Classic Style Outfit to Honor My Biggest Fan

This is a difficult post to write, but I feel I have to put something in writing regarding the recent loss of my amazing mother-in-law, Kathy. You may remember a post in her honor last April as part of our Match Made in Seven collaboration on the “Best of British.” She was absolutely my biggest blog fan and sent me lovely notes of praise about the outfits I was sharing. To honor her memory, I’m dedicating this post to her and styling a classic style outfit today.This is the type of classic outfit I know she would love.

My Biggest Fan

Hers was a classic style. I remember back in her working days (some time ago as she was 89!), she told me that even though she was on a budget, she happily spent up to $100 for a beautiful blouse. She always wore tailored suits and gorgeous classic blouses in her professional life. She had excellent style and knew how to dress to show off her best assets.

When I styled an LBD recently, she sent me an email telling me how lovely it was and how great it looked on me. Her last email to me was for the post, Floral Tie-Hem Top and Jeans.  She wrote, “Very cute top, you look great and the jeans are perfect. Love the jeans jacket too.” She had a couple of jean jackets that she styled with flair and bought me a red one for my birthday a few years ago. Below is a photo of her in her “traveling outfit” when she visited us in April. She was tall and elegant carried herself well. That lady had style!

Speaking of style, there was also a time when I featured an outfit that I really didn’t feel that good about. She made a comment about how it violated a fashion rule about your bag being below your skirt or some such thing. She said it nicely and I had to agree with her!! Lol!

Per the title, she was my biggest fan and read my posts religiously every single day. And I will miss her every single day.

And now, here are two versions of a classic style outfit in honor of my fabulous MIL, Kathy.

The Classic Style Outfit

For this look, I’m styling a classic style blouse featuring a high neck ruffle, bow, and quarter length sleeves. Classic ’50s! I love the higher neck. The fabric is a heavier weight polyester, so it can definitely be worn in cooler fall weather.

This top is from Tuckernuck. I’ve been seeing their ads and looking over their website for a while now. They have classic style pieces and are a pricier line, much like Everlane. This top, the Faye blouse, is under $75 and you can get a percentage off for your first purchase making it fairly affordable. The top also comes in fuschia, black, and white.

As the devil is in the details, the back tie bow takes this basic piece and gives it some additional interest.  One side note: the tie in the back is challenging and you need somebody to tie it for you. My husband gave it his best attempt! Not too bad, right? Lol!

Styled casually with straight-leg white jeans and espadrille sandals, this outfit is perfect for date night or your next party.

The top looks lovely with plaid ankle pants, making it a perfect look for work or a professional obligation. Plaid is big again this fall, and there are lots of plaid pant styles to choose from, including wide-leg, cropped, paperbag waist, and pleated styles. I purchased these at last year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Here is a link to a similar pair of plaid ankle pants from Vince Camuto. On sale for around $50!

Neutral kitten-heeled slingbacks (an older pair from Talbots) and a winged navy handbag from Target complete the look.

In Loving Memory

While my wonderful Mother-in-Law might not have worn these exact pieces, she would definitely have enjoyed this classic style outfit. And she would recognize it as a look that she could’ve worn.

So, this post is written in her honor. We thank her for the many wonderful memories, her constant support and encouragement, for being a fantastic mother to my husband, a loving grandma to my son, and a woman I loved and admired. We will miss her.