Archives for November 2019

November 2019

I Love IT, but Will I Wear IT? Start with a Scarf: Lion & Peacock by Aspinal of London

November 29, 2019

I know, I should be showering you with holiday gift ideas and telling you about all of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. I'm NOT that blogger, though... sigh...

However, I firmly believe that those of us who are holiday shopping should treat ourselves to one really LOVELY thing for the upcoming season, and of course for the years to come. We don't buy something just to wear it once or twice, unless we're getting married or standing up in someone else's wedding!

So maybe a scarf has caught your eye, and kicked you in the heart... (I love the phrase coup de coeur...)

It's all the right colors - warm and cool, neutrals and accents...

But can you wear it? How will you wear it? You don't want ... View the Post

Start with Art: A Holiday Rebel Six-Pack with Azalea Garden by Patrick Heron

November 27, 2019

Their Calendar...

They both work on computers, so when they have something to schedule, they put the event onto a computer calendar that they share...

One of them decided to glance ahead to December, just to see what was planned... And realized that, between them, they had committed to attend FIVE different events in a 3-day period. All of them downtown.

The obvious answer? A hotel room, some late mornings with room service, and a tidy holiday travel capsule wardrobe with NO black velvet (this woman is a heretic, in my world!), nothing red, and nothing green.

Red and green really aren't her colors, and standing out in a crowd of friends makes her happy...

I personally can't ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 22: A Neutral Print or Patterned Top

November 25, 2019

We've been accumulating a lot of solid-colored garments - which is the best way to build a functional wardrobe. But now, let's mix up all of these and find something with a bit of pattern interest!

If you have a favorite motif (like I am with stars...) this is the time to find it!

With all of the upcoming festivities, a pretty blouse that can stand alone with pants and some jewelry could be a good choice...

Or if you always wear a cardigan (or jacket) this time of year, a classic stripe underneath will work perfectly!

A print that's mostly your neutral, but that includes a fun accent color can give you a direction for some jewelry, or a pretty new bag!

If your style is ... View the Post

Start with Art: Landline Blue by Sean Scully

November 22, 2019

Can You Get Out of Work on Monday? Because Friday is the anniversary of our first date...

"And I would like to take you into the city for a long weekend... We could dine out, and go to a concert, and just have a lovely time together..."

"There's an exhibit at the museum of paintings by one of our favorite artists - we could go there too!"

Of COURSE she'll get out of work on Monday. She had no idea when their first date was, until she was reminded. And her true love was indeed exactly right!

Who's going to turn down a long weekend with a sweetheart so thoughtful, and with that kind of sentimental heart?

love,

Janice

p.s.

2 years ago we looked at another teal ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet – November

November 20, 2019

Always one of the best days of the month!

THAT Phone Call...

She knew when the phone rang that it wasn't great. But a couple of weeks taking care of a loved one isn't a curse either - it's a privilege, and she's going to treat it as such...

It's not a dressy thing, but she still wants to look nice; she isn't going to have to do any really difficult manual labor. A bit of cooking, a bit of laundry, a bit of keeping her dearest one entertained and comfortable...

As soon as she looked down at her watch, and her bracelet, she knew roughly what she was going to pack. Grey because it's easy and neutral, and lovely, pretty accent colors to brighten up the days.

She knows that if she starts with a ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 21: A Warm Shirt

November 18, 2019

As much as I love a good sweater, nothing says winter to me like a flannel shirt!

But get a good one - as classic as possible. A well-made flannel shirt will last for years...

These shirts do NOT have to be plaid; finding a solid color that you love might take a while, but if it's what you want, it's worth the effort...

For the upcoming winter holidays, a shirt that includes a festive color might be all you need for those casual activities like cookie swaps, caroling, or walking about looking at decorations!

Speaking of patience, if you look long enough you can probably find a plaid flannel shirt in any color combination you can imagine. They're out there...

