by | Oct 14, 2013 | Accessories, Fashion |
Hi Elegant Readers!
Today is a beautiful, lovely day.
I wanted to talk about how you can make a completely black outfit have flair and color. How do you say? Jewelry is a classic accessory that can spark a black ensemble.
Rachel Zoe bracelet and Amedeo NYC Cameo Ring
The collage above is me modeling my Rachel Zoe bracelet and Amedeo by NYC Cameo ring. Both jewelry pieces are fashion jewelry. I recently was looking at Tiffany’s website and saw a bracelet designed by Paloma Picasso Olive lead cuff in 18 KT gold that look like my bracelet and it retailed for $11,500.
Look at the similarities. My Rachel Zoe Bracelet is on the top and the Tiffany Paloma Picasso bracelet is on the bottom. Looks somewhat similar, don’t you think? But mine did n0t cost any where near $11,500. It was less than $100. I say I got the better deal.
I served in the computer ministry at my church on Sunday, so the standard outfit is all black. I spiced it up with sparkly jewelry and a colorful handbag or two.
The handbag on my shoulder is from the Bahamas. It caught my eye because of the vibrant colors from one of the many street vendor selling items in a small marketplace. My hubby and I visited the Bahamas while on a cruise in the Caribbean a couple years back. We had a fantastic time and you never know where you can find an inexpensive accessory that can add a big pop to an monochromatic look of all black. I usually carry my IPad and notebook in this bag. It is not heavy at all.
I have been wearing pink or adding in a pink accessory in the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness. This is a favorite bag of mine and I have had it for some years now. You can’t go wrong with a Dooney and Bourke leather bag.
Dooney and Bourke pink handbag
You see black can have vibrancy with a few accessories. The Rachel Zoe bracelet is one of my favorites and I get compliments on it all the time. I purchase it from QVC. Unfortunately, it is not being sold anymore.
You can do so many things with a monotone palette.
How do you wear black? Do you add color or be smoked out in black?
by | Oct 3, 2013 | Fashion |
New Look Brown cut oout ankle boot
The summer seems to addle our brains when it comes to fashion. Perhaps it’s because we have spent so long wondering around in sun dresses and sandals that the thought of choosing clothes and matching footwear seems an insurmountable task. I myself notice that when I return to the high street after my summer holiday, I feel like I have entered some alien land.
Dark Red Patent Double Buckle Chunky Heeled Boots
If you have been shopping in the last seven days, chances are you have come across something called a Chelsea boot. You’re probably now scratching your head and thinking – ‘What is this Chelsea boot thing everyone keeps going on about?’ Never fear. A Chelsea boot is a low heeled, wide fit ankle boot which has an elasticated part on the side. The elasticated panel makes slipping the shoe on and off easier to do. The boots have actually been around for the best part of two centuries, but they are making a particularly spectacular comeback this season.
Tan Suede Chelsea Boots
Some have thin heels, or are wedged to add more height. However, most Chelsea boots have a small thick heel, just enough to add sophistication and a little glamour, without the hassle of having to commit to a full heel or risk a stiletto in the wet weather. Chelsea boots women fit really well with this season’s grunge, Nirvana trend. The grunge look features velvet dresses, black tights, and band t-shirts; all layered together with a leather jacket thrown on top. This grunge vibe really suits people are on the go all the time, because it’s easy to look fashionable without much upkeep. Imagine a pair of skinny jeans and a tartan blouse. With a pair of Chelsea boots added into this ensemble, you have a slick, sexy outfit in no time.
New Look Black Drape Chain Stud Ankle Boots
Chelsea boots also compliment this season’s trend for tartan and checks. So, if you want to try a ‘90s look, opt for a tartan playsuit over black tights, or a checked crop top and high-waisted leather skirt. Both of these outfits look striking combined with leather Chelsea boots, preferably in black. Or, if you want a more work-appropriate tartan look, go for some peg trousers in a vivid tartan pattern, and team with a block colour top half, some chunky bracelets, and a pair of Chelsea boots.
Tan Multi Buckle Worker Boots
As well as working with various fashions, Chelsea boots are popular for another reason – they’re so comfortable. Forget tottering around all day in high heels, or teetering precariously between puddles in your suede slip on boots. Chelsea boots have the low heel we’ve all been yearning to wear, and for which our backs will thank us. They also have a robust design, making them practical for everyday tasks. So whatever the weather throws at us, armed with our Chelsea boots we should make it There is no surprise that Chelsea boots have become so popular. They work with this season’s hot trends, they are comfortable and stylish, and they are totally practical. So hurry up and find yourself a good pair of boots before everyone else snaps them up.
Tan Leather Aztec Panel Ankle Boots
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by | Sep 28, 2013 | Fashion, Inspirations, Travels |
The last day of the Impressionism, Fashin, & Modernity exhibit in Chicago is tomorrow so if you are in the area, please go and see this exceptional exhibit. My husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary in Chicago and wanted to see this exhibit. In my first post, Impressionism, Fashion, & Modernity Exhibition: Perfection! I touched on some of my favorites and wanted to come back to show more photos because I couldn’t just pick a specific part of the exhibit.
