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Crystal blue blazer

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Traditional media’s coverage of New York’s Fashion Week has been cracking me up. Their reach to cover a story that is (I’m sorry) just a bunch of people hocking clothes is pretty hilarious.

I’m not sure which story was most absurd. Was it the story about the Fashion Week diet? The fashion intelligentia evidently get so crazed during this annual event that they don’t have the good sense to sit down and eat, so they lose weight. Then there was the story about the antagonistic guests who were asked to move from their front-row seats at a fashion show for safety reasons. One slapped the PR agent who made the request. Oh dear. As my mother used to say: “Pretty is as pretty does.”

Or was it poor Kai Ryssdal, host of American Public Media’s Marketplace, who groped to understand the meaning of “on trend” from his guest, Kate Bett? Kate struggled to make this fashion jargon more digestible for Kai. She is author of Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style.

That exchange was only slightly more viable than having my oldest brother interview a fashion prophet. While out hunting one winter day, Brent once plopped a pair of underwear on his head to stay warm. I wish I could say that they were clean. His go-to brands are Carhartt and Wrangler. Are you with me?

Looking past the awkwardness of that interview, Kate Bett gave a great summary of what’s on tap this spring: a normal trend. Designers are worried about their comps, so they targeting working women who buy clothes. That translates to a great trend for people like me: classics are in. I’ve never veered far from them anyway, so it’s a bonus to learn that my old classics are on trend. Great colors and small embellishments will set them apart from classics of the past.

In the contemporary market, a great fashion forward dress sells for $400. And that’s progress in a world where a typical designer dress shown during Fashion Week could run well into four figures. Of course, many of us still won’t bite at the three-figure rate. No, we’ll be picking our classics from the vintage market, where we can buy in the single and double-digit range, like this 1980s Pendleton blazer I bought years ago at Goodwill for $5. It’s proof that a great classic never goes out of style. The brilliant blue doesn’t hurt it a bit, either. I’m linking this post to Visible Mondays at Not Dead Yet Style, the blog space that has helped me get acquainted with so many fabulous 50+ bloggers, including its editor in chief, Patti. You’ll be meeting her later this month because Patti is one of my featured guests.

P.S. If you’re into comfortable shoes as much as I am, let me share my latest find: Aravon, a comfort shoe that isn’t ugly. The Aravon brand is made by New Balance, the athletic shoe manufacturer. I feel like I could run a footrace in this menswear-inspired Aravon shoe with a two-inch heel. It’s difficult to find comfortable shoes with a heel, but it seems like Aravon has mastered it. I saw several options at Zappos.

black aravons

Click here for Zappos.com!

What’s the oldest classic in your closet? What’s the most you’ve ever paid for a dress? Also, I’m selling $100 raffle tickets for a $17,500 ladies Rolex. Your purchase benefits Coburn Place, a charity I’ve written about recently here. If you’re interested, you’ve got a 1 in 300 chance of winning because they are only selling 300 tickets! Contact me!

Life is short. Wear the good stuff.