Stylish Sporty Fall Finds

No doubt about it, fall has arrived in the Western Hemisphere. With a change of seasons, perhaps you need to add a few new casual pieces to your fall wardrobe? Old Navy is located a couple of blocks from where I live, so it's impossible not to float into the store often when passing. I continue to be amazed by the quality of the retailer's leggings at ultra-affordable price points making them a steal! 

The merchant tends to tweak their offerings from year to year so when you find a style you like and they go on sale, it's a good idea to buy a few pairs. You may prefer mostly cotton fabric but next year find mostly polyester or modal as choices. The waistband may change or the flare could be discontinued.

To the left are all the selections of leggings this fall, which consist of different styles, textures (meaning weaves and fabrics), and lengths. 

Although 8 offerings require studying each one, a good selection is great for different body types or activities. Two Old Navy leggings I love right now include:

1) High-Waisted Ankle Leggings For Women - Although I prefer jet black, there are other colors too. They sit just below the belly button and are 96% cotton and 4% spandex. Super soft and smooth for comfort, and opaque. Lightweight yet not see-through, I highly recommend them for fall and early winter. They are warm, but not too warm for the sometimes 75-degree F days of autumn. They are fitted through the hips and waist and narrow at the ankles. At times I wear these smooth and lightweight leggings with black ankle socks under a dress in winter instead of tights for warmth with comfort, and nobody is the wiser!

2) Extra High-Waisted PowerChill Leggings For Women - They sit slightly above the belly button and contain 53% cotton, 22% polyester, 13% modal, and 12% spandex. These are light and airy, but also a tad heavier than my 1st recommendation above. Great for Pilates, yoga, or a workout. They are fitted at the hips and thighs and narrow at the ankles. The fabric offers 4-way strength with stay-dry, sweat-wicking technology. They also have an elastic waist that has an inside pocket. Unlike pair #1, they'll be warm enough to take you through the winter months and in the jet-black hue can be dressed up with ballet flats and a blazer. They also come in shorter 7/8 lengths.

3) Dr. Scholl's Women's Time Off Platform Sneakers - I'm recommending these with caveats. Not only are they cute and feminine with leggings, jeans, and dresses, but the platforms provide a measure of arch support and stable heels. Customers love how comfortable they are for walking. For sneakers they are also well priced, but here's the rub ... customers report if you wear them a lot for walking, they won't last longer than 6 months to a year. The shoes' material tends to separate from the rubber, so don't pay the full retail price but wait for a generous sale. I'd buy the Time Off Platforms on sale for $40, but not at $69 or $100. Even at the lower price, I'd be disappointed if they didn't last. To be competitive, Dr. Scholl needs to resolve this manufacturing weakness to make these stylish and supportive sneakers as durable as Nikes and Converse! Sneakers are made for walking … but sometimes a cute style we know to baby is tempting, no?

So there you are, 3 sporty styles to take you through the fall while leaving you with a few dollars to put in your leggings' hidden pocket.

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Look Great And Classic In Spanx

Holiday sweets can make a body thankful for the invention of Spanx!🍪🍫🍬

Spanx was launched in 2000 by Sara Blakely with the aim of making women look and feel their slender best. Many people know that Spanx, the company, makes underwear and foundation garments to slim a silhouette, but they may not realize Spanx also produces male underwear, as well as, women's dresses, blazers, and trousers.

What's more, you never have to dry clean the attire. That's right! The blazers, pants, and dresses are machine washable!!

Although not exactly cheap, the stylish and shapely collection is sold at all major department stores including Macy's Bloomingdales, Saks, Kohls, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus --where it goes on sale from time to time. When it does, as much as I like the leggings which elongate the legs, at $89 they aren't what I'd spend my money on, but I think the business pants, blazers and dresses are a good investment. They look tailored and well made, plus you save on dry cleaning bills.

Wow, these trousers are gorgeous! They come in straight; flare; or wide legs; and are articles we tend to wear and hold onto for years.

I'd opt to save, not splurge on activewear, but would be on the look out and grab any Spanx leggings, t-shirts, or shorts that end up at T.J. Maxx, or go on sale at the major department stores. Without a doubt, Spanx is a quality brand to buy when the price is right!

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Best Leggings Updated

Photo: LL Bean

My Best Leggings Roundup is my 6th most popular blog of all time, so for sure leggings are a staple in many wardrobes. The list I comprised then is still relevant. I continue to get my leggings from Old Navy and Express, but today I'm adding 3 new retailers to my original list. Old Navy and Express have the fantastic deals, often selling decent quality leggings for as low as $5 - $15 each. You can't beat either company's promotions, and you get at least 2 years of wear out of the leggings so if you need to replace them more often you still come out ahead in savings. At $15 or less per pair, you'll get your money's worth for a good length of wear.

