Dressed Her Days Vintage ~ Life in yesterday's clothes

In the span of a week’s time, it’s possible that I say more in this space than I do in the entire rest of my life. Unless I’m really excited about something or spending time with people I feel totally comfortable with, I’m not much of a talker. How affirming it has been to make friends with other introverted bloggers who prove that you can’t count an introvert out just because we aren’t talking; there’s still LOTS going on inside of us.

I didn’t know that my blogger friend Susan was an introvert until she agreed to this interview, but I suspected as much because her blog is as much about processing what’s going on inside her head as it is about fashion. When I started reading Une Femme d’un Certain Age, I found that she always made me think. I love, for example, this post, which challenges readers to consider fashion less in terms of what flatters them and more in terms of what truly expresses who they are.

There’s something about a woman’s 50s that causes even the most romantic of us to finally know it’s time to stop kidding ourselves about certain things. That’s Susan––direct, practical and in full possession of herself. (Read Lessons Learned or Who Do You Think You Are and you’ll see what I mean.) She’s also a HUGE fan of scarves and is slightly obsessed about all things Parisian.

Meet Une Femme d’un Certain Age blogger

What do you think about aging? Is there anything that has surprised you about the age you are now? 

Aging is weird because I never really feel any different inside, but every now and then I notice that the outside has changed a bit. I find I’m less fearful in my 50s than I was in my 30s and far less concerned about what others think of me. I’m surprised a little, I guess, about how little I’m bothered by getting older. I’ve never had a birthday freakout. Maintaining health becomes a higher priority, because I want to continue to be active and engaged.

Do you talk to people seated next to you on airplanes? What’s the most surprising/notable thing you’ve learned in these conversations– that sticks with you? 

Oh, I had one conversation with a guy I’ll never forget. It was when my son was still quite young; somehow we got to talking about our kids. I wound up telling him about the somewhat traumatic circumstances surrounding our son’s birth and he told me about the touch-and-go adoption of his child. (The birth mother kept changing her mind but finally agreed to the adoption at the last possible juncture.) I think I’ve learned that there are common threads that connect us all. We just have to find them.

What cause do you care enough about that you would (or already do) donate your time to? 

I’d love to do some kind of work with kids and animals. My “winning the lottery” dream would be to set up a camp where kids from disadvantaged backgrounds can spend a few weeks working with horses and learning to ride. It was such a huge part of my childhood and taught me so much.

What’s your favorite beauty tip? And who else would it work for? 

I’m going to have to say sunscreen. Early and often! This would work for just about everyone.

What famous personality from the past has a personal style that you’re most drawn to wear yourself?

Audrey Hepburn, definitely. That picture of her in the all black outfit––sweater and cigarette pants. I never get tired of that look. If someone told me I had to choose one outfit to wear for the rest of my life, that would be it.

Introvert or extrovert? Elaborate, please. 

I’m definitely an introvert. I find walking into a room of people I don’t know very difficult. Anything like giving speeches or cold-calling, I freeze up. But I’m also quite social, and love hanging out in groups of people I know well and am close to.

What’s the last good book you read and why did you like it?

I’m in the middle of reading Barbara Tuchman’s “A Distant Mirror” about Europe in the 14th Century and am enjoying it immensely. I love well-written histories that center around daily life from any given period.

If you have just five minutes to do something to care for yourself, what will you do? 

Well, other than scrolling through Pinterest ;-), I find that a small tidy up like cleaning random receipts out of my purse, or reorganizing scarves or makeup drawer, is very satisfying.

What’s the most challenging and the most rewarding part of maintaining a regular fashion blog? And if you’re comfortable saying so, about how many hours a week do you work on your blog?  

The hardest part is definitely finding the time to do as much as I want to do with it. I have a million ideas rolling around in my head but only find time to really sit down and write about a tenth of them. I probably spend between 10-15 hours per week between writing posts, taking and editing photos, and (when I’m able) responding to comments. I spend even more time than that reading other blogs!

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Compared to my Midwestern home, it’s always wonderfully warm where Susan lives. On Wednesday night I was sleeping with the windows open. On Thursday, I had to kick the heat on again. Boohoo: the frost may have chomped on my little pink dogwood tree last night!

Here in Indiana, we’re living through a strange window where summer clothes are too cool and winter clothes are too hot. What’s your favorite way to dress during seasonal transitions? 

Life is short. Wear the good stuff.