Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
December 22, 2014 I'm away for the week; there are a couple of posts scheduled for the upcoming week, but I won't be able to respond to comments. Have a wonderful week - I'm back soon! Love to you all, JaniceLooking Back:
2012: What to wear with a scarf: Hermes Concours d'Etriers 2011: Michigan Avenue Style Lab: brown and blue, twice ... View the Post
December 20, 2014 One last look at this idea - substituting green for the burgundy with which this travel capsule wardrobe was originally presented. Other colors that would work well with camel would include rust, coral, peach, other shades of green, pretty much a whole bunch of shades of blue... lots of choices!
I think by now we've all figured out that these four garments would get you through 3 or 4 days pretty easily...
love,
Janice Looking back:2013: From Desk to Dinner Party: Incorporating a Gem Tone into Neutrals 2012: Two sides of the whole "color" system question ... View the Post
December 19, 2014 Yesterday, there were a couple of concerns/questions about what to do if you don't look good in camel. How about navy? (grey would also be fabulous, as would taupe...)
Of course, still lots of possible ways to wear these few simple basics!
love,
Janice ... View the Post
December 18, 2014 Many of us are preparing for holiday trips of varying lengths, so today I felt like putting together something that just oozed luxury and subtlety. These rich, beautiful colors, fabrics and textures make a quietly elegant statement, without gaudy logos or overdone ornamentation.
love, Janice ... View the Post
December 17, 2014 I know I seem to talk about this same idea a lot, but I can't sufficiently emphasize the benefits of building your wardrobe around a unifying theme of some sort. Your theme could be a particular color scheme, a painting, a photograph, or a scarf - there are really no limits to what you might choose. This theme doesn't have to last throughout your entire life, nor does it have to define absolutely EVERY purchase that you make. However, it should be an overarching guideline that helps you make the hard decisions when you see something appealing - does it fit? does it clash? does it harmonize? does it make NO SENSE WHATSOEVER in the context of your chosen style theme? So, when someone asked ... View the Post
December 16, 2014
I happen to know for a fact that one of you will buy this design scarf for yourself for the holidays, and that you are struggling to decide which color you want. I further know that your wardrobe is basically navy, so I thought I'd play around a little bit with some ensembles to show what kinds of other preferences you have that might help make the choice clearer. First up, the most lovely Hermes Ors Bleus d'Afrique - the Blue Gold of Africa. That refers to indigo, which was commonly used in textiles of this type.
And I picked a couple of outfits - very simple - in order to create a base for my ideas.
First up, this scarf cries out to have the rich browns emphasized and ... View the Post
December 15, 2014 My wardrobe is in kind of a mid-season funk right now. My arms are getting a little bit girthy from my workouts (hurrah!!!), and a few things that used to be capsule wardrobe stalwarts are going to have to move on to someone else's wardrobe. I'm losing sight of what my "big picture" wardrobe plan is... and that makes getting dressed time-consuming and tiring. Plus, since I don't have to go into an office any more, my wardrobe is long on "business-ish" garments that could be donated or sold. So it's time for me to Start From Scratch!
Step 1: Pants - easey peasy - my black pants from J. Jill. Perfect fit, and a 12-month fabric.
Step 2: Shoes - Stuart Weitzman "creampuff" style. They're long discontinued, ... View the Post
December 13, 2014
It can happen to any of us - you wake up in the maturity of your life to find that you own a piece or two of really REAL jewelry - the kind of stuff that requires a special mention on your home owner's insurance. The kind of stuff that could be flogged in an auction, or pawned in a moment of spite. But instead, you decide that this stuff is really quite beautiful, and you'd like to wear it more often. Much the wisest course, I'd say. Before you get carried away, however, let's address a couple of serious (and frivolous) essentials:
Make ABSOLUTELY sure that your goodies are insured. Ask a lot of questions about deductibles, conditions of when and where you were when the item might ... View the Post
December 12, 2014 I rarely see anybody wearing green, and I almost NEVER see a mixture of shades of green in one outfit, so it was truly a red letter (or a green letter, I suppose) day when I saw both of these women. Sometimes it's certain that these kinds of ensembles are the result of carelessness, or color-blindness, but in both of these cases it was clear that a deliberate plan was at work. Bold statements, but eye-catching and fun. Not for the faint of heart, but certainly something in this to inspire us.
love, Janice ... View the Post
December 11, 2014
One of your recently purchased a very beautiful pair of new boots, but then began to wonder if you would be able to wear them often enough to get your money's worth from your purchase.The boots are lovely - very practical for walking, but still graceful. So I have a few ideas...
Boots with casual dresses
Unlike "back in the day" when your skirt had to cover the tops of your boots, it's now perfectly appropriate and acceptable to have your legs show in between boot top and hem of skirt. Tights can match your dress or your boots, or if you're particularly comfortable with the idea, they could be a contrasting color. I'm not going to do that, but I've seen it done to charming effect. ... View the Post
Since I started the Start With Art Series, building wardrobes based on works of art (or photographs, or other objects), I've received a lot of suggestions for which art works I might want to consider. I've been keeping a file of all of them, and I've finally decided that I should share my thoughts and ideas with you by making the file available.
The file has 100 works of art (a few scarves, a couple of photographs, and a plate, but mostly paintings), and then a 2nd page that includes my proposed color scheme, and my thought process around what I would look for in a wardrobe. The whole file is available for $5. I included a table of contents, with hyperlinks to each painting. I am really eager to know ... View the Post
December 9, 2014
We spent a lot of time running around the city this past weekend, finalizing the purchase of gifts for a host of interesting small people! And one of the best parts of being outside on a crisp winter day in Chicago is the people-watching... The first outfit was pretty conventional, albeit beautifully pulled together; what made it really stand out were her bright red shoes! It was a perfect day for a statement shoe, as there was no precipitation, and nothing slushy on the pavement. She was young, with long dark hair and a brilliant smile. No red lipstick, although that certainly would have been an option! And the 2nd ensemble was notable for a few reasons. First off, a white coat is a brave ... View the Post
