My Style Icons: Global Writing Challenge 02.2026

 

Welcome my friends!!  This is the second Thursday of the month so I am happily rejoining the Global Writing Challenge with my international gal pals from all over the planet.  Today's prompt comes to us from Suzy. We are considering the icons that have influenced our personal sense of style.  I think you will agree with me that all of these gals have a very definite, unique fashion sense.  Looking forward to reading about their 'fashion muses.'

Before each challenge, each of us writes a blurb if you will, for their upcoming post.  This was the blurb I shared.

Leslie has never thought of herself as a fashionista by any means but we all have a certain flair about the clothes we wear, the home we create, the life we live.  Check out what has most impacted her sense of style.

And from there, I really had no idea where I was going to go with this prompt.  But like my most of my posts, I sat down to type and from somewhere the ideas began to flow!!

My Style Icons

Some little girls grow up imitating their mother's style, I think, as moms provide our first exposure to fashion and makeup and even interior design.  My mom, God love her, was pretty basic in 2 of those 3 departments.  Her clothing was simple, inexpensive and comfortable.  Her beauty routine consisted of dab of Noxzema at night and a little lipstick right before my dad came home from work every evening. 

But our house exhibited a little more personality.  Mom mixed patterns and liked bold color.  I inherited her love of color and print.  

High School 

As a teen, I admired the style of Marlo Thomas in "That Girl" and Valerie Harper in "Rhoda" and Mary Tyler Moore in the "Mary Tyler Moore" show.  Long, pointed collars, crocheted vests, 2-piece polyester pants suits, jumpers with turtlenecks. My mom made me a patchwork maxi skirt.  Often wore my hair in 2 low-slung pig tails tied with thick yarn bows.  Now that's some style going on there!!

  

I read the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald in senior English.  And wrote a term paper about the Ziegfeld Follies.  Both of which prompted a fleeting 'flapper' fashion moment, at least where my accessories were concerned.  Started wearing long, bead necklaces tied in a knot and seamed hose with my heels.  My mom made my winter formal.  It was unlike the Christmasy gowns my friends were wearing and had a definite vintage feel down to the print.

College Days

The movie "Annie Hall" with Diane Keaton inspired some of my early college outfits.  I remember wearing vests and neckties a time or two as a freshman or sophomore but don't remember having the pleated, wide-leg pants.  Probably because I didn't wear pants much at all.  Instead of pants, I wore long, full skirts with turtlenecks or pull-over sweaters or blouses.  I've always liked jumpers and had a black corduroy one I wore for sorority rush with a silky white turtleneck, a forest green sweater and a kerchief tied at my neck that brought all 3 colors together in a geometric print. In the photo below, I am wearing the top half of that outfit but swapped out the jumper for a rare pair of pants.

Early in my sophomore year, I was a graphic art major...my majors changed with the weather.  Had one art professor tell me that I couldn't be a serious art student because I wore blouses, cardigans, midi-length, gored skirts (sometimes, my mom's wool skirts from her college days) and heels, always accessorized with a strand of pearls.  I guess that professor was right because I didn't last long in graphic arts!!  

Motherhood

Funny how having babies shifts the focus from buying clothes for yourself to buying clothes for your daughters.  My primary fashion muse in the '80s and '90s was a good sale.  If the store offered layaway, that was an added bonus.  Holiday-themed sweaters were popular among my teacher friends who inspired me to try that 'trend.'  

And I continued to enjoy wearing 2-piece vest and shorts sets.  Even wore something similar - a vest and gaucho-styled shorts on my first date with PC.  So, more of that Annie Hall influence.

While I was an elementary school librarian, I embraced teacher style.  My school district bounced back and forth about the teacher dress code and whether or not we could wear jeans.  But that was okay, because I liked wearing dresses and skirts just as much or more.  Never wanted to dress like the stereotypical librarian!!

Shifting into Retirement

I retired in 12.2013.  That next spring, I discovered Alison Lumbatis on Facebook, I think, promoting her very first style challenge.  Decided to sign up in order to transition from a (semi-) professional wardrobe to a retirement wardrobe.  Best $9 I ever spent.  Alison helped me build a collection of clothes I love to wear.  And along the way I kind of discovered my true style which I would describe as colorful, fun, comfortable and sprinkled with pattern and print.  

