OK, what’s with the brown face, you might ask??? Simple explanation: I had just been to a tanning parlor (I know Suzanne… bad, bad, bad. I cannot help it.) The first 24 hours after being on a tanning bed I look ridiculous. After that I look rather normal. Well… sort of. 🙄 .
As you know, styling skirts and dresses in a contemporary way is difficult for me. So I asked Anja (Curly Traveller), being my friend and part-time neighbour, to help me with some pencil skirt styling. Most of the above outfit was my own creation. Just couldn’t figure out what to wear for shoes or boots (always my problem). Anja asked “Do you have boots in the colour of that browny/cognacy colour which is in the scarf?” Sure enough I had them. Done.
So here are some more exercises.
Below: we started without any shoes or boots. In the bedroom. No red lipstick. The skirt I am wearing is white and slightly shorter than the one in the top picture. And yes it is the same green leather jacket you have seen so many times before. Finally I am using a piece of clothing more than once.
Below: adding the boots. See the cognac coloured spots in the scarf?
 Below: with the cream, slightly longer skirt it is better. The cream colour is also in the scarf. 
Below: trying it with another scarf.
Below: not sure. Not very likely I am going to wear it like this.
Below: OK, now with the same scarf but without the jacket. And I changed back to the white pencil skirt. As you can see, I am not wearing any shoes or boots here. This was actually our first attempt and we didn’t get round to the shoes. I will probably wear the silver/golden booties. Anja knew how to fold the scarf.
Below: sideways. Hmm… the scarf is doing better with a simple background than with the jacket. 
Below: trying to tie the scarf in a different way. With a brooch to keep it on the shoulder.
Below: this way it definitely needs a simple background. Stomach is showing a bit here. Mind you, could be worse. 
Below: as seen from the back. Perhaps a bit much? I have to be careful with this slit. It really is a bit too high. 
So…. two ways of styling a pencil skirt. A simple post with simple photos. I am trying to find things in my wardrobe and style them in a way I would actually like to wear them.
Now…. I haven’t made you laugh yet. Which is one of the goals of this blog. I therefore will show you two photos from when I was young.
Below: at the age of 7. Not bad, rather promising.
 Below: at the age of 13…. Can you imagine how uncertain and miserable I felt? I so much looked like a dork. It is probably because of these years that I am so interested in adorning myself haha.
You have not seen much footwear in this post. You might want to click through to these two blogs, where you will find many bloggers and their boot(ie)s: Everything Just So and The Rich Life on a Budget.
Greetje
PS linking up with Visible Monday, the gathering place for bloggers over 40.
PS2: also linking up to a shoe party at Style Crone.
Another wonderful ensemble!!! The brown boots really make the whole look for me!!!!
Lots of Love,Paula B,XXX
The brown boots are ancient but they are from a very good (=expensive) shoe brand and they are still OK to wear.
OMG, you have come a long way from since you were 13, that haircut! Love the colorful scarf but agree that it might be a bit much with the jacket. For me not so much because of the colors but because of the little frings/balls on the side. All in all a very nice outfit.
Thank you Katrien. And eh… you get it don’t you? Why I have such a hang-up for dressing up. My father used to cut my hair…..
Love, love that ivory skirt, G! But pls. protect your skin (says she who’s had many skin cancers). Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday, xo.
I am praying I will escape skin cancer. I have never been in the sun before I was 22. And I hope by that I have built a reserve … I only had sun burn once (the first time I layed in the sun at 22). After that I have been really careful.
You don’t look ridiculous, dear! On the contrary, tanning gives you a very nice, young and healthy look!!
The photos with boots are perfect and your friend is a good fashion assistant!! 🙂
The green jacket is so versatile, and always makes your outfits modern!
What a nice idea post some photos of you when were a child! Funny the second one!
“Funny” is a kind word to describe me as a 13 year old. My father cut my hair…. Frustration.
good job! your friend is a really good stylish!
ohhh Gretje what a nice and sweet old pics…
M.
My Fashion Blog
Thank you dear. The first photo of me as a child is nice. The second one got me a trauma haha. My father used to cut my hair. Probably by putting a flower pot on my head and cutting around the edges haha.
