blue Archives - Page 25 of 35

Inspired by a Blue and Beige Hotel Room

April 10, 2014 Ah, you wanted to see outfits from the OTHER hotel room? That, I can do...

This isn't entirely different from yesterday's room - it shares a camel/beige sort of feeling, but some beautiful shades of blue give us a different wardrobe.

There are lots of stripe influences in every room I've seen in this hotel, and that's great, from a clothing choice perspective. A striped cardigan is always going to get my vote... And the lace skirt and trimmed blouse are the same as from yesterday, but take on a different look with a blue cardigan.

Soft blue will always make me think of chambray, and I love the striped sweater with the skirt (more than any pair ... View the Post

How to Pack for Springtime in Paris: Beige with a Touch of Blue

This originally appeared on A Femme d'un Certain Age in April 2012... as will all posts this week, the individual items may no longer be available, but the concept of the organization still holds true.

beige metallic cardigan – Vanessa Bruno, gold stud earrings – Roberto Coin, Trench coat – A.P.C., scarf (Early American) – Hermès, ivory tee – Precis, pants – Ralph Lauren, suede loafers – Tod’s, tote bag - Gucci

Sunglasses – Prism London, Beige tank – MICHAEL Michael Kors, v-neck sweater – Miu Miu, gold hoop earrings – Khleo, cashmere cardigan – Patagonia, printed dress - DVF, capris – Miu Miu, bracelet – Oscar de la Renta, cotton twill ... View the Post

Start with Art: From Mount Darling by Peter Simpson

February 28, 2014 So this is your dream:

And maybe this is your current reality:

All the more reason you should consider shopping your dream, and at least wrapping your immediate self (i.e. your body) in the calm, soft, organic and tranquil colors of which you dream. Start small - a simple silk tunic that can be worn with any pair of pants you own... This tunic, all on it's own, could raise your spirits for a few days! Maybe some blue shoes, or a bag. And your next pair of jeans could certainly be green rather than something more predictable and conformist...

So many shades of blue from which to choose - but you don't really have to choose! ... View the Post

When Starting With Art goes Haywire: Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles

February 20, 2014 One of my readers has been shopping with this great Van Gogh painting in hand... She's got a solid core of gorgeous gold items:

And she's picked up some light blue clothes too, which she doesn't like to wear with the gold:

And she's also picked up a few tee shirts in the accent colors of the painting:

So now, she's got this assortment of clothes. Everything, on it's own, is beautiful, but she's not finding that this is as versatile as she would like.

One of the charms of Van Gogh is that he combines difficult colors in innovating ways, and isn't terribly dependent on neutral colors. It's a glorious way to ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting With Art: Shopping with a Van Gogh Seascape

February 19, 2014

What a gorgeous painting! And the colors are so perfect for warm weather... (of which I dream right now, as I watch the white-out snow storm outside my window...)

A few of you have expressed a concern about wearing light colors below the waist, and so for this wardrobe I'm going to avoid that. Also, I've been asked to include a maxi skirt in capsule wardrobes, so today I've found one!

A dark core of four - useful for most of the year, and an essential base upon which we're going to build this plan. Navy is so perfect for warm weather; if you're concerned about the colors matching, plan to buy all four items at once, and maybe from the same place.

Yes, this is the second grouping of four green garments ... View the Post

Start with Art: Abstract by Nicolas de Stael

February 15, 2014 This beautiful work is Abstract, by Nicolas de Stael, and these cool, subtle colors are amazing for the upcoming summer. First, I'm looking for a neutral from within this painting. If you're comfortable wearing white, or if you have a good relationship with your dry cleaner, I would start with the crisp clarity of white for the initial four summer garments. Sandals that pair white with silver, and some silver loafers, might be all the change you need to update your existing wardrobe in this direction. If you're nervous about wearing this much white, substitute the deepest petrol blue...

If you've got budget and ambition to add to this summer wardrobe, look to the cool ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Are you More Calder or Mondrian?

February 12, 2014

Many readers send me art to consider for the inspiration for a wardrobe - thanks a lot! Send me any inspirations you have...

MANY people choose Calder or Mondrian as their favorites, and I initially thought that I could put together one wardrobe that would accommodate both art preferences. For example, here are two works of art which are typical of the suggestions that I receive.

Obviously, both of these works of art suggested this color scheme - clearly you can see the appeal of these clean, clear, and vivid hues.

I first hit a hitch when I was thinking about the initial garment in the wardrobe. A white shirt seemed obvious - but soft and graceful silk, or a crispy cotton? The silk is very fitting for ... View the Post

Start With… a Plate? A Great Blue, Green and Beige Idea!

February 1, 2014 One of the best questions I've ever received... One of my friends really loves this plate, and wondered if it would be a good basis upon which to choose clothes. Heck, if you can use a painting, you can surely use a beautiful piece of pottery... Look for beautiful shades of blue and green, with beautiful soft white (or brown) neutrals...

love, Janice

... View the Post

Start With a “Difficult” Scarf: Black and White

January 22, 2014 This scarf, currently available from Hermes, is incredibly beautiful - much more interesting in person than any photograph can do justice...

But it's easy to see how you could fall into the routine of wearing this scarf pretty much exclusively with black and white garments - it just seems reasonable. So I'm proposing a mental "reframing" of the scarf that might expand your comfort zone with it... First off, think of the adjectives that characterize the unique beauty and appeal of this scarf. To me, this scarf is clear, graphic, and linear. This gives you a basis upon which to think about the sort of outfits that might benefit from the addition of this ... View the Post

Shopping with a Painting, or What I Bought, January 2014

January 20, 2014 For quite a while, I've described my personal style as LaValise de la Garçonne, aka The Tomboy's Suitcase. I try to remind myself that I really don't need clothing much beyond what I would pack for my next trip, and that as much as I'd like to be a classy, elegant, lady-like creature, I'm much more likely to be the person who climbs up the ladder and fixes the broken gizmo than I am to be the prim princess with the clipboard supervising the process...I've just recent stumbled upon the perfect painting to express my colors and overall feeling that I want to accomplish in my wardrobe: Two Sisters with a Cello, by Marie Laurencin. I can't actually SHOW you the painting, because I can't afford to buy rights ... View the Post

Wearing Hermes Grands Fonds Silk Scarf All Year – July through December

January 14, 2014 Okay, under no circumstances would you wear this scarf with the frankly gym-like outfit for August (okay, maybe tied to your bag?), but I show this as an example of how your color preferences can permeate and inform ALL of your wardrobe choices. And yes, I would wear flat loafers with a dress, depending on how much standing/walking is going to be involved in an event. Plus I just couldn't leave out these great shoes...

After establish a core of blues and some khaki, don't forget that this scarf easily supports some accent touches of shades of red!

The best aspect of this sweater is the way it enables you to mix shades of blue with happy abandon, and ... View the Post

Wearing Hermes Grands Fonds Silk Scarf All Year – January through June

January 13, 2014

Hermes Grands Fonds (great depths) isn't available except in the vintage market, but it's worth hunting for one! These shades of blue give you all kinds of possibilities for combining colors that you might have never before considered.Two quick notes:

I love doing these, and doing Start with Art. Please keep sending me suggestions for both, as long as you're not utterly weary of seeing art bought to fashion life. Please do NOT think that I will only work with Hermes scarves - far from it! I'm "in process" on some other scarves, and would welcome any scarf suggestion accompanied with a good photograph, or a link to a clear image!

Love, Janice

The last six ... View the Post