What do Clear Springs look like?
- General appearance: clear and contrasting.
- Natural hair: medium to dark brown, salt 'n' pepper.
- Eyes: topaz, hazel, warm green, blue-green. They contrast with very light, translucent skin.
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Monday, April 30, 2012
Clear Spring palette: Looks
MORE?
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Own Your Style Decalogue 4. Be Colour Savvy
The importance of colour
Most colour decisions you make will affect how you look dramatically. Think "Are you feeling OK?" versus "You look so good in that colour (by which they mean shade, but we don't want to be pedantic)", that I'm sure you have heard before.The right colours and shades will make your skin glow, and your eye colour pop out. For a Deep Winter, for example, one such really flattering colour (or shade) is cobalt blue.
So, it is not only that you are wearing the right colour, it has to be the right shade. Saying "blue" doesn't really mean much, there are thousands of shades of blue, from the palest to the darkest, mixed with bits of red, yellow...
Don't be a (insert name of colour here) casualty!
Every year, come September, the racks are filled with Autumn colours, very much in the same way it is appropriate to eat strawberries in spring and summer, because it is indeed a lovely palette. Well, every year, in Spain, a country mostly populated by Deep Autumns and Deep Winters, you can see tons of what I call "orange casualties": that half of the population that does not look good in orange, most browns, or greens. They could have stocked up on bottoms in the Autumn palette, sure, but not on tops.The same way not everybody looks good in shades of orange, it happens with the rest of colours, so it's of the utmost importance to learn when to include them, and when not, in your wardrobe.
How to go about learning?
You can use books. I recommend you Color Me Beautiful's (CMB) Looking Your Best by Mary Spillane and Christine Sherlock, 1995). The basic idea of the CMB people is that there are people who look best in cool shades (in the Summer and Winter palettes), and people who look best in warm shades (in the Spring and Autumn palettes).You can use blogs and webpages. You can start with my blog, of course, which include description of how the people who look good in a season palette look like (eye colour, hair colour, general complexion), the palettes themselves and then sets I have made on Polyvore with those colours. To see the palettes, you can follow the labels on the right for the four palettes: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
- Follow the label Colour savvy, a multiple part ongoing tutorial about how to become colour savvy, tricks to wear fashionable colours and more.
- Trend labels on the column to the right will include information about fashionable colours and who looks good in them.
Own Your Style Decalogue 3. Digest Trends
Trend broadcasting
Every year, designers at the top send down the runway their fashion proposals which, within the limits of their creative sensibility, offer slightly different silhouettes, proportions and colours than previous season's. Those are the Trends. Then the rest of the fashion industry broadcasts it to the world, and you can see them everywhere, from high end to high street.Those things that are always fashionable, the Classics, are also reinterpreted every season within every designer's sensibility, but on different pieces, scale or materials. I'm talking, for instance, about the saharienne (the safari jacket, that 1968's YSL creation), the trench coat, or the blue jeans. The classics also trickle down the fashion ladder in all price ranges.
The idea is to keep things interesting in order to keep us buying. And they do both.
Trend fun
Trends are great because they let us have fun with fashion. They add interest to what could be an otherwise immutable wardrobe. Boring.Trend digesting... Don't be a fashion casualty.
Trends are like a chocolate shop's display window: because it is there, it doesn't mean you have to eat it all.1. Trends have to be dissected for what suits you: your body shape, height, weight, and lifestyle.
For instance, if full skirts look good on you, take advantage of the Mad Men influence on fashion in the last half decade and buy some pieces. If doesn't suit you at all, they may be ways of getting away with it if it's that important to you. Accessories are actually a great way of doing that.2. Trends and wardrobe-building.
In conclusion, trends are just opportunities to stock up on what goes well your style, and perhaps to incorporate something new into your wardrobe.But don't get to the point of buying a necklace and find that you need to buy a whole new outfit to go with it. That is exactly the opposite of how good wardrobe building works: instead of adding interesting pieces to your foundation ones (theoretically more expensive and bought as investments to last you years), you would go the other way round. That kind of logic would indeed be very "Alice in Wonderland".
