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Labor Day Outfit Inspo

Greetings and salutations! I’m teaming up with two of my fashionable friends to share some Labor Day outfit inspiration with you today.

I’ve partnered with these ladies before, but if they’re new to you, this is Deborah Boland of Fabulous After 40 and Tania Stephens of 50 is Not Old. I’m beginning to feel like I should have a number in my blog title, ha!

Deborah lives in Canada and has been blogging as long as I have (we both started in 2006!) but fashion has always been her focus. In her former life, she was a TV producer and host, and now she has made it her life’s mission to help women “tweak their chic” so they can look and feel stylish and classy in their 40s and 50s and beyond. I love her understated humor and ability to explain why an outfit works and how to tweak it to make it just right.

Tania lives in southwestern Virginia, not far from where I grew up. She’s been blogging for several years now, and like me, it started out more as a hobby but ended up becoming so much more. She describes her style as classic meets trendy, and she has such a fun way of weaving a personal story into each of her style posts. Her mission is to show women they can look stylish even on a tight budget.

If you’re visiting for the first time, welcome! I’m a 48-year-old mom of three, retired schoolteacher, and accidental fashion blogger. I live with my husband and kids in the suburbs of Philly, and my style is what I call casual chic. You will usually find me in jeans and a simple top, but I enjoy playing around with shoes and accessories to elevate these basic looks.

Today Deb, Tania and I are each styling an outfit we might wear to a Labor Day BBQ or get together.

I realize gatherings are a bit of a sticky wicket at the moment, but we’ll probably be getting together with a small group of friends outside next weekend, weather permitting. While Labor Day is often hot here in the suburbs of Philly, I still like to give a nod to fall with a darker color palette.

I picked up this camo tee during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and I’ve already worn it several times. I love the combination of blues and grey, and it has such a soft and luxe feel to it. Little details like raw edges and rolled cap sleeves elevate it above a basic t-shirt.

Unfortunately, it has sold out, but I found one that is very similar by Splendid, a brand I trust for quality casual basics.

If that price tag is a bit daunting, I also like this v-neck version by Lucky Brand, and Daily Ritual makes a good camo print tee for under $15.

I paired my camo tee with a pair of washed black denim shorts from Gap. I’ve been looking for a pair of black denim shorts for the past few months, and I finally found a keeper!

These shorts are made of a substantial stretch denim, and they have a trendy high rise with exposed button fly.

The inseam is 4″ but I gave them a single cuff so it’s probably closer to 3″ on me. I like the added interest the cuff adds to the look. These shorts run true to size ( I wear a 28) and they’re also 50% off right now.

My sneakers are a splurge purchase for sure, but they are high quality and so comfortable. I love how the black tab and snake print accent brings in the darker tones from my outfit, and they just add a pop of fun to the look.

Steven New York makes a similar style for under $100, if you’re interested in finding the look for less, or the Adidas Superstar would be perfect with this look.

I kept my accessories simple with a pair of silver hoops and a pair of mixed metal bracelets. These are some of my favorite designer pieces that were gifts from my husband, and I wear them a lot, but the key with a look like this is to keep the accessories minimal.

There’s a lot of pattern and texture in this outfit already, so I wanted my accessories to support that, not compete with it.

And of course, every outfit needs a great pair of sunglasses to finish the look. I’ve had this pair of Maui Jims for several years, and they’re still going strong.

I also threw my Coach courier bag over my shoulder, as an example of what I’d carry if I were going to be out and about wearing this outfit. Like the rest of my accessories, I wanted a bag that blends in and supports the look, rather than create contrast, as I sometimes do.

This simple look is perfect for so many late summer and early fall activities — errands, working from home, or socially distanced get-togethers with friends — and it can be easily recreated at any price point.

Now, be sure to visit Deb and Tania to see their Labor Day weekend looks!

Outfit Details:

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photos: Alison Cornell

Join The Conversation

24 Responses

  1. I finally caved and ordered the t-shirt. 🙂 I ended up getting the Lucky Brand version from Amazon that you linked to. After my spending at Nordstrom for the Anniversary sale, I didn’t want to spend too much, but I’ve been debating the blue camo since you first showed it. 🙂

    I love this outfit, btw. Love the shorts too, and I’ve had good success with Gap and Old Navy shorts overall. However, now that school has started, if I’m going to wear shorts, they really need to be much longer…like Bermuda length, (which I don’t have – they’re not that flattering on my short legs) so I’m sticking with cropped pants/jeans for now.

  2. Super cute and seems a bit out of your normal jean shorts and stripped top for Labor Day but I like it. My daughter is asking from a pair of Golden Goose for her 24th bday next month but I’m going to show her your P448 as a good less expensive alternative. Wish me luck and have a great day! 

  3. Love the navy on you Jo-Lynne, and in a camo print it seems really fresh and new! I’ve been wearing shorts a lot this summer. The weather has been fantastic and we’ve been living in our backyard! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. It won’t be long!

  4. Good morning – my goodness the Labor Day post through me off. I was thinking that I’m so out of the loop with my knee replacement recovery that I didn’t realize it’s Labor Say already??  Phew – was I relieved to see it’s still a week away. 

    Here’s my thoughts about PT – be sure you’re really ready to graduate. It’s easy to want those sessions to be over, but you really needed them. So make sure I’m you’re at your best place before stopping. How’s my PT going you ask?  Some days are better than others – but I know I need to be there. Having had it for the broken hip last summer & now again this summer for the knee I certainly know how uncomfortable & challenging it can be, but the results are amazing. I’m walking really good – hoping to be released to a cane this week. So – please take care of you. 

    I’ve bought 2 different camo tees – one the green & the other black & grays. I like them both so much & can see wearing them under sweaters & jackets this fall/winter. 

    Have a great day. 

    1. Sorry about that! Yeah, we planned the collab to give people time to prepare, but then I got myself all twisted in my head this morning when I was writing the post.

      And I hear ya on the PT. It is expensive and time consuming, but it really has helped. The doc says to keep going once a week while I ramp up my exercise program, and if I tweak anything, she can nip it in the bud.

  5. Good Morning, wondering if you think the P448 sneakers are more comfortable than the Veja sneakers ? I see mixed reviews on the Veja ones especially people having issues with the tongue of the shoe. Since I think you have both, I wondered which you preferred ?

    1. I’d say the P448 are more comfortable straight out of the box, but the Veja broke in fairly easily for me. I recommend taking the laces out of the last hole, that really helped with the stiff tongue. The P448 seem to have a little more support, but I think the softness depends on if you get leather or suede. The leather pair is stiffer.

      It really comes down to the look you’re going for. I feel like the Veja is more classic, and the P448 is a trendier look. If I could only keep one, I’d keep the Vejas.

  6. I really like the T-shirt. I do not like Camo and I have no Camo clothing. However, when I saw this one before, I was tempted. But I have the exact same style of Free People shirt in a leopard print from a few years ago, and it is a darker, edgier print than most, and I just wore it yesterday with some black jegging crops from Talbots. So I really like the style. You look great!

  7. I hope that you got a good report from the doctor this morning!  I like you outfit on you and will checkout the other ladies blogs.  Make it a great day!

  8. Great outfit and post! Just enough edgy, ontrend and looks great on you!
    Thank you!
    Do you think the Nords camo tee will be restocked? Im not really a camo girl….but this one sold me🙂

  9. Thankfully Laura will be long gone by Labor Day which is late this year. But we are in for a lot of rain this weekend! Love the cameo!

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