This week another take on a men’s suit, worn by a woman. I am not really into this trend but that Kenzo men’s blazer outfit was one that I really liked. Then my nephew returned an old suit which my husband Ron had given him years ago and I decided to try my hand at it.
It is a suit by Etro from the days my husband wore expensive suits. To tell you the truth, it is rather dull in my eyes; the lining is so much nicer although perhaps a bit much if it was the outside.
Below: Lining of the Etro suit, left and right inside blazer.
Of course I turned the sleeves up, revealing the striped yellow lining and because of that, decided to wear my yellow Coach bag. Turning your sleeves up means the eye is drawn to your waist, as though a horizontal line is drawn.
Below: Close up of the Coach bag. I have had this one for about ten years years but I don’t wear it much. It has a little purse pocket on either side, which opens. To put loose change in or just for fun?
I hate the gold letters COACH on it and tried to take the tassel off and move it to the other side where there is no logo but that was mission impossible. I feel if a company wants me to advertise their brand, they should pay me for it. And I would refuse; I am not a walking billboard.
Below: Loes and I decided to do the shoot in a park in the middle of town as autumn still provides such a pretty background with the trees. The park is called Haarlemmer Hout.
Below: Loes in a very fashionable vest. Later that morning she bought a great brown and cream shirt to go underneath the vest.
Below: In a lane near the park are very pretty houses, hidden behind big gates and hedges so we couldn’t really photograph them. The one below has been turned into a kindergarten and provided access.
Below: With one of the houses, or better said mansions, we saw a wooden boat through the gate.
Below: With this row of houses, I peeped over the hedge with my camera. Must be lovely, living here with the park as your view.
Below: To balance the masculinity of the men’s suit, I chose soft, female accessories like the reversable belt by Loewe, the bag and lime/brown earrings ‘Letva’ by Lara Design.
The soft cream top is by Bellamy Gallery, my beloved sustainable brand. I got a shock the other day when I passed their shop in Haarlem and saw it was empty. They sell online, but I am an old school shopper and very fond of Bellamy Gallery. Luckily they just moved two shops down. Wouldn’t want to miss them; they are great with basics, such good quality. The top looks a bit greyish in the photo, but in reality it is cream/off-white.
As you can see above, my eyelids have healed and I can wear make-up again. I am not sure about the result yet. I don’t have ‘curtains’ on the outside of my eyes anymore and the little lumps of fat in each corner are gone too. However, I don’t see a whole lot of difference with before. But this is it, I am not going to let anything be done to my eyelids again.
Below: We proceeded to the park where there were deer.
Below: Big daddy.
Below: Some sheep with a beautiful ram front and centre.
Below: The llama, however, is my favourite.
Below: After we photographed him, he hid (conspicuously) behind a fallen tree to watch us. So funny.
Below: One last photo of the men’s suit.
And that is it.
What happened in my life this week
Saturday I went to the hearing aid man with mum. He had a new pair for her which she is now trying out. Installed a new phone in her house as the old one didn’t work upstairs anymore.
Below: Mum in the kitchen. It is a tiny kitchen with a lot of equipment in it, but she is used to it and everything is within arm’s reach.
Sunday was a day of leisure and reading.
Monday and Tuesday I spent a lot of time on the phone with our internet host about the Wi-Fi. The technicians who repaired the cable underneath the pavement did a good job but as it turned out, it solved only half of our problem. The other problem was in the Wi-Fi modem. It took the tech guy a while to detect that and we reset the modem to the factory settings, after which we had to set everything back to our customised needs. At last, the problem with the TV app on the iPad is solved. Pffff…
I still get it when these tech guys ask me to do things, but I am so afraid I won’t be able to keep up with the changes. And the internet possibilities are going to grow exponentially. How do I manage that?
Tuesday I had lunch at Marcella’s house and forgot to take a photo for you. After lunch I spent a happy hour in her atelier, surrounded by Lara Design earrings, ear parties and little necklaces. I bought a new pair of earrings to match the dress I was wearing and you will see the earrings soon. (Being her friend, she gave me a big discount; so sweet.)
Some of you have inquired after dog Watson and here is a short video for you with the lad running along the shore. He doesn’t feel the cold and he runs and runs and runs. Never gets tired. You will see the little black dot in the distance approaching.
