Archives for September 2016

September 2016

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Hint of Hibiscus, with Six Neutrals

Okay, this color does more than hint... but it's not as overpowering as some hot pink shades can be. There's a world full of colors, if you have the patience to look for it; it's possible to find just the right one!

The manufacturer calls this "Neon Geranium," but I've never seen a geranium this color! And I have seen hibiscus, at my mother's home, exactly this color...

It's easy to see how a fondness for this color could start with a sudden desire for a beautiful tote bag... And for what it's worth, this isn't a bad color to love; it looks good on a lot of people, and I found it pretty easy to combine with all of the neutrals in question. So if you're tempted, it's worth making a plan!

This is such a natural ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Sprig of Shamrock, with Six Neutrals

Why yes, I'm Irish... I've lived in Dublin! I love it there...

For some reason, the images arrived here in the blog post in a different order than usual! Ah, the wonders of computers... Frankly, this color was very difficult to find in scarves, so I thought that this would be a good opportunity to investigate the possibilities of fine jewelry. If you were born in May, maybe an emerald or two could be in your future? This combination is unexpected, but I think it works...

This might be one of the best neutrals with this bright green; it doesn't feel like the brightness of the green is too overwhelming.

Navy and bright green are made for each other - this was unquestionably the easiest color combination in which to find a ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Touch of Turquoise, with Six Neutrals

If I were to advise you, sight unseen, to try an accent color, this would be the one! It's not TOO bright, it goes well with everything, and it flatters most people. Plus it's pretty readily available in all kinds of garments and accessories - what's not to love!

But I struggled to find a "nice enough for you" pair of shoes in this color, so I'm opting to include a clutch bag. When you think about it, a clutch or other small bag in an accent color adds some color to your outfit without being worn near your face, and won't break the bank. If you want to retire the accent color after a season or two, you just pack your accent pieces away for a few seasons... A clutch, wallet, or cross-body bag isn't going to go out of style!

Olive is ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Bit of Bright Blue, with Six Neutrals

I love this color! To some of us, it's still quite a flashback to the '80s, but we shouldn't let that keep us from wearing it...

Yes, the sweaters are a twin-set. You don't ever in your life have to wear the 2 pieces together, if you don't want to. But it wouldn't be crazy to make certain that both of your accents garments are compatible, if only so that you know that your accessory choices work equally well with each piece. And you might want to wear a twin-set some day. Crazier things have happened! This bright blue with the olive brightens up the outfits quite a bit. For someone who adores olive but who finds it less than flattering, this kind of use of a bright accent might make all the difference.

Grey and blue are colors ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Soupçon of Scarlet, with Six Neutrals

You asked for "soupçon," you get it!

If you're going to have a red sweater, why not a cozy cashmere cardigan? This is one of those garments that you could keep forever, and wear it mostly for Christmas and Valentine's Day, but there are a lot of other times when it could be just the ticket. Some gloomy day in November, when the sun has never shone...

First up, scarlet and olive! This is a combination that might veer too far into the Christmas-y, if the green is too bright. (Which isn't a problem, unless you don't like the look.) However, this olive green mutes those holiday associations, and provides a good base for the brightness of the scarlet.

I've worn red with grey for years, and I've always like the way to quiet richness of ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Part 2: Portrait of Marevna by Diego Rivera

A calm, balanced woman, able to see all sides of an issue.... Remember her from the class reunion? This was her visual cue:

When we met her at the reunion, this was what she had with her to wear; she was deftly straddling the divide between warm and cool colors:

Just a few days later, she's headed to Europe for a 10-day... attempt to talk some more extreme individuals down off of a political ledge. It's all pretty quiet - no fanfare...