Own Your Style Decalogue 2: Own Fashion... and not the other way round.
What does this mean?
It means, first and foremost, that what you wear suits YOU. It is flattering for YOUR body type, for YOUR complexion, for YOUR budget, and for YOUR lifestyle. It is not what what somebody out there hopes to sell to you in order to send their children to a private Swiss school with your money. Really, there should be only one type of clothes in your wardrobe: the ones that fit you and flatter your shape.
It also means that you are avoiding the feeling of dissatisfaction one can sometimes get with the constant bombardment with things to buy. It never seems to be enough.
It is a change of point of view that is empowering. Instead of the passive recipient of media artillery, try to cast a critical look out there and say: "OK, but what of all these is really for me?".
Why does it matter?
Because it matters to others.
We live in an image-dominated culture. I can very well believe that people should not be judged by what they are wearing, but that is not what happens. In fact, all sorts of signals are sent when you wear anything, and it is a perfectly normal human behaviour. So let's not fool ourselves, the world out there not only notices how you are presenting yourself, it also judges you by it. In consequence, many things depend on image, both in our personal life and our professional live. I think things are still especially tough for women, who are judged by what they are wearing much more than men are, or perhaps I should say, in more senses.
Because it matters to you.
The importance of image in our culture is very often reflected in issues of body image and self-confidence.
How not to? We are constantly bombarded by completely false images (digitally altered) that are impossible to meet. There is also a lot of attention paid to our (perceived) defects, and the remedies (mostly false or just plain ineffective) for it.Many of us may cover our insecurities saying we don't care, but we do, even if it is only in a very small voice when we are alone. We hold so many misconceptions about our own body that the image we have of it is sometimes highly unrealistic or, worse, terribly unflattering. Younger women are especially vulnerable to this pressure, but sometimes the situation prolongs itself into adulthood.
Most women start talking about their bodies pointing at what is wrong with them, and many magazine articles and books like to use those parts as the starting point of any conversation about clothes.
What you wear plays a huge role in your self image too.
We both trust our clothes to introduce us to the world every day in the most convenient way, and we also want them, at the same time, to make us happy. We need to to fit in AND be us at the same time.
However, there is so much information and so much pulling and pushing in different directions, that one finds oneself quite lost.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Clear Spring palette: Best colours
About their colours
The colours that suit Clear Springs best are bright and clear, not dusty or muddy or pale. The colours look cooler, though still warm, when compared to the Warm Spring palette. True blue, true red, and true green, ie. shades that have an equal amount of yellow and blue inside, make them look at their best. Only Winters can take such colours as well as Clear Springs do. The difference is, perhaps, what they look like in these colours: Winters look energetic and powerful, Clear Springs sparkle, and their eyes stand out like jewels.Black is only good for Clear Springs with very dark brown hair. The others should go up to navy or coffee brown, depending on their eye colour, for they will look much better. Really, only Winters and Deep Autumns look good in black.
Beware of muddy colours, like beige and tan, and of dusty browns!
Clear Springs' eye colour is important:
- Blue-eyed Clear Springs look best wearing blues, grays, and emerald green.
- Hazel-eyed Clear Springs look best wearing dark olive and coffee brown.
Best neutrals
- For hazel eyes: Coffee brown and dark olive green.
- For blue eyes: Charcoal and navy.
Other colours
- Red blues from light and deep periwinkle, violet and purple.
- Very happy, vibrant, reds and pinks.
- True red, true blue, true green.
Colour combinations
- Charcoal and pink.
- Deep Periwinkle and clear red.
- Black brown and coral.
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| Clear Spring palette: Blues, greens, and yellow by Caroline Grant. Vivid shades of green and luminous blues all suit Clear Springs well. |
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| Clear Spring palette: Purples, reds and pinks by Caroline Grant. More shades that show how full of energy this palette is. Again, think about your eye colour to choose your best shades. |
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| Clear Spring palette: Navy, black and grays by Caroline Grant. Clear Springs can wear all grays from the lightest to charcoal. Black is only good if your hair colour is very dark, try instead navy or coffee brown, depending on whether your eyes are blue or hazel (respectively), for much better results. |
MORE?