This dress is exquisite and the shawl is gorgeous. Do you notice that the focus is not on the lady but what she’s wearing? Her face is looking away.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The dress and shawl on the mannequin below is the interpretation of what she’s wearing in the portrait above. It is so similar that I had to really take a second look to make sure I read that it was not the original pieces.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Edgar Degas interpretation of a lady in a hat shop. I have always seen Degas’s ballet portraits; but this is a first for me to see him show a lady either getting ready to try on a hat or has just taken the hat off. The portrait is done in pastels and shows blurred flowers and ribbons on the hats.
Edgar Degas. Millinery Shop, 1879/86. The Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection.
Edouard Manet was a sharp dresser and it was interesting to see him portrayed in a top hat carrying a walking stick. I guess I thought he would of been portrayed with a paint brush.
Henri Fantin-Latour. Édouard Manet, 1867. The Art Institute of Chicago, Stickney Fund.
This portrait by Édouard Manet below shows a women reading a book in the park. It looks like a park or a Forest? What do you think?
The brush work lets the viewer peak in to her world. What is she reading? The gloves on her hands or the ruffle around her neck. Is it cold?
Édouard Manet. Woman Reading (La Lecture de l’illustré), 1879/80. The Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection.
The exhibition has so much to see.
This is another portrait by Édouard Manet that shows a lady surrounded with a background of fans behind her. She is laying on her couch or bed so effortlessly. It almost seems like she’s saying with her eyes, “Édouard I have been in this pose for hours, are we close to being finished?” What do you think she’s saying?
Édouard Manet. Lady with Fans (Portrait of Nina de Callias), 1873. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Rouart, RF 2850.
In the next post I will be focusing on portraits of Renoir, Seurat and some of my favorite dresses from the Impressionism, Fashion, & Modernity Exhibition.
* All photos courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
by | Sep 27, 2013 | Fashion, From the Heart, Inspirations, Travels |
Hi Elegant Lovelies,
I enjoyed my visit to Chicago, my mornings were so relaxing and serene.
JTWisdom at Under the Ginkgo Tree Bed & Breakfast in Chicago for Wedding Anniversary
Going the the Art Institute of Chicago really verified what I always say, “a person never stops learning.” We are growing and changing and should pursue learning something new everyday. This is an exhibition I am so happy I had the opportunity to see it.
JTwisdom having breakfast before going to the Art Institute of Chicago
I have quite a few favorites. Click on the portrait to enlarge and see the brush strokes and dresses in more detail.
This painting is of Madame Georges Charpentier and her children. Her son is sitting on the couch and her daughter is sitting on the cute doggie and they are dressed the same. Renoir paid attention to detail in this portrait. Do you see the pleating in her son’s and daughter’s dress? Madame Georges Charpentier’s dress is beautiful and her gold jewelry is exquisite.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Madame Georges Charpentier and Her Children, 1878. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund.
Renoir looks so relaxed and at ease in this portrait. He is dressed very dapper and looks very approachable and care free.
Frédéric Bazille. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1867. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, on deposit to the Musée Fabre, Montpellier, DL 1970 3.
This portrait was quite risque for the time. A woman being painted in her robe. She’s a very brave lady to be painted this way. I know we consider this very tame now but back then it was as if she had not a single bit of clothes on.
Édouard Manet. Young Lady in 1866 (also called La Femme au perroquet, 1866. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, gift of Erwin Davis.
This is one of the famous paintings that’s house at the Art Institute of Chicago, Georges Suerat (1859-1891), A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884. Everyone looks so relaxed and having fun at the Park. This painting is amazing to see with all of those series of continuous dots.
I had to add a couple of pictures of my favorite dresses.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The portrait in the foreground is by Édouard Manet, The Parisienne, 1875. This dress is haute couture of the time. Fashion at it’s best, this lady struts and holds her head up high in this dress. Beautiful!
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
*Photos courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago”
*JTwisdom’s photo included in this post*
by | Sep 23, 2013 | Blogging / Technology, Fashion |
What a night on the rooftop of the 360 Restaurant in the Hilton at the Ballpark in Downtown St. Louis.
Hostesses and some of the STLFW Award winners
The event was packed and everyone was having a lot of fun.
360 Rooftop Hilton Downtown hotel
Sara Stallmann of Alive Magazine said,
From Alive.com
The blog nominees and a guest were given comp tickets to the event. Of course, I invited my hubby to attend with me and we had a good time.
-Bubbling With Elegance and Grace won two awards in the People’s Choice Category:
Best Newcomer Award Winner
Best Personal Style Award Winner
*The Official winners were selected by the 7 panel judges.
The People’s Choice Award winners received flowers and some of the official award winners received a bottle of Skinny Girl. 360 was serving hor doeurves and cocktails, I didn’t drink any alcohol at this event because personally I don’t drink so water and lemon for me.
