The Modern Mode: Winter Looks Inspired by Debussy and Sisley

Woke up to a stunning snowfall this morning. The flakes have stopped falling, but the day is still dark and overcast, all the colors muted and the sounds dampened. Puts me in mind of one of my favorite solo piano works by Debussy, Des pas sur la neige (Footprints in the snow) and this painting by French impressionist Alfred Sisley. They both have that cold melancholy that almost makes it feel like you're looking at an alien landscape, much like when you look out your window first thing in the morning after a snow and suddenly the world you know is changed.

Debussy's Des pas sur la neige (1909) performed by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Sisley's Snow at Louveciennes (1878)

Here are some great winter looks from the past couple of months which I think show very strong ties to both these works. They use varying shades of grey with some touches of muted brown and whites that are soft rather than glaring. The looks are loose and flowing, with soft edges for the most part which speak to the indefinite harmonies of the piano piece and the undefined brush strokes of the painting.

black Topshop boots - brown SuperTrash cardigan

silver vintage hat - white Bik Bok cardigan - white moms skirt

black seychelles boots - black Corey Lynn Calter dress - light blue Juicy Coutur

GET THE LOOK: SISLEY'S SNOW AT LOUVECIENNES (1874)

Four years before painting the picture referenced above, Sisley painted this one of the exact same spot. The styles are remarkably different, with this one embracing much warmer colors and more defined edges, particularly among the buildings, the foreground trees, and the wooden fence. The sky and the trees of the background are more ambiguous, a hint of his painting to come four years later. But overall, this work is more about the visible landscape in the snow rather than the atmosphere and mood created by the snowfall. Still a lovely work, though, so here are a few pieces to put together a more structured and defined winter look based on this earlier painting!