BLOGGER ANNOUNCEMENT:  I happened to start this post immediately after my previous one regarding wearing heels.  Overall, the time frame was almost a month ago.

Then it happened.  I threw my back out.

I only wish it was that easy!

Very badly.  So badly that I couldn’t walk and was bedridden for a few days, went back to work, sat in my chair at my computer for 7 ½ hours for another week, then was out for additional time because my back was not healing.  One doctor’s visit later, muscle relaxers, a steroid a heating pad, and a doctor’s note for more time off then finding out I have sciatica, I hesitate to say I am better, but I am.  Is it aging? What is it?  I used to be the picture of physical health.  Anyway, now that my back is feeling 99.9 percent better, let’s get on with this post—shall we?

I couldn’t even walk this nicely.  Wow! Muscle relaxers were my friend!

If you read this blog, most likely you might follow me on Instagram or other social media.  In fact, social media and the Internet is seemingly the new Mall of the USA.

Don’t get me wrong.  Online shopping can be a good thing if you don’t have time to physically get dressed, get into your car, make sure there is gas in your car, if there isn’t enough gas, can one afford to fill up the tank in order to get on the highway filled with aggressive drivers, and make your way to a boutique, mall, or shopping center.  Or, if you are like me and just plain lazy after working all day at a state hospital, you pick up your iPhone, head to an online site and let your fingers do the shopping!

Yes. This would be me after driving for more than 15 minutes.  I despise getting into the car these days!

To be honest, the only items I physically go shopping for are groceries and flowers.  Okay, my husband purchased the new fridge at an appliance store—but you catch my drift—right? The thought of putting underwear on to go shopping does not sit well with me these days.  I’m more comfortable at home in an old maxi dress-cum-nightie that doesn’t need panties or a bra. And then there’s the people.  In the parking lot. Entering and leaving the mall.  Walking around.  Asking dopey questions to sales assistants.  Standing on a line that never ends.  People pushing. And shoving.   I just want to be with my husband and my kids and their families.

Yes. I have very fond memories of shopping in NYC at my favorite store of all time—B. Altman.  Oh, how I loved that store. Then for the discount lover in my there was Mays on 34^th Street.  At Christmastime I would take the kids to Macy’s to see Santa Claus, but before getting to sit on Santa’s lap with a never-ending list of items wanted for Christmas, there was the Christmas Village to pass through.  Shopping was an experience!

B.Altman. THE only store I truly loved. It was always a pleasure to shop here. The store sold my taste in clothing and everything else!

When we moved to Long Island in 1962, malls were the new biggest thing.  South Shore Mall was my mother’s hang out.  The first purchase she ever made there was my First Holy Communion dress.  As more malls opened, the shopping was almost non-stop.  Nothing to do on a rainy summer day?  Go to the mall.  The day after Thanksgiving, the malls were jam packed.

The sad thing is now most of those malls have been abandoned.  I guess we’re fortunate to have King of Prussia Mall five minutes away, but I can’t stand going there.

Our country now has a number of abandoned malls. Why not turn them into affordable housing?

My solution?  Online shopping! It can be helpful if you know what your exact size is, if the return/exchange policy is consumer-friendly, and you know what you’re looking for.  If you are unsure, the best bet is to head to a store and try on clothing.  Or head to a makeup counter to test out various products before ordering. Or get a tape measure and start measuring your body’s curves!

For the most part, I’ve been successful.   And there are not successful transactions. And there was even one recently where I had to call my bank to stop the transaction because it was a fraudulent company.  So, let’s go and I start with some online shopping brands I like and some I don’t.

OGL Move.  I. LOVE. THIS, BRAND.  Hands down.  Even my husband loves the clothing I order from OGL Move. The built-in bra Brami tops are a godsend for we women who abhor wearing bras in the summer.  The level of happiness I have wearing these tops are off the charts.  Think about it. NO. BRA. OGL is a brand I took a chance with and the end result was extreme success and gratification.  The return/exchange policy is also stellar.  I had to make an exchange with a top due to sizing. They sent me a new top and told me to donate the one I didn’t need. That’s great service. Last summer when my son, Jake, got married in Santa Barbara, I took an OGL set with me and wore it constantly.   The clothing company is based in China and it takes about 5 days to a week to receive the goods.  I’m 5 feet 6 inches, current weight is 167. In bottoms—skirts I wear a size Medium. Pants a size Large.  Non-bra tops-Medium, Brami tops, Large.  My bust is 16C.

