February 7, 2020
They’re regular long pants, but they’re NOT denim, nor corduroy, nor velvet – they’re a lovely seasonless (and often no-iron!) cotton pants. The perfect thing to wear on all but the most steamy, or shivery, days…
dark olive green pants – Lands’ End
It’s good to remember how versatile these can be; having more than 1 pair wouldn’t be a silly extravagance if you wore them a lot!
I kept some of the accessories from last week, and the cardigan… Imagine if you had last week‘s and this week’s clothes (and probably the week before) in black and white, or any of the evolving “color stories” in this series. Options make getting dressed (and thus life) easier…
earrings – Kenneth Jay Lane; striped tee – Goodnight Macaroon; white cardigan – Lands’ End; cotton no-wrinkle pants – L.L.Bean; bag – Mali + Lili; espadrilles – Eileen Fisher
Of COURSE you can wear hot pink espadrilles with a flower on them! They’re perfect with the floral tee…
earrings – 1928 Jewelry; khaki palm floral tee shirt – Lands’ End; cactus flower Donegal cardigan – Lands’ End; olive no-wrinkle cotton pants – L.L.Bean; backpack – Sole Society; espadrilles – Taryn Rose
This next outfit just feels… relaxed, but not sloppy. Subtle, but not boring. Grey is always lovely…
earrings – Bhavesh; heather iron tee shirt – Madewell; cardigan – Eberjey; granite canvas pants – L.L.Bean; carbon grey bag – Frye; espadrilles – Toni Pons
I only changed the pants and the earrings here – ROSE EARRINGS! I rarely wear any but the tiniest stud earrings, but these could change my mind. Roses ARE my birth flower…
silver rose earrings – Sasithon Saisuk; tee shirt – Lands’ End; cardigan – Lands’ End; wrinkle-free cotton pants – L.L.Bean; bag – Longchamp; sandals – Cole Haan
After spending a LOT of time looking for nice brown pants, and coming up empty-handed, I realized that there’s a big lesson in this. If you aren’t seeing a solid neutral pair of pants that really bangs your shutters, maybe you should shift the “print focus” of your outfit (and maybe a bit of your wardrobe) to printed pants (and probably skirts, eh?). These were too perfect to resist…
earrings – Argento Vivo; tee shirt – Lands’ End; reef blue cardigan – Lands’ End; pants – Karen Kane; bamboo bag – Vince Camuto; espadrilles – Whistles
This next outfit is timeless – I would wear it weekly for about 6 months a year for the rest of my life…
earrings – White House Black Market; tee shirt – Amor Vert; red azalea Donegal cardigan – Lands’ End; black pants – L.L.Bean; bag – Talbots; espadrilles – Vince Camuto
The slowly evolving 13-piece wardrobe looks almost exactly as it did last week, but swapping out wool pants for cotton is a BIG change in the “feel” of things!
white, black and red tees – Lands’ End; floral tee – Lands’ End; black cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; flannel shirt – Lands’ End; striped Henley – Lands’ End; black metallic hoodie – Michael Kors Collection; cobalt cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; black cropped pants – L.L.Bean; black stretch wool pants – BOSS; velvet skirt – Marks & Spencer; striped sweater dress – Banana Republic
Here, as always, is the overall Weekly Timeless Wardrobe garment list, for your delectation. I think if one owned all of these garments (or a personal variation on some), and then maybe a dozen “statement” garments, getting dressed would be pretty much fool-proof. These basics can of course be all of the clothing that you need if you’re a big accessory person, or if you just prefer to be dressed in a low-key but appropriate and attractive manner.
Chacun à son gout! (each to his own taste!)
love,
Janice
p.s. 8 years ago I shared one of my greatest beauty/skin care blunders, as a cautionary tale to women everywhere!
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Since it’s so important to try on pants, and I rarely have the patience to do that, my current sad choices are multiple pairs of (old) jeans or yoga pants!
Since I work at home I don’t need many dressy clothes and I can dress up my jeans pretty well but I know I should do better for those times I have a meeting or a luncheon or evening event.
Those nice trousers you have shown today have made me promise myself to bite the bullet and go for a proper try-on. That will open up many more combinations.
Thanks!
I agree that you have to try on trousers (pants). I’m also more comfortable in jeans or cords.
