Olive Green Archives - Page 3 of 19

Accenting Olive Green with Other Neutrals

July 31, 2023

Olive! Oh, do I have advice...

If you really want to build a core wardrobe in olive green, be prepared to work with colors that blend, rather than match perfectly. Couple the difficulty of even FINDING olive clothes, with the way that different companies call all sorts of different colors "olive," and you've got a project on your hands!

My approach would be to buy a couple of rolls of packing tape, and then mail order a BUNCH of olive garments, and then return anything that didn't work.

And get some paint swatches, or lengths of embroidery floss, and keep them with you at all times! You never know when the unexpected craft show will offer up the perfect scarf, or necklace...

But I finally managed to get some ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe for a Dressy Weekend: Start with Art – La Trappistine by Alphonse Mucha

June 23, 2023

Now that summer is finally here, it seems that many of us are being called upon to get gussied up!

Yes, the term "gussied" always makes me laugh...

It's always more challenging to find warm weather clothes in warmer shades...

It might be a wedding weekend, but it might also be a graduation, or an anniversary celebration - there are plenty of reasons to get dressed up and party in the summertime!

Our heroine isn't at all sure what she wants to wear when, so she's bringing an assortment of dresses with her, as well as a couple of tops and pair of bright jeans. Once she arrives, she can check with the organizers of things to see what will be most appropriate when.

And then she will wear what makes ... View the Post

A Green Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Start With Art – The Autumn Moon by Shufu Miyamoto

June 14, 2023

They Named Her Ivy... A long time ago; she always loved her name...

She saw this print, and something deep inside her clicked into place. Not a thing, really, but just a feeling. A new confidence, and understanding...

So she decided to wear green during her upcoming trip. All green. Just to see if it felt as right as she expected it to feel!

She's not worrying about matching everything. Nature doesn't worry; why should she?

Maybe people will think she wears too much green. Or that her outfits don't quite go together. She is dressing to please herself, so these thoughts mean nothing to her anymore...

Her travel capsule wardrobe feels like home...

She loves her ... View the Post

First Half of Six Paintings, 12 Months – June 2023

June 2, 2023

One of my favorite days!

I thought that before our heroines went shopping today, they should each take a good look at what they currently own. This might direct their shopping in some way...

First, let's look at this heroine's wardrobe by showing all of her garments arranged by function:

I frankly don't know that any heroine will see too many gaps in her wardrobe when arranged this way, because she's been really careful to be certain that anything she has purchased so far can be worn in a variety of ways.

Maybe let's see how things look when arranged by color:

This is actually pretty great, but I think maybe she wants something else in denim blue? Yes, it's not a color in her palette, but I think ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Flowers by Sir Cedric Morris

March 15, 2023

Beware the Ides of March...

Or maybe not! Maybe the Ides of March bring flowers to you...

This palette is particularly good for someone who wants variety in their wardrobe - it would be possible to find maybe 10 accent colors in this painting!

Our heroine starts with beige; you can do a lot and go a long way with a simple beige outfit!

Next, she indulges in olive green...

Before she forgets, she tosses in her favorite blue spring sweater, and a pair of jeans in a very light beige...

She wants shorts! So it makes sense to stock up on olive - some accessories will be useful...

Now let's get to those accent colors! A beautiful cotton sweater in a delicious shade of purple? Don't ... View the Post

Accent Colors to Wear With Beige/Taupe or Olive Green – Pantone New York Autumn/Winter 2023

March 10, 2023

One last visit with these 10 colors - this time with both beige/taupe and olive green!

The first neutral grouping is mostly described as Cobblestone; Eileen Fisher regularly carries this color, and it's a consistent, excellent taupe. Other cobblestones may fall short, and look more beige... Sigh...

Conversely, olive green was simple to find; I'm assuming that this heroine isn't quite ready for warm weather!

From here to the end of this post, I'm just going to show you each of the 10 "Accessory Families," and then a couple of outfits using each of the 2 neutrals as base. I don't need to editorialize about what combinations I do and don't ... View the Post

First Half of Six Paintings, 12 Months – March 2023

March 1, 2023

I'm somewhat gobsmacked that it's already March...

