how to style a shirtdress for fall
in the winter of 2015, mr. style and i decided to leave San Francisco. having lived in the South for a large part of my adult life, i wanted to return. but to where exactly, i wasn’t sure. mr. style loved small cities, me? a bit bigger. but my mother grew up in a university town, and i had fond memories of college game days. plus nine months out of the year there’s a buzz in the air on a college campus. with summers shifting into neutral. so if mr. style was to get his wish to live in a small(er) town it was going to be a university town. that pretty much narrowed the list down.
fall of ‘15, i began my search. first stop: Athens. i flew out with my son to scout the city, and if all went well, look for houses. i immediately fell in love. the city had it all: small-town vibe, but culture—lots of it. UGA brought with it the arts—theater, music, and, yes, sports—all right down the street. and the food: everything from low country cuisine to slow-cooked, smoked bbq. a-m-a-z-i-n-g. i knew right away this was home.
december of ‘15 mr. style and i packed our bags and headed to Georgia. i’m now approaching my fourth anniversary, and i can honestly say that the last part of mr. style’s life was his best—our best.
pants | shirtdress | jean jacket | shoes | handbag
we loved and i continue to love this city. and i try to get out and enjoy it as much as possible. it’s not very often that i have a monday afternoon free, but when i do, you can find me anywhere from bummin’ around UGA’s campus to grabbing lunch in Normal Town. or my favorite restaurant that mr. style and i went to every friday afternoon – The National.
today’s outfit is perfectly casual but still stylish, tailored for those fall afternoons you just need to get out and enjoy the day. first up is a jean jacket paired with a striped shirtdress last seen here and cropped blue pants from Talbots last seen here. a classic shirtdress is always on-trend. they’re so versatile. but if you don’t like them popped over a pair of pants simply pair the jacket or pants with a white shirt or snazzy blouse. can’t go wrong. if it’s sweater weather in your neck of the woods Talbots has 25% off sweaters. here are a few that caught my eye.
pants | shirtdress | jean jacket | shoes | handbag
this fall, it’s all about the color POP. and to give this outfit a little bit o’ color burst, i’ve paired it with a red handbag and mules. the loafers are perfect for long days out and about on your feet. trust me. every woman needs a pair of red shoes in her closet. it’s a classic color palette.
all right, gang. i want to hear from you. let me know in the comment section your last big move. where did you end up, and why did you end up there? did it feel like home right off the bat or did it take some getting used to?
We relocated to Baltimore Md early in our marriage. We have loved it! We previously lived in St. Louis which we also love. I moved to St. Louis after we were married, we had a long distance courtship! East Lansing, Michigan to St. Louis! Several big moves all lovely cities. You will notice all are college towns…
We left Wisconsin after 27 cold years and moved to Franklin, TN! We love it! We are 14 miles Southwest of Nashville. All that is missing…my Granddaughter in Austin!
Love the outfit. I wish I were just a little taller so I could pull it off.
I have lived in Ohio my whole life a city of about 85,000 home to the football hall of fame. It’s an hour drive to Cleveland, so still had a small big city feel. We moved 3 years ago to a small town in the country about a half an hour away on 40 acres. How did I let him talk me into this. It is all work work work. It is very quiet and peaceful, that’s the good part.
A year ago we sold our home of 40 years located in a seaside town north of Seattle. We had loved the town and both my husband and I had careers in and near that town. We moved to a 55+ active retirement community near our state capitol. A month later, our best friends moved here, too. We love our smaller house, our new neighbors, the myriad of social and cultural activities and especially all the hiking trails and state parks that are minutes away. It feels more country than big city, but is close enough to Seattle or Portland for a big city overnight ..and we are still only minutes from Puget Sound waterways.
Hi Beth, what a lovely post with a little insight to your move. We moved Sept 2nd 2019 so two weeks ago yesterday. It wasn’t that far around 3.8 miles from a 3 bed house to a 2 bed single storey ( or bungalow) as we call them here in England. We decided to downsize and it feels and felt like home straight away. I’m 60 in November and Graham was 71 September 5th and we decided to downsize now whilst we are together rather than have to heaven forbid do it when only one of us is around. We are loving our new adventure. Loving your outfit luv Julie from England xoxk
Love your blogs
I lived 30+ years in Fl..my husband died and after a couple years my children insisted I move back to Ga….possibly the biggest mistake I ever made..very hard to meet new friends etc ..at my age..even in church activities…people pretty much have their groups in place..
I’ve learned to adjust…except for the traffic😱 then again I don’t think I will ever adjust to missing my husband of 55+ years
I really admire your spirit
And have bought several things off your blogs suggestion 😍😍😍
We moved to Cumming GA from California to be near our two grandkids. Still adjusting to southern living going on 3 years but my little “grands” make it great!
But how we miss the laid back Cali lifestyle, weather and just that west coast state of mind!
