Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
July 15, 2013
Dress – Oro Pagoda, Scarf – India Flint, Gloves – Buscarlet, Bag – I Santi, Coat – Violante, Pumps – Stuart Weitzman
Printed top – Burberry Prorsum, Corduroy pants – Patagonia, Cardigan – Eric Bompard, Watch – Rotary, Loafers – Cole Haan, Carry-on bag – Tumi
Polo sweater – Eric Bompard, Black jeans – MaisonScotch, Scarf – Barbour Gold, Black cardigan –Barbour, Skirt – Patagonia, Striped tee shirt – Wolf and Badger, Boots – Isabel Marant
... View the Post
July 11, 2013
Now that I'm home during the day, I've found that I don't need to dress like a serious business executive all of the time, and I'm able to indulge my fondness for ballet-ish garments, and a lot of dark neutral colors. I find that being able to have a simple, monochromatic wardrobe makes sense for me... This month's additions: the most excellent Preloved tee shirt that I bought in Toronto, a charcoal tank top from Eileen Fisher, and a pair of black skirted leggings. You either LOVE, or HATE, skirted leggings. I've found that I love them - they're comfortable, flattering, and just unusual enough that they make me happy.
This was what I was using for Project 333. I ... View the Post
July 5, 2013
For a business event that is quite dressy, this ensemble below would be wonderful. And I particularly like this whole assortment of clothes, because it is all very suitable for those of us who do not have a well-defined waistline. Do remember, this much unrelieved black relies heavily on judicious and generous accessorizing to avoid looking monastic...You may not feel comfortable wearing a black dress to some occasions; I see them more and more at weddings - but of course now many brides dress their attendants in black, which opens up the possibility for the guests also. It's all about how comfortable you will feel - that's the only standard that ultimately matters.
Dress- ... View the Post
June 21, 2013
There were lots of black dresses on the streets of Chicago yesterday, and lots of all-black outfits. But a few really stood out from the crowd by virtual of their carefully chosen metallic accessories. From the young lady in the spikey necklace and woven flats to the executive with her Ferragamo shoes and bag, (and great silver sunglasses), black and silver caught the eye.
The first woman I saw who really got me noticing the all-black outfits with metallics was wearing a simple sleeveless top with shorts, but her accessories really elevated what might have been a very stark outfit. Right behind her was a lovely person in a sleeveless dress with gold flower jewelry - uncluttered, but very charming.
In the Loop, ... View the Post
June 17, 2013
Among the many perks of blogging full time, I think the best so far is that I get to spend much more time with Belovedest. Particularly fun is either walking to his office with him in the morning, or walking over to meet him after work and then walking home together. In doing this, I get to see literally thousands of women, every day, either going to or leaving their workplaces.One woman, who either lives or works very near to our home, wear the same coral, turquoise and gold necklace EVERY day. After I saw her the third time, I mentioned to her - in passing- that I recognized her necklace, and that it seems to be a favorite. Her reply, with a very moving and wistful smile: "I wear it every day; ... View the Post
Belovedest and I are off to Toronto for a long weekend of rugby and rest. I packed pretty easily from the Project 333, except I had to jump ship for the rugby match - nothing but jeans and a jersey will really be appropriate!So I hauled everything out and assembled it on my nifty hanging rack:
The obnoxious plaid thing is my pajamas... Far left is my black jacket - I might wear it on the plane, or pack it, depending on what the weather does. Then you can see my jeans, and my rugby jersey, and then my sweaters and scarves, tee shirts, and pants.
Everything lays out like this:
It is quite a bit more clothing that I would normally pack for 3 nights, but the rugby match requires very special garments, and the way ... View the Post
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
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
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
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
I may have mentioned recently that I had problems with the striped tee shirt that I had included in my spring and summer project 333. Bottom line - I didn't try it on when I was pulling summer clothes out of storage, and I found that it fit poorly when I finally went to wear it. I blame weight lifting...So one swap I've made is to donate the shirt that is now so unflattering, and replace it with a looser striped tee shirt that's designed to layer over things - in my wardrobe that will be tank tops or a simple dress.
More and more, I find that I'm very happy wearing monochromatic outfits - everything black and grey is starting to suit me well. I particularly found my green tee shirt to be... awkward - mentally. ... View the Post
May 24, 2013
Let's go back and visit our friend who loves black, white and pink. She has a black suit - remember? and I suspect that she has a simple black sweater to wear with her black cardigan. And she wouldn't be a real lover of pink if she doesn't have a pretty pink blouse. Since she owns black pants, a pair of black loafers would certainly be included. So she has a core of items looking kind of like this:
White cardigan - Rag & Bone, black blazer, skirt and pants - Mango, pink cardigan - J. Crew, black cardigan - J. Crew, black sleeveless sweater - J. Crew, sunglasses - Ray-Bans, pink silk blouse - J. Crew, ring - Baccarat, black ... View the Post
