tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post7928730406049154911..comments2024-03-16T13:04:56.689-04:00Comments on Passage des Perles: Winter wardrobe: Into the darkDuchessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-17916491512259637792012-01-19T09:21:22.108-05:002012-01-19T09:21:22.108-05:00christineB: In corporate life, unless the company ...christineB: In corporate life, unless the company is fully business casual, it would be hard to get dressed without black or navy. They are still the anchors of a formal business wardrobe.Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-74195486268007796502012-01-19T00:56:07.156-05:002012-01-19T00:56:07.156-05:00I never wear black near my face anymore, but I'...I never wear black near my face anymore, but I'll sometimes wear a black skirt (I have two; one long, one short), black pants (1 pr), black leggings (1 pr) or black jeans (1 pr). When I used to live a Corporate Life, my wardrobe was probably 70-80% black. It's hard *not* to wear black; as Tabitha said, it doesn't require much effort on my part.ChristineBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-62318256928098443562012-01-18T09:03:53.417-05:002012-01-18T09:03:53.417-05:00terri: Those are your base; good clothes are just ...terri: Those are your base; good clothes are just too expensive to flit among many colours that do not coordinate well.Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-63198727385950726982012-01-18T08:54:11.213-05:002012-01-18T08:54:11.213-05:00HB: Our colour preferences are similar; I'll w...HB: Our colour preferences are similar; I'll wear brights in summer, but not as pants- printed skirts or dresses that need some flow.<br /><br />lagatta's comment came through on my e-mail but they always go to my Spam folder. I mark them "Not Spam" and Blogger says "published" but then they seem to take forever to show up.<br /><br />gauss: Some women go in and out of black and some of us stay with it. Life gets easier when we do not have to maintain several different colour stores.Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-20312811348432275972012-01-18T06:29:21.132-05:002012-01-18T06:29:21.132-05:00I've been wearing more and more black, especia...I've been wearing more and more black, especially for work. It's just so easy (everything pretty much matches) and makes me feel instantly elegant. I wear lots of black tops as well...Gausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03953027267171854345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-34823912842737027622012-01-17T23:53:18.774-05:002012-01-17T23:53:18.774-05:00Too funny! "Antique Ass" has had me laug...Too funny! "Antique Ass" has had me laughing all day!<br /><br />I am with lagatta à montréal in looking for, but not finding, those indeterminate dark colors. I am a huge fan of murky green and deep aubergine, among others. I like them with grey or black. Nothing is more difficult than non-matching blacks in two favorite wardrobe pieces.<br /><br />My personal style - I have worn black since before it was even a thing among my fellow teenagers to do so. It just looks nice with my complexion. If I want to be put-together and especially fancy, it's usually in all-black. Best of all a LBD, of course. If I am cut in two with a skirt or pants, black or maybe one of those super dark non-colors. Navy, if pressed, in the summer. I'm with Edith Head on that - no other way to deal with my Latvian ass. ! I have been known to wear entire dresses out of a bright color, but that is not for every day - more for playful moments. I also have a real weakness for a soft, dove or smoke grey. However, I have an uncanny talent for attracting stains in that color. Many a garment of that color has gone into the weekend pile.HBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-11219802715927662672012-01-17T23:16:35.045-05:002012-01-17T23:16:35.045-05:00I have three pair of black slacks, two pair of bla...I have three pair of black slacks, two pair of black jeans, and several charcoal to black skirts. I think if I had to reduce my wardrobe tomorrow that these basics are all items I would KEEP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-8807326772148557022012-01-17T20:36:31.882-05:002012-01-17T20:36:31.882-05:00Ah, black . . . I live and work in Manhattan and a...Ah, black . . . I live and work in Manhattan and am in a conservative profession, so both fashion and propriety dictate a LOT of black. I love it. As a friend of mine says, "New Yorkers will stop wearing black when something darker is invented."Karennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-11167188912834773202012-01-17T20:06:47.678-05:002012-01-17T20:06:47.678-05:00I love black. I wear black from the waist down, an...I love black. I wear black from the waist down, and have a preference for black cardigans. I like to add color with tops and scarves and shoes and jewelry. <br /><br />My black dream bag arrived today! It's so exciting. I have to figure out how to use the tripod and remote to get a photo and a post up, maybe this weekend. Mater and LPC helped me select it and it is PERFECT.Susan Tinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11900811284963063686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-50058243568494578912012-01-17T19:09:20.285-05:002012-01-17T19:09:20.285-05:00I laughed out loud at "Antique Ass"! Ove...I laughed out loud at "Antique Ass"! Over the past few years, I have been adding a lot of bright colours into my wardrobe (before, it was mostly navy, black and white). I have a yellow skirt from J. Crew - the colour description is "spicy gold". I like black but it has to be really rich, saturated black, the kind of black you see in better quality fabrics. My work wardrobe contains a lot of black, so I don't like to wear much black during my downtime.Louise @ INGREDIENTShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09883303245642039938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-57718006380835974232012-01-17T17:12:52.612-05:002012-01-17T17:12:52.612-05:00Kathleen: Though I would not recommend the book (a...Kathleen: Though I would not recommend the book (ageist, sexist and dated) I recently read a reissue of Edith Head's "How to Dress for Success". She costumed any actress who needed to look trimmer in darks below the waist.Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-36525446257071354422012-01-17T16:29:04.710-05:002012-01-17T16:29:04.710-05:00Thanks for all the affirmation ladies!! Dark bott...Thanks for all the affirmation ladies!! Dark bottoms, mainly black, charcoal, and dark denim rule. Every time I veer away from the darks, I feel like I have headlights pointed at my bottom half, not a happy situation. Even neutrals like khaki, British tan, dove grey have that effect, at least for me. Espresso brown can be nice, but so much trouble to figure out the rest of the outfit. However, along with others from warm weather locales (I'm in southern California), I have to be careful not to let the black get too heavy, so I lighten up on top. My fave neutral right are blue shades from indigo to greyed steel blues, dove grey, lots of greens. <br />KathleenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-15353057833352429112012-01-17T16:21:16.104-05:002012-01-17T16:21:16.104-05:00SewingLibrarian: It was delicately pretty, and ver...SewingLibrarian: It was delicately pretty, and very luxurious given the salt, sand and snow on our streets.<br /><br />Mardel: I've commented on several other blogs lately about the difficulty of finding vibrant, rich greys. The ones I've found are usually verrry expensive.<br /><br />Absolutely light affects what we wear, it is not just temperature that puts white and bright in the spotlight in warmer climes.<br /><br />barbara: Calling a move from black to charcoal "a switch" is a move only a confirmed fan of black understands- and I do!<br /><br />Northmoon: My architect friends wear so little colour that it is a shock when they do, and it is never bright, or predominant. Maybe an occasional rust or mulberry. <br /><br />Jill Ann: I don't know about he others but I usually wear a colour (like one shown) on top- but there are days when I am in all black- but then with a scarf. As a fellow Michigander (Petoskey) I remember that effect, too. (My down was red.)<br /><br />Rubi: For awhile I was running about even with black, navy, brown which took too much space. Orange shoes look fab with tobacco!<br /><br />C.: Your palettte is so beautiful, colours that breathe. Wish I could see your choices.Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-48436252886262302012-01-17T16:06:25.113-05:002012-01-17T16:06:25.113-05:00"Antique Ass"--so funny.
I feel lucky t..."Antique Ass"--so funny.<br /><br />I feel lucky to have spent most of my working life outside of offices. Often I was working with children, who seem instinctively to dislike black. My work wardrobe was therefore full of pink and turquoise and lilac; black was reserved for evening. Like the other Summers who have commented, I look best in grayed blues and other soft cool colors, and pretty much live in those now. But black still feels more sophisticated to me than other colors; trousers and a sweater in black cashmere just seem dressier than the same outfit in gray. I could never give up black entirely.<br /><br />C.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-11320556885473219152012-01-17T15:12:12.698-05:002012-01-17T15:12:12.698-05:00From the waist down this time of year, it's bl...From the waist down this time of year, it's black, charcoal or denim. I just got a pair of tobacco colored cords, but am trying to figure out what shoes to wear with them. <br /><br />Tops are all sorts -- my favorites being charcoal and muddy purple. No black next to the face without a scarf or other mitigation, though I'm so rosy-cheeked I actually welcome the black-induced pallor at times.Rubiatontahttp://rubiatonta.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-26671406335922982122012-01-17T13:32:26.633-05:002012-01-17T13:32:26.633-05:00I like black clothes, I wear them often, but hones...I like black clothes, I wear them often, but honestly some of the all-black/ grey/taupe wardrobes you all describe sound awfully drab & depressing to me! ( no offense intended!). Maybe it's because I've lived in the South for many years, but even growing up "Up North", we always liked to wear colors. So much happier and more fun! I understand the issue with quality....colors can look cheap if not of a high quality....but it's worth the trouble, IMO. <br /><br />I'm sitting here remembering winter in central Michigan, how bleak , cold, and grey everything was; grey sky, grey trees, grey snow. I also remember my Kelly green down jacket which cheered me up as I trudged to class across the frozen tundra of the campus!Jill Annnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-86487304916065020582012-01-17T13:20:37.204-05:002012-01-17T13:20:37.204-05:00I think of black as a more urban, sophisticated co...I think of black as a more urban, sophisticated colour. I'll never forget leaving a meeting at an architects office. "what colour is your coat?" I reply "black". She opened the closet doors and there were 30 black coats! Not a single colour in sight.Northmoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15597456926736581361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-16139052739529308272012-01-17T12:56:17.946-05:002012-01-17T12:56:17.946-05:00For a long period I lived in only black, maybe for...For a long period I lived in only black, maybe for ten years or so.