Friday, April 27, 2012
Own Your Style Decalogue 1: Know Fashion.
KNOW FASHION
Fashion is a form or artistic expression. Some times you must have wondered, what are designers thinking about when the send their pieces down the runway every season? Well, like other artists, they are trying to express their ideas on fashion through different silhouettes, combinations of proportions, and sensibilities. You can usually recognize different brands for their style, very much the same way one can recognize a certain artist in her/his paintings. Runway fashion is mostly about this self expression and much less about real women and their bodies.
Fashion is a business. Designers need to sell their creations, obviously. The idea is to keep things interesting in order to keep us buying. And they do both. Fashion and style magazines and websites are part of that business also.
Know your Fashion lies:
- You must have a model's figure to be stylish and fashionable. Wrong: then only one individual in a million (really tall women who have the size of most 14-year-olds? That's VERY rare) would be stylish. Models are chosen because designers want canvases on which they can express freely what they want to say. I think lots of them actually consider real women's bodies, to put it mildly, "inconvenient".
- You are more stylish when you are wearing a designer item. Should you feel more confident because you are wearing a really expensive item, possibly with lots of logos (or even a small one) on display? The answer is no, because what you are doing, in fact is, either displaying your monetary status quite unashamedly, or that you don't mind advertising someone else's product for free. It also shows some lack of imagination to the ones in the know, as you don't show a lot of personal criteria and individuality about fashion.
- You are more stylish when you are wearing the latest trend/s. You may be wearing this season's absolute must-have item, or the latest fashionable colour. But do they really flatter you?
- You can actually wear clothes off the rack. False: most pieces of clothing need adjustments to fit any woman's bodies well. The sizing on the racks seems to be, most of the times, pure conjecture, and to top it all, highly inconsistent in most brands.
SHUT OUT THE NOISE
In the end, there are only two kinds of clothes in the fashion universe: those that fit and flatter your body shape and size, and those that not. (Farr, 2004)Simple? Well, to achieve it you need to shut out all the noise.
Most of that noise comes from the Fashion industry itself, via the fashion and style magazines and websites. None of them are there to educate you, but to make you buy things.
More specifically, those in the style business (from www.style.com downwards), who are effectively in charge of broadcasting what is new and what is next, are there to make a profit and to continue existing, like any other business. They do that through selling advertising space, which means those who spend big money in advertising, will also receive tons of editorial mentions in a kind of self-fullfilled profecy.
They can be great fun if you manage to start seeing them just as huge ads with bits of information mixed in, but they are definitely not a good guide to great personal style.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
How to do menswear for women
Menswear
Menswear means comfort, tailoring, and an average better quality than the one reserved for womenswear.As you may know, men hate being uncomfortable, and most also hate going shopping frequently, so designers keep that in mind when thinking about their clothes. And I have yet to see a man that considers, even for a second, buying or wearing shoes in which he is not absolutely comfortable. It's just unthinkable for them. I think women could and should benefit from this point of view.
Women wearing menswear: a social conquest
Accessing the relative comfort of menswear can be considered a social conquest that came together with entering the labour market during and after WWII.In that spirit, menswear for women goes for the same objectives as men's: comfort, tailoring, and quality. It doesn't mean women wearing men's clothes or women looking like they are: the style is tailored and figure-skimming, not over sized and/or baggy, and accessories are mostly "feminine", which stand out all the more because of the "masculinity" of the other pieces. Think Diane Keaton's style crossed with Ellen DeGeneres'.
This is all, obviously, a matter of cultural parametres (what is "masculine", what is "feminine"?), and individual perception. There may be written rules about it, but women and men go about changing them every day.
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| I have selected for this set a collection of vintage pins, which make for unexpected, original accessories. In this case, it's badges (originally for caps) from the American Women's Voluntary Service, the UK's Women's Land Army, and the Women's Institute from the 1940s or 1950s, bought on eBay.co.uk. The background is made of posters from the WWW2. |
Styling tips for women's menswear:
- Tailored pieces: trouser suits, blazers, and trousers with a perfect crease (which, by the way, makes legs look longer).
