The Fabulous! Festival Color Edition
The newest Fabulous! Festival is up at All About Appearances and the theme is one of my favorite topics: color!
As I was skimming the entries, I noticed one of the entries from Dean at Office Hair mentioning “beige people”. He hee. Fits right in with my entry, Using Contrast With the Personal Color Palette, but from a different angle (copper hair and fake tan? one of them just has to go!).
And let me just say right here, as enthusiastically as I can, I am so happy that we are all different and that, through our choices of what to wear, we can express our individuality creatively. That said, I found the spectrum of posts concerning black versus color slightly amusing. From Icy’s mostly black at Closet Goth to Color Yourself Happy at What I Wore Today, To Color and Color Not was the question which Une Femme d’un certain age answered:
Everyone has their own color comfort level. Making color work for you is more than just learning which colors flatter. It’s also about discoving the colors that speak to your style and the amounts of color that express your vision of yourself.
Yes! Your own personal idiom.
Thank you to Meg for organizing the festival! What fun! Next edition at Individual Chic, October 1st, and then HERE October 15th. Submit your posts via the blogcarnival entry form.
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Reader Question: Tips for Transition
Christine writes:
I hate jeans, mostly because I can never find a flattering comfy pair. I think I finally did, but after a few days of wearing them I’m feeling kind of dull. I’m a skirt and dress wearer but sometimes it’s hard to transition, from summer to fall for example. Some days bare legs and sandals feel too bare but it’s not time to drag out the tights and boots.
I also look dreadful in black so that cuts down a lot of skirt and dress options that make the transition easier. Suggestions anyone?
Although I am not a skirt and dress person everyday, because of what I wear to church I can still relate. Transitional seasons are certainly challenging.
Here are some ideas. Readers please add your suggestions in comments!
- Nicole’s suggestion: lightweight tights and peep-toe shoes to make a summer skirt transition into early fall.
- Similarly, I have been thinking about adding footless tights to my summer skirts with sandals. Here’s my trouble: my summer skirts (all pictured here) are unlined. Unlined skirts stick to tights. But, Christine, perhaps you have some that would work or, alternatively, don’t mind wearing a slip.
- Another thing I have done, tell me if you think this is weird, is to wear my summer skirts, bare-legged, with knee-high boots. On second thought, don’t tell me if you think it’s weird. It just works for me.
What works for you in this time of transition?
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Just Linking: September 8, 2007
Lately I’ve been thinking alot about trying some sewing. (See? Ambika of The Fray made herself a fabulous collared cape!) Anyway, for you sewing nerds (what do I say? “seamstresses”? too professional, “sewers”? that’s something else altogether) - readers who sew - what are your favorite sewing blogs?
I haven’t bought myself a book from Amazon yet, but Damselfly at Growing a Life has reviewed Nina Garcia’s Little Black Book of Style.
Do you speak Spanish? If so, you may want to check out the new blog which showed up in my incoming links: FARANDULA, MODA, DEPORTES otra forma de gozar la vida. Then please come back and tell me what it is.
More introductions:
- readers meet Kristie aka Tkmuskrat, Kristie meet readers.
- homeschooling moms (or those interested), check out Such a Time
Finally, I don’t claim to be a beauty expert, but one thing I do believe in spending money on is Bobbi Brown concealer/foundation.Free Bobbi Brown gift with your $85 purchase. Shop NORDSTROM
Have a great weekend!
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Fashion Lab: Cap Sleeves
Remember I mentioned that Angie said cap sleeves often aren’t flattering (at least as flattering as sleeveless)?
Here, from a previous fashion lab, is a picture of me in cap sleeves. For some reason I thought this tee-shirt was going to work for me.
What was I thinking?
Actually it will work well this fall, as an under-layer. The neckline hits a good spot on me, it’s brown (my eye color), and long enough to wear with any pants. Presently it’s hanging in my closet underneath a soft black v-neck.
(Please overlook needed ironing and etc. in the picture. I had to hurry up and grab the shirt and get shot before someone ran off with the camera.)
Here, though, is a cap sleeve shirt I love and I can wear with or without something over it (not to mention my daughter found it for me at Value Village for $1 with the tags still on). So what is it that makes the difference?
My money is on the tautness of the fabric.
