Accessorizing Archives - Page 15 of 23

My Favorite Posts: Accessory Families

October 17, 2015

I love accessory families - I think that a really productive way to analyze a potential purchase (of accessories OR clothing) is to think of your possessions as a family, and try to envision the candidate for inclusion playing nicely with what you currently have...There were a bunch of these posts at the beginning of 2015 which remain favorites of mine!

White Outfits with Grey, Turquoise or Celadon Green Accessories

Brown Outfits with Accessories in Light Blue, Brights, and Brown

Denim Blue Outfits with Floral, Bright and Silver/White Accessories

Beige Outfits with Accessories in Celadon Green, Brown and Light Blue love, Janice ... View the Post

Accent Colors for Fall 2015

August 10, 2015

You remember these guys, right? They're the colors that Pantone assured us would be the BIG colors for this fall and winter.Well, I've seen a lot of Marsala in the windows at Ferragamo. Other than that, I can't say that, in my hours and hours spent each day looking at clothing and accessories, I have seen any of these in large quantities. And for what it's worth, I had to do some serious hard-core digging to find some of the goodies shown below.

I think we can conclude that Pantone's either not as accurate as they would like to be, or that the market is much less dependent upon their advice than they once were. This is a real annoyance if you fell madly in love with one of the colors that was supposed to be ... View the Post

Choosing Accessory Colors; More Accessory Clusters

June 6, 2015

I was thinking a lot about yesterday's winning color scheme, and so I thought it might be productive to put all of that thinking into action! The first thing I did was start browsing around looking at scarves that might be harmonious with the color scheme in question; it's important to bear in mind that things don't always have to be dye-lot matched. If someone gets a big thrill out of noticing that something you're wearing isn't EXACTLY PRECISELY the same color as something else... well, they're easily amused, and you've done the good deed of keeping them entertained. Some people will complain that their ice cream is cold...

So I found this beautiful Hermes scarf:

And I thought I'd monkey around with the ... View the Post

A Dusty Pink Jacket: Integrating an Accent Color

May 20, 2015 Ahh, sometimes you receive a gift that's lovely, but... A dusty, soft pink jacket is a wonderful gift - there are few of us who can't wear this color successfully, but what if you've never before owned ANYTHING else in this color? Happily, a coat's a great thing to integrate into the rest of your wardrobe, because you can wear whatever you want under the jacket, add one well-chosen accessory, and everything will look pulled-together and thought out. Here's an example of the coat:

From here, your options are wide open! A beautiful scarf?

A beautiful bag is a great idea!

Lots of other possibilities...

And don't ... View the Post

A Turquoise Handbag: Integrating a New Accent Color

May 5, 2015

Today, I'm going to try to answer two questions with one blog post. (something about birds and stones comes to mind, but I don't kill birds...)

Many of you are reluctant to buy shoes that aren't in neutral colors - maybe it's a question of having to buy very expensive shoes because of foot conditions, or a reluctance to draw attention to lower body and/or legs, or perhaps you have Audrey Hepburn feet (aka disproportionately large)... But for whatever reason, it's perfectly justifiable, as if you have to explain or defend your preferences!

And of course, we wanted to marry navy and turquoise, because it's one of the great color combinations!

So let's grab this lovely bag first:

And go back to our navy travel or ... View the Post

A Yellow Handbag: Integrating a New Accent Color

May 4, 2015

I know I said I was going to take Mondays off. Some Mondays, I will. But today I had this whole yellow handbag question lurking in my mind, so I thought I'd share what I've found and learned. First up, there are lots of nice yellow handbags in the world! I personally would carry this one with the shiny plaque against my body (I'm not paid to advertise for any brand; I don't do it for free!). But this is a nice size, and I have every reason to believe it's well made, and it is available in seven colors...

And of course I'm sticking with these five navy garments, because I delight in showing the inherent versatility of timeless classics.

