What Happened to “What’s Your Season?”
Once upon a time, all we needed to know was which of the four seasonal color theory designations we fit into and voila - our own packet of 30 colors! Never mind all the other people who had all the exact same colors we had.
Trouble was, many had a hard time figuring out their season. Like me. With the high contrast of a Winter and the muted coloring of Autumn or Summer, the only season nobody ever thought I might be was Spring. Until today, when I did this Blogthing:
You Are Spring! |
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Here, for Bonnie, is a re-cap of some key color choosing principles I’ve blogged in the past:
- How to wear any color: wear it in combination with a color that will emphasize your most dominant color characteristic.
- Your most flattering color combinations will be those that mimic, maybe not precisely, the way your personal coloring combines colors.
- I’m working on the idea that each person has a family of colors they can draw from freely: most people look great in their eye color, although I use my hemoglobin color (that is the reds present in the skin).
- For bottoms, neutrals are easy; for jackets and sweaters, I like to use the color of the individual’s hair.
One thing I may never have said: don’t stress out too much about being precise about everything. If I say it here, the intent is to make life easier, not harder.
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PSA: Christa Taylor
New to me, and almost in my neck of the woods: Christa Taylor, trendy & modest clothing.
Their Mission statement:
At Christa Taylor we’re pioneering a modest clothing revolution. Our team is committed to designing trendy and modest clothes that match your unique style. We are fashions for the empowered traditionalist; offering chic, feminine, and modern modest clothing options that are carefully selected to bring you premium quality and a totally modish [chic+modest=modish] flair that allows you to keep up with all the latest trends.
On their blog (which is relatively new) they ask the question:
Our New line coming in September: MISS (can you guess)??
I know the answer.
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Just Linking: White Shirts & More
Via Fashion IQ: the Top 50 Fashion Blogs in the US. (I confess I have never even visited many of them. Bad fashion blogger!)
Another reason to love blogging: Designer Mark Cutler answered my question on his blog! (The question had to do with welcoming people at the back door. I know I’m not the only one with that challenge.)
Jeepers is back at What To Wear This Very Second, the fashion cartoon blog, with advice on what to say when someone looks pregnant.
A new recipe to try (along with a new blog): Chicken Bistro Twist via Mochas and Madness. Yum!
About the Gap’s new white shirt campaign via Style Tribe.
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Friday Fashion Lab: 6 Ways to Wear the White Blouse
Ha ha! It’s a good thing we are all friends around here, because some of these photos are just not flattering. Glamorous I am not. If I were, I would have re-shot them.
From I Am Fashion’s 6 Ways to Wear the White Blouse:
This season, take the white blouse out from under the suit/sweater/vest and try something new.
Herein lies my first problem. This is what I actually wore the day we shot these pictures. And why my white shirt is wrinkled in all of them.
Amazing how short my legs look compared to any of the previous pictures of me in these shorts! (But then, who cares if my legs look short?)
Back to the 6 ways:
- Roll up the sleeves and wear them loose over bermuda shorts for a casual look.
- Have you ever wondered how to wear those very pretty skirts with details at the waist?
- For something more formal and business casual, go for the power woman look by contrasting your white blouse with high-waisted black skirts and black pumps. How sad! This picture actually looked good, but got lost somehow between the camera and this post.
- For business casual there is of course the white blouse with dress pants. (These are simulation dress pants. Like the belt?)
- Then you can also tuck it into tailored bermuda shorts instead of leaving it out for a more ladylike look.
- Lastly, wear them underneath dresses! I’m sure you can do better than I did. Perhaps I should have added a tie, a la Sales Rack Raider’s suggestion?
Can you see the outfits well enough to form an opinion?
Here’s my thought for next week: something having to do with pattern. Perhaps pattern mixing?
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What I Was Doing in the Picture
So, if you are here in person you are seeing a real, live picture of me, intentionally indistinct, in either a white frame or black, accompanied by the quote which was sent to me by Blestwithsons. What you are not seeing is what’s on the screen in front of me.
Here’s the background: Fabulously Broke in the City did a post recently on Stacy London’s appearance on Oprah - getting the right jeans to fit. When I mentioned in comments what my hero calls “elk jeans”, with emphasis on the fact that women elk are called cows … well, you are just going to have to go over there and read the conversation. LOL.
So when he noticed me from out on the sidewalk in front of our house and snapped the picture through the window, I was indeed googling “Washington elk”. I was looking for a picture of the south end of a north-bound elk, so to speak.
Back to the header picture, feedback so far has been inconclusive. Does the blurriness bother you?