<br />Now, with my silver/grey hair, some of the blacks are to harsh, so I like to wear charcoal bottoms.<br />Black also has it's different shades, so I try to find softer ones.<br />Speaking of cashmere, black is never a problem color for me...barbaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-81567622880026598262012-01-17T12:21:25.053-05:002012-01-17T12:21:25.053-05:00I would have worn the gold skirt when I was younge...I would have worn the gold skirt when I was younger. Now I can't stop laughing about "Antique Ass". I stopped buying black over the summer, except that I just bought a pair of really fabulous very slim black pants by Eileen Fisher which are -- shocking to me -- slightly too long. I avoided EF for years because the pants were always short.<br /><br />Black is too harsh for me but I will not stop wearing it. My bottoms at the moment are black and dark denim. I love deep taupes and medium to deep grays that are neither too warm or too cool, but finding really good rich taupes and grays is quite difficult. So many seem flat and lifeless. The good ones are often expensive. A transition to mostly grays could take me years.<br /><br />I think the light also affects what we wear. Further north black was the norm. Here, I see more color, mixed with the black. The light is different and black stands out more. At the moment, dark denim seems like a good starting baseline and I will work from there.Mardelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04850551308931710502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-29244821149587115482012-01-17T12:16:06.246-05:002012-01-17T12:16:06.246-05:00Just finished reading comments and want to add tha...Just finished reading comments and want to add that my red raincoat always draws compliments! I guess people do react to its cheerfulness on a dull day. <br />Also, I believe if one looks at the same garment in black and in a color, the black one almost always looks more expensive/higher quality. Another reason to wear black.SewingLibrarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09884510117234994583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-1047713058881679862012-01-17T12:07:32.126-05:002012-01-17T12:07:32.126-05:00I wear darker colors in "winter," such a...I wear darker colors in "winter," such as it is in San Diego. I'm trying to wear more navy and grey, however. Would have loved to have seen the dove grey and pink ensemble.SewingLibrarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09884510117234994583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-26461163309829799742012-01-17T11:21:20.630-05:002012-01-17T11:21:20.630-05:00Susan: Oh yes, absolutely for travel. And like you...Susan: Oh yes, absolutely for travel. And like you I keep the black pieces much longer.<br /><br />Peg: One of my friends buys only red coats; she says they not only cheer her up, they cheer others as well.<br /><br />Susan G: I adore taupe, which is elegant with black but also many other colours. Much harder to find than black, though.<br /><br />hostess: Only one white shirt made it on this move to a small apt., but I love them on others. Thought I'd keep one for spring/summer.<br /><br />chicatanyage: Bompard sale on now if you want to replace it, they have several styles (ribbed, button neck, classic polo) Black polo is a steadfast friend to me.<br /><br />materfamilias: Just love you in that black velvet dress; I've found I can wear soft fabrics (knits, velvet, lace) more easily than hard-finishes near face. And on a bike, black is much hardier than khaki.<br /><br />LPC: A client told me she waited to see if I ever wore anything on the bottom other than black- and I did not, for months. She was faintly critical but I was amused and unabashed. If Diana Vreeland went through a decade in black cashmere why shouldn't I?Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-631729862757448732012-01-17T11:13:35.255-05:002012-01-17T11:13:35.255-05:00I've been fighting the black too--egged on by ...I've been fighting the black too--egged on by colleagues in the pastel-loving south. I even bought a few tanks in "colors." But, like you, I remain most comfortable in black and so I am trying to wear more scarves.frugalscholarhttp://frugalscholar.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-20480434263316620322012-01-17T11:05:29.510-05:002012-01-17T11:05:29.510-05:00Hahahahahahahahaha. Wait, did you ask a question? ...Hahahahahahahahaha. Wait, did you ask a question? How can I answer if I'm laughing too hard? But I'm laughing wearing, wait for it, black pants!LPChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18209861350905135093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-41497122698906889062012-01-17T10:59:06.096-05:002012-01-17T10:59:06.096-05:00Black does nothing at all for my face, but it'...Black does nothing at all for my face, but it's too simply classic to get rid of. I'll still wear my black tops, turtlenecks included, despite that harshness, although I do soften with a scarf, jewelry, a cardigan or blazer.<br />I've been surprised that I've got through this winter without replacing my black jeans which had been a staple. But I've still got charcoal and then numerous dark denim, good enough to hide the inevitable biking-on-a-muddy-wet-road stains. <br />Your writing has even more sparkle than usual in today's post -- thanks for a good few chuckles to start my Tuesday!materfamiliashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16062766947897513369noreply@blogger.com