A Country Mouse stylist's picks
A commenter on another blog commented, "I'm finding it difficult to buy my "everyday" (retirement in rural
village) clothes. I need practical things and somehow they all seem
just too basic to get excited about, even though they are
well-coordinated."
I posted a brief reply, but wanted to expand my thoughts here.
My rural-village-living friend Gaye works part time as a costume designer in the film industry. At home in rural Ontario, she wears clothes that lift her out of the generic, country-mouse look yet fit the practical requirements of small-town life. Most can also be worn while working.
She is a classic dresser, loves scavenging in thrifts and consignment, and always looks like she spent a great deal more than she did.
Here are several "Gaye pieces":
J. Peterman Long Snowflake Sweater; price, $198. (Gaye would definitely belt it.)
She wears cords, but in non-standard colours like mallard blue or sequoia (shown) as well as the neutrals. (Shown: Talbot's straight leg cords, $70 and often on sale.) She would wear that with a basic turtle or crewneck...
... and add a scarf, choosing a size that works indoors as well as out; old houses are drafty. She is an Anglophile and, if she didn't take a leftover from a shoot, might choose this Brora Fair Isle scarf in plum:
Gaye also wears skirts in the country; one of her favourites is a decades-old Anne Klein leather a-line she found in a secondhand shop, paired with thick tights and boots. Here is a "Gaye skirt": Brora's fine check tweed midi, price, £169:
Gaye knows how to mix high and low. She likes the versatility of vests and adds one under a light coat or field jacket to add a colour zhuzh. (Shown, Land's End down vest, about $60). She would also wear it with the skirt, over a gray or cream turtleneck. Working with hues is way more interesting than exact coordination.
She spends time driving, and doesn't want to haul shoes here and there. She and I wear Blundstones: tough, perfect for all but the tallest drifts, and kick on/off. Gaye's are "Crazy Horse Brown", and she slips sheepskin insoles into them.
If she must swap, she tucks a pair of ballet flats in her bag.
Gaye said a coat she can wash is her ideal; she can't always get to a dry cleaner. Patagonia's Vosque 3-in-1 parka ($469) fits the bill: a zip-out liner, a waterproof outer shell, a hood, a versatile grey colour with its kick of violet shell, a shaped, feminine fit—and washable.
(She finds this a good price. On set, wardrobe people spend their working hours in coats and will spend nearly anything to be able to work in them.)
I also notice that she throws unabashadely romantic pieces into the mix; her clothes are not all no-nonsense country classics. So on a summer's night when she served us dinner outdoors under a grove of trees, she wore a pair of loose pants and a top similar to J. Peterman's "Nadya's Tunic":
Finally, Gaye wears jewelry, nearly always gold gypsy hoop earrings, and a whopping sapphire that was an engagement ring from a former marriage, now reset. Just because she's in the country, she does not leave the good pieces in her drawer.
No such gems in your past? Not to worry; a ring like Jamie Joseph's blue sapphire cabuchon (13mm x 14mm) provides the punch.
And she carries a big, vintage doctor's satchel found in Edinburgh, but here is a similar one on Etsy:
A retired villager need not scamper about in dull clothes; she just has to cast her net a bit wider. And, Gaye would add, stay interested not so much in trends as in the joy of colour and the pleasure of good fabrics made into well-constructed pieces.
I posted a brief reply, but wanted to expand my thoughts here.
My rural-village-living friend Gaye works part time as a costume designer in the film industry. At home in rural Ontario, she wears clothes that lift her out of the generic, country-mouse look yet fit the practical requirements of small-town life. Most can also be worn while working.
She is a classic dresser, loves scavenging in thrifts and consignment, and always looks like she spent a great deal more than she did.
