Blue and Green

I am definitely on the monochromatic kick in the last couple of weeks. I have always liked the ease and simplicity of it. Single color just pulls everything together while tonal variations and bits of pattern or texture keep it from being boring. In the beginning of the the last week I wore the peach/orange outfit and the black with cobblestone outfit which were both tonal. I plan on wearing the blush outfit no5 from my Valentine's Day post and I have few other monochromatic combinations in mind for the next week.

Brora sweater, bag Banana Republic, glasses Ray Ban, rest J.Crew



I always say that I am more of a blue than a green person but there are certain shades of green that I really like. I think it has to be a blue toned green, yellow toned greens make me look sick and suck all the light out of my complexion.

The skirt has some silver threads in the tweed and I liked how the necklace picked it up but I could not capture it well in the pictures because of the blazing sunshine. The skirt is J.Crew from couple of season's ago and the turtleneck is from Brora.

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jeans by Anthro, Coach purse, L&T cashmere vest, rest J.Crew

Again, this was a very sunny day and everything was coming out very washed out, he colors are much more vibrant irl.

I don't think I have worn a sweater vest over a button front shirt since my twenties but for some reason it felt right this time. I think it is because of the tonal aspect. The shell elongates the line of trousers and creates a leaner look, while the pattern of the shirts breaks up the monotony of blue.

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That's all folks!

Blue or green for you?

Are you drawn to monochromatic outfits like me?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Let It Rain

Our late fall weather has been rather mild this year. It hardly even feel like December, except for the Holiday decorations popping up everywhere. We are getting some rain and fog, but no snow or real cold in sight, fingers crossed.  I admit I am enjoying it and taking the opportunity to wear the fall/winter transitional items, that sometimes don't get to be used too much.

One of such pieces in my closet is the Barbour Utility jacket that I bought when I visited Edinburgh few years ago. I had a great time with my good friend I was meeting there. Right before my travel I had some medical tests that turned out all horribly wrong.  Meeting with my friend let me focus on something else and indulge in some dark humor. Shortly after my arrival we were sitting on the sofa late at night, both a little uneasy and unsure what to do with the elephant in the room.  I was wearing a pair of new jeans and my hands got all black and blue from rubbing against them. My friend, who (like me) already had few drinks, noticed the color change and her face suddenly got all white.'What happened to your hands?!' she exclaimed terrified.  'Cancer.' I replied gravely and after few silent seconds I burst out laughing. My friend joined me in the attack of silliness and we could not stop for hours. Everything was easier after that and we had a blast the rest of my visit. Later on, after more tests and a lot more anxiety, it eventually turned out that the tests were a false positive.

My trip to Edinburgh was in January and it was drizzling everyday. Barbour jacket seemed like a perfect purchase then, but after coming back to US I never wore it that first year.  I resigned myself to thinking it will mostly have a sentimental value, which of course was worth every penny, but the practicality seemed to be another story.

 

Well, I am happy to report that I have been wearing it quite a lot this fall. In this outfit, I was able to combine two of my favorite fall-ish color combinations, brown with pink and brown with blue.

I have reviewed the jacket previously HERE. I am also wearing Boden boots, Coach bag, J.Crew No2 pencil skirt in herringbone (reviewed HERE), J.Crew Liberty shirt and a pink umbrella. 

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That's all folks!

Do you use dark humor to exorcise your fears?

What do you think of the Barbour jacket? Stylish or contrived?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

These are a few of my favorite things!

 

I am always drawn to color. I do care about the fit and proportions, but what makes the outfit most appealing to my eye, is the color combination. I had definite preferences for some hues since my childhood but I really got into color through studying art. Some of the painters that first influenced my thinking about color are Cezanne and Modigliani. The colors of their paintings inspired  my home decorating style. They helped me understand the magic of color, the harmony and dissonance they can create and the powerful emotions they stirred in me (this was a time in my life when I wanted my house too look like if I was living inside of a painting).

Source

Then there is a way the colors talk to each other. I have repainted many walls repeatedly to get the flow right. To illustrate it, there is an old anecdote about one of the English painters, William Hogarth. He was approached by a father recommending his son to work for him as an apprentice. The father suggested that the young men can help with some easy jobs, like painting backgrounds. "If he can paint backgrounds, he is just the person I want," replied Hogarth. "I have spent many years trying to learn how to paint a background for a picture, and I am not yet able to do it well."  This made me understand how colors interact with each other and how they look very different dependent what what they are next to.

Source

After I decided my house is more or less done, the color combinations were something that has drawn me to J.Crew and fashion in general. It is still something that they do very well, although recently, they have been more after novelty than harmony.

Source

Yellow and blue has been one of my very early favorites and they never cease to please me.  

This outfit includes some of my very favorite items in my closet: Brora plaid skirt (seen HERE) , chambray polka dot perfect shirt (reviewed HERE), double breasted cashmere open stitch cardigan in Honey Glaze, Coach bag cobalt blue patent and my recent favorite, MacAlister wedges in navy suede. (review HERE).

