Archives for February 2015

February 2015 - Page 2 of 2

Maximize Your ROI: Leopard Flats

February 13, 2015

You clamored for leopard shoes - I hasten to respond! If these shoes were mine, I'd be seriously looking at one of these bags - there are LOTS of options...

As I so often find, these items look particularly nice when aggregated. Toss in a white shirt and maybe a black dress (as well as another pair of shoes!) and you'd be well outfitted for travel!

love, Janice

PS - For more in the Maximize Your ROI series, check out the following articles:

Maximize Your ROI: Orange Boots Maximize Your ROI: Black and White Houndstooth Check Flats Maximize Your ROI: Leopard Flats Maximize Your ROI: Estellon Striped Handbag Maximize Your ROI: St. John Collection scarf ... View the Post

Start With Art: Version 2 The Apparition by Gustave Moreau

February 12, 2015 From the very first moment I launched the original post about this painting, I KNEW that I was going to have to look at this again, and pay full attention to the beautiful blue and green at the top of the canvas.

I decided to make this really simple, and concentrate on the opulent feel of the painting as much as the luscious colors.

I pictured this as someone who has to travel overnight for a quite formal event, and then make their way home the morning after. This whole capsule is all about velvet, brocade, cabled cashmere, and ornate jewelry. Sigh...

It wasn't at all easy to find these colors and textures, but I'm ... View the Post

Maximize Your ROI: Black and White Houndstooth Check Flats

February 11, 2015

As I mentioned before, I've received a couple of questions about what to wear with a special pair of shoes. When I saw these, I KNEW I was going to have fun, given my abiding love of all things black and white:

A little fearless mixing of stripes is the perfect foil for these simple flats. And a classic black dress with just a hint of white would be madly useful through the summer.

Putting dots with the houndstooth of the shoes seemed like a fun idea, and the pleated shorts are a lot more forgiving than the super-short shorts that seem to be everywhere! The red dress is easy with the black and white shoes - and a bag in a MUCH larger houndstooth pattern keeps things amusing.

Any bright color works ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary

February 10, 2015

Sometimes, I struggle to figure out what I want to wear. I know that's NOT something I probably should admit, but it's true nonetheless. So I've started keeping track of outfits that I like, that are comfortable, appropriate, and that make me happy... And since I love to make pretty pictures, and I love to share them with you, I've started keeping a visual journal of these outfits, which I'm going to update every Monday. This means that you'll be seeing them on Tuesdays for a while.

Normal people probably wear at least seven outfits in a week, but recently I've found that I either repeat an outfit during the week, or spend an entire day in gym clothes. (my workout schedule - especially my work with my ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Ice Skating on the Moat by Esias van de Velde

February 9, 2015

Yes, three DIFFERENT readers sent me links to three different paintings about ice skating. What are the odds? (100%...) Some people have mentioned that they (a) don't wear cardigans, (b) want to have as many outfit options as possible from a 4-Pack, and (c) have to wear a skirt or dress for travel because they go directly to their work obligation upon arrival. I've tried to address all three of these concerns here, while at the same time giving a feeling of coziness to help with the inherent chill of winter business travel.

Square scarf – Hermes, earrings – Giuliana Valz-Gen, turtleneck – Brunello Cucinelli, skirt – Tulchan, watch – Skagen, tote bag – ... View the Post

Maximize Your ROI: Orange Boots

February 7, 2015

It might be the request I receive most frequently: "I just bought ______ and I don't know how to wear it!"

As much as I'm a big fan of planning purchases and having a deliberate wardrobe scheme, I'm not immune to the reality of the "coup de coeur" - that French kick in the heart that screams to you and will not be denied. And I think that these impulses that overwhelm can be a good way to indulge in an accent color, or a change of wardrobe direction.

Take, for example, these stunning boots:

These are oh so NOT my style, but I can see the appeal. And one of you, dear friend, fell for their charms.

Now what to do? I have a plan. Of COURSE I have a plan!

Consider, while you're still carrying these ... View the Post

Start With Art: Bodhisattva from the Late Zhou Dynasty

February 6, 2015 She has to travel for business, but it doesn't have to clutter up her mind... One of the reasons that she is so good at what she does is her ability to cut through the noise and focus on the essence.

love,

Janice ... View the Post

The Whole Heart Thing…

February 5, 2015 It's that time of year - we're inundated with heart-shaped goodies of all kinds. Now, a frilly box of GOOD chocolates never goes amiss, but many of the things being presented to us right now would be much better suited to a teenager, and NOT to a woman of defined, exquisite taste and preferences. So my answer to all of this is to buy my own heart-shaped goody or two, and wear them when I'm in the mood, time of year notwithstanding! You can always start with the traditional red heart: I'm not telling you that the leather heart is STILL available, and comes in a stack of colors!

Or you can opt for the equally expected, but somewhat less intense pink heart. Sometimes the heart is ... View the Post

Handling Temptation

February 4, 201 Saturday, one of my friends too me to the most AMAZING store... It's completely unassuming name is Juju's Vintage Resale Shop, and it's in a strip mall in Chicago, but very near Niles, Illinois. You could drive past it every day for a decade and never imagine the amazing wonders to be found inside... This is just one of dozens of displays. It's almost all vintage costume jewelry, it's gorgeous, and the abundance makes your head spin!

Maybe an entire ETAGERE of black and white holds some appeal?

It was pretty clear that we were going to be in this store for at LEAST an hour, just admiring all of the amazing items, and the creative and appealing ways ... View the Post

Start With Art: Winter at the Convent by Margaret Loxton

February 3, 2015

I love this painting... if this doesn't make you smile, I can't help you.

While I strongly suspect that these nuns are wearing black habits, the habits look very navy on my computer, and so my imagination was strongly drawn to working with navy, white and cool pastels.

I've talked before about the usefulness of having six garments that are the same color, that give you a basis for getting dressed on Monday morning without opening your eyes. That idea has really stuck in my head, so I've decided that I want to build on it a few times. Let's start here:

Even if you get dressed out of here every Monday, you still have LOTS of clothes unworn, so let's toss in a few extra goodies ... View the Post

Start With Art: Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh

February 2, 2015 Today, our heroine needs a Four-Pack for a quick business trip. These few garments give her a couple of options for work days, as well as including a dressy dress for the inevitable cocktail party that seems to be included in these outings...

love, Janice ... View the Post