- Menswear inspired shoes, which tend to be much more comfortable than traditional women's styles: Oxford, Derby, Monk, and lately, the dress boot..
- Trench coats, which were a men's only, military garment for decades before becoming part of women's wardrobes.
- Hats: trilbies, fedoras, tweed caps...
- Handbags to carry across the body and other no-nonsense styles.
- Cardigans and vests.
- Feminine pieces such as blouses, mixed with the previous, achieve that balancing act.
- Finally, feminine jewellery, for the same reason.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Warm Spring palette: Best lipstick colours
Warm Spring palette lipsticks
The Warm Spring palette looks good in rich golden colours (very much like the Warm Autumn one, but not as deep).Warm Spring best lipstick shades:
- Oranges like pumpkin.
- Orange pinks like salmon and peach.
- Orange browns like terracotta and rust.
- Metallic shades like gold, copper, and bronze.
- Dark brown but not coffee brown.
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Warm Spring palette: Looks
What do Warm Springs look like?
- General appearance: golden and clear.
- Natural hair: golden, strawberry blond, chestnut with red highlights.
- Eyes: warm greens, teal blue, blue, clear, light hazel.
MORE?
Warm Spring palette: Best colours
About their colours
Like their counterpart, the Warm Autumns, the colours that suit them are those of a forest illuminated by the sun. I apologize for becoming lyrical, but that's what their complexion is like: full of luminous, golden light. But, in contrast with Warm Autumns, Warm Springs look best in softer, less saturated tones of the same colours. Black near their faces should be strictly out of bounds as it is very harsh on their features.Best neutrals:
- Dark and golden brown and also medium brown.
- Gray green.
- Terracotta and rust.
- Camel, stone and cream.
Other colours:
- Tomato red.
- Moss green.
- Aqua, jade, and teal.
Colour combinations:
- Golden brown and aqua or coral.
- Stone and moss.
- Terracotta and gold.
*The background to the Warm Spring sets is "Vale End Rose "by Anna Knights.
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Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Winged Eye, that 1960s Make up
Make up Trends 2012
Thanks to Mad Men, 1960s style make up, among other things (like full skirts) has been all the rage for several years now. The winged eye is, in itself, a classic. Why? Well, it helps to open up the eye, give definition to eyelashes, and lifts the eye (especially if you need it). It also gives a certain mystery that is flattering for everybody. |
| That's all you need to get a 1960s makeup look! |
Styling elements
For the updated 1960s look:
- Liquid eyeliner along the eye line over the lashes, , curved (winged) at the end. Liquid eyeliner is more durable than powder. I use L'Ôreal's Super Liner Ultra Precision, because the felted tip lets you have lots of control, but there are other good ones out there. You can curl your eyelashes now or after the next step.
- Nude eyeshadow, applied all over the eye area. Cream eyeshadow is less lasting than powder, but if you want a creamy look and an easy application, go for it.
- Mascara in two coats, for definition and dramatic (but not too dramatic, for that you have false eyelashes) effect. I get there applying first a coat of Lancôme's Définicils, to define eyelashes from the base to the very tips, so they are at their longest, and combing them carefully before drying. When that first coat has dried, I apply then a second one of a more dramatic mascara like Lancôme's Hypnôse in black and comb again.
- A third line inside the eye in white, ivory or beige (less contrast). This is optional, but helps to create the look and makes the eyes look bigger. I used to use Chanel Le Crayon Khôl Clair (n. 69), but I do not recommend it, is dilutes and then leaks through the corner of the eye.
- Nude lips, both liner and lipstick, matte or glossy, as you prefer, in a nude that suits you (be careful with colour-draining shades of nude).
- Tools. Here you can have a look at the brushes and tools your would need to make your 1960s look successful.
For the real thing:
If an image of Twiggy or Edie Sedgwick comes to mind, you're right on it.
