September 5, 2016
She caught my eye, across the room, at the Art Institute of Chicago:
Portrait of a Young Woman by Henri Regnault
Class Reunion/Homecoming Weekend
Scarf – Fraas; earrings – Irene Neuwirth; dress – Lands’ End; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bracelet – Nest; watch – Movado; shoes – Cole Haan; briefcase – Eddie
“Is she going to be here? I hear that she’s a CEO somewhere…”
“I certainly hope so – seeing her is practically the only reason that I came…”
Turtleneck – Armani; brooch – One Kings Lane; necklace – Natasha Accessories; black and white tee – Rag & Bone; turquoise tee – Lands’ End; scarf – Talbots; jeans – L.L.Bean; skirt – Lands’ End; clutch – Urban Expressions; boots – Munro; flats – Vaneli; pants – L.L.Bean
“I wonder if she still always wears blue every day…”
“Well, I wonder if she still has that hair…”
If this is how the MEN feel, imagine what the WOMEN in her class must be saying…
Love,
Janice
p.s. No, I’m NOT in Italy… We’ve postponed for 6 weeks. Bright side? Less expensive flights, and we’re staying for 12 days, rather than just a week…
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Those are really CEO clothes. I love it. And your story.
Six weeks means very different weather! I hope you'll let us know your new packing plan.
So smart & elegant – love the painting.
Glad that your travel plans have been sorted.
This is lovely..and also adaptable to many other colors. It would be interesting to see the inclusion of the rusty red in the background.
I really hope she has that wonderful hair, even if it is now grey, it would be beautiful with this selection. And yes, the rusty red is what I saw first in the picture, her hair and the background!!
Postponing a trip often adds more fun in the anticipation. So enjoy and now you have more time there too.
Deb from Vancouver
Deb
Janice,
This is lovely, but I too was hoping to see that auburn hair used as a smidgen of an accent color somehow, perhaps in jewelry and a bag.
So glad that your trip will now turn out even better !
Just lovely. As someone with a disproportionate amount of blue in my wardrobe, I'm wondering if blue everyday couldn't become my own signature!
More time to anticipate while postponing your journey! And a new wardrobe plan with weather changes.
What a fabulous look with her auburn hair! That rustle-y black taffeta and crisp white are what originally caught my eye – and had me thinking of pleated details, buttons, and high contrast. I would love to see this wardrobe expanded with some sharp white and some of those warm browns. But I love this black and blue capsule for travel, and I think I could shop my closet for a very similar grouping. – nancyo
Oh the dress and the skirt are so nice with blue. Classy!
The Land's End dress and Armani turtleneck are perfect CEO items. And who would guess that the dress is only $79?! Very classy. Everything about the arrival outfit subtly says "successful" – and the hidden message in the words of the scarf is an added bonus. (Also available in shades of red…so hard to choose just one!)
What a look! Such composure, and all those lovely details as Nancy says, the pleats, the folds, the quiet gleams, the contrasts, the textures, the choice of one accent colour (note to self) … And I loved the punchline to the story, Janice.
There's a photo discoverable online of the young Janet Yellen with a very similar expression.
Robyn in Tasmania
What a great travel wardrobe! Love her story! The gold jewelry is a nice touch too. Very nice Janice!
Janice, your blog has been SO helpful to me. I just wanted to let you know that today I purchased three dresses from Land's End. I was just hired for a new position that starts next month, and while dress is "business casual" it's more "business" than my last, part-time job, so I have to upgrade some of my wardrobe. After seeing Land's End dresses on wardrobes for at least a year, I thought one or two might be just what I needed, so I used your link to go to the site. But I couldn't tell how the dresses would look on or whether I would need a regular or petite, so yesterday I went to Sears to try some on. I bought two of the sleeveless sheath dresses, one a print and one in navy (I have a similar black one already from Gap). They were too long but perfect in the body, so I figured I'd be better off hemming them than gambling with ordering a petite. I also got a third, winter clearance dress for 90% off, and two pairs of pants (which I'll also have to hem). The material on the dresses is great, and even though it's knit the dresses are thick and the cut is structured and businessy. So thank you! I would never even have looked there, having had bad experiences buying petite, casual clothes there that were boxy.
Janice, your blog has been SO helpful to me. I just wanted to let you know that today I purchased three dresses from Land's End. I was just hired for a new position that starts next month, and while dress is "business casual" it's more "business" than my last, part-time job, so I have to upgrade some of my wardrobe. After seeing Land's End dresses on wardrobes for at least a year, I thought one or two might be just what I needed, so I used your link to go to the site. But I couldn't tell how the dresses would look on or whether I would need a regular or petite, so yesterday I went to Sears to try some on. I bought two of the sleeveless sheath dresses, one a print and one in navy (I have a similar black one already from Gap). They were too long but perfect in the body, so I figured I'd be better off hemming them than gambling with ordering a petite. I also got a third, winter clearance dress for 90% off, and two pairs of pants (which I'll also have to hem). The material on the dresses is great, and even though it's knit the dresses are thick and the cut is structured and businessy. So thank you! I would never even have looked there, having had bad experiences buying petite, casual clothes there that were boxy.
The accessories in this particular set are everything. How on earth do you find ones that are so cohesive? After a recent re-haul of my wardrobe, (based entirely on your blog by the way), I now know that my next step is accessories. I don't wear rings or bracelets. But I think its time for a new watch. This has been very inspiring. Thank you!
Brittany
Los Angeles