cool weather Archives - Page 3 of 33

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #33: A 2nd Layer

November 1, 2021

This was good timing - after being out for a couple of lunch dates last week, I was seriously thinking that my next "Chic Sighting" would be blazer-sweaters!

I'm curious - those of you who are back in your offices, or are back in business environments - are you seeing people more dressed up than before the pandemic? My limited view of what's going on in Chicago suggests that we are taking advantage of the chance to look a little bit nicer, and wear those lovely things that have been hanging in our closets for months (and months and months...).

I saw a LOT of this kind of look, when I was out last week. It was dressier than I was used to seeing - lapels do a great deal to elevate an outfit! And why not wear ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Butterfly Classic Silk Scarf by Debbie Millington

October 29, 2021 You're a WHAT?

First graders. Teaching them to pronounce lepidopterist is quite fun...

Explaining that you don't study leopards is also amusing...

She's actually on her way to a solar energy conference, but she was invited to visit an elementary school to explain her work, in the same city (just an hour away from home), so she's doubling up!

As hard as it might be for her to be bright and stand out, she's wearing bright blue for her young audience:

They all talk about how important butterflies are, and how they grow, and what we can learn from them. She actually gets very good ideas from small children...

But NOW, she gets to (has to?) explain to a bunch of solar types how the structure and ... View the Post

Accessorizing a Navy, Ivory and Pale Pink Capsule Wardrobe

October 27, 2021

As nifty and attractive as this wardrobe is, it's really the accessories that make it work!

You may remember from last week that when I chose 2 pink garments to add to this wardrobe, I also added these accessories:

Lovely as these are, they will NOT be enough for any normal person!

For years, I've been trying to come up with a "Master List of Accessories" that everyone should have; for years, I have not succeeded!

And I think this is okay - accessories are far too personal to be structured in this way. One of my closest friends wear a TON of jewelry - literally at least 10 pieces at any one time. Another of my friends wear earrings - maybe - every now and then. I'm not going to give either of ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #32: Trousers (or Pants)

October 25, 2021

When I first wrote out this list, I was picturing that this week would feature really nice wool pants, or maybe a ponte knit if wool isn't your thing. Something that could span the "dressy to casual" spectrum with ease...

HA! Such things are almost impossible to find these days. And by the time I find a pair of that doesn't cost $1,400, comes in sizes larger than 8, and has photographs in which the model isn't hang gliding over the Great Wall of China - well, they're just ugly.

So, for our wardrobing visuals I'm using more corduroy...

But I MUST tell you about Red Thread. www.redthreadcollection.com

There are no sizes here - you take a couple of photographs of yourself (don't worry, their system walks you ... View the Post

October 2021 Start with a Bracelet: The Fierce Clarity Bracelets

October 22, 2021 She Knows Why She's Going...

She hasn't traveled in forever. Well, almost 2 years. And her friends are surprised that her first choice destination is a "retreat spa..."

There's meditation. There's massage. There's long walks in an undeveloped woodland area. There's excellent food...

There's NO getting up at dawn for 5 hour meditation sessions.

There's NO limit on how much you may speak, or to whom.

There's NO requirement that you spend an hour a day every day in the kitchen peeling turnips, or other such things...

Yes, she's spent a lot of time alone, but she hasn't really taken time to pay attention to herself. NOW, that's her plan...

She's not at all sure what to pack - she's heard that ... View the Post

The Common Wardrobe in Navy and Ivory, accented with Potpourri pink

October 20, 2021

I'm been looking at the Pantone Spring 2021/22 colors; looking may be as far as I get with some of them - there are a couple of truly odd colors on this list!

But we can always start with a neutral wardrobe core, and then use one of the more accessible of the colors for accent, right?

This version of The Common Wardrobe is not a long way from the original, shown below. The jeans are unchanged, the knit pants, long-sleeved tee and cashmere turtleneck are navy rather than black.

For other garments, I tried to stick with the original role that the garment played - 2nd layer, top, bottom - and then looked for a navy or ivory version, in a "long over short" option.

