All things EARTH...

[MJC]

Realizing that I will never truly give up all the black in my wardrobe, I thought I'd share these pictures to illustrate how I've tried to eliminate the "no no nos!" from my wardrobe, and tried to find some "ok, I guess" options. The first outfit is in the Goodwill pile, and the second one I wore to work today. Excuse the messy hair, it's been really windy here!

 

before: black and gray with silver jewelry (OMG)

 

http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=IMG_9560-1.jpg

 

after: black and gold with gold jewelry and my new coat

 

http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=IMG_9558-2.jpg

[MJC]

 

I was looking around...you ever look at eBags?

 

I saw this one:

 

http://www.ebags.com/product/piazza/torino-backpack/221897?productid=10155217

 

I saw this one too, it's exactly what I'm talking about and would be perfect, I'm just not in love with the nickel hardware.

 

Elephant Man = bulging with pockets & zippers & bling

 

CURATING - this idea is paramount in the Style Statement book. I won't be so dramatic to say it's life-changing, but doing the exercises has given some focus to my wardrobe changes and to my plans for renovating our apartment this summer. It is time-consuming to do it right, to think about things deeply, but it is also sort of meditative. I have a much better understanding of why I'm attracted to the things I am, and how to discriminate between what to have and what to let go (or leave in the store).

[Anita Latte]

I saw this one too, it's exactly what I'm talking about and would be perfect, I'm just not in love with the nickel hardware.

 

Elephant Man = bulging with pockets & zippers & bling

 

CURATING - this idea is paramount in the Style Statement book. I won't be so dramatic to say it's life-changing, but doing the exercises has given some focus to my wardrobe changes and to my plans for renovating our apartment this summer. It is time-consuming to do it right, to think about things deeply, but it is also sort of meditative. I have a much better understanding of why I'm attracted to the things I am, and how to discriminate between what to have and what to let go (or leave in the store).

 

UGH...hardware is the hardest part about being EARTH! Or FIRE really...most zippers, etc., are silver. :(

 

I haven't began the exercises in Style Statement yet. How far have you gone? I know that I want to take the time to really think about my answers. I'm thinking this might make for a good project in my evenings after DH leaves for GA. Do you have a Style Statement yet?

[princessmargaret]

Wow, Margaret, that second pic really shows what an earth you are. Who cares about the black when your jacket is fabulously warm. You look terrific!

 

Greetings from a fellow Margaret. How did our name become so extinct?

[laurspag]

One of the things I've done to help me mesh my old and new wardrobe is to get rid of the cool shirts and jackets. I still have my black pants and shoes, for now. But, it is only one pair.

 

Most people can't get rid of everything and just replace it. It takes time.

 

I have some neclaces that have silver, but the rest of the colors are warm. (I'm a big neclace fan)

 

It takes time. I don't really give a lot of thought to hardware on purses, mostly because it's going to be silver toned, no matter what! But, I got a really cute purse not too long ago that has gold. It's onle of those evening/going out bags, but not formal. My every day purse is closer to carry on luggage, lol.

[MJC]

Wow, Margaret, that second pic really shows what an earth you are. Who cares about the black when your jacket is fabulously warm. You look terrific!

 

Greetings from a fellow Margaret. How did our name become so extinct?

 

Thank you, I love my new jacket. We are actually having a spring this year so I'm getting to wear it.

 

When I was young I hated my name, I thought it was so serious and old-fashioned, and there were already three Margarets in my family. But now I think I've grown into it and it suits me better. Plus I moved away from my home town so I get to feel unique at last. :)

[MJC]

I haven't began the exercises in Style Statement yet. How far have you gone? I know that I want to take the time to really think about my answers. I'm thinking this might make for a good project in my evenings after DH leaves for GA. Do you have a Style Statement yet?

 

I do have a style statement. It is helping me to define my choices and not be so all-over-the-place. I have eclectic taste and that can lead to chaos, so I am learning how to find some balance, and to edit.

 

At the end, one of the suggestions was to google your word combination, and when I did that I came to a beautiful, sculptural, black and white photo of a dancer. It was quite a moment for me, to have done all that work and come full circle, so to speak.

[Anita Latte]

YES Margaret! I missed that post somehow...but your pictures are AMAZING! You are a picture perfect EARTH in the second photo...you look absolutely FABULOUS.

[cooki801]

Hi everyone again...soooo

If I am an earth and I have a dress that is mostly black and I can't replace it for my cruise...what is the best way to make it more flattering to me?

I was thinking of maybe some coral colored jewelry? I have to wear a shrug with it...I don't do sleeveless...so IF I could find a shrug in coral or another color any suggestions. Right now the shrug is black...yeah it IS very versatile LOL but not so good for my coloring.

Thanks for any suggestions

[laurspag]

Yould try ivory, but if you are like me, your will want it to be deeper, more like a tea stain color. There is olive green, muted coral, muted camel...see what you can find. It can take a bit longer to find earth colors sometimes.

