Kmart Is Bringing The 80s Back … Would I Wear it at 58?

No, no, no, no, no. Kmart, why? [laughter] I was scrolling through Kmart’s new arrivals when these appeared on my screen. Black lace capri leggings and I actually laughed because [gasps] all I could see was Madonna like a virgin 1984. And then I thought, surely there’ll be younger women looking at these thinking that they’re completely that there’s something completely new. Meanwhile, women our age are sitting here thinking, “Hold on a minute. [laughter] Haven’t we seen these already? Haven’t they already been done?” And it sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole. What else is appearing at Kmart right now that those of us over 50 have already lived through? And more importantly, would we actually wear any of it again? Because I haven’t stopped loving fashion. I haven’t stopped looking at what’s new. And I’m certainly not living under a rock just because I’m trying to live and shop a little bit more intentionally. But the way I shop has definitely changed these days. I’m much more likely to ask, do I actually need this? Does it actually work with what I already own? Does it suit the woman that I am now? And probably the most important question, where am I actually going to wear it? So, let’s have a look at what’s just landed at Kmart and see what I’d wear, what I’d leave behind, and whether anything actually deserves to come home with me. Now, let’s start with the item responsible for this entire video, the lace capri. Hello, 1980s circa. These are $18. And apparently, lace capri leggings are back. Now, maybe I’m showing my age here, but I cannot look at these without seeing Madonna. the lace, the fitted leg, the capri length. I’m immediately transported back to 1980s. And that’s one of the funny things about uh getting older. You watch fashion come around again, and something that’s completely fresh and new to one generation has an entirely different history attached to it for you. But nostalgia isn’t necessarily enough to make me want to wear something again. And these uh these are a no. I lived through the lace leggings era once and I’m quite happy to let the next generation have their turn. So that’s an immediate $18 saved, but apparently Kmart isn’t finished with lace. The next piece is the off the shoulder lace top. And for me, this is surprisingly a yes because this off-the-shoulder lace top is $15. And unlike the capri, I actually really like this. I could absolutely see myself wearing this for a date night or going out for dinner and a movie with girlfriends. I love the off the shoulder neckline and I think the lace gives it just a little bit of sexiness without being over the top. But I wouldn’t wear it exactly as they’ve styled it here. They’ve got what looks like a straight up bra underneath, whereas I’d probably put a little black chamisole underneath mine. I’ve never really been somebody who likes showing huge amounts of skin anyway. and having my tummy visible through lace at 58 just isn’t particularly my vibe. That’s actually one of the things I find interesting about trends coming back. We don’t have to wear them the same way that we wore them the first time or the way that a 25-year-old might wear them now. I can take the bit that I like, the lace, the neckline, that slightly sexy feel, and make it work for the woman that I am now. So, this one, surprisingly, I’d try it. Okay, so apparently putting a barrel shape on our jeans just wasn’t enough because now we’ve moved on to our arms. Barrel leg jeans are absolutely everywhere and Kmart has now given us the barrel sleeve blazer. And actually, I really like it. This is one I definitely want to try on because I’m curious about what that sleeve shape would do on my figure. It is interesting. It’s fun. It feels current without being completely ridiculous. Would I wear it the way Kmart has styled it here with the little lace minikrt underneath? Probably not. That’s just not me at all. I’d actually take this in a completely different and opposite direction. Straight leg jeans, a simple white t-shirt, and white sneakers. Let the blazer be the fashion piece and keep everything else really simple. And I think that’s probably how I approach trends these days. I don’t necessarily want an entire trendy outfit. I want one interesting piece that can make the clothes that I already own feel current. So, this one is definitely going on the try- on list. And I’m curious, would you style this one up or down? I’d definitely style it down. The next piece that caught my eyes, the sleeveless tailored jacket. Now, I’ve already paid for this lesson. This is new at Kmart, but it’s definitely not new to me because I’ve already fallen for this one. Back in the summer of 24,25, I bought almost exactly this style from Target. I bought the sleeveless tailored jacket with the matching trousers in beige. And I absolutely love the idea of it. And notice that I said the idea of it because do you know how many times I actually wore it maybe once to style it and show it to you. Otherwise, not once. I had this vision that I’d put a simple white t-shirt underneath it, wear it with the matching trousers and have this fabulous relaxed tailored look. Except every time I put it on, something just didn’t look right. And eventually it ended up in my donation pile. Obviously, it would have been about two sizes too big for me now anyway. But even before that, I just wasn’t wearing it. And I think that’s something that I’m much more conscious of now. Sometimes we’re shopping for the woman we imagine we’re going to be rather than the woman we actually are. Looking at K’s version, I actually think it’s really pretty. I particularly like the blue one uh with the matching miniskirt. If you’ve got the confidence to wear it like that, I think it’s a really cute, elegant little outfit. But my problem with these sleeveless tailored jackets is still the same. You’ve already got the tailored collar, so putting a collared shirt underneath can become