The 3 new leggings I'm adding today to my original list cost more and are a tad more durable ... a financial wash to a Savvy Shopper. If you buy and wear new leggings without paying more money, the money you spend is a wash:

1) Uniqlo leggings - Since I comprised my Best Leggings List, the innovative Japanese retailer has stepped up its leggings game now offering a variety of legging styles designed for different climates and purposes. Moreover, the exciting development is the company's sizes now fit tall women over 5'5"! (The retailer's petite sizing kept it off my original roundup.) Best price point for lasting leggings bar none!

The next two are more expensive retailers. Recently each of them has expanded its legging styles + offers better sales:

2) LL Bean leggings - (top image👆) - The merchant has launched what it calls perfect fit leggings for every type of body, and there are styles galore this season. My favorite fabric is jersey smooth cotton with a touch of spandex, but you can also get fleece-lined leggings if you live in an arctic climate. There are 4 fits (or cuts): 1) original (relaxed); 2) straight-leg; 3) slim; and 4) legging. They won't cling, fade or stretch out.

3) Landsend Starfish leggings - The link leads to all of Landsends' styles of leggings for women, but the only one I'm familiar with is its Starfish leggings which are soft jersey cotton with lycra. Excellent quality leggings, but usually more expensive than I think consumers need to pay. However, when you catch them at their rock bottom sale price of $22, grab them as they are then a fantastic value!🎉

LL Bean's and Landsends' apparel is comparable. From season to season, one retailer will have a better selection, so before buying, I always look at both. 

Uniqlo is usually the better-priced retailer for good (or good enough) and unfailingly innovative clothing -- including its pants and leggings. Toss Old Navy and Express into the mix and one of the 5 retailers will offer you a perfect pair of leggings at a steal of a price!🎯

You are set for the fall, winter, and early spring!

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Pandemic Sheltering In Place Fashion

Uniqlo for crew-neck t-shirts here. Pair with a cardigan on cold days.

According to The Talk, an afternoon TV show, many people who are Sheltering in Place are not bothering to change out of their pajamas or sweats into regular clothes since they can't go to work. Not true of me. I rise to shower, wash my hair and get dressed each and every morning ... later than usual but still! Being clean and tidy (wearing clean coordinated clothes) lifts my spirits! I couldn't deal with feeling sloppy and dirty on top of riding out a pandemic! But since I have nowhere to go, I don't have to fuss much with my wardrobe and can wear the same things over, which I do. Who's here to see it? I bet my neighbors aren't taking notes if we happen to pass (spaced properly apart) in the lobby.

Perhaps it would be entertaining to see my pandemic uniform. Everything featured I'm wearing as I write the blog.

Aeries - cotton with a touch of spandex lightweight Chill leggings here.

I stick to casual, comfortable and easy to maintain attire. Sometimes I get wild and crazy by changing the color of my t-shirts! One day I'm Lady pink, the next day Bonnie bluebell and the day after Fire Engine Red Deb. Woo-hoo! June Cleaver had her pearls, but I live in sleek ballet flats! Whoopee!

Merrell Nubuck Inde Ballet flats - discontinued - but I hope Merrell brings back another ballet flat, as they have more support than many other brands. These are my indoor shoes. They don't have enough support on concrete, which leads to the next image. :) No link since it's discontinued - there are a few on Ebay.

Furthermore since rarely leaving home, I sometimes hand wash the leggings or t-shirts in Woolite, or dishwashing soap and hang them up in the bathroom to dry before bed. The less I have to go down to our common laundry room, the better. Being at home constantly, this bit of handwashing gives a gal a small sense of accomplishment. What is there to dooo next? Let me at it!

NAZAROO Shoe Insoles Arch Support Inserts (here) are excellent to keep my high arches happy in my Merrell ballet flats. With insoles I should be able to turn them into outdoor shoes this summer. We'll see.

To be safe I wear two sets of shoes, one for inside and another for outdoors. I also spray the soles of my outdoor shoes with 3% hydrogen peroxide at the door to kill any possible virus, and sometimes the soles of my indoor shoes because I walk down the hallway in them to put trash in the dumpster. 