My initial adventure into yellow ... View the Post

An Orange Handbag: Integrating a New Accent Color

May 2, 2015 I know I've mentioned it before, but I really can't recommend a Longchamp Pliage bag highly enough; tossed into another tote bag, or into luggage, it can come in handy more often that you would imagine. Just for groceries, it's been used hundreds of times. And on vacation, it makes a great stash for dirty laundry during your trip, and then a handy way to get gifts back without crushing them in your regular (very small) luggage...

So today, let's envision the potential of a bright orange bag:

The same old, same old, simple navy group of garments. Who could imagine that we could do so much with such simple pieces of clothing?

Orange shoes weren't at all difficult to find - ... View the Post

A Hot Pink Handbag: Integrating a New Accent Color

May 1, 2015 Before we all indulge ourselves in beauty, let's talk about something important - Nepal. I'm sure many of you have already donated to the relief funds for Nepal's recovery from the recent devastating earthquake, but if you're in the mood to do a bit of shopping AND benefit Nepal, Novica (one of our favorite sites for jewelry and other gorgeous crafts) is donating 10% of all of their sales from India to Nepal relief.

Someone in India has work, you have something beautiful, and more money goes to help the people of Nepal - a pretty excellent equation, I'd say! Now let's revisit the idea of introducing a new color into a simple navy wardrobe. Today, the requested color was PINK! This bag could ... View the Post

A Leaf Green Handbag: Integrating a New Accent Color

April 30, 2015 I've been thinking a lot about my friend's inclination to buy a bright green handbag. This time of year, when it feels like we haven't seen ANYTHING green since the Christmas tree came down, bright green can be really tempting. And if the bag in question is beautifully well made, in a classic design, the urge makes even more sense! This was the bag in question - you might be able to see the allure:

But I, for some reason, just can't quite see an ensemble in which you're wearing other colors (in this case, navy), and the only green thing in your outfit is the bag. Other people are okay with this, but for balance and a sense of intentionality, I like to see another green something included. ... View the Post

Integrating a New Accent Color: A Smoky Blue Coat

April 25, 2015 Another interesting email: One of your is seriously considering the coat shown below, but you have some concerns about how this color will integrate into your primarily black and white wardrobe. Well!!! It's a lovely coat - I particularly like the way that the buttons are placed close enough together that the double-breasted effect is actually vertical rather than horizontal (a rare bit of design intelligence, I'd say). The pockets help with the vertical feeling too, and this shade of smoky blue is beyond lovely - subtle and rich. BUT! It's a substantial (gulp) investment. This isn't a purchase that you make on a whim... The writer also indicated that, if she chose this coat, that she wants ... View the Post

Choosing the Right Scarf Color – One Approach

April 24, 2015 Here's a decision scenario: you know you like the scarf - the silk and wool blend, the pattern drawn from foliate motifs and calligraphy of the Sultan's courts of India, the knowledge that your purchase supports the Metropolitan Museum of Art - but WHICH COLOR TO CHOOSE????

I'm of the opinion that your wardrobe should have a certain DNA - a "fingerprint" that is as unique as your own. If this is true, then anything that you add to your wardrobe should look like it's related to the things you already own. So maybe this decision can be made easier if we look at some options that might currently be in your closet, and see if any of them look like they're in your style family... Do you ... View the Post

How to Choose a Green Hermes Scarf

April 16, 2015 The email asked me to help choose from among a handful of Hermes scarves, being purchased for a landmark birthday, and to serve as a focal point for personal style and image. But the most fun part? In a very monochromatic (black, dark denim, white, eggshell, pale silver, linen white) wardrobe, she is looking to this illustration for accent colors:

This absolutely charming and intelligent book has no text, so it's appropriate for any child (and a lot of adults!) anywhere in the world... What a brilliant inspiration! The scarves in her narrowed-down shopping were these:

I was thinking about looking at shoes, to try to isolate the defining DNA of each scarf.

Dear, ... View the Post