December 18, 2020
She Knew Ahead of Time…
ruana – Echo
It’s her favorite accessory – it includes all of her favorite colors!
ruana – Echo
So when she dressed up, rather more than usual, for the staff meeting, she knew that she wanted to wear it. As well as some rather… bold accessories!
Ruana by Echo; earrings – QVC; glasses – Ralph Lauren; bracelet – Sequin; dress – Goodnight Macaroon; bag – KG by Kurt Geiger; tights – Marks and Spencer; boots – Donald J. Pliner
Because when they announced that she had won the employee of the year award, which comes with an extra week of vacation, she was READY!!!
Blue marled cardigan – L.L.Bean; blue earrings – White House Black Market; scarf – Echo; opal earrings – Sterling Forever; blue pearl earrings – Samuel B.; gingham mask – Paddy Lee Fashions; floral mask – Society of Threads; sweater/blazer – J.Crew; blue surf cashmere sweater – Halogen; white and bright blue tees – L.L.Bean; navy corduroy pants – L,L.Bean; infinity scarf – Echo; blue pearl necklace – Samuel B.; purple sweater – J.Crew; navy skirt – J.Crew; navy loafers – Amalfi by Rangoni; Venus de Milo socks – Hot Sox
She had her suitcase stashed in her office; her boss already knew that she was taking the next week off. She’s good at planning…
It’s not mad cold where she’s going – just cool enough to layer up sweaters and scarves! And walk, walk, walk, all around town…
The “normal” people in her office thought it was crazy that she was going to travel in December. BUT…
The normal people did NOT win employee of the year, did they?
love,
Janice
p.s. Three years ago, I was doing analysis of one of the “12 Months, 12 Outfits” wardrobes, and had some thoughts about how to figure out what you might need in your own wardrobe.
p.p.s. Masks – yes or no? Many of you are happy to see them, but a few of you have been very… forceful in expressing your distaste for them. I personally intend to wear masks for a long time to come – in large crowds I may wear them forever. How do you feel about seeing them in wardrobes?
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Re Masks, as we are in a worldwide pandemic they should be part of life and therefore part of our wardrobe. Thank you for including them.
While my Vivienne friends have already stated all the reasons to keep posting masks, I just wanted to add another data point. Yes, please include masks. It is Public Health, not Political. To wear a mask is an act of love for our community.
Love everything you do Janice.
Annie
I 100% agree with you!
I think it’s excellent that you are including face masks as part of your wardrobe selections.
It’s the new fashion accessory that we never knew we needed so please keep them in.
Whether we like it or not, masks are going to necessary for a good while yet so let’s include them as a part out our outfits.
Keep up your excellent work Janice!
Thank you for showing mask options.
Yes! I agree with you Helen. Masks are here for awhile so Thanks for including and please continue, Janice. We have a bylaw in place that states masks are mandatory until Dec 2021.
I’m more than happy to see masks in wardrobes as where I live they have been mandatory whenever leaving the house. Even though I never wear shoes with pointy toes, I also don’t mind seeing them in your picks.
Please keep on including masks. We have a worldwide pandemic to beat, and your posts help in normalizing and encouraging mask wearing. That is exactly what is needed right now, and I agree that masks (or reasons why we wear them) are not going anywhere any time soon either.
Besides, the ones you have shown here are so pretty that they certainly count as fashion statements.
I wear boring white disposable masks because I find them so much more easier to wear than fabric masks, but I’m STILL tempted to buy a couple of lace masks you featured a while ago. :D I keep dreaming of colored disposable mask options…
there are colored disposable masks! A friend of mine was wearing one when she dropped off my Christmas present, but I don’t know where she found it. – nancyo
Coronavirus is here and it discriminates–46 chromosomes, check. A bit chubbier than I should be, check. Already have asthma? Congratulation, you could be a winner!! Yes, please do continue to include them! I’ve been tempted to embellish mine, they are plain black.
Besides, did you know that St. John offers masks from $40 to $150 for a mask/infinity scarf?
