jewelry Archives

Adding Accessories: Portrait of the Countess de Martel de Janville by Boldini

July 7, 2020

Our heroine needs to go shopping, again!

After she picked up a few more garments, she was left with just the accessories with which she had traveled. This isn't a bad bunch of pretty things, but she might want a few more things:

She sorted her wardrobe out into a number of outfits, and then decided to very methodically get accessories for each outfit in turn.

To start, she went completely off the rails for a pair of earrings that she could NOT resist:

Well THAT was fun! The next day was quite warm, and she realized that she wanted a good hat!

Masks! Even in a city that's beginning to reopen after the quarantine, one still needs a mask. She decides that she might as well get a few that look good ... View the Post

Adding Accessories: Coastal Image by Theo van Rysselberghe

May 22, 2020

Since we're having so much fun with accessories (oh yesterday was AWESOME...), I thought I'd go back and take a look at this beauty; it couldn't be more different from yesterday's wardrobe:

For me personally, I'd need another pair of shorts or 2, and maybe a dress? But this is so pretty, I think I'd manage!

Let's look at a stack of outfits to see what might be either useful or decorative! First up, sandals, earrings and the "always important for summer" tote bag:

I seldom show belts, but a simple gold belt would be lovely with so many of these outfits:

For those of us dealing with hair that's a bit over-grown, a gorgeous barrette is unmissable:

I love the endless softness of pale yellow and ... View the Post

Adding Accessories: Saints Genevieve and Apollonia by Lucas Cranach the Elder

May 21, 2020

Let's look back for just a second at our saints, and appreciate the choice and balance of colors. There's a reason that I like to start with paintings - the artists put a LOT of thought into every choice, and we can learn from this...

And let's take a look at her wardrobe:

Our heroine is a BIG fan of accessories, so she assembles a dozen outfits and accessorizes them! She limits herself to 6 pairs of shoes, but otherwise the sky's the limit:

She realizes that she might not need a handbag all the time, but it wouldn't do to be unprepared if she finds that she has to step out!

Note that when she chooses shoes to wear with her onyx jewelry, she finds some mules with teeny round perforations, and wee ... View the Post

Adding Accessories: A Work Wardrobe in Navy, Plum, Teal and Lavender

May 15, 2020

Our heroine from a couple of days ago now has a good work wardrobe for her needs - not terribly dressy, but still serious enough that she will stand out from her former co-workers. If you're in an environment where people wear jeans and very casual clothes for work, it doesn't take a lot to stand out!

My system, such as it is, for most wardrobes, is to assemble a half-dozen outfits, trying to include all of the "bottoms" and as many of the tops as possible. I of course try to include all of the colors, and as broad a range of dressiness as makes sense for the heroine in question.

I'm sure I miss something this way, but I'm still looking for a better approach! Any suggestions?

First, let's start with a serious ... View the Post

Accessories! Start with Art – The Visit by Marie Laurencin

May 8 2020

I couldn't resist coming back to this painting, and to the wardrobe based on these colors!

First, let's look back at the spring wardrobe with a core of grey and white garments, and then a few accents in blue and pink (including that blue cardigan that keeps catching my eye!):

I'm looking for accessories that are somewhat "soft" in feel, to compliment the softness of the colors here, and also for things that will look good with more than one outfit...

For our blue dress, I wanted a scarf that our heroine could wear around her shoulders (although of course she has her white cardigan that will be perfect for that!), and some earrings that also were organic in theme. Silver sandals will be useful with pretty much ... View the Post

Accessories! Start with Art: Resting by Paul Klee

April 30, 2020

This heroine knows full well the degree to which the right accessories can make a TON of difference in an outfit! First up, she's starting with this compelling painting, and lovely color palette:

Our heroine is starting with this most wonderful wardrobe in soft colors and timeless styles:

She knows that she's going to want to wear very simple monochromatic outfits sometimes, and that on other occasions she's going to break out her accent colors. Her plan, then, is to pull together some representative outfits, and accessorize each of them...

All accessories do NOT have to be neutral - blue suede shoes tell you what you're going to be humming all day!

