So now that THAT is settled, let’s move on to the really fun stuff – adding to and dressing up (or down) A Common Wardrobe.Just for reference, or if you still haven’t printed it, this is the template from which I worked for my 12-piece Common Wardrobe.
right click to print, or email me at [email protected] for a PDF
And these are the core garments with which I’m working:
These aren’t all of my accessories, but they give us a good starting point:
bracelet – Majorica; black and white scarf – Julie Egli; Maltese Cross brooch – Kenneth Jay Lane; pearls – Majorica; pearl and chain necklace – Majorica; grey pearl studs – Majorica; gold knot earrings – The Black Bow; pyramid earrings – Judith Jack; silver cross brooch – vintage; silver star earrings – Adriana de Gadea; bracelet – Kenneth Jay Lane; silver and black multi-strand necklace – Silpada; patchwork scarf – Metropolitan Museum of Art; puffy silver star brooch – Tiffany, silver hoop earrings – Vintage; silver chain necklace – Wayan Asman; black and white wristlet – Tumi; black and white scarf – Hermes Cliquitis; black and red scarf – Hermes Les Clefs; floral scarf – Gucci; black bag – Agnes B.; athletic shoes – Munro; boots – Eddie Bauer; short boots – Munro; loafers – French Connection; grey scarf – Hermes Les
Jardins des Metamorphoses; ballet flats – Thierry Rabotin
Going into this autumn, my foremost wardrobe goal, such as it is, is to get more use out of two of my most treasured scarves. The top one is from Etro, and I bought it for our honeymoon. It was, in fact, the leitmotif from which my pink, white and black color scheme was drawn.
And then 2nd scarf is an Hermes that Belovedest gave me for my birthday 3 or 4 years ago. Really, these both need to be out and about more frequently…
paisley chiffon scarf – Etro; square silk scarf – Hermes de Tout Coeur
So, in order to get these scarves out and about, I bought a pink v-neck sweater (mine is 2nd hand, from Peck and Peck!!! I worked for them when I was in graduate school…), a “thistle” tee shirt from Eileen Fisher (this is what I did with my Nordstrom gift card); and a pink cardigan – also 2nd hand. It’s a Ballantyne cashmere, which I never see in the US. The Eileen Fisher tee shirt comes in six colors, has 3/4 sleeves, and is just about perfect. It also comes in a cabernet shade, which is tres au courant this fall.
And, the red dress. I saw it, I knew that I wear red with great joy, and I grabbed it. It’s from J. Jill; I knew that it would fit perfectly. Also used…
The 5th item? Not a clue right now. Maybe a brooch? Or a pair of earrings? I just don’t have a strong yearning for anything, right now. Eventually, something will have whappage, and I will have a free space in my plan to buy.
cardigan – Ermanno Scervino
How will I wear these goodies? I have an abundance of options, just with the limited shoes and accessories that I’ve shown with my Common Wardrobe.
This bundle of stuff – 16 garments total, would make a GREAT travel wardrobe for a cool-weather destination, if you’re a dressy lass like me. Just enough accent garments to pick things up, but still plenty of monochromatic outfit options for days when one feels like making less of a statement.
I never dreamed that I would be buying pink as an accent. Have you experienced a radical shift of accent preferences?
love,
Janice
I love your new pink accent. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest gold (or cognac/camel) trousers for your 5th item – to make a change from the black, to work with the gold highlights in your non-pink scarves and with the grey tops (and even the pink ones, if you are feeling adventurous)!
I'm always shifting between different favourite accent colours, I love playing with colour too much to stick with one or two. The only thing in common is that they are warm tones, e.g. moss green, lemon, camel, ginger.
Alice
I'm all about the colors too! In my case, it's either jewel or nature tones – garnet, emerald, sapphire, amethyst or else wine, leaf, sky, flowers. Rainbow ladies unite!
– Kaci
Alice,
I, too, love multiple accent colors in warm tones so that I can switch to my heart's content, and I also do as Janice does when catalog shopping –purchasing a given color in each of its components –tee, cardigan, sweater, tank, but all accent colors have to work with my base neutrals in a sliding scale of stone to dark brown, depending on the season. Summer means the lighter to mid browns and Winter demands the darker values. I am trying to narrow down my total number of accent colors, but I'm struggling to do so, as I have finally found the range of colors that I find flattering to my personal coloring.
Back to travel one more time, I would probably only use one accent color in a solid and a print for use in one week of travel, but introduce its complement for a 12 to 14 day trip. Looking at Janice's Common Wardrobe again I see a "Not So Crazy Eights" in black, a pair of jeans, a gray tee, and a twin set of white shirt and turtleneck. So, adapting to my need for brown instead of black, this is easy peasy especially with Janice's template, allowing for individual needs and choices.
I was thinking along the lines of light green something to match the paisley chiffon scarf but after reading Alice's comment I like the idea of a gold/cognac/camel something.
My wardrobe contains a cacophony of colour and most of the rainbow is represented. So I have choices.
Love the scarves and the pinks and red look great. Carol S
Just curious. Will you wear any of the pinks together?
I probably won't wear them together. Since I'm trying to buy all used clothes this year, it's pretty tough to find things that are the same pink, or close enough, to wear together nicely. If I were buying clothes new, I'd almost certainly try to get things someplace like Lands' End that would have a tee shirt, cardigan, and sweater that were all the same color. That's my usual approach, even though I don't often tend to layer up colors very much. After looking at colors all day, I gravitate mostly to black, with a touch of black, and some black accents… :)
Love these combos! Over the last year I've begun wearing blue as an accent color and love it. I'm also on the lookout for something in the marsala/merlot family (more reddish than purple) to add for fall/winter.
