Primary Elements

"Red, yellow, blue, I see you! You are the primary colors! Red, yellow, blue!" Remember that children's song? I believe we sang that in art class in kindergarten in order to help us remember the primary colors of the color spectrum. These are used as the basic building blocks to mix and create colors in art. They are the central points of Isaac Newton's color wheel and later used in printing by Jacob Christoph Le Bon in 1725. These colors have helped researchers understand the function of the eye and how it senses different stimuli. Theories on the psychological effects of colors have been documented in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's The Theory of Colors and Michel-Eugène Chevreul's The Laws of Simultaneous Color Contrast.

Just as the primary colors are the foundation of any artist's paint pallet, they should have the same importance in your wardrobe. Blues are easy with jeans, but its fun to switch it up with a royal or cyan blue top with a pattern. Red is a bit more difficult, but during the summer a bright red dress or skirt is a really fun look especially around the 4th of July. Yellow, I have found, is the hardest color to dress. I had thought for the longest time that yellow looked terrible with my pale skin, but this isn't true. A bright yellow top or tank dress is flattering and pairing it with a different colored cardigan or jacket will help the color seem less stark against pale skin. Tan girls of course look great in yellow and it really helps you stand out in a crowd.

Yesterday I wore a fun bright blue skirt I got (on sale!) from JCrew and a sunshine yellow tank dress underneath. I thought this color combination was very fun especially paired with my coral-red nails. While wearing all of the primary colors can be dangerous, choosing two choice colors with a dash of the third can create the perfect balance. I paired these items with my black and grey Mary Jane shoes to pull the outfit together with a neutral color. The key with all of this is using color deliberately and with strong judgement, for too much of too many colors or colors that do not mesh well can produce an outfit worthy of a fashion police citation.

Here are a few other items that may inspire you to invest in key primary color pieces:

Primary Elements by HistoryandHighHeels 

J Crew striped t shirt, $43
Preen skirt, £910
Kate spade handbag, $193

Office Investments

Well, I have officially completed my first week of work! Although it consists of early mornings, desk chairs, and long hours, it is nice to finally make some money. I have had to completely rethink my wardrobe to accomodate for a working environment. Luckily, Mondays and Fridays are jean days, so that helps. I really liked my outfit that I wore Wednesday of last week (which you can see below) because of its unlikely mixture. The chartreuse cardigan that I bought on sale (!) at JCrew has quickly become a favorite of mine because of its unusual color and great fit.

{JCrew Cardigan, H&M Shirt, Banana Republic High-Waisted Skirt,
JCrew Belt, and gifted pearl bracelet} 

I have had to invest in some office clothes and I thought I would pay forward some advice I have heard and found. First, it is important to buy quality clothes that look sharp, fit great, and are easily mixed and matched. I bought two pairs of basic skinny pants at Talbots in light khaki and a golden brown. These are high in quality (especially if you are careful and don't wash them too often) and fit wonderfully. Also, they were on sale!! If the pants are too long have them tailored because it is does not look good in a professional setting to have your pants dragging on the ground. This usually is an issue for me, but I bought the pants in the petites section.  Second, invest in a non-iron shirt. I will say, these are brilliant. I had my black non-iron shirt (also from Talbots and on sale) tucked into my jeans on Friday and it did not crinkle at all! So much easier than the hassle of ironing every morning. Generally for the office you need to have these few key items: black pants, khaki pants, a grey skirt, a black skirt, a white shirt, a black shirt, and a great pair of comfortable heels. With these items you can mix and match with other pieces in your closet, such as a great cardigan or a printed blouse. But really invest in these items because believe me it is worth your money!

Office Investments by HistoryandHighHeels

H m dress, £18
J Crew high rise pants, $170
Paul Smith slim skirt, £161
Christian Louboutin high heel shoes, $795
Dorothy Perkins white belt, £12
Thin belt, $10

Street Smarts: Less is More

As I was walking around New York, I spotted a young woman wearing a spectacular outfit. It was simple, classic, chic, and cool enough for the hot weather. She ran into Starbucks before I could snap a picture, but I did my best to offer a similar rendition below. Long and richly colored khaki shorts, a simple white t-shirt, and a light blue blazer (maybe denim?) with nude shoes composed the outfit. Its amazing simplicity, yet great color combination made this a chic piece. I sometimes forget with all of the fancy/flowery/lacy/ruffly shirts that one can find in the stores the beauty of the fitted white t-shirt. It's especially powerful when added with more structured items, like a blazer. In this world of fashion it is helpful to remember that a lot of the time...

When you have too much going on, it can get overwhelming and look like you are trying too hard. We should have learned this from history, as can be seen in the events of the Field of the Cloth of Gold. King Henry VIII in an attempt to impress the French while having a diplomatic meeting in Calais had an extravagant temporary palace erected using wood and gold cloth. It was an impressive sight, but it pushed the crown's coffer into debt and the alliance with King Francis came to nothing. 

