By expanding on some old classics even those dating back to the Victorian era and beyond, current trends have been playing on the versatility of sleeves. Everything from exaggerated shapes in sheer organza to over-sized balloon sleeves creating bold silhouettes and contemporary designs. It's fashion at its best and totally fun for any midlife woman to partake in, especially those concerned about crepe skin and bingo wings, it's a fabulous camouflage and looks totally on fleek! 

This top from Zara is definitely worth some praise, linked HERE. At $49 it looks and feels like a piece several times it's price. The body is sewn together in panels creating a figure skimming silhouette. The fabric is a lightweight polyester stretch so it moves with you for ultimate comfort. It's a flattering shape even for us midlife ladies whose waistline blends into oblivion and it creates the illusion of perfectly toned skinny arms to boot! 

The length sits at the hip, but here also it skims the body so stays in place without rucking up. This is the best part - it's like a body suit without the entrapment of an under-pant. It fits flush under jeans, pants or skirts without creating bulk. 

Keep the rest of the look simple and let the sleeves do the talking as in the following outfit photographed on a celebratory night out.  The sheer, billowy, organza speaks volumes on this otherwise understated top. 

It has an invisible zip at the back for an all-round seamless and minimalist look. In contrast to the minimal we have maximum sleeve impact! Sheer man-made organza (not real silk), is gathered with a double flange at the shoulders to create additional poofiness!  Elbow length, these giant poof balls create an angular and contemporary vision!

It's a great purchase. Dress up jeans for a night out, wear with wide leg pants of any color for a glam sophisticated look. Pair with a black pencil skirt or black pants to create the look of a dress or jumpsuit. Add a statement necklace to sit around the neckline for a holiday party or long black satin gloves with a big dobber diamond ring! 

On the Above and Beblonde Scale - I give this top a 4 out of 5-star rating. Why not 5 stars? I sometimes find the organza a little itchy around the shoulder. Nothing a cocktail can't fix!  

​I linked a few other fun sleeve drama pieces below for your shopping pleasure, but if you want to try out the Zara piece in this post, click the link HERE.
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​There are affiliate links in this post which means I may receive a small percentage of sales made.  This does not affect the price you pay. 

As a fashionista with a weakness for a cute trending handbag, it can be a costly endeavor and let's be honest, not all trends are here to stay or are worthy of a lofty price tag. If it takes three lifetimes to achieve a reasonable cost-per-wear then it's one I'll skip... NEXT!

However, this trend started floating about last year and all kinds of beaded bags have continued and still are a huge hit. But there is one that all others aspire to be and according to "Who What Wear", the one that wears the crown is the Antonia Faux Pearl bag by Shrimps.

Here is the pearly delight I am referring to, this trending faux pearl bag by British designer Shrimps. It retails for a princely sum and is rightly fit for a princess! However, all this regal speak doesn't help this royal subject get any closer to the prize!

This season has many "it" bags, not least of all those with top handles, beads of any kind, and those with an almost childlike playful personality. Of course, this faux pearl bag has it all, it's the envy of its peers.

Finding myself unable to justify the price, after all this is not your everyday handbag, that cost-per-wear issue raising its annoying head. It's not a bag to be worn to work (unless you're a princess), and it's certainly not a bag that one would run to the grocery store with, or would you? As Jackie Kennedy once said, "Pearls are always appropriate!" But sometimes the price is not... say I! 

​But the world is my oyster and it's my job to find the pearl!

And without further ado (drum roll), I found the pearl in my oyster! The spitting image, a magnificent dupe, this little gem gave me no trouble whatsoever to justify it's being! The Miuco version, a mere fraction of the high-end designer price but with all the feels! 

And now for the best part, the pearls of wisdom! The Miuco bag is amazingly well made. The pearls have a beautiful luster and are firmly woven together. The gray inner lining is perfectly attached and includes a small side pocket. The measurements and dimensions are much the same as the Shrimps bag, it's small, boxy and sturdy.

It comes with its own dust bag and a satin scarf tie - a gift that can be used to tie around the handles of this bag or any other bag. A satin pouch the same color as the bag lining is also included in your Miuco purchase, it draws together with a tulle ribbon finished off with pearl ball pom poms! Ideal to hide anything you don't want on display in your bag - I keep my wallet inside the pouch. ​

So off to lunch I go, my inexpensive regal bag in hand, getting all the stares! 

Another day, another happy hour, and another opportunity to bring out my party piece!

Not surprisingly, the Miuco bag has an amazing number of five-star reviews online!  One of them is mine! 

​It seems to go with anything, it's a statement all on its own. It's also a fabulous way to dress up jeans for day or evening, and literally lifts the frivolous tone of any outfit to party status, and if there's no party, who cares, you've got an arm party going on!

