Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
May 14, 2013 I received a great question; someone had two very carefully chosen Hermes scarves, and wanted some ideas about how to travel with them. The scarves shared a common color theme of black, white and red, and lent themselves to both silver and gold accessories.
love,
Janice ... View the Post
May 13, 2013
This was an interesting question - how do you pack if you want to carry on your bag, and you're on one of those airlines with a really LOW, and really STRICT, weight limit? (At least the destination was a warm weather vacation spot...) My first advice was to get the lightest bag possible - nylon, with no structure at all. You should consider lining it with dry cleaning bags, or packing your clothes in plastic bags, because these bags are not waterproof. Beyond that, a very few items of clothing, in silk, linen or cotton. No jeans -they weight too much! The other aspect of this request that really piqued my interested was the desire to wear navy, red and white - a color combination ... View the Post
An apartment in Paris, abandoned before World War II, and untouched for 70 years.The article is here.
... View the Post
May 11, 2013
There was one more color combination waiting to be addressed in the beautiful Hermes Pique Fleuri de Provence - Turquoise and Hot Pink. And that got me thinking that these three accent colors (don't forget Orange), on a base of black and white neutrals, would be a perfect wardrobe scheme for... well, for everything, forever. I see the symbol for this wardrobe like this:
And with this as your focal point, you can just combine garments and make purchases with confidence...
So one last trip, with the Hermes scarf as the initial inspiration:
Piqué Fleuri de Provence silk scarf - Hermes, silk “Neon Love” scarf – Marc Andersen
Shirt – J. Crew, jacket –Faberge & Roches, ... View the Post
May 10, 2013 Yesterday, when I was getting dressed, I reached out for my favorite silk jacket. It's from Eileen Fisher, it's a color she calls cobblestone, which is sort of bronze/grey/green, and when I wear it I look tall and thin and young, and AMAZINGLY stylish. I reached. And then I pulled back. WHAT????? Somewhere in the back of my mind lurks this voice that says "oh, save that for a special occasion..." Really? At my age? It's not like I'm going to get dirty on the playground, nor spill chocolate milk on myself at lunch. (mmmmm....chocolate milk....) What's the worst thing that can happen?
I might be the best-dressed person at work. (Oh bother) ... View the Post
Many of you are headed to warm climates, but still want or need to remain modest and somewhat covered-up. This is one approach to this task. I always choose a travel outfits that's layered, because airplanes are of course going to be cold (five miles up in the sky, the outside temperature is pretty low!). The photograph was sent to me by someone planning for such a trip - I'm not using it for color inspiration as much as just a focal point for the delights to come...
Striped tee – Majestic, cardigan- J. Crew, linen pants – Rafaella, earrings – J. Crew, water-resistant watch – Sperry Top-Sider, loafers- Cole Haan, cotton scarf – Becksondergaard, tote bag – French Trotters, suitcase - Tumi Next, there ... View the Post
So if you love the scarf, but hot pink isn't your favorite, what about turquoise?
Piqué Fleuri de Provence silk scarf - Hermes, cashmere and linen wrap – Etro
Orange knit top – Weekend MaxMara, jacket - Carven, earrings- Jamie Joseph, watch – Skagen, white linen pants – Nicole Farhi, espadrilles - Zara, white tote- Longchamp, rolling bag – Diane Von Furstenberg
Necklace – K. Amato, dress – Roksanda Ilincic, earrings – Bounkit, bracelet – Anton Heunis, pumps – Butter, sweater – J. Crew, skirt – No. 21 cardigan – Vanessa Bruno, tee shirt- Majestic, white capris – Dorothy Perkins, ballet flats – Dr. Scholls
... View the Post
Yes, traveling with white pants might seem sort of nutty... But they look really great! Just make sure they're washable, right? And this would certainly work well with black in the place of white.
Piqué Fleuri de Provence silk scarf - Hermes, dip dyed linen scarf – Sperry Top-Sider
Orange knit top – Weekend MaxMara, fringed silk poncho- Ralph Lauren Black, earrings- Fossil, watch – Salvatore Ferragamo, white linen pants – Nicole Farhi, flats – Manolo Blahnik, white tote- Longchamp, orange tote - Bodhi
Silk necklace – Nangara by Julia Fusinato, dress – Reiss, earrings – Ben Amun, bracelet – Stella and Dot, pumps – Jimmy Choo, hot pink tee - BurberryBrit, skirt – Versace, ... View the Post
Last week I experienced another small hitch in my Project 333- my striped tee shirt is NOT going to be wearable for the summer, so I've replaced it. (Yes, with another striped tee shirt...) Otherwise, I have been delighted with my choices, so far.My travel wardrobe, based on two pair of black pants - one silk, one cotton twill - worked out well too. It was warm enough that I didn't need to wear my scarves, and one day I pulled off my sweater mid-day, but that was part of the plan. Layering makes it possible to pile on, or peel off, depending on what you encounter.
So Monday and Tuesday I dressed out of my suitcase - Monday, I did some gardening, and Tuesday we flew back to Chicago. (yes, on Monday I borrowed casual shoes ... View the Post
I received a very specific request for a travel plan that was mostly navy, but accented with hot pink, and which wasn't "stodgy". This plan built on a "core of four" in navy: pants, skirt, cardigan and tee, and tossed in a navy dress too. A white tee shirt, a bright cardigan, and a couple of whimsical tops negate any possible worries about being too mumsy... Some fun jewelry, and you're away!
Promenade au Faubourg silk scarf - Hermes, silk wrap – Stella McCartney
Tee shirt - Hugo, cardigan – Vanessa Bruno, earrings- Michael Kors, watch – Mougin & Piquard, pants – Lucza London, loafers – Brooks Brothers, bag – Solomon Appollo, suitcase - Rimowa
Necklace – J. Crew, dress – Philosophy ... View the Post
May 3, 2013 This is the final v-neck sweater request - this time: white. White sweaters are tricky because they don't tend to be opaque, and so layering under them can be difficult. So for the most part, I've opted to treat this sweater as a really really nice tee shirt, and take advantage of its simplicity to enable to wearing of some great scarves and amazing jewelry. And of course, fun shoes!
Sweater – Closed, scarves - Hermes, pants – Reiss, loafers – Tory Burch, skirt – John Lewis, pumps – Kate Spade
Sweater – Closed, necklace- Aris Geldis, watch – Movado, pants – Burberry Prorsum, flats – Repetto, earrings and necklace – Banana Republic, skirt – Calvin Klein, pumps – ... View the Post
May 2, 2013
As soon as I saw this available for sale, I knew it was going to go onto the Style Shelf. Aside from the fact that I'm terribly tired of book covers in hot pink (every "chic lit" novel in Ireland had either a pink or a lavender cover, I swear...), this is an interesting addition to the wee library.So here, in my less than expert translation, is what the authors have to say about cleaning out closets:
ARRANGE YOUR WARDROBE
"We have a tendency to choose the first clothes that are on top of the pile. It's easy, one does not waste time, and takes no risks, and one gets dressed automatically. What a pity for all of those treasures which have been sleeping for years, and upon which you lavished such care ... View the Post
