February 20, 2018
This is almost the same wardrobe that we saw back on February 7th; I’ve made a couple of changes so that our new “dilemma” is clear…
This is her starting wardrobe; there’s nothing really WRONG here – they’re all perfectly nice clothes, but she struggles, and often feels that she doesn’t look… pretty…
So she goes through the same exercise that we’ve seen before – does she have the right general assortment of pieces? Yes, this seems fine…
Is it the colors? She feels in her gut that she’s got a color “issue…” She’s always been told that she was an Autumn, but the colors feel muddy and heavy to her… She’s got blue eyes, and freckles, and she feels more… light? than the colors that are suggested for her…
She realizes that she owns quite a bit of yellow-y olive green, which really isn’t a color that she likes! She is happy with both white and beige, but her favorite accent colors are blues and greens and more blues and greens! And so, just for a bit, she’s going to test-drive this palette:
First thing is to get rid of those colors that feel dank and moldy…
With her core of 14 pieces, and her colors, she thinks for a bit and comes up with some shopping goals for spring. She’s going to need to replace those olive pants and shorts for sure! She could get more beige pieces, but she realizes that maybe… navy… just to try.
And she’s going to pursue that “pretty” feeling that she’s been missing! A floral shirt? Some bright stripes? Maybe even a dress, in one of her new favorite colors…
It really didn’t take very long at all…
This is how her casual wardrobe looks now – it still has a balance of warm-ish beige with cool blues and green. But the beige is a great summer neutral, and she’s really happy with her outfit possibilities.
She has outfit options to wear from the coolest damp spring days, or for warm and sunny days. Maybe some accessories will make all of this even better, eh?
love,
Janice
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She would feel so much peppier with this new wardrobe–the colors are just so much zingier. And you're right about the olive green, especially juxtaposed with the rest: it ended up looking like a puddle. You have shown olive green in gorgeous combos, but here it had to go. I am sure I wouldn't have seen this on my own, but when you present it, it's clear as day.
Janice,
Hmmm — while olive green is a friendly color for me, I’m thinking that I don’t care for it in the warm months , but rather prefer it in the cooler Autumn weather, using sage green as my Summer green or light denim blue instead. Yes, I agree with Taste of France, the cooler colors in this collection do feel livlier as a result of the editing the olive green. Thanks for the eye opener ! I’ve been wanting to whittle down to fewer items in my closet !
I love this! "Can this wardrobe be saved? – Color edition, or cardigan edition, or dresses edition" Love it!
So glad you're feeling well enough to come back to this wardrobe. I love how you took it in two different directions for two different tastes – each equally valid! I found that removing my "eh" colors was a huge shift for my wardrobe – now it looks less like a mess and more like a boutique in my closet!
This is such a contribution: Validating that "can wear this colour" does not mean "enjoy wearing". Once again, I vent here about dye/fabric quality. So many mid-priced makers provide muddy colour because of cheaper dyes that have no depth. (She could probably wear that olive in a fine tweed or a luminous polished cotton, but those are typically expensive.) It is easy to get clear colours like the turquoise and crystal blue shown, in moderate priced clothes (typically cotton blends), but just try to find a rich red or grey. Dull, dispirited synthetics, shrieking brights.
It's so sad… I used to have the most beautiful, richly color and textured sweaters…
sigh,
love,
Janice
How often do you recommend changing capsule wardrobes? Once this wardrobe is "set" how long should it last before changing out the accent colors? The site is full of so many beautiful wardrobes, how do you change them up without stockpiling clothes? Thanks!
OOh, that depends on the person. I only use red and bright blue as accents, and they're the only accents I've used since… forever? But I know a lot of readers here change out seasonally. A dear friend wore only 4 colors for their entire adult life (black, white, red and golden yellow…). I'd say maybe quarterly, or twice a year, for most people.
Ladies? Any opinions?
love,
Janice