Ann’s Fashion Fortunes

By Ann Rosenquist Fee

Big rings, clean jeans, blurry lines

DEAR ANN: I was going through my jewelry box recently and found my class ring from 30 years ago. The gold! The topaz birthstone! The tiny runner and little saxophone! I love vintage rings so I’ve been wearing it. But I worry that people will think I’m trying to relive the glory days of my youth. Should I put it away for good? DEAR READER: It’s more likely that people will think you’re embracing the trend of wearing class-ring-inspired signet rings, which, according to my style news sources, have been enjoying some popularity for a few years now.

I’m not sure why that’s the case, except maybe to appropriate the idea of “belonging” in a semi-satirical-but-also-nostalgic kind of way. Perhaps this should be more troubling to you than the idea that you’re trying to relive some glory days, i.e., the idea that you’re walking around wearing an actual, non-ironic emblem of membership in the exclusive club of your high school’s graduating class.

As long as you’re ready and willing to engage in dialogue about relevance, belonging, elitism, and/ or exclusivity, go ahead and enjoy wearing your sparkly old/new accessory.

DEAR ANN: How do I get my boss to agree that jeans are acceptable for the office? I’m wearing them with a nice sport coat and dress shoes, but my attire still seems to raise concern about professionalism. Pretty sure this is outdated. Thoughts?

DEAR READER: You can’t really single-handedly separate your personal wearing of jeans from the years of conditioning causing your boss to associate denim with casual weekend non-office attire.

It’s a losing battle, and given that jeans are arguably less comfortable than a wool blend dress pant or a pair of Tencel cargo joggers, I suggest it’s a battle not worth fighting.

This is not to say you shouldn’t wear jeans to work, if you truly love how they make you feel. Go ahead and wear them if you want, but accept the fact you’ll be perceived as “dressing down” or maybe even “stopping by the office on what’s clearly a work-from-home-day” or some other set of assumptions that, honestly, might be what you’re secretly going for anyway, because those kinds of assumptions might get a person out of presenting at the team meeting that afternoon.

If you feel passionate about denim as office-wear and you truly want it to work as a professional

look, versus just using it to get out of seeming reliable, treat the blue as a color worth considering, and use your shoes, shirt, scarf and whatever else to create a monochromatic palette of blue or bluish tones (versus acting like the color isn’t there at all, and treating your denim like a neutral, which, I know we all do it, but it really doesn’t work if you’re trying to look pulled together and professional versus looking like you’re about to play kickball or go fishing).

If this is sounding too complicated, call in sick.

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DEAR ANN: I am intimidated by ads for “makeup for women over 40.” Can you simplify the rules so I don’t have to click on anything that’s just going to tell me I’m doing it wrong?

DEAR READER: Absolutely. The simplest version is this: The time for smudging and blurring is over, because your face itself is starting to blur thanks to very tiny lines and softenings in places you simply didn’t think could go soft.

And to make that look intentional, your makeup needs to create contrast, which means it has to become sharp. All the better if it’s sharp and sparse. It’s this school of thought that gives us the iconic old-lady-with-bold-crimson-lip look, or the sharply drawn-on eyebrows, or the mascara-only eye makeup — which all of a sudden accomplishes everything eyeliner used to accomplish, now that your eyelids are all creased and tucked into themselves.

Bear in mind that I have just now invented this rule on the spot, after realizing that I, too, don’t want to click on anything that’s just going to tell me I’m doing it wrong.

What we need, I think, are rules that emerge from and reinforce the feeling that aging faces are so very right. What we need is to make up the rules. I can’t wait to see whatever doctrines and purchases you’re about to make.

Got a question? Submit it at annrosenquistfee.com (click on Ann’s Fashion Fortunes). Ann Rosenquist Fee is executive director of the Arts Center of Saint Peter and host of Live from the Arts Center, a music and interview show Thursdays 1-2 p.m. on KMSU 89.7FM.

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