Love this comment. “A bit chubbier than I should be” definitely rings true!!! And increasingly so…
Thanks for the chuckle, Rhonda :)
Oh yes! Please do include masks. I am excited to see how creative our designers have gotten with them. Some are really beautiful. Besides, I think they are necessary – I just lost a very dear friend to Covid-19. He refused to wear masks or socially distance.
Hugs to you, Rhonda!
Definitely include masks! I’ve developed a “signature” mask but it’s good to show they are part of life.
Yesterday I went to the grocery store wearing a plaid Scarf and I have a plaid mask in a completely different color and I was thinking I wish I had a mask to go with my outfit. I love seeing masks as part of the wardrobe plan. I think we are going to be wearing them for awhile. Thank you.
This!!! I love seeing the different masks available. Please keep them.
Please include masks. I don’t always agree with every item you show, for example I am not a scarf wearer, nor much jewelry. But I would never complain about them. You present beautiful things for our consideration, not a mandate.
I think the World is just a little on edge right now…
Sandy – perfectly said! I see the inclusion of the masks as another accessory for consideration. You have said repeatedly there are no rules, no “must haves”. Just ideas.
Well said!
Totally agree! Well stated.
I totally agree. Thanks for expressing it so well
Love this sassy vignette and gorgeous wardrobe. I am pro mask in the wardrobes. I find it a comforting reminder in this year of silver linings. We are all in this together!
Please keep the masks coming. They should be an essential part of everyone’s wardrobe.
Your post including a satin mask was an inspiration to me, I hadn’t realized it was an option. So my vote is to treat it like everything else on your blog – follow your own fancy :D
I need to comment on the wardrobe itself – AWESOME Love the bag! Coincidentally, I’m planning on wearing the red version of this ruana today. Thank you Janice for all the work you put into these posts. Even when the colors aren’t anything I would wear, I still appreciate the beauty and the concepts behind them. So happy I discovered your blog (some time ago now). Cheers.
P.S. Can I just say the online photo of the ruana really doesn’t do justice to all the colors. This red plaid also has pink, gray (greige?), a little orange, a little gold, and even some purple. Being acrylic they are incredibly soft! I am so glad I purchased it…
Beautiful job with the wardrobe :) Not my colors, not my style, doesn’t matter at all – its always great food for thought, and SO pleasing to the eye. I’m pro mask-inclusion. Like it or not, they are going to be around. I’ve heard a number of colleagues comment on how (thanks to masks and stricter hygiene protocols) this is the first time in a number of years they have not gotten a cold; masks during the winter may end up being a permanent trend. (they certainly are in Japan – when I visited 3 years ago, about 25% of the people on trains were wearing them, and nobody looked twice)
As someone who bought KN95 masks in an alarmingly bright green color that does not match anything I own, just to stay safe and healthy, I really appreciate seeing masks that coordinate with wardrobes! Thank you so much for including them in your posts. I never wear earrings and do not believe in pierced ears, but that does not mean that I feel the need to object to earrings. I think the same should be true of masks – wear them or not, but they can be a fashion statement so I say keep them coming!
I wear clip or screw-back earrings. The thought of someone punching holes in my ears makes me shudder. I find most of my earrings in antique/vintage or charity shops and fairs.
Hi Janice! I really like this color combination and I — really– like the sox! Love is too short not to wear fun sox!
** Life ** !
Love this ruana wardrobe today. Beautiful colors. I am certainly pro mask inclusion for the foreseeable future. You are somehow able to find perfectly coordinating masks and I appreciate it so much. I’m very tempted by the ones shown today.
Janice,
Masks— yes, it’s the reality of the world we live in for now .
I love ruanas ! I keep one in the front hall closet for when I’m feeling chilly while sitting somewhere in my house ( I am always cold, despite what the thermostat says), and I also have some to wear over a wool jacket on a brisk sunny day in Spring or Fall when going to church, though they have remained unused this year . But— this Spring is looking promising !
