July 31, 2020
One more season! The difference between the Spring wardrobe and the Winter is so pronounced – I thought that I was doing something wrong, until I stopped for a minute and remembered that… well… Spring IS DIFFERENT from Winter.
And I thank Buddha for that, every lovely April day…
You can clearly see that Spring is where my personal preferences shifted to pink WITH A VENGEANCE!
White and black tees – Lands’ End; pink tee – Marks & Spencer; floral tee – Lands’ End; linen cardigan – Halogen; shell pink linen shirt – L.L.Bean; striped tee – Banana Republic; striped short-sleeved sweater – Max Mara; pink cotton cardigan – Lands’ End; black cropped pants – L.L.Bean; black pants – L.LBean; black skirt – Lands’ End; shirtdress – Banana Republic
As always, there are 3 clusters here – these could be arranged in a different way if it works better for you! The whole point is that it should work for you…
This is what the original Spring wardrobe looks like when it’s broken into 3 Clusters:
black tee – Lands’ End; linen cardigan – Halogen; pink tee – Marks & Spencer; black pants – L.LBean
striped tee – Banana Republic; white tee – Lands’ End; floral tee – Lands’ End; black cropped pants – L.L.Bean
pink cotton cardigan – Lands’ End; shell pink linen shirt – L.L.Bean; striped tee – Banana Republic; black skirt – Lands’ End; shirtdress – Banana Republic
Am I going to be able to make this work in navy and beige, with accents of green? Well, I’ve already got a green tee shirt in this wardrobe, as well as a green cardigan…
Let’s see!
Navy merino-blend cardigan – Banana Republic; navy tee – J.Crew; striped tee – J.Crew; linen pants – Nine West
This sleeveless sweater (below) is shown as a stand-alone top, but I could see it layered over a shirt or turtleneck in cooler weather. These kinds of garments give you so much versatility; you don’t need as much in your closet is you have garments that can fit into multiple seasons:
White tee – L.L.Bean; sleeveless sweater – Marks & Spencer; navy daisy print tee – Marks & Spencer; sandbar cropped chinos – L.L.Bean
A khaki skirt would be perfect here, as would a navy linen long-sleeved shirt. I couldn’t find EITHER of those garments readily available, but there are always other possibilities…
Oatmeal linen shirt – L.L.Bean; striped tee with hearts – Marks & Spencer; navy crinkle shirt – L.L.Bean; navy pleated skirt – Uniqlo; navy linen blend shirt dress – Uniqlo
This is what it looks like when it’s all together. This was really illuminating for me today; I actually went back and swapped out a THIRD striped tee shirt that I had included. Of course, for the right woman, 3 striped tee shirts would be just right!
As always, lots of ways to get dressed. Wait ’til we get all 4 seasons together in 1 place!
Just to whet our collective wardrobe appetites, here’s a look at the 3 other seasonal Weekly Timeless Wardrobes:
forest green cardigan – L.L.Bean; White shirt – Lands’ End; Navy washable wool blazer – Lands’ End; forest green marled turtleneck – L.L.Bean; forest green turtleneck – L.L.Bean; blue print turtleneck – Lands’ End; white cotton turtleneck – L.L.Bean; navy turtleneck – Lands’ End; plaid twill shirt – L.L.Bean; washable wool pants – Lands’ End; denim skirt – Marks & Spencer; heritage stone pants – L.L.Bean; navy sweater dress – Halogen
Stone cardigan – L.L.Bean; navy cardigan – L.L.Bean; navy marled sweater – J.Crew; plaid flannel shirt – L.L.Bean; navy cotton sweater – L.L.Bean; navy dotted shirt – L.L.Bean; green tee shirt – L.L.Bean; navy tee – L.L.Bean; white tee shirt – Lands’ End; skirt – Halogen; navy pants – L.L.Bean; jeans – Lands’ End; sleeveless dress – J.Crew
Oatmeal linen shirt – L.L.Bean; print sleeveless top – Calvin Klein; Navy cardigan – L.L.Bean; white sleeveless top – L.L.Bean; forest green sleeveless top – L.L.Bean; navy tank top – L.L.Bean; white lace-trimmed top – Banana Republic; floral tee – L.L.Bean; forest green tee shirt – L.L.Bean; navy pants – L.L.Bean; heritage stone shorts – L.L.Bean; navy shorts – L.L.Bean; dress – Uniqlo
It’s going to be good fun to start merging some of these seasons, isn’t it? Monday, I will start!
love,
Janice
p.s. NINE years ago, I managed to find a wardrobe in shades of blue, rose and orange… Oh my!