After one year of marriage my husband and I moved from Texas to the island of Guam. He had lived there in his youth, loved it and always wanted to go back. We stayed there for 7 years. Our son was born there. It took some time for me to become accustomed to the occasional earthquakes and typhoons. We had an ocean view in back of our home and a mountain view in front. I did miss my family in Texas, though.
hafa adai! mr. style and i lived on Guam for five years. in Barrigada heights. we lived through category 5 pongsona and lived
to tell the tale. but earthquakes still strike the fear of God in me. how can one tiny island be prone to so many natural diasters? xo
I relocated back to my alma mater town of Chico, CA, 32 years ago for a job. It was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. Like Athens, it’s a university town with plenty of culture along with all the young energy that comes with a large student population. It is also a wonderful family friendly community that lives alongside one of the largest municipal parks in the US. Since I spent my college years here, for me it was like coming home, and I’m so glad I did.
Two years after becoming a widow, I moved from a very small town we had raised our children in to Savannah, Ga. Moved from a big house to a little condo and I have loved this city every day for almost 3 years! Kids visit, we text n talk on the phone. Life is grand!!!
We have moved around quite a bit for my husband’s career. Our latest move was a year ago and it has been the most challenging – it is a larger city than our last one so adjusting to that while rewarding to know a new city the size still scares me at times – haha.
After my beloved passed on, I moved to the Emerald Coast of Florida. I’m right across the bay from Destin. Soon after moving here, I was driving across Okaloosa Island and said to my dog, “I get to live here!” Really I just occasionally miss HEB, brisket and Tex-Mex. I just make sure to get a helping of all three when I go visit my mom back in Texas.
We moved to Cumming GA from California to be near our two grandkids. Still adjusting to southern living going on 3 years but my little “grands” make it great!
But how we miss the laid back Cali lifestyle, weather and just that west coast state of mind!
Mr. Wonderful and I retired out of Canada’s capital city to a small city an hour away. We had lived here for 2 years when we first married 20 years ago. I love being able to get anywhere in less than 10 minutes, with no traffic jams! I miss the social aspects of working and the ability to meet up for coffee with my Ottawa friends, but love our house and property.
I Live in Virginia. I have always loved this state. There is so much variety. We have metropolitan areas, rural areas, the beach, and mountains.
Speaking of the south. The temperatures here are in the 80’s and 90’s. With the heat I have found picking out clothes difficult, especially for work. I work as a resource teacher three days a week. It’s so hot outside but freezing in my classroom. Our dress is business casual, but more emphasis on the casual. We can’t wear jeans though. Any outfit suggestions for this temperature for work and not for work?
I first have to say, I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU WEAR, I wish I could afford the wardrobe! I just turned 60 and have the same body frame as you and our styles are similar. I grew up in South Florida and relocated with my job to the Charlotte NC area for 11 years. After years of my husband saying he hated the cold weather we relocated back to Fort Lauderdale Fl. I loved the fall and winter in NC, but there is nothing like a beautiful ocean view daily and the year round activities, the winter months aren’t so bad either. No regrets moving back to our family and long time friends.
I have moved around the country in my 30+ year marriage. I have landed in South Carolina. I am 3 hours from Atlanta 1 1/2 hour from Charlotte. Greenville is a foodie town with plenty to do, only 45 minutes from Clemson.
I hope to stay here forever🤞🤞🤞
my husband is civil engineer and we moved 9 times in the early years od our marriage. Luckily being a teacher I got jobs at local schools. Then the children started to arrive and I realised we needed more stability. We live in a small rural town only 40 mins from Melbourne (Australia), ideal for the children growing up but close by train to city for Jeff’s work and kids University. Now retired we can easily “pop” into Melbourne for theatre/music. We love it.
After living in Austin TX for 36 years I sold my house, and most belongings, quit my job and moved to Knoxville TN 18 months ago to be closer to my oldest son. I have no regrets Knoxville has the same vibe as Austin did in the 80’s! The people are nice, I love that you have 4 seasons and it is affordable. Did I mention now my son will be moving to Madison WI and no I’m not moving!
On a fashion note Beth I love the outfit!
Hi Beth….We moved from our home in Annapolis, MD , still in MD but an hour away to be near our daughter and her family. We got our first grandson and we decided to be closer so we could indeed be part of our grandchildren’s lives! Best decision we ever made!
Love the ootd! Love the red accessories!
I was born in upstate NY. When we married we relocated to Fort Devens Mass. From there we moved back to NY to raise 3 children. In 1979 we moved to Alabama where I spent 4 of the best years of my life. I made friends for life in the South. When my husband’s company was sold we moved back to NY. A little side story- my neighbor across the street in Alabama and I became close friends. When I was moving she said we could visit each other. I have visited her in Alabama, Dallas and Franklin Tennessee every other year since then. She visits me in NY every other year. In a couple of weeks I am off to Tennessee-true friendship never ends.
We left Long Island, NY 14 years ago when we retired and moved to the Western Slope of Colorado. While I love the weather and the scenery, the biggest thing I miss is the shopping!