I love seeing that you include masks, and give us ideas for incorporating them into our looks. I don’t know anyone who objects to the requirement that we wear clothing, and certainly you help us make that mandate fun. I’m glad you’ve extended your eye to this new element as well.
My mom passed away this year, and I inherited a box of her brooches. I like to pin one to the side of a mask to fancy it up and celebrate her. Besides, masks are warm!
Janet,
So sorry for your loss ! I’m sure that your mother would be honored !
Yes to masks! Seems everybody agrees but I’ll chime in too. I rarely go out of my house these days but when I do, I’m rockin’ a mask my 80+ mom sewed up for me – usually the bright pink one that rarely matches my outfit, but it makes me happy!!
And I love seeing the masks that coordinate with the outfits. I agree we’ll all be wearing them for some time and it is better to make them fun and cheerful.
Also love ruanas and great to see one featured here.
My masks don’t match my usual clothing colors, so I love seeing the options where they are part of the wardrobe. It creates a more cohesive look. It makes me want to up the ante, and purchase some masks that coordinate with my clothes. Thank you, Janice!! Happy Holidays!
Another pro-masker here.
I love this wardrobe – these are MY colors. I can see myself in all of this. Even the dress – with tights under cause it looks shorter than my usual.
Thanks for all you do for us – and have a happy holiday season!
Today’s color scheme makes be very happy. Love it! It reminds me that I really do need to buy some tights for the winter.
I have appreciated the masks from the start. My thinking is, if we have to wear them (for who knows how long) they might as well be pretty! My best friend gave me my Christmas gift this week and it included a homemade one in red and black buffalo plaid for the holiday. Hopefully by next year it will be in my memento box for 2020, instead of being worn again. We can hope!
I don’t like to see face masking normalized, especially because I view facial coverings as part of the subjugation of women by various societies at various times in history. I’m also so over the idea of a mask as a fashion item. I see masks as purely utilitarian items that have to be worn as long as we are in danger from COVID-19. However, I am also passionately in favor of free expression and free speech, and as this blog is yours, you have the right to post whatever you wish! So carry-on, and I will ignore the masks.
I chime in as a person who bridles at mask mandates, and yet I also look at your addition to them in wardrobes as an accessory (like all the others) that you may choose to wear, or not. No offense taken at including what some choose to wear!
I too am supportive of showing the masks. I have all sorts of masks, very few of which match my wardrobe. Given that I intend to wear them for a long time to come (as you said, maybe forever in large crowds), I appreciate seeing the matching masks as it gives me lots of ideas.
Nicely put, Rebecca. Totally agree with you and the others who also appreciate Janice’s inclusion of masks in the wardrobes.
I love the wardrobe colors and I also appreciate that you include masks. I think they will be around for a while and like others have said if it’s not an accessory for you just keep looking at what is. :)
I absolutely love it that you’ve been including masks in your wardrobes. Why not make a virtue of necessity? A well-chosen mask can pull an outfit together in much the same way that a scarf does; why not lean in to that?
I love the deep and vivid colors in this wardrobe. And please keep the masks! It’s great that so many style blogs are including them – let’s normalize healthy mask-wearing behavior.
Janice,
This ruana is arriving today! I’ve been lurking since March. Your creativity and style have been a bright spot this year. “Winter” has arrived in Florida and this post will be the foundation for my winter capsule. Be well, and my thanks to you.
Please keep showing masks! I like the variety you show and new sources to purchase them. I think we will be wearing masks for a long time, even after COVID just to protect ourselves from flu and colds too.
I love this color scheme! I only wish you had found more in that gorgeous purple color.
I’m really glad that you have included masks in your wardrobes. As it says on the sign of a church near where I live, “Love your neighbor. Wear a mask.”
Here’s a consideration that I don’t think anyone else has mentioned. Someday, historians of fashion will look back at these posts as a great example of 21st century style. I think it’s important that they include an accessory that was an important part of our daily life at this time.
Janice, you are an amazing woman!
Alright, I’m officially choked-up now…
hugs,
Janice
I absolutely agree with the book goddess.