You crack me every time! I thought it was my screen that makes you look slightly dark, I would have thought so had you not mentioned the tanning, LOL! On to the outfit, I like the one with the pink scarf and without the jacket (with a pair of shoes, of course) as the colors sort of blend very well together. I think at some point of our teenage life or elementary school we all must have looked scary.. I know for sure I was being stick thin, with my hair covering my face and my hardly smiling face. I guess I must have scared a few kids away, LOL!
The things we have to survive before we can call ourselves grown-ups…
You were so adorable at your younger age!! My favorite is the first one with the green leather jacket. I love all the ways you’ve worn the scarf, I am horrible at fining new ways to wear scarves.
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Styling scarves is not my forté eigher. Anja’s help was very welcome. And I think the first outfit is the best too.
We could have been twins! – except my glasses were slightly more pointy and blue AND I had braces. Happy times, yes.
You and Anja came up with some great stylings. My favourite? Probably the first outfit. But I like the shorter length of the white skirt too. You must have had a fun time pulling out clothes and changing and taking photos.
I had braces too, but only needed to keep them in at night. Happy times indeed Umpf….
I don’t know whether Anja had a good time styling me. I am rather a pain in the xss with these things. Saying “no” all the time and then trying it anyway. She is very patient with me. I hate the mess it brings. Clothes, shoes and accessories all over the place. The thought of having to clear that all up, spoils a lot for me. Most of my blog readers think I am some sort of saint, but I am not. Of course I am not. I just have a lot of forgiving friends.
Ha! You’re an adorable dork ; ) Look at those bangs!
Ha ha! Believe me…I know the evils of the tanning beds. I really need to post some photos of me when I’m super dark. I can see it every day now with the formation of new age spots. Yep…I’m paying for that big time now.
Anja did a brilliant job. I like her style : ) But you already know that.
Those cognac boots are gorgeous.
And I agree, Anja is a professional when it comes to scarf tying.
My favourite is the one with the jacket, beige scarf and boots. Which I think must be yours as well since that is your first image.
bisous
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
Spot on.. the first is the best. But we did a few more (later in the year). I questioned my mother today about that haircut when I was 13. She said: what else were we to do? Wasn’t that nice for a girl your age?”
I suppose with my hair and little money there was not an aweful lot to do about it. The fact my father kept cutting my fringe didn’t help though.
At least the cat’s eyes glasses are very trendy again 🙂
I use a light self tanning lotion for my legs in spring. No sun beds at all as I have so many naevi and regularly have to see my dermatologist.
My favourite is the combination with boots and the leave scarf!
Annette | Lady of Style
The jacket with the boots is my favourite too Annette. Which is, of course, why that image is at the top of this post. I know I am taking a terrible risk with tanning beds. I suppose we all pick our risk area.
Great experimenting Greetje. I like the look with the long boots best. partly because the dark tight become less obvious then. I’m really not a big fan of a light skirt with very dark tights. The top picture is my favorite look by far.
As for your pictures from your childhood, I have an almost equal picture (second). I still cannot believe that my parents cut my hair that bad…
What a fun dress-up session. I love the first look the most, you look like you should be in Sons of Anarchy as a hot, biker chick.
I bet your blogging stats will go through the roof with your stocking-ed feet photos, I’m sure I’m not alone in getting those strange requests.
Love the young Greetje, you’ve got a twinkle in your eye despite the severe fringe.
Us Europeans love our tans, don’t we? Mine’s come out of a bottle since the ’80s. xxx
Hi Vix, what a lovely surprise to see your comment. Yes tan from a bottle would be a lot wiser. And as for the stocking-ed feet… I sometimes have very weird men on Google+ or Pinterest, pinning my photos to their boards. I block them immediately if I spot them. Only had two inappropriate comments in two years from strange men. (Deleted of course.)
Haha such adorable photos of you when you were younger. I actually like the outfit with the scarf pinned to the shoulder. Overall, I think Anja did a great job Gretje. Have a lovely week.
Yep Anja is my wardrobe saver. She is good. I will wear the outfit with the pink scarf soon. See what the “world” will say haha.
Greetje!!! How fun to see your process in this post. This is what style blogging should be … how it’s done and why we wear what we do. You always say styling dresses and skirts is difficult for you, but you sure make it look easy.
Love how fresh this very cook jacket looks with each different outfit. This is a dynamite combination for spring. Your figure looks fabulous in a slim white skirts … so hard to wear for most of us! I really like the way the similar tone but different color of the jacket and boots work together.
