Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
January 15, 2014 I'd never heard of this artist until just a few days ago, but I'm so delighted to have been introduced to his work. This painting made me look for warm textury shades of russet and rust, as well as wavy misty greeny/bluey tan clouds in the sky. Basically I made up some words, but the potential within this painting is amazing.
I love the range of possibilities offered when you look at these outfits as separates, combined into a wardrobe...
love, Janice ... View the Post
January 7, 2014 Many readers asked me to work with a Picasso painting, and I happily oblige. These outfits are based on beige, just as the painting is literally on a beige background. Accents of red, orange, yellow, a touch of green, and you're set for almost anything! My guiding adjectives for this project were warm, saturated, and clear, with unexpected bursts of bright against the toasty neutral.
This is a wardrobe that could see someone through much of the summer!
love,
Janice ... View the Post
January 3, 2014
This painting is currently at the Art Institute of Chicago, as part of the Celia and David Hilliard Collection exhibit. I'm not sure if it's oil - I suspect it might be pastel - but it captivates me immediately...My impressions from this were of warmth, and simplicity - clear lines and powdery soft colors, with matte finishes.
“A Mysterious Hand Leads to Another Path” – Jan Toorop, blue topaz ring – Zayd Makarim, blue linen tee shirt – Isabel Marant Etoile, natural linen shorts – Comme des Garcons, denim blue sandals – Popet seafoam linen dress – Paul Smith, scarf – U-NI-TY, silver sandals – Dr. Scholl’s
“A Mysterious Hand Leads to Another Path” – Jan ... View the Post
December 13, 2013 Maybe the question I am asked most frequently - how do I pack when I'm not sure what the weather will be, or when I know that I'm going from cold to warm (or warm to cold) temperatures? Things to keep in mind:
Avoid any garment that's overtly "one climate" - like a bulky cable knit sweater, or a filmy linen tunic. Try as much as possible to choose what you pack from that middle-ground of transitional clothes. Consider:
merino sweaters (or cotton, or silk, or a blend of these), cotton blouses and tee shirts, pants in flat finish fabrics like crepe, twill or gabardine, and dresses that can be layered under a sweater or worn alone.
Plan around a color scheme that will be ... View the Post
I don't have children, and none of my close friends have children. There are pigs that know more about PowerPoint than I know about little kids... Once a child reaches the age of seven or eight, and has some hobbies and some interests, I can treat them like a tiny, ridiculously cute, apprentice adult and get them cool grown-up stuff. But small children - I'm clueless.
So Saturday, when I ran into the lovely people from Wonder Kids, I was thrilled. Cool bath towel capes, for home or the beach? Bring them on!
I chose to post today about their products because I was so delighted to find a locally made, affordable, appropriate gift for small children, and I wanted to share the information in case there were other ... View the Post
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September 30, 2013 This is such a great painting - simple, but beautifully balanced and whimsical, with a wonderful usage of multiple shades of green. Many people find green hard to wear, but if it looks good on you, I say wear it often, and with a smile. From this painting, I drew primarily the idea of looking for a lot of different shades of green, and of balancing the outfits through the strategic use of green accessories... Does anybody else remember reading a book - maybe as a child in the '60's - that included a character named Mrs. Moss? She was a schoolteacher, and she ALWAYS wore green? It's tickling around in the back of my head, and I can't figure out if I really read this, or if it ... View the Post
September 24, 2013 This painting made me think of subdued yet strong colors - both warm and cool. Intensely pigmented, but muted in brightness... It was a beautiful challenge.
Cardigan – A. F. Vandevorst, jeans – Brunello Cucinelli, bag –nada, loafer – Trotters, gold silk blouse – Lanvin, pearl necklace – Majorica, skirt – Deborah Drucker, high-vamp pumps - Trotters
Stud earrings- Linda Friedrich Jewelry, Blouse –Marc by Marc Jacobs, jeans – Uniqlo, ballet flats – Sofft, taupe tunic – Maison Martin Margiela 4, pleated skirt – Uniqlo, triangle earrings- Robert Rose, belt – Halogen, pumps - ... View the Post
September 11, 2013
So yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Slim, at an auction house here in Chicago. They were having an extensive sale of Vintage Couture and Accessories - Vintage, using the term loosely... Specifically, we wanted to see if it was within budget to bid on either of these two:
Turned out that things went a bit too rich for our budgets, but the contrast between the things we saw at the auction, and the contents of my email inbox when I got back to my desk, was striking:
There's nothing particularly wrong with thinking about next year's colors - if you're in the fashion industry. But the difference between clothes that were impossible to date, and the implied "temporary-ness" of the lists of ... View the Post
September 9, 2013 I've had lots of questions about the Pantone Autumn/Winter 2013 colors, and how to integrate them into a wardrobe, so I'm going to show a series of posts that might give you some ideas, or some help. I'm starting with Turbulence, because it's easy to work with, since it's more of a neutral than a bright accent...
Next, just for working purposes, I'll start with a very neutral wardrobe; 10 pieces that might be in almost anybody's wardrobe, are readily available, and easily combined with other items.
Just off the top of my head, there are a dozen easy outfits added to your wardrobe. Realistically, there are a lot more ... View the Post
