Archives for August 2013

August 2013

The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Well-tailored, Xenophilic, Yourself, Zealous

Once upon a time, I was sitting in the lobby of a temp agency, and overheard a conversation between a very well-qualified applicant and the employment consultant who was about to send the applicant out for an interview.

"Why are the legs of your trousers safety-pinned?"

"I want to wear these pants later with high-heels..."

"Go home and change; I'll try to reschedule your interview."

Was everybody dying to know how I was going to handle the letter X? I've sort of cobbled together a word which is the opposite of xenophobic - frightened of unfamiliar people, places or things. Chic should have about it some sense of embracing the unusual, the different, and the just plain weird. Not necessarily going to work dressed ... View the Post

Dream SPECIFIC Wardrobe Dreams!

What's your dream wardrobe?

Be specific. Imagine that the first cool fall day has arrived (if you're in the Northern Hemisphere), and that you open your closet/armoire/cupboard door and you see it: the Dream Wardrobe.

How many outfits?

What are they? A grey mini-skirt with a grey tunic sweater, grey tights, and silver flats? A simple black wool dress with an amazing paisley scarf and low-heeled black suede pumps? Dream specific dreams.

And then write them down, or draw them...

Now distill these various outfits down to their necessary component parts and pieces.

Now figure out what you already own...

Your shopping list then looks like this:

For me, personally, my autumn purchase plan is the ... View the Post

The Travel Toiletries Test Drive – this is a good time to prepare!

August 29, 2013

I think the hardest part of travelling is getting all of one's toiletries and personal care products sorted out and ready to roll. For years, I would pack a lot of things that I never used, or that I only used a little bit. Finally, I decided that there had to be a better way.So I got all of my products assembled and into their appropriate bags, and starting on the first of the month, I used NOTHING but what I had packed. NOTHING. In fact, I found that this was a particularly good opportunity to sort through all sort of cosmetics and other items that were... languishing... in my bathroom.

I found, after a few weeks, that I had been carrying enough shampoo with me, on every trip, to ... View the Post

Your best color, and a Signature Scarf

Back in the dark ages of the 80's, when I was in graduate school, I worked for a department store. (very un-glamorous, I assure you). This was back when department store inventories were NOT driven by individual "designer" boutiques; we had separate departments for suits, for sportswear, for formal wear etc.

For a while, I worked in the area which sold tee shirts, blouses, shirts and sweaters. We carried at least a dozen styles at any point in time, depending on the season, and each style was available in a couple of dozen "cosmetic" colors. In other words, we always had tops available in every possible shade of coral, peach, plum, pink, berry, cherry, crimson, scarlet or whatever other lipstick-like color you ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Grey and Yellow

August 27, 2013 I saw a couple of these outfits late last winter, and then didn't see the color combination again until this week, where I spotted it a handful of times. This is a great look to collect if yellow flatters you...

Sweater – Jules B., Shorts – Trussardi, sneakers – Superga , sweater – Stella McCartney, jeans – 7 for All Mankind, earrings – Linnie McClarty oxfords – BC Footwear

Sweater – Tom Scott, cropped trousers – Moschino Cheap and Chic, flats-Adrienne Papell, earrings – Dorus Mhor, blouse – Chloe, skirt – Marc Jacobs, cardigan – Miu Miu, Bracelet – Eleanor Bolton

Dress – L’Autre Chose, scarf – ... View the Post

Four pack: Tan, with THREE printed items

August 26, 2013

The travel outfit is always the most important decision when packing a tiny suitcase. In the worst travel outcomes, you can be stuck wearing this outfit for a REALLY long time. Even if everything goes perfectly, this is the outfit in which you arrive - your first impression at the branch office, or the hotel, or with the relatives. As much as I adore textured and patterned cardigans, for the Four Pack, I'd stick with a solid-colored cardigan. This amazingly beautiful sweater might get a lot of action, if the weather proves to be cool, and a solid makes it easier to coordinate other items.

Now you have a variety of choices! This doesn't exhaust the ... View the Post

Silly shoes strike again…

State Street and Madison, yesterday afternoon. She crossed again the light. She fell. The oncoming car screeched to a halt to avoid hitting her. And was promptly rear-ended by a bus...

She got up and walked away... ... View the Post

Four pack! Navy, Grey, etc.

August 23, 2013 One of my very longest-standing readers recently asked me about packing with only four garments - which of course is entirely possible. She also requested a variety of colors, rather than my usual four by four of one color. This is easily enough clothing for a 3 or four day trip - even longer, if you have laundry facilities available, and you could easily pack in a tote bag. Keep the 2nd pair of shoes light and flat, add just a few accessories to keep things lively, and make sure you've whittled your toiletries down to the absolute necessary minimum.

Cardigan – Dear Cashmere, blouse – Isabel Marant, trousers –Dorothy Perkins, loafers- Rebecca Minkoff,, earrings – NightFox Jewelry, cashmere ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Grey and Peach

August 21, 2013 I've left the grey garments the same as the ones that I used with shades of green last week, in order to really emphasize the degree to which these outfits shift in their mood and appearance based on the accent color used. Here again, we see a successful pairing of warm and cool colors!

Tee shirt – Dolce and Gabbana, shorts- Emma Cook, earrings - Cynthia Jones, sandals – Ferragamo, peach trousers – Ted Baker London, scarf- Terracotta New York, loafers – Geox , silk top - Emporio Armani

Sweater – Maison Kitsune, scarf -milleneufcentquatrevingt, cropped trousers – Moschino Cheap & ... View the Post

Travel Capsule Wardrobe in Navy, Tan and Coral

August 20, 2013

love, Janice ... View the Post

Packing a Four by Four Capsule Wardrobe: Navy, Tan and Coral

August 19, 2013 I've had a ton of questions from readers about packing for trips that include multiple cities, and a variety of activities. And I've also had a few requests for packing navy, tan (or khaki) and coral. So I endeavor to answer questions and fulfill requests with this post. As usual, I like to start with the travel outfit that includes a couple of capsule wardrobe essentials - I'm always a fan of a cardigan, long pants, loafers, and a big scarf. Simple stud earrings don't get caught on things when you're sleeping on the plane. Dark colors are good because they don't show wrinkles or spills, and a cardigan gives you the layering option for when the plane is cold.

Gold ... View the Post

The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Timeless, Unique, Vital

I think one of the most striking things about seeing photographs of true style icons - Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis etc. - is that they could easily be seen on the streets of any major city in the world TODAY, and they would still look wonderful. There's a lot to be learned from this.

Uniqueness isn't essential - you can easily conform to the current uniform of modern culture and blend in, but that's (1) no fun, and (2) not very chic. You might have to do some thinking in order to figure out who you are, and what you want to convey in your image, but if you want to live an authentic life, your personal image is an important thing to establish and refine.

Walk with some energy. Look interested in your ... View the Post