November 2, 2012
When she was a child, she was admired for her downy-soft, warmly blushing cheeks… So she adopted peach as her signature…
Drop earrings – Ippolita, watch – Lipsy, rubber bracelets – Nessa Ayzee, pearl stud earrings – Lord & Taylor, pendant – Brace Yourself LA, bag –Rebecca Minkoff, ring – Didi Jewellery, ankle boots – Romantic Soles, ballet flats – Chloe, silk scarf – Hermès, gloves – Missoni, beaded cuff bracelet – Dorothy Perkins, striped scarf – Missoni, sunglasses – Charlotte Olympia, chiffon scarf – Aspinal of London
Top row – L.L.Bean, cream shirt – Kitsune, peach blouse – Chloe, cardigan & v-neck sweater – L.L.Bean, brown long-sleeved tee – La Garconne, tan pants – Jil Sander, cream jeans – Les Copains, brown pants – Maison Martin Margiela
love,
Janice
I love the peach you selected…it has a bit more brown in it than pink…great looks!
Very pretty. I am curious how long it takes you to put together these common wardrobes. They are always spot on, and you do find the best shoes.
Hours! Two or three hours, for a page of accessories. Something like Project 333 can take at least 8 hours… That's why comments are my lifeline – otherwise I don't know if I'm just working away here for my own amusement!
But I do enjoy it; I've found that in building streamlined and timeless wardrobes for the blog, I can better discipline myself to keep my own wardrobe under control.
"…and everyone called her Peaches." :) Janice, your blog is the first thing I turn to every morning and your ideas the way I now look at my closet and my former cluelessly-shopping self. I am born-again, clothing-wise. I am incredulous at the creativity, time, and artist's eye you put into these hours and hours of public-service blogging. I know people keep telling you should be writing a book, but how would a book substitute for this daily astonishment, interaction,and engagement. Brava, Dear Lady, brava!
Well, let me thank you again. Your blog has inspired me immensely, and I love it that I have such a great variety of clothes with fewer items in the closet.
Let me add my applause!
Karen
Then let me say 'thank you!' for all the shy folks like myself who stop by this beautiful and instructional blog to train my eye and get inspired. Some times I come back twice in a day to soak in the proof of just how individualized 'A Common Wardrobe' can be. You have helped me resist the siren song of stand alone pieces, because after all, who can make an outfit from a closet of stand alone-s? I have learned that I want people to notice me, not my clothes; and that I can express my personality through accessories. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, dear Janice. -Poppy
(((Poppy)))
Poppy expressed my own sentiments perfectly. I have gained so much from reading your blog and seeing these wardrobes. I am anxiously awaiting the navy and gray as those are my two neutrals and I have revamped and refined my wardrobe so much in the last few months. Thank you so much Janice.
I want to let you know also that I look everyday so even though I don't comment, I love your blog. (I have trouble with the comment feature on my home pc for some reason, this field doesn't appear fully)
anyway, you are not doing it just for you, many of us love this idea. Please do not stop, I miss it when you are travelling or busy with life :)
ps, I especially love the warm colour outfits you make
Janice, I have spent hours devouring your blog, making notes about my own closet and have started adopting some of your strategies! Recently returned from a 10 day trip that included a fancy dinner event… and was able to pack sufficient clothes for ALL occasions (which included a fancy dinner, several nice dinners as well as bike rides in the country!)… in a carry on. Without this blog, I don't know if I could have pulled that one off… I usually do only carry on, but never pack "dress up" clothes so that for me was a huge challenge… and with your help, one I was easily able to pull off!! So, THANK YOU for sharing your talent and knowledge with all of us!!!
I have a visceral 'ick' revulsion toward peach. And it is not one of my colours. So, wonder if we are repelled by colours we 'can't' wear? I like the styling very much.
Oh, I think that's definitely true; I've had to really move out of my color comfort zone since I started blogging. I've done entire wardrobes based on clothes which I personally wouldn't be able to wear for anything!
Duchesse, I have the same reaction to bright orange! If the "peach" is on the pinkish/brownish side, I kind of like it with some colors. I've also had to push out of my zone lately, as I find black (especially in a smooth fabric) not so flattering to my nearly-seventy face. Well, I probably never looked so terrific in black, being a "soft-summer/soft autumn" type. But black is black! Your suggestion of last winter, to try to find a rich charcoal, is taken to heart. But hard to find.
Add me to the chorus of thankful readers! I'm selective about which blogs make the "every day without fail" cut. I can come here knowing that I'm not a "product to be marketed to", but a part of a community that seeks timeless, classic, elegantly beautiful simplicity. You are unique Janice! Thank you!
