August 5, 2019
Tee shirts and jeans will get many of us a long way in life, but it’s about time we started dressing a bit more… not casual!
pants – Lands’ End
These pants can be pretty much anything other than jeans! (and no, I do not consider leggings, nor yoga pants, to be what we’re looking for; they have their place in your wardrobe, but this isn’t it…)
If I were only going to have 1 pair of pants that were NOT jeans, I’d definitely get a pair of cotton twill pants, similar to the summer dress pants that men wear. They’re appropriate for almost the entire year – maybe not the screaming dead of summer, but any other time. If the overall design is simple, you will find that you can wear these pants with anything from a cashmere sweater to a rugby jersey!
What can you do with a pair of nice not-jeans?
earrings – Karine Sultan; shirt – Lands’ End; cardigan – Lands’ End; socks – Falke; tote – Madewell; loafers – Børn; pants – Lands’ End
Never discount the fun that you can have with spiffy socks…
earrings – Wouters & Hendrix; tee – Alexander Wang; cardigan – L.L.Bean; socks – Falke; tote – Sole Society; boots – Sam Edelman; grey pants – Lands’ End
Browns seems to always require some tasteful blending of colors:
earrings – Halogen; cardigan – Madewell; turtleneck – Lands’ End; socks – AEO; bag – Frye; boots – Munro; brown pants – Lands’ End
This next outfit is lifted almost perfectly from my own wardrobe:
earrings – Aurea Sandra; cashmere hooded sweater – L.L.Bean; tee shirt – Lands’ End; socks – Feetures; soda can pop-top bag – Neide Ambrosio; boots – Blondo; washable wool dress pants – Lands’ End
I couldn’t resist socks that matched the stripe in the plaid shirt; my pleasures are small and unusual, aren’t they?
earrings – Kendra Scott; cardigan – L.L.Bean; plaid shirt – Lucky Brand; socks – AEO; bag – Frye; boots – Anna Baiguera; pants – L.L.Bean
You don’t have to look like you’re actually going to play when you go to a sporting event, you know…
earrings – Jane Basch Designs; cardigan – L.L.Bean; rugby shirt – Lands’ End; cashmere socks – Neiman Marcus; tote bag – Longchamp; boots – Blondo; pants – L.L.Bean
With 4 tee shirts, jeans and a pair of pants, you have (in theory) 8 ways to wear these six garments. None of those outfits, by themselves, would be amazing, but all of them, with some jewelry, shoes, and a bag, are perfect. Baby steps…
love,
Janice
p.s. 3 years ago I was helping an architect pack light in navy, ivory and hot pink!
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I’m going to disagree with you here, and have a second pair of jeans. It’s the smart clothes in my wardrobe that don’t get worn! Admittedly, I don’t go to work, and I live in coastal town which gets lots of holidaymakers. I wear holiday clothes all the time.
I know someone who had lots of lovely, smart clothes that she didn’t wear. She took a suit to a consignment shop, they wouldn’t take it, because, they said, it was too dressy, no one would buy it.
I do sometimes regret the fact that I’ll feel overdressed if I dress in a certain way, but it’s the way things are, in my life anyway.
I think I’d take black ponte jersey pants. From fall to spring, I wear mine at least once a week. I kinda count twill pants as jeans…don’t see much difference in terms of casualness.
Anyway, I have a question!
After building a nice, cohesive wardrobe over the years, I stumbled upon this beautiful green cardigan
https://www.gudrunsjoden.com/en-us/clothes/cardigans/product-85891-agave-artemisia-s
I’d buy it in heartbeat if I hadn’t spent years building a cohesive wardrobe with a clear plan I still like. This beautiful, the color suits me, I could wear it in many ways and I own nothing remotely like it…
…which is the point: I don’t own anything remotely like it. My accent colors are pastels (baby blue and pink). No green, or any bright color for that matter. I have only a couple of patterned items: statement shirts and summer dresses.
So, should I admire this beauty from afar or would it be a smart purchase that would easily earn its keep? Would it be the “odd one out” or would its uniqueness add to versatility of my wardrobe? What would you do?
Don’t do it! Stay strong! Once you start, it’s a slippery slope to ruin… I know…
This is an accent piece on its own; therefore it doesn’t have to go with your accent colors. Does it go with your neutrals? What about your accessories? Do you have anything that would tie it in, like a jade pendant? It’s an unusual shade of green that you’re not going to match easily.
How does the price sit in your budget? Is it a splurge? If so, do more thinking. Is it about what you’d expect to pay for a cardigan? Can your wallet absorb the price of one cardigan without blinking? Could you instead buy a non-clothing thing that gives more value?
I agree with all your thoughtful considerations “sgac”. This sweater is a lovely accent piece on its’ own and if it goes well with “sara k’s” basic neutrals then I think it would make a welcome addition to her well- planned wardrobe. A fresh new piece could add an exciting new direction to her wardrobe which she may be ready for. Perhaps not a minimalistic approach, which has its’ undeniable merits, but depending on her circumstances, closet, budget, and her obviously strictly followed previous wardrobe plan …if this piece is calling to her, she might have reason to heed its’ siren song.
It’s beautiful, but I’d admire it from afar; do you know someone that it would suit? Maybe an early winter holiday gift for someone? I know how you feel – I see things every day that I think are lovely, and that I could wear with glee, but I’ve got to walk away. I think of avoiding clothing that I don’t need in the same way that I think of that 2nd dessert, or the ice cream at 9 p.m. – “short-term pleasure is not a long-term strategy!”
hugs,
Janice
A disciplined and well planned wardrobe is a very good thing. But…is it really such a mistake to throw in a surprise here and there? A new piece may take you in a different direction or provide some welcomed variety… or it may be that rarely worn item you could have done without. If your lifestyle and budget allow the occasional impulse, then why not indulge?
