Style Glossary: C

Cape, Chanel & Clutch

Happy day, reader dearest!

Thank you for your patience. We are the owners of a new baby router and are all settling in nicely. Hopefully this one will not blow the next time the power goes out! FYI: I’m testing out a new posting schedule this week, and (if I can keep it up) for the month of April. To those of you new to Closet Play, you may not realize that blogging isn’t a full time gig for me. Yes, the blog is an important part of my business, but along with the blog, I have clients to serve, content to create, and marketing and sales to juggle. (And Mama to take care of!) Such is the life of an entrepreneur. Since a day has a mere 24 hours and I need regular sleep, sometimes the blog falls down the priority list.

If you are visiting for the first time, Welcome! If you are a returning reader, Welcome back! And BLESS YOU! If you are new, let me introduce myself! I’m Liz Klebba, AICI-CIC. That means I’m an internationally certified Image, Wardrobe & Color Consultant. Which is fancy talk for personal stylist, wardrobe whisperer, and personal style geek extraordinaire. (Emphasis on personal.) My goal is for closetplay.biz to be your go to place for Bright Ideas for Your Wardrobe and Your Style! If you find I do that well, please sign up for my monthly newsletter! In it I share blog highlights, and special content only for newsletter subscribers. I’m thinking events, too…

I began the first two Style Glossary months quoting Dr. Seuss, but for March, rather than camels on the ceiling, let’s try a joke.

What’s a pirate’s favorite letter?

R (Arrrgh?)

(Dramatic Pause) You’d think so… But it’d be the C! Get it?

I never promised that it would be a good joke! That done, let’s talk about some C style words! Now, these are certainly not the only C style words; there are hundreds, but for this month I’ve grabbed Cape, Chanel and Clutch. Mostly for fun, but also because the second is always a topic of delight and the other two are timely for Spring/ Summer 2021.

Cape

I have to say, this one got me thinking. Capes have their fashion moments… Like this past winter! And that moment is continuing into spring and summer. But what the heck IS a cape? So back to the source I go!

Cape: Sleeveless outer garment of any length hanging loosely from shoulders; usually covering back, shoulders, arms.

A Dictionary of Costume and Fashion: Historic and Modern, Mary Brooks Picken

Which got me to thinking… That means a poncho and a ruana are also capes! Although I think of a cape as having a front opening, which a poncho does not. So a poncho is a cape without the front opening… And a ruana is just a cape with a fancy name. What about a large shawl? There are oodles of capes! From little tiny capelets to cover shoulders at church or wooly capelets for warmth to the long crimson of Little Red Riding Hood. Let’s not leave out superheroes! When did the cape become a superhero thing?

Apparently quite early. The rabbit holes I tumble down for you readers!

Chanel

Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel. (1883-1971) Milliner, Fashion Designer, and thoroughly modern Businesswoman. Introducer of the Little Black Dress, Jersey knit fabric for daywear, the iconic 255 Bag and Chanel No. 5, possibly the best known perfume in the world. Coco (A nickname from her singing days) is perpetually relevant and constantly quoted. Even today. Icon par extraordinaire.

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If you are interested in learning more about Chanel’s pre-fame days, this NPR piece about the 2009 film Coco Before Chanel gives a brief 7 minute introduction to the life which informed the powerhouse she became. Coco Before Chanel is now in my queue!

Clutch

Argued over as both impractical and practical, the clutch is the first handbag. Handles came later. Clutched in the hand or under the arm, it is often thought of as an evening or special occasion bag, saved for times when you aren’t needing your hands for practical matters. This year, there have been a preponderance of puffy (AKA: pillow or cloud) clutches for day use. Most of them are certainly large enough to hold the everyday essentials. The personality styles that might carry a clutch for day? Feminine, Dramatic, Creative, or Elegant Chic. A Relaxed style personality is likely to find a daytime clutch impractical, as would the Classic. The Rebellious? She’ll do whatever she pleases, so a clutch is definitely in the realm of possibility! I like a clutch, but then again, Feminine is one of my predominant style influences. Personality aside, there’s a reason to include a clutch in any Handbag Wardrobe.

You did catch the K monogram on the soft dove grey zip pouch, right? That has my name on it! #sorrynotsorry

How About You

Do you wear a cape? Ruana? Poncho? Or are they too slide-y? Did you know that Superman wore a cape as a baby? Or that it has a pocket? Does Chanel style speak to you? If you wear knits, you have Coco to thank! What’s your best color? Your best color is ALWAYS chic! Is a clutch a part of your handbag wardrobe? Or just silly? Do let me know! I love to hear from you…

Stylishly yours,