This striped set is my favorite. I have it in three colors.  The top has the built-in bra which is perfect for summer. The skirt is a linen-blend and has a smocked waist. I’ll be wearing it into winter with boots. And the Brami top is a dream!

The first OGL set I’ve ever purchased. Took it and wore it during my son’s wedding week in Santa Barbara and I’ve worn it constantly this summer!

The brand has fantastic sales. This dress was purchased at the end of last summer for USD 39.  And yes, it has the built in bra and is lined!

Another skirt from OGL and another Brami top!  And as I’ve aged, clothing that is comfortable is more appealing to me!

Quince, lately, gets mixed reviews.  How do I feel about the brand?  Well, it’s been hit or miss.  Even when I was thinner than I am now, the Medium stretch pants and dresses didn’t fit wonderfully, I had to size up to a large, and I was twenty pounds lighter than now.  However, the brand’s cotton fisherman knit sweaters are off-the-charts spectacular. They wash well, I air dry, they don’t lose shape. I have three—Navy, White, and Brown. I’m extremely pleased.   The linen?  The European Linen cropped pants are really nice. They wash and iron very well and I like the fit. I have two pair in Large and they run slightly big but the Medium would be way too tight around my gut and hips.  The shorts are “meh”—after a while they look sloppy but I am a fan of the linen tops—even if I do have to wear a bra!  The cashmere sweaters are good too. Not excellent but for the price, very good.

The brown cotton sweater from Quince. This pic was taken early Spring. I love this sweater so much.  All three retain shape after laundering. I air-dry only.  Incredibly comfortable. 

Quince cashmere sweater.  (worn with Gretchen Scott pants–another online purchase)  The sweater is fine.  Not the highest grade cashmere but nonetheless still decent quality for the price.

The European linen pants from Quince.  My conundrum is being between a M and a L.  I was hesitant to order the medium and went with the large.  Worn with a belt they don’t fall down. Worn without a belt and I’m constantly pulling them up. If I lose enough weight (surprise–a future blog post is on the way), I will have them tailored.

Amazon?  I can’t stand Jeff Bezos and his inflatable doll wife but, Amazon still has great deals.  I’ve recently ordered a couple of dresses for summer wear and am a fan. In one of the dresses, according to reviews, I ordered a Medium and it fits very well.  The other, a Large and am incredibly happy. The dress is lined and has pockets.  Amazon is so hit-or-miss. I think I’ve returned as much as I’ve purchased but Amazon has an incredibly user-friendly return policy and that’s what keeps me coming back.

I loved this dress so much that I ordered another one in Yellow flowers.  The fit is wonderful. The dress is lined and great for running errands and even for work. A classic shift!

This frock is also an Amazon purchase. The size is medium as opposed to the shift which was large.  The dress is comfy and forgiving.  I’m not crazy with the way those sandals look with it but once the heat cools off a bit, I’ll wear ballet flats.

The Fugly: With Amazon as well.   I have a sweater I ordered for this coming Autumn that’s in the package ready to be returned.  The photograph was completely different than what was delivered—and this has happened with Amazon quite a few times. The good thing is that the return policy is easy peasy and quick.

This pissed me off. The photo of the sweater is exactly what I was looking for. What came was completely different. I didn’t even take it out of the packaging. Back you go!

Il Makiage—don’t get me started on the bullshit advertising.  EVERY STINKING WOMAN IN THOSE ADS IS FILTERED UP THE WAZOO. I can’t believe that I ended up ordering the foundation which was not a good purchase. At first, it appeared to work well, it was good coverage for skin texture, etc.  But slowly, and in the long run, didn’t work. It was drying and ended up creeping into wrinkles. I had to really work the foundation to get it to look decent and it’s just not worth the work.  And trying to end the subscription that one is tricked into getting is horrific.  Somehow, I managed to cancel and never again.  Never. Again. Il Makiage foundation is the biggest grift of all time. And it’s a grift simply because the brand isn’t truthful when it comes to mature skin.  Mature skin changes as we age into older demographics.  And the fact the brand filters the mature, even young women, doesn’t sit well with either me or my skin.