We are also in a university town. But we’re 250 miles from Denver and the bigger stores. My daughters and I will carve out some shopping weekends now and then. And thanks to online shopping, I can get my “fix”! But boy do I miss being only a few miles away from everything! The best thing though? I’m in the same zip code as my grandchildren! Love your blog!
Work brought both of us to NJ at different times and we stayed but are seriously considering a move somewhere else in retirement in a few years. Not sure where, the field is so wide open, but university towns are high on the list. We are thinking of a visit to check out Charlottesville then Williamsburg, both in VA.
We lived in Miami for 35 years and decided to move closer to a sibling in an age restricted community in Georgetown Tx. We hated it from the getgo..but the bottom had just fallen out of the real estate market and still owned a home in Miami (insert VERY sad face). After 5 years we were finally able to relocate to Hilton Head SC…I NEED to be near an ocean
Love your style. Last move 33 years ago to Atlanta. Lived in Athens 3 years while husband in Pharmacy school. Go to home games in Athens and red shoes and all things red a necessity!
We left San Francisco in 2003, where we lived for 27 years. Moved to Grants Pass, Oregon, small town with the Rogue River running through, We are 45 mins. from Ashland, a college town,
also annual Shakespeare festival, theater, great restaurants. We have a wonderful symphony orchestra, annual Britt music festival in Jacksonville, 30 min drive. The ocean is 90 miles and we rent a home there in the summer. Great college football with the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, 140 miles. Another plus, we are both fly fishers and love fishing and floating the river.
We moved from Michigan to Fayetteville, NC 10 years ago to be near our son’s family. He is in the Army special forces and out of country often. So we could help with the grand children. It took some getting used to, going from a town of 5000 to a big city, but we did find the neighborhood became our “town” and we soon found our coffee clutch and joined in our neighborhood monthly meetings. People are open to newbies every where! ♡
Our last big move was three years ago. My husband and I had lived at the Lake of the Ozarks for ten years. We had a condo on the lake, boat, and two jet skis. But, after ten years, I wanted to be closer to our four grandchildren in Illinois. So, we moved to the same town where our both our adult children and their families reside. We enjoy watching our grandson, who is six, play soccer. His sister, who is eight, is in competitive dance and we see as many of her shows as possible. Our next granddaughter is in volleyball and her older sister is in junior high basketball. So, seeing those games keeps us busy! I even make trips to the orthopedic doctor for the occasional broken bone or cast removal and wouldn’t trade any of it.
My husband and I moved from Corvallis, Oregon to the Portland metro area nearly 5 years ago. My husband’s health problems had gotten worse, and our son who lived here was our only instate family member. Portland is a beautiful city, close to nature, quirky, with a lot going on and a lot to offer. Unfortunately, we ended up in a suburb of Portland, which has taken a lot of getting used to. Living in a small college town is being familiar with things: the fastest routes, the best places to find certain things, favorite restaurants, and people you know. There is a lot more driving and traffic than I was expecting or accustomed to. Still I’ve adjusted and I really, really love it here. But then, I’m PNW girl at heart.
I grew up in a small town in northeast Kansas. My husband and I met in college and we moved to the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri, where we’ve lived for 39 years. My husband retired last December, and we bought a home in the Orlando, FL, area to be near our oldest son and his family. We didn’t officially “move” because our other son and his family still live in the Kansas City area so we’re dividing our time between the two. The lifestyles of the two cities are definitely different. We’re still adjusting to how to divide our time but spending extended time with both of our grandchildren has been a joy!
Baltimore to San Francisco..New York will always be home, we have moved NY to Atlanta to New Jersey to Baltimore to SF..I am an East Coast girl and will always be..we will only be here for a few years, so we will see the sights, enjoy the ride and count the days til I’m home
Hi Beth!!!! I love reading your tips, comments and also the shots. I have lived in Maringá ( south of Brasil) for 56 years, i think moving brings some new challenges and I am fan of it, but my husband avoids kkkk . Big kiss.
Moved from Oklahoma to Illinois many years ago. I froze the first 3years. When I thawed I realized I really loved the Fall, and all the changing seasons. I enjoy reading your reminisces about your husband. I hope you will continue doing that!
Beth,
Absolutely love reading you…and find you very courageous in the midst of losing your life partner and love.
After 5 years as Canadian expats in the US (San Francisco and Roswell, GA)…we have just moved back to our beloved Montreal. It feels good to be home but we return enriched by the life experience and many new american friends made during this expat experience. If ever you come to Montreal, e-mail me.
Born in small town PA but lived abroad for 20+years with the State Dept. After retiring and trying NH, then Texas, we ended up in Ooltewah, TN, a suburb of Chattanooga. We’ve been here 10 years, the longest I have ever lived anywhere! Why here? Hubby’s family is close by. Love it here and have made good friends with other transplants!
Our last move was in ‘10, from Phoenix, AZ to Winston-Salem, NC. First time I have ever lived in the south nor near the coast, but I immediately loved it. Felt so much like home. Phoenix was the getting used to it forever move.