Yes to the masks! Love that you’re supporting public health in your own way!
This wardrobe is gorgeous! My colours and I love every piece, including the masks. I have a number of them, in different colours and patterns and agree that they’ll be with us for a long time so appreciate your take on them as accessories. Thank you for these moments of loveliness with my morning coffee.
Hate masks. They creep me out. I have two, plain black. That said, I just ignore them in your posts. No big deal. You do you.
I appreciate that – thanks!
hugs,
Janice
My daughter teaches middle school. They are in the classroom and of course have to wear masks. They are a mandatory part of her professional attire. So yes, keep the masks! Since I sew, I adjusted a pattern so it fits her exactly. I have coordinated fabrics for her outfits and have made enough that she can change them during the day(masks get damp and heavy from all the talking). It is helpful to me to see mask options!
Masks? YES!!!!!!!!! I make my own clothes and make masks from the scraps so that I have masks to match my outfit. My ex-husband sent me a link to mask making in the spring. I first made them from scraps from my pajamas. Sent some to him, too. Then this thing didn’t go away. So I made some in black, white, and olive scrap fabrics. By summertime, I looked up the scraps of everything I had in my stash and started to make them to match all my clothing.
I live in south Louisiana and it often does not get cold until late December or January, so I’m working on things that look like fall but feel like summer. There will be more masks. Until things return to normal (we each get to decide when that is), masks will be a part of my life and my wardrobe.
Keep up the good work.
From a long time reader …
Love these vibrant colors and the ruana. And please continue with the masks. By the way, some masks I recently bought have a pocket for filters. Where do I buy the filters?
Most people I know cut down coffee filters and use that. It seems logical to me; anybody else know more about this?
hugs,
Janice
I buy my filters from Amazon. They are PM 2.5 carbon fibers with 5 layers. They say you can use the filter for a week, but I only use it once?. You can get 30 for $12.95.
Sealface (https://www.sealface.com/) sells packs of 2.5ppm inserts. They’re a local biz in my area and we’ve been wearing (and handwashing) their cloth masks for months (the plain ones, not the valved ones). (no affiliation, just a fan!)
Yes, please continue to include masks as part of your posts. We are counseled by doctors, science and proven practice that masks help to cut down the spread of Covid. It is inconceivable that some won’t even try this simple strategy. Why even bother listening to the anti-maskers?
I think the masks are great and they have definitely inspired me to treat them as an accessory.
Because you asked – no, not a fan of the masks. Anyone wearing one, though, should stick with disposables and throw them away after each use. Cloth masks are worse than useless if they are not washed after each use. To me, matching a cloth mask to one’s outfit is the same as admitting that they serve no useful purpose. I am not saying this to argue with anyone, simply answering your question with my opinion about including masks and my reasoned judgement (based on research) of what they can and can’t do.
I live in the UK and I’m fed up of seeing disposable masks littering streets and car parks. They could be full of the virus so should be treated as clinical waste. They are now found in oceans. Yet more pollution.
I have more than enough reusable masks to last a week which I keep in a pouch in my drawer. I wash them with the towels at 60°.
I don’t even try to match my outfits. But I have a massive stash of high quality cotton, so I made masks for myself, my family and for friends. I wash mine by hand in hot water and soap after every use. The key is to remember that distance, all wearing masks and hand washing together will work. I agree with you, Janice, that wearing a mask in large crowds beyond this is a good idea. Some of us will have more stringent hygiene habits forever.
This is a wonderful capsule by the way. You find so many things I love!
Oh my – these are my colours and the ruana is stunning. Love all the other accessories as well, particularly the pretty blue pearl set.
However the padlock on the gorgeous Karl Lagerfield bag is a bit utilitarian. The kind of padlock you might get with a bike lock or on a suitcase. I’m sure he could have designed something a bit more glitzy!
Lots of comments about masks and I would definately wear them in a crowded street and they are compulsory in shops in the UK. It’s nice to coordinate but I’m not fussed about being matchy-matchy. Thanks for including them.
