The Fab 40’s Have Gone Wild

The Fab 40’s is a group of six fashion bloggers from around the globe. Each month we choose a different theme and invite a guest blogger who is also in their 40’s to join us. This group’s goal is to take on style trends and show how we each interpret and incorporate them into our own lives. With six widely varied views, you are certain to find something that speaks to you each month and encourages you to continue to have fun with fashion after the age of 40.

When wonderfully bold and creatively uninhibited Sheela delivered this month’s Fab 40’s theme, the groans from all of the Fab 40’s gals were nearly audible straight through the email responses that were fired back. Lord Animal Meets Lady Neon. That is what the message said introducing the February styling theme. I do believe that when I opened Sheela’s email an audible gasp escaped my lips and a few curse words slipped out, something to the effect of “She’s got to be effing kidding me. Neon. I haven’t worn neon since the 80’s. Where does one even find neon these days?”

Animal print I can do. Particularly leopard print. It has, after all, become a styling staple, a neutral print that basically works with anything in my big book of styling rules/no-rules. But, seriously, the biggest challenge was in the neon. I would have to find something. Anything. Even if it was just the tiniest touch of blazing luminosity. A pair of socks perhaps. A hat. A scarf. Some bit of brightness on an accessory. So the hunt began.

Working in a second hand clothing store, I started there. Kind of. I know my inventory inside out and upside down. There was nothing neon on hand. So next stop was Target. I remember trying on this awful red plush gnome-looking hat about a month ago found in the clearance section. The hat was terrible so I left it behind, but in remembering it, I also recalled it came in a neon pink version. So I went back to check. There were plenty still available. Probably because it is a horrible hat. But they were on clearance for $3 so I figured I better grab one just in case all other efforts at neon failed. And in my browsing through the clearance racks, I also found a gray scarf with neon orange speckles. For $8, I figured I should grab that, too. Not that I need another scarf. I only have about a thousand already. But I did it anyway.

I still was not satisfied nor inspired by these two pieces to style an outfit. So a few days later, I made a trip to my local Salvation Army Thrift Shop. My intention was to find something neon that would work with one of the animal print items I already had on hand. Strolling up and down the jammed packed aisles of the thrift shop, I was only spotting tiny little hints of neon here and there. There was an amazing neon green blouse in sheer chiffon that I so wanted but alas it was much too small. A neon pink maxi skirt caught my eye so I tried that on. It was okay. Not the most flattering fit and a bit too snug. I put it in my cart while I continued on. Eventually, I put it back. Just not my jam.

Neon. Neon. Neon. I browsed the scarves, the shoes, the handbags, the formal gowns, the dresses. Nothing. No more neon. Scarce as it is bright. Then I spotted a rack of men’s athletic tops. Oh. Hello. Apparently neon is a very popular shade for workout gear. But most of the tee shirts were oversized and short sleeved. Then this fitted long sleeve tee caught my eye. I tried it on and while snug and definitely not the most flattering shade for my pale complexion (is neon a flattering shade for anyone’s complexion really?), it presented a very viable layering option for this wild theme.

And then…there it was…hanging on a random coat tree at the front of the store. This long leopard coat. There was only one other coat hanging with it. The placement of the coat rack was so random that I was unsure if these coats were even for sale. Perhaps they were employees’ coats hung there for the duration of their shifts. I was so unsure that I walked by the coat tree a few times, glancing to see if I could find price tags on them, not wanting to look stupid pawing at someone else’s coat. Oh what the hell. After my third walk by, I figured I needed to go check this out. A-ha. Indeed this coat was for sale. No size tag though. I threw it in my cart and headed back to the fitting room. As I slipped it over my shoulders, it was like those jeans from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Whatever size it was, it was meant to be on me. It was a magical connection. Now I did not need another leopard coat, but yet I absolutely needed this one.

Its one button closure was missing the button yet there were two button holes right in the middle. And then it hit me. Fasten the front of the coat together with a giant neon ribbon! I felt like a freaking genius when the idea came upon me. So off to the register I went and $90 later with two bags full and three coats slung over my arm, I headed to Joann Fabrics to find me some ribbon. Also inside those bags of thrifted items was the green alligator print clutch. I found that cutie hanging casually over the arm of a mannequin. It’s a Target brand and still had the tags attached. For $4, I couldn’t resist as green is my forever favorite color and I do not own a handbag in this gorgeous shade. I had no intention of styling it for this theme. But I did need to bring it home with me.

So into Joann Fabrics I marched, furry leopard print coat in hand. I solicited the help of a sales person and $17 later, I left with 4 spools of ribbon. Neon green, neon pink, black, and white. I planned on using the black and white ribbons to secure my new coat on days when neon was not on my to-do list. I took the coat to the cleaners and waited a few days to pick it up. Then I got dressed in a basic jeans and sweater outfit, added my new leopard coat on top and fastened the front with the neon green ribbon. I should I have taken a picture of my face. It was not anything like I had imagined. The location of the button holes was so oddly placed, the ribbon was too flimsy, the bow was just plain awkward. My husband agreed that while in theory it sounded great, in actuality it just did not work. I tried the pink ribbon next because it was a wired ribbon. Maybe it would work better. But there was no changing the awkward placement and the tiny smidge of neon just got lost in the sea of furry leopard. I added the neon pink furry hat in the hopes of highlighting the pinks. And now in hindsight, I really, really should have taken a photograph. It was probably the most ridiculous styling I have ever attempted. I cannot even describe it properly. But in the most basic terms, I looked like an idiot.