Wednesday both Ron and I got a flu shot at the doctor’s. I also got a pneumonia vaccine in my other arm; Ron already had his’ last year. It was so busy (with old people) at the doctor’s, you’d think they were giving away money for free. The doctors invite everybody on the same day, jab one after another and have it over with. They must be exhausted at the end of the day. The rest of the day I created this post, had a meeting with the bookkeeper and did the ironing.
Thursday was a busy day thanks to my forgetfulness. First a photo shoot with Kitty in the early morning. Then quickly hopped into the car to drive to Marjolein for a second photo shoot in The Hague. I made a date with Marjolein but forgot to put it in my agenda and happily made another photo shoot date with Kitty. Stupid me.
It was a grey day, light grey in the morning and dark grey in the afternoon. And it was supposed to be sunny that day (well, it was…a couple of hundred kilometres south). Grey skies never contribute to lovely photos, but perhaps I am mistaken. We’ll wait and see.
Friday started with a visit to the seamstress. One pair of trousers was ready and the other one was half ready but needed another fitting. I had planned it in such a way, I could go straight through to the hairdresser when they called me and postponed the appointment with 40 minutes. Not that big a deal, but me running loose in the centre of town with all these lovely shops, is dangerous. I exercised control over my urges this time and simply did some grocery shopping.
In the evening it was Sint Maarten (St. Martin’s Day) which meant we had to eat early because children came to the door with a lantern in their hand singing a particular song. After which you are supposed to give them a (wrapped) sweet. Ron had bought the sweets and thought he also included mini-Bounties. They weren’t mini’s and even though they hold two bars, you cannot cut the wrapping as that is not acceptable to the parents (the children couldn’t care less). So, I put three long Bounties in with the smaller sweets. You can guess what happened…they were the first bars to go. These kiddies have a keen eye.
Below: Ron took this photo, me holding the dish with sweets. (Link to original outfit post.)
Email subscribers update
I was very curious to see whether subscribers would be put off by my change of content in the mail (see last week’s post). Around 3/4 of the subscribers opened my email, which is normal, and half of all subscribers clicked through to the blog. That’s what the statistics say.
Greetje
One little zipped pouch for your housekeys and the other one for your carkey?
You look so great! You complain about gaining weight but that doesn’t show at all!!
Nowadays 99% of the time I love your styling, your clothes, your looks! You got so good at it!!!
Oh wow, that is some compliment. You used to be a lot less positive in the old days haha. And rightly so. You made me proud of myself.
You have the height to carry off a longer jacket like this. I like the stripes of the suit and you have accessorized it nicely. I usually roll up the sleeves if I wear a blazer to make it look a bit more casual.
I got my flu shot this month, and I think I have another year before i am due again for the pneumonia vaccine. I’ve had 4 Covid shots and I got my shingles vaccine last year. So many vaccines!!!
Yes, I know, many vaccines. But I feel protected. At least I have done everything I could to prevent serious illness.
I did the shingles vaccine last year as well. That is not a standard thing in the Netherlands, quite the contrary. The main belief is that, even if you have had shingles, you can get it again, so why vaccine? I asked my doctor about this and she looked it up. Apparently a vaccine gives another effect than if you have had it before. So, she gave me the go-ahead.
As for the sleeves of a blazer, I always roll them up as well.
I love this look on you. I like the amount of lightness to darkness. It doesn’t get too dark for your light coloring, this outfit. Also you did well to accessorize with softer, feminine accessories. I’m with you on not advertising companies for free!
Oh, thanks for the compliments. I am proud. I did well apparently.
Haven’t seen you commenting before. Much appreciated.
I never used to like a suit but in the last 5 years there have been so many stylish sets in all kinds of colours and patterns that I am now all for it. As a girly girl and a uniform hater, it’s taken me a while to enjoy the trend but I am all for it, it looks great on you
I understand you completely. Even though I now have two outfits in this trend, I still am not so sure about it. But happily trying something outside my comfort zone.
What a great suit. You made it look fun and elegant at the same time. Kudos to you!
Thank you very much. I wasn’t too sure whether it would suit me (pun intended) but as the investment was only the cost of the dry cleaner, I could give it a try. I am still not too sure.
Yes it’s a great mans suit and you look great in it and I’ve always thought the linings on my husbands few suits he has have lovely linings in them too.
The beach looks lovely like our beach at Aberavon in Wales near Swansea in South Wales.