Yes, 4 earrings. Some of us ... View the Post

Dressing for the Winter Holidays – Festive but not Foolish

November 15, 2019

It's an indelible memory: a corporate holiday party, back in the 80's. Most of the women were wearing those silk jacquard dresses that were so easy to find back then. (mine was red, with a dropped waist, and a big bow on my left hip, at the dropped waist; the skirt was a bit flared below the dropped waist, so that it moved when I danced. And THE SHOULDER PADS were a thing of wonder...)

One women showed up in strapless sequins. Oh my. I felt bad for her...

Since then, dressing for holiday events has been stressful for me; I've always been frightened that I would make that kind of "career limiting move," or otherwise just not fit in.

So let's be sensible, and intelligent in this planning, eh? Since many ... View the Post

La Valise de la Garçonne, or How I Packed for Paris

November 13, 2019

By the time you read this, I should be back from a long weekend in Paris. Yes, 4 days... (in fact, literally the moment I was getting ready to walk out the door to the airport, I was SMACKED to the floor with back spasms, and have spent the entire time since then sacked out in bed, or sitting in the jacuzzi in my building, trying to recover... sigh...)

It was somewhat impromptu - friends were going there, and we talked so much about what we might do if I was going to be there too... I'm weak!

This painting sings to me. It feels like black, white and denim, which is my entire wardrobe right now! (I've lost interest in accent colors for myself - I can't explain why!)

My original plan was to pack all dresses, ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 20: Dark Neutral Warm Cardigan

November 11, 2019

Ah, now that some of us have been snowed upon, it's time to swap out a warm-weather cardigan for something a bit more cozy...

Since this cardigan is a pivotal part of your wardrobe, you want to choose carefully!

I've kept quite a few garments from last week, to illustrate how all of these pieces might go together in your wardrobe...

Sometimes, all you need for an accent color is a tee shirt and some socks! (maybe earrings...)

You might stumble on a new accent color that you really like!

Twin-sets don't have to be purchased together; you can find garments that look perfect together...

The simplest outfit can come together perfectly with a scarf, or the right ... View the Post

Start with Art: The Fan by Marie Laurencin, and Test-Driving a New Neutral

November 8, 2019

Her favorite neutral is navy, too. But her approach is a bit different from our last heroine!

She's just plain and simply a more dressy woman. It's her style...

Yes, she has a simple tee shirt, but her button-front is in silk, and instead of jeans, she plans to pack velvet pants... Still, because of her disciplined color palette, she has just as many outfit options as her more... vivid friends!

Her favorite painting dictated pink as an accent color. Nothing else is acceptable!

She already can see so many ways to wear her new additions... touring museums, sitting in a cafe, perhaps an opera or ballet?

She really, really, REALLY wanted to find that bluish-purple color that's on the left ... View the Post

Start with Art: The Sunshade by William John Leech, and Working with Accent Colors

November 6, 2019

She loves this painting...

And so she decides that when she goes on vacation this autumn, she will use this painting as the inspiration for her accent colors! Her core wardrobe is navy and white...

She knows that she could travel with just these pieces and do just fine; she might want a couple more shirts (although she remembers that she could certainly wear her crewneck sweater without something underneath it, for more options...)

But she sticks to her heart, and starts to search for green. She decides that she doesn't needs to wear her green tops together, which gives her quite a bit more freedom than if she were going to try to get 2 matching garments! (2 green pieces at once feels, to her, like a ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 19: Dark Neutral Pants

November 4, 2019

First off, can ANYBODY explain ankle pants to me? I understand them in warmer weather, but with snow on the ground (I'm writing this on November 1, in Chicago, where we have had snow...) are bare ankles logical?

Do other people have really warm ankles that need to be exposed during the winter?

Are we willing to be uncomfortable, if it means that we're "on trend"? (I hate that phrase, for what it's worth...)

I will never understand!

So when you're shopping for pants, be VERY aware of the length that you're buying. You could be rudely surprised! But if you've spent your entire adult life having pants shortened, this could work in your favor...

And yes, this shade of honey isn't a really dark neutral, but ... View the Post