June 29, 2018
I have to admit, larkspurs are hard to find! And that’s a pity, because they’re so lovely… There are very bluish ones, and all different shades of purple… sigh…
But this at least gives us another look at purple! It’s supposed to be the color for 2018, according to Pantene, but it’s still terribly difficult to find many nice garments in a color even close to purple! When you type purple into a search, it’s likely you will get everything from pink through burgundy… sigh…
But let’s give a dash of purple a try, eh?
I think purple looks rather nice with beige – especially when worn with a scarf that ties the 2 together so well. If it’s too hot to wear the scarf around your neck, tie it to your handbag!
tee – Halogen; cropped pants – Eileen Fisher; necklace – Ila Suleyman; scarf – Caslon; sandals – Børn
Purple with white is always nice, too. Realistically, EVERYTHING looks good with white… These sandals aren’t at all the color of the top in this outfit, but they do go really well with the various tones of the scarf…
silk blend top – Styland; earrings – Jane Basch Designs; pants – Eileen Fisher; scarf – Treasure & Bond; sandals – Leith
Of course navy is a good option! And I’m really taken with the structure of this top; I think it might be very flattering…
top – Halogen; necklace – Rituu Agarwal; sandals – Chocolat Blu; midnight linen pants – Eileen Fisher; bag – Kate Spade
If you’ve got the nerve to wear a white dress, there is no accent color that you can’t use!
cardigan – Mango; scarf – Nordstrom; dress – Eileen Fisher; bag – Anuschka; ballet flats – Sam Edelman
If you’re not a fan of white shorts, they could easily be replaced with a pair of pants or a skirt. And if white completely freaks you out, you can always migrate to a more beige or natural color.
tee – Halogen; earrings – Farra; scarf – Rebecca Minkoff; sandals – Comfortiva; white shorts – Eileen Fisher
How do you feel about slightly different shades of purple in the same outfit? I think it could be good fun…
jacket – P.A.R.O.S.H.; earrings – Lafonn; pants – Eileen Fisher; bag – N’Damus London; sandals – Birkenstock
Now that this post is COMPLETELY FINISHED, someone has reminded me that Etsy has lots of larkspur bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings. Of course I find them all now… Do be careful when ordering from Etsy; they no longer have restrictions on things being hand-made, so you will see some very poor-quality sweatshop items.
love,
Janice
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I take great umbrage at your comment about Etsy no longer having restrictions on things being hand-made. I don’t know where you are getting your “information” from, but it is simply NOT TRUE. As a long time seller on Etsy I can assure you that is NOT the case. Shops can only sell handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. Unfortunately in the world we live in today there are always people trying to break the rules and while you could open a shop and sell “sweatshop” items, Etsy does eventually find and close those shops down. It’s a never-ending surveillance act and takes time. There are many,many unique and wonderful handmade items available ONLY on Etsy by great artisans who could never afford to sell wholesale or maintain large websites themselves. While the addage “buyer beware” is always a good thing to keep in mind no matter where you shop, please don’t do your readers a dis-service by advising them not to shop on Etsy.
I’m glad that you’re having good luck with Etsy, and I would never tell someone to NOT shop there. But I have purchased things very recently that came directly from China, so I want to make sure that everybody knows to check carefully for location of origin.
Some of my favorite things in our apartment, including a satin blanket that I sleep with every night, came from Etsy, so I have to admit in fairness that there are great things there…
Thanks for sharing your feelings, and giving me a chance to clarify my thoughts. I’m really grateful that you felt comfortable letting us all know about your experiences, and your thoughts.
hugs,
Janice
I’d never heard of Larkspurs before, but I have Delphiniums which I believe is an alternative flower for July. Love the purple and white outfits, although I rarely wear white bottoms unless it’s on holiday, and even then it will only be a Capri style jean with a floaty top to hide my blushes.
When you commented about having the nerve to wear a white dress, it reminded me of my Nan, who once wore a white dress out for an evening dinner and dance and got so much male attention especially from my Grandad that she never wore it again – (I hope she remembered to put on her underwear!) Sharon, U.K.
Ha! That is such a great story! Hacks for sharing :)
Just lovely! A great alternative to white or beige is pale gray. Also, most botanical gardens have gift shops, where you might be able to find larkspur items.