Oh gosh yes, I had a look at the Aberavon beach. It is stunning. You live in a very nice part of the world. The only thing is, I wouldn’t be able to understand a word. Welsh is a totally diffent language.
Thanks for the compliments although I am not so sure of the suit myself.
I’m not so keen on this trend but, hats off to you, you wear it very well. I like the belt with it too.
That belt turned out to be a good investment. When you have been looking for something for 20 or more years, you are willing to spend a little when you finally find it heh heh.
I love the men’s suiting trend, but I am not so sure whether it is the thing for me though. This time it only cost me the dry cleaners so not a big investment.
I think this is a great look on you! I’d love to try it with one of my hubby’s old suits, but unfortunately (or not?) he’s 7 inches taller and 75 pounds heavier than me. (How that translates to meters and kilograms I can’t say, lol!) It might take the oversized look from 😎 to 🤡.
Love that llama peering over the tree!
I saw a little video of a women with size S wearing an L/XL men’s suit. She folded the extra fabric of the trousers and held everything together with a belt. I you are on Instagram, you can see it. Here is the link:
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChXYwTqDG9f/
Thanks, Greetje, that video was so interesting!!
Oh, you were able to view it. Splendid. I wasn’t sure of that.
You definitely can wear mens suits very well, classy & a bit edgy. I love the touches of yellow and you could wear yellow shoes or boots with this suit. High heels could be cool but i gave them up years ago. Comfort won!
I am slowly giving up on high heels as well, with tears in my heart. Comfort will win with me too.
Your suggestions are nice but I don’t own any yellow shoes or boots. Neither did I see them in the shops in the Netherlands. The shop owners are probably afraid they will get stuck with them. The Dutch aren’t that daring.
As for the suit, I don’t know. It was a little try outside the box, but I am not a big fan.
Love masculine clothing. Your suit was fab! My favorite recent movie is, “A Simple Favor,” with Blake Lively. Her primary wardrobe is multiple vintage Ralph Lauren men’s suits and she looks spectacular.
I remember that movie; I’ve seen it too. Mind you, she would look good in a potatoe sack. Her proportions are perfect.
Because I have a pretty masculine figure anyway (reversed triangle) with big boobs, I am convinced this does not look that good on me, but I thought I’d give it a try. After all, it only cost me the dry cleaners.
Greetje … I love the backdrops to your posts … and your outfits, of course … I spent over 20 years visiting Amsterdam and beyond … a Canadian working in the UK with Dutch cousins [Voorhout + Enkhuizen]…. now returned to Canada …. I scan the streets behind your photo shoots for familiar landmarks.
And finally, I loved your mother’s hairstyle this week. For me, she looked years younger… Sandra
Mum just had a new perm and a cut. Personally I like it a bit longer, but it will grow again. She has her routine with the hairdresser.
I never envisioned that my blog would become attractive because of the backdrops but I’ll accept it as an extra haha.
You have a very Dutch name so I suppose one member of the Janssen family emigrated to Canada way back.
I always enjoy your posts. We are planning a trip to Belgium and Amsterdam in early April. Can you suggest a moderately priced hotel in Haarlem ? I know you are not a travel agent but thought maybe you know of one. We like family run hotels wherever possible.
Aiii… I would love to help you but I don’t know of any hotel in Haarlem. Also, what is moderately priced according to one is expensive to another. I am afraid you will have to rely on your travel agent and of course Google to see the reviews.
I hope you will have lovely weather when you visit. That makes a trip so much more fun.
Coach logos are small and only ever on one side of a bag so flip the thing around so the logo is next to you and carry on. At least Coach has a small logo and they have earned a spot in the lineup of bag manufacture by hard work…they started very small, worked hard and have continued to make a good product so I do not mind their logo. I still have a Coach bag from when they began and only had two colours…black and brown. There are others that bother me like Michael Kors…….the dang logo is not subtle and on everything.
I wanted to flip the bag around but I love the tassel and I don’t want to hide that. But I agree with you that Coach is a good brand with excellent products. Nevertheless, I don’t want logos on my stuff. I think they put their logo on it (in gold) to please the Azian market. But I will live with it. The bag is too good.
You look great in the suit and styled it well. May I ask the brand of your sneakers please. They look very classy. Pleased to see your Mum looking so well attired as always.
The sneakers resemble the Balenciaga ones, but are much cheaper. The brand is Pavement.
