It is always interesting to see what color is selected as “the color of the year”. For 2025 the color Mocha Mousse has been selected. Pantone selected ‘…Mocha Mousse, a warming brown hue imbued with an inherent richness that nurtures with its suggestion of the delectable quality of cacao, chocolate and coffee, appealing to our desire for comfort”. There are 5 color palettes. You will see these palettes throughout fashion and home interiors. There are some beautiful colors presented for 2025. It makes you look at shades of brown in a way that you may not have viewed it before! See how Mocha Mousse sits in each palette.

As I always say, enjoy color! It can put a new spin on your day.

The first palette is “Uniquely Balanced”.

Next is “Deliciousness”

The 4th palette is “Subtle Contrasts”

And the last palette is “Relaxed Elegance”

I just got back from a cruise that ended in Quebec City. I had not been to Quebec prior to this trip. Now, I am adding it to my list of favorite cities and thinking about a return trip.

I stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac. This hotel is the most photographed hotel in the world, and I can certainly understand why. There are 610 rooms and suites. It is totally magnificent. There are restaurants that are wonderful and the shops in the lobby rival boutiques anywhere I have visited! My favorite was a beautiful shop that presented Annie Pelletier’s art. I got to meet Annie and talk about her multi-media art. She is very fond of painting Umbrella Alley at Rue du Cul-de-Sac. I purchased a scarf depicting the art installation. What a great memory for the trip to Quebec City.

The city is filled with small shops and interesting looking restaurants. The night we were there we had dinner at Chez Rioux & Pettigrew located on Rue Saint-Paul. It was “very french”. It was as if we were entering a country farmhouse…in fact, we even had to cut through the kitchen to get to another section of the dining area. I loved the decor which was an eclectic mix of furniture and tables and chairs in all different sizes and styles. It was very inviting.

Anyone who knows me is aware of my interest in photographing doors and portals in places I visit. I am also a cloud watcher! There were plenty of doors and clouds for me to photograph in this city!

Here are some of the photos I took while in Quebec City along with several doors that I found interesting.

I hope that you find them interesting too!

Labor day has come and gone. The September issue of Vogue arrived at my house. How many more clues do you need?? The Fall season is approaching. This is my favorite time of year to shop and dress!

First let’s talk about color. Coming off of the popularity of Pink for several seasons, the color Red is now coming on strong in everything from Cherry Red to Burgundy. Shades of Red are everywhere in apparel and accessories. There are many shades of Green. Green symbolizes renewal and many designers have embraced it for fall 2024. Brown is also alive and well for this fall season. The importance of Earth Tones-burgundy, olive, chocolate and navy make it easy to shop your closet when getting ready for Fall. Animal prints are once again strong. Animal prints have continued to be important year after year. And as an accessory, animal prints add fun to your outfit.

There are a few key looks for you for this season. They can be found in all of the major retailers. Some of these items might already be in your closet.

BLAZERS…BLAZERS…BLAZERS. Jackets are part of each of the trending categories. They are of major importance in the Suiting trend. In this category you will find leather and faux leather jackets in both blazer styles and moto jackets. You will also see monochromatic dressing in suits that are both structured and luxury knits. Pantsuits are once again trending and monochromatic dressing is very IN. There are some novelty treatments on this year’s jackets. There are ruched sleeves as well as knit cuffs extending from the blazer sleeves. And I saw a jacket that was 1/2 one pattern and 1/2 another pattern (see Nordstrom photos) We have all become accustomed to comfort dressing. But now there are places to go! People to see! We have to dress up a bit. Add some pearls to an oversized blazer. Put a kitten heeled boot on with a knit set.

DENIM on DENIM is an elevated spin on monochromatic dressing. Lots of denim available- wide legs as well as straight legs. And look for the newest shape-the horseshoe jeans-which features a curved wide leg falling to a slightly tapered hem. I have included a photo of a horseshoe jean from The Gap

PREPPY has become part of corporate chic. Blazers, button-up shirts, pleated skirts, Mary Jane shoes and “lady jackets” (think Chanel) are part of this look. You will also see oversized novelty sweatshirts and stripes.

BOHO is alive and well giving us tasteful ’70’s inspired styles. Crochet apparel is very visible for vests and toppers. It’s a great third piece. There are crochet accessories. In this category you will see dark floral prints, lace and suede.

FRINGE deserves a line of its own. Fringe is very big right now in a variety of looks. You will see long fringe hems on skirts and fringed detail on jackets and pant hems. There are also handbags with fringe.

SHEER Dressing. There are sheer and partially sheer skirts as well as shots of sheer in tunic tops, dresses and shirts. All of this can work and be very tasteful if layered!

Last but not least is embellished dressing and it is intended for daywear. Feathers-very dramatic -as trim on cuffs and hems (look at Emily in Paris). There are also some fabulous pieces with sequins in a variety of sizes. See the photo from Cinq A Sept that I photographed at Neiman Marcus (black sweater with a red skirt) This line is also available at Nordstrom.