Here are several "Gaye pieces":
J. Peterman Long Snowflake Sweater; price, $198. (Gaye would definitely belt it.)
 |
| Nordic sweater coat |
She wears cords, but in non-standard colours like mallard blue or sequoia (shown) as well as the neutrals. (Shown: Talbot's straight leg cords, $70 and often on sale.) She would wear that with a basic turtle or crewneck...
 |
| Nonstandard coloured cords |
 |
| Brora scarf |
Gaye also wears skirts in the country; one of her favourites is a decades-old Anne Klein leather a-line she found in a secondhand shop, paired with thick tights and boots. Here is a "Gaye skirt": Brora's fine check tweed midi, price, £169:
 |
| Brora tweed skirt |
Gaye knows how to mix high and low. She likes the versatility of vests and adds one under a light coat or field jacket to add a colour zhuzh. (Shown, Land's End down vest, about $60). She would also wear it with the skirt, over a gray or cream turtleneck. Working with hues is way more interesting than exact coordination.
 |
| LE down vest |
She spends time driving, and doesn't want to haul shoes here and there. She and I wear Blundstones: tough, perfect for all but the tallest drifts, and kick on/off. Gaye's are "Crazy Horse Brown", and she slips sheepskin insoles into them.
 |
| Blunnies |
If she must swap, she tucks a pair of ballet flats in her bag.
Gaye said a coat she can wash is her ideal; she can't always get to a dry cleaner. Patagonia's Vosque 3-in-1 parka ($469) fits the bill: a zip-out liner, a waterproof outer shell, a hood, a versatile grey colour with its kick of violet shell, a shaped, feminine fit—and washable.
(She finds this a good price. On set, wardrobe people spend their working hours in coats and will spend nearly anything to be able to work in them.)
 |
| Patagonia Vosque parka |
 |
| Blue sapphire ring |
No such gems in your past? Not to worry; a ring like Jamie Joseph's blue sapphire cabuchon (13mm x 14mm) provides the punch.
And she carries a big, vintage doctor's satchel found in Edinburgh, but here is a similar one on Etsy:
 |
| Call the doctor! |
A retired villager need not scamper about in dull clothes; she just has to cast her net a bit wider. And, Gaye would add, stay interested not so much in trends as in the joy of colour and the pleasure of good fabrics made into well-constructed pieces.
Comments
Love the Brora skirt.
I have two vests and a puffy down coat and short boots similar to the Blunstones so I could play a bit.
I have looked at bright jeans and cords but they don't suit my short frame...there are some things that us height challenged gals just have to avoid. I could go for the big sapphire though!
materfamilias: Yes, and coincidentally she and her husband recently bought a house on Saltspring Island!
hostess: She is about 5'3". I wonder if colour is more a matter of preference than height? I noticed Talbot's carry coloured cords in Petite and Woman Petite.
Rita: It's available online ;)
Your "thumbnail sketch" of Gaye's wardrobe choices appeals to me. Like yourself and Gaye, I wish I could wear Blundstones. Alas, they are not available in narrow widths.
Dee: Don't give up, you might be served in the Chisel Toe Blunnies. This is from Blundstone's site: "Blundstone cuts the Chisel Toe style just so, for a clean, trim look that fits a narrow to medium foot width..."
Chisel Toes come in a variety of finishes including Gaye's "Crazy Horse Brown"; see
http://australianboot.com/pages/blundstone
frugal: Were yours the Pendleton '49er jacket? I have flirted with buying one (new or vintage) for years.
vest, jacket, poncho, sweater and good country-suitable footwear with a little attitude - anything from boots to clogs to wellies - makes it much more interesting. A little unfussy accessorizing -
mufflers, clean line artsy earrings or fine , small signature jewelry help. I think the biggest problem of country style is finding and regularly using a good hairdresser/colorist.
I would also suggest not buying too much right away. My early purchases were not casual enough and didn't get worn. It takes a few years to adjust.
So - my purpose in writing this is to thank you. You may have a lot of readers who are already familiar with the more unique and elegant clothing retailers/boutiques and who have access to their brick and mortar stores. I do not, and I love finding new ones online.