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The Gap has a navy long sleeved shirt in linen, and I think it’s on sale.
Looking forward to all season together on Monday. Your throw back post from nine years ago is almost the colors I am using for my Timeless wardrobe; Navy, Olive/Khaki with accents of Rust, Red and Orange (with a little white/black/light grey, and in winter a little camel and burgundy replaces the orange) – sounds like a mish-mash but they look really interesting together. I was intrigued to see that you had done a similar mix before. This mix has come together organically and only recently I have documented it into the yearly template and it works!
Oh, and a little blush pink in spring and summer too.
Dear Janice, I am really enjoying seeing these timeless wardrobes come to fruition. I hope you will add accessories as well! Now that I am Dr Eleanor, a closet reckoning is in order, so these posts are timely for me. Thank you for sharing your sustainable, elegant vision with all of us, day after day, year after year!
Dr. Eleanor
Congratulations !
Congrats, Dr!
DOCTOR????
Tell us more…
hugs,
Janice
Oh well, if you insist :) I successfully defended my PhD thesis which blended Derrida and Global Pop Music to argue for a more welcoming music classroom in grades 4-6. Very pleased with myself! Here’s the playlist I put together for my participants. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCIt5E3QzkSuVlGhGeMu_aGx79Gv7ZEKP
That’s brilliant! So are you… I’m so pleased for you – this had to be tremendously difficult, and you must have been amazing!
big big big big hugs,
Janice
And I love Stromai – I only know a few of his songs, but I like them. Now I have to listen to ALL OF THIS!!!!
hugs,
Janice
Congratulations Eleanor – a great topic to choose We live in a global society.
Children deserve to be introduced to a wide range of cultural influences at school. My (now adult) kids often tell me that they are grateful that they went to our local multicultural primary school. It taught them understanding and appreciation of other cultures and prepared them for the world they now live in.
Thanks everyone for your lovely comments. I really enjoyed discovering some new favourites (my personal listening list tends to Western classical, but now I’ve added Stromai and Ngozi and GOT7…great fun (and a lot of hard work, but that’s satisfying too).
Drawbacks to wearing a mask when shopping. I began hyperventilating and felt light-headed. It is a very hot day as well. I went to a cafe for a drink and ordered a flapjack (still wearing mask). The waitress brought me a flat white….?
Any tips on mask wearing to stop hyperventilating?
I have two tricks that have worked with the kids…Stop and take in your surroundings…what are five things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel?, the other is just to count breaths…In :1,2,3 Hold:1,2,3, Out,1,2,3….but I should add that I’m a PhD in an unrelated field not MD :)
Oh thank you – what good tips.
Beth T, Eleanor’s suggestions are excellent. Deep belly breathing and the 5-4-3-2-1 are 2 of my top go-to strategies. My third go-to strategy is to cool down quickly…while out and about, I carry either some cooling wipes or a small portable fan. Also, be sure to stay hydrated.
I would also recommend doing a web search on how to stop panic attacks. I’m NOT trying to diagnose you over the Internet, I promise…but hyperventilating is a common symptom of panic attacks, so you might find some of this advice applicable to your situation. I know that I have.
Thank you everyone for your kindness. I must look out for a fan. I always used to carry one.
I think it was just not being used to cloth all over my face for a long time. I think I was holding my breath!
I’ve also remembered from a stress course to concentrate on breathing OUT slowly, your body will automatically breathe in
but the effect will be to gradually slow your breathing down.
The only thing I was slightly worried about was admitting to my daughter that I’d bought a shirt and a top from a charity shop when she’d told me that I didnt need any more clothes….
She is right so maybe, I shall donate back a shirt that is too big and a top that is too small plus some extra tops that were “I’ll keep it if I wear it this year” but I’m unlikely to wear them this summer. ?