You wear the suit well but I myself would pass on it.. A little to “K.D. Lang” for me but I do adore her and her singing! The yellow handbag is a winner and to me the logo represents…hey I can afford it! and not advertising for the designer..
sorry… that should read Elizabeth…..not sure where the “g” popped up from….
I grinned when I read your comment: “hey I can afford it” haha. Funny.
Wearing a men’s suit as a women is not really my thing either, but I thought I would give it a try. Usually I am not much into masculine or androgynous clothing. As this suit only cost me the dry cleaners, it wasn’t a big investment.
LOVE the suit. Your Kenzo jacket post already had me looking for menswear jackets. Now I am going to have to scour vintage/resale shops for men’s suits. It looks so classy and casually elegant, in my opinion. Always love the photos of Mum and the kitchen seems perfect for her.
You can go pretty big on men’s suits too. Wide shoulders with these suits are trendy. Although it has to suit you. The good thing is, the vintage ones aren’t expensive. I have seen a “how to” video, folding the zip part of very wide pants, to the side and fasten everything with a belt. Nifty.
Ooh, an Etro suit – that’s just lovely, and thank you for a glimpse at the lining (I agree, I love their linings). I adore this outfit on you, Greetje – the simple top and sneakers make it less formal. I love the bright yellow bag with it as well, but I am like you – f**k your logo, pay me to wear it! There are very few logos I willingly put front and centre in my outfits.
Glad to see your mum!
To tell you the truth, there isn’t a single logo I want to wear. Sometimes I love a piece so much I allow it into the bargain.
For Etro the outside of the suit is very low key.
The suit looks great on you! I would also try wearing the jacket with jeans.
I think I would try the jacket with wide, oversized trousers. My other (Kenzo) jacket is already a perfect match for jeans.
Which is also why I won’t dable in men’s suiting further. This is enough.
Normally, I am not big on the masculine style, but I think you carry it off very well, and again, I love the fresh bright green of European forests. I had my eyelids done 32 years ago and the droopy eyelid has never come back. I am thrilled about this since I think my eyes are my best feature and makeup shows them off so much better without the droopy skin. Love your mom’s top. She looks really stylish. I had a guy this morning take care of a lot of little pesky electric things. It feels so good to get these things done.
My genes provide me with bad skin in the sense that it droops everywhere on my body.
At the moment we are experiencing slow internet, so this ordeal might not be over yet.
You looked very nice, although this style doesn’t appeal to me personally.
The house you photographed being used as a kinder garden was beautiful!
I love old Victorian houses!
Watson was so happy! I bet he gets a big bath after his swim!
What a happy little kitchen your mother has. Does she enjoy baking?
Many thanks.
I know, men’s suiting is a particular style which does not appeal to everybody.
Watson seldom gets a bath, that is not good for his skin. He can wash himself. Only when he really smells badly, we give him a bath.
Mum does not enjoy baking, neither does she enjoy cooking and I take after her haha.
You do look great in the suit — and your new eyelids are “youthening” (although I’m not at convinced that is what we should be aiming for as we earn the privilege of age). Cheers to you and all!
The main privilege of age to me, is the “wisdom” I gained and the more relaxed way of looking at things. There are enough wrinkles on my body to do age justice haha. The new eyelids solved a tired look.
As always – your post is a Sunday delight for me! Thank you!
You are very welcome Monica. Thank you for reading it.
Very enjoyable post. Not a big fan of the suit. However, Watson on the beach is an Oscar winner and your photo on the doorstep with the children, beautiful
I am quite ambivalent about masculine dressing, so I wasn’t that convinced of this outfit, but most people seem to like it.
Now, we can be different from most people..
I have always liked feminine looks with men’s clothing, I think there is nothing more feminine than showing how attractive a woman can be wearing clothes designed for the other sex. The chosen suit is very elegant, very formal and you turn it into something informal by combining it with your shirt, your sneakers and your yellow bag.
Well, well, I wasn’t expecting that. To be honest, I wasn’t sure whether this trend suited me. But if you like it, then that is an approval stamp for me. Thank you.
Greetje – You look great in the suit, and rolling up the sleeves is genius.
Thanks for all the photos and the video of Watson running on the beach – what energy!
I checked to see what I clicked on in your email to get to your post. I’ve always clicked on the title, and I still do that. Works for me!
Have a good week.
Thanks Anne. Yes, clicking the title also gets you through to my blog. Let’s say that there are more ways leading to Rome LOL.