Hugs,
Renee
I've had quite a few companies approach me, asking me to write about their stuff. To date, nobody has had "stuff" that I thought was worthy of you all. They've offered me free clothes, free shoes, free accessories, free jewelry etc. etc., but I'm sticking with what I think is more important, which is to give you my unadulterated thoughts about have self-defined style. Nobody can give me anything that will change my mind about that!
hugs,
J
If I win the lottery, we could start a fashion house and take America by storm. You of course would be the head designer extraordinaire!
Karen
Janice, stick to your guns and don't give in to the "stuff!" That's what we all love about your blog: simplicity, ethics, restraint, intelligence, and no peddling of "stuff!" Thanks as always for your wonderful posts.
Your style sheets are always beautifully put togehter, and the peach looks so pretty! Have a great weekend x
Dear Janice, I can only subscribe to the comments before… reading in your blog (more than once a day) has become part of my daily routine I am looking forward to so much! I am really happy when I notice that there is a new post.
I know, I have said 'thank you' before, but one cannot say it too often to you! Imagine, at the age of 43 (!) I have – grâce à toi – finally got the idea of how to downsize my non-organized wardrobe, how to dress according to my personality and found the motivation to declutter everything that is not 'in the plan'. But it's never too late, I guess.
Your beautiful, inspiring wardrobe/accessories combinations are so helpful as well as your advice how to pack etc. etc. I have been deepened in your older posts for the last weeks and learned so much.
Still, commenting is not easy, I often wonder if I use the right words to express my thoughts… it takes time to write a comment, I have to admit.
BTW, I would love to see a common wardrobe created with light, soft pink… a cashmere twinset in this color now is part of the 'new wardrobe' I am striving to build up (with light pink, grey, navy and camel, so far). Apart from black pants, jeans and other, I call it, 'my indispensable classics'.
Best wishes,
Birgit
Your efforts are most appreciated. I have lurked a long time and felt I must let you know how much I look forward to your posts. This peach is beautiful and very "Grace Kelly". I know you have many "neutral" followers to satisfy, but this lady is loving the warm, colorful collections. Thanks for fulfilling my wishes.
Janice, I think you can see how much your work has meant to so many of us. The recent core-building exercise has been particularly helpful to me. I can separate out the various components in an organized way. And it's useful for retiring the colors and styles that don't fit in anymore. This is the hardest part for me: giving away really good clothes that aren't pulling their weight. My clothing budget is tiny. I fasted for a whole year! And it's only replacements I now need. Thank you, thank you.
I love this blog. I intend on digging through back posts as a treat to myself this weekend. And I'm going to take the next year and try to put together a simple wardrobe that can handle extreme hot and cold…I really appreciate all the time you put into this blog. Thank you! :)
I love this blog, and I particularly lve the "Common Wardrobe" series. It has inspired me to completely rethink my wardrobe planning and resulted in a much more cohesive and stylish look and much less money wasted on things that I don't need. Thank you so much!
This blog is a must-read for me everyday, too. It helps me not to feel overwhelmed by my wardrobe, and is helping me to define my style. At 56 you would think this would have happened a long time ago, but my changing shape and hair color have thrown me for a loop. Thanks for all your wonderful ideas, Janice!
Jm
Janice, count me among the many who can't wait to read your blog every day. I've scoured the archives, and have introduced friends and family. I can hardly wait for the navy/grey capsule, as I am building my select wardrobe around navy and grey, with jewel-tone accent pieces. I have been on the Great American Apparel Diet for two years, falling off the wagon a couple of times due to weight loss, and have participated in Project 333 for the past three years. Like you, I don't count shoes, accessories, or outerwear. Since discovering this blog, I feel like I truly can have a fabulous wardrobe based on a limited number of versatile pieces. Thank you!
Janice, your blog is absolutely unique, one-of-a-kind. Nobody does what you do. Since I began reading your blog, I've stopped being a mindless consumer. I wonder how I ever succumbed to the more is better way of thinking! Thanks to you, I now devote more time to thinking about how to combine what I have to create new looks so I can avoid wardrobe boredom, predictability, and wasteful shopping trips. I thought limiting the colors in my wardrobe would make me bored, but you've shown me otherwise. I'm more content with my (smaller) wardrobe and it's honestly a relief to shop more mindfully and with a plan. Your blog is a daily pleasure. I always enjoy your color combinations and seeing how you accessorize outfits. And bless you for not writing about specific products. You are very appreciated and hope you will continue to enjoy sharing your wardrobe wisdom with us!
I'm in love with every single accessory! Now, I *need* that striped scarf and those boots (and I have scarves and boots for days…). But, there is always room for more. :-)
For more fun, modern, classic dressing check out http://www.betweenthechicks.com
Well priced too!
You are truly inspired. And inspiring. I suspect you should be working for a clothing company except they might not like you minimalistic approach. Except maybe Hermes, or a shoe store. Your picks are so spot on.