Today's heroine has been wearing her navy ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #31: Jeans!

October 18, 2021

For AGES I didn't wear jeans, because I wore only black and white, and the only jeans I could find were blue...

Well, THAT has certainly changed, and our options are much more entertaining and versatile now:

Pretty much any color you want - neutral or accent - can be found in jeans if you're willing to look (and look, and look...)

But it can be well worthwhile - sometimes you want to do something for which wearing jeans is truly the best option, no matter your age nor silhouette.

This availability in a wide range of colors is glorious for those who don't want to dress in colors that are "traditional" for the season. If you're beautiful in pink and pale shades, wear them all year 'round, and stand out ... View the Post

Start with Art: Construction by Max Weber

October 13, 2021 Difficult...

Very early in her career, she became instantly famous (at least in architecture circles!) for her innovations in combining unexpected construction materials. She discovered new synergies of strength and flexibility that changed the industry...

Since then, she has deliberately cultivated a reputation for being a difficult partner in projects. She's actually a lovely, kind woman, but she finds that she is treated with more respect if everyone approaches her with a certain... trepidation?

Her wardrobe reflects her interest in combining things in unexpected ways; she might show up for a project summit dressed in a soft, approachable way:

But she knows that she's going to want to surprise ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #30 – A Print Long-Sleeved Tee Shirt

October 11, 2021

Ah, some prints! Even those of us who normally introduce prints into our outfits with a scarf will need a printed garment from time to time...

A pretty tee shirt can be a great excuse to buy a cardigan, sweater, sweatshirt or jacket in a color that you love... (why yes, this purple corduroy shirt-jacket cries out to me, although I don't need it!)

And you never have to tuck these shirts in - this one is actually a tunic:

(and this one isn't long-sleeved - these rules are pretty flexible!)

The various colors that appear in a print can make it easy to assemble your outfit - match a color with your pants or skirt, match another color with your 2nd layer, and you're done!

So what might a ... View the Post

October 2021 – Six Scarves, 12 Months, 12 Outfits

October 8, 2021

Life is almost back to normal; thank you SO MUCH for your patience, your kindness, your generosity, your lovely messages...

Before I jump in, I want to explain what I'm thinking with all of these white turtlenecks! But I really can't... I just kept feeling like each wardrobe needed 2 things - a bright accent color, and then a clean, bright neutral top to wear under it!

Many of us love accent colors that don't necessarily flatter us - this white turtleneck (or a white shirt with a collar) can change the impact of a color on your complexion dramatically.

And many of us find ourselves called upon to wear colors (because of work, sports, schools...) that aren't our very best. Breaking up the impact of something (like ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Black Column with Warm-Toned 2nd Layer

September 29, 2021

Autumn's arrival is still sort of iffy, here in Chicago, but I am seeing more women wearing lovely fall clothes on the cooler days! What a nice break...

One thing that really jumped out at me a few days ago was seeing lots of women wearing a column of black - often a black dress - with something over it that was ivory, beige or camel.

I think a lot of us who live in black (or navy, or grey) tend to think that we can only wear cool hues with our neutral. But that's not at ALL true - what about a woman with dark brown hair with no hint of red or warmth, but clear amber eyes. (I'm looking in the mirror for this...)

And what's a woman to do when you're thrifting and you see a gorgeous camel blazer or sweater, but ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #29 – An Accent Color Long-Sleeved Tee Shirt

September 27, 2021 Happy Birthday Belovedest!!! I had to get that out of my system... he's such a wonderful man...

Ahem... back to accent colors, and simple tee shirts to bring some brightness and interest into your wardrobe:

This is a color to keep in mind if you're ever tasked with choosing the team tee shirt color, or smocks for the volunteers, or anything where a group of women are going to be dressed alike. This is a color that doesn't look truly horrible on anyone, in my humble opinion. And it goes with all neutrals, so nobody should be unable to pull together an outfit... (of course, some people do not really WANT to be part of a group, but that's a whole different issue for you to diplomatically smooth ... View the Post