Navy Blue Archives - Page 23 of 60

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 14: A Light Neutral Cotton Turtleneck

September 30, 2019

Even though the days are still lovely and warm in Chicago, the rational part of my mind knows full well that it's wise to start planning for winter!

In all fairness, the cotton version of these turtlenecks aren't particularly dressy! But if you need something a bit more formal, consider looking for merino wool turtlenecks; they're light and lovely...

For those of us who live in cold climates, layering these tops under another sweater is the single best way to stay warm. And I like the way they look; they frame your face nicely...

A simple, light color can be very versatile...

Blending shades of a color is always nice...

Your light neutral might not be white or ivory, right?

If you ... View the Post

September Start with a Bracelet: Thoughtful Lynx by Fierce Lynx Designs

September 27, 2019

Oooh....

Who needs lots of colors, when you have THESE????

The Manuscript Will be Available... For just a few days... She's going to be there lecturing for a week; it could NOT have been better timing!

She plans what she will pack - she knows that once she's there, she won't want to think about clothes, so she's making it pretty much foolproof.

Days in the Manuscript Conservation Room will be casual, completely with white gloves! And the lectures will be a little bit more dressy; she's quite certain that some professors there will sit in...

Since navy is her neutral, she knows that she wants to start here:

Since she's finally going to unlock the secrets hidden in that most elusive ... View the Post

September 2019 – 12 Months, 12 Outfits – based on 6 Hermes Scarves

September 4, 2019

My favorite post of the month! Although I love everything I give you, I must admit...

For new readers, the thesis is this: in January I choose 6 Hermes scarves from the new season, and then, for a year, I add a new outfit each month to six gradually growing and developing wardrobes. It's fascinating to see how the wardrobes evolve...

Even though the weather is still quite warm (in the Northern Hemisphere, that is!), this is honestly the time to start getting your fall and winter outfits together. The selection is best now, both for styles and sizes. And having these outfits ready for that first cold day gives you both a sense of security AND something to anticipate! (it's good to have something wonderful to ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 10: Neutral Print or Patterned Top

September 2, 2019

I'm in Pittsburgh... I'd be a true ingrate if I didn't give a hearty shout-out to the lovely people at Crazy Mocha who let me sit in their store while I finished this post. If you see a Crazy Mocha location, patronize them!

What differentiates this top from the one you added to your wardrobe last Monday is the degree of print. I see this top as being something that makes a little bit more of a statement - a more visible stripe, or a more pronounced floral. You could stick with something subtle, if that's what you like!

This first top would be lovely for someone who wears jeans frequently...

There aren't a ton of guidelines for this purchase: stay in your color palette and your chosen ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 9: Neutral Textured Top

August 26, 2019

This week's addition to our Weekly Timeless Wardrobe could be either a shirt, blouse or sweater, depending on what you feel will be most useful for you. What I envision being included in your wardrobe will be something with some texture or pattern to it - a striped tee in your neutral colors, or a cabled sweater. Maybe a neutral shirt with a small, discreet print....

These guidelines provide a reminder of what to consider when you make this purchase (or choose something from your existing wardrobe!):

A subtly patterned shirt with a background in your dark neutral is really versatile:

A sweater with a bit of depth or texture gives you something with a little bit of interest to wear with printed skirts ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Polka Dots!

August 16, 2019

I was out and about the other day, wearing dots... And suddenly I saw them everywhere!

This isn't precisely what I was wearing, but it's sufficiently close that you could pick me out of a crowd...

Dots are great - they're truly timeless and classic, but they're sufficiently interesting and uncommon that they bring a sense of fun and whimsy to any outfit...

I particularly love the idea of a dotted dress... How can I have managed to never have one for my entire life?

