Hi friends!  I’m back with one more outfit that you’ve seen before for Fashion over 50 today.  I don’t have new clothes all the time, even if it might seem that way. There are plenty of clothes in my closet that I get out again and again and enjoy them once more.  So it is with the maxi dress. I do enjoy maxi dresses, as they feel very summery and feminine at the same time.  This striped one came from Ross over a year ago last spring and so (sadly) I can’t link to it.  I shared it back in the spring last year and you can see what I wore with it that time around.
As I mentioned then, I love maxi dresses and wore them in the 70’s when they were trending then and now they are popular all over again. Â It’s fun to wear them with a little heel and it is almost necessary with this one as it’s very long.
We were heading to church and I snapped some pics before we left. Â My classic white, black and tan Calvin Klein purse has been a mainstay for me.
I’m not big on changing out my purses, so I like to find neutral ones that go with everything and this one does that. Â I found it at TJ Maxx over a year ago.
I do love stripes and this dress in black and khaki is a classic. Â I added some gold jewelry for a little extra bling. Â In a form fitting dress like this, you really have to wear a shaper underneath. I’m wearing one of those long line spandex panty things. Â Helps to keep things sucked in and no lumps and bumps.
Leopard bracelet is from Accessory Concierge (affiliate link).
From the back.
So, I totally am a shoe person! I don’t know what it is about shoe styles now, but they are really appealing to me.  Shoe styles seem to change every few years and I’m loving what is out there now.  I seem to have a thing for Sam Edelman shoes and when I spotted these a month or so ago, decided I really had to have them too.  They are Susanna wedge from Nordstrom and this was the first time wearing them.  I really love the double strap with gold hardware.  Very stylish shoes and the heel isn’t too high.  I keep adding more Sam Edelman’s to my wardrobe, as his shoes just call out to me.
Shoes, Sam Edelman Susanna (affiliate link)
They will be fun to wear into fall with skinny jeans and dresses, so I can see them going with a lot of things.
Every time I wear my hair curly, you all really love it and I thank you for that. Â I truly have had a love hate relationship with this head of hair of mine my entire life. Â It was only in the last 5 years or so that I learned how to straighten it with a flat iron and that has been a fun invention to get to know. Â More and more, I’m embracing my curls again, but it can still be a challenge.
Those of you with curly hair probably know what I mean. Â I use some products on my hair, so I thought I’d share what I’m using now to try to tame the frizz and keep my curls looking good. Â You would think that going curly/wavy would be easy to care for, but it actually sometimes requires more effort. Â When I sleep on it, it just gets wilder and crazier the next morning (picture a birds nest as a visual!), so I usually wet down the sides and top and then add more anti-frizz product to try to get it fluffy and curly/wavy again. Â There’s an art to styling curly hair and some days I like it and some days I don’t. This particular day the humidity was doing some crazy stuff with my hair and so that’s my disclaimer. It gets bushy and frizzy some days which is not the look I’m going for. Â The weather really does have a huge effect on the way curly hair behaves and humidity can wreak havoc. Â It actually did very well at the beach with the breezes down there. Â Not sure why that makes a difference but it seemed less humid there and more windy.
Just to share, here’s a product my stylist found for me to try and I’ve been using it the last couple of weeks. It seems to help keep my hair soft, while enhancing the curls without being too crunchy, if you know what I mean. Â Another product I use sometimes is John Freida’s Dream Curls, a spray that helps to combat frizz, but it makes my hair a little stiffer than the Redken.
Here’s what my stylist got for me recently:
Redken Curvaceous Ringlet curls (affiliate link), I found it the cheapest at Walmart online.  It’s not going to make your hair have ringlets, but it does help soften and shape those natural curls.  I use it in my wet hair and then style with a hair dryer set to warm on low, scrunching my hair as it dries, then I don’t dry it completely, but still a bit damp at the crown.  I air dry the rest, fluffing it with my fingers as it’s drying.
Another product I use often is John Freida’s Frizz Ease Dream Curls (affiliate link).  It works pretty well too in styling curly/wavy hair and giving that beach tossed look that we love. It is a little more stiff than the first one, which does help as certain parts of my hair are curlier than others and the straighter parts need more holding power.
I also use Argan oil, which adds moisture to my dry hair and this is the one I use.
This goes on wet hair and then the other styling products are added too. Â Argan Oil from Walmart (affiliate link).
I’ve used other products too, but these are my faves right now. Â I will keep wearing my hair curly even through the winter months and actually that’s a pretty good idea since the humidity will be less then and I’ll lose much of the frizz I seem to battle now. With our high heat and humidity it just brings out the frizz in curly hair and mine is no exception. Â But these products help my hair to look decent when I wear it curly or wavy and from the comments, you all love it like this, so thank you! Â I’m very thankful that I can wear it curly or straight as straight didn’t used to be an option at all. Â The wonders of hair gadgets are phenomenal!
