April 9, 2013
Many people have asked me to clarify how I choose the accessories that I put with these simple wardrobes; I will try to explain my thought process. And some of you have expressed a desire to see these wardrobes with fewer shoes – thinking that these little vignettes would make great packing templates…The accessories I’ve chosen are:
Silk/cashmere cardigan – Diane von Furstenberg, sunglasses – Jimmy Choo, dangle earrings – Kara Ross, necklace – Fossil, seashell earrings – Rose Pierre,
tee shirt – Balmain, daisy bracelet – Stella &Dot, striped cotton scarf – Mapoesie, skirt – Sophie Hulme, fabric slingbacks – Andre Assous, ballet flats – Franco Sarto, gold sandals – Taryn Rose, scarf – Hermes
tee shirt – Balmain, daisy bracelet – Stella &Dot, striped cotton scarf – Mapoesie, skirt – Sophie Hulme, fabric slingbacks – Andre Assous, ballet flats – Franco Sarto, gold sandals – Taryn Rose, scarf – Hermes
Starting with the most basic garment – the white tee shirt. Arguably the easiest outfit possible is to grab the khaki skirt, but that’s pretty… blah. So I wanted to incorporate the green accent color, in a cardigan that will be worn, tied around the shoulders, or carried, depending on the temperature situation. This all gets pulled together with a simple green necklace…
Or the basic tee shirt is the perfect thing to simplify the utterly beautiful busyness of a printed skirt. Some gold jewelry, and comfy flat gold sandals, make this dressy but still relaxed.
Sometimes nothing is cooler than head to toe khaki linen, but that can be REALLY drab. But with a scarf, and some jazzy, but comfortable shoes, things look much brighter. I always put an Hermes scarf into accessory packages, but you could easily substitute another scarf from any other company; the essential variable is that it shows at least a hint of the leafy green that is the common thread of the wardrobe.
And shorts – for many of us, they’re essential. But they can still be gorgeous, and show your signature colors, with a pretty tee shirt, comfy espadrilles, and great sunglasses. (you MUST have sunglasses – you know how much damage the sun can do to your eyes, right?)
Sometimes, you have to wear a skirt! These neutrals get perked up with a lightweight cotton scarf – great stripes with our favorite green, and the ballet flats to make it look like you chose these things intentionally. And the cardigan – even if just carried – picks up the colors of the green necklace, and lends a bright accent to the workhorse linen dress.
Casual outfits are a piece of cake – any amazing tee shirt stands out against the simple white pants – dressed up with some earrings that carry a feeling of khaki and white, with a luminous surface. Green flats pick up the green notes in the tee shirt, and tie everything together.
And sometimes you just want a tank top and shorts – with a cardigan to guard against air conditioning! But gold flat sandals and a gold bracelet finish this outfit much more neatly than would a pair of tennis shoes, or rubber flip flops…
And you always have the opportunity to wear a sort of mellow linen “suity” kind of look with coordinating pants and shirt jacket. But again, we elevate this from blah beige by matching the tank top to the go-to flats in that personal signature green. Slide a cotton scarf under the collar of your jacket, grab some amazing earrings, and you’re set for dinner at the nicest place around…
Lastly, we must wear that floral skirt again – it’s just too amazing to become a closet orphan. The tank top gives you a feeling of a long monochromatic column of clothing, and some simple touches of gold jewelry finish off the look, without weight or clutter.
And let us take an appreciative look at the simple, well-made, timeless garments that serve as the basis of all of these variations:
All clothes – L.L.Bean
When is L.L.Bean going to give me a contract???? Here’s there site – L.L.Bean – I need lobbyists to get me away from my day job and committed to full-time blogging!
love,
Janice
I would have never thought about putting green with khaki, but you have pulled off some nice combinations here. The accessories are well chosen, and if in doubt, you can always 'start with the scarf', right?
I am so in love with this skirt!! I will dream of it now the rest of the day!! Love khaki and green!
If you linked through to LL Bean, you could monetize and they'd know how many women you're referring to them!
This is the perfect wardrobe for Spring. It balances the warm days and the cooler ones, plus the colors echo what's going on in nature (at least here in New England). Lovely, just lovely.
BTW, my extra curricular activities revolve around two boys (three if you count Dear Hubby) and a dog. We love the outdoors and can be found playing ball, hiking, golfing, etc. Great stuff but I don't necessarily want to dress like the rest of my family. These casual outfits teach me so much about how to elevate my look just that extra bit but still be dressed appropriately for the activity. THANK YOU!
This is so wonderful! I like the thoughts behind the choices. It's really does help clarify. I agree, I like the idea of doing this for a trip where you'll only want to take a limited number of pices. Great stuff!
I really loved reading the "wording" of your thought process. And while I enjoy looking at all the dreamy shoes, I know that my shoe wardrobe is pretty limited. So I usually just substitute my shoes for the ones you show. The outfits aren't quite so snappy without amazing shoes, but still really nice.
You have no idea how much your bloggers love you!
…readers, that is. But as addicted as I am to this site, I might as well name myself a blog-er.
Your idea of connecting with LLBean or any other American brand is a good one .
I now subscribe to a weekly post and pay a yearly subscription .You can do the same
without lowering your standards of excellance.Janice you can make change happen!!!
I will be praying for you.
You have wonderful ideas and I love the combinations. Too bad the LLBean clothes don't look as good in person! I plan to take your suggestions and translate to a more upscale, stylish brand such as J Crew! Keep up the good work!
Janice, I *do* love Bean's, and despite their undeserved reputation for being dowdy (honestly, there are 6 or 7 different khaki styles alone…definitely more than enough for many different body types), I have felt blessed to live in the state.
That said, what can *we* do to lobby for you? Should we embark on a letter writing campaign to customer service? Is there a specific person we can address them to (so that they don't get lost in the shuffle? Even if it's not with Bean's, is there a way that we, your adoring readers and lifestyle enthusiasts, can help you blog full time?
I wish I had a bigger budget (or shall I say, a more adaptable budget)…you'd be my stylist!
I love this! I have to wear a khkai bottom and white top to work. Using your ideas (and subbing in my favorite accent color of Turquoise for the lovely green), I can stretch my work wardrobe so that I can look less "uniformy" if I have a meeting before work, or a gathering afterwards. Just changing a few items, which I can easily tuck into my tote, I can now make a "Presto! Changeo!" from what I'm already wearing, without having to head home, and then feeling rushed and agonizing over what to wear.
Thank you!
LOVE all of these so much, gorgeous! And I am a huge fan of LL Bean as well–and Land's End, too. Love plain, functional clothes and beautiful accessories. :)
May I suggest that you check out Problogger to find ways to monetize effectively? You have enough of a following, and quality posting, to make this a full time deal if you know how to do it. :)