Yup, I have too many clothes but I never ever ever say to myself 'I have nothing to wear.'  Instead, I have lots of options.  Probably too many dresses and skirts for my current lifestyle but I still enjoy getting dressed up for church and date night.  Lots of jeans.  Tee shirts in every color and seasonal graphic tees.  Had a cute variety of Covid tees during the pandemic.  

 

Those are some of my faves from that very tough 18 months.

My uniform is a combination of tee shirt or top, cardi or jacket and jeans.  Today I substituted for my favorite PK teacher.  I knew I would be up and down and all over the place so I opted for chocolate brown cords, a tomato red cardigan and a Valentine graphic tee.  Here's how that looked.

Final Thoughts

Some might think I am too old to wear graphic tees, blue jeans and cardigans.  At my age now, my mom was wearing stretchy polyester, elastic waist pants and short-sleeved tops in loud floral designs.  But I am doing me these days.  And I like graphic tees.  They are fun.  And they are a way to make a subtle statement sometimes!!  

The very first thing I ever remember buying for myself that made a statement was a lapel button.  Not the big, round metal kind but a cardboard circle with a pin backing.  

It read "Eat a Worm Today."  

To be honest, even now I still don't know what that meant.  The Thomas Rockwell children's book How to Eat Fried Worms was published the year that I bought and proudly wore my lapel pin.  

But I don't think there was any correlation between my pin and the book.  And to this day, I haven't read that classic.  Shame on this librarian!!

Going to wind this up with one last parting shot.  This outfit is the REAL ME.  The 67-year-old almost 68-year-old wife, mom, grandmother and retired but still subbing teacher that I am.  Not sure what style icon influences me these days.  But I love to get dressed in the morning!!

Global Writing Girlfriends

I am tickled pink to be back writing with my girlfriends for the Global Writing Challenge.  The prompts are always thought-provoking and allow lots of room for individual interpretation.  Please take a few minutes to visit the blogs of the other group members and find out who has most influenced their sense of style.

Debbie at Deb's World explains over the years she has discovered her own style and has named it as 'Joyful Original.'

Marsha has struggled through the years with defining her style.  Maybe that's because she has so many style icons!  Read all about it at Marsha in the Middle. 

Coming to us from her blog, Rosie Amber, Rosie is talking about garden styles.

Sally from Within a World of My Own discusses unconventional style icons including male performers, fictional characters, works of art and animals/plants - there is style inspiration everywhere around us!

Suzy writes about true style icons, from rebellious women in trousers to fictional witches who dress like themselves, trends be damned.  Find her blog, Suzy Turner, here.  

Then be sure to run by to meet our newest member of the group, Catherine at A Typical 60.

Great news!! You can join us with your own style-related post below.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Please make plans to join us in March when we will be discussing next month's prompt, 'festivals.'  Our posts will go live on 03.12.2026, the second Thursday of the month.  See you then!!

Your Turn

Who would you credit most with influencing your sense of style?  How would you describe your sense of style?  What do you feel most like you wearing?  Are you a graphic tee-jeans-cardi kinda gal, too?

We awoke to news that the airspace in and around the El Paso International Airport had been closed - without notice to city government officials or Ft. Bliss Army Base, or the airport itself - for 10 days.  Within 30 minutes of hearing that report, the restriction was lifted with a weak explanation about drones flying over Ft. Bliss air space in the middle of the night.  But why would that warrant a 10-day closure?  I tell you, these are some troubled times we are living in.

From Facebook:

El Paso International Airport (ELP)  

*** TRAVEL ADVISORY ***

All flights to and from El Paso are grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The FAA has issued a flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST). Travelers should contact their airlines to get most up-to-date flight status information.

Off to have my eyes checked.  Next time you see me, I might be sporting new glasses.  Definitely a new prescription!!  Blind as a bat these days.  Make it a good day, friends.  Thank you for spending a few minutes here with me.

Hugs and kisses,