My inspiration for writing fashion articles for Baby Boomer women come from all sorts of places.
One of my inspirational sources is ‘Australian Stitches’ magazine. In the June 2013 issue (Vol21 No 9), Eddi Franz quoted Lucinda Chambers, the Fashion Director of British Vogue magazine – ‘fashion leads you to think differently about clothes’. Eddie added the point that fashion ideas get you thinking which leads you to something more interesting. Eddi’s article about proportion being the modern difference influenced me to expand and apply variations of this principle to the evolution of the classic twinset.
The twinset is a style that has been around for over 60 years. The style is still popular as they keep it in the pattern books. I have written about how to modernise the classic style with a narrow belt worn over the top of it. (Click here to refresh your memory.) The modern twinset version has expanded to include both stiff and relaxed jackets.
Today’s article is about three proportion and style adaptions for saying ‘hello’ to the modern twinset. You can choose a favourite or play with all of them. Simple variations are ways to keep you happy, smiling and content with your wardrobe.
Read on for my three fashion tips to keep you, a Baby Boomer woman, agelessly stylish and ahead of your contemporaries.
Basic Premise
All three variations are worn over straight bottoms ie jeans, tapered pants or straight, slim or trumpet skirts. These styles slim your bottom half and keep the attention above your waist.
Even Cutaway Over Even Over Straight (ECOES)
When you still want to wear or have a jacket and top that are the same length, modernise it by wearing an unbuttoned jacket that has a curved or straight cutaway shape. This is slimming because it breaks up the solid colour across your body.
The picture on the right is of Natalie Barr in ‘Prevention’ magazine, June 2013. In this version, her top and jacket are a light and dark variation of the same colour. This is a good idea to follow. Her jacket is angular as it has a straight draped collar and angles away to her side seam. Her cami allows plenty of space for a necklace and lightens her face. If it is very cold, wear a high neck top with a scarf or necklace lower down your neckline to create the same effect.
The picture on the left is from the 2013 Spring Collection of Diana Ferrari and shows the same type of jacket in white, 3/4 sleeves. Looks great over a bright V neck top. You can pass on the printed pants if you like.
Wearing an equal-length straight or curved cutaway in monochromatic variations works well especially if the textures are different. On the left is a Chicos look of a curved wool-type texture jacket over a patterned sparkly top, both in the same colour.
Long over Short Over Straight (LOSS)
This is the most common and a fairly modern variation. The creation of waterfall type jackets whether of stiffer, formal, classic materials or the softer, fluid casual materials have appealed to most women.
The straighter the hem, the more classic and formal it looks. This has been adapted to suit-type jackets where the underneath top is worn over the waist and its hem is lower than the jacket.
The more business casual or casual look is demonstrated by this Chicos model on the left who is wearing beige pants, a cream top and a long, aqua pointed jacket. Long over short over straight looks best when your top and bottom skirt or pants are either the same colour (classic) or very close in colour (modern classic) and the jacket is a different colour.
Your top and jacket can be the same colour as in the pattern illustration on the right. This is best when the jacket is a modern style.
Short over Long Over Straight (SOLS)
This is what Eddi wrote about and which inspired this more expansive article. Short over long over straight is ‘stylishly current’ as Eddi wrote. It is a look that Baby Boomer women tend to shy away from as they feel their lower body shape has relaxed and they grieve their lost slim shape. Not so! You can still wear it because it shows your confidence in wearing what’s current your way.
The simplest way is just a bit shorter over long. This means you only show a little of the underneath top. It’s a good business look as in the Jacqui E black skirt & top & grape shorter jacket on the left.
The more business casual look is shown in the Sussan grey jacket over a white top on the left. The jacket is formal at the front and has a peplum hem at the back (different and modern). I showed this short over long look in my previous short Chanel Jacket article. A casual short over long of printed jeans, white shirt and short denim jacket from Sussan as well as more jacket styles are shown on Sussan website.
I recently styled this look on the right for a client, Rhonda, from her wardrobe. I showed her how to tone it up with her blue shoes or tone it down with black shoes and a scarf.
Last Words
Embrace the modern twinset style look. Remember and play with ECEOS, LOSS and the stylishly current SOLS.
(Don’t miss out on upcoming personal style articles for Baby Boomer Women who want to be agelessly stylish and modern. Click here to sign up for The Fashion Translator eZine and get your weekly tips every Thursday from Margaret, the Baby Boomer Personal Stylist.)
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