What a cutie you were … I had similar glasses … mine were dark flecked gray. I hated them, and was so happy when I got contact lenses at 14! I do get what you have against a pixie cut now! I think we all had those bangs at one time or another.
So happy to see you, lady.
Ah there you are my lovely, I was missing you. Yes, the hair was bad enough, but the glasses really did me in. (Fortunately I only needed to keep braces in at night.)
As soon as I left highschool, I took a holiday job and with my first earned money I bought contact lenses. I was so happy… life could begin.
Never fear Greetje! I ALWAYS laugh when I visit your space in blog land. How could I miss a post when you provide me with such fun.
I’m a scarf lover, so I enjoyed your use of this marvelous accessory. I loved how you mixed it up with your pencil skirts and backgrounds. And I also loved the glimpses at the younger you!
You always lift my spirit with your comments. Makes me very confident. As in “oh yes, apparently I do entertain people. They do laugh”.
How fun is this styling session? I do this kind of thing when Tori is in town, we have all kinds of fun. I think its wonderful you and Anja are such great friends that you trust one another with being truthful. Jann, is right on the money, what an incredible figure you have, you skinny lady, you. I actually like both skirts on you. The cream outfit you put together with the boots, jacket and the first scarf is so very classy, and yet the white skirt with just the shirt and that fabulous scarf is screaming chic!
And believe me, we all had our “dork” years.
I will show you my naked body in July LOL. If you can stand it. It is not really that skinny I can tell you. But reading your comment it appears I can put up a good show haha.
My physiotherapist has a full mirror and when I undress there I always get such a shock when I look in her mirror. I have a better routine at home (as in avoiding full mirrors when I hardly have any clothes on haha).
I actually like your eyeglass frames in your last photo. They’re very on trend with the two-toned “Geek Chic” in eyewear. I like the first looks where you kept the color palette in the warm, autumny hues. The scarf also works better…in my opinion.
Yes indeed, I prefer the first outfit too. And I know that these glasses are very on trend nowadays. But I cannot forget the way I felt when they were around the first time. So I only look at them in disgust. LOL
Greetje,
So glad to see you wearing this jacket again. I thought you said you could not wear a moto jacket?
Love the color of this and the asymmetrical zippers. Love it styled with the first scarf best. But I also love the scarf with the black tee without the jacket…
Now to those earlier photos,
at 7 you can see the young beauty.
at 13 you look like everyone else going through the awkward phrase. but at least you do not have acne and braces!!
Loved this post!
xx, Elle
http://mydailycostume.com
Hahaha ok you achieved your blog’s goal Gree (you always do as far as I am concerned!) Thanks for sharing your childhood pics – your hairstyle in the 2nd pic is fierce I swear but the smile has always been adorable!
Best!
Rebecca
http://www.redtagchiclosangeles.com
Thanks for this sweet comment.
What a fun dress-up session. I love the first look the most, you look like you should be in Sons of Anarchy as a hot, biker chick.
I bet your blogging stats will go through the roof with your stocking-ed feet photos, I’m sure I’m not alone in getting those strange requests.
Love the young Greetje, you’ve got a twinkle in your eye despite the severe fringe.
Us Europeans love our tans, don’t we? Mine’s come out of a bottle since the ’80s. xxx
Hi Vix, what a lovely surprise to see your comment. Yes tan from a bottle would be a lot wiser. And as for the stocking-ed feet… I sometimes have very weird men on Google+ or Pinterest, pinning my photos to their boards. I block them immediately if I spot them. Only had two inappropriate comments in two years from strange men. (Deleted of course.)
Great experimenting Greetje. I like the look with the long boots best. partly because the dark tight become less obvious then. I’m really not a big fan of a light skirt with very dark tights. The top picture is my favorite look by far.
As for your pictures from your childhood, I have an almost equal picture (second). I still cannot believe that my parents cut my hair that bad…
Great experimenting Greetje. I like the look with the long boots best. partly because the dark tight become less obvious then. I’m really not a big fan of a light skirt with very dark tights. The top picture is my favorite look by far.
As for your pictures from your childhood, I have an almost equal picture (second). I still cannot believe that my parents cut my hair that bad…
How fun is this styling session? I do this kind of thing when Tori is in town, we have all kinds of fun. I think its wonderful you and Anja are such great friends that you trust one another with being truthful. Jann, is right on the money, what an incredible figure you have, you skinny lady, you. I actually like both skirts on you. The cream outfit you put together with the boots, jacket and the first scarf is so very classy, and yet the white skirt with just the shirt and that fabulous scarf is screaming chic!
