It Seems Pretty Black And White To Me!

Hi to All My Gal Pals,

The picture above was inspired by “Where is the Panda?” black and white picture search puzzle one of my friends posted on Facebook. Can you find me in the picture? Just look for the red clues. Can you tell how much I like black and white outfits? I wish I was Sweet 16 again but I am more than 4 times that. I decide to add the silver ribbons to my Sweet 16 sign (16th blog) in celebration of my birthday this week ((May 1st) since my annual birthday party will be on hold.

Well let me start this saga by saying what I always say “God works in mysterious ways”. In my last blog I told you I had shingles and a virus. Well, it turns out I did not have shingles. The blisters on my tongue, the burning eyes and my nasal passages closing up as well as my shortness of breath for 4 weeks were from a virus that landed me in the hospital. While I was in the hospital they decided to try and rule out other possibilities for my shortness of breath. They did not think it was Covid 19 but went back and forth trying to decide if I should be given the test. I did not get the Covid test but one of the tests they did conduct was a heart cath and those of you who have seen my posts on Pam’s Gal Pals group page on Messenger know that I was told I need triple bypass surgery of the coronary arteries. Well, after talking to my surgeon this week I have been upgraded to quadruple bypass surgery. Since elective surgeries have been given the go-ahead they are thinking the surgery will take place in a couple of weeks from now. Can you imagine the outcome if I did not get that virus that put me in the hospital! These are scary times and there will be no family members next to my bed to offer comfort but I am comforted in knowing that I am never alone. My faith is strong and no matter what happens I know God is with me. Also, I think of the quote “Whenever you feel sad, just remember that there are trillions of cells in your body and they all care about you”. It also reminds me of an Aunty Acid quote “Starting tomorrow whatever life throws at me I’m going to duck – so it hits someone else”. I should have ducked sooner! The reason I am sharing all this with you is because it may affect getting my blog out next month. Well, with that out of the way, let’s move on to more happy topics like fashion.

Coco Chanel was quoted as saying “A girl should be two things: Classy and fabulous”. When I think of the black and white combo I think of “classic”. It reminds me of the southern charm of Tara in the classic movie “Gone with the Wind”, timeless and beautiful black and white art gallery photographs, and my daughter’s black and white wedding with red tricolor roses which was one of the classiest weddings I have ever attended. There are endless ways to wear this combination. As famous designer Karl Lagerfeld once said “Black and white always looks modern whatever that word means”. Coco Chanel said “Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony”. According to Harper’s Bazaar, wearing black and white head-to-toe has become a BAZAAR standard as their editors acknowledge it’s the easiest formula for a put-together look. They also call it a timeless combination writing “…this graphic way of dressing is a lifestyle not a passing trend”. In my picture above I am displaying several of my tops with a black and white pattern but I also love the look of flowing black pants with a flowing white top or a pair of black leggings with an oversized man tailored shirt. One of the best things about this color combination is that it is easy to accessorize because any color goes with it but I tend to only accessorize it in red. Of course these days with my binge eating my fashion style is whatever the hell fits me!

In this blog I won’t be demonstrating the similarities between landscape design and fashion design because I am using that space to display black and white fashion through the seasons. From my past blogs you know that black is the GREAT MINIMIZER. I have about 15 pairs of black pants of varying styles, ranging from casual to somewhat dressy. All of the outfits I am wearing in this blog hide my tier 3 belly because generally that is what black clothes do for me. So let’s move on to some of these outfits.

My first outfit is a great spring outfit and those of you who lunch with me may recognize it because I love it so much I wear it a lot. I love adding a pop of color with red accessories when I wear black and white outfits. Adding that little pop of red reminds me of the greeting cards that are photographed in black and white but they add a little red cardinal or rose. This checked top (another purchase from Saugatuck) is very light weight and somewhat see-through so I wear a black tank top underneath it. I pair it with black jeans and I love the combination of the straight, almost checked lines of the sandals with the checked pattern of the top. These sandals have a wedged heel and are really comfortable.

This is a great bracelet that can also be worn as a necklace because each end has a clasp that can be hooked on to a specific silver chain. I saw the “Diva” charm and knew it was meant for me (bought at an antique store in South Haven). You know from past blogs that I like a little contrast in pattern so this polka dot watch really looks cute with the checks.

This is a great summer outfit. I think I bought these leggings for $16 at CVS. I love the looseness of the flowing top and how it is longer in the back than in the front. In a past blog I told you that if you were going to wear a patterned bottom with a solid top, you have to wear a statement piece or an eye catching piece around your neck. A person’s eye will go right to the pants so you need a way to draw the eye back up. This necklace looks like it was made to go with these pants. This necklace was another great find in South Haven, Michigan. These sandals are so comfortable. The upper part is made of a soft but sturdy cloth material. They really compliment the outfit.

The necklace and bracelet look like they are from the Art Deco period. The translucent and opaque halves of the bracelet are especially reflective of that period. Because of the design of the necklace I was able to wear different shapes in the rest of my jewelry. I got this watch at the Odeum craft show which I attend twice a year. The great part of this watch is that you can buy different decorative bands for it.

Welcome to Fall. The leaves are falling from the tree in the picture depicted on the long sleeved shirt. The contrasting patterns of the shirt and the vest look great together because they don’t compete with each other. The straight lines of the vest seem to create a frame for the picture on the shirt. I was looking through one of the People magazines from March and there was a picture of Kristen Bell wearing a white and black thin striped Tee shirt with very busy flowered pants. There was no common color between them so to me they clashed. However, People magazine thought it was great and they put together a similar outfit for their readers. I don’t get it and I would never wear that combination but apparently others think it looks good. Anyway, these pants are made of a semi-light weight material with moderately wide legs. The sandals have leather uppers with braiding on the sides and a one-inch wide heel.

The straight lines of the stems of this flower pin go so well with the straight black lines of the vest as does the straight lines of the ring and watch. I have worn these earrings in past blogs but decided to wear them again because they are shaped like the leaves falling from the tree on my shirt. Because of the contrast in pattern between the vest and shirt, I wore solid colors in my accessories.

Welcome to winter. The off white polka dots in this top look like snow flakes falling down on the trees below. This top is a heavy knit and flairs below the bust line hiding all the fat rolls below it. It could easily be worn as a dress by a short person but, since I am not a short person, I wear it with off white leggings. Tim Gunn was once quoted saying “If you have to ask if a clothing item is a dress or a top, it is always a top”. This outfit looks great with black heels even though I am partial to matching my shoes with my pant color.

I don’t often wear my good jewelry with my blog outfits but this is an outfit that screams for pearls. The pearl bracelet is costume jewelry but all the other pearls are real. I love this watch because the little crystals look like little pieces of ice when worn with this outfit.

Well, that is it for this blog. God willing I will do some sort of blog next month. Maybe it will highlight some of my favorite pieces of jewelry instead of my outfits. There is no sense in talking about my weight ‘til this pandemic is over. As Aunty Acid says, “Desperation is shaving before stepping on the scale”. At this point, I don’t think shaving my whole body and losing a limb would make a dent in my weight! I am afraid these days my fashion sense is overruled by my need for comfort. That reminds me of a poster I once read, “My swimsuit told me to GO TO THE GYM but my sweatpants were like NAH GIRL, YOU’RE GOOD”.

Remember my friends, God loves you and so do I.