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.

***

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.

***

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!!!

Chance With Madewell

Sometime ago I have ordered this striped tee after Chance was featured on A Cup of Jo. I was quite disappointed with my purchase.  Partially because, as a sad case of a marketing victim, I was expecting the Holy Grail of striped t-shirts, only to receive, well, a striped t-shirt with a wonked side seam.

I should have sent the shirt back immediately and give Chance a chance to redeem themselves. Possibly, the tee was a one-off defective item, but I was too lazy to bother with it. OK, maybe I did not want to admit that I felt duped, so I convinced myself that I kept it because I liked the colors and the fabric (I do) and that a wonky seam was a part of its charm (hey, who is snorting here?). 

The color is perfect with my Madewell Academy blazer (reviewed HERE).

I said it repeatedly but I love, love, love this blazer (my nod goes to the lovely Rynetta).  I never liked the J.Crew Schoolboy fit and I thought it was because of its shrunken shape, but this one is even more shrunken and it does not bother me. 

I think it is the proportions and the way how Madewell blazer is nipped in the waist, while J.Crew Schoolboy is very boxy on me. I also like that the wool is thinner, shoulder padding is minimal and I have no problem wearing it under my coat or in the office.  

Also wearing a pair of (old) matchsticks in saddle and MacAlister suede wedges in navy (reviewed HERE). I wore this outfit to work on Friday and I liked how it felt casual but still polished due to the blazer.

After all, maybe that Chance tee was not such a disaster...

***

That's all folks!

Do you have a favorite navy blazer?

Did you ever feel totally duped by clever online marketing?

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!

***

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!!!

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.

***
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!!!