collars fighting with collars. And then if I put a simple t-shirt or a tank underneath, somehow I’ve dressed down the very thing that I liked about it. So, I’m just going to admire this one from afar. I’ve already paid for this lesson once. I don’t need to pay another $35 to learn it again. Now, this I really like. I think this is so sweet. It feels young and fresh without making me feel like I’m trying to recreate my younger self. And there’s actually some really clever shaping going on here. Look at how those stripes travel across the shoulders. They visually broaden the shoulder line. And then you’ve got that lovely deep ribbed section that cinches right in at the waist. For my pear-shaped figure, that’s exactly the sort of proportion that I love because it creates some balance between my shoulders and hips and gives me definition at the waist. I’d probably wear this open with a little white chamisole underneath and brown linen trousers. Such an easy casual outfit, but I think you could make it look considerably more polished as well. button it up, add a beautiful silk scarf at the neck, tailored chocolate brown trousers, and perhaps a loafer. And suddenly, I could see myself wearing that to lunch, a cafe, a museum, even somewhere slightly more corporate. However, if you’re fuller through the bust, this might be one you’d want to try before buying because the horizontal stripes and higher neckline could emphasize that area. But here’s the interesting bit. I’ve just told you how much I love it. I’ve already imagined several outfits with it and I’ve also imagined where I would wear it, but I’m still not buying it because I don’t love this baby blue on me. It’s simply not part of my color palette. And if this came perhaps in in a warm cream, a camel, or a beautiful chocolate brown, we’d be having a very different conversation. And this is something that I’ve had to learn. I can love something without needing to own it. Love the shape. Love the styling possibilities. Wrong color for me. And that’s enough to leave it behind. Now, I’m actually on the lookout for a new pair of jeans. So, these cropped widelegg jeans immediately caught my attention. And there’s quite a lot that I like. I really like the way that they sit through the hips and the upper leg. They look relaxed without having masses of fabric. And at $30, they’re certainly worth considering. And if you’re petite, um, these could actually be fantastic because you might get that cropped widelegg look without having to take half the leg off of your new jeans. But for me, it’s the length that’s putting me off. At 5’5, I feel like they’re going to finish at that slightly awkward point where rather than looking deliberately cropped, they’re going to visually chop my legs off. And I know myself well enough now to know that I’ll put them on, look in the mirror, and think, why do my legs look suddenly 6 in shorter? Because I really do like the fit through the hips and the upper legs. But this is another thing that I’m trying to get better at. Not buying something because I like 80% of it and convincing myself that somehow I’ll get over the other 20%. Because invariably that 20% is exactly why it ends up sitting unworn in my wardrobe. If Kmart made this exact jean in a full length, I’d absolutely try them on. At this length though, it’s a pass. And tell me, are you loving the cropped widelegg jeans or would you rather have them full length? Now we’re talking. Okay, this is a chocolate utility dress and I would generally be tempted to buy this provided it passes two tests. The fit and the fabric. This utility midi dress is $35 and immediately I love the color. This chocolate brown is absolutely within my color palette and it works beautifully with colors I already have in my wardrobe. The style actually reminds me of all those denim utility dresses that were around last summer. I really like those two, but interestingly, I never actually bought one. This one, I think I might make an exception. But before I get too excited, let’s check the fabric because that’s something that I’ve become much more conscious of when I’m shopping. Kmart says it’s a cotton and viscous blend in a twill fabric. And looking at the photographs, it appears to have some weight and structure to it rather than being really thin and flimsy, but I’d still want to feel it um in person trying it on obviously. But so far, we’re just ticking boxes. And I actually really like how they’ve styled it. Just a simple brown slides. Nothing complicated. I think I’d also wear this with a slim white sneaker. I could put this on for a day of shopping, sightseeing on a weekend, somewhere that I’m doing plenty of walking, but still want to look put together. And that’s become one of my biggest tests when I’m shopping. Can I actually picture myself wearing it wherever it is that I’m going in it? Not some imaginary occasion that may or may not happen. Can I see it fitting into my real life with this dress? I can. The thing I’d want to check in the fitting room though is where that self tie waist sits on me and how much volume that I’ve got through the hips. But it’s the right color, good fabric potential, works with things I already own, and I can tell you exactly where I’d wear it. This one has definitely earned a trip to the fitting room for me. Now, this Oh my goodness. This one is a problem because this dress is basically me in dress form. It’s the cranberry midi dress. It’s simple and sophisticated, but there’s still something a little sexy about that fitted silhouette. I love the little gold detail gathering in at the waist, and I love this cranberry wine color. It comes in black as well, but I wouldn’t even consider the black. This color is much more me. My first question, though, would be the length. It looks like it’s hitting the model around midcfe. And at 5’5, I’d need to see where that actually lands on me because there’s midi and then there’s why does Deborah suddenly look like she’s 3 ft tall? But there’s actually a bigger