Remember the show “The Office”?  This is Michael Scott’s girlfriend. In an Il Makiage ad. Look at the photo on the right. Overfiltered. I wouldn’t give this brand another cent of my money. I fell for the scam and it took numerous emails to cancel. Never again!

Wonderskin eyeliner pencil—Okay.  I shall admit something. Although I’m a huge fan of Revant gel eyeliner, I saw those online ads for Wonderskin pencils and took a chance at ordering.   Here’s the thing. The product is fantastic.  I’m not gonna lie. The black is black! And the product stays on your skin. All day without moving.  There’s a “but” and it’s a big “but”. You need a pencil sharpener to sharpen when the point wears down. And you need the Wonderskin sharpener because we all know that every brand makes a different sized pencil. In addition, after you sharpen the pencil, residue from the sharpener gets on your fingers and it takes some elbow grease to remove it.  And you are constantly sharpening the pencil which also means wasting product.  Revant gel liner isn’t as seriously pigmented as Wonderskin but it also stays put and has an automatic twist so that no product is wasted. If Wonderskin had that automatic thing—it would be a Holy Grail product. Instead, I use Revant for every day lining and Wonderskin for the night out.

This is a tough call.  Wonderskin looks automatic but you need a sharpener and the sharpener is horrible. The thing is Wonderskin’s pigmentation is steller.  Revant isn’t as deeply pigmented but it has an automatic tip that doesn’t need sharpening.  I have to go with Revant as being the better of the two because it doesn’t get messy.

Old Navy: Some years Old Navy has great stuff. Other years, absolute garbage.   This year there wasn’t much to offer but what I ordered was good.  It helps that Old Navy is a less-than-ten-minute drive from my house and I’ll stop by every now and then because the brand’s sizing is so inconsistent.  I love the wide leg linen pants.  And with those pants comes an elastic waistband so I can fit into a medium size.  I’ll order from ON only after I’ve gone to the store and tried items on.  I have a maxi dress I purchased in-store about a month ago before my back went out.  I’ve since ordered another one in an additional color because it was dirt cheap on sale.

I bought this dress on a deep sale at Old Navy because I have it in another color and love it. It’s a house dress. It’s an errand dress. I’ve even worn it to work. Very well-made!

Same dress–different color. Little tip here. You really need to know your size when it comes to Old Navy because the sizes are incredibly inconsistent. This dress is a medium but many of their size medium doesn’t fit me.

From last year. Old Navy wide-let linen pants and cotton shirt.  These have managed to look great for two summers in a row.  

Temu: Yes. I know and realize that Temu isn’t very “ethical”—but all that changed for me when our political administration, which is the most unethical administration in the history of America.  So don’t get all self-righteous on me for ordering from Temu.  Temu offers up-to-date styles for a very, very, large percentage of women who have to work and cannot afford brand name clothing.  I have had extremely good luck with my orders from Temu.  Inexpensive clothing that has lasted for years.  My favorite coats are from Temu.  A wool blend winter coat, which I receive tons of compliments when I wear it and my absolute favorite trench coat. It’s almost maxi length, which I love and looks so fantastic.  I paid maybe twenty-five bucks for each coat.

People can say what they want about TEMU. This winter coat was less than twenty-five bucks and this winter it will be going on its third winter.  I wore it last winter and the winter before in Paris. The amount of compliments I receive on this coat is pretty amazing.  The scarf here is also from Temu.

Another favorite coat from Temu. This trench coat is everything and more. I paid between 20 and 25 USD for it. This is also entering into it’s third season. The length is beautiful. And I love it so much I purchased a backup.  This will be coming to L.A. with me over Christmas!

What I ordered vs. what I received. The stock photo is on the left. What I received is what I’m wearing and I couldn’t be happier. This is that frock that can be worn to a nice evening to dinner. And, get this, I wore it to work and received a ton of compliments. This dress launders beautifully, irons and steams beautifully and is very well made . I think I paid 17 USD for it. I’m wearing a strapless bra with it.

