Caftans & Craks @ CCC

Frances Valentine Embroidered Charming Caftan

 Frances Valentine is having a summer sale with up to 60% off and it is an excellent opportunity to grab some great pieces at great prices. And I have my eye on a couple of caftans on sale for my new mahjong obsession. Caftans are a perfect pairing with mahjong - chic and comfortable. The caftan above would be great paired with these Limoncello tiles.

CCC

Caftans & Cowboy Boots

La Vie Style House

Happy May Day. I really like the look of pairing a caftan with cowboy boots. Must be because I was born in Texas. I have been looking for a fun pair of cowboy boots to wear with my collection of caftans.

Iconic Caftans

Royal Blue Lace 3D Maxi Caftan

I am a caftan devotee - in the tropical heat of Florida, there's nothing more comfortable. Caftans, also spelled kaftans, were originally worn by men. Cut from airy material to sit off the body, it is one of the most comfortable things you can don in tropical climates. Long associated with Palm Beach and Florida, the caftan is as comfortable as sweat pants, but with elegance and sophistication.

Crazy for Caftans

Christy Caftan in Summer Zebra

Caftans, also spelled kaftans, were originally worn by men. Cut from airy material to sit off the body, it is one of the most comfortable things you can don in tropical climates. Long associated with Palm Beach and Florida, the caftan is as comfortable as sweat pants, but with elegance and sophistication.

Caftans are thought to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia and were worn in India, Africa, and Iran by sultans and high ranking officials (men) from the 14th to 18th century. Caftans became the rage in the sixties worn by women like Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.

I love caftans and they have become a mainstay of my wardrobe here in Florida. Comfortable and chic, they can be dressed up or down and getting dressed is so effortless. Add a pair of sandals and statement jewelry and you are good to go. 

Sarasota Style

Blair Eadie - Atlantic-Pacific X Lake

My favorite fashion blogger/influencer is Blair Eadie of Atlantic-Pacific and she just happens to live here in Sarasota. Her style is colorful, feminine, and maximalist. She has just launched a collaboration with Lake Pajamas, a favorite line of mine.

Spring Caftans

Frances Valentine

Caftans, also spelled kaftans, were originally worn by men. Cut from airy material to sit off the body, it is one of the most comfortable things you can don in tropical climates. Long associated with Palm Beach and Florida, the caftan is as comfortable as sweat pants, but with elegance and sophistication.

Caftans are thought to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia and were worn in India, Africa, and Iran by sultans and high ranking officials (men) from the 14th to 18th century. Caftans became the rage in the sixties worn by women like Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.

I love caftans and they have become a mainstay of my wardrobe here in Florida. Comfortable and chic, they can be dressed up or down and getting dressed is so effortless. Add a pair of sandals and statement jewelry and you are good to go. 

Dressing Up

Peacock Caftan

 

I have been seeing everywhere news stories about shortages on everything this upcoming holiday season from zippers to toys to cars to appliances and much more. Many people are already doing their holiday shopping.

There are two pieces at Frances Valentine that I am not taking any chances on selling out. This red and white Peacock Caftan is so Chinoiserie Chic. It will be perfect for me for any holiday parties I attend or for entertaining at home over the holidays. I am crazy about the pink and coral one I recently got. I have contacted their team about doing navy and white and cobalt blue and white versions - fingers crossed.

Lounging in Style

Peach Garden Dress

 

My daughter Kate introduced me to LAKE and it has become one of my favorite clothing lines.

"LAKE was founded on the belief that the most comfortable part of your day should be celebrated. For us, these comfortable moments are nights at home with our families, weekend escapes with friends, a dose of me-time after a long day, and holidays that gather everyone together. We hope to be a small part of what helps you find comfort in the everyday and that you share that comfort with those you love.

Chinoiserie Chic Fashion

Frances Valentine Peacock Caftan

I was the hugest Kate Spade fan. Her personal style and brand really captured my own fashion sensibilities -  happy, preppy, colorful, feminine, retro, and fun.
My closet is filled with her handbags, shoes, clothes, and jewelry. I even have in my collection handbags from her very first collections.

My Summer Style on Sale

Embellished Dress $428 reduced to $149

 

I am a huge Tory Burch fan - the quality, taste, and style are always spot on. Here are my top picks on sale now. This is a great price on this beautiful dress above - I just ordered it. I will wear it off the shoulder. This can be dressed up or down. Also some great caftans that can be worn anywhere - definitely not just for at home. These are all timeless dresses that will always be in style.