And believe me, we all had our “dork” years.
I will show you my naked body in July LOL. If you can stand it. It is not really that skinny I can tell you. But reading your comment it appears I can put up a good show haha.
My physiotherapist has a full mirror and when I undress there I always get such a shock when I look in her mirror. I have a better routine at home (as in avoiding full mirrors when I hardly have any clothes on haha).
Never fear Greetje! I ALWAYS laugh when I visit your space in blog land. How could I miss a post when you provide me with such fun.
I’m a scarf lover, so I enjoyed your use of this marvelous accessory. I loved how you mixed it up with your pencil skirts and backgrounds. And I also loved the glimpses at the younger you!
You always lift my spirit with your comments. Makes me very confident. As in “oh yes, apparently I do entertain people. They do laugh”.
Greetje!!! How fun to see your process in this post. This is what style blogging should be … how it’s done and why we wear what we do. You always say styling dresses and skirts is difficult for you, but you sure make it look easy.
Love how fresh this very cook jacket looks with each different outfit. This is a dynamite combination for spring. Your figure looks fabulous in a slim white skirts … so hard to wear for most of us! I really like the way the similar tone but different color of the jacket and boots work together.
What a cutie you were … I had similar glasses … mine were dark flecked gray. I hated them, and was so happy when I got contact lenses at 14! I do get what you have against a pixie cut now! I think we all had those bangs at one time or another.
So happy to see you, lady.
Ah there you are my lovely, I was missing you. Yes, the hair was bad enough, but the glasses really did me in. (Fortunately I only needed to keep braces in at night.)
As soon as I left highschool, I took a holiday job and with my first earned money I bought contact lenses. I was so happy… life could begin.
Hahaha ok you achieved your blog’s goal Gree (you always do as far as I am concerned!) Thanks for sharing your childhood pics – your hairstyle in the 2nd pic is fierce I swear but the smile has always been adorable!
Best!
Rebecca
http://www.redtagchiclosangeles.com
Thanks for this sweet comment.
Haha such adorable photos of you when you were younger. I actually like the outfit with the scarf pinned to the shoulder. Overall, I think Anja did a great job Gretje. Have a lovely week.
Yep Anja is my wardrobe saver. She is good. I will wear the outfit with the pink scarf soon. See what the “world” will say haha.
I actually like your eyeglass frames in your last photo. They’re very on trend with the two-toned “Geek Chic” in eyewear. I like the first looks where you kept the color palette in the warm, autumny hues. The scarf also works better…in my opinion.
Yes indeed, I prefer the first outfit too. And I know that these glasses are very on trend nowadays. But I cannot forget the way I felt when they were around the first time. So I only look at them in disgust. LOL
Greetje,
So glad to see you wearing this jacket again. I thought you said you could not wear a moto jacket?
Love the color of this and the asymmetrical zippers. Love it styled with the first scarf best. But I also love the scarf with the black tee without the jacket…
Now to those earlier photos,
at 7 you can see the young beauty.
at 13 you look like everyone else going through the awkward phrase. but at least you do not have acne and braces!!
Loved this post!
xx, Elle
http://mydailycostume.com
This is not a moto jacket. It is a leather jacket which is cut longer and round at the front. A moto jacket is more square.
As for my 13 year old self… I did have braces but inly needed to keep them in at night. Acne came too, but when I cut out my peanut butter on bread and chocolate milk every day, that improved hugely.
Greetje,
So glad to see you wearing this jacket again. I thought you said you could not wear a moto jacket?
Love the color of this and the asymmetrical zippers. Love it styled with the first scarf best. But I also love the scarf with the black tee without the jacket…
Now to those earlier photos,
at 7 you can see the young beauty.
at 13 you look like everyone else going through the awkward phrase. but at least you do not have acne and braces!!
Loved this post!
xx, Elle
http://mydailycostume.com
This is not a moto jacket. It is a leather jacket which is cut longer and round at the front. A moto jacket is more square.
As for my 13 year old self… I did have braces but inly needed to keep them in at night. Acne came too, but when I cut out my peanut butter on bread and chocolate milk every day, that improved hugely.
