Start a Capsule Wardrobe With Archives - Page 142 of 157

When a White Shirt is PERFECT

Sometimes, a white shirt (tee shirt, tank top) is the ideal choice for an outfit... First and foremost, if you love the way you're dressed, then you're wearing the perfect clothes, no matter what ANYBODY else says. In hot weather, when you're wearing other light-colored garments, or when you need the brightening effects of white near your face.And you do understand that "your" white might be ecru, or cream, or ivory, or some other variations of white? Choose what's best for you. Always. Every day. Without exception. Your happiness is really the only standard by which your garments should be evaluated.

The lighter-background tee shirt is much more in keeping with the feeling of the white jeans. ... View the Post

Signature: Hermes Clous de Trompe L’Oeil enamel bracelets

July 3, 2013 If you have the good fortune to own a pair of Hermes enamel bracelets, you may want to use them as the basis of some outfits...

Cardigan –Closed, Earrings- Georg Jensen, V-neck – Closed, Silk blouse – Steffen Schraut, Blue cardigan – Massimo Alba, Wine jeans – Closed, Bag – Dolce & Gabbana, Grey tee shirt – Organic by John Patrick, Wine tee shirt – Organic by John Patrick, Slate blue pants – Massimo Alba, Tweed skirt – Dolce & Gabbana, Suede loafers = Patricia Green, Flats – French Connection

love, Janice

... 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

When White Shirts Fail

June 28, 2013 White shirts are an absolute classic, right? Everybody should own one. Everybody should pull it out and wear it whenever they're in doubt about what to wear. Uhhhh - I don't quite agree. Yes, there are times and places where a white shirt is the most appropriate choice - a conservative job interview, for example. But many of us, on a day to day basis, might be better flattered to wear tops that are closer in color to our pants or skirts - if not a solid color, then a darker background. See what you think... Belovedest and I saw this woman a couple of days ago, and he asked me why she seemed so out of proportion - the woman in question is actually tall and thin. Her white ... 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

One outfit, six different scarves

June 13, 2013

It's tempting to starting thinking of each scarf as being "married" to (or at least going steady with) a particular outfit that you own, and moreover, to always reach for the same scarf when you put on a favorite outfit. I do this often, and I'm trying to break out of this habit, and shake up my scarf/clothing combos a little bit. So I took one outfit that I wear a lot (this sweater is linen, so it can be worn through all but the hottest summer months) and tried to see how it would pair up with a variety of scarves.I show Hermes scarves here, but PLEASE bear in mind that this exercise is true of any scarves you own. Vintage from a thrift store, hand-crafted from a street fair, or heritage ... View the Post

Integrating a scarf into A Common Capsule Wardrobe: Hermes Coup de Fouet

June 11, 2013 So one of you recently purchased a very beautiful scarf, and now you're feeling.... stuck? unsure? It's a common situation, and one that's pretty simple to remedy.

This is the lovely object in question, entitled "Crack of the Whip". Striking graphics, and an unexpected juxtaposition of yellow in the middle of the purples and blues - those Hermes people are good... First thing you have to isolate is what color or colors drew you into this scarf? If it was the turquoise, for example, you might find that you already own the following items, to complement your scarf.

Further, let's assume that you own some version of The Common Wardrobe, a couple of simple dresses, and a ... View the Post

Choosing a scarf – Hermes, in black

June 10, 2013

Many people ask me how I choose the scarves I buy... (I can hear my mother, replying "Veeeeery carefully!") Most important, absolutely, is that you should LOVE the scarf. Not just like it, not just think that it goes well with your wardrobe - you've got to feel strongly, and perhaps in a way that you can't explain rationally. The appreciation of beauty is a gut-level reaction that can't always be verbalized, and can never be faked. This is as true for an inexpensive scarf picked up at a street fair, just as much as it's true with an Hermes - it should be true for anything that goes into your closet, frankly...

So, hypothetically, you've narrowed your choices down to six different scarves. All Hermes, all ... View the Post

Another DVF dress; 1 dress, 6 ways

June 7, 2013

I thought a lot yesterday about the mystique of the Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress. I've never even tried one of these on; I'm super-skeptical about how a traditional wrap dress will work with my short-waisted, full-balconied, and generally no-waist torso. But I browsed through a lot of Diane's other dress designs, and found the beauty below. This really calls out to me in all kinds of ways - it's got my favorite colors, a much less dangerous décolletage, and some side shirring that seems as if it would be very flattering...

Sigh...

love, Janice ... View the Post

One dress, six ways: A Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress

June 6, 2013

One of my friends is very committed to her black and white wardrobe, which she accents with jade and aventurine jewelry. When she saw this Diane von Furstenberg dress, she was very tempted, but just couldn't commit - she wasn't sure that she would find enough ways to wear it.Now,I can't make the decision for her, but if she knows that she will want/need a dress in the next year or so for a number of events, she will have ways to wear it...

aventurine pendant - Tiffany, green wrap - Faliero Sarti, black and white slingbacks - Semilla Scarpe, pearl and black crystal earrings - Majorica, pearl necklace - Slane, black cardigan - J. Crew, black pumps - ... 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