Sweater – Vila, cardigan – Rachel Comey,
silk tee- Steffen Schraut,
bracelet – Bochic
silk tee- Steffen Schraut,
bracelet – Bochic
Just a reminder of what the Common Wardrobe included…
All clothes – J. Crew
These are the Pantone Spring/Summer 2013 colors:
OMG!!! My favorite color! It's so hard to find, maybe now… thanks to Pantone!
I went out on a limb yesterday and bought a blouse this color. I'd never worn it before, but knowing that it is one of the this year's colors, I took the chance. Modeled it for hubby and it was quickly rejected! Back it goes.
Why do I continue to buy clothes that don't work for me? I think I'm trying to live someone else's life. I know I'm a muted autumn and need structured, classic casual clothes for my frame and lifestyle, but every year, at this same time, I toss out loads of online buys, or impulse buys, pieces I hated wearing or things that don't really fit. I've wasted so much money and so much time. Is the fault that I'm American and like to shop?
Thank you for your visual reminders on using basics and making them work for you. Maybe on 1/1/13 I'll have less clothing to donate. I do appreciate your blog so much.
Theresa
http://www.robertsongallery.wordpress.com
Could you make a common wardrobe for South Florida? Summers are about 7 months long with hot and humid weather in the 90s. Winter is about 5 months long with 60-70 degree dry weather. Thanks.
Seconding this! So so much…
This Texan would love to see one of these as well! What a great suggestion!
Yeah, Janet over at The Gardener's Cottage is unloading a nice, thinsulate red coat (I think J. Crew) because in her case (and mine), Southern California just cannot take coats and sweaters…or even heavy scarves…or especially wool…at least for very long. I mean, for right now, yes, we're having a colder January (never can know how things will be month to month…we could just as well be having the dry & hot Santa Ana winds)…but, even then, I'm trying to wear my Lands' End Polartec jackets (love them and the colors but rarely wear them) and I wind up yanking them off (they don't breathe for a reason…they're meant to block authentic cold weather and maybe we're just thin-skinned here). I hear you on the humid and l.o.n.g. summers as I lived in Houston-TX for three years and I absolutely never got the clothes right and was generally miserably uncomfortable most of the time. My upper arms aren't attractive but about all I could take…kinda even holds true for most of my life in SoCal now…was a sleeveless and unlined, lightweight linen sheath which also meant nylons/stockings for the office when I longed instead to go barefoot. I also don't have the toned and tanned legs of my youth anymore but, from about April to…well, sometimes APRIL…I can't even stand to be in anything but bare legs which means no slacks or jeans. Definitely from May 1 to November 1, it's skirts or dresses; not even linen or cotton crops for me. Sometimes even cotton short-sleeved tee shirts get too warm, so it's tank tops around the house at least.
Here's another person who wants to see stylish things in whisper light washable fabrics suitable for very hot weather and no annoying layers. Right now the only thing that works for me is linen. I'm 67 and covering up most everything is a must. I live in Tucson, aka "but it's a dry heat…"
Oh yes! Warm colors for a really warm climate. This lady in South Texas would be ever so grateful. Classic, professional, and graceful.
I would love to see a wardrobe of only tops (no low necklines), skirts (no pencils), and dresses (no sheaths) that cover the knees, for a casual, occasionally dressy lifestyle. My colors would be described as cool summer-love aquas, periwinkles, pinks ,with grey or charcoal grey as my neutrals. I would love to start with a winter wardrobe. I'm 56 and my hair color is silvery grey. I really enjoy your blog but I'm still having trouble finding clothes that work for me. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us! Janet
Ditto on your request, except that I'm a warm spring. (and somewhat overweight)
Jora
I can't figure out whether I love this color or just the name of it! Can't wait to see what you come up with for a work look including grayed jade.
I continue to learn more about Pantone, not realizing that they are now doing a range of colors when I thought they only selected one. Sigh. I'm a big color-lover but confess I can't get excited about anything other than that poppy red (just not smack up against my face as I'm red enough with broken capillaries and rosacea), although I can appreciate this grayed jade as very elegant. Janice, I'm sure as you get to each color, you will have changed my mind!
I'm also looking forward to the other colors — especially the tender shoots and the African violet. Long before this palette came out I decided to use my versions of those colors plus a bit of the poppy red in combination with dark jeans, pants about the color of tender shoots, black pants and a black skirt for a month long trip to Europe in April. It all started with a blouse I got from Coldwater Creek that has all those colors and then some. I have tried the neutral route for these trips in the past and found I got incredibly bored. I'm just not a neutral kinda gal.
Love this colour. I'm so glad it's going to finally become available in what I hope will be a range of styles and items. Also looking forward to the nectarine version of the wardrobe.
Pretty color. I'm amazed at how versatile and easily the common wardrobe has worked with all the colors. It's making me think about purchasing a pair of tan trousers similar to the one's here during my next shopping trip.
Janice: It's nice to see you've reworked the core of the common wardrobe a bit. Based on some early comments, possibly a few were put off by the casual-ness of some of the the initial core items. Wonder if more people can be converted to this way of dressing with the "dressier" options in the core. Are you still considering doing a book? If so, the Common Wardrobe would an excellent idea for one.
Thanks for your information, it was really very helpfull..
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