November 1, 2019
OH my! It’s the first of the month AGAIN? It seems like this happens every 30 days or so… (Did we pay the rent????)
Let’s get right to some beautiful colors, and some outerwear. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are finally starting to really need these things!
scarf – Hermes
I wanted to find this heroine a great blue coat, but I didn’t see anything that came down over her hips enough to merit inclusion. It can be pretty important to have a coat that covers your longer sweaters…
But this scarf consoled me A LOT…
And yes, MORE Blondo boots. I’m so smitten with them that I want to make sure everybody sees them about a million times. Seriously, I can walk for miles in them, and they’re legitimately water-resistant, i.e. your feet don’t get wet on a rainy day unless you start wading in puddles!
coat – Lauren Ralph Lauren; beret – Halogen; scarf – Asneh; gloves – UGG; boots – Blondo
Our “wardrobe” pages are now sufficiently packed tightly – I’ve broken them into the Clothing, and the Accessories. It’s easier to see what’s what this way, I think!
A new coat doesn’t really give you “new” outfits, but you can always wear your new accessories with your existing wardrobe, to bring some variety and freshness to your look:
Some purple for you?
scarf – Hermes
Here’s another case where a really perfect purple coat would have been grand! But it’s more important to be smart, rather than trendy, when we’re talking wind chill…
hat – L.L.Bean; coat – L.L.Bean; scarf – Missoni; gloves – Lands’ End; boots – Lands’ End
I like seeing these wardrobes this way…
New accessories are as good as new clothes, to my mind…
Next is this most unusual, but very effective, color combination:
scarf – Hermes
I’m envisioning this coat for the “less than bitterly cold” days… And the scarf is a major investment, but as a partner to the Hermes scarf, it’s perfect!
And let me remind you – UGG’S ARE NOT WATERPROOF!!!! It’s a constant refrain on the streets in Chicago, all winter – women squealing when they step into ankle-deep slush in UGG’S, and suddenly have soggy, heavy, freezing cold boots… These boots have their place in the freezing cold, but it is NOT in anything that might be wet. (and always assume that puddles are ankle-deep…)
fleece coat – L.L.Bean; beret – Halogen; gloves – Intermix; scarf – Etro; boots – UGG
I still love this combination of cool neutrals and a full range of blush, peach and orange accents:
You never know, but your new scarf for winter might be the perfect update for your summer dress!
I’m still coming to grips with this color palette; I suspect I made a major miscalculation with this wardrobe, somewhere…
scarf – Hermes
Which is not to say that a beautiful winter coat and scarf can’t be found! And an annual reminder – check the Men’s Department EVERYWHERE for scarves. I don’t quite understand how scarves have gender, but the men tend to have some lovely ones, at great prices…
coat – J.Crew; hat – Phenix; gloves – Marks & Spencer; scarf – Marks & Spencer; boots – Sarto by Franco Sarto
I still think I could travel for a really long time with these clothes:
Just wear a hat some day, with your normal clothes. Watch heads turn!
Remember this scarf? What a… challenging… color palette!
scarf – Hermes
Again, if you run into a great orange coat, or red, for that matter, it would be gorgeous here. But I love the idea of this great mid-weight coat for those of us who don’t live in the “death by frostbite” climate:
coat – Marks & Spencer; hat – Look by M; gloves – Clyde; scarf – Brooks Brothers; boots – Fipflop
This wardrobe is all over the map, color-wise, but it still has a great deal of versatility!
If you love a wide range of accent colors, accessories can make a lot of difference to tie together your things into coherent and attractive outfits:
And finally, the scarf design that I like the most. I wonder if I should have skipped the green “addition” that I made? Next month I’m going to critically evaluate all of these wardrobes…
scarf – Hermes
Another coat that’s more for rain than snow…
hooded raincoat – Gallery; umbrella – Shedrain; gloves – Echo; boots – Kodiak; scarf – BP.
It’s startling how many of these garments I own!
It’s not wrong to have a fun umbrella, is it?
As I look over these wardrobes, I’m thinking that I would want a hybrid of the 1st and the last, with a few red things just for the heck of it!
If you could combine 2 of these to come up with something you love, which 2 would you choose?
love,
Janice
p.s. 4 years ago, our heroine was going to be home alone for Thanksgiving; she made some travel plans…
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You have chosen some lovely accessories. Seeing them together is so great; I love all of them. The navy and purple/lilac and the grey and peach are both very beautiful. I’m not so sure I’ll be able to combine them, but I love both. The first one with a bit of red will be quite acceptable too.
Thanks for showing us all the beautiful things
Thank you so much, Janice, for this great and beautiful work !
I DO enjoy every suggestion you propose, and every concrete advice !
I read your blog since, now, one or two years…with always as much interest as the beginning !!!
