February 6, 2018
Our heroine ended yesterday’s adventure with a color scheme that felt right, and a spring capsule wardrobe that she found really comfortable; it gave her great pleasure, every time she opened her closet door…
But she still needs to wear shoes! And carry a bag. And maybe wear some earrings, or a bracelet, from time to time. How to plan THAT?
Well, I pondered this for a while, and I think that she should think about what outfits she’s going to wear, from her wardrobe, and then make certain that she has the accessories that are right for each of those outfits. What else would she want, if she knew that she had a dozen outfits ready to go?
To keep choices balanced, I’m going to see if I can fill in this template with her accessories… If I build a little cluster around each of the 6 “bottoms” in her wardrobe, then I can assume that I will want 4 accessories for each cluster. Clear as mud, isn’t it?
Her first outfit is pretty simple, solid navy, with that great floral tank top included as a 2nd way to wear the core pieces. Classic sandals, a small bag, and a couple of pieces of jewelry finish things off nicely…
Earrings – AZ Collection; floral tank – J.Crew; cardigan – Caslon; navy tank – Lands’ End; bag – Anya Hindmarch; navy capris – Lands’ End; sandals – Kork-Ease; scarf – Rag & Bone
Just because it’s spring doesn’t mean that it will be warm EVERY day…
Sweater – Lands’ End; flower necklace – Emma Chapman Jewels; plaid shirt – Lands’ End; stripe-trim sweater – Lands’ End; bracelet – Gorjana; loafers – Børn; pants – Lands’ End; watch – Salvatore Ferragamo
Let’s re-assess our acquisitions, so far. (note that when I saw acquisitions, in reality these pieces might very easily have already been in our heroine’s wardrobe!)
Yes, she would definitely wear a striped top with print pants! And who’s not going to enjoy a crab brooch on a sweater?
Striped top – Lands’ End; zipped sweater– Lands’ End; crab brooch – Talbots; tee shirt – Lands’ End; bracelet –Carolina Bucci; flats – Earthies; print pants – Lands’ End; scarf – Talbots
It’s always safe to assume that she’s going to need to dress up just a bit from time to time – it’s good to be prepared for these events!
Pendant – ASHA by Ashley McCormick; white tee – Lands’ End; earrings – BaubleBar; cardigan – Lands’ End; striped shirt – Lands’ End; skirt – Lands’ End; flats – Børn; tote – Longchamp
So far, so good!
Now the fun starts! Bright green just screams spring…
plaid shirt – Lands’ End; green onyx earrings – Monica Vinader; cardigan – Lands’ End; henley – Lands’ End; scarf –Philipp Sidler; pants – Lands’ End; bracelet – Auree Jewellery; espadrilles – David Tate
And the yellow will be cheery, even if the weather is cooler, thanks to that sweater….
Sweater – Lands’ End; earrings – Brooks Brothers; yellow shirt – Lands’ End; white shirt – Lands’ End; resin necklace –‘S Max Mara; navy pants – Lands’ End; loafers – Tod’s; scarf – Hermès Ndop
Her accessories are ready to go; bring on spring!
This might seem like over-planning, but nobody would think twice if you planned your meals this carefully – and food is a LOT less expensive than clothing…
love,
Janice
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Ha! You have a valid point!!
Love
Lizer Pearl
Janice,
You have me convinced — this year — one pair of fun accent colored shoes— something I have been considering for a couple of years despite my shorter stature and larger shoe size ! Clothing should be about what makes ME feel happy! The wearing of them will be based upon mood — one frivolous , happy purchase and utilization!
Yes!!!! What color?
I'm still not there – although I do have my gorgeous black and silver oxfords, which are pretty much a statement accent with any outfit!
hugs,
Janice
Hmmmm, not sure , maybe red ballet flats for Spring, or in a more open form for Summer a teal strappy sandal to break up the solid block of color Even something as sedate as an olive green loafer . Or — a multi color strappy shoe with my accent colors in an open toed sling back or a wedge , oh that sounds like a pair of my mother’s that I coveted when I played dress up as a child. I remember asking to sleep with that pair of shoes ! I also like two tone cap toe shoes in my neutral colors. Dressier than solid accent colored ones, but fun too. Maybe some striped espadrilles ? Uh-oh I’m on a roll it seems ! The rest of the outfit will be quite simple, but the accent color or colors will be repeated in earrings and perhaps a bracelet or a handbag, or a top or cardigan, but not all of those at the same time. Stay tuned — I’ll let you know what I find !
Janice,
I’ve been reading your blog for a few years, but not sure I’ve ever commented – bad me as I read it daily. Anyway, navy is my go to and after seeing the LE navy chevron sweater I couldn’t get my credit card out fast enough. It’s my Happy Birthday to me (next week). Thanks so much for including it as I was getting a little bored with LE, but they really are great for staples.
Have a great day!
Leave out one scarf or jewelry piece and buy during travels.
Always a good idea, if you're traveling somewhere with good shopping. Some of my trips would yield only the very WORST Wal-Mart dreck… ;)
hugs,
Janice
Spring is a season so tied to geography. Here in Montréal we have practically no spring so, clusters 5 and 6 would get little wear as those colours don't really "hop over" when fall comes. As a result, I see very little yellow worn here, and practically no spring-only coats in the pretty colours that are popular further south. It's not that women are so practical, but when it still snows in April, we are less drawn to a lot of spring shades. So, when I want something like that, I buy it in a thrift or consignment because it does not warrant spending a lot. How many accessories? When you have to blow the dust off them, you have too many.
Thank you for this, i’ve just bookmarked a few of these posts! Really handy as i’ve just launched my new blog.