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).

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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.

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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.

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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!!!