- A second eye line along the eye socket (or slightly over it) that mirrors the first one in dark brown or black. This is more of a Swinging Sixties (second half of the 1960's) style, and much more literal. Estéee Lauder's Doublewear pencil in Coffee, which comes with it's own felt tip smudger, is a good choice. My mother has one in green and I really like it, and it does stay on.
- False eyelashes. MAC has a great selection, but most high-end brands do.
Real 1960s make up tutorials:
MORE 1960 STYLES?
- 1960s Hairstyles: The Bouffant plus messy hair, and a 1960s Ponytail.
- Full skirts: How to wear a full skirt: Trends 2012 and How to wear a full skirt: Styling tips.
1960s Hairstyles
Those 1960s hairstyles
My style icon, Mad Men, has entered the "Swinging Sixties" era big time, and there are your 1960s hairstyles, bigger than ever!
The beehive (1), the bouffant (2), the flip (3&8), the updo (5), the Paris Look (7), and more... all 1960s glorious hairstyles. You can find more here.
The Bouffant and Raymond Bessone
This was one of the most popular styles during the 1960s, but has become a true classic since then (we have been able to see it on the heads of quite a bunch of European queens, very much as Jackie Kennedy used to have it, for decades!). Brigitte Bardot, I think, contributed more than anyone to its enduring appeal.Its creation is attributed to British celebrity hairdresser (the celebrity mania seems to have started then) Raymond Bessone, also known as Mr. Teasie-Weasie, for some reason. You can see some real life videos of him here. The footage may seem a bit silly from today's point of view, until you remember what kind of shows designers put up today. The images of Louis Vuitton's RTW runway show Autumn 2012 knocked me off my feet, but not because there was a train on stage, but because of the not so subtle class implications of the whole styling: porters are now an accessory, apparently.
I find the cuts and hairstyles he created very innovative, starting with the Shangri-La. Vidal Sassoon says he learnt everything there is to learn about cutting hair from him when he was his apprentice.
MORE 1960 STYLES?
- 1960s Makeup: The winged eye.
- 1960s Hairstyles: The Bouffant (plus messy, Brigitte Bardotte hair), and a bouffant plus ponytail.
- Full skirts: How to wear a full skirt: Trends 2012 and How to wear a full skirt: Styling tips.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Deep Winter: Best colours
About their colours
The colours that suit Deep Winters best are vibrant primary colours, deep neutrals, and jewel and icy colours. Black is really great on you (by the way, only Winters and Deep Autumns can carry a significant amount of black near their faces with success... I am not that keen on Clear Springs wearing huge amounts of black). Pastel colours, on the contrary, drain the colour from their faces and make them look tired, and so do camels, bronzes and muted, dusty greens.Best neutrals:
- Black, charcoal, and navy.
- Browns have to be truly saturated. If Deep Winters have dark circles under their eyes, and they usually do (because of hyperpigmentation), this colour will accentuate them, so concealer seems to be in order here.
These can be used as neutrals in one-colour outfits or accessories, and they do make Deep Winters stand out.
- Blue reds.
- Cobalt blue and turquoise.
- Emerald and forest green.
- Pure white.
- Charcoal and turquoise or fuchsia.
- Black and white, especially in graphic prints.
- Navy and turquoise.
- Gray and red.
MORE?
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Hispanitas SS 2012: Glove Collection review.
- The shoes are indeed comfortable and well made, using supple leathers, dip-dyed (the blog says "tie-dyed", but that's not what he's doing...), with flexible constructions (i.e. "Glove") in different heel heights.
- Staples: ballerinas, round toe pumps and sandals.
- Some edgy, modern designs, but as far as I can see, only with 3"+ heel height, so partly, a con.
- They always favour a round toe.
- They have tried to use colours in this collection, but apparently only in their flat sandals, as I can see only red, blue (your standard navy variety), and uninteresting nudes.
- Their flat sandals are full of girly details like butterflies and cutsey flowers. A big NO.
- Their website is still a nightmare to navigate. Let them take a survey on their users and see for themselves.
- What happened to their great handbag collection?
My suggestions for future collections:
- Some pointed toe flats, please! They elongate the leg and are great for people with not so thin calves.
