Please welcome Susan from Ottawa in Canada who writes the blog High Heels in the Wilderness and is sharing her Stylish Thoughts with you here.
What's the Secret to Great Style?I don't think there is any one secret to great style. I also don't think that I have particularly great style, I just love clothes and I know when something makes me feel fabulous and when it doesn't.
What's Worth Spending Money On?I tend to spend most of my money on classic pieces.
Great jackets or blazers, in particular. I love blazers with jeans and boots in the fall.
I don't mind spending money on a good quality jacket. I have several Max Mara jackets that I still love and wear and which I bought before the turn of the century.
Ha. I also don't mind spending money on shoes. I have very hard-to-fit feet. So when I find a pair of shoes or boots I love and which fit well, I'm willing to pay a premium for them. If I find a pricey piece I love, like a jacket or a pair of shoes, they will appear on my blog again and again.
What's not Worth Spending Money On?I hate to spend too much money on trends. I might participate in a trend if it doesn't cost me much, or if I can shop my closet and re-imagine something old to fit a new trend.
A few years ago I chopped off an old pair of white jeans to turn them into cropped jeans with a raw edge hem.
I love to be able to revive an old piece from my closet. Last year I had the pants from an old Max Mara pant suit altered and I've been wearing the suit with my sneakers and a white tee and loving that look.
Do you have a signature style?I guess you might say that my signature style is kind of classic, and somewhat conservative. I am quite minimalist. I don't wear a lot of jewellery and accessories. But I do love great jeans, dark wash in the winter and white in the summer.
Now that I'm retired, I'm looking for ways to take the pieces I love and fit them into a more casual lifestyle.
Lately, I've embraced the sneaker trend big time. I love my sneakers with a more formal pantsuit and with skirts.
Who Inspires you?
Who inspires me? Women my age (63) who don't mind admitting that they still don't have everything figured out and who are excited to learn new things. I just read an inspiring article about Lucinda Chambers. I'm also fascinated by women writers like Kate Atkinson, Margaret Atwood, and Anita Brookner. I'd have loved to be able to write fiction.
You can also follow Susan on her Instagram