She wants to be able to look pretty in a dress ... View the Post

Planning Accessories for a Travel Capsule Wardrobe, in Black and Pink

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you one of my favorite blog posts from a few years ago, and then my revision of it in my current favorite colors. I think this an exercise that a lot of you engage in frequent, since there's no way that the wardrobes that I post here will ALWAYS be your favorite colors!

But I didn't include many accessories - I just accessorized the initial travel outfit, but nothing else. THAT won't do...

We started here, with a travel outfit in which I could live for quite a while:

And these are the 10 garments that I chose to pack; at the time I said that I wasn't sure if I was packing for Paris or Dublin (or maybe New York?)...

My best plan (so far) for making certain that I pack the right ... View the Post

How to Plan What Accessories to Pack – Cloud Rainforest scarf by Klements

April 9, 2020

Bright colors tomorrow, I promise! But I've got this scarf and it's colors on the brain right now, so I wanted to think about how I would accessorize this heroine's wardrobe for a longer trip...

First up, let's remember that she's starting with this scarf. It's SO intriguing...

Packing isn't easy - you want to be prepared for everything possible, while at the same time not lugging your entire home with you in 37 suitcases! You can't "get away from it all" if you take it all with you...

I've tried to think of a relatively logical, methodical way to look at what accessories to pack:

Let's start with the accessories that our heroine is already accustomed to packing for her long weekend trips; I'm assuming ... View the Post

A Couple of Enthusiastic Recommendations, and a Question

First Cool Thing You may have figured out by now that my most beloved mother lives in Florida... which suggests warm weather, pools...

POOLS? You're not gettin' me in some skimpy little string-bottomed, fat-revealing piece of Lycra!

That was me, for quite a long time. But having children in the family changes all rules, so I took a chance, and I AM THRILLED.

I LOOK GOOD IN THIS!

Trust me. Take your measurements, be patient, and TRY THESE. I was so happy... There's a pool in my building! And a HOT TUB! And I can USE THEM BOTH!!!!!

excuse me, I'm shouting because I'm happy; it's a great reason to shout....

Yes, wrestling your upper torso into the top is a project, because of the built-in bra. But it's worth the ... View the Post

Dressing for the Winter Holidays – Festive but not Foolish

It's an indelible memory: a corporate holiday party, back in the 80's. Most of the women were wearing those silk jacquard dresses that were so easy to find back then. (mine was red, with a dropped waist, and a big bow on my left hip, at the dropped waist; the skirt was a bit flaired below the dropped waist, so that it moved when I danced. And THE SHOULDER PADS were a thing of wonder...)

One women showed up in strapless sequins. Oh my. I felt bad for her...

Since then, dressing for holiday events has been stressful for me; I've always been frightened that I would make that kind of "career limiting move," or otherwise just not fit in.

So let's be sensible, and intelligent in this planning, eh? Since many of us are going to have ... View the Post

12 Accessory Families! The Pantone “New York” Colors for Autumn 2019

I have no idea why they have multiple color groupings for autumn... Pantone does things their own way, no doubt!

I love these posts, but they take ages to do; just because Pantone thinks that these colors are going to be popular does NOT mean that they're easy to find. But in all fairness, these colors aren't just intended for clothing and accessories - they could be for automobiles, decor, restaurants - whatever...

Still, these are lots of fun, and would be a great way to bring some personality to a Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, wouldn't it?

This first color is closest to what I would indulge in:

This darker red might be lovely with brown, wouldn't it?

If you like beige or grey, this peach would be ... View the Post

Spring Updates? Or Maybe Mother’s Day?

I'm not good with dates - I forget birthdays (except my own, and Belovedest's), if we hadn't got married on the 1st day of Spring I would struggle with our anniversary, and let's not even get started on the holidays that changes dates every year!

But Mother's Day in the US is coming up soon... If you're still lucky enough to buy gifts for this occasion, it's time to give it some thought!

And yes, your mother would want you to have something pretty too...

If your wardrobe could use a bit of freshening up, a new accent color for warm weather is a fun option to consider; for this post, I just found cardigans that I liked, and then built around them. A pretty cardigan over a neutral outfit ALWAYS makes things feel new and fresh, and ... View the Post