Recreating Timelessness

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My Grandmother, Martha Whitley, and my Great-Grandmother, Willa Lynch
at Meteor Crater in Arizona, 1943

Happy Rainy Thursday from the Queen City!  Above is the picture that was the inspiration for my little photo shoot reincarnation.  It is of my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother, who I called Nana and Willa, respectively.  Growing up, the Nana I knew typically adorned herself in fashions that created a little more of a dramatic look.  She was big on glitz, sequins, scarves, shiny belts and jewels, large accessories... items that created more of a glamorous look in my mind. The always-fabulously styled Rachel Zoe reminds me a lot of Nana's look which had me totally mesmerized.

However, as stated in the Lucky article, I think she personifies a look more similar to that of Katharine Hepburn in the above photo.  I mean look at her.  Totally unintentionally cool.  I feel like she is wearing Culottes in this picture. I wonder when we will see culottes again in current fashion.  I have a pair of hers in my closet now.  I didn't wear them this summer, since I just had a baby, and they did not fit, but I have worn them summer after summer in years past.  I don't recall ever looking this cool in them.  But anyway, there's a reason they are called Culottes.  They could be called Coolottes, they are so totally relaxed-hip. I love the collared blouse and buttoned crew neck sweater.  I don't know what shoes she is wearing, but I would imagine a comfortable flat or perhaps a saddle shoe like the one in the Lucky story.  For my photo shoot reincarnation, I headed over to J. Crew at South Park Mall for some equally snazzy duds.  I love J. Crew for many reasons, but I have always relied on them for their timeless classics and staple pieces. I worked with a super cute and totally on-trend personal shopper at the store to pull together a couple of ensembles using mix and match pieces.  We threw in a fabulous necklace for a hint of bling, just for fun, which I think sort of modernizes Nana's outfit.  Check out the pieces.  The necklace is so new, that the store is not yet displaying it.  I think I kinda got the "in" on this!

J.Crew Honeycomb Cable Sweater in Pine Bough

J.Crew Flair Skirt in Heather Acorn

J.Crew Blythe Blouse in Alabaster

J.Crew Wool Cafe Capri in Camel

J.Crew School Boy Blazer in Prince of Wales wool

J.Crew Cece Stud Ballet Flat in Cognac

For this little photo shoot, I tried my best to pose just like Nana.  This was not easy.  I was laughing at myself the entire way through.  Could I possibly look any more dorky??  Nope.  But, I just kept on posin'. I was totally into the moment.  Then I realized, she wasn't posing at all.  She was just naturally this unassumingly cool.  So then I tried posing like I wasn't posing.  That really didn't work either.  But anyway, I totally love the outcome of the look created. What do you think?...

                

                                        The Original                                                                              The Copy Cat      

                           And, since this IS a photo shoot, below are a few extra shots just for fun...

Trying to be serious and poised,
next to impossible!

In my breathiest Madonna voice,
"What are you lookin at?"
Could you not DIE for this necklace?

Great hardware and cuff detail on this super cool blazer.

For a normally heels-only girl, I think the little
gold studs add the perfect amount of pop!

There's always room for a little Jazz Hands!

Thank you for reading!  And for the love of great style, here's to a totally stylin' weekend ahead!  Whitley