. I have adjusted the way I walk and it does affect the rest of my body and creates a huge callous on the bottom of the foot that is also quite painful. I do have hammer toes underway, but the toes need to be put back in socket more than anything. About a month ago, I almost fell on the treadmill at the gym so I have not been as active sense then. It needs to be done. Thanks for the tip on the right foot shoe. I will do that.

21. Pam, this may be my new favorite picture of you! What a great outfit, and matches your sunny 🌞 smile. I love Irene’s hayride – what fun! I had never thought about making a pumpkin ice cream pie, but that sounds like a terrific idea to surprise my ice cream obsessed father. Yesterday Kathie mentioned about preparing for a studio opening, and you commented you’d like to know more about that. Well, so would I. I enjoy hearing about what interesting things this group of ladies are up to. Wishing both you and Celia the best possible surgical outcomes, and speedy recoveries! ❤️

22. Thanks Connie…if he likes ice cream and pumpkin…he will like this!

23. Celebrated our Thanksgiving on the 9th of October and daughter and son-in-law hosted it with just immediate family and rather than the traditional meal opted for a prime rib of roast with Yorkshire pudding, assortment of cooked vegetables and for dessert (which I contributed), homemade coconut cream pie squares. That day was actually warm and as it was a late evening dinner I just wore a transitional outfit that consisted of a pair of linen pleated trousers with just a light weight sweater but long sleeved that sufficed as cooled off once the sun went down. As to your outfit, IMO it will be perfect not only for the occasion but also for your situation which I wish will be a success and your recovery will be speedy. Oh, your ice cream pumpkin pie sounds delish! -Brenda-

24. Pam, that sweater is lovely on you. That and the trouser style jeans will probably work by Thanksgiving. I hope both you and Celia well on your recovery from foot surgery. Thanksgiving is pretty low key as it is just my Mr. B and myself. Neither of us are big on turkey or pumpkin so looking for simple vegan for him and easy meat for me recipes. Mr. B will be really glad he went for getting that total knee. I did it about 12 years ago. Now I call it my baby knee as it is way newer than my 78 year old knee.

25. Coconut squares sounds like something Mr. B would love! Thanks so much Brenda…someday I want to try to make a Yorkshire pudding.

26. He is still not there when he is ready…it is such a difficult decision for him. He continues to walk and run bone on bone. Thanks Sydney

27. I want to wish you all the best as you recover from your surgery next week. How lovely that your sweet daughter-in-law has stepped in to host the festivities this year. Count me in as a member of Team Overdressed. I have always felt that causal doesn’t mean sloppy. My daughter has hosted Thanksgiving for several years, & while we will be missing the one who isn’t there, it will be the first semi-normal Thanksgiving since COVID. When the weather permits, I like to wear a sweater with dark jeans or pants. If it’s too warm for a sweater, I have many nice blouses or tops from which to choose.

28. I hope you have a joyous celebration, Becky and that this year it is extra special. Thanks for joining Team Overdressed!

29. Hi, Pam, to Kelley’s point, my surgeon gave me info on a “level up shoe balancer.” It’s a device that you can put a shoe, sneaker, etc. into to bring its height up to the boot height. I have not tried it yet.

30. Thanks for the info, Maeve.

31. Hi Pamela, I love that marigold yellow cardigan on you, it’s especially pretty with navy and your scarf. The little orange jacket is adorable too. I envy that you can wear all the Fall colors.
    We’ve been having Thanksgiving at home the last few years, just us and our pup. All our family is gone or out of town now, but we love cooking together (leftovers!) and we set a pretty table with crystal, etc. We do dress casually, clean up and and then relax until pie later. I’ve been thinking about going out this year just so we can get dressed up. Maybe we’ll dress up anyway!

32. Love seeing all the fall photos, as we finally have fall weather in north Texas! Your recipes look delicious, and you’re so wise to plan ahead since your surgery is so close to Thanksgiving. I have always wished for a family that dressed up for holidays, but that’s not exactly the family God gave me. I compromise by wearing something festive on top like a sparkly sweater and “dressy jeans” on the bottom, typically with some of my favorite boots (western or classic, depending on my audience.) At least I am no longer married into a “wear your nicest overalls” family-LOL! Your chosen Thanksgiving outfit is perfection, as always, but you may want to try the narrower jeans or jeggings INSIDE your boot. That worked much better for me after my foot surgery than trying to wear wide legs and having them catching on the boot constantly. It’s really hard to find a pant leg wide enough to accommodate a post-surgical boot. I received my boot at my last pre-op appointment, so I could experiment with outfits for a day or two before the actual surgery, which is much easier than afterward. I’m already praying that you’ll have a successful procedure and quick recovery! I didn’t have much post-op pain as long as I kept my foot elevated as instructed. Hopefully you have a recliner where you can get the necessary height (ideally even with or above your heart.) Adding a pillow to the footrest on my recliner worked well, and I got really good at typing in a reclining position, as I only took three days off work.

33. Why not! Sometimes it is fun to dress up at home and just mark the day as a special one. Thanks for joining in Brenda.

34. I am going to be testing several types of pants, Lorrie and see what works best. I do have a recliner and will probably spend most of next week there. You have been so helpful with your advice after going through it before me.
    Thanks so much.

35. Pam, it’s me again. While reading over all the comments, it occurred to me how good a crumb crust made from ginger snaps might be in your ice cream pie for Thanksgiving. Just a thought! It would be similar to the cinnamon graham crackers.

36. I actually tried it once and the kids (ages 10 – 3) prefer the graham crackers. Ginger Snaps can be spicy…but the adults thought it was good! Since the sensational six grandchildren showed up…everything is about them! Thanks Celia

37. I think being in team overdressed is bettr than team underdressed 🙄😂i dont know when we all as a society decided it was ok to wear jeans and baggy tshirts or sweatshirts everywhere we go .i especially notice this in retirees ..not dressing up a bit makes me feel like ive given up ,,just like id feel if i didnt care how my hair or makeup looked .
    It matters how we dress and present ourselves to the world and your use of adjectives matters too. ..we all can enjoy dressing up a bit for a holiday and a dinner together ..

38. My thoughts are with you regarding that foot surgery, Pam. I had foot surgery 4 years ago on Nov. 15…just like you, did NOT host Thanksgiving that year! But your outfit ideas show you can look amazing even after surgery. Just think “comfort” along with what looks good and you will do great! (I wore nice yoga pants + a pretty top + beloved necklace.)

39. Thanks Heidi! I think I am ready…I will share with you my comfort clothes next week and which brands I purchased.

40. Depending on what they do surgery wise, you might end up in what is really a shoe type “surgical boot”. This is what I had for two big toe surgeries. And yes, you’ll need a shoe that pretty much matches the same heel height, which for me was an athletic shoe. I know this surgery will give you some relief and stability. My friend had an “air cast” up her foot and leg and that was harder to dress for.

    Here is the gluten free, dairy free, version of your pie. Get GF cookies of your choice. Put them a zip lock baggie and crush. Amount is usual the entire box which isn’t big anyway. Heat up a little non-dairy margarine in a pan and mix the crushed cookies in the margarine. Press into a pie pan. Freeze. Use softened vanilla non-dairy ice cream and scoop into the cold crust. Sprinkle crushed peppermint sticks into the layers as desired. Top with non-dairy chocolate sauce and peppermint sprinkles. Freeze again. You have to work quickly on the ice cream part. After it refreezes, cover with plastic wrap.

41. Thank you for adapting my recipe for those looking for gluten free, Babs. I will know more about what I am dealing with on Monday. Everyone is so kind to offer there experiences and advice.

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