turquoise Archives

Need a Foolproof Travel Capsule Wardrobe? Start With a Scarf – the Kendra Scott scarf by Echo

August 12, 2024

For a heroine who loves ivory and shades of brown, who loves turquoise and coral accessories, who wants to just pack four outfits and then not think too much about clothes...

For autumn travel, she immediately sees her color palette:

She will probably travel in this outfit - these are the darkest pants that she's taking with her, so it might be a good idea!

She doesn't have much turquoise clothing, but for travel, she doesn't need more than just a sweater that goes with everything:

Her vacation isn't going to be particularly dressy, but she's not going to want blue jeans... IVORY jeans, on the other hand, might be just right!

They don't have any very formal plans, but a casual skirt ... View the Post

A Big Multi-Destination Trip? Start with a Scarf – Michela Picchi scarf by Echo

March 13, 2024

One of you has a BIG trip coming up - a week in New York, and then a yacht cruise!

WHERE TO START?

For me, I'm thinking that a color palette is a good place to start...

I'm particularly drawn to this scarf for this particular trip, because it includes the black that seems almost obligatory for New York (although I can assure you that it really isn't...), and then includes white for the cruise. Although, of course, this heroine is going to be able to wear ALL of her colors at both destinations.

The turquoise is perfect for this time of year, as is the yellow. This really could be the ideal color palette!

First up, let me state that for a trip this varied and this long, I assume laundry. At least once. ... View the Post

Need a Wardrobe Plan for Summer? Start with Art – Blue on White, White on Blue by Paolo Quaresima

January 17, 2024

Since the temperature here is a whopping THREE DEGREES Fahrenheit, let's help a heroine who is planning her summer wardrobe!

We're going to try something kind of new - assembling a 4 by 4 Wardrobe by choosing four 4-piece clusters! Each cluster will give her at least 2 outfits, and all of the clusters will be able to work together. This is a good approach if she wants to shop (or closet-shop!) gradually, and if she's finding that clothes in her favorite colors are proving hard to find...

She wants navy, she wants white, and she wants accents of bright blue - maybe this painting is a good starting place:

One thing I've been assured - our heroine doesn't like white leather goods! I can understand that; ... View the Post

March 2022 Start with a Bracelet: The Empowered Lynx Bracelets

March 21, 2022

Spring!!!

She finally realized that nobody pays much attention to what she wears... So long as she is appropriately covered, doesn't smell terrible, and isn't decked out in something garish or deliberately conspicuous, it really doesn't seem to matter!

So how does this empower her? Now she is wearing her favorite clothes more often. She's packing less and is comfortable repeating garments or entire outfits during a trip. She cares more about HER feelings in her clothes than about the reactions of the rest of the world...

So taking a long weekend away in March isn't nearly as intimidating as it once was.

The weather? Could be toasty, could be cool.

Once upon an insecure time, she could have used ... View the Post

How to Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet – July 2020

July 17, 2020

This bracelet just screams sun and sea...

They keep inviting her to come up to their house for the weekend - there's enough room for her to have a bedroom/bathroom all to herself...

She's welcome to eat at a distance, too. Basically, they want to give her a safe break!

Sigh.... she can rent a car and drive up, rather than take the shuttle bus. Maybe this will work?

She thinks about what to pack - not much, for sure!

Her summer palette is bright, cheerful, and quintessentially summery:

She knows that it gets cool up there in the evenings, and she's going to need a sweater when she gets on the ferry...

She doesn't really plan to swim; she just wants to walk on the rocky beaches. ... View the Post

Do You Have Enough Clothes?

May 10, 2019

Unless you're reading this naked, the answer is probably yes...

So then why do we keep buying clothes? Boredom? A need for variety? Dissatisfaction with what we currently own?

It's a question that we could think about for a long time...

But let's hypothesize, eh?

Start with a painting; a... difficult painting...

So when do you struggle to get dressed? For work?

Maybe it makes sense to pull together a tiny cluster - 5 garments and 7 accessories? - that will give you lots of possibilities. You have to be really disciplined about buying simple, classic pieces that are versatile, but they don't have to be utterly boring:

It might take you a few months to get all of this purchased (or found in your ... View the Post

What if You Want LOTS of Accent Colors in Your Wardrobe?

February 8, 2019

Maybe you don't want to limit your wardrobe to just a few accent colors... It could be that you've received scarves as gifts that you want to keep, and wear. Maybe you just like a range of colors - you really don't have to explain yourself to anyone!

But you also don't have to buy tons of things...

Stick with me here!

Let's start with this most lovely scarf, and the color palette that it suggests. It's not an outrageously odd color scheme, and it lends itself beautifully to a travel capsule wardrobe.

This heroine seems to love the juxtaposition between a skirt and a somewhat rugged jacket...

She's only going for a few days - mostly dressy-ish activities, but she will also want a pair of pants at ... 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

Paris Accessories – Autumn 2017

Arguably, my favorite thing to do in Paris is look at the shop windows! And given my demonstrated fondness for accessories, there can be little surprise in learning that I love to look at scarves and jewelry most of all...

I think that one of the reasons that the Parisienne has such a reputation for chic personal style is the wide range of accessories that are available in Paris. When confronted, from birth, with such a vast number of choices, any person has to begin to clearly define their preferences and inclinations early, and continue to refine that personal style throughout their life. Without a sense of direction and focus, shopping for a simple ring or scarf in Paris can be completely overwhelming!

Many of these photographs are ... View the Post

How to Pack for a Quick, Dressy Trip? Start with a Scarf…

June 15, 2017 Her Favorite Artist Everybody probably has one that they like the most, but this is the one about whom she wrote EVERY English language essay she had to write, all through high school and college.

She has framed posters in her home. She's read the biographies. She even listens to music that was supposed to be the artist's favorite.

And now there's an exhibition.... IN MADRID.

She has no vacation time to take. Okay, maybe 2 days...

But she has some airline miles to spend...

And enough money for a few hotel nights...

And enough money for a couple of AMAZING dinners...

Yes, she's going alone. Nobody else is going to want to spend 2 solid days in 1 museum...

Well okay, she might ... View the Post

Can I Pack Just 11 Pieces for a WEEK at the Beach? Absolutely…

July 7, 2017 It's a Very... Weird... Beach House... (based on a real beach house I've seen...)

It has a dead-end hallway, with a big window... All of the 10, 11 and 12 year old's sleep there, in their sleeping bags. Well, "sleep..."

And there's 1 room that really must have been meant to be a walk-in closet. It's that small... It's been her room, for years.

She has a twin bed, a rocking chair, and a shelf attached to the wall that serves as a nightstand. There's no closet - just pegs stuck into the shadiest wall...

But her room has its own bathroom! It's tiny, but still... in a house with over 2 dozen people, it's a luxury!

And ... View the Post

Three French 5-Piece Wardrobes for Spring

April 7, 2017

Yesterday, I shared with you what I consider to be the "must have" items for warm weather. (although I don't think I can say it enough - there is NO SUCH THING as a "must have" item; if someone tells you that there is, they are more interested in selling you something than they are in helping you figure out what you most need for YOU...)

Today starts the fun part - adding accent colors! I think I'm going to have to do this for at least another 2 or 3 days, because your suggested accent colors were many, varied, and lovely!

But let me start with the "Color of the Year" - another one of those fun marketing gimmicks that really don't mean a whole lot, but that remind us to focus on a color that we might have ... View the Post