I'm pretty sure I had a dotted skirt, back in the days of my corporate wardrobe. I was pretty racy... This next skirt would be great for the entire year - can you imagine this outfit for the winter holidays, with a cozy cardigan on ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 7: A Second Layer

August 12, 2019

While the first 6 pieces of this wardrobe are versatile, our heroine could certainly use something to keep her a bit warmer, and give her that "finished" look that you get with a jacket or cardigan...

I'm a fan of keeping this first cardigan (or jacket) as simple as possible; simple = versatile when we're talking about clothes...

In all of the earlier weeks, we've been looking at pants, so I thought that I would show that a good cardigan is the perfect thing to wear with a dress. If you want to look more casual, or wear a summery dress when the weather cools down, a sweater is the answer!

Why yes, that handbag is absurdly expensive... But I like the way it looks here; I'm sure we can all find something a ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 6: Dark Trousers

August 5, 2019

Tee shirts and jeans will get many of us a long way in life, but it's about time we started dressing a bit more... not casual!

These pants can be pretty much anything other than jeans! (and no, I do not consider leggings, nor yoga pants, to be what we're looking for; they have their place in your wardrobe, but this isn't it...)

If I were only going to have 1 pair of pants that were NOT jeans, I'd definitely get a pair of cotton twill pants, similar to the summer dress pants that men wear. They're appropriate for almost the entire year - maybe not the screaming dead of summer, but any other time. If the overall design is simple, you will find that you can wear these pants with anything from a cashmere sweater to a ... View the Post

August 2019 – 12 Months, 12 Outfits – based on 6 Hermes Scarves

August 2, 2019

This file is getting insanely big! I live in terror of having it becoming corrupted; I've got it backed up EVERYWHERE...

Now that the stores are beginning to look legitimately autumn-ish, it might be a good time to check the condition of your boots. If you're picky, of if you wear a difficult size, don't hesitate to start looking now, even though it might feel insanely early...

A plain white shirt or blouse would certainly work well here, but I love these dots...

As always, if we choose a new outfit based on the same scarf, the garments will pretty much by definition work with the rest of the wardrobe:

And as always, these new pieces add a lot of new possible outfits to your small ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 4: Another Accent Top

July 22, 2019

Maybe bright, maybe a soft pastel. Heck, maybe the SAME color as last week, in a different neckline or fabric! Wardrobe accents are where you get to show your preferences, so listen to your heart!

As always, owning this garment is NOT a life requirement - think of this rather as a suggestion for building a wardrobe that makes life easier, and makes you look better...

And yes, we're going to get some patterned, printed or textured garments before the Autumn segment is finished! These early pieces are to help ensure that you've got the basics covered - both literally and figuratively!

For many of the following outfits, you might notice that I've used much of the same pieces as our heroines were ... View the Post

Revisiting Edith and the Kingpin by Jack Vettriano

July 19, 2019

Remember Edith? She originally went to the resort after she had been ill, and then was invited back to interview for a hostess position...

Burning with Curiosity... He's there every day, at lunch. At the same table. He recognized her immediately, and gave her that cryptic half-smile that curls her toes...

She's frankly thrilled that she's wearing such an elegant uniform. They actually did alterations on her dress before she started working! Imagine...

After her interview, they decided to hire her immediately. They took her to the room that would be hers, on 2nd floor of the back wing of the hotel, where the staff lived. Women are on the 2nd floor, and men on the 3rd...

She was able to leave the ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 3: An Accent Top

July 15, 2019

Time for some fun!

This wardrobe addition could be in ANY color of the rainbow, and a whole bunch of colors that aren't in any rainbow...

I'm going to show you a handful of ways to incorporate an accent color into an outfit, and then next Monday I will show you essentially the same outfits, with different accents! For most people, 2 accent colors is a good number. Some of us manage just fine with 1, and others among us will want 3 or even 4. Don't beat yourself up if you find that limiting the colors in your wardrobe is difficult; everybody is different, and has different comfort levels! What matters is that you're moving toward having a wardrobe plan, and toward getting better use from the clothes that you ... View the Post