(yes, she seriously considered packing the matching leopard shell...)She's going to have to talk to a wide variety of people, in a WIDE variety of settings. She will certainly see the inside of a conference room, but also the occasional bar stool in a pub, or long ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Part 2: Spirit of Autumn by Albert Pinkham Ryder

Do we remember the veterinarian from the class reunion? She was the woman who used this as her style leitmotif:

And who had packed this eclectic mix for that trip:

Since she's an expert in the study of contagious diseases in free-range ruminants (someone's got to study these things!) she's been invited to an extensive symposium on lifestock health being held at a major university. Thus, she's going to be gone for a while, and is going to need some additional things to wear:

It's a college campus, so it's casual. But it's other animal health professionals, so she wants to look nice. And there will be at least a little bit of visiting of beasties in their various places of residence, so waterproof boots will be handy. (yes, ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Part 2: Cow’s Skull: Red White and Blue by Georgia O’Keeffe

She's a medical examiner, and she's got her own, very deliberate, way of doing things! When we saw her at the class reunion, this was what she had with her:

This is the unifying style inspiration that she uses for her appearance and image; not for just anyone, I'd say!

Now, she's preparing for an interesting vacation. She's agreed to go with him on his lengthy business trip, even though they don't know each other all that well...

The promise of 10 days in a new city is compelling, and the idea of having 8 or 10 dinner dates with him is... sufficiently intriguing that she's willing to give it a try!

She packs meticulously, as would be expected. Because it's vacation, and because it might be romantic, she includes lots of ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Part 2: Portrait of Pablo Picasso by Juan Gris

Mmmm, Cubism... it forces us to look at things in a different way, and that's bound to be a good idea...

Remember the author/art dealer from the class reunion?

When she left the reunion, she had only a few days left to pack before she had to prepare for a big art show in Milan...

She's devoted to beige and brown, and her blue eyes insist on blue accents. The show will be casual, dressy, classic, avant-garde, and everything in between. So she's just going to dress like herself, and let everyone else do the posturing...

The brocade shroud, the military uniform, the obsessive caressing of a VERY inappropriate pet are NOT for her...

Let them be all artsy and fey and scattered; she's going ... View the Post

Stop the Presses! New Colors are here….

Well, of course there aren't new colors here - there ARE no new colors...

But Pantone has announced their colors for Spring 2017, so it's always interesting to see what in the world they've found that's interesting...

It's considered very significant, in fashion circles, that they chose to make this announcement hot on the heels of New York Fashion Week (yes, it's capitalized!). I'm not sure why.

These are their choices:

They're lovely colors, of course. All colors are lovely... (and yes, if you compare these to the colors of the year for 2016, you're going to see some REALLY familiar things; there are a finite number of colors in the world!)

In the interest of seeing how these color look when mixed in with neutrals, I've ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of a Young Woman by Henri Regnault Part 2

Remember her? Of course you do - we first saw her as the inspiration for this six-pack capsule wardrobe in black and blue.

The CEO Travels

When she left her reunion, this was her travel capsule wardrobe:

She knows that in about 6 days, she's leaving for a 10-day trip to meet potential investors. She was pretty happy with what she had packed for the reunion, but realizes that she's going to need a few more business/dressy ensembles. Her agenda is going to be full of meetings and meals with these... people... so dressy but completely covered-up and professional are key.

And she doesn't want to pack a pile of shoes; black shoes are the only color in this bag!

She'd much rather dine alone...

The chosen garments fit very ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Pinch of Plum, with Six Neutrals

Depending upon whom you consult, this is NOT plum. However, I like it, and so for now we're going to roll with it... There are going to be more colors in this series, so some other interpretations of plum in a capsule wardrobe are entirely possible!

Purple is an interesting color for which one shops; a great deal of what's available looks very... goth? Sort of like you're living on the fringes of normal society? Just plain strange? It's such a pity, because purple is a lovely color, and goes so well with all of our neutrals.

(I've had a deep fondness for the "stitchworks" L.L.Bean cardigan for years. I'm really happy that I've finally found a good place to show it to you!)

I was REALLY doubtful of how well olive was ... View the Post