brown Archives - Page 20 of 31

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Vase: A Qianlong Vase, and packing for China

July 24, 2015 One of you is taking off soon for a trip to China, and you have asked me for some ideas about what to pack. I did quite a bit of reading about travel to China, and one thing that was stated repeatedly was that it's important not to take too many clothes, because (a) it's extremely easy and inexpensive to get laundry done in China, and (b) there are quite a few non-clothing items that you need to pack, so you want to reserve space for those kinds of items. (OTC medicines etc. - PLEASE do some research before a trip like this, to be certain that you have with you all of the recommended necessities.) Now, for some aesthetic inspiration. Sotheby's assessed this vase at around ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Amethyst by Alfons Mucha

July 22, 2015 I always love Mucha; what an idealistic view of women he had! And a master of colors.... sigh....

Clearly I will have to revisit this painting, because it was almost impossible to find anything in this shade of green.

President of the Association, FINALLY They used to say that no woman would ever be President of your association. Then they said that if you wanted to be President, you had to "man up", and not wear feminine stuff - no pretty colors, no amazing jewelry, no unruly curly hairstyles. You always thought that was nonsense. Members of your profession are able to see past personal style to the essence of competence and character.

So tomorrow you fly over to ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Sisyphus by Titian

July 6, 2015

Sometimes you feel like you work and work and don't really make any progress, or go anywhere... Seeing Sisyphus reminds me of business travel that's not really travel!

Your client is Milan is... amused... that there's a blizzard bearing down on Chicago. But not amused enough that they will let you off the hook for having the samples in the hands of the courier by Friday afternoon! This isn't work that can be phoned in - you have to cut fabric, assemble muslins, put together swatch cards and sample cards of the trimmings - your team has to be IN the office for the duration. What do you do? You get everybody into a conference room. Even though you all know full well that the blizzard might not ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Version 2: Flaming June by Sir Frederic Leighton

June 29, 2015 So how does the gorgeous, warm palette from last Saturday translate into a much more casual grouping? Beautifully!

In order to keep the feeling of softness and flow, I looked for fabrics like corduroy, which has both depth and softness, moleskin, which has a nice plush texture, and of course silk. Gathers and jacquard fabrics also give us a little bit of grace and detail... (note: I even chosen nail enamels with shimmer, which gives a sense of movement!)

When choosing items to go into this wardrobe, always ask yourself "yes, it goes, but does it have the requisite fluidity and movement that gives me my desired image?" There's lots of brown and orange in the world, but much of it is crisp or static - not right for ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Flaming June by Sir Frederic Leighton

July 27, 2015 Someone particularly special sent me this painting, with a request for a Start With Art - what a wonderful idea! These were the colors that I chose. While there's a ton more orange in this painting than anything else, only the rarest among us will be able to pull together any kind of a wardrobe, no matter how small, with mostly orange. So I gave the warm brown prominence...

I was really thinking about texture and flow here - draping was important!

Just enough to be able to get away for a long weekend - lots of emphasis on dining-out attire! And the budget was unlimited madness for this wardrobe - suede pants and a bank-breaking dress and sweater. But very reasonably ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Joss Sticks, a Silk Story Scarf

May 14, 2015 A local scarf maker - she travels, takes the photographs, makes the scarf, writes the story behind the scarf, and shares it with all of us! You must visit her site...

I've used shades of brown, a warm beige, and that divine red:

This is a Four by Four wardrobe meant to break rules - starting with a printed skirt! This isn't always something I'd recommend, but in this case, the skirt was irresistible, and it didn't interfere with the versatility and the options inherent in this capsule wardrobe.

And I'm working with two shades of the 2nd neutral. This is also a variance from my usual pretty strict adherence to one color, but as with the printed skirt, these two shades ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Combining 2 Color Schemes from the Capri Scarf

May 9, 2015

SOMEONE had a brilliant insight, in yesterday's comments - why not combine these two wardrobes from the last 2 days? This is a perfect Project 333 - it actually comes in well below 33 items...

And a long summer travel wardrobe? Perfect. The two neutrals give you plenty of "non-white" core pieces for travel days, and the neutrals play quite nicely together, too.

Here's our expanded color scheme:

And you recognize all of the clothes and accessories from earlier posts:

But here's where the fun really starts - LOOK at this wardrobe!!! You might need to toss in a pair of shorts (grey sweats, or white linen?), but otherwise, I can't think of much for which you ... View the Post

Choosing the Right Scarf Color – One Approach

April 24, 2015 Here's a decision scenario: you know you like the scarf - the silk and wool blend, the pattern drawn from foliate motifs and calligraphy of the Sultan's courts of India, the knowledge that your purchase supports the Metropolitan Museum of Art - but WHICH COLOR TO CHOOSE????

I'm of the opinion that your wardrobe should have a certain DNA - a "fingerprint" that is as unique as your own. If this is true, then anything that you add to your wardrobe should look like it's related to the things you already own. So maybe this decision can be made easier if we look at some options that might currently be in your closet, and see if any of them look like they're in your style family... Do you ... View the Post

Packing for a Weekend in the City

April 22, 2015

So often, you live just a quick train ride from a big city, but you don't make the time to visit! But there's a new exhibit at the big museum that you REALLY want to see, and a new restaurant... So let's cash in a few of those hotel loyalty points, and go downtown for a quick weekend away.

But what to take? How about starting with your favorite shawl, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art? It's a perfect reflection of your preferred color palette of autumn colors, and you know you will want it with you - at least on the train, for drafts, and in the restaurant, too...

For the trip, break out the saffron cardigan! There's never a bad time to wear it. And a touch of teal on your toes...

Since ... View the Post

Start With a Bag: Longchamps Tote

March 13, 2015 Sigh... The happy owner of this lovely bag wanted me to style it with bright colors. Believe me, I've been working toward that goal for a few days, and it just never looked good... But this bag is ideally suited as a way to integrate earth tones and black into a lovely warm-weather travel ensemble. And of course... the bag's no longer available. But you really should check out the Longchamp site from time to time, because they always do special editions that are wonderful. Some day, they might have something perfect for you!

Yes, the earrings are bamboo styled. You don't want to overdo that kind of thing, but I thought a bit of matching would be sort of ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Lake and Red Tree by Tom Thomson

March 5, 2015

These colors made me want to create outfits for a woman who was strong, confident, and who could stand up to the vividness with appropriate exuberance. This is a woman who considers red boots to be a neutral... oh yes, she likes boots!

The neutral beige can come in handy on a day when one wants to be a bit less confrontational, or at least settle into the background more than usual.

If you're struggling to find a scarf that combines particular colors, check out Valezhki on Etsy. While Etsy is rapidly becoming yet another dumping ground for mass-produced Asian junk (think of ebay...), there are still some talented crafts-persons to be found there.

And while ... View the Post

Maximize Your ROI: Estellon Striped Handbag

February 14, 2015

It's so easy to do - you see a bag you adore, and the next thing you know, you're struggling to use it...

Bag - Estellon

love, Janice

PS - For more in the Maximize Your ROI series, check out the following articles:

Maximize Your ROI: Orange Boots Maximize Your ROI: Black and White Houndstooth Check Flats Maximize Your ROI: Leopard Flats Maximize Your ROI: Estellon Striped Handbag Maximize Your ROI: St. John Collection scarf ... View the Post