I had a few of these ideas lingering in my head, and I’ve FINALLY figured out how to present them in a somewhat unified manner. What unites all of these outfits is that they’re based on the simplest navy “core,” either a dress or a matching tee shirt and pants.The key, to me, for wearing accent colors successfully is to give them a sense of looking intentional, rather than just grabbed at the last minute. While you might not want FOUR pieces in your accent at one time, wearing 2 or 3 green items – shoes, jewelry, bag, or sweater – makes it look like the green was a purposeful choice on your part. Plus, it lends a sense of balance to your ensemble!
Using a hoodie and canvas shoes gives your dress more mileage than it might get if you only wear it “dressy.” And olive can be such a gorgeous color for leather goods…
I think this is such a fun color – and what’s not to love with a gingham cardigan?
Remember that you don’t have to match your shoes to your accent color – that could lead to shopping madness! Nice neutral shoes are always appropriate…And yes, in all of these “paired outfits,” you could swap accessories left and right. You knew that…
I want to do this one more time (at least), with brown and shades of orange…. any other ideas?And I have to thank everyone who commented when I asked about how to adjust my posting schedule. Monday-Friday is going to be the rule from now on! Your VERY kind and generous comments made my day, and have made it possible for me to adjust my schedule without guilt…
hugs all around,
and love,
Janice
That jade shade is my fave.
I never would have thought to put olive green with navy, but it works.
So fun to have you back! I'm going to go throw on a scarf now, thanks to you.
While I love my black outfits, I have to admit, if I had to pick one core neutral it would probably be navy, I love all these combos!
Janice, welcome back! Thank you for putting navy and olive green together! They are both so prevalent as core neutrals in summer but it feels challenging to mix them. Almost as though you have two wardrobes- 1 based on navy; 1 on olive. Thank you for showing how beautifully they can be combined.
Thanks again Janice. So glad you're still posting! I was concerned that you'd decided to stop! Chris Australia xx
Bonjour, Janice. I really like the navy column with olive. I've been focusing on navy as my second neutral this summer. Olive is an interesting accent colour for fall. I am going to purchase some layering items for my September trip to Ireland. I wonder if an olive cardigan or hoody might be a good choice. I'm so glad that you have found a schedule that is comfortable for you. Merci.
No guilt for you, ever!! Brown and burnt orange sounds great to me.
Deb from Vancouver
So glad you're back Janice. I love the navy with green and I enjoyed yesterday's very feminine look. Your stories remind me of the old cold water creek catalogs. I would reed it for fun. Does anyone remember those?
I also like the jade (it looks more turquoise on my screen) shade the best, and would have never thought of pairing olive with navy. As a lover of all things muddy (in colors close to my face) I will try this and see how this might work in real life. And brown with anything… please.
Cornelia
The beauty of having an "inside column" is abundantly clear in this post. You could wear the same core pieces every day for a week and no one would accuse you of being boring! Wouldn't it be fun to attend an event where everyone invited wore the same navy Land's End dress? The possibilities for accent colors and accessorizing are limitless.
I'm another fan of the jade/turquoise pairing. I pair navy with all kinds of green shades. I should probably get a purse or shoes to really tie things together. Charming Charlie currently has some great accessories in the green family.
Have always loved olive as accessory or core – thanks for these suggestions! xoxoxox
I would love to see a burnt orange (rust) and pink ! I have completely embraced the column philosophy!
I always love your creativity with color! How about turning the colors from this post around by using olive as the core with different shades of blue as accents? Navy as a core color does not "suit" me (bad pun, I know!), but as an accent it is a possibility that I have not yet explored.
Great idea! I too love olive but always struggle with ways to complete ensembles. Janice is just the girl to help!
Pat
Just discovered this awesome blog. Thank you! It is just what I was looking for! I've been researching the capsule wardrobe idea for a year now. Your instructions are the best, and your ensembles are inspiring. I'm devouring this website.
Love the olive with navy! I am dieting and should I EVER lose enough to need a new wardrobe I am seriously considering replacing all of my black with navy. Maybe……..LOL I have worn so much black all my life that it would be tough but I just love all of your navy combos here lately! My Mom has given up black for navy and it works for her! The "inside column" is by far my favorite way to style an outfit. Thanks Janice!
Good ideas Janice! You've got me thinking sideways about accent colours – how a primary or secondary colour includes all sorts of shades and tints. This makes things much more flexible! Now I'm looking forward to brown with burnt orange / rust – and dare we hope a warm pink?
Robyn in Tasmania
I see that there are a minimum of two accessories to make an "accent" color look intentional. Three seem to be optimal. I love seeing purses/bags in accent colors, but once you put them down/away, there have to be at least two accent colors remaining to make the point of the accent color. That is my take-away from your post today. Helpful. Susan in WA