I used to wear pink and pale blue a long time ago before I realized they were not good colours for me. Now, I am definitely bringing blue back, but not pale blue. Pink is something to ponder as I move rapidly towards 70 as the right tones are very flattering.
Deb from Vancouver
I am the opposite — just discovered this year that soft and smoky pastels are good for me. I had always avoided them as not edgy enough, but I get so many compliments that my wardrobe is shifting in that direction faster than anticipated!
Yes, I'm slowly building up soon good dark blue staples, to add to my shades of brown core (all shades, like Shrebee above). I find it odd that I love deep blue, but don't like myself in pale blue – the latter really seems to make me fade away. I did have a pink phase, but now prefer very light peach/honey shades. I always keep a couple of times from earlier 'phases' – they are good reference points even if no longer the favourite, and stop me rushing out to buy those colours again on impulse.
Alice
should have said 'couple of items'
A
I like having a range of warm accent colors, so that I can go HOT or *soft* depending on my mood. You might consider adding a grey "bottom" to this capsule – I just love grey and pink together, and I'm betting you already have something that would work.
I of the opinion that we can all wear pink. It is soft a flattering and very flattering to the complexion….it even suits this of us who are rapidly going grey!
Want.Skirted.Leggings.
I love pink with grays, dove gray to charcoal. Red would be a daring change for me :)
I have two wardrobes, work and home, that I did with this template for summer. I cheated — added a few more than five and and kept a few extra on hand (I wasn't sure I was picking the right ones or that they would be enough). My discovery: The home one was PLENTY of clothes, and I really like them.. no need for the extras at all. The work one was not as successful, I got tired of neutrals and the same one color, although at first I was really excited by it. However, it's a guideline and not a rule, right? Who says how long the "season" is? I have decided to wear all my favorite combinations one more time and then switch out the five. Why not do that every month or every six weeks, says I? My clothes will still be much fewer and better than before, and as time goes on I willl probably whittle down.
The odd thing to me is that I am now getting rid of nice clothes, not just old clothes. I have nice things that fit… and that I just don't like much or need because I have other clothes I really love and wear.
Okay, seven. I did seven instead of five. Five is really enough, but I hardly ever wear dresses and one is a dress, so to me it doesn't "count." And one more top is always good.
I say if you love pink go with it! Your beloved scarves will get more use and you will be happy! Win, win!
That pink top would be a problem for me because 3/4 sleeves don't layer well. They bunch up in sweater sleeves and are hard to straighten out. I am a sweater addict, so this is important to me. Doesn't anyone else have this problem?
— Mamie
Yes!!! I hate it too. I try to layer a long sleeve tee under the 3/4 sleeve, before popping on a sweater on top. This helps prevent the 3/4 sleeve moving up.
Angree / Anon, I bought 2 cheap cotton cocoon cardigans in Zara which were perfect for layering over 3/4 sleeves as they only narrow at the last 1/4 sleeve, towards the wrist. Mind you I live on the coast opposite Morocco and therefore don't need to layer a jacket on top, which might prove a problem; but for spring/autumn maybe if you don't have our temperatures?
I never thought I would use blue as an accent. It's just not a color I go to when looking at clothes. As I pared down my clothes to a black common wardrobe and a brown common wardrobe I started looking for accessories and accents to tie it all together. Then I realized I wear denim blue almost every day in my casual lifestyle as a stay at home mom to 3 teenagers. By adding 2 basic tops in denim blue to the denim jeans, skirt and shirt I already own. it all Makes sense now. Then I found a beautiful scarf that uses black brown and denim blue. It has become my go to accessory.
Janice, you must have been reading my mind. Pink is right up my alley now. My fall neutral colors are navy and gray. I'm using pastels as my accents this year – pale blue, pale yellow and pale pink. I bought a couple of tops in yellow and pink and I just love them with gray And they look great with navy too. I do find that after a summer of bright red and blue, the pastels are calming.
Janice – Although I read and enjoy your blog every day, I don't post often…however, when I saw these Freida Rothman earrings move to clearance today at at SaksOff5th, I thought of you and your upcoming winter capsule — to me they would be amazing with your scarves and existing jewelry collection — adding a fun, ladylike drop shape that echoes many of the shapes, themes, and colours you have going on. I wish I had the budget to send them to you!
http://www.saksoff5th.com/signature-two-tone-nautical-compass-drop-earrings/0400088089668.html?scrollTo=14939&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.saksoff5th.com%2Fjewelry-accessories-jewelry%3Fprefn1%3Dbrand%26srule%3DDesigner%2520A%2520-Z%26prefv1%3DAlexis%2520Bittar%257CFREIDA%2520ROTHMAN%257CHeidi%2520Daus%257CIPPOLITA%257CJudith%2520Ripka%257CKenneth%2520Jay%2520Lane%257CLouise%2520et%2520Cie%257CLydell%2520NYC%257CMarco%2520Bicego%257CMajorica%257CCAROL%2520DAUPLAISE%257CRebecca%2520Minkoff%257CStephen%2520Dweck%257CSwarovski%257CVince%2520Camuto%257CVita%2520Fede%26start%3D0%26sz%3D180
Thank you for all you do for us.
Sue G
Those are so beautiful – I'm flattered that they reminded you of me! But I'm not buying ANYTHING new this year – I've got 2 trips coming up, and I've got to raise money, rather than spend it.
But I love that you thought of me…
big hug,
Janice