August 7, 2019
When we last visited this intrepid heroine, a week ago, she had her clothing well sorted for her trip, but still needed accessories!
Her first wardrobe cluster is black – of course! But it’s not completely somber; printed tops make a difference, as does a striped skirt…
cardigan – Nordstrom Signature; striped tee shirt – Lands’ End; blouse – Caslon; jeans – Lands’ End; pinstriped skirt – BOSS
Accessories… I personally feel that you need a few more accessories than you need items of clothing! Of course, you may not agree, but this template will give us some guidance as we get this solo traveler packed and ready to go…
Six accessories for each cluster… hmm….
earrings – French Kande; bracelet – French Kande; necklace – Simon Sebbag; scarf – Missoni; shoes – Thierry Rabotin; bag – Treasure & Bond
Yes, these shoes can be worn with everything! If she remembers to pack black opaque tights, she will be all set… Of course, you could bring 2 pairs of shoes – 1 for the skirt and 1 for the jeans, if that makes you feel more comfortable. Some of us like to have a change of shoes after a long day of walking…
Now, when we look at her possible outfits, with some accessories added, everything seems more complete and “finished.”
While there are certainly those of us who could travel with just these 5 garments, our heroine is going to be on the road for quite a long time. Thus she’s choosing to pack 2 clusters – 1 black that skews sort of dressy, and one based on a pair of jeans:
jacket – Eileen Fisher; v-neck sweater – N.Peal; plaid shirt – L.L.Bean; striped tee – Banana Republic; jeans – Lands’ End
Why yes, many of these accessories would be lovely with her black cluster, just as many of the accessories above would work nicely here. When you start with a guiding “theme,” everything you pack will at least be on friendly terms…
earrings – Argento Vivo; bracelet – The Met Store; pendant – The Met Store; scarf – Halogen; boots – Munro; backpack – Rebecca Minkoff
I would wear that wrap in transit, if I was flying… How cozy would that be?
Her casual outfits now have some polish:
Now, when she looks at everything that she is going to have with her, it all feels more logical and complete. Probably because it IS more complete; packing without shoes, at a minimum, would be craziness…
2 compatible clusters gives you outfit possibilities that span the 2 original groupings…
Our heroine is thinking seriously about taking a VERY long trip – maybe 6 or 8 weeks…. And thus she’s pondering the possibilities of a 4-cluster travel capsule wardrobe!
And I have an idea for a way to introduce accent colors without sacrificing our fidelity to Romaine Brooks. Stick with me, this could either be great or a strange mistake…
love,
Janice
p.s. 4 years ago, our heroine was accenting grey and black with orange and acid green…
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Hmmm, interesting. Personally, I don’t feel dressed without earrings. I need to think about how that requirement would fit with this concept.
Thanks so much for all you do. I started with The Vivienne Files seven years ago. It has made such a huge difference in how I dress, how I shop, how I think about wardrobe. Hats off to you!
I like the wrap a lot for the plane (bring your own blanket), but I imagine it’d have to go in the carry-on. I’ve had TSA make me remove regular neck scarves in the past. (Does that happen to anybody else? Am I just lucky?)
Often happens to me, and we’re TSA Pre-Approved. They’re just nervous about us being able to use them as a weapon?
hugs,
Janice
I’m intrigued about the accent colors…I can see a tiny hint of pink, and maybe a sort of periwinkle? Really like this wardrobe so far.
Oh, you’re going to LOVE Friday’s post! I hope…
hugs,
Janice
A red purse would add the perfect splash of color to these outfits.
I really like this wardrobe. You have me rethinking my colours but I need bright colours on top due to graying hair. Looking forward to Friday’s post.
Adding these accessories has made it such fun! I can imagine a packing afternoon where the capsules come together in 15 minutes but an hour or more goes by in playing with accessories. I really like the simplicity of these capsules – they remind me of the blue and white ones from a while back. But I’ll be looking forward to Friday too …
Just finished packing for a 3-week trip to Europe and had to send a HUGE THANKS to you, Janice. I started reading The Vivienne Files four years ago. You helped me transition into having a capsule wardrobe. Now that I’ve got that down — love my colors, love how everything works together! — packing for a trip is a snap. One carry-on and I’m ready. You’ve helped me save time and money. Kudos!
That second cluster is so my style, though I would probably switch out the jacket for a long gray cardigan or a denim jacket – maybe a washed black. Loved the accessories in that cluster too. Looking forward to your color additions. Color can really stretch a capsule wardrobe.
I see a print on her headscarf that would be intriguing for adding pattern and maybe color! – nancyo
I love this wardrobe but the peplum Caslon blouse is no longer available – I cannot find something similar…any ideas?
Keep an eye on it, or call a store near you. They will get returns from other purchasers, and some will show back up in stock. With Caslon, since it’s a Nordstrom brand, there’s no place else to look…
Also, check Nordstrom Rack in about 2 months. While much of the merchandise at the Rack is NOT from Nordstrom stores, some of it is…
hugs,
Janice
Janice, I really like this new cluster concept. I’d been using your 4×4 for trips, and clusters might work better. Tell me, how many clusters would you recommend for a 3 week trip to Germany in early Sept (where it will start off as hot and will move to cool or cold)? 2? 3? (we will have a chance for laundry once)
I love this series! I have a question about how to wear a long sweater that hits mid thigh…it is hard to see how long the black sweater pictured in the black grouping is …but it reminded me of my struggle.
I have several long sweaters that look great with black pants but I am wondering how to wear them with skirts. Short slim skirts are not my favorite. Is there any other type of skirt that would work with a long sweater for a dressier look, say for church or a dinner out?
Maybe a skirt that’s “close to the body” to about mid-thigh and then flairs out below? A trumpet shape, or stitched-down pleats work well with longer sweaters…
hugs,
Janice