Random notes:  Because I know my size with certain brands, I’m very confident when I order from Lilly Pulitzer.  I have many dresses from the brand that have all been purchased on deep sale.  Personally, I would rather order online than going into the store at KOP mail.   In addition, I purchased a dress from Tuckernuck. I love the madras plaid of the dress but I’m not over-the-moon crazy about the dress–it’s too long in length and kind of tight across the bust.  I plan on having it tailored for next summer.  Would I order from Tuckernuck again?  No. I think the brand is way overpriced.

One of my many Lilly Pulitzer Maxi dresses. I honestly love the brand for summer clothing. It’s a bit too twee for me for winter though.

Here’s the Tuckernuck dress. There’s maxi dresses and then there’s maxi dresses. This is too long. I prefer a maxi that flows.

And as I write this blog post, I’m wearing this Lilly Pulitzer dress with a built-in bra. I LOVE THIS DRESS AND HAVE HAD IT FOR YEARS!  It’s come to Theoule-sur-Mer for years–the perfect dress for traipsing around the Cote d’Azur. I wear it to work. I wear it as a house dress. 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: It used to be great. Then influencers got a hold of it. Then Nordstrom drank influencer Kool-Aid and the sale sucks. I usually try to find one or two items that I feel would be good for the coming winter and this time around I did find two items.

The two pics on the left are stock photos from the Nordstrom site. The two on the right are me wearing the clothes. I ordered an oversized cotton sweater. I’m pleased as punch with it because it’ll be a staple to wear with leggings.  The skirt, I was on the fence about but when I received it, I loved it.  It’s very boho flowy with an elastic waist band in the back and a zipper on the side. I have brown suede booties that will be perfect with this.

Shoes:  Ahhh. Yes. Once upon a time I loved the process of going to the store, having my foot measured and buying footwear in person. Now I only buy in person when I’m in France.  Two brands I can safely purchase online are C. Paravano and G.H. Bass because I love my Weejuns.  Other than those two brands, I have enough shoes to last me until I’m in my 90’s.

G.H. Bass had a sale. You know what that means. My newest loafers for Fall and Winter.  Yes. It’s sad to come to terms with the fact you can’t wear heels anymore. But comfort and not being at risk for falls are more important!

Purchased last year, I can’t wait for Winter to arrive so I can wear these again! C. Paravano has a website but I chose to purchase through eBay because the deals are better.  Much better!

Makeup:  Makeup is that thing where you really need to see the product first.  And I am not a fan of going into an actual store to purchase makeup. I will say, the Ulta near me is great but they don’t carry some of the cosmetics I like such as Danessa Myricks.  Sephora carries Danessa and I can’t stand Sephora.  However, I have gone into the store to check out her products before ordering online.  I would much rather order makeup on line.

Overall, I’m a fan of Danessa Myricks. I have many of her products but the photos didn’t upload.

As a huge fan of “Geek Out of Water” on You Tube, Shelly gives great makeup reviews for the mature demographic and she recently went into skincare. Her products are excellent!   Typology is another brand that I am very fond of as is Dermtlgy.

I have to say, Live Tinted is possibly my new favorite. The primer and skin tint are 100 percent fantastic.  I’m almost done with the products and now that Ulta is selling them, I will make an effort to go buy in person.

Do I miss going shopping in person?  Not really.  Maybe it is the fact I’m now old.  I just can’t stand the process and would rather just go for a walk.  Shopping used to be special. Now it’s special when I’m in Paris during the holiday season or back in New York City, my old stomping grounds.  It’s even fun when I’m in Cincinnati with Oona. I can spoil my grandsons.  And at Christmas I’ll be heading out to Los Angeles where I can spoil my newest grandson.  But generally speaking, I don’t miss shopping in person.

I will, however, give you a word of advice: unfollow any influencer who tells you to comment a certain word and they will send you a link to products.  They are grifters. They don’t give two shits how any article of clothing or any item will suffice to your needs. It is all about money.  I have unfollowed 99.9 percent of influencers: wig influencers especially.  You honestly don’t need all that stuff.

What say you?  (Did I really write that?  Yes. I did!)  Do you shop online more these days? Do you miss those trips to the mall?  Are you a fan of small business?  Has your shopping habits changed as you’ve aged?  Spill the tea!