However, no-one has mentioned the purple specs! Thanks Janice for giving a nod to those of us who wear them! Two of my previous pairs were purple but I changed them in March and my current ones are metallic rose-pink.
The purple glasses were the first thing I noticed. I love how they act as a fashion accessory instead of simply being a utilitarian item. It may be time for me to invest in a pair of glasses in my favorite accent color!
Beth T,
I couldn’t help but think of you when these colors showed up !
definitely yes to masks. i agree we will be wearing them a long time and its not a hard thing to do.love the colors of the wardrobe and thanks for all you do you are brilliant
We learned to love masks when we were stationed in Tokyo and Seoul. They’re one of the reasons people in Japan and South Korea are so healthy. Thank you for showing how fashionable it can be to do the right thing!
Yes to masks. I make multiples out of 2-4 layers of quilting cotton (for the tight-woven fabric) to match our outfits. Sewn-in cotton batting is great filter material. We wash the masks daily, and they’re still going strong almost a year into the pandemic.
Recent studies, that I have seen, indicate that wearing a mask helps protect the wearer and those around the wearer. Sometimes, I wear the paper throw-away masks, but I prefer a certain style of cloth mask that doesn’t ride up over my eyes each time I look down. I decided that putting on a fresh mask each day is no harder than putting on fresh underwear as long as I am willing to invest in several cloth masks that I like. So, even when I am not drawn to the color mask you are showing, I have often looked at the site to discover if they have something that I would like to wear regularly. Sites you have featured have been the main sources of my cloth masks.
I spent some time in China a few years ago. I saw many people wearing masks to protect themselves from pollution and others wearing masks to protect others from colds, etc. I became accustomed to wearing a mask as needed for both air pollution and seasonal allergies, so wearing a mask does not seem like such a big deal.
Turning it round, wearing a mask protects other people that you are near. Colds and seasonal flu are less prevalent so lessons learnt. Wear a mask to.protect you and others;
If you feel ill, stay at home.
Don’t go to work ‘with a bit of a cold’.
I hope after this that employers will have a zero tolerance of sick colleagues and will pay them to stay away.
Being inspired by this blog to get some wardrobe coordination going with my masks, imagine how delighted I was to find a 5-pack for $9.99 at Macy’s in my winter palette (white/black/gray plus royal blue and true red). Boom! One click – done. All solids, but then they can’t clash patterns with my scarves. I’ve enjoyed how you bring in pretty patterned masks, but I don’t feel confident enough for pattern mixing just yet.
Yes, masks!! I love seeing them as an accessory. We need to have some fun while we’re being safe. I also have multiple masks and wash each after every wearing. No disposables here.
I love seeing the masks. I have about 10 or so myself, vital as I work outside of the house. It’s nice to think others also find perfect masks and enjoy wearing them.
For naysayers… it might help someone else and it does keep your face warm in the cold months. What’s not to love?
Absolutely show masks. It’s still jarring to see them along with your other accessories, but they’re a sign of them times and an essential. Almost anything goes with my Eddie Bauer khakis and LL Bean sweaters, so I’ve been wearing a Puremsk (https://www.pure-msk.com/). They fit better than most that we’ve tried. But keep showing us what’s out there.
I’ve been binge reading your blog ever since discovering this gem of hard work and analysis. I am learning the art of capsule wardrobe from a master teacher. First, thanks for showing masks in your wardrobes. I have an allergy to cold temperatures, and wearing a mask eases my facial reaction and mitigates the redness and swelling. I’ve worn face and neck gaiters in the winter and have enjoyed their comfort. Masks serve the same purpose, now in more fashionable choices.. Having beautiful options in masks is a positive boon. Today’s ruana and wardrobe really sings to me. I adore this color scheme. This Michigan girl is warming up to the idea of adding a ruana to her cold weather wardrobe. (The cardigan is my three season coat.) Ruanas remind me of the boleros of years past. I loved them. Thanks again for your effort and expertise. A fan from the other side of Lake Michigan.
