Hi all

I know we are already well into 2019, but I thought I’d post about my style themes for 2019. Better late than never

I like having a theme for both wardrobe planning and outfit creation. It is my way of navigating trends and establishing how I want to look.

This year I’ve settled on 3 broad themes, rather than trying to roll my interests into one. Hopefully that will give me plenty of room to accommodate different moods, seasons and occasions, while still maintaining a planned, cohesive wardrobe. I am not planning to have 3 separate capsules - some outfits may pursue a single theme and some may borrow from more than one theme.

I’ve been playing around with all 3 themes this summer, but to avoid this post becoming epic I thought I’d concentrate on the first one, which I’ve dubbed “Byzantine Jewel”. I started thinking about it after I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC last year. I felt inspired by the timeless beauty of some of the complex patterns that I saw there and by the ornate, gold imbued exhibits.

I’ve developed a mood board for this theme and included some of the pics here. The runway pics are Chloé. Pic 2 is Olivia Palermo, not me. (Alas!) I have also worked up a specific list of ideas for the theme. I’ll put it in the replies to avoid post clutter.

I’m quite liking this theme for summer because the mood I’m after can be captured by combining ornate accessories with some specific colours and/or patterns. And those are things that don’t make me hot But, because it is so accessory driven, it’s a bit hard to translate to everyday casual wear.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether the mood comes through in the outfits and any suggestions about styling or additions.

Outfit 1 (pic 3): hosting family for lunch on Christmas Day. I wore slides to dress down the dress because it was a casual bbq. I think toe nail polish would have been a nice addition here but I am not painting my toe nails at all this year for health reasons. I generally only do it occasionally. I am comfortable with a clean look.

Outfit 2 (pics 7-8): dinner out with DH on my birthday. Peruvian Connection dress in the same silhouette as outfit 1 (which I bought in nyc). The coin necklace (vintage from Etsy) was a birthday gift.

Outfit 3 (pics 10-11): a simple outfit for shopping. The dress actually used to be a maxi dress but I converted it to a midi dress. The hem had shredded from contact with the ground (I like my maxis LONG). It is one of several re-purpose projects I’ve done this summer.

Outfit 4 (14-15): a weekend lunch outfit with some necklace experimentation.

Outfit 5 (17-19): Shorts are very practical for summer but it’s incredibly difficult to find pairs that are longish and loose on my thighs. These are super roomy, and a silk blend, so they feel great. I wore them with a tonal top for a playsuit look without the bathroom hassles. Also wearing a fleur de lis brooch as a pendant.