I have a few pairs of more formal trousers. Trousers are the only clothes I really buy online as the fit varies with the style and brand. I’m only 5ft and find that petite or short length are often not stocked in the shops. Also it allows me to try on the trousers in comfort and dignity. I can also try on with the tops in my wardrobe. I also have to buy my shoes from specialist retailers who cater for people with small but very wide feet.
Great idea, for when you want to be a bit more dressed up. I love Olsen Europe pants, they are pricey but the quality and fit are very nice
I have black pants, but am trying to move my wardrobe to more olives & browns and shopping second hand is how I plan on doing this. I have a very nice consignment near me and I recently bought a pair of Banana Republic pants in olive that will fit nicely into my timeless wardrobe. I am following along with what I already own and will fill in the gaps as I find great things. I am also selling or donating what doesn’t work for me anymore.
I have several pairs of these substantial cotton trousers and wear them with proper “thin baselayer” long underwear because our winters are truly bitter here. I’ve given up wool and wool blend trousers; nearly all have to be dry cleaned, and are of interest to moths. The best for me have a bit of interest: techno fabric, a detail, or a closer cut than those “work pants” designed to be worn at a desk all day.
I really like the printed brown pants. I really try to keep things fairly plain and a bit darker on top, and add interest on the bottom with brighter or lighter colors or prints like this. It’s upside down I guess, but it works better for me. I’d love to see a little capsule wardrobe that is built on that principle.
Yesterday I helped my in-laws move into assisted living. Going through my my mother-in-law’s wardrobe, I realized that the fun, exploding wardrobe that was so much like her younger self would be overwhelming to her now. Years of following along with this blog helped me more concretely define and organize her current needs. Made me really appreciate the work you do here on a new level.
Oh, Dear Julie,
I’m sorry for your current chores, and I send you and your mother-in-law much love. You’re a wonderful woman to care for her in all of these ways, and to be so insightful about what will be best for her now. Tell her that a nutty random blogger in Chicago sends her lots of hugs…
and to you too!
Janice
Thank you, Janice. I’ll be sure to give her lots of hugs. Of course I knew it was coming, but I don’t think you can be truly ready for this season of life until it’s upon you. There’s a new sweetness, however, that I’m cherishing with all my heart. Each life chapter has its gifts and sorrows.
That’s such a good attitude, and a great way to look at things. We have to embrace what’s in front of us, because we don’t have the past, nor the future. If we are going to experience joy, it has to be with what’s in our lives right now.
xoxo,
Janice
Thank you for suggesting to wear tights underneath slacks for warmth. We frequently have extreme changes in temperatures here, and it really isn’t practical to have a “winter wardrobe” and a “warm weather” wardrobe. So most clothing needs to do double duty: we had 75 degree temperatures and within 2 days it was in the 20s and 30s! I generally layer my tops but need to be reminded to layer below the waist, too. So now I need to invest in tights because I’m good for the basics.
That being said, once you finish the weekly series (can you believe we are more than halfway through?!?) I would love to see a “fab five” series to go with the basics. I know there are past articles (that I love looking back over) but it might be nice for a fresh look in the summer.
Hmmm… good idea! And as Duchesse mentioned, don’t discount the idea of long underwear. It’s light and comfortable, and makes wonderful pajamas in cooler weather!
hugs,
Janice
The gray pants combination attracted my attention because I hadn’t thought of those particular pairings and I have have lighter weight versions that I can put together. Thanks much.
Now that my hair is going ‘white’, I’m falling in love with grey again (overcoming decades of dislike because it was my school uniform colour). Last spring, I bought a pair of pale grey trousers and by chance I had a grey cardigan/jacket that was just a tone darker. Worn with a floaty ivory blouse and I had a smart-casual ‘suit’! This spring, I’m going to look out for lilac and pink blouses to wear with this outfit.
Great doable ideas here!
On a side note, I’m so excited to find a pair of espadrilles for this summer, I’m seeing lots of styles. I have always enjoyed them. I wear a size 11/12 so now’s the time to find some before my size is gone. I’ve seen some that are kind of a combo sneaker looking style that would work.
My favourite 4-season pants are the Avery, from Banana Republic
They’re a straight-legged ankle length pant, with a lovely crease down the middle. They are such a phenomenal staple in my wardrobe – can very easily dress down or up! And they come in short (petite), regular and tall!! :)
And great quality!!
https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=518067002&cid=1050786&pcid=67595&vid=1&grid=pds_23_34_1#pdp-page-content