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Jean Substitutes
Awhile ago Carrie and I were talking about jean substitutes. By that I mean non-jean bottoms that you can wear you suspect jeans are the order of the day, but are not quite certain. Some examples:
- denim skirt
- khakis or cords
- casual dress or skirt
- capris or dressy shorts
The event she was going to was an informal memorial gathering in someone’s home. If I recall correctly (Carrie?), she was very happy she elected to wear black slacks.
What’s your favorite “jean substitute”? For fall and winter, I like velvet jeans and I’ll be needing a new pair this year. I’d love to have a color more exciting than black.
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Do You Wear Jeans to Work?
I confess: about this time of year my brain gets full. Not that it doesn’t at other times; so why am I bringing it up now? Just because I notice that I’m kinda off my train of blog. However, since back-to-school is about jeans and recently we’ve been talking about office dress codes, how about the question: Do you wear jeans to work?
Personally, in my previous career, we had a fairly rigid dress code; the only time I was allowed to wear jeans was if I were involved in a spend-the-night type move or similar project. Now, if I were to go to work in a business casual office, I would probably do like Fabulously Broke and wear only trouser jeans.
Would trouser jeans be considered professional in your line of work?
In my opinion, the problems with jeans are normally what’s worn with them. Oh, and I suppose I could imagine someone thinking that because they spent good money for those jeans with the specially placed holes in them, they should be able to wear them to work. Sorry!
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Teen Style Tuesday: Is Texting on the Job Okay?
RUKDng?
Some things are so obvious, they don’t even make the texting etiquette list. Texting while allegedly working is one of them.
I wouldn’t have thought to mention it, except that I just returned from the grocery where I saw not one, but TWO otherwise attractive young ladies wasting their employer’s time text messaging.
Disloyalty, aka stealing, is never attractive.
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Using Contrast with the Personal Color Palette
Recently I ran across something in a library book that scared me a little. (I think it was 10 Steps to Fashion Freedom: Discover Your Personal Style from the Inside Out
The biggest mistake I notice people making with regard to color is wearing one that overwhelms them. (Okay, that’s just the biggest mistake with clothing; the over all biggest color mistake I see is pink-skinned brunettes with warm-toned highlights in the hair clashing with their skintone.) But looking washed out by blending into your clothing is not what you want.
Unlike me, many people have hair, skin, and eyes which are all nearly the same color value. If that is you, contrast must be added in as an accent. Think about it: even the very dark have the whites of their eyes and their teeth, even the very pale have black irises.
Some techniques to try:
- use a darker or lighter version of the eye or hemoglobin color
- use the complementary color
- add a small amount of white, black, or a shiny metallic
I’m sure there are plenty of other artistic ways to bring both harmony and contrast to an outfit. What are some of your favorites?
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Business Versus Social
Can you identify the difference between business and social clothes? Both are more formal than our everyday clothes, both are usually worn with dress shoes. But they are not interchangeable. Underlying many what to wear blunders is misunderstanding the distinctions between these two wardrobe lifestyle segments.
After first reminding us all that categories are somewhat fluid based on personal style idiom, perhaps it would be fun to play with some examples. All pictures are clickable.
Which of these cardigans would you wear for business and which for social? Which skirt?
And should you win any shoes in the Stuart Weitzman Celebrity Shoe Auction benefiting Ovarian Cancer (ht: Wendy), I suggest you reserve them for social.
What frustrates me is this: there would be no need for employers to write detailed dress code manuals if people would just take it upon themselves to care what they ought to wear. The benefits are proven. (Look at Beth’s story back here.)
Which of these two ladies would you hire for a professional office job? And where do you think the other is going?
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Fashion Lab & Just Linking Smash-up: Splendicity in Gray & Color!
Gray combined with color at a few Splendicity fashion blogs:
- Against black, at because im addicted
- With a splash of yellow and - is that orange on the shoes? - and black & white, via Bobble Bee
- Lots of combos, one post, two posts, captured by Chic Inspector at NY Fashion Week (I’m not jealous, I’m not jealous …)
- Clearly pops against white in Laya’s Eye
- Heather gray and vintage rose stripes at Fashion Chicks
- Deep charcoal and antique ivory from Jason Wu’s collection pictured at The Fashionable Kiffen
(Sadly, I had lots more links than this, but then I realized the monitor on my laptop was adjusted wrong - alot of what I thought was grey was actually very black!). And, even though she’s not in splendicity, don’t forget how fabulous Tessa looked in grey & black with red accents.
How are you planning to wear gray this season?
