September 9, 2020
FULL Academic Professional Mode
Dear Heroine,
This might seems like a very forward email, but since you are such an expert on Hamlet, I thought that I would ask for your assistance in preparing our community theater for OUR upcoming production of Shakespeare’s greatest play…
oh great heavens…
Earrings – Talbots; blazer – J.Crew; safety pin brooch – Talbots;mask – Bespoke; tee – J.Crew; corduroy pants – L.L.Bean; scarf – Reiss; bag – Urban Originals; loafers – Dr. Scholl’s
If you could come up to Cambridge for the weekend, we would be delighted to offer you the finest accommodations, and excellent dining. In return, we would like for you to sit through a read-through of the play with us and give us your advice and insights.
oh great grief, this could be SO MUCH FUN…
Earrings – Talbots; floral print shirt – L.L.Bean; tie dye mask – Cotton Citizen; mixed-cable button-front cardigan – L.L.Bean; 21 inch scarf – Jessie Zhao New York; Fair Isle turtleneck – Baum und Pferdgarten; camel corduroy pants – L.L.Bean; sand cashmere cardigan – N.Peal; pumps – Talbots; navy ponte skirt – Halogen
Please note that all of our meetings are being held outdoors, as will our performance. COVID 19 has changed our circumstances, but has NOT dampened our enthusiasm for our annual theater extravaganza!
extravaganza sounds fascinating, and maybe “dampen” isn’t the word to invoke in the autumn…
The 2nd day you’re here, if you could meet personally with the 2 actors playing Hamlet and Ophelia, we would be very grateful. These are both very experienced actors who would benefit greatly from your insights into their characters.
2 of her favorites – she could talk about these characters for WEEKS…
Please let us know as soon as possible if you can consider our humble request; our group would be honored to be able to learn from you…
it’s never bad to be an expert, even if it’s in some subject that’s kind of niche, and a little bit fringe…
love,
Janice
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What a beautiful painting! And the wardrobe is absolutely classic. I have had that LLBean cardigan in black for a number of years now. My go-to in the winter. It washes up beautifully. I used to think this was how I would dress when I “grew up” However, my taste runs to items a little more colorful and eclectic. Edgy? Maybe not edgy. I’m just not a classic kind of gal. But I can look and say “wow, that is really NICE!” Thank you Janice!
Oh, man; I just love this story and how the wardrobe turned out! It’s a lovely little trip into fantasy land, and a great escape from the heat outside my front door. I’d love to be a Shakespeare expert, traveling to great old universities with brick buildings and leaves crunching under my feet as I walked the campus in these lovely clothes.
I thought yesterday, “How does she come up with all these stories?” Such a treat in the middle of my normal everyday life. Not sure you’ll ever top Edith and the Kingpin, but this one has promise, I think. :)
Rich and classic. I was surprised at how neutral this wardrobe turned out, given the pink and blue in the color palette image, but it seems very right for this heroine. The camel leather goods are so lovely. I have tried to get interested in navy leather but it just never looks as luscious as this. If the heroine lives up to the smart academic promise of this wardrobe, the community theater will be utterly thrilled. That transit outfit is going to make such a reassuring first impression…surely that menswear inspired wool blazer is going to read like a doctor’s white coat to say, “All will be well; the professional is here.”
Bringing a Shakespeare scholar to Cambridge felt very “coals to Newcastle” until I realized this must be someplace more akin to Cambridge, Minnesota, than the British one with the famous university. :) I am a wee bit concerned, however, that this sounds like the opening to a Murder-She-Wrote style mystery; our scholar/eventual detective may wish that she had brought a more comfortable second pair of shoes once her investigation of Hamlet’s suspicious demise is underway…
I think an expanded version of this wardrobe is in our future – I can’t really pass up those accent colors, can I?
hugs,
Janice
Ooooh, yes please!