 

Also, your jewelry can help you too! If you plan to wear a necklace, wear gold toned jewelry, or if you like beads and so forth, keep them warm. They can be a good tie in to the shrug.

 

I have a similar issue with a very vibrant spring/fire coral dress I have. I am not ready to replace it just yet, and I need to mute it a bit. I'm hoping for jewelry that will due that.

[laurspag]

I am going to try and take some pictures this weekend of some of the accessories and shoes I have, along with a few bathing suits and other clothing. I think I need natural sunlight coming in, because I'm having a rough time getting the colors to photograph correctly.

 

I have a deep brown one piece, with a gold flower trim on the straps, and a skirted light olive swimsuit. I also have a gold purse with a gold metallic strap, and so forth. I'm trying!

[MJC]

Hi everyone again...soooo

If I am an earth and I have a dress that is mostly black and I can't replace it for my cruise...what is the best way to make it more flattering to me?

I was thinking of maybe some coral colored jewelry? I have to wear a shrug with it...I don't do sleeveless...so IF I could find a shrug in coral or another color any suggestions. Right now the shrug is black...yeah it IS very versatile LOL but not so good for my coloring.

Thanks for any suggestions

 

Attached is a photo of a black and coral dress I have, that I bought for the style and fit without considering the color at all, other than that it was dramatic and I liked it. But these colors are too bright and clear for an EARTH (experts please weigh in here, I think this is ICE maybe?). If you go with coral, it should be a muted color, and then you have to wonder if it is going to stand up to the black. JMHO

 

Why not a gold shrug with gold jewelry? I think gold and black are very elegant together.

[Anita Latte]

Cooki...once you figure out what your element is, you can try to soften the black effect with accessories...but remember...you WILL NOT be able to completely get rid of the effect if the black is your neckline. If you look back through this thread to where I tried on my blacks for a black color party...I tried putting on a denim jacket that looks great on me and IS an EARTH denim and it didn't really help the black shirt all that much.

 

You may need a shrug with your dress for warmth, but unless it is one that will close at the neckline and become a new neckline, it will not completely override the black. I would recommend using a scarf or wrap. I would study classic Hollywood images to see how they wore their scarves and experiment with different looks that would be appropriate for the style of dress.

 

As to the color...I guess we are assuming that the dress is coral and black? Or there is coral in the pattern? Pick any color that compliments the pattern and is your color in terms of temperature and clarity.

 

Laura...totally excited to see more photos. LOVE photos!

 

Margaret...the dress could be ICE...but it could also be one of those dresses that isn't really anybody since it may have mixed colors...an ICE black and a FIRE coral...KWIM?

 

I second your concern to Cooki with picking a muted coral to accent a black dress...there could be other EARTH colors that hold up better to the black. Rust and brown and cream are all often patterned with black. Olive green. The right color to pick out will really depend on the dress.

[Anita Latte]

The Vivienne Files blog is something that I love to read but don't read all the time. I popped over there today and see that she is really focusing on travel wardrobes, which is fabulous. She recently mentioned a formula that she is using for constructing her wardrobes; she calls it the "5+2+7 rule"

 

5 neutrals

plus 2 light neutral tops

plus 7 (or fewer) pieces in the accent color.

 

Very interesting...I might have to analyze my recent cruise wardrobe with this thought process in mind and see how closely what I ended up wearing matched this idea.

 

On the CURATING note...today is my day off in that I don't teach any classes today. I decided that I really wanted to wear a dress. As I am always thinking when I think this...I just want to figure out ONE article of clothing to wear...seems EASY. I pulled out a nice easy sundress...and immediately saw that the arm holes were way too low now...otherwise the dress fit fine...but the entire side of my bra was showing...and I decided that the dress was not worth the time to transform it into a skirt. So into the giveaway pile it goes...except I don't have a giveaway pile and so I hung it back up. :o

 

I realize that I need to designate a bag or basket or something for collecting these articles of clothing over the next several weeks. Anyone have a good system for dealing with this? I seem to struggle in this area.

[laurspag]

So, I stopped in JC Penney today. From a distance, I see a "best price" (clearance) rack of dresses. I went over, and sure enough, I found that rust colored dress I posted a picture of. Even better yet, they had it in my size. I will try and post a picture of it tomorrow, but I was very happy with it. It has a loose fit, but it's not a baggy look. The very best thing was that it was only $12.00.

 

Anita, do you move often? It sounds so complicated with your husband being one place, and you being another.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...yay for the sweet find at JCPenney. Can't wait to see a photo!

 

Since DS started school, we don't move often. Prior to that, yes, I would say that we moved way more often than the average family. It is usually related in some way to DH's job. But DS is in 5th grade this year, and we have only moved once during these elementary school years. It may sound complicated, but it won't be. DH will be living with his family in Georgia; DS and I will be wrapping things up here. I'm an expert packer and really picky about the way things get packed. There's plenty of time to get things organized to make this the best move ever...I'm looking forward to it now that I'm resigned to the fact that I am moving. But I'm also happy to let the time pass so that I don't feel stressed dealing with everything.

