November 29, 2017
Winter White (aka cream or ivory) is such a pretty option in cold weather! You of course have to be very cautious about street splashing on your lovely pants, but that’s well worth the bright change of pace that this color brings to classic navy (or any other color!).
Two of these pieces are deliberately and obviously dressy, and two are more timelessly classic. Yes, I have an abiding passion for cabled sweaters; in cashmere, in an unexpected color, they can be absolutely lovely!
embellished cardigan – Lands’ End; lace blouse – Halogen; cabled cashmere sweater – L.L.Bean; pants – Sportsmax
As I always do, I’m starting with a few classic pieces in navy, and navy with off-white. With just these 9 pieces you could travel long and far…
striped turtleneck – Lands’ End; tee – L.L.Bean; plaid flannel shirt – Lands’ End; turtleneck – Uniqlo; cashmere crewneck sweater – Uniqlo; cashmere cardigan – Uniqlo; cotton pants – L.L.Bean; cords – L.L.Bean; wool pants – Lands’ End
The cardigan can be pretty “grounded” with paired with a solid navy core, or go full-on evening/party wear with the pants, some pearls, and a pair of dressy (but comfortable!!!) shoes…
earrings – Sophie Buhai; velvet loafers – Bettye Muller; ivory clutch – Menbur; bracelet – David Yurman; earrings – Majorica; flats – Badgley Mischka
The lace blouse works pretty much the same way – it can be appropriate for almost anything when worn with the pants in the same color, or it can add a festive touch to a navy “suit.”
And yes, GOLD SOCKS. A bit extravagant, but they can change the look of the entire outfit!
earrings – Kitik Jewelry; flats – Manolo Blahnik; bag – INC; earrings – Judith Ripka; bag – Sondra Roberts; socks – Dsquared2; loafers – Naturalizer
These outfits are much more relaxed, but would still be appropriate for many of the events one attends this time of year – in someone’s home, or in a restaurant, you and your friends don’t always go full-tilt formal! A bit of jewelry always gives a feeling of completeness…
earrings – Majorica; bag – GiGi NewYork; loafers – Trotters; earrings – Bloomingdale’s; necklace – Theodora Warre; boots – Kenneth Cole
The winter white pants automatically make things look a bit dressier, don’t they? And don’t miss the chance to add on a festive brooch this time of year – it will spark conversation and make you look “in the season.”
And if your feet are not playing nicely, why not wear gold athletic shoes? Your friends will understand and applaud your creativity, and the people who disapprove aren’t truly your friends (and thus who care what they think?). We’ve got to dress in a way that’s comfortable, as well as attractive, and sometimes we have to make adjustments…
snowman brooch – Talbots; earrings – Nakomol Design; patent loafers – Splendid; JOY brooch – Talbots; braided earrings –Talbots; athletic shoes – Tretorn
I tried to work with cooler shades of light blue and found that I could NOT find garments that suited out requirements… Maybe I’ll revisit this idea in warmer weather as we’re confronted with the spring and summer onslaught of weddings, graduations, and other events… Help me remember!
love,
Janice
My capsule core colors are navy and white, with accents of hot pink, khaki, and pale blue. I was afraid to wear the white pants after Labor Day, but I may break that rule after reading this!
I'm sure there was a really logical reason for that rule, a long time ago, but as long as you're careful about weather conditions and splashing slush and road yuck, wear whatever make you happy! (and keeps you warm, of course!)
hugs,
Janice
There's a store in Palm Beach that does dyed to match pants to go with their beautiful collections of cashmere sweaters, jackets and scarves. I have no idea how expensive they are, but I'm guessing pretty pricey since there are NO prices on their website and custom reversible cashmere jackets are hand loomed in Italy! But imagine how lux a light blue cashmere sweater would look with light blue pants dyed to match. Sigh.
For the curious, and those with deep pockets, here's the link: https://www.trillionpalmbeach.com/
These looks are fantastic – and so 'doable', even on a tight budget. Thanks for sharing your ideas – they are always appreciated.
I love this capsule — just a few tweaks for my shape and colouring, and I'm all set for the winter casual get-togethers.
So approachable and yet polished!
BTW – Those Kitik earrings are fantastic, thanks for always scouting out an interesting bend of basic and special accessories for us.
GOLD tennis shoes – AWESOME!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. From a Warm fan.
Beautiful!!!!
Hiya,
As it’s almost winter here I was going back to see what winter wisdom I could find and realised that you wanted to be reminded in your spring of possible additions to this that might be available now that were not when you posted this.
Cheers