I love seeing masks in your posts. I’m sad for anyone who feels that things that are necessary can’t also be beautiful—what about eyeglasses? Heck, what about clothes? They’re necessary (so to speak), and they can be true works of art! Shoes, boots… Nurses in pretty scrubs.
To echo others, there are plenty of things you include in your wardrobes that I don’t wear. But it’s not about taking your word as law, as “this is what you MUST WEAR”—it’s about seeing something someone has put together, and finding the beauty in it, and how it might work for me, in my own way.
Thank you for helping to normalize and beautify an accessory that saves lives.
This capsule is really appealing! I am usually not a fan of purple + navy (maybe I’m the only one?) but I love the way the ruana pulls it all together. – nancyo
Love the ruana and the colour palette. Beautiful.
Don’t mind seeing the masks, it must be a lot of time and effort finding ones that coordinate so perfectly. Thank you for the efforts.
It’s helpful to see how an uncomfortable reality can be minimized by coordination.
I hope for a day when we don’t need masks but honestly as someone with autoimmune problems I am grateful for people wearing them.
Yes, please please keep including masks!! I like being able to look cute and put together while protecting myself and those around me!
I mourn the normalizing of mask wearing for many reasons but the one I mind the most as I’m out and about is the inability to cheer someone with a smile. Though I almost never wear a face covering myself, I don’t mind that you include them in your wardrobes any more than I mind that you include earrings, which I also never wear. I enjoy your work even though our lives and our styles seem totally different. I think we need to relearn to respect each other and make allowances for our differences rather than shaming each other when we disagree. In this case, they’re your wardrobes, you construct them the way you want to! Blessings to you.
Hear, hear! Agree.
As for the smile I can no longer give I have begun to smile the way cats smile. Squinting my eyes just a little.
Yes on the masks. I appreciate the many new sources for purchasing this year’s “must have” accessory.
Keep going with the masks. Here in New Zealand where we have no community transmission of Covid, it is mandatory to wear masks on public transport including taxis in Auckland(out biggest city and location of a Covid outbreak a few months ago) and on all domestic flights. Part of the reason we have almost total genuine freedom during this Christmas period is because we as a nation listened to the scientists, and put the common good ahead of our supposed personal freedom of choice.
Here in the UK, it has been compulsory to wear masks in shops and on public transport for months. Tighter restrictions were imposed which the majority of people abided by but still cases rose.
However it has been confirmed at the weekend that we are being ravaged since October by a NEW highly infectious MUTATION of Covid with a higher viral load. This is now responsible for over 60% of cases. It is not clear whether this mutation was brought into the UK or simply developed in a very sick patient. My son said that you probably dont need to be in close contact any more. You could just get it from someone who is asymptomatic but shopping in the same supermarket.
Different variants have caused high cases in other countries. Covid circulating now is a very different ‘beast’ to when it first appeared. Countries that thought they were clear are now becoming reinfected with more virulent mutations.
Large parts of the UK, including where I live, are now in lockdown again over Christmas and probably all the way through January or beyond…
We hope that the vaccines that have been developed are still effective against the new mutation. ?
Janet, that is a lovely idea – both as a way to honor your mom and as a way to dress up the mask!
Janice, that navy dress is exquisite! I love this wardrobe. As for masks, please keep including them. As I’ve shopped for masks, my magpie ways have resurfaced. I have a dozen or so masks that I like very much – but they don’t all work cohesively with my wardrobe. It’s really helpful to see what you choose for these wardrobes. Thank you for all your hard work! And merry Christmas!
I know that masks are part of our lives right now but it does make me sad to see them, both her and on television shows and other advertising. I don’t want it to seem that I live in denial, but there is a certain escapism component to my online viewing and enjoyment of fashion that makes me not want to see them.
I love what you do and your sensibilities, so nothing will keep me from following! But it still makes me a little sad.
Beautiful wardrobe! Please do keep including the masks – they will likely be with us for quite some time… especially if we want to do any travelling. I always enjoy your heroines and their clothing options – thank you!