Over the Top

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to another dramatic episode of “Hide Your Tiers” (sorry, kind of sounds like the beginning of a soap opera “Like sands through the hourglass….”). For those of you who didn’t catch the “Tiers” humor, you should probably scroll down to Blog #1 where I explain the “tiers”. It has been three weeks since my last blog and I read somewhere that I should post more frequently. The problem is now that I’m retired I’m busier then ever and with the holidays it has made it difficult for me to post any sooner. So first a little blog business for those who keep checking up on me. I believe that if you hit the word “Follow” on the lower right hand corner of the title page screen and put in your e-mail address, you will be notified when each new blog is posted. DON’T press the three little dots or you will end up writing your life’s history.

For those of you who read my past posts, you know that I don’t let my age of 66 dictate what I wear. I love this quote I read on a poster, “Life is short so make every outfit count”. Blog #2 is called “Over the Top” because I am showcasing a few of my favorite ponchos. You have to wear a poncho over another top unless you have a million dollar, diamond studded bra. Since I worked in the field of education, I can assure you that the closest I come to baubles on my bra is the hook-and-eye on the strap. It’s not an ugly hook-and-eye but it’s not worth risking getting arrested for exhibitionism.

I LOVE PONCHOS! I can eat all I want and get bloated to the point of feeling pregnant but nobody else notices. How great is that! Unlike when I have to wear a body shaper to minimize my tiers, I am free to let it all hang out. That brings up the topic of Spandex. I am about to go off on a tangent so bear with me. I was reading a woman’s magazine featuring this very thin actress and it talked about using shapewear to hide her belly (tier 1) under her formal wear. OH, PLEASE! In order to even make a dent in minimizing my belly, I would have to wear a a body shaper that was at least one size too small. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to eat, talk or breath just so people might notice I was a millimeter smaller in profile before I faint. To be perfectly honest, by the time I tugged and pulled and tugged and pulled on my Spandex for at least a half hour, I would be too exhausted to finish getting ready (voice of experience). So why bother? The best solution to a tier one problem (the dreaded belly protrusion) is wearing a poncho. So let’s get started.

I love this look! It is a black and white outfit that screams for red accessories. The poncho came from Chicos, my favorite local clothing store. When I wear a poncho I like to pair it with jeans and boots. It makes me feel like I should be in the Alps in a small chalet. However, unless I win the lottery, I will have to settle for someplace local that has a little fire place. Now you are going to see how obsessive I get in my thought process when picking out accessories. My earrings are black hoops because they are circular. When you spin around in this outfit, the stripes seem to circle around your body. How’s that for a rationale? I have paired the poncho with black jeans and a short, black boot. When your pants and your footwear are the same color, it makes you look long and lean. I’ll take whatever help I can get! Underneath I am wearing a black top with three quarter length sleeves but if you are at that stage in life where you are always warm, wear a black tank top.

When I buy an article of clothing, I always look for a unique piece. I love how these colors blend together. I typically don’t wear multicolored outfits, but this poncho and my Michael Jackson jacket (Blog #1) are the exceptions. The last color at the bottom of the poncho is navy blue so I continue that color with navy blue jeans and a short, navy boot. I paired it with a beautiful burnt orange flower pin and bracelet, and navy, hoop earrings. Since the poncho is extremely light weight, I wore a long-sleeved, navy, mock turtleneck top underneath the poncho. You can’t see it, but I am also wearing a round faced watch with a navy blue strap (I keep that circular thing throughout).

This poncho really makes me look slimmer than I am, regardless of whether my stance is in portrait or profile. It has a false sleeve as it is connected only from the elbow to the cuff. I am wearing it with a pair blue jeans that has threading, at the seams, similar to the color of the poncho. I wear accessories that compliment the long, narrow look of the fringe. This is a rope necklace with a long, narrow gold colored leaf. Again I am wearing the navy boots for that long, lean look.

I took a picture of the hoop earrings because I wanted you to be able to see that they look like they have little pieces of fringe hanging off the hoops (obsessive, right?).

This is a dressier poncho so I forgo the jeans and opt for a a nice pair of pants. I have the option of wearing the poncho with any of the four blocked colors. The blocked pattern really draws the eye upward. I decided to have fun with my pose in the first picture instead of trying to look like I know what I am doing when modeling. Thank goodness I got my nails done before this picture was taken! In the first picture, I paired the outfit with cream and black flats. In the second picture, I paired the outfit with black shoes with a graded two inch heel. Because of the square shapes on the poncho, I wore a cream colored watch with a square face and a black leather bracelet with gold accents. The zipper of the poncho is a brassy gold so I paired it with a pair of brassy gold earrings that have a dangling cream colored pearl in the middle (See description below).

These pearl earrings are unique so I took a picture of them. They look like they are braided with pieces of gold metal but they are actually made from grass stalk (Syngonanthus Nitens) that can only be found in the most northern part of Brazil. The stalks are harvested once a year during flowering season in order to protect and sustain future crops. No chemicals or dyes are used. Amazing! The weave pattern looks a lot like the alternating teeth of the poncho’s zipper.

Instead of a garden picture, I decided to throw in a coat picture. If you are going to wear a poncho you need a cape coat to wear over it. If you wear a sleeved coat your poncho will have an awful lot of wrinkles when you take the sleeved coat off. Of course for me this could be a positive because the “focus” will be on the large wrinkles of my poncho instead of on the smaller wrinkles on my face.

So in conclusion, ponchos rock! If you have any thoughts you would like to share with me, like how you feel about body shapers, hit the “comment” icon at the end of this blog. By the way, I haven’t had any snack chips since I started this blog back in November but I have not lost one pound. It might have something to do with the 4 pounds of chocolate candy that has mysteriously disappeared from the holiday candy bowls. I think the candy might be hiding in my tiers.

Until next time, remember, God loves you and so do I.