Let's see what our heroines are up to!

Our first heroine is a pretty casual person - she would like to add some olive green to her wardrobe, in separates that she can wear with everything else in her wardrobe.

This is what she finds:

Oh, she now has so many possibilities! Relaxed, warm, but nicely pulled together...

She obviously can wear her new clothes together as 1 outfit, but she has other possibilities:

I love the autumn-y feeling that seems to permeate this wardrobe. This makes sense, once you look at her favorite painting!

Our next heroine has decided that she wants some dressier garments - not necessarily an outfit, but ... View the Post

First Half of Six Paintings, 12 Months – February 2023

February 1, 2023

I'm already at the point where it's better to break this post into 2 posts; it's a lot to digest (or to produce!) at 1 time!

The order of the paintings is different this month; I'm hopeful that I can remember to re-order them each month to keep things fresh...

First up - the train station!

Maybe it's the single-digit temperatures today, but I realized that all of our heroines could probably use a jacket (although these are NOT the jacket one needs for the dead of winter)... Another tee shirt is pretty important at this point, and jeans or other pants.

This heroine is due for something in beautiful soft green (called "eucaluptus steam" - it feels like a humidifier when you have a cold!), and a pair ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Gabriella by Elizabetta

December 30, 2022

Happy Birthday, you down in Georgia!!!

You Have to Choose...

She's a judge. She has to pick. Every time.

Now that she's packing for a few winter days away, she will NOT choose between warm and cool colors. She doesn't want to, and she doesn't feel that she needs to either!

She's heard it all - "it's not right to wear gold with grey," "Olive is only for women with a certain coloring," "shades of green can't really be worn together - especially cool greens and warm greens."

Humbug, she says.

It might not always be easy to find the right things.

It might not always look like what others are wearing.

It might draw a 2nd look.

She loves the subtlety and nuance of these colors ... View the Post

Part 2 December 2022: Six Scarves, 12 Months

December 5, 2022

Sometimes, heroines don't need sequins or beaded trim to dress up!

I think that it makes sense for most of us to have a beautiful blouse or top in our favorite accent color, though!

If you want to look luxurious and elegant, but NOT frou-frou, these tops might be just right for you!

Although relatively few of her garments are frilly or lacy, this wardrobe still has a pretty feel to it...

And her accessories are lovely... I'm always smitten with accessories!

Such a fun range of outfits are possible from this wardrobe:

This next wardrobe is finally starting to look coherent, to my eye. Sometimes it takes a while!

Our heroine stumbled onto a few pieces in her favorite shade of ... View the Post

Start with Art: Le Grand Bois by Auguste Morisot

November 18, 2022

This is where she's going, more or less...

1/4 Mile off the blacktop road... You know when these are the directions, you're going to be off the beaten track!

And that's what she needs - she has writers' block...

Normally, she would go sit in a café and people-watch, but this time she's going to look inside for inspiration, rather than outside.

She's only going for a couple of days. She's got enough coffee and food for breakfast, and maybe lunch. She WILL go into town for dinner...

But she will have no internet connection. No Wi-Fi, no streaming video, no texting... the cabin has a landline, and a television that gets 3 network channels.

Quiet, dark, and trees...

She's a ... View the Post

Part 3 November 2022: Six Scarves, 12 Months

November 9, 2022

Let's see what our last 2 heroines are doing...

The first decided to do her shopping at Nordstrom; she figures she's got a ton of choices there!

Here's where our heroine starts:

With Daylight Savings Time giving our heroine a big dose of gloomy darkness, she decides to get a few tops in lighter, brighter colors...

When she gets her things home and into her wardrobe, she's pretty pleased with how they seem to bring a bit of light to everything:

She's not 100% sure about a pink scarf, but she always can re-gift it to a family member or friend if it really doesn't work out!

Before she starts washing and ironing and putting her new things away, she pulls together a couple of ... View the Post