“7 Jeans” for Seven Sisters … and All Mankind!

Redondo Beach, California

“The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself. ” – General Douglas MacArthur

Outfit Details:

Black Leather Capri, Coated Black Pant, Bomber Jacket, Mini Skirt, Luxe Ankle Skinny, Pewter Pythons, Racer Back Tank, Luxe Boyfriend Jean, Sequin Booties, Vintage Boot Leg, Skinny Denim Capri, Polka Dot Blouse, Red Boots 1, Red Boots 2, Red Sunnies, Black Sunnies, Faux Fur Coat, Fisherman’s Cap, Leopard Bag, Lace Cami

I was born at 7 PM on 7/7. They say that’s a lucky number and highly auspicious. 7 has always been my lucky number. Little did I know just how lucky – until recently! 

This past year has been a wondrous and magical year filled with blessings at every corner. Two months ago, my business manager walked into my office and asked me if I had heard of 7 For All Mankind jeans. I responded “Of course! They’re awesome.” He told me he received a spam email saying I had won some contest grand prize and it was 7 For All Mankind. I jumped up and shouted, “OMG … I entered a big contest to win a shopping spree through Who What Wear.” He looked at me skeptically and raised an eyebrow which said “Yeah right.” I ran over to his computer and, there it was: an email from an Editor at Who What Wear letting me know that I had won a virtual styling session with her and a $2500 Shopping Spree at 7 For All Mankind! Now, that’s a lucky 7!

Has my life always been this lucky? I wish! Let’s dial it back to 8th grade, growing up in the north shore of Chicago. All my friends had the latest denim. Me? I was wearing my brother’s hand me down Wrangler jeans. Fortunately for me, he was tall and skinny! Fast forward almost 5 decades later to today. Fashion is my world! Fashion is what literally brought me back to life only 4 years ago! Fashion changed the way I saw myself – the way I saw the world and the way the world saw me. Designer denim wasn’t in my wildest imagination growing up. 

My very first purchase of designer denim was a pair of 7 For All Mankind Jeans. I was living in Winnetka, IL, raising my two kids. I wasn’t into wearing “Mom” jeans. I’ll never forget my first pair of  “Sevens.” I never wanted to take them off. They fit perfectly. They were a boot leg pair of dark wash denim with the famous embroidered logo on the back pocket. That was back around the time 7 For All Mankind launched. I’ve been wearing their jeans ever since. I love to dress up but I’m a Boho girl at heart. Most days, you’ll find me dressed down, oftentimes in my favorite denim.

In my 58 years on this planet, I’ve entered A LOT of contests. I mean A LOT! I never won any of them. To win a shopping spree where I could choose $2500 of 7 For All Mankind styles felt like winning the lottery! I was counting the minutes until my virtual styling session with Natalie Cantell, Who What Wear’s Fashion Director for Branded Content. I felt like a little kid on her first day of school – ready for her class picture. Natalie was, of course, absolutely adorable. This was my very first virtual styling session. I’m used to styling myself and others, so it was pure luxury to be on the other end of things.

Natalie pulled up some of her favorite looks, many of which I happily scooped up, when I hit the 7 For All Mankind website! She put tremendous thought into every piece she selected. She showed me a wide range of options, after a little back and forth getting to know me and my personal style. It was pure delight to be “styled” by Natalie in this amazing virtual world we live in. It was also wonderful to see how much the team at “7” had expanded way beyond denim. The site was filled with everything in the latest in denim to faux furs, leather pants, suede bombers, gorgeous silk blouses, cashmere sweaters and even a fabulous selection of well curated leather goods. 

I made note of Natalie’s favorites. I spent some time looking over the 7 website and decided to wait until after FierceCon 2019 wrapped to fully enjoy my spree and have the time to create a special blog post to thank the team at 7 For All Mankind and Who What Wear. It’s hard to put into words what this experience meant to me. This past year, I’ve “manifested a lot of miracles.” Only 4 years ago, I manifested the miracle of my life, having almost lost it to Lyme disease. It’s ironic, that fashion was the medium that brought me back, literally sparking back to life. Here I am today with amazing health and a global mission to inspire and empower women at Midlife & Beyond. If I have to say so myself (and I do!) – we’re pretty cool!

As a Boho Cali girl, I feel as if I’m always living in jeans. After combing the website and Natalie’s selections, I couldn’t resist a couple of her “must haves,” beginning with a pair of sleek, black leather capri pants as well as a similar pair in coated black. It’s so easy to build an entire wardrobe around these two pieces – classic and timeless – both part of my regular “uniform.” An upscale uniform at that! I have been meaning to find a new pair of leather pants as I wore my last pair to the bone. I was ready for a fresh, new look and these leather capris are made of soft, buttery leather with the high waist that I love. The higher rise tends to be far more flattering on women as we get older. Next on the list was a fabulous bomber jacket with the most beautiful combination of suede and black patent leather that was calling my name. The jacket has a hint of gold piping which only added to the style quotient. It’s the jacket with the WOW factor! There’s a matching mini skirt that’s going to remain on my wish list for the moment as I was too busy scooping up more denim and skinny jeans.