I've linked both the Shrimps and the Miuco pearl bag below should you feel like a little (or a large) splurge to update your accessory inventory! In addition, I've added a few other hot topic beaded bags with which to indulge the senses. Whichever you decide, any of these bags will bring you pearls of joy! 
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There are affiliate links in this post which means I may receive a small percentage of sales made.  This does not affect the price you pay. 

Cargo pants may not be everybody's cup of tea, but relaxed wear clothes are becoming the norm and from a style perspective they're a step up from yoga pants... in many ways! This utilitarian, wardrobe workaholic can camouflage a myriad of midlife misfortunes! Even if a cargo or jogger pant isn't your style, there are a zillion twists on the classic version that likely will convert even the most steadfast objector not to mention there being oodles of ways to style them!  

This season sees a revival of longer length shorts. Fashioned after the classic Bermuda shorts, they're more refined (with the exception of their denim counterparts) made with more modish fabrics and cut with a slimmer fit throughout.  As such they're known as tailored or city shorts. 

Zara can be an overwhelming store. It's big and bright (except for the changing rooms) and there's a lot to take in from clothes and accessories at eye level to shoes and bags at ground level and tables of flat lay clothes in between!

Tennis players and golfers are bound to own a skort or two, that ingenious invention of a miniskirt with a built-in pair of shorts underneath. Undoubtedly, ruffled miniskirts minus the risk of over exposure was a tempting draw to the game of tennis for me! 

The skort is equally as practical off the court or the fairway! When it comes to bending over, a gust of wind, getting in and out of cars, the color of your panties will remain your secret! 

In the never-ending struggle of wardrobe maintenance, ensuring a perfect outfit for every occasion from walking the dog in monsoon rains, attending a fashion show on a balmy spring evening and battling the furnace that is Arizona in the middle of an August day… let’s just say I have my work cut out.
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Not only can this be a costly endeavor but an overcrowded one, and with neither a pile of money or a spacious closet, strategic measures must be taken.

While the fad for easy-care clothing continues, I was recently intrigued by a new offering from a well-known retailer, Chico’s – a white cotton shirt that repels stains, specifically red wine. The brands marketing targets midlife women, which might suggest we are clumsier than our younger counterparts, or perhaps we drink too much resulting in a few tipsy spills? 

When style and functionality come together in the form of a trench coat, it's a modern-day fashion fairy-tale! Inevitably such pieces have been around for donkeys’ years and for good reason - everybody loves a fairy-tale!  In the ever-fast-moving fashion industry, when something is here for the long haul it's generally worth the investment.

Say hello to my "little" friend... the mini trench coat. In short (pun intended), the fresh and updated version of the classic trench coat, this year's spring must-have, and undoubtedly many more springs to come! And, if you’re old enough to remember the trench coat’s predecessor, you’re welcome to call it a mini mac! 

Kimonos are a blessing to the fashion world. Their ability to add the finishing touch to an otherwise plain outfit is like the icing on the cake! They bring color, drama, texture, movement, an utterly feminine statement and the ultimate top layer of forgiveness to whatever may be going on underneath... like food babies! 

Just because you don't get to wear white trousers everyday doesn't mean you don't need a pair. In fact, white pants score high when it comes to evening functions and special occasions giving your look more panache than the common alternative, black pants! They also make the perfect dressy look for day or evening, just tweak how you style them, and you've got versatility nailed. 

Would you wear a hat that originated in the 17th century worn by peasants in southern France? How about a hat worn by revolutionary activists or military forces across the globe?  If your answer is yes to any or all the above, you are clearly a fashionista with an eye for style!  

The current obsession with animal print is rather like a number one hit record. Every time you turn on the radio, it's that song playing again and everywhere you look, it's animal print again! 

Before the numbness sets in and we go off it altogether, the fashion powers that be have decided to spice things up! What better way than to throw in some unexpected colors. Rich deep reds, blues, greens and yellows are now sporting our beloved leopard spots and snake prints, yes indeed... step aside neutrals, colored prints matter!

Let's slip into something more comfortable, shall we? With the holidays fast approaching, we don't want to feel trussed up like a Butterball turkey in our party regalia. If you prefer the holidays with free-range rather than restricted movement, fearing your outfit may tear, snag, catch on something or simply bust open at the seams in its efforts to relieve itself of your person, then consider a slip dress. 
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When you've been waiting for the perfect dress to come along in one of your favorite prints that just happens to be so "of the moment", well leopard always was, it's totally worth swinging from the chandelier and spreading the word, it would be rude not to! Here's to the ultimate leopard print dress, and the desire to swing from a chandelier!