I love this post! Purple – real purple as you mentioned – is indeed hard to find. My latest creative exercise is incorporating the beautifully-colored silk scarves of Leona Lengyel. You turned me on to the joy of scarves, Ms. Janice! Best wishes. https://rtister.com/collections/leona-lengyel/products/mystic-purple-silk-scarf
Wow, that’s lovely!
hugs,
Janice
Oo, these color combos are beautiful! As is the actual larkspur! :-) (But why does it take nerve to wear a white dress? And why would white completely freak someone out? Is it because they’re hard to keep clean? What am I missing?? :-O )
It’s the laundry thing. And the spilling food thing. And the sitting on the bus in something really unmentionable gruesome and icky…
That said, I wear white anyway!
hugs,
Janice
Kate C, I think it’s the idea that white is hard to keep clean. But I think white cotton in the summer is great, and it can be bleached if necessary. Also, I live in a small city and travel mostly in my car. People who take public transit in big cities may find it harder to maintain white garments.
I agree that it takes nerve to wear a white dress, but I think it has to do with the “butter-side-down” principle—white dresses attract ALL the coffee spills. (Purple isn’t my bag, really, but I do love larkspur blooms, and can never find them—floral services design them into arrangements, and then florists swap them back out for snapdragons (boo, hiss.)) Still, a very nice wardrobe for someone who does purple and doesn’t drink coffee or red wine—thanks for making the effort to innovate!
Love this color combination. The scarves you show are so beautiful but I always get so warm with a scarf over my neck. Predicament.
Love the purple and white combo – I wear a lot of white bottoms in the summer and it feels so fresh and summery to me.
You can find some larkspur tops, pants and dresses at:
https://houghtonnyc.com/houghton-bride-lookbook
It says bride look-book but the Amaranth top and Larkspur pants combo is really quite pretty and could be just the thing for an outdoor summer event.
Janice,
I thinK you have a birthday right around now. Maybe I’m wrong, but if it is, then, Many happy returns! I have been reading your posts regularly since day one.
You are a blessing in my life.
Hugs,
Eclair
Yes Eclair, today is my 58th birthday! You are so sweet to remember…
hugs,
Janice
Happy Birthday, Janice! Wishing you good health and good times with family and friends.
Cheers,
Tess
Happy Birthday, fellow Crab! And I would add that it’s possible to find Larkspur, also known as Delphinium, shades of lavenders-into-purples at Coldwater Creek, where these seem to be very popular colors. The Susan Graver line is using a color called “Delphinium,” a blue-purple, this year (QVC). Quite honestly, the only shade of purple I’m interested in these days is a true lavender, more blue than pink (which becomes lilac very quickly). I find the more saturated shades (like purple, amethyst) too strong for my coloring (and yet one loves them so). I put them with navy and grey, but am having trouble finding the one shade I’m looking for, dusty lavender.
I forgot, I wanted to show you this, which is “Siberian Larkspur.” These, to me, are just the most perfect shades of blues-to-purples. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Delphinium_grandiflorum
I would frame and hang that somewhere – would it be wrong to have your favorite colors hanging in or near your closet?
hugs,
Janice
https://strandedtreasures.com/larkspur-jewelry – these cheap little larkspurs are mostly available as pendants or earrings, but there’s a stickpin brooch that would look awfully cute in the lapel of a white summer blazer. Handmade in USA
https://efsterling.com/collections/larkspur-jewelry-and-charms – cast metal larkspurs, can be made in silver, gold or rose gold. Handmade in USA
https://www.kataoka-jewelry.com/en/en-jewelry/en-rings/diamond-larkspur-ring/ – a very delicate fine diamond ring, not sure if it really looks much like a larkspur. Made in Japan.
https://www.ebth.com/items/5583129-sterling-silver-reed-barton-july-larkspur-gold-tone-necklace – A really pretty goldtone floral pendant. From an estate sale website.
If you go far enough back in the search results, there’s even a diamond nose pin that claims to look like a larkspur.
I love your posts. Filled with ideas and inspiration. Thank you so much.
My birthday is in July and I never knew what my flower was! Very pretty! I don’t have much purple but I do like it. It was my Grandma’s favorite color.
Purple with white, beige, cream – stunning! I would never think of that myself.