Once in a while to make myself happy, I put on a bracelet in my apartment. But I stopped wearing makeup and jewelry to go outside to buy groceries. I mean, why wear anything under a face mask? It would only get the mask dirty. And rings on fingers when you're forever worrying about Coronavirus and washing your hands? I think not!

Merrell Dassie - my outdoor to the supermarket shoes here.

To be honest, if we weren't all in the same boat, I couldn't bear staying home for so many weeks. Yet I can get through this challancing time knowing how EVERYONE all over the globe must do the same to fight this disease. Indeed, we are all in this together ... and some of us are very lucky to be sheltering in a comfortable home. It turns out the things we need are quite simple!

What are you wearing at home during this pandemic?



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The Best Leggings, A Round-Up

Photos: published in Elle magazine

Just like denim jeans and a leather jacket, leggings are a wardrobe essential. They are casual smart. So comfortable and versatile, you can dress them up or down. Opaque leggings can be worn with a big shirt or sweater. Underneath a skirt or dress, they keep you toasty warm in the winter. Leggings are equally chic with ballet flats or boots; and they are great for traveling since they roll up and take up little space in a suitcase.

At one time, I loved Victoria's Secret's classic leggings. They were 92% cotton and 8% spandex, hit at the belly button and over the hips (so they stayed put!); plus they were fairly thick, opaque and dressy. They often sold for $15 on sale, so I always bought 10 pairs at a time. Moreover, they lasted through numerous machine washings. No longer available, I hope Victoria Secret brings their classic leggings back soon! Why mess with perfection? They have been replaced by their thinner and lower-waisted offspring: daily leggings and yoga leggings. 

The closest to VS's classic leggings today are the retailer's Pink label leggings; however, the wrinkle for some of us is, they are shorter with a 27-inch inseam.

So where can a lover of full-length-basic leggings turn to buy a decent pair? Leggings soft, opaque and thick enough to wear alone; are not shiny; or athletic looking ... leggings which flatter your legs and are warm in winter, but still thin enough to wear under a dress??

Here are my finds for the best basic leggings right now:

1. Victoria's Secret - From the Pink Shop  - 2 varieties: (a) the basic leggings - They are soft and fairly opaque. But as noted, they have a shorter 27-inch inseam. Cost: $19.50, or special - 2/$30. (b) Another choice, Pink's much loved yoga leggings - They are thicker and come in an assortment of colorful wide-waist-bands, but have a limited, 27 ½-inch inseam. (not to be confused with VS's daily and yoga leggings. Yes, it is confusing.) Cost: $34 - $49. 

For longer legged ladies who need a 32-inch or 34-inch inseam ... well, we'll just have to wait for VS to bring them back. Every season, VS seems to change their leggings, and frankly, it's not always an improvement.

2. Express sexy stretch leggings - At $29.90, they are affordable and feel like the old Victoria's Secret classic leggings. Jet black, thick, opaque, and soft with 95% cotton - 5% spandex. Express leggings come in several styles and lengths: cropped, ankle and full. Full length is 29 inches and ankle inches shorter. My # 1 pick: the perfect leggings: classy, slenderizing, sexy and cozy. They go on sale often, costing 40% less, thereby earning my blue ribbon - the best quality leggings at the best price!

3. Old Navy Jersey Elestric-Waist Leggings For Women - Also blue ribbon worthy, they are 87% cotton and 13% spandex. They are soft, opaque and durable. With a higher spandex percentage, they are warmer (than Express) in winter, yet still stylish and shapely. Often on sale for $15 and better in quality than leggings costing 2-3 times more.  Stock up!

4. American Apparel cotton spandex jersey leggings - Well-made; a choice of colors, prints and textures; soft, a comfortable cotton-spandex blend; durable. They are heavy enough to wear solo. Cost: $28.

5. Hue ultra leggings with wide waistband - Pricey, but fine basic leggings ... and they are definitely not thin or shiny. So you can pair them with shorter tops and wear them outside the gym. Cost: $34-$44 (depending on seller).

6. James Perce stretch jersey long leggings - I like them very much, but at $68 a pair, they are an investment. Personally, I hate paying so much for basics. I'd rather own several pairs of basics -- like leggings (socks or t-shirts) -- so I can carelessly machine wash and dry them many times over and not really think of them as an investment. But that's me. If a pair of James Perce leggings in my size landed on my desk, I'd be very happy. Who wouldn't?

Without a doubt, good quality leggings at affordable prices are harder to come by than years ago. So if you have a brand to recommend, please share under comments. Savvy Shoppers want to know! 

2021 Best Leggings Updated here.

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