Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
December 4, 2015 A challenging color to find, but VERY beautiful:
I'm going to take a break for a day or two in this series to do some thinking, and to get ready for my trip to Paris on the 10th. But I'm not quite finished here, unless I ABSOLUTELY can't find any more core garments. I will, of course, do my very best for you! love, Janice ... View the Post
December 3, 2015
Taupe is SO elusive, and can be interpreted in so many ways! But to me, taupe means a greyish beige, that's sophisticated and subtle.I found all four garments today at L.L.Bean. It's great to be able to find multiple pieces in a difficult color in 1 place - it improves the chances that the garments will match or at least blend nicely.
Some of you have made it very clear that you think Bean is terribly unsophisticated and boring, but I find some of the nicest, best-made, most classically styled clothes there, at prices that don't require missing a mortgage payment! We can't all wear runway designer clothes... You are free to replicate these looks at much higher prices if that's what you prefer.
trail ... View the Post
December 2, 2015 Camel - sometimes, nothing looking more elegant.
There are a lot of neutrals that work here - I could easily have used black and grey, olive and brown etc etc.
Camel is also very versatile with bright colors; I chose these mostly because they're rather uncommon, and I like to give you ideas that you might not have otherwise considered!
Muted colors are also pretty easy with camel, because it has an inherently soft quality. And I'm still showing how very useful that white vest can be for most of us!
As with muted colors, pastels are also well-suited to wear with camel. I still haven't found a pair of mint green shoes that I consider ... View the Post
December 1, 2015
I love grey, and it's rather easy to shop for, but you do want to be aware of the varying shades of grey (some very yellowish, and other quite blue). They don't always blend as well as one might prefer! The answer is generally to carry a key piece with you when shopping, to avoid any sort of "mis-remembering" of the color...Yes, I've included this really great turtleneck AGAIN. I'm smitten with it, I tell you, but I absolutely CAN'T justify buying another sweater. I will probably survive the lack, I suspect!
It is incredibly easy to pair the grey core outfit with black or navy, so I thought I would wander further afield, into some warmer neutrals. This might be an excellent way to easy yourself into a ... View the Post
November 30, 2015 Oooh, olive is a difficult color to find, and when something turns up that's called olive, it could be anything from a nasty yellowish green pond-scum color, to this lovely deep and dusty green:
You will, I'm sure, note that these colors don't match absolutely exactly perfectly. I don't have too much trouble with that, so long as they're lighter and darker versions of the same shade of green. It's a difficult color to find and to match, but well worth the effort. By virtue of being so uncommon, you will never blend into a crowd when you wear it! And it can be madly flattering...
First up, what neutrals look good with olive? I'm quickly learning that marsala/wine/burgundy goes with ... View the Post
November 28, 2015 Navy is always so elegant... These four pieces have so much potential!
The olive accent keeps re-appearing! I really like using it as a secondary neutral with navy - it warms it up and gives it a rich glow. And of course, grey and navy were born to go together...And I must share something sort of inexplicable that I keep running into: there are MEN'S scarves, and WOMEN'S scarves. Why, in all the worlds, would this be? But please be advised - if you're looking for a scarf in a plaid, paisley, or timeless menswear pattern, look in the men's department. They are usually less expensive too, which REALLY hacks me off.... sigh...
You knew there would, eventually, be a red vest in here ... View the Post
As I mentioned yesterday, I want to look at the possibility of different accent colors for a few neutrals - today let's think about dark chocolate brown!
First up, the core four garments upon which we will build these outfits. Having these 4 pieces can make your life so much easier....
Ryder pants – J.Crew; cashmere turtleneck – J. Crew; jeans – Austin Reed; ribbed crewneck - Michael Kors Collection
I took the same approach, starting with two neutral colors that could serve as accents in a mainly brown wardrobe. If you were building a wardrobe with more than 1 neutral, you would have lots of options like this:
Olive vest – L.L.Bean; green earrings – GFG Jewellery; scarf – L.L.Bean; ... View the Post
Something that I struggle with a lot, personally, is my accent color, or colors. I'm always thinking that something other than red should be my "color", but who am I kidding? I keep coming back, over and over, to red...So I was playing around with a variety of accent colors, using simple black garments as a core, and building around quilted vests, just for the heck of it...
When you're looking for these vests, make sure you look for "quilted," rather than "down," unless you specifically want down. Some of the vests with synthetic insulation are just as warm, and quite lovely; you'll miss them if you don't include everything quilted...
Yes, these would make nifty little templates for buying gifts, too. But if you go shopping on ... View the Post
This is a painting that easily provides a second color scheme! Remember last week, when I used more pastel colors as the accents?)
Today we will see how a change of accent colors alters to whole mood of the "Whatever's Clean 13."
Start out - the same outfit as before - I'm still deeply smitten with this sweater....
Jacket – Damir Doma; jeans – Austin Reed; turtleneck – L.L.Bean
I changed a couple of pieces here, just to show you a little bit of variety:
Jacket – L.L.Bean; ribbed sweater – The Row; twill pants – L.L.Bean
And at this point, I still feel that some accessories are handy - at least you're going to want some shoes or boots! A scarf that pulls the colors ... View the Post
November 12, 2015
She loved her travel wardrobe so much, she decided to gradually, carefully, and thoughtfully augment it in the same colors and mood!
Remember, this is the painting and the color scheme with which she was working. Beautiful, graceful, and evocative...
And this was the entirety of her wardrobe for her recent family trip. While the dress might be a little bit "over the top" for work, the rest of the pieces will be appropriate, if only for casual Friday.
And so, gradually, she made some purchases. She carried a wee laminated print of her painting with her, to keep her focused, and to keep her colors on point.
Eventually, she could open her closet and see this!
I pulled together 20 outfits from ... View the Post
November 10, 2015
We're back to visit our friend who made the long train trip!
This was her inspiration - the soft colors, and the strong sense of the grid patterns in the ceiling of the train station. Very beautiful!
She DID have to do some shopping when she was on the road! It was bound to rain, but it wasn't bound to stop her...
And these were the clothes that she took with her on her trip. It was a wonderful trip - well planned, and thoroughly enjoyed. If only her return to "real life" had been so pleasant...
Utter Chaos Reigns... She returned to a madhouse. Drinking at lunch, crying in the bathrooms, shouting in the halls - it had all of the elements of a bad soap opera, without the ... View the Post
November 9, 2015
This painting caught my eye, and held it for a LONG time, on my recent trip to London.
After studying this for a long time, I realized that the majority of the color tones found here fall into two distinct families, which work beautifully together.
I feel an immoderate affection for taupe, but it is a THANKLESS color to try to find in our world. I don't understand why; it's subtle, rich and elegant without being difficult to wear.
Happily, I was able to find just enough things for our heroine... Standing Out, Quietly There are always LOTS of women at these family events. But they do look to her for a certain quality of elegance or sophistication; she IS the one who lives in the city, with the cool job ... View the Post
