Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
December 28, 2014 When you think of a tweed coat and pink accessories, how do you imagine them? It's great fun to remember that there are so many options available...
love,
Janice
Looking Back:
2013: From Desk to Dinner Party: Pastel Silk, Some Earrings, and a Nice Bag 2012: What to wear with a scarf: Hermes Reve de Corail 2011: A Field Guide to Winter Sounds ... View the Post
June 12, 2014
You really can't swing a dead handbag these days without finding racks and racks and RACKS of floral garments, bags and jewelry. Normally, there are always at least some floral items available at any time of the year, but this summer it seems that it's easily the dominant theme. And many of us are wondering if this is something we should consider; is this a trend that's worth pursuing? Good question...
It's important to remember that there are a wide variety of floral prints, and you might want to evaluate the options before you discard the whole idea of flowers. Consider these various views of the "floral" theme:
For many of us, this is what we consider when we think of floral - big, glorious, ... View the Post
June 11, 2014 Floral garments are everywhere this summer - any sort of skirt, blouse, tee shirt or dress your heart may desire is out there somewhere... But I receive emails every day asking how a floral garment can be incorporated into The Common Capsule Wardrobe. Let's look at this problem in some detail. First off - the gorgeous blouse with which you fall in love - is it in colors that bear at least a passing resemblance to the rest of your wardrobe? Or does it include a substantial portion of a neutral (or two)? This blouse might be the first glimpse of rose/dark pink that your wardrobe has seen in decades, but at least it has a lot of neutral khaki in it, and enough black details that it can be worn ... View the Post
April 24, 2014 Warm accent colors with navy and beige? Absolutely!
I've changed up the cardigan again - this one is a splurge and a half, but the navy and coral are beautifully presented here:
And just to show some other possible choices, I've picked out a new skirt and a pair of outrageous summer pants. I personally would wear these pants in a heartbeat, but your mileage may vary!
This gives you this 24-piece wardrobe; isn't it fascinating how changing just a few of the garments makes so much difference in the overall feel of the ensemble?
As always, lots of possible ways to wear these - from the most casual, to reasonably dressy activities.
love, Janice ... View the Post
April 23, 2014
Many of you mentioned mixing shades of blue with your navy and beige, citing the always beautiful suggestion that this reminds you of the sand and the sea. How can anybody make this happen?
Say this is your summer shopping - these are the accent colors that you use, rather than the red and green that I used earlier. So your color scheme is this:
In addition to changing out the accent colors, I'm going to make two simple changes to the original core wardrobe. First, I want to include a floral sweater that does justice to our chosen accent colors:
and I'm swapping out the patterned skirt from earlier for a solid navy skirt with a ... View the Post
April 22, 2014
Once more, let's visit this beige and navy spring and summer wardrobe. You're happy with this wardrobe - it provides appropriate and attractive options for pretty much every event in your life. But you decide that you WANT something floral, just to participate in a current trend. You love flowers. You want a new tee shirt. You just plain want to shop! Keeping your color scheme in mind - either through carrying around some skeins of embroidery floss, or a photograph of your closet, or whatever mnemonic works best for you:
You stumble across this beauty in your shopping:
All your colors. Floral. It seems perfect... ... View the Post
April 19, 2014
Let's say that you are the happy owner of the 24 piece wardrobe in navy and beige that we've looked at for the last two days... And you decide that you want a little bit of brightness for spring!The only real thing you want to keep in mind while shopping is the degree to which anything new that you choose can be worn with your core pants and sweaters. A scarf that includes your core colors, along with a couple of pretty accent colors, is a good place to start. Pick up a pair of tee shirts in the accent colors, and you're on your way!
At first, these don't see to be a particularly compatible choice for your original wardrobe:
But in ... View the Post
January 2, 2014 I had a few more variations of this floating around my computer, so for those of us who continue to party through the 12 days of Christmas, here are a few more suggestions!
This first look is low-key dressy, with a hint of sparkly cardigan, some serious silver earrings, a wee silver bag and a hint of silver trimming the shoes. All the accessories come from the same general family without being too matchy matchy. The 2nd ensemble features a wonderful ornamented cardigan, so I kept the earrings small, the cross-body bag a bit lacy, and the slingbacks (low-heeled, thank you!) have that touch of white that echoes the pearls.
Silver earrings – Oscar Figueroa, dress – Acne, ... View the Post
December 31, 2013 Sometimes we're confronted with an invitation that strongly suggests that we get super dressed up. EEEEEK.... If you're sure that it's absolutely obligatory that you dress to the teeth, just brace yourself and go shopping. But if you are pretty certain that you just need to be dressy, maybe a simple dress with some well-chosen accessories might be just the ticket!
love, Janice ... View the Post
December 30, 2013
It's an absolutely unbreakable rule for cleaning out your closet - you're supposed to take EVERYTHING out of your closet, pile it somewhere like on your bed, try EVERYTHING on, and then sort things into piles for things to keep, things to donate, and things to "work on".
I can picture that chez moi:
Open bottle of wine. Take all clothes out of closet and put them on the bed. Look at stacks of clothes and feel a terrible combination of shame, panic, and sense of being completely overwhelmed by the situation. Drink wine. Try on a few of my favorite garments, and put them back in my closet. Take another drink. Throw up my hands in despair and put things back where they were...
I'm sure that ... View the Post
December 28, 2013 Pastel silk tunics can go undercover during the work day, but look gorgeous after work. Some dressy earrings, a small bag, and some dressier shoes, and you're all set!
love, Janice ... View the Post
December 27, 2013
I don't see a lot of bracelets in the world, and I think that's too bad. Bracelets elevate any outfit to something much dressier, and they're particularly effective at the dinner table. Make sure that you're choose bracelets that aren't too bangy or clinky or clanky - you want to be beautiful, but not to the point of distraction!For all of these outfits, I've shown a very simple 3/4 sleeve ("bracelet" sleeve) top, in a color matching the pants, and for day I've topped them with a cardigan that makes sort of a statement, and some simple loafers. Then after work, in addition to pulling on your bracelets, I'm suggesting some shiny shoes - always flat and comfortable though! A change of ... View the Post