So in the end, maybe it is better to stick with simpler things and not get too caught up in the moment. For example, maybe you really like plaid right now, but wearing three pieces of this print in one outfit is overwhelming and makes you look like a lumberjack. I'm not saying that one should not be edgy at times, for this can be great. Just remember the beauty of simplicity and that less is more.

  

Street Smarts by HistoryandHighHeels

James Perse white cotton tee, €53
Theory wool jacket, £251
Theory high waisted shorts, $120
KORS Michael Kors michael kors sandals, $200
Alexander McQueen leather handbag, £825
Miriam Haskell chandelier earrings, $360
Slimmer belt, £20

New York and New Inspiration

New York City is a tremendous city. Although it was previously named New Amsterdam when held by the Dutch in the 17th century, the relics of this history are hard to find. One can only easily find hints of its past in the names of the streets, such as Wall Street, which was quite literally a wall in the early days of the city. Now it is made up of five boroughs and is the largest city in the United States. It is home to many movie stars, writers, and fashion designers and simply teems with culture and dynamic energy. Everyone really dresses up when they hit the streets of NYC. Whether off to a Broadway show (I saw How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe!!), a stroll into Central Park, lunch at a local deli, or out shopping, the people of New York really know how to dress. I saw countless men dressed in fine suits with polished loafers and bowties. Women strut down the street wearing all of the latest styles in the highest of heels. I honestly have no idea how they do it while dodging cabs at the same time.

New York provided a new found inspiration for me with regards to fashion. The New Yorkers tried out new styles and rocked them with confidence. This all reinforced and inspired some of the new looks I want to try this summer. Below are a few of the pieces that I am hoping to find and wear over the next few months. I would have included the crop top, but I actually bought myself two in H&M on 5th Avenue! I'll report back on how that look is progressing.

To try this summer... by HistoryandHighHeels

Silk dress, £250
Straight jeans, €99
Khaki Floral Tube Romper, $30
Pleated shorts, $278
JETS by Jessika Allen high waisted bathing suit, $147
Wedge heel sandals
Oversized jewelry, $38

Sweet Seafoam in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, the nation's capitol from 1790 to 1800, is a wonderful city full of interesting architecture and historic gems. The Liberty Bell is now housed in the visitors center, which gives everyone the opportunity to freely see this single symbol for freedom throughout America and world. Also, the original structures of Independence Hall, City Hall, and the Congress rooms still stand. I was able to walk on the same wooden floors as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, Benjamin Franklin and others. It truly was quite the experience for a history buff.

As for fashion, I was truly inspired by the colors of the city. The tans, golds, blues, pinks, and teals came out in several buildings and sites. I particularly loved the old Pennsylvania Rail Station, for its navy, pink, and soft golds. You can see it below.

Today, I channelled these colors into my outfit. I paired my dark denim shirt from Gap with my JCrew seafoam cotton shorts. I added my AE brown woven leather belt, platinum Sperry's, and bronze cross-shoulder bag. If I had a pink bag, I would have chosen that. But since my pickings were limited, I chose to pin two pink chiffon flowers to my shirt. You can see a similar rendition below.

Sweet Seafoam by HistoryandHighHeels

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer! I'll be back soon for a post on my trip to NYC!

On Mixing Colors and Prints...

Don't look like this guy!!

Although, I have only been travelling for a few short days, I have spotted numerous offenders of the basic rules of combining colors and prints. I have several general rules to guide one's use of colors and prints:

1. Colors - stick to the same family if combining bright colors, but sometimes it is nicer to pair brights with neutrals. (Neutrals include black, grays, browns, and soft pastels.) Never use too much of one color, for it can often overwhelm the outfit and you.

2. Patterns - don't mix two different patterns, especially if they are loud. I do love a good floral or gingham print, but I would never mix the two together. This would be as disastrous as the Burr-Hamilton duel. (They both died as a direct result.)

Metallic jewelry, bags, or shoes are great items to bring together two different pieces. But one must be cautious about mixing too many colors, although the designers at JCrew likes to push this limit. I like to combine several fabrics together, such as leather, linen, denim, lace, silk, etc. They can form an interesting mix that looks really great.

Also, as a side-note, never, and I mean NEVER wear an all jean outfit. Frankly, you look ridiculous. I can sort of understand wearing a jean jacket or denim shirt with jeans, but please make sure they are drastically different colors! If you don't the end result can be that you look like you are wearing a jean jumpsuit, never attractive!

I loved the way the model below paired the brights and prints together with neutrals of different materials and metallics. You can see how I would recreate the outfit.

On Mixing Colors and Patterns... by HistoryandHighHeels

Top, $150
TopShop skirt, $55
Zara platform sandals, $100
Christian Louboutin mini shoulder bag, $895
Tinley Road drop earrings, $18
Oasis leopard print scarve, 20 GBP