- Edgy designs with lower heels, please!
- Flat sandals are either old-ladyish (ie. the vamp is too high) or too girly (butterflies and cutsey flowers, a big NO). Give us some great strappy sandals with a bit of an edge!
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| These are my picks 2012's Hispanitas Glove collection. |
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Work essentials: How to carry your computer.
COMPUTER BAG
What to look for:
- A structured shape with extra padding inside. Your computer is fragile and the information it contains, precious.
- Inside pockets. If not, you will need to add another bag to organize your items, so go instead for a simple sleeve with handles to complement your work bag.
- A basic colour but also a happy one, or a pattern: design-wise, laptop bags have come a long way since the made their first appearance.
What to avoid:
- Weight. Your laptop is already heavy as it is, even if you have one of the lighter ones (I have to admit I'm a weakling).
- Handles/straps that are not padded. They will dig into your hands when held for any amount of time.
Interested in looking professional and ready for a promotion? Follow the label Work essentials.
How to choose a work bag II
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| Go for sophisticated classic shapes in basic colours , in leather or canvas with leather trimmings. Show off your personality with a different pattern (the J Crew leopard tote), colour (the Whistles Francoise tote, or the Radley Mary Portas shopper in orange and black) or detail (the Sophie Hulme bag has metallic plaques, it's tough). The red Cambridge satchel bag goes well with anyone in academia, but also with bohemian and creative types. |
TOTE
What to look for:
- A structured shape, preferably in leather. If you go with fabric, make sure it keeps it form and doesn't crumble when laid on a surface.
- A flat bottom with studs. A minimum of six will keep your bag from grazing the floor (the bag will sag a bit in the middle if you are carrying weight: so you need two additional studs there).
- What to avoid:
- A handle that doesn't keep on your shoulder when wearing a coat. A nightmare!
HAND-HELD BAG
What to look for:
- Optional across body/shoulder strap. For those moments when you need your hands free (for instance, in a crowded underground car). Studs are good too if you are planning on placing it occasionally on the floor.
- One that can also go under your arm: check that the straps are long enough (the "drop") to just fit under your arm with your coat on.
- A secure closure. Preferably, in the form of a zip, as magnetic clasps play havoc with anything magnetized (travel cards, credit cards...).
What to avoid
- Handles that dig into your hand: always go for padded straps and handles.
- Artificial materials that will tear and peel. It's throwing away your money and people DO notice.
Interested in looking professional and ready for a promotion? Follow the label Work essentials.
How to choose a work bag I
How important is your work bag? It's ESSENTIAL
First, it represents you as a working woman. Look at it as a bigger business card.Second, you will spend many hours with it, so you need to choose carefully, as it needs to perform at its best.
Third, it's expensive, so you need to choose how to spend your hard-earned money wisely.
Three types
Work Bags DOs and DONT's
DOs- Do consider it an investment and buy the best quality you can afford: a work bag represents you a a working woman and need to make some serious carrying around, so a better quality will make the bag last longer and look better in the process. Do not go for leather synthetics (often described as leatherette, faux leather, or leather feel).
- Test drive any work bag in the shop by putting your own bag into it and carry it around, checking for comfort.
- Avoid a bag that is already heavy when empty. You don't need to carry additional weight: your back will thank you for it.
- Do take care of your work bag. Clean it and avoid spillages inside.
- Do chose a basic colour that goes well with all your coats: black, brown, and beige or taupe suit most wardrobes. Red is a happy option and goes with everything too!
- Inside pockets.You need to get to your stuff fast to look professional.
DON'Ts- No kiddies' stuff for work: no cartoon characters (unless you work as creative at Pixar's, I guess), or WORSE animal-shaped bags (agggghhhhh!). Not grown-up.
- No bags that show every bump (a Longchamp Le Pliage may be a great shopping bag, but not a work bag!). Not polished.
- No backpacks. The shoulder straps will ruin your top and the bag will bounce against your bottom. A big don't.
If it's an emergency, rent your work bag!
These two sites make their business you get your bag when you need it:More on work bags? You can read about How to choose your work bag here and How to carry your computer/laptop here.
