Gindi Vincent

The Dish on Career, Fashion, Faith, and Family

Women

Fashion Friday: Fall Trends – Animal Print

by Leave a Comment

Happy Fashion Friday friends!

We are back with the third trend in this fall’s fashion: ANIMAL PRINT!

In the first installment, I waxed poetic about navy. Last week, we talked about all things plaid.

Today though, we celebrate the bounty of animal print. 

I’m partial to leopard myself, but there is a lot more out there than your basic tan with black leopard spots.  Oh mercy yes.

There’s giraffe and zebra and cheetah and tiger, OH MY!

Today I’m going to feature everything from super affordable to not remotely affordable. Ha! A girl’s gotta dream.

First up, let’s talk giraffe print. It’s utterly underutilized. And in fact, it wouldn’t have made an appearance today except I was just in a meeting with a client who had the most fabulous black and white giraffe print dress.  I couldn’t find one online like it, so we could all go buy it, but I did find this inspiration piece. When I find an inspiration piece, it’s way outside my budget (this is over $500), but it gives me a style to look for at more reasonable shops. Of course, if you regularly frequent Diane von Furstenberg, then by all means pick this number up (or the top in this same fabulous print that is a tiny bit less expensive…)

How about heading to the polar extreme? Target! I love me some Target! And they’ve really been killing it with on trend fashion this fall.  Check out my best friend’s cute leopard print sneakers. Not only are they a cute (and reasonable) add to your fall wardrobe, they’re comfy to boot.  Or throw on this little tee from Old Navy that you can pick up for LESS THAN $10!?!?!

Still working in a more formal work environment where you don a blazer during the week? I am nuts for this tone-on-tone animal print scarf neck shell.  If you work in a casual environment, this would still be great under a blazer with jeans and boots for your Saturday night out.

I have an unhealthy obsession with the long cardigan. I have for years. I love it. It’s my uniform on winter weekends with jeans. And oh to incorporate the animal print trend with the long cardi – um yes please! Y’all are going to need to take my wallet to keep me from picking up this gorgeous tiger print number (and I’ll even forgive her for wearing a denim pantsuit – a trend I can’t get behind).

My very fav pair of work shoes are chunky leopard print shoes (not available at DSW anymore but I adore them).  Shoes are the absolute easiest way to incorporate this trend. Browse DSW now and you can find cow print, snakeskin, cheetah, and more. I recently picked up these printed TOMS wedge booties but now I’m wishing I’d grabbed these Vionic booties instead.

What say you? Do you love an animal print? What’s your favorite trend out there right now? Send me a link to what we should all buy this week!

Fashion Friday: Fall Trends – Plaid

by Leave a Comment

Welcome back to Fashion Friday and our four part series on fall’s latest fashion trends.

Last week we discussed the glorious resurgence of NAVY!

Today, we discuss the trend there is NO WAY you have missed: PLAID!

Plaid, plaid, everywhere is plaid.

Now I wouldn’t typically fall for this lumberjack look, but it’s being incorporated in interesting ways and interesting colors so it feels less “lumberjack-y.”

If you have bought any fall clothing, you got assaulted with plaid.

I’ve not seen such a universal trend since the attack of the prairie dresses during COVID (and they linger still…). 

How can you incorporate it into your fall look?

Well, if you’re not nuts about the trend, try something small like this cute boot from DSW or a little accessory (and do you see all the plaid incorporating navy?!?!):

If you’re willing to go bolder, I just picked up this wonderfully vibrant plaid wrap for a steal at LOFT (and not only does it incorporate the plaid trend, it also incorporates the navy and wrap trends!).  I’ve got a girls weekend to the wine country in a few weeks and thought this would be a fun addition:

My best friend nabbed this adorable plaid jacket from Target and makes the typical lumberjack ensemble look feminine because of colors and styling.  And also, she’s gorgeous which helps (my daughter announced from the back seat when Kristin was in for the icepocalypse, “sorry mom, but she looks like she’s in her 20s”):

I’m also exercising all my self-restraint not to pick up this Hutton blazer from Ann Taylor – I love this look so much! Making plaid professional and pretty:

Are you wearing plaid? How are you incorporating it into your fall wardrobe (which is super hard in Houston this week at 90 degrees!)?  Any guesses as to next week’s trend?  A hint – roar…

Fashion Friday: Fall Trends – Navy

by Leave a Comment

We’re baaaaack!

Oh y’all – I have MISSED Fashion Fridays!

My daughter asked me last week if I was going to write any more fashion posts.  I said, well there really hasn’t been a lot to write about.

