burgundy Archives

June 2024 Start with a Bracelet – Cabernet Dreams Bracelets by Fierce Lynx Designs

June 19, 2024

So if you're going away for the weekend to visit a few vineyards, shouldn't your wardrobe be based on a "wine-themed" bracelet? (or scarf, or brooch...)

Especially when your favorite neutral is navy!

The weather where they're going will be warm, unless it's cool. The days will be hot, or chilly. Nobody seems to be sure what to expect, so she packs accordingly!

She knows that they will be going to a nice dinner, and she's hopeful that there will be a day warm enough to wear shorts. But she's determined not to pack too much - if she has to wear burgundy pants all three days, so be it!

Our heroine is channeling her favorite author - Laurie Colwin - by packing three striped tops. Laurie was ... View the Post

An “Unfavorite” Color: Start with Art – Euphorbia by Pae White

October 25, 2023

She loves this - it's actually a HUGE tapestry! but MUSTARD?

The colors are the colors of the sports teams on which her children play! Maybe that's why she loves it...

Except. She hates mustard! She doesn't even like the food - no deviled eggs in her life...

But sometimes, she needs to wear a mustard sweatshirt... sigh...

Happily, she adores grey and burgundy - especially together!

Maybe it's a football weekend. Maybe it's a soccer tournament weekend...

Or just a visit to see her kids! Whatever, she's got a plan...

This is what she takes with her - sometimes she switches her outfits around, but this is always her travel capsule wardrobe:

What can you do with 8 garments? ... View the Post

Start with Art: The Dark Lady by Anna Katrina Zinkeisen

September 28, 2020

Oh MY...

Her bow inspires me...

She Just LOOKS Serious... She always has, even as a child. She wasn't a sober child, really. But her resting face was always pensive...

But she wisely took a positive aspect from this impression that she left - she could dress in practical, gorgeous dark colors - they suited both her coloring and her demeanor!

Thus, when she was forced into the head office for a couple of days of 1st quarter 2021 planning (a woman can dream!), she has no trouble packing:

yes, some of this will look very familiar, but quite different when different colors are involved!

These meetings aren't overwhelmingly dressy, but it's always smart to be prepared for the lovely dinner to ... View the Post

Start with a Bracelet – Sapphire Skies by Fierce Lynx Designs

September 18, 2020 Cool Weather = Clear Skies! "Hey - what are you doing this weekend? You know the temperature is supposed to drop a ton, and the skies are supposed to be crystal clear..."

well, she was going to do laundry, and read, and nap...

"I'm going to drive up to the observatory Friday evening - if you come with, you can watch for meteor showers while I'm photographing that dying star I found..."

i.e. you can sit out where it's cold, and keep your head on a swivel watching for something - anything - happening in the skies...

"I want to publish anything that we can find about this "stray" meteor shower that we thought we saw; you are going to co-author this with me, aren't you?"

they've been published ... View the Post

Accessories for an Autumn Weekly Timeless Wardrobe + Burgundy Accents!

August 10, 2020

Ah, Autumn clothes! Is there a more fun season for beautiful clothes?

Let's do some building around this Autumn Weekly Timeless Wardrobe core:

Just for the sheer fun of it, I found some burgundy (ish?) garments to add to this 7-piece Accents and Extras!

Now, our Autumn 20-piece wardrobe is together - it looks VERY fall-ish, doesn't it?

Let's start enjoying accessories!

When you're wearing burgundy, garnets seems like the most obvious stone to look for in jewelry. Garnets don't have to be insanely expensive (although there are some eye-wateringly dear pieces out there, of course!).

And a couple of timeless navy leather accessories...

This cotton scarf is small - a neckerchief, I believe ... View the Post

Accent a Navy and Gray wardrobe with Fire Brick & Peach Nougat

February 21, 2020

This next mix of colors is interesting - the brick, navy and grey could come together in a pretty conservative wardrobe, but the addition of the peach changes the whole feel of things!

Here's where I broke down and added a simple white top - I was struggling to find a really nice item in this color, and I just began to think that we might need a break from colors! Sometimes?