Skinny jeans will always be a favorite. Fortunately, their website is filled with an endless parade of choices. I had seen the Luxe Vintage High Waist Ankle Skinny with the perfect bronze lurex stripe in their ads on IG, and knew I had to add them to my wardrobe. The matching silk blouse was sold out in my size or that would have been added in an instant! My next purchase was the high waisted ankle skinny in coated pewter python. I’m a huge fan of coated or “waxed” jeans as they can easily pass for your favorite leather without the high price tag. The “Seven” website also has an awesome collection of basics, including my favorite racer back tank in a sumptuous cashmere blend in heather grey. It’s a wonderful neutral that pairs easily with just about anything. 

With the holidays around the corner, who can resist a pair of denim with a dazzling hem made out of sparkly sequins in the Luxe Vintage Boyfriend Jean. Well, certainly – not me!!!  This pair isn’t a skinny, but super flattering with a comfy high waist. Paired with the simple grey tank, they’re ideal for day or toss on the suede bomber and you’re ready for a night out. As I was headed out that evening, I chose a favorite pair of sequin booties by Aquazurra that I was lucky to score during the Black Friday frenzy! Lucky for you that I’ve linked them and they’re on sale at the moment.

The one thing I love about 7 for All Mankind is they always seem to have a wide range of styles on sale.  I’m a sale girl by nature. I was raised to be super creative when it came to fashion. I lived at DressBarn and Loehman’s and used layaway and a healthy amount of patience to purchase more expensive fashion at a fraction of the original cost. My father always told me I had champagne tastes and a beer budget. Fortunately, after decades of experience, that’s served me well as I tend to find incredible bargains. The vintage high waisted boot leg jean was one of those rare finds. There were only a few sizes left when I was lucky enough to find a pair. They also had a few fabulous backpacks seriously marked down on the website that sold out right away. I scooped up this pastel blue beauty before they flew off the virtual shelves. I also grabbed a pair of skinny denim capris with the sweetest button front that also sold out. Those I paired with the darling polka dot blouse and red boots as a wink to the holidays approaching. I’ve linked a few similar styles that are available. When it comes to finding Seven items on sale that you love – don’t hesitate to hit that buy button. They tend to sell out quickly.

The nice thing about 7 For All Mankind is the quality. The company is based right here in LA. Every single item they design and manufacture is to the highest standards. The denim maintains it’s shape. One of my biggest pet peeves is buying a pair of jeans only to find them stretch out after one wear by a full size or two. That’s not an issue with “Sevens.” They fit like a dream. I wear a size 25. I know when I order a 25, it’s going to fit.  The company has developed a solid following and a reputation for its innovative use of fabrics, fit and finishes in denim. In its 19th year, “Seven” continues to be a force in the industry – a force for innovation and a force for inclusion and doing wonderful things in the world for mankind. Now, that’s a company I’ll gladly stand behind and invite you to as well!

Over the years, “Seven” has branched out into higher end designer pieces like sumptuous leather pants and beautiful suede bombers. They continue to raise the bar when it comes to quality. They’re expensive but worth every penny. They’re classic, timeless and the perfect investment pieces to last you throughout the years. Or, like yours truly, through the decades! 

I would highly recommend signing up for the 7 For All Mankind newsletter to stay abreast of all their sales and special discounts. And, of course, if you’re not already on the Who What Wear email list (and WHO isn’t???!!!) that is the best place for women obsessed with fashion and beauty to find anything and everything you’re looking for – including wonderful bargains, giveaways and contests like this incredible Shopping Spree! Just signing up for these two newsletters will significantly increase your luck factor. I promise!

My best advice for you if you’re looking to win a contest or your very own shopping spree is ENTER ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! (If you haven’t signed up for the StriVectin $900 Product Giveaway yet, what are you waiting for?!) You can’t win if you don’t play. The more you play, the more chance you have to win. I believe 7 For All Mankind is a lucky place to be – for me and for you!

I’m beyond grateful to have shared this experience thanks to the team at Who What Wear! I’ve been dreaming of connecting with you and I know those dreams have power! And, to the team at 7 For All Mankind, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Dreams really do come true if only you believe. I believe. I believe! 

One last thing, which may be the most important of all – Who What Wear is raising the bar when it comes to media and inclusiveness and celebration of women at Midlife & Beyond. I cannot tell you how much it makes my heart sing to see women like our very own Fierce sister and my dear friend, Melissa Meyers, The Glow Girl, on your front page! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And I know 7 For All Mankind has been opening up to including women over 40 in their marketing. Myself and the women of The Forever Fierce Revolution are Forever Grateful to you! We may be older, but we are definitely bolder. We love fierce. We live fierce and we dress fierce.

Cheers Beauties! What’s on your wish list!!!