With a global pandemic and office attire consisting of yoga pants with cute accessories on a Zoom call, and then a return to “fashion” last year with all the designers phoning it in, I haven’t had much fodder.

I’m sorry if you are loving your new wardrobe of Little House on the Prairie dresses, but it is my fervent hope they make their ways off the shelves in the not to distant future.

I’m not bashing maxi dresses, in fact I’m a new convert, but all the flowers everywhere. And some really bad fabric.

Mercy.

But that is not what brings us back together again!

Good fashion is making an appearance. And we are going to talk about it. 

The next four weeks I’m going to talk about what’s out there that’s worth wearing, IMHO.

I couldn’t be more excited to talk about NAVY on today’s Fashion Friday.

A color? You’re talking about a color, you ask?

Yes. Because this color does not get its fair due.  It’s one of my absolute favorite staples but can be impossible to find many seasons.

Navy looks amazing with anything. Navy and kelly green (or pink) for spring, yes please.  Navy with oranges/rusts for fall, um I’ll go back for seconds.  Navy on navy or navy with ivory or navy with basically anything.

Yes.

How does black get all the play when navy is such a sophisticated alternative?

Well it’s everywhere this fall. 

I’ll be featuring some of my favorite new acquisitions and some of my wish list items.  One of which I can’t show you today because it’s in next week’s fall trend (hint hint, it’s both perpendicular and parallel). 

Navy is THE easiest trend to incorporate because it automatically goes with everything in your closet. 

So the cheapest way to pick up a little navy is to add one of these cute tops.

This gorgeous wrap solid navy number from Banana Republic would look gorgeous with some bright plum or rust pants for fall.

Or, if it’s still warm where you are for fall, try one of these lighter numbers with navy in the print.  I picked up the striped one with orange from LOFT and my daughter heartily endorsed (she does that now that she’s in 6th grade) and the popover from Gap is versatile enough to dress down for soccer or up for work:

For fall weekends, throw this navy ombre ponco on with your jeans and booties.  Not only does it capitalize on the navy trend, but ponchos and ombre coloring is on the rise everywhere.  Think you’ll look too much like Clint Eastwood? Throw caution to the wind, and a little extra make up on, and embrace your inner spaghetti western cowboy:

If you’ve actually been loving all the long floral prairie dresses from Target to Nordstrom, then don’t let me stop you. Let’s just tailor it a bit more and throw in navy as the base color to make it fresh for fall.  I love how Ann Taylor is styling this midi dress with boots:

Or even go simpler, a shoe, a handbag, a trouser or jeans (and if you throw in high waisted, you are REALLY on trend, I just can’t pull them off).  Solid navy. Simple. Sophisticated.  Find them anywhere – Ann Taylor, DSW, Nordstrom’s, pic your fav. 

Alright, next week is the BIGGEST trend for the fall and I’m here for it.  What are you seeing in stores that you love? Is it fun to think about fashion after nearly TWO YEARS of abdication?

Sharing Our Stories

by Leave a Comment

Recently, I was voxing my best friend about some struggles our family is having with someone aging.  A few days later, she told me about a client who just came to their office.  The husband was struggling with the same thing we were experiencing.  And when she shared our experiences with him, he looked relieved.  As she commented, “it’s just nice to know you’re not the only one going through it.” 

This has been the refrain in my life over and over. 

My best friend group telling each other, don’t apologize for sharing, that’s what we do, we share our stories and it helps. It serves a purpose. 

I was on the phone with an old friend this weekend who was suffering.  She commented through tears, thank you so much for sharing your story (cancer) because it’s helping so many women. 

Lisa Jo Baker recently posted, “Joy is multiplied when it’s shared.”  But suffering, when shared, divides the pain. Shares it. Breaks it up.  We shouldn’t be compelled to only share the joy.  The pretty.  The good.  Others know they’re not in it alone when we share the hard too. 

Ann Voskamp recently released a blog post sharing some of the gut punch grief she’s experiencing after her father died.  She told of a tree which had been cut down and yet showed signs of life.  She writes, “What the ecologist discovered was that the tree stump’s roots have been grafted together with roots from other trees, something that is known to happen when trees sense they can share resources with the trees around them.  That’s the miracle: Cut down lives can revive when we share our lives.” 

By you sharing what you’ve been through, you’ll help the next person going through it after you. 

I recently heard a pastor share one of my favorite verses in preaching this same message: And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. (Rev. 12:11)

The word of their testimony. That’s just someone sharing their story. It has the power to help others overcome.

We must share our stories. 

The broken places.  Busted and patched up chapters. Threadbare souls. 

