February 6, 2023
Hercule Poirot receives a letter from France, begging for his assistance. He tells his friend Captain Hastings that they can pack “a small suitcase each” and be on the way to France within an hour!
This is my dream life…
The oddest things will cause me to ponder what I might pack…
Of course, Captain Hastings is a man, but I’ve made the mental adjustment that I would want to appear conservative, somewhat unobtrusive, and appropriate for a range of activities – including lengthy conferences with incompetent police, attending inquests, and swimming in the Channel off the north shore of France…
Gold huggie hoop earrings – Madewell; owl brooch – Fable England; navy stretch-cotton blazer – J.Crew; white gauze shirt – J.Crew; belt – Madewell; watch – Michael Kors; crossbody bag – Fable England; weekender bag – Brahmin; bleached sand chinos – J.Crew; loafers – Jeffrey Campbell
I am in no way being guided by the cover of the book! But I’m making sure that our heroine has a suit – both skirted and pants. She also has 3 tops that she can wear with her suit or with her khakis and a relatively casual sweater. Even her swimsuit blends in, although it certainly doesn’t need to…
Blue chalcedony earrings – Gem Bazaar Jewellery; red wine tee – L.L.Bean; floral scarf – Luna & Avery; white tee – J.Crew; garnet earrings – Little Sky Stone; navy striped ruffled shirt – Alex Mill; swimsuit – L.L.Bean; blue sweater – Peraluna; infinity scarf – The Met Store; brown sandals – Free People; navy skirt – J.Crew; brooch- The Met Store; navy pants – J.Crew; tan loafers – Aerosoles
She has a rather complete wardrobe, despite being quite limited by how much she can pack:
And she double-checks that she will have a variety of outfits – it doesn’t matter how much you pack if none of it works together!
So while this situation isn’t something that you will confront (if you start traveling with fictional characters, you have issues…), you can always learn something from thinking about what someone may have packed in an interesting circumstance!
Do you ever read something and wonder what they (or you) might have been wearing?
love,
Janice
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The answer to your question is yes always ! To me the colours matter most so I ‘fill them in’ in my mind’s eye – just as I do with black and white movies . With Agatha Christie it depends on the date she published a story what the style is . Here I loved these clothes and realised that men’s clothes between the wars is how I would like to dress all the time ! That is tailored casual in today’s terms .
What a fun theme. I love this one!
Be still my beating heart – the shoes, the bags, the little owl, the colours…! I could go on but this is perfection. And I love the idea of packing a small suitcase and being ready for the off in an hour, ready for any eventuality. I don’t travel much these days other than visiting family or friends but even then it takes me days to decide what to pack, so think this would be a good project to work on during these winter months!
Can I take this opportunity to thank you Janice for rescuing me from the sartorial crisis I had when I retired! After a lifetime wearing quite formal, tailored clothing which I felt suited me and my lifestyle, I landed in a small village in the countryside with hardly anything suitable to wear. It has taken me a long time, but I now have a small wardrobe in the few colours that really suit me and wear everything. Ironically, really the only thing missing now is a formal daytime outfit for the odd occasion it may be needed, so again something for me to work on!
I agree, perfection! Love the story idea as well.
I’m using preloved sites and shops to rebuild my occasionwear.
What a lovely wardrobe. A little too “structured” for me personally, but if I had a coworker that dressed like this I would admire her outfit every day. Happy Monday!
Love the “start with a story” idea! My current heroine is Miss Silver, Patricia Wentworth’s governess-turned-sleuth. Alas, her period dressing probably wouldn’t lend itself to a modern wardrobe, but after reading 15+ in the series, I want to BE Miss Silver.
Thank you for the reading tip! I’ve just added that series to my list of authors to try.
Me too! Thank you!
Anyone who thinks about clothes in books would likely enjoy the blog of the same name: https://clothesinbooks.blogspot.com/
Its writer is fond of Patricia Wentworth’s books and has done many posts on them. For example, this one: https://clothesinbooks.blogspot.com/2020/08/lockdown-reading-ivory-dagger-by.html
and I absolutely love this one:
https://clothesinbooks.blogspot.com/2015/04/dress-down-sunday-miss-silvers-knickers.html
What a fun read this Monday morning! I love everything about the traveling outfit. And, I have the little owl pin which I learned about from you some time ago. It is precious and much worn. Thank you for your unending creativity.
All we need now is to travel by Orient Express and meet the mystery guests. Love the style of adventure.
Rebecca
That’s such a good idea! It would give Janice such interesting and exciting material to work with for a long time to come.
