My Best Clothing Discoveries - by Patti Mays, That Retired Lady

My Best Clothing Discoveries - by Patti Mays, That Retired Lady

Note from Pauline Durban, founder of Covered Perfectly - I recently met Patti online when she emailed me. She's a customer who included us in a review that she did and sent it to me. She has such a fun personality and I have a feeling you are going to be hearing a lot more from her

Over to Patti...

IT’S ME! PATTI! AND I’M SURE HAPPY YOU’RE HERE! Because TODAY my fine friends, I’m talking about something near and dear to all our hearts but often the source of exasperation – OUR CLOTHES. Yesterday I was organizing my closet and I got so bummed out I ate a whole Snickers bar! And it was KING SIZE! I need to do some serious work in my clothing department.

Mainly in terms of packing up boxes and donating those tired has-beens to the thrift stores. Believe me – it’s long overdue! Just like the rest of you classy girls, I have some favorites that I can always fall back on.

But yesterday it became clear that a lot of those are not looking as good as they used to, you know? A little out-of-shape, kinda faded, droopy, frumpy. . . like, are suddenly looking like hand-me-downs from Goat Farmer Gertie. (HEY! That could describe my own fine self as well! Some of the clothes I really like.


SO BY GUM!! I’m stepping up and investing in a few new clothes. It will be gradual, of course, because as you all know, here at the Mays Mansion we don’t have money to burn. (Actually, I guess we DO! Because we sure do burn right through it! )

 

SPEAKING OF FASHION, I THOUGHT THIS WAS AN INTERESTING TOUCH...

 

IS THIS WHAT’S CALLED A “STATEMENT PIECE”?
ANYWAY. . . I think I’ve mentioned before that we live in a very rural area in Central Massachusetts. And because of where we live (no malls unless we drive for an hour or more) – I do about 75% of my purchasing for everything except food – online. I’d buy food online too, except nobody delivers out here.


I’ve learned a lot about fabrics, cut, brands and stores. I can’t wait to share a few of my favorite finds with my foxy fellow retirees! Here’s my list of “must-haves” before I buy anything. . .


1) GOOD QUALITY: When I say GOOD QUALITY I don’t mean designer labels, Princess Kate, or Nordstrom’s personally-tailored-with-your-dollars-in-mind. I just mean quality good enough that items won’t fall apart, fade, or lose shape after two washes. You don’t have to spend a mountain of money to get good quality!

You DO need to know about fabric and what kinds work best for you. For example, for me – the higher the Polyester content, the less comfortable it is for me. Feels like I’m wearing a plastic bag. But some of my friends love 100% Polyester and it looks terrific on them.


Same thing with acrylic, Lycra, Spandex, various types of cotton, Nylon, Rayon. The more you know about fabric and what works for you, the more comfortable and pulled-together you’ll be.


And the longer the items will hold up. The place where you’re purchasing is a good clue too. Don’t pay $2.99 for a T-shirt at Walmart and then be disappointed when after a couple of washings it looks like you pulled it out of the dust cloth bin.

2) GOOD FIT! I MADE A PACT WITH MYSELF: No more purchasing a size smaller because I’m “planning on losing weight.” Yeah, right. I’m also planning on running 5 miles a day and developing 6-pack abs. Probably ain’t gonna happen in this lifetime. GET WHAT FITS NOW. (Reminds me of a funny my sister Lorna said to me: “Why do people say hurtful things, like “Let’s go for a run!” or “Here – try some of this kale.”

3) THE RIGHT FABRIC FOR THE SEASON: For our hot muggy summers here I have to get T-shirts & tops that are very lightweight. Even though I love the look and feel of Pima cotton, it’s just too heavy to wear here in the summers. Took me forever to figure that out! DUH! I do love ‘em for fall & winter though!

HERE ARE MY TOP THREE FAVORITE STORES FOR T-SHIRTS & TOPS

COVERED PERFECTLY (An online store only):

I love this place and can’t stop talking about it! All the clothes made by this manufacturer are SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FASHION FOR WOMEN FIFTY AND OLDER.

The owner does vast amounts of research and specializes in styles that flatter a mature woman’s body. YAHOO! And they’re all made in the USA which I really like.

I’ve never bought anything other than tops at Covered Perfectly, (yet!) so I can’t comment on their other clothes. But the tops are ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. First off, they’re a little longer but not that super-long “tunic” length. I don’t like those because I feel like I’m wearing a maternity top. (The length of these tops is just right – hence the name “Covered Perfectly.”)

They’re just a bit wider in the shoulders and mid-section; not super low-cut, and the fabric they use (called MicroModal) is unbelievably comfortable. It’s stretchy, so it moves with you but it breathes well and doesn’t cling, doesn’t feel weird, and it washes like a dream. I usually get one size larger than usual because I like my tops a little loose, especially in stretchy fabric.

 

 

My favorites are the ¾ SLEEVE V-NECK TOPS. They are my year-round go-to shirts. I have 4 of them: red, royal blue, black, and olive and I get compliments on them all the time. I also have a couple of their sleeveless TANKS and LONG-SLEEVED SHIRTS and I love those too.


Covered Perfectly tops are a little nicer than regular T-shirts so I never feel frumpy in them. I’ve worn them for some dressier functions; dinner out, live theater, etc. PLUS – they’re affordable (they always have “deals” going); the colors are vibrant and pretty. AND BEST OF ALL – the lady who owns the company (Pauline Durban) is an ABSOLUTE JOY to deal with!

You can purchase 2 tops and get a 3rd free, any combination, sitewide. click here to check out the complete collection. –

LANDS’ END I used to be crazy mad for Lands’ End and then I sort of lost interest in them and don’t know why, exactly. I’m back to buying there though, especially T-shirts, because they’re such great quality, come in a variety of sizes, including tall (I have long arms!) and a ton of colors! I don’t buy too many summer things here but for fall and winter – their 3/4 and long-sleeve T-shirts are da bomb! I also LOVE their squall jackets, for both John and me. We’ve purchased several over the years – different styles for different climates. –

TARGET Have you been lately? I was just there last week and I’m not kidding – the newer Target stores are AMAZING! I’ve been a diehard Target fan for years but until recently I didn’t usually buy clothes there because their styles didn’t fit me. BUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED MY FINE FRIENDS! Target’s new label “A New Day” is fantastic! Especially T-shirts and tops. They come in countless styles and colors. They fit well, and the ones I get for summer are lightweight and cool. Here’s a link to a bunch of different styles in this brand:

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Remember, Covered Perfectly has a special...You can purchase 2 tops and get a 3rd free, any combination, sitewide. Click here to check out the complete collection.

Note: Some of these are affiliate links. Affiliate links do not add any cost to you, and I NEVER recommend a single thing that I don’t use myself and highly recommend. I PROMISE!)

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