Wandering around Italy in 2016

The Anatomy of Grey

It's been a while since my last post here, but I simply couldn't put down a word about my newest fashion frenzy, since I have none of it for a while now. Or at least not as significantly as a couple of years ago. My thrift store tours are becoming less and less satisfying and at a certain point I realized that my wardrobe is full of grey shirts and cardigans and black jeans. I guess it would be quite boring to write about it, otherwise this blog would be full random posts of basically the same outfits each and every time. It's not that I don't wear any other colours and I still love patterns a lot, it all just turned into an effortless, minimal style.



Hey, have you ever heard about the wardrobe capsule? It's all about simplifying your closet to a minimum number of items that can you can mix and match in so many ways. Just think about it, how many pairs of jeans/shirts/cardigans/skirts/etc.etc. do you wear on a regular basis? Most of the time I'm the take-it-from-the-top type of person, who doesn't like to spend too much time thinking what to wear, so there are a good number of items I hardly put on. Then why keep them? You can choose your closet essentials based on the season, define the colour-combinations you prefer, you'll find so many great ideas on Pinterest.

From my side, I collect and take the old pieces to a charity store, but I know my limits and I can't be that ruthless to my closet and get rid of almost everything. A girl needs her comfort zone of the you-never-know type of pieces. Besides that, I do love shopping. I'm jut a bit more conscious about it and appreciate more quality, even if the price is higher. And if it's a little playfulness in a piece, then it's a real catch. Just like this hoodie of beautiful colours and quality fabric, a handmade piece from the wonderful Hungarian designer Bosis. It became an indispensable item during our windy stay in Copenhagen.

Inspiration, where art thou?

I remember being a student with a big appetite for all kind of novels and poems and had this crazy habit of taking notes of random words in random places, post-its were all over the place. Sometimes I've found a connection between them and created an idea that often ended in an essay that I had to prepare for a literature course. My other love, music I always considered a manifestation of some invisible power created by the performer, transmitted to the listener who consciously or unconsciously turns this energy into another kind of power ball.

And now, a few years later I listen to some of these albums, re-read a few of those books that all seemed to hide an answer to the questions I couldn't properly define, but I don't find that certainty of uniqueness anymore. I rarely find a song, a book or a pattern or a color of a fabric to inspire in such a manner as back then. Were I too young and naive? Did I just grow old of such beautiful instances? Can't tell, really. Not so long ago I moved to another city, hoping to find That triggering element that would make me rediscover the fundamental power of the creative art, but found only superficiality so far. Is this like being a grown-up? 'I prefer not to', I'll just stick to the unconventional 'aching soul'.

 

List of (un)Realizations

When I was 17 I started to write a list of realizations of that year, thinking about the biggest achievements and mistakes (of course) and another list of expectations regarding the New Year. I more or less stick to this tradition, but now, as I’m thinking about this year I realize that I might have lost my 2013 to do list somewhere. I kind of lost my appetite for fashion, music and blogging as well. Two blog posts this year? Come on, Miss Katjes shouldn’t end up like this.

I feel like I didn’t do much this year, yet I perfectly remember the very first moments and thoughts of 2013: I raised my hands, closed my eyes and danced to The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony and had the impression that everything’s gonna be just fine. By letting things happen it turned out to be fine, but I know that one should put more energy into making things happen.

I’m truly grateful for the friends I’ve got to know better – LifeLovers, daydreamers, every concert sounds better with you :)

Images of the posts unwritten in 2013:

Images by Miss Katjes & friends

The anatomy of patterns – the way Miss Katjes would mix them

Have you ever thought about playing with patterns a bit? Not in a freaky, grandma way, but really having the guts to put different patterns together within the same outfit. If you don't pay attention to the little details, it might turn out tricky, so better use it carefully. How to do it? Just look up your wardrobe and select a set of patterned pieces - polka dots, stripes, animal prints, checks, floral prints and basically whatever you find in there. Now, by looking at these pieces, you would try and find the style: will it be an outfit for the office? Are you having a meeting with the girls or you're into a more elegant look? Try to decide by paying attention to the fabrics as well - you don't want to look like someone who put on whatever she found in the closet.

Have a concept and keep it simple

Choose a basic color combination, but avoid adding too many, too different colors, otherwise it would distract from the little details of your ensemble. Combine shades that complete each other and emphasize the main piece of the outfit, as on the image under: the skirt has a smooth pattern with small leaves and matches in color with the green blouse and the dark blue pattern of the floral cardigan. The eyes are driven to this piece for the huge floral pattern. The outfit would be complete even without the cardigan, the pink polka dot belt just adds more playfulness to the whole image. Even though there are lots of patterns and colors combined here, I don't have the impression that it's too much, but it's something flirty and elegant and it creates such a unique and stylish look.

Lots of colors and patterns within one outfit

A more simple example is this outfit that mixes vertical stripes with polka dots. The base color for the bottom part is a dark one, while the colors of the dots are harmonizing with the upper part, which involves lighter colors. This comfy outfit is ideal for shopping or having a beer at your favorite garden pub.

Stripes and polka dots

I can totally imagine wearing an outfit like this at the office. Although, it's the usual black & white combination, you can't call it boring at all. It's a perfect example that stripes and polka dots can look so good together, while the gold accessories make the look complete.

Dots and stripes with gold accessories

A more "everyday" version of this previous look is this black+white+grey combination perfect for school, office or for going to the movies. If you're just about to start mixing some prints, it's a good choice to begin with something like this.

Horizontal stripes with dots

Be careful with the floral + floral match because what I've written about matching the colors here is even more true: do not choose the same basic color for the bottom and the upper part, unless you'd like to look like someone who pulled on her pyjamas. Moreover, if you choose a blouse with large floral prints, the skirt or shorts should be more simple with smaller patterns. In this case the brown belt makes a good transition between the two parts.

Floral with floral

Voilà! Mix and match for an infinite number of variations!

Florals and stripes by Rachel

Stripes with animal print

Floral with stripes

Leopard and polka dots

The Story of a Floral Friday at the Office

It was around Women's Day when it suddenly hit me: we should totally do something fun and girly at the office and as this winter was so annoyingly long and grumpy, I wanted to see flowers everywhere. I thought it would be fun to have a day when the girls at the office wear something spring-ish, but I didn't want to send a circular email, I've done an anonymous poster instead that I've placed in the ladies' restroom at every floor in the building. The whole idea was to do it in a flashmob-kind-of-way to make it more interesting and to see if people are really willing to participate. It was hard not to tell anyone, but funny on the other hand to hear the girls speaking about it, guessing who's the secret organizer.

I can tell you that the Floral Friday was a success with lots of floral dresses, shirts, bags, shoes and accessories and with the next week Spring and good weather has finally arrived.

Thank you girls, you are awesome :)

Photos by: Miss_Katjes & Opreblu