Great idea! Then maybe find a book from the Miss Marple stories as inspiration. Those stories have a different vibe – less urban, a little more English countryside.
Or Jacqueline Winspear’s “Maisie Dobbs” series (she also includes some clothes details as part of the stories – adapting them to modern times would alson be interesting).
Janice,
Call me “ old school” , but I love the feel of this selection — casual but quality ! It’s what I might select for travel , with a cardigan thrown in there too .
The blue sweater would have to be a cardigan for me.
I’ve never read this Agatha Christie book so I just requested it from my library! Thank you not only for the wardrobes, but also the literary suggestions!!😊
Oh my I think you are in for a treat. Personally I tend to like Miss Marple but then again Poirot…
Years and years of following your website, and this is officially now my new favorite. Love the story, the wardrobe, the slightly nautical theme. I do hope we see more of this character!
:-)) !
So funny. (Mais oh la la, Hercula! The Canal, it iz very cold thiz time of year!)
Love the clothes as well. Thank you.
Hahaha ha!!! It iz indeed!
Gorgeous outfits, reminded me of another favorite show that could inspire a few wardrobes, the Durrells!
Cheers and blessings!
Love this! I am just about to buy tickets to a gender-blind-cast performance of The Muder of Roger Ackyroyd, and now I think I may need to go, well not exactly in costume, but in something inspired by…
Love this more than the Monet series from years ago. If that’s possible. Oh, those Monet watercolor scarves! How beautiful they were.
Bought the belt and marked this my all time favorite. Thank You!
Oh this all delightful — the story *and* the wardrobe — and yet so eminently wearable. And just a touch of Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion. Brava, Janice!
I’m hoping this will become a series and am eagerly awaiting the next installment!
Oh. What an idea. If we are requesting stories to inspire a wardrobe, I have to ask for a slightly obscure, but charming novel from Florence Louisa Barclay – The Rosary. And, I would even hint that Elizabeth Peters ‘Amelia Peabody series’ would also be marvelous inspiration. Today, I love the weekender bag.
Maybe Nefret’s clothes as she was always the height of fashion. I remember one of her skirts/dresses being described by Ramses (Amelia Peabody’s son) as a lampshade. A very pretty lampshade, he hastily added.
I like that the two-tone loafers can be interpreted as a nod to Hercule’s spats. Don’t forget to pack your moustache wax!! 😉
I loved the idea of literary inspired heroines. My favourite would be the glorious wardrobe of the Miss Fisher Mysteries set in the 1920’s.
I was just reaching for my keyboard to mention this one! She has a very similar French-dressmaker-inspired view as well – in Away With the Fairies the main character suggests buying the best black suit you can afford & accessorizing seasonally with gorgeous scarves…. or a lot of diamonds! :).
I love this wardrobe! For some reason I love the ruffled sleeve of the striped blouse, but think it would drive me nuts to wear it myself. I might just enjoy seeing them on others!
That shot of dark red is really appealing to me in the otherwise blue & white collection. I also love the cognac neutrals, so smart! I should consider popping something dark red in when I travel…
Today I’m wearing a lightweight wool scarf/shawl thing I bought from, of all places, the Louvre gift shop. It has a delft blue border and an ivory center printed with red and dark pink flowers. I suppose it’s based on a tapestry or something? Anyway, blue and red, even light blue and red, can be very pretty together.
Oh look I found this year’s version! But mine has a wide, plain blue border.
https://supplementdam.fr/en/produit/oiseaux-de-paradis/
But wait, what to wear to actually play golf on the links, and then maybe go for lunch or drinks afterwards at someplace better than “The 19th Hole” – aren’t all golf course bars called that, even in Francis, I bet? Of course no cleats are allowed so you have to change shoes, but no time to go home and change the whole outfit, you’ll just have to go out slightly sweaty and rumpled and having had fun!
Except in the novel, the golf course wasn’t yet finished! I thought about that too…
hugs,
Janice
I love this. I just recently reread Murder on the Links but, alas, I paid no attention to the clothes. Now I will be scrutinizing the clothes and accessories as well as the clues when I reread my classic mysteries. Well done, Janice.
Love Agatha Christie so much I have nearly all her books on my kindle. And yes I love to think about period clothes. This is what Harriet The Spy would wear when she grew up and started working for the CIA. Does anyone else love Mrs Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman?
Love, love, love Mrs. P and her hats!
Mrs. Pollifax is delightful!
I think that Janice would like Amaryllis in The Pitkirtly Mysteries by Cecilia Peartree – she wears mostly black!!