Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
December 28, 2014 When you think of a tweed coat and pink accessories, how do you imagine them? It's great fun to remember that there are so many options available...
love,
Janice
Looking Back:
2013: From Desk to Dinner Party: Pastel Silk, Some Earrings, and a Nice Bag 2012: What to wear with a scarf: Hermes Reve de Corail 2011: A Field Guide to Winter Sounds ... View the Post
December 26, 2014 Cold weather brings out the creativity in many of the students here in Chicago...
love,
Janice
Looking Back:
2013: Chic Sightings: Grey Coats, with Brown Leather Accessories 2012: Start with Art: Les Bateaux, by Vincent van Gogh ... View the Post
December 23, 2014
love, Janice
Looking Back:
2013: Chic Sightings: Camel Coats, with Grey 2011: A Wardrobe Based on 2 suits: Was Chanel Right? (one of my FAVORITE posts ever) ... View the Post
December 12, 2014 I rarely see anybody wearing green, and I almost NEVER see a mixture of shades of green in one outfit, so it was truly a red letter (or a green letter, I suppose) day when I saw both of these women. Sometimes it's certain that these kinds of ensembles are the result of carelessness, or color-blindness, but in both of these cases it was clear that a deliberate plan was at work. Bold statements, but eye-catching and fun. Not for the faint of heart, but certainly something in this to inspire us.
love, Janice ... View the Post
December 9, 2014
We spent a lot of time running around the city this past weekend, finalizing the purchase of gifts for a host of interesting small people! And one of the best parts of being outside on a crisp winter day in Chicago is the people-watching... The first outfit was pretty conventional, albeit beautifully pulled together; what made it really stand out were her bright red shoes! It was a perfect day for a statement shoe, as there was no precipitation, and nothing slushy on the pavement. She was young, with long dark hair and a brilliant smile. No red lipstick, although that certainly would have been an option! And the 2nd ensemble was notable for a few reasons. First off, a white coat is a brave ... View the Post
November 26, 2014
Nothing seems like a better idea this time of year than a red coat - it's bright, on these darkest of days, it stands out in a forest of black, and it throws a flattering rosiness onto any complexion. But how do you make a red coat work well with your chosen neutral color? As always, I have suggestion!
Grey Neutrals
I believe that any of us who deal with long winters deserve at least a couple of pairs of gloves, a couple of scarves, and more than one hat, so I'm showing multiples which can be worn in a variety of combinations. For gloves or mittens, it makes sense to me to have one pair that matches your coat as closely as possible, and another pair that are your neutral. I think ... View the Post
November 21, 2014 Many of you were interested in a coat to wear with navy clothes, and I had great fun obliging! Some of these coats cost MANY months of rent, but they are amazingly beautiful, and they give us a look and a level of quality to which we can aspire in our more normal coat shopping.
The Patterned Coat
Paisley! Subtle, and almost iridescent, This coat doesn't need much. The hat is divine, the infinity scarf is a subtle melange of the colors in the coat, and the cashmere gloves pick up one of the brighter highlight colors. Feather earrings echo the swirling feeling of the pattern of the coat. Note: These cashmere gloves are going to show up a few times - they are available in a range of ... View the Post
November 19, 2014
This is a project I'm working on in my own wardrobe right now, and I understand from comments and emails that I'm not alone! I personally have decided that I'd like to get a longer, straight, NOT double-breasted, possibly concealed button wool coat. For our entertainment here, I pretend that I've either completely lost my mind, or won the lottery (which I have NEVER played), and I've indulged in some absolutely exquisite coats. Even if you'd never consider buying a coat this expensive, they're always worth looking at in stores in order to be better educated about quality fabrics and construction. That way, when you get around to buying your own more moderately priced coat, you can try to come as close as ... View the Post
November 12, 2014 Yesterday's post was so much fun that I thought I'd take another pass through this idea: building little outfit vignettes in order to facilitate making an expensive and/or important personal style purchase. These ensembles here don't necessarily have to be about buying a scarf - I'm thinking of undertaking this exercise for the purchase of winter coats too... This scarf is called "Sous l'Egide de Mars", which means (more or less) under the aegis of Mars. It's lots of pieces of armor, as near as I can tell, and thus is all about war. Still a madly pretty piece of work, as their scarves always are.
As always with me, I'm starting with a simple outfit in a solid ... View the Post
Trench – A.P.C.
Yellow – Burberry, blue – Burberry, green – Lanvin, bright indigo – Burberry, purple – Max Mara, red – Burbearry, raspberry, orange – Burberry
Sage green – Wallis, white – Ann Demeulemeester, pale grey – Moncler, olive grey – Organic by John Patrick, apricot/lt. blue – Dries van Noten, light denim – Derek Lam, grey – Preen, yellow – L.L.Bean
Trench coat with ruffled hem – Miu Miu, drawstring hem coat – Acne, san suede waterfall-front coat – Ralph Lauren Black Label, cotton belted coat – Carven, leather jacket – Preston Knight, beige coat with black leather piping – Marni, short waxed cotton jacket – Vince, military style jacket - Gryphon
Metallic brown ... View the Post
Fedora – Rag & Bone, scarf – Faliero Sarti, coat – Yves Saint Laurent, peacoat – Burberry, scarf – Whistles, gloves – Lacoste
Hot pink scarf – Fendi, Hot pink gloves – Dents, denim jacket – H&M, teal beanie – Topshop, leather jacket – Reiss, scarf – J. Crew ... View the Post
Maybe because it's been dark and gloomy, or maybe because Valentine's Day is barreling down upon us, but I've seen quite a few red coats in the last week, on women from 18 to 80. They certainly brighten up an otherwise severe city sidewalk!
Red jacket – Donna Karan, black skinny jeans – Rag & Bone, red hi tops – Converse Chuck Taylor, red peacoat – DSquared2, striped scarf – John Lewis, navy trousers – Reiss, navy loafers – Easy Spirit,
Trench – Burberry, tote bag – Kate Spade, black boots – Liz Claiborne, black tights – Oasis, scarf – Yves Saint Laurent, wool coat – Mauro Grifoni, grey pants – Viyella, patent loafers – Kate Spade ... View the Post