And I read it every day :
– to think again about your last post of the week
– to discover (a part !) of your other posts in all your blog
I’m struck, every time, by your sense of “élégance” : and, I think, by the sense of “élégance” of American people who continue to be so well dressed to go to work, to go to feasts (Thanksgiving, I believe, for example), and so on : in France, all of that disappears…(people even go to the opera, now, in jeans, with not ironed clothes, and son)…Though we were, before, THE country of élégance…
This feeling exists only, nowadays, at “grands couturiers”, that’s all…
My dream would be to see photos of beautiful American clothes, in shop-windows (at Chicago, for example ;) )…I’m sure it exists.
NB : I has never gone to United States…
I come back to your today post : I had new ideas :
– to use what I have at home
– to buy some clever accessories or clothes, or shoes
Thank you very much, Janice : and congratulations for your work, your constant imagination, and your “joie de vivre”.
My daughters, recently of your Chicago, and their friends talk a lot about boots and warm layers for the cold and wind. Boots for when it is cold and wet, or when it is just too cold to be wet; especially how many seasons you can expect to wear them. Last year my daughter wore her old skiing snow pants to commute by train. Once at work and before the warm elevator ride, she stopped in the restroom to remove all the layers.
Without hesitation I’d combine my favorite of these, the purple wardrobe, with all the grey items from the grey/peach wardrobe. I think that would look lovely.
I would remove the black from the first wardrobe and the purple from the second wardrobe and marry them for a beautiful wardrobe full of all shades of blue. Can’t wait for your analysis next month. Even more excited for next year’s scarf choices!
Death by frostbite, here. Here’s acolourful puffer that covers the hips:
https://www.landsend.com/products/womens-winter-long-down-coat/id_333044
It’s called “long” but still above the knees. Also comes in red and oh joy, Petite, Tall and Plus as well as Regular sizes.
Uggs are OK for dry cold but terrible in slush and water. Shoe repair stores put signs in windows saying they recondition Uggs, because they get water or salt-stained and dirty within a short time.
If anybody knows how to handle cold weather, I believe it’s you!
hugs,
Janice
Coats and scarves and boots – so appropriate now that a big cold front has blown into the Eastern US! We are having low 30’s here in Georgia, and I have an outdoor event tomorrow morning, so I’m busy plotting my warm layers.
I love how the Zouaves et Dragons wardrobe turned out, and I think I can see what happened. It’s the wardrobe for a beige neutral base color, but it kind of veered into navy as a strong partner, with lots of the dark red. The beige pieces almost seem like outliers. A camel coat might have balanced it, but that red coat is just too delicious to lose!
Les Nouveaux Armoureux de Paris is a wonderful wardrobe inspiration – I agree, without the green. But of course you added the green because this was the scarf for an olive neutral base.
It’s fun to see how these wardrobes take on personalities of their own, and so hard to believe just one month left! – nancyo
Zouaves et Dragons is my favorite. And no, I don’t think you miscalculated on that one. If that were my wardrobe, I would change out one or two of the light colored bottoms for navy…I tend to spill things on my clothes! Mix in some of those beautiful blues from the first wardrobe and I could be very happy with that wardrobe.
Just wanted to report back and tell you how much I love the velvet stretch jeans from LandsEnd that you posted two weeks ago or so. They are fantastic and I never would have considered them if I hadn’t seen them here. I got them in petite in the “zinc” color, which actually looks like either grey or greyed navy and doesn’t clash with small accents of black. These are great because I’ve banned new black clothes from my wardrobe and these are great neutral pants. I can also wear them to work on Fridays where we have a “no denim jeans” rule. They’re good for weekends and suspect I’ll wear them with my velvet holiday pieces to parties and such.
I’m so glad that you like them! Mine are on the stack to be packed for Paris NEXT WEEK!!!!
hugs,
Janice
The denim jeans and colored jeans that Janice recommended are also great. They fit a short stumpy person very well! Thanks!
Great bright blue coat by Boris, found at Shepherd’s Fashion in Ottawa: https://www.shepherdsfashions.com/collections/coats-jackets/products/boris-dtl-cllr-fleece-coat
Janice, The wardrobes are all so fun with great accessories and shoes/boots. I can see 4 and 5 working well for me. The navy and chocolate bases with tan and pumpkin are my favorites. We had -5 in Montana a few days ago! I had to dig out my extra-cold weather gear in a hurry. The week before, we were in Bora Bora celebrating forty years! I always add two extra t-shirts (as per your suggestion) and was happy for the addition! Thank you for your hard work, I ordered two pair of socks from Monday’s post. I’m looking forward to my orange socks from Modcloth!
Amy
The 4th and last capsules raise an interesting point regarding the case for a missing neutral. I. E. Might there be times when a capsule would greatly benefit from a neutral colour that is not present in the scarf? This is what you have done with the last capsule. I really like the addition of the green. I reckon the 4th capsule would look more balanced if you had moved the navy from being an accent colour to bring a neutral. Could this be a whole new topic with exploring?
