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Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Earrings

October 18, 2013  

Earrings are far from an essential part of any wardrobe, but I wear them every day; I find that I really hate the look of the holes in my ears without earrings.  But most of the time I prefer to wear only small stud earrings, or very modest hoops - I'm not terribly keen on large earrings on me...These are the core of my day-to-day wardrobe:

    Pearls, or another lustrous stone in a neutral tone, are a good starter:  

  A metallic stud is always nice:

    It's generally handy to have a somewhat dressy earring for those occasions:  

  And a small earring in an accent color is fun:

   If you're a hoop earring type ... View the Post

Autumn Zest: Brooches

I feel like these posts on brooches are almost vanity posts, because I have so much fun doing them.  They take HOURS - don't get me wrong - but I always have such a good time searching out the pins and cleaning up the images to share them with you.If the weather every gets cool enough that we can break out outerwear, a beautiful or whimsical brooch is a wonderful addition to the everyday coat.  In a city with a sea of black, navy and grey coats, the chance to see the occasional brooch, or grouping of brooches, is a chic sighting indeed.

So what could you break out, for the approach of autumn?

(I used a variety of background colors, to give you a sense of how different pins will work with your clothing or coat ... View the Post

Infinity scarves – will we love them forever?

September 26, 2013   I know you're shocked to hear that I don't jump on every trend bandwagon that races through the streets of Chicago...  But lately I've been intrigued by the "infinity" scarf - aka an endless loop of fabric that you just toss over your head like a big poofy fabric necklace.  It would certainly obviate any worries about how to tie your scarf, and thus might be a good option for scarf rookies...  I've seen quite a few women wearing these around town, and they tend to look rather nice.  Maybe it's just the novelty that appeals to me, but I am seriously pondering the possibility of one of these in my winter wardrobe.The pattern in this scarf appeals, and the range of colors available means that it ... View the Post

Your best color, and a Signature Scarf

Back in the dark ages of the 80's, when I was in graduate school, I worked for a department store.  (very un-glamorous, I assure you).  This was back when department store inventories were NOT driven by individual "designer" boutiques; we had separate departments for suits, for sportswear, for formal wear etc.

For a while, I worked in the area which sold tee shirts, blouses, shirts and sweaters.  We carried at least a dozen styles at any point in time, depending on the season, and each style was available in a couple of dozen "cosmetic" colors.  In other words,  we always had tops available in every possible shade of coral, peach, plum, pink, berry, cherry, crimson, scarlet or whatever other lipstick-like color you ... View the Post

Transition Summer to Fall: Tan and Brown Accessories

August 10, 2013   A few simple accessories will help you get into the autumn mood...  While the tote bag I show is technically supposed to be a beach bag, it's so incredibly well designed that I wanted you to see it!  It could easily be used through most of the year - where did we get the idea that we could only use certain materials at certain times of the year?  If you're not a scarf person, you might want another necklace or two; if jewelry isn't your thing, then you can go nuts with scarves...  To each her own very personal and beautiful preferences!  

  love, Janice

  ... View the Post

Signature: Anne Selby pleated silk scarf

July 12, 2013   These scarves are sufficiently beautiful that they would make a compelling focus for one's wardrobe.  Even if you didn't wear the scarf every day, using the colors in it as a unifying theme for your purchases could  be a brilliant idea...  

Ruffled silk scarf – Anne Selby    

 

Olive coat – Jil Sander,  olive sweater- Ralph Lauren, Earrings – Georg Jensen,  Silk top – Jil Sander, Grey cardigan – Tsumori Chisato,  Taupe cotton velvet jeans –Brunello Cucinelli, Taupe sweater – Nina Ricci,  Suede skirt – Jitrois, Bracelet – Gag and Lou,  Bag – TSM The Swedish Model, Loafers –Geox, Pumps – RSVP,  Grey jeans – BLK ... View the Post

Signature: Hermes Clous de Trompe L’Oeil enamel bracelets

July 3, 2013   If you have the good fortune to own a pair of Hermes enamel bracelets, you may want to use them as the basis of some outfits...  

 

Cardigan –Closed, Earrings- Georg Jensen, V-neck – Closed, Silk blouse – Steffen Schraut, Blue cardigan – Massimo Alba, Wine jeans – Closed, Bag – Dolce & Gabbana, Grey tee shirt – Organic by John Patrick, Wine tee shirt – Organic by John Patrick, Slate blue pants – Massimo Alba, Tweed skirt – Dolce & Gabbana, Suede loafers = Patricia Green, Flats – French Connection    

 

 

 

  love, Janice

  ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Black with Metallic Accessories

June 21, 2013

There were lots of black dresses on the streets of Chicago yesterday, and lots of all-black outfits. But a few really stood out from the crowd by virtual of their carefully chosen metallic accessories. From the young lady in the spikey necklace and woven flats to the executive with her Ferragamo shoes and bag, (and great silver sunglasses), black and silver caught the eye.

The first woman I saw who really got me noticing the all-black outfits with metallics was wearing a simple sleeveless top with shorts, but her accessories really elevated what might have been a very stark outfit. Right behind her was a lovely person in a sleeveless dress with gold flower jewelry - uncluttered, but very charming.

In the Loop, ... View the Post

Signature: The same necklace, every day

June 17, 2013  

Among the many perks of blogging full time, I think the best so far is that I get to spend much more time with Belovedest. Particularly fun is either walking to his office with him in the morning, or walking over to meet him after work and then walking home together.  In doing this, I get to see literally thousands of women, every day, either going to or leaving their workplaces.One woman, who either lives or works very near to our home, wear the same coral, turquoise and gold necklace EVERY day.  After I saw her the third time, I mentioned to her - in passing- that I recognized her necklace, and that it seems to be a favorite.  Her reply, with a very moving and wistful smile: "I wear it every day; ... View the Post

Six accessory “families” – groups of accessories that share an aesthetic DNA

June 14, 2013   Many people asked to see more groupings of accessories- including a scarf and a cardigan - in order to better understand the possibilities inherent in this idea.  When I choose these accessories, I don't necessarily match the colors exactly, or make sure that everything has a "theme" to it (like flowers, or dots, or stripes).  I'm going more for an elusive sensibility - the idea that all of these things could easily belong to the same woman.  To me, that seems like the most logical criteria of all for assembling any  wardrobe, or a wardrobe of accessories.  

 

 

 

 

 

  I always feel that thinking of accessories and ... View the Post