Because it doesn’t just lighten the load for the sharer, it lets those in the same circumstances know they aren’t alone. 

Marriage is hard for everyone.  Parenting can be a kick in the face. Infertility. Alzheimer’s. Cancer. Finances. Job loss. Broken friendship.

That is all a tapestry of my own personal story. 

But just a piece. 

It’s woven in there with threads of gold and sunlight too. 

Triplets. Promotions. Marriage. Satisfaction. Travel. Sunsets. Adventure. Good wine. Best pals. Swimming pool cannonballs. Leadership. Rollercoasters. Graduation. Belly laughs. 

Go tell your story. And I’ll keep sharing mine.

Six Months Later

by 5 Comments

Six months ago, I walked into MD Anderson alone (because of COVID) to have a malignant tumor cut out of my right breast. 

Six months ago. 

There are days it feels like I just finished but most of the time it feels more like years. 

I wanted to write to mark the milestone. 

I haven’t been back in to MD Anderson since early May. 

My follow up appointments come in September and October.  I’ll have new imaging to confirm all is clear and will continue on that twice a year schedule until they tell me I’m allowed to go back to annual appointments. 

I’m taking Tamoxifen and will be on some sort of estrogen blocking drug for five years.  My tumor was estrogen positive so these meds help to limit recurrence. 

Before we left for Bar Harbor I thought it had caused blood clots, a possible side effect, so I sat in a couple of ERs.  Finally, I got in to see my primary doctor, and it wasn’t blood clots but just bad leg cramps. Another side effect. The oncologist allowed me a three week break from the medicine, but now I’ve resumed. I’m still having the cramps but they are manageable. 

Besides the tiny white pill, there are other side effects. 

My right breast (this is yucky but the unvarnished truth) itches all the time.  I’m assuming it is all that scar tissue healing but it drives me insane.  And you can’t exactly walk around scratching your side boob. 

Laugh. Sigh.

Bras don’t fit quite right. I just bought three new ones and it’s better, but I’d rather be braless.  That is usually frowned upon in Corporate America though.  Actually, it’s frowned upon anywhere in American for a mom in her 40s. 

The most painful side effect is from the radiation.  I’ve lost some range of motion in my right shoulder.  It hurts to lay on my right side. I have a hard time getting some tops on and off. 

My friend and I have started working out together again in the mornings (5:15 – yawn!).  I’ve noticed that it feels like my right shoulder and chest muscles are shredding as I work out. But I’m hopeful the pain will lessen with workouts.  Maybe this new work out regime will not only help me lose the pandemic/cancer pounds, but also really improve my strength and range of motion on the right side.  I take responsibility for having let it go this long without working it more.

Besides all this physical stuff, there is another less tangible side effect.

Overall, DURING the cancer, I was pragmatic. I try to be efficient. Action oriented. Craft a to do list and then cross things off. 

So I did that with cancer.  Talk to these people. Get these doctors. Calendar these items.

KNOCK. IT. OUT.

I even had people say, kindly and supportively, if anyone can kick cancer’s butt, it’s you.

We all know that’s not true. Cancer does not care if you are efficient or action oriented. It is no respecter of age or gender or disposition.  (Sadly, much like COVID.)

Yet, I DID ALL THE THINGS.

Except. I don’t know that I ever processed it.  I’m not sure I grieved. 

There are places emotions have leaked out, but not so much in the cancer space. 

Then I was asked to share my story to a cancer support group.  The two women who run the group chatted with me over Zoom and asked me to share my story with them.  So I started walking through what happened.  And I just started crying.

I had no control over it.

It even caught me off guard.

I remember saying, through tears, as I shared, I guess this is all still really fresh. 

So I’m looking back at that time and figuring out if there’s some emotional work I need to be doing too.  If the physical work is necessary, and overdue, isn’t the mental and emotional? 

The absolute best side effect of cancer has been helping others with their diagnosis.  Three weeks to the day after my last radiation appointment, I was able to connect with three women who received their first diagnosis.  I had a coffee.  A conference call.  Made a cancer bag like others did for me.  I feel so honored to be able to walk with others through this valley. 

But instead of just jumping in with both feet to help, which my little Enneagram 3 Wing 2 does on autopilot, I need to process some things as well. If I’m actually going to be of any help to others struggling, I need to be healthy. And honest about what cancer meant in my life and my family’s lives.  Honest about what it means for our future. 

It’s six months today.

I am incredibly grateful for my outcome.

Overwhelmed by the people who surrounded us. 

Indebted to a Savior and Heavenly Father who held me through it all. 

And I’m hopeful. For what’s next.