I love the stories you weave. The camel sweater, scarf, shoes and bag have an interesting impact, and look so good with black, brown or navy. I’m going to get these items. This is the perfect fall post. Just when I think there are no new combinations you surprise us. Thank you!
This is a wonderful picture with lovely green pink and blue part. Perhaps you could expand the wardrobe using those colours. Maybe with a return visit to see the performance.
I think the story could definitely rival Edith and the Kingpin which I also loved.
The clothes choices are classy and comfortable, always a good thing.
This us Susan again.
I’m from Dublin Ireland and I commented earlier for the first time despite following you since 2014.
I look at the inspiration picture and see it as a picture of two halves. The right side muted, soft and warm and the left side clear, bright and cheerful.
That’s a beautiful painting to be the basis of a wardrobe. In my case, the saddle color would be confined to leather goods, and maybe a pair of slacks. But the blues/teals/pinks/reds would be lovely with a navy base. I can’t wait to see how you expand it. – nancyo
I’m not up with the academic style worn by Shakespearean scholars in Cambridge, UK. However, our heroine would be right at home in Oxford where they have an annual open air Shakespeare festival.
I too would like to see this expanded with the accent colours. I also spy soft red and teal.
This looks like a classic and classy camel and navy wardrobe. But where is the pink and light blue shown in the color wheel?
They’re in reserve for our re-visit; I find it tough to incorporate accent colors into tiny travel wardrobes!
hugs,
Janice
Perfection! I’m looking forward to the expanded version.
Janice,
I saw this post as a slot machine type ! 3 toppers, 3 tops, 3 bottoms . I love the math of the possibilities , and the inclusion of prints here !
I love this capsule! Really fabulous…
Oh how I love this wardrobe and the colours. My basecolour is navy and complemented with other blues, pinks, burgundy, White/offwhite of course and a little splash of Camel. I love the Classic style of new England so this wardrobe is right up my Alley, and I can´t wait to see an expansion. Hopefully soon :)
Hmmm…Cambridge, England? Not much fine dining there, as I recall, unless your hosts are taking you to High Table at their college. ;)
Hi Janice and Everyone:
The Cambridge I thought of was the one in Massachusetts, with some Hasty Pudding.
I know you so do love navy and camel together, but for my closet I would probably swap in black instead, as I already have a black/camel check blazer in my closet (which would match terrifically with the bargain crossover purse from the Sak).
Really appreciate this post and the story, for when I do set foot in campus again. Which reminds me, I have to do my health screening check in (even if I’m not on campus).
Ah, I can indeed be intentionally vague….
hugs,
Janice
MMm, love this story and classy fall wardrobe. Looking forward to seeing the development of the expanded wardrobe!
As a fantasy, it’s very nice. It doesn’t sound very likely to this academic. Experts generally have published a lot, and therefore are employed, and thus busy with teaching, committees, and research, unlikely to offer their expertise to a community theater just for room and board. An honorarium would make a difference. An underemployed adjunct, teaching freshman comp and never getting to talk to anyone about Shakespeare, would jump at this chance (anything for a line on the CV), but then how has she become known as an expert? Maybe this is a retiree who misses teaching?
And from the standpoint of an English prof, Hamlet is about as un-niche and central to the pattern as you can get.
You’re really spoiling us with some precious wardrobes lately! I’m assuming the reduced palette means we’ll be getting an expansion, so double goodie *__*
While the accent colors you chose from the painting with which to expand this wardrobe later are not ones I would wear, this navy and camel wardrobe “base” you have featured here is right up my alley. I do love the tweedy, textural, academic (or maybe Nancy Drew/female detective?) feel and it reminds me why cool season clothing is my favorite! You have done a really great job with the cohesiveness of this group of clothing. Lots of possibilities for mixing and matching exist here and I can truly say that I would wear every one of either these exact pieces or a slightly varied incarnation of them. Love, love, love!
Love this story and this wardrobe! That navy cardigan looks so cozy!