Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
March 12, 2023
We expected, but did not experience, TWO snowstorms this week...
I'm reading a report on the environmental impact of fashion on climate change:
Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable
It's a somewhat challenging technical slog, but sobering; they recommend 85 garments (including shoes) in a wardrobe for a 4-season climate.
More on this to come, I'm sure!
love,
Janice ... View the Post
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
March 8, 2023
I can't really make a good connection between emerging insects and a well-planned wardrobe... except...
Maybe we should start thinking about how we will dress when we can bring our knees, ankles, elbows and other body parts back out into the fresh air! Heaven knows that my knees haven't seen sunlight in months!
If you're in the mood to freshen up your warm weather wardrobe, THIS is the time to start looking. I think that the hang-over from the pandemic has made retailers reluctant to stock up on merchandise; I'm seeing lots of things sell out, far before the clothes are in season. Hmm...
I think it makes good sense to take a careful, critical look at things like flip flops, white pants, and anything that ... View the Post
March 6, 2023
Grey for warm weather is hard to find! Later on, I might be able to find gray linen without a lot of trouble, but right now we have to think of grey as something we will wear on cool spring days...
All I'm doing here is showing all 10 of the Pantone Colors for Autumn/Winter 2023, as chosen from the New York Fashion Week shows... (which means that there will be ANOTHER bunch of colors for London, and probably ANOTHER bunch for Autumn/Winter, without any fashion show connection!)
I'm eager to hear from you all about which of these color combinations you like, and which you ... View the Post
March 5, 2023
Another wonderful week! Some time running around the city alone, including taking myself out to lunch... I don't mind dining alone - do you?
love,
Janice ... View the Post
March 3, 2023
Let's check on our other 3 heroines!
Boy do I love these colors...
This heroine felt like she was in a pretty good spot for pants - she's got black jeans, and another pair of black pants; those of us who wear black could go for weeks with just these 2!
AND... she found 2 cardigans she loves, as well as 2 scarves that are perfect with the cardigans. So she grabs a black tee shirt to give herself that "column of a neutral color" that is so versatile, and away she goes!
Her wardrobe now has 11 garments - enough for a week-long trip, if she so chooses...
It's pretty easy to see how versatile this wardrobe can be!
If someone magically put all of this into my closet, I could certainly look pretty ... View the Post
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
February 27, 2023
Let's spend some time with the other 5 colors that Pantone identified as "important" for Autumn/Winter 2023/24...
yes, I would definitely put a brooch over the logo on this cardigan; I just couldn't resist this, because the color is so perfect!
Of course, this color is lovely with navy:
I think I could have found a better name for this shade of green, but they never ask my opinion!
I'm not sure about this with navy - I think I will pull together a beige core wardrobe next week and try all of the colors with it...
I love this color!
And I love it with navy; navy is a great neutral!
I think Pantone almost always include some shade of blush peach/pink. It's a pretty ... View the Post
February 26, 2023
We were out and about a bit this week - I don't have a lot of opportunities to dress up!
The only really "snazzy" outfit that I wore was the following, which I wore for a lengthy test to determine that I am NOT allergic to aspirin! My arthritis is grateful...
I've been asked about my 4 Objects blazer - WELL...
This is a detail of the fabric, and of one of the lovely front welt pockets...
When I first unpacked my blazer, the first thing that I noticed is that the garment is three-dimensional! It doesn't just lay flat when you put it down - the armholes have dimension, as does the collar!
And this is the inside front breast pocket, which was turned out like this when my blazer ... View the Post
February 24, 2023
While the rest of us are just barely getting ready for Spring 2023, the crafty people at Pantone have already found colors that they're predicting will be BIG for Autumn/Winter 2023/24!
The first thing I noticed about these colors? Fully half of them were some variation of red! I wonder if this is really going to be popular, of it is just their assessment of the future...
Nonetheless! These colors suggest to us possibilities for a fresh accent in our wardrobes, and that is always interesting. Let's see:
What a wonderful color! But it's hard to really evaluate an entire page of things that are all the same color, so I'm going to toss in a simple navy core wardrobe, for mixing purposes...
Yes, the ... View the Post
February 22, 2023
We've had as much rain as we have had snow in the last month! Not an "average" February in Chicago!
But if you've got a rainy day facing you, a cozy outfit with warm socks for indoors, and with sneakers for later, when the rain stops, is just the thing...
This is a good time to find sweatshirts and sweaters in pretty colors - the cheer of spring to wear during the cold of spring!
While these outfits are great on their own, they also give you new garments and new accessories for your wardrobe:
If you can hear the rain on your roof, it could lull you into a nap!
Even if your wardrobe is traditional colors, you can still snuggle up!
Sweatpants are so useful in changeable ... View the Post
February 20, 2023
Let's revisit the friend who has lost her wardrobe; she wants to start to rebuild with this scarf as her inspiration:
For reference - this was the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe 13 garments that she is wearing for Spring:
And these are the bonus garments that will round out her wardrobe:
But accessories! She still has a pair of sandals, and her sunglasses, as well as the earrings she was wearing when they were away and their house was destroyed...
I don't have a clear plan - I'm going to assemble 10 typical outfits from this wardrobe and make certain that she can wear those outfits with appropriate extras. Most important are certainly shoes and a bag or two, in my thinking...
First up, a spring bag, ... View the Post