Interested in looking professional and ready for a promotion? Follow the label Work essentials.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What to pack for a 5-day city holiday: Night
This is the third and last in the series Packing for a 5-day city holiday.
MORE ABOUT PACKING FOR A 5-DAY HOLIDAY?
You can also follow the label Travelling in style below or on the column to your right.
Check the dress code
Many places have a dress code in big cities. In doubt, ask in advance or just be the best dressed in the place!- 1 Evening skirt: think embellished (sequins...), lace, or glossy (silk, lamé).
- 1 Pair of high-heeled shoes or embellished flats if you don't wear heels. Think satin, metallics, and/or embellished.
- 1 Evening shawl, to cover your shoulders.
- 1 Evening clutch.
- Your perfume. My advice: fill up an atomizer to the trip so you don't have to take the whole bottle with you.
- Your favourite (costume) jewellery to mix and match.
- Basic makeup: 1 lipstick, 1 lipgloss (with SPF, lips get burned too!) in nude or your red, Colours that wear well during the day and are easy to touch up (nude eyeshadow, natural blush...) and then glam up for a night out.
Theatre Night by Caroline Grant. If your feet can take it, you can wear heels to go out by night.
Dining out by Caroline Grant. Women in some big cities, like New York, dress to the hilt to go out at night, so bear it in mind.
You can also follow the label Travelling in style below or on the column to your right.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
What to pack for a 5-day city holiday: Day
This is the second in the series of Packing for a 5-day city holiday.
MORE ABOUT PACKING FOR A 5-DAY HOLIDAY?
You can also follow the label Travelling in style below or on the column to your right.
A list of clothes and accessories:
- 1 Dress and 2 Skirts. If you are a trousers woman, just do 2 pairs of trousers, (one pair hemmed for heels, 2 for flats).
- 1 Pair of trousers (hemmed for flats).
- 5 T-shirts, one for each day.
- 2 Pairs of comfortable shoes. Never use a pair of shoes for the first time when travelling (madness), better stick to comfortable (yet stylish) leather sandals, 1" heel, soles padded, that go with everything you are taking with you. Even if they are comfortable, keep in mind that, if it is hot, your feet may swell, increasing the probability of blisters, so bring a different pair (straps in a different place, for instance). Espadrilles (reasonably flat) are a good option too. Don't forget your "band-aids" (Hartmann's are the absolute best).
- 1 Carry-all handbag. As important as the previous. It has to be light, because you will be carrying it for hours, but it has to have capacity to carry your essentials. A flexible construction works better than a rigid one, in case you need to stick into a locker. Pockets inside are a must: nerve-wracking searching for your wallet can be avoided and you should be able to reach whatever you need fast. Also, it makes stealing your wallet that much difficult, if you keep it at the bottom, like I do.
- 2 Cardigans, optionally, one of them can be structured, so it functions as a jacket but it's not that heavy.
- 1 Umbrella. It may be spring or summer, but it can suddenly rain, and being wet and having to return to the hotel is a bother. Light weight compact umbrellas are, almost universally, not good quality, but if it's not windy on top of rainy, you're covered.
- 1 Scarf. Some buildings are exceptionally cold in the summer due to air-conditioning. It's not nice to be freezing for two plus hours inside the Metropolitan Museum, believe me. So 1 scarf that can double as a shawl is a good idea. If you are really not used to air-conditioning, like me (I did have my scarf and cardigan with me every time I visited the Met, and a long summer skirt into the bargain, and I was still freezing), you can add leggings.
- Sun protection. If it is hot and/or sunny. That means: a high SPF in your moisturizer or makeup, a sun hat (crushable), and sunglasses (with UVA and UVB filters). A light picnic blanket to have your lunch outside is a great idea in most big cities, but especially in New York in nice weather!