question. Where am I going in it? And and this is where shopping intentionally gets really difficult for me because there’s nothing that I don’t like about this dress. Old me could very easily have said, “I love it. It’s only $25. Put it in the cart.” But I don’t work in an office anymore, so I can’t convince myself it’s going to be part of my work wardrobe. I do have a birthday party coming up in October, and this could actually be lovely for that, but do I want to buy another dress for one occasion? Probably not. So, could I dress it down? Could I put a slim white or cream sneaker with it? A casual cross body bag? Keep everything else simple and wear this out for brunch with girlfriends or maybe Sunday lunch, a casual date, um a day out somewhere maybe. And if I can wear it like that and put a beautiful flat or heel with it for the birthday party, suddenly it’s not an occasion dress. It’s a dress that can go and do several jobs. So, I’m not buying this simply because I love it, but I am putting it very firmly on the try- on list. If the length works, if that gathering sits nicely on my waist, and if I can generally wear it with sneakers as well as as dressier shoes, this one might be coming home with me. And now these actually caught my attention immediately because if you’ve been watching me for a while, you might remember me talking about Bermuda shorts last summer or maybe the summer before that. I really wanted a pair, but I could never quite find exactly what I was looking for. So, in the end, I didn’t buy any. And these are actually very close to what I had in mind. I like the silhouette. They’re fitted around the waist. They’ve got that lovely flat front with the little knife pleat and then they’re relaxed through the leg without being enormous. And most importantly for me, look at the length. That’s exactly where I’d want a Bermuda short to finish. I don’t want short shorts, but I also don’t want so much fabric and length that I’ve accidentally bought colots. My hesitation is the fabric. Particularly looking at the white pair, it appears quite fine. And that could go one of two ways. It could make them beautifully light and breezy for a hot Melbourne summer day, or they could wrinkle and collapse the minute I sit down and completely lose their lovely tailored look. So, let’s look at the fabric. They’re polyester, viscos, and nylon in a twill fabric. The twill should give them some structure and the visos should provide some drape, but Kmart isn’t giving us the percentages here. So, this is something that I simply couldn’t judge properly online. I’d need to touch them and I definitely need to try them on. But this is actually quite different from seeing something new and suddenly deciding that I need it. Bermuda shorts were already a gap that I’d identified in my wardrobe last summer and I looked for them and I couldn’t find the right fit or the right pair and I didn’t buy a compromise just for the sake of having them. Now something has appeared that potentially ticks the box and I think that’s the difference for me now. I’m not considering them because Kmart has them. I’m considering them because I was already looking for them. If the fabric and the fit are good, these could absolutely come home with me. [sighs] No way. [laughter] No, no, no, no, no. Kmart, why? [laughter] I’m sorry. If you are watching this and you’ve already bought these or you’ve just looked at them and thought, Deborah, they’re fabulous. You do you. Fashion is completely personal. If you feel fantastic in them, wear them. And ignore me. But for me, these are straight out no. We’ve got the capri length. We’ve got the fitted length. We’ve got the black and white polka dots. There is just too much happening here that takes me somewhere I don’t particularly want to revisit. $22 saved. Moving on. Although we started this entire video with lace capri and somehow we’ve ended up with polka dot capri. Apparently Kmart is very determined to get me back into capri pants. It’s not happening Kmart. [laughter] So after all that, what have I actually learned? I think the biggest thing is that I still really enjoy this. I still love fashion. I still love seeing what’s new. I still get that little rush when I find something and think, “Ooh, I love that.” I don’t think that living more intentionally means that we have to stop enjoying shopping or stop buying beautiful things. For me, it’s simply about putting a little bit of space between I love it and I’m buying it. Because looking through all of these pieces, there were things I absolutely loved that I’m still not going to buy. The striped cardigan is probably the perfect example. Beautiful shape. I’d wear it. I could style it several ways, but the color isn’t right for me. So, it stays at Kmart. And then there are things like the sleeveless tailored jacket. I’ve already owned something incredibly similar. I love the idea of it. I never wore it. I don’t need to repeat that mistake simply because there’s a new version sitting in front of me. But there are a few things that I generally like to try. the barrel sleeve blazer, the brown utility dress, the cranberry midi dress, which could be dangerous, and those Bermuda shorts because I’ve actually been looking for something like them since last summer. And I think that’s where I’ve landed with shopping at 58. I don’t want to stop enjoying fashion. I don’t want to stop experimenting. And I certainly don’t believe that there’s a list of things that women over 50 are suddenly not allowed to wear. I just want the things that I bring home to earn their place. They need to suit me. They need to work with my wardrobe. And most importantly, they need to work with my actual life. Now, I want to know what you thought. Which one would you put straight away into your cart? And more importantly, which one did you look at and immediately think absolutely not? [laughter] And please tell me whether I am completely alone on those polka dot capri. I’ll see you in the next one. Thanks for watching.