[laurspag]

I am HOPING that the colors look proper in these pictures. I have a lot of trouble with that.

 

First are my two dresses I bought yesterday. The rust is still rust in my book, but some may say it's somewhere between rust and a nice, earthy red. Either way, it works well. I was happy to say that the dress doesn't tent out over the girls, like many loose dresses do. Excuse the wrinkles.

 

 

The ivory dress is going to look lighter in the picture than it is, I could tell just by looking at it on my camera. It is still deeper than last year's formal, and has a similar fit to the rust dress.

 

[laurspag]

Now for a few shirts I have. You will notice that I grab up rust and copper tones.

 

By the way, that shirt is not black. It's a dark chocolate brown. It could just be me, but it almost seems between brown and black, so I haven't taken the tags off yet. I found this in Target about 2-3 weeks back.

Edited April 15, 2012 by laurspag

[laurspag]

Here are some accessories. I will admit some are better than others. One of the scarves has a plum color and teal green, and until my cards come in, I'm not 100% positive. It's the scarf on the bottom.

 

 

Here are a few purses I have. The one in the upper right hand corner has silver and black, but the brown and ivory are a lot stronger than they look in the picture. I would say I keep it as a back up, because it's not 100% wrong.

[laurspag]

I hope I'm not hogging the board today! I just had a few moments to take some pictures, and decided to post while the laundry is going.

 

Swimsuits: The one is by all means brown, and it has a wonderful gold detail. The light olive one is by far the best. The cover up on the far right is also brown, and the one in between? Well, I had it, so I decided to post it. Besides the hot pink, the rest isn't all that bad. But, it's a good way to know when something isn't right...just put it next to things that you know are earth.

[DivasDare]

Laurie, you have some very nice pieces. I especially love you in the rust dress, it's a great fit and compliment to your tones. I also spotted a couple tops that are just too cute.

[laurspag]

Thank you! Where it sometimes gets the most difficult is work attire. I work in a bank, where attire is conservative. Most dress pants come in black or gray, and it's almost impossible to get a two piece suit in an earth color. I generally find pants at JCPenney, and then buy some jackets at Bon Ton that are microfiber in olive, brown and warm beige tones. I end up wearing solid color turtlenecks or basic shirts under them. In order to make them seem a bit more lively, I go to statement necklaces and the like.

 

I also wear a lot of nicer sweaters. When it gets warm out, that gets tricky. Sleeveless shirts are frowned upon, but since we have air conditioning, I switch over to short sleeved, light weight sweaters and the like.

 

Most of the clothing you see in the pictures is the fun stuff that I wear on weekends or when we go out. The dresses are great for cruises, of course, and those other special occasions.

 

I am finding that a lot of the fly away style sweaters can be dressed up or down. I can wear them to work with dress pants and pretty necklaces or scarves, but they do great with jeans on the weekend as well.

[cooki801]

Just posted a picture of my first attempt to do earth or fire colors...still not sure what I am yet.

It's in the thread discussing what about ice, air, fire and earth? (I am sure I messed up the title)

[cooki801]

should have read the thread before posting the last one so that I could comment LOL

Anita- the black dress in question is solid black with small white polka dots. It is sleeveless, and since I don't wear sleeveless I will be wearing some sort of shrug anyway I wanted to pick one to work with my dress and add a good color to it...and it probably won't completely cover the neckline of black.

I was hoping a nice statement necklace would work since I am not a scarf person but I can learn to like scarves LOL!

lara- thanks for showing all the different garments that are earth. I love the rust or I guess the new fashion word might be clay...and the cream lace is very pretty and I love the lines on you, very flattering.

Thanks again for all of your help and examples everyone

[DivasDare]

Thank you! Where it sometimes gets the most difficult is work attire. I work in a bank, where attire is conservative. Most dress pants come in black or gray, and it's almost impossible to get a two piece suit in an earth color. I generally find pants at JCPenney, and then buy some jackets at Bon Ton that are microfiber in olive, brown and warm beige tones. I end up wearing solid color turtlenecks or basic shirts under them. In order to make them seem a bit more lively, I go to statement necklaces and the like.

 

I also wear a lot of nicer sweaters. When it gets warm out, that gets tricky. Sleeveless shirts are frowned upon, but since we have air conditioning, I switch over to short sleeved, light weight sweaters and the like.

 

Most of the clothing you see in the pictures is the fun stuff that I wear on weekends or when we go out. The dresses are great for cruises, of course, and those other special occasions.

 

I am finding that a lot of the fly away style sweaters can be dressed up or down. I can wear them to work with dress pants and pretty necklaces or scarves, but they do great with jeans on the weekend as well.

 

I totally understand. I work in a pretty conservative environment myself, but some people push the envelope, which urks me because we all have the same dress policy.:rolleyes:

 

Anyway your items remind me of this lady from my favorite blog, http://www.over50feeling40.com/ -- I love her style. So simplistic, yet well put together. Not sure is she is an earth or not, but I do like her style.