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What to Wear Under Your White Shirt
What color - ahem - undergarment is correct under the white blouse?
- Black.
- White.
- Pink or nude. Not to be racist, flesh-tone is what I mean.
- It doesn’t matter as long as a camisole is worn.
- Preferably the flesh-tone topped by a white tank.
Here’s a clue: white + white = INTENSE WHITE. Picture yourself on the platform, singing with the worship team or choir, wearing the requisite white blouse. What’s the man in the congregation seeing?
The exception: recently I’ve seen some cute long sleeved white tops, white with see-through paisley pattern. By wearing a long sleeved colored top, in effect you would have Build Your Own Paisley. That works with my idiom!
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Update on Improve Your Blog Month
Update (4/26): Two pictures, one with black frame and one with white, are rotating in the header position. Which do you prefer?
This is week 4 of Amateur Improve Your Blog Month at Frugal Upstate: blogger’s choice.
For those who may not have been here, this is what the blog started out looking like.
Here it is after the first three weeks, with new template, reorganized sidebars, and the beginnings of an “about” page.
Now, the big project: an image to replace the coffee cup. (Not that I don’t like the coffee cup. I do. But two things: one, I haven’t figured out how to make the picture the right size for the space, and, more importantly, I have in mind to replace it with a picture of me. Oh, and then there’s the quote, I guess that’s three.)
On Monday, I overcame the first hurdle. Yep, good hair day. Monday evening my hero captured a candid shot which should work (the story behind which will be a separate post). After determining yesterday that I really didn’t have the skill or software to do what was in my mind, I sent the image to my hero this morning for him to beg someone in his office to work on it.
In the meantime, what are your thoughts?
- Are there blog features you like elsewhere that you would like to see here?
- Do you like the hack I came up with to separate off the list of related posts?
- If you are new to the blog, was anything confusing?
I really love that we are a conversation here. Let me know what you think!
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A Wardrobe of White
Using a color palette based on my personal coloring and adjusting it seasonally, I find there to be a limited number of pieces I really need to own in white.
They are:
- A white blouse or shirt.
- Several white t-shirts. In the summer, I could wear one almost everyday and I wash them every time. In the winter, I use them for contrast with a sweater in a soft, warm, and light color. And I love sleeveless tees!
- White tank tops and camis. For layering under button-up shirts.
- Summer upper layers: cotton ribbed cardigan, white jean jacket, etc.
Due to the fact that, in theory anyway, white gets dirty faster, I don’t bother with white bottoms. Who wants to have to worry about every little speck they might sit on? Shoes are the same way - they get dirty too easily - and I don’t feel comfortable drawing attention to my feet. White dresses are too restrictive as they cannot be worn to weddings.
Sometimes tricky because they “go with everything”, it makes sense to define limits for your neutrals. With white, I avoid bottoms and anything I could not wear in the summer. With black, I keep pants, a skirt, and pumps on hand. Both I use as an accent for winter layering with muted colors; white with pastel tints, black with darker shades.
Now I just need to figure out some ways to wear them together in the Spring.
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WFMW: Is This Neckline Too Low?
Use this trick to see if a neckline will be too deep for you, without having to try the top on.
My daughter figured this one out:
Mentally draw a horizontal line from armpit to armpit. Is the lowest part of the neckline above or below the line? Chances are if your neckline extends to below your armpits, you may be displaying more than the watching world cares to see.
One more way I can tell if something will work without getting undressed. That works for me.
More of what works for everybody else at Rocks in My Dryer.
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TeenStyle Tuesday: The White Shirt
In conjunction with this Friday’s fashion lab featuring 6 Ways to Wear the White Blouse, I thought “why not offer a teen version?”
The whole white blouse thing can be a frustration for young ladies. It feels a bit like a uniform and often they are expected to have one and be able to wear it for various functions, choir performances and so on. I understand that frustration. At various times it seems I am expected to have black pants, white blouse, or khaki skirt, even if those pieces don’t work with my idiom.
Here’s a look both my girls have worn: white shirt + dad’s tie.
Actually, since thrift store ties come in such unique patterns, the ladies have also at times bought their own ties.
How to wear a tie:
- Either neat and tidy, like a business man, or as shown, more like a necklace.
- If this is too masculine, a rectangular silk scarf can be tied like a tie. Beware, though, a scarf is a bit matronly for many young ladies.
- The coolest idea ever: a fancy (bow-)tie and cumberbund set! When we got married, my hero wore a hawaiian print on a black background.
What about you? Have you worn the men’s tie?