I LOVE this feature ! You look fabulous ( as always) in that dress! Even though I’m not a “shoe” girl I do love those wedges. It can be hard to find stylish and comfortable heels and those look perfect! Thank you for continually reminding us that we CAN look stylish no matter our ages, budgets or body shapes. Appreciate ALL that you do! Have a lovely week Rhoda–
I love your curly, wavy hair. Embrace it! I also love your blog. It is so down to earth and it feels as if your are speaking to each and every one of us personally. Keep up the great work.
Thank you, Marcella, I appreciate that and will continue to do what I’m doing.
I have curly hair, and last year after a hair scare, I vowed to myself to never have another “bad hair day.” That was so liberating. My hair will do what it wants, as you know, but I will not let it bother me again. I have taken the “it is what it is” approach and now love my hair no matter what it decides to do.
Janette, you do have curly hair, more curly than mine is. I know, it is best to embrace and go with the flow, there’s nothing you can do to change hair completely so why not love it and live with it.
Super cute! The shape of that dress really works for you and those shoes are amazing!
Love the dress on you, Rhoda! I have maxi dresses that I love too and wear them a lot in the summer. Sometimes I braid my hair back into different little French braids or French braid a headband of hair around my face to keep hair off face in the heat. Mine is straight but has some texture when it is 2nd day hair. I use L`anza Healing Color Therapy in the shower still and frizz ease too. I like your hair curly but I like it smooth also…….both look great!
Another product you might want to try is Deva Curl ( you would probably like the stronger hold version). It creates a “cast” on your hair. Once your hair is dry, you scrunch it and release the cast. It leaves really pretty waves/curls that are soft. I pair it with a sea salt spray and get really great results. My hair is between wavy and curly. Oh and another tip is to not dry it with a towel. Use an old cotton t-shirt. It helps keep the frizz away. And I find I get a lot more moisture out of my hair with that rather than a towel.
Deva Curl sounds interesting, I’ll have to look it up. And the cotton t-shirt thing does too, never tried that. So weird because towels are cotton too. I tried a sea salt spray and hated it. My hair felt like straw and I just didn’t like it at all.
My hair is very wavy and I go with it rather than fighting it. I have never tried to straighten my hair. It’s very easy to style and IF I keep it moisturized well, it doesn’t frizz, although the humidity will cause it to be curlier and bigger! Cute dress and shoes. Maxi dresses seem to be waning around here.
my boyfriend has long, thick, curly hair and the woman who cuts his hair gave him the best tips for dealing with it. he uses the curvaceous shampoo and conditioner, and the cream/serum styling product. as soon as he’s out of the shower, he runs a super wide tooth comb through it, and while it’s still sopping wet, uses three pumps’ worth of the product. the key? he’s not supposed to touch his hair again after that.
we’re both from CA, the land of good hair days, and it always looked great no matter what there. we moved to VA a year ago, and the humidity here in the summertime is insane, but by not handling it when it’s not wet, the frizz stays under control.
i don’t think the shampoo, conditioner, and product are the key. i think the not handling it at all after applying the product are. give it a try and see!
So you mean, completely air dry? I am sure that would help, but I don’t think I could stand that unless I was at the beach. I like to dry it mostly dry and then leave it a bit damp at the crown.
Hi Rhoda! Wanted to let you know about a silk pillowcase that keeps your hair looking great the next day! I don’t have curly hair but it amazed me how my hair didn’t get messed up the next morning. I bought it as a wrinkle preventer from my skin care place. It’s natural silk. If you’re interested I’ll send you the brand.
Thanks, Debbie, I’ve heard that silk can help with that, but I’m not sure it’s the sleeping on a pillow part, it just seems to get all in disarray at night. When I straighten my hair, it’s not a problem sleeping on it.
Love, love that dress on you!!! and thanks for the product tips for natural curly hair!!
Thank you for the gr3at curly hair tips. I love how yours looks…just bought the Redkin one & it is pretty good. I also have put a silk scarf over my pillow & have been sleeping with that to ease some of my crazy morning hair. I had some old silk scarves & just tied them on the corners of the pillow…easy peasy! Thanks again Rhoda and I love that dress on you! Very pretty!
Rhoda, I echo what others have said – you look fabulous – from the top of your head to your toes! I always love seeing your curly hair – it frames your face so nicely. Your dress will be in style for quite awhile, I think – what a savvy purchase. I’ve been enjoying your blog for many years – thank you – blessings.
Thank you, Ruth, I so appreciate all of you out there who have been with me for so many years.
What a great dress, and you look fabulous in it! Thank you for the inspiration.
I think we must be “sole” mares. I love Sam E shoes too and these just made my list! I enjoy your fashion posts and find your tips right on for a youthful look.
My daughter’s hair is curly, more so than yours. It’s a lot of work! For her birthday last year I gave her a standup hairdryer, the kind you sit in a chair under it. It was about $80 I think. She says it’s changed her life, she wishes she had it forever, hardly ever a bad hair day, less use of various products and saves so much fiddling.
Hi, Nancy, that is so interesting to use a stand up hair dryer. Glad it is working for her. I’m not sure I would have the patience for that either, but sounds like a good solution for those with really curly hair.