I’ve struggled to get used to inhaling with fabric sucking into my nose and mouth – just a little bit – more of the FEELING of the fabric being pulled into my face! But I count, and I remember that there are a world full of people doing the same thing, and who have been doing this for years. Medical staff, painters, etc don’t die from wearing masks, and neither will I!
Maybe look for a mask with some structure, that stands away from your face a bit more? The first ones we had were the 3-pleat fabric masks, which set RIGHT against your face. Some of the later ones we got have no pleats, but are curved to accommodate ones nose, and stand a bit away from nostrils and mouth.
It’s an adjustment, to be sure, but an important one!
big big hugs,
Janice
Although for me, this Spring wardrobe is a bit dull with no additional green accents, it does show that this could be a workable neutral wardrobe for adding any number of ‘French 5’ accents as the fancy takes you.
I’m currently visiting my local charity shops and have bought a purple sparkly top and a pink/blue check shirt with roll-up tab sleeves (so useful). Both top-end named makes, so I was surprised to see them on the 99p bargain rai!. I’m on the look-out for forest green just to see if the colour will suit me.
Beth, I think one of the striped Ts might be nice in green. Springish. Availability might be a challenge.
As for hyperventilating…that is scary. I solve it by staying home as much as possible.
I tried to find a nice green print or striped tee shirt – the sparseness of the retail world is making my job harder right now!
hugs
Janice
Exactly! For many of us, these are just the core around which we play with accent colors and accessories. I have strong feeling about having the backbone of a wardrobe in place so that all of the fun stuff will have a basis upon which to be seen in their best light.
Does this make sense?
hugs,
Janice
Yes! As a magpie, I have historically not thought much about that need to have a strong base of core items so that my beloved prints and accent colors could sing true. So even when my initial reaction to a collection here is, Huh, that’s a lot of neutral colors, I have to remember, Oh yes, that’s the whole point! A wardrobe full of divas would be a disaster! (And a parliament of magpies creates a LOT of harsh chatter.) I’m also coming to appreciate that it’s valuable to be able to dress with several small voices blended into a single sound or as a soft humming that doesn’t detract from other voices.
For years I have worn mostly blues, turquoise, and olive with a few light tan bottoms. Since I have been staying home, I have ordered some tops in pinks and yellow. Wearing them makes me happier. I know I am looking at this spring wardrobe through my own biases, but while it is very serviceable, it just looks dreary. This may lead off topic, but why not show how adding just a few garments in other colors could brighten it up!
Like Beth T and Abigail, I would like to see accent colors added to the spring wardrobe. Certainly the green tops and cardigan from the other seasons would help, but I too would like more color. Adding a French 5 is a great idea. I would vote for coral.
I do love the stripes! The navy/tan heart one is a great bridge piece. I was surprised not to see a navy/green striped top here, or at least some navy/green patterned top…until I tried a brief search myself and came up empty! I have a navy/white/green striped T and a navy/green floral tank that would feel very at home in this wardrobe and would help satisfy my craving for color and prints.
I think the navy crinkle shirt with the subtle pattern is the winner for me in this cluster. And I appreciate the addition of the navy pleated skirt, which is something I want to see in every navy based wardrobe.
Looking forward to seeing these clusters all together!
Ah, we’re not done with these wardrobes yet! You’re reading my mind…
hugs,
Janice
It’s interesting to me to see comments that this wardrobe is dull. I love it. And I’m learning that I long for these neutral color schemes. My own coloring is vivid and warm and I can take a lot of color, so I have to admit I’m puzzled by my longing to have a wardrobe like this spring one. I know you’ll add the green back in when you mix the wardrobes on Monday; our heroine won’t be missing color on the whole. But for me, my eye is pleased and my mind is calmed with the simplicity of the spring wardrobe alone, as it’s presented here.
I could easily live in this wardrobe forever. No! Wait! I already do! In recent years, tho, I have added turquoise/aqua, especially in the summer with the whites. In the fall I seek out a darker shade and go darker still in the winter, but somehow it adds a warmer tone that all the pink. In the winter, the pink often moves toward burgundy, while the black fades to grey. But, overall this group of colors really had made my life easier. And, best of all, my closet is much less crowded as I have gotten rid of all the impulse buys in blues and greens and even brown/tan – things that I wore once and then ignored. You really have taught me well, and I surely do appreciate it!
