June 30, 2020
She really only planned to be in Paris for a couple of days….
Portrait of the Countess de Martel de Janville by Giovanni Boldini
yes, she’s seeing more blue in this painting than is there, perhaps… but this kind of thing isn’t regulated, and certainly isn’t anybody’s business but hers, and ours…
She was going to stock the kitchen of her pied a terre with the basics – vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, wine, wine, wine…
Pearl earrings – M. Sahlberg Jewelry; silk scarf – PJ Studio Accessories; sunglasses – Rag & Bone; vintage periwinkle linen cardigan – J.Crew; watch – Movado; pearl wrap bracelet – Farra; black dress – Eileen Fisher; bag – Utmon es Pour Paris; flats – Trotters
So she packed a good market bag, to leave there, and a couple of warm weather outfits. An extra cardigan is never wrong – she might leave it in Paris too…
Black linen cardigan – J.Crew; dotted tank – Banana Republic; pearl earrings – Bloomingdale’s; blue linen short-sleeved shirt – L.L.Bean; black pull-on linen skirt – J.Crew; floral tee shirt – Banana Republic; canvas tote – L.L.Bean; crossbody bag – Topshop; sandals – Naturalizer; black crop pants – Lands’ End
She’s happy with the clothes that she has with her, but….
Now she’s found that she really doesn’t want to go home! Paris is starting to gradually open up, and back home everything still VERY locked down…
She has quite a few outfits, really:
But I think that she’s going to need to go shopping tomorrow… Woman does not live by 9 garments alone!
love,
Janice
p.s. Just in case you’ve lost track of our newly wealthy heroine, we first met her here!
p.p.s. Curious about what I got for my birthday? The cardigan is perfect – so highly recommended! Actually, all 4 of these things turned out to be nicer than I had anticipated, which is always nice…
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I hope you had a lovely birthday and were thoroughly spoilt.
The Comtesse looks thoroughly spoilt too! She has a languidity about her, but a contemptuous look and formidable eyebrows!
I had to find out who she was. Sibylle Riqueti de Mirabeau (1849-1932) married Roger de Martel de Janville. However, writing novels and sketches under the pseudonym of Gyp, she denounced fashionable society and republicanism. She also held other fanatical views and opinions which would get her into serious trouble today!
I like the colours in the painting but would probably concentrate on the soft greys and periwinkle blue (my favourite) in delicate fabrics like chiffon, satin and lace.
Thank you for the information on Madame de Janville – the artist certainly seems to have captured her rebellious streak! I am now curious to know more and shall investigate…
Love the new birthday additions to your wardrobe, Janice! They will work so nicely with your black and white.
Absolutely pink! Hope you have fun wearing them. I’d love to see a blog using the scarf as inspiration.
I own the J Crew cardigan in beige and the LL Bean sweater in light blue and cream too. (The sweaters I’ve had for over 10 years and they’re still going strong!) They are all lovely and timeless. You’ll get lots of wear out of them. Hope your birthday was amazing and so glad you could celebrate with friends!
Janice,
Pink ! You did it ! I am so glad that you got items that you shall use and enjoy for years to come and relive your special birthday with each wearing !
The Countess intrigues me ! While the overall painting is softly colored, her black eyebrows and eyeliner are echoed in the black neckband ( not sure what to call it – I’m sure that it has a name) that leads me then to think that she once had very dark hair and perhaps a strong personality ! Her expression is one of confidence and privilege !
Shrebee, the black thing round her neck is a chocker. They were popular though some used them to disguise a scar. Sometimes ladies wore pearl checkers for the same reason.
Sorry my spell checker has gone haywire – it should be choker!
Your new birthday treats are all wonderful. I’m so glad you shared them with us. So pretty.
If anyone is interested, The Paris Apartment, is a novel about this painter, Boldini. I enjoyed reading it and now seeing you show us one of his paintings.
Enjoy your new pink birthday presents and Happy 60th, Janice!
Do you have an author for that? I’m interested and it’s not coming up on Goodreads.
The book is called A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable
Ah, I liked this portrait so much and am glad to see it come up again! And what a lucky lady you are- such nice (pink!) additions to enliven your wardrobe. Hope your day was wonderful.
Although that periwinkle blue is not my favorite, I do like how it softens the black in this wardrobe. Very nice! I am curious how she would develop the red in wardrobe or whether she would stick with the light touch in the accessories as enough.
I also like seeing this small wardrobe with two of the same style cardigans in very different colors. It might seem at first that more variety is better, but seeing it here, I love it. It gives the sense “this is my style, where comfort meets structured elegance” rather than seeming boring. So my takeaway if something looks and feels *really right* to you, having more than one could make it a signature look for you. This doesn’t mean, Go crazy with multiples! But if you buy one and love wearing it, it’s worth considering having more than one…if you can tell that it’s the garment itself and not just the color that makes you happy. Because I could see buying a second one and finding that it just doesn’t do it for you like the first one did. I like in this example that one is the core neutral and the other is the accent color. You can really feel how they could play different roles in the wardrobe.
This choice also seems quite practical…if the garments work well with one cardigan, they will work well with the other also. One of my conundrums is when a garment looks on paper (well, on screen!) like it would work with everything, but something about the cut/shape/length/silhouette/etc. means that it’s not as versatile as it looks.
With the collarless and collared J Crew sweater-blazers on sale, what a perfect time to buy one. Janice, that pink one you have is still my favorite color of the set. I’m very happy it worked out for you!
And isn’t that scarf lovely in every colorway? The teal one is SO appealing (though has more orange/gold in the border than I would prefer…I’m so glad they have a photo that lets you see what it looks like curled up).
Hi Janice! I think you birthday presents would pack well into your heroine’s travel capsule, perhaps more toward September.
I loved the original post with the Countess, and this updated post makes me fall in love with her again. The soft blue is so lovely! Best wishes for a fabulous year ahead! Happy birthday!
This made me think of your post from 9/28/11 about transitioning Vivienne’s black, white and red wardrobe to softer colors as she ages. Red transitioned to pinks and black to grey. Are you beginning this transition with your personal wardrobe?
I am early 50s and am adding more navy and gray to my wardrobe to slowly replace black pieces that are beginning to look a little harsh with my graying hair.
Thank you for your hard work. I love your blog. I find it very educational. I wish you many more happy birthdays.
Janet, thank you for mentioning that post from 2011! Although I don’t wear much black, my dark blond hair is turning silver, and I need to plan for some changes in the colors of my wardrobe. That post is quite illuminating.
This is pretty, very practical and versatile. But it looks like our heroine has had to implement a budget since we last saw her! – nancyo
Was probably 15 years ago that I purchased several items, including an unstructured jacket, in periwinkle blue and absolutely loved them. I bet I would enjoy the jacket you found, even with much grayer hair. I have the blue blouse. It is cool and comfortable, but it’s threads are variations of blue, not periwinkle.
Happy belated birthday, Janice!