July 30, 2018
48 Hours in Paris…
Remember our heroine the translator? She won a translation award back in January, and then in the Spring was interviewing with HIM to translate his autobiography…
She’s very quiet, and tries to keep her appearance somewhat muted so it doesn’t distract from what she’s translating. This painting, and these colors, are her wardrobe inspiration:
To nobody’s surprise, she got the job translating the AMAZING French guy’s autobiography. And for reasons nobody can quite explain, she has to go to Paris to meet the publishers and sign some release documents… Oh dear…
So she hops on the train!
cardigan – Eileen Fisher; earrings – Roberto Coin; scarf – Dalliance & Noble; tee shirt – Eileen Fisher; bracelet – Gorjana; watch – Rosefield; tote – Madewell; duffel bag – Paravel; flats – Tory Burch; pants – Eileen Fisher
The only 2 things she has on her agenda are dinner with the author, and then meetings the next day with the publishers. But she decides that she really should stay over another night, if only to get a good sense of the mood of the author’s voice. You’ve got to immerse yourself in your work, right?
So she packs small, and wisely:
Byzantine Cross Charm Earrings – The Met Store; dress – Eileen Fisher; Pine Needle Openwork Cuff – The Met Store; striped top – Frame; cardigan – Trouvé; skirt – Eileen Fisher; Hokusai Great Wave Scarf – The Met Store; print blouse – Hinge; crocodile clutch bag – Judith Leiber; silk blouse – Eileen Fisher; slingbacks – Halogen; flats – Vince
She arrays everything before she puts it in her bag (and before she gets dressed) so that she can make sure that she has enough – especially the right shoes! She finds this travel capsule wardrobe to be somewhat comforting, which is good since she’s going to be a little bit nervous off and on during this trip!
Before she zips up her bag, she runs over, in her mind, what she’s going to wear for which event:
She knows how lucky she is!
Has your work ever “required” you to travel someplace wonderful? I used to “have” to go to Paris at least twice a year…
love,
Janice
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Packaging for any trip takes time of me. Thanks for your post, I think it would be easier. So great!
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Janice,
I am loving this capsule, but translating the black pieces into brown, for my coloring. Here you have the start of a 4×4 with 4 garments in black, two tops and two bottoms. Then you add a bridging striped top, and a second but light neutral in the cream cardigan. Then come the two accent colors , one warm, one cool, in the tops and the dress plus the accent prints and textures ! If you were to expand upon this in a “ one piece at at a time” concept,what would you add next ? Perhaps a pair of cream colored pants or skirt ? Then maybe a polka dotted top with a black background ? Then a print top with one or both of the accent colors ? Perhaps a cardigan , blazer, sweater , or vest in one or both of the accent colors ? I love how this basic format can continue to be built upon after establishing the framework ! So great for packing, just adjusting the number of the pieces for the length of the trip ! Genius !
Eileen Fisher is not my style, but I am head over heels for that cream cardigan.
too much black for summer. i expected more of a brown base.
“Vivienne” does not use a ton of black, actually, she usually wants us to branch out!
But I can understand this heroine using it, running to Paris for a professional engagement, both geography and professionally where one might use a lot of black!
What a lovely selection of clothes to have in a duffel bag. They look stylish but comfortable. I really like the cream cardigan as well. It looks cosy to wear but is like a jacket.
I can’t wear that tan/khaki color but I love this wardrobe. I wonder how it would play with the coral/orange from the painting.
Also, what would be a good replacement for the ubiquitous horizontal stripe t-shirt?
Thank you for helping me think about my wardrobe in productive ways.
There are tee shirts with different prints available – Uniqlo always has some with geometric prints, and sometimes you can find lovely floral print tees. It’s just a question of looking EVERYWHERE until you see just the right thing.
And the orange would be great – if it’s good enough for Helen Frankenthaler, it’s good enough for anybody!
hugs,
Janice
Hi Janice, another great story with another strong woman with a wonderful sense of her personal style. So aspirational. In particular, my eye was caught by the Met scarf.
I love this because in these relaxed fitting yet still professional clothes I am imagining who heroine who does not have “ideal” body shape/size and may be…. more like me! (short, pear-shaped, has a few (ok, 50) pounds to lose). thank you for showing other silhouettes that are also lovely!!
I’ve always loved the way this palette cleverly creates a warm feel while being based on black – a great pointer for people like me that essentially prefer warm colours but always end up with black pieces in their wardrobe.. Thank you Janice for the inspiration! And such a great painting, too!
I love the first scarf. You have a gift for finding beautiful, unique items.
Maybe a gift, but sometimes it feels like it’s just dogged persistence!
hugs,
Janice
I love this color combination! I struggle with camel for my skin tone, any suggestions for an alternative? Generally a jewel tone gal.
Also, I’ve really been enjoying the outfits of this entire story arcj
Janice, I could happily wear ALL of this capsule! I love how your heroine pulled out something lovely to wear for dinner on her own. Yes, I was “required” to travel to New York/Boston/Chicago/San Francisco when working – that was always pretty wonderful!
Hugs, x
A few years ago I was required to travel in September for 3 weeks of work first in Haiti then directly to Boston. I managed 3 weeks, 2 climates, with 1 carry-on. Haiti was steamy and Boston was in the crispness of autumn. It meant really clear color choices with preparations of layers upon layers and highlights of scarves and belts and classy but inexpensive jewelry (you don’t want to wear Grandmother’s jewels in downtown Port-au-Prince). The thrift stores served me well and I got compliments with nearly every outfit whereever I was.
My next coup was 7 increasingly chilling weeks going northward in Europe in October/November in a single stylish backpack (husband’s rules because it was a do-as-we-feel-like trip and we wanted to be extremely mobile). Last year, we did a month in Japan, also just with 1 backpack each (he carries the camera equipment so he doesn’t carry anything of mine). It’s wonderful to get to a point of streamlined outfits that look and feel great with so few pieces. It’s incredibly liberating!
Love the camel but don’t have enough pieces yet. I do have some orangish-rust I can mix in that would be perfect.