Enjoy looking at the photos. Get yourself out and enjoy the shopping experience. And, of course, shop your own closet too!

NEIMAN MARCUS

NORDSTROM

BLOOMINDALE’S

MACY’S MACY’S GAP

I was at this fabulous exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this month.

Items on display are part of the Costume Institute collection. The fashions were reawakened! Many pieces were under glass due to their fragility. The garments that were not under glass were of course, roped off.

The technology used was amazing. All of your senses are tapped as you walk through the exhibit. Your sight, sound, scent and touch are all engaged. You could touch a wall that would let you feel the texture of a dress. There are tubes that you can lean over and smell what a hat behind glass smells like. In my opinion this was l little funky because you could actually pick up the scent of sweat and hair oil! I can definitely live without that, but the technology was a great way to let the viewer smell flowers that were the inspiration to creations. There is light projection and soundscapes. Tools of artificial intelligence are used as well as computer generated imagery film projection. I am glad that taste was left out of the sensory experience!

There were 220 garments and accessories in the exhibit spanning 4 centuries. It was visually connected through themes: Earth (flowers and foliage), Air (insects and birds) and Water (shells and fish). You could smell the flowers that were embroidered on a dress in front of you. You could hear birds chirping and see overhead moving pictures as you looked at styles featuring feathers or insects and butterflies.

Here a few photos to give you the flavor of this magnificent exhibit. If you can get to the Met, the exhibit runs until 9/2/24.

We are in the second “heat wave” of the summer and it is only 7/8/24!! So that must mean it’s time to look at colors for Fall 2024. I can hear the chuckle and groan…Fall? We just started the summer season and it’s HOT! Fall starts months ahead in the fashion world. The colors shown here were detailed in February. Manufacturers are receiving finished garments and are shipping to their customers. But I always figure that those of you reading my blog are more interested in seeing the colors closer to when you will be seeing apparel. I think a good plan for me is to publish this prior to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

Here are comments from The Pantone Color Institute experts for colors seen at New York Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2024/2025. The colors are rich and earthy. The colors are reliable but have energy.

I can’t wait to see these colors in the clothing we’ll be wearing in a few months.

Remember, color is a form of self-expression. The important thing with color is how it looks on you. It doesn’t matter if it is the “IT” color for the season if it does nothing for your complexion. You should also be asking, does this color suit my personal style? If you feel the need to be of-the-moment with color, accessories can make that happen. And, as I always say, have fun with your colors and fashion. Color can put you in the BEST mood!!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to photograph doors when I am traveling. As I have said before, Doors represent many things. The obvious, of course, is a place of passage. Doors lead to places other than where you are. For me, seeing an interesting door is an opportunity to let my imagination run wild. What is behind that door? Is it open and welcoming me in? Perhaps that would lead to a new opportunity or adventure for me. Doors when opened, are symbols of transition. Am I being invited to be part of a new adventure? I am always looking for that open door.

The color selected for a door can also tell you something about either the location or the person behind the door. Several years ago, I wrote about a blog I had read about selecting the color for your door and what it represents. Does your door reflect something about you? Red says Welcome. Orange says you are social. Blue says you enjoy peace and truth. Gray is indecisive and says you prefer compromise. Green says you have traditional values. Black says your world is ordered and controlled. White says simple and organized. Brown says you are warm, reliable and stable. Yellow says you are positive and logical while also being creative. Turquoise speaks to emotional balance, a romantic dreamer. Pink is for a hopeless romantic. Purple says you are comfortable taking risks. Wood says you are generous and down to Earth. Did you learn something about yourself? Think about this the next time you need to have your front door painted.

Here are several doors that I photographed on my spring UK trip. One thing that I really loved seeing in London was the entry way draped in garlands of green and flowers. So inviting!

On to Inverness and Edinburgh Scotland

I always find at least one open door on every trip!

Just got back from a trip to the UK which included London, Inverness and Edinburgh. My trips to Europe have always given me lots of food for thought on the fashion front. But, aside from enjoying seeing men in Kilts, the street fashion is not much different than it is here. To add to this, it was extremely chilly everywhere. So, the views you will see are mostly outerwear. Fashion is truly global. You could see the same looks walking in NYC. The addition for this trip was seeing men in kilts (In Inverness)! I have also included some photos in stores from London (Selfridges and Marks & Spencer) and in Edinburgh (John Lewis & Partners and a couple of windows)

In LONDON

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

In the stores:

SELFRIDGES

WINDOW at SELFRIDGES Photo from Marks & Spencer

EDINBURGH-John Lewis & Partners,

Windows in Edinburgh

MEN IN KILTS- INVERNESS, SCOTLAND

Reading my journals since the day we met. Torture or Therapy?

Reading and looking at all my journals and photos from our extensive travels. Torture or Therapy?

Counting the number of times the pandemic is referenced. This still makes my knees go weak. Torture or Therapy?

Every morning telling Alexa to play songs we liked to listen to. Torture or Therapy?