As you can see, my daughter had me climb retaining walls to take the pictures and she directed me relentlessly. I was a bit skeptical, but in the end I was pleased with the effect.  But there is definitely some occupational hazard included, lol.

The colors of the outfit were especially pleasing  because they also harmonized with the autumnal leaf colors. 

This Brora skirt is truly a gem. It is made of lightweight wool and lined in silk. I don't wear a lot of plaid and had trouble if there is red or green included but this is mainly blue, brown and gold and it pleases me to no end.

red lipstick completes the palette

When I wore this skirt in the past, I said I would avoid button downs but I think this chambray shirt works, probably because of polka dots, which tone down a Catholic school uniform vibe.

The colors of this outfit made me smile and I hope I can pass the energy of those colors to you!

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That's all folks!

What are your favorite color combinations?

What inspires you the most in an outfit? Color? Shape? Texture?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Black Friday in the park

We had a beautiful weather on Black Friday and last thing I was thinking about was shopping. In fact, I never go shopping on Black Friday and I avoid malls between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The crows and the difficulty of parking scare me away. Anyway, I don't quite believe in so called 'special deals'. Somehow, I never had regrets and when I hear about what people bought, I rarely, if ever, wish that I had gone, after all.


Don't take me wrong, I love a good sale like any other woman but I just don't need a big screen TV and the stuff I like is never particularly discounted, or at least no more than at the other sales. I also never clip grocery coupons because I feel they make me spend more, not less. I do use those 20% off coupons at Bed, Bath and Beyond but that's about that.

I spent the Black Friday morning sleeping it off, after eating and drinking too much over the Thanksgiving. My friend made wonderful turkey and thousand side dishes. I brought mozarella and marinated peppers salad, sweet potatoes casserole with pecans and another casserole of roasted vegetables. I finally figured out that roasted vegetables need a marinade made of olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, fresh thyme and rosemary.

I used this recipe and I will now swear by it. I roasted mine for 45 minutes, stirring the veggies after 15 and then 30 minutes. I bought all organic vegetables and added some carrots, just because I had plenty on hand. There was not a single bite left!

 

In the afternoon we went to the park. It was very warm and I had to take my coat off. I walked quite a distance in my new navy McAlisters and they were still comfortable.

I love this chambray polka dot shirt (review HERE) but the only issue with it is that it does not go with jeans. Everytime I put it on, I wish I had a pair of red or orange denim. I did wear it to the office with a wool pencil skirt in persimmon, it was a great pairing.

Cashmere sweater and necklace from BR

But the sexy boyfriend cords (review HERE) worked too. I love the combination blue, gray and yellow, it is one my favorites.

After the sun started setting, I needed to put on my peacoat, it suddenly got so cold...

I really like this time of the year, it is so beautiful! We probably only have couple more weeks before the leaves fall completely and the cold weather will settle in. Boo... 

I am wearing the Majesty peacoat from last year. The cut seems identical this year but this year's version has a beautiful pink lining (see my review HERE). I had to reinforce the buttons before I could wear the coat because they started to come off. I hate sewing buttons on coats but I managed somehow.

 

The last picture was styled completely by my daughter, she is bossing me around these days. You should hear her yelling 'Don't make a sour face! Turn to the side! Look away!  Unnatural!'. Then we argue about selection and she complains 'So I took all those garbage can pictures for nothing???' 

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How about you?

Did you go shopping on Black Friday?

Or are you waiting for Cyber Monday?

 

Please share.it would be no fun without you!!!

MacAlister Boots Review

As you may know, I love blue and navy. So when I saw that the navy MacAlisters were available on sale with an additional 30% off I could not resist them. I have two other pairs of MacAlister type booties and I love them both. I have almost bougth the brown MacAlisters from J.Crew two years ago but then I found the pair from Coach that I liked better at the same price, so I returned them.

Cute navy shoes are always hard to find. These only come in half sizes and I am 8.5 so I originally sized up to 9. But the 9s were way too big even with socks and my feet were sliding. So I reordered them in size 8 and they are perfect with tights. If I wanted to wear them with thick socks I think they will still stretch.

The color is very pretty medium navy that definitely looks blue and not black.They are comfortable and I actually  think I could walk some distance with them. They are not as comfortable as my Coach wedges but they are blue!

They do stick out a little bit in the back of the heel. I like the contrast of the darker shoe with the lighter sole.

Overall, I really like them and I can tell that I will wear them a lot. I loved how they looked with my Gallerista skirt and Madewell Academy blazer.

Also, see another review by Shopwithm HERE.

Here are my brown coach wedges that are one of most comfortable shoes I own. I have spend a day walking in NYC wearing them and I can vouch for their comfort. I am wearing them with my 2007 Gramercy coat in Alpine Green. I have since sold the coat because green is just not for me.

Contrary to J.Crew MacAlisters, Coach wedges are lined and padded and that definitely makes the difference.

Another pair of MacAlisters that I own is the Shearling vesion that they also offer this year. I have bought mine last year but they seem to be identical. I also sized down in these. They felt a little tight at first but they have molded to my feet. They are also very comfortable and warm.