I kept the same navy clothes - partially just to show how versatile simple garments can be when you mix them with accessories and accent pieces! I changed the scarf though; I couldn't believe how hard it was to find a burgundy and navy scarf. This coming autumn, in the Men's Department... That's where they'll be!

And gray, or ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 2: A Dark Neutral Top

July 9, 2019

Ready for another week? This week, we're going to the darkest logical version of last week's top...

As always, (I don't think I can emphasize this enough!) this is a guideline, not a carved in stone life rule. If you don't wear dark colors, or you don't wear tee shirts, or you don't wear long sleeves, this will NOT apply to you exactly like this. You can choose a substitute, or skip this week entirely.

And this does NOT mean that you have to go buy something! This could be as easy as checking your closet for the appropriate garment and making sure that it's clean and in good repair before the cooler weather arrives. (right now, it seems as if it will never come again...)

If both of your neutrals are ... View the Post

Grey or Wine? What do I Need to Wear for the Holidays?

November 17, 2017

These are so much fun...

Grey is tough! It's really difficult to find things in shades that look good together... But you can easily imagine these tops with jeans, and a pair of nice grey pants will go anywhere short of a barn or a beach...

Little touches like snowflakes on your ears, or a sparkly clutch bag, can elevate the dressiness quotient of a classic outfit:

Of course, if you have genuine grey pearl jewelry, the pearls on your cardigan will not look as nice, but that's not something worth worrying about - it's the holidays!

One of the very best things about choosing a signature color for holidays (or anything else!) is that you can then collect really nice, high-quality things from year to ... View the Post

Is Classic Clothing Really Timeless?

November 14, 2017

Well, no. There's no such thing as truly timeless clothing... Unless you're still wearing a toga!

That said, I was just looking at a post that I did FIVE YEARS AGO, and I would cheerfully pack and wear any of the clothes shown. Some are still available, and in all cases it was possible to find something similar!

Given that clothing will eventually wear out, I consider that "sufficiently timeless." Can I coin that term?

I love navy with these rich colors; they just feel like autumn...

love, Janice ... View the Post

Start with Art: A “French 5-Piece Wardrobe” Based on Nature Morte sur une Chaise by Juan Gris

October 24, 2017

She is feeling a little bit... subdued. She was strangely drawn to this painting:

She decided to embrace her feelings of reserve and quiet, and thus decided that this was how she was going to plan her upcoming wardrobe purchases for autumn and winter.

It wasn't that she really needs new clothes - she's got a good base of her favorite neutrals. But she felt that it was time for a good snuggle, and a scarf of two to hold her tight... She could give lots of reasons for feeling the way she does right now - the weather? the change of seasons? At any rate, she's going to do a bit of shopping...

After much watching, and some almost ENDLESS searching for scarves, these are here choices. She's (quietly) very ... View the Post

Start with Art: Bouquet des Fleurs in the style of Jan van Huysum

October 19, 2017

You love this - romance, gracefulness, a deep color palette that remains feminine and quite pretty...

And so for a short trip, you've isolated these few colors for your travel wardrobe. (yes, you acknowledge that the background might really be black, but you prefer navy!)

You've Been Invited to the Beach, in Autumn... Yes, it's sentimental, and romantic. And you're more than equal to a weekend of quiet time together!

You don't need a lot of things - just enough to keep your feet dry, and your heart warm...

You can carry your bag easily enough, although a gallant companion might carry it for you...

You have plenty of options - all of them lovely!

Even rubber boots are ... View the Post

How to Pack for a Long Autumn Weekend by Starting with a Scarf – Funky Foliage by Treasure & Bond

September 13, 2017

She really wants to go up to the lake house one more time... in the autumn...

She always feels really sentimental, and just a little bit homesick, in the autumn. Not homesick for home, but for that time when she was in school, and September brought fresh starts - a chance to begin again...

Autumn also brings back all of her favorite sweaters! So when her siblings starting talking about the need to double-check on the house before winter, she offered to go up...

A couple of evenings in front of the fireplace reading won't be the worst thing in the world...

And a few long walks in the forest will be nourishing to her soul...

And there's always a chance that the Fish & ... View the Post