Posting all kinds of memory posts or sharing thoughts on managing grief on my Facebook page. Tom used to say I was a serial poster!! Torture or Therapy?

I have deemed all of this to be Therapy rather than Torture. Making that statement alone feels therapeutic.

Today marks 4 years since Tom’s death.

I am still looking for a soft place to land. I am still working on learning to fear less. I am taking the time to meditate daily. I am making lots of travel plans. I am trying to envision going out on a limb because I do believe there is still sweet fruit out there.

In the meantime, I will dance in the kitchen each morning to whatever I tell Alexa to play. I will try my best to have my wonderful memories make me smile more often than bring tears to my eyes. I will continue to talk about Tom with our family and friends and the little humans because he is worth it. He isn’t a footnote in my story. He checked all the boxes for what you would want in your ideal partner. I consider myself very lucky to have found him and known this incredible love.

My artist friend, Karen, painted this and gifted it to me. Still I Rise. We were both widowed 4 years ago. We are helping each other through the grieving, and this is our plan. We will rise up and continue to make ourselves and our husbands proud of our accomplishments.

Life does go on with or without you. I think it is best to get in step, even if the steps are small. Eventually you reach the place you are supposed to be.

The calendar and the weather are telling us that Spring 2024 is arriving. The runway shows are finished for Fall 2024. Let’s tuck the trends from the shows as well as the street styles seen into our memory bank and pull them out when we are ready to look for new items for fall. I’ll pick this up again when fall merchandise is landing in the stores. At that time, I will photograph what is going on at retailers.

NEW YORK…PARIS…LONDON…MILAN…as well as thoughts from Australia and Copenhagen

Transparency- lots of sheer tops are already out and will get stronger. There are lots of sheer skirts. Some skirts and dresses are partially lined. Some are so transparent that high waisted panties are visible underneath! This story will be highly visible (no pun intended!) through this spring and summer. There will be many variations on the transparency theme -“see through it”-several layers of translucent fabric creating depth. No pants, no problem!! Hot pants return!!

In formal wear- You will see large full skirts and off the shoulder tops on floor length dresses.

Preppy looks- There will be many preppy inspired looks-Cable knit sweaters, Varsity sweaters, pleated tennis skirts, white button-down shirts, short and long sleeve polos layered under t-shirts, light knit sweaters and oversized blazers.

Plaid skirts and matching blazers. Jackets are oversized. Some jackets also have bold sloping shoulder lines.

The Canadian Tuxedo-head to toe denim. Structured denim jackets with matching jeans. Legs are both straight and as well as wide.

Menswear inspired fashion. Neckties will be front and center as an accessory.

“Wild things”- furry and feathery accessories (both shoes and bags) and will be used as trim on garments.

Fringe on jackets and skirts and dresses.

In outerwear- Faux Fur, cool Trenches (signature of the season), capes.

Bold over the knee boots-do you think Taylor Swift and Beyonce are influencers here??

Bright tights.

Metallic Gold coming on for Fall 2024.

Belts and Buckles- edgy looks on shoes and accessories as well as bold details on dress straps. Buckles will be seen at the neckline rather than at the waist as you would expect.

Frills and ruffles-neck, sleeves, down the side of a garment, at the waist.

Red continues. Expect Crimson Red to deepen to Burgundy. But there will also be delicate colors-blush pink, mint green, powder blue.

Also expect to see cool, quiet luxury looks in chocolate and creams, grays and dark greens. You will see edgy outfits in monochromatic colors which shout out confidence.

I think that’s enough to think about for now, right? More to follow in the months ahead when stores receive their fall merchandise.

In the meantime, HAPPY SPRING!!

Talk about high energy! This morning was The Beauty Trend Show at Nordstrom. The store opened at 7:30 for those who had tickets for the event. A light breakfast was available for all to enjoy. The cost of the ticket was $25.00 but everyone got a $25.00 gift card in the “goodie bag” which was a canvas tote bag. In the bag one also found an assortment of samples. There are always great “goodie bags” at Nordstrom’s events. My favorite goodies are the fragrance samples. I love trying out a new scent. After the show if you previously made an appointment, you could get a facial, skin care advice or make up instruction. To say the least, the joint was jumping!! The DJ’s and the vendors involved in the show were all highly charged and got the crowd going. So much fun…and all at 8:00 AM!!

Each of the featured lines had well informed representatives who spoke briefly on the products they were showcasing. Many additional companies offered gift with purchase and percents off purchases.

Everyone was entered in the raffle. There were several spectacular give aways! (my name was NOT called for any of the gifts!)

Here are the companies who participated in this show.

Left to right-La Mer, Cle De Peau, Kiehls

Left to right- Dior, Georgio Armani, YSL

Left to right- Tom Ford, Bobby Brown, Dyson

Left to right- Parfums De Marly, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Lancome

Left to right- Charlotte Tilbury (2), Augustinus Bader

Some Spring fashion was also featured but I will save that for another day. Today I’ll let all of these fabulous beauty lines take center stage.