Off to the Met and Central Park by Caroline Grant. A cute dress in great colours, gets great coverage with the cardigan and the knit jacket.[Background photo by Tomas Abad]
Hobbs NW3 Marmalade Midi Strip Dress / Diane von Furstenberg Majorette Knit Jacket / Hobbs Lara Cardigan / Dooney & Bourke Domed Buckle Satchel Handbag / Sacha London Flats / Ted Baker Loupie Belt / Basile Fringed Solid Wool Scarf / Forever21 Wide Brim Hat / Aspinal of London Athena Bracelets / Modernist Gold Hoop Earrings (vintage) at Douglas Rosin / Orla Kiely Cross Hatch Umbrella / Target Zip and Carry Red Stripe Blanket.
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| Climbing skyscrapers by Caroline Grant. A pair of trousers (hemmed for flats) goes well with all the T-shirts. You can stuff the jacket and the scarf in the bag when not in use, but it's really windy at the top of the Empire State building. [Background vintage photo of the Chrysler Building, New York] |
Yves Saint Laurent High Waisted Trousers / Diane von Furstenberg Majorette Knit Jacket / AWear Smart Variegated T-Shirts in Coral and Camel / Old Navy Polka Dot T-Shirt / Dooney & Bourke Domed Buckle Satchel Handbag / Sadie Tubular Bow Sandals / Ted Baker Loupie Belt / Valentino Plissé Scarf / House of Harlow 1960 Bracelets and Earrings.
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Museum and walk by Caroline Grant. Two skirts, one pencil (that can be dressed up if necessary) and one A-line, go well with the same T-shirts. The Moma is really cold if you're wearing summer clothes.
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L.K. Bennett Selina Skirt / Sessune Camille Orange Brulée / Old Navy Polka Dot T-Shirts / Dorothy Perkins Slash T-Shirt / Diane von Furstenberg Majorette Knit Jacket / / Dooney & Bourke Domed Buckle Satchel Handbag / Sacha London Flats / See by Chloé Nude Bow Belt / Basile Fringed Solid Wool Scarf / House of Harlow 1960 Necklace and Ring / Orla Kiely Cross Hatch Umbrella.
MORE ABOUT PACKING FOR A 5-DAY HOLIDAY?
You can also follow the label Travelling in style below or on the column to your right.
How to pack for a 5-day city holiday
This is the first post in a series about Packing for a 5-day city holiday.
MORE ABOUT PACKING FOR A 5-DAY HOLIDAY?
You can also follow the label Travelling in style below or on the column to your right.
Absolute maxims for packing:
- Everything has to go with everything else (mostly).
- Be prepared.
How to pack for a city holiday. A checklist:
- 3 Pairs of shoes. Shoes take an enormous amount of space in your suitcase, and are heavy too! One of the three pairs will be already on your feet when travelling. This sounds brutal, but stick to this rule and you will find packing much much easier and the following tips, a picnic. You will probably find another pair when shopping, anyway...
- Check at least two weather forecasts to be sure of what to pack. In any case, be prepared for the unexpected, like rain or extreme air-conditioning.
- Pack what you love to wear, not things you have been thinking about breaking in. Chances are you haven't really thought about what you are going to wear it with or its place (figuratively speaking) in your closet. If it still has the tags on, just forget about it!
- Avoid chunky items, layering with thinner ones is best (it's lighter, occupies less space in your suitcase, and offers the same amount of warmth).
- Knits are preferable, as they show wrinkles and not-that-pristine conditions less than wovens.
- Prints and dark colours can be worn more than once more easily than lighter ones.
- Separates have to combine with each other: place everything on your bed, with the shoes nearby, and check that everything goes with most everything else.
- Handbags: two, plus a foldable tote for purchases.
- Accessories, makeup, ...same rules: no breaking in and checking that they go with most everything else.
- Take your favourite toiletries with you. Even 5-star hotels can have really bad ones, and having to go shopping for this kind of stuff takes time if you don't know the city. Buy some small containers (at Boots, WalMart, and others), and travel-size items (toothpaste, deodorant) so you don't have to carry the whole bottle of anything with you. If you travel frequently, keep a set of these ready at all times.
What to pack for a 5-day city holiday:
An image is said to be worth quite a lot more than words, but you are welcomed to read on following the links below the sets. You can also follow the label Travelling in style below or on the column to your right.
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