Anyhoo, I am so excited!
JT accepting STLFW People’s Choice Blogger award for Best Personal Style
The night was grand and I am extremely honored. I accepted my awards in a dress my Madisonleigh, Black Shirt Jacket by Anne Klein, and black platform wedges by Vince Camuto. I so really heart the floral pattern with the black borders of the dress, one of my favorites. My jewelry is 100% Natural wood handmade earrings, R.J Graziano bracelets, turquoise ring by Carolyn Pollack, and Isaac Mizrahi ceramic pink watch. My handbag is my Kathy Van Zeeland.
The rooftop restaurant had a cool breeze and was a really awesome spot, high above the Saint Louis skyline. You can watch the Cardinals play in the stadium from the 26th floor.
Here’s another view.
After the event my hubby went downstairs to get my bag.
The bag is great for groceries. Some complimentary flip flops, Bronx notepad, coaster, a $25 gift card from Bronx shoes, and a catalog. I will have to take a look at the bronx shoes catalog.
And like a princess, my husband open the door to our carriage ( Jeep door) and we rode off into the sunset after the event giggling and celebrating the whole way.
I personally would like to thank everyone from the depths of my heart who voted for me. I am so joyful and overabundance of blessings to all!
JT with her eyes closed.
This post is linked up with Visible Monday!
by | Sep 21, 2013 | Fashion, Travels |
JT at the Art Institute of Chicago
September is a special month for me. I married my sweetheart fourteen years ago on September 11 and it is also my hubby’s birthday on September 24th!
For our anniversary, My hubby surprised me with a road trip to Chicago. I did not know if we were doing something special in town or traveling out of town. It was such a treat because we went to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the “Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity,” Exhibition. As a part of the press, Art Institute provided me with a press pass for the exhibition admission. The Exhibition is well done and closes Sunday, September 29, 2013. The Art Institute of Chicago is the final of three stops for this phenomenal exhibition.
Sponsors of the Exhibit
Major funding for Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago has been generously provided by Alexandra and John Nichols.
Chase and J.P. Morgan are the Corporate Sponsors of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The press release provided by the Art Institute stated, “this is a groundbreaking and critically acclaimed exhibition. Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity, which opened in Paris in October 2012, lands at the Art Institute this summer as the final stop on its world tour.Organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Muséed’Orsay, Paris, the exhibition broke attendance records in Paris and has been lauded by international and national critics alike. Roberta Smith of the New York Times called the New York presentation a “thrilling, erudite show” with “visual fireworks, historical clarity, and pitch-perfect contextualizing.” Vogue proclaimed the show “breathtaking” for its portrayal of “art’s passionate love affair with fashion in the boulevards and salons of late 19th-century France.” And now audiences in Chicago will be able to spend the summer with the first exhibition to explore the role of fashion in the revolutionary Impressionist movement.”
I totally agree that the paintings are amazing and I am truly fortunate to be able to see these paintings, garments and related objects exhibited in the United States. It was so thought provoking to see the painting with a lady in a particular dress and then turn around and see either an interpretation or the exact same dress in the case. I am enjoying every minute of it!
This portrait below is one of my favorites and my hubby really liked it too.
Jean Béraud. A Ball, 1878. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, RF 1994 15.
In the portrait, look at all men in their tuxedo tails, with gloves and top hats. Look at the ladies in their corset-fitted dresses and the oh so feminine fans. What do you think they are celebrating? Everyone is so involved in their conversations. Wouldn’t it be such a pleasure to be a fly on the wall? The red curtains in the background are so striking that it adds even more depth to the portrait.
The portrait, “In The Conservatory,” below is of the artist’s wife. She passed away shortly after this portrait was painted. The artist (husband) preserved the dress and never painted again after his wife’s death.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
I had to share this image of her because she looks beautiful. Look at the detail in the dress. Do you see the dots, stripes, pleating and the layering of the hem? I also see her gold jewelry.
Albert Bartholomé. In the Conservatory, c. 1881. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, gift of the Société des Amis du Musée d’Orsay, 1990, RF 1990 26.
Below is the exact same dress that was painted in the portrait above, not a replica. Let me say that again, that this is the exact same dress. It brings the painting to life to see this dress.
Summer dress worn by Madame Bartholomé in the painting In the Conservatory, French, 1880. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, gift of the gallery Charles and André Bailly, 1991, ODO 1991 1.
The bustle dresses were fitted in the waist, flows along the hips and sat high up in the back and often accentuated with draping, bows or some sort of ornamentation. I could only imagine how uncomfortable these dresses were with fitted corsets underneath. The dresses are beautiful and are draped so well that I can understand why women wore the corset. Kind of like wearing 6 inch stiletto heels? Women do it to be fashionable, on trend, in style and to look taller and slimmer.
This Exhibition brings out so many discussions regarding fashion and society. The exhibit is open until Sunday, September 29th so if you are in Chicago please go see this captivating exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Installation shot of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Stay tuned for more of my favorites from the Exhibition: Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity.
* All photos courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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