Glad that you seem to be weathering this storm well. I hope by next spring we will all be able to go about more freely and see our friends in person. Take care.
The one thing I’d swap is to have a green bottom or dress. Spring skirt perhaps or shorts. But that always depends on what you can find and I feel your pain about the lack of shopping options.
Since some of you were discussing stripes, one of the challenges I fine with the tops Janice puts in is that so often they are stripes: this Rubenesque body has never been able to wear stripes! Except for one year when I was pregnant in the summer and had a 2 inch wide red and white striped dress that I wore on 4 July with a “if you’ve got it flaunt it“attitude. I delivered a week and a half later and have never worn stripes since! So Janice, I appreciate every floral top you include!
I must be crazy but…. In the midst of a heat wave in Vancouver BC I am thinking of cashmere sweaters for the fall. I’ve recently lost a fair bit of weight and all my sweaters are very baggy and droopy.
So thinking ahead to cashmere pullovers and cardigans , Janice which brands would you suggest I try that are good value and quality. I’ve been wearing Lord and Taylor but found the knit quite loose and tends to get holes of all things around the tummy. Maybe I need to be more careful zipping jackets.
I am going to order one and see and if I like, then get some additional colours.
Now I will commit to my new neutrals of navy and grey! And add in a couple of colourful sweaters in my accent colours, still to be determined but thinking teal and cranberry. I want to see what accent colours come out for the fall, maybe add in mustard too
Thanks for all you do. Getting dressed is so much easier when I stay in my colours
I’ve had excellent luck with sweaters from Lands’ End, but I don’t know (a) if they’re the same quality that they used to be, and (b) how many the actually have in stock! I did notice that Marks & Spencer have a lot of cashmere in stock; I don’t own any, but I’ve seen them in stores and they seem to be a good value for the price. Less expensive cashmere is not (of course) going to be as nice as Loro Piana, but it can still be lovely…
May I ask a MASSIVE favor? If you click through ANY of my links to any retailer, ANYTHING that you order from there will generate a commission for me. The pandemic has crushed my business, so if you could consider getting to your chosen store by going through one of my links, I will owe you a cocktail or a flawless coffee, when you’re in Chicago next!
Sorry to talk about money; The Vivienne Files is supposed to be a relaxing, escapist kind of interlude in your day….
hugs,
Janice
Gladly. I order quite a bit from Bean and occasionally lands end. Since I am a dinosaur I order by phone. But I will give this a try. It can’t be too tricky, eh?
The best thing about ordering online is that you can easily see what’s out of stock before you get your heart set on it. In these days of small inventories, lots of things sell out quickly. The post upcoming on Monday proves that!
hugs,
Janice
I am happy to do this, anything we can do to support you! Hugs
I’m wondering how ordering through your site might work with Marks and Spencer.
Your links are to the US site but I use the UK website. ?
Use this link:
https://shopstyle.it/l/bkZTb
You’re SO kind to think of me; I’m truly grateful!
hugs,
Janice
I am guilty of not remembering to use the links, so thank you for the reminder! I need to make a point of remembering: Start shopping at TVF.
I don’t know how this works at all in terms of set up and maintenance, but I wonder whether it is possible/feasible/worth it to have a “retail portal” page for us with a link to each of the companies/websites where you will get a commission. Then when one of us is thinking to go to particular website to look around, we can start with your page. This may not make a lot of sense to do, but just an idea.
It’s already there – look for “Shop” link under the header at the top of the page – you’ll be taken to 2 choices, one of which is clothing. The major links are there – I need to add a few more…
hugs,
Janice
Oh my goodness, it’s been under Shop all this time and I never even knew. Thank you for pointing this out. Now I know where I can start my shopping!
Marks and Spencer’s knitwear washes well and lasts a long time. I am tempted to try the cashmere blend. Customer reviews on the M&S website are generally reliable. Hope that helps.
Thanks Janice. I shall save the link for future use.
My dear friend – consider yourself hugged until you “oof” because your lungs are being squeezed!
xoxo,
Jnaice