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Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Hermes scarf Archives - Page 7 of 13

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Coast Road by Fanny Brennan

July 21, 2015   Thanks a ton to the reader who sent this suggestion to me - I wasn't familiar with Fanny Brennan. It's particularly interesting that these paintings are tiny - the size of postcards. Her sense of humor is very appealing!  

The colors in this painting are wonderfully striking and clear. I'm going to use black as the base here, but a summer wardrobe using white, with these bright colors would be lovely. And the hills in the distance are colors that suggest shades of denim.... lots of possibilities here.

Going Alone You have planned this trip for a long time. You bought athletic shoes and started walking every evening, after work. Longer and longer, faster and faster. You understand that being in ... View the Post

Choosing Accessory Colors; More Accessory Clusters

June 6, 2015

I was thinking a lot about yesterday's winning color scheme, and so I thought it might be productive to put all of that thinking into action! The first thing I did was start browsing around looking at scarves that might be harmonious with the color scheme in question; it's important to bear in mind that things don't always have to be dye-lot matched. If someone gets a big thrill out of noticing that something you're wearing isn't EXACTLY PRECISELY the same color as something else... well, they're easily amused, and you've done the good deed of keeping them entertained. Some people will complain that their ice cream is cold...

So I found this beautiful Hermes scarf:  

And I thought I'd monkey around with the ... View the Post

How to Pack Light: A Mystery Business Trip, and the “Whatever’s Clean 13” Capsule Wardrobe

May 29, 2015  

This can't be good.... Your boss comes into your office: "I need to you to go to Des Moines (or Dusseldorf, or Dublin), because they've already spent 80% of their year's budget for widgets! Get out there and see what's going on!!!" Nobody in your office has ever been to "The D City Office", and so you have no clue what to expect. Who buys and uses the widgets? The C-Suite guys in 3-piece suits? (I can personally verify that men in Dublin still wear vests with their suits...) Or is it Jen, Roy and Moss, down in the basement? Is some moron executive treating widgets as if they're disposable? Or did a genius in Procurement find widgets at 80% off, and buy a 5 year supply? Your plate is full...

So, in addition ... View the Post

Three Green Scarves, Three Color Schemes

May 6, 2015   My lovely friend bought the green handbag! But then she was debating about a new scarf to complement her bag; she narrowed her choice down to these three:  

Each of these scarves would be beautiful with her green handbag, but what struck me was how each of these scarves could lend itself to a very different color scheme!   So I was thinking that maybe, if you were choosing from among three items like this, it might be helpful to think about how having the item in your closet would manifest itself in your future shopping choices. Sometimes, the ability to see where a particular purchase might lead you can give you an indication of how suitable the purchase really will be for you moving ... View the Post

How to Choose a Green Hermes Scarf

April 16, 2015   The email asked me to help choose from among a handful of Hermes scarves, being purchased for a landmark birthday, and to serve as a focal point for personal style and image. But the most fun part? In a very monochromatic (black, dark denim, white, eggshell, pale silver, linen white) wardrobe, she is looking to this illustration for accent colors:  

This absolutely charming and intelligent book has no text, so it's appropriate for any child (and a lot of adults!) anywhere in the world... What a brilliant inspiration!   The scarves in her narrowed-down shopping were these:  

I was thinking about looking at shoes, to try to isolate the defining DNA of each scarf.

  Dear, ... View the Post

Start with Art: Steamboat leaving Boulogne by Edouard Manet

March 30, 2015   To whomever requested this painting as the basis for a wardrobe - a big thank you!  

 

  From time to time, I hear from women who need only the smallest of work wardrobes, because they work as temps - employees who go into an office for a very brief period of time. A wardrobe for this kind of work needs to be very conservative and very neutral; you don't really want to make any kind of a "mark" on the organization except for the excellence of your work!   I temped at a few times in the past - sometimes only for a day, and sometimes for as long as 2 or 3 weeks. This is the kind of work that allows you to have an extremely small work wardrobe, and to thus dedicate your income to ... View the Post

What I’m Packing in a Travel Capsule Wardrobe for New York

March 14, 2015   Belovedest and I are leaving Wednesday for New York for what is either a very long weekend, or a rather short vacation - six days. B lived in New York a few different times (he had one of those jobs that required frequent transfers), and so we know the city very well. Our anniversary is next Friday, so we have an excuse for some festivities. Overall, it will be a nice opportunity to spend some time together and reacquaint ourselves with a favorite city.   My biggest packing constraint for this trip is the desire to take gym clothes with me. Normally, for European vacations, I just throw my workout routine into the shredder and assume that my walking will stand in for exercise. (uh, it really doesn't work that ... View the Post

Start with Art: Still Life with Bottle by Samuel John Peploe

March 11, 2015   Ah, this made me think of warm weather, leisure, simplicity, being outdoors...  

  Yes, it's a cardigan, but it's relaxed, and it's linen! When choosing loafers for this trip, I would make sure that they were low enough cut over the foot so that they would look nice with shorts, worn without socks. I'd even travel without socks, although I think I'd want some sort of little socklet/footie for in the airport. Barefoot in the airport gives me the willies!  

  If you're only going away for a few days, a Six-Pack is the perfect way to pack. These clothes would fit into the smallest tote...   (No, this dress has not been made to measure for someone - the brand name is ... View the Post

Start with Art: BLUSH, with Rose by Ansel Adams

March 9, 2015  

The all-grey wardrobe based on the photograph Rose, by Ansel Adams (see it here) prompted lots of excellent questions about using that wardrobe as a base for accent colors. Oh yes, I could think of at LEAST 10 accent colors that would work beautifully with these grey items...   I chose this vaguely named blush, peach, apricot, whatever color to show the possibilities. I kept the core grey jacket, trousers, skirts, dresses, shoes, and even a couple of tops, but I swapped out the jewelry for the warm "rose gold", and tossed in a few lovely scarves.   An accent color changes everything, doesn't it?  

  love, Janice ... View the Post

Start with Art: Version 2 Lake and Red Tree by Tom Thomson

March 7, 2015   A couple of days ago when I first worked with this painting, someone suggested substituting black for the brown that I used. Since black appears in the painting, this wasn't a misuse of the painting, and it produced some lovely ensembles.   I kept the same sweaters and blouses, in order to use the identical accent colors, but I substituted everything else. The accessory theme today is flowers!

 

 

love, Janice

                            ... View the Post

Start with Art: Rose by Ansel Adams

March 6, 2015   Not everybody wants a monochromatic wardrobe, but for those among us who find this idea comfortable, and even exciting, the opportunity to experiment with texture is irresistible...  

This woman has been in business long enough to be in charge. Long enough to love her grey hair. Long enough to know the power of simplicity...

If you have a moment, note that many of the accessories have a circle theme; that's the kind of thing I love to do!   Our executive packs fearlessly for a long trip. She has people who handle her bags...  

   

love,

Janice ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 3

February 25, 2015   Another week with incredibly cold weather. For those of you who live in warmer climates, you just have to take my word for it that this weather is exceptional, even for Chicago. Consistent lows below zero or in the single digits, days upon days of highs MAYBE in the teens. Dry dry dry air, wind to knock you over... just lovely!  I actually love winter, but this is even more extreme that I would prefer. But we carry on, in style!   As before, if I can link to my item, or something substantially similar, I will provide a link. The absence of any link means I couldn't find anything close enough...  

I know I've mentioned it before, but these Bogs boots are the WARMEST I've ever owned. They're ... View the Post