I like the variety of pants you have shown here. Chinos, knits, and dressier wool. I have worn those Lands’ End knit pants and they are very comfortable while looking a bit nicer. Are you also previewing the second layers? Nice!
Janice,
For me , jeans are to be worn about the house , or for a quick errand , as we live in the countryside and jeans are ubiquitous, it seems ! However, when going out to dinner , a nice pair of what I call slacks , are a must ! During travel and changing for dinner when on a trip, jeans will not do, a dressier pair is a must for me ! I think it all depends upon one’s lifestyle, and perhaps one’s generation as I am in the “ well ripened “ age group ! The twill pants are somewhere between a jean and a dressier fabric, and are suitable as a daytime traveling pant when I feel that jeans would be too casual for that occasion , in my opinion . I’d like to explore Ponte fabric as an alternative for comfort and a step above jeans .
What a name for the LLBean pants — dark cement !
I agree with Susan and Bee. If your budget allows, why not throw in something that really calls to you? You might be surprised. A few years ago I picked up a mustard and black print jacket. I looked at it for months! Now it is one of my fall go-to’s and I’ve found several ways to incorporate tops that will coordinate with it and the other things in my wardrobe.
I vote for buying the sweater. It would go fine with your black pants, and possibly pink top, but surely a white top. Maybe even some blues. If it makes you feel great, and your soul craves it and you can afford it, why ever not?
“Twill” is a •weave•, with those distinctive parallel lines. I find twill quite masculine, and cotton twill has poor drape. Many of us need a little drape, and it makes a pant less ‘unisex’— so I prefer wool crepe (like Eileen Fisher’s). Also, black cotton twill tends to fade and nothing looks sadder than faded black trousers.
A terrific option for black not-jeans is techno fabric, a synthetic that usually has poly/rayon with a good shot of stretch. They do not fade, and the moths are not interested (and they sure are for wool.) A plus is that those I have do not need dry cleaning.
I’ve learned that if an item really calls out to me to go ahead and buy it. Items can be really pretty, lovely colors, might work, but if it doesn’t fit the wardrobe or call out to you loud and strong, leave it. The jewelry I have bought under these circumstances has been well worn. The bright red orange jacket ended up going with tan skirts and pants and white pants and has been worn for years. I have made mistakes–the scarf that was too big and the red jacket that I bought during a dip in weight and couldn’t wear the next year.
Also consider if by adding a pair of earrings or a bracelet you could feel that the jacket fits into your wardrobe. Do you need to buy the blouse shown with it in order for it to work for you? That orange jacket I bought really needed the coordinating print blouse.
One other thought: could this jacket be part of one of those five piece sets that provides a new accent color that you are beginning to crave?
+1 re: 5 piece French wardrobe idea for the jade sweater. A singleton in a color outside ones normal palette has a greater chance of being an orphan.
Dark neutral pants are a workhorse for me – and I’m glad to see camel included as a “dark!” Thanks, Janice!
Your advice this week was timely! I went looking at the thrift store, and found a pair of navy cotton/bit of Spandex pants that will go with just about everything.
Thanks for your thoughtful input, everyone! This kind of decisions can be tough, as there are good points to be made both for and against buying. I’m glad to see what a vivid discussion my question sparked.
This time, I have decided to resist the temptation. As I read your responses, I was reminded that there is a reason why I have chosen my particular style and colors- they are things I not only enjoy to look at, but also happily wear year after year. Also, while strict wardrobe discipline sounds potentially boring and restrictive, I enjoy my wardrobe much more than I enjoyed it in pre-Vivienne Files state.
While I agree that a wardrobe with lots of good neutral items can accommodate just about any individual piece thrown in, I feel that this advantage is easy to lose. In my case, statement items are most fun to shop, but they get least wears, so I haven’t all that many of them to begin with, and I certainly don’t need more. There is definitely a risk that once the novelty wears out, this beautiful but totally new kind of cardigan would become a closet orphan.
If I wanted to expand my wardrobe to green/floral direction, I think it would be smarter to start with adding either green or pattern and see how I feel about that. Getting something wildly different from what I usually wear and love sounds like fun, but wearing that kind of item often enough for it to justify its keep…now that would probably be much harder.
A five-piece French Wardrobe cluster- type arrangement would probably work better, and would be a good way to introduce new elements into a wardrobe. However, as I pondered about the idea, I realized quickly that I don’t really want to add a jade green cluster, or a floral cluster. I just like this one cardigan. This tells me, that I’m actually very happy with my existing wardrobe!
So, thanks to you I saved money and made a thoughtful decision. I’d still like to find a new cardigan for winter, but instead of this beauty, I’ll get something that looks like it belongs in my wardrobe.
I admire a wardrobe that really works as well as yours seems to. What are your main colors, if I might ask?
My basic wardrobe’s starts with greyscale: there is a lot of black, but also some grey and white. My other neutrals are dark denim blue & baby blue and light camel/sand brown. Finally, there is a good dose of baby pink as an accent color.
I live in 4-season climate and certain colors attract me at different times of the year. My basic colors are worn all the time, but also have mini seasonal capsules to fend off boredom and make several years old things look a little more in-season: burgundy & purple for fall/winter and light green, orange & aqua for spring/summer. Scarves, sundresses and accessories can be any color and patterned. Yes, I’m happy with my current wardrobe situation- I have come a long way over the last 5 years.
I own a pair of these pants (the ones from Land’s End) and wear them at least once a week. They are as comfortable as jeans and perfect for work, running errands, going out casually. My pair have been in my closet about a year and still look new even with all of the wear.