Note from Pauline Durban, Founder and President of cabotparticlematters - If you have been around for a while, you will know that Susan is a regular on our site. She loves our basics and always makes them look even better with the accessories she adds. Check it out, especially the video at the end.
Over to Susan...
In an earlier post, we explored building a strong core wardrobe of basic items. Today I am showing you my navy basic item, Long Sleeve Simple Comfort, in action. A pair of jeans and some sort of tee, tank or blouse are the pieces I start with about three hundred times a year. You might think I would get bored with that combo but let me show you why this is always a success for me.
Start with two similar colors over a great fitting similarly colored bra. I am wearing a black Long Tankee by Shapeez.com here. I buy them in boutiques, on Amazon or you can buy them from their website. (The Shapeez company is located in Canada.) The dark wash jeans I am wearing are old by Chico's. The Chelsea boots are several years old by Franco Sarto. The navy top, Long Sleeve Simple Comfort, was a gift from cabotparticlematters.
A third piece is almost always part of my look but it may be a large scarf draped across my shoulders. A belt defines the waist and helps to take attention away from the less than taut tummy area. I draped my favorite large square scarf over my shoulders and added my new favorite classic quilted handbag with gunmetal hardware. Both those items are from my site. The belt was purchased at T.J.Maxx a few years ago.
Here I added a moto-style black and navy jacket by BCBG Max Azria from Saks Off 5th a couple of years ago and kept the same handbag with this look.
This is a typical stay at home look for me. I misspoke in the video below; the cashmere cardigan is actually from J.Jill. I have a darker gray one in the same style from Neiman Marcus Last Call.
If I am having lunch with friends or going to a meeting, I will add a blazer, scarf and carry a bag that relates to either or both of them. Rather than matching the bag to the shoes, I want to lift the eyes up to tie it in with something I am wearing on the top half of my body. I always try to extend the leg line by wearing dark pants with dark shoes and light shoes with light-colored pants. The jacket is a couple of years old from White House|Black Market. The scarf is the Carriage Ride Through Paris silk scarf from my site. The brown and gray ostrich texture bag is by Dooney & Bourke from Dillard’s last year.
