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Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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An interesting juxtaposition of timeless and trendy

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

Capsule Wardrobe Fall Accent 2013: Turbulence

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

Your best color, and a Signature Scarf

Back in the dark ages of the 80's, when I was in graduate school, I worked for a department store.  (very un-glamorous, I assure you).  This was back when department store inventories were NOT driven by individual "designer" boutiques; we had separate departments for suits, for sportswear, for formal wear etc.

For a while, I worked in the area which sold tee shirts, blouses, shirts and sweaters.  We carried at least a dozen styles at any point in time, depending on the season, and each style was available in a couple of dozen "cosmetic" colors.  In other words,  we always had tops available in every possible shade of coral, peach, plum, pink, berry, cherry, crimson, scarlet or whatever other lipstick-like color you ... View the Post

Somebody hates what you’re wearing….

July 16, 2013

Yes, someone hates what you're wearing.  Someone else hates what I'm wearing.  Ultimately, there is absolutely NOTHING any person can wear that will be pleasing to 100% of the population.

Okay, maybe the only person who hates your outfit is some disenfranchised 14 year old with purple hair and a bad attitude.  But the underlying message is the same - you can't make everybody happy.

We know that about so many other aspects of our lives, but we can lose sight of it when it comes to getting dressed.  The idea of choosing a polarizing garment (like my favorite skirted leggings) can be terrifying for some people- they'd much rather wear safe, neutral garments that doesn't say anything, rather than ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Weeping Cherry & Bullfinch by Katsushika Hokusai

July 1, 2013   This painting is so beautiful - the first thing that struck me was the clean simplicity of it.  So I was initially drawn to cool, somewhat architectural clothes, of course in blue...  

  More blue - still simple, clean, with silver accents.  

  I loved this sweater juxtaposed with a lace skirt- it felt like it captured the balance between the simplicity of the overall painting contrasted with the delicacy of the flowers.  And there was no way I could resist chambray...  

  And even winter clothing can reflect the beauty of this painting.  Soft sweaters, tweed, suede, all capture the gentle grace Katsushika Hokusai brought to life ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Scorned as Timber, Beloved of the Sky by Emily Carr

June 20, 2013

  So very simple.  Tall, austere, lean, yet radiant. Vertical is balanced with the striations of the sky. Soft, cloudy, stormy around the edges, luminous throughout.  A lifetime of personal style inspiration could easily come from this...   A stunning dress, with simple earrings, pumps, and a structured bag.  A casual tee shirt dress, with shoes and a necklace that echo the sky in our inspirational painting.  

A cloudy grey coat, with soft suede boots and a stormy sky scarf, or a lacy dress with some dark accents, a soft and flowing wrap, and skylit shoes.  Even the earrings are lacy!

 

Another sleek dress with simple silvery accessories, or maybe a ... View the Post

Thinking about grey and black; color, and your immediate environment

June 5, 2013

 

The comments about my recent Project 333 post were an interesting conversation about colors, and who's comfortable wearing what colors in what environments.

I'm looking out my window right now, which faces south and west, looking out onto downtown Chicago.  The only colors I can see are shades of grey and beige - even the sky is grey right now.  If you love cities (and I DO love cities), it's a beautiful view. But if you're looking for color, this is not where you'll find it.

I take all of your comments very seriously. I read every one of them, and think about what you've taken the time to say. I gave a great deal of thought to comments which thought that my current wardrobe is dark, ... View the Post

I am not a movie character; hard, but necessary, wardrobe decisions

May 31, 2013  

  Somewhere in my imagination, I walk across windswept moors, my long flowing hair sweeping behind me. I'm dressed in something graceful and fluid, and it's all very dramatic and romantic...

 

And for a long time, I would occasionally buy something for this life..   Reality check? I wouldn't walk across a windswept moor, I'd stride at about 4 mph. My hair won't GET long - it won't grow past my shoulders. And even if it would, it would never flow. It might boing and sproing and ping and pong in it's curly way...   The fluid garments would get snagged on the gorse, and would get all wet and muddy around the hem...   The hardest part of having a focused wardrobe is the ... View the Post

Surviving the Treadmill – The Great Courses

May 23, 2013  

Yes, I go to the gym five days a week.  I walk two miles, at least, on a treadmill, at something just over 4 miles per hour.  It's boring, and tiring.And I don't really find that television keeps me amused...

So a few years ago, I started buying and downloading courses on music, philosophy and literature from The Great Courses. 

 

    I'm particularly smitten with this professor - Dr. Robert Greenberg.

 

He's smart, he's funny, and I know more about opera, symphony, and a bunch of composers...

You might as well enjoy yourself and learn something while you're burning calories.

Why yes, I AM running behind schedule... More normal posting will ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 Failure of the week, and the best advice I didn’t take

May 16, 2013  

 

  Every  wardrobe advice writer in the world will remind you that you should try on ALL of your clothes on a regular basis. It seems obvious - your body changes, the clothes can change, and the way your body feels in the clothes (an elusive concept, but you know what I mean) can change more than anything. But I, in a moment of reckless confidence, decided that I could just roll with last summer's clothes -it was only a few months ago - without trying things on.AND... my striped tee shirt is terrible. It just feels short and tight and awkward - I will never wear it...

Okay, so this isn't a tragic problem. I donated the offending tee shirt, and I found a wonderful replacement at Eileen ... View the Post

Do you actually WEAR your favorite clothes?

May 10, 2013   Yesterday, when I was getting dressed, I reached out for my favorite silk jacket. It's from Eileen Fisher, it's a color she calls cobblestone, which is sort of bronze/grey/green, and when I wear it I look tall and thin and young, and AMAZINGLY stylish.   I reached.  And then I pulled back.  WHAT?????   Somewhere in the back of my mind lurks this voice that says "oh, save that for a special occasion..."   Really?  At my age?  It's not like I'm going to get dirty on the playground, nor spill chocolate milk on myself at lunch. (mmmmm....chocolate milk....)   What's the worst thing that can happen?  

I might be the best-dressed person at work.  (Oh bother) ... View the Post