Below is the picture of my first outfit without the blazer. Many time I would take of the blazer at work so whatever I wear under it has to work on its own. I decided to go for a plain blue perfect crewneck and I like the almost monochromatic look.

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That's all Folks!

Do you own a pair of MacAlisters? How do you wear them?

How do you like the navy ones?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Ghosts of the Shopping Past

There was a time when J.Crew was just a store in the mall selling rather unattractive critter chinos, silly belts and overpriced polo shirts. I was shopping in different stores then. I wasn't buying anything online. My basics came from places like Banana Republic and Ann Taylor, but overall, I was wearing much bigger variety of brands. Somehow, it seems to me that I was a happier shopper then, rarely returning anything and choosing clothes based simply on how they looked on me and how much I wanted to spend.  I did not worry about borrowing from the boys and I did not obsess over sweaters coming from top secret mills and too short polyester dresses with exorbitant price tags.

Of course I made many shopping mistakes but since I was much more discriminating  and shopped much less, many of my clothes from that time period are my favorites. 

Everything in this outfit is at several years old and comes  from "inspired by your daughter" phase, aka Raising Little Fashionistas period. The top is made by Oilily, a brand mostly known for their children's line but they made wonderful clothes for women as well. They are pricey but their quality is impeccable and if you feel like splurging on something 'boho', their stuff is better made and more original than anything you could get at Anthropologie. 

The skirt is from Janeville, another store owned by children's brand, this time Gymboree. Their stores were only open for a few years (I think between 2003 and 2008), so I guess they were not a success story, but I quite liked them and bough a few things from them that are still my favorites.

My boots, to continue the theme of children's brands, are from Boden and I featured them previously here. Well, Boden did not really start out making kids clothes, but this is how I came to know them Before I bought anything Boden for myself, I bought a lot of Mini Boden for my younger daughter.
 

My bag is not that old, maybe 3 or 4 years and it is by (totally adult) Coach. I suppose there are not that many children's purse designers

I think I prefer this fuchsia bird to any French hens.

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That's all Folks!

What are the ghosts of your shopping past? Or have you been always been shopping at the same stores?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!

Bored And Desperate - Should I Go Shopping???

I have a reluctant confession to make. I am tired of my Project 333 clothes.

You know how people are saying that narrowing your wardrobe to minimum let them discover what they truly love and liberated them from the tyranny of overflowing closets? I so wanted to be one of those people. I wanted to feel free from my shopping obsessions and satisfied with a few perfectly fitting, carefully selected garments. 

Well, I am bored!!!

Yes, I know I can create more cute outfits from what I currently have in my Project 333 closet. Yes, everything fits me, everything is my style and I love every individuaal piece. But still, I am sick of wearing the same things over and over (OK, so it was maybe 3-5 times each, but it feels like more).

On the top of that, we have an unusually warm weather here in New Jersey and I didn't take that into account. I cannot wear my wool pants, skirts and cashmere sweaters. As a result, I am stuck with about 15 weather appropriate garments in total. I don't feel liberated. I feel silly wearing the same boring outfits, when so many more appropriate choices hung abandoned in my other closets. Thank God I did not commit myself to 3 pairs of shoes or I would go nuts after 2 weeks (I have been doing it since January 1st).

I know nobody is forcing me to continue, but I am stubborn and I just cannot give up without feeling defeated. So I will stick with it until March 31st, boredom be damned. (I know, that's even more silly).
 

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So here we go, this is what I've been wearing recently:


Brora skirt, J.Crew perfect fit tee, Bandolino shoes

You have seen this Brora skirt with petrol blue lace trim thermal HERE, and this is very similar but a bit more appropriate for the warmer weather that we are enjoying.

Btw, it is not in our imagination. Did you know that the February 2012 was the warmest February on record in NJ (that is in last 118 years!)?  I don't mind it at all :)

Love those elbow snap perfect fit tees!

Cheap substitute for navy Valentinas

J.Crew capris, lace panel tee and black blazer, Repetto flats and Banana Republic bag

You have seen the pants HERE and Lace tee HERE, Repettos HERE.

Pop of Red never fails for me

It got too hot for the blazer

J.Crew  skirt , Banana Republic tee, J.Crew belt, Coach handbag and Chie Mihara shoes.

You have previously seen the skirt HERE and HERE and shoes HERE.

I noticed this awfully visible t-shirt hemline, so I have tucked it into the pantyhose. Yes I do wear pantyhose. It is useful for hiding hemlines and general smoothing out. No, it does not bother me at all.

no hemline!

I usually get untucked by the afternoon

Talbots shoes, necklace Banana Republic, everything else J.Crew

You have seen the skirt HERE and I have previously styled the blouse with trousers HERE, this is how it looks tucked into a pencil skirt.

Is this too much yellow?

J.Crew shirt, belt and bracelet. Peoples Liberation jeans and Bandolino shoes

You have seen the shirt HERE and HERE  and jeans HERE.

Love this Liberty shirt!

New bracelet, I don't see it online

That's all folks!

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Which one was your favorite?
Do you own any of the items? How do you wear them?
How quickly do you get tired of your outfits?
Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!