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Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Building a Capsule Wardrobe: by Fours

People ask me every day how to build a capsule wardrobe.  There are as many different approaches as there are women in the world, but one of my favorite ideas is to work in "pods" of four garments.  Find a color and fabric that really REALLY appeals to you - one that sings to your heart, and either buy or have someone make for your four core garments - two tops and top bottoms.

Seamstresses are going to be very useful friends...

And note, everything in this entire post is from L.L.Bean. I love them, and they've never (yet!) given me a single piece of clothing in exchange for shamelessly promoting them...

Immediately, you have four new outfits: 

But no matter how much you love nautical red, you can't live in ... View the Post

12 ways to wear a blouse: Hot Tips by Frances Patiky Stein

Actually, she included 24 ways to wear a blouse, but some of them were a bit... unusual...

Blouse and matching skirt:

Blouse and pencil skirt:

Blouse over tee shirt with matching skirt or shorts:

Blouse with trousers, or AGAIN with a matching skirt:

Blouse as a jacket over a tank top and trousers, or with white trousers:

Blouse with matching trousers, worn as a jacket over a striped or a solid tee shirt:

I'll be away for a few days at a family celebration, so I won't be posting, or responding to comments and emails. Rest assured, I'll be back here Tuesday late morning, after my ridiculously early work shift!

love, Janice

PS - If you are looking for more color inspiration, check out the latest Pantone Color Planner and other ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a scarf: Hermès Passementerie in camel & grey

We've been chatting a lot about camel and grey together, and this scarf was the perfect opportunity to introduce a couple of outfits with those colors.  Toss in a bit of soft blue, a little bit of yellow, and a dash of coral...  What a great scarf upon which to build some looks! ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing for spring break, in aqua and ocean blue

A young reader asked me to suggest what to pack for spring break, based on her preferred water colors, and on two bikinis she owns.  These are my ideas...

Note that I ALWAYS recommend long pants, closed-toe shoes, and a cardigan or jacket for travel.  When you embark on a voyage, you truly have no idea how long you'll be traveling, or under what conditions.  But you know that (a) planes are cold, (b) airports are big, and (c) it's nicer to take off too much clothing than it is to wrap oneself in an airplane blanket!

I have three more variations of this suitcase to come, in gradually more modest and/or mature versions.  Some variation in colors, too... ... View the Post

Wardrobe: Warm Colors, Casual Styles

Lots of people really liked my post about a "Chanel-inspired" wardrobe based on 2 suits, but expressed concern because they found it too dressy.  So I've tried here to work from the same general idea - four garment groupings in 2 neutral shades, and then build around them for a 24-piece wardrobe.  This is primarily a very casual wardrobe, with only one skirt, and one dressy blouse.  There are some flowers, and some lace, and the obligatory Spring 2012 pair of "fashion color" pants...  Enjoy! ... View the Post

Travel Capsule Wardrobe: sunset and sky meets the 8 blues

The ever brilliant Juhli asked what would happen if someone with a good base wardrobe (like the sunset and sky wardrobe from here) wanted to expand their wardrobe.  She pondered the wisdom of using one of the "eights" like the one in blue that I did here as a basis for acquisitions.

Juhli is one really brilliant person... see the results! ... View the Post