Yes! I’m going to finish these wardrobes in December, and then subject them to some critical scrutiny. If I can’t find errors in what I’ve done, then I have nothing left to learn, and we all KNOW that’s not true!
hugs,
Janice
Hmmm I also saw brown and navy as neutrals in this 4th Hermes scarf. My neutrals are navy, grey and golden brown/taupe Navy and golden brown are so lovely together. I’m considering this men’s scarf for an addition to my wardrobe, and just noticed how well it coordinates with the Hermes scarf in the 4th wardrobe: https://johnhenric.com/us/accessories/navy-blue-brown-checked-wool-scarf?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9fntBRCGARIsAGjFq5FhSkJYo8OtM290xr96o86dJ-eA0KQIvY0WsidomfCzQoYa-bCJAt8aAtmcEALw_wcB
Janice Collins-Coyle, Washington, DC
OH Janice, that scarf is beautiful! Do it!
hugs,
Janice II
I think the 4th wardrobe just has one too many light colored bottoms. If our heroine traded one pair of the beige pants for some jeans or cords in the maroon color, or maybe if she traded a beige skirt for a navy denim skirt…
I would like to put all blue items from all wardrobes together! (With few corrections – I don’t need 3 navy pumps, of course… But I really enjoy idea of these 5 blue dresses ;)
And looking at dresses… for Zouaves et dragons wardrobe, I imagine the heroine with blonde/yellowgrey hairs and dark brown eyes. She wears red glasses, probably.
I like the way you have illustrated the colors. I’m not to fond of orange but a cream would fit well.
Keeping with my basics of black, navy, taupe, and gray most all of the different colors will blend with my dresses, slacks or skirts. Thank your so much for the organization of colors that can be added for a more attractive attire.
What a great question! I agree with Amy that Zouave et Dragons and Jeu de Soie are very compatible since they share deep red, white, navy, and blue. I love the variety of colors and the saturation of the colors. Since I’m top-heavy I actually like light colors for a bottom layer, but I understand that I’m untypical.
As I was analyzing these lovely wardrobes, I realized that there is essentially no green except for the olive, and very little of that. My major fashion purchase this year was my new glasses which are a dark green color with a bit of kelly green accent on the temples. They are quite compatible with my coloring and my wardrobe, but I would love to play them up a bit. Since so many of us wear glasses, maybe that would be a good starting point for a wardrobe.
Thank you for sharing your stylish choices and your insights!
I would like to combine Rosace and Appaloosa because I think the neutrals from each would work well with the other, and because there wouldn’t be too many accents to confuse me. I’m realising that none of these colour schemes is really for me (my accents are soft or dusty pastel blues and greens) but somehow that makes it easier to really think about the capsules instead of being swayed by a particular colour. It’s certainly an excellent class in wardrobe building.
Like others, I find it difficult to locate “sensible” length jackets and coats. Last year, for an Autumn holiday in Europe I went to an outdoor shop and looked in the travel area rather than the hiking/adventure section. I found an excellent, lightly padded and waterproof coat with a hood, almost knee length with a belt I could tie at the back. It looked smart but was practical, and I wore it almost every day at home through the winter. Well worth the investment as it will last for years.
I like your suggestion of looking in the menswear department. I like the floral cotton shirts popular with young men. Many years ago, my Dad bought a woollen Fair Isle jumper from Mark’s and Spencer. I liked the colours and pattern that I bought one for myself in a smaller size to wear for country walks.
It’s something that we all need to remember, when we’re looking for things that work well in our wardrobe. Nobody can tell if something is made for a man or a woman once we wear it (and what difference does it make?)
hugs,
Janice
Jeu de Soie would blend seamlessly into my current wardrobe, but I am really drawn to La Clairiere. If you brought in the rose hues from the additional scarf in Les Nouveaux Amoreux, I could be happy there forever.
Great series Janice and looking forward to December’s outfit and the final analysis. So far I’ve narrowed my selection down to the navy and grey wardrobes as they are my two main neutral colours and both wardrobes and accessories are very close in style to my own. Unfortunately, I would have to change out all the accent colours. In the navy capsule I would swap out the blue-violet items to red-violet ones like dark mulberry, amethyst and lilac pink and with the grey capsule I would swap out the warm toned cream, peach and orange items to slightly cooler shades of winter white, oyster pink and watermelon. All accents could be interchangeable with both the navy and grey items, but I would probably wear the darker neutrals in the A/W months and keep the lighter whites and greys for the S/S months.
I’ve loved the navy and amethyst wardrobe all year but that soft grey and peach toned one is even more appealing as the year went by.
I’d combine them.
I do in real life. If I had to pick 2 dark neutrals only for the rest of my life it would be grey and navy. Grey is my favourite year round neutral.
Peach, coral, blush, melon shades go fine with navy and look great with grey.
The lavender, mauve, amethyst shades look fresher with navy but they work with grey almost too well to the point of cliche which is why I avoid them together but they are nice.
I have assembled my November outfit…
https://sewrandom.blogspot.com/2019/11/12-months-12-outfits-november.html
I didn’t make or alter or otherwise do anything this month, lol. Outerwear is not my lane. But I did *really* need a coat that would keep me warm in the rare really cold days we get in these parts, so the assignment made me get over the ‘I’m waiting for the perfect coat’ hesitation that kept me wearing an old dingy thing with a broken zipper. Thanks for the impetus to finally take care of it!