Love, love that ivory skirt, G! But pls. protect your skin (says she who’s had many skin cancers). Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday, xo.
I am praying I will escape skin cancer. I have never been in the sun before I was 22. And I hope by that I have built a reserve … I only had sun burn once (the first time I layed in the sun at 22). After that I have been really careful.
You crack me every time! I thought it was my screen that makes you look slightly dark, I would have thought so had you not mentioned the tanning, LOL! On to the outfit, I like the one with the pink scarf and without the jacket (with a pair of shoes, of course) as the colors sort of blend very well together. I think at some point of our teenage life or elementary school we all must have looked scary.. I know for sure I was being stick thin, with my hair covering my face and my hardly smiling face. I guess I must have scared a few kids away, LOL!
The things we have to survive before we can call ourselves grown-ups…
good job! your friend is a really good stylish!
ohhh Gretje what a nice and sweet old pics…
M.
My Fashion Blog
Thank you dear. The first photo of me as a child is nice. The second one got me a trauma haha. My father used to cut my hair. Probably by putting a flower pot on my head and cutting around the edges haha.
You don’t look ridiculous, dear! On the contrary, tanning gives you a very nice, young and healthy look!!
The photos with boots are perfect and your friend is a good fashion assistant!! 🙂
The green jacket is so versatile, and always makes your outfits modern!
What a nice idea post some photos of you when were a child! Funny the second one!
“Funny” is a kind word to describe me as a 13 year old. My father cut my hair…. Frustration.
You were so adorable at your younger age!! My favorite is the first one with the green leather jacket. I love all the ways you’ve worn the scarf, I am horrible at fining new ways to wear scarves.
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Styling scarves is not my forté eigher. Anja’s help was very welcome. And I think the first outfit is the best too.
We could have been twins! – except my glasses were slightly more pointy and blue AND I had braces. Happy times, yes.
You and Anja came up with some great stylings. My favourite? Probably the first outfit. But I like the shorter length of the white skirt too. You must have had a fun time pulling out clothes and changing and taking photos.
I had braces too, but only needed to keep them in at night. Happy times indeed Umpf….
I don’t know whether Anja had a good time styling me. I am rather a pain in the xss with these things. Saying “no” all the time and then trying it anyway. She is very patient with me. I hate the mess it brings. Clothes, shoes and accessories all over the place. The thought of having to clear that all up, spoils a lot for me. Most of my blog readers think I am some sort of saint, but I am not. Of course I am not. I just have a lot of forgiving friends.
At least the cat’s eyes glasses are very trendy again 🙂
I use a light self tanning lotion for my legs in spring. No sun beds at all as I have so many naevi and regularly have to see my dermatologist.
My favourite is the combination with boots and the leave scarf!
Annette | Lady of Style
The jacket with the boots is my favourite too Annette. Which is, of course, why that image is at the top of this post. I know I am taking a terrible risk with tanning beds. I suppose we all pick our risk area.
Ha! You’re an adorable dork ; ) Look at those bangs!
Ha ha! Believe me…I know the evils of the tanning beds. I really need to post some photos of me when I’m super dark. I can see it every day now with the formation of new age spots. Yep…I’m paying for that big time now.
Anja did a brilliant job. I like her style : ) But you already know that.
Those cognac boots are gorgeous.
And I agree, Anja is a professional when it comes to scarf tying.
My favourite is the one with the jacket, beige scarf and boots. Which I think must be yours as well since that is your first image.
bisous
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
Spot on.. the first is the best. But we did a few more (later in the year). I questioned my mother today about that haircut when I was 13. She said: what else were we to do? Wasn’t that nice for a girl your age?”
I suppose with my hair and little money there was not an aweful lot to do about it. The fact my father kept cutting my fringe didn’t help though.
OMG, you have come a long way from since you were 13, that haircut! Love the colorful scarf but agree that it might be a bit much with the jacket. For me not so much because of the colors but because of the little frings/balls on the side. All in all a very nice outfit.
Thank you Katrien. And eh… you get it don’t you? Why I have such a hang-up for dressing up. My father used to cut my hair…..
We could have been twins! – except my glasses were slightly more pointy and blue AND I had braces. Happy times, yes.
You and Anja came up with some great stylings. My favourite? Probably the first outfit. But I like the shorter length of the white skirt too. You must have had a fun time pulling out clothes and changing and taking photos.