Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
December 4, 2015 A challenging color to find, but VERY beautiful:
I'm going to take a break for a day or two in this series to do some thinking, and to get ready for my trip to Paris on the 10th. But I'm not quite finished here, unless I ABSOLUTELY can't find any more core garments. I will, of course, do my very best for you! love, Janice ... View the Post
December 3, 2015
Taupe is SO elusive, and can be interpreted in so many ways! But to me, taupe means a greyish beige, that's sophisticated and subtle.I found all four garments today at L.L.Bean. It's great to be able to find multiple pieces in a difficult color in 1 place - it improves the chances that the garments will match or at least blend nicely.
Some of you have made it very clear that you think Bean is terribly unsophisticated and boring, but I find some of the nicest, best-made, most classically styled clothes there, at prices that don't require missing a mortgage payment! We can't all wear runway designer clothes... You are free to replicate these looks at much higher prices if that's what you prefer.
trail ... View the Post
December 2, 2015 Camel - sometimes, nothing looking more elegant.
There are a lot of neutrals that work here - I could easily have used black and grey, olive and brown etc etc.
Camel is also very versatile with bright colors; I chose these mostly because they're rather uncommon, and I like to give you ideas that you might not have otherwise considered!
Muted colors are also pretty easy with camel, because it has an inherently soft quality. And I'm still showing how very useful that white vest can be for most of us!
As with muted colors, pastels are also well-suited to wear with camel. I still haven't found a pair of mint green shoes that I consider ... View the Post
December 1, 2015
I love grey, and it's rather easy to shop for, but you do want to be aware of the varying shades of grey (some very yellowish, and other quite blue). They don't always blend as well as one might prefer! The answer is generally to carry a key piece with you when shopping, to avoid any sort of "mis-remembering" of the color...Yes, I've included this really great turtleneck AGAIN. I'm smitten with it, I tell you, but I absolutely CAN'T justify buying another sweater. I will probably survive the lack, I suspect!
It is incredibly easy to pair the grey core outfit with black or navy, so I thought I would wander further afield, into some warmer neutrals. This might be an excellent way to easy yourself into a ... View the Post
November 30, 2015 Oooh, olive is a difficult color to find, and when something turns up that's called olive, it could be anything from a nasty yellowish green pond-scum color, to this lovely deep and dusty green:
You will, I'm sure, note that these colors don't match absolutely exactly perfectly. I don't have too much trouble with that, so long as they're lighter and darker versions of the same shade of green. It's a difficult color to find and to match, but well worth the effort. By virtue of being so uncommon, you will never blend into a crowd when you wear it! And it can be madly flattering...
First up, what neutrals look good with olive? I'm quickly learning that marsala/wine/burgundy goes with ... View the Post
November 28, 2015 Navy is always so elegant... These four pieces have so much potential!
The olive accent keeps re-appearing! I really like using it as a secondary neutral with navy - it warms it up and gives it a rich glow. And of course, grey and navy were born to go together...And I must share something sort of inexplicable that I keep running into: there are MEN'S scarves, and WOMEN'S scarves. Why, in all the worlds, would this be? But please be advised - if you're looking for a scarf in a plaid, paisley, or timeless menswear pattern, look in the men's department. They are usually less expensive too, which REALLY hacks me off.... sigh...
You knew there would, eventually, be a red vest in here ... View the Post
As I mentioned yesterday, I want to look at the possibility of different accent colors for a few neutrals - today let's think about dark chocolate brown!
First up, the core four garments upon which we will build these outfits. Having these 4 pieces can make your life so much easier....
Ryder pants – J.Crew; cashmere turtleneck – J. Crew; jeans – Austin Reed; ribbed crewneck - Michael Kors Collection
I took the same approach, starting with two neutral colors that could serve as accents in a mainly brown wardrobe. If you were building a wardrobe with more than 1 neutral, you would have lots of options like this:
Olive vest – L.L.Bean; green earrings – GFG Jewellery; scarf – L.L.Bean; ... View the Post
Something that I struggle with a lot, personally, is my accent color, or colors. I'm always thinking that something other than red should be my "color", but who am I kidding? I keep coming back, over and over, to red...So I was playing around with a variety of accent colors, using simple black garments as a core, and building around quilted vests, just for the heck of it...
When you're looking for these vests, make sure you look for "quilted," rather than "down," unless you specifically want down. Some of the vests with synthetic insulation are just as warm, and quite lovely; you'll miss them if you don't include everything quilted...
Yes, these would make nifty little templates for buying gifts, too. But if you go shopping on ... View the Post
Wow, what a party! The French American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago had a blow-out part last Thursday in honor of the Beaujolais Nouveau, and it was AMAZING...There were chefs from all over Chicago handing out samples of wonderful food, a lot of pastry chefs forcing us to each cakes and macarons (oh bother...), and more wine than you could possibly consume, even if you really worked at it. (I did my very best!)
Tish was there (from A Femme d'un Certain Age), and she was as elegantly beautiful and charming as always!
I tried my humble level best to do justice to the event by being understatedly appropriate. The dress code was "business elegant", which wasn't really the most help I've ever had. Some guests interpreted that ... View the Post
November 16, 2015
Guess where I'm going to be next Thursday night! Okay, don't guess - I'm going to this:
Woo hoo! A little Beaujolais Nouveau, some tasty morsels, and TISH, from "A Femme d'un Certain Age." Sounds like a great evening to me...
But, of course, what to wear? The dress code is "Elegant Business Attire", which for me means no gym clothes, and in Belovedest's office might mean that you wear socks. Or maybe that you showered within the past 2 weeks. Elegant is NOT something that's much associated with business attire, in my limited experience!
So I'm starting with a black dress - easy peasy. I have the dress on the right. I debated between the two - I admit that I adore the idea of a dress with ... View the Post
October 30, 2015
Now the fun starts! The clothes from yesterday are certainly very nice, if not mind-bending, but in order to give things just a touch of zest, and a sense of finish, some well-chosen accessories are imperative! (well, shoes are imperative, even if you never wear a scarf or a piece of jewelry; when pressed to offer up what piece of clothing every woman, without exception, should own, the only thing I can honestly think of is shoes...)Reminders of our basic style source, and the clothes with which we're working:
As I said, shoes first! I always look for something comfortable - that's completely NOT negotiable. When men start wearing uncomfortable shoes, I will too. In the meantime, my ... View the Post
I love accessory families - I think that a really productive way to analyze a potential purchase (of accessories OR clothing) is to think of your possessions as a family, and try to envision the candidate for inclusion playing nicely with what you currently have...There were a bunch of these posts at the beginning of 2015 which remain favorites of mine!
White Outfits with Grey, Turquoise or Celadon Green Accessories
Brown Outfits with Accessories in Light Blue, Brights, and Brown
Denim Blue Outfits with Floral, Bright and Silver/White Accessories
Beige Outfits with Accessories in Celadon Green, Brown and Light Blue love, Janice
... View the Post