Chinoiserie Chic Fashion

Tuckernuck

I mentioned on my one year house anniversary post last week some upcoming changes on Chinoiserie Chic. Here is the first. 

I love fashion as much as I do interior design. Whenever I post on my closet, I get comments asking for more info on my wardrobe. So since I post seven days a week, I have decided there is room to add some fashion, beauty, and entertaining posts. CC will still be primarily interior design, but we are mixing it up a bit. I hope it will be fun for you and for me. Let me know if you enjoy it and let me know any topics you would like to see covered.

Caftans

From My Collection

 I posted before about how caftans have been a staple of tropical dressing for centuries and in South Florida for decades. Light, breezy, and chic, they work here morning, noon, and night. With the pandemic and staying at home more, they have become my wardrobe. I even sleep in one. I am wearing this one above right now. They are great as nightgowns, beach coverups, loungewear, and going out as well - I just add a pair of statement earrings, a straw bag, Jack Rogers sandals, and I am dressed for anywhere - things don't get too dressy here BTW. Venice and Sarasota are far more casual than Palm Beach.

I especially love the ones by Rujuta Sheth. Made of rayon, they are machine washable and you just hang them to dry. And they wear like iron. They are available on the website, and I have also purchased them from Madewell and Anthropologie - two of my favorite stores.

I bought a couple yesterday on Black Friday sales to add to my collection. 

Rujuta Sheth

Rujuta Sheth

Rujuta Sheth

Retail Therapy & Chilling

J. Crew Limited Edition Silk Tie Dyed Dress

Yesterday I decided to take the day off and let the day take me wherever I pleased. So I ----------

1. Cleaned my house

2. Worked in the garden

3. Watched my sprinkler system go through all 6 zones. This is obscure, I know, but I have been meaning to watch the sprinkler system go through all its zones to see if any need adjusting. I was suspicious there were a few sprinkler heads in need of adjustment because a few plants do not look happy. So I manually turned the system on and watched it and sure enough the unhappy plants have sprinklers not functioning properly. I called my guy and he is coming over next week. You should have seen me running to avoid the sprinklers as they came on. Hysterical.

4. I hired the same lawn, shrub, and tree care company as I had been using in the Sarasota house but the new technician here is awful. So I called and read them the riot act and they put my excellent previous Sarasota guy on this property to keep me as a customer. The squeaky wheel....

5. I decided to do some retail shopping online. I ordered this beautiful dress above which immediately sold out. Another dress for my imaginary dinner parties. LOL

6. I ordered this caftan from Anthropologie. I love Rujuta Sheth caftans and literally live in them down here. They are chic and incredibly comfortable.

Anthropologie Rujuta Sheth Caftan

7. I also ordered this Ikat Off the Shoulder Dress from Maisonette that I love. Lightweight maxi dresses are my thing in Florida. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Maisonette Ikat Dress

I am taking the entire weekend off and relaxing. What do all you peeps have on tap?

Caftans and Chinoiserie

WSJ

Caftans, also spelled kaftans, were originally worn by men. Cut from airy material to sit off the body, it is one of the most comfortable things you can don in tropical climates. Long associated with Palm Beach and Florida, the caftan is as comfortable as sweat pants, but with elegance and sophistication.

Caftans are thought to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia and were worn in India, Africa, and Iran by sultans and high ranking officials (men) from the 14th to 18th century. Caftans became the rage in the sixties worn by women like Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.

Jackie Kennedy

Elizabeth Taylor

Grace Kelly

Since moving to Florida and especially now with quarantining, I have embraced this style full throttle. I have always worn dresses - I don't own a pair of jeans. You can get out of the pool and throw on a caftan, thrown on some statement jewelry and a pair of Jack Rogers, and go to the most stylish dinner party or restaurant - someday again.

And, how does this relate to Chinoiserie? Many of our favorite interior designers have espoused this attire in their tropical abodes.

Meg Braff - matching her Kips Bay room

Meg Braff

Amanda Lindroth

Amanda Lindroth

Tory Burch - a fashion designer, but she uses Chinoiserie throughout her gorgeous homes

Alessandra Branca

Alessandra Branca

Such a great look - comfortable, effortless, sophisticated, timeless, and looks great in the Chinoiserie home.