Frustrated, I threw it all aside and abandoned any hopes of photographing an outfit that day. A few days later, feeling defeated, I went digging in my closet to find something that would work with this plain old neon tee shirt. And then I remembered this lace up dress from Zaful that I had styled back in November of 2017. I remember thinking back then that I should have changed out the black lace for something more interesting. Well, now was the opportunity to do just that. So I set to work relacing the dress with the neon green ribbon. Layered the neon tee underneath and now that I had this fabulous new leopard coat, I would stick with it without any extra adornment. The shades of black and gray in the leopard print coordinated perfectly with the shades of gray and white in my snakeskin booties. And since this is a style challenge of the wildest sort, why not combine leopard with snakeskin. I had it all put together and I felt like a styling genius on the same level as dear Sheela.

But wait. The green alligator purse. Could I possibly add a third animal print into the mix? Would the dark green match with the neon green? Only one way to find out. Voila. Bam. Magical. Wild. Bright. Insane. Glowing. Glowing. Glowing. Never in my lifetime would I have thought that I would like a neon-inspired outfit. But here it is. And I felt more like a rock start diva from the techno age than a crazy 40-something walking around in an insanely wild outfit.

And this is precisely why we do this series! To push ourselves outside of our styling comfort zones. To have fun with fashion. To be bold and eccentric and unique. To empower ourselves and others to be a little bit wild. To go a little bit crazy. To stand out in a crowd. To be fearless in the face of raised eyebrows that may be thrown in our direction. To leave a legacy of daring confidence. To embrace our inner weirdness, our brilliant creativity, and to share it loudly with the world.

And now my equally bold, bright, wildly fashionable, uniquely stylish, beautiful, empowering Fab 40’s friends with their interpretations of this insanely wild theme.

Our guest blogger (and one of the original members of this group, I believe), Sam of Fake Fabulous. She is a master of color, ever so cheeky in her adventurous combinations of bright pigments and saucy prints. Sam never ever disappoints to bring cheer by virtue of her lively styling. She is an icon as far as I am concerned.

Outfit Details: Jumpsuit – Topshop (old) / Top – Newlook / Earrings – Pandora / Necklace – Tatty Devine / Boots – Miss KG / Bag – Primark / Belt -Boden

Sheela of Sheela Writes, the brains behind the insanity, gives us the boldest of bold with her zebra print (I need some zebra print in my life now), stripes, studs galore, and neon yellow. Skillfully creating the most flattering proportions with this astonishingly dynamic look, she simply perpetuates my girl crush. Enough said.

Outfit Details: Neon Yellow Jacket – New York & Co / Studded Tank – Poshmark / Zebra Palazzo Pants (tucked in), Studded White Booties, and Striped Newsboy Cap – Thrifted

Oh sweet Suzy of Suzy Turner, Pixie Chick in Portugal. She always delivers the most profoundly perfect interpretations of every crazy theme we visit here. As she stands so casually confident in her rugged denim jacket paired with those amazing leopard sneakers with a splash of furry neon deliciousness, I just want to go hang out with her and tear up the town.

Outfit Details: Brown trousers – Jigsaw via John Lewis / Leopard print shoes – Stradivarius / Leopard print blouse – Bershka / Furry neon green handbag – New Look / Denim jacket – Primark

And next, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots is a fashionable force to be reckoned with…each and every time. She is a tiny little fireball of fashion forward style that makes me swoon with every challenge. Always delivering an unexpected twist and teaching me new tricks of the trade. I hold her and her sartorial choices in the highest esteem. I mean, neon pink fishnets to go with her brilliant pink hair. I just don’t have the adequate words to express my admiration.

Outfit Details: Leopard Blazer – c/o Shein / Barcelona Cami – Express / Faux Leather Pants – Guess / Crocheted Tights – Amazon Fashion / Studded Pumps – Madden Girl /Bracelets – Charming Charlie / Necklace – NY&Co. / Velvet Clutch – Adrienne Vittadini

The charming Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks, whilst she kicks and screams with every challenge (her own words, not mine), she never fails to deliver the most appealing, classic, simple, wearable outfits that any woman could step out in with bold, beautiful confidence. I admire her attention to the details and her interpretations of the theme, all while remaining true to her own style.

Outfit Details: Earrings – Nickel & Suede / Sweater & Jeans – Target / Shoes – Zulilly

And finally me. Little ole me, forever grateful to be surrounded by so many amazingly stylish women pushing ourselves beyond the limits of what the fashion industry may dictate that women over 40 should and should not wear. I feel younger and bolder every day as I step out into the world wearing whatever the hell I like, even if it may appeal to others as quite ridiculous. If you can’t embrace the ridiculousness of it all, this life would be quite dull.

Outfit Details: Dress – c/o Zaful with Neon Ribbon from Joann Fabrics / Leopard Coat, Neon Tee Shirt, Green Alligator Clutch – Salvation Army Thrift Shop / Snakeskin Booties: Charlotte Russe / Polka Dot Tights – Target / Necklace: c/o Happiness Boutique / Earrings: Solitary Consignment

Do take a few minutes to check out all of the other blogs linked here. And tell me, are you bold enough to step out